TV presenter Alan Hughes was subjected to homophobic abuse while walking down Dublin's Grafton Street recently.
Alan said it is disappointing that, as far as Ireland has come, homophobia is still a reality on our streets.
The Ireland AM presenter was subjected to the abuse while walking with his husband Karl about two weeks ago.
Alan told Lunchtime Live a young couple made the comments to them.
"This couple - a very respectable looking guy and girl - as we were passing them said, 'You dropped something' and we looked down and they went, 'Your gay card' and started laughing and then went 'queers'," he said.
"Karl was actually going to say something because a similar incident had happened to him only a couple of weeks back when he was getting out of his car with friends.
"I didn't want to cause a scene in the middle of the city centre so I just said to leave it."
'We've come so far'
Alan said it is disappointing that as far as Ireland has come homophobia is still happening.
"People face this every day and we've come so far in this country - we really have - but there's always going to be incidents like that," he said.
"I think there always will be. Should we accept it? No. What should we do?
"I just feel that if you keep accepting it and don't stand up to it, then is it just going to be one of those things that keep happening and people think it's OK – and it's not OK.
"It's not OK to say those kind of words to anybody - any race or colour or anything like that.
"It's an awful pity that there are still so many people in this country who still feel that it's OK to say, you dropped your gay card queer."
'That has affected me'
Alan said the word 'queer' still holds negative connotations for him.
"I accept it sometimes because I'm a TV presenter and you're open to it," he said.
"It's like, when you're on the TV, you're open to certain things but the majority of people have always been so nice to me that it is a bit of a shock when you do hear people saying these words to you.
"I've grown up where queer is a bad word and I know in the gay community they're saying they're reclaiming the word queer for us.
"But for me, that word still has very negative connotations and I know for a lot of people it does.
"So when I hear that or being called that it does affect you and it is something that has affected me".
Alan Hughes and his husband Karl Broderick, 8-5-29. Image: Leon Farrell/Photocall IrelandAlan said people should try to rise above homophobic abuse.
"We are being accepted in so many ways but there's always going to be bigots, there's always going to be people who will call you out for your sexual orientation," he said.
"It is only a small minority of people because I'm on Ireland AM... I've always been an openly gay man on that show talking about Karl," he said.
"I proposed to him on that show.
"When got married and we were on the cover of VIP Magazine, the amount of people and comments that I got from people [who] contacted me to say thank you.
"I get it from women and men all the time."
'The world has gone a bit mad'
Alan said he doubts if things will ever change.
"I think after COVID the tolerance for things [has gone down]," he said.
"It reminds me of America - I would hate to live in America at the moment - because you can carry a gun but they're trying to ban drag shows.
"It's just bizarre, the world has gone a bit mad at the moment, I think.
"I do think there was a time where somebody would say to somebody, 'You can't say that', but I think it's nearly all right now."
He added that he thinks there is "a negativity in the world at the moment and everybody's suffering because of it".
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