by Grania Spingies
There have been Pride Festivals all over the world this weekend and perhaps they were celebrated most joyfully this year in the USA and Ireland, following on the momentous victories for same-sex marriage in both countries, by popular vote in Ireland and by Supreme Court ruling in the US.
Ireland’s own version of Pride had somber beginnings against a backdrop of murder.
In March, 1983, prior to the first pride parade, a march was held from the city centre of Dublin to Fairview Park in the suburb of Fairview, Dublin, protesting the levels of violence against gay men and women in Ireland. In particular, the march was a reaction to the controversial judgement in the Flynn case, when suspended sentences on charges of manslaughter were given to members of a gang found guilty of the 1982 killing of Declan Flynn, a 31-year old gay man, in Fairview Park, and the subsequent celebrations by some members of the local community following their release.
The difference three decades on is dramatic.
However, while it was being celebrated in spectacular style on both sides of the Atlantic, this is what the scene looked like in Istanbul where police broke up the parade with water guns and rubber bullets, for as yet unstated reasons.
These #Istanbulpride videos are are disturbing reminder that none of us are free until all of us are free. pic.twitter.com/KJttJZIBmk
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) June 28, 2015
Rory O’Neill, activist and drag artist Panti Bliss – whose impassioned and funny talk about accidentally becoming the focal point of a nationwide squall about what constituted homophobia went viral last year, was then invited to talk at TEDx Dublin on what homophobia is and why it happens. There’s some insightful and thought-provoking stuff in there.
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Supposedly the parade in Istanbul was broken up because some people were starting to chant “anti-government” slogans- or, it could have just been a convenient excuse.
Currently legislation stalled as Gerry Walshe continues to tilt at windmills by brining his case to the court of appeal which will heard end of July meaning that legalisation won’t be passed till September. This also has put a pause on the new transgender recognition legislation as well.
These cases won’t be upheld, as the arguments are both confused and tin foil hat worthy.
Panti Bliss is a treasure of our species, and every time I hear her talk I just feel like she has helped make me just a little more in tune with humanity. What an amazing person.
About the events in Turkey, it is my understanding that the parade was a pretty routine thing in years past. Only the current ruling government is trying to pander to the conservatives, hence the riot police.
Great talk. I’d never heard of her before, but couldn’t help think that she’s a dead ringer for 1980’s Loni Anderson. Did they get WKRP in Ireland?
After the yes vote in Ireland politicians in Germany started waffling, esp. the ones from the CDU and CSU, the C stand for christian. At least some of them seem to fear their marriage licenses will burst up in flames or something – the same silly reasons we hear from homophobes all over the world. *sigh*
But the marriage equality that was FORCED onto unwilling ‘mercuns will PREVENT them from exercising their religion! I don’t know how, but they claim it will, somehow, prevent them from god and church and worship and require them to do all sorts of things with or for gay people. Kinda like how immodestly dressed women cause earthquakes in Iran I suppose. Or perhaps the ruling requires all christians to have anal sex with gay men or something. I really don’t know. It must be in the fine print somewhere under the court’s majority opinion.
Yup, got the gist of that in pg. 1 today’s hard-copy NY Times.
NOTICE SIGN–“THE POLICE AREN’T ON YOUR SIDE EITHER”–RIGHT ON!
I’d never heard of Panti Bliss before. What a fantastic talk – I hope a lot more people get to hear it.
The tweet from Keith Boykin echoes the civil rights anthem “None of Us Are Free” by the soul singer other soul singers used to listen to on their own time, Solomon Burke. I’m a big fan of the women back-up singers who stood “20 feet from stardom,” but they don’t come any cooler than that group of old-timers singing back-up for King Solomon. There’s no doubt they know whereof they sing.
Contemporary Republicans are only about divisiveness and their blank solutions will continue accordingly. Hopefully, ‘mercuns will see the shit streaks on the wall(s). But physics can also prove that the fools win sway. It already did.