Mayo Gay Pride

cgcsb

http://www.dailyedge.ie/mayo-pride-3510696-Jul2017/

I seen via social media the parade was a great turnout for the town. I've never been to Castelbar and I did wonder why it wasn't staged in Westport instead. Just because Westport has great venues. But it seems to have been a huge success. Congrats to Mayo on its first pride parade.

I note the distinct lack of Panti from the pics, which I found odd given he's a local and all. And it is disappointing to see other notorious locals, the Burke family, out with their signs protesting. Sad that such attitudes still exist today, but thankfully no reflection on Mayo people.

Well done to all who organised it, shame I couldn't make it.
Did anyone see any of the events? Any craic? Perhaps Westport next year?/

Westernyelp

Well done everybody. Brightened up the town

AllForIt

I think it's appropriate that it's held in Mayo's capital town, Castlebar.

OP, this is the first I heard there were any protesters. Your say the protest was organized by the notorious Burke family who I never heard off. Do you know if it was only the Burke family that protested or are they part of some Christian group? They look like those crazy evangelical nutters you get in the states. Their placards were really bizarre - "Also Respect Christian Values and Morality", "Respect My right to Practice my Christianity". A lame attempt to disguise what they really mean which which is that they think homosexuality is immoral. Why not have the guts to say it straight out instead of inferring it. How does anyone being gay impinge on one's right to practice their religions. Sad bunch of human beings.

Never heard of these burkes.

Seems to be a lot of em?

yop

Mod Note: Folks get us something to back this up or we are going to have to take down the reference to that family. While I'm not killing the thread or anything, I can't leave us open with claims which don't have substance. Thanks

Dudda

yop wrote: »

Mod Note: Folks get us something to back this up or we are going to have to take down the reference to that family. While I'm not killing the thread or anything, I can't leave us open with claims which don't have substance. Thanks

The middle female in the red jacket is the mother of the Bourke Family, Martina Burke. To the right in the suit and purple tie is the father Sean Burke. The tall young man in the suit and light blue shirt is one of their 10 children all of which have biblical names.

They have a long history of appearing in the media prosting over stuff like this which contains photos and videos of them.
eg http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057167264

If you need more proof let me know.

cgcsb

It's the Burke's alright. They rose to prominence in their 2011 campaign against civil partnerships sitting their belief that Irish law ought to reflect 'gods law' and thus male homosexuality should be a crime.

http://www.thejournal.ie/campaign-for-conscience-lodges-supreme-court-challenge-to-same-sex-partnerships-297186-Dec2011/

biko

I didn't even know it was on but might attend and support it next year.

cgcsb

Seems to be a lot of local people didn't know it was on, they only really advertised via social media and gay-centric magazines and the like. Which is a shame when you see the events on in Dublin which are universal in appeal and usually full of families of every persuasion

Mickeroo

cgcsb wrote: »

Seems to be a lot of local people didn't know it was on, they only really advertised via social media and gay-centric magazines and the like. Which is a shame when you see the events on in Dublin which are universal in appeal and usually full of families of every persuasion

It was on the front page of the mayo advertiser last friday week.

yop

Thanks Dudda, all I can say is WTF is it with the suits and ties...... Its proper Fr Ted "Down with that sort of thing"

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yop

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Do you know what, fook them and their kind. Why bothering even discussing them and their protest.
Discuss the parade itself and what it represented.

38Flowers

Agree, Yop. I'm only sorry I didnt know it was on, I would absolutely have gone to support it, had I known. Such a shame. No one I know, knew either. We must be all living under a rock! I just feel bad for the gay community, that more of us didnt turn out to celebrate. Next year it is.:)

Annasopra

Looked like great fun. I think this is a really great step forward for Ireland that we can have Pride parades outside of the cities.

As for the Burkes: They have a long history of extremist homophobia and publicly linking lgbt issues with paedophilia. They ran very sick and nasty campaigns agsinst civil partnership and David Norris.

biko

As yop said, drop the Burkes please and focus on the positive aspects of the day.

6541

May I remind everyone that one is entitled to protest in Ireland. if the Burke family want to protest then fair play to them. it is their right.
I myself wonder why do we need a pride parade in Castlebar, Gay people can marry now so what is the point of this march ? Will I as a heterosexual have a march around the town next Saturday ?

Annasopra

6541 wrote: »

May I remind everyone that one is entitled to protest in Ireland. if the Burke family want to protest then fair play to them. it is their right.
I myself wonder why do we need a pride parade in Castlebar, Gay people can marry now so what is the point of this march ? Will I as a heterosexual have a march around the town next Saturday ?

I don't think anyone said that the Burke family can't protest.

Clearly as the parade was quite successful many LGBT people in Mayo and Castlebar did feel the need for a pride parade. LGBT pride events have many meanings to people not solely about marriage. The wikipedia page gives a good general explanation of the purpose

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_pride

Gay pride or LGBT pride is the positive stance against discrimination and violence toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people to promote their self-affirmation, dignity, equality rights, increase their visibility as a social group, build community, and celebrate sexual diversity and gender variance. Pride, as opposed to shame and social stigma, is the predominant outlook that bolsters most LGBT rights movements throughout the world.

I know friends in Mayo would strongly agree with this as they have variously felt shame, social stigma, isolation, invisibility, a need to hide themselves. The pride parade was about rejecting all of that and creating a local social scene, sense of community for local lgbt people in Mayo and its surrounds.

