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A NEWSPAPER BY THE JOURNALISM STUDENTS OF GRIFFITH COLLEGE CORK Follow us at: Leemail Newspaper 2012 Follow us at: @leemail2012

DISCRIMINATION

BRIDGING THE DIVIDE

PHOTOGRAPH: JAMES MILLAR

Last year’s edition of Leemail received many commendations for its coverage of mental health issues. This year, we have decided to look at what we believe is also a very important issue — that of discrimination and injustice.

We wanted to shine a light on a particular range of issues that bubble under the surface of our everyday lives. We look at racism, sexism, prostitution and religion, and we lift the lid on the real situations that are all around us. As journalism

students, we believe it is important to bring attention to these issues. Media has always a vital role to play in highlighting different aspects of society, uncomfortable as they may be. Alex Millar, Editor

Griffith: refreshingly different Are you interested in gaining a third level qualification in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere with a practical hands on approach? Are you considering studying for a part time qualification to upgrade existing skills? Then Griffith College Cork

(GCC) which caters for all these needs could be just the ticket. Griffith College Cork, located at Cove Street, Sullivan’s Quay in the city, opened its doors for students in June 2005 when Skerry’s Cork Business School merged with Griffith College Dublin

(Ireland’s largest independent college). Skerry’s had been at the forefront of education in Cork since 1884 and has had a long successful history. The current staff and management of Griffith College Cork continue this proud tradition. Griffith College Cork offers a diverse range of courses on both a full-time and a part- time basis. Full-time courses are offered in the faculties of Business, Journalism and Law. GCC also has a range of continuing education courses offered in the evening and at weekends. These include programmes in Law, Computing, Business and Psychology. All degree courses are validated by the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC). GCC has smaller class sizes than other third level colleges which allows for individual and focused attention. It is easy to find your way around and make friends. College campuses can often be very daunting because of large class numbers, and the inaccessibility of lecturers. Griffith is refreshingly different, ask any student and they are bound to tell you about approachable lecturers with a genuine interest in student progress and development.

Law GCC Law faculty provide a range of Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Professional programmes. If you are interested in studying a Degree in Law the LL.B. (Hons) in Irish Law is recognised by the Law Society of Ireland and the Honorable Society of King’s Inns and is validated by HETAC and Nottingham Trent University (NTU). You can study for this law degree over three years either on a full-time or a part-time basis. The Law faculty offers postgraduate students a suite of LL.M degree programmes in International Law (General), International Commercial Law and International Human Rights Law. These programmes are one year in length, can be taken full-time or part-time and are validated by HETAC and NTU at Level 9. The Law faculty offers a Diploma in Legal Studies & Practice which is the only such programme in Ireland validated by HETAC

at Level 7 and recognised by the Irish Institute of Legal Executives. On successful completion of this programme you can apply for membership as a legal executive to the Institute or progress into year 2 of our Law degree programme. If you are preparing to sit the entrance exams for either Blackhall Place or King’s Inns to train as a solicitor or barrister, GCC offers preparatory courses for both.

Journalism The College offers two Journalism courses in the Cork campus. Along with a three Year Level 7 BA in Journalism (HETAC) degree, the college also offers a MA in Journalism and Media Communications (HETAC). The latter is open to students with an existing honours degree in a non journalism discipline. Both courses are recognised by the National Union of Journalists and students are eligible for NUJ student membership. The lecturing staff is drawn from professionals in Irish journalism and media. The courses are run on a very practical nature. There is a radio studio on campus and the students set up and operate their own live radio station (Griff FM) for a period during each academic year and have produced this very newspaper supplement!

Business The college offers HETAC degree courses in Business Studies, Accounting & Finance and Marketing. On successful completion of the BA (Hons) Accounting & Finance (HETAC), degree students gain substantial exemptions from professional accounting bodies. All business degree courses are full time and run for three years. The HETAC Certificate in Office Administration has been designed to equip students with the knowledge and practical skills required to commence employment on completion but also as a basis for progression to higher academic studies. Students may proceed to a HETAC Higher Certificate in Business and obtain exemptions on a subjectby-subject basis.

