SENATOR DAVID Norris has been hailed in San Francisco as “Ireland’s Harvey Milk”, a reference to the openly gay politician who was assassinated in 1978 and was the subject of an Oscar-winning film last year.
California state senator Mark Leno, an advocate of marriage equality, presented Mr Norris with a proclamation commending his commitment to civil rights and his successful campaign to decriminalise homosexuality in Ireland.
“It is through the work of individuals such as yourself that equality becomes attainable for all,” the proclamation said.
Mr Norris, who was guest of honour at an event hosted by the US-Ireland Alliance, spoke about the role of “ordinary” individuals in the struggle for human rights. He cited the work of unemployed Dublin bus conductor Tom Hyland, who brought attention to the suffering in East Timor, as well as his own campaign for civil rights for gays and lesbians.
Earlier, Mr Norris told the San Francisco Chronicle about how he started campaigning for the decriminalisation of homosexuality at the age of 21.
“I was not going to pushed to the side because I’m gay,” he said.
“We were Irish people. We were gay, and a lot of people thought that was a contradiction in terms . . . they said, ‘just stay quiet.’ But I said, ‘I’ve kept it quiet long enough’.”
California voted last year to remove marriage rights from gay couples after the state’s supreme court ruled that marriage discrimination was unconstitutional. Mr Norris said, however, that the fight for equality would continue until it was won and rejected the suggestion that it was too soon to demand full equality under the law. “I want the whole lot now, with the cream and cherry on top,” he said. “And an apology.”