LGBTQ helpline staff report surge in threatening and abusive calls
LGBT Ireland says bomb threats have been made to its offices
One of Ireland’s leading LGBTQ helplines has recorded a large rise in threatening and abusive calls. It comes as up to 60,000 people are set to participate in Saturday’s LGBTQ+ Pride Parade in Dublin to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
LGBT Ireland, the national support service and charity, has warned of an increase in threats of homophobic violence and “prank calls” of a discriminatory nature made to its helpline, which is designed to help members of the LGBTQ community deal with any issues they are facing.
Paula Fagan, LGBT Ireland’s chief executive, said it would be too much of a risk to dismiss threats made to the helpline as hoaxes and that the charity had a policy of treating each threat as credible for safety reasons.
