ShoutOut Annual Report 2022 - 2023

Foreword from Executive Director

In 2022—2023, ShoutOut pushed forward with our mission to advance the inclusion of LGBTQI+ people through education. The past year has seen enormous growth, change, and readjustment –for all of us in ShoutOut, and for many of us in Ireland. Following two years of lockdown and uncertainty throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our organisation has returned in full force to our work with young people in schools, workplaces, and communities.

We are working in a different context postpandemic, which has felt heavy at points with uncertainty, but in our work we find lots of reasons for hope. The young people we meet in schools are eager to play a role in the world around them after two years spent mostly online. They want to use their voices and stand up as allies and advocates within their communities – for LGBTQI+ people and for all of their peers. They are curious to learn more about the stories and culture in their diverse schools and communities, and eager to engage in conversations about identity, intersectionality, and fluidity. In our workshops we give them the chance to lead these conversations - to ask questions, share their experiences, and hear each other’s ideas. Within this report, we’ve compiled a number of their questions, responses, and opinions following our workshops, including their reflections on the school environment for LGBTQI+ students.

Our work in schools would be impossible without our amazing volunteers. This year, we brought our volunteers back to schools and worked to rebuild our volunteer network with expanded training across the country, social activities, and

opportunities for personal development, guided by our brilliant Education Coordinator, Ollie Bell. We’re so grateful to all of the volunteers who returned to us this year following virtual workshop delivery in the pandemic, and to the new volunteers who joined the ShoutOut family.

In 2023, we were fortunate to expand our education offering to a range of organisations across the country, to ensure their services were better prepared to meet the needs of LGBTQI+ youth, families, and community members. We worked with higher education institutions to deliver a groundbreaking training programme in gender identity and diversity, which helped staff to understand in detail the identities and needs of trans, non-binary and intersex students. This work was nominated for a National Diversity and Inclusion Award in 2023. Over the past 12 months, we have worked closely with a range of colleagues and higher education organisations across Ireland to ensure their campuses and courses would be fully supportive of LGBTQI+ staff and students.

More broadly, this year, we also worked across the country to host conversations and workshops for youth services and community organisations on LGBTQI+ identities and how best to support the LGBTQI+ young people in their care. We delivered community workshops in Donegal and the Midlands, we provided education as Gaeilge, and we worked with rural libraries to ensure as many communities as possible could come together for conversations grounded in lived experience, allyship, and empathy. This work feels particularly important in an increasingly polarised landscape.

One project particularly close to our hearts is the Glórtha Aiteacha / Queer Voices resource, designed to offer resilience and hope to LGBTQI+ young people who may be struggling with isolation, bullying, and mental health. Bringing together a collection of LGBTQI+ writers and artists, we asked each creator to produce something that would have helped them when they were struggling as an LGBTQI+ young person, and they went above and beyond to answer the call. This was released in February 2023, and is available online at shoutout.ie, and in print to any schools or organisations working with young people who may benefit. We were fortunate to bring some of the creators together in May 2023 for a bilingual event in partnership with the International Literature Festival Dublin, exploring their work as Gaeilge and talking about what resilience means for queer communities.

We are hugely thankful to all of the supporters and funders who made this work possible, from our corporate partners and donors, to the philanthropic bodies and Government authorities who supported our services.

ShoutOut’s people are our beating heart, from our amazing volunteers to our Steering Committee, Board of Trustees, and staff. Our Steering Committee are Domhnaill Harkin, Lisa Nic An Bhreithimh, and Clara Barry, who this year worked on podcasts, documentaries, guides and workshops for ShoutOut. Their creativity and passion deepens all we can offer to young people and the adults who support them, and we’re endlessly grateful for their time and commitment.

Our brilliant Board of Trustees offer expertise and guidance in pursuit of ShoutOut’s mission and in service of LGBTQI+ young people and the communities that surround them. This year, our longtime Board members Clare Ní Cheallaigh, Craig Dwyer, Fiona Ferris, Katrina Enros, Seán Henry, Shane O’Brien, and Toryn Glavin moved on from ShoutOut after giving their skills and ideas so generously in aid of the organisation. We were excited to welcome Dónal McKeating,

Leontine Weijts, Daniel Kelly and Dr Orla Dunne to the Board since these departures, and our organisation is ever-stronger with their support.

We also saw some changes in our staff team, as our brilliant Training and Development Manager Tilly Taylor left ShoutOut to work as a creative producer. Tilly’s remarkable impact on ShoutOut’s work and growth can be seen across every page in this report, as so many of our achievements in these past 12 months can be attributed to her talent, hard work, and dedication in all she did for ShoutOut. Our little team misses our wonderful colleague, but we know she has only the brightest things ahead.

We feel so fortunate to have welcomed Gordon Grehan to the team in June 2023, right into the midst of Pride, to the role of Training and Development Manager. A longtime friend and guide to ShoutOut since our earliest days, Gordon’s extensive experience in the trans and LGBTQI+ sector brings a wealth of knowledge to our team, which he directs energetically to our corporate and capacity building programmes. Since then, we’ve been joined by Elaine Murphy as Education Manager and Salvador Gutiérrez as Communications and Development Coordinator, and our little team suddenly feels that bit bigger!

With all this change, and growth, our organisation feels prepared for what lies ahead. We know the coming years may bring far more turbulent change for LGBTQI+ people, and we know that LGBTQI+ youth will be most at risk of being left behind by progress, or isolated in a rapidly-shifting world. This report details the work we’ve done, and will continue to do, to shape a world which better understands LGBTQI+ young people, hears their needs, and holds the tools and confidence to support them.

Ruadhán Ó Críodáin Executive Director

Foreword from Chair

The past year has been an exciting and rewarding one for ShoutOut, with the continued success of our educational programmes, the expansion of our dedicated team, and the continuing development of our services while working toward serving and advancing the LGBTQI+ community in Ireland.

