Sometimes, when you keep a blogsite like this, it’s hard to think what to comment on. Today, it’s the old waiting-for-the-bus thing: two come along at once.
The first is what’s stage right and centre on the Sindo website this morning. It’s Leo Varadkar, the Health Minister and a man with his eye on the leadership of Fine Gael. But it’s not his political ambitions or actions that get attention. Below a big picture of Leo, the headline declares: “Leo Varadkar: ‘I am a gay man. It’s not a secret’ “. And if you read on you’ll find his mother and father have accepted his gayness, although his father found it harder than his mother, that he realised he was gay only a year or two ago (he’s now 36) and he wanted to be honest with people, which is why he’s come out. In the report there are a series of tweets from people hailing Leo’s courage and what a good day it is that a possible future Taoiseach could be gay.
Personally, I don’t really mind what Leo does sexually with whom, providing all parties are adult and consenting. Apart from that, what bearing does his gayness have on his political skills? I also think that it wasn’t courageous of him to declare his gayness. He declared his gayness because he thought it would be the safest/best thing to do. Given that Ireland still has its share of homophobes, it made sense to get the word out before someone else did it for him. It was a shrewd political decision, made with his own political future in mind. There’s nothing courageous about looking after your own interests: it’s called common sense.
The other blog-bus that came chugging along this morning was one carrying my old university classmate, Ruth Dudley Edwards. Again writing in the Sindo, Ruthie tells us how funny she finds Oliver Callan and particularly his take-off of the Irish president and the English queen over which of them is the taller. She argues that Michael D has been around the political block several times during the past forty years, he knows how to dish it out and of course his height is a fit subject for take-off.
Painful though I find it, I must disagree with Ruthie. I’m all in favour of laughing at politicians about things they do and things they say. But those are matters over which they have control and choice; what height they are is something they have no control over. So to laugh at Michael D because he’s 5’ 4” tall is about as enlightened as tying a tin can to the coat-tails of the village idiot. Totally unjustified, verging on the primitive. There are a number of things about which I am critical of Michael D, but his height isn’t one of them. Just as I wouldn’t criticise Ruthie for the age she is (about my own age, Virginia, since you ask. Is mór an trua sin).
Surprised at you Jude, for expecting some common decency from a Sindo correspondent. Didn’t you know they all have a decency lobotomy as a condition of employment?
I know the President isn’t supposed to be a politician, but, even at 5’4″, Michael D is still the Irish politician with the greatest stature. He is respected for how he behaves.
Could anyone respect Ruthless Doddery Edwards or any of their ‘colleagues’ for who they are never mind what they do?
As for Leo, he was 35 before he realised he was gay – talk about a late developer.
Did someone threaten to do an exposè on him in one of the Sunday papers and he had to get his version in first? After all he did wait for a year before deciding to be honest about his proclivity.
As to whether or not he is gay, ‘Frankly my dear, . . .’
Given her love of Orange ‘Culture’ her bullying of an Irish Nationalist is unsurprising
Hi Jude….I’m with you on all of that ..and Sherdy is really on the ball today…stealing all our thunder right out of the blocks.Yes ..politicians are a special invention ,made especially for our collective pleasure to be laughed at and enjoyed for their buffoonery and their lying tongues…… but I draw the line at insulting their physicality or their halitosis…see i really have standards after all .Even I have limits!! …Imagine? The very thought of it .
The other bit about discovering your sexuality at 36 …Jeeeziz!!!! I’m afraid Raquel Welch, Jane Fonda , Juliet Prowse and an armful of lovelies were stirring my loins since I was a mere fourteen or earlier…..so far back in the darkling mists of time that it’s almost lost to history …. He’s only twigging on in his mid thirties?!!!!! I’d call that a whole lot of catching up going on …I think he might just have missed his “prime” there….
Agreed, PK. But FOURTEEN? Jeez…I was lusting after the Brigitte Bardots and Jane Russells while still in primary school. They must have been putting something in your school milk…
Maybe it was a little earlier but I was a bit shy until then!!
Lusting is not a public act necessarily, pk. Trust me…
The B-word
For Varad the Himpaler they’ve
But one word, of course: brave!
(As if Sir Noel Coward
Didn’t exit a cupboard)
Way to go, Leo: oh, so aftershave.
hahahaaa – very good, Perkie – ‘so aftershave’…love it.
