Latest Gay Belfast News

PA MagLochlainn, chairman of the Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association, attended a controversial Christian conference on homosexuality in Belfast at the weekend says there was a significant difference between how the event was initially perceived compared to the actual reality of its content. The title of the conference, “The Lepers Among Us: Homosexuality and the Life of the Church”, caused heated debate last week across Northern Ireland, with some gay rights activists saying they found it hugely offensive. The event was organised by Northern Ireland group, Core Issues. Mr MagLochlainn said there was a huge difference between “the perception and reality” of the conference message. Its title came from a book by the keynote speaker, the Rev Jim Reynolds, a pastor and lawyer from Texas.

Mr MagLochlainn said: “Rev Reynolds was arguing that churches must offer a much more welcoming approach to gay people. The conference had a panel on Friday with a representative of the gay perspective sitting on it, which was most welcome to see.” Referring to Rev Reynolds, Mr MagLochlainn said: “I really liked the guy. “The relationship between the organisers and our protestors is actually very good. They provided a dedicated space for us to protest and brought us out hot coffee and scones. About 10 of us sat through the conference and I asked several questions. “Rev Reynolds has actually a more liberal, Christian attitude to gay people in the church. I totally understand what he was saying in using the title ‘The Lepers Among Us’ for his book. It was an unfortunate choice of words. However, I agree with him that the church has treated the gay community like lepers. He says that the church accepts the worst of murderers back and tries to work with them but displays a very different attitude to gay people, which is what he is challenging. During the conference I asked him why they do not spend as much time tackling homophobia as they do trying to help people change sexuality. Homophobia is killing gay people, I told them. Basically Rev Reynolds and I agreed on this point. A large part of his book deals with this very issue. This is an improvement in their approach, I can see the Holy Ghost’s work in all of this. People’s eyes have been opened. It is always encouraging to see the church adopting a more Christian attitude.” However, Mr MagLochlainn differed with Rev Reynolds in their final conclusions. “He reckons the gay lifestyle is not acceptable in the Christian faith, but gay Christians like us see no conflict,” said Mr MagLochlainn.

Iris Robinson's favourite psychiatrist who offers “gay cure” therapy has had conditions imposed on his practice of medicine while a complaint against him by an undercover journalist is investigated. Dr Paul Miller, who works in private practice outside Belfast, came to public attention several years ago while working as a health advisor to former DUP MP Iris Robinson. She publicly stated that she knew Dr Miller had been successful in helping clients deal with unwanted same sex attraction. Mrs Robinson also referred to him as "a lovely psychiatrist" who could turn gay people away from "what they are engaged in". Last year, undercover gay journalist Patrick Strudwick contacted Dr Miller posing as a man who wanted such treatment. However, he later wrote a media report on his experience and lodged a complaint with the General Medical Council, saying he wanted Dr Miller to be struck off. This week the General Medical Council (GMC) confirmed it had imposed eight conditions on Dr Miller while it investigates a serious complaint against him.

The Belfast News Letter reported that the GMC had not made any finding of misconduct against Dr Miller and that it was not unusual to put such temporary conditions in place while investigating serious allegations. In cases where such conditions are imposed the final outcome may be that the doctor under investigation is found totally innocent, or the case may be referred to a public hearing. None of the eight conditions specifically restrict Dr Miller from treating clients for unwanted same-sex attraction. The conditions are that from January 12, 2012 until July 2013, Dr Miller must; notify the GMC of any medical posts he accepts; allow the GMC to correspond with any employer or body he provides services to; inform the GMC of any disciplinary action taken against him; inform the GMC if he applies for medical work outside the UK; obtain GMC approval before accepting any medical positions; his day-to-day work must be supervised by a medical consultant or similar; he must not take any locum posts of less than three months duration; and he must inform any employer or body he is providing services to of the aforementioned conditions.

The current judicial review taking place at the High Court in Belfast, to challenge the ban on unmarried couples being considered for adoption in Northern Ireland, has been put on hold while investigations are made. The provision which blocks people in civil partnerships from being considered for adoption had been characterised as a mistake before the House of Lords during a case in 2008. But the Department of Health, who are being represented by the attorney general in the review, said yesterday that the provision had been intentionally added by the government at the time of the civil partnerships legislation.

The Human Rights Commission wants the judicial review to bring Northern Ireland’s adoption rules in line with those in other parts of the UK, saying the ban on unmarried couples being considered as adoptive parents is contrary to human rights laws. Mr Justice Treacy said: “How on earth a massive mistake like that could have been communicated to the House of Lords and nobody saw fit to correct it, I have great difficulty in understanding.” Monye Anyadike-Danes QC, for the commission, said: “The upshot of that is that if you are in a civil partnership you can neither adopt as a single person or adopt as a couple. It wasn’t until Tuesday that we got the statement that the mistake wasn’t a mistake, it was intentional.”

