Category: LGBTQ rights

TROLLWATCH : All Aboard The Mysogyny Express!!! 🙄

~ jlpagano

It’s trolls, WUMs and bots that give social media a bad name, so here at FPP we occasionally have a TROLLWATCH post to call them out.

If anything RTÉ did too much work in producing this particular clickbait.

All they needed to incur the wrath of the Angry Irish Straight Men Brigade was the (clearly deliberately unflattering) photo and a headline that read “Lesbian Footballer Complained about Something”.

On a personal level it was good to be back defending Rapinoe once more after my earlier post suggesting her White House comments were ill-advised.

Paul Vanderheijden Having achieved a modicum of notoriety, whether deserved or not I leave for others to judge, for her comments regarding the White House she now must consider she has some special status to level criticism.

Personally, I consider her as a very good player, with a foul disposition and a big “chip on her shoulder”.

Máirtín Ó’Riain God I am looking forward to this tournament ending. Sick of hearing about this team.

William Parker Her anger and hate over shadow her skill in the field 10 years from now all we will remember is that angry world cup player “what was her name”?

Aidan Mc Carron Will not be watching it no matter what day or time it’s on. Better drama on tv

Podge Foley I disagree with him

Brendan Ó Conchobhair wah wah wah….i think that was the quote

according to Facebook these were among the most ‘relevant’ comments

JL Pagano 99% of comments from men, 99% complaining about her complaining. And to everyone who thinks they’re hilarious by saying “him”, well, you’re not.

RTÉ didn’t exactly help using this photo either.

On the actual subject matter, she absolutely has a point. It’s all about the 24 hour news cycle these days and a senior World Cup final should have one all to itself.

My contribution

#IANWAE

Megan Rapinoe’s shot at Trump went just past the post IMO

~ jlpagano

The tweet with the quote from Megan Rapinoe…

…and here’s the reply from the Tweeter In Chief (he even does her the courtesy of adding “if we win”)…

The story is that Roy Moore lost, not that the other guy won…what’s his name again?

~ jlpagano

THE ISSUE

In one of the most widely reported elections in US Senate history, in the heavily-Republican state of Alabama which Trump won in 2016 by 28 percentage points, accused paedophile Roy Moore was defeated by his Democratic challenger Don James.  No, sorry, it was Dan Jenkins.  Or was it Doug Jones.  Nah, I was right the first time.  I think.

THE MEDIA

Article by CNN.com on Wednesday, December 13, 2017

‘Roy Moore won’t concede‘

“You know, part of the thing — part of the problem with this campaign is we’ve been painted in an unfavorable and unfaithful light.”

THE COMMENT

I think I can safely say that I’ve never been this happy about the results from an Alabama Senate race.

You might think this is ‘Fake News’ but when I opened half an eyelid at 4:30am Irish time this morning and looked at my phone, the banner on the CNN notification read : ‘Roy Moore loses’.   Surely in pretty much any other race the headline would refer to the guy who won?  Well, this wasn’t any other race.

This was an amazing win for the Democrats, albeit with a perfect storm of controversy on the other side, but they still had to pick the right guy and run the right campaign to get him over the line, so bravo.

What interests me right now is how the President will react, and more importantly, how his inner circle will react.  Do they sit down with him and come up with a proper spin to present to the media?  Or do they sit down WITHOUT him first and come up with a spin to present to HIM?  I think we all know it’s the latter.

No doubt the spin will be something like ‘Roy would have lost by even more [Moore?] were it not for the President’s endorsement’.  Sure.

#IANWAE

Leo Varadkar is first and foremost yet another pro-establishment Taoiseach

~ jlpagano

As far as I’m concerned, one of the principal tenets of “progressive” political thinking is that it does not matter who you are, where you come from nor whom you love; your equal place in society should be protected.

There’s going to be much reporting around the world about Ireland electing its first gay Taoiseach who is also the son of an immigrant.  This will no doubt be added to the marriage referendum result to imply that we are an ever-evolving tolerant country.

On a personal level, of course Deputy Varadkar should be congratulated but if he is to lead the country in a manner that matches his rhetoric and his ministerial performance over the years, then Ireland’s true opposition must continue on it’s path to break the Civil War duopoly’s grip on power.

What Ireland actually needs is its first Progressive Taoiseach.  One who has issues like health, education, housing and social justice as their priorities for government.

I know that sentence would invite howls of derisive laughter from most Irish political experts.  At best, it would be met with patronising talk about naivety with regard to how things work on these shores.  Our Taoiseach can only be the leader of Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael and that’s simply the Irish political reality, they would no doubt say.

Well, the way I see it, if we’re not at least prepared to talk about it, then it definitely won’t happen.  You want to see Ireland’s first Progressive Taoiseach?  Then say it out loud.  “I want to see Ireland’s First Progressive Taoiseach”.  Now, say it out loud to someone else who would probably agree with you.  Then say it to someone who would probably laugh at you and when they do, keep your head held high and be sure to say it again next time you see them.

I believe it’s a conversation that can grow over time if we truly want it.  Issues such as #Right2Water, #RepealThe8th, social housing, the hospital trolley crisis, LGBTQ rights and immigrant rights provide a common thread that runs through communities up and down the country.  It surely can’t be that hard to bring them together and move the country in a new direction that is fair to all.

Who would this first Progressive Taoiseach be?  Who knows.  Now is not the time to name names.  Now is the time to get active and join the conversation.

One thing’s for sure…anyone who points out that we have at least had a Tánaiste or two from a party which called itself the “Progressive Democrats” can go to the back of the class!

Meanwhile, Stephen Fry has won the internet tonight I reckon.

 #IANWAE