Our Executive Director, Ruadhán Ó Críodáin, has driven an ambitious project of programme development over the past year, and the growth of our staff team has seen some turnover in key positions and the development of additional capability in the organisation. We were very sad to lose Tilly Taylor to an exciting new life in the arts but were so fortunate to be able to recruit Gordon Grehan into the role of Training & Development Manager and Elaine Murphy into the role of Education Manager, to work alongside Ollie Bell who continues as Education Coordinator. We will also shortly welcome Salvador Gutiérrez into a newly-created role as Communications and Development Coordinator, which should allow us to further deepen our engagement with our stakeholders and our community.

At Board level, we were very fortunate in 2023 to add some fantastic new members, Dónal McKeating, Emily Glen, Daniel Kelly, Leontine Weijts and Dr Orla Dunne, who have proven invaluable for both their enthusiasm and ability in helping the continued work towards modernising and professionalising the Board structures, policies and procedures. We are continuing to try to build on the incredible work done by our predecessors, and we wish to thank Clare Ní Cheallaigh, Katrina Enros, Shane O’Brien, Toryn Glavin and Liam Bennett, who left during 2023, for their stellar contributions over their years of service, without which ShoutOut would not be what it is today.

Our mission remains to provide educational programmes to promote equality, inclusion and understanding of the LGBTQI+ community, both in Ireland and further afield. It is a mission and a responsibility that we take incredibly seriously and the Board have unwavering confidence in and ambition for ShoutOut’s future, and we will strive to continue to support Ruadhán and his team through 2024 in achieving our goals, objectives and maybe a few of our dreams.

Sean O’Sullivan Chairperson

ShoutOut

Outhouse

105 Capel Street

Dublin 1

Charity Registration Number: 20141769

Contact

Links

Website www.shoutout.ie

Facebook @ShoutOutIRL

Instagram @ShoutOut_IRE

LinkedIn /company/shoutout-ie

Board of Directors

Sean O’Sullivan Chairperson chair@shoutout.ie Staff

Ruadhán Ó Críodáin Executive Director director@shoutout.ie

Gordon Grehan Training & Development Manager training@shoutout.ie

Elaine Murphy Education Manager elaine@shoutout.ie

Ollie Bell Education Coordinator education@shoutout.ie

Salvador Gutiérrez Communications & Development Coordinator communications@shoutout.ie

Governance

ShoutOut is governed by the Board of Directors, led by chairperson Sean O’Sullivan. The Board of Directors provide oversight and support risk management for ShoutOut’s operations and growth, as well as overseeing the financial activities and audits of the organisation. Financial oversight and checks are provided by the Treasurer, Dónal McKeating. The charity’s records and minutes are maintained and updated by the Secretary, Leontine Weijts.

ShoutOut has five core members of staff – an Executive Director, Training & Development Manager, Education Manager, Education Coordinator, and Communications & Development Coordinator.

ShoutOut is supported in its daily activities by a voluntary Steering Committee, who bring their skills and experience to projects and activities under ShoutOut’s remit.

ShoutOut is supported by a broader network of volunteers, working to deliver LGBTQI+ inclusive education in schools, youth groups and other youth centres on the charity’s behalf.

ShoutOut produces an Annual Report each year to look back on the achievements the charity has made in the previous year. This annual report also provides an overview of the finances and organisational output of the charity.

Board of Directors

Sean O’Sullivan (Chairperson)

Dónal McKeating (Treasurer)

Leontine Weijts (Secretary)

Clare Ní Cheallaigh (departed 2023)

Craig Dwyer

Daniel Kelly

Katrina Enros (departed 2023)

Fiona Ferris

Dr Orla Dunne

Seán Henry (departed 2022)

Shane O’Brien (departed 2023)

Toryn Glavin (departed 2023)

ShoutOut thanks Clare Ní Cheallaigh, Katrina Enros, Seán Henry, Shane O’Brien, and Toryn Glavin for their longtime support and contributions as Directors of ShoutOut.

Staff Team

Ruadhán Ó Críodáin

Gordon Grehan

Elaine Murphy

Ollie Bell

Salvador Gutiérrez

Tilly Taylor (departed July 2023)

Steering Committee

Clara Barry

Domhnaill Harkin

Lisa Judge

Meet the Team

Ruadhán Ó Críodáin Executive Director (he/him)

Ruadhán Ó Críodáin has been involved with ShoutOut since its foundation, first as a volunteer and then as Development Manager. Now, as Executive Director, Ruadhán works to lead and grow the charity and to manage and deliver its LGBTQI+ awareness programmes in schools, services, and workplaces in service of the charity’s mission: LGBTQI+ inclusion through education. Outside of ShoutOut, Ruadhán serves as a Board Director of GAZE International LGBTQI+ Film Festival.

Gordon Grehan Training & Development Manager (he/him)

Gordon designs, develops and delivers workshops for workplaces, support services, sporting bodies and other organisations. He also looks after ShoutOut’s financial administration and works with the Executive Director on fundraising and development. Before joining ShoutOut, he worked for TENI (Transgender Equality Network Ireland) for seven years as Operations Manager. He is passionate about equality, effecting meaningful change and breaking down the barriers that the LGBTQI+ community faces in Irish society.

Elaine Murphy Education Manager (she/her)

Elaine is the Education Manager with ShoutOut. She oversees the development and implementation of our programs for young people in educational settings. In collaboration with the Education Coordinator, she hopes to scale ShoutOut’s LGBTQI+ educational programs through the development of educational resources, curriculum supports, and inclusive policies for schools, in addition to teacher training and support. Elaine is passionate about inclusive education and social change, with a background in Advocacy and Activism and over 8 years of experience in the community and charity sector.

Ollie Bell Education Coordinator (they/them)

Ollie first got involved with ShoutOut as a volunteer in 2016. They are now working with ShoutOut as their Education Coordinator, after completing their Masters in Community and Youth Work at Maynooth University. They work with ShoutOut’s many amazing volunteers and liaise with schools interested in having LGBTQI+ educational workshops. Outside of ShoutOut, they are a passionate LGBTQI+ rights activist and feminist.

