Water Cooler Chatter
On March 17 we were all agog as pictures of An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar marching in the New York City St Patrick’s Day Parade were broadcast across the world. Of course, that’s nothing new, many Irish leaders have strutted their stuff down Fifth Avenue in that über celebration of all things Oirish. However, Leo made history by marching alongside his boyfriend, Matt Barrett, thereby marking America’s cards in more ways than one, and sending a message about Ireland to the world, which at this particular time in history can’t be underestimated.
Before he went to the Whitehouse for the annual Taoiseach’s visit, Leo said he’d be bringing up LGBT+ issues with vice-president Mike Pence, who believes in reparative therapy for homosexuality. And while he was in NYC he elected to visit the Stonewall monument to the 1969 riots that sparked the modern gay rights movement.
As America and parts of Europe edge ever further to the right, and Donald Trump’s regime seeks to roll back on legislation designed to protect LGBTs, and introduce laws that would further marginalise transgender people, our gay Taoiseach’s decision to march in the Paddy’s Day Parade with his partner was a way of sending out the most diplomatic message possible to Trump and other populist right-wing leaders that Ireland, along with many other countries, do not swing their way.