Dive Into Pride - Dr. Mary McAleese - Former President of Ireland

DIVE IN . . . with David Watters

I had the honour to interview the former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese. Elected into office in 1997, she served two terms until 2011 and in her time in Áras an Uachtaráin she saw tremendous progress in which she described her term as one of "Building Bridges" especially due to the progress in Anglo-Irish Relations. She has been an advocate for the rights of LGBTQ+ people since the 70s in which she was a founder of the Campaign for Homosexual Law Reform with David Norris. Over the years she was a strong, powerful ally and voice for the LGBTQ+ community providing a voice to a minority and helping usher in a new era of human rights and acceptance in Irish society. In this interview, she discusses the evolution of  LGBTQ+ rights in Ireland, the role of the Church, the most impactful moments of her presidency and Anglo-Irish relations, what needs to be done for a more equal Ireland for all its people regardless of race, gender or sexuality. 

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