LGBT Ireland

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This article is about LGBT life, culture, media, annual events and gay scene on the island of Ireland with a population of over 6 million, the biggest province being Leinster with 2.3m, the province of Ulster with 2m, Munster with 1.2m and Connacht with 0.5m.

Contents

[edit] Queer culture & history

[edit] The Pirate Queen

Ireland's legendary lesbian Pirate Queen was Gráinne Mhaoil(otherwise known as Grace O'Malley) from Clew Bay, County Mayo was born in the 16th century. O'Malley engaged in revolutionary activity against the English crown. Her castle at Clare Island was attacked by an expedition from Galway intended to get rid of her. However, they were put to flight and barely escaped. Later O'Malley was captured, but released some time afterward. O'Malley refused to bow before Queen Elizabeth 1 and would not recognise Elizabeth 1 as the Queen of Ireland. The well known song Oró Sé do Bheatha 'Bhaile was in memory of her.

[edit] Writers & patriots

Ireland and Dublin in particular have always been regarded as the home of some of the greatest gay and lesbian writers in the English speaking world, some of whom are Oscar Wilde, Eva Selina Gore-Booth, Elizabeth Bowen, Kate O'Brien, Ladies of Llangollen and Somerville and Ross. Indeed many of the patriots who fought for Irish independence were LGBT also such as Pádraig Pearse and Roger Casement. After independence, Ireland became a very insular society, dominated by the Catholic church and was highly conservative, however in the midst of this, there was an acceptance of homosexuality of those within the acting profession such as Micheál MacLiammóir. It was widely accepted that Micheál MacLiammóir was gay, and that his long time life partner was Hilton Edwards. MacLíammóir claimed when talking to Irish playwright, Mary Manning, to have had a homosexual relationship with General Eoin O'Duffy, former Garda Siochana Commissioner and head of the quasi-fascist Blueshirts in Ireland, during the 1930s. The claim was revealed publicly by RTÉ in a documentary, The Odd Couple, broadcast in 1999. However, MacLíammóir's claims have not been substantiated by any evidence. MacLíammóir would even appear on Irish tv in the fifties and sixties performing in drag.

[edit] Celtic Tiger & civil unions

Main article: Gay rights in the Republic of Ireland

With the emergence of the Celtic Tiger economy from 1995 on, Ireland underwent a massive transformation both economically and socially. The individual wealth of the average Irish citizen quadrupled in the space of 15 years along with EU membership helped to liberalise and make this once conservative society into one that is more open and pro-gay rights with a raft of pro-gay legislation. Ireland once regarded as a European backwater, has now transformed into a multicultural, cosmospolitan and proud society. 58% of the Irish population support full gay marriage being extended to same-sex couples while 26% support the idea of same-sex civil unions.

When you consider that homosexuality was only decriminalised in 1993, hate crime legislation, equality legislation and ant-discrimination legislation were also enshrined in law and only 15 years after decriminalisation, Civil unions in Ireland will be legal as as 2009.

[edit] Political parties

Public opinion is overwhelmingly in favour of LGBT rights,[1] [2] and thus most of the political parties have followed suit with a liberal or left-wing social policy. The Fine Gael party supports extending to same-sex couples a "civil partnership" [1]. The Labour Party in contrast favours a civil unions approach, as an interim measure to provide equality of outcome in advance of a referendum to allow for same-sex marriage. There are no elected extreme left or extreme right parties in the Republic as most Irish people are moderates, in fact there is a universal distain of all kinds of extremism, as most people associate extremism with racism.

According to a recent poll 2008, 58% of Irish people support full gay marriage while 26% support civil partnerships.

Sinn Féin support same-sex marriage, as does the Socialist Party.

In December 2006 The Labour Party, launched a Civil Union Bill which they brought before the Dáil in March 2007. The bill was supported by Sinn Féin, Fine Gael, the Green Party and the majority of independents, however it was opposed by the two Government Parties of Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats and was therefore defeated. The Labour Party, promised a bill which also allowed for gay adoption would be on the top of their priorities should they overthrow the Government in the Irish General Election 2007, but they did not manage to do so. In the aftermath of the General Election, the Labour Party reintroduced their Civil Unions Bill, which was supported by Sinn Féin and Fine Gael. The Green Party, then part of the governing coalition, voted against the bill, favouring their continued advocacy for same-sex partnership rights from within government.

