On the 28th August 1963 Dr Martin Luther King, Jr gave undeniably one of the greatest civil rights speeches in history: “I Have A Dream”. In this speech Dr King talked about how he dreamt that one day his four child would not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character and how the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. This powerful speech was one of the markers which led to the political freedom of all African Americans. It’s with this speech that I judge the content of our government and our society. I too have a dream that one day I will live in a quaint suburb with my husband and our two beautiful children. I too have a dream that my children won’t be judged or mocked because they have two fathers instead of a mother and a father. I too have a dream that one day I can become a teacher or a doctor without fear of losing my job because of who and what I am, a proud gay man.
I write this open letter to all the politicians and the everyday citizen who can’t understand that only having half the rights of a heterosexual is not equal to being an equal citizen. Civil partnership, while a landmark in Ireland, is no where close to the homosexual community being equal to our heterosexual brothers and sisters but rather it segregates us further. Since homosexuality was legalised in Ireland in 1993, we as a community have come a long way towards our goal of being equal citizens but we still have a long way to go. Ireland became a free republic under the illusion that all of her people would be free and equal citizens but clearly our government of today don’t have the same idea as those brave fighters.
Many of those who oppose what we believe in use God and the Bible as a sword to pierce our confidence as a community and as individuals. I feel that God in all his omnipotence surely is impossible of making mistakes, therefore it’s illogical to think that we are mistakes. Jesus also said “Love one another as I have loved you” and no where in the Bible does Jesus show no love towards anyone. Again logically Jesus loves everyone: gay, straight, white, black, Asians, men and women so we ourselves must love each other.
Another sword used to pierce us is the argument that homosexuals are not capable of raising and maintaining happy and loving families. This in particular is aimed at children, that there’s no way two men or two women can raise a child the same as a heterosexual couple or even a single parent. Studies are proving that we too are capable of raising happy and well loved children. Moreover, I feel in myself that no one could raise my child better than me and my future husband.
At the 2010 March For Marriage I heard some amazing speeches but there was one thing in particular that really caught my attention. “Ireland is nothing without her people, Ireland is her people.” So I ask, how can we as a nation move forward when at least 10% of us are still considered second-class citizens under our own constitution. Change is coming and it’s foolish to deny the one constant in life. For our beautiful country to be a great nation, we the Irish must join together to fight the hypocrisy of our government and allow all of us to be 100% equal and not just 50%.
I too have a dream today, that my children will grow into strong, confident adults who will never have to worry about what they are but only about who they are.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Desperate or Romantic?
I have two very sexually frustrated friends, one is single and the other is in a relationship. The single friend's sexual frustration is mostly considered desperate or even tragic, while the friend in a relationship who's sexually frustrated is waiting until his girlfriend is ready and he's called romantic. It made me think, that's the difference between being in a relationship and being single when it comes to sexual frustration, what defines being desperate or being romantic?
Understandable being in a relationship, my friend must have a lot of patience and a lot of like for this girl to wait for her to be ready. Even though he hasn't had sex in a few months he's decided to stay with her instead of looking for his bit of some other experienced girl.
But what about my single friend? Why should he be called desperate because he's waiting for the right girl to come around? Surely he should be considered romantic for waiting for a girlfriend instead of just sleeping around like some common trollop.
Then there is the final category, what do we call those who are very sexually frustrated but have no desire to be in a relationship? Would we consider them tragic or desperate?
Understandable being in a relationship, my friend must have a lot of patience and a lot of like for this girl to wait for her to be ready. Even though he hasn't had sex in a few months he's decided to stay with her instead of looking for his bit of some other experienced girl.
But what about my single friend? Why should he be called desperate because he's waiting for the right girl to come around? Surely he should be considered romantic for waiting for a girlfriend instead of just sleeping around like some common trollop.
Then there is the final category, what do we call those who are very sexually frustrated but have no desire to be in a relationship? Would we consider them tragic or desperate?
Monday, April 19, 2010
Fetish
The definition of fetish is: a form of sexual desire in which gratification depends to an abnormal degree on some object or item of clothing or part of the body.
During the course of one of our many in depth conversations at Insomnia, me and the guys came onto the topic of fetish. We were there saying what our particular fetish was and some of the more common ones were mentioned: particular ethnicity, biting, S&M, toys, etc. One of them then said that they had a friend who had a fetish so weird that he actually felt ashamed about it. So as guys do we spent a good bit of time trying to guess what it is, each of our guesses got weirder and weirder but still we weren't close. Eventually the friend said that we'd never find out because it was just that bad. That got me thinking, after every single disgusting thing we could think of and still not be close, what exactly defines a "shameful" fetish?
