| Home - News - Scene - Links - Poll - Film - Pictures - Search - Site Map - Forum - Contact |
 |
 |
GAY BELFAST NEWS for April 2005
Link to Latest News: Click Here
Link to Main Archive News Page: Click Here
Link to 2005 Archive News Page: Click Here
Gay Belfast Wins Canadian Web Award (25 April 2005)
OK we have won web awards in the past (View our other awards) but imagine our suprise when Vancouver based website www.gayvancouver.net emailed Gay Belfast with the good news that we had won their website of the week. Check out what they say about us at www.gayvancouver.net "Who knew that gay life was so vibrant in Belfast!? We didn't until we came across Gay Belfast. Part political, part tour guide, this site has it all for visitors to and residents of Belfast! Well worth a visit if you're planning a trip to the Emerald Isle!"Pope choice sparks anger from gay Catholics (20 April 2005)
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the man who ensured the Catholic church adhered to the Vatican's conservative and anti-gay doctrine, has been elected as the new Pope to the dismay of LGBT Catholics across the globe. Ratzinger will formally become the spiritual leader of the Catholic church on Sunday, after the decision was announced by white smoke from Rome's Sistine Chapel yesterday afternoon. The decision has shocked some Catholics in the western world, despite Ratzinger being tipped for the post earlier this week. They fear that his pontificate will be marked by the same right-wing ideology of Pope John Paul II on issues such as sexual diversity, women priests, abortion and contraception. As head of doctrine under the former pontiff, Ratzinger had called lesbian and gay people "intrinsically evil", had urged Catholic politicians to block or repeal legislation giving same-sex couples legal rights in the name of their religion and spoke out against lesbian and gay people being given rights in "the consignment of children to adoption or foster care, in employment of teachers or coaches, and in military recruitment". He advised lesbian and gay people to seek psychological help for their "illness" and tried to block attempts to publicise the child sex abuse scandals in the US branch of the Catholic church. He also called for Catholic pro-choice politicians - who support a woman's right to abortion - to be refused communion during the US presidential election last year. Many fear that he will follow Pope John Paul II's political interventions, but will lack the warmth that had endeared him to many. At 78 and the oldest pope to be elected in more than 100 years, he is also unlikely to make many journeys overseas in a bid to reach new Catholics.A spokesperson for the UK branch of We Are Church, reformists within the Catholic church, said Ratzinger's appointment will provoke "vigorous debate". "The choice of Joseph Ratzinger to be the new Bishop of Rome, and servant of the servants of God, will of course provoke controversy, vigorous debate and be seen as potentially divisive by many people within and beyond the Church," the group said in a statement. Although it pointed to Ratzinger's former support of liberal reform - as a younger man, he had been integral to the churches made by the second Vatican Council - they said his later transformation would cause "anxiety to many Catholics today". Ratzinger had switched to a more conservative stance during the period of social unrest during the 1960s. Since then he has been linked to a concerted effort to stamp out more left-wing ideas from the Church, helping him gain the nickname God's Rottweiler. A spokesperson for the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) says the election was "extremely bad news for the lesbian and gay community worldwide". "Ratzinger, who is renowned for his zeal in enforcing doctrinal orthodoxy, will prove to be even more homophobic than his predecessor," GALHA Secretary George Broadhead said. "The Vatican’s defamatory statements about homosexuality and its endless agitation against the rights of gay people, including civil partnership legislation, will be renewed and toughened under this new pope.”
UK gay activist group Outrage said the appointment would disappoint lesbian and gay people both within and external to the church. "Our hope was that Pope John Paul II's successor would move the Catholic Church towards more enlightened and humane doctrines," the group's Brett Lock said. "This now seems extremely unlikely, since Ratzinger was the chief mover-and-shaker behind John Paul's rightwing regime." However, the We Are Church group says it does hold some hope for the next pontiff, namely through his choice of papal name: Pope Benedict XVI. Pope Benedict XV was famed for helping push towards peace in the First World War, during his 1914-1922 reign. "His choice of the name, Benedict XVI, causes us to hope that, like Benedict XV, he will be a peace-maker, a reconciler. It must be remembered that Benedict XV brought an end to a theological 'reign of terror' which had existed within the Church at that time." "We Are Church UK earnestly hopes that Pope Benedict XVI will be encouraged and strengthened by all the people of God to regain his earlier theological courage and creativity," it said. Pope Benedict XVI will not officially take his place at the head of the church until his formal consecration, but he has already spoken of his objectives, as well as his perceived image. Speaking before entering the conclave just two days ago, he acknowledged that the "little boat of the thought of many Christians has been thrown from one extreme to another". Discuss this article on the Gay Belfast Forum
CoSO asks parties to sign up to LGBT election pledges (19 April 2005)
CoSