BeLonG To has seen a 100% increase in the numbers of LGBT young people & parents seeking support since the referendum last May

According to  the organisation, this increase is another successful outcome of the referendum campaign as it reflects a new openness among Irish families in talking about being LGBT.

Today the Minister for Children & Youth Affairs, James Reilly TD visited BeLonG To Youth Services to launch a new eBook ‘BeLonG To YES: Voices from the Marriage Equality Campaign’ by Anna Carey.

The eBook tells the story of the BeLonG To YES campaign and the role BeLong To played in helping young people and parents to secure a yes vote on May 22^nd.

The eBook give’s an insider’s perspective on the running of the campaign including the historic speech by former President McAleese on May 19^th at a BeLonG To YES campaign event.

Minister for Children & Youth Affairs, James Reilly TD, said at the event this morning:

“Throughout the campaign I was hugely impressed by the young LGBT people and their allies who played a crucial role in securing such a resounding Yes vote. They were supported by children’s & youth organisations in the country led by BeLonG To. I sincerely hope that young people will continue to be deeply involved in shaping the future of our country.” 

Moninne Griffith, Executive Director of BeLonG To, said:

“We are delighted to have this beautiful book as a record of the amazing work done by our coalition partners, young people, their parents in BeLonG To Yes Campaign. This generation of young people will be forever associated with the marriage equality win and it is so important that we record the role they played in making that happen for the history books.

Anna Carey, Author of BeLonG To YES, Voices from the Marriage Equality Campaign, said: “Many of the interviews were conducted at the height of the campaign when the outcome was uncertain, and I’m very glad that we were able to capture the hopes, fears and thoughts of BeLonG To Yes campaigners, coalition partners and supporters on the ground. BeLonG To Yes played a crucial role in countering the arguments of the No side during the referendum and did so with grace and positivity. I hope this book shows how they did it. ”

The eBook which is available for download free of charge.