Love, Sex and the colour Blue

by Danielle Mc Mahon

Last night my wife and I made our way to a local arts centre to watch 'Blue is the Warmest Color'.

A movie which has been highly praised, having won the Palme d'Or at Cannes film festival, has also come up against some negative opinions from the lesbian community.

We took our seats and settled in to watch this alternative French movie. I was amazed at the demographic of people who were sitting in the theatre with us, we were the youngest audience members with people well into their sixties taking a seat to see what this film was all about.

The film tells the tale of a French teenager, Adele, as we follow her from adolescence into adulthood. Adele is presented to us as a messy character, not really your typical teenage girl. She spends most of her time eating and reading and her hair is a permanent explosion. 

Adele is a young woman who is sexually confused. At the start of the film we see her as she explores what it is to be with somebody of the opposite sex, she does not seem particularly satisfied. 

By chance we are introduced to a blue haired, mystery girl, whom Adele sees crossing the street. This blue haired beauty has her arm her girlfriend's shoulders as she passes by Adele, the two share a glance and there is an obvious spark. This spark awakens her sexually and we see her begin to struggle with the idea of her sexuality

The two girls go on to start a relationship and this is when the fun really begins. 

Let me take you back to the first time you ever saw a sex scene on television or at the movies, how did you feel? You probably squirmed in your seat, some of you may have laughed because you were nervous, perhaps you did not know which way to look? 

Being a lesbian I obviously understand how lesbian sex works. Well, I must admit that the main sex scene which was presented on the big screen was kind of shocking for me at first. Unapologetically graphic it showed a medley of lesbian sex moves. 

The reason I found it slightly shocking was because it was overly exaggerated. There was, perhaps, too much of a straight touch to it. Being lesbian, gay, straight, bi, or whatever your sexual preference, this scene was reminiscent of an on screen presentation of the Kama Sutra. 

I am all for breaking the boundaries and introducing gay sex to the big screen, lesbians and gays have to sit through heterosexual sex scenes often enough that maybe it is time for the straight people to return the favour and have a look at something that may be completely foreign to them. However, it could probably be done in a less Karma Sutra inspired fashion. Lets be honest, that is what porn is for!

Moving past the sex scene we see these two girls move into the realm of committed relationship. Meeting the parents, living together and all else that is entailed in beginning a serious relationship with someone. 

The movie was three hours long but time passed by so quickly because you became completely enthralled by what was happening on the screen. The director, Abdellatif Kechiche, has made such a starkly honest movie and the cast were simply amazing. 

I feel that this movie has the potential to expel some of the taboos associated with homosexuality, especially with lesbian stereotypes. In this movie you see how broad the spectrum is, completely tearing asunder the usual idea that a lesbian is either a dyke or a femme. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and I would highly recommend it to everyone, even if you are a bit squeamish when it comes to sex, this movie is well worth a step outside your comfort zone.

I think the bare honesty of the movie evens the playing field, many people find homosexuality so different to heterosexuality. They may believe that the sex, the love, the type of relationship is so far removed from what they experience as heterosexuals. What I really loved about this quirky little piece of art is that it dispels those ideas. It shows a lesbian relationship exactly how it is, it shows you the highs and lows, it shows you that just like a heterosexual relationship there are ups and downs, some people are unfaithful, there are many different types of relationship, many different types of connections, both physical and emotional that you can share with people. 

Overall I think I can safely say that it was an enjoyable watch, it pushes the boundaries and in turn pushes the audience to think about things in a different way. To think about and indeed see things that they may not normally think or see. I would definitely recommend this movie to anybody who is curious, who is interested, who feels like pushing themselves a little bit to see what else there is out there and to understand something that may not be within their realm of what is deemed 'normal'. 

Watch and see for yourself, I promise it will get you thinking, don't be afraid of the unknown, push your boundaries, you will thank yourself for it afterwards.