I would be very surprised if you would find a Republican who had a good word to say about the Sindo.
As for height are you must be careful how i say this vertically challenged to make a fuss over pardon the pun just such a small matter? : )
If you’re asking if I’m a tiny height, neill, I’m afraid I’m boringly average…
Going through the motions
At least you were not waiting for an initiative or seeking evidence of critical thinking in relation to current political, social and economic issues. Leopold Bloom’s stream of thought as he read ‘Titbits’, “payment at the rate of one guinea a column,” suggests an overpayment.
If people were to mock the physical appearance of Queen Elizabeth Ruth would be writing articles about how awful such people are – you just know it
iF I had a vote in the Free State ,I would have given Michael D my no 2 vote.He repealed section 31,instigated TG4 and always treated SF tds with respect in the Dail. Ruth Dudley Edwards only makes me laugh.I heard her recently on radio Uladh saying : “English people are incensed at that horrible man with the beard making demands of them”.(I think she was referring to our Gerry !)
I don’t think I’ve ever come across a Journalist quite like Ruth Dudley Edwards, her one sidedness is very impressive…..
As WW once remarked to Dorothy:
“A poet could not but be gay
In such a jocund company.”
Did he mean Enda’s Closet Cabinet?
“providing all parties are adult and consenting” Jude why do you qualify “Personally, I don’t really mind what Leo does sexually with whom” I think that speaks volumes about your attitude to gay people. Then you go on to write about Michael D “what height they are is something they have no control over.”
Do you not see any parallel here?
You baffle me, Angela. I’m agin sex involving children. Apart from that, people can do what they want sexually – frankly I’m not interested. Likewise I don’t care what height Michael D is. Methinks you’re trying to find insult/nastiness where none was intended or exists…
” I’m agin sex involving children” So is every right thinking person on this planet.. so why did you qualify your “not really minding…” ..was it because you were referring to a gay man? I’ve never seen you use that expression when talking about a heterosexual. I’m certainly not looking for an argument (heaven forbid against you I’d lose hands down) but I do think you were being a tad thoughtless and it did seem as if you believed that the majority of paedophiles are from the gay community.
WHAAAAAATTTT? You’re kidding, Angela. When did I say ‘the majority of paedophiles are from the gay community’? If I did, I must have been on drugs or sumpin. And no it wasn’t because I was referring to a gay man that I said I really didn’t mind. He said he was gay, the Sindo headlined it and I said I really didn’t mind. Maybe I should have said ‘I couldn’t give a flying thingumebob either way’. That’s all. I promise you, Angela, I have many sins but I don’t think being homophobic is among them. Sorry if I gave that impression.
Jude
Why the need to highlight the sexlife of the relationship? He didn’t announce he was having sex with a man, did he?. Maybe it’s a non-sexual relationship and he didn’t share this with you when telling you that he was “getting the word out before someone else did it for him.” Gayness is such a great word don’t you think? Defo a much sexier word than straightness. Perhaps when Gerry Adams went public about his father it was a similar case of getting the word out first and a shrewd political decision with his political future in mind. If I remember correctly some people at the time were describing it as a courageous decision. Like Mr Higgins height, Mr Varardkar had no control over of his sexuality is what I think Angela is getting at.
Thanks for thought, pretz. You’re right he didn’t announce he was having sex with a man. He did say that he was gay, and since he didn’t add that he was a celibate gay I kind of assumed he was having sex with a man/men. But as I said, I don’t really care who he has or has not sex with. I think you may well be right about GA getting the word about his father – politicians generally speak/act with part of their thoughts at least on how it will play politically. I don’t know if I thought GA’s going pubic was courageous – I can see how it mightn’t be but I can also see how it might. He’s the only one knows really. And if Angela is saying Mr V had no control over his gayness, just like Michael D has none over his height, I’m with her completely. As I say, neither should be subjects of compliment or insult.
Ruth Dudley Edwards was furious about the movie ” The Wind that shakes the Barley ” – even before she had even seen it, she admitted herself.
A journalist not to be taken seriously – ever.
he was a sad excuse for M inister of Health disappearing at key times. His sexuality has nothning to do with his poor performance as a govt minister. Judge him on that , not who he sleeps with, and for RDE, what could one expect? She still yearns for the “Trimble days”