Ireland's Dáil Now Has Two Openly Gay Members

In yet another sign that Irish society is advancing and modernizing rapidly - and leaving the bigotry and reactionary influence of the Roman Catholic Church further and further behind -Ireland's parliament, the Dáil, now has two openly gay members. This is something that would have been unthinkable not so very long ago - in fact, being gay was not decriminalized until 1993. I congratulate these political pioneers, Dominic Hannigan (pictured above) and John Lyons for making history and hopefully opening minds as they perform their parliamentary duties. As Lyons notes, he wants to be viewed based on his abilities and the power of his ideas rather than being defined by who he loves. Here are highlights from the Irish Times:
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“The last thing in the world that I want is to be stereotyped as a gay TD,” says Lyons, who stood in Dublin North West. “I hope people see me as a competent young person, with new ideas, who is energetic and capable. But the fact that homosexuality was still against the law in the early 1990s says a lot about things back then, and how Ireland has changed.
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The 33-year-old says he has received many congratulatory texts and e-mails “of encouragement and positivity” since being elected, specifically referring to the fact that he was open about his sexuality. “It’s great it can be said in public. The feedback I’ve been getting since being elected says it all.”
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Could he imagine an openly gay candidate canvassing at his door in Ballymun when he was a teenager? “No, I couldn’t. So it’s great that it can be said in public now. Growing up, I didn’t have a role model of someone who was gay and also in the public eye. But I hope the fact myself and Dominic have been elected will show people that you are more than your sexuality. We’re in the public eye in a positive way.”
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DOMINIC HANNIGAN , who also won a Dáil seat for the first time in this election, represents Meath East. A civil engineer by training, he first became involved in politics in 2004 when he was elected a councillor; in 2007 he was made a senator.
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“The fact I was gay would have been known for many years in my circle,” he says. “Then in 2005, when I stood in the Meath byelection, I decided that I’d be upfront about it. It was a worry that people might say I had something to hide if I didn’t, and use it against me.”
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Like Lyons, Hannigan says he could not imagine an openly gay candidate canvassing in his area when he was a teenager. “Some people have said to me that they admire my honesty. The biggest surprise is how understanding people have been.” When he was a teenager he had no gay role model who held the kind of position he now has, he says. “Maybe me being open about it will help other young gay people to know they can also succeed.”