Gay and proud? Not in Uganda!

by Danielle Mc Mahon

LGBT rights once again made their way to the front page this morning as Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni, signed an Anti-Homosexuality bill into law. Uganda is one of the thirty seven African countries which are anti-gay. This controversial bill has been passed into law having gone through parliament, during which they negotiated and removed a death penalty clause from the bill before allowing to pass to law.
I was deeply saddened to read further into the story and discover that the reason this bill is being signed into law is not merely because of deep rooted moral beliefs, for religious reasons or even cultural cleansing, no, it has actually been described, by the Ugandan president himself as a way of showing the Western world that his country will not fall at the feet of threats from countries such as America. The United States is currently one of Uganda's primary aid providers and president Obama has warned that the passing of this law may affect the relationship between Uganda and America. This underdeveloped country which struggles with providing basic goods to its people is now making life unbearable for some of its population, and for what? To prove a point to the Western World?
This current law against homosexuality states that people who are found to be homosexual could face a life time in prison, it also stipulates that it is the duty of all citizens to denounce homosexuality and homosexual behaviour.
Does this sound right to anyone out there? Does this even make sense? While the rest of the world is trying to better themselves and as a result improve gay rights this backward African country is taking drastic measures to avoid progress.
As you make your way through the news headlines today you will see news of this bill, news of protests in Kiev, the death-toll in Venezuela and numerous other headlines about violence, protests about not allowing LGBT floats in the New York St Patrick's Day parade, and much more.
For me the main issue which seems to be a common factor in the majority of these headlines is the question of human rights.
How is that after something as horrific as the Holocaust that people all over the world seem to be turning a blind eye to the fact that once again human rights are being forgotten, being torn down, being dismissed coldly for no reason at all, that certain people are being punished for simply being who they are.
I can only image the fear of the homosexual population in Uganda today. Realising that you are gay is not something easy, it is an idea that fills you with fear, you are unsure about what you think you are feeling, you feel like you are doing something wrong. You are terrified about what your friends and family will say.
Now imagine a young person in Uganda realising that instead of wanting to hold the hand of the boy sitting next to her that the she wants to kiss her best friend. Imagine realising that being yourself, simply being who you are will result in your being put in prison for the rest of your life. Imagine knowing that by law people cannot accept you for who you are.
Africa has had a turbulent past, they have struggled with issues of human rights, they struggle on a daily basis to provided for the growing population, a large percentage of African countries depend on aid from foreign organisations as they cannot manage themselves. Should these countries not appreciate the value of basic human rights? Is it not a basic human right to love and be loved? Is it not a basic human right to walk the streets and not be jailed or beaten for simply being who you are.
Uganda is a country in development, it is my firm belief that having passed such a backward law it will never be much more than that. The rest of the world is moving on, slowly, but nevertheless moving on and growing. The rest of the world is seeking equality, happiness and safety for its population while countries such as Uganda are condemning homosexuals to a life time of pain, suffering and torture.This is not acceptable, it never has been and never will be.

Arty Farty? Yes, and proud!

by Danielle Mc Mahon

I was accused recently of being one of those arty farty types. One of those who was trying to follow their dreams writing, singing, being an artist, you know, somebody who believes in dreams (sometimes).

This accusation kind of offended me. I rather like the fact that I am one of those creative people, the world would be quiet dull and lifeless is those arty farty types didn't exist. Imagine a world void of colour, art, literature, fashion, photography, film. I don't think I would like to live there very much.

So, this blog is for all those arty farty types out there who enjoy their creative side. Whether they are trying to make a living from it or it simply serves as an escape from the monotony of the real world when they sit down and create something, this is for them! 

