Top: Staff at Henry Street Garda station, Limerick will fly the rainbow flag during Limerick Pride.
Thanks dogperson
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Top: Staff at Henry Street Garda station, Limerick will fly the rainbow flag during Limerick Pride.
Thanks dogperson
Totally agree. It’s ridiculous.
Remember Pavee point wanted a flag for traveller rights last year.
Go make yourself a flag but don’t expect a pole to be erected for it.
He’s right.
No he isn’t.
Poor Patrick.
Must be terrifying for him.
he’d go down well up north with the fleg marches
A reasoned argument, well made, without the usual foaming-at-the-mouth vitriol associated with both sides.
Well done, that man
A reasoned argument?
“Granting special status to any one group because of its sexuality is entirely discriminatory and anti-democratic”.
Maybe you should think about that statement for a minute, before you sign off on your critique.
“Granting special status to any one group because of its sexuality is entirely discriminatory”
That’s actually true.
Should I head on down to the Garda station and demand that they fly my flag of heterosexuality? And if so, should they fly it?
If you don’t believe heterosexuality has special status in this country, then beginning a conversation with you now on the matter would be futile.
As you are old enough to type, the time has come and past for education of this sort.
I will therefore abandon you to the sh1t-heap!!!
It’s nothing of the sort.
Gay people are not a cult, a group or an association – they’re citizens and a minority who for decades could not rely on any arm of the state’s justice system for protection.
You could literally murder a gay man and get away with it.
As a gay man I think this is brilliant, another sign that things have changed and I’m desperately sorry Patrick feels he’s in the invidious position of being part of this new underclass – straight white men.
Straight white men are terrified by everything – gay cults, feminazis, asylum seekers. All terrifying to them.
I’m a straight white man.
I’m afraid of nothing.
Except dentists maybe
dentistist.
Anti-dentite.
All they care about is straight white teeth.
John E Bravo…. take a bow :)
And Ghosts
I’m also not afraid of those things.
As a straight white, I’m mostly afraid of other straight white men. We’re dicks.
+100
lol i’m afraid of americans
Similarly flag poles on garda stations are of no democratic significance.
And there is no recognised right to fly flags on Garda stations.
And its a flag for a feckin festival not an attack on Irish Nationalism.
It makes me very sad to think that anyone could read this and think its even remotely reasoned.
Awe… it makes me sad that you’re sad.
+1 Ahjayzis.
& +1 to the Limerick Gardaí.
Everything Patrick said is spot on.
How?
Also agree – but wish he hadn’t used the word ‘cult’ at the beginning of the letter. That is not a word that should be used in the context of people supporting equality.
Could it be -*gasp*- that maybe he doesn’t actually support equality, and that his poor choice of words reflects what he actually thinks about people who think/feel differently to him?
yeah – maybe – I don’t know. I think it was just a poor choice of words.
or correct if that’s how he really feels about “teh gays”
Bravo!!!! Liberty for all!
did this actually happen? which garda station? or are we agreeing with mr cooney in principle?
From the bottom of the page: Staff at Henry Street Garda station, Limerick will fly the rainbow flag during Limerick Pride.
thank lorcan
Can we not just use common sense and get upset about everything? It’s not like it was a swastika.
Ah no. Common sense is fine for some people, but I love a good slippery slope myself. Wheeeeeeeeee!!
beautiful. i will be quoting you (and pretending i thought up this myself, sorry)
And as we all know, the Gardai will be unable to evaluate these crackpot flag requests on the basis of whether they advance equality or not. Unfortunately under current rules of An nGhovernmáint na hÉireann they will just have to line up and give the nutjobs a boost up the flagpole and then stand under the flag of the BabyEaters Association and salute it and then say “Gooba Gabba” a few times and offer them all a cup of tea.
Ah, the babyeaters, that obscure Bon Secours spin off, I thought they’d all retired.
…the baby-killers flag is still flying on Pembroke Road.
No, argument failed. The rainbow flag is for EVERYONE. The Gooba Gabba Baby Eaters flag is just for Gooba Gabba Baby Eaters.
What a tool Patrick is
Patrick is a power tool
haha badoom tish Bosch!
What a silly thing to get the Mont Blanc out for… “A nightmare precedent” – get a grip man.
Patrick’s nightmare scenario is a man getting a grip.
Now that’s funny.
This was on the sidebar today. Pretty apt for this kind of carry on
http://www.her.ie/life/mothers-shameful-reaction-to-sons-coming-out-goes-viral/
This is the kind of crap guy people still have to put up with. Is a flag supporting members of your community, who the police are supposed to represent and protect btw, really such a big deal?
I am in tears after listening to that.
I had to stop after about a minute. Those parents are bulls**t.
They are red-necked neanderthals. Is the human race regressing?
In some parts of the world, yes
am not even going to look at it. url was bad enough. switch that shit off
Jesus, that’s stomach churning!
Imagine your family spouting that kind of bile at you!
You see internet kids, there were trolls back in print media days too.
