Last Friday, November 11, Roscommon County Council announced via social media that a rainbow crossing is being installed in the area. The project comes as part of Belong To’s Stand Up Awareness Week, happening from November 14 – 18.
The LGBTQ+ and Allies Student Group at Roscommon Community College also campaigned for the construction of the rainbow crossing. In response to the County Council’s announcement of the project, the secondary school thanked the organisation for making “the wishes of our students come true”.
Belong To’s Stand Up Awareness Week is an annual event aimed at post-primary schools, youth services and Youthreach, to denounce homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying. It is an opportunity for all students to learn about their LGBTQ+ peers, as well as create a safe space for them.
With the news of 76% of LGBTQ+ students feeling unsafe in secondary schools across Ireland, Stand Up Awareness Week is a vital opportunity for these students to feel safe, equal and valued.
As part of the campaign, Belong To sends resource packs to second-level institutions complete with a guide to Stand Up and posters. The guide includes a complete glossary of LGBTQ+ terms, gender-neutral language and a strategy to tackle queerphobic language.
Thank you @roscommoncoco for make the wishes of our students come true. Our LGBTQ+ & Allies Student Group here in Roscommon Community College worked so hard to ensure this could become a reality! Thank you ? @GRETBOfficial
— RCC (@RosComCol) November 11, 2022
Roscommon County Council and Community College’s commitment to LGBTQ+ visibility is a welcome development in county. It was only in 2015 that Roscommon-South Leitrim voted against marriage equality. The No vote finished at 51.4%, making the constituency the only one in Ireland to have a majority No vote.
People shared their excitement for the rainbow crossing via social media. One user wrote, “Huge well done to Kathryn Dennigan and students from RCC for their foresight in starting the discussions on this fantastic project.” Another user said, “I am really happy to see this in Roscommon!” Some respondents to the post shared by the council called for even more crossings to be installed.
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