Salvador Gutiérrez Communications & Development Coordinator (he/him)

Salvador is our Communications & Development Coordinator at ShoutOut. With a background spanning since 2017, he has been dedicated to the realm of communications for development, collaborating with esteemed organizations such as Laboratoria and the United Nations. At ShoutOut, Salvador oversees our communications initiatives and collaborates closely with the Training & Development Manager to cultivate strategic partnerships. Through these efforts, he aims to amplify our organization’s impact and raise awareness of our mission. Salvador is passionate about fostering a world where every individual is acknowledged, cherished, and treated with respect.

Highlights of the Year

Ollie joins the team!

Our Education Coordinator, Ollie Bell, joins the team!

Teacher Trainings

We trained teachers in St Mary’s College, Naas in LGBTQI+ inclusion and supporting LGBTQI+ youth.

Back to School!

We returned to full in-person school workshop delivery in September 2022, following the end of lockdown restrictions.

Volunteer training!

We trained a new cohort of volunteers to deliver school workshops!

New office!

ShoutOut moved into a larger office in our beloved home, Outhouse LGBTQI+ Centre. This office was previously home to the historic Marriage Equality and Abortion Rights Campaign movements. Big shoes to fill!

October School Workshops

We delivered workshops to schools in Dublin, Waterford, Kildare, Kilkenny, Wexford, Cork, and Monaghan!

Train the Trainer, TUS

We trained staff across higher education institutions to act as champions for Gender Diverse communities on their campuses, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to support students and colleagues, and to fully share their learnings.

SPHE Curriculum Consultation

We contributed to consultations on the Senior Cycle RSE Curriculum.

November School Workshops

We delivered workshops to schools in Monaghan, Wicklow, and Dublin!

Coast Guard Conference

We delivered training to Coast Guard volunteers in Limerick, giving them guidance and insight in LGBTQI+ awareness.

Ten Years of ShoutOut!

We marked ten years of ShoutOut and took the opportunity to thank all of our amazing supporters and volunteers, with Minister Roderic O’Gorman and with MCing from Shane Daniel Byrne.

Higher Education trainings

We provided training and support to staff in colleges and universities across Ireland, including South East Technological University, Mary Immaculate College, Carlow College, Technological University of the Shannon-Midwest, and the University of Galway.

Highlights of the Year

December School workshops

We delivered workshops to schools in Mayo, Monaghan, Wicklow, Dublin, and Limerick!

The Wheel Heroes Event

Alongside The Wheel, we celebrated one of our most dedicated and committed volunteers, Stephen Turner, who has delivered over 100 ShoutOut workshops in schools.

January School Workshops

We delivered workshops to schools in Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Laois, Dublin, and Mayo!

February

School Workshops

We delivered workshops to schools in Galway, Louth, Offaly, Longford, and Dublin!

Glórtha Aiteacha

We launched a resource for young people with stories and art from LGBTQI+ creators, exploring queer resilience and joy.

National Diversity and Inclusion Awards

Our work delivering a training programme in Gender Identity, Expression, and Diversity for Higher Education Institutions was nominated for a National Diversity and Inclusion Award!

Highlights of the Year

March

ABCs UL as Gaeilge

We delivered a workshop for Seachtain na Gaeilge to staff in UL’s Aonad na Gaeilge.

Cork Volunteer Training

We trained volunteers in Cork at the Quay Co-Op!

CBI Training

We delivered LGBTQI+ training sessions to the staff at Children’s Books Ireland.

Trans Day of Visibility

We marked Trans Day of Visibility by calling for support for trans youth and attending Trans and Intersex Pride’s TDOV protest.

School Workshops

We delivered workshops to schools in Laois, Limerick, Galway, Dublin, Tipperary, Wicklow, and Meath!

Bandon Library Event

We visited Bandon Library to answer questions and share guidance with local parents, guardians, and community members on LGBTQI+ issues.

ABCs with Gheel

We delivered LGBTQI+ workshops to staff and service users in Gheel Autism Services.

April

School Workshops

We delivered workshops to schools in Westmeath, Galway, and Dublin!

EU Conference on LGBTIQ+ Equality

Our Executive Director Ruadhán spoke on LGBTQI+ youth and education at a conference on LGBTQI+ equality in the EU under the Swedish EU presidency in Stockholm.

Volunteer Social

Our volunteers gathered for a social event with Drag and Draw models and activities!

Volunteer Training

We held a volunteer training in Dublin!

National Gallery Youth Panel Workshop

We worked with the National Gallery’s youth panel to deliver a workshop on LGBTQI+ issues!

May

School Workshops

We delivered workshops to schools in Cork, Louth, and Dublin!

Inishowen Pride Workshops

We delivered workshops for professionals, parents and guardians, in Donegal in association with Inishowen Pride, supported by The Ireland Funds – Heart of the Community Fund.

ILFD event

We hosted an event as part of the International Literature Festival Dublin to mark the publication of our Glórtha Aiteacha resource, with a bilingual panel and contributions from Ciara Ní É, Matt Kennedy, Vickey Curtis, Lisa Nic an Bhreithimh, Zainab Boladale, and Olabisi Comfort.

Highlights of the Year

School Workshops

We delivered workshops to schools in Dublin and Galway!

End of the School Year

We delivered 220 workshops in total!

Ireland AM

We talked about ShoutOut’s work and the situation for LGBTQI+ youth on Ireland AM to mark Dublin Pride.

Gordon joins the team!

We welcomed Gordon Grehan to the team as our new Training and Development Manager!

ShoutOut Apparel!

We launched a collection of LGBTQI+ t-shirts and caps with Sarah Moloney to mark Pride 2023!

Corporate & Workplace Workshops

We delivered workshops in a range of workplaces on The ABCs of LGBTQI+, advice for Parents & Guardians on creating inclusive homes, and Pride 101.

Dublin Pride Run

We cheered all the amazing walkers, joggers, and runners at the Dublin Pride Run as they fundraised for ShoutOut, MPOWER, and Trans Equality Together. Thank you!

Cabinet Meeting

Alongside our colleague LGBTQI+ organisations, we met with the Taoiseach and Cabinet Ministers to discuss priority issues for the LGBTQI+ community, including inclusive education, the rise of the farright, and more.

