Post PRIDE and Harlem Cafe, after lazing on the City Centre’s lawn among locals, my iEi friends and I headed back to the Linen Hall Hostel, with the intention of planning the following day. While taking advantage of the wi-fi in the lobby, Pearsey paraded through the space with a rainbow flag tied around his waist and rainbows on his cheeks. He waved to me. He soon returned and the six of us began to chat. Pearsey travelled to Belfast specifically for PRIDE festivities with a gaggle of his cohorts. He had a bit to drink, but was the friendliest, most vivacious Irish native I’d encountered.

When he discovered we were American, he sat down and excitedly began asking questions, making us feel like celebrities. He was blown away by Chris and Chloe’s hometown of Baltimore; he was a fan of the movie Hairspray. This prompted him to ask passerby if they were familiar with the film and he proceeded to sing “Good Morning Baltimore” to each. A majority of the people had no idea to what he was referring and I wished that more people were able to sing along with him.

He asked us if we liked Lady Gaga (whom I adore) and if we knew any celebrities. He flaunted his “GAGA” wrist tattoo and relayed the enormous impact she’s had on his life. He called her “mother” and nearly died retelling the story of when he touched her hand. Pearsey’s favorite Gaga song is “Bad Romance.” The worship of Mother Monster and her music empowered him to embrace his sexuality and come out to the world. 

We are now friends on Facebook and I look forward to acting as Chicago tour guide as soon as he makes it across the pond. 🙂