But the Attorney General, John Larkin QC, called the application to adjourn the hearing “outrageous”, since the unnamed lesbian couple backing the judicial review are not in a civil partnership themselves. He said: “It would have been striking if by the back door (of the) civil partnership legislation, there was some overwhelming transformation of the legal landscape on adoption. That is precisely what the government was trying to avoid.” The Judge will hear the Commission’s application for information in early 2012.

Gay rights campaigners in Northern Ireland are pressuring health minister Edwin Poots to overturn the lifetime ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood. Last week, UK health ministers announced that the rules would be relaxed in England, Wales and Scotland on November 7th – allowing gay and bisexual men to donate if they refrain from sex for 12 months. But Northern Ireland is yet to make a decision on whether it will follow suit. Gay rights group The Rainbow Project has written to Mr Poots to ask him to make his stance clear. John O’Doherty, director of The Rainbow Project, said: “We welcome the move by the UK government to change the rules on MSM donating blood, however we feel they do not go far enough and can’t understand why once again Northern Ireland has been left out in the cold. “There is no recognition within these changes for couples who are in long term relationships, only having sex with each other and therefore not at risk of HIV or other sexually transmitted infections.” He pointed to a recent statement by John Dalli, the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, who said that while EU laws demand donation restriction on those at higher risk of HIV, sexual behaviour is not identical to sexual orientation.

Mr O’Docherty continued:”The LGB&T community in Northern Ireland should not have to rely on the courts and the EU to implement key changes on equality matters. The minister for health needs to make his intentions around these changes clear and this needs to be done immediately. “Blood banks continue to struggle to meet demand in Northern Ireland and despite this, archaic legislation still exists banning some of the populations from donating blood.” Mr Poots is considering whether Northern Ireland’s laws should come into line with the rest of Britain, his spokeswoman told the Belfast Telegraph. The one-year deferral period for England, Wales and Scotland was chosen in part because of Hepatitis B, which disproportionately affects gay and bisexual men. But gay rights campaigners said gay men would still be treated unfairly under the new rules, as heterosexuals engaged in higher risk sexual activity are not subject to the same restrictions. The ban was put in place in the 1980s after the AIDS crisis, as gay and bisexual men have higher rates of HIV. Currently, any man who has ever had protected or unprotected oral or anal sex with another man cannot donate blood. The government’s Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO) has been examining the issue for the last 18 months.

“In what is believed to be the first gay union involving a serving Church of Ireland minister, the Very Rev Tom Gordon, who is originally from Portadown, yesterday confirmed that he had formalised the relationship under new laws introduced in the Republic earlier this year”, states a report in today’s Belfast News Letter. The Rev Gordon, who is Dean of Leighlin Cathedral in Co Carlow, said that the ceremony had taken place at a registry office on 29th July 2011. A spokesman for the Church of Ireland declined to comment in detail, saying that it was a “private matter”. It is understood that there was one other case previously, which involved a retired Church of Ireland minister who entered a civil partnership. The development seems certain to re-ignite the fierce and long-running Anglican debate about homosexuality.

A gay rights activist from Uganda, who has faced repeated death threats in her home country, will be in Belfast on Thursday to deliver the Amnesty International Pride Lecture. Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera is the founder and executive director of Freedom and Roam Uganda, a leading LGBT rights organization. In January, her colleague David Kato was murdered after the Ugandan tabloid Rolling Stone published a “gay list” and called for the people named in the list to be hanged. Nabagesera’s name also appears on the list. Patrick Corrigan, Northern Ireland Programme Director of Amnesty International said: "Kasha Nabagesera is a courageous woman and we are delighted to bring her to Belfast. In the face of ongoing threats and attacks for her work, she has continued to speak out on behalf of Uganda’s LGBT community. She constantly has to shift from house to house, never staying too long in the same place, yet her voice for human rights in Uganda has never been dimmed. "In recent years human Amnesty International has documented numerous cases of discrimination, arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention, torture and other ill-treatment on the basis of sexual orientation in Uganda, and against activists exposing violations against the LGBT community. Kasha is here to tell people in Northern Ireland the real stories behind our reports and to explain how people here can support gay people in Uganda. "Ms Nabagesera is the winner of the prestigious 2011 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders. The honour is designed to publicise the recipient’s work and help protect them from the dangers they face. The Amnesty Pride Lecture, "The struggle for gay rights in Uganda", will take place at 7:15pm on Thursday 25 August in the Black Box, Hill Street in Belfast, with a lecture followed by a question and answer session hosted by William Crawley.

