Maman Poulet

Maman Poulet Has Moved

2006-09-13T23:29:00.000+01:00

I moved my blog last month to it's own domain. You'll find me on http://www.mamanpoulet.com

Please update your links/blogroll/favourites!

Thanks!!!

MP

'Being'

2006-08-23T21:13:00.000+01:00

This is my final post this week on Ryan Tubridy and the understanding (or not) of lesbian and gay identity in Ireland. (Yeah thanks be to jaysus!)

Today's show (link here - good for the next 6 days) had a panel discussion on lesbian and gay issues in the 21st century Ireland. The panel was large - two mothers of lesbian/gay children, 4 gay men - one younger, one middleaged, one 60 + and one a social diarist, three lesbian women including a lesbian teacher and Inspector Finbarr Murphy.

The issues covered included coming out, violence and discrimination. The parting words from Inspector Murphy were ' if you are a victim, please contact the Gardai.' So yes we got the issues that I hoped would be talked about and that Ryan has been constantly reminded about since his dismissive remarks last Friday morning.

But what did we actually learn from prime time radio's coverage about lesbian and gay identity?

I think we learnt that we are still 'alien', still 'other', still 'them' and 'their', whilst listeners and Ryan know more about some of the issues that affect us - I doubt 'they' know what it is like to 'be' us. Anne the mother of a lesbian who started this broadcasting journey last Friday wanted to stop the 'them' and 'their' but in fact the way in which Ryan and the team tackled the subject was all about issues and life incidents rather than life stories. There were too many speakers, all very eloquent, all worth spending a lot more time with. It became a rush around the table to get the issues in, rather than spending some time fitting the jigsaw puzzle of identity together.

There was one comment from a contributor that went half way to making the point that we have lives rather than gay moments or incidents. Dave talked about the importance of concentrating on the quality of life of lesbians and gay men and not just the strive for equality.

We didn't hear anything about lesbians and gay men as carers, parents, brothers, sisters, politicians, decisionmakers, artists, sportsmen, paper pushers, busdrivers or spiritual people.

There was a mention for lesbian teachers, but it soon focused on bullying of students and not about the 'lived experience' of lesbian teachers. I think those listeners who did not know about lesbian and gay identity or who thought it didn't matter still don't know about the issues and how they form a part of our lived experiences. Sure we might get people marching in and supporting Pride marches, and the next time someone gets bashed or loses their job there will be concern.

But will the windows still twitch and people tut when a lesbian couple move next door, when a gay man brings his child to school, when a lesbian poet publishes poetry or wins a medal for Ireland in the next Olympics and is out and proud about it? I think so - I think people will say 'can't they just shut up about it' because they still won't hear or understand what 'being' lesbian or gay is.

I am heading off tomorrow to continue to be a lesbian. I don't mean just by spending time with my lover, or organising that my cat gets minded, or marching in North West Pride slightly nervous remembering my first pride march 14 years ago. And I don't only refer to those conversations I will have with friends over the weekend about my life, their news, our stories, or dancing at a disco where I will be with other 'aliens' either. In fact in being a lesbian I mean all parts of my life, how I work, play, love, think, these are all part of being a lesbian and not just whom I love or are attracted to.

Ryan, if you think you have done the 'Leaving Cert course' in lesbian and gay Ireland, I'm sorry your syllabus was very poor.

Tubridy continues to examine 'the gay issue'

2006-08-23T02:00:00.000+01:00

So for the third day since his initial off the cuff ponderings on whether there is a 'gay issue' in Ireland or if we really need Pride, Ryan Tubridy will return to discussing lesbian and gay issues on Wednesday morning in a panel discussion.

Sean R in the comments here looks at the issue of Tubridy and his ignorance of lesbian and gay issues and identity in Ireland. I don't know if he really does not know the issues, or if it's a Dublin 4 thing or if indeed its a middle class 'all my gay friends are happy homosexuals with no issues'. In this short piece I want to look at the responses of the gay community/lgbt individuals and allies and the changes in how lgbt people feel freer to say what they think.

I have been thinking a lot about Gay Byrne and how he would be handling the whole thing. I don't think he would have been as dismissive, he would of course have loved to interview a mother of a gay child and did do so many years ago. There would be much handwringing. I think people would know that Gay would realise there are still issues though - he had many controversial moments with lesbian and gay subjects on radio and tv over the years but I don't think he offended gay people as much

Of course it was a very different time when Gay Byrne was the housewives choice on the radio. Now we have people ringing, texting and emailing, using their names mostly, calling in, talking on forums about how Ryan is handling (or not) the issues.

Queers are disagreeing with each other - ie. gay people are themselves questioning pride, but many are also placing pride in a political context. People who are not activists have contacted the show angry about their lack of rights be it in the lack of recognition of their relationship by 'in laws' or ignorance of the state.

And then there is the violence - the perceived and actual violence - the name calling, the physical violence and the safety in public space issues. It's good to hear people address these issues and put them into contexts that heterosexuals might understand. For so long many straights have just thought of gay issues as two women getting it on, or disgust at sodomy. Many callers to the Tubridy show are illustrating the non-sexual reminders that are really needed in this debate.

I do expect that Ryan will hint at the fact he is being PC'ed out of it - that is he will try to illustrate divisions in the lesbian and gay community to back up 'there is no gay issue or need for gay pride' - and that will help as straight callers are very quiet on the issue.

Finally for now if you have not heard Izzy of North West Pride ask Ryan out for a pint in a gay bar you can listen here for the next 6 days or so. You'll find the interview about 1hr 15mins into the programme. It's a great piece on Pride and rural versus urban issues and on the definition of hate crimes and where hate comes from. And isn't it interesting that his two interviews on air have been with a lesbian and a mother of a lesbian. I wonder what the panel discussion will bring.

Tuesday's Links

2006-08-22T02:19:00.000+01:00

Richard's back blogging and looking for articles.

I emailed Blacknight with a sales query last Thursday and have not heard back yet. Do you think if I blog about it I might get a reply? Potential Customer here, come get me! I know Michele is looking for sales staff so maybe that's the issue.

The Stranger gives us tips on how to tie up anti-gay dollars by ordering free stuff from Focus on the Family. Wonder where we could apply the tips in Ireland? (Hat Tip:Feministe)

Ryan Tubridy is still getting his Lesbian and Gay Identity in Ireland 101 Course. More coverage on Tuesday's programme is due so I hear.

A nation once again?

2006-08-21T19:21:00.000+01:00

You know the way the Brits suddenly adopt Irish sportsmen (particularly those with granny passports) in times of triumph? Today Lucy Clouting ‘profiles the most inspiring, creative, dynamic women in Britain’ in The Guardian.

With her inclusion of Dr.’s Zappone and Gilligan she seems to forget that Ireland became a republic in 1948 or had its own constitution as Eire in 1937 or infact that it’s the Irish State that the couple are suing.

Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan
Lesbian couple fighting for their marriage to be recognised in Ireland

So far: Zappone and Gilligan met while graduate students at Boston College in the US in the early 1980s and subsequently got married in Canada. When they moved to Ireland (Gilligan had grown up there and they are both Irish nationals now), they wanted to secure parity with heterosexual married couples and for the authorities to recognise their entitlements to "privacy and family life" as enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights. Gilligan says "the case is the evolution of a whole life of social activism". Together with Zappone, she founded a community-based education project in 1986, which is now known as An Cosán: "We wanted to address the endemic poverty in west Dublin and to empower people through education."

Zappone is a philosopher and member of the Irish Human Rights Commission. Gilligan lectures at St Patrick's Teacher Training College in Dublin and is Chair of the National Educational Welfare Board in Ireland.

What's next? "We're looking for justice for ourselves as well as those who share our sexual identity." The case will reach the High Court in October.

Source | The Guardian | Lucy Clouting profiles the most inspiring, creative, dynamic women in Britain

2006-08-19T21:13:00.000+01:00

'If you build a better mousetrap - the terrorists will build a better mouse.'

Jon Stewart pulls it out of the hat again this week on CNN's Target USA day

Tubridy and his problem.

2006-08-18T13:44:00.000+01:00

Ah he is back from his holidays and it does not take long for Ryan Tubridy's thoughts to turn to telling us how being gay is not an issue in Ireland anymore.

As regular readers of Maman Poulet will know Ryan's been here before.

Talking to Anna Nolan this morning Ryan attempted to gloss over the gay thing because it's not an issue. He said he could not understand why one needs a gay pride march in Sligo. Anna said being gay was still an issue and pointed out that same sex public displays of affection - handholding - would be something that most gay couples would think twice about.

He kept off the ' gay thing' for the rest of his interview with Anna, and then the phonecalls and texts started. Callers pointed out why gay pride was needed, about homophobia in rural Ireland and about gay bashing. Ryan said he did not know about the rise in attacks against young gay men when one texter pointed this out to him. It was a real case of if ' I didn't know about it then it must not be an issue but thanks for telling me anyway.'

Anne rang in - a parent of a gay woman. She like many parents who support parents of lesbians and gay men was one of the best advocates for lesbian and gay rights I have heard in a long time. She put Ryan right without making it sound like we queers are societies misfortunate's - she pointed out that we are not them and they but we are all us. She talked about why coming out is still an issue, the bullying and violence that happens in schools and elsewhere, why we need Pride marches, why our relationships deserve recognition, and why society needs to cop on.

Ryan was still thinking it was all a bit too much fuss. He then asked about how Anne felt when her daughter came out to her. Anne said she already knew and ' She came out of my belly gay.' That is a T-shirt slogan in the making! And he did not believe that young people could know they were gay or lesbian at 12 or 13. Anne pointed out that maybe Ryan was looking at girls at that age - Ryan said yes but it was too young for gay people to know as they were not formed yet.

You could feel Ryan was not comfortable being told by a woman who was articulate and opinionated and able to match him point for point. When he was not getting anywhere you could see he was glad to end the conversation.

Each time gay issues are raised on the Tubridy show, Ryan tries to dismiss the issue, more people are responding and telling him he is the one that is misguided and not the lesbians and gay men and their allies. Each time he fails to get it.

You can listen to Anne's call here (link good for the next 2 days) - it's 1hour 14 minutes into the programme, Anna Nolan's interview is earlier in the programme - about 18 minutes in.

And I think some banners for Ryan's attention are needed for NorthWest Pride next week. You can find out more about the events to take place at in Sligo here and the theme Straight but not Narrow, which calls on heterosexual allies to support lgbt's is more relevant than ever.

Fluffs Wings...Preens Feathers

2006-08-16T18:55:00.000+01:00

Shhh now don't be telling anyone just yet but Maman Poulet might be getting ready to spread her wings.

(Now I have typed that it has to happen. Normal Service will continue until then.)

Non Reporting of Hate Crimes

2006-08-16T12:15:00.000+01:00

A few months ago, Donal Lynch, the only gay in the village aka columnist for the Sunday Independent questioned the Johnny Report on hate crimes (Downloadable here) experienced by lesbians and gay men in Ireland. Dermod spent some time debating the merits both of the report and Lynch's dismissal of it. I also added my views here

Further research from Victim Support in the UK published today highlights the non reporting of hate crimes by those affected. Crime and Prejudice (pdf file) reports on the experiences of those who had been victims of race and homophobic crime and analysed the views of those affected towards the police and other services. It makes extensive recommendations for changes in responses of police and victim support organisations.

What is most interesting for me, and I suggest required reading for Donal Lynch, are the reasons given for non reporting of this type of crime, the types of crime experienced and the suggestions made by victims (I hate that word). They fear not being listened to or being outed and being harassed further. No doubt Lynch will pull holes in this research too to suit his own arguments but I again contend that just because you don't see it or feel it does not mean that it does not happen.

Time to repeat an earlier call I made for Victim Support groups here to look at Hate Crime and work with lgbt groups on developing policy on the issue.

Source: Link to SocietyGuardian.co.uk | Society | Most hate crime victims suffer in silence

Crocodile Dundeeish politican supports Same Sex Partnership

2006-08-16T11:19:00.000+01:00

Yes this really is a compliment!

Entsch - whose previous career as a bull-catcher has left his front teeth as crooked as a pig dog's hind leg - also sees advantages for hetero chaps who've copped a belting with the ugly stick. "They're usually young, pretty good-looking fellas," he's said of gay men, "and it gives us old fellas a chance at these good-looking young sheilas."

Source: Progressing, Entsch by Entsch, towards gay equality | Emma Tom | The Australian

Podcast at Irish Election

2006-08-16T09:34:00.000+01:00

The first podcast (discussion type) at Irish Election is up. You can hear yours truly amongst others pontificating on the Greens and the FF attempt of wooing, Coalitions in various flavours and public spending.

The sound is a bit woozy, we were skypeing from all parts of the Island but its good stuff and interesting to hear the voices behind the blogs. Well done to Cian and Simon and may it be the first of many!

Download it here.

Windows Live Test

2006-08-15T19:50:00.000+01:00

Just installed Windows Live toolbar and am testing the blog feature - Windows Live Writer. I generally hate toolbars so will this one be any different.

Blogging the Ryder Cup

2006-08-14T21:51:00.000+01:00

So if you are not all sick of hearing about the forthcoming Ryder Cup next month, I thought I’d mention it in a blogging context. There are a number of international/US golf blogs I dip into from time to time, I am not sure if they are going to be blogging from the K Club.

