Sunday, June 30, 2013

proud

I went out to an extremely lovely hen night last night (not a willie-accessory in sight). I sort of forgot it was Pride Day and as I was walking along the Quays, about to cross the Happeny Bridge, a girl and her friends were coming down the street, and the bar beside us was playing Mumford and sons, and as she hit the music she started skipping - she was young and blonde and wearing a long black dress, a big peace sign necklace and she had a rainbow flag tied round her shoulders like a cape. It was a sweet, spontaneous moment, and it made me feel warm inside. As did the fact that Oliver StJohn Gogarty's pub had a big rainbow sign outside with a message of support on it, along with all its other international flags. And THEN, in the restaurant bar we were having a cocktail making class and dinner in, the gay male voice choir were sitting behind us, and singing beautifully every so often. They sounded so good. So talented and so happy. It filled me with warmth again to see these creative, talented people able to be themselves in public, despite all the shit that's gone before, and is, realistically, still ongoing. What a lot we lost over the years, with our torment and censorship of gay people.

My friend had a small hen night including her best friend, one sister (the other sister has too many babies to make it over for both hen night and wedding), her soon to be sister in law, me, and two of her old friends, who are a couple. A couple who've been together 11 years, but swear they won't get married until they have the same rights as everyone else. It's strange to me: meeting these two lovely men, you wouldn't deny for a second that they're thoroughly, intrinsically gay. Listening to them, watching them, there is absolutely no question that they are who they are - like the millions of others LGBT people out there - why did (do!) people try so hard to deny the reality, to insist there is choice there? I understand, even if I don't like my mother in law's insistance that people can be gay they just shouldn't have parades about it ... or indulge in PDAs... in fairness, I don't think she likes anyone to indulge in PDAs, no matter their orientation - this is the woman who used to get undressed under her nighty so as not to see her own sinful flesh. Expecting her to deal with men kissing each other on the street might just be a little too Advanced a Tolerance Class for her as yet.

But, oh, it's all so strange. What are we afraid of, but the unfamiliar, the other?

Anyway, I spent the evening in the company of lovely, funny, beautiful, generous people last night, and it was so good to be Out (heh) in Town, with the happiness of Pride going on around the place and there were many cocktails, tasty dinner in a wee boudoiry booth filled with cushions (my son was VERY jealous to hear about the cushion room) and a nostalgic stay in Trinity. Here's to nights out and the ending of discrimination. 

2 comments:

Ms. Moon said...

I agree with you on all of this. The more love, the better. Bring it on!

catherine said...

Sounds like a perfect night out Jo..its great when town is buzzing in contrast to your Braytales :)