For the past couple of months as I pinned my way through Pinterest (a terribly addictive application!) I have come across something called crayon art. The idea is very simple really and the result it something which I personally think would brighten any room of your house or perhaps your office walls.
For this little project you will need:

• a cotton canvas (size depends on your preference)
• a hot glue gun (I did not have one of these so I had to resort to using sticky tape, I am sure regular glue would work also as long as it can hold the weight of the crayon)
• crayons (the main ingredient, colours again depend on your preference)
• a hair dryer
• some sheets of old newspaper

Ok so first things first you need to glue your crayons to the top of the canvas, the order you put your colours in depends on the effect you are going to, the most popular is a rainbow design. You can take the paper label off the crayons before gluing them on or leave it on. Personally I think it is easier to stick the crayons to the canvas if you leave the paper label on the crayon.

Once you have that done the rest is pretty straight forward. You simply have to prop your canvas and crayons up against a wall, on the floor or on a counter top. Make sure all surfaces are well covered with newspaper as wax can be quiet difficult to get off some surfaces. You might not want to do this project wearing your Sunday best either, accidents do happen!

The idea is that once you have the canvas propped up you will put the hair dryer on full heat, depending on the strength of your hair dryer you may not want to have it on full power as it can make things messier than they really need to be. 

Depending on the quality of the crayon melting times will vary. I found my crayons at the bottom of an arts and crafts box in the spare room. These crayons had not seen the light of day for many years but served their purpose in this project. Hold the hair dryer facing down at an angle over the tip of the crayon, you will see when the wax begins to melt. You will also notice that the direction in which the colour spreads down the canvas can be controlled by the hair dryer. 

Once you have melted the row of crayons the whole way across you can decide to go back over certain colours, some melt quicker than others so you may want to go back over the slower melting ones to make them stand out more. 

When you finishing melting leave the canvas to stand for a few minutes as the wax dries. Once it is dry the hard part starts, finding a place to hang your masterpiece so you can show it off to friends and family who come to visit!

So take some time this weekend and get in touch with your inner creativity! You won't regret it, let yourself escape and enjoy the great feeling you get when you create something beautiful with your own two hands!

What is happening in Venezuela?

