Maman Poulet

Maman Poulet is currently going through an arts phase. I confess I know little about the arts, I can’t waffle about it really, no big words or lovey stuff from me. However I’m giving this get out to culture stuff a go at the moment. Two weeks ago it was No Fit State’s Immortal at Dublin Docklands which was fantastic, queer, gender playing, disability friendly, radical circus. (The flirting with the performers was brilliant too…)

Tonight it was The Crucible @ The Abbey. I loved the tilting floor, stuck up the back the view was stunning. One of the actors has had to leave the production for personal family reasons, so in steps the brave Bosco Hogan with only 48 hours to prepare with his script in a book in his hand for comfort and quick reference but it did not detract at all – it was strange to see Patrick Mason come out to address the audience at the beginning to explain the changes and the impact. It was very good, some stunning performances from Declan Conlon in particular, and the messages of the play resonate in 21st century.

Maman Poulet does not propose to turn into an arts blogger you will be relieved to hear – I’d be completely useless at it. I will leave that to Dermod! (read his review here!) Living in the City Centre has so many plusses, and I realise how lucky I am to live around the corner from several theatres and up the road from two cinemas! (Saw Oceans 13 on Sunday, loved that also…how shallow a lesbian am I that loves anything with George Clooney and Brad Pitt!!)

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Someone signed Damien up to gay dating websites pretending to be him – the evidence at the moment points to someone at Sky Handling Partners. Damien asked for an investigation and a response, he didn’t get one, he blogged about it. They called in their lawyers and issued a take down notice.

Can Sky Handling Partners or their lawyers tell the world – through their (prehistoric!) website or maybe start their own blog – what exactly are you doing to investigate who signed Damien up for the dating sites with the lurid ads from the IP address registered to your company and it’s predecessors?

Now we know at the moment you are sending take down letters but that really isn’t good enough, you know it and the blogging world and all those who read blogs (47 thousand on Damien’s yesterday and then every one else who blogged about it.)

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We have a new Minister for State with Responsibility for Equality. Sean Power’s name rang a bell. I remember his speech during decriminalistion. Then a FF backbencher he was one of the very few backbench TD’s to make a speech during the debate – and I remember those of us watching it being very struck by it and the way in which he was very human and very real about the issues under debate. This was 14 years ago – it was not easy to make that speech from his side of the house. The only reason he pitied homosexuals was because we were not seen as equal – because our loving relationships were not recognised like his loving relationship was.

So is this a taste of things to come? Will we see recognition of non marital relationships? More staff for the Equality Tribunal to prosecute cases? Minister Power in his former role in the Department of Health only last week opened a conference on HIV and AIDs and Gay and Bisexual Men. So he’s got a good track record. Watch this space!

Mr. Power: The Bill deals with an issue that has engendered much debate over the past few years. Indeed, many people will feel a certain amount of relief that the issue will shortly be removed from the agenda. The very word homosexual is one that people are embarrassed to use but if we could only accept that homosexuals are ordinary people living among us, a more purposeful and meaningful debate would have taken place over recent years.

Homosexuals are real human beings and not just people who live elsewhere. They live in every village and town in Ireland and, regretfully, such has been the hostility and contempt shown to them that they have been very reluctant to reveal their homosexuality.

I attended my first disco as a teenager and, like thousands of other young men throughout the country, I went in the hope of meeting some understanding female.

Mrs. Owen: Did you?

Mr. Power: It took a long time before they understood me and I never enjoyed the same amount of success as some of my colleagues.

Mrs. Owen: That is a shame.

Mr. Power: Nevertheless, I enjoyed my teenage years, the parties, discos and dances. Female company is a wonderful thing. I enjoyed the craic and all that goes with being single. In 1986 I married Deirdre Malone and during the past seven years I enjoyed a very fulfilling relationship with her. It has made me a more complete person and, indeed, a much happier one.

I make this point to demonstrate that we are in the same position as thousands of other couples throughout the country and this is accepted as being normal. By definition homosexuals are people who are sexually attracted to members of the same sex. For some reason they do not feel the same urge to form a relationship with someone of the opposite sex. We all need to love and to be loved. I pity homosexuals because they cannot share the same type of relationship as the one I enjoy. In most cases their relationships have to be conducted in a very secretive fashion. If found out, they face rejection by society and in some cases by their families. For too long we have made jokes about homosexuals instead of trying to understand them. The time has come for people to show tolerance, compassion and understanding to all our people. It is vital for a Government to lead its people and the introduction of this Bill is welcome.

The Bill makes it an offence to solicit or importune another person or persons for the purposes of prostitution. The penalty on summary conviction will be a fine of up to £1,000 or three months’ imprisonment, or both. It has been argued that the present laws in relation to prostitution have been rendered inoperable by the courts and, therefore, changes are necessary. If these new laws are to work properly there will have to be a number of significant changes. If we were to jail all the ladies who provide sex to men for money in this city there would be no room in our prisons for the real criminals. Full sex is provided in many health clubs and massage parlours throughout our capital city, a fact we have chosen to ignore.