Bianca Jagger and Billy Bragg Belfast-bound to celebrate Amnesty International birthday (18 August 2011)

Two outspoken campaigners with very different backgrounds are set for Belfast this October to help Amnesty International celebrate its fiftieth birthday. Well-known human rights campaigner Bianca Jagger and celebrated singer-songwriter Billy Bragg will both be in Belfast as part of Amnesty International’s contribution to the Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s. Jagger will deliver the annual Amnesty International Lecture while Bragg will serve up a special celebration of songs of freedom and protest. Nicaraguan-born Jagger has been a prominent human rights campaigner for the last thirty years. In 1981 she helped rescue 40 captured refugees from a US-backed death squad in Honduras, challenging the heavily armed men with the shout: "you will have to kill us all!" It was the turning point in what, for the previous decade, had been a life lived in the celebrity spotlight. Since then she has worked on a wide range of human rights issues, including with Amnesty on campaigns against torture, the death penalty and violence against women. On the fiftieth anniversary of Amnesty International, Bianca Jagger reflects on the human rights revolution which has wrought fundamental change in the post-War world and, in 2011, combined the power of social media and public demonstration to challenge and topple repressive regimes in the Middle East and North Africa. Jagger says it is an unstoppable revolution because it embodies the simple demand of people everywhere that they be treated with dignity. On Thursday 27 October, celebrated singer-songwriter Billy Bragg brings his guitar to Belfast for a special Amnesty International night of songs of freedom and protest. Mixing his own memorable back catalogue with personal favourites from the likes of Woody Guthrie, and explaining the back-story to the songs, Bragg presents a unique evening of celebration for Amnesty. Tickets for both events are available via www.belfastfestival.com

A musical based on the true story of Northern Ireland's gay rugby team, the Ulster Titans is set to open at the Edinburgh Festival this week. Scene of the Titans has been written by a former player on the team Tim Foley.The club was founded in 2007 to give people the opportunity to play rugby despite their backgrounds. The musical is set in Belfast's biggest gay club, The Kremlin when regular Terry proposes setting up a rugby team in order to impress a guy.

The show follows Terry and his seven friends as they set up Northern Ireland's first gay rugby team in a bid to win an international competition in Dublin. Mr Foley told BBC News about his experiences in the team and why he decided to write the musical, which features a number of original songs. "Being in the team was fantastic, I'd never met guys who did that before, it was like a community within a community. There were a lot of jokes about being in a gay rugby team, but really it was just a bunch of rugby lads coming together. Being gay was in the background. My mum loves the team and my dad played sport so he was just happy I was playing."

Tim said his mum was happier that her son was playing in a gay rugby team because she thought he would be safer and wouldn't get hurt. "That's completely not true, I think it's more violent," said Tim. "Especially playing other teams that couldn't stand losing to a gay team so they were more aggressive. I had to give up due to injury, I was dropped on my head and suffered a rotator cuff injury."

The musical previewed earlier this year at St Andrews University. Scene of the Titans. Mr Foley said the reaction had been largely positive partly due to the fact that it is based on a true story."Most people can't believe the story is true. They also can't believe I wrote the story and the songs, hopefully they will at least like one or the other," he said. The Ulster Titans have also backed the show. "A number of the players have contacted me, wondering what character is based on them. A few of them are going to try and come over and see the play," he said."I would love to bring the show back to its home in Belfast in the future." The show has also received the support of former England Rugby International Ben Cohen who backed the show on social networking site twitter. Scene of the Titans runs for 26 performances at C Venues as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival until 29 August 2011. Weblink: wwwsceneofthetitans.co.uk

TUV leader calls for apology over Belfast Gay Pride posters (3 August 2011)

Hardline TUV leader Jim Allister MLA is calling on organisers of Belfast Pride to apologise for offensive posters and the "torrent of abuse" he said Christian protesters were subjected to. The TUV leader has written to the PSNI and Parades Commission about placards he deems offensive including 'Jesus protect me from your followers', and 'Jesus had two dads (and he turned out just fine)'. Mr Allister said: "I found the posters and gestures offensive. It was a perverse attempt to make an argument for gay adoption. After a blasphemous placard was carried in the parade previously, organisers gave assurances it would not happen again. Assurances given have proved worthless," he said.

