Leo Varadkar comes out as gay

charlie14 · 19-01-2015 01:48AM

Stheno wrote: »

Veradkar is an international figure given his status, Donal Og is simply a local sportsman in a tremendously conservative organisation

I`d imagine the reaction Donal Og got from what you call a tremendously conservative organisation, and his subsequent position within the Gaelic Players Association, would mean a lot more to Varadkar than how he may or not be viewed internationally.
Or if anybody internationally gives a toss one way or the other for that matter.

Stheno · 19-01-2015 01:50AM

charlie14 wrote: »

I`d imagine the reaction Donal Og got from what you call a tremendously conservative organisation, and his subsequent position within the Gaelic Players Association, would mean a lot more to Varadkar than how he may or not be viewed internationally.
Or if anybody internationally gives a toss one way or the other for that matter.

Given it mad Fox news as a commentary on conservative Ireland as quoted in this thread, I disagree with you

Micky Dolenz · 19-01-2015 01:50AM

mrsbyrne wrote: »

You mean you can't. Epic fail.

John_Rambo wrote: »

No. You're doing a fine job on you're own.

Epic win.

Mod

ah here, please.

Like that very annoying Frozen song.

StewartGriffin · 19-01-2015 01:52AM

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

Mod

ah here, please.

Like that very annoying Frozen song.

"LET IT GO!"

What do I win???

Micky Dolenz · 19-01-2015 01:52AM

StewartGriffin wrote: »

"LET IT GO!"

What do I win???

You my friend, are deadly

No prize though

charlie14 · 19-01-2015 02:00AM

Stheno wrote: »

Given it mad Fox news as a commentary on conservative Ireland as quoted in this thread, I disagree with you

We are talking about Fox News here, an organisation that really should do their reporting wearing white hoods standing beneath a burning cross. Not what I would call an international viewpoint we should give a flying f**k about.

Kermit.de.frog · 19-01-2015 02:14AM

Is it now socially acceptable to be a blueshirt?

AlanS181824 · 19-01-2015 02:24AM

Good for him but to be totally honest, who cares?

charlie14 · 19-01-2015 02:38AM

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Is it now socially acceptable to be a blueshirt?

Careful, there are blasphemy laws in this country:D

Venus In Furs · 19-01-2015 02:42AM

AlanS181824 wrote: »

Good for him but to be totally honest, who cares?

This thread has over 600 posts, his coming-out is all over social media and traditional media - I'm willing to bet a lot do. :pac:

Seriously though, I know you mean him being gay is not a big deal in and of itself (which it isn't) but the fact he has gone public with it, this is seen as having ramifications. I don't think coming out by anyone, including a public official, is a big deal, but gay people no doubt view things differently.

osarusan · 19-01-2015 03:29AM

HE'S A......WAIT FOR IT (snigger).......WAIT FOR IT (oh man, this is good).....

BLUESHIRTLIFTER!!!!!!!!!!!!

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Mezcita · 19-01-2015 03:31AM

osarusan wrote: »

HE'S A......WAIT FOR IT (snigger).......WAIT FOR IT (oh man, this is good).....

BLUESHIRTLIFTER!!!!!!!!!!!!

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Somebody said that ages ago. Pay attention.

efb · 19-01-2015 07:58AM

mrsbyrne wrote: »

Im sorry you don't like women breastfeeding in public. Do uou like to eat your dinner in the toilet? Isn't that where you think nursing mothers should take babies when out in public?

Sorry you missed the sarcasm

efb · 19-01-2015 08:09AM

some people need to learn what a PDA IS, but I suspect the misuse is deliberate. Holding hands, a peck on the cheek, these are PDAs

I wouldn't feel safe doing this openly on some streets in Dublin

I promise not to give my bf oral while your maiden aunt is eating her egg mayo, but that's not or never has been considered a PDA

efb · 19-01-2015 08:11AM

mrsbyrne wrote: »

Where do you see this as my reaction to gay men kissing? Just show me where I singled out gay men kissing'??

