"I don't think Margaret Thatcher was all women and I don't think Leo Varadkar is all gay men," says Fabian McGrath.
The tenor with the Dublin Gay Men’s Chorus was speaking on the latest Róisín Meets podcast, about whether or not Taoiseach Varadkar has a responsibility to represent the gay community now that he is in office.
“The nicest thing about his election was that it was unremarkable for many people. These are just the things that make up a person,” he said.
McGrath was joined on the podcast ahead of the Dublin Pride celebrations this weekend, by fellow tenor with the choir, Philip Kennedy, who agreed with his views on the new Fine Gael leader.
“Obama got a lot of stick for not doing enough for black people when he was in the White House, so you’re not going to please everyone. I think Leo is not just the gay men’s Taoiseach, he’s everyone’s Taoiseach,” he said.
Varadkar’s election does not mean a whole lot to Kennedy personally, but he says he can see how having a gay leader of the country could help others.
“I know for some people it will be a very, very big deal. For them to see the leader of their country in such a role… I think it sends a message to some worried parents out there that they will see that their children won’t be limited in any way.”
Also on the podcast, McGrath and Kennedy spoke about Dublin Pride and how things have changed since decriminalisation in 1993, why coming out is still hard for some young gay people outside of Dublin and what it is about the Dublin Gay Men’s Chorus that they love.
Formed in 2012, the choir has performed at the Helix in DCU, at the National Concert Hall in Dublin and recently had a sold-out show at the Pepper Canister Church. In this podcast, you will hear two performances from the latter show, Seasons of Love and Pure Imagination.
To listen to the full conversation between Fabian McGrath and Philip Kennedy from the Dublin Gay Men's Chorus and Róisín Ingle, go to irishtimes.com/podcasts iTunes, Soundcloud or your preferred podcast app.