*cough cough* Kevin Myers *cough cough*
See this is a perfect example of why i said before that there shouldn’t be a letters section in the newspapers for moronic loons to spread their grievances. Seriously how does showing some support for the gay community challenge hetrosexuality and by proxy attack equality? this is nonsense.
Yeah.
What ever happened to comments sections anyway.
Comments section is different, having a letter printed in a national newspaper especially the one that is considered the paper of record gives the lunatic fringe justification to their argument and puts a weight behind it.
I think we have been here before, and I don’t agree that airing opinions give justification to them.
And the IT (O’Sullivan) is on record saying it’s not the paper of record.
So you don’t have a problem with letters sections, you just have a problem letters that you dont like being printed?
I find it very very very very very heartening that these gardaí stand for equality of citizens.
Wow, the point is they are doing the exact opposite.
Seriously read the piece before making a comment
That’s his point, but he’s incorrect.
speaking as a member of the Church of Satan I’m delighted to see the Gardai reach out to us, where should I send our flag?
Are you a LeVayan Satanist? That means you cherish pride, liberty and individualism so don’t worry the rainbow flags got you covered.
I mean, he’s right in one sense, in that the Gardai do have a duty to serve every citizen regardless of sexual orientation.
Of course, there are a number of things that prevent the Gardai from serving LGBT people equally. One of these is that LGBT people are often more reluctant to approach Gardai, particularly when they’re the victims of hate crimes, due to a mix of (a) the general societal hostility that LGBT people have traditionally faced, (b) the often inadequate responses by Gardai in years gone by and (c) the fear of being outed, which even in these post-gay-Rose-of-Tralee times, is still actually kind of a Big Deal for a lot of people.
One might posit that, given these background factors, the best way to ensure that LGBT people are served equally is to take active steps to ensure that the Gardai are seen as supportive of the LGBT community. In fact, you’d almost think that the Gardai were aware of and trying to take action around these concerns, given that they’ve commissioned multiple internal reports on how they can better serve the LGBT community, and taken actions like appointing LGBT liaison officers around the country. You could even take Cooney’s point about other “cults” looking for similar treatment and point to the ethnic liaison officers that have been appointed for similar reasons, and infer that other “cults” will be accommodated, assuming that they too have a similar history of alienation from the state and not engaging with the Gardai.
Or you could shove you head in the ground, decide that the only type of “equality” that matters is the type that doesn’t in any way discommode you as a straight white male, and that any active positive outreach to minorities (as distinct from the more passive positive relationship that you and others like you have enjoyed for many years) is inherently anti-equality. But to do that you’d really have to be an ignorant spanner.
There you go – end of argument. Well said.
agree. superb analysis nially
Bravo, sir. Very eloquently put… which is more than I can say for Mr Nightmare Precedent and his fear of de quares.
Agree. Well explained.
Another reason for the active display of the flag would be to show the Gardaí as equal employers regardless of race, age, gender, sexual orientation etc. Especially in light of the hassle that gay teachers have been getting in RC schools.
Could you send this in as a letter to the Times please?
Yes, please do!
You win! Very well put…
I agreed with the IT article, but I agree with you too Niall. Dammit.
If the guy’s “nightmare” scenario consists of non-tricolour flags flying over garda stations, then I would posit he leads a very sheltered life.
He can just pretend it’s two tricolours flying very closely together.
Is mise,
etc
He would probably consider them to be flying a little TOO close together.
Very sheltered, almost closeted you might say.
All the fools critiquing this. Do any of you actually know what the rainbow flag means, it’s not a gay call to arms, hoisted by the gay legions as they march on us. It’s a freakin flag for EVERYONE that’s the whole freakin point…
“The use of rainbow flags has a long tradition; they are displayed in many cultures around the world as a sign of diversity and inclusiveness, of hope and of yearning.”
Cool , did not know that.
aw nuts. it was way better in my head.
Dear Patrick,
Why the quotation marks for “gay flag”? Why the capital T for tricolour. Why the ignorance?
My kids go to state schools in state buildings. They fly green flags to show that they care about the environment.
Should that be made a thing of? Should I write to the Irish Times about it?
Is mise,
My A*se
Gadaffi-era Libyan flags flying over Irish schools?!
PATRICK WAS RIGHT! REPENT! THE NIGHT IS UPON US!
He’s absolutely correct but the more self righteous aggressive LGBT elements will ignore his core point and accuse him of being anti-gay which I don’t believe he is. Some gay friends of mine don’t buy into the louder side gay rights campaigns and don’t participate in Pride because they think it actually undermines progress in gay rights. And anyway, what ARE gay rights?
Equality means that. No special treatment.
Stay Gay and Carry On.
Those gay friends of yours sound really well adjusted.
Without the ‘louder’ side of the gay rights campaign they’d still be criminals. It’s a testament to it’s success that your friends are in such a good position that they can deride the people who gave them that freedom.
