Watch Irish drag queen’s powerful speech on homophobia
By Ben Kelly
Popular Irish drag queen Panti Bliss delivered a powerful speech on homophobia at The Abbey Theatre in Dublin this weekend.
Panti is performed by Rory O’Neill, who appeared on RTE’s The Saturday Night Show on January 11, and singled out a number of Irish journalists and institutions for being homophobic.
Complaints from those named led to RTE, Ireland’s state broadcaster, offering an official apology and paying out 80,000 Euro (£66,000) to the Iona Institute Catholic Group and journalists including John Waters.
RTE has since received over 800 complaints not just because it apologised and paid out compensation – but because it has censored O’Neill’s comments from its online archive. The issue was even raised by an Irish MEP at the European Parliament, and has contributed positively towards the growing debate on attitudes towards LGBT people in Ireland.
On Saturday night (February 1), Panti appeared on stage at The Abbey Theatre and delivered a speech outlining her thoughts on the controversy and what constitutes homophobia.
It has since gone viral, with support flooding in from well-known figures including Graham Norton and various LGBT rights groups.
Watch the speech below:
[youtube height=”315″ width=”560″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXayhUzWnl0[/youtube]