by Danielle Mc Mahon

I must admit, before moving to Mexico I was not terribly politically aware. I paid attention when I had to vote and weighed up all the options. I had a general idea of the world politics but I was not an avid follower or somebody who really engaged in detailed political debates. It was not until I moved to Mexico and I saw the amount of corruption happening at the time of the 2012 presidential elections that I started to pay more attention to politics, more than slightly appalled by the way some countries in the world manipulated their people with regards to politics.
Since the death of Hugo Chavez last March, Venezuela has gone into decline, culminating in the riots which took place on the streets of the major Venezuelan cities this month. Before his death in March, Chavez had named Nicolás Maduro as his desired successor. Maduro was elected as president and Venezuelans have been suffering ever since. Maduro is said to lack the charisma of his predecessor as well as lacking the skills which constitute an impressive orator.
Venezuela is a country which has, what can only be described as a turbulent history. One of economic peaks and depressions, political coups, riots on the streets and since 1998 a socialist regime in operation.
This turbulence began in 1974 when a peak in the economy began to decline because of oil prices. Two consecutive presidents were jailed for corruption and embezzlement as Chavez staged a failed coup and was sentences to to years in jail.
In 1998 Hugo Chavez came to power with a socialist ideology promising to reduce poverty and corruption. Chavez' decision to appoint a new board of directors to Petroleos de Venezuela in 2002 saw people take to the streets in protest, his land reform in 2005 was implemented to eliminate large estates in Venezuela  with the aim of distributing this land among the Venezuelan population. In 2006 he was elected as president for a third term followed in 2007 by the nationalisation of key companies in Venezuela. His referendum for a socialist revolution was defeated that same year.
On the 5th of March 2013 Chavez passed away following a battle with cancer. The country of Venezuela went into a period of National mourning as Maduro stepped up to take the place of Chavez.
In October 2013 is became apparent that people were not particularly pleased with Maduro as president. People were suffering from shortages of basic goods such as milk, flour and other basics needed for cooking. Around this time Maduro begins to hit out at America as he claims that officials are trying to sabotage him. As you can imagine this has led to there being a rather tense atmosphere in Venezuela as the people become restless and are clearly unhappy.
The 12th of February 2014 marked National Youth Day in Venezuela. And so the trouble begins.
As students took to the streets in peaceful process, the media, which is heavily censored and controlled by the government, showed an image of obedient youths celebrating as their president made a speech about their strength and obedience as they follow his socialist movement. Later that day riots broke out, rumoured to have been started by opposition leader Leoplodo Lopez. Three youths were killed and the media in Venezuela did not broadcast this.
Young people took to the social networks which were quickly censored also as images were banned from the likes of twitter effectively blocking the outside word out.
Opposition leader Lopez was arrested last night as unrest continues on the streets of the major cities and thousands of citizens, fighting for the right to freedom of speech, an end corruption and to violence on Venezuelan streets,  are being injured by police as they through tears gas and hit back at the protesters.
As I said before I am not a huge fan of politics and I am not entirely sure about how well socialism works in some countries. I do agree with some of the basic principals of socialism and I do believe that it really does depend on the person who is running the show.
I also believe that sometimes socialism can be too much like striving to creative a Utopian society, of sorts. With regards to this I must say that this leads to a number of negative things; hunger for power, greed and discontent among the people.
 Venezuelans are suffering this month at the hands of their ruler as he calls protesters fascists and expels US officials from the country I think it is quite clear that something is not right, that perhaps Mr Maduro has become a little power hunger and by the sounds of it slightly paranoid.
I feel for the Venezuelan people who are fighting for what they believe in and who are being beaten down because of it. There were an estimated 25,000 homicides in Venezuela last year, people are living with milk, flour, toilet paper. Obviously something has to be done but when the government is controlling all media which comes in and goes out of the country what can be done.
I am writing this blog to support those who are fighting for what the believe in, for those who seek the freedom of speech, freedom to walk through the streets without fearing violence, for those who wish to live in country where corruption no longer exists. Some of these requests may seem unrealistic for some but I believe in the power of hope and strength, so this is for Venezuelans young and old who are fighting for the basic human rights and happiness.


Link to a video created by a young Venezuelan living in America, interesting watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EFS6cP9auDc

The Tale of Two Ellens

by Danielle Mc Mahon

This weekend the media went into frenzy mode as Ellen Page spoke at a human rights conference for LGBT teens in Las Vegas. The petite Canadian actress is best known for her Oscar-nominated role in the alternative movie 'Juno', which tells the tale of teenage pregnancy and slightly odd love.
Those of you who have gaydar (an ability to tell who its gay or not, yes it really does exist) will not have been surprised by her speech at the weekend.
She spoke for around eight minutes about how difficult it is to be who you really are in today's society, not only if you are gay but if you do not fit the stereotypes which have been set by the media.
It is easy to see how we all try to be more like the media-prescribed norm, women must be feminine, men must be masculine and if you do not fit into these categories you are branded weird! Page spoke of how she had been criticised by the press for her choice of gym clothing, she said she wore the clothes she liked to be comfortable not to keep the media happy.
Around five minutes into her speech Page started her revelation by saying:
' I am here because I am gay. And because...Maybe I can make a difference.'
Her announcement was met with cheers of support as the crowd showed their gratitude, another celebrity standing up and saying that not fitting into the media mould of normal is okay.
She was rather emotional during the last part of her speech, I imagine because it was a huge relief for her to finally tell the world what she had known for years, what she had been trying to keep a secret, by what she described as omission.
If you search for Ellen Page on the internet today the headlines, news and pictures are all about her coming out. I find this quite sad. She stood in front of world, effectively, and shared a very important part of herself. She is hoping to help make a difference, but at what cost? Like so many other gay celebrities, every piece that is written about her from now on will categorise her as being gay or will make some reference to her coming out speech. Is this what making a difference looks like now? I feel sometimes that this 'gay reference' in the media carries with it a bad vibe. They do not write about straight celebrities and categorise them according to their sexual orientation. So why should celebrities who are gay be any different?
I am a huge fan of another Ellen who also came out very publicly in a different era, the Nineties.
Ellen DeGeneres has perhaps become the most famous gay figures of our time. She came out in the late Nineties and her coming out was not received very well. Her shows ratings at that time plummeted and she disappeared from the public eye for quite some time. The newspapers and magazines where full of awful headlines and articles about her lifestyle and she felt the need to step back from her career for a period of time.
She is now hosting one of the most successful talk shows on American TV, she is a Covergirl and she is flying the flag for marriage equality having married her wife, Portia de Rossi, in 2008.
These women, like so many other celebrities are flying the flag for the gay community across the globe, but will the media ever let them make the difference they are seeking to make?
A difference our society needs.
When will the world wake up to the fact that supporting gay rights will not make the world gay.
When will we be able to break the mould and stand together as one, as equals in society.