Drama From September 2012, GCC is pleased to announce the commencement of three part-time programmes of interest to drama teachers and practitioners. The Higher Diploma in Arts in Drama Education, HETAC Level 8 presents six streams over one year including: Pedagogy and Teaching Practice; Psychology of Teaching and Learning; Professional Practice; Preparing the Performer; The Creative Process and Application of the Creative Process. The Certificate in Drama Education (40 credits HETAC Special Purpose Award – Level 8) involves four modules which are subsets of the Higher Diploma. The Certificate in Drama Performance (20 credits - HETAC Special Purpose Award – Level 8) involves two 10 credit modules, which are subsets of the Higher Diploma.

Evening The evening classes run by GCC form a very important part of the College. Recently increasing numbers of adults have been returning to education for different reasons. There are a wide variety of courses available in the areas of Computing, Business, Law, Psychology and Accountancy. Long-term and short-term programmes are available with course schedules lasting from five weeks to three years.

Computing Griffith College Cork also provided courses in Computing Science under the Government Springboard initiative during the 2011-12 academic year. These HETAC validated courses consisted of a Certificate and a Higher Diploma in Computing Science catering for those wishing to develop careers in the ICT sector. It is expected that these Springboard courses will also be available for the coming academic year. If this article has made you keen to learn more aboutGriffith College Cork you can access more information on all the GCC courses by visiting the College website on www.gcc.ie, phoning (021) 4507027 or e-mailing admissions@gcc.ie .

Human trafficking in Ireland Women are being forced into the sex trade in Ireland. Eileen Coffey investigates the extent of the problem in Cork city When you see a prostitute on the streets, what comes to mind? That she is only doing it for the money, that she can turn a few tricks, or “look at the state of her”? The list of names to describe a woman selling her body for money goes on. But the gritty reality is that a lot of women are being forced into the sex trade against their own will. This is what is referred to as human trafficking. It is the exploitation of humans for the purpose of sex. It is estimated that between 600,000 and 800,000 people are trafficked around the world each year. In Ireland alone, a commission by the INIS (Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service) revealed that over 100 women are trafficked into this country. Mary Crilly, the director of the sexual violence centre in Cork City, has dealt with some cases of human sex trafficking. “The U.N has recognised that Ireland is a designated spot for people to be trafficked around Europe or kept in Ireland,” she said. “Many people may think that because Dublin is the capital, a lot of people will be just trafficked in and out of there, but this is not the case,” Crilly said. “There is more focus on the capital, but there are women in rural areas and cities around. There is quite a lot of trafficking going on in Cork.” In total, about four or five women have come to the centre in Cork to escape the ordeal they have gone through. This isn’t even the tip of the iceberg, considering the percentages of women, children and men, who are being used in this trade. A lot of this sex trafficking trade can be done now online, by the click of a button and there are a lot of escort agencies available

The gritty reality in Ireland is that a lot of women are being forced into the sex trade. (Photo: Eileen Coffey) to the public now. Some of the women on these sites are also victims of sex trafficking, but it is hard to pinpoint the exact number of people who are subject to these online agencies. Crilly believes that woman on these Irish sites have been trafficked and she describes these

websites as like “a menu in a restaurant, people pick what age they want, what size they want and colour they want. It’s horrific that’s the way they pick woman.” When women are forced to have sex with a stranger, the pimps will take most of the money from them.

They are lucky to be left with any at all. Crilly stresses one fact: that nobody has the right to “take a young girl and do whatever they want to do with her. no matter they have paid for her”.