WOULD YOU HAVE A ISSUE WITH GAY MEN KISSING IN FRONT OF YOUR ELDERLY AUNT?

floggg · 19-01-2015 08:39AM

Deenie123 wrote: »

Yeah, but it's great that they're more concerned about that and don't give a flying one about him being gay. Priorities in the correct place

Maybe this marriage equality thing will pass.

Perhaps you could consider it progress in its own twisted way, but in some, but not all, cases, the people who express a "who cares, why does he need to make a big deal about it" attitude isn't because they see it as a non-issue, but because its no longer socially acceptable for them to come out and say that the wished they didnt have to see or hear about gay people and that they would prefer if they went back to hiding in the shadows.

crazygeryy · 19-01-2015 08:41AM

Good man leo take one for the team.

AlanS181824 · 19-01-2015 09:10AM

Venus In Furs wrote: »

This thread has over 600 posts, his coming-out is all over social media and traditional media - I'm willing to bet a lot do. :pac:

Seriously though, I know you mean him being gay is not a big deal in and of itself (which it isn't) but the fact he has gone public with it, this is seen as having ramifications. I don't think coming out by anyone, including a public official, is a big deal, but gay people no doubt view things differently.

Yeah you're right, I understand people care but what I mean is people shouldn't care, like I wish it were a case where it didn't matter at all.

But nevertheless good for him!

tigger123 · 19-01-2015 09:20AM

Delighted for Leo, fair play to him. It must have been a very difficult decision for him to make given his political life.

Am also delighted in terms of the SSM referendum. I sometimes think (and I could be wrong) that people who are already part of public life coming out like this helps middle Ireland come to terms with the modern world. It's easy for some people to dismiss the likes of Panti Bliss and not pay them any heed, it is different when it's a member of public life.

Akrasia · 19-01-2015 09:43AM

jocmilt wrote: »

Another thing he's blown is he re-election. At 12-15% of Dublin West Fine Gael can't afford to lose even a couple of thousand votes. This will lose him over half of them and those will got to the Socialists of various hues. Maybe he can get one of those unelected jobs in Europe?

Why do you presume it will lose him votes. For every bigot who won't vote for him because he is gay, there are probably 2 or 3 progressives who might be more likely to vote for him because they can see him as a possible champion for equal rights in the Fine Gael party (a party whose current leader is obviously very uncomfortable with homosexuality)

Akrasia · 19-01-2015 09:54AM

mrsbyrne wrote: »

Ah no euphemism. A straightforward question to bodice ripper which he/she strangely enough Is too shy to answer.
Says my child has to watch him or her snoging snd fondling partner in the street but won't agree that it's ok for me to do similar with my OH in front of his or her elderly relative. Big double standard really. Makes you wonder.

I think you really need to back down from this statement Mrs Byrne. Nobody is supporting lewd behaviour in public from anyone of any sexual preference, merely normal and appropriate acts of public affection like holding hands, hugging, a kiss hello or a kiss goodbye, sharing popcorn at the cinema, sharing a romantic meal at a restaurant, getting married and declaring in public one's love for one's partner, that kind of thing.

efb · 19-01-2015 09:58AM

Practicing my new signature all morning
Mrs Leo Varadkar

seamus · 19-01-2015 10:23AM

jonnny68 wrote: »

who cares, this vile man is a minister for one of the worst governments in the history of the state

****ing LOL.

The only way I can countenance that you believe this, is that you were either a child between 2000 and 2010 or not in the country.

Dyr · 19-01-2015 10:38AM

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

Sure go ahead and vote in SF and the far left, a few years of them and you will have something to bitch about.

Will they bankrupt the country? :rolleyes:

bodice ripper · 19-01-2015 10:39AM

mrsbyrne wrote: »

Ah no euphemism. A straightforward question to bodice ripper which he/she strangely enough Is too shy to answer.
Says my child has to watch him or her snoging snd fondling partner in the street but won't agree that it's ok for me to do similar with my OH in front of his or her elderly relative. Big double standard really. Makes you wonder.

