This week, the Irish Independent’s @ellenmcoyne wrote a story about how “homophobes” and “trolls” had dug up unsavory photos of a SF Senator who was then subjected to abuse online. She seems to think that those who published the photo are to blame for this abuse.
1/8
1/8
This struck me as hypocritical because in 2018, Ellen shared a photo of me on twitter which had been dug up by trolls who trawled my personal social media accounts. The reason the photo had been dug up was because I was campaigning for a ‘No’ vote in the #Repeal referendum. 2/8
As in the case of Senator Fintan Warfield, photos of me also dated to years previously, had been taken from my Facebook page and depicted me on a night out post leaving cert with the word ‘Sex?’ written on my forehead. I was a typical 18-year-old on a night out with friends. 3/8
Ellen Coyne and other campaigners, however, ran with a suggestion that I had set up a ‘gofundme’ to pay for sex. This was categorically untrue. I never set up any such ‘gofundme’. Never in my life have I paid for sex with anyone, nor would I. 4/8
What followed Ellen’s tweet was a concerted campaign of cyber abuse from Repealers which involved contacting my family and a previous girlfriend telling them that I had a STD and had used prostitutes. And death threats to my own facebook account. 5/8
My story is that I was almost aborted in 1998 but saved by the Eighth Amendment. Ever since Ellen’s tweet, any public commentary I make through traditional or social media is met with the sentiment that it is a pity I wasn’t aborted. 6/8
I cannot count the amount of times I have received abuse/slaps/spits/dirty looks walking around college. Ellen Coyne has never apologized to me for what I’ve been put through since she published that photograph. She has never condemned any of the abuse I’ve since received. 7/8
Lots of people active in politics are subjected to horrific online abuse. It seems this only warrants media coverage if you’re of the same opinion as Ms Coyne. I wish people would think of the person behind the tweet before they click send. I wish Ellen well in her career. 8/8