However as the proud holder of a Ryder Cup Season ticket (and yes I have heard it all before – sure that’s wasted on a woman who does not golf, disabled enough not to be able to walk a hole of the course never mind follow a match and wouldn’t you sell it for thousands etc.) I have been pondering packing my laptop and taking it with me to the K Club for one of the days I am attending.

Are there other Irish bloggers out there who are interested in doing something similar? Or will other bloggers being doing the sane thing and sitting on their sofa and blogging from there.

Whether there is wifi (there has to be surely) and press access for bloggers is another thing. But some news and views on the WAGS*, the outfits, how much Tiger really hates Phil, and how Ireland copes with hosting the 3rd biggest sporting event in the world might be interesting to some. If there are other Irish bloggers going and interested in doing something leave a comment or email me. Hints and tips on how to go about this mission should I choose to accept it are also welcome. A friend with whom I was talking to said that sponsorship/advertising might also be something I would consider - but I would like to have a number of other bloggers on board for that to work I think.

*Wives and Girlfriends – shallow I know but you can bet Bloggorah will be there!

Dyke, muff diving, fisting and dildo

2006-08-14T16:55:00.000+01:00

So what do the following 83 words have in common?

Anal,
ass,
bastard,
beatoff,
bitch,
BJ,
cameljockey,
chink,
circlejerk,
clit,
cock,
coolie,
coon,
cornhole,
cum,
cunt,
dago,
deepthroating,
dickhead,
dickwad,
dildo,
dyke,
eatme,
fag,
faggot,
fellatio,
fisting,
fleshflute,
fleshpopsicle,
fornicate,
fuck,
fudgepacking,
gangbang,
genital,
getlaid,
gobtheknob,
goldenshower,
gook,
hairpie,
hardon,
homo,
honkey,
jerkoff,
jewboy,
jizz,
5,
kike,
lesbo,
limey,
manloaf,
masturbate,
muffdiver,
nigger,
nutsack,
paki,
panface,
poontang,
pubic,
pussy,
queef,
queer,
raghead,
rimjob,
rubyredbag,
scrotum,
shit,
sitonmyface,
sixtynine,
slag,
slant,
sodomize,
spankthemonkey,
spearchucker,
spic,
spooge,
teabagging,
testicles,
twat,
vagina,
wetback,
whackoff,
whipitout,
whiteswallow,
wop,

It seems they are banned from Verizon wireless content in the USA.

Now I have achieved one of my until now unknown things I wasted to do whilst blogging – type the two words teabagging and fleshpopsicle – insert them into a sentence you use today!!!

Hat Tip: The Daily Source Code (Episode 441) and Valleywag.

Update: The service where these words are banned is text messaging/SMS as far as I can understand – I am open to correction from the techies on this.

And why is vagina banned and penis ok? See Maman Poulet has not completely lost the plot and is feminisiting away as usual!!!!

Silly Season and Pride in Sligo

2006-08-10T23:37:00.000+01:00

Morgan has memed me. I am not a happy bunny. I did start a post but it’s gone in a PC crash. And it was hard enough writing it the first time. So you’ll just have to wait.

On other matters the Film Festival was busy, Saving Face won the audience award and I rather enjoyed it myself. The silly season is in full swing. Liebermann lost but says it is only half time. And Jon Stewart and the Daily Show crew are having fun.

The first ever Pride festival is taking place in Sligo this month.

The blurb..

Quare Times In Sligo - First ever LGBT Pride Northwest

Sligo 25th-27th August. A great chance for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people in the northwest and our friends and supporters to get together, show off, make waves and make new friends! Full details will be available next week. Contact nwpride@eircom.net or 087 907 5404 for info, or to volunteer. Tell your friends!

Oh Aine? Fancy doing a featurette?

Bank Holiday Links

2006-08-03T21:36:00.000+01:00

The second last bank (public) holiday weekend before Christmas beckons. Before I head off to watch some of what is on offer at Look Out - The Dublin Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, I thought I'd leave ye some reading/watching!

Dick Roche's worst nightmare if he ever resurrected those e-voting machines. There are primary elections in the US next week and Marty Kaplan helpfully lets voters know how to tamper the Diebold Voting machines that have been so controversial in US elections. (ok so our systems are different but who is to say they can't be similarly addled!)

I found out about Read My Day over at Antonia Bance's blog. The project encouraged UK councillors to blog and connect with their constituents. Antonia is a councillor in Oxford and reported on a presentation about the project.

Griff also talked about how blogging adds believability and makes the officeholder appear a real person, and how the discipline of recording what you are doing helps clarify your thinking, and allows you to chronicle how you form your opinions on issues.

SuperBabyMama edits the latest edition of the Carnival of the Feminists. This edition broadly focuses on Women and Poverty. Lots and Lots of links to the best blog posts on women and health, women and war etc. etc.

I watched the pilot of Aaron Sorkin's successor to the West Wing this morning, it is so good that I was late for the train. Damien has all the links to Studio 60 - Amanda Peet is indeed hot. It's about TV executives not Presidents but the writing is excellent and some old WW faces also star.

The IrishElection.com Podcast is up and running. Pat Rabbitte is the first interviewee. Listen/Download etc. here.

Shometimes Shurely not....

2006-08-02T12:00:00.000+01:00

I'm in a very shallow mood this morning. Blogorrah keeps me there....

Thanks to Blogorrah I learn that Ronan Keating has launched a range of perfumes. Marina Hyde's article in the Guardian has had a sniff.

"Ronan Keating's philosophy is simple," it [Press release] declares, which is something of a surprise to those of us who had a fiver on it being a complex marrying of Aristotelian ethics with late existentialism. "I believe that the most powerful thing in the world is love," states the man who sang Love Won't Work, "especially the love of your family. I hope that one day we may have true peace on earth and that we can all help to make the world a better place for our children." Wait! He left out wanting to work with animals (unless years spent in a band with Shane Lynch counts as ticking that one off).

Nuff said.

A tax on ageing and disability

2006-08-02T01:54:00.000+01:00

Having not flown since Ryanair introduced their baggage charges, it only struck me today when Aer Lingus announced their intention to introduce a baggage charge that this might make a good Equal Status Case?

Am I right in thinking that it is downright unfair that those who are not able to carry bags and who cannot avail of assistance will be forced to pay for their bags to be carried? Even if you do have one of those Greencap assistants or other service providers with you, the last thing they want to be doing is hawking your bags around as well as your body! I know that I won't be trawling through the place that does not deserve to be known as an international airport with a bag and will have to check it in.

All this pondering about airports makes me want to go somewhere. If anyone wants to give me a job blogging for the day from anywhere foreign let me know! At this stage in the summer without a real (or imaginary) holiday I am easily bought!

7 seconds

2006-07-30T17:54:00.000+01:00

The Sunday Times is sitting on the coffee table. (I didn’t purchase it!) I might pick it up for a look later on. But the significance of the location of the paper and my disinterest in it is something deserving of comment. I have been thinking a bit about my media consumption – being interviewed today about my blog for a newspaper article reminded me about the changes in how I access information. Yesterday watching and reading about contributions to Blogher, I saw part of a keynote from an 80 year old blogger, Millie Garfield. She reflected on how her day, media consumption and in fact her life has changed due to blogging and the internet.

In the past 6 months I have read fewer books, magazines and newspapers – the paper versions. When I think about buying a paper I now make a calculation about how much of it I have already scanned online and whether it’s worth buying. However I read more newspaper and magazine articles than ever before – but mostly online.

I have listened to less radio (thanks in part to Ryan Tubridy!) and watched very little television apart from the World Cup, some golf and the news channels. I have no idea what’s happening in soap land. I watch Big Brother only on eviction night, and watched my first film on TV in I don’t know how long on Thursday night. (Suprisingly good film on Channel 6 – Dirt)

I watch the news online on RTE, BBC and various US news channel websites, trying to watch the news at home when one does not control the remote was difficult enough - now I have an alternative and also choice in the stories I consume.

Technorati or my Bloglines list are now probably my first port of call for catching up on a news story – what is News though? – that too has changed for me. For example, I have more interest in technology, social media and eastern European lgbt politics than I had a year ago when I started blogging. (Whether I understand any more about technology and the tech industry, Web 2.0 etc. is debatable!!)

I know more about what is happening in Robert Scoble’s life than what’s happening on Coronation Street. I listen to the Daily Source Code and many other tech/political/food podcasts every week including bits from BBC Radio 4 and Newstalk’s output which they now podcast. The Guardian’s podcasts are also a part of my media diet. I’ll readily read politician’s blogs (sans press releases!) rather than watch Oireachtas Report or listen to David Davin Power’s analysis.

Feminist writing and analysis is more easily found online than in mainstream outlets, Feministe and Womens Enews feed that part of my media soul.

My interest in current affairs has not lessened at all, the way I consume information has. I search for items for both my blog and also for other online resources I manage and I add to my increasingly diverse pile of useless information that I keep in my head. Well try to keep or at least let pass through my brain on its way somewhere else!

Tom Raftery talks about the goldfish effect on all this information consumption – yes with the huge expansion in blogging one does have to really stand out to be remembered. But this was the same with ‘old’ media too. Blob blob blob….

DRI vs. Ireland?

2006-07-29T01:57:00.000+01:00

Karlin Lillington has a scoop on the front page of todays Irish Times which is worth keeping an eye on.

State may face legal challenge over its access to phone
data
In a potentially far-reaching legal challenge, a privacy rights watchdog group is demanding that the Government and Garda cease the collection, storing and accessing of mobile and fixed-line phone data, writes Karlin Lillington.
Digital Rights Ireland (DRI) has given the State seven days to comply, after which it will begin legal proceedings.
The ultimatum is contained in letters sent on Wednesday to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Minister for Communications, the Marine and Natural Resources, and the Garda Commissioner, asking for undertakings that data retention legislation will cease to be implemented and enforced and requests for access to data will cease.

Full article available here (no reg required!)

Permission

2006-07-27T15:53:00.000+01:00

With the US mid term elections beckoning, including ballots on same sex marriage or more correctly defining marriage as between a man and women, and court cases on same sex marriage producing results (all against so far) on a weekly basis, more money is being pumped into same sex marriage campaigns. This funding is now becoming a contentious issue amongst lgbt activists as other issues including employment protection are being left to one side. (more about this in a later post.)

This ad is doing the rounds of mailing lists - it was first shown 2 years ago according to the information found here and was part of this years Media that Matters Festival in New York.

Kissing Bloggers Rings...

2006-07-25T21:24:00.000+01:00

Who’ll come to kiss the ring of Irish bloggers at the Irish election Ard Fheis?

Watch ABC Nightline’s feature on Kos, Markos Moulitsas of the Daily Kos, and his 600,000 hits a day and the campaign against Joe Liebermann. Watch out for the baby grand piano! And that’s where Martin Bashir has got to!

Sheila, Buddy, Bella and Biddy.

2006-07-25T18:49:00.000+01:00

Meet Buddy!

Accordingto Sheila's Wheels (UK car insurance company aimed at women...)

We have now created the ‘Buddy on Demand’, a blow up man that inflates at the flick of a switch if and when a passenger is needed to be used whenever a woman driving alone after dark needs an instant passenger.
It is designed to help women deter road-rage attacks, car jacking and intimidating behaviour by other motorists - especially at night – by giving the appearance of two silhouettes in the front of the car, instead of a single, female figure behind the wheel.
Four out of five women* (80%) say they feel safer behind the wheel when there’s someone sitting beside them – but of course it’s impossible to always travel with a partner, friend or relative. This is where having a ‘Buddy on Demand’ can reduce the fear associated with driving alone.

If the above research is correct then there is about 10 percent of the population (Lesbians) who will not be served by Buddy or at least not completely comfortable with Buddy's flick switching services. Why does it have to be a he? Can we not have Bella, the blow up butch, for the femmes in our hour of need? Or Biddy, the lipstick lesbian who'll be there for you whenever you need her.

So off I go looking for suitable blow up dolls for this purpose to propose to Sheila's Wheels - purely in the interest of this blog and its readership you understand.

Butch blowups for the discerning dyke are thin on the ground. But a blow up dolls search on google did produce this image...

Rachel Maddow is a presenter on Air America and also a commentator on MSNBC and an out lesbian.

She can pop up in my car any time (not that I drive you understand but she could do the driving...)

Justine Reilly writes about her inflatable hero on the Guardian Travel Blog.

Monday's Musings

2006-07-24T00:58:00.000+01:00

Did you know Britain is home to 7 million bloggers? This includes Bebo and Myspace.

Roy Greenslade on why the Daily IRISH Mail is doing badly in Ireland.

The Women’s Compartments of Cairo’s Underground. (Hat Tip feministe) Now if that would mean the end of sitting beside A.N.Other bloke who spreads his legs to air or play with his nether regions I might just start a campaign.

Mr. And Mrs. is to make a TV comeback. Ah go on now you remember it – See here for a refresher course. Now it is not the first come back for the show – Julian Clary already did an equal opportunities version in 1999. Let’s see what Celador do with it this time.

Google is your friend - at least in how to 'get a girl and get laid'. Damien spent his Sunday writing this - does it work as well in 'getting a boy'? I suggest Damien spends next Sunday trying it out and of course reporting back on his experiences!

Gay Community News (or GCN as its now only known these days) is 200 editions old this month. Maman Poulet’s picture appears twice in this edition. Anyway to mark the occasion they have 12 mp3 tracks available for download on their site from 12 different irish queer artists. Shaz Oye, Zrazy and Michelle Ann Kelly are on my Creative Zen today.