Gay Pride is Obscene, says McIlveen (1st August 2011)

Free Presbyterian minister Rev David McIlveen has defended his protest at Saturday’s Gay Pride parade in Belfast. Rev McIlveen led a “gospel witness” on the parade route but said he left before the parade passed, because the spectacle had been a “very unpleasant experience” in the past. And while the organisers said the parade was good for Belfast, Rev McIlveen said: “I certainly do not see it as an asset to Belfast in any way. It is something that is grieving to a good number of people. “It is an in-your-face situation which will always bring reaction.” “We base what we are saying on God’s word,” said Rev McIlveen, who said there were around 60 people supporting his event at the corner of Waring Street and North Street. “It is a challenge – the Gay Pride event – to many Bible believers. “We get quite a bit of support through letters and phone calls which is always encouraging. “We found that some of the floats were so obscene and the music so loud – it was a very unpleasant experience for anyone that would not be thinking the way the parade organisers would want you to think.” However, the organisers of Gay Pride said they had gone to significant lengths to make it “family friendly”.

The 21st Gay Pride parade was a colourful spectacle with dozens of floats, and it is claimed to be the largest of its kind in Ireland as well as being in the top 10 in the UK. The parade kicked off a number of events over the weekend including a sports and family fun day at Ormeau Park on Sunday. This year’s carnival and fun fair theme has seen people from all backgrounds march through the city centre. Secretary of Belfast Gay Pride, Simon Rea, said the event is about celebrating diversity. “It’s giving people the chance to come out and be open about their sexuality and life in general. “The support gets bigger and bigger every year and it’s great that Belfast welcomes us.” Belfast lord mayor Niall O Donnghaile welcomed the parade at the City Hall. “Pride is a wonderful, colourful display, a huge parade taking place involving old and young,” he said. “There were many families as well - a great indication and a great symbol of Belfast moving forward as a changing city.” He was joined by Jeff Dudgeon – the man who brought about the decriminalisation of homosexual acts in Northern Ireland when he filed a complaint to the European Commission of Human Rights. Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association president P A MagLochlainn, 65, said he was pleased that politicians from several parties had supported them.

Belfast Braves Have Come Along Way (30 June 2011)

What started as a casual kick-about one evening at the football pitches in Stormont Estate in east Belfast. A handful of women gathered in response to a suggestion made online. Aged between 18 and 50, and with varying levels of skill, the dozen didn’t stand out from any other ladies’ footie team putting in a bit of mid-week practice on the beautiful game. But they were different. This was the inaugural meeting of what would become Belfast Braves — the UK’s first lesbian football team. Almost a year later, they have upped their game tremendously, competing in a range of friendlies and charity matches against the likes of Crusaders, Glentoran, Abbey Villa, Bangor, Newtownabbey Strikers and Knockbreda (they may have been slaughtered 7-0 by Knockbreda, but they won 3-2 against Bangor). With many of the team having played competitively in ladies’ football, they plan to join the Northern Ireland Ladies’ Football Association league next year.

They say they have received overwhelmingly positive feedback, and have never encountered taunts or jibes from the terraces. So why is it necessary to have a separate lesbian team when, presumably, many lesbians already participate in ladies’ football? Is there not a danger of ghettoising gay sports? “It’s to create a safer environment for lesbian players,” comments Lesley Todd, the general manager of the team. “Hopefully it won’t always be necessary, but at this point in time, lesbian players can sometimes be singled out on regular teams and some of our players have had that experience in the past. “We stand stronger when we stand together. Belfast Braves is resolutely against prejudice of any kind. We don’t discriminate against any disability, any creed, any colour. We are totally inclusive.”

Indeed, three members of the team happen to be deaf, and communicate with other team members via a combination of lip reading and sign language. On Saturday, Belfast Braves are due to travel to Nottingham to take part in a tournament organised by the Justin Campaign and Nottingham University’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Staff Network. The Justin Campaign was set up in memory of Justin Fashanu, Britain’s first — and only, to date — top flight footballer to come out as gay. He died through suicide in 1990 and many gay activists believe the pressures he faced as an openly gay black man contributed to his problems. He was also wanted for questioning in the US, at the time, over allegations of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old boy.

The Justin Campaign aims to combat anti-gay prejudice in all sports, but particularly football, which is commonly seen as the most homophobic of British sports. Aside from the Nottingham tournament, Belfast Braves have a busy summer ahead. On Monday next week, they will take part in a family sports day at Ormeau Park, as part of Gay Pride. The following month, on August 28, they travel to Londonderry to take part in that city’s Pride celebrations. They train on Wednesdays evenings at Stormont Pavilion and Saturday mornings at Ormeau Park, and are actively looking for new members. If you wish to find out more, see their Facebook page.

