This is what Irish American bigotry looks like

This is what Irish American anti-gay bigotry looks like. This is the warm welcome GLIB received in Boston in 1992 when they marched in the Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade. This photo taken by Marilyn Humphries comes from Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders website where they are profiling memorable cases from their 30 year history. For further information, check out the resources listed.

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They call him "Wacko" for a reason........

"We aren't scared to do things that aren't fitting to, say, 'peace on earth' and all that," said John "Wacko" Hurley, who organizes the parade for the Allied War Veterans of South Boston. "We all want peace, but our obligation is supporting the armed forces. So, nope, we don't have any problems with that."

(From this Boston Globe article titled, Calendar Collision for Irish Catholics: St. Pat's Day vs. Holy Week.)

That is the wisdom of Wacko, the Hurley of Hurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Group of Boston homophobic fame. This is also the same dude that denied the Boston Veterans for Peace from marching in the Southie parade last year. So apparently in Boston, the St. Pat's Parade is at its core a military parade, not a Catholic or Irish parade. So listen up, Irish folks.....from Hurley's mouth, to the Boston Globe, to the rest of the world: the U.S. military is far greater than God & the Holy Catholic Church.

I'm sure Wacko could care less about getting justice for Ciara Durkin and her family.

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News from all over the Irish Diaspora....

• "It would be better if condoms were sold VAT free. They are not luxury items, they are essential in reducing rates of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies." This quote comes from Audrey Simpson of the Irish Family Planning Association. I'd also like to add that CONDOMS SAVE LIVES in addition to reducing rates of STIs and unwanted pregnancies. After pressure from activists, the Irish Republic reduced the VAT (value added tax) on condoms from 21% to 13.5%. The cost of condoms in Ireland is one of the highest in the EU. For more information, click here.

• Good news for trans folks in the Republic of Ireland.....The High Court in Dublin declared that Irish birth registration laws are in conflict with the European Convention on Human Rights. This decision stems from the case of Dr. Lydia Foy, a dentist that was denied a birth certificate that described her as female. For the full article, click here. We will keep an eye on this case.

• It's funny how the AOH in America says Irish gay people don't exist, cuz LGBT folks in Ireland were picketing the Parliament on Valentine's Day. (Note: Members of Irish Queers are more likely to be signers of this petition than picketing here in NYC for gay marriage.)

• Speaking of this American notion that Irish LGBT people don't exist, check out QueerSpace Belfast and GLYNI (Gay and Lesbian Youth Northern Ireland) on YouTube.

• If you are in the Los Angeles area, check out Stay Forever: The Life and Music of Dusty Springfield at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's Renberg Theatre. Yes straight people, she was one of us.

• Renowned bigot Ian Paisley Jr. has resigned from the Northern Ireland Executive. Not only was he a homphobe, but he was crooked too!

• This story isn't of queer interest specifically, but it's nice to see an article where an Irish American is interrogating America's racist, anti-immigrant history....especially in these times. Check out this article on 19th century anti-Chinese racism in Oregon.

• And finally, there is some sad news to report. A 15 year old, Lawrence King, was shot twice in the head by one of his classmates after being taunted for being gay and wearing make-up, feminine jewelry, and high-heeled boots to school in Oxnard, CA. The shooter, Brandon McInerney, has an Irish last name. He has been charged with premeditated murder and will be tried as an adult. We will be following this case.

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Updates, News, Announcements

Last Friday was the Saint/Goddess Brigid's Feast Day. Brigid was my kind of girl.....she ran off on her dad when he tried to make her get married, she liked to travel, and she liked art and books and stuff. But most importantly, she was a feminist and she fought against injustice. I read this essay once that implied that maybe she was a big lez....it made me smile.

The fate of Pier 40 will be decided in March. Stay tuned.

Check out this story Gays and grays -- so happy together about the Most Holy Redeemer parish in San Francisco's Castro.

Ógra Shinn Féin wants to lobby and campaign for free condoms and comprehensive sex education. Rock on!

This week is Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) in New York City beginning Feb. 4th through the 10th. It's a weeklong series of events held concurrently in many cities around the world to raise awareness of Israel Apartheid and gather support for the international boycott, divestment, and sanctions campaign called for by more than 170 Palestinian civil society organizations in July 2005. For a listing of events, click here.

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What ever happened to the Irish American Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Group of Boston?

I was reading this article in Bay Windows about the GLAD's (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders) 30th anniversary and it made me wonder.....what ever happened to GLIB aka the Irish American Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Group of Boston? If you go to almost any online search engine and try to find information on Irish/Irish American LGBT issues, information about Supreme Court case Hurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Group of Boston will be in your top results.

Here in NYC, it has been 17 years now that queers have been fighting to be recognized as members of the Irish/Irish American community. Though the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization (ILGO) is now defunct, the parade issue is still very much alive. Brendan Fay (a former ILGO member) and the Lavender and Green Alliance created an inclusive St. Patrick's Day Parade in Queens in 2000 to celebrate "the diversity of the Irish and Irish American communities." Irish Queers, an organization that grew out of ILGO beginning in 1996, continues to organize the annual parade protest in addition to being active on other social justice issues.

As an ex-pat of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the last I remember, queers could march in the Cambridge St. Patrick's Day Parade.....but what about protesting about the Southie parade? If you have any information about what happened to GLIB or any other information about Irish LGBT issues in Boston (or any other US city), give us a shout. We'd love to hear from you :-)

(Picture was found here)

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