James Patrice has hit back at homophobic trolls and bullies in Ireland who are “looking for an outlet for their own insecurity.”
Chatting with RSVP Magazine, James spoke about homophobia in Ireland and the different levels it exists.
“Ireland is of course so progressive and we have come on leaps and bounds, there is no denying that whatsoever and 99% of the time it is fantastic”
“But unfortunately, there are people who use their time to troll online, heckle in the street or, in some worst cases, physically abuse others.”
Continuing on, James says that such behaviour is nothing but cowardly, “They are looking for an outlet for their own insecurity and issues and they shouldn’t be taking it out on people because of their sexuality. It’s disgusting, really. They are cowards.”
To counteract this, James says that we all need to take a stand against homophobia and not just leave it to the LGBTQ+ community to resolve.
“Complacency can be compliance sometimes. If you witness something and don’t speak up, that’s wrong as well”
“But I always say speak up if you feel safe enough to do so, never put yourself in a dangerous situation either.”
James shares how important keeping the conversation around homophobic open is:
“We need to keep conversations going, and be mindful of how we speak and talk about things because words can have an impact”
“If you hear flippant remarks – yes they are throwaway comments, but if you hear those enough, they can become part of your psyche and your own mentality, especially if it’s amongst your peers.”