Fetish range from the simple (ethnicity, toys, soft core sexual acts) to the extreme (2 Girls, 1 Cup, paedophilia, bestiality). When does a fetish simply stop being an innocent way of sexual experiementation and enter into the grounds of morally wrong. Let's look at paedophilia for a minute! For the most part, paedophilia is considered one of the most disgusting sexual acts/ crimes that anyone can commit. However, to the East, in some countries is paedophilia not only legal, it's encouraged. Hindu areas with arranged marriages between older gentlemen and young girls. Even in Japan child pornography is only recently illegal.
What about hardcore S&M? In the UK they're hoping to pass a law which will make porn illegal if it seems to cause any harm to another person, this law will effect anyone who's into a bit of pain.
What we consider wrong and disgusting others may consider enticing and sought after. I want to know your opinions on this subject.
During the course of one of our many in depth conversations at Insomnia, me and the guys came onto the topic of fetish. We were there saying what our particular fetish was and some of the more common ones were mentioned: particular ethnicity, biting, S&M, toys, etc. One of them then said that they had a friend who had a fetish so weird that he actually felt ashamed about it. So as guys do we spent a good bit of time trying to guess what it is, each of our guesses got weirder and weirder but still we weren't close. Eventually the friend said that we'd never find out because it was just that bad. That got me thinking, after every single disgusting thing we could think of and still not be close, what exactly defines a "shameful" fetish?
Fetish range from the simple (ethnicity, toys, soft core sexual acts) to the extreme (2 Girls, 1 Cup, paedophilia, bestiality). When does a fetish simply stop being an innocent way of sexual experiementation and enter into the grounds of morally wrong. Let's look at paedophilia for a minute! For the most part, paedophilia is considered one of the most disgusting sexual acts/ crimes that anyone can commit. However, to the East, in some countries is paedophilia not only legal, it's encouraged. Hindu areas with arranged marriages between older gentlemen and young girls. Even in Japan child pornography is only recently illegal.
What about hardcore S&M? In the UK they're hoping to pass a law which will make porn illegal if it seems to cause any harm to another person, this law will effect anyone who's into a bit of pain.
What we consider wrong and disgusting others may consider enticing and sought after. I want to know your opinions on this subject.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Precious
eePrecious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire is a movie by Lee Daniels based on the novel Push by Sapphire. The movie has enjoyed a rather unexpected international comercial sucess.
This hard-hitting drama follows the life of Clareece P. Jones (or Precious as she likes to be called), an obese, 16 year old, African-American growing up in 1987, Harlem. The movie is harsh, realistic, unrelenting and inspirational. The author Sapphire worked as a teacher in Harlem, so the character Precious is an amalgamation of all the girls the author has known. The movie is dark and gritty with a colour scheme to match. The only form of positivity comes from Precious' class, with a matching colou scheme to portray the levity.
The movie opens with writing in extremely bad English to highlight Precious' illiteracy. The first image is of a red scarf falling from a lamp post underneath a bridge. The colour red is one of the more prominent colours, it blatantly appears in almost every scene. Precious is soon expelled for being pregnant with her second child. We soon find out that Precious is a victim of constant verbal, physical and sexual abuse from her parents and, that both her pregnancies are a result of her father constantly raping her.
The movie quickly follows to Precious being accepted into an alternative school. Here we meet the classmates, other girls who've gone through their own personal hell. We're also introduced to the beacon of hope in the movie, the teacher Ms Blu Rain (played by Paula Patton). Precious soon goes to see a social worker (played by Mariah Carey) in order to try claim welfare. In these sessions we learn how badly Precious has been abused but we can't help but feel inspired by how strong she is.
The movie is mostly linear, with a few flashbacks to when she is abused, to which Daniels decides to graphically portray. Although an interesting technique that Daniels employs is that whenever Precious is being abused we're quickly taken to her imagination, where she imagines herself as a famous popstar instead of an abused teenager.
The film is set in Harlem and never once does it leave. The viewers are subjected to the dirty and unyielding part of New York constantly.
While Mariah Carey's skin colour is debateable there are very few caucasion actors (only three with speaking roles), which perfectly portrays Harlem of this time.
The choice of music is rather ironic, being almost completely dance and hip hop songs from the 80's. The main song "I Can See In Color" is a ballad written and performed by Mary J. Blige is poignantly played as Precious and her mother have a rather graphic and emotional physical showdown.