As Simon hinted the other day there has been conflict over the issue of highlighting the situation facing gay people in Iran. Some western organisations are disputing whether the 2 teenagers executed last year were gay, they also say that protesting against these actions is Western oppression of Islamist culture or something like that. Well Al Fil of the Middle East Gay Journal Blog replies to all this hokum and tells the Western Gay Movement (well the official professional NGO wing) to cop on.

I hate what Long [Scott Long of Human Rights Watch] says about "imputing a Westernized ‘gay’ identity on these youths", which is a steaming pile of donkey-#$%@. Islamists are putting a gay identity on people in the Middle East just as much as the West is. Gay people in the Middle East didn't experience the current level of persecution until the 1990s, when the gay movement began to gain momentum in the West. Why? It's simple - Islamists want to distance the East from the West. By showing how gay the West is, and how gay the East isn't, they accomplish their goal. Why do you think there has been so much coverage of gay marriage in Western nations? Gay people are a group that evoke relatively little sympathy in the Middle East, and are an easy target for the Islamists. The current crackdowns targeting gay people are merely an extension of the Islamist vs. Western Imperialism battle that has been raging for decades. Islamists superimpose the term "gay" just as much as Westerners, and it's uninformed - and a bit ethnocentric - to say otherwise.

2006-07-23T23:50:00.000+01:00

Same-sex pair skating at 2006 Gay Games

The Gay Games ended in Chicago last night. Over 12,000 people competed from 65 countries. One of the unique features is the same sex ice and ballroom dancing where couples (and the non coupled!) compete. Here is an anonymous couple's interpretation of Brokeback Mountain.

Blogging Councillors

2006-07-21T23:45:00.000+01:00

Something is definitely happening in Labour Party HQ regarding candidate blogging, we suddenly have a rash of blogging councillors. These are councillors with blogspot blogs too - written themselves (or at least humans rather than robots!) I previously mentioned Dominic Hannigan's blog which continues to entertain including his version of how he missed the vote for the Cathaoirleach of the council.

“Don’t be late, we could be voting in ten minutes” said Jimmy, who I had agreed to support for Cathaoirleach.“I won’t be late!” I responded.

Well, I fu***d up and got caught with a planner for 15 minutes. By the time I returned I entered the chamber and Jimmy was in the Chair. He had been elected without my support.

I felt very embarrassed, because I know how this could be made to look. I had driven to Navan specifically to vote for him and I had missed it. (If I wanted to avoid it I could have been otherwise engaged on a business meeting in London or New York). There was nothing to do but apologise profusely to Jimmy, and the Chamber for missing the vote.In my two years as a councillor this was the biggest mistake I made, and if I could have re-lived the day I would have made sure I didn’t leave the chamber at the wrong time.

Added to my bloglines recently are the blogs of Eric Byrne, Seamus Ryan, Sean O hArgain and Aodhan O'Riordan. I can hear Sean's accent as I read his blog, I first met him in 1990 on the Mary Robinson campaign.

Any new FF, FG, PD or SF blogs out there? Written by the councillors or candidates themselves and not full of press releases or capital letters?

Save Audioscope

2006-07-20T11:49:00.000+01:00

Whilst there has been much outcry at the decision to end Mystery Train and Rattlebag on RTE Radio 1, I only learnt this morning that Audioscope is also for the axe.

This 15 minute programme made for blind and visually impaired listeners is being removed as RTE say that listeners can be provided for in all other programming.

Oh pull the other one! RTE's track record in disability programming is abysmal. They patronise the shit out of us, give us crap like the Ability Awards and god forbid a crip woulud get anywhere near making mainstream programming in the first place.

There is a petition going which you will find here. Sign it and spread the word.

Supporting LGBT and other refugees in Lebanon

2006-07-19T23:52:00.000+01:00

Whilst the focus of the western media on the attacks in the Middle East has been on the mass evacuation of foreigners there is now a huge refugee crisis developing. Lebanese citizens are fleeing their homes and seeking cover. Already there are stories of hardship and hunger and disease.

I have had the opportunity to work with and support Lebansese lgbt migrants in Canada. Last year I had the opportunity to speak at a conference in Montreal which discussed double and triple identities in the lgbt community there including a focus on issues facing those from the Middle East.

Helem Montreal is part of a network of groups around the world reaching out to Lebanese and other Arabic migrants in the north America and Australia. All the groups provide support to Helem in Beruit which provides a range of vital services for lgbt’s and has become established and supported by private foundations and NGO’s in the face of opposition from Lebanese society.

Helem Beruit is now providing assistance to refugees from the conflict. I am not aware of much published work on the effects of conflict and displacement on lgbt’s but would think from my contacts and knowledge of similar incidents that lgbt’s suffer like others and maybe are even more effected as conflict and surges in nationalism increase violence against minorities. If you feel like making a donation to support their work you can find information here.

Update: Pam notes that the wingnuts are blaming the war in the middle east on us fags and dykes already – in particular targeting the organisers of World Pride which is due to take place next month in Jerusalem.

La Petite Anglaise et fini? Non!

2006-07-19T05:50:00.000+01:00

Blogger loses job over blog. Blogger is female and has blonde hair like Bridget Jones. Cue many articles and radio items about blogs and cigs, chocolate and alcohol intake no doubt. How many will actually know what they are talking about? Blogger is on way to major book deal. She is also suing her boss.

You can read La Petite Anglaise here and watch an interview with her on More4 here.

I blog therefore I???

2006-07-14T13:22:00.000+01:00

Mick Fealty writes in the Guardian’s Comment is Free on blogging and what can be learnt about it from the UK bloggers vs. Prescott/MSM etc. etc.

The piece makes for excellent reading when considering the ‘Will Irish Bloggers effect the next General Election’ theme that was around earlier this week. In particular I like the way he reminds us what bloggers do – Sometimes we forget!

When is an unannounced audit not an unannounced audit?

2006-07-13T13:31:00.000+01:00

The cleanliness audit of Irish Hospitals is out today. Lots of improvement all round which is to be welcomed– but I don’t believe in the unannounced nature of the audit. Having worked and visited two of the hospitals listed this year I know that they were expecting the audit and knew when approximately it would take place.

The infection control nurse who tried to bring herself and two workmen in to the treatment room I was occupying with two doctors and a nurse conducting a test on me gave the game away. Her insistence that she needed to install cleansers and the like was just a bit OTT and then she added that it needed to be done before the auditors arrived later that week. The control of infection I might have caught with all the tooing and froing of non-clinical staff whilst having intravenous treatment was furthest from her mind.

And wouldn’t the CEO’s be ringing each other saying so and so ‘is headed down to you next.’ As a part-time business standards auditor it’s clear to me how this game is played, and manys the time I’ve been asked by store manager A about my travel plans so he can tip off store manager B.

Backing down and copping out

2006-07-13T12:22:00.000+01:00

Remember that HIV/AIDS Fundraising concert in the USA with the homophobic line up I blogged about a few days ago?

Well its been cancelled. And the organisers are copping out even further by saying that they feared violence? So if their chosen acts sang about shooting and hanging queers that would have been ok? But if anyone demonstrates or protests against homophobia they cop out?

And Lifebeat turn the screw even further by saying that the Caribbean American community are now losing out. They hope the black lesbian and gay bloggers and others who ran the campaign to remove the rappers from the lineup will work with them on awareness raising in the community

Suggestion to Lifebeat – consult the community and get real before making such a mess of it the next time. They have lost a unique opportunity to speak out against homophobia which is one of the core issues in the transmission of HIV in the first place.

New (to me) podcasts

2006-07-12T19:29:00.000+01:00

I have not mentioned Podcasts in a while. My latest additions to Itunes (I am still learning about Podshow + and don’t really think it will replace Itunes as my podcast catcher etc. )

Calmcast – a podcast with birdsong, other sounds of nature and some very relaxing music. Perfect for meditation, massage and last thing at night clear your mind stuff.

The Lascivious Biddies, an all female cocktail pop type quartet. You can hear their music on the podsafe music network and they have a podcast also.

Gay USA TV – this is now available as an audio podcast. I caught this in New York last year – it’s a public access television programme and its been going for years. I really enjoy the presenters (shock horror – older lgbt’s on the TV!). It’s not all fluff like so much of the previous efforts I have seen at lgbt TV/radio programming.

Jamie Oliver is planning a podcast – keep an eye out for it here.

And of course you don’t need an ipod or an mp3 player to listen to podcasts, you can play them on your PC or even put them on your phone memory card.

I want my, I want my, European Parliament TV?!?

2006-07-12T09:54:00.000+01:00

With apologies to Dire Straits fans....

The European Parliament is going to bring us it's own web television channel. Hold yourselves there now, no use getting too excited at the moment - it's a pilot project. The report which recommended this new development to the parliament stated that this move

"matches changing social patterns, with many Europeans, particularly the young, looking increasingly to the internet for news and information."

Ah young people, the future of the continent. And worried parliamentarians have set up a committee to monitor the coverage - just in case the hairdo's are out of place or there are too many shots of MEP's falling asleep, assualting each other, or applying too much fake tan!

UK Political Blogging coverage continues

2006-07-12T02:08:00.000+01:00

And the coverage/fallout from UK bloggers versus Prescott/MSM/whatever continues.

Guido Fawkes (Paul) and Slugger (Mick) were on Radio Ulster (MP3 file) this morning. Slugger's (Mick Fealty) prep notes for the interview are interesting reading.

BBC Radio 5's Up All Night slot on Pods and Blogs also discussed the issue with Iain Dale and Emily Bell (editor of Guardian Unlimited) and you can listen here - with an interesting aside on bloggers ego's. (why aren't the BBC podcasting this feature rather than strangling us to have to listen on their media player????)

The Press Gazette reflects here. And yesterday I forgot to link to Emily Bell's cautious piece on bloggers and what they have added to this story.

You might notice I am only really interested in the reflections/discussions on the impact of blogs in UK politics and not the 'target' or validity of the information being leaked/discussed/produced.

I am also interested in that not many Irish blogs are discussing what is happening in UK blogland at all! Only Slugger and myself have paid the issue any heed - of course if you have commented/blogged on this you can leave a comment and let me know. Irishblogs.ie being so unwieldy at moment (for me anyway) I have not found anything yet.

I wonder how long it will take Irish blogs to reach the stage where MSM journalists are hanging onto someone's every word. Also how long before some MSM journalist or editor starts shooting off saying bloggers are loose canons, not to be trusted, or allergic to fact checking. How long before some injured MSM party is subjecting us to an indepth expose of a blogger and his or her private life and trying to diss us all as hobbyists. And some of us are already dissing our own potential? Or at least stirring their cauldrons...

Changing the name but not much else

2006-07-11T21:26:00.000+01:00

£35million spent and not a penny in profit and now we have a name change. Don't be thinking that there is any originality involved here though!

Ireland on Sunday (the free cd's make good bird scarers) is going to change its name to the Mail on Sunday (Guardian, registration might be required). Should that not be the Mail on IRISH Sunday, or IRISH Mail on Sunday or Mail on Sunday IRISH, or whatever? Evening to my Associated Press based readers by the way, hope you are all well, those of you in the UK seem safe job wise, not so sure about the writers over this side of the Irish sea. But maybe they are going to keep pumping money into the paper and one day take back the 26 counties, not that they would admit that they gave them away in the first place.

Tuesday's Queer Links

2006-07-11T19:53:00.000+01:00

Keep your Jesus off My Penis. Not work safe!

Slightly related to the above - Martina Navratilova is doing a lot of interviews for her new book. I could not bring myself to her interview a few weeks ago with Ryan Tubridy. Yesterday she did an interview with Women's Hour on BBC Radio 4 - one of my must listen to podcasts on itunes - where she pondered on George W. Bush's difficulty saying the word lesbian. Incidentally Martina is saying she is retiring to spend time with the 'One I love' - linguistic queer sociologists could have a whole load of fun deconstructing that phrase.

Black lesbian and gay bloggers in the USA have launched a campaign against a concert raising funds for a HIV charity. Those headlining the concert? Beenie Man and TOK, Beenie Man's concerts around the world have been cancelled following campaigns by lesbians and gay men. Why does it not surprise me that a HIV/AIDS group invites these homophobic singers who support murder of gay people to raise money for them? KeithBoykin, one of the opponents to the concert and the participation of the rappers said "As a black gay man, I've had enough of the excuses and the hypocrisy and the fear. I will not sit back quietly while a so-called AIDS organization gives a microphone and a stage to two musical groups that want to kill me." Reminds me of some people not sitting back whilst gay organisations here invite politicians to hijack events when they don't fully support equality not just lgbt equality either. In fact they believe in inequality as a natural phenomenon

UK bloggers analysed again

2006-07-10T12:40:00.000+01:00

More on UK bloggers, the Mainstream Media, John Prescott and is it only a rightwing organised blacklask gainst a Labour Politician?

Patrick Barkham writes in the Guardian (Full article here - worth a read!)

Another of bloggers' charge is that big-media journalists lazily pinch stories they break. "On any given day, you will find on Ephraim Hardcastle, the Londoner's Diary and other diary columns two or three stories that they will have got - totally lifted - from me or Guido," says Dale. "No attribution or anything." At least bloggers, he argues, link back to wherever they first read a story. Dale also says several tabloid journalists telephoned him with snippets from Tracey Temple's diary which the Mail on Sunday had not published when that scandal broke in the spring. He obliged, of course.