Ellen Page speaking at LGBT conference:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWIaYZEHOIg

Bad Article? Bad Attitude, Mary Carr!

By Danielle Mc Mahon

As I had my coffee and my breakfast this morning I decided to have a look through Thursday's paper. There are certain sections of the paper which I skim over, having no interest in their content whatsoever. There is one columnist who I flick past every time I read the paper, the picture above the headline puts me off every time, not to mention the fact that the page is full of uptight politics punctuated with ads and other insignificant articles.  I know one should never judge a book by its cover but sometimes you just can't help it. I read the headline which took up most of the page and was so taken aback by the contradiction that I felt compelled to read the entire article. 'Just look in the office fridge and you'll see how the new poor are forced to scrimp on the bread line'
Having read three sentences I knew I was right to skip past this particular column each day. This article was about the recession and how it had hit people hard, they were now bringing their lunch to work with them as they could no longer afford to slip out to Marks and Spencer and buy their luxury sandwich, they have been reduced to actually having to make their own lunch and bring it with them, imagine, the absolute horror. I read on, slightly amused and also slightly bothered by the fact that this lady was actually writing about how her middle class friend was struggling so badly, she was finding it difficult to pay her health insurance payment each month and , wait for it, had to cancel her home insurance policy.
Having lived in a third world country I felt bothered by this woman, she came across as obnoxious, elitist and just unbearable. I read on as she started to complain about taxes and all the while telling of her friends agony that her upper middle class life had been demoted and she was now merely middle class, like the majority of people in this country.
Speaking from the point of view of somebody who has seen extreme poverty up close I was enraged. As you drive into Mexico City the mountainside has been swallowed by makeshift houses, shacks and millions of people literally living on top of each other. These people live on ten pesos a day (55 cent of a euro) feeding a family of four. These people may not have electricity, running water or be receiving an education. This is poverty, seeing these people as they come down from the mountains to wash car windscreens in the city to earn enough money to provide what they can for their families, that is having 'to scrimp on the bread line'
There has been so much talk of recession in this country in the past years, people have no idea what it truly is to live on the edge, to suffer at the hands of poverty. Yet here we are, reading articles just like this one feeling sorry for a middle class woman who cannot pay her health insurance each month. Darling, I hate to break it to you but poor people cannot afford health insurance and looking in the office fridge is not an option as often they do not have a job.

Copyright ©2014 All Rights Reserved 

'Cos we are living in a homophobic world and I am a homosexual!

