Maman Poulet

Thanks to the little birdies who let me know that the Directors of Dublin Pride have commenced a review of the Pride Festival 2010. The festival appeared to have the best profile ever with plenty of mainstream media coverage and a great turn out at many events including 22,000 marching during the Pride Parade.

I’ve covered difficulties before that myself and others have had with the location of the Post Pride celebrations and given the huge numbers that have attended this year it seems that the board of Dublin Pride are trying again to see if the event can be moved.

Locations that have been discussed include the Iveagh Gardens, Dublin Castle, Merrion Square West, O2 at the Point Village, the Dublin Convention Centre at Spencer Dock, Phoenix Park, IMMA, Smithfield and St. Stephen’s Green. Other suggestions are also being sought.

Meanwhile Dublin Pride have themselves been in touch to promote their online survey regarding the opinions of the LGBT community on this years Pride as they plan next years events.

So if like me you would like to see the Pride march end up somewhere more comfortable, relaxing and momentous you might head over here and give your opinions!

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This weekend all thoughts turn to the North West and it’s annual Pride celebration. Now in it’s fifth year the friendliest, most inclusive pride celebration in Ireland is always seeking new ways of celebrating and marking diversity and reaching out to local communities both lgbt and the ’straight and not narrow’. Events will take place in Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal

Trying to top the smallest town pride in the world from last year, this year’s Northwest Pride is seeking to create the biggest living rainbow flag.

We are asking all our friends and supporters to dress in one of the rainbow colours and help us make the Parade even more colourful. Alternatively, they could carry a flag in one of the rainbow colours – a single-colour flag is very easy to make. At some stage during the Parade, we hope to get all the people to group in order of colour and make the world’s first living rainbow flag.

That’ll be interesting – I better find something rainbowish to wear so.

The festival has received Arts Council funding this year and will be marking a number of new developments and significant achievements for lesbians and gay men throughout the region. There are new community and youth groups in Donegal and also in Mayo, a full time community development worker has been appointed through the LGBT Diversity Programme and NorthWest Pride has launched “ProudNet” a cross border initiative to reach out to isolated LGBT people in Counties Leitrim and Fermanagh.

Throughout the region this weekend there is a hill walk, an art exhibition, theatrical performances of newly commissioned work, a number of social events and a beach barbecue in Donegal complete with a welly throwing competition as well as the Parade through Sligo Town. More information on the programme can be found at NorthWest Pride. If you are planning on heading there yourself you’ll probably spot me trying to looking like a living rainbow flag or something. Come and say hello!

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10,000 people from all over the world are expected to converge on Cologne for the Gay Games which begin tomorrow. The Irish Ambassador to Germany is hosting a reception for the Irish participants tomorrow afternoon.

Minister for Arts and Culture and Sport Mary Hanafin TD.  has written to Team Ireland giving her good wishes and support to the team. Maybe  the influence of her colleague Dermot Ahern at work.

The Gay Games Blog has a copy of the letter.

I know we all appreciate the important role that sport plays in our society in promoting healthy lifestyles, creating a sense of identity and belonging and bringing people together. Active participation in sport and physical recreation contributes enormously to the physical and mental well being of the individual and by extension, of the whole community.

Could I suggest maybe an official reception for our medallists on their return?

Good luck to everyone in Team Ireland taking part in next week ( I believe some of Cork’s finest footballers are due to be playing a team of German policewomen in the Soccer tournament amongst others!)

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The first national research programme documenting the experiences of LGBT people aged 55 and older has been launched recently and reserachers are seeking participants for research into the lives and concerns of Older LGBT’s.

This is the area I spent 3 years researching for the never completed PhD and I think the initiative will contribute hugely to the development of policy and knowledge in the area.

The study is commissioned by GLEN and funded by Age and Opportunity and the HSE. It is being carried out by a team of researchers in Trinity College Dublin, School of Nursing &
Midwifery. There are a number of other organisations involved in supporting the project.

If you are over 55 or know someone who is over 55 and would be interested you can find out more information at the Visible Lives website.  There is an anonymous survey and further options for participation by interview if people are interested.  Beast of luck to the researchers and I look forward to reading more about the project as it develops.

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A statement from Labour LGBT was issued this morning.

At a meeting last night we decided to formally initiate the party complaints procedure against Cllr Colm Keaveny. We believe his recent comments in the Sunday Tribune are contrary to party policy and inconsistent with the principles and objects we stand for.

The group also issued a reminder regarding Labour Party national policy on transgender rights which was adopted earlier this year.

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A spokesperson for the Labour Party has distanced the party from comments made by Cllr Colm Keaveney on medical treatment required by people undergoing gender reassignment.

In a telephone call this afternoon the spokesperson said that Cllr. Keaveney’s comments were personal and not in line with party policy, he said that the Labour Party believed that ‘if there is any medical procedure required people are entitled to have it paid for by public funds like any other procedure. ‘

Further clarification is expected shortly from others and TENI may also issue further comments later this week.

Earlier today Sinn Fein issued a press release calling the comments ‘transphobic and wrong’

Deputy Aongus O’Snodaigh said he was ‘baffled as to why he would wish to make a target of an already-marginalised and vulnerable community.