Given the number of Associated Press and Independent House based readers I get each week I think that many mainstream journalists are looking to see what Irish bloggers are saying. But are we saying anything worth stealing?

2006-07-09T00:26:00.000+01:00

What will we do after tonights match?

Lots of apres match bits are available on Youtube. This one is a great mishmash of the punditry we have been subjected to for the past month. I will miss the football but not the pundits - but I do hope Martin O'Neill returns to television or management soon!

Birds do it, Donegal people do it

2006-07-07T09:52:00.000+01:00

Ms. Fitz at Slugger points to the latest issue of the Donegal Democrat and the research commissioned by them on Social Attitudes in Donegal. There’s got to be the obligatory question on gays amongst the questions on sex thinks I. And I was right –
What did we find? That most young people in this county think it's all right to have sex before marriage.
70% of Donegal people polled do not think it was all right to have casual sex. And 64% of them say they have no difficulty with people having same sex relationships.
The print version probably contains much more information – I don’t know if this was a question on same sex relationship recognition or just the plain old queers getting it on with other queers type of question which is so 1990’s. And surprise surprise the church are not happy about the ‘erosion of morals’ indicated by the survey.

UK political bloggers take the stage

2006-07-06T18:19:00.000+01:00

There is a whole load of blogging going on in the UK at the moment on John Prescott, the dome owning billionaire he had free jaunts with, how many extra-marital affairs he has had and with whom, why has he not resigned or been asked to walk the plank by now (Seems he has a lot of dirt on Tony Blair). And finally there is a lot of talk by MSM types on ‘who the hell do these bloggers think they are getting away with this naming when we can’t do it’.

Hard to point you in the direction of one piece that sums it all up. Matt Wells in the Guardian provides a piece which is forms a good launch pad through where you can read about how Guido Fawkes, Iain Dale and others have been stirring it up, Iain Dale is defending himself in the Guardian’s Comment is free. Nick Robinson and Paul Mason of the BBC reflect on political bloggers and their new influence/lack of credibility/Americanisation.

Missed this last week, women and political blogging in the UK in the Guardian.

So long farewell to Irishblogs.ie

2006-07-06T11:11:00.000+01:00

It would seem I like many other bloggers are abandoning using Irishblogs.ie as a source of information for blogs and blogposts. Well I know the more advanced set were using their own feedreaders or whatever already but I liked to jump in from time to time to read something new. I really am going to have to sort out some sort of blogfeed reader thingy or whatever its called. Suggestions are welcome!

The straw that broke the camels back? Joan Burton – sorry Joan, its not a blog, I don’t want to read about it on Irishblogs.

Thursday Links

2006-07-06T02:26:00.000+01:00

Peter Tatchell is complaining about the Sun calling Ronaldo (the Portuguese one!) a nancy boy. Eh Peter on Saturday you were calling Benny Ratz a Queen?

The Independent (UK) covers the story here. Trust Peter to defend the most reviled Portuguese man in the UK.

I’m awaiting the release of Podshow +, a new delivery system for podcasts and podsafe music. While we wait we get to see Adam Curry poke at the screen and wave to us eejits.

Money does not buy happiness, but extra sex can make you feel a whole lot richer. Waits for the next ESRI survey which incorporates tool (bad choice of word) for analysing relative sexual poverty and absolute sexual poverty – Richard will be interested too as he does not believe in poverty – or the way its monitored and reported anyway!

The 14th Dublin Lesbian and Gay Film Festival was launched last week. You can find out details of the festival here. This years honoured openers? Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan – of the KAL Case. So no McDowell then – ah shucks what a pity – maybe he would have been able to tell us about all the gay couples he has met since who do want marriage, despite telling those who turned up to listen to him that he didn’t know anyone... I might be tempted to go see a few movies this year after last years boycott. We’ll see.

Blogging and the Irish General Election

2006-07-03T09:29:00.000+01:00

Just heard Brian Dowling from the Irish Independent speculating on Today with Tom McGuirk about the significance of bloggers in the next general election. Reminded me about the notion of a Irish Election bloggers Ard Fheis? Sort of war summit of bloggers with maybe an interesting guest speaker or 2? I'd be interested in helping get it together. Have we any takers for this?

With that I head for the hills for a day or 2 looking forward to your comments.

Ryan Tubridy gets more time on the radio

2006-07-03T08:05:00.000+01:00

I know there has been much gnashing of teeth elsewhere about the changes on Radio 1, particularly the loss of Rattlebag. (online petition in favour of retaining it can be found here.)

It seems last Friday, a lot of the backroom staff at many RTE programmes were also given their moving orders. Ryan Tubridy was not happy at losing his producers and researchers, he had a meeting with Ana Leddy and came out of it hearing he had an extra hour of a programme to fill each morning from next year!

Maman Poulet can hardly contain herself! 2 hours of Ryan Tubridy's oh so special brand of moaning about mobile phones and other rudenesses, patronising the sick and disabled, proclaiming his heterosexuality, and otherwise 'quirky' moments.

Ms. Leddy you are going the right way about losing your listeners. And if this means that Ronan Collins and his rare but wonderful cranky moments are to be no more I'll be very unhappy indeed (have to say though I was delighted that you sent John Creedon to the radio graveyard that is Late Date!)

I must be one of many that are waiting for Newstalk's national station launch and wondering what you have in store for us - maybe Joe Duffy and more Orla Barry and less Declan Carty???

And another politician takes to blogging

2006-06-28T12:05:00.000+01:00

Reading GUBU this morning and see that Dominic Hannigan, Labour Party Councillor for Meath, and another occupant of the Big Red Bus on Saturday's Pride Parade, has a blog.

It's good reading for a politicians blog. That might sound like faint praise but when one reads Lucinda Creighton's or Liz McManus's then you might get my meaning. Ciaran Cuffe is another example of a real politician blogging in terms of some form of thought and non PR speak being behind the words.

If Labour and other parties are going to get candidates blogging for the next general election let them have some originality and don't all use the same templates and press releases please!!!! I would rather read the 'dog bit the hand off me as I was out canvassing' stories than the 'Creighton lashes out at McDowell' headlines.

Whassup...Watching the Parade...Having a Bud. True...

2006-06-27T18:10:00.000+01:00

Saw this yesterday and thought about blogging it. Then I heard that today it made the MSM. So the guilt I had from 15 years membership of the Labour Party (currently not renewed) has evaporated a bit.

It was good to hear that Pat Rabbitte and Ruairi Quinn had attended the post parade bash at Dublin Pride. I know that Ruairi in particular has been a long time supporter of lesbian and gay equality and I hope he is still minding the hat I gave him in 1993 when the FF/Labour coalition brought in the legislation to decriminalise homosexuality.

Labour LGBT are the only active lgbt wing of a political party in Ireland. Their events and actions stimulate debate in a community that is rarely consulted or stimulated elsewhere by our own groups or others. The big red bus on Saturday was a brilliant idea and the sign on the back saying that they (Labour LGBT and Labour Youth) favoured full equality and marriage was good to see. As I said yesterday I look forward to seeing the lgbt groups of trade unions and others taking part in future Pride Parades. And I am not one of those who will point at politicians and accuse them of bandwagon jumping either. But I do believe that if they attend marches etc. then they leave themselves open to criticism if their policy/stance on lgbt issues is not fully clarified.

Full equality for lesbian and gay couples is not Labour Party Policy. Last November the party deputy leader, Liz McManus, told a party seminar that (I blogged about it here at the time.)

I do appreciate by the way that there are sections in the gay and lesbian community who may wish to go further than Senator David Norris does in his Civil Partnership Bill and would wish for full equivalence, both as regards rights and obligations and as regards terminology, between marriages as presently understood and gay unions.That does not seem to me, however, to be a feasible proposition and it is not one that the Labour party advocates. We do fully support the civil partnership proposal.'

It's extremely disheartening to hear Labour join the rest in copping out on this matter, this is what it is - a cop out. Looking towards Boston rather than Berlin in terms of electoral fears - however thinking about that a bit more - Boston and Massachusetts have same sex marriage.

So it's less than a year to the next general election, given the increased calls by lesbians and gay men for full equality and no half measures, will the Labour Party include full access to marriage in their election manifesto? Did anyone approach Pat on Saturday and make it clear that there are no such things as gay rights but just rights - did he hear Panti say that?

Granting full equality and giving everyone rights is not something new for socialist governments given the Spanish governments first actions upon election in 2004. The French Socialist presidential candidate, Segolene Royal, has now made her views on full equality known.

As Pat Rabbitte was the first Irish Labour Party leader to attend lgbt Pride - what chances of him leading the first party to contest a general election calling for full equality for same sex couples?

Many thanks to Louise @ Tranniehaven for permission to use the photo. There are more Pride photos on the site here.
The Title for this post comes of course from the Budweiser Ad 'True'.

Web 2.0 and Dublin Pride 2006

2006-06-26T10:15:00.000+01:00

Dublin Pride on YouTube.  Panti’s speech at Dublin Pride – one of the many things that was good about Saturday. Photo’s of Pat Rabbitte in the company of some drag queens are reported to have been taken. Links will be added!

There are many other links to photos and YouTube bits which I’ll add throughout the day.  Meanwhile I need a cup of tea to recover!

Two cups and a banana later…

Red Mum has some photos here and more to come!

Blogorah has a Dublin Pride Special.

TV3’s report of the march can be seen here

And balconytv.com has some video from Dame Street – some sort of Mardi Gras indeed – that rainbow flag looks great!

And finally thanks to the organisers, I know I moan like everyone else does but its not easy getting this thing together on little or no money and Dublin’s streets looked great, pink, purple, queer and happy on Saturday, rain and all!

Update: Forgot to mention that it was great to see the INTO banner complete with their President behind it. Delighted to see the teachers marching! Hope many other unions take note and march in future parades.

Update 2: Ian says the TV3 report is of last years parade…ooops. And here is a Flickr compilation of all Dublin Pride 2006 Photos uploaded so far (I think!)

Update 3: Photos from Indymedia photographers can be found here, here and here.

Kalcase blogging!

2006-06-23T13:38:00.000+01:00

Delighted to see that those supporting Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan’s case against the Revenue Commissioners, Ireland and the Attorney General for the recognition of their marriage in Canada have set up a blog. Add it to your blogrolls and spread the word!

Sex, Violence and the World Cup

2006-06-22T12:33:00.000+01:00

Fustar is talking about Ann Summers and rabbits and the World Cup. And Ann Summers are emailing him jpegs of rabbits rampant and all that sort of thing. Fustar is not recommending anything you understand, just part of services to the blogosphere!

So yes there is a link between sex and the World Cup and there were a lot of Jack’s and Ray’s and Paul’s born 9 months after Euro 88 and Italia 90. Sex and the World Cup go hand in hand, or hand in…wherever.

However the other side of this dimension of relationships is Domestic Violence and World Cup tournaments. Something that many working in the area were predicting before hand and no doubt we will hear more about as the tournament progresses. I don’t know if England going further in the tournament has any impact on the rates of women reporting violence. But its something else to think about as the competition continues.

Pride (but don't mention politics!)

2006-06-21T17:25:00.000+01:00

Fiona is talking about Pride, Damien is talking about Pride. I’ve been thinking about Pride. What I regret about Pride in Dublin – the march in particular - are two things.

The route – the best Pride Parade I ever went on was 1 day after decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1993. We passed the Dáil, there were lots of pink carnations. We shouted – ‘What do we want – Equality! When did we get it – Yesterday!’.. Many left their carnations stuck into the gates of Leinster House. It was very poignant.

These days we totter past Trinity, down Dame Street and scuttle round the back of the civic offices and hide. (My second problem with Pride) Amongst the crowd are locals swigging beer, others off their faces on other substances etc. The venue is too small, not accessible to people with disabilities and not child friendly.

This year so far we have had much debate on same sex partnership – debate is probably the wrong word – well there has been a lot of talking and many reports. A Minister for Justice who says gays don’t want marriage and a community who are becoming more politicised and angry. Surely whilst keeping Pride as a time for celebrating our identity and increasing our visibility, the march could run past the Dail – tell the Minister and the government what full equality really means and tell them to get their finger out.

Expensive and exclusive lobbying organisations and campaigns don’t seem to be telling the government what people want and why they want it, they don’t include members of the lesbian and gay community either in their work.

Pride would be a good start in giving ordinary lesbians and gay men a chance to do something, say something and be somewhere relevant en route to boogeying on down or whatever takes your fancy at the end of the march.

See ye Saturday and I hope some photo bloggers turn up and record the day (hint hint!!!)

Tasting Dublin - at a price

2006-06-20T13:20:00.000+01:00

I haven’t done a food post in ages. Cooking in this heat has been minimal and nothing to really write about. However food and food politics and machinations are not far from my mind.

Why would one spend €25, €35 or €75 to have the briefest of looks at a celebrity chef and a taste of their grub? This weekend A Taste of Dublin takes place in Dublin castle. The bumpf promises that ‘Taste of Dublin will without doubt establish itself as the most exciting and sophisticated food and drink event on Ireland’s social calendar.’

You get a booklet of florins – of differing values according to what value ticket you purchase. With these vouchers you can purchase dishes, and while you pose around watching celeb chefs do the stuff they do on the TV, you can nibble away or buy more florins to buy more food. By the way if you are still hungry after that the best fish and chips in Dublin are nearby in Burdocks!

