Whether you’ve ever heard of Donal Óg Cusack or the Irish sport of hurling, know this—Cusack delivered a powerful speech last week at the Foyle Pride Festival, and it’s worth taking a second to read its best part.
When Cusack came out in 2009 as the only openly gay athlete in hurling—a furiously fast field sport where men whack a ball around using scary three-foot sticks—it was a significant landmark in Ireland and for LGBT sports fans across the UK.
But when he spoke in Northern Ireland last week at the Foyle Pride Festival, it was like he was speaking to everyone about the challenges of living an honest life defined by much more than your sexual orientation.
His speech included a song, a shout-out to recently deceased author Gore Vidal and a great summation of what Pride means—all of which you can see in the video below, though we’ve also pulled out what we think is the most powerful part to give you some strength when the (anti-)gay world is getting you down. Here it is