Today I woke and went straight to Google. I smiled when I saw the rainbow of colours appear, a clear sign of support for the gay community and what they are living in Russia at this very moment in time.
As a lesbian in today's world, I am obviously up to date with everything that is happening with regard to gay rights and equality across the globe.
I have watched over the past few years as this theme became the centre of a social and political storm. I have read the articles, the studies, seen the pictures, watched the videos. Most of this observation was done with tears in my eyes or a lump in my throat. I am not a member of the gay community who goes to parades or fights for rights, the reason I avoid these things is because they make me nervous.
It is shocking that in this day and age people are being tortured, discriminated against and even beaten to within an inch of their lives because of their sexuality. How is that in an age where we have come so far in terms of technology, science, medicine and even education that we are so socially and morally corrupt. I do realise that there are so many open minded and accepting people but for one of these people there is another who is abusive, homophobic and dangerous.
Today we have made the world a rather microscopic place, travel is so common, people move from place to place and there are many different types of people. Religions, ethnicities and cultures have been mixed to create so many unique and beautiful new experiences which are shared so easily throughout the world.
Yet, homophobia is alive and well and homosexuals have become the prey.
I was delighted to see so many countries shed their conservative overcoats and free themselves of the laws which were holding their societies back, however with this joy came sadness as I watched and saw so many protest against growth and equality.
The world watched as America passed the law allowing same-sex marriage and so many rejoiced thinking that this would help the world, that the rest might follow suit. Months later we are watching as young gay teens in Russia fear for their lives and are living in hell just because they love somebody of the same sex. It feels so ridiculous to see those words typed as I cannot comprehend how they can make sense in the twenty-first century.
My wife and I got married last year in Mexico City. It was the most beautiful day of my life and one that I will cherish with all my heart for as long as I live. I felt proud to be standing in front of a judge as she spoke of the commitment we were making and how lucky we were to have found each other. The love in the room as we said 'I do' was overwhelming. Being surrounded by people who shared our happiness and supported our love was a powerful experience. I have read about many gay people, both celebrity and not, who have made the choice not to get married until it is legal for same sex couples across the globe to do so. I was not of this mid set, not because I am a selfish person but simply because if every same sex couple held off on their right we would be keeping the naysayers happy.
Since coming back to this tiny island I have felt rather differently about being a lesbian in today's society.
Mexico is a third world country, the majority of the people are severely impoverished, inadequately educated and also they are good and holy Catholics. You now have an image of the Mexican people as being perhaps a little closed mined, correct? This is absolutely not the case! Same sex marriage has been legal in Mexico City since 2009. The gay community is alive and well in Pink Zone and it is not uncommon to see same sex couples walking down the street, holding hands, kissing, going about their lives unscathed!
Now picture this, my home land, a first world country, people live middle class lives, the majority are generally well educated and the number of good and holy Catholics is starting to dwindle. You are picturing people who are a little more open minded, correct? Once again this is not the case. Two weeks ago as I stepped off the Luas holding the hand of my beautiful wife I was horrified and really very upset to hear an a voice behind us shout out 'What's this, two fucking lesbians!!'  I didn't turn around, neither did she, instead we picked up the pace and walked silently, no longer holding hands, all the way to our destination. I cannot lie, I had to fight back the tears, not solely because I was saddened, although I was, but because I was scared. For the first time in my life I felt scared and intimidated because of my sexuality. The reason neither of us turned around was because we were not sure what was going to come at us. I am not attacking Ireand, definitely not, there is a large gay community here too but I feel that homosexuality is something which is not completely accepted here yet.
I am not afraid to be who I know I am, I am not afraid to show my love for my wife but some people, and indeed institutions,  are absolutely terrified by the entire of concept of homosexuality. As a result these people and institutions are making life a living hell for homosexuals in some parts of the world. When did this become okay?
Did we learn nothing from people like Nelson Mandela in his fight for equality? Have we begun to suffer from a sudden bout of amnesia and forgotten about World War Two and the horrific consequences suffered at the hands of inequality?
Each time that we, as a human race have struggled with the idea of equality and human rights the person, or people, who start the revolution are those who are not afraid to face their fears to overcome their oppressor.
Consider this post my way of standing up for myself, for my wife and for the rest of the homosexual community. It is at times like these that society has to stand tall, shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart and simply fight for the cause.

D.M

By Danielle Mc Mahon

Copyright ©2014 All Rights Reserved