Sponsored by Oceanico developments, this event is making a lot of money for someone, the chefs and the promoters no doubt. But how much food you actually get to taste or how much more you will learn whilst spending a day of your busy social calendar fighting over the canapés I would think would be minimal.

Maman Poulet’s advice? Other than going to Dublin Pride, go to a farmers market – get a few tastes of what’s on offer – spend what you would have spent at the TOD on a few items there and you’ll have a feast, or go out to dinner somewhere new and watch the chefs when you get home on the TV!

And she's back...

2006-06-17T01:11:00.000+01:00

Eh meant to mention - I am back in the land of the superfast highway...ie. I have broadband again.

So answers to 'do I feel more female?', 'is the HRT working?', and a rundown on my first purchase of 'supplies' will be forthcoming. (I kid you not, the questions I am getting are hilarious if genuine!)

Also back to blogging (that didn't take long) is Mental Meanderings

CJH, Garrett Fitzgerald and Twenty

2006-06-17T00:44:00.000+01:00

Sitting on a bus in Sligo today I heard the final moments of the Requiem Mass for CJH. David Davin Power and Marian Finucance were narrating or whatever you do for a State Funeral on RTE Radio 1. Some of the locals listening and myself (maybe that should be forced to listen!) were commenting on the disgrace that Charlie was getting a state funeral.

Charlie was a Taoiseach and so tradition dictates a state funeral. All I could think of when I heard the bits about the military salute, the solidiers, the navy and the music etc. was that I hope Garrett Fitzgerald gets an even better send off when he passes. Garrett however probably would not be planning his funeral in such style and indeed the leaflet at his mass will give us some statisitical analysis on the costs of funerals and how they have changed (for better or worse!) in the last 20 years.

By the time I was on the train back to Dublin I heard Philip Boucher Hayes from the Cemetary trying to tell listeners what was happening the other side of the wall or whereever he was positioned. And in blogland Twenty Major gives us his unique spin on the day or week that was in it.

They think its all started...it is now

2006-06-10T09:59:00.000+01:00

Well its all underway at last, we’re not in it, even better! Although I loved Italia 90 etc., the tension when we are in the World Cup, Euro 88 or whatever means I rarely watch the other matches.

So now it’s bring on Portugal/Angola! Or Holland/Serbia Montenegro.

There are a lot of World Cup Blogs out there and also at least one podcast which I am subscribing to for the duration – this will only be of use if I ever get broadband. Added to my favourites is the Guardian World Cup Blog.

So it’s off to make a Paraguayan flag and get the house cleaned up (ok I’m kidding, I want to see Crouch do that moon dance thingy a few times today.)

Hello!

2006-06-08T11:59:00.000+01:00

Welcome to the readers of the Seventh Carnival of Bent Attractions. I was nominated by Lou for my post on 35 going on 13 and am morto. Thanks to the editor Ron for his kind words as well!

To other readers of this blog have a look at this months carnival for many interesting blogposts around the world that Ron has highlighted and commented on.

Update: Hello to Carnival of the Feminists XVI readers. The Nuthouse is this months host and she has done an amazing job with so much reading on so many different issues to choose from including a section on disability and feminism.

AIDS at 25

2006-06-05T18:24:00.000+01:00

On June 5, 1981, in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, brief note was taken of a peculiar cluster of pneumonia cases in five otherwise healthy gay men.

Read the rest of this article on AIDS at 25 in the New York Times.

The San Francisco Chronicle also has a wide range of interesting articles on AIDS at 25 in the USA and abroad. Of particular interest to some is the podcast on Randy Shilts who was one of the first journalists in the USA to chronicle AIDS and the history of the discovery of the disease, the politics and the effects on peoples lives.

I recently read an editorial in an Irish publication which stated that the author felt that AIDS had nothing to do with her as she was a lesbian. In an otherwise interesting piece which highlighted the way in which young gay men in Ireland perceive themselves as invincible to the disease, it was the appearance of a denial of lesbian involvement in the history and development of the response to HIV/AIDS which irked me.

As a lesbian who has lost friends to this disease it would be impossible to say I have not been affected. Lesbians alongside gay men were to the fore in creating services for those affected by the disease, lesbians nursed those affected, buried them, mourned them. Today many lesbian women still work with those who are HIV positive or have AIDS and educate others through youth work, healthcare and education.

Many women who identify as Lesbian also contract HIV/AIDS through

- Sexual contact, - some women who have sex with women also have or had sex with men, also there is insufficient research on the possibility of transmission between women and researchers refuse to look at the possibility of female to female transmission if a woman has had sex with a man since 1977.

- Intravenous drug use

- Blood transfusions.

One sentence in an Irish publication writes out the history of lesbian involvement in the AIDS epidemic – although it may be the author's experience that AIDS does not affect her - it’s a shame that more research is not done on our legacy and involvement in this issue and that such a narrow view of lesbian identity is created.

Last weekend it was Moscow, this weekend Bucharest

2006-06-05T18:10:00.000+01:00

Another weekend gone, another country to the east of the continent experiences LGBT Pride and more violence occurs and protest against LGBT's takes place. It seems this parade had the support of Romanian Princess Briana Caradja what ever that means in the Republic!

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the lgbt movement in Romania. Happy Birthday to them!!!

I have met members of ACCEPT during this time who fought hard with help of international human rights movements to assess the impact of the criminalisation of homosexuality and campaign for its decriminalistion. Now they are campaigning for partnership recognition. Romania prepares to enter the EU next year and it seems that many Romanian’s will join many Polish Citizens in their hatred/fear of queers. It will be interesting to see if the state responses in Romania to attacks on Pride marches and other lgbt events and venues are similar to the indifference/state collusion experienced by lgbt's in Poland.

And its sunny - it must be June. Blog bits

2006-06-01T23:03:00.000+01:00

Thinking Out Loud does her version of ‘I have a dream.’

Have we got an Irish Wonkette? Blogorah seems new in irish blog land?

RTE’s Time of Our Lives programme That was Then, this is Now, which aired last night had a very good essay on media by Luke Clancy on the past 20 years which ended talking about blogs and podcasts. It’s not available online but if we were to prove Luke right somebody might Youtube it or Googlevideo?

Are Newstalk losing out after starting to charge for their texts? George Hook is now doing a promo practically begging for texts to the station.

Twenty tells Bertie to do eye contact and take his hands out of his pockets.

It will be another 2 weeks before Eircom will allow BT give me a broadband service. I can’t begin to describe how the past 3 weeks have been without it. Maybe I will follow Thinking Out Loud with my own ‘I have a dream’ rant.

Whose Crisis is it Anyway

2006-06-01T13:01:00.000+01:00

Today's spin is Fianna Fail Ministers finally appearing in the media denying there is a crisis. Was the plot to let Michael McDowell stew for a few days, make him and Mary Harney look bad and then have Fianna Fail Ministers to come to the rescue saying 'its not our fault gov, it's the Supreme Court..,honest...' Any moment now we'll have the phrase 'activist judges' or something. (ok I'm kidding, but listening to Cowan and Lenihan today I felt it coming!!!) - Yes that's Brian Lenihan Jnr. our Minister for Children, appearing on day 3 of the crisis.

By the way there are a few politicians appearing before the Mahon Tribunal at the moment and they seem to be having awful trouble with their memories. Such an opportune time to be disclosing this when few are watching Dublin Castle as all eyes turn to the Four Courts.

Michael goes missing

2006-05-30T18:00:00.000+01:00

Last week Michael McDowell told everyone that there was no need for emergency legislation. I have no problems with the judgement today – in that the judge was simply doing what the Supreme Court told her was what she had to do. McDowell should have known better – he said last week there was no question of anyone walking free – well he’s wrong!

All politicians have failed here – this was warned about 17 years ago.

Mr. A goes free, you think the circumstances around that case were bad – wait till you hear about Mr. B and the crimes he committed under a law that no longer exists.

Links later when they are uploaded to the RTE website. McDowell is not available for comment today – the minister for bluster goes to ground.

Mondays bits and bobs

2006-05-29T17:56:00.000+01:00

Scott Long, the director of the LGBT programme at Human Rights Watch has been blogging Pride in Moscow for the Washington Blade. Moscow Pride did not pass peacefully - there was a lot of violence and many arrests – more lgbts than nationalist thugs. Scott has not written anything since before the march – I am trying to track down where he is (I know him about 12 years).

UPDATE: A posting from Scott after the parade detailing what happened and the arrests and injuries can be found here

Al Gore is live webcasting on global warming on Guardian Unlimited @ 7p.m. Irish time tonight.

She hasn’t gone away you know! ;-)

(oh did I as a blogger just write about a blogger? What should I do in atonement?)

Wrapping up the conference blogging

2006-05-26T19:37:00.000+01:00

Ooops the live blogging sort of stopped when the questions and answers session began. Apologies but that’s when it got a bit more interesting.

Several people in the audience took the opportunity to address the chairperson of the working group, Anne Colley and ask her questions about the way the group works, if they could make submissions and if the group would be gender proofing its work. (That was me with the last one!)

Anne Colley had not thought about gender proofing and thought that it would happen – especially as the Equality Authority were there!

It’s really clear from this that the working group members think that men and women are the same and that the proposed legislation will affect us equally. Sorry but many laws don’t affect men and women equally – and gender proofing is required of all areas of government policy – including this one. Indeed if there is no recognition that we have different roles due to our gender, identity, culture and reality then lesbians will again lose out.

One very interesting point to note was the one made by a lesbian teacher. She pointed to the fact that if she did register her partnership that she would be setting herself up for a problem with her employers as the Employment Equality Act gives religious bodies (who control 90% of the schools) an opt out to applying equality in their workplaces. One other delegate did point out that nobody can be sacked for being gay or lesbian – but as lesbian and gay teachers are more than aware your life can be made intolerable if your workplace does not support you. How will lesbian and gay teachers be able to have themselves protected in terms of their relationships and their right to work?

Little did I think when I began live blogging this morning that I would witness the Ancient Order of Hibernians (did we know they were in Ireland before this) abusing the Minister for Justice with water, copies of the constitution and shouting.

I learnt a lot about the way the UK Civil Partnerships Legislation works in the UK, how the Spanish LGBT movement accepted nothing less than equality. I observed two other international legal experts speaking so eloquently about partnership legislation and how it should be tackled in the Irish system because we have the chance to get it right the first time.

It was well worth attending but could have been a lot more participative, especially if this is the only consultation that the working group are going to do with the population that their decisions will be affecting.

Judge Idol!

2006-05-26T14:34:00.000+01:00

Oh Baroness Hale….I think I have a new idol…Stonewall UK might be populated by middle class property owning people and hence were not worried by all the lesbian and gay people who lost out in UK who were on social welfare and lost out when the new civil partnership law came in.

Never a truer word was spoken your ladyship!

Will somebody think of the children?

2006-05-26T14:26:00.000+01:00

Continuing my live blogging of the Conference on the Legal Status of Cohabitants and Same Sex Couples….

Lunch was grand altogether – due to smoking break before hand I ended up at a table of those who don’t know each other – but it was enjoyable.

All morning you’d think there was not a child in the country parented by a cohabitant/cohabitee or a same sex couple. This was of concern to many of the female delegates – one of the guest speakers even hinted at the possibility of leaving childrens issues separate to any proposed legislation on providing rights for cohabitants and same sex couples.

Baroness Hale is righting this situation with her paper – where she is talking about the unique situation of where the UK got the situation right the first time in the Civil Partnerships Act. She feels that some of her judicial colleagues still don’t know how lesbians and gay men make babies…

Constitutional issues

2006-05-26T14:21:00.000+01:00

Eilis Barry, Legal Adviser from the Equality Authority speaks, much of the ground she was to cover has been spoken about already by the Minister and the CEO of the Equality Authority.

She does cover the UK and the impact of the Good Friday Agreement.

Most of the crowd are reading their delegate packs. Where I have received yet another copy of the EA report on Implementing Equality for Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals…

Eilis is not as pessimistic about the exclusionary nature of the Irish Constitution – marriage is not defined in the constitution…how many times do we need to hear this before the Minister ‘hears’ it.

Eilis and many others await the ruling in the Zappone/Gilligan case for further clarification…

They did that there but don't do it here....

2006-05-26T12:13:00.000+01:00

Kees Waaldijk is now talking about the fascination of people in whether couples have sex or not. We don’t need inspectors in the bedroom

Don’t make the mistake of Belgium of including brothers and sisters in the legislation. (YAY…pity minister had left before this point could be made)

This is very good list of don’t do this like they did here….I hope people are listening!!!

We need better seats for this...

2006-05-26T11:57:00.000+01:00

So the tea break is over and its back to sitting passively.

The international speakers are excellent, Claire L'Huereux Dube was wonderful and got a huge round of applause especially from the women! She defined feminism just in case any of the lads had forgotten what it meant.

Kees Waaldijk from the Netherlands is talking about the European Values Study and how people feel about living next door to queers – he is obviously going to move on to talk about why we should bring in a law. He thinks we don’t need to follow other laws that have been brought in elsewhere – we should just change marriage laws here to include all.

Is it time for tea yet?

2006-05-26T11:02:00.000+01:00

Claire L'Huereux Dube, Judge In Residence, Laval University, Quebec is speaking now.

Ah a feminist, a plain enough speaker for a lawyer, a democrat, a breath of fresh air.

