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Video: shOUT! LGBT youth group
Find out about the shOUT! LGBT youth group in Galway.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with shOUT!, it is a group in Galway for LBGT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) youth, where they can meet weekly to have fun with other LGBT young people. As well as this, shOUT! offers support to those who may be struggling with their sexuality.
I discovered shOUT! while in town with a friend. We decided to look in the social space to see if there was anything of interest on the notice board. It wasn’t long before I spotted shOUT!’s poster and since I had just come out to my friend the night before, she suggested that I might contact shOUT! for more information. I was curious, so I had a look at the website and liked what I saw.
I feel that going to the shOUT! meetings has a positive impact on me, as it gives me the opportunity to socialise with other LBGT youth who may be going though some of the same issues and this made me feel less alone.
Throughout my life I had always felt different, like there was something wrong with me. When the other girls were gossiping about how cute the lad in the year above was or how hot this film star is, I couldn’t relate to them at all and as a result, I felt really isolated and most of all lonely.
When I discovered shOUT! I practically jumped at the chance to meet other young people like myself, so I sent a text to the number provided on the website and the group leader offered to meet me for a coffee with another girl from the group so that I would know someone before my first meeting. I liked them both instantly.
I then learned that the group does activities and workshops every week such as Drama, First Aid and Poi. We were doing Poi the week I started with shOUT! and it was so much fun! Twirling pretty balls in the gorgeous sun while having fun with friends, what more could you want? I am usually a very shy person but I felt comfortable with the group immediately.
The group meets twice weekly, in addition to the Saturday meeting, to practice Samba drumming in preparation for the upcoming Pride parades, which are guaranteed to be brilliant fun.
In the future, I would love to see a permanent resource centre for shOUT! and for LGBT people to meet socially and get support and to have fun. At the moment shOUT! has no place to call its own and I feel it would be very beneficial to have a centre available at some point.
My experience of shOUT! has been and will continue to be very positive and brilliant fun.
All in all shOUT! Rocks!
More information:
shOUT!, is a group for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or simply uncertain individuals aged between 14 and 23 years old.
Contact:
Email: curiousgalway@gmail.com
Phone: 087 320 45 75
Website: www.lgbtyouthgalway.com
shOUT! are part of the BeLonGTo family network.
BeLonGTo Ireland supports the development of designated LGBT youth work outside Dublin. It also addresses the inclusion of LGBT issues in mainstream youth work and supports research and training on LGBT issues.
Other groups such as shOUT! can be found in:
Limerick
MYLGB
Web: www.myspace.com/rainbowsupportservices
Tipperary
Tipperary Regional Youth Service
Email: outipp@gmail.com
Dundalk
Dundalk Outcomers
Web: www.outcomers.org
Waterford
Chill-Out
Phone: 086 8589865
Dublin – for a full list of youth LGBT groups please visit www.BelongTo.org.
By shOUT! volunteer.
