From www.pridenews.dk, 24 april 2012

Days in ...

By Peter Kyhl Olesen Photo: Allan Vie Hansen

Ireland: On a late weekday night in a wet and windy Dublin, my path by chance happened to cross Parliament Street, in the heart of the Irish capital. Everything was deserted. A couple of pedestrians shuddered, and shuffled quickly past. I recognised the black entrance of The Front Lounge , one of Dublin’s hip LGBT bars, walked over and peeked through the window. There was a small group inside, getting ready to leave. The hour was close to midnight and the bartender had called out ”last orders.”

As I continued down Parliament Street and the skies opened up, I couldn’t help but think of my days here in June 2010, when the entire city was painted the colours of the rainbow.

A Great Time

The disco beats blare from windows of The Front Lounge . A crowd is gathered outside the door, chatting, kissing, hugging. Inside it’s packed. The sun is shining. There is life and laughter all around. A large group of volunteers are getting ready for Pride. Some are busy hanging rainbow flags on every clean space they can find, whilst handing out leaflets with the programme for Pride Week. Jim is one of them, and in the midst of the flurry of activity he talks enthusiastically about the programme for the actual day of the parade, and of the thousands that will be participating. ”You can look forward to Saturday. It’s going to be the best Dublin Pride ever.”

A Progressive Scene

My photographer Allan and I were in Dublin for a week to gather material for tourist articles, but also to cover Dublin Pride for www.pridenews.dk . One sunny evening, tired after a long day in the field, we quenched our thirst (with white wine, not Guinness!) in the gay-friendly Stage Door Café , situated just a stone’s throw from The Front Lounge . We got chatting to the fair-haired waiter, 24- year-old Ryan, who had previously worked as a dancer at Dublin’s oldest , The George . As Ryan served more wine, he happily told us about how much is going on in Dublin’s gay scene.

”It’s really progressive and there are lots of people going out, especially since there’s a lot more places to go. It’s also because, luckily, there’s been a positive change in people’s views and attitudes towards LGBT-people here in Dublin and just during these six years I’ve been out. It’s made life a lot easier for us, compared to what it used to be.” Ryan looked out the window and pointed at a teenage boy with a handbag. ”There’s also more and more among the really young of 15 and 16 that are now daring to come out a lot earlier than they would have done 10 years ago. That’s cool.” As we get our bill, I ask Ryan if he has an Irish gay role model. ”Senator Norris,” he says without blinking.

Role Model There is neither sun nor summer in Dublin when I, one and a half years after our meeting with Ryan, wander home as the clock ticks closer to midnight. Back then I didn’t know who Senator Norris was. I do, however, remember thinking that he must be special, if a young guy such as Ryan saw him as his role model.

And with good reason, I would later find out. As I’ve described earlier in an article here at www.pride-news.dk , Norris ran for President in the Irish Presidential Elections in the autumn of 2011 and placed well far into the race. He ended fifth after the votes had been counted.

John, an elderly gentleman from Waterford, whom we met in Dublin’s Outhouse on the day of the , summed it up:

”Oscar Wilde left his hometown because he, among other things, despised the Catholic Church’s moral concepts. But if he’d still been alive, he would have returned without second thought. In the past decades, everything really has taken a turn for the better.”