Restriction on free speech
As a gay man residing here, with my Irish partner, my attention has been focused on the events surrounding Panti’s (Rory O’Neill’s) statements on the Saturday Night Show and the subsequent monetary payout to affected parties by RTÉ. My concern has less to do with homosexuality, and the word homophobia, as much as it does with the wider implication of constricting free speech.
Defamation laws have created a dangerous environment for freedom of speech in Ireland. The rich and well-connected members of society are the ones that will be capable of exploiting these laws. Not just homosexuals, but all democracy-loving people in Ireland, should be troubled by the fact that RTÉ was coerced into censoring Panti’s comments and then paid a huge sum to those instigating the censorship. This is not a road Ireland wants to go down. There are so many places in the world where people do not enjoy freedom of speech; people who cannot express themselves for fear of government retaliation. Thankfully Ireland is not one of those places, but censoring Panti, is a move in the direction towards oppression. Rory O’Neill had every right to name individuals on the national broadcaster, who in his opinion exhibit homophobic behaviour. More importantly every person living in Ireland, deserves the right to speak their mind, on any topic, without fear of retaliation. That is the dressing of a fair and free society.
As a homosexual living in Dublin, I have found Ireland to be nothing but completely accepting of me. The lads at work know I am gay and they do not treat me any differently. I have never received glares on the street when I hold my partner’s hand. Where he is from, in Kildare, people do not seem bothered if I am a man, a woman, an alien, or a robot, they accept that we are a couple, and then get on with things. So the issue is not simply about homophobia, in my opinion, because Ireland has never been directly homophobic to me. The real issue is that members of the public, in this case Panti, are being dictated to by others what ideas they are and are not allowed to express, and the fact that the public-funded State broadcaster facilitated this discrimination.
On February 1 Panti gave a rousing speech at The Abbey Theatre, expressing what it feels like to experience anti-gay oppression. It is not just homosexuals who should be evaluating the concept of oppression. At the present moment, it is a homosexual being silenced, but who will be next?
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