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THE LAST fortnight has been a quietly momentous one for gay men and lesbians in Ireland. We may indeed be passing a watershed in the acceptance of homosexual people as full and equal members of society. The first open conference of gay, lesbian and bisexual primary school teachers was held in Dublin. The funeral of Stephen Gately was notable for an affection and admiration that went beyond his status as a pop star and embraced his life as a pioneer for gay men in the music industry. Donal Óg Cusack’s decision, elaborated so eloquently in today’s Weekend Review, to be open about his sexual orientation broke through another barrier of silence. It should not require courage to be honest about one’s own identity, but Cusack’s declaration is as gutsy as anything he has done on the field of play.
There will always be bigots, but the public reaction to these three events has been pleasingly low key. Most Irish people understand quite well that teachers, even in small rural schools, are as likely as anyone else to be gay. They understand instinctively that the grief of Stephen Gately’s civil partner is no less profound than that of anyone who has lost a beloved spouse. They know that the manly virtues of the hurling field – strength of body and character – are incompatible with stereotypes of gay men but not with the reality of their lives and talents.