***

If you suspect any form of hu-

man trafficking or you are a victim, visit the following websites: www.sexualviolence.ie www.stopsextrafficking.ie www.blueblindfold.ie Anglesea Street, Garda Station, Cork City Tel-021 452 2000

Stand up to cyber bullies

By Maeve Linehan

EdUCATIoN Minister Ruairi Quinn has announced that a major anti-cyber-bullying forum will take place this May 17, which will consider changes to existing national anti-bullying policies that could help curb the growing problem in Irish schools. Cyber-bullying is a relatively new form of modern provocation, but internet harassment has been recognised since as early 1999 – before the advent of Facebook or Twitter, which of course made it that much more prevalent and accessible. While the cyber bullying spectacle has received a lot more me-

dia attention in recent years, the statistics are still shocking, with 40% of teenagers with internet access reporting having been bullied online, according to the national Crime Prevention Centre. Girls are more likely to be targets of cyber-bullying than boys, and only 10% of adolescents bullied online report the fact to their parents. one of the most publicised and brutal cases of cyber bullying in the last two years is the internationally infamous story of Phoebe Prince, the Irish girl who emigrated to America in autumn of 2009. By January 2010, she was dead. of course, cyber bullying is

not restricted to the use of social networking sites. In 2003 a teenager in Quebec had to drop out of school and undergo psychiatric care after his peers uploaded a video of him wielding a golf ball retriever, pretending it was a “lightsaber” from the films Star Wars. The clip went viral and the teenager in question, Ghyslain Raza, became the victim of international ridicule. In recent years, there have been more and more stringent measures put in place to deal with cases of cyber-bullying. Social networks such as Facebook offer a service whereby a bully can be reported to the organisation,

or blocked from contacting the victim on the site entirely, as well as a Safety Centre for on-going discussion and advice. In the wider world, cyber bullying is now recognised as a legitimate form of bullying, though it is not yet criminalised in Ireland. While Phoebe Prince’s bullies were arrested and tried in Massachusetts, the most severe punishment of cyber bullying in Ireland is expulsion. *** To learn more about the cyberbullying and what measures can be taken to prevent it, visit www.bully4u.ie.

Racism on the rank Taxi drivers are being racially abused both verbally and physically writes Isabel Bartak-Healy TAXIS ARE the chosen mode of transport for most when drinking alcohol and cabs are now more readily available than ever. But for some taxi drivers, the job is not easy. Mangot Fingh, an Indian taxi driver working in Cork, has experienced racist behaviour from customers. “This is a big problem,” he said. “We are at the taxi ranks in the city centre and people come and see a person’s colour or nationalist and skip to the next taxi in the row that has an Irish taxi driver. I never encountered anything like this before when I was working in SuperValu or on other jobs.” Tony Oseh, who is studying for a Masters in Journalism, has worked as a taxi driver in Ireland for four years. “This behaviour has been going on for a couple of years,” he said. “I look at people who do it as being very ignorant. You might have ﬁve black guys on the rank queuing and someone will come over to get a taxi and jump

the queue until they ﬁnd a driver that is white. Someone who was very drunk once called me the ‘N’ word. “I think when somebody is really drunk they say what they really feel about somebody,” Oseh said. “I have complained to the Taxi Federation but the rights and regulations say a person has a right to choose what taxi they would like to get into.” However, John Usher, president of the Irish Taxi Drivers Federation disagrees. “I have not come across and I am not aware of any foreign national taxi driver receiving racial abuse,” he said when interviewed by Leemail. “They’re allegations, they’re not fact and I don’t see it happening in my opinion. The reality of the situation is if a taxi driver does something wrong he is criticised by his colleagues, unfortunately if a foreign national does something wrong he is also criticised, but a lot of people think he is criticised because he is a foreign national, but this wouldn’t be the case at all. Whether a man came from Cork, Dublin or Pakistan he would be criticised for doing something wrong. It would not be racially motivated at any stage.” Usher was speaking after a man was jailed this year in Ennis, Co Clare for assaulting Nigerian driver Bartholomew Omoifo, knocking out two of his teeth and using racial slurs. Omoifo told a court that he experienced racist abuse “every

