Irish Travellers, also known as ‘Pavee’, are a formally itinerant ethnic group, many of whom maintain cultural traditions associated with Pavee and other groups. Modern conditions have placed severe limitations on the extent to which Irish Travellers can still be said to be nomadic.

The historical origin of Irish Travellers as an ethnic group has been a subject of academic and popular debate and is contested. It is sometimes claimed that this group are of Roma extraction, although this theory is disputed, and theories of pre-Celtic and straightforward social/economic origins exist. Although predominantly English-speaking, a number of Irish Traveller individuals and groups also speak and/or understand Shelta. It has been claimed that about 10% of the Shelta language is derived from Roma languages.

According to LGBT Pavee, there are around 48,000 Pavee Travellers and 10,000 Roma in Ireland. However, An Phríomh-Oifig Staidrimh (Central Statistics Office – October 2012) state the following: “The total number of Irish Travellers enumerated in April 2011 was 29,573 accounting for just over half of one per cent (0.6%) of the total population.” However, Ireland’s National Traveller / Roma Integration Strategy 2013 states: “There are no official statistics on the number of Roma in Ireland. Different figures have been mentioned, for example 3,000, which would be approximately 0.07% of the population. This figure has been cited by the Roma support group.”

Apart from facing discrimination as Traveller or Roma, as in many other social contexts, homophobia and transphobia exist within Irish Traveller groups. Many Lesbian, Gay, Bisexuals and Transgender (LGBT) Irish Travellers / Roma experience social exclusion on personal, familial and community levels. At the same time they are also facing discrimination from the wider LGBT population because of their origins.

Many traditions have evolved from and out of rural culture and the necessities of a nomadic existence. Many others have been established over time as defensive reactions to discrimination and prejudice, including a particular emphasis on gender roles, attitudes to family, procreation, and conservative religious values. This situation can leave LGBT Travellers / Roma with a sense of alienation or disaffection from their social and group context. Potentially these circumstances can lead to an ambivalent or conflicted relationship in terms of identifying as Traveller / Roma.

LGBT Irish Travellers / Roma often struggle to find ways to successfully negotiate their ethnic and sexual identities, while often within LGBT movements there is little awareness of the specific concerns of Irish Travellers / Roma.

Following a series of suicides within the LGBT Irish Traveller and Roma community in 2009, LGBT Pavee was founded as a support group for LGBT indigenous Irish Travellers. The word ‘pavee’ comes from the Traveller language Shelta, and means ‘Traveller’. Shelta is also known as ‘The Cant’ or ‘Gammon’. It is unclear how many people identify as LGBT within the Irish Travelling community; this makes it difficult to estimate the scope of the impact of this project.

LGBT Pavee works to unite those of any age and gender who identify as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgender, especially within the Travelling and Roma population. Although Pavee is open to all ages, the main focus of their work is with young people under the age of 27. Their ultimate aim is to work with LGBT Irish Travellers in order to create an environment where the young people can participate in their own social contexts and in society as a whole. The work of LGBT Pavee is done by young workers and volunteers. There is a core group who work as LGBT Pavee but there are many others who work in and with various support groups and run workshops which are promoted and supported by LGBT Pavee. There is also the ‘LGBT Pavee Online Forum’ which acts itself as a support mechanism for young people. LGBT Pavee provides information about local support groups and advises on sexual health. In the past, the group has helped members arrange health clinic check-ups and constantly updates its resources relating to sexual health and safety for members’ use. The organisation also reports homophobic bullying or behaviour.

LGBT Pavee provides support and a safe space; they work to ensure that available information is up-to-date on all LGBT issues and that they cover as diverse a point of view as possible. This is facilitated by the gathering and exchange of flyers, leaflets and information booklets from other mainstream organisations. They run an online platform on which Roma and Traveller identifying as LGBT can express their views publicly, either through the medium of the group, or by hosting and organising events and workshops. There is also the possibility for users to enter facilitated discussions in a forum on issues affecting those identifying as LGBT.

The organisation is committed to developing and maintaining an environment of safety, fairness, freedom of expression and the participation of young people. The right to participate is a key concept of the organisation, with policy and direction being guided by the young members themselves. Ideas are brought up in group discussions, explored, and in the following group meetings they are voted on. This is the basis for peer-led activism.

LGBT Pavee provide a space for participation through promoting dialogue and interaction based on peer support. Those participating support each other by exchanging experiences, providing guidance and expressing diverse points of view on issues such as sexual health, helping parents with LGTB children, coming out, falling in love, bullying, cultural conflicts, and depression. The primary way this space is provided is through the ‘LGBT Pavee Online Forum’. As is typical of most online chat-room environments, discussions are formed spontaneously. Subjects change according to the needs of their participants. This translates into a flexible response that adjusts and evolves in line with the wishes and needs of those engaging. At the time or writing, more than 200 topics are being discussed and promoted. The online platform also includes meetings, advocacy action, educational programmes, advice and support for local support groups, as well as information relating to plays, magazines and general LGBT issues.

This also links to the concept of a means to participate; here the young people’s basic needs – in this case, security, safety, sense of belonging and so on – are being met, therefore enabling them to focus on participation in a broader sense. This approach can facilitate participants in finding ways of reconciling external pressures. Interactions can potentially be developed, creating a range of opportunities for participation in the attending and/or organising of educational workshops nationwide. Eight workshops were planned for 2015. Previous examples included workshops with Traveller youth groups and the organising of LGBT Pride side events.

The project also promotes participation through working on multiple aspects of being Roma, including sexuality, gender, age, disability, and so on. It works against the exclusion of all individuals and groups both within the Roma context and wider society. Working on multi-layered discrimination is a relatively rare approach in terms of Roma; LGBT Pavee is creating pioneering work in this respect.