Irish Drag Queen Panti Bliss Captivates Irish Fight For Marriage Equality a comment piece by @PowerWayne
"Have you ever been standing at a pedestrian crossing when a car goes by and in it are a bunch of lads, and they lean out the window as they go by and they shout "Fag" and throw a milk carton at you? |
The above excerpt comes from Irish drag queen Panti Bliss’ (aka Rory O’Neill’s) impassioned and effortlessly eloquent ten minute speech that has gone viral. Filmed at the famed Abbey Theatre in central Dublin, the moving oration has galvanised and captivated the Irish LGBT community ahead of next year's referendum on marriage equality. But it's not just people from the LGBT community that have taken the speech to their hearts - the Irish public in general have been given a powerful insight into what homophobia is like, and the speech has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response. Madonna, Stephen Fry, Ru Paul, Martina Navratilova and many more esteemed public figures have praised Panti’s speech, because whether gay or straight, free or oppressed, human nature identifies and singles out when a wrong has been gravely committed - when prejudice has been exposed. Prejudice that is slyly cloaked in the pedantry of conservatives defending their right to be “not homophobic”.
The 'wrong' in this case came when Irish state broadcaster RTE gave 85,000 euros of TV licence payers money to columnist John Waters and the Catholic conservative lobbying group the Iona Institute. An irrelevant gaggle of small minded bigots whom since 2007 have pontificated about abortion, civil partnerships and other such social issues via poison newspaper columns and tedious appearances on political programmes. Using their clout in society and in some major circles of the Irish media to obstruct and deny civil rights to a sector of society, they are disconnected and on the wrong side of history.
They gladly took the 85K payout despite being offered a right to reply and also despite talk of giving their compensation to charity. The payout by RTE has enraged Irish people during a time of recession.
The man behind Panti, Rory O’Neill, has been at the centre of this storm since appearing on RTE’s The Saturday Night Show. On it O’Neill, who is a beloved figure in Irish gay life, named Breda O’Brien, John Waters and the Iona Institute as being homophobic, brilliantly and rightly saying –"Fe*k off out of my life".
John Waters, an Irish newspaper columnist, took exception to being named in Panti’s interview and RTE acted swiftly censoring the interview on their online catch up service. 'Pantigate' as it's become known, intensified on the 26th of January’s edition of The Saturday Night Show when host Brendan O’Connor apologised for Panti’s remarks. The infuriated masses took to Twitter to exercise their disdain and disgust as #teampanti trended nationwide.
When news broke of the 85K payout RTE was inundated with complaints and the issue was even raised in the Irish Parliament and the European Parliament. And so we now have this somewhat issue-skirting pedantry about definitions of homophobia and who is and isn’t entitled to use it.
Let's examine some of John Waters' comments about equal marriage. He has said that equal marriage could "potentially destroy the very fabric of Irish society" and that the notion of equal marriage is "satirical".
Then there’s the blessed Breda O’Brien who once said that "equality has to come second to the common good".
These people have written numerous articles opposing equal marriage which are in the public domain and easily attainable. Now when called out on their inherent prejudice they cry victim. Orwellian indeed as they try to distort and redefine what homophobia is to cloak their own long held bigotry. All whilst lecturing the rest of us on what can and cant be said. How dare they try to dictate what homophobia is. Ready to fire out a solicitors letter at a moments notice rather than engaging in reasonable debate.
We all know what homophobia is. Look at Putin’s Russia right now. Some of us have experienced the hurt , anger and spitefulness of homophobia. Some physically. Some verbally. Homophobia is a poisonous, damaging social disease. And when you want a sector of society to be denied their civil right , relegating them as being lesser than you because they are gay. Because we are not the natural order. Because our happiness threatens your family life. Threatens your marriage. Then, you are blissfully homophobic. And spectacularly delusional. And yes, when discrimination and prejudice is rife, you should be called out on it. You have every right to defend it. But don’t go hiding behind legalities, religious mantras. I like to call a spade a spade and a homophobe a homophobe.