Dublin Pride

Our staff, volunteers, Board, friends and supporters marched in Dublin Pride in the sunshine, and our Executive Director Ruadhán spoke about our mission supporting LGBTQI+ inclusion through education.

Trans & Intersex Pride

ShoutOut staff, volunteers, Board, and friends attended Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin to march and advocate for trans and intersex rights.

Midlands LGBT Workshops

We delivered a series of workshops for the public in partnership with Midlands LGBT in Portlaoise and Athlone, providing LGBTQI+ awareness and understanding for parents, guardians, and healthcare professionals, supported by The Ireland Funds – Heart of the Community Fund.

What We Do: Educational Programmes for LGBTQI+ Inclusion

ShoutOut started in 2012 with a question; ‘Why was school so difficult for us?’ The “us”, in this case, were a group of LGBTQI+ friends in college, thinking back to just a few years previous and discussing how we had all experienced bullying and exclusion in secondary school. The second question was “What can we do about it?”

This is when we started our school workshops as volunteers; going into schools and talking directly with students about the LGBTQI+ community and how to be an ally. This is still the foundation of the work we do, 12 years later.

We have now developed several programmes with the aim of creating a deeper understanding of LGBTQI+ issues. We provide workshops under the following headings:

– Youth Workshops

– Capacity Building Workshops

– Workplace Workshops

– Community Workshops

– Sports Workshops

The vast majority of our youth workshops take place in secondary schools, the rest taking place in other settings such as youth groups or extracurricular services. Capacity building workshops are those that increase a service’s ability to include and support LGBTQI+ people. Workplace workshops are to create inclusive workplaces and Community workshops are open events we hold for anyone to attend.

Some of our work encompasses more than one of these categories, for example our work within colleges and universities.

Higher Education Institutions may want training in making services more inclusive for its students, in areas like counselling, facilities or sports services. However, HEIs are also workplaces and may need training to support LGBTQI+ staff, in order to create a welcoming work environment for all staff.

We also provide workshops to sporting associations and clubs, with the aim of making sports a more inclusive arena for LGBTQI+ people. This is more important than ever, given the high levels of homophobia and transphobia in many sports. We have been lucky to work with a number of Ireland’s bestknown cultural institutions and organisations, to make their work more inclusive of their LGBTQI+ artists, audiences, and employees alike.

Regardless of the purpose of our programmes, they are always built upon three key pillars:

– Empathy

– Education

– Empowerment

These pillars are bidirectional: we wish to instil empathy by sharing our own stories, and we extend our empathy to those in our workshops who may have never heard these stories before; we wish to educate participants by exploring complex concepts, and we are educated by participants who share their perspectives with us; we want to empower participants to see the difference they can make in their own environment and we are empowered by them to continue our work.

Volunteers

ShoutOut Volunteers

Our Education Coordinator, Ollie Bell, worked to train a cohort of new and existing volunteers in September 2022 to guarantee quality standards of service delivery in our school workshops across the country and to ensure all volunteers were prepared for the return to in-person sessions.

This year, we had 28 active volunteers who delivered workshops in secondary schools across Ireland. Our volunteers spoke to some 6,720 students in classrooms all across the country, answering their questions and guiding conversations on allyship, queer identity, and the particular struggles faced by LGBTQI+ youth in schools. Our volunteers also worked to support young people in other environments, including youth groups, drama projects, and other community settings. We’re immensely grateful for their shared commitment in delivering tailored content to meet the needs of LGBTQI+ young people and their allies.

Our workshops are still, at their heart, about storytelling and education. Our volunteers come from all walks of life and parts of the LGBTQI+ community to tell their stories of growing up, coming out, and finding joy in who they are.

ShoutOut is nothing without our volunteers - we are so grateful to every volunteer who delivered a workshop this year, and especially to those new volunteers from all across the country who signed up to be a part of our virtual workshops. In June, we marched together for Dublin LGBTQI+ Pride, and then again in July for Dublin’s biggest ever Trans and Intersex Pride!

Volunteer Testimonials

One thing that stood out to me during ShoutOut’s volunteer training was that “We’re here to educate, not convince”. This helped me realise that I didn’t need to keep trying to make people accept who I am, and that it wasn’t my duty to keep trying to convince people about accepting queer rights and representations. All we could do was to educate: and shoutout provided the tools for that education through comprehensive and fun trainings.

Aisha

ShoutOut is important because they’re literally youth educators filling a large gap in the education system. They’re bringing visibility to the queer community, helping kids understand what LGBTQIAP+ is, and helping kids develop empathy, kindness, and allyship towards an otherwise marginalised community.

Anon

I volunteered with ShoutOut because like most people I wanted to give back to the community. I was really nervous going to the training but would never regret it now. I’ve made really good friends through ShoutOut. It’s also a little scary the morning of a workshop not knowing how the day is going to go or how the students will react but by the end of it you know it worth it because hopefully, even if it’s just for one student, you’ve made a difference.

Miriam

I’m so glad that I started to volunteer with ShoutOut. It had been an amazing journey of learning and friendships. I see the effect it has on those few queer children, and it’s all worth it. To be part of the social change that can make things safer for them growing

Stephen

Steering Committee

ShoutOut’s work is supported by our voluntary Steering Committee of longtime volunteers and experts who support on specific projects as well as content development and school workshops. The Steering Committee is vital to ShoutOut’s work, and we couldn’t run without them!

Projects led by members of the Steering Committee this year included the ShoutOut, ListenIn podcast (led by Lisa Nic An Bhreithimh), and an upcoming documentary on LGBTQI+ inclusion in sports from Domhnaill Harkin and Feargh Curtis.

Special thank you to longtime volunteer and Steering Committee members Ed O Brien Hogan and Conn McCarrick, who finished up with ShoutOut in 2022.

2022—23 ShoutOut Steering Committee Members:

Clara Barry Domhnaill Harkin

Lisa Judge

ShoutOut Volunteer Subcommittee

Our volunteers represent a range of identities, experiences, and backgrounds, coming together with a shared mission to improve the lives of LGBTQI+ young people in schools and communities. As such they are uniquely positioned to drive and reshape the material we deliver in school workshops.

