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Gay politicans?

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  • 26-06-2009 5:34pm
    #1
    Filan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 703 ✭✭✭


    Did I hear that Ireland recently elected it's first gay (lesbian) mayor? Somewhere like Tullamore?. Strange how just one member of our 226 Oireachtas members are homosexual. Is it that no gay's are allergic to politics or are there more in the closet?.


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    #2
    KeyLimePie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 861 ✭✭✭KeyLimePie


    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Norris_(politician)


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    #3
    Time Magazine
    Registered Users Posts: 8,452 ✭✭✭Time Magazine


    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmet_Stagg


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    #4
    Donnaghm
    Registered Users Posts: 299 ✭✭Donnaghm


    As a member of FG, I can honestly say I know loads of our public representatives who are gay. They aren't really outwardly so and are not single issue candidates like Norris.


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    #5
    kumate_champ07
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,150 ✭✭✭kumate_champ07


    Donnaghm wrote: »
    As a member of FG, I can honestly say I know loads of our public representatives who are gay. They aren't really outwardly so and are not single issue candidates like Norris.

    Norris is for human rights, not just gay rights.


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    #6
    Donnaghm
    Registered Users Posts: 299 ✭✭Donnaghm


    kumate_champ07 wrote: »
    Norris is for human rights, not just gay rights.

    You're quite right.


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    #7
    Aard
    Registered Users Posts: 4,905 ✭✭✭Aard


    Dominic Hannigan is a Labour Senator, who is openly gay. As for your question about no gays being in politics, or are they just closeted: I think it's the latter. I'm sure there are many gay FF TDs who are closeted for fear that all the Dublin grannies would stop voting for them were they to come out.


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    #8
    Donnaghm
    Registered Users Posts: 299 ✭✭Donnaghm


    Aard wrote: »
    Dominic Hannigan is a Labour Senator, who is openly gay. As for your question about no gays being in politics, or are they just closeted: I think it's the latter. I'm sure there are many gay FF TDs who are closeted for fear that all the Dublin grannies would stop voting for them were they to come out.

    It would take the FFers wouldn't it. They don't wish to alienate the bigoted redneck demographic.
    I say it's more the rural grannies. The dublin grannies couldn't give a monkeys.


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    #9
    Bottle_of_Smoke
    Registered Users Posts: 9,770 ✭✭✭Bottle_of_Smoke


    The Economist wrote: »
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmet_Stagg

    Its funny the wikipedia article says he was found loitering in an area "used by underage male prostitutes"

    The links it quotes - Myers has no reference to underage. The other one only has "dubious circumstances"

    F*cking wikipedia!


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    #10
    L1011
    Registered Users Posts: 68,703 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Malcolm Byrne, FF councillor in Gorey. Few Labour councillors. Dominic Hannigan and David Norris.

    Thats about it as goes openly gay. There are far more, obviously; and those in parties are going to know of ones that aren't out.

    Malcolm Byrne got outed after a local rag journo found him on Gaydar. Nobody asked what said "upstanding member of the community" journo was doing on Gaydar in the first place. Local radio station had a poll about "do you still support Malcolm Byrne after his 'scandal'" and got over 90% support IIRC....


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    #11
    Boston
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,163 ✭✭✭✭Boston


    Just because you don't know a politician is gay, doesn't mean he/she isn't out. Often those in the political establishment will know while the public will not. I don't see anything wrong with that.


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    #12
    LegacyUser
    Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    MYOB wrote: »
    Malcolm Byrne, FF councillor in Gorey. Few Labour councillors. Dominic Hannigan and David Norris.

    Thats about it as goes openly gay. There are far more, obviously; and those in parties are going to know of ones that aren't out.

    Malcolm Byrne got outed after a local rag journo found him on Gaydar. Nobody asked what said "upstanding member of the community" journo was doing on Gaydar in the first place. Local radio station had a poll about "do you still support Malcolm Byrne after his 'scandal'" and got over 90% support IIRC....

    F-ing journalists thinking they've discovered news by finding someone on gaydar.. he had a profile on gaydar ages before he was a FF councillor. It wasn't something he ever hid, just cos some people didn't know about it..what was he supposed to do, introduce himself as gay to everyone?

    It could be worse, though..in the last elections Rodiric O'Gorman in D15 had to content with Leo Varadkar's canvassers going around telling people at the door about his sexuality (mostly with older folks), with the not-so-subtle suggestion that people should thus think carefully about his suitability as a candidate before voting for him. Having known his father for quite a long time, having attended him as my GP in all this time, it seems the apple fell far from the tree.

    Anyway, re. Malcolm I hope that journo got a rap on the knuckles.


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    #13
    Iskenderun
    Closed Accounts Posts: 56 ✭✭Iskenderun


    Boston wrote: »
    Just because you don't know a politician is gay, doesn't mean he/she isn't out. Often those in the political establishment will know while the public will not. I don't see anything wrong with that.

    I completely agree. Whether you are in the closet or out, and are a public representative, is a matter for the individual concerned. People have a right to privacy and it appears that the 4th estate in this country respects this, as they also do in France.
    The only occasion a person should be 'outed' is when they engage in some hypocritical campaign against the gay community.


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    #14
    L1011
    Registered Users Posts: 68,703 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Boston wrote: »
    Just because you don't know a politician is gay, doesn't mean he/she isn't out. Often those in the political establishment will know while the public will not. I don't see anything wrong with that.

    Publicly out might be a better term.


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    #15
    4red
    Closed Accounts Posts: 89 ✭✭4red


    http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/mullingar/articles/2009/06/23/40821-town-council-leader-out-/


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    #16
    kumate_champ07
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,150 ✭✭✭kumate_champ07


    Iskenderun wrote: »
    The only occasion a person should be 'outed' is when they engage in some hypocritical campaign against the gay community.

    how so?


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    #17
    maxi19
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6 ✭maxi19


    Many Sinn Féin councillors and senior representives in Belfast are homosexuals.


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    #18
    Daisy D
    Closed Accounts Posts: 54 ✭✭Daisy D


    maxi19 wrote: »
    Many Sinn Féin councillors and senior representives in Belfast are homosexuals.

    And how is this different to other parties?? So what if SF or FF or GP or whoever is gay.

    I really don't know why people are so hung up on if people are publicly gay or privately. I know what mayor you are talking about OP and they are not publicly out to everyone but to people who ask this person admits it.

    I support what a poster said about not having to be publicly outed unless they are doing something to infringe on the minorities advancement!:rolleyes:


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    #19
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 41,062 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    Filan wrote: »
    Did I hear that Ireland recently elected it's first gay (lesbian) mayor? Somewhere like Tullamore?. Strange how just one member of our 226 Oireachtas members are homosexual. Is it that no gay's are allergic to politics or are there more in the closet?.

    Yes Mullingar

    http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/mullingar/articles/2009/06/23/40821-town-council-leader-out-/

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



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    #20
    Iwasfrozen
    Registered Users Posts: 16,250 ✭✭✭✭Iwasfrozen


    So what if a politician is Gay ?
    What they do in their bedrooms is their own business.


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    #21
    Daisy D
    Closed Accounts Posts: 54 ✭✭Daisy D


    Iwasfrozen wrote: »
    So what if a politician is Gay ?
    What they do in their bedrooms is their own business.

    Too an extent, LOL ;)


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