Pride in the name of love for Ballinrobe’s Rory

Pride in the name of love for Ballinrobe’s Rory


Ciara Galvin

BALLINROBE native and accidental gay rights activist Rory O’Neill aka Panti has urged the gay community to make their voices heard ahead of next year’s referendum on marriage equality.
Speaking on stage at Saturday’s Pride parade in Dublin, Panti urged people to ‘pick up the phone and complain’, ahead of next year’s referendum.
“We’re having a referendum next year and there are some people who will be spending the next year turning up on the TV and radio trying to deny us the ability to live our own true lives,” Panti said.
“Pick up the phone and complain. Sit down and write an email, complain that these people are being represented as if they are a normal regular viewpoint when they are a fringe viewpoint.”
O’Neill came to worldwide prominence after his ‘Noble Call’ speech about homophobia at the Abbey Theatre went viral in February.
Last Friday, Rory, the owner of Pantibar on Dublin’s Capel Street held the first ever officially sanctioned Pride street party in the capital.
An estimated 40,000 people took part in the Gay Pride parade on Saturday.