Councillor target of homophobic attack during election campaign

Fianna Fáil’s Paddy McKee is one of the eight openly gay councillors elected ahead of next year’s gay marriage referendum.

Patrick McKee with the posters that were vandalised in Kilkenny. Picture: Dylan Vaughan

Fianna Fáil’s Paddy McKee is one of the eight openly gay councillors elected ahead of next year’s gay marriage referendum.

He had to take down seven of his posters during the election campaign in Kilkenny city after homophobic slurs were scrawled across them.

“It seemed like a targeted attack. There were several posters at a reasonable height, so it wasn’t some kid coming home after a few drinks. There were drawings and remarks,” ...