Gemma O’Doherty. (YouTube)
LGBT+ people have shared photos showing just how gloriously ecstatic they really are after a far-right conspiracy theorist said gay people can’t be happy.
Gemma O’Doherty, a former journalist from Ireland who has been permanently banned from Twitter, made her incendiary comments about queer people in a live-streamed video.
“I don’t see anyone or know anyone who is gay who is happy. I just don’t,” O’Doherty said in the video, which was subsequently uploaded to Twitter.
“It’s a miserable lifestyle. It’s a promiscuous lifestyle. It’s a dark lifestyle.”
The video was widely-shared on social media, prompting LGBT+ people to share photos of themselves showing just how happy, bright and colourful their lives are.
Emmerdale star Michelle Hardwick shot the far-right down with beautiful family photo
Michelle Hardwick, who plays Vanessa Woodfield in Emmerdale, led the charge, sharing a gorgeous photo of herself, her wife and their son together on a sunny day.
“Yup, this picture radiates misery,” Hardwick tweeted, along with a smiley face emoji and a Pride-flag emoji.
Yup, this picture just radiates misery 😊🏳️🌈 https://t.co/Eoo8m6mg45 pic.twitter.com/bIrj5dMZ1N
— Michelle Hardwick (@ChelleHardwick) May 28, 2021
Countless other queer people responded to O’Doherty’s video with their own photos showing just how happy they are.
Happy AND gay who’d have thought? pic.twitter.com/VxVB0HRIjl
— M🐶TTY (@thatmattyh) May 27, 2021
Don’t be fooled by outward smiles and a long period of time of happiness together, because inside is miserable and so dark xx pic.twitter.com/VLdvA0VE4J
— Mícheál McCann (@micklemccann) May 28, 2021
Thank you for highlighting our plight. As our pics shows we’re soooooo unhappy. 12 years together and we’re miserable. It is such a dark life… full of love, humour, affection, caring, companionship, learning, sharing, listening, fun, gratitude, trust and growth #GayIsGood pic.twitter.com/4tRyzrdkty
— Odhrán Allen #BlackLivesMatter (@odhranallen) May 28, 2021
We are 35 yrs together and still happy, I think you are mixing with the wrong people. DM if you need a night out to cheer yourself up . pic.twitter.com/EVPzI17IxV
— Simon Reeves (@simonmcr67) May 28, 2021
Here’s a very happy gay man (me) with my and my husband’s very giggly son, but thanks for the concern pic.twitter.com/1sJSsUemJr
— Paul Morgan-Bentley (@pmorganbentley) May 28, 2021
Massively unhappy since 1997 🙂 pic.twitter.com/FIDVqgqQbR
— Dennis Noel Kavanagh (@Jebadoo2) May 28, 2021
This was me and my husband on our wedding day in 2010. No misery that day. There was in 2016 when he died suddenly of a massive heart attack. And there is still sadness with me now because of that. It’s called grief. And after all, what is grief but love (happiness) persevering? pic.twitter.com/8xWDSZBCL1
— LindumChap🏳️🌈🇪🇺 (@LindumChap) May 28, 2021
Here’s my happy little family.
☺️ pic.twitter.com/hx4Gg2NhqG— Heather Peace 💙 (@heatherpeace) May 28, 2021
My promiscuous, unhappy wife and I celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary today. Here’s to many more dark days ahead! pic.twitter.com/elU0PaoSwh
— Kirsty McShannon (@kirstymcshannon) May 28, 2021
I have a gay son who is very happy because the people around him accept him for who he is. Maybe the gay people in your life aren’t happy because they have ignorant people like you judging them. Just a thought….
— Sandra Keefe (@sandra_keefe) May 27, 2021
Very very happy thanks for asking – together for 14 years , married for 8 next month. pic.twitter.com/iKl2Nqyg9Y
— Lauren Pett (@Laurenpett20) May 28, 2021
Together for 13 years and now with our adopted son … couldn’t be happy … no darkness no promiscuous behaviour just a loving family … maybe recheck your facts pic.twitter.com/koiKYFlcqf
— Casper Ricky G W (@MonopolyMan81) May 27, 2021
The couple on the inside, together for 11 years and very happy indeed thank you very much! And on the outside these fabulous gentlemen have been together for 60 wonderful years ! I suggest Gemma you crawl back under the rock from whence you came! pic.twitter.com/xt3BTAXMLM
— Carl Sanderson (@carlsanderson5) May 27, 2021
I have been with my husband for 28 years. I am a successful doctor and health leader. I cannot tell you how blissfully happy I am. By all means come visit some time pic.twitter.com/9w4uwfVuDO
— Dr Paul Gilluley🌈 (@DrGilluley) May 27, 2021
Thirteen years of being absolutely miserable and dark together xx 🥰 pic.twitter.com/cgAFV0o0cz
— G Nugent-Folan (@gnf____) May 28, 2021
Gemma O’Doherty was once a highly-regarded journalist in Ireland where she worked for the Irish Independent. In recent years, she has become known for sharing conspiracy theories about migration, George Soros and Islam.
In 2019, a mixed-race couple from Meath, Ireland, were dogpiled with racist abuse after O’Doherty shared a Lidl advert they were featured in. Writing on Twitter at the time, O’Doherty alluded to the white nationalist “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, which falsely claims white people are being replaced by people of other ethnicities.
O’Doherty was permanently suspended from Twitter in July 2020 following repeated violations of the social media platform’s policies. She was banned from YouTube in 2019 shortly after she posted a video in which she spoke about ethnic minorities in Ireland.
In 2018, O’Doherty had a very public run-in with Ireland’s foremost drag queen Panti Bliss after she asked for her support in the country’s presidential election.
Panti Bliss shared O’Doherty’s plea for help on Twitter, saying her alleged support for the LGBT+ community was “bulls**t”.
