Panti Bliss and the Homophobia debate

The speech given by drag performer Rory O’Neil, better known as Panti Bliss after a play at
the Abbey Theatre proved to be a moving and powerful one. Comparing her own oppression
as queer to the oppression faced by the Dublin workers of 1913 proves that although they
are different situations they are in fact similar. They are still oppressed. I have decided to
look at other videos of Panti Bliss to gain further knowledge of the subjects close to her
heart as a self-proclaimed ‘Gender discombobulist’ - Which I would describe as someone
who disturbs or alters the norms given to each gender given by the heteronormative society
in which we live in.

One of the clips I came across was a video by BBC World news, which included a debate on
whether it is homophobic to be against gay marriage. Debating for gay marriage was Rory
O’Neil (Panti Bliss) and debating against was Brendon Ambrosino, a gay writer from
Baltimore and Caroline Farrow a member of Catholic voices.

Brandon Ambrosino believes that it is not homophobic to disagree with same sex marriage
and thinking that the term homophobia is used too broadly, he goes on to say “It demonises
or vilifies everybody who has any sort of reservation about gay marriage”(Youtube 2014).
Rory responded with the fact that all words have different degrees and gave a good
example that someone who lynches a black person is racist and someone who serves a
white woman at a deli counter before a black person is also racist, just to different degrees.
By Rory bringing up the subject of racism it also reminds us that all oppression is linked
together and we should fight the same battle, together.

Farrow also disagrees with gay marriage on the fact that she believes it is a ‘child centric
institution’. She also questions why homosexual couples need the government to mandate
their relationships. Rory came back fighting and argued that marriage is a much ‘broader
institution’ and not just about children. Instead he believes it is more about love and the
thought of children comes normally comes later.

Caroline reminded the viewers that even though she is against gay marriage she insisted
that she is not homophobic because she has gay friends and even let them go to her
wedding. This sentence struck me, as it is always an excuse people use after saying
something homophobic. It seemed to me that she was almost looking for a round of
applause or a thank you that she let homosexuals go to her wedding. Either that or she is
attempting to justify her own homophobic thoughts.

Anne Ferguson in her article Gay Marriage: An American And Feminist Dilemma, wrote
about the gay marriage debate from a feminist perspective. In her writing she looked at
different feminist perspectives and their views on marriage and whether it should be
reformed. She comes to the conclusion that we all have “the right to represent our sexuate
beings in ways that we individually choose.(…) If marriage continues as an institute in of self-
representation, lesbians and gays ought to have the right to participate in it”(Ferguson
14:2007). Ferguson goes on to say that if legally possible, homosexual couples that marry
can consider themselves making a political statement to cast the ‘deviant’ label pinned on
to them and show that it is in fact homophobic(Ferguson 15:2007).
I believe Rory O’Neil came out on top in the debate by bringing down all points given the
other two and proving that they were indeed being homophobic and heteronormative. It
has since shown why gay marriage has since became legal in Ireland and in the US.

Bibliography

BBC World Have Your Say. (2014). BBC World Have Your Say: Syria / Homophobia.
[Youtube]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRCnEiYDyM8 (Accessed
16/10/15)

Ferguson, A. (2007). 'Gay Marriage: An American And Feminist Dilemma'. Hypatia 22.1
(2007): 39-57. Web. (Accessed 17/10/2015)