The cast is strong and well chosen. Precious is played by Gabourey Sidibe, with this being her first on-screen performance she's already nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars. The star performance however is by Mo'Nique who plays the abusive mother. The film ends with an emotional showdown between Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey and Gabourey which will bring a tear to the most hardened heart. Daniels employs another technique here. In order to keep the film as realistic as possible he would purposely neglect to tell the cast what was going on. In the final scene, only Mo'Nique knew the script, so the tears of Mariah Carey are very real.
Dark, dirty and gritty this realistic movie will shake you to your core but hopefully leave you feeling inspired.
This hard-hitting drama follows the life of Clareece P. Jones (or Precious as she likes to be called), an obese, 16 year old, African-American growing up in 1987, Harlem. The movie is harsh, realistic, unrelenting and inspirational. The author Sapphire worked as a teacher in Harlem, so the character Precious is an amalgamation of all the girls the author has known. The movie is dark and gritty with a colour scheme to match. The only form of positivity comes from Precious' class, with a matching colou scheme to portray the levity.
The movie opens with writing in extremely bad English to highlight Precious' illiteracy. The first image is of a red scarf falling from a lamp post underneath a bridge. The colour red is one of the more prominent colours, it blatantly appears in almost every scene. Precious is soon expelled for being pregnant with her second child. We soon find out that Precious is a victim of constant verbal, physical and sexual abuse from her parents and, that both her pregnancies are a result of her father constantly raping her.
The movie quickly follows to Precious being accepted into an alternative school. Here we meet the classmates, other girls who've gone through their own personal hell. We're also introduced to the beacon of hope in the movie, the teacher Ms Blu Rain (played by Paula Patton). Precious soon goes to see a social worker (played by Mariah Carey) in order to try claim welfare. In these sessions we learn how badly Precious has been abused but we can't help but feel inspired by how strong she is.
The movie is mostly linear, with a few flashbacks to when she is abused, to which Daniels decides to graphically portray. Although an interesting technique that Daniels employs is that whenever Precious is being abused we're quickly taken to her imagination, where she imagines herself as a famous popstar instead of an abused teenager.
The film is set in Harlem and never once does it leave. The viewers are subjected to the dirty and unyielding part of New York constantly.
While Mariah Carey's skin colour is debateable there are very few caucasion actors (only three with speaking roles), which perfectly portrays Harlem of this time.
The choice of music is rather ironic, being almost completely dance and hip hop songs from the 80's. The main song "I Can See In Color" is a ballad written and performed by Mary J. Blige is poignantly played as Precious and her mother have a rather graphic and emotional physical showdown.
The cast is strong and well chosen. Precious is played by Gabourey Sidibe, with this being her first on-screen performance she's already nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars. The star performance however is by Mo'Nique who plays the abusive mother. The film ends with an emotional showdown between Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey and Gabourey which will bring a tear to the most hardened heart. Daniels employs another technique here. In order to keep the film as realistic as possible he would purposely neglect to tell the cast what was going on. In the final scene, only Mo'Nique knew the script, so the tears of Mariah Carey are very real.
Dark, dirty and gritty this realistic movie will shake you to your core but hopefully leave you feeling inspired.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Perez Hilton: Self-Appointed Messiah
I've never been one to take part in the liberation of the LGBT community. I'm happy with how things are in Ireland, sure in the rest of the world things mightn't be so good but it never really affected me. Sure we don't have same-sex marriage and adoption for same-sex couples is slightly more difficult in catholic conservative Ireland but we've still come a long way in less then 20 years. Like I said, I leave the politics for the politicians but it makes me weep when gobshites like Perez Hilton become the self-appointed Messiashs of the LGBT community. It seems whatever people like him say suddenly reflects how we all think.
A good friend of mine has never met an openly gay man before me and he's completely in wonder. He's always asking me questions like, "Do gay people believe in God?" to which I responded "I don't speak for the entire gay community but I personally don't!". He then started going on about Perez Hilton and how nice it is that "you gays" have someone that can do the fighting for freedom for us. Firstly, I didn't have a clue who Perez Hilton was, so after a bit of research I became quite angry. How has this retard suddenly become what defines all gay people? I admit I have my... whims every now and again but I'm nothing compared to this fruit cake.
When I was growing up my parents would tell me stories of real heroes which enthralled me, Bobby Sands, Eamon DeValera, Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela, Patrick Pearse, Michael Collins, Rosa Parks. Men and women who actually did something in the fight for their respective causes and won the freedom they all wanted, men and women who fought their causes with pride!