A few weeks ago I supported the Minister for Health when he successfully brought a Bill before this House to make condoms more freely available. The Minister laid great emphasis on the fact that he was bringing forward his proposals in an effort to prevent the spread of AIDS. Surely we must be consistent. If we are serious about fighting this dreadful disease action must be taken now. I know that a number of people outside this House today vented their anger and disgust at the introduction of this Bill, but I ask them if they really believe that people who engage in homosexual acts are criminals.

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Not only an asshole but breaking laws, causing damage, and getting dragged though the blog mud (and by god is it muddy out there if you put a unprotected foot in it!) Damien Mulley blogged about poor customer service earlier this month and someone took it a bit badly today.

And whomever in SHP has been busy with signing Mulley up to gay dating sites might be searching jobs.ie sooner rather than later. Damien is going on Paddy’svalley later this year, as well as getting his bags well minded I wonder if the damages will cover his trip? – Yes damages because when this is all sorted I suggest that SHP make very very very good on the matter.

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Few printable words can be given to my feelings on last nights events – those other events. Captains of industry given an opportunity to patronise people with disabilities and receive awards for not breaking the law and giving people their human rights? I’m going to the Circus tonight so I won’t have to watch it or avoid watching it on television.

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You might see a new link in my blog roll! Rosaleen McDonagh is running in the University of Dublin (TCD) Panel in the forthcoming Seanad Eireann Elections. She’s blogging the campaign and promises regular updates! (ah she’ll have to do it now won’t she!)

Rosaleen has been my best friend for I don’t know how long. We have been friends for at least 10 years anyway. As you might expect I’m endorsing her campaign publicly (never mind giving a hand with some campaigning) and if you have a vote in the forthcoming election or know somebody who has a vote please consider Rosaleen for a Number 1. To vote one must be a graduate of TCD, an Irish citizen and most importantly have your name on the electoral register. Votes are being distributed by registered post next week and must be returned by July 24th.

As you will see from her biography and manifesto, Rosaleen brings a very different perspective to Irish politics and her election would be historic for many reasons. So as the results of one election bring us nearer to a new government, canvassing and campaigning are well underway for the next. Even though the electorate in this case are most privileged in their suffrage, the message of her candidacy for those of us seen as other means an awful lot.

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A PhD student filmmaker in Australia made a film about disability – entitled Laughing at the Disabled where he sent two men with intellectual disabilities into various situations where they ended up being abused and physically attacked. At a review meeting where the rushes for the film were shown members of the faculty are horrified at the project and speak out. The members of staff get suspended not for threatening the academic freedom of the PhD candidate but for their behaviour

It’s a film school that is involved in the whole mess – so there is a documentary being made about the controversy and you can see clips on youtube here and here. The second one in particular looks at the reaction of disability activists.

I wonder what ethical process the student had to go through to get approval for this? And the disability organisation involved? Well it’s clear that very little research was carried out into the background of this group by the university. One look at their website indicates that they are not an organisation of disabled people but a service provider staffed by able bodied people – and what has a personality test got to do with disability and independent living?

Peter Black looks at the press and Oz Blog reaction – particularly on the academic freedom issues (that of the film maker and the lecturers commenting.

H/t for initial story to Ouch .

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Ah it’s the weekend of wheelchair and scooter stories. Firstly we have the senior citizens scooter racing in Israel, then we have the drunk Canadian who nicked a motorised chair and got done for it. But the prize must go to Ben Carpenter who went for a ride on a truck. Not just any old ride either – watch the video here. He needed new tyres after it, I’d say his personal assistant needed a strong cup of tea and Ben will be watching out for the trucks!

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Been far too busy with the day job this week to notice much else happening in the world. Not that there seems to have been much – the silence around the government negotiations is deafening – where are all the voices telling the Greens to cop on?

Anyway before a return to blogging something far more exciting later (says she) a link – just spotted RedMum’s first post of Young Wan’s Junior Cert Diary - It’s great, those lines just pass you by and then you go back and read them a second time and laugh out loud. I’m sure the exam superintendent has his phone turned off this morning!

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It’s not just crap, getting the piss taken out of it, the prelude for the new design for 2012 caused people with epilepsy to have seizures.

Being very photosensitive and not a fan of strobe lighting or a lot of flash photography I’ve have been aware of the fact that people with epilepsy can’t do this stuff either – and with far greater consequences. It’s extremely difficult when organising disability access on all the possible issues to get photographers and others to remember the needs of people with epilepsy. The least the people supplying the content to the website/designers could have done is put up a warning like they do on television. Ah that would just be sensible! Or maybe not, maybe in 2007 we still don’t see epilepsy as an issue where society disables and not the person with the condition! Maybe they should not watch telly or go out at all, that would be much better.

Anyway advert and other concept designers out there, there is a test you can use for this sort of thing to make sure that people watching your creation don’t have a seizure.

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