day” while working. Referring to the case Usher said: “I had a man last week who was born and reared in Dublin and he was stabbed, that wasn’t because he was from Dublin that was simply because he was a taxi driver. We have a lot of foreign national taxi drivers in Ireland and they get the same treatment as everyone else. There are attacks on taxi drivers no matter where they are from. The majority of people who get attacked are from Ireland.” Andrew Quealy, a taxi driver from Limerick, has a similar opinion to that of Usher’s. “There are two sides to every story,” said Quealy. “Irish people can do very strange things when they have drink in them. I could end up like him [Omoifo] with a burst face.” However Quealy disagrees with Usher’s statement that all taxi drivers are treated the same. “I have found from speaking to customers that yes, they would have a problem with some of the foreign national taxi drivers,” he said.

“They ﬁnd some of their fares to be different to other taxi drivers. A customer told me a few nights ago that after ﬂagging down a nonnational taxi driver that he wanted €20 up front. That is a big problem at the moment. Numerous customers have told me they have been overcharged and brought home the long way but you see Irish taxi drivers doing this too.” However Quealy, who is also a member of the Private Hire and Taxi Association said: “You should have knowledge of the city you are working in. Foreign nationals sometimes don’t have this knowledge and I think it’s the fault of the people giving out the licences to them. You have to know where you are going. You can’t just come into a country and be a taxi driver and not know where you are going.” Quealy also recalls racial slurs he has heard towards other taxi drivers: “Some foreign national taxi drivers have told me they encounter abuse such as ‘Go back to

“There are attacks on taxi drivers no matter where they are from. The majority of people who get attacked are from Ireland.”

Should religious education be cut from the primary school curriculum? By Laura McCarthy A RECENT report from an advisory group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the primary sector, has suggested that 50 primary schools around the country be divested of religious education and that “faith formation” be taught outside of school

hours. But is removing the teaching of religious education in the primary sector really the best foot forward? Ireland is a country bursting with an ever growing, religiously diverse population, yet around 96% of the state’s primary schools are still under denominational patronage. The way it stands, the country simply cannot afford the extra teaching staff it would take

to successfully segregate classes for the sake of one school subject. But it is, without question, unfair to expect non-Catholic and non-religious students to simply sit in a corner while other students engage in religion class. To axe the school curriculum of religious education altogether is maybe a little extreme, when surely it would be more beneﬁcial for all students to learn a little more about the

religious afﬁliation of their friends and neighbours. Sister Jennie Healy, of the Presentation order, says, “Ireland has moved from a country where we had 95% practicing Catholics, to a country with a sizable proportion of other religious groups, so we have to look at the whole educational system to ﬁnd a way to cater to the religious beliefs of everybody in the community.”

where you belong’ and ‘I want to keep Irish people in their jobs, so I’m not going to use you’. People can be very cruel at times.” Quealy, who has been a taxi driver for 28 years, has also witnessed colleagues’ racial abuse towards foreign national taxi drivers: “Some taxi drivers would have the attitude towards foreign national taxi drivers of ‘what are you doing here?’” he said. “We live in a culture where we have foreign people living here and they must accept that. I admire anyone who has the guts to go out and earn a living for themselves.” Tony Oseh is very aware of the discrimination problems Ireland has because he encounters them every day. “I remember I was doing an MC show in the Metropole and there was about 120 foreigners and about seven Irish people and I asked them ‘Do you feel intimated with 120 black people and one of the ladies answered ‘A little bit’ and I said ‘This is exactly what we feel every day,’” he said. Christopher Humphries, general secretary of the Private Hire and Taxi Drivers Association said: “We hear stories, but stories are stories. We would be more concerned about taxi drivers being abused or attacked. We had an incident last week where a 73-year-old taxi driver was badly assaulted at 5.30 am. He is an Irish taxi driver.” The Immigrant Council of Ireland report 2011 shows areas

