Ross Golden-Bannon has endured a tough time campaigning for a yes vote, and an even tougher time, as a youngster, coming terms with himself and the attitude of others toward him.
In an emotional Facebook posts, Golden-Bannon's story of his troubled childhood is a harrowing one:
Every No brought me back to these same roads 35 years ago when I was a gay child, knowing I was different, not fully realising why. Not really understanding why the boys at the top of Glencarraig minced in front of me and called me Lionel Blair, but knowing it was best to take the long way to the shops. “He’s a dawdler,” said my mother. I wasn’t, I just always had to be on guard for who might be around the next corner and I had to take a circuitous route to get the ‘messages’. “He’s careless”, said my father. I wasn’t, I cherished the beautiful things he gave me but boys in school tore them from me and crushed them because I was a puff. I pretended I’d lost the polished, stainless steel geometry set he’d given me.
While his canvass of the older cohort over the last few weeks brought with it many opposing faces, he goes on to tell the tale of what happened when he recently returned to his old school in Sutton. Comparing then and now:
On Sunday last we did a massive canvass in Howth Village and we stumbled across a gang of boys from my old school, St Fintan’s CBS, Sutton. That school had been the unhappiest of places for me, I nearly didn't make it through those years. I held such little value for myself that I failed at just about everything. Society, family and school valued me so little how could I value myself?
Despite the loyalty of some good and brave school mates I was badly bullied, but I was so ashamed of being bullied I never even told them.
During one crisis the deputy headmaster tried to reach out to me and intimated he knew I was gay. I thought it was a trap: I was so scared to be truthful as at that time homosexuality was illegal. I had already heard of a man who had been forced into electro shock conversion therapy. I was terrified I’d be taken away to an institution. So last Sunday, when I spotted the familiar yellow and wine of the St Fintan’s uniform, as they were raising funds for the school rugby team, I offered them Yes Equality badges as a challenge, maybe even revenge. They were only sixteen or seventeen. Fresh faced and honest, I couldn’t believe it when they took the badges and asked for more for their friends. I wish life’s time-lines were different and I was a St Fintan’s pupil now.
You can read the full story from Ross below. It's well worth a few minutes of your time before you make your decision.
So long, and thanks for all the Noes.We’ve kept our chins up and braved it for the last 7 weeks. Knocking on doors in...
Posted by Ross Golden-Bannon on Wednesday, 20 May 2015
Also read: TV3's Referendum Coverage Line-Up Is Mouthwatering
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