Read our lips: LGBT couples kiss at Dáil in protest at hate crimes

Some of those who took part spoke of their experience of being targeted in hate attacks and said there are some streets in the capital where they don't feel safe.

"There are definitely places where we wouldn't hold hands. It does frighten us," said Philip Klubicka, from Cabra, who was at the protest with his boyfriend, Daniel Dudek.

"A man got beat up in Capel Street a few days ago because he was kissing his boyfriend and that's just off the corner off Pantibar - that's where people go.

"One time we were kissing in Tara Street and someone just cycled past on a bike and yelled an insult at us."

Lynne Tracey, from Dublin, said she worries about her transgender daughter Alice (20).

"I worry about her because I think when you're slightly different, people can look at you in a different way," she told the Irish Independent.

"If you present as something that's not absolutely normal, people can misinterpret who you are and who you represent and you can be in a little bit more danger than everybody else.

"When you're transgender, your experiences of teenagehood are a little bit different.

"I think her social experience is different than a standard social experience."

Organisers said the protest was sparked by a marked increase in violent acts against LGBT people, including the attack last month on Marc Power, who was targeted by a gang and beaten after arranging to meet a man on a gay dating app.

Another man, Danilo Matta, was attacked by a gang of six after kissing his boyfriend goodbye outside his flat in September.

An Garda Síochána introduced a working hate crime definition as part of its diversity and integration strategy last month.

According to the CSO, hate-based crimes are being underestimated by at least 27pc because of incorrect or inadequate logging of crimes on the Garda Pulse system.

Eddie McGuinness, who has suffered both verbal and physical abuse, encouraged people to report hate crimes.

"We need more people to report both physical and verbal crimes to An Garda Síochána so that the figures can be shown that both physical and verbal abuse is there," he said.

"You shouldn't get beaten up or nearly kicked to death just because you're a member of the community. Why should that happen to us?"