However, Catholicism is, or at least was at one point, the foundation of this country. An integrated religious education curriculum would prove a better stepping stone towards embracing diversity than shunning religion away from schools entirely. Certainly, the teaching of other world religions would not only be interesting for students, but it would allow them to better understand those who practice other religions. This goes for children of all faiths. But then, how do schools decide what religions are deemed credible enough to be integrated

Tony Oseh standing in front of his own taxi in Cork city. (Photo: Diarmuid Crowley) in which migrants experience violence, harassment and anti-social behavior in the Dublin area. It stated that there is “a reluctance of victims of racist attacks and abuse do report their experiences to the authorities. An awareness campaign could advertise the available supports and services for victims of racism and could advise them on how to report an incident”. The report also investigates racism surrounding public transport workers. Some members of the focus

group described experiences of racism from customers that they found to be extremely distressing. One interviewee said: “I experience racism every day. Just today, for example, on my way to this meeting, I asked a man for a ticket and he replied: ‘F**k off n****r.’ I told him to get off the tram, which he did. Sometimes passengers say: ‘Go back to your country, black monkey; you’re thieves stealing our jobs’”. The report shows that the total

number of racially reported incidents per annum has declined from 128 in 2009 to 122 in 2010. However, Quealy, an Irish taxi driver believes the attacks are going on but not being reported: “Let’s be honest they do have issues but they don’t speak about it.” The Immigrant Council of Ireland report said that experience of racism in the workplace is “not easy” to understand if you have not experienced racism. For example, one bus driver

who complained about racist abuse he had experienced was told by his supervisor that ‘we all get that’. There is need for leadership on the issues of racism, discrimination and xenophobia from employers, but also an understanding of and sensitivity to the differences between bullying and racist bullying. Usher believes that safety is an issue for all taxi drivers. “I think the representatives should try and improve their safety. That is something we are conscious

of and look at on an ongoing basis.” Mangot Fingh said: “There is no law against racial abuse among foreign taxi drivers in Ireland. The taxi commissioners and the government must pass a law to stop this problem.” The Immigrant Council of Ireland’s (ICI) Information and Support Service provides detailed information about complex issues within the Irish immigration system. For more information telephone 01 6740200.

into the classroom? No doubt Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism, being leading world religions, would have to be introduced. But what about those who practice Scientology, or Kabbalahism? The introduction of diverse religious learning would only lead to more debate and discussion as to what should be taught as a valid and worthwhile religion. To vary this from school to school couldn’t possibly work, and would likely have to change and progress to accommodate new students each year. Teachers themselves are not equipped, or in most cases even

educated in many of these religions. And then there are the children who do not stem from a religious background, would this not just simply continue the already present trend of children sitting idle in classrooms during religion class? “Religious education is very important in primary schools, because if they don’t get that foundation, they won’t ever have it at all.” claims Cork primary school teacher, Marie McDermott. “The new, revised versions of religion books such as Alive-O, do now incorporate a mix religious teachings, away from just Catholicism.

But I believe, if it’s a Catholic school, then that should remain the main religious focus of that school.” When asked what she thought the non-Catholic/non-religious students should do during the period of time when religion is being thought in the classroom, Mrs. McDermott says “they could sit in on the lesson, or else move to the end of the class with a book, or to colour, or something else.” She also stated that reason she didn’t believe that classes should be segregated during this time, is due to the lack of available teachers to supervise extra classes, but did

stress the importance, she believes, religious education should play in the school life of Ireland’s primary students. While religion may still be a big part of Irish culture, it certainly is not the biggest. Nor is it as prevalent as it was in previous generations, and shouldn’t be forced upon school children or their families if a religious route is not one they wish to take. And while some may pose the question, why do these people not send their children to nondenominational schools? I reiterate that 96% of the primary schools in this state are under denominational

patronage. For the report to request that 50 schools in the primary sector be divested of religious education, I think is a reasonable suggestion, if even on a trial run basis. ‘Faith formation’ outside of school hours would also allow more class time to be spent on more long-term beneﬁcial subjects such as English or maths, or perhaps the incorporation of new subjects. Most primary sector schools do not offer any ﬁrst aid training, or even an increase in physical education lessons could help prevent the country’s youth from future health problems and obesity.