There’ll always be a cohort of gays who think we would have achieved equality faster had we just toned down a little and hid the drag queens in the keg room. Bullshit – Log Cabin Republican style bullshit.
“Those gay friends of yours sound really well adjusted.”
They are! And they’re totally non-fictional too! Definitely not made up to bolster an internet argument, nosirree.
*cough*
“Those gay friends of yours sound really well adjusted.
Without the ‘louder’ side of the gay rights campaign they’d still be criminals. ”
You knocked that one out of the park.
kind of – tangentially – like those ‘I don’t need feminism because…’ girls. You feel you don’t need feminism because of the feminists who fought over the 100 years or so as to get you to your place of relative equality and privilege (as young Western women)
Equality also demands amends be made for the injustices of the past. Also as someone said above, outreach to minorities doesn’t undermine the majority.
I’m a member of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster can we have our flag flown over a garda station?
“Granting special status to any one group because of its sexuality is entirely discriminatory and anti-democratic”.
I couldn’t agree more. I take it that Mr Cooney agrees that denial of marriage or adoption rights to gay couples is utterly indefensible in light of this statement also.
Oh wouldn’t I love to see that question put to him in person?
The argument implies there is a choice in being gay, as there is with joining a cult. Is there such thing as a gay cult or sect?
Yes. Read any of the conservative commenters in the Irish Times, they’re always banging on about the gay sects.
Ha!
Kudos to you buddy. Kudos.
There’s a obnoxious fella that lives down the road from me who thinks everyone is homophobic just cause he thinks being gay allows him the freedom to do what he wants when he wants and the neighbourhood be damned. Now he’s a prime example of a gay cult.
There’s a obnoxious fella that lives down the road from me who thinks everyone else is a boring old fart just cause he thinks being a straight Irish male 18-30 years old allows him the freedom to do what he wants when he wants and the neighbourhood be damned. Now he’s a prime example of a stupid c**t.
The Jesuits?
No you can’t The Church of The Flying Spaghetti Monster flag only represents it’s members. The rainbow flag is a symbol of hope and inclusivity, that includes everyone, ironically that even includes Patrick the scared angry man who wrote the letter.
I don’t have anything to add to this discussion, I just wanted to say that I had a lovely meal the other night but it was overshadowed by the relentless bouts of flatulence which followed a few hours later. I’m not sure whether it was the onions or the chorizo, but could any of your readers offer any tips for airing out a room?
I don’t think you need a WikiHow to air a room, just open all orifices, except your anus, you’ve opened that already enough it seems!
I can’t leave the windows open long enough because the weather is fierce stormy.
Go out into the garden and read a John Moynes limerick. Then go back in. The smell will still be there, but sitting in a cauldron of warm guff will seem like paradise compared to Moynes’ scansion.
A Chara, Is mise le gobshite, with too much time on his hands and not enough reasoned thinking, le meas
The Gardaí seem to be making huge strides and I commend them for it. A number of years ago, I was involved in a disgusting gaybashing incident and the Gardaí I spoke to were patient and understanding, they even held the guy down so as I could wallop him again and dropped me home afterwards!
But really, I know a gay person who was targeted and assaulted on the way home from a gig in Dublin but was wary of receiving help from Gardaí as he was not out yet and didn’t want any attention brought on himself. The Gardaí seemed to be sensitive to his fears and promised him that all details would remain confidential. However, they didn’t keep their word as some of the details came out afterwards and as a result his whole family found out that he liked Mumford and Sons. They disowned him.
This will be even more tragic of it turns out he is one of Mumford’s sons.
As long as they fly a nazi flag beside it …. for balance you know!!!
for a less catchy reply:
Crimes in Ireland against persons linked to their sexuality – not considered a hate crime. The fact that the Gardai are placing a gay flag (for the week of pride) is not a crumbling of morals of the country nor an attack on equality in some ironic twist (or borne of some smug shite’s letter to a paper) is but an indication of the Gardai trying to build trust. If you are attacked, even though our law is shite, we understand (or claim to) and we can try to help!
All that being said ….. F**k right off, get a life, stop being such a moany shite!!
Just want to point out that the point of the rainbow flag is to show the diverse nature of sexuality. It is inclusive, not exclusive.
if you ask all the crazy fundies about it they flip out and say its about gods covenant with man.
Yeah, I saw that video of the parents abusing their child.
“Word of god!” *froths at mouth* “Child abuse is justified in the name of the lord our god!: *froths a little more from holy spirit overdose*
Can’t the Gardai just say it’s in their Ethos to not hate gay people like this bigotted letter writer does?
Why cant the schools also be forced then to also be apolitical so that we can stop them sacking gay teachers?
surely all garda stations should fly the gardai’s own colours of light and navy blue halves. for the weekend that’s in it, like.
I wonder why he uses inverted commas around “gay flag”? It’s one Garda station for one day of the year! Get a grip Patrick!
The Garda on the extreme left is a bleedin roide
the dude in the black t shirt has bigger jugs than my missis.