BeLonG To is an
LGBT
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term ...
youth organisation in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
which caters for young people aged between 14–23 years. It is a registered charity and is supported by the
Irish Department of Education. The service was set up in March 2003.
The group received funding from the European Refugee Fund in June 2011 to provide support to young refugees who seek asylum in Ireland due to persecution because of their sexual orientation. In January 2012, the group was praised by the Head of Office of the
UN High Commission for Refugees
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrati ...
in Ireland for its work with LGBT refugees and was described as a "global model for best practice".
History
BeLonG To has its origins in an earlier Dublin-based youth group called OutYouth, which was run by youth volunteers in conjunction with the Gay Switchboard Dublin. Due to the voluntary nature of the group its operation was sometimes sporadic. In the final years of OutYouth, the group met with other LGBT organisations in Dublin and the City of Dublin Youth Services Board to seek funding for a new youth service project. The project secured funding from the
Irish Department of Education and BeLonG To was formed in March 2003.
Groups
Dublin
*Under 18's for 14– to 17-year-olds.
*IndividualiTy for 14 to 23-year-olds who are trans or questioning.
*Over 18's for 18– to 23-year-olds.
*Ladybirds for 14– to 23-year-old women who are lesbian, bisexual, trans or non-binary.
See also
*
LGBT rights in the Republic of Ireland
Attitudes in Ireland towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people are among the most liberal in the world. Ireland is notable for its transformation from a country holding overwhelmingly conservative attitudes toward LGBT issu ...
References
External links
BeLonG To— official website
LGBT organisations in the Republic of Ireland
LGBT youth organisations based in the Republic of Ireland
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