In the summer of 2023, our volunteers began work redeveloping and redesigning our school workshops based on student feedback and classroom observations to ensure the content we deliver is up to date and fit for purpose for the needs of students in our workshops today. This work was supported by the LGBTI+ Community Services Fund 2022—2023 as part of their support for our student workshops in schools.

Special thanks to our wonderful volunteer subcommittee for their expertise, lived experience, and generosity in developing this material, and for their dedication in this work alongside their time spent delivering school workshops and supporting ShoutOut’s mission.

2022—23 ShoutOut Volunteer Subcommittee Members:

Darragh Beecher, Feargh Curtis, Dr Orla Dunne, Stephen Turner, Clare Geraghty, Elsabe Buys, Orla Brennan, Robert Fitzpatrick

Supported by the LGBTI+ Community Services Fund 2022—2023

School Workshops

From September 2022 – September 2023, ShoutOut volunteers delivered 220 workshops in secondary schools. September 2022 marked our first full term return to in-person workshops following the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions, under which we delivered virtual workshops to ensure the safety of students and volunteers.

Our school workshops programme was supported by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth, under the LGBTI+ Community Services Fund 2022—2023. We’re hugely grateful for the support of DCEDIY under this fund, which allowed us to travel to 18 counties across Ireland to deliver LGBTQI+ inclusive education to young people in post-primary schools.

This year, ShoutOut’s team and volunteers met with 6,600 students across 220 workshops in classrooms all across the country, answering their questions and guiding conversations on allyship, queer identity, and the particular struggles faced by LGBTQI+ youth in schools. Our volunteers also worked to support young people in other environments including youth groups, Youthreach, and other settings.

In summer 2023, our volunteer subcommittee worked to review and refine our workshop content in order to guarantee the quality of our offering to students. Our volunteers noted the need for expanded volunteer training and resources in order to address the changing needs and questions of students in our workshop. In particular, our volunteers identified a need to deliver LGBTQI+ inclusive materials which are intersectional, and which directly address online disinformation and misleading narratives.

220

We delivered 220 workshops

65

We worked with 65 schools across 18 counties

6600

We spoke directly to 6,600 students

28

28 volunteers made this possible!

Teacher Testimonials:

Students are now better informed to engage comfortably in conversations around LGBTQ+ issues.

We invited ShoutOut to give the workshop as we felt they had the experience to share the knowledge with our students. Students are often more open with a stranger than with a familiar teacher they know well.

Very worthwhile workshop – I would highly recommend it to colleagues in other schools. (Ardscoil Mhuire Ballinasloe)

Special thanks to our incredible volunteers for their hard work in making these workshops possible, and to our Education Coordinator, Ollie, for their work coordinating and delivering school workshops.

Supported by the LGBTI+ Community Services Fund 2022—2023

School Feedback Report

Introduction

In total, the feedback form was completed by 430 individuals, across 8 schools (see table below).

Responses were varied for participants and schools, but overall, the feedback form shows that the workshops provide participants with significantly increased knowledge of LGBTQI+ language and terminology, increased confidence in speaking about LGBTQI+ issues and increased confidence in acting as an ally to their peers.

School Feedback Report

Response Overview

3.53 / 5

Across all 430 responses, the average score for workshop enjoyment was 3.53 out of 5.

3.38 / 5

Similarly, participants had an average score of 3.38 for the question, ‘Did you feel comfortable asking questions in the workshop?’

While we might like to see this score higher, this is not necessarily reflective of ShoutOut’s actions in the workshop. There are a great many factors which might influence a student’s desire to ask questions in front of peers. An anonymous question opportunity would perhaps be useful here to increase levels of comfortability. Another observation on this question in particular is how the range of scores appeared across the different schools. School E had the lowest average score for feeling comfortable to ask questions (2.76), along with the highest percentage of negative responses to how students speak about LGBTQI+ issues (23.9%). We could hypothesise that students in less supportive schools are less likely to feel comfortable asking questions in front of their peers.

LGBTQI+ Alphabet

In terms of LGBTQI+ identities, almost half of all respondents indicated that intersex identities were what they were most interested to learn about (40.5%). Following this, students were most interested in the labels pansexual (28.3%), queer (19.5%) and asexual (17.8%). See chart below.

Which labels were you most interested to learn about?

Lesbian

Gay

Bisexual

Trans

Queer

Intersex

Asexual

Pansexual

Other

Students’ interest was reflected in some of the qualitative data also, with a quarter of responses to ‘Did you learn anything that surprised you?’ referencing intersex identities.

‘I learned more about the definitions of sexualities, especially intersex.’

‘I didn’t understand intersex; it surprised me.’

‘That 1.7% of the world’s population is intersex.’

Other common responses to this question were references to LGBTQI+ celebrities and surprise at their gender and sexual orientations, including Angelina Jolie, Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus.

Two students reported being unaware that Leo Varadkar was gay.

Knowledge Gained

The majority of participants (71.8%) reported that they had a better understanding of LGBTQI+ terminology and language after the ShoutOut workshop.

In terms of confidence in speaking about LGBTQI+ identity and issues, half of participants (50.1%) felt more confident after the workshop.

After the workshop, do you feel like you have a better understanding of LGBTQI+ terminology and language?

After the workshop, do you feel more confident in your ability to speak about LGBTQI+ identity and issues?

School Feedback Report

Allyship

Similarly, the majority of participants also reported feeling more confident in acting as an ally to their LGBTQI+ classmates, which is a very positive outcome.

LGBTQI+ Specific Questions

The feedback form analysed had three specific questions which asked participants to answer based on if they identified as LGBTQI+.

– If you identify as LGBTQI+, did you find ShoutOut’s workshop to be a positive experience?

After the workshop, do you feel more confident in acting as an ally to your LGBTQI+ classmates?

– If you identify as LGBTQI+, did you find it helpful to hear stories from other LGBTQI+ people in ShoutOut’s workshop?

