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TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR said he considers himself fortunate that he has had few experiences of racism or homophobia.
Leo Varadkar, speaking at his winter briefing with the media in Dublin, was asked to detail some of his experiences as a person of colour.
His father Ashok was born in Mumbai, India, and moved to Ireland in the 1970s.
Varadkar, who is notably private about his personal and family life, refused to be drawn about his own experiences of racism.
“If you’re mixed race and if you’re a person of colour, you do experience a degree of racism and discrimination,” he said.
He disclosed his sexual orientation on national radio during Ireland’s equal marriage referendum in 2015, and now lives with his partner Matt Barrett.
“If you’re a gay man or a gay woman you do experience a degree of homophobia. It’s just the way it is,” he added.
“I never experienced any violence, thankfully, but it can certainly range from name-calling and things like that as you walk down the street, or it can be the kind of stuff you can see for yourself online, or it can be just the fact that people treat you differently – little things.
“You’d be surprised the amount of people in the last couple of days who’ve heard I’m visiting India with my family, and have asked me when am I going back to India.
“They don’t mean it that way but it is a way of thinking. I was born in the Rotunda, I’m not from India.
“People don’t hear what they’re saying sometimes but I’ve also never been somebody who goes on about it. I’ve a good life. I’ve done well. I’ve very little to complain about, much less so than other people.
“I’ve never had or have experienced that kind of homophobia. I’ve managed to avoid it so I don’t like to engage in complaining about it or any self-pity because I think that’s disrespectful to those who’ve experienced the kind of racism that I could never imagine.”
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…or homelessness…or hunger…or poverty…or being stuck on a trolley on A&E for 2 days….
@The Risen: all same things SF have inflicted on the north through their continued absence from stormont
@Gordon Hughes: Clever. You must be really clever
@The Risen: or hard honest work.
@The Risen: he worked as a junior doctor for years! And why would he experience homelessness or poverty, as like the 99% he worked hard. Whether or not you like the man, or his party, this is just nonsense shouting “homeless”! It’s an article about racism and homophobia – we don’t ask people in hostels how much homophobia they have experienced, and turn them away. Jesus!
@Gordon Hughes: Pitiful.
@Brin: Brin it’s all spin….
@The Risen: Interesting how Gemma O’dohertys most vocal supporter here would deflect from an important message on this topic. Whats the story with that? He was asked about his experiences as a person of colour. You have literally dozens of articles to comment on homelessness etc. Poor effort.
@Gordon Hughes: can you not get it into that thick skull of yours that SF run canadites in the occupied six counties, on the pre-text that they will abstain from taking their seats if elected… it is really a silly point you are making. The people know what they are getting when they elect a SF candidate… unlike our own in the 26 counties that are frequently absent from the Dail or away on a junket at our expense.
@JusticeForJoe: he’s right. How’s that mr clever.
@Gordon Hughes: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it will be a cold day in hell before SF get my vote,, but what the hell has SF got to do with this Gordon??
Fair enough Leo although your party have been embroiled in controversy recently by putting forward a candidate who was not properly vetted resulting in embarrassment for Fine Gael due to her raising her racist views which go against everything you appear to aspire to in your comments above. Don’t just talk the talk to deflect from that despicable episode, we’re all veronly human beings at the end of the day.
@Brin: well said! Some people aren’t happy unless they’re whinging.
@Clifford Brennan: LOL! Clifford, Gemma O’doherty lost my support at around the same time she lost her marbles. I’ve mentioned that here before. Do try to keep up, good chap!
@The Risen: You were advised of those lost marbles at the time, by myself & others, when you were canvassing here for her free of charge but you wouldn’t listen. Congratulations on eventually catching up with the rest of us. You took your time!
@Gordon Hughes: Have you not been following the news this past week ? Or are you just ignoring it because to admit the truth would expose your views for what they really are. An agenda driven distortion of reality.
@Paul O’Sullivan: good lad Paul, you’re clearly ad bright as me so, I clearly mentioned stormont not Westminster, don’t let the facts stop you putting 2 + 2 together and coming up with 34,972. Jump to the wrong conclusion there Einstein, everybody knows what you get you elect a SF candidate…. Absolutely nothing worthwhile
@Brin: who’s side are you on Brin, the people or them doesn’t matter what the article is about, he’s a smug arse hole that needs to be made out to be the smug arse hole he is…
@Brin: who’s side are you on Brin, he’s a cock and needs to treated as such, he does the country no favours… Don’t do him any.
@The Risen: winner of post of the year – well done you!
He is in Leo land. Where all media for him is vetted and filtered as I have seen it on social media as I’m sure others have also
@James Dooley: Time to drain the FG swamp.
Yeah but what about the general animosity felt towards you by large swathes of the population on account of your ‘I hate poor people because they make me look bad’ policies?
