Rory O'Neill AKA Panti

actual proof that homosexuality was real and homosexuality existed because I don't know what age I was I was probably 10 or something I don't know what age I was because up until then I didn't even know if gay people were real you know I thought maybe they were just something that people made up to make jokes about like I had no idea that Mr Humphreys was a real thing so this was proof that it was real but

Also, it was the first time I'd ever seen, heard, or read anything about queer people that wasn't judgmental.

Like, he was just a scientist, so he just described us.

Up until then, everything I'd ever heard about Gabriel was a bit of a joke or a snide comment or whatever.

And I kept that book for years, hidden under the bed like a porn magazine, you know.

But here's a nice little epilogue.

So during the pandemic, my old friend, Corinne, he works for one of the book publishers and he sort of does kind of artsy books and stuff.

And he lives in Glasgow these days, but Ireland is part of his thing.

And so one day he says, oh, I'm going to be in Dublin.

You know, he's often here during his work.

He says, oh, I just noticed that Desmond Morris is launching a book.

And I was like, is he?

Because I hadn't thought about him in a long time, really.

It turns out that Desmond Morris had moved to Ireland because his son is involved in horse racing.

And so his son lives in Kildare.

And Desmond Morris is a very elderly man.

So he's moved some village in Kildare.

And he was bringing out another book.

It was an art history book.

And, you know, he was a sort of a publishing giant, you know.