NYC PRIDE! Full Circle Moment
Nominated one of the 50 Funniest Lesbians in America-from Social Worker/Community Organizer and Activist to Comedienne/Entertainer and Social Media Editor. Christine lives in the part of 917/NYC called Connecticut with her Luzband and little dog too! Christine recently was cast as Anne Kronenberg in the ‘dear harvey’ celebrating the first ever Harvey Milk Day in California. Christine O’Leary was also the host for the Coalition for the Homeless NYC ‘Women Mean Business Luncheon Fundraiser’. The fabulous success of this event and her impact to that success generated ‘full circle moment pride’ for Christine as homelessness in NYC is at the record high since the Great Depression. Christine O’Leary serves on the Board of Directors for TRUE COLORS, INC a GLBTQA Youth Serving Agency in CT who hosts the largest GLBTQ Youth Conference in the Nation. Christine brings the funny to Companies, Colleges, Clubs and Prides across the country whose sole co dependent motivation is to make a difference and make you laugh until you tinkle! Thank you NYC Pride for having me, finally making me feel alright about my 917! Find me directly at all social media platform links thru http://christineoleary.com
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St. Pete Pride 2010-You Blew The Roof Off! WOW! Drama-FREE!
!0 Things I Learned About St. Pete Pride
1. You can wear a dress in the Dykes On Bikes Parade and because it is 2010 you can be one too!
2. Drag queens and kings need tape to exist and I never knew that. I want to find them sponsorship and have the ‘stick’ be more forgiving.
3. We had a ‘Pride Princess’ here named Olivia, age 4 and when I asked her what she dreamed about last night she said ‘beautiful princesses and butterflies and we all love each other.’ couldn’t agree more.
4. Even Floridians complain about heat.
5. The Church Community here in St. Pete know how to love their people and that makes me pray.
6. There were lots of babies at the parade which means we are procreating, much to the haters shagrin.
7. Some straight people are weird like the ones next to me in the adjacent room. They had lovin and then got in the show and BOTH sang ‘I said a hip hop, hippy to the hippy-hip hop now you don’t stop a boogie.’
8. Celebrating Pride is good for the whole world. Like St. Patrick’s Day only more authentic, unless you celebrate St. Patrick in church.
9. Everyone really does have a story.
10. Pride means for the next 364 days and beyond that we must be better to each other (GLBTQA brothers and sisters) then we are to anyone else.
I love YOU St. Pete Pride and thank you for loving me just the way I am.
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Irish Queers in NYC for St. Patrick’s Day
So my father decided instead of beating his heavy drum IN a parade he would come TO the parade and watch. He dutifully booked his ticket on the interwebs for the BOLT bus and was on his way down where we would meet him. This man is like a 72 year old cross between Archie Bunker and Phil Donahue. He met one of his longest time friends, a ‘Groomsmen’ as he calls him-Matty Connolly there at 28th and 6th at bus drop off and started to head up to meet us and then to find a spot to take it all in.
We met and all walked together thru the sea of green, high school drunkenness and the other generation of Irish Pride complete with high heels, silky Celtic scarves and wooly Irish sweaters.
As we weaved thru the streets up 5th we were not satisfied with the view from 8-10 deep under scaffolding and with wiffs of serious marijuana. The sky was blue and we wanted the sunny side. We headed up further and landed by Trump Tower, Tiffany’s and of course Gucci. There was loads of space, people were kind and holding signs. My father saw them first and said–’Right here looks perfect, huh Christine–I mean really perfect!’ And it was.
We parked ourselves next to the group THE IRISH QUEERS who protest the exclusion of GLBTQ people from the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The exclude us. The signs were beautiful, the sky were beautiful and so was the regal Police detail of 3 mounted cops by their motorcycles. The IRISHQUEERS were peaceful and proud and held their signs for everyone to see without a word. No shouting, PDA’s or foolishness that marginalized the protesters in the eyes of the witness. So with stillness I could actually see and notice things that made me feel sad and proud all at the same time.
I watched many, many what seemed like mostly men march in uniform right up 5th Ave. Sometimes they would stop right at our spot so that people could cross the road back at 48th. And that is the precise spot where my toes curled in my Dansko clogs. After the clapping and cheering for anyone who wold go by there is this time where they are standing in formation and you have already sent your parade cheer and there you are still, separated by dividers still under the atomic sun in front of Trump Tower.
I saw officers push their own towards the IRISH QUEERS as they said ‘Faggot’ as if one foot closer and they would be sure to catch the highly contagious homosexuality. I saw officers make fun and point at the signs as they got closer and say ‘There is YOUR group THE GAYS’ and they would all laugh until they had to stop. Then the message was like a uniformed game of telephone down the line “Looks at the IRISH QUEERS-Faggots” ”Hey John, they are looking for you! Faggot!”
The good news is that the bag pipes screaming drowned most of it out but it somehow made lip-reading of the masses in blue like watching the fame by frame assassination of Kennedy-for me.
I loved being at the parade. It was the perfect place to be with my family and my brothers and sisters.
I am just back from Ireland now 15 days. I want you to know that Ireland does not treat ‘their’ gays like this. It is a much safer, more progressive place. I know. I brought my partner there to our 9th family reunion of about 100 people ranging in age of 0-90 and everyone ‘gets it’ because they love me and because now they like her. Good is good. I am certain that my Irish tribe of people would be embarrassed that hate was ‘dirting’ Irish Pride.
It is possible you can be IRISH/CATHOLIC/GAY/PROUD, I am! I am even a citizen and have healthcare there and not here! I do not have it here because I am not considered equal. My partner is a Federal Employee. I have healthcare there because I am Irish. Maybe I should start identifying as IRISHQUEER-sounds better than IRISHAMERICAN today.
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