Helen Doody, our Hero and Mother of the Year
When Declan Doody wrote to Irish justice minister Dermot Ahern about the inequality of civil partnerships, he was dismayed to receive no response. However, when he posted a copy of the letter on his Facebook account, his mother Helen was spurred into action to write her own. Recalling his fear of bullies at school and her temporary shock when he came out, she wrote: "Your Civil Partnership Bill is not good enough for my family, and hundreds, thousands of other families in this country." Writing on queerid.com, Declan revealed he burst into tears when he read the letter she sent, which asked Ahern to "revise this bill so everyone can be equal". The letter is fast becoming a hit on the internet. Below is the letter in full. Dear Mr Ahern, My name is Helen Doody, you have already received and failed to reply to a letter that my own son Declan sent to you a week or so ago. So like any good and decent parent I am now trying to get you to listen to and protect my child – ...