Ireland is much in the news of late and their vote on same sex marriage seems to have galvanized some of our politicians into action on the same matter.
Ireland however has had earlier impacts on Australian life, not the least of which is Australian Rules Football (aka AFL), let's have a discussion on what has come to us from the Emerald Isle.

Sorry about that, it was meant to be a new discussion; so please disregard as it is intended to be on the lighter side.

Jay, I can totally agree with your last post. I know several very effeminate men who are happily married, who if in today teens would be identified by their peers as gay. The very fact they can produce children indicates their normal function as a heterosexual male.

Josephus,

"The very fact they can produce children indicates their normal function as a heterosexual male."

True, but it is also true of homosexual men, there are plenty of instances, on record, of men who were homosexual marrying and fathering children, sometimes in a desperate attempt to deny their sexuality; often lading to years of unhappiness for them and sometimes unhappiness for all concerned.

Why Jews Push Gay Marriage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yLbF0BtZs4

Is Mise, Yeah but homosexuality when coupled with discretion has never been a problem for anyone, men who ran afoul of the law before it was de-criminalised were usually involved in other criminal activity as well.
When I hear of these "house parties" in the 1950's instead of having some image in my head from TV or movies of genteel cocktail parties spoiled by raids and beatings I picture some of the "bohemian" parties I went to back in my Fitzroy days where in addition to sexual dalliances by all persuasions there was always drug use and often youths under the age of 18 present. To say that anything goes in that milieu is an understatement because literally everything goes, I can recall a party at an address in Richardson St Carlton in about 1992, sitting on the living room floor smoking bongs with my friends while what sounded like a rambunctious Lesbian orgy played out in the adjoining room and pairings of all descriptions occurred in the garden, the bathroom and the kitchen. The cops would often turn up because of noise complaints and on occasion arrest people for being drunk or for possession of narcotics and yeah they'd rough people up as well if they got lippy.
In those days I had two good friends, one a housemate and the guy next door who would pretty much do anything with anyone if the mood took them,on one sunday morning there might be a gay man having breakfast in my kitchen, the next a young woman but both are now married with children and simply grew out of their bisexual phase like I grew out of my drug taking and binge drinking.
That's a massive digression but my point is it's always been the case that anyone who's a bit different or a bit "loose", a drug user or homosexual or whatever will always find themselves getting aggravation from the cops and the "squares", you just have to find a clique in which you're comfortable and conduct your activities in secret and there's a clique for everyone. Cont-