Debbie Todd (45) lives in Ballyclare, Co Antrim, with her teenage son and her civil partner, Lesley. She works as an accounts clerk and is the secretary of Belfast Braves said I came out relatively recently, in 2005. In a previous life, I was married with two children, although being gay was not why I split from my husband. We had already split when I met Lesley. I think I had always known I was gay, but I never planned on doing anything about it, as I was a mum first and foremost. Meeting Lesley changed everything. We got married at Belfast City Hall in February 2007 and it was a wonderful occasion. All our families were there, cheering us on. One of the highlights for me was after the ceremony, when two old ladies, who just happened to be wandering around, came up and congratulated us. That meant so much to me. It was like being accepted. It’s a bit like that with Belfast Braves. For me personally, being in a lesbian team means not having to pretend to be something you’re not.

I played women’s football from when I was a teenager until I had children. I played in the NILFA league for years. My team, Chimney Corner, topped the First Division once during my time with them. I really missed football after I gave it up, but I never dreamed I would get a second chance. Because I’m older now, I work hard on my fitness, but it must be paying off, as I’m able to beat the younger girls during training. I am ambitious for Belfast Braves. Having said that, the club is about more than football. It’s like an extended family. There is so much support and camaraderie among the team members. It’s not all tough training schedules either. We’ll go for a meal in someone’s house or for a pizza and a few drinks. They’re a lovely bunch and I’ve made some really good friends through it. I don’t think any romance has blossomed out of the club, but there are quite a few established couples. One couple is getting married next April and planning a Belfast Braves theme — they’re going to tie the knot in their kit.

Angie Young (45) works for Bombardier and lives in Dundonald. She has one son, 15-year-old Bradley. She is the captain of Belfast Braves said I have played football with the boys since I was three years old. Growing up in a wee estate in Greenisland, I never dreamed that I would ever play on a proper pitch. When I was about 16, a neighbour told me about a ladies’ football team in Carrickfergus. I’ve played in ladies’ football ever since, save for a few years, when I thought I was too old. Then Belfast Braves contacted me and asked me to join. I am over the moon to be back in the game. I go to the gym and a zumba class — working out to dance music — between training to keep up my fitness. I have played at all levels in the past, including with Northland Raiders, Bangor Ladies and Newtownabbey Strikers. I came out as a lesbian around 13 years ago. It was the most difficult thing I have ever done. I had to leave my husband. It was really, really tough. I feared for my son, that it might harm him. I remember trying to find a way to tell him. I took him for a round of golf. I said: “Son, I’ve something to tell you ...” When I finished, all he said was, “Right, are we playing this round, or not?” Children don’t see labels, they just see the person. Attitudes have changed so much. When I first came out, people on the shopfloor at Bombardier would say to me, “You’re the first lesbian I’ve ever met”. I’d say, “Would you ever wise up! I may be the first ‘out’ lesbian you’ve met, but I’m certainly not the first lesbian.” Some women would act like they were afraid you would fancy them. So many times I felt like saying, “Get over yourself, you’re so not my type.”

Lesley Todd (45) lives in Ballyclare, with her civil partner, Debbie. Originally from Newcastle, England, she has four grown-up children and is the general manager for Belfast Braves said Everyone calls me ‘Mama’. That’s what I have printed on my strip. I look after all the women and take care of the fund-raising. I don’t play myself, as I’ve a bad heart, but I’m very committed to the team. It’s virtually my full-time job, as my health problems prevent me from working in regular employment. Belfast Braves is so much fun. We train twice a week, and we’ve never had any bother from anyone. In fact, people are always really encouraging. Attitudes here have changed a lot. When I first came to Northern Ireland, I felt the province was behind England in how gay people were treated. I met lesbians who’d been singled out and beaten up. But things have improved tenfold. I came out in my twenties. I think I always knew, but growing up where I did, it just wasn’t the done thing. My kids just think it’s normal now. My daughter Kara (24), who lives in Northern Ireland now too, does some fund-raising for Belfast Braves through the supermarket chain she works for. The rest of my children and grandchildren still live in the north-east of England. I really miss them, and Belfast Braves has been a great way of me getting out and meeting new people. I can’t stress how open we are as a club. We would allow a straight woman to play with us, as long as she was cool with our lesbian identity. We’re not about discrimination of any kind. We’re just about being positive and having fun.

