On The Line: Panti Bliss, Queen of Ireland

Irish drag star Panti Bliss gained international respect in 2014 when she delivered a heartfelt speech about oppression. The YouTube video was watched by hundreds of thousands of people, the Pet Shop Boys even set it to music.

Soon Panti was travelling the world, including an appearance at the 2015 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, but her most important work was her vocal support for marriage equality in Ireland.

Panti’s life story in captured in a new documentary ‘Queen of Ireland’ that opens at Cinema Paradiso in Northbridge this week.

Our interview with Rory O’Neill, the man behind the makeup, is in the September edition of OUTinPerth, but you can listen in on the whole phone conversation where we have the man dubbed the Queen of Ireland on the line.

This Thursday, September 8th, Cinema Paradiso hosts a very special Opening Night (6pm arrivals for 6.30pm screening) of this uplifting documentary about Ireland’s superstar drag queen Panti Bliss as she rises from ‘giant cartoon woman’ to one of the highest-profile activists in the LGBTIQ community.

The event will be hosted by Connections Night Club resident drag queen BarbieQ include a free glass of wine* on arrival, prize giveaways from Henna Designs and Transmission Films PLUS free entry post-screening** to Connections Night Club and glass of bubbly on arrival.