I didn't answer because I had the temerity to go to bed.

And because you are just making up bat**** **** I didn't say to argue with. Genuinely think you are a wum.

VinLieger · 19-01-2015 10:39AM

Bambi wrote: »

Will they bankrupt the country? :rolleyes:

Well considering they are looking to get rid of all taxes and just make the rich pay for everything, its quite likely.

Also were the current government responsible for bankrupting the country?

Flem31 · 19-01-2015 10:41AM

Bambi wrote: »

Will they bankrupt the country? :rolleyes:

Perhaps, but imo it will probably happen anyway only SF may just speed up the process. And that may not be such a bad thing.

Too many future commitments, too little money to fund them.

floggg · 19-01-2015 10:58AM

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

It "bothers" me because it's headline news and a distraction from the mess that is the HSE. Leo is gay.. so what? How is that going to affect anyone else in this country?

IF you can't see how it can help people for a high profile figure like him then you haven't put much thought into it.

It's going to be a huge help to young people struggling with their sexuality and hearing negative messages from their family and peer groups about gay people to see a high profile and well respected (even if not always liked) public figure come out and for it not to be the end of the world.

It's going to be a huge help for other LGBT gay politicans who fear they ether have to lie about their private lives (if even through omission) or sacrifice their political careers.

It will also help gay people in other professions and areas to be open about who they are and love.

It's going to be a huge help to many straight people who, while not homophobic per se, have difficulty in seeing past stereotypes and seeing gay people for the ordinary and boring types they are.

It's going to be a huge help for parents of gay kids who wonder will being gay make their Child'a life much more difficult to see somebody openly gay being a successful and accepted public figure.

Visibility is inportant because it shows everybody who normal and non-eventful it should be.

But the fact remains it's not normal or non-eventful yet because not enough people have done it.

The seeming resentment people show over people coming out or being accepted troubles me. If people don't consider it a big deal then why grumble?

If he announced he was getting married nobody would care - and they certainly wouldn't complain about newspapers or other media reporting it.

They'd just skim the headline and move on. Indifferent people generally don't comment or form any opinion.

But it seems that there are a number of people who genuinely seem put out by the whole affair. About somebody wanting and being able to openly declare the selves to be LGBT.

Why, if you truly don't care about somebody's sexuality, do you care if they acknowledge it publicly?

eviltwin · 19-01-2015 10:58AM

Mrs Byrne admit you went way overboard. The original post is valid. I can hold my husband's hand, kiss him or hug him and no comment is passed. A gay person can do the same but may be subjected to a comment. I've heard them myself. Only a few months back I was outside a well known dublin gay bar and two lads on the other side of the road shouted an abusive term. It's not nice. I know the advice is to ignore but it's not easy to do that. And it shouldn't even be an issue. No one is suggesting any sex acts at all, you came up with that one all on your own. Of course we would all be horrified by a blow job in a public street but how you can compare that to two people having a brief kiss or a hug is beyond me. Are you just uncomfortable with displays of affection in general?

Laois_Man · 19-01-2015 11:07AM

Phoebas wrote: »

There was an awful lot of homophobic crap directed at Norris during the campaign, including on this site - mostly childish stuff ('will he be taking it up the Aras' etc).
Scratch the surface and homophobia is alive and well.

I don’t think you should assume because people make jokes about gay people that they’re automatically going to be discriminative against that person because they’re gay. Some will of course, but not most IMO.

It’s called a sense of humour. That’s all it is, no matter how childish it is.

As an analogy, I know plenty of people who’d refer to someone as a ginger bollox or who’d cast similar dispersions towards guys with red hair. But I doubt I know anyone who’d actually discriminate against someone because he’s a red head.

Leo Varadkar comes out as gay

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