EARLIER this week the newly-crowned Rose of Tralee, Philadelphia’s Maria Walsh, revealed that she is gay.
The story made headlines in all the national media, with the festival chairman commenting that the news would no doubt “create some interest, hopefully all positive”.
Granted, this was overwhelmingly the case, with Maria later commenting that she was “heartened” by the public reaction to her announcement.
Social media outlets were also awash with comments in praise of Maria, which of course says great things about the majority of Irish people’s attitudes to homosexuality.
But, the fact that the coming out of any high profile figures still makes headlines is also telling.
No heterosexual person ever feels compelled to publicly proclaim their sexuality, so why should a gay person?
Why should Maria have to tell a national newspaper: “Being gay is normal to me?”
Because, the sad fact is that some people still face prejudices in relation to their sexuality, and the LGBT community – particularly its younger members – still need positive role models to help them celebrate and feel comfortable with their identity and sexuality.
With any luck, future generations will look back on newspaper archives from today and laugh at the backwardness of their ancestors.
In a future era where gay couples enjoy the same rights as heterosexual couples, our children and grandchildren might read about the current gay marriage debate with bemusement.
Maybe one day, hopefully not too far away, people will able to mention that they are gay in the same manner that one might tell someone where they live, or what they do for a living – as merely a detail about their life that isn’t in any way remarkable or out of the ordinary.
But until then, thankfully there are individuals like Maria Walsh, and organisations and celebrations such as this week’s Limerick Pride festival working to spread a message of equality, love and diversity.