– If you identify as LGBTQI+, is there anything you’d like to share about the workshop?

If you identify as LGBTQI+ did you find ShoutOut’s workshop to be a positive experience?

No I am not LGBTQI+

If you identify as LGBTQI+, did you find it helpful to hear stories from other LGBTQI+ people in ShoutOut’s workshop?

The data was similar for the Questions 1 and 2 (as above), giving an insight into the number of LGBTQI+ participants who attended the workshop. Overall, around 20% of participants answered in the affirmative, indicating that they were LGBTQI+ and found the experience positive and helpful.

For Question 3, participants were asked to provide a general open text response to the workshop. Some participants used this space to relay thanks to the workshop coordinators, or mentioned how it positively helped them reflect on their own sexuality.

‘I really enjoyed hearing about the speaker’s experience discovering their sexuality and gender, as someone in the community, this made it feel like a much safer space. I am pretty open about my sexuality in school, and it is known by most of my friends, but I wasn’t really sure how to participate in the workshop with the rest of my class that I haven’t come out to yet.’

‘It is very nice for other people to learn more about LGBTQI+, and it made me feel safe with my sexuality in my class.’

‘It was better to be informed by a member of the community.’

Two participants described more negative reactions, connected to the school environment.

‘The environment created by the school setting makes it very uncomfortable.’

‘It was nice to meet someone from the queer community talking about these things, but the way some people in the class react can be frustrating.’

Positive Responses

Overall, 19% of participants rated their enjoyment score at a 5. Many of these participants also utilised the open text boxes to praise the workshop.

‘Fantastic work from Rob and Steve yesterday, and the lads had an amazing morning listening and learning from them!’

‘Speaker was very nice.’

‘Thanks for educating others.’

Four participants noted the value in teacher focused education.

‘Set up more workshops even for teachers.’

‘Tend to current issues such as the teacher’s knowledge of the community.’

‘We are going to educate staff more.’

‘We can do a workshop for teachers so they become more familiar with terms and pronouns.’

Glórtha Aiteacha / Queer Voices

This year we created and published a resource, Glórtha Aiteacha / Queer Voices, designed and illustrated by Sarah Moloney, and filled with contributions from LGBTQI+ artists and writers. The resource is available online at shoutout.ie/ queer-voices.

This book is a resource for young people, especially LGBTQI+ young people (or those who think they might be). If you’re not LGBTQI+, this book can be for you too. It might help you understand how it feels to be LGBTQI+, what your friends may be going through. Really, this book is for anyone who needs it.

In these pages, we’ve brought together LGBTQI+ writers and artists to share stories, reflections, and advice that they needed when they were growing up. We didn’t really have stories like these when we were at school. It was very lonely at points. Lonelier still within the crowd, in a classroom, in a home. Being LGBTQI+ can feel like that at times: no matter how many people are around you, there’s sometimes a sense of feeling miles away from others, distant.

We created this book to try and collapse that distance a little. To reach a hand out in support. Really, just to let you know that we’ve felt that loneliness too. And when we feel it, we often seek out stories for reassurance that there’s others like us. The writers and artists in this book want you to know that there are many others, just like you. That it might not feel like it just now, but there’s a whole army of us in your corner, rooting for you.

Glórtha Aiteacha \ Queer Voices was developed with the support of the Community Foundation for Ireland through the Bank of Ireland Begin Together Fund.

We want this book to reach as many people as possible! If you think your school, library, youth group, event or home would enjoy reading Glórtha Aiteacha, email communications@shoutout.ie and we’ll post it to you for free!

Capacity Building Training

ShoutOut’s capacity building training programmes are aimed at those who work in service organisations. These workshops are designed to empower and give greater confidence to participants, and to enhance their ability to support or provide services for LGBTQI+ people. We work with professionals such as teachers, youth workers, coaches, and healthcare professionals. We also offer dedicated sessions to staff in sporting organisations, arts and cultural organisations, higher education institutions, and those working in advocacy.

This year, thanks to the support of the Ireland Funds through the Heart of the Community Fund, we delivered a range of capacity building and community workshops across the country, focusing on enabling organisations of all kinds to support LGBTQI+ service users, and hosting empathetic conversations on LGBTQI+ identities in community settings.

These programmes are tailored to the specific group we are working with. We can also expand our service beyond training to assist with policy writing and review to ensure long lasting impact.

Teacher Training

One of the most important strands in ShoutOut’s capacity building offering is our teacher training programmes, offered to staff in primary and secondary schools alike. This year, we trained staff in schools across Ireland in LGBTQI+ terminology and strategies for supporting LGBTQI+ students in their care. In particular, we work with schools who may need support in dealing with an instance of anti LGBTQI+ bullying or supporting LGBTQI+

students in specific cases of need. Teacher training has long been identified by students in our workshops as a priority for LGBTQI+ student inclusion.

Visit our website shoutout.ie for more information or to book a teacher training session for your school.

Gender Identity, Expression and Diversity Training for Irish Higher Education Institutions

In 2022 and 2023, ShoutOut expanded and embedded its training programme in Gender Identity, Expression and Diversity for Irish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) through further delivery of workshops for higher education staff, leaders, and HR professionals. The Gender Identity, Expression and Diversity training programme is developed in partnership with South East Technological University, Mary Immaculate College, Carlow College, Technological University of the Shannon-Midwest, and the University of Galway, with the support of the Higher Education Authority.

The programme has also seen the establishment of a Gender Identity & Expression Equality Champion Network across partner institutions. The Gender Identity & Expression Equality Champion Network represents a voluntary community of individuals working in relevant roles within HEIs to establish gender equality in a number of higher education institutions across Ireland.

