I’m proud of my Irish heritage. Growing up in an old sod family among Ganleys, Gallaghers, Farrells and Hanrahans with storytellers on both sides (my mother’s side were the laughers, while my father’s was a drier, more serious lot), I was immersed in a Celtic world of wit, wisdom and many a metaphor, often delivered with the lilt of a classic brogue. But I’m especially proud of my gay Irish heritage.
Ireland’s gay contribution to world culture includes the literary likes of Oscar Wilde, of course, Brendan Behan (considered the Emerald Isle’s greatest writer) and Samuel Beckett, among many others. Gay Irish rebel Sir Roger Casement suffered execution for his role in the 1916 Easter Rising. In fact, his death sentence was in greater part influenced by his homosexuality than for his act of treason. More recently, Ireland has embraced modern times with a progressive and liberal political consciousness.
In 1989, it passed laws prohibiting incitement to hatred based on sexual orientation. Four years later, Ireland decriminalized homosexuality and immediately allowed gays to serve in its military. In 1998, Ireland outlawed discrimination based on sexual orientation. Then, in 2015, the Republic of Ireland became the world’s first nation to permit marriage equality by national referendum, passing by 62%. That same electorate would vote for a gay prime minister, Leo Eric Varadkar, (the son of East Asian immigrants, by the way), in 2017. And last year, the Irish Senate passed a bill banning so-called “conversion therapy” on LGBTQ individuals; indeed, anyone found guilty of the harmful practice faces fines and imprisonment. Earlier this year, Ireland’s Minister for Justice and Equality issued an exclusion order banning a virulently anti-LGBTQ American Baptist pastor from entering the country; the homophobic preacher is the first person ever to be so barred.
Meanwhile, locally, Irishman Fionn Scott won second runner-up in the International Mr. Leather competition held this past May in Chicago.
But speaking of bans, Irish American eyes haven’t always smiled so warmly on their LGBTQ brothers and sisters. New York City’s centuries-old St. Patrick Day’s Parade forbad them from marching under their rainbow banner until 2015. In Boston and elsewhere, LGBTQ Irish experienced similar discrimination, with parade organizers only begrudgingly allowing their participation under the duress of community pressure.
This all leads us to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow: Milwaukee’s Irish Fest. The four-day extravaganza opens this week at the Henry Meier Festival Grounds. Aside from freckled gingers galore, Irish Fest offers all that a good gay Gaelic heart could desire. There are pipes, whistles, harps and fiddles to pump up one’s blood pressure and get hearts throbbing to the energetic pulse of gigs and reels.
Speaking of heartthrobs, there’s my favorite event, the tug of war, where teams of rugged, brawny lads are off-a-yankin’ in mesmerizing feats of strength and endurance (there’s nothing like a good tug, I always say). There are even teams of can-do gals and mixed matches, too.
All in all, Irish Fest, the world’s largest celebration of all things Irish and, by default, of the cultural contributions of Irish LGBTQs, offers a gay ol’ time second only to PrideFest.
