“From abortion rights to austerity, there are many people in Ireland who have yet to experience the benefits of our new found progressiveness.”

Spoken word artist Oisin McKenna has released a short film, giving visuals to his poem ‘Gay, Male, Votes Fine Gael’.

Oisin first wrote the poem for the marriage referendum, but re-released it to mark the beginning of Dublin Pride, and due to its relevance now that Leo Varadkar has been made leader of Fine Gael and Ireland’s first openly gay Taoiseach.

The character depicted in the poem represents conservatism within the LGBTQIA+ community.

Oisin explains that people should be wary of seeing Ireland as highly progressive simply down to Varadkar’s election.

“I think this is a total fallacy. From abortion rights to austerity, there are many people in Ireland who have yet to experience the benefits of our new found progressiveness. Leo Varadkar, who himself recently designed a classist and alarmist anti-welfare fraud campaign, was part of a government who orchestrated an economic recovery only felt by the rich. I don’t think we should be celebrating that as symbolic of any kind of progress.”

He continues: “With rising levels of inequality and the growth of new far-right movements, it is more important than ever for the LGBTQIA+ community to show solidarity with those who experience oppression. The Fine Gael party has shown a demonstrable and utter failure to express solidarity with anyone who has less power than them. The LGBTQIA+ community deserves better.”

Watch the performance below, filmed by videographer Cian Brennan.