Last month, the LGBT Society in University College Cork (UCC), launched a visual campaign against homophobia, titled Humans of Homophobia.

The UCC campaign shows a number of models made up as victims of homophobia; the homophobic abuse shown includes physical and emotional abuse, with bruises and cuts adorning their faces.

The campaign seems to run with the idea of the popular blog Humans of New York, an account which shows the back stories of people on the streets of New York.

Auditor James Upton said of the campaign:

“Put a face on the issue and suddenly it’s important; and it’s important because only when you begin to change the perception of something in a minor way like an empty face or bruised eye is it possible to change the behaviour of a people towards an injustice that threatens the very upholding of our society.”

The campaign was produced with the help of local photographer Emmet Curtin and make-up artist Kate Moriarty.

Olan Harrington opened up about his experiences of homophobia in a blog post, referring to the Humans of Homophobia campaign.

Yesterday, I felt so scared that I became angry, and I felt so angry at the homophobia that I had ignored since my teens that yesterday I couldn’t let go. I held his hand all the way to Paul Street. I felt defiant, elated that it felt normal to me, but I still felt afraid, I still felt anxious. I still felt, homophobia.

I’m very proud to be a part of the #HumansofHomophobia campaign by UCC LGBT. A campaign to highlight the very human face of the effects that this heinous behaviour has on people, real people, people like me, who just want to hold hands.

I’ve heard many say that homophobia doesn’t exist anymore really. To those people I say, so long as I feel that tremor of fear, as I take my boyfriends hand in public, then homophobia exists. Yesterday I felt that fear, I felt that fear because I stepped outside of that little box that I was put in by society, to be “normal,” to do what “others,” do, to not show the smallest dram of affection in public.