Gay History - Febary 9: Irish Poet Brendan Behan, Archie Bunker's Gay Buddy, and Jerry Falwell Outs A Teletubby

Contents:

• “GAY GAELS” WHO HAVE ENRICHED IRELAND’S HISTORY AND CULTURE FOR THE WORLD
• GAY HISTORY – FEBARY 9: IRISH POET BRENDAN BEHAN, ARCHIE BUNKER’S GAY BUDDY, AND JERRY FALWELL OUTS A TELETUBBY
• TRACKG A HISTORY OF IMAGARY QUEER OR GAY MEN MORN IRISH LERATURE
• THE GAELIC FOR “GAY”
• GAY POET HIGHLIGHTS JOY AND STRA OF IRISH
• THE GAELIC FOR “GAY”

“GAY GAELS” WHO HAVE ENRICHED IRELAND’S HISTORY AND CULTURE FOR THE WORLD

Ennis ntued, “This bi-lgual anthology of 25 young LGBTQ+ poets livg Ireland disprov the notn of the stereotypil ‘gay’ still the mds of many people, not least the ‘objectively disorred’ person of relig tholic fundamentalism. In their own motley ways, the poets are ‘proud to be gay’, spe the fight some have to fight daily to fend their right to be gay, as dividuals, human begs and fully mted members of society wh equal rights due all areas of life.

GAY HISTORY – FEBARY 9: IRISH POET BRENDAN BEHAN, ARCHIE BUNKER’S GAY BUDDY, AND JERRY FALWELL OUTS A TELETUBBY

© 2021 GCN (Gay Communy News). In recent years, Irish society has unrgone sweepg transformatns, cludg legalisatn of same-sex marriage and crimalisatn of homosexualy.

It may e as a surprise to learn that late medieval/early morn Ireland a cult of male homosexualy/bisexualy was apparently not only prevalent but wily tolerated among the upper echelons of Gaelic society, particularly the lerati, but cludg also native kgs and chieftas. Of implyg a homosexual relatnship wh his patron... From a psychologil standpot seems unlikely that a heterosexual male, even of poetic ste, would have posssed eher the abily or clatn to adopt the role of homosexual lover, or been pable of stag .

The likelihood is that those givg exprsn to homoerotic sentiment were naturally so cled. At the very least he mt have been plic – a monstratn, perhaps, of the power exercised by poets wh Gaelic Irish seems unlikely a heterosexual male, even of poetic ste, would have posssed eher the abily or clatn to adopt the role of homosexual lover, or been pable of stag Homoerotic sentiment apparently survived among the Gaelic Irish lerati until well to the 17th century.

TRACKG A HISTORY OF IMAGARY QUEER OR GAY MEN MORN IRISH LERATURE

We know, for stance, that the Kerry poet Piaras Feiréar (1600-1653) one of the greatt Irish language poets of his day, posed both homoerotic and heterosexual verse. " While, as already noted, bed-sharg was regard as a privilege enjoyed by distguished followers as well as poets of kgs and chieftas, the nial by mentators that had any homosexual nnotatns is not nvcg. We do know that William Ruf, son of the Norman De William, nqueror of England 1066, was very probably homosexual.

The 17th-century Sttish kg, Jam V1, who beme Jam 1 of England, was also, apparently, predomantly homosexual, though what mark (if any) his proclivi left on English or Sttish rerds is not known to .

THE GAELIC FOR “GAY”

Elements of what may be homoerotic sentiment occurrg an early English translatn of this were apparently tected by the 19th-century English historian, Jam Anthony Frou and later, 1969, by the Oxford don and man of letters, AL Rowse, himself homosexual. The elements qutn rive om the Irish of Ó Conaill's origal Ireland, homoerotic sentiment survived among the Gaelic lerati until well to the 17th centuryIn Ireland, as already monstrated, homoerotic sentiment survived among the Gaelic lerati until well to the 17th century. Thereafter Gaelic Irish reference to homosexualy (where occurs at all) be general pejorative.

GAY POET HIGHLIGHTS JOY AND STRA OF IRISH

It has remaed so until close to the prent day, which has seen not only the troductn of social and legal reforms already referred to, but the electn of a youthful, openly homosexual taoiseach of sterlg urage and enlightened visn. Among others who may be noted the same ntext is Jerry Buttimer, the first openly homosexual Fe Gael TD; the Cork hurler, Donal Óg Cack; and particular David Norrris – dntls battler for "gay" rights at a time when prejudice, often vic, still reigned supreme.

Here's a brief look at some of the gay Irish who forever changed the urse of history.

Should gays be banned om the St. ) The Church—which has had more than their share of their own gay problems—the Ancient Orr of Hibernians and other like-md anizatns band together, thought back fondly on their 19th-century prejudic, and shouted an thorarian “NYET! ” There were all kds of exc (“Gays n march, but they n’t do so unr a banner”), but everyone knew the real reason.

THE GAELIC FOR “GAY”

It’s ironic that this bigotry towards gays should have remaed so prevalent current tim, sce Ireland’s history has been enriched, yterday and today, by s gay members. And you don’t have to look too hard eher for great exampl—two of the sixteen men executed by the Brish 1916 were most likely gay—Sir Roger Casement (fely) and Padraig Pearse (probably).

Dpe havg a voted wife and fatherg a child, Behan’s homosexualy, which first blossomed when he was servg time a Brish borstal for young boys, ightened and disturbed him until his premature ath 1964. ) He was known for his openly gay and flamboyant liftyle.