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A social enterprise in Silverbridge is launching a new and exciting initiative for the LGBTQ+ community in South Armagh and beyond, this Friday 25 March.
Cafe Amach (Cafe Out) has been created in response to a long awaited need in the South Armagh area for a safe, social and empowering space for LGBTQ+ young people and adults.
It is being held from 6pm to 9pm in Libby’s Tearoom at An Tobar Wellness Centre in the village and all are welcome. Join them and show your support for and solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community of South Armagh.
Explaining the background behind the idea co-ordinator Hannah Agnew said "Firstly with regards to anything to do with LGBT youth or LGBT anything and South Armagh are not two words you would associate with each other very often. It's not all going to be about my own experience, but I just know as young person who left here, six years ago, that there was that feeling that South Armagh was a place that you felt like you maybe had to go elsewhere to express yourself fully."
"I feel like that at the very least something visible would be absolutely amazing and necessary for young people, because I think sometimes young people would think the worst of their own area." she added.
Agnew said "I think mainly the gist is that I want young, LGBTQ + people to feel like they do not have to keep their Irish and their queer identity separate, that that can exist together because that very rarely gets presented together.
"And you don't have to go to London to get access to that, you don't have to watch American TV shows to get access to that, you can get it here
"If one young person comes in on that first day, I will be absolutely over the moon. It's really about build the nest and birds hopefully will come."
The main plan and the priority is to create a visibly safe space for young LGBTQ people. Agnew emphasises that all staff are LGBTQ + trained and/or LGBT themselves.
Agnew is aware that some 'out' LGBT people at schools in the area get "dogs abuse on a regular basis"
"A lot of the time I feel like it does get softened down as if like, oh, we're moving on, and in a lot of ways we are, but there's still a huge fear I think amongst young people of doing anything different." she said.
On a positive note she does think that people are more likely to call abusive behaviour out at school "Whilst that voice is still very loud, there's a louder voice that will, as in for example, if somebody gets called a name in the hallway or something, it seems like it's more likely that somebody else will call them out on it!"
The big emphasis is it's going to be LGBTQ + and allies, the idea being that you can bring your friends, meaning that anyone who comes doesn't have to necessarily disclose anything about themselves if they don't want to!
It's all about solidarity and being there for your friends "I think it's important that it's all together because a lot of the time whilst homophobia is rife in this country and in South Armagh in a lot of ways, I think a lot of the time it actually is down to ignorance and people think that if they're not gay themselves it's just not for them." Agnes adds.
Although it is based in South Armagh if somebody from anywhere else wants to come down, they can come.
Plans are for Cafe Amach to be open on a regular basis and this is something you can find out more about on the night.
For more information email Hannah hannah@antobarcic.com or phone 028 30860302
