“I was hesitant to let people know that I was gay in a Romani context… because I assumed I wouldn’t be welcome if I were to reveal who I am. I think that was a mistake. I should have come out sooner.
Roma people constitute the largest ethnic minority group in Europe, with an estimated population of 10 to 12 million. Gaining specific figures on the exact number of Roma people living in Ireland has been difficult, as their ethnic identity is not included in census forms and there’s an understandable reluctance to tell officials that they belong to a group which is continually subjected to state-sanctioned racial discrimination.