Irish MEP warns of dangers to LGBT community across Europe

Michael Bolton

Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh has warned of the increasing dangers people of the LGBTQ+ community are facing across Europe.

Ms Walsh was speaking on the 10th anniversary of the Marriage Equality referendum in Ireland, which saw 62 per cent in favour of same-sex marriage, on a high turnout of 61 per cent.

The Fine Gael MEP made headlines in 2014, as she was the first openly gay winner of the Rose of Tralee.

Speaking to Breakingnews, Ms Walsh recalled the celebrations in Australia as Ireland voted for same sex couples to have the right to get married.

"In many ways, it was a bittersweet moment", said Ms Walsh.

"I wasn't in Dublin Castle for the announcement of equality for my peers and my generation, but I was on the dance floor in Perth, having just watched the new Perth Rose get selected, standing alongside a Labour politician, who is Dublin born but Australia raised of the name of Stephen Dawson.

"While he and his husband were married in 2013, he re-proposed right in front of us on the dancefloor. For him, his home country had seen this overwhelming change of welcome and removal of indifference.

"It was such a unique moment to experience, but obviously I would have loved to have been in and around Dublin Castle, but probably more so the West of Ireland, where the perception coming into the election was rural communities would never see the equality that was needed."

Ms Walsh itted the referendum, combined with ing the referendum in 2018 for abortion rights in the country, were big contributing factors to her entering politics.

However, she warned that referendums alone would not be enough to continue social change in the country.

"People were excited about themselves or a family member or a friend or an auntie or uncle who moved away in the 70s because of their orientation, was now being celebrated.

"Repeal the eighth, just the very basic right to women's healthcare, it captured the change that was needed. It was a removal of the shackles in many ways for cultural beliefs.

"That hold that we had of ourselves or of other people had of us as a country, that just lifted, which is incredible.

"I having really deep and meaningful conversations around marriage equality and repeal the eighth, and one of the things that really frustrated me in those conversations was a general election would be coming on and I would ask if they are interested in that, and they would say "not at all, that's not really for me".

"We do know the circle of change happens when we elect people who want positive change and positive change. That disconnect was apparent in those two referendums.

"They are sexy, they are trendy, they mobilised a vote, they got people home to vote. All of that became so relevant, which is fantastic.

"Since then, I wonder how we can connect people to push that progressive change outside of these referendums."

In the last few years, countries across Europe have seen a push from far-right politicians and groups which have targeted the rights of LGBTQ+ people.

Earlier this week, an event by the Labour party had to be postponed “due to the threat of protest from far-right actors at the original venue”.

Ms Walsh highlighted further examples of moments of feeling unsafe for herself and other of the community, both in Ireland and across Europe.

"There is a website dedicated to me from the 2019 election created by a very infamous family from the west of Ireland, that says by going to schools I brainwash children into becoming LGBTI people, which is so far away from the truth it is laughable.

"In June last year, Wicklow Pride was forced to cancel due to threats from protestors. Research from the Midlands LGBTI+ project show 20 per cent of gay people feel unsafe.

"Panti Bliss shared on the radio over the weekend that she has never felt more unsafe in the last 10, 15, or 20 years.

"I feel safe, but I'm not walking around Dublin city all the time. I am not coming out of gay pubs or nightclubs every weekend.

"I absolutely felt unsafe when I was in Belgrade in the Euro Pride parade two years ago. I absolutely felt unsafe attending Budapest pride a couple of years ago, I have no doubt I will feel unsafe when I attend again at the end of June.

"There is points over the campaign where do I feel unsafe, no, but it is certainly unsafe online. It doesn't take a whole lot to shift from online to the physical space.

"Equality is so hard fought, and very quickly lost, and that is the epicentre of the work we still need to do."