Show a red card to racism

Match bans and forced apologies may not be enough to stop racism in football, writes Pádraig O’ Halloran, but plans are in place to prevent it raising its ugly head at the European championships WE ARE now coming towards the end of what could be one of the most important seasons in football history. However, this season won’t be historically significant because of results on the pitch as much as it will for the racism incidents that took place on it. This season could turn out to be the turning point in the fight against racism in football. But it will only turn out to be a turning point if something significant is done. Unless FIFA or UEFA or the Premier League, decide to take a greater stance on the issue of racism in football, it is likely to continue being a permanent problem in the game for years to come. Racism in football has been a serious issue for years. In the Premiership alone, there have been two separate incidents that have led to severe consequences for those involved. Both these incidents shocked football fans across the globe and also highlighted the unfortunate fact that racism in football is still a serious issue. On December 31st of last year, Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was found guilty by the FA of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra during a Premier League game at Anfield on the 15th of October. After a lengthy FA investigation and a thorough 115-page report, Suarez was handed an eight-match ban and was also ordered to pay a £40,000 fine. After serving his ban and paying the fine, Suarez is now back playing for his club. Although the consequences of his actions may have been seemed severe at the time, Chelsea centre-back John Terry may

This season could turn out to be the turning point in the fight against racism in football be in even greater danger. Terry is due to stand trial in July on charges of using racist language towards QPR centre-back Anton Ferdinand. The incident occurred after a match at Loftus Road on the 23rd of October, 2011, when video footage surfaced online of Terry calling Ferdinand highly abusive names. These incidents made so many headlines in the

Cameron publicly spoke out against racism in football and refuted claims that it will be “swept under the table” by the government British media that Prime Minister David Cameron even had to get involved. Cameron publicly spoke out against racism in football and refuted claims that it will be “swept under the table” by the government. Although it may not seem like the case, these aren’t the only examples of racist incidents to have happened on a football pitch. Two Brazilian footballers have been the subject of racist abuse whilst

playing in Europe. Roberto Carlos has been involved in numerous incidents since his move to Russian side Anzhi Machkala. On two occasions whilst playing in away games for his club, bananas were thrown towards him during games. All this occurred in a country which will be hosting the 2018 World Cup. Carlos isn’t the only Brazilian player who has been the subject of racist abuse during games. During a friendly match between Brazil and Scotland at the Emirates Stadium, Brazilian striker Neymar was again the target of bananas. No punishment was ever given by FIFA and no investigation was ever launched. When the President of FIFA denies claims that there is racism in football, you know there is a serious issue. Sepp Blatter raised alarm bells when uttering his infamous quote: “There is no racism in football”. Blatter made these comments during an interview last November and also suggested that racism on the pitch can be forgotten after a post-game handshake. Sure enough, a retraction of the statement was quickly made on the ofﬁcial FIFA website along with a picture of Blatter shaking hands with South Africa businessman Tokyo Sexwale. All these

incidents beg the question: What is being done to put a stop to racism in football? Several attempts have been made such as the Stand Up Speak Up campaign that was launched by Nike in 2005 and the Kick It Out organisation who work closely with the Premier League and English FA to tackle the problem of racism in football. We are now several years down the line and unfortunately, neither of these has managed to succeed in eliminating racism from football. This summer, the European championships will take place at Poland and Ukraine. Although there have only been a handful of incidents of racism in the Ukraine, racism in Polish football has been an issue for years. It is one of the worst offenders in European football and there have been numerous incidents of racist chanting amongst supporters of Polish clubs. With such a heavy microscope about to be placed on both countries in the summer, there are now fears that the tournament may be overshadowed by racism. With so many fears about racism at the tournament, there is even going to be monitors in place at each game. Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) will be deploying two monitors during each game at

the championships. FARE will be working with UEFA and the Polish anti-racist movement Never Again. Never Again was started in 1996 and is Poland’s ﬁrst football-focused campaign. It has given anti-racism training to 7,000 stewards who will be at the tournament. Whether or not these groups will manage to eliminate racism from the tournament remains to be seen.