I can understand the attraction to Perez Hilton, it's human nature to seek guidance and when someone comes along and offers it we tend to follow before questioning. I ask to everyone reading this don't listen to this douchebag, he's nothing but a fat, gossip who falsely represents an entire community. If you want a role-model, then how about Harvey Milk, Nelson Mandela, Michael Collins; respectful men who did the best for their causes.
A good friend of mine has never met an openly gay man before me and he's completely in wonder. He's always asking me questions like, "Do gay people believe in God?" to which I responded "I don't speak for the entire gay community but I personally don't!". He then started going on about Perez Hilton and how nice it is that "you gays" have someone that can do the fighting for freedom for us. Firstly, I didn't have a clue who Perez Hilton was, so after a bit of research I became quite angry. How has this retard suddenly become what defines all gay people? I admit I have my... whims every now and again but I'm nothing compared to this fruit cake.
When I was growing up my parents would tell me stories of real heroes which enthralled me, Bobby Sands, Eamon DeValera, Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela, Patrick Pearse, Michael Collins, Rosa Parks. Men and women who actually did something in the fight for their respective causes and won the freedom they all wanted, men and women who fought their causes with pride!
I can understand the attraction to Perez Hilton, it's human nature to seek guidance and when someone comes along and offers it we tend to follow before questioning. I ask to everyone reading this don't listen to this douchebag, he's nothing but a fat, gossip who falsely represents an entire community. If you want a role-model, then how about Harvey Milk, Nelson Mandela, Michael Collins; respectful men who did the best for their causes.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Modern Day Voyeurism
Today I’d like to talk about an epidemic that’s sweeping across the nations of the world, celebrity culture. Pick up any newspaper or magazine, switch on the radio and even on serious news there’s always something about some celebrity. I believe I’ve rightly diagnosed us all as modern day voyeurs, that is to say we find satisfaction in finding out what happens to the rich and famous. We are addicts of celebrity lives and the paparazzi are our dealers.
I think it’s fair to say that children and teenagers do look up to celebrities as role models but gossip publications have exploited our need for role models, Britney Spears being the perfect example. Without a doubt she’s one of the biggest names in the world, she’s young, beautiful and talented. From the start of her career she’s been emulated by little girls and teenagers everywhere and immediately she became fodder for the paparazzi. Starting innocently with whether or not her breasts were real, the paparazzi have been following her and taunting her into some very public breakdowns. But it’s not the paparazzo’s fault, it’s ours! We’re the ones who buy the magazines and we’re the ones who need to know what Britney will do next!
The most extreme incident our celebrity obsessions would have to have been in 1996. Icelandic singer Björk attacked a reporter in Thailand that had been harassing her for days. In September of the same year obsessed fan Ricardo López tried to kill Björk with an acid spraying bomb because he didn’t like Björk’s public attack. This is the perfect example of how this obsession with celebrity culture can drive us to.
I want to pose you all a question, how exactly does the break-up of Katie Price and Peter Andre affect your life in anyway? This obsession distracts us from people of real importance and power. Someone I know recently did a project on Black history; the only person of any real importance he came up with was Oprah Winfrey, he’d never heard of Rose Parks, Nelson Mandela, Jesse Owens, etc.
I admit that like most people I’ve bought and read a gossip magazine or two, but we have to realise when an interest becomes and obsession. There is one good thing that comes from this obsession, at least people are reading more. Granted it’s not poetry or novels but it’s still reading.
Another factor involved in the obsession with celebrity culture is our own obsession with becoming rich and famous. This desire has been exploited by corporations and reality TV was created. Traditional values have been raped by producers for our “enjoyment”. I don’t know about you but I can not stand reality tv, the desperation of half the contestants is pathetic, not entertaining.
There is one TV show that constantly mocks the celebrity culture but at the same time makes very valid points: South Park. Since the pilot episode they’ve poked and prodded at our need for celebrities and their lives. One of the funniest incidents being in one episode where Britney Spears urinated on a ladybug and the whole world went crazy. It’s ironic that if that happened in real life it would probably have the exact same reaction. The paparazzi would go crazy for this story and we’d go crazy to read about it.
I recently wrote a blog that touches on a similar subject matter. I asked the readers of my blog if we, human beings, are inherently cruel beings, we laugh at the thought of people being hurt in ridiculous accidents. Well it’s the same thing, we enjoy talking about the miseries of the rich and famous. Celebrity gossip is quickly becoming the bread and butter of all conversations, whatever happened to intelligent conversation?
I hope I’ve outlined this growing epidemic without sounding too self-righteous, only we the public can put a stop to this modern day voyeurism. The next time you want to read pick up a book, not a gossip magazine. Talk about Dalí, not if Lady Gaga is really a man or not. Don’t obsess yourselves with the lives of people you don’t and never will know.