The Gardai have been in to take a report, whether the demonstrators were separated fathers or Ancient Order of Hibernian types I am not so sure. There was a bit of ‘why are you giving our children to the homosexuals, Minister’ going on, so its hard to establish exactly which side they were on. A bit of waving of the constitution and tearing up of papers and throwing about of a jug of water. McDowell seemed quite happy about it all.

Down the back a member of the Mother and Child Campaign was videoing the brouhaha…so maybe they were AOH types.

Anyway the show went on….

My request for wifi access was treated with welcome, and indeed the Equality Authority person knew what a blog was!

Where there will be time for audience participation in this conference I am not sure…I fear we might have to wait until the end and of course what happens here is that everyone goes home early and people don’t want to say much because they feel they are delaying everyone.

We shall see.

Update: So the AOH is now over here…it was them demonstrating ….

Where there is the Minister there is a demo

2006-05-26T10:41:00.000+01:00

There is someone else with a laptop down the back of the hall, not sure who he is but I don’t feel so lonely…until I get to read his name badge.

So the chairperson makes her opening address, invites the minister to speak and all hell breaks loose. On the way into the conference I spotted members of the Separated Fathers Association, the Mother and Child Campaign and Youth Defence.

McDowell opens his mouth and  up pop the fathers group, members of which are dotted throughout the room and they start shouting. 10 minutes of loud noise ensue, slow handclaps from the queers and others. The sign language interpreter and the Deaf attendees had to move to the back of hall for a while.

McDowell, says that constitutional change is not needed as marriage is not on the agenda for same sex couples. And the Irish Human Rights Commission report last week backs him up in this regard…would think the authors of the report would have  a thing or two to say about that.

McDowell says he does understand GLEN’s views on the matter of gay marriage but he has to operate in a different context.

Anyway the crowd here is mixed, legal types from universities, members of lgbt groups from around the country, government officials, members and staff of  political parties, a priest (here with an lgbt group!)

A little bit of live blogging?

2006-05-26T07:08:00.000+01:00

Today I’m attending a conference entitled: “The Legal Status of Cohabitants and Same Sex Couples”, at The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Kildare St, hosted by The Equality Authority in conjunction with the Working Group on Domestic Partnership of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and GLEN.

Attendees/Speakers will include:

- Rt. Honourable Baroness Hale DBE, the UK's first Lord of Appeal in Ordinary,
- Claire L'Huereux Dube, Judge In Residence, Laval University, Quebec.
- Beatriz Gimeno Presidenta de la Federación Estatal de Lesbianas, Gays, Bisexuales y Transexuales (FELGT) (España)
- Drs. Kees Waaldijk, Universiteit Leiden,

Today I am going to pretend to be an uber cool tech blogger and try to live blog the conference. Well do some dispatches anyway! Cue lots of questions from civil servants – ‘What’s a blog? You can’t do that!’ Etc. etc. I don’t own a Nokia Communicator or Treo or anything so it’s me and my Dell trying to look inconspicuous.

This conference aims to inform and shape the debate and also assist in the considerations of the working group which is charged with providing legislative options for domestic partnership. Don’t look now but I think this might be consultation!

Will Michael McDowell be there to open it? Will he tell us yet again that gay people don’t want marriage? And how about Dr. Kennedy?

35 going on 13

2006-05-25T22:59:00.000+01:00

I was thinking of starting a separate blog recently to chart a change in my life as it might prove an interesting exercise for myself in terms of keeping a journal.

But given keeping one blog in broadband free land is nearly impossible, two would be horrendous. As the odd reader I get might notice this blog is anything but themed anyway.

Also as I don’t know what is ahead of me, a separate blog might be a huge project and bring expectations which I may not meet because nothing really might happen. Anyway I digress.

I remember a post on Sinead’s blog last year which rang a few bells in my head. It was about infertility/potential infertility. While I am infertile and have always known that, it has never been the issue for me that it might be for many other women. Firstly there is a genetic disease in my family which although I now know I could not pass on as I don’t have the gene, procreation was always ruled out in my head until I knew I was gene free.

And as a lesbian woman having children was not always an option I thought about or thought possible when I was younger. Many lesbians do have children or do want to have a family. Bearing a child was never something that appealed to me even if it were possible, I have always run around looking after other people’s kids and wanting to be there for children who don’t have parents/guardians.

Finally the other medical conditions/disability issues in my life have always come first and I put the reproductive/pubertyless issues to one side in a bid for survival.

So the discourses on infertility have never actually applied to me or I have chosen not to take part in them. My ovaries never woke up when I was 11/12/13 and infact I have been in menopause for approximately 24 years. I have only really realised/verbalised this in the last few months as various consultants have considered it an important issue to address as I have osteoporosis and other medical conditions as a result.

Not experiencing puberty did have a huge impact on my teenage years. For a long time those who know that I have never had a period kept telling me how lucky I was and that I should not regret missing out on them. But puberty is an important marker in defining ones gender. It took until I was 18/19 for me to realise that I was a woman and that if my bits were somewhat different to other women, they were still female. I do have some understanding of the experiences of those with gender identity issues, but I did not spend too long confused about this when lovers and other important people in my life confirmed who I was and what I was at the end of my teenage years.

During the year long investigations which I have recently undergone to establish the cause of the premature ovarian failure/early menopause my gender identity has again come under scrutiny. I had a chromosomal analysis which indicated that I am female. Having lived my life as a woman for this length of time it did come as somewhat of a relief that I was right. I don’t wish to offend those who have gender identity issues, it just was something that I didn’t think applied to me.

So now at 35 I am going to experience puberty for the first time. I have begun a course of treatment, the side effects of which are uncertain. I have been told I might have the spots and periods, I may grow taller (!), my bones will either grow stronger or at least stop getting weaker if I mind myself, and my genitalia may become more defined. Then there are possible changes to my energy levels, a relief to the insomnia, different types of mood swings etc, libido (nope, no blogging about the libido I promise!). The treatment increases my risk of cancer, stroke, and other issues, but I am no more at risk than any one else for it and the damage not having working ovaries is more of a risk to me than the ‘cure’.

The various GP’s and consultants I was referred to on this matter when a teenager or in my twenties could have sorted all this out then. I don’t know why it was not addressed but my sexual orientation and disability probably had a lot to do with them not addressing it and me not pushing the issue. It can’t go unnoticed that it takes 2 different female consultants, a female endocronological registrar and a female GP to finally tackle this issue with me and do the investigations and support me through it.

I won’t be turning this blog into Maman Poulet 13 and three quarters, but I do think that what I have experienced is interesting from a queer perspective. If I was heterosexual, married or wanting to marry, my reproductive health would have been a priority for both me and my medical team. It is only being addressed now because it is now very damaging to my health not to do something. However the journey will be about a lot more than stronger bones and that in itself will be something to think about and maybe blog about.

Web 2.0 langer style?

2006-05-25T22:35:00.000+01:00

I’m not a tech blogger and did not even know what Web 2.0 meant until yesterday! There was an explanation on a podcast somewhere and a light went on in my brain going ‘oh so that’s all it means!!!’

Anyway I love the sound of knives being sharpened and Irish tech bloggers and others are getting ready to rumble as someone claims to be trademarking Web 2.0 and is threatening the IT@Cork people who are organising a conference on the area and using the phrase in the title. Ah he knows not who he is threatening… and how come the Irish government did not get a similar cease and desist letter for the Enterprise Ireland conference? Or did they throw it in the bin too like I think the IT@Cork people should?

David Quinn returns

2006-05-25T00:44:00.000+01:00

David Quinn returns to the Talbot Street fold, was it Myers joining that swung it? What went wrong at the Daily IRISH Mail?

Vincent Brown spent some time this evening on his show trying to find out why and how much the offer was as David was a guest on the panel. David was doing his ‘defend the church when they have been digging themselves in a hole this week’ thing. Brother Gibson’s evidence this week at the Commission to inquire into Child Abuse, was this weeks hole digging that needed defending.

Bashing the bashed

2006-05-22T20:28:00.000+01:00

I saw this article when it was first published and wondered what planet Casey was living on – but then it’s the Talbot Street planet – of the Sindo variety where they think they are hip and trendy with their column by an out gay writer on all things camp and pink and happening in Ireland. Generally this weekly column tries to make out that everything is rosy in the garden and if you think things are not rosy being gay then you are the one with the problem and not the homophobes.

Dermod addresses Donal Casey’s lack of understanding of the nature of homophobic violence here. I would like to see those groups working on the issues address the rubbish propagated in the Sindo piece and also the medias lack of awareness and interest in homophobic violence which Dermod highlights.

Donal thinks he knows everything because he is gay and he writes for a newspaper – a paper that does not have a great track record on reporting on lesbian and gay issues – I suggest he goes out and meet some real gay people rather than the cocktail set he hangs out with. As someone who has been attacked physically on two occasions due to my sexual orientation I know the difference between thuggery and getting the crap beaten out of you because you are queer.

Checking in

2006-05-19T17:27:00.000+01:00

Still no Broadband, little access to news or other interesting sites, I have been reading books (yes it’s a bit strange!) and watching a bit of ER and West Wing - only 4 episodes left!

I was finally able to order Broadband on Thursday so the clock has started and we’ll wait and see how long it takes to get it! In the meantime blogging will be light and very frothy.

So summer began on Thursday – well for some people it did anyway. Big Brother began and no matter what I say I will end up watching it. Why is the first person with a disability to appear on BB somebody with Tourettes Syndrome? The Ouch Blog will be monitoring both BB and media reaction to Pete and his disability.

There might be a few others with disabilities on BB7 that we don’t know about yet. My Cripdar is quite active.

Finland and Lordi to win Eurovision 2006 – ah they were rather good at what they do. And maybe we could start a meme to illustrate to Mr. Kennedy why every song is not a cry for love.

Moving House and losing my reason!

2006-05-12T23:45:00.000+01:00

I now live in a land without broadband, its not a nice land! I moved house yesterday, a trial in itself (Moving companies are the business though - how they got that lot into their truck and did not break a thing even given our crap packing I will never know. I hope the lads enjoyed the few pints from the well deserved tip!)

Trying to order new broadband - now I just mean order not even wait for the order is a nightmare. However to cancel the old line was a delirious sweat inducing nightmare of another variety altogether.

Advised by estate agent that I should close the account altogether and leave new owners to open their own account. So I cancelled the call provider account on the old landline and the broadband and then went to Eircom and tried to close the account on the landline itself. No can do says Eircom as the Broadband is by another provider and we can't close. Well I did close it says I. Well we can't see that. So back to my BB provider I go. Confirm its closed and they say this should appear on Eircom's records fairly quickly.

Back to Eircom and 1901 and that silly voice prompt rubbish. It's not understanding me as I become more exasperated 'Are you still there' says the voice on the other end of the phone. Yes says I. Eventually get to the moving house section again. Explain to live voice at other end of phone that I want to close the line, have done everything that they asked me to do and please can you now close the line. 'Oh that will take 10 working days for the instruction from your broadband provider to come to us - this is why we advise you take two weeks to cancel the service before you move.'

But why should I do without broadband and a phone line for two weeks before I move? It is bad enough that I was not able and am still not able to order the service in my new address. We transferred the phone line into our names on Tuesday. However we cannot get an account number - it can only be sent by post. No account number and no broadband. If we go for a provider other than Eircom they will stall the process even further. Well Eircom will be losing all the business from my house very speedily when they eventually deign to send me the account number by post.

This is competition? This is customer service? This is Ireland of the modern technology, digital era etc. etc.? My arse it is.

May 9th

2006-05-09T11:52:00.000+01:00

Loins are being girded or swaddled this morning at Cruiskeen Eile, the Colonel is coping with the commute to DNS (Da North Side). Kevin Myers column is not available for free on the Irish Indo website...do we think that this is a sign of things to come?

Loin Cloths to the ready?

2006-05-07T01:25:00.000+01:00

Thinking about my earlier post on girding loins, I googled and found this perfectly accurate explanation.

'I conclude that loingirding is a gendered activity. Men gird their loins because they are embarking on some strenuous male activity, fighting, running, travelling or showing off. Women could gird their loins as easily as men, and it would not be unfeminine to have a belt in one's wardrobe. But social gendering excludes loingirding from among typically female activities.'

With thanks to David JA Clines

Please note this is not my attempt to initiate a men versus women debate etc. Just getting a bit Etymological for moment! Come on CE! Pity we could not have organised a live blog of the interview or a drinking game or something!

Kevin Myers - Was He Pushed?

2006-05-06T22:34:00.000+01:00

Was he pushed or did he walk? He's on Tubridy Tonight saying that he can't talk about the circumstances which led him to leave the paper.

Maybe one too many of his columns were spiked?

I guess that the Cruiskeen Eile folk must be girding their loins or whatever they gird in preparation for May 9 and his first column in the Irish Indo.

And some wonder why we need to march with Pride?

2006-05-04T01:16:00.000+01:00

Last Friday in Krakow marchers in a parade for tolerance were attacked by fascists and others including a right wing youth group with ties to the government of President Lech Kaczynski.

You can see footage of the march and the attacks here (it’s about 10 minutes 27 secs into the bulletin)

The march is part of a weekend of activities held by a lesbian and gay group in Krakow. I attended the festival last year and the march was called off as it was only a matter of weeks following the death of John Paul II.