Martina Navratilova announced her sexual orientation soon after being granted American citizenship. She was later involved in high-profile relationships with authors Rita Mae Brown, Judy Nelson and basketball star Nancy Lieberman. US tennis ace and feminist campaigner Billie-Jean King was infamously ‘outed' in 1981 when an ex-lover sued her. At the height of her game, King won 20 Wimbledon titles, an all-time record equalled only by Czech-born player Martina Navratilova, who coincidentally came out as a lesbian in the same year. The first black British player to command a £1m transfer fee, Justin Fashanu remains the only openly gay English top-flight footballer. The brother of fellow striker and TV presenter John Fashanu, Justin committed suicide in 1998. At the time, he was wanted for questioning in the US about allegations that he sexually assaulted a teenage boy. One of the Republic’s most popular hurling stars, Cork goal-keeper Donal Og Cusack, became the first top-class Irish sportsman to come out. He said in his 2009 autobiography: “Whatever you may feel about me or who I am, I've always been at peace with it.” Gareth Thomas, the most capped Welsh rugby player of all time, announced he was gay in 2009. The fact that he did so while still a professional player was heralded as evidence of softening attitudes within sport. Two years previously, Welsh rugby referee Nigel Owens had come out.

The World Health Organisation affirms right to ‘gay cure’ therapy (26 June 2011)

The World Health Organisation has affirmed the view of controversial groups which say it is medically orthodox to seek treatment for unwanted homosexuality. It follows a “gay cure” conference organised in Belfast last week by a group called Core Issues. Gay rights groups picketed the event and argued that homosexuality is not a medically recognised disorder. However, Mike Davidson, of Core Issues, who has successfully undergone reparative-type therapy, said yesterday that the unwanted homosexual feelings he has experienced are a medically-recognised condition. “People who wish to be known as gay need to be respected and honoured,” he said. “But there are others like me who have a condition defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as Ego Dystonic Sexuality. This affirms that people may receive treatment if they do not accept their sexuality.” A WHO spokesman said Ego Dystonic Sexuality is a disorder where “the gender identity or sexual preference (heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or prepubertal) is not in doubt, but the individual wishes it were different because of associated psychological and behavioural disorders, and may seek treatment in order to change it.” WHO was also clear that it does not consider homosexuality per se a disorder. PA MagLochlainn, president of the Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association, also recognised the WHO diagnosis. “Ego Dystonic Sexuality is a recognised condition but I have met very few people with it,” he said.

Tensions have surfaced at the Presbyterian General Assembly over the position of the Church of Scotland on the acceptance of ministers who have 'homosexual' relationships. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland is traditionally aligned to its mother church in Scotland, The Kirk, which at its recent general assembly voted 351 to 294 to effectively do away with the ban on gay clergy. Outgoing Presbyterian moderator the Rev Dr Norman Hamilton, who attended the Edinburgh gathering, expressed his unease over the Scottish move in a candid report of his visit to the Kirk assembly. Dr Hamilton, who stood down as moderator on Monday night after a year in office, said from the outset of the Edinburgh debate he sensed the more “liberal” option would be accepted by Scottish delegates. He said whatever the nuances over the debate and decision reached, the public understanding was expressed in the opening words of the leader article in The Scotsman newspaper the next day. It stated: “It was a long and understandably passionate debate, but finally last night the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland voted to allow presbyteries across the country to choose gay or lesbian ministers. “The vote among the commissioners to throw out the ban on gay clergy brought in two years ago was clear, 351 to 294, but showed how decisive the issue has been in the Kirk.” However, the moderator of the Church of Scotland, the Rev David Arnott, who is the main guest at the Belfast assembly this week, told his Irish counterparts yesterday that The Scotsman’s interpretation of the decision taken was not entirely accurate. He insisted the matter had been sent out to the Scottish presbyteries for wider theological debate and the church would have to re-visit the core issues under consideration. A resolution highly critical of the Church of Scotland’s attitude to clergy having same-sex relationships will be proposed today at the Belfast general assembly by a former moderator, the Rev Dr John Lockington, and Lurgan minister the Rev Nigel J McCullough. This calls on the general assembly to endorse the actions of the general board in relation to “the special commission on same-sex relationships and the ministry” of the Church of Scotland and views with concern the deliverances of the general assembly of the Church of Scotland on the report of the special commission. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland is more conservative than the Church of Scotland on Biblical interpretations of homosexuality and there is no clamour within Irish Presbyterianism to adopt a more liberal stance. There also remains a strong body of traditionalist opinion within the Scottish church on the matter and any definite decision taken by The Kirk would deeply split congregations across the country. Dr Norman Hamilton, in his report, said there is a widespread view that the traditionalist position in Scotland on the ordination of those who are gay or lesbian was rejected for what was described as the “revisionist” position. “Those who are advocating this latter position included one minister who spoke warmly of the contribution that bisexuals and those who are transgendered can make to Christian ministry, whilst another spoke of how the Bible had been shown up to be wrong in the past and that we now know better,” said Dr Hamilton. “The traditionalist view was articulated by many in The Kirk, and by every visiting delegate who spoke, myself included, and there is no doubt that many of those who hold this position in the Church of Scotland seemed seriously demoralised and deeply apprehensive about future developments.”

