Maman Poulet | Clucking away crookedly through media, politics and life

St. Patrick’s Day exclusion continues in New York

March 15th, 2012 · Equality, Homophobia, Irish Politics, LGBT, Queer

Update

The Minister’s office confirmed that she will be viewing the Parade today and will meet a group of Irish American LGBT’s on Monday in the Consulate.  The people she is meeting are from the St. Pat’s for All parade which takes place in Queens.  Those who protest the Manhattan Parade exclusion from Irish Queers have not been invited.  Irish Queers wrote to the Minister yesterday and asked her to acknowledge the issue ‘rather than let it go by in silence. We also invite her to participate in, or at least send a message of support to, the annual protest at the parade itself.’

 

Original Post

It’s time for my annual post on the St. Patricks Day Parade in New York and the exclusion of Irish LGBT’s from the parade.

Last year the Tanaiste met some representatives of the lgbt community when he visited New York and spoke out against exclusion. He still went to the parade.

This year the government sent a representative to the St. Pats for All Parade which takes place in Queens. (This is an alternative event established to include all diverse voices.) Minister for State Kathleen Lynch attended on March 4.

 

However it appears the government are still sending an official representative to the Manhattan Parade which has excluded LGBT’s for over 20 years and describes itself as a Catholic private event (with 3 million attending).

Minister Joan Burton is in New York at the moment until Monday 19th. No word on whether she will be meeting with lgbt’s while there or any mention in the press release regarding taking part in the parade itself. I’ve put a query into the press office.

Irish Queers will be protesting as usual. Their targets are the New York Police Department, the Fire Department and Mayor Bloomberg. They will meet on Saturday, March 17th on Fifth Avenue between 56th and 57th street (on the west side) from 11am – 1pm.

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Picking ones battles – Norris and Tallafornia

March 14th, 2012 · Irish Politics, LGBT

A little bit of gay history. In 1977 Dublin City Council withdrew the funding from Project Arts Centre when it staged work by Gay Sweatshop.

Peter Sheridan remembers

In conjunction with the Irish Gay Rights Movement, we brought the London-based Gay Sweatshop and their acclaimed production of Madame X. Some members of Dublin Corporation became very irate that we were using their grant to present work of this nature. Cllr Ned Brennan of Fianna Fáil declared that he could not support money being spent on “funny bunnies from across the water”. In a dramatic move, the council decided to suspend our grant, not because they wanted to influence our artistic policy, but in order to ensure good and proper book-keeping. Or so they said.

Six months later the decision was rescinded and the grant restored. It was a landmark, not just in terms of Project’s relationship with a primary funder, Dublin Corporation, but also as an important victory for all those pushing the boundaries of artistic expression.

David Norris was a chairperson of the Irish Gay Rights Movement and fierce critic of those councillors.

He now wants a debate on standards in Irish Life. Of the people in Tallafornia he says.

“They’re put in an atmosphere of continual drinking, they’re encouraged to behave licentiously, they compete to bring people home to bed them.”

He may not like it, he should not watch it. I have never seen it and don’t intend to watch it. It might be a stretch to refer to it as artistic expression. But Norris didn’t like other people objecting to gay theatre shows in Ireland and other forms of censorship. I think the Senator should choose his battles wisely.

Of course David you have the right of reply! More from Jill Posener on the visit of Gay Sweatshop to Dublin in 1977 here.

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Onwards to Croke Park? (Don’t mention the agreement)

March 13th, 2012 · Irish Politics, Sport

The Coalition parties had a clash of the ash (Hurling match) this evening in Clanna Gael Fontenoy grounds in Ringsend.

Photo by Ciara Conway TD

 

Labour beat Fine Gael by 6-8 to 1-2. Junior Minister Alan Kelly played in an all Tipp back line alongside other Oireachtas members and staff. (Pitch side reporting from Ciara Conway and John Lyons.)

Fine Gael were playing in borrowed strip from Cork organised by Deputy Jerry Buttimer. Many TD’s were due to line out for the party and a star staff camogie player also played. Labour members paid for their own strip at €20 a shirt. The event raised funds for Cork’s Marymount Hospice.

It’s been called an annual event so expect to see a repeat next year.  Quips on twitter already about this being the only thing Labour are winning in government will not be appreciated (but might be bettered).

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Texting and Tweeting in … 2

March 13th, 2012 · Uncategorized

A government minister has admitted that political party press offices are often behind texts and Tweets sent to the broadcast media.

Leo Varadkar has also confessed that includes the Fine Gael party.

The Minister says he has a “big problem” with broadcasters reading out e-mails, text and Tweets.

Minister Varadkar says the communication which pertains to be from members of the public are in many cases from political parties pushing their own agenda.

 

Well at least he admits his own party are at it.  Like the time they texted all their members an hour before a Liveline presidential poll to get them to vote for Gay Mitchell.

Or all of the General Election 2011 where they were encouraging members to tweet #twolicy and participate in programmes and push FG policy.

And yet Minister Varadkar thinks we need to find out if RTE compromised the democratic process?

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Texting and tweeting in…

March 13th, 2012 · Uncategorized

The person appointed to review RTE’s live programmes and their audiences may wish to refer to the following from this years Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis Clár.  (Other examples will shortly be available. )

For years play spot the hack has been a popular game when watching RTE current affairs.  Audience researchers spend a lot of time putting audiences together. As someone one has been approached to appear in audiences over the last twenty years I know the level of work that goes into it (desperation too!) and also the level of manipulation also – not from RTE’s part either.  RTE also invite political party members and others to take part to ensure lively discussions and a representation.

The way in which radio and TV programme makers have been enamoured by social media is another matter entirely (and one which should be examined).  But audience stacking is something that should be looked at and not just the role of RTE in trying to make programmes but also the fact that they operate in an environment when parties and groups in how they try to get people to call in and manipulate phone polls and discussions.

More anon…

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