Across Eastern Europe lesbian and gay rights marches or pride celebrations are banned or prevented from occurring due to a lack of police protection. This years march was allowed but so was the counter demonstration and the scenes of riot police dividing the two are chilling. Last summer there were manyreports of violence or opposition to lesbian and gay marches and festivals. This summer seems to be no different. Moscow in particular is heading for conflict over plans for a pride parade with the Mayor having banned the march and human rights officials and activists throughout Europe calling on him to change his mind. Many of the countries who are banning marches and festivals or not providing protection to lesbians and gay men are signatories to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and have assigned to uphold other human rights defences. Putting these into practice seems to be a problem.

So if you were thinking twice about going on this years Pride March whereever you are because it does not really matter any more, think a third time. And if you ever wondered why all those queers have to walk down O'Connell Street or main street of City X or Town Y, making 'a show' of themselves, well the bans and the opposition elsewhere might show you some of the reasons why.

(Photos from Gazeta.pl)

Enumerating a Hidden Ireland

2006-05-03T21:16:00.000+01:00

I’ve been very struck in the past few days listening to the stories of census enumerators on Liveline. Archived shows can be heard here for the next 7 days.

There are frequently pieces debunking notions of consistent or relative poverty in the Irish media and the blogosphere. The massive undertaking that is the conduct of National Census has give us a more qualitative illustration of the dichotomy that exists in Irish society. Whilst I am sure the survey results themselves will provide for interesting analysis it is the things that happen or are seen when the call to the door is made that are catching public attention.

What census enumerators are reporting are tales of the hidden Ireland. Houses without electricity, heat or running water or houses in such poor condition that they should be declared unsafe. Older people living in these poor conditions where they don’t meet or talk to anyone from one week to the next and are very often living in fear of anyone calling to their house. Postmen are also calling talking about the situations that they encounter when delivering mail.

Enumerators also highlighted the situations observed involving immigrant workers living in poor conditions, 10 to a house and the employers who move workers on when they find that enumerators are calling. This situation is not just in rural areas but in cities also. Others living in private rented accommodation or very old houses that they can’t afford to maintain are also calling in talking about the vicious cycle of poverty that they find themselves in.

Now enumerators can do very little about this, they just take the cup of tea that’s offered, try not to look around at the poor living conditions and get their form filled in. They have talked about the hospitality from those who have nothing and the hostility from the gated communities a half mile down the road.

What of Bertie’s call to active citizenship in all this? Callers trying to provide solutions to the situation have indicated that neighbours commuting 3 or more hours a day to work are too exhausted to call in on their elderly or disabled neighbour to offer friendship or assistance. And the fact that people don’t know their neighbours anymore must contribute to the isolation also? Gardai not knowing or living in their patch, postal services being cut back and the professionalisation of charity work and increased pressures placed on health and social services all contribute to the fact that these situations are not seen or talked about publicly. The statistics produced by the CSO or the ESRI will also not reflect the poverty experienced in this manner. And the people effected are unlikely to vote – but maybe those who feel powerless to help will?

Happy BADD

2006-05-01T00:01:00.000+01:00

Today is Blogging Against Disablism Day (BADD).  I heard about it on the latest Ouch Podcast from the BBC. Matt and Liz seem to be causing a bit of a hoo haa over their first podacst and aim to continue to raise hackles if the second one was anything to go by. (Ah blagging stuff for free ‘cos you’re a cripple – there is a tale or two to be told there!)

I rarely blog about disability except here, here and here. However it’s as important in its impact on my life and identity as my sexuality and probably even more so as I live my disability with each step and breath and maybe being a lesbian with every second one ;-)  In fact I suppose as I don’t do a heavy amount of personal blogging that many readers might not know I have a disability.

The title Blogging Against Disablism is a bit of a mouthful and indeed in Ireland we rarely use the term ableist or disablist when referring to the structures in society that limit the participation of disabled people. Access and handicap are still words being used today. Goldfish, who started all this off, said that the language police are on holiday for today in blogging terms – she asks for a Language Amnesty and I for one am happy for oblige. I often struggle for the right words myself, in print or verbally so today I’m going to relax.

Disablism rather than my disabilities effects where and if I work, where I live, who I love and how I love. Going out and staying in and where I go on holiday. The message set by BADD is that disability is more about the able bodied and their reactions and intentions that what my body is able to do.

One of the things I note from reading some blogs/journals by disabled people is the (welcome) change in being comfortable in talking about pain or other effects of disability. In the early days of the social model of disability the removal of pain (and I mean pain in a very broad sense here) as a discourse was very noticeable.  Many of us were going round being supercrips. Angry at the state, even angrier at the medical and social systems that provided us with services, but don’t mention the war – or the fact that you were exhausted, in pain and did not feel like getting up out of bed or were not able - because you should pull yourself together and continue to be brave, and live up to able bodied expectations.

The O2 Ability Awards however continues this discourse of supercrips with vignettes of Mary who returned to work following a brain tumour with the support of her employer and smiles her way through every day being fulfilled. But more significantly we now get Company XYZ who win an award for ‘investing in people’ when in fact they are actually obeying the law and getting a nice prize and free PR for being good to cripples.

Disability and Disablism in Ireland is still wrapped up in the language of charities (now known as service providers) these days. We’re all being enabled, mentored, supported and assisted. Disabled people are still the problem to be helped rather than the environment that excludes us. I don’t think Irish society sees Disablism as being as ‘bad’ as sexism and racism (and yes I don’t think Ireland Inc. sees them as being really ‘bad’ either.)  If you get a job or a ramp or a wheelchair you are seen as lucky rather than equal. The words reasonable accommodation in equality legislation are ones which we should be grateful for rather than angry at. Well I don’t have the solutions to ending disablism but it would help a lot if people recognised its existence in the first place!

And for the day that is in it a few bloggers with disabilities that are worth having a look at.

I am not aware of many Irish bloggers writing about disability or disablism – Jenny McCann is one that I discovered through Knackered Kaz. If there are others let me  know in the comments.

In reading other blogs participating in BADD I came across Lady Bracknell and yes she does look a little bit like me I think!  See  her excellent post for BADD.  Falling of My Pedestal has some provoking writing on pain, discomfort, and invisibility and mainstreaming.

The BBC Ouch blog is an excellent resource for news and views on disability. It’s a pity that BBC’s programming on disability issues is so minimalist these days.

Dunnes Stores does Warsaw

2006-04-27T18:18:00.000+01:00

Spotted in Dunnes Stores in Tallaght. It seems they are targetting Polish shoppers with goods from the old country. Dumplings and frozen fruits I think?

So whilst scrambling for the phone to take a snap I thought of my monthly trips to a shop in Leytonstone whilst a student nurse. It was a Greek Cypriot shop and it had an amazing range of Irish goods. On payday myself and other Irish nurses living in the nearby nurses home would head up for the important supplies. Tayto, kimberly biscuits, red lemonade and galtee sausages. Strange now nearly 18 years on that I have not bought any of the above items in years.

There is a Polish supermarket in Clondalkin which I aim to visit before I become a lilywhite next month. And maybe I can bring my real camera this time!

Lesbian.com is for sale

2006-04-24T10:58:00.000+01:00

Would you pay $2 million for a domain name – even if were Lesbian.com?

The owners of the domain name are putting it up for sale. Sex.com went for $14 million earlier this year it seems.

I don’t think it’s worth the money. I fail to see what businesses or NGO’s other than porn sites would be interested. Porn sites had tried to buy the name before and the owners had refused but this time round they may not be so hesitant if the price is right. So let them off, in 2006 the surfers are more savvy, the lesbian audiences more diverse and there is a lot more choice available. But if the sellers can sleep easy in their beds knowing that their site, which lists first in a google search for lesbian, will bring those seeking information to internet porn then I wish them many healthy nights ahead.

So Long...Farewell

2006-04-23T11:04:00.000+01:00

And what a lovely morning it is too! Mr Myers has resigned from the Irish Times and is off touting his wares with the Indo or the Daily IRISH Mail. Could Mr. Waters go next? Oh that would be too much good news in one week!

Seriously for a minute, its time for the IT to bring women back to the paper especially in terms of op-eds. We have lost Mary Holland, Nuala O’Faolain, Christina Murphy, Mary Cummins, Mary Maher and many others through retirement or death. The days of Donal’s babes were exciting times for women in journalism. And under a woman editor, there have been few new exciting voices brought to the paper (Roisin Ingle??)

What will Cruiskeen Eile do now? Exciting days for the lads @ Myerswatch.

Chocolate and Honey...and a great blog

2006-04-18T18:07:00.000+01:00

One of my favourite blogs at the moment is Straight Talking, the blog of a young lesbian in Northern Ireland. Straight Talking’s insights into closets, school and coming out and culture and identity are extremely well written and often hilarious. More people need to read her!!!

Her latest post on the practicality of the famous Dyke T-Shirt Slogan, ‘Dip in me in Chocolate and throw me to the lesbians’ had me in stitches. (Although I do think the original was honey – and that is equally impractical and rather more stomach churning!)

I do believe I would have to hose Katherine Moennig down before I let her in to do my niceties.

And I was only thinking yesterday about how Katherine Moennig was replacing Angelina as most younger lesbians shag of choice….

Where do we learn about lgb humanity and history rather than human rights?

2006-04-18T15:46:00.000+01:00

Twelve years ago I co-wrote a book with Junior Larkin. I get reminded of it from time to time when people come up to me and say they read it before they came out or their parents or friends gave it to them. I also get told the stories of the sneaky looks in the libraries that readers took when they were planning their escapes from wardrobes and the like. (I love the tales of the shocked librarians who look at the person borrowing the book and the deep breaths the borrowers took.)

I do very much appreciate the feedback and the memories from those who have read it and it seems such a long time ago but it’s interesting to hear that people still find it relevant today. I rang somewhere this morning to leave a message for someone and the person on the end of the phone recognised my name and said ‘Fair dues on the book girl.’ I blushed …even on the phone! But anyway it was nice.

I have been wondering over the past few years about where lesbians and gay men in the 21st century get their coming out information. Whilst there is no doubt the internet plays a huge part I think the Irish net is seriously lacking in a one stop shop for health legal, cultural, historical and other information for young or old or their allies on who lesbians and gay men are, how we live our sexuality and what to do if one gets into trouble in whatever way.

Twelve years ago was only one year after decriminalisation. It might have been a different time but I don’t think the issues have changed. People are still worried that they are the only one going through it. There is still bullying in schools, young people are still being thrown out of home for coming out. Parents are still worried about losing access to their children if they come out. Lesbian health is still no more on the agenda now than it was then. Whilst the dynamics of the HIV/AIDS pandemic have changed, those coming out today don’t know people who have the disease or have died and it seems to have slipped off the agenda and is seen as less threatening somehow. Whilst laws have been introduced to protect us, few seem willing to take cases on the basis of discrimination for fear of being marked. And most people still think of the sexual act when they think of homosexuality, rather than the culture, love and living that is involved with being a lesbian woman or gay man in Ireland.

The questions and queries about different things to do with being lesbian or gay still exist and I am sure the internet, message boards and chatrooms all help those who want to know more. But the physical services that were run voluntarily back in the mid 90’s seem to have been more visible and more active than those that exist today. There’s lots of talk about our human rights but so little about the human. Not everyone has net access or the tools needed to negotiate the crap from the good stuff online. However maybe I’m wrong in all of this and maybe those coming out with the support of online resources are getting what they need. It would be interesting to research this more and find out what the information needs are and how they are being addressed.

PS. This is not a plug, the book is out of print, and I made more from my appearance fee on the Late Late Show than I did from the royalties I received from writing the thing!

Searching for Maman's

2006-04-18T12:57:00.000+01:00

Red Mum’s post about the guy who emailed her following a search for ‘Mum’s in bed’ which led to her blog reminded me that I have not yet got round to posting about the various searches that lead readers to Maman Poulet.

I get a lot of searches for the term ‘Maman Sex’ or ‘Sex Maman’. But in order of popularity the leading search terms which lead readers to MP are…

Rachel Allen (On a Saturday Morning following the showing of her programme on the BBC I get lots of searches from the UK and the Benelux region – you’d think I was her number 1 fan or something!)

Ryan Tubridy (fairly international searches, UK, Germany, Ireland Brussels, USA)

Daily IRISH Mail (there is no website presence for articles in the paper so it seems people end up here – however many of the visitors are from Associated Newspapers, the Publishers. Hi lads and lassies!)

Brenda Power

Ryanair Dispatches

Damien Needs (now I don’t have a clue what this is about but they end up here because of this post )

And in the past 10 Days I have had a lot of googlers for Finola Kennedy arriving here.

Watch the Birdies

2006-04-17T14:10:00.000+01:00

There are crows nesting outside the Guardian’s offices in London. Sheryl produced 3 eggs and they are expected to hatch next week. Russell and Sheryl (yes, I also groaned) were seen building a nest a few weeks ago and the whole office is now delighting in their every move.

However my real find in reading the piece was a link to Brian the Pigeon’s Blog. Brian is not any old pigeon – he is ‘Britain’s premier blogging pigeon’ – and he’s a political one, planning on organising a protest at Trafalgar square to protest the ban on feeding him and his mates.

And he’s getting the chants ready

"One, two, three, four - we're the birds you can't ignore
Five, six, seven, eight - pigeons, we retaliate!"

How do we get Brian to Aine Status?

