June is the month of Pride for the LGBTQIA+ community. There has been a lot of change in the last few decades concerning LGBTQIA+ rights. We, from the D&I committee in FOD, thought it would be a good idea to take a trip back through those changes as we begin our celebrations this month. The positive changes in societal norms, treatment and especially laws have been transformed because of some of the events covered below.
In the 1800s the law referred to any sexual activity between men as “buggery” and was punishable by death. Then in 1861 the Offences against the Person Act and the 1885 Criminal Law Amendment Act changed the punishment to life imprisonment or a minimum 10-year sentence. No act has ever criminalised female same-sex activity. There have been many different reasons given over the years and different myths popularised but one reason has been consistent. Men simply didn’t want to give women ideas. The British parliament believed that women lacked the knowledge of such endeavours. Despite the lack of legislation against same sex relations for women, those activities were equally unwelcome in society.
In 1969 Neil Armstrong walked on the moon “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. That same year an event happened that would be regarded as the first step in the homosexual rights movement. On June 28th,1969 the Stonewall Inn riots in New York started, back then there were “cross-dressing” laws in the US. This law led to the police frequently raiding LGBT+ bars and arresting anyone who was not dressed as the gender on their state ID. This raid was different however because the patrons of the Stonewall Inn began revolting. This can largely be contributed to the police arresting stonewall employees, confiscating alcohol and roughing up patrons in the days prior. During the raid, the police attempted to arrest 2 transgender women of colour Marsha P. Johnson and Slyvia Rivera. As the police continued to arrest more patrons, the growing mob forced them to barricade themselves inside the Stonewall Inn that they had just raided. The next day when Stonewall opened, supporters showed up in support of LGBT+ rights, and the police battered and tear-gassed the crowd. Supporters continued to gather for the rest of the week, however, the violence had died down.
An annual picnic has been held in Dublin’s Merrion Square every year since 1970 to honour the Stonewall rioters, this picnic gave LGBT+ activists a safe place to talk about LGBT+ rights, engaged members of the community that couldn’t go to LGBT+ bars and fostered a deep sense of community that would be instrumental in the coming years. Stonewall kicked off the fight for LGBT+ rights but it would be a few years until Ireland began to be actively defiant. On the 27th of June 1974, the Trinity founded organisation, “Sexual Liberation Movement”, picketed outside the British Embassy and the Department of Justice. Although this picket had no direct ramifications on home soil, it did have an international impact. In Norway, LGBT+ activists picketed outside their British Embassy in protest of the treatment of LGBT+ individuals in Ireland.
In 1982 tragedy stuck when Declan Flynn was brutally murdered in Fairview Park by a gang that was by their own admission “clearing the park of queers”. Justice Sean Gannon presided over the case and the jury found the defendants guilty of manslaughter with a sentencing of 1-5 years. Gannon believed that “no element of correction was required” due to all five individuals being “from good homes and have experienced care and affection”. Gannon released all five individuals with no sentencing. The gang stole Declan Flynn’s money and watch, then they brutally bashed him with sticks leading him to die of asphyxiation due to him choking on his own blood.
In March 1983 after the release of Declan’s murderers, the first Irish LGBT+ protest march from Liberty Hall to Fairview Park took place. Given the anonymity afforded by the annual picnics’ generic location where the goers could just say they wanted a day in the park and the small number at the picket. This was the first time that the size of the LGBT+ community could truly be quantified by the public.
Later that same year on June 25th the first pride parade was held, less than 200 people marched with a budget of about £300 for the whole pride week. Pride marches were held in 1984 and 1985 but then the AIDS crisis hit, and activists were naturally too preoccupied until the Pride march of 1992.
In 1988 a kiss-in was hosted outside Leinster House, despite the laws criminalising such an activity, activists picketed outside the Vatican Embassy whilst putting condoms on the railing outside and David Norris, the first openly gay Seanad Eireann Senator, took a case before the ECHR. Senator Norris argued that the 1861 and 1855 acts contravened the European Convention on Human Rights Article 8, the right to privacy and family life. The court found that sections 61 and 62 of the 1861 Offences against the person act and section 11 of the 1885 Criminal Law amendment act to be in breach of Article 8.
Norris v Ireland caused the Dail to pass a series of legislation that changed everything for the LGBT+ Community in Ireland. In 1993 the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act decriminalised sexual activity between men. In 1998 the Employment Equality Act was passed, and it prohibited discrimination in employment including sexual orientation. In 2010 the civil partnership act was passed, giving same sex couples similar rights to married couples. However, it did not amend the laws of guardianship or adoption of children.
Then finally on the 22nd of May 2015 same sex marriage was legalised. Ireland was the first country to legalise same sex marriage through the popular vote.
Ireland has a rich and evolving LGBTQIA+ history that has seen significant progress over the years. From the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1993 to the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015, the country has made remarkable strides towards equality and acceptance. LGBTQIA+ activists and community organizations have played a crucial role in raising awareness, challenging discriminatory laws, and fostering a more inclusive society. While there are still challenges to overcome, Ireland’s LGBTQIA+ history serves as a testament to the power of resilience, solidarity, and the pursuit of equality for all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
D&I Committee at FOD
