Wexford Pride member tells vigil for men killed in Sligo ‘the onus is not on us to be constantly vigilant’
Veronica Victor speaking at the vigil for Aiden Moffitt and Michael Snee on Wexford Quay on Friday evening.
Pádraig Byrne
© Wexford People
Tue 19 Apr 2022 at 09:44
The very notion that the killings of Michael Snee and Aidan Moffitt in Sligo last week were homophobic in nature was enough to send shivers down the spine of members of the LGBTQIA+ community right across the country. Although outwardly, Ireland has come a long way in terms of acceptance and inclusivity in recent years, those within the community will still be all too aware of the dark undercurrent which runs through our society.
Despite the horrific nature of the deaths of the two men in Sligo, Wexford Pride and members of the local LGBTQIA+ community in Wexford presented unbowed on Wexford Quay on Friday evening. The colours of their pride flags fluttered in defiance and were in strict contrast to the solemnity of the reason they were gathered. They were present to make a statement against anti-LGBTQIA+ violence.
In an impassioned speech, Wexford Pride volunteer Veronica Victor emphasised that the reaction to events in Sligo needs to be bigger than placing an onus on members of the community to protect themselves by assuming a state of constant vigilance.
“I don’t believe that the onus is on us to be constantly vigilant whilst the culture around us births, raises and supports people who are capable of hurting us,” she said. “Holding your breath doesn’t make the air less toxic.”
Veronica went on to affirm the importance of visibility as an act of defiance in combatting the sense of isolation many LGBQTIA+ people feel in small-town Ireland.
“Your queerness is one of the many gifts you have to give to the world. If you hide that gift then the other scared queers who pass you on the street won’t know that you’re more alike than different. I have been that queer in this very town wishing, begging, to spot another of my kind in the crowd. That’s the safety measures we should be spreading. Be louder! Be bigger! Be too strong and too many in number!”
Chairperson of Wexford Pride John Cunningham emphasised the responsibility of wider society to be allies of the LGBTQIA+ community by taking tangible steps to cultivate a culture of acceptance.
“The problem might seem insurmountable but if we all do something, it will help,” he said. “Make schools, sports clubs and workplaces safer and better places for us. Enact hate crime legislation without delay. But we all need to seize this moment and work together.”
Anyone affected by recent events can find support through the LGBT Ireland Helpline 1800 929 539 or online via lgbt.ie.
