We're so in love with Irish president Mary McAleese!

Taking a stand against homophobia today, McAleese told her country comrades that it's their national, democratic duty to take on homophobia

Celebrating and respecting diversity among young people is at the heart of this important forum. Homophobic bullying continues to be a society-wide issue, including in our schools and the link between it and suicide sends a clear message that this trend must be reversed.
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By working together, by standing up for the democratic values that we share, by refusing to go along with loudly-voiced prejudices, we can overcome the bias and hostility experienced by many young gay people throughout the country. No-one should have to suffer on account of their sexual orientation.

We just wet ourselves…

Are civil rights zero-sum?

We ask because of a story out of Ireland, where the High Court ruled that a gay sperm donor has no claim to the child he helped produce for a lesbian couple. In his ruling, Justice John Hedigan said that the lesbians should be considered a "de facto" family:

Mr Justice Hedigan said there was nothing in Irish law to suggest that a family of two women and a child "has any lesser right to be recognised as a de facto family than a family composed of a man and a woman unmarried to each other".

He said the rights of a man who acted as a sperm donor were at least no greater than those of an unmarried father. In considering his application for guardianship the child's welfare was the paramount consideration.

The ruling gives gay family rights a bit of a boost, but does it deprive the donor of his parental rights?

Sniff, sniff… Do you smell that? That's the smell of putridly skewed analogy courtesy of Irish Sports Minister Edwin Poots! The politico recently proclaimed his confusion over queer rugby teams:

I just cannot fathom why people see the necessity to develop an apartheid in sport… It would be unacceptable to produce an all-black rugby team or an all-white team or an all-Chinese team. To me it's equally unacceptable to produce an all-homosexual rugby team and I find it remarkable that people who talk so much about inclusivity and about having an equal role in society would then go down the route of exclusion.

Gay team founder Declan Lavery dismissed Poots' assessment: "When the club was set up it welcomed members regardless of their age, creed, religion, sexual orientation or whatever, and that's how it continues". See, Poots? You can play, too!

An anti-gay teenager may need to get glasses. The unidentified 16-year old reportedly attacked a man and a woman because he mistook them for gay men. Why? The woman apparently had a "gay" hairstyle:

A teenager attacked a woman he mistook for a gay man because of her hairstyle, a court has heard.

The State was given more time to complete a book of evidence in the case against the boy who launched a serious attack on the woman, and a man. He mistook both for two gay men.

Thinking the couple were men because of the woman's hairstyle, he attacked them on one of Dublin's busiest streets, calling them "fucking gay bastards".

The teen then proceeded to beat the shit out the couple. The little prick blames his rage on booze. Quite a kid…

Homo-politico Christine Quinn visited Ireland recently and took some time to blast Ian Paisley, Jr: the MP who said he's repulsed by gays. Says Quinn:

Statements like that shouldn't be made. They are totally unhelpful and hurtful to people. It shouldn't have been said.

Sometimes when people say things like that they don't realize the impact. Lots of people are affected, the people at the center of the remarks, their family, their friends.

Comments like that are personal and very painful.

Yes, even more painful than calling pigeons "flying rats".

BBC Radio 1 ain't fucking around when it comes to the word "faggot". Radio 2, however, sings a different tune:

BBC Radio 1 has said it will stand by its ban on the word "faggot" from the Pogues' 1987 Christmas hit Fairytale of New York to avoid offense.
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The ban does not apply across the BBC. Radio 2 said it would be playing the full version of the track.

Listeners have had mixed reactions. While one gay fan described Radio 1's ban as "offensive," gay activist Peter Tatchell called Radio 2's full play "shameful".

Bah humbug!

Gay men aren't above discrimination. A Dublin party promoter came under fire recently for refusing entry to Vera Donovan, a straight woman. Donovan filed a complaint, of course, and now the man's paying for it's sins:

A Dublin promoter has apologised and made a donation to charity after a woman was turned away from a gay night because she is heterosexual.

Vera Donovan was "shocked and humiliated" at her treatment at Sin nightclub in the city's Temple Bar area…

Eddie McGuinness, the promoter of the weekly Sin night, told the paper he has donated 200 euros (£143) to a charity of Ms Donovan's choice, the Dublin AIDS Alliance.

Discrimination doesn't pay, kids.

Ireland's emigrant gays might as well be in exile. Irish men and women are reluctant to return home because their partners can't get work, says the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network. Via Ireland's Independent:

A growing number of Irish emigrants are being put off returning to Ireland — because they can't bring their gay partner with them.

The Gay Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) said the issue of foreign partners of Irish nationals not being allowed to live or work here is their biggest problem area.

Spokesman Eoin Collins said the number of calls to the organisation on the issue in the past two years has doubled.

"Irish people who have a partner from outside the EU, such as Canada or the US, are having huge problems," he said.

The European Union rarely offers work permit to non-EU residents, which means that foreigners must either have a hefty savings account or be willing to work the streets.