McDowell to open Dublin's Lesbian and Gay Film Fest 2005

damien

http://www.gcn.ie/dlgff/index.html

Gay and Lesbian Film Fest details unveiled

The programme for the 13th Dublin Lesbian and Gay Film Festival at the Irish Film Institute has been unveiled.

The festival will take place from 28 July to 1 August. The theme for the festival will be Family Values, looking at diverse combinations of families and equality.

This year's opening film will be 'Cockles and Muscles'. Directors Jacques Martineau and Olivier Ducastel will introduce the film.

Other highlights include screenings of 'Jeanne and the Perfect Guy', 'All About Eve' and a series of short films.

Booking is open now and further information is available from the IFI or on their website at www.irishfilm.ie

Lineup:
http://www.irishfilm.ie/cinema/season2.asp?PageID=59&SID=83


Friday 29 July 2005
Sugar 10.30
Drag Kings on Tour 10.30
That Man, Peter Berlin 2.30
Playing a part & Immortal Muse 4.30
Drôle de Félix 4.30
Garden 6.30
Prey For Rock & Roll 8.30
Le Clan 8.30

Saturday 30 July 2005
That Boy 10.30
Written on the Soul & Give or take an inch 12.30
Cockles and Muscles 12.30
Animated Shorts 2.30
We Are Dad & Die Trauernde 4.30
Women’s Shorts 4.30
Jeanne and the Perfect Guy 6.30
Summer Storm 8.30
Wanted! 8.30

Sunday 31 July 2005
Men’s Shorts 2.30
Little Man 2.30
Child I Never Was, The 4.30
Sex Life in L.A. 6.30
Till I hurt you 6.30
All about Eve 8.30

Monday 1 August 2005
Butterfly 2.15
Andrew and Jeremy Get Married 2.30
Family Matters Shorts 4.30
Queer Parents 6.30
Queer Boys and Girls on the Bullet Train & Irene Williams 6.30
Bear Cub 8.30

Boston

Hmm, I would have expected bad education to be on that list. Any recommendations damien.

Annasopra

the festival is also being controversially launched by Michael McDowell

Boston

Johnnymcg wrote:

the festival is also being controversially launched by Michael McDowell

What has he ever done to harm gay rights?

Annasopra

appointed a person (who vocally opposed gay marriage) to the board of the equality authority

supported the government in legislating to overturn a case where a gay man had won the right to receive a bus pass for his elderly partner

supported the seanad in delaying/postponing the civil partnership bill 2004

http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=SEN20050216.xml&Node=H9&Page=13

damien

Was part of the cabinet that first mentioned same-sex couples in Irish legislation but only to state that same-sex couples could not marry.

Boston

Whats his personal view points on LGBT issues. The above could be attributed to not caring about them, rather then actually having a policy on them.

damien

The above could be attributed to not caring about them, rather then actually having a policy on them.

Would, could, should, bollox. The man has gone on record as Minister for Justice Equality and Law Reform as saying inequality is good. The man has as a Minister appointed someone to the Equality Authority who is against giving same sex couples the same rights as opposite sex couples. No woulds, no coulds, no "maybe he's misunderstood", just facts.

Stark

Liouville wrote:

Please provide the facts then. I'm not coming here from a point of view of support for McDowell. I just have this nasty habit of questioning why I should hold people in contempt. I find it a paradox that he would show such distain for the lgbt community and then wish to involve himself in it. Maybe certain overly liberal people seek to create our own "American republican" style bigot out of this Mc Dowell character.

I don't think opening the film festival makes him a saint, it makes him a hypocrite. Your arguments above don't vindicate him, rather they show that he was perfectly happy to bring in legislation robbing gay people of their rights but not willing to allow blame to fall to him. This public appearance by him will be nothing but a cynical vote grabbing ploy. I hope he gets the protest he deserves.

Boston

Stark wrote:

I don't think opening the film festival makes him a saint, it makes him a hypocrite. Your arguments above don't vindicate him, rather they show that he was perfectly happy to bring in legislation robbing gay people of their rights but not willing to allow blame to fall to him. This public appearance by him will be nothing but a cynical vote grabbing ploy. I hope he gets the protest he deserves.

