An event “Exploring Intersectionality”, organised by the Amach! LGBT group in Galway in conjunction with the Galway Autism Partnership, has been suspended and is “pending review” following online controversy, Gript can reveal.
The event, which issued an online post reaching out to young gay people who are “autistic/neurodivergent” between the ages of 10 and 24, was set to hold unspecified “discussions” and real life meetings between autistic gay individuals, and offered a €40 OneForAll voucher to each participant.
Gript reported on the controversy around the promotion of the event last week.
Lot of this kind of NGO-funded thing going on at the moment. Not sure when it became a good or acceptable idea to offer ten year old kids a €40 voucher to attend meetings with adults to discuss their sexuality. pic.twitter.com/ymBH46fRTf
— John McGuirk (@john_mcguirk) September 9, 2021
Following controversy surrounding the ages listed – 10 to 24 – Amach! was quick to state that the project will adhere to “child safety and Garda vetting” procedures.
Responding to the post online, users made remarks such as: “Adults talking to 10 year old children about their sexuality? This sounds strange.” Another described it as a “massive red flag.”
Gript reached out to the organisers to ascertain the status of the event now, and was told that the event is now “on hold pending review.”
“The Exploring Intersectionality project is on hold pending review, it is not cancelled,” said a spokesperson.
“There will be more in our newsletter once the project is back up and running.”