Testimonials

We feel really lucky to have gotten a recommendation last year to invite ShoutOut to deliver some in-person workshops for UCD staff and SU officers on how to best support LGBTQ+ individuals and build inclusive spaces in our University. The workshops were highly informative and excellently delivered, with lots of resources and follow-up afterwards. The team at ShoutOut created a safe space in which attendees felt comfortable talking about their concerns and asking questions. The workshop content helped create a feeling of comfort and fluency in talking about LGBTQ+ issues, thus promoting informed allyship. Conversations have continued since, with staff and SU officers feeling better equipped to support our LGBTQ+ community. We would highly recommend ShoutOut and are looking forward to having the team back in May to deliver another workshop for IDAHOBIT.

Dr Niamh Nestor, Co-chair UCD LGBT+ Staff Network and University LGBT+ subgroup

IOB had the pleasure of welcoming ShoutOut for a number of staff and member events over the last two years. They worked with us to tailor the workshops to the audience, and the sessions were engaging and thought provoking and received fantastic feedback from attendees. ShoutOut has been an invaluable addition to our events and diversity & inclusion programmes for staff and members.

Manuela Pejkic, Member Experience Manager, IOB

ShoutOut delivered a very informative session to our staff in RCPI on the ABCs of LGBTQ+. The speaker created a very engaging atmosphere where our staff felt comfortable to explore the related topics at hand and ask questions. The feedback from attendees was incredibly positive. From speaking with colleagues, it was clear that many of us left with a better understanding around inclusion and equality in the LGBTQ+ community. We would definitely recommend ShoutOut to other organisations seeking similar workshops and experiences.

Seán O’Donnell, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland

Workplace Workshops

As ShoutOut continues to grow, we’re eager to educate and to create even more inclusive spaces for LGBTQI+ people in workplaces in Ireland and beyond! We have expanded our educational workshop offerings, and in 2022 and 2023, we continued to work with some long standing partners, as well as forging new relationships with companies and organisations, both here in Ireland and internationally.

At the heart of our workplace offering is a chance for employees to ask questions and engage in dialogue around LGBTQI+ issues in a safe and informed environment. With the rise in homophobic and transphobic attacks, it feels increasingly important that we open up pathways for communication and understanding to build strong networks of informed allies who are educated, empowered, and prepared to stand up for their LGBTQI+ peers. We have met with employees and teams who are open-minded and eager to learn but sometimes hesitant to ask questions amidst an ever increasing environment of misinformation and disinformation. Our workshops are a space to cut through the noise, ask questions that otherwise feel daunting, and engage in open conversation.

Our workplace programmes cover a range of topics – everything from a 101 on LGBTQI+ identities to the history of the queer community around the world, advice for parents and guardians, and support for leadership and HR. These workshops advance a company’s inclusion efforts and programmes, but crucially, they also financially support our work providing LGBTQI+ education in schools.

We’re incredibly grateful to the individuals, employee resource groups, and teams who have mobilised in their workplaces to engage ShoutOut to deliver these educational pieces. By bringing us into their organisations, these people have advocated for us, supported our charitable work, and played a key role in shifting culture towards one of inclusivity and LGBTQI+ empowerment.

If you brought us to your workplace, organised a fundraiser or donation, or offered your services – thank you! Your contributions go a long way at a small charity like ours and play a crucial part in continuing the work for LGBTQI+ inclusion and empowerment.

Our Workshops

The ABCs of LGBTQI+

Our most popular workshop, a fun and interactive learning session which offers a comprehensive overview of LGBTQI+ identity, terminology, and allyship. Everyone can learn something here. Topics addressed by this session include:

– Introduction to ShoutOut and our mission promoting LGBTQI+ inclusion through education

– A personal story about our own experiences of being LGBTQI+ at work

– A detailed overview of LGBTQI+ terminology and theory, including gender identity and sexual orientation

– Further explanation on trans, non-binary, and intersex identities

– Simple steps we can all take as allies

– “Ask anything” Q&A

Allied Leaders

For those in leadership positions, this workshop explores creating inclusive team cultures, resilience, best practice and leadership. This session is crucial for management who want to lead by example in their workplace. Demonstrate your company’s proven commitment to inclusion and diversity and learn how those qualities can make your teams stronger, more creative, and more collaborative in their work. Topics covered include:

– Implicit vs. explicit bias: recognising our biases, confronting them, and being accountable

– LGBTQI+ workplace inclusion: perspectives from employment and human rights law

– An exploration of the ways in which our professional and personal lives overlap

– The facts and figures around LGBTQI+ employment, locally and globally

– Proactive and reactive approaches to LGBTQI+ inclusion

– Practical steps towards a more inclusive workplace

– “Ask anything” Q&A

HR Professionals: LGBTQI+ Inclusive Workplaces

This session is specifically for those working in HR and/or involved in recruitment processes. Participants will receive guidance around supporting LGBTQI+ employees as well as building more inclusive recruitment practices. All participants will have the option of ongoing support with regards to LGBTQI+ inclusion. Topics covered here include:

– An overview of how LGBTQI+ employees can be better covered by broader company policy

– Best practice in terms of dress code, name changes, leave, complaints, and policy development

– Simple steps to build a more welcoming recruitment process

– Strategies for attracting LGBTQI+ talent.

– Optional: Breakout room scenarios around LGBTQI+ inclusion

– “Ask anything” Q&A

Inclusive Homes: Parents & Guardians Session

Perfect for parents, guardians, aunts, uncles, and grandparents at your workplace, this session draws directly on our work with young people in schools. Participants will learn how small steps can make their home more inclusive, and leave feeling fluent in the language young people use to capture their identity today. They will discuss why it can still be difficult for young people to come out in a more accepting world, and together find practical solutions to support anyone who may be struggling. Topics covered include:

– About ShoutOut and the importance of LGBTQI+ inclusive education

– The Life Cycle of Assumptions: Assumptions we make about each other and how they affect young LGBTQI+ people

– Coming out timelines - average ages and those who fall outside the average

– They/them pronouns: a quick explainer and what to do when you make mistakes!

– How to make a safe space for a young person to come out, and how to react when they do

– The best LGBTQI+ inclusive books and films for all ages

– Ask anything Q&A

Pride 101

This session looks at the history and meaning behind Pride, and seeks to capture why it is still such an important movement for LGBTQI+ communities in every corner of the world. Here, too, we’ll look at how we can play a meaningful role in the celebrations as allies, and how we can continue to use Pride as a springboard for change and progress.