Contact: FARE FARE secretariat PO Box 67536 London EC2P 2HY United Kingdom T: +44 20 7193 0156 E: info[@]farenet.org Show Racism the Red Card The Linskill Centre Linskill Terrace North Shields Tyne & Wear NE30 2AY T: 0191 257 8519 Fax: 0191 257 8541 E: info@theredcard.org

It’s a man’s world Irish female athletes face more obstacles off the field than on writes David Prendergast, but that is not about to hold them back

FEMALE athletes are regularly unrepresented in the Irish media. Their sports don’t get the same coverage as their male counterparts and the attendance at their games rarely compares to the mainstream games. Where does this difference come from? Dr Katie Liston, sports sociologist at Ulster University, says: “What makes sport unique is that it is one of the few remaining male preserves around the world in which it is perceived that ‘men can be men’. Therefore, women who play are stigmatised and typically labelled as gay.” Rochford sees no reason why team sports should be thought of as manly. “Camogie and ladies football are different to men’s. Men are obviously bigger and stronger and I’ve heard people say that when it comes to football, girl’s games are more skilful to watch because there is less physicality involved in the game.” So women’s sports are as skilful as men’s, but they’re still being compared to male sports as inferior. What is the reason for this? Joan O’Flynn, former President of the Camogie Association, says, “The issue today is more the case of women’s sports not being valued in their own right ﬁrstly, and secondly not being valued equally to men’s.” She sees the media as hindering the progress and development of female sports through trivialising and marginalising these sports. “Interestingly,” she says “the highest female participation in sport in Europe is in the Scandinavian countries which also have the greatest degree of gender equality.” Rachel Armstrong, co-editor of online lesbian magazine

Joan O’Flynn, former President of the Camogie Association, meeting female GAA players.

Statistics about female athletes: The Cork Ladies Football Team won the All-Ireland five times in a row between 2005 and 2009. *** Irish boxer Katie Taylor has been crowned world amateur boxing champion three times. *** American footballer Mia Hamm has scored more international goals in her career than any other player, male or female. *** Lisa Leslie, basketball player with the WNBA is a four-time Olympic Gold Medal winner and has been a WNBA all-star eight times. gaelick.com, follows in the same vein as O’Flynn. Armstrong cites the example of Katie Taylor as proof of the unfair bias portrayed by the media toward our female athletes simply because they differ from what is traditionally accepted as feminine behaviour. “Katie Taylor is a world champion but because boxing is seen as a masculine sport we don’t get to watch her on television. I honestly think that RTE are behind the times on this one as everyone, whatever age, seems to agree that she is over-looked by RTE to an unacceptable degree.

“Katie Taylor is a world champion but because boxing is seen as a masculine sport we don’t get to watch her on television.”

Billie Jean King has won twelve Grand Slam Singles Tennis titles, sixteen Grand Slam Women’s Doubles titles and eleven Grand Slam Mixed Doubles titles. Michelle Wie was the youngest golfer to qualify for the USGA amateur championship and has won the LGPA Tour twice. *** Competitive figure skater Michelle Kwan is among the most successful skaters of all time winning two Olympic gold medals, five world championships, and nine US championships. *** “One instance sums it all up for me” she says. “The Olympic Committee was thinking of making the women boxers wear skirts during the Olympics as they couldn’t tell the men from the women. If you are watching a sport performed well, by the top athletes in the world, why do you need to know whether you are looking at men or women? What difference does it make to your enjoyment?” Irish Examiner sports journalist Fintan O’Toole insists the media does not contribute to a stereotype of female athletes as incompetent athletes.

