I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had homophobic slurs hinting at or baldly suggesting I’m a risk to children. The simple appalling reality is that for most gay men who end up working in public life in some form another, at some stage they will face this crap.
In 2007 for instance, the current head of Irexit party wrote a one page opinion piece in a national Sunday newspaper suggesting that I shouldn’t be allowed to parent our kids because I am gay and had been raped as a child. A national paper.
It ended up being the feature of debate for a full LiveLine show. I refused to debate the issue. The author of the piece complained, I think, that the show lacked balance. The BAI upheld his complaint. These days this shit is largely limited to social media. But it is vile.
Katherine Zappone faced not the same crap, but truly appalling slurs when she was appointed Minister for Children. Sending solidarity to @rodericogorman today. This seems to me like more of the same kind of blatant, vile, poisonous homophobia. It is disgusting.
Katherine Zappone, one of the finest people I know, was regularly portrayed as a witch, as demonic. After a lifetime working to support women & children. Because she was a proud out lesbian who dared step up and take public office. It is disgusting.
People are perfectly to criticise the work or politics of any public figure or representative. But this kind of stuff is disgusting. It harms people - usually not its target - but their families & the people who love them. It does very real & serious harm. It’s not on. Stop.
I’m raging. Ireland has moved on a lot in recent years. But it remains a country where those who oppose LBGT rights can secure a payout from media if someone suggests their views are homophobic, but where LGBT people in public life have to tolerate & respond to such vile slurs.