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle ala Maman Poulet

2006-04-16T19:02:00.000+01:00

Clearing up the kitchen presses today to see what I have and have not and what can be dumped as never going to be used. We are moving house in a few weeks and its time to unload, freecycle, cheapcycle, recycle and donate.

When it comes to the food press, there was very little to throw out, everything seemed to be well within its use by date. There was coconut milk, tomatoes, tuna, pineapple (I never eat tinned pineapple – how did that end up in there?) and rice (5 different kinds!) and enough pasta to feed an army. (Ok not the 2,500 lads and ladies strutting their stuff down O’Connell Street maybe but plenty to last a few months if I ever ate any of the stuff)

And then there are the pulses and seeds - lentils, aduki beans, more lentils, haricot beans, chickpeas, lots of Indian spices, bay leaves, vinegars and packets of asian sauce mixes that I picked up from the Asian market thinking ‘I’ll experiment with that some time’! Lots of crackers/biscuits for cheese and organic stockcubes (ok I try to make myself feel better about using organic stock cubes rather than making my own stock).

Just put up my first things on Leinster-Freecycle, a coffee maker (never out of its box) and a footspa (used once) It’s a email list where you giveaway stuff you don’t need. Amazing the things that people have to giveaway before they end up in landfill. I am on the look out for an office desk and a decent chair and a TV at some stage so I hope it will come via freecycle. Recently someone started up Cheapcycle Ireland. This is where you advertise stuff you want to sell cheaply.

The next job is the bookshelves. I am determined not to bring books that I am not emotionally attached to. The cookery books of course will be coming with me but there is an awful lot of fiction and academia that will be heading to Oxfambooks in the next few weeks. I brought a few bags into them a few weeks ago and there is more on the way there soon or else I will have no room to breathe wherever I end up.

Good Friday Not Such Good Food

2006-04-15T10:06:00.000+01:00

Another quickie review of a restaurant’s daily special menu. This time it’s Luigi Malones. Good Friday is a weird day, no pubs open but lots of other places are. Many restaurants were closed yesterday and it did not seem to have much to do with licencing laws as to whether which were closed and which were not. I popped my head into Fallon and Byrne’s Foodhall which opened this week in Exchequer Street. I hear there will be a restaurant here, there is a café bar with high stools in one part of it which was not what we were looking for. Apart from thinking Morgan and his camera would have a great time taking pics of the fruit and veg stall, we did not have a good look inside and I will be back next week once my back is up to walking around.

We decided to head to Temple Bar and I suggested Luigi Malones given that I had seen a sign earlier in the week that said it was open on Good Friday and had heard good things about it from my ex and her sister who eat there regularly.

Well yesterday it had all the hallmarks of a tourist trap on a Good Friday. Many tables filled with tourists who had nowhere else to go. The service was attentive and the daily specials menu seemed good value with different Mexican, pasta, burger and noodle dishes on offer with a soft drink included for €9.90.

I ordered the chicken ramen noodles – this was a mistake really. If you eat at Wagamama or Yamamori then having ramen dishes anywhere else is a mistake. The dish was heavy on the noodles and light on the veg and the stock tasted very fishy. The chicken looked like salmon which is always a bad sign.

My friend had the chicken tequila fettuccine which was heavy on the pasta and light on the sauce. See a trend here? Whilst there is no doubt then food is cheap and there seems to be good value on offer on the menu there are other places in Dublin which do budget menus well and don’t make you feel like you are a cheapskate and they are treating you likewise.

We couldn’t wait to get out of the place and headed to Lemon Jelly for a spot of tea and watching the world go by.

In Memoriam: Ursula Haggerty

2006-04-12T22:50:00.000+01:00

From the Irish Independent April 11 2006

An activist remembered

Tuesday April 11th 2006

Ursula Haggerty died on March 27. Ursula was a political activist, but she won't be written about by Gene McKenna or Sam Smyth, or any of the recognised political columnists in Ireland.

Neither will the actions she took part in be discussed on any current affairs programme on radio andtelevision.

Not even Nuala O'Faolain or Nell McCafferty will see Ursula as a fellow struggler in the campaign for women's rights. This is because Ursula all her life used a wheelchair for mobility and the aforementioned people refuse to see disability as serious civil rights issue that can make good copy.

No more than society in general, they see people like Ursula as unfortunates who are in need of care.

In 1994 Ursula took part in events that changed the landscape of disability. That was the year that people with physical disabilities first forced the authorities to recognise that they had the right and the capability of controlling their own lives rather than being the passive recipients of care. Ursula played a significant part in this movement.

From 1990 until the momentous events of 1994, she served on the steering committee that brought about Ireland's first Centre for Independent Living. But Ursula's struggle did not end in 1994. She served on CIL's board for some years after that. No less than a year ago Ursula's service provider pressurised her to accept that her personal assistants must wear latex gloves when assisting her, as if Ursula had some terrible infectiousdisease.

People closest to her say this broke her heart because she was given no logical or legal reason beyond that it was the service provider's policy.

This writer remembers the emotion in Ursula's voice as she read out embarrassing details of what she had to endure in the privacy of her own home. This is the same service provider whose representative at a conference in 2002 effectively ignored the events of 1994 and tried to maintain that the concept of independent living was an intellectual evolution, mostly on their behalf, from the notion of care, to care assistance, to personal assistance.

This demonstrates that the service provider, although using the language of independent living, did not see Ursula as an adult who could be negotiated with, but somebody who needed to be controlled like a bold child who wanted more and more sweets.

Rest in Peace Ursula. Not even you recognised your own significance.
Peter Moore
Donaghmede, Dublin 13.

Defamation and blogging on Morning Ireland

2006-04-12T10:08:00.000+01:00

Karyn Harty, head of defamation at McCann Fitzgerald was interviewed about blogging and defamation on Morning Ireland this morning. You can hear the piece here. (Real Player required)

(Hattip: Lazyhazy)

Welcome to the Blogosphere....

2006-04-11T18:48:00.000+01:00

Councillor Eric Byrne, veteran of never ending election counts. Well done on starting a blog!

Template Tantrums

2006-04-09T11:28:00.000+01:00

If anyone knows why all my links and stuff have dropped to the bottom of the page and I have not touched my template let me know!!! Or maybe it’s time for a new template.

A little not so light reading and listening

2006-04-08T09:54:00.000+01:00

The Women’s Environment and Development Organisation have launched a new project MisFortune500 (geddit?) which will "expose how corporate activities violate women's human rights, workers' rights and the environment and highlight what women worldwide are doing about it."

You can email your testimonies/nominations etc. to info@misfortune500.org

Rachel Maddow from Air America interviews a New York Times Magazine writer about his recent trip to El Salvador where he found police standing by the beds of women who had illegal abortions and were in comas. Listen here. (The article on which the interview is based will be online tomorrow - update link to article here (Hattip: Mulley) Much of what happens in El Salvador could happen in Ireland except we don’t have people taking women’s uterui (sp?) into evidence or Forensic Vaginal Specialists. Do we? Rachel tells us that the representative of Human Life International describes the situation in El Salvador as ‘an inspiration’.

As South Dakota’s women prepare to have no access to abortion, a 70 year old doctor came out of retirement to provide a service to women in the one remaining clinic in the state. You can watch her interview and read more here.

The Carnival of the Feminists XII is hosted at Written World, if you have nothing to do of an afternoon and want to see what feminists are talking about in their blogs under different themes this is a great stop off point.

(Hat Tips to Feministing)

Dr. Kennedy I Presume?

2006-04-07T21:01:00.000+01:00

In the comments here a few people have remarked on Finola Kennedy’s appointment and there have been a few ‘who is she?’s as well.

Well I knew her name and background and understand why she has been appointed to the Working Group on Domestic Partnership. It’s by way of a nod to Rome and Archbishops House. But I will not digress any further and let google do the talking.

Dr. Kennedy is an economist and recently served as chair of the Housing Finance Agency. She currently serves as a board member of the Railway Procurement Agency and is a director of ACC bank. She previously worked for the ESRI.  I could not find a current academic affiliation for Dr. Kennedy.

She would be remembered by many women as the dissenting voice from the Second Commission on the Status of Women.  Dissenting in that she has did not support several areas of the report which focussed on women’s economic rights to access the workplace and she published a minority report outlining how women would receive supports instead to stay at home.

Dr. Kennedy is also somewhat of an expert on Frank Duff and the Legion of Mary.  You can hear her here speaking about what would have happened if Frank Duff had not founded the Legion of Mary. She wrote John Henry Newman and Frank Duff in 1982.

Her latest publication is Cottage to Crèche. Family Change in Modern Ireland.  She writes an article in Irish on the book on CatholicIreland.net. The Wikipedia entry on the Riordans notes that in this text Dr. Kennedy highlighted that the Riordans (a rural soap opera on RTE – before Glenroe)’ introduced one of the most sensitive issues in rural family life – the links between property, farm ownership and marriage at the very time of the debate on the Succession Bill’.  One wonders what she will make of the succession bill with regard to the rights of the child of a non-biological mother in a lesbian parenting relationship.

In  her biography on the RPA website Dr. Kennedy’s areas of expertise are listed as public expenditure and demography.

I don’t know what expertise Dr. Kennedy has in the area of policy with regard to non-marital relationships and in particular same sex relationships. If her expertise is demography and family economics then the 1300 same sex couples counted in the last census will tell her this is not an important area. However  we know that these figures are not a true representation of the situation due to the difficulties posed in answering the question on the form. Can we speculate on what Frank Duff and the Legion of Mary would have thought!

Apart from one representative from GLEN and someone from the Family Lawyers Association (of which I know nothing) there is no representative from any of the statutory or non statutory bodies which deal with one parent or unmarried parents. Surely Treoir or One Family or the NWCI could also have been targeted to provide a family economics or social policy specialist.

Podcasting Friday #2

2006-04-07T09:51:00.000+01:00

So it’s Friday and that means an update on Podcasting Friday.

Firstly I succumbed and bought an mp3 player last weekend. It’s the Creative Zen Nano if you’re interested and is really good apart from the earphones which are a bit big.

On to the podcasts, well apart from a few that I listened to through the PC which I mentioned last week, I am now downloading daily instalments of Adam Curry’s Daily Source Code, The Gay Parenting Show, The Ian Dempsey Show (Gift Grub in particular) and Woman’s Hour from BBC Radio 4. I also found the first episode of the Ouch Podcast, the BBC Disability podcast - with a tagline that says ‘You’re so special, we’ve made a podcast for you!’. A very irreverent look at disability and culture and the first episode tears strips off the Paralympics in a manner which most able bodied people won’t get at all but had me chuckling away.

But my favourite thing from this week of listening has been Amy Goodman and Democracy Now. I have watched many episodes and clips before from DemocracyNow.org but to be able to download the show each day has been heavenly. I have to admit that I am in love with Amy’s voice – its knowledgeable and authoritative and also quite calming even when discussing the most difficult of subjects. (I have quite a thing for voices of which I should blog about again.)

The software has been easy to use and my bus journeys are heavenly!

However as I get into listening to podcasts I find out that I might be very alone amongst online households. In the USA research has indicated that only 1 percent of online households are listening in.

But I’m enjoying it and might even get into podsafe music whatever that is for next weeks update!

And here we go again

2006-04-06T01:47:00.000+01:00

Yesterday Michael McDowell, Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform announced the composition of the Working Group on Domestic Partnership.

The terms of reference of the group are narrow.

I see the establishment of this Working Group as a crucial step in the development of the debate on civil or domestic partnership. I have asked the Group to elaborate an analysis of the range of options available to the legislature for giving legal recognition to alternative forms of partnership or cohabitation, consistent with Constitutional provisions. I am confident that the work of the Group will prove a sound basis for the formulation of legislative proposals in this area.”

Noticeably the group will not be able to make recommendations for change which would go beyond current constitutional provisions.

This group’s formation comes after the following reports already written on the matter.

The report of the Equality Authority - Implementing Equality for Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals.

The report of the NESF. Equality Policies for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual People

The consultation document of the Law Reform Commission on the Rights and Duties of Cohabitees

The report of the All Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution on the Family (not much of use in there I admit!)

The Report of the ICCL Partnership Rights Group which will be published next month.

And the members of the group who are charged with deciding on matters that will effect the lives of thousands of same-sex and opposite sex non marital couples?

Anne Colley, Chair, (Solicitor and Current Chair of the Legal Aid Board

Eoin Collins, Gay and Lesbian Equality Network

Carmel Stewart, Family Lawyers Association

Eilis Barry, Equality Authority

Christine O’Rourke, Advisory Counsel, Attorney General’s Office

Vincent Palmer, Principal, Department of Finance

Helen Faughnan, Principal, Department of Social and Family Affairs

Kieran Feely, Department of Health and Children

Dr. Finola Kennedy, Economist

Niall McCutcheon, Principal, Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

John Kenny, Principal, Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

There is no representative on this group from a lone parents or unmarried parents group or a woman’s organisation or a lesbian organisation. Lesbian parents are not represented either. (Ah yes they are not really families according to the All Party Report on the Constitution and the Family)

It is interesting that the Department of Finance is represented on the group. Are we going to hear again about how much this will cost or maybe pigs will fly and it can be computed how much tax, inheritance, pension contributions and other monies unmarried couples have contributed and lost the benefit of due to the lack of equality afforded to them. Maybe the representative from Social Welfare will tell of the way in which same sex couples and survivors have lost out due to discrimination? Or the civil servant from Health document the many times that same sex partner has been denied access to their sick loved one?