“The HSE’s funding difficulties are not the fault of transgender people – or indeed of any service user. They are the consequence of political decisions made by the Health Minister and the Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government. His comments give credence to their lie that savings must be made in the health service by rationing care. Shame on him for pitting public patients against each other in this way.

Readers may also be interested in a post from Fiona de Londras on the Human Rights in Ireland blog regarding rights perspectives on the comments and issues involved.

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Colm Keaveney is a Labour Party Councillor in East Galway and a SIPTU official. He has stood unsuccessfully in two general elections for the party, left the party for a while in 2007 and rejoined in 2008.

In today’s Sunday Tribume, Cllr. Keaveney gives his opinion on the matter of HSE spending and how one group don’t deserve it and should wait their turn. Cllr. Keaveney thinks that the 22 people who in the last ten years have been supported to undergo gender reassignment are 22 operations too many when there are others waiting for surgery for hearing aid implants. He plays the trans fear card.

“When allocating scarce resources, we must establish what actually delivers best value for society and the individual,” he said.

“Depriving children of necessary aids and appliances at this point in their life will have a devastating social outcome in later years when compared to some very expensive procedures being paid for by the taxpayer.

“While I understand this may be offensive to transgender people, I would ask them to look at this through the eyes of a parent and try to empathise with how they feel about their child’s wellbeing.

“Given the dire straits the country finds itself in, it is vital that we focus government spending on areas that will deliver positive results for our society in the long run.”

Not sure if Colm knows anything about transgender issues and the impact of waiting for surgery on peoples lives or indeed the impact of politicians spouting this sort of rubbish on the safety and mental health of transgendered people in Ireland. Well given that Colm was President of USI when I knew him and supported the development of structures for lgbt students one might have thought he would know better. It’s fairly clear he can’t see things with their eyes and empathise with them.

Transgender Equality Network Ireland point out that transgendered people are also part of Irish society and tax payers and ‘are entitled to access healthcare appropriate to their specific needs, just like other people living in Ireland.’

I assume the Labour Party health spokesperson Jan O’Sullivan will be along shortly to clarify matters.

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It’s been difficult not to notice that Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht affairs Pat Carey has hit the ground running in terms of visiting community projects around the country and trying to offer soothing words to the decimated sector. Minister Carey has a lot of making up to do given the bad relations which have existed with other ministers in a number of departments in the past three years.

For LGBT groups the area of community development is still rather new, or at least the national recognition and co-ordination of initiatives is still new .

Minister Carey earlier today launched the LGBT Diversity initiative which aims to support lgbt organisations and communities throughout Ireland. Currently there are nine organisations involved in the programme and a number of staff have been appointed throughout the country to work in supporting the development of programmes which support LGBT people, build sustainable communities and support voluntary and statutory bodies at local and regional level in how they work in the area.

Merrionstreet.ie were there to cover the launch and the Minister’s speech – which included his views on gay marriage. (Merrionstreet.ie is the Government’s new online portal/news service with video, ‘blogs’, tweeting etc. It’s cost €40,000 so far and there is no way for the voters to engage back with their socially mediaesque elected officials.)

The Minister believes that same sex marriage will happen ’sooner rather than we think’ but will be difficult and require further lobbying. Interesting to see him take up the issue in a speech and he also spoke about homophobia and suicide in the LGBT community. I can’t find the full text of his speech yet but will include it when it is published. Thanks to the speech genie you can read the Minister’s speech here.

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Just in from the Department of Justice and Law Reform

Ahern Welcomes Coming Into Law of Civil Partnership

and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010

The Minister for Justice & Law Reform, Mr. Dermot Ahern T.D., welcomed the coming into law of the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010.

President Mary McAleese this morning signed the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009. Minister Ahern said: “This most one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation to be enacted since independence. Its legislative advance has seen an unprecedented degree of unity and support within both Houses of the Oireachtas.
This Act provides enhanced rights and protections for many thousands of Irish men and women. Ireland will be a better place for its enactment. This new law provides, for the first time, legal recognition for same-sex couples in Ireland. It is of tremendous social significance, for the couples who can now register as partners, for their friends and families – ultimately, for all of us.”

The Act also provides for a cohabitants’ redress scheme, which will provide a ’safety-net’ for financially dependent long-term cohabitants on the end of a relationship.

It is expected that changes to the tax and social welfare code will be made in the next finance and social welfare Bills. The Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 is expected to be commenced when those changes take effect.

Update - The list of bills signed into law by the President from her website.

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I don’t usually do blog posts on rumours but there’s an awful lot of whispering going on regarding the President calling a meeting of Council of State and sending the Civil Partnership Bill to the Supreme Court to test it’s constitutionality. Early this afternoon the phone and the gchat started going from people in all the best places.  Politicians were putting long weekend plans on hold, Senior Counsel on standby for August, that sort of thing.

The whispers came from three different sources and Panti has been hearing them too. The President received the bill on Wednesday evening.  And must sign it by next Wednesday and can’t sign it until Monday. (Can’t sign it until after 5 days but not more than 7 days) Panti has been finding out more since and explains all the bits and pieces – we’ll know very soon what is happening anyway.

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