Maria Walsh and director Shauna Keogh went public with their relationship last summer, and the pair seem happier than ever these days.
However, things weren’t always as easy on the relationship front for director Shauna. Speaking to the Irish Independent, she’s opened up about a recent film that she co-directed about growing up gay in rural Ireland, The Only Gay in the Village.
The Dublin native said that she lived with the secret of her sexuality for over twenty years, and it wasn’t until she moved abroad that she could be true to herself.
“I have a personal connection to this because I am gay, and I’ve not been out very long. I spent my entire life on the run from my own sexuality, and battling my internal feelings.
“When I moved to London, I was starting to be exposed to more gay things. I worked with Katie Price and Peter Andre, I was with them almost every single day for about three years.
“I met one of their make-up artists, a gay man, married to his husband. I started to meet people, and I realised there were so many different types of gay people, and – wow! – gay women. But I was still very much in denial. It was still such a negative thing.
“It was only when I moved to the US, late in my 20s, that I had my first relationship. But that was behind closed doors,” she said.
Now though, Shauna and Maria are trying to provide a positive role model for members of the LGBT community with their relationship.
“We had a friendship for a long time before we ever turned our relationship romantic. For both of us, when we first met, our timings weren’t right. We were both busy with our respective careers, but we spent a lot of time hanging out, so it just naturally progressed into something.
“If we can be a positive role model for people in the LGBT community, or their parents, that’s brilliant. We’re very selective in terms of what we’re seen at and what we support, but we’re very happy to be an image for other people, to help the younger generation,” she said.
The Only Gay In The Village will air on November 9th on RTE2 at 9pm.
