I posted about my feelings around Pride 09 a few days ago and have been reading some of the reactions in mainstream press with interest. Some of them have been very insipid- barely reporting it or using a very awkward looking picture of a girl trying to kiss another girl which I really don’t think is the most exemplary Pride pic they could have chosen, but there you go.
I was astonished to read a piece in The Sunday Times by Brneda Power this weekend which was poorly written and made a very poor argument that boiled down too ”Of course gay people shouldn’t be allowed to have children if they act out and cause such a fuss like they did at that outrageous pride thing”
Naturally there has been an incensed reaction to a link from the article that a friend posted on facebook and it’s been wonderful to see the erudite, and angry, and passionate responses it has invoked from people – straight and gay. Some of the posts are republished in the online comments to the article too, and well worth a read.
Via Damien Mulley on twitter today I read a post that Panti has published which contains a wonderful letter from a mother to Dermot Ahern on how Civli partnership is trying to treat her 6 sons unequally. I repost a segment of it below but I’d suggest reading the whole piece
When I heard on the news that gay people would now finally be able to register the relationships like any married couple I finally thought things had changed and I suppose many other people around the country like me thought the same. However I have now realised that what you plan on doing is nothing short of telling the gay community that they are still not equal. You will not tell my sons that they are not equal to their brothers, friends and the rest of society. Your Civil Partnership Bill is not good enough for my family, and hundreds, thousands of other families in this country. I might not be the smartest person in this country but even I can tell you that this bill is all but worthless and will only further the opinion that gay people are not the same as everyone else.
I have been there for all my sons when they have had their hearts broken by girlfriends and boyfriends. I helped them pick out gifts on Valentines day and shopped around for a Tux for the Debs. I have met boyfriends and girlfriends, I have liked some and been frosty to others. I have thought about each and every single of them getting married to someone that they love and who will love them back as much as I do.
I have six sons Mr Ahern, six very beautiful boys who became six very beautiful and upstanding young men!
Two of my boys are gay. Four are straight. Two are firemen. Two love playing video games. One loves to cook. Three of them love cars. Five of them have had their tonsils out.
All of them are my sons.
You have the power to change this country so do the right thing and change this country for the better, wake up and realise that there is still time to clean up this mess and give gay couples the same rights as straight couples.
I am asking on behalf of my gay children, their gay friends, my gay friends, my family, I am asking you as a member of this country, as a taxpayer but most of all I am asking you as a mother, to help my children and revise this Bill so everyone in this country can be equal.
