LGBT group ShoutOut had their workshop cancelled by a Dublin-based school this morning, citing that the “other side needs to be heard”.

ShoutOut, a group which hosts LGBT-centric anti-bullying workshops in secondary schools around the country, was dealt a blow this morning as Coláiste Eoin in Stillorgan called them to say that the board had reservations about the workshop.

Eoin O’Liatháin, founder of ShoutOut, received the phone call today after a workshop had already been booked.

The Trinity College Dublin graduate was left despondent at the school’s stance, as this is the kind of behaviour ShoutOut advocates against.

According to their website:

“ShoutOut delivers the old message of ‘don’t discriminate’ in a new and engaging way. We bring this education into classrooms through volunteers who have been in this situation just years before and know exactly what it feels like.

We want to bring about change in the Irish education system, enabling open discourse around sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, lessening stigma and reinforcing our message of equality.”

It’s the first school in over 60 to cancel a workshop provided by the group.

In a survey conducted by ShoutOut, the statistics for LGBT students’ treatment in schools shows why there is a need for a workshop such as this; 67% of all students witnessed homophobic or sexuality-based bullying in school, and 49% of LBGTQ students experienced homophobic bullying in school.