On Monday I lost a good friend in shot gun alley. I’m told that’s a term for our 50s. The idea is that if you make it through the random fire of premature death you’ll probably live to a ripe old age. I’ve no idea of the veracity of the claim. But on hearing of […]
Author: chriscreegan
Rainbow Laces comes to Scottish athletics
One of the big sports stories of the last week has been the decision of rugby league star Keegan Hirst to come out. People have rightly praised his bravery. But others will be probably be thinking surely it doesn’t matter, it’s nobody’s business but his own. However, the very fact that it’s such an uncommon […]
On being one of the 1 in 4 (and the road back)
In September I will take on the position of chair of the board of trustees at SAMH, Scotland’s leading mental health charity. This post explains why I got involved with SAMH and one of the things I hope to bring to the role. PART ONE It’s the summer of 2002. I’m 41 years old. I’m […]
Ten fault lines at the heart of the Farron affair
Much has been written and spoken about Tim Farron’s views on homosexuality. Initially, I hadn’t intended to add my voice to the mix. But the more I’ve explored the coverage, the more I’ve been struck by a series of tensions and contradictions in the commentary. This piece is in part about Farron but also about […]
Letting the light in on death: love, memory and loss
Twenty years ago today at 10.21pm my partner of almost 10 years died. He was 37 and I was 34. It was a shattering moment. But it wasn’t a shock. I can’t begin to understand what it must be like to be bereaved in sudden and shocking circumstances like the relatives of those murdered in […]
The aspiration debate: why inequality matters too
Aspiration is back at the top of the left’s political agenda. Apparently Labour lost because people have it in spades and the party didn’t reach out to them. And yet not so long ago it was poverty of aspiration that was all the talk. Onlookers could be forgiven for thinking that people should make their […]
Enniscorthy, equal marriage and the ’embrace of love’
There are moments when something immediately resonates. Such a moment happened to me earlier this week when I learned that in the midst of the referendum debate about equal marriage in Ireland a number of people had walked out during Saturday evening Mass at an Irish cathedral. The walk out happened because the bishop had […]
Why Generalissimo Cameron is the wrong response to child abuse
Another week, another brief media frenzy or two about child abuse and sexual exploitation. This week it was Oxford. Next time it might be Rotherham again. All too often we get a news spike when something happens to the perpetrators or the authorities; or when the home of an alleged celebrity culprit is raided. And […]
From Scotland With Love: a gift for all of us
From Scotland With Love is a tour de force. Yesterday I had the privilege of attending a screening of the film accompanied by King Creosote live at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow. I’d caught the tail end of it on television at Christmas and had been immediately drawn in by the fascinating archive images […]
Equal Marriage: A big step closer to One Scotland
Scotland awoke to historic change this morning. Equal Marriage is legal. It’s splashed across the headlines. From today couples already in Civil Partnerships will be able to convert them to marriages and from 31st December those not already in Civil Partnerships will be able to marry. These changes received broad support from across the political […]