An Irish video tackling homophobic bullying has reached the magical 1m viewers’ mark on YouTube, making it the most viewed online video from any Irish charity.
The video, Stand Up! Don’t Stand for Homophobic Bullying, comes from BeLonG To — Ireland’s national organisation for lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender (LGBT) young people.
It encourages all young people to support their LGBT friends.
Michael Barron, executive director of BeLonG To, said: "The fact that the most viewed online ad from a charity is about homo-phobic bullying shows just how seriously people take this issue.
"People everywhere want to put an end to this form of harassment and want LGBT young people to be allowed a fair and equal shot at life.
"We have seen too many young people pay a very high price for being exposed to homophobic bullying day-in and day-out in their schools and communities."
The video and BeLonG To’s Stand Up! Campaign have been singled out for praise by the European Council’s Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN High Commission for Human Rights.
It featured in the first UN global campaign to tackle homophobic bullying which was launched by Unesco in May and has been translated into 12 languages.
At the launch of BeLonG To’s Stand Up! Campaign in March, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn announced the establishment of a Department of Education working group to tackle homophobic bullying.