BY NOREEN FAGAN – Although I know a fair number of queers who got up at 4am in
the morning to watch the royal wedding, I also know a lot who didn’t, and who don’t really want to
hear any more about the royal antics across the pond.
For the past months, ever since the engagement was
announced, the public has been inundated with reports on the couple – his
lineage and her lack of it, the story of her engagement ring or his decision
not to wear a wedding ring, her dress vs his military uniform, the wedding
guests, rehearsals and… well, the list goes on and on.
There have been some fun moments building up to the big day, like
the T-Mobile instant advertising video that has gone viral.
But there have also been some sullied moments concerning
the guest list.
The greatest snub was to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, who
were pointedly left off the list. Instead, representatives from countries
not known for their human rights records were invited: Zimbabwe’s ambassador to
Britain; King Mswati III of Swaziland, who Amnesty International has criticized
for using security forces to quell peaceful demonstrations; Prince Salman bin
Hamad al-Khalifa of Bahrain, whose regime has killed dozens of peaceful
anti-government protestors — he respectfully declined under pressure; Saudi
Arabia’s Prince Mohamed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz; and representatives of
North Korea and Iran.
There were also protests against the wedding. In Britain,
gay activist Peter Tatchell arranged a rally outside Buckingham Palace that
was peaceful, well attended and straightforward in its message — that same-sex couples still cannot get married in the UK.
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