New Rose of Tralee reveals she's gay

[joe552]

For those who aren't familiar with the Rose of Tralee competition, it's held in Kerry in Ireland and celebrates all that's good about Irish women (including the Diaspora). It's not a beauty pageant (no swimsuits) but more about personality (apparently). So the newest Rose has come out as gay. Ireland sure is changing

http://www.independent.ie/entertainment ... 31924.html (http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/festivals/rose-of-tralee-reveals-shes-gay-30531924.html)

[Nirish guy]

For those who aren't familiar with the Rose of Tralee competition, it's held in Kerry in Ireland and celebrates all that's good about Irish women (including the Diaspora). It's not a beauty pageant (no swimsuits) but more about personality (apparently). So the newest Rose has come out as gay. Ireland sure is changing

I think the very fact that there IS still a Rose of Tralee "lovely Girl" competition says it all and shows there's still quite a way to go in Ireland yet ( North AND South) in terms of sexual equality - gay or not as I don't see them feeling the need to hold a "lovely man" competition (although personally I think there's mileage in that !) and whilst the video below is a piss take of the Father Ted comedy show piss take of the Rose of Tralee ( which I see even one of the people commenting on the video discuss too) it's not a million miles away from the real event and was only recorded at an actual live (comedy) event in 2013 !! :-)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AFpQu-Z8es

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AFpQu-Z8es

( As you can see I did try to embed that video but appear to have forgotten how to do it so if anyone's in the mood feel free ( with maybe a wee reminded pasted on to to remind thickos like me of the coding to use again ! )

[joe552]

Sorry NIrish, I didn't really understand what you're trying to say here. I'm not promoting the Rose of Tralee but just marking that such a "traditional" Irish festival, which has thousands of visitors, has chosen a gay woman.

[Nirish guy]

yes I get that Joe and agree that it's good tha`t a gay woman has been accepted / won etc, my comment was more re your "Ireland is changing' etc where I was pointing out that whilst the gay woman winning is progress etc the fact that there still IS such a competition as the Rose of Tralee ( i.e the Father Ted "lovely girls" competition it maybe hasn't changed just quite THAT much and still maybe has some way to go in terms of equality - it was a light hearted jibe at Ireland North and South, not intended as comment on a gay woman winning the Rose of Tralee so much.

Although I was saddened to see that one of the winners first public statements was "TO ME, being gay is normal" and the inclusion of the TO ME implied that that was just her personal view and wasn't just the simple FACT, but hopefully that was just an off the cuff comment taken out of context perhaps - lets hope anyway.