Call It Out, an Irish LGBT+ public awareness and education campaign, has won the Golden Award at the European ‘Call It Hate’ awards. They placed first among 10 participating EU partner countries. 

In a tweet addressed to supporters, the Call It Out campaign said: “Delighted that #CallItOut has been awarded the #CallItHate Golden Award “1st Place” among 10 participating EU partner countries. Special thanks to our project partners @AHaynesTweets and @jschweppe of @HHRGatUL, and to Gordon Grehan,@ellenfromnowon and everyone at @TENI_Tweets.”

Delighted that #CallItOut has been awarded the #CallItHate Golden Award "1st Place" among 10 participating EU partner countries. Special thanks to our project partners @AHaynesTweets and @jschweppe of @HHRGatUL, and to Gordon Grehan,@ellenfromnowon and everyone at @TENI_Tweets. pic.twitter.com/QYSh6fjSP0

— Stephen O'Hare (@SOHare75) September 27, 2019

They continue: “Special thanks also to our creative team @WethePeopleDub led by @niallcowley and his amazing crew and to @BrendanCourtney, @MariaWalshEU & @jackshaunmurphy #CallItOut.”

The campaign is a joint initiative by Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) and the Hate and Hostility Research Group at the University of Limerick. It sets out to empower LGBT+ people to seek help when met with hostility, and to engage with our cisgender, heterosexual contemporaries by asking them to combat the continued harassment and violence against LGBT+ people by, quite literally, calling it out.

On its aims, Call It Out said: “We want to send a clear message to the LGBT+ community that homophobia, biphobia and transphobia are not acceptable. We want to tell people; no, you don’t have to stand for it.”

The campaign was launched by Brendan Courtney, Jack Murphy, Ellen Murray and Maria Walsh. 

In a report conducted by the Hate and Hostility Research Group, it was found that one in five, or 21% of the 1,395 people surveyed, had been punched, hit or physically attacked in public for being LGBT+.

It was also found that one in three members of the LGBT+ community surveyed had been threatened with physical violence.

In the final tweet, Call It Out thanks its many contributors and supporters for giving the campaign a clear voice: “Most of all, thank you to our amazing #CallItOut participants, contributors, artists, directors, actors, supporters and campaigners and to all of the members of Ireland’s LGBTI+ community who carried the message that homophobia, biphobia and transphobia are not acceptable.”

Most of all, thank you to our amazing #CallItOut participants, contributors, artists, directors, actors, supporters and campaigners and to all of the members of Ireland's LGBTI+ community who carried the message that homophobia, biphobia and transphobia are not acceptable. pic.twitter.com/vLKVNzaGyR

— Stephen O'Hare (@SOHare75) September 27, 2019

Among those who have contributed to the campaign are fashion designer Brendan Courtney, South Dublin Independent Councillor Francis Timmons, Irish television presenter Darren Kennedy, club promoter Buzz O’Neill, and Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh. They all spoke about their experiences with prejudice and how it impacted their daily lives.