I agree that it doesn't make him a saint, and that its just a vote grabbing ploy. I do think calling him a hypocrite is a fair comment, reguardless of any arguement he didn't show support for the LGBT community, and to claim so now, is very hypocritcial. As for legislation, that is true, as is it of others. As for protests, I'm sure if there are any, they will be claimed by a multitude of left wing organisations bearing no relations to the Issues raised here.

Annasopra

LiouVille wrote:

Is that a direct quote, if so could you provide it. Or lacking that, back up what you're saying

http://www.irishexaminer.com/text/story.asp?j=26172080613&p=z6y7zx8yxyz&n=26172081071

Just because he appointed her, doesn't mean he supports her view point on that particular issue. It is that Mary one your talking about yes?

No

http://www.gcn.ie/newgcn/news/full_story.asp?id=231

http://www.gaire.com/e/f/default.asp?nav=1&parent=148201&page=view

So I ask, why is he suddenly a hate figure, and has he, as an individual, done anymore to harm or hinder LGBT rights then any other member of his cabinet

you might find some other info here

http://forum.gcn.ie/index.php?showtopic=3463

solice

Mcdowell appointed somebody to the Equality authority who does not believe that Ireland is ready for same sex civil unions and people are not happy with this?

You would swear that this person was the only person in the Equailty authority. Im sure there are plenty of other people there that support the campaign for civil partnerships.

How could the equality authority truly be a voice for equality if it does not have a representation or view or opinion from every sector of the community. Yes the homophobes\biggots\fundementalists need to be represented as well. Because in their opinion they think they are right, just the same as you think you are right in your opinion.

Reverse the situation, you are a heterosexual who does not believe that gay men should be allowed to join in a civil union and receive all the benefits that come with it. The minsiter for Justice Equality and Law Reform comes along one day and appoints Graham Norton (as a for instance) to the Equality Authority, would you be up in arms and annoyed because the opinions of a gay men are being expressed?

Maybe its a simplistic approach and maybe i know absolutely nothing about the situation.......

damien

solice wrote:

Maybe its a simplistic approach and maybe i know absolutely nothing about the situation.......

Both correct statements. Using your rationale on the matter would mean they should appoint a known racist to the panel to give his views on ethnic minorities.

Annasopra

How could the equality authority truly be a voice for equality if it does not have a representation or view or opinion from every sector of the community.

well they don't have a gay person on the board

Thanks, Reading through your links now. What exactly did that Bob Quinn say on the late late, didn't seem to be directly quoted. It's probably quoted in one of the other links, but that will have to wait untill after lunch.

There was a panel of young people involved in political parties

They were asked lots of questions such as;

"do you believe cannabis should be decriminalised" and "do you think we should introduce gay marriage"

Bob on the gay marriage question said and this is almost a direct quote...

"even though I'm a liberal I'd have to say no"

rsynnott

This is, IMO, COMPLETELY inappropriate. Who invited him? Might as well give it over to Mary whatsername and be done with it!

Boston

Right I've read through all the links posted, even the bloody examiner. I see nothing pointing to the Bob fello being homophobic, to say that he vocally opposed gay marriage, while acurate seems to be a tad bit mis leading, unless theres been more then that one instance. That said he didn't retract his statements as much as he went on to pratel about how civil partnerships are better cause of this that and the other, and basically because a party could support them without directly supporting gay rights. Complete cop out imho.

As for this comments about inequality being great. I think the context of his statement was that in soicety there will always be the haves and the have nots, and that is a neacerry bi-produce of the reality of the world we live in today. It was more an acceptance that it exists and will continue to exist as long as there are winners and losers. Now I'm not to sure I buy into that.

And rsynnott I'd imagine the IFI invited him,

rsynnott

LiouVille wrote:

As for this comments about inequality being great. I think the context of his statement was that in soicety there will always be the haves and the have nots, and that is a neacerry bi-produce of the reality of the world we live in today. It was more an acceptance that it exists and will continue to exist as long as there are winners and losers. Now I'm not to sure I buy into that.

That's an extremely dangerous attitude. Yes, inequality exists, and will always exist. And society should be fighting it every step of the way, not sitting back and saying "oh, look, inequality, how nice". Although it will always exist, the DEGREE to which it exists can be reduced significantly (I'm particularly thinking of our government's hear-no-evil approach to economic inequality here).