A straight Derry man has been acquitted of assault after brushing off a man who touched his bottom in a gay bar. A judge said that Christopher Brendan Thompson had been “establishing his straight credentials” when he pushed his face into the face of the man who touched him, the Belfast Telegraph reports. Mr Thompson had been in Pepe’s bar and nightclub in the city last November. He claimed that another man reached out to touch his bottom as he was going outside for a cigarette and he reacted because the man was “ready to plant his lips on me.” His solicitor Seamus Quigley said his client “had been “the victim of a sexual assault and he immediately turned around and rebutted that assault”. He added: “He did so by pushing his face into the other man’s face. There was no blood, no injury, no bruising.” The other man did not report the incident to police. Instead, an eyewitness contacted officers. District Judge Barney McElholm said he accepted that Mr Thompson had been brushing the man off as footballers sometimes do. He said the defendant had suffered an “initial assault” and the question was whether his response was proportionate. “I accept it was proportionate in that I think Mr Thompson was establishing his straight credentials,” he said. “It was not a case of him carrying out an assault, rather a brush-off.”

A High Court judge has quashed an adjudication that an advertisement which proclaimed sodomy an abomination was homophobic. Mr Justice Treacy held that the Advertising Standards Authority's decision disproportionately interfered with Sandown Free Presbyterian Church's rights to freedom of expression. His verdict was described by Rev David McIlveen, minister of the Belfast church, as a landmark ruling enabling biblical scripture to be quoted. Sandown Free Presbyterian Church launched judicial review proceedings against the ASA after being found to be in breach of its code of practice. The case centred on a full-page advert taken out in the News Letter ahead of a Gay Pride parade in Belfast in August 2008. It was headlined 'The word of God against sodomy' and invited people to meet for a peaceful gospel witness against the act. After receiving several complaints that the notice was homophobic the ASA ruled it could not appear again in the same form. It also told the church to take more care in future to avoid causing serious offence. The church's legal team argued its rights to religious belief and freedom of expression under European law had been breached. They also claimed the church was not offered the chance to offer an explanation before the ban was imposed, along with a case based on conflicting ideologies. Sandown, also, argued that the Authority got it wrong in its interpretation of a quotation from the Book of Leviticus which branded homosexual acts an abomination. According to the church the description applied to sodomy itself rather than any individuals. In his ruling yesterday (22 March 2011), Mr Justice Treacy stressed the context of the advertisement was important. He pointed out that at the previous year's Gay Pride march a banner stating 'Jesus is a fag' was carried, uninterrupted, by one of the participants. The judge noted that the advertisement contained no exhortation to violence and that it also made clear how violent antagonism towards homosexuals was unacceptable and unjustifiable. He said, "The applicant's religious views and the biblical scripture which underpins those views no doubt cause offence, even serious offence, to those of a certain sexual orientation. "Likewise, the practice of homosexuality may have a similar effect on those of a particular religious faith. "But Article 10 (of the European Convention on Human Rights) protects expressive rights which offend, shock or disturb. "Moreover, Article 10 protects not only the content and substance of information but also the means of dissemination since any restriction on the means necessarily interferes with the right to receive and impart information." Mr Justice Treacy emphasised that his assessment took into account the very particular context in which the advertisement was placed. He noted, "The fact that the advertisement did not condone and was not likely to provoke violence, (it) contained no exhortation to other improper or illegal activity, (and) constituted a genuine attempt to stand up for their religious beliefs and to encourage others to similarly bear witness." He said this had been done by citing well-known portions of scripture which underpinned the church's religious faith and its call to bear witness. "Whilst such views and scriptural references may be strongly disdained and considered seriously offensive by some, this does not justify the full scope of the restrictions contained in the impugned determination," the judge added. Outside the court an emotional Rev McIlveen expressed delight with the outcome. Flanked by the Rev Ian Paisley, he said, "We want to make it clear we had nothing against the seven people who objected to the advertisement. "This is a landmark now for future decisions. People can quote the Bible and that's a freedom that we have sought."