That’s because he has swarmed himself around both brown nosing politicians and media,come out onto the streets of us normal people.he won’t be long told this country is in dire straits that’s been led by a very poor leader in government
@dick dastardly: Dire straights? Really? We are doing very well as a country and economy. There are big issues with homelessness, but that is just about policy. It could and should be resolvable.
@dick dastardly: we’re a wealthy country dick
@john:
As one that lives out in the country I take offence to you referring to me as a dick!
@Paul Whitehead: the country is on the brink of collapse. Hello wake up little man. The government will be disbanded very soon and there will be yet another crash. Can you guess where? Can you guess who caused it and can you guess who will pay for it. Ireland on the up and up hey everyone is on 55k minimum a year sure leo said so hahaha.
@Paul Whitehead: take a drive outside the M50 some day.its a complete different economy to Dublin
@Paul Whitehead: absolute rubbish. Worst government in terms of health, housing, education and climate
@john: We’re only a ‘wealthy country’ because of corporate tax take from multinationals. The ERSI has pointed this out. Those multinationals won’t be around forever. The day that those companies leave, I dread to see the state of the country then.
If he was brought up in the estate I was from and went to the primary school I was in he would’ve been destroyed. He’s part of the elite and therefore detached from reality. His hero is bizarrely Churchill, a man who’s responsible for the deaths of millions of Indians, a country in which his family is from and that he’s visiting now. It’s this lack of understanding of what the majority of people have to go through in this country is why he should never be leader again. He has nothing in common with us
@r-k: Your estate sounds lovely.
@r-k: but isn’t that what he said. he was lucky in that he didn’t receive much hate and he has no reason to claim otherwise? maybe your experience is a reflection of the people who inhabit your estate and maybe they’re the ones that need to be a bit more tolerant.
@J: The hate he receives is for the disastrous policie not of who he is.
@r-k: Your estate and primary school were racist and homophobic when you were growing up? Wow. Have things changed at all or is it still as bad as ever?
@Francis Sally: what?
@J: Seriously???
Easy to say when you are in the elite Leo. Ireland is not getting more tolerant or progressive. There are concerted efforts nationally and by foreign actors to turn Ireland in the direction UK and US have gone. And sad to say, those of conservative inclination in our country are lapping it up with gusto… need proof? See below.
Leo’s La La land is become extremely tedious he hasn’t a clue how those who struggle under his political policies live
Better to be hated for what you are than loved for what you are not! Thank You Kurt Cobain for the words of wisdom.
Politician or not , he is a fantastic individual to stand up against bigots and racists that try to isolate people of LGBT nature in society the world over because of inherent fear .
He is also living in the public eye and living a good life! Fairplay to him!
@John Coogan: living in the public eye? Where? When? Proof? Go to specsavers son.
@John Coogan: And what about standing up for the homeless, elderly, addressing rising rents, young people being trying to get on the property ladder, hospital waiting lists, the new maternity hospital the working poor etc. He’s completely out of his depth, incompetent and inept and lining his and his colleagues with tax payers money. I dont care what his orientation is I expect him to do his job.
There is only one race the human race everything else hatred and ignorance.
@JDB: “People aren’t born with bigotry, it’s something you have to learn and anything you can learn you can unlearn”
Just wait till the election starts, you’ll have ffgphobia
Does he read the comments section?
Thats because ireland is not a particularly racist or homophobic place in an international context despite what we are constantly told by the ever expanding NGO sector in Ireland.
It’s always the back door with leo
Thats because your from a different world ffs
Headline on the independent reads very differently
@Paul Whitehead whats racist about that comment
Does he ever shut up a homophobia and racists. Seems they are more important than 10500 homeless, people dying waiting for medical care, chronic rent prices and a million other things people have to live with while the ffg elite squander money with no accountability to anyone. Time for referendum on politicians.
Election time……everyone want’s to be a victim, even Leo!
LGBT+ people across Ireland deserve to live happy lives free from prejudice. For that to happen, we must all step up to help bring homophobia, biphobia and transphobia to an end.
If you see it, #call #It #Out
@UCC Social Democrats Society: further, racist discrimination is not welcome here.
Report any form of discrimination to the Gardai
And if they dont take your complaint seriously, contact GSOC.
@UCC Social Democrats Society: But is it rampant in the real world or just in your head? I’m worldly wise, been around the block a few times (quite a few), mix with people from wide and varied backgrounds and cultures and I just don’t see this discrimination on every street corner, I really don’t and my wide and mixed friends don’t either. Just push the haters to the back, ignore the rubbish and get on with your life rather than spend your life complaining about it and taring whole populations with general assumptions.
Here’s a name for ya Leo the liar
What an ass hole doesn’t live in the real world
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