Flanagan Withdraws Over Pig Comments

Irish Voice News

Flanagan Withdraws Over Pig Comments

January 16, 2008

By April Drew

IRISH actress Fionnula Flanagan has pulled out of this year’s US-Ireland Alliance pre-Oscar awards party in a dispute over the undocumented Irish in the U.S.

Flanagan cited an opinion piece written by the organization’s president, Trina Vargo, in The Irish Times in November which criticized the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR) and its efforts to legalize the Irish in the U.S.

She says she was particularly incensed over the term “lipstick on a pig” used by Vargo to describe efforts to help the undocumented Irish. “That is outrageous language” she stated.

Flanagan, who was born in Dublin and has appeared in nearly 100 movies and television shows, spoke to the Irish Voice on Tuesday from California, where she is currently filming alongside Jim Carrey in a movie called Yes Man.

In a letter written by Flanagan to Vargo last week turning down her invitation to the alliance’s Oscar Wilde awards as honoree, Flanagan said, “I must respectfully decline to be honored by your organization which appears to have taken such a strong position against the most vulnerable of my countrymen.”

Describing the opinion piece published by The Irish Times on November 16, in which Vargo compared the efforts to ease the plight of the Irish undocumented to “putting lipstick on a pig,” as “castigating” and “shaming,” Flanagan said such an outburst of words disturbed her greatly, so she withdrew her name as an honoree for the pre-Oscar party that is held by the alliance in Hollywood.

“I was quite taken aback at the letter and decided I didn’t want anything to do with them or to lend my name to it,” said Flanagan.

Over the years, when asked, Flanagan has lent her name and support to various immigrant rights organizations in Southern California. She has also been a staunch supporter of ILIR.

“ I have championed sanctuary and the rights of immigrants who come largely from Central America. Their struggle is not easy and the bias against them is horrendous,” she wrote to Vargo.

“I have also supported, and will continue to support, both privately and publicly, the work of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform and have campaigned for their cause. I applaud the efforts of all the immigrant groups who are actively involved in lobbying the cause of their ‘undocumented’ members. I applaud their respective homeland governments when they help to plead their case.”

Although the op-ed piece in The Irish Times was signed by Vargo, underneath was her title and the US-Ireland Alliance name.

“No disclaimer appears therein, nor subsequently, in the Times, that would locate these views as solely yours, and since they were published under your titles as president and founder of the US-Ireland Alliance it certainly reads that you were representing the views of your organization and its board of directors,” wrote Flanagan to Vargo.

“The piece was shaming of the Irish illegals whose lobby over here is a voice for the undocumented Irish; many of whom cannot speak up individually for fear of being arrested and deported,” continued Flanagan, who felt strongly that it wouldn’t be right for her to accept an honor from an organization that scolds and singles out ILIR for lobbying on behalf of the undocumented Irish.

Referring to Vargo’s accusation that ILIR has excluded other undocumented nationalities in the fight for immigration reform, Flanagan said, “There is no evidence I have seen that the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform has ever excluded anyone from any race or for any other reason.”

Flanagan, who is married to psychiatrist Dr. Garrett O’Connor, admitted that she was undocumented for a short stint here in the U.S., and it wasn’t a pleasant experience.

“I can speak from my own experience as an immigrant to the U.S. Today I am fortunate to hold permanent legal status and am immensely grateful for the many opportunities the United States has given me,” she wrote.

“However, many years ago, when my work visa ran out, for a short time I became an ‘illegal.’ I was promptly suspended from the theater company where I was working and forbidden to work elsewhere. Without jeopardizing the granting of papers, which would legitimize my status, I could not go back and forth to Ireland and, unemployed, could not afford to do so.

“I was broke, dreadfully homesick for my family and lived in constant fear of deportation,” she wrote.

Empathizing with the undocumented now, Flanagan told the Irish Voice, “I’ll never forget how awful it was and how fearful it was. I can’t imagine what it must be like for families. I was a free spirit, if you will, at the time, but it must be pretty awful for families.”

Initially unaware of the op-ed piece in The Irish Times because she was on a boat off the coast of Ecuador, Flanagan had originally accepted Vargo’s invitation as an honoree at the event, which is scheduled to take place on Thursday, February 21 in Los Angeles. “Totally unaware of the op-ed piece, I had responded saying thank you very much. I was delighted and flattered to accept such a distinction,” she said.

It wasn’t until after Christmas that Vargo’s controversial article came to Flanagan’s attention, and she was shocked at what she read.

“I wondered why was this organization, which purports to further cultural, business and educational relations, making an intervention on such a volatile issue. It seemed to me unnecessary, that they were singling out a very vulnerable Irish group,” said Flanagan, mentioning that the US-Ireland Alliance receives a very generous contribution from the Irish taxpayer each year.

On the organization’s website, Flanagan is still listed as an honoree at the event, which will also honor Irish actress Fiona Shaw and writer/producer James L. Brooks.

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