– The history of Pride around the world, and why it still matters

– Party, protest, or both? What Pride means today

– Histories of queer culture and expression

– Allyship at Pride – holding a meaningful role in the celebrations

– Pride as a global movement for change by LGBTQI+ communities

– Pride as protest: examining the pressing community issues of today

Empowered Allies

In a post-marriage equality world, the LGBTQI+ community is still fighting several battles on several fronts. How, as allies, can we get involved, and how can we support some of the most marginalised in the community? This workshop will also give you an insight into the landscape for young people in schools based on our direct experience.

– The importance of LGBTQI+ inclusive education in schools

– An Irish and global timeline of equality and the role played by allies in the struggle

– How to navigate pronouns and language and what to do when you make mistakes

– How to support someone who comes out to you

– An overview of ongoing LGBTQI+ rights rollbacks in Europe and the US, insight into the Irish context

– Why allyship is more crucial than ever, ongoing fights for equality and how to get involved.

– “Ask anything” Q&A

Testimonials

Tilly and Ruadhán were engaging, informative, and sparked a discussion that continued for several days. They empowered parents to feel confident discussing relationships, gender identity, and inclusiveness in a language that is accessible and relevant to the children of today. ShoutOut is an ideal choice for any organisation looking for workshops for either their LGBTQ+ or Parents Groups.

Geoff

Lillis, Fenergo

A massive thank you to the team at ShoutOut for a very informative workshop on The ABCs of LGBTQ+. Our facilitator Ruadhán was knowledgeable and engaging and the feedback from our employees has been extremely positive.

Lucy,

Cefai, Fáilte Ireland

We recently had our lovely workshop, The ABCs of LGBTQ, from Shoutout as part of our Pride celebrations. It was our second time having this workshop in the last number of years and we were so excited to welcome back Tilly and Ruadhán. The workshop is so informative and interactive. It helps build awareness and education in a fun and informal way while also providing a safe space to ask questions. We received great feedback regarding this workshop from the employees here and we look forward to working with Shoutout again in the future”

Jenny O’Sullivan, Distilled SCH

Feedback from Workshop Participants

“The facilitators were so great at answering questions in a patient and informative manner! Loved this session.”

“The two presenters were very open and made everyone feel comfortable. The talk didn’t feel rushed and there was plenty of time for questions at the end. Overall an excellent experience!”

“In particular in the area of trans, this workshop opened up a safe space to discuss common challenges faced, and how we can promote, recruit, and create a welcoming environment from transgender folx, as well as everyone else in the queer community.”

“The historic component was fascinating! I really learned a lot. It was also a super inclusive and welcoming session. Sometimes these sessions can be a little bit daunting where you are afraid to ask a question. Tilly did such an amazing job at explaining everything clearly – AWESOME session.”

“This was the best LGBTQI+ session I have attended. I really recommend that more workplaces take the time to bring awareness to their workforce and demonstrate how we can all support our LGBTQI+ people.”

The income of the Charity is derived from providing educational workshops/ training to workplaces and other organisations.

The Charity receives both corporate and private donations and obtains grants from government and corporate business. In 2022, our income, which arises from several income streams, increased from €131,144 to €195,152.

Our expenditure comprises the direct costs of providing the workshops; the support team to make it happen; and the operational costs of running the organisation. Expenditure was higher than the previous year, being €183,145 in 2022 and €122,480 in 2021. Our expenditure has increased directly as a result of restructuring the staff and also by incurring more costs due to increased workshops and charitable activities.

The Charity had a surplus for the year of €12,007. In 2021, there was a surplus of €8,664. The Charity holds reserves in order to mitigate the impact of year-to-year fluctuations in its income. The purpose of the reserves is to enable the Charity to continue to deliver its mission and objectives despite those income fluctuations.

Finances 2022

Income

Expenditure

In 2023, our income, which arises from several income streams, increased from €195,152 to €313,131.65. Expenditure was higher than the previous year, being €183,145 in 2022 and €214,827.70 in 2023.

Our expenditure has increased directly as a result of restructuring the staff and by running new programmes in schools, workplaces, and with volunteers, which kicked off in Q3 2023.

A full breakdown of our finances and audited financial statements can be found on shoutout.ie

Supporters

1st August 2022 — 31 July 2023

Government & Local Authorities

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth Higher Education Authority

Philanthropic & Charitable Organisations

The Community Foundation for Ireland

The Ireland Funds

Group Donations

Avanade

Bambino

Bank of Ireland

Bohemians FC

Byrne Wallace

Crew Brewing Company

Deem

Deloitte

Dublin Front Runners Facebook

Harry’s Nut Butter

Irish Life

Manakau

Monument Insurance

O’Kennedy Consulting

Out2Tennis

Pillow Queens

PlaneConsult

Seanchoíche

Stone Circle Jewellery

Summerhill Primary Care Centre

Swim Club

Talewind

Terenure Enterprise Centre

Tuath Housing

Workhuman

Zendesk Individual Donations

Thanks to every individual who donated across the year!

Thank You

We have boundless gratitude for everyone who has supported ShoutOut over the past year, and that community of supporters is a vast and far reaching one. If you volunteered with us, delivered a school workshop, brought us in to speak at your organisation, donated to a fundraiser, joined us at a Pride march, or contributed in any way in between, then you played an integral role in ensuring that we can continue the work of fighting for a more equitable future for LGBTQI+ young people, one that is marked not by fear or bullying, but is instead expansive in its possibilities.

Our on the ground experience tells us that the landscape for LGBTQI+ youth has come a long way, but that there is still a critical need for safe spaces where young people can have conversations about LGBTQI+ identity. Your support ensures that we can carve out a meaningful place for LGBTQI+ youth to do this in a way that is safe, exploratory, and facilitated by the experience of other LGBTQI+ people and their allies.

We are a small core team, but the ShoutOut community continues to grow with a generosity of spirit that is both energising and optimistic. Thank you all for your support, in its many forms.