Reinventing the image of the Irish homosexual: The politics of respectability and the Irish Gay Rights Movement & National Gay Federation in 1970s & 1980s Ireland

Abstract

This article explores how the leaders of the Irish Gay Rights Movement and National Gay Federation adopted a respectable image in their attempts to reinvent the image of the Irish homosexual. It argues that the politics of respectability was a key strategy adopted by the leaders in an attempt to present a positive image of homosexuals, often presenting them as much the same as heterosexuals. As a result, they succeeded in developing a highly respected position within some mainstream nationals in Ireland, who began to write articles in support of the Irish gay rights campaign. However, while the politics of respectability may well have succeeded in generating support amongst some in the media, it also resulted in the alienation of many Irish homosexuals, particularly effeminate homosexuals, who did not conform to this respectable image. This article, therefore, explores how the politics of respectability shaped the rhetoric, image, and strategy of the Irish Gay Rights Movement and National Gay Federation, and the tension this generated within the wider Irish gay and lesbian community.