And so to next year's referendum on equal marriage here in Ireland. There is a long and even more spiteful campaign to come. But I have faith in the Irish electorate. I hope and pray the referendum passes. And when it does I shall shed a tear of pride. Hopefully whilst clutching a glass of champagne in PantiBar with the man who has brought the LGBT community together like never before. Who has made us take to the streets, to our social media platforms and made us reassert ourselves. Made us keep our heads held high. Made us stop, check ourselves and say “ I am an equal “
A noble call from the noble heart and soul of a noble man. Thank you Panti. Patron sinner of middle, backward Ireland. Patron saint of gay Ireland.
You can follow the author on Twitter @PowerWayne
You can follow Panti on Twitter too @PantiBliss
If you'd like to comment on this article or on Panti's speech (which does contain a tiny bit of strong language!) please use the box below.
The 'wrong' in this case came when Irish state broadcaster RTE gave 85,000 euros of TV licence payers money to columnist John Waters and the Catholic conservative lobbying group the Iona Institute. An irrelevant gaggle of small minded bigots whom since 2007 have pontificated about abortion, civil partnerships and other such social issues via poison newspaper columns and tedious appearances on political programmes. Using their clout in society and in some major circles of the Irish media to obstruct and deny civil rights to a sector of society, they are disconnected and on the wrong side of history.
They gladly took the 85K payout despite being offered a right to reply and also despite talk of giving their compensation to charity. The payout by RTE has enraged Irish people during a time of recession.
The man behind Panti, Rory O’Neill, has been at the centre of this storm since appearing on RTE’s The Saturday Night Show. On it O’Neill, who is a beloved figure in Irish gay life, named Breda O’Brien, John Waters and the Iona Institute as being homophobic, brilliantly and rightly saying –"Fe*k off out of my life".
John Waters, an Irish newspaper columnist, took exception to being named in Panti’s interview and RTE acted swiftly censoring the interview on their online catch up service. 'Pantigate' as it's become known, intensified on the 26th of January’s edition of The Saturday Night Show when host Brendan O’Connor apologised for Panti’s remarks. The infuriated masses took to Twitter to exercise their disdain and disgust as #teampanti trended nationwide.
When news broke of the 85K payout RTE was inundated with complaints and the issue was even raised in the Irish Parliament and the European Parliament. And so we now have this somewhat issue-skirting pedantry about definitions of homophobia and who is and isn’t entitled to use it.
Let's examine some of John Waters' comments about equal marriage. He has said that equal marriage could "potentially destroy the very fabric of Irish society" and that the notion of equal marriage is "satirical".
Then there’s the blessed Breda O’Brien who once said that "equality has to come second to the common good".
These people have written numerous articles opposing equal marriage which are in the public domain and easily attainable. Now when called out on their inherent prejudice they cry victim. Orwellian indeed as they try to distort and redefine what homophobia is to cloak their own long held bigotry. All whilst lecturing the rest of us on what can and cant be said. How dare they try to dictate what homophobia is. Ready to fire out a solicitors letter at a moments notice rather than engaging in reasonable debate.
We all know what homophobia is. Look at Putin’s Russia right now. Some of us have experienced the hurt , anger and spitefulness of homophobia. Some physically. Some verbally. Homophobia is a poisonous, damaging social disease. And when you want a sector of society to be denied their civil right , relegating them as being lesser than you because they are gay. Because we are not the natural order. Because our happiness threatens your family life. Threatens your marriage. Then, you are blissfully homophobic. And spectacularly delusional. And yes, when discrimination and prejudice is rife, you should be called out on it. You have every right to defend it. But don’t go hiding behind legalities, religious mantras. I like to call a spade a spade and a homophobe a homophobe.
And so to next year's referendum on equal marriage here in Ireland. There is a long and even more spiteful campaign to come. But I have faith in the Irish electorate. I hope and pray the referendum passes. And when it does I shall shed a tear of pride. Hopefully whilst clutching a glass of champagne in PantiBar with the man who has brought the LGBT community together like never before. Who has made us take to the streets, to our social media platforms and made us reassert ourselves. Made us keep our heads held high. Made us stop, check ourselves and say “ I am an equal “
A noble call from the noble heart and soul of a noble man. Thank you Panti. Patron sinner of middle, backward Ireland. Patron saint of gay Ireland.
You can follow the author on Twitter @PowerWayne
You can follow Panti on Twitter too @PantiBliss
If you'd like to comment on this article or on Panti's speech (which does contain a tiny bit of strong language!) please use the box below.
HTML Comment Box is loading comments...