I think it’s fair to say that children and teenagers do look up to celebrities as role models but gossip publications have exploited our need for role models, Britney Spears being the perfect example. Without a doubt she’s one of the biggest names in the world, she’s young, beautiful and talented. From the start of her career she’s been emulated by little girls and teenagers everywhere and immediately she became fodder for the paparazzi. Starting innocently with whether or not her breasts were real, the paparazzi have been following her and taunting her into some very public breakdowns. But it’s not the paparazzo’s fault, it’s ours! We’re the ones who buy the magazines and we’re the ones who need to know what Britney will do next!
The most extreme incident our celebrity obsessions would have to have been in 1996. Icelandic singer Björk attacked a reporter in Thailand that had been harassing her for days. In September of the same year obsessed fan Ricardo López tried to kill Björk with an acid spraying bomb because he didn’t like Björk’s public attack. This is the perfect example of how this obsession with celebrity culture can drive us to.
I want to pose you all a question, how exactly does the break-up of Katie Price and Peter Andre affect your life in anyway? This obsession distracts us from people of real importance and power. Someone I know recently did a project on Black history; the only person of any real importance he came up with was Oprah Winfrey, he’d never heard of Rose Parks, Nelson Mandela, Jesse Owens, etc.
I admit that like most people I’ve bought and read a gossip magazine or two, but we have to realise when an interest becomes and obsession. There is one good thing that comes from this obsession, at least people are reading more. Granted it’s not poetry or novels but it’s still reading.
Another factor involved in the obsession with celebrity culture is our own obsession with becoming rich and famous. This desire has been exploited by corporations and reality TV was created. Traditional values have been raped by producers for our “enjoyment”. I don’t know about you but I can not stand reality tv, the desperation of half the contestants is pathetic, not entertaining.
There is one TV show that constantly mocks the celebrity culture but at the same time makes very valid points: South Park. Since the pilot episode they’ve poked and prodded at our need for celebrities and their lives. One of the funniest incidents being in one episode where Britney Spears urinated on a ladybug and the whole world went crazy. It’s ironic that if that happened in real life it would probably have the exact same reaction. The paparazzi would go crazy for this story and we’d go crazy to read about it.
I recently wrote a blog that touches on a similar subject matter. I asked the readers of my blog if we, human beings, are inherently cruel beings, we laugh at the thought of people being hurt in ridiculous accidents. Well it’s the same thing, we enjoy talking about the miseries of the rich and famous. Celebrity gossip is quickly becoming the bread and butter of all conversations, whatever happened to intelligent conversation?
I hope I’ve outlined this growing epidemic without sounding too self-righteous, only we the public can put a stop to this modern day voyeurism. The next time you want to read pick up a book, not a gossip magazine. Talk about Dalí, not if Lady Gaga is really a man or not. Don’t obsess yourselves with the lives of people you don’t and never will know.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Are we cruel?
I was on my friend Simon's Facebook the other day and I noticed he's put a video up. This stupid little girl is making a stuffed animal show and trying to get other vloggers to do the same. She walks from her closet towards the camera, but as she does the closet door falls, hits her on the head and she falls to the ground screaming. After watching this video I pissed myself laughing for about 10 minutes and then I thought of something. I showed the video to a couple of friends and to my parents, every single one of them nearly pissed themselves laughing too. My suspicions were confirmed and then I started thinking; are we, as a species, cruel?
We complain and kick up shit about... the war in Iraq for example. There are protests and rallys all over the world to try get the war to stop and so we can show how much against it we are. Yet who reading this wouldn't laugh at some little girl being cracked over the head by her closet door? Essentially it's the same thing, people being hurt.
Again as a species we are genetically coded to hunt and kill, survival of the fittest. But when did we evolve to the point where we enjoy the pain? S&M being the perfect example, people actually receiving sexual gratification from being hurt, abused and humiliated. So I pose to all you reading, are we cruel? Just think about it.
We complain and kick up shit about... the war in Iraq for example. There are protests and rallys all over the world to try get the war to stop and so we can show how much against it we are. Yet who reading this wouldn't laugh at some little girl being cracked over the head by her closet door? Essentially it's the same thing, people being hurt.
Again as a species we are genetically coded to hunt and kill, survival of the fittest. But when did we evolve to the point where we enjoy the pain? S&M being the perfect example, people actually receiving sexual gratification from being hurt, abused and humiliated. So I pose to all you reading, are we cruel? Just think about it.
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