DRAG artist Panti Bliss’s speech on homophobia, in the Abbey Theatre on February 2, is one of the greats of Irish politics, up there with Robert Emmet’s parting words. For anyone who has followed Bliss’s (real name Rory O’Neill) career, this is not surprising.

Gay rights activist Rory O’Neill, whose comments on homophobia resulted in RTÉ paying an €85,000 legal settlement, said that he hopes the episode has opened a proper debate about equality.

The debate about homophobia in Ireland took centre stage in the Dáil with Fine Gael TD Jerry Buttimer describing how he was “beaten, spat at, chased, harassed and mocked because of who I am”.

From Russia to Ireland, gay rights activists are asserting themselves as never before, writes Dan Buckley