A decade after moving to Ireland, Pradeep Mahadeshwar tries not to go out at night. Afraid of what he might encounter on the streets, he alters his appearance and dresses in a way less likely to attract attention.
As a gay man of colour from a foreign country, Pradeep encounters separate prejudices simultaneously. In the background, two related problems complicate those experiences.
He is unable to rely on his expat community for support “because people who come to this country [from India] bring their own cultural baggage with them and their own homophobia”.
Mr Mahadeshwar was speaking at the publication of new research showing over 40 per cent of Ireland’s minority community has experienced hate crimes with a similar level reporting detrimental effects on mental health.
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According to the Coalition Against Hate Crime Ireland (CAHC), a group of organisations led by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL), reports of such experiences have increased in recent years, even as immigration becomes an increasingly common aspect of life.
Launching its new Hate Crimes Hurt Us All campaign on Monday, the coalition is pushing for the introduction of tailored legislation and more deep-seated measures to address the problem.
Luna Lara Liboni, CAHC chair, explained that a single prejudice-based incident can make an entire community feel targeted and unsafe.
“Effective hate crime legislation sends a message as a society that hate crimes are not tolerated and is an essential element in recognising the additional harms of such crimes,” she said.
In order to combat the roots of such behaviour, however, the campaign is appealing for broader Government measures including a specific action plan. Such a move would include monitoring and reporting, the collection of data and improved victim supports.
Last July, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said hate crime legislation should be enacted by the end of the year.
The data published by the coalition, based on a survey of over 400 members of minority communities, revealed 43 per cent of respondents had experienced a hate crime or incident, while 70 per cent had heard or read about one involving a member of their community.
Half of respondents reported feeling unsafe, and one third afraid of such incidents.
“The climate of fear also takes its toll on the mental health of minority communities with 42 per cent feeling anxious and 18 per cent feeling depressed when a hate crime occurs against one member,” the organisation reported.
Almost half have avoided specific areas where a hate crime was committed, over a quarter found themselves becoming less social, and a fifth cancelled plans in response.
Mr Mahadeshwar, an artist, film maker and writer, moved to Ireland from Mumbai in 2011, buoyed by the country’s liberal attitude to homosexuality. He also campaigns on the issue of sexual racism.
Determined to highlight the many positive aspects of Irish society, and to use his more negative experiences as a tool to educate others on the imperative of integration and acceptance, the ugly side of his decade here is nevertheless hard to ignore.
He recalls being called a “Paki fag” outside a gay bar. On another occasion he was spat on by two men in Ranelagh.
“If you are a person of colour with the queer community you [can be targeted] everywhere, even in the most posh areas,” he says.
One night, when a friend visited from India, a group of youths on bikes confronted them. “They wanted to break a bottle on my friend’s head but we escaped.”
“I try not to go out at night. I try not to wear the clothes I would like to wear – I will wear something simple that won’t stand me out in the crowd,” he says. “They are all the precautions I am taking.”
