An Irish-based blogger, Marlon Jiminez, has spoken up about sexual abuse that he suffered when he was living abroad.

Jiminez is a gay Venezuelan blogger who has lived in Ireland for fourteen years and is now married to John Compton.

His lifestyle blog, Marlife, has received tens of thousands of views.

The forty-five-year-old spoke about the “hell” he suffered through when he was stilling living in South America and the homophobia he experienced in the workplace which eventually led to the loss of employment, reports the Irish Mirror.

“I lived through months of hell and even several years afterwards I went through it every night in my nightmares,” Jiminez said.

“I used to wake from these nightmares terrified and screaming, I often wet the bed at these times.”

Evicted

An orphan since the tender age of twelve, Jiminez moved in with one of his sisters. Jiminez recounts that he was raped repeatedly by a man with whom he was close.

When Jiminez came out to his family at the age of twenty-four, he was exiled by his sister and became homeless.

I was educated but because I was gay they fired me

“The fear of being murdered is always there but I was too busy trying to survive,” he said.

Although the Venezuelan was well educated, he was not able to retain his job after his employer found out about his sexuality.

“We were so deprived, I lost my job as an event’s co-ordinator at a hotel,” he said. “I was educated but because I was gay they fired me.”

Therapy

“Due to my sexuality I was made to think something was deeply wrong with me, I was called faggot and nancy boy and I went to the psychiatrist to eradicate my sexual tendencies to men, eventually learning to accept my sexuality through years of therapy.”

 Jiminez was also paranoid, fearing that dirty police would recognise him as gay and subject him to illegal and unjust treatment, but this paranoia was not without a foundation in reality.

When he had been homeless, officers frisked and robbed Jiminez after they found him kissing another man.

Inspired by Irish presidents of the ’90s, Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese, Jiminez managed to flee to Ireland.

Now, Jiminez is married to none other than former Irish model agency founder John Compton, who he met in The George.

“I found love in The George pub,” Jiminez said. “John and I have been together thirteen years, civil partners five and married a year.”

If you’ve been affected by issues raised in this article and would like support, contact:Dublin Rape Crisis Centre T: 01 661 4911 | E: [email protected] | W: www.drcc.ie/