My sole aim in life is not to point out the bleeding obvious – honestly.
Next months big event organised by Marriage Equality with the CEO of Freedom to Marry Evan Wolfson is being held in an inaccessible building.
One day event organisers in the lgbt community will have access first on their list.
One day public funds will not be given to venues which are inaccessible.
One day I won’t have to write blog posts like this.
I completely agree with you regarding the shameful neglect of access as a practical political issue – access not just a symbolic political one (which has been widely recognised).
Additionally, I would also point out that many people will be excluded because this meeting is being held on a WEEKDAY, when many folk would be working… could that be also explained? The timing leaves me thinking that ordinary folk aren’t that welcome. Perhaps they just don’t want dissenters like me who are happy about Civil Partnership and do not want to ape heterosexual marriage? (OK I’m not gonna rant about it now!)
Perhaps I could suggest that the organisers might think of trying to remedy these deficiencies, at least in part, by broadcasting the talk on youtube or doing a print copy in GCN, etc. This would reach a wider audience. Any future strategy needs more public engagement, not less.
I’m stating the obvious too when I say it is problematic to argue for marriage equality when the organisers aren’t named/ identified on the M/ Eq website… also, do they need to actually state that: “Dr. Katherine Zappone and Dr. Ann Louise Gilligan are both women…”
That’s dreadful — it really is. The LGBTQ community should be a lot more aware of these things than other groups and yet they seem to not regard it as an issue at all.
As far as the timing goes — perhaps it’s intended to be accessible for those on lunch breaks?
Posting to YouTube or a live broadcast site would be great.
Here we go again…..yet another organisation within the LGBTQ community is discrimating against a section of its own community…when will we get it right….i would say NOW….the event is on the 15th November change the venue from the Writers Musum to another and there are now lots of accessiable venue around the City.
‘That’s unfortunate’ I can hear some say..(this has already been said to me this year by another LGBTQ group). Does this lend to respect for diversity especially within the its community?? It wasn’t so long ago that the LGBTQ where excluded from most if not all sectors of Irish Society, however, times have moved on a bit but not enough.
I would suggest that you might at some stage read a discussion paper from NDA (National Disability Authority) called Disability and Sexual Orientation. This discussion paper can be accessed through there web site at http://www.nda.ie
My argument is not around choices, its around when an invite is open to all members of a group and within that group there are people who require venues to be accessible this should be a done deal.
It would appear that the venue choice was down to “a mix-up”- yeah right- whatever.The following is an extract from an email to-day from MarriagEquality:
“As you know, we were delighted to announce last week that Evan Wolfson, founder and Executive Director of Freedom to Marry in the U.S.A, is coming to Dublin on November 15th to share some of the experiences and learnings from the movement for marriage equality stateside with us as we look at post Civil Partnership Ireland.
Due to a mix up about facilities and accessibility in the original venue booked, we have moved the event to The Gresham Hotel. We apologise for any inconvenience and upset that this may have inadvertently caused.
Come and listen to Evan Wolfson’s historic Irish address in The Trinity Suite, The Gresham Hotel, Dublin 1 from 1pm to 2pm on the 15th of November. “
Should I be grateful that the Marriage Equality moved the venue from the Irish Writers Museum to the Gresham Hotel……maybe YES back 15 years ago when there was little or no access into venues around my city. Last year I was invited to attend an event to be held in the Gresham Hotel. I enquired if this venue has wheelchair access and was told it was fully accessiable. Arriving at the Gresham I wouldn’t see how I could get in unless there was a back way, went around the back and no accessible entrance. At the steps of the Gresham I asked a stranger to go to the reception to ask someone to come out to me. The porter came out to tell me that the only access into the hotel “for me” was by a portable ramp. After a few minutes waited in the rain the porter came out with the ramp, placed it on the steps and said “there you go”…I looked in shock…it was so steeped dangerous and clearly unsafe. Voicing my dismay I was told…”all wheelchairs use this”…in anger I replied, “I value my life” and I know by the look of that ramp it is not safe for me or wheelchair users and on that basis I didn’t attend the event. I did make an official written complaint and the answer I received was ‘they were sorry and offered me copies of speeches of the day’!!!! Nice one!!
I think another move is in order here and Marriage Equality now knows that the Gresham Hotel does not cover access in the eyes of disabled people
If Marriage Equality after realising their ‘mix up’ contacted one of people with disabilities who have pointed out this issue and asked us we might have told them that the Gresham is not accessible and suggested other locations or possibly explained what access actually means. Portable ramps are dangerous and not a guarantee or imprimatur of access.
Engaging with people is not that difficult is it… oh no need to answer that. 10 years on Outhouse still exists and is only accessible in part and on request. Groups with no money seem to know how to do access – maybe they along with disabled lgbts can do a show and tell sometime for the rest.
To me, this exposes the deep rooted conservatism at the heart of the campaign – the fact that it is a daytime event indicates not so much to me that working people are excluded so much as “money is no object” and the folks organising it have the luxury to choose a time of their pleasing (are they being paid?) The fact that the building is inaccessible is an obvious total disregard as to the fact that plenty of people – both LGBT and otherwise – have great difficulty with poor access (not just that, but in my own experience with a family member it isn’t just about the access but the commitment of staff to assist people with mobility issues) and staging events in such venues effectively excludes them. Oh dear, “Does he take sugar?” again.
It simply doesn’t dawn on the organisers of many of these groups that LGBT is a broad church. They cannot, because, of course, if they did consider that, they would have to face the reality that the issue means far less to gay couples who live their lives in secrecy, have complex arrangements that have to account for previous marriages/children from prior relationships, or are maybe just – like many – far more focused about keeping a roof over their head and bread on the table than relationship recognition. Marriage Equality, if they thought about these things, might have to face up to the fact that for many, the cart is before the horse and more basic issues of tolerance in society and in the workplace need to be fought first.
Maman Poulet » Third Time Lucky // Nov 2, 2010 at 00:12
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