FG Cllr calls on gay politicians to out themselves.

The_Minister

http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/Limerick-city-councillor-34Gay-politicians.5864981.jp

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Cllr Diarmuid Scully


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View GalleryADVERTISEMENTPublished Date: 27 November 2009
By Anne Sheridan
GAY politicians should adopt the "moral courage" shown by GAA player Donal Og Cusack, and stop leading double lives, a former Mayor of Limerick has said.
Fine Gael's Cllr Diarmuid Scully made his comments following a row in City Hall this Monday in which Labour's Cllr Tom Shortt raised the issue of homophobia.

Cllr Shortt claimed that homophobic comments were made in Limerick City Council's chamber, but Cllr Scully said he was unaware of any such comments being made and would take great exception if they were.
Cllr Shortt clarified to the Limerick Leader that the remarks were made in relation to Gay Pride week, with a councillor allegedly asking: "Sure, what is there to celebrate really?"

"He was effectively pouring cold water on the celebrations, but the remarks didn't go any further. It was specifically a questioning of the rights of gay people to put flags on the bridge. Thankfully the council brushed it aside and in effect supported the rights of gay people," said Cllr Shortt.

While the remarks were made within the council chamber, it was during a presentation on a number of issues, and not in a council meeting.
However, Cllr Scully said verbal remarks are not the only form of homophobia, stating that "hypocrisy can be just as deadly", especially in politics.

In fact, he said politics was "one of the last bastions for homophobia", with political life being an "unwelcoming place" for gay politicians.

"Politics is a deeply homophobic profession. Officially there are almost no openly gay TDs or councillors in Ireland – a statistical impossibility. Clearly there are many people in public life who are hiding their sexual orientation.

"This is probably true of all political parties. Certainly in the Labour Party we have had a clear case of an ambitious gay politician who paraded his wife and children before the cameras while secretly visiting rent boys," said Cllr Scully, in reference to Emmet Stagg, the Labour Party's chief whip.

In 1994 gardaí found the then Minister of State loitering in an area of the Phoenix Park used by male prostitutes. Mr Stagg was questioned by the gardaí but no charges were filed against him.

Cllr Scully said he was not aware if any of the City Council's 17 representatives are gay, but said "statistically there ought to be".
He continued to say that he will never know what it is like to be gay in Ireland, but imagines "life would be made a little easier if some of those who purport to be our leaders showed the sort of moral courage that Donal Og Cusack has shown and stopped leading double lives."

Cllr Scully, a graduate of the University of Limerick and former Student Union president, said he has spoken out on numerous occasions about the damage that homophobia causes in our society, and in particular about the role it plays in the rate of suicide among young men.

"Research indicates that between 30 and 50 per cent of all suicides are young gay men, a figure out of all proportion to their numbers in the population and one that indicates quite clearly that homophobia costs lives," he said.

:eek: The gloves are well and truly off.
I bet that Labour councillor regrets stirring the pot.

louisa200

I think all politicians who are knuckle fu&kers should out themselves.. do something for humanity.. how dare anyone ask others to oust thmeselves, what goes on in the bedroom with consenting adults has nuffing to do with politics, stupid f8ckin useless pri8kx go back to the floods and start wading you idiots, serve your people, we dont care if you like wearing womans underwear DO something for the average joe bloggs on the street who is fecked and who has nothing......................

Liam Byrne

The bit that's bolded is probably the relevant part........double-standards, etc.

Live and let live would be my motto, but if you're showing a fake side to the public while doing something else (and AFAIK, "rent boys" are illegal, too) then that's not on!

The_Minister

louisa200 wrote: »

I think all politicians who are knuckle fu&kers should out themselves.. do something for humanity.. how dare anyone ask others to oust thmeselves, ...

Dare I ask?

mikemac

Indeed live and let live.

Our own former Taoiseach was separated and living with another women? Did anyone care? Not at all
Once they can do their job their personal relationships are their own

However if you have a wife/husband and kids and presenting yourself to show "family values" then you better not be found out to be cheating with anyone!
Nothing worse then a hypocrite

nesf

The_Minister wrote: »

Dare I ask?

Well, I wouldn't recommend googling it anyway..

nesf

Honestly, I can't see why it is anyone's business but their own. It's not a double life to simply not mention one's sexuality. Openly masquerading as straight is a bit dubious perhaps but if someone just doesn't talk about the subject they can hardly be accused of doing anything wrong.

The_Minister

nesf wrote: »

Honestly, I can't see why it is anyone's business but their own. It's not a double life to simply not mention one's sexuality. Openly masquerading as straight is a bit dubious perhaps but if someone just doesn't talk about the subject they can hardly be accused of doing anything wrong.

In fairness, if memory serves me the Labour party have a very strong anti-prostitute stance, so if his allegations are true *cough* then it is a little hypocritical.

nesf

The_Minister wrote: »

In fairness, if memory serves me the Labour party have a very strong anti-prostitute stance, so if his allegations are true *cough* then it is a little hypocritical.

Is it anti-exploitation of women or anti-prostitute though? They're two very different things.

The_Minister

nesf wrote: »

Is it anti-exploitation of women or anti-prostitute though? They're two very different things.

That should have read prostitution.

Euro_Kraut

The_Minister wrote: »

:eek: The gloves are well and truly off.
I bet that Labour councilor regrets stirring the pot.

Its a bit of a cheap dig actually. The Labour Cllr should be able to raise issue about homophobia (which Cllr Scully seems to agree with) without having the transgressions of Emmet Stag 15 years ago thrown back in his face.

By the way Emmet Stag is likely to be bisexaul rather than gay as he is still married and has kids. Cllr Scully appears to be somewhat ignorant to of the distinction. Its also a cheap dig to be raising the issue of homosexuality and prostitution at the same time.

Personally I long for the day when people don't have to 'out' themselves as nobody will give a damm either what someone sexual preference is.

Euro_Kraut

The_Minister wrote: »

In fairness, if memory serves me the Labour party have a very strong anti-prostitute stance, so if his allegations are true *cough* then it is a little hypocritical.

Whats that go to do with Homosexuality though?

FlutterinBantam

The_Minister wrote: »

Dare I ask?

She's big on knuckles Minister, used the same expression in another thread in another forum.

Bit of a "Knucklemeister" probably.

ninty9er

David Norris is openly gay and it seems to have restricted him to the Seanad.

Especially in politics, it is something that a politician would have to be extremely wary of electorally as many would have publicly indifferent views, while being privately extremely homophobic.

I'd welcome politicains "outing" themselves, there has to be a few consdiering the quite substantive gay cohort in the youth wings of the 3 main parties, though it's possible the party machines aren't putting them on tickets as they consider it an electoral handicap, which to be honest, it probably is.

I'd support Scully's call with a variation that it calls on gay (or bisexual) politicians to consider making it known, if it bothers people, it says more about them than the person who "comes out"

The_Minister

Euro_Kraut wrote: »

Whats that go to do with Homosexuality though?

See highlighted portion of the OP.

Solair

How about the councillor stops worrying about who's gay and who isn't and starts worrying about whose corrupt and who is protecting vested interests!

We urgently need to clean up politics, including at Local Government level as this is where most of the planning corruption has occurred.

I think I'd be far more worried about what politicians get up to in their business life, and who they represent than what they get up to in their bedrooms.

I really don't care if my representative is male, female, gay, straight, bisexual, transexual or whatever they want to be! I just want to know they'll do a good job and actually represent the voters rather than some sleazy vested interest.