Yeah sure you can have a heterosexual march if you want. It's a bit pointless though when heterosexuals are not discriminatec against because they are heterosexual, when heterosexuality is constantly visible everywhere, when social shame and stigma has not been meted out to heterosexuals because they are heterosexual, when then is no desire to create a like minded community/social space for heterosexuals.

6541

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

I don't think anyone said that the Burke family can't protest.

Clearly as the parade was quite successful many LGBT people in Mayo and Castlebar did feel the need for a pride parade. LGBT pride events have many meanings to people not solely about marriage. The wikipedia page gives a good general explanation of the purpose

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_pride



I know friends in Mayo would strongly agree with this as they have variously felt shame, social stigma, isolation, invisibility, a need to hide themselves. The pride parade was about rejecting all of that and creating a local social scene, sense of community for local lgbt people in Mayo and its surrounds.

Yeah sure you can have a heterosexual march if you want. It's a bit pointless though when heterosexuals are not discriminatec against because they are heterosexual, when heterosexuality is constantly visible everywhere, when social shame and stigma has not been meted out to heterosexuals because they are heterosexual, when then is no desire to create a like minded community/social space for heterosexuals.

I take your points but I really don't think that there is any shame, social stigma, isolation, invisibility, a need to hide themselves by the LGBT community any more. No one cares, we have Muslims, Blacks, English, French people living among us. No body cares ... Really nobody cares.

Annasopra

6541 wrote: »

I take your points but I really don't think that there is any shame, social stigma, isolation, invisibility, a need to hide themselves by the LGBT community any more. No one cares, we have Muslims, Blacks, English, French people living among us. No body cares ... Really nobody cares.

Of course you can think that but I've just told that you my friends in Mayo and elsewhere have experienced it. I'm speaking about reality.

6541

But then where does this stop. A English parade around Castlebar because English people feel stigma etc for what they did ? I know its not comparing apples with apples, but can you see my point ? Nobody cares we are now living in a very diverse society.

Annasopra

6541 wrote: »

But then where does this stop. A English parade around Castlebar because English people feel stigma etc for what they did ? I know its not comparing apples with apples, but can you see my point ? Nobody cares we are now living in a very diverse society.

If they want to yes. No I don't see your point. Clearly the lgbt community and their friends and family in Mayo saw a need for the parade. It's not harming anyone at all. It is people coming together who want to create a local community and positively affirm their identity. Like Irish people want to have a St Patricks day parade abroad.

gizmo81

6541 wrote: »

I take your points but I really don't think that there is any shame, social stigma, isolation, invisibility, a need to hide themselves by the LGBT community any more. No one cares, we have Muslims, Blacks, English, French people living among us. No body cares ... Really nobody cares.

Its also a commemoration of an actual event, of a period of oppression and subsequent liberation.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_riots


Think of it as a gay 1916 rising if that helps.

John_Rambo

6541 wrote: »

But then where does this stop. A English parade around Castlebar because English people feel stigma etc for what they did ? I know its not comparing apples with apples, but can you see my point ? Nobody cares we are now living in a very diverse society.

I was there for this, dropped in on our way home from Achill, we had friends involved. It was great fun, kids loved it, lots of local support. Where does it stop? I think it was on Market square where there were various acts and family fun.

6541

We will have to agree to disagree here. I am for a pluralist society, so nobody gets a parade. Nobody is special, nobody is marked apart. We are all Irish, be that Gay Irish, Black Irish etc. My point stands where does this stop, a parade for left handed people ?

Westernyelp

ya. Why not? Sounds like great craic.

Annasopra

6541 wrote: »

We will have to agree to disagree here. I am for a pluralist society, so nobody gets a parade. Nobody is special, nobody is marked apart. We are all Irish, be that Gay Irish, Black Irish etc. My point stands where does this stop, a parade for left handed people ?

If left handed people want a parade whats the big deal. I don't see a problem. So what if multiple groups want parades to celebrate their culture and identity.

alan partridge aha

6541 wrote: »

We will have to agree to disagree here. I am for a pluralist society, so nobody gets a parade. Nobody is special, nobody is marked apart. We are all Irish, be that Gay Irish, Black Irish etc. My point stands where does this stop, a parade for left handed people ?

Agree with you, fcuk me thought when they got their marriage ref passed that would be the end of it. Badly mistaken was I.

John_Rambo

6541 wrote: »

We will have to agree to disagree here. I am for a pluralist society, so nobody gets a parade. Nobody is special, nobody is marked apart. We are all Irish, be that Gay Irish, Black Irish etc. My point stands where does this stop, a parade for left handed people ?

If you were really from a pluralist society you'd have NO problem with a pride parade! Or an Africa day, or a farming machinery parade, or a wren etc...

spoonerhead

Hopefully everyone had great fun, I will try my best to get to Mayo pride next year. Heard it's a wonderful festival!

Might see you all in the All-Ireland final in September

Annasopra

John_Rambo wrote: »

If you were really from a pluralist society you'd have NO problem with a pride parade! Or an Africa day, or a farming machinery parade, or a wren etc...

That version of pluralism where nobody gets a parade sounds like the complete opposite of pluralism to me. And very boring. Who would want to live in a society that bans parades in case left handed or english people have one.