• Marriage isn’t enough

    I’ve been asked recently by a lot of people whether I’m pleased that the new legislation has gone through allowing same-sex couples to get married. I am pleased, of course. I helped to work for it and I’m delighted to see happy smiling faces of couples I know who are now as hitched as anyone else.

    However, to ask whether I am satisfied would get a different answer.

    You see, I face direct and threatening discrimination at work if I marry. Couples who want to marry in churches like mine can’t do so. And in any case, it isn’t just about marriage anyway.

    You see, marriage isn’t enough.

    We want to be able to hold hands too.

    Can you imagine being allowed to be able to go to the registrar to arrange your own marriage but be frightened to hold hands walking through George Square on your way to do so? Some people reading this will say yes to that question – most won’t even have thought of it.

    Panti Bliss, the Irish drag queen is currently continuing the great tradition of drag queens telling the truth about discrimination.

    Here she is, and if you’ve never worried about holding someone’s hand, do take a look.

9 responses to “Tales of the City #6”

  1. Ritualist Robert Avatar
    Ritualist Robert

    Thank you for introducing the word “stoor” to those of us in the non-Scottish world.

  2. Hermano David | Brother Dah•veed Avatar
    Hermano David | Brother Dah•veed

    Have you been glowing again?

    Honestly, I think that it really says something great when they know, even if in a setting where they might not know!

  3. Ruth Avatar
    Ruth

    I agree! As daughter of a C of S one, I’ve spent time in the company of more than my fair share. Some have ‘the aura’ and some, most definitely do not…..

  4. PamB Avatar
    PamB

    Did we know that the Norwegian for vacuum cleaner is “stoorsooker”?

  5. Rosemary Hannah Avatar
    Rosemary Hannah

    Huge compliment.

    And any time you want to come here and be calm at workmen, feel free. Then I can be free to go somewhere quiet and just lose it, as I have been longing to do for some weeks …

  6. kelvin Avatar

    @PamB – we didn’t, but we are delighted.

    @Rosemary – thanks but no thanks. Being calm at someone else’s workmen is surely too much for anyone.

    @Ruth – the day I was ordained, the wife of a bishop told me my aura was golden. She saw them regularly.

    @Hermano David – You couldn’t see the glow for the dust.

    @Ritualist Robert – happy to be of service. It is the perfect word for what is produced when you mess with chimneys.

  7. Ritualist Robert Avatar
    Ritualist Robert

    @PamB – delighted indeed!

  8. Hermano David | Brother Dah•veed Avatar
    Hermano David | Brother Dah•veed

    You couldn’t see the glow for the dust.

    It is obvious that the VDW could. Good on yer.

  9. Rosemary Hannah Avatar
    Rosemary Hannah

    What I now need is somebody to come back and be very very UNcalm at a joiner. Very very unclam indeed – new floor ends two foot short of the wall, and yes, there WAS enough wood. And good neighbour/joiner is hors de combat following a RTA.

    Or you could try coming and being very calm at me, if your nerve is good enough.

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