Homophobia is endemic in Northern Ireland workplaces, a report from a gay rights organisation says. According to the Rainbow Project, more than a quarter of lesbian, gay and bisexual people have complained about homophobia at work but 70 per cent of these were not happy with how the issue was dealt with. Just under a third (31 per cent) of community and voluntary sector workers said they had heard anti-gay remarks at work. This rose to 40 per cent in the public sector and 42.5 per cent in private businesses. One in four private sector workers (26.9 per cent) said they hid their sexuality at work and a similar number of public sector employees (24.5 per cent) said the same. The figures came from an online survey of 752 respondents. The report, titled ‘Through Our Eyes – Experiences of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual People in the Workplace’, was launched by social development minister Alex Attwood in parliament today. Matthew McDermott of the Rainbow Project, who wrote the report, said: “While great progress had been made in the promotion of equality of opportunity across Northern Ireland, including in our workplaces, this report indicates that more needs to be done, particularly for LGB people.” John O’Doherty, director of the Rainbow Project, added: “This report provides the evidence base for what it is like for LGB people in work in Northern Ireland. It also provides the business case for acting to make the situation better. Government, employers and the Rainbow Project have considerable work to do in that regard. “I would urge our political representatives to read the report and commit to working together to implementing the recommendations.” Mr Attwood said: “My department is committed to the progression of a shared future for all in Northern Ireland. “I commissioned the Rainbow Project to carry out this research as part of this process.”

Iris Robinson won’t face charges over young lover’s business (15 March 2011)

The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) has said that former DUP MP Iris Robinson will not face charges over her role in helping her 19-year-old lover set up a business. Mrs Robinson, a devout Christian who has called homosexuality “abhorrent”, was questioned by police last year over her role in Kirk McCambley’s business affairs. She had admitted to having an affair with him, while he was aged 19 and she was aged 59. The BBC’s Spotlight programme reported that she had asked two property developers for £50,000 to help him set up a cafe. She did not declare this to Stormont, Westminster or Castlereagh council, which granted Mr McCambley a lease. Mrs Robinson was a councillor for Castlereagh at the time. After news of the affair broke, she resigned from politics, quitting her seat in Strangford and her place on the Northern Ireland Assembly, and was thought to be receiving psychiatric care. The PPS said: “Following careful consideration of all the available evidence, a decision has been taken not to prosecute in this case.” A statement from the Robinson family to the BBC said: “We note the decision of the Public Prosecution Service. “In the year since the Spotlight programme with the police investigation and council investigation ongoing we have amassed substantial material demonstrating serious and damaging inaccuracies in the BBC Spotlight programme. “Mrs Robinson will be making, through her solicitor, a detailed statement following the publication of the report commissioned by the council and all legal options are now under active consideration.” The BBC said it stood by its report. Mrs Robinson tried to kill herself after admitting the affair to her husband Peter Robinson, Northern Ireland’s first minister. He has denied any knowledge of her financial affairs. Deeply religious Mrs Robinson was seen as a hypocrite for her affair with Mr McCambley, who was young enough to be her grandson, because of her homophobic views. In the past four years, she has called homosexuality an “abomination”, compared to it to paedophilia and suggested gays and lesbians can be “cured”.

The homophobic former DUP MP Iris Robinson has been fined £200 for causing a car crash. According to the Belfast Telegraph, she was also given three penalty points after admitting driving without due care and attention The incident happened in October 2009, just a few months before she resigned as an MP over the storm around her teenaged lover. Mrs Robinson, now 61, had helped 19-year-old Kirk McCambley buy business premises in her constituency. She attempted suicide after admitting the affair to her husband, Northern Ireland’s first minister Peter Robinson. A court heard that she had driven her car into the side of a driver as he tried to turn right at a junction near her family home in Castlereagh. No major injuries were caused and her defence said she had suffered a momentary lapse in concentration. Mrs Robinson was not in court and has withdrawn from public life since the story of her affair broke. The deeply religious Christian was seen as a hypocrite for her affair with Mr McCambley – who was young enough to be her grandson – because of her homophobic views. In the past, she has called homosexuality an “abomination”, compared to it to paedophilia and suggested gays and lesbians can be “cured”.

Police are investigating an alleged assault on three door staff at the Kremlin. The attack, which is believed to have involved a knuckle duster, happened at the Belfast nightclub at about 12.20am on Wednesday. The two women and a man, all aged in their 20s, were taken to hospital with non-life threatening head or facial injuries. Two men and a woman in their twenties have been arrested. Police are trying to establish motive for the attack. Anyone with information should contact police by calling 0845 600 8000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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