In 2006, at the opening of the new headquarters of the gay rights organisation GLEN in Dublin, the then-Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said;

"Our sexual orientation is not an incidental attribute. It is an essential part of who and what we are. All citizens, regardless of sexual orientation, stand equal in the eyes of our laws. Sexual orientation cannot, and must not, be the basis of a second-class citizenship."

This was widely welcomed by the Irish gay community, as it is an extremely positive statement coming from the leader of the country's most conservative party, which had less than 20 years earlier actively ignored the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights in Norris vs. Ireland.

The only Irish political party that has officially come out in opposition to LGBT rights is the small Christian Solidarity Party, who have never had an elected representative.


[edit] Gay life in the country

[edit] Cities & towns

The gay scene in Ireland is quite developed and Irish society has become more open and tolerant as a result of increased levels of prosperity and rising liberal attitudes. Indeed many foreigners comment that for such a small island nation of 6 million, there's so much going on, with vibrant gay scenes in all Irish cities Dublin (4 pubs + 13 club venues), Belfast (4 pubs + 5 club venues), Cork (4 pubs + 5 club venues), Limerick, Derry, Galway and Waterford. There are 8 Gay Lesbian Resource centres in Ireland, 1 LGBT centre in Dublin, 1 LGBT centre in Belfast, 1 gay centre & 1 lesbian centre in Cork, 1 LGBT drop-in centre in Limerick, 1 LGBT centre in Derry, 1 LGBT centre in Waterford and 1 LGBT drop-in centre in Dundalk.

There are also some gay communities in the smaller towns in Ireland such as Drogheda, Dundalk, Ennis, Tralee, Sligo and Kilkenny.

[edit] Gay pride

Main article: List_of_gay_pride_events#Ireland

All Irish cities and many smaller towns celebrate Gay Pride with parades and festivals. The town of Sligo with less than 20,000 inhabitants has its own annual Gay Pride parade and festival and is warmly received and supported by the local population, something which is becoming increasingly common in rural Ireland. It is more than likely the smallest city in the world with its own gay pride parade.

The gay scene across the island of Ireland is brought together during the annual Alternative Miss Ireland drag contest and Mr Gay Ireland events.

[edit] St. Patrick's day

Saint Patrick's Day is another occasion for gays to party, as all of Ireland's ethnically diverse population including the gay community take an active part in the St. Patrick's Day parades and celebrations across the island in cities such as Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Limerick, Derry, Galway and Waterford.

Dublin's famed Dragqueen Panti is the parade marshall in the Dublin St. Paddy's Day parade where an estimated 600,000 spectators attend.

[edit] LGBT centres

Republic of Ireland:

Northern Ireland:

[edit] Queer media

[edit] Television:

[edit] Radio:

  • Pink Parade (Cork)
- Every Tuesday, 3-4pm on Cork Campus Radio 97.4FM.
  • Pink on Red (Cork) 104–106FM,
- Sat 10pm—1am on RedFM

[edit] Youth groups


[edit] Organisations

[edit] Annual events

Each city has its own range of LGBT-themed annual events:

All-Ireland Republic of Ireland & Northern Ireland:

Dublin: (pop 1.7m)

  • Mr Gay Dublin
  • Alternative Miss Philippines
  • ALAF - Lesbian arts festival - March/April
  • Dublin Gay Theatre Festival - May
  • GAZE - Dublin Lesbian & Gay Film Festival - August
  • Dublin Gay Pride parade & festival - June
  • Lesbian Lives - international conference - February
  • World Aid's Day - charity event

Belfast: (pop 800,000)

  • Belfast Gay Pride parade & festival
  • Mr Gay Belfast

Cork: (pop 400,000)

  • Alternative Miss Cork - February/March
  • Cork Women's Fun Weekend - May
  • Cork Gay Pride parade & festival - June
  • Outlook - Lesbian & Gay Film Festival - October
  • Lesbian Fanstasy Ball - November
  • Mr Gay Cork

Limerick: (pop 100,000)

  • Limerick Gay Pride parade & festival
  • Alternative Miss Limerick

Derry: (pop 100,000)

  • Derry Gay Pride festival

Galway: (pop 70,000)

  • Galway Gay Pride parade & festival
  • Alternative Miss Galway

Waterford: (pop 50,000)

  • Waterford Gay Pride festival

[edit] Gay regional websites

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Majority favours gay marriage rights - RTÉ News
  2. ^ 84% Support Legal Recognition for Same Sex Relationships - Lansdowne National Opinion Poll

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