“If you look at the coverage that’s out there, the message comes through that these are top athletes and that they train at a high level of competency,” he said. “It’s just ultimately a case of people being more interested in male sports and any sports editor in the country has to prioritise what the public want. If you look at a mid week edition you only have 7 or 8 pages of sport to fill. “The demand hasn’t changed in the past fifteen years and it won’t change,” he says.

Somewhere over the rainbow

Cork’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community has made it easier for young people in Cork to come to terms with their sexuality. Eileen Coffey reports

IT CAN be hard for anybody of any age or background to “come out”. Many gay or bisexual young people will hold back in fear of what their friends and family will say. The thought of homophobic bullying can prevent some from revealing who they really are instead of telling a person about their sexuality. In most colleges in Ireland, there are various support groups that help people attempting to be open and honest about their sexuality. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) society in UCC provides a great deal of support for those people within the LGBT community. Earlier this month that the LGBT society scooped up an award for Best Society at the National Board of

Irish College Societies Awards. This is a great achievement for the society and the College. The LGBT society use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to help publicise their community and reach out to people. They have over 1,000 friends on Facebook and use it as a way of publishing news about their social gatherings such as cinema nights, coffee events and pub crawls. The group also holds a coming out week on the UCC campus. This is a week of workshops to help those who are still unsure about how to tell their loved ones and friends about their sexuality. They also hold campaigns on equality for people involved in the group who face issues like marriage inequalities. However, one of the biggest events for the LGBT group in UCC is Pink Training. Every year LGBT societies in Ireland hold their annual Pink Training event. This is where all the LGBT societies in Ireland, come to a county to have a weekend of social events and workshops. Last year, the event was held in Co. Galway. This year’s venue is yet to be announced. Auditor of the LGBT society in UCC, Pádraig De Rís, described the event and the work that the LGBT do. “Pink Training

Students travel from all over Ireland to the LGBT Pink Training event(Photo: Eileen Coffey) the largest student LGBT training event in Ireland and the U.K,” he said. Events usually planned for the weekend include workshops on mental health, sexual health and LGBT history. “There is also a range of workshops and campaigns on marriage equality and the blood ban,” said De Rís. “There is a great community feel to it. There is a lot of experience from different workshops and talks.” UCC students that have gone to the Pink Training event in previous years tend to sign up

for it again and look forward to it every year, according to De Rís. The event will also help LGBT societies around Ireland to be able to network with one another. The secretary and recording ofﬁcer of the LGBT society of UCC, Danny Murphy, describes the Pink Training as a “learning process for the LGBT Community”. Danny said also that they have introduced new workshops such as how to be a LGBT ally and another workshop focussing on parents’ perspective of coming out.

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How do we view sexuality? EVERYBODY has their own individual experience of coming out, with some finding it more difficult than others. Here are just two experiences of students who recently came out. For Peter 22* it was a case of getting in contact with the membership officer of the LGBT society in UCC. It is their role to offer support to those who are in the process of coming out and organise meetings for new entrants to the LGBT society. Peter made contact by email before the Christmas break of last year and they arranged to meet up, in the first week of January. Once Peter spoke with the membership Officer, he went to an event that week and that’s how things got started. When it came time to tell his Dad, it was easier for Peter as he said his Dad already knew. “My Dad said it didn’t matter; it was literally a short conversation,” he said. For Maria 23* it is completely different - she is a bit more reluctant to tell people that she is bi-sexual. “I didn’t really come out to my parents as of yet and not many people from where I live know because it’s quite a small area,” she said. However, since she has moved to Cork things have changed for Maria. “I can now be more open to being truthful telling people who I am,” she said. She has now met plenty of new friends in Cork who are very supportive. Maria also feels that after moving to Cork, “people are more accepting”. For people who are unsure about coming out, she said: “Come out to a couple of friends that you know you can trust and see how they react first and let them give you support.” As for the views on the LGBT society, she strongly recommends a person to join it. “They are the best support you can get,” she said. If you are interested in becoming a member of the LGBT society in UCC, get in touch by emailing lgbt@uccsocieties.ie *Names changed