LiouVille wrote:

And rsynnott I'd imagine the IFI invited him,

Maggie Thatcher must have been all booked up.

Boston

rsynnott wrote:

(I'm particularly thinking of our government's hear-no-evil approach to economic inequality here).

I do believe that what he was hinting at as well. Tbh it's a policy which has screwed us, as a people, over more then once and is fairly short sighted.

Boston

The guy was asked his opinion and he gave the party line, something we all know is true that the goverment would rather "handle" this issue through civil partnerships rather then directly with marriage. In away I feel it's very reasonable, any would benefit allto mroe people then gay marriage would, but in another way I think it's taking the issue and spliting into something it's not. It would take care of most if not all the pratical problems associated with being in a long term homosexual relationship, while ignoring the fact that these types of relationships are more then just co-dependent relationships.

Surely society should to strive at all times the incidence of "have-nots" as opposed to accepting that they exist and thinking that it's just great that they do exist?

There will allways be those that have more money, better house, bigger car, more stuff, better education then others whatever. It's an indeniable fact of the capitalist system we live it. The important thing is that everyone starts out with the same or similiar oppertunities in life, and that everyone is assured of basic rights and a decent quality of life.

Annasopra

The guy was asked his opinion and he gave the party line,

He didn't - at the time there was no PD party line , he gave his own opinion

Stark

Split the thread: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=280405

I've tried to strike a balance between keeping posts that were somewhat on-topic and splitting posts that were just attacking posters. There was some overlap, so there may be some incorrectly placed posts.

Also edited this thread's title to reflect the thread's content.

thatkindofgirl

What I don't get is how everyone seems to be arguing that McD hasn't done anything, so what's the fuss?

I do not expect the minister for equality and justice to be benign at best. I expect the minister for Justice and Equality to be the one pushing an equality agenda and ensuring that people are treated justly in society, by the government and by the courts. Alas, the one we have has done more about his planning permission kerfuffle than about anything justice or equality related in the years I've lived here anyway.

Amnesiac_ie

Well he made some new noises when opening the festival...

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2005/07/29/story214018.html

Let's hold him to his words as fiercly as he is holding the Provos to theirs.

damien

The Minister for Justice said last night that he was committed to legislating on equal rights for same-sex partnerships and that it was a question of "how", not "if".

Lying sack of sh1t. A question of how? What utter bollox, how many fcking reports does this man need before he allows me to be treated as an equal in this country. The election is early next year and he is already starting his campaigning to keep the LGB community on-side.

Which Lesbian and Gay Community representatives welcomed this photo op? Did they question McDowell as to why he keeps ignoring advice from the Law Reform Commission?

rsynnott

Amnesiac_ie wrote:

Well he made some new noises when opening the festival...

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2005/07/29/story214018.html

He is a politician, you know. They lie. Lots.

Amnesiac_ie

rsynnott wrote:

He is a politician, you know. They lie. Lots.

As Irish politicians go, he strikes me as being pretty honest. I don't always like what he says, but I do trust him more than I would trust most government ministers. I'd like to see a transcript of what exactly he said on the matter. Was anybody at the festival?

dahamsta

I wouldn't trust McDowell as far as I could throw him. Although to be fair, I'd like to throw him quite a long way. From the top of a large building for preference.

adam

damien

Amnesiac_ie wrote:

As Irish politicians go, he strikes me as being pretty honest.

There's a difference between honest and being outspoken. McDowell is always good at being honest with Government "intelligence" about Sinn Fein and the IRA. Wow, what a shock when he said Adams was on the Army Council. Never saw that one coming, and just before the British elections too.

He is not being honest though when he says he is committed for legislating for equality. The last time the Law Reform Commission came back with a solution of sorts he said he'd have to have another report first and then he brought about the Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution.

But even that isn't taking the biscuit. What takes the biscuit is his attitude toward the gay community where he makes it sound like he is doing us a favour by giving us our deserved rights. Wow, thanks there Herr Flick.

rsynnott

dahamsta wrote:

I wouldn't trust McDowell as far as I could throw him.

Not far, then. He's one of our higher-displacement politicians.

Tho in fairness he has been good at standing up to SFIRA.

dahamsta

rsynnott wrote:

SFIRA

:rolleyes:

Stark

As someone mentioned on another forum, if the government is so committed to equality for gay people, why is it still actively opposing the Catherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan case?

Wouldn't be the first time McDowell has told a bald-faced lie.

Annasopra

Address by Mr. Michael McDowell T.D.,
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
at the opening of the
13th Dublin Lesbian and Gay Film Festival

I am delighted to be here tonight to open the 13th Dublin Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. I was honoured to be invited by your committee.

This festival is an important event in the calendar of the lesbian and gay community in Ireland and presents an opportunity to see films which people may not otherwise get a chance to see.

You will be interested to know that your choice to invite me here has led to objections from two totally different directions. In addition to the objections that were voiced in the media, I have been written to in the strongest possible terms telling me that this was an occasion that no Minister should attend.

For my part, I am very glad to have been invited here. And to those who object from the position of those two opposite prejudices, I simply say that while I respect the right of anyone to hold strong views, I feel that it would have sent out a very wrong message to give in to those opinions.

Controversy is not unknown at film festivals, but it is more generally associated with the choice of films or the arbitrary decisions of juries rather than with the choice of person to open the festival. I am not averse to controversy, as is well known, but in this case, I think the arguments ought not to distract people from the excellent programme of films that are on show.

I note that many of this year's films focus on the theme of family values and I know that the issue of legal recognition of same sex partnerships is of immediate concern to you. I have previously acknowledged, on behalf of the Government, during the debate on Senator David Norris' Civil Partnership Bill that the position of same sex couples before the law, and others in caring relationships, including extending State recognition to civil partnerships between such persons, needs to be addressed.
There are a number of factors which will inform future decisions on this issue. Those factors include the Report of the Law Reform Commission on Rights and Duties of Cohabitants, the Report of the All Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution of its examination of the Articles relating to the family and the outcome of current litigation regarding the recognition of a foreign same-sex marriage.

Legislation for civil partnerships is not a simple or easy matter. To illustrate this, the British Civil Partnership Act 2004 has 264 sections and 30 schedules. Moreover, our written constitution gives rise to complexities that did not arise in the British case.

Many, probably most, same-sex couples may not want an institution which gives them all the rights, entitlements and duties of marriage. They may prefer a form of civil partnership which protects certain rights of importance to them.

I can assure you the Government is committed to legislating on this issue. It is a question of “how” rather than “if”.

My own view is that a marriage analogue is not the way forward. In fact I think that such an approach is a cul-de-sac. I think we have to adopt a different approach.

I think that cohabiting people develop mutual obligations and entitlements which need a legal framework of recognition – some of which will resemble some of the incidents of marriage in law but in other respects differ substantially from marriage. It seems to me that a co-habiting heterosexual couple may want to stay outside the legal marital relationship but may nevertheless want to create some mutual rights and obligations in their dealings with each other and with society in general. The same applies to gay and lesbian couples. Then there is the case of cohabitants with no sexual dimension to their relationship at all.

I believe that civil partnership law should be flexible and adaptable to each of these situations.

For this reason, my personal preference would be for an Act providing legal recognition for a range of civil partnerships chosen by the parties to those partnerships.

Annasopra

The decriminalisation of homosexual acts was a necessary but by no means sufficient response to the unfairness and discrimination against gay and lesbian people. There are some people who think that “tolerance” as distinct from “respect” is all that gay and lesbian people are entitled to.

The Government is unequivocally in favour of treating gay people as fully equal citizens in our society. Sexual orientation is not a mere incidental attribute of individual citizens. Sexual orientation is a central component of personality. All citizens, regardless of sexual orientation, stand equal in the eyes of our laws. Sexual orientation cannot be the basis of a second class citizenship.

Eliminating unfairness for gay and lesbian people will involve a wide range of issues including:

*Next of kin rights
*Taxation
*Home ownership
*Social welfare
*Pensions
*Dependency
*Succession
*Joint property

These are only some of the areas which need careful study and realistic, sustainable responses.

Enormous changes have been taking place in Ireland in recent years and this is set to continue.

There now exists a legislative framework to protect people against discrimination both in the employment and non-employment area. The Employment Equality Acts 1998 and 2004 and the Equal Status Acts 2000 to 2004 prohibit discrimination in employment and the provision of goods and services on nine grounds - gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race and membership of the Traveller community. This legislation is beginning to deliver practical results for lesbians and gay men.

In an Equal Status case the Equality Officer found that a gay man had been discriminated against on grounds of his sexual orientation in a hotel bar when he had been singled out for attention by a doorman and asked to leave. Another important decision under the Employment Equality Act concerned harassment based on sexual orientation. The complainant had objected to a number of derogatory and offensive comments at work related to his sexual orientation involving emails and comments overheard. The Equality Officer found that the employer had failed to take adequate measures to prevent the harassment occurring, or to deal appropriately with the incidents which occurred. She awarded compensation to the complainant for harassment, distress and breach of rights under the Act, made an order that the employer revise its Human Resources policies and procedures to accord with the requirements of the Act and provide a training seminar for management and staff to brief them on the Employment Equality Act.

My Department is currently working on the development of an Immigration and Residence Bill. A discussion document, entitled Immigration and Residence in Ireland, has been published since 12 April 2005. It sets out the range of issues to be considered and indicates how they are likely to be dealt with in the legislation and in future policy. Among the issues the document identifies is the issue of non-marital partnerships and same sex relationships as areas which will need to be considered. I have been conducting a public consultation process which is due to finish tomorrow, 29 July. But feel free to breach that deadline if you want to be heard on the issue. Work is continuing on the development of the Immigration and Residence Bill and I intend to bring legislative proposals to Government later this year.

Legislation alone will not address all the issues facing lesbians and gays. To quote from the Equality Authority report Implementing Equality for Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals : "Bringing about inclusion requires strategies to move us from the assumption that a generic service or provision will suit everyone equally, to adapting to the changes required to accommodate the diversity recognised in the Equality Acts of 1998 and 2000."

Following on from the Equality Authority report the National Economic and Social Council published in 2003 a report entitled Equality Policies for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual People: Implementation Issues. The active involvement of representatives of the gay and lesbian community along with officials in the preparation of the report contributed immensely to the quality of the report.

This report is a useful examination of lesbian and gay issues across a range of government activity. For example, the Garda authorities have since established a National Advisory Panel, which includes members who represent the gay perspective, to assist and inform Gardaí on matters relating to the community. Designated Gardaí have received special familiarisation training and have been appointed as liaison officers to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.

Other positive developments include the establishment by the Department of Education and Science of an Intra-Departmental Working Group to examine issues of sexual orientation in the education sector. Also, the Office for Social Inclusion has identified lesbians and gay men as a target group under the National Anti-Poverty Strategy in recognition of the double discrimination and marginalisation lesbians and gay men experience in some poor and minority social groups.

True, there has been a lot of criticism of the decision to amend the Social Welfare Act so that the benefits awarded to spouses under the Free Schemes are confined to married couples living together and couples cohabiting as husband and wife. But it should be noted that the Government at the same time ordered the Department of Social and Family Affairs to carry out a root and branch review of all its schemes, both statutory and administrative, to ensure that they do not have any unanticipated negative impact on those protected under the nine grounds of the equality legislation, including sexual orientation.

Although there is a growing climate of equality and support for anti-discrimination action, as you know only too well, the gay community still face isolation, abuse and victimisation on the basis of their sexuality

There is a need for a structured dialogue between the lesbian and gay community and Government. With this in mind, I intend to respond positively to the recent request from the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network to create a forum in which this process of consultation and dialogue can be maintained.

Research has shown that successful cities are those in which there is cultural diversity. This success manifests itself economically as well as socially. A touchstone of this is the manner in which gay and lesbian rights are respected. I hope that Dublin can be viewed as a successful city by these criteria. I believe that a much more diverse, heterogeneous sense of Irish-ness will replace the narrow self-image of monochrome, Catholic, nationalist Ireland. Irish-ness must be defined by inclusion rather than exclusion.

I take this opportunity to wish the 13th Dublin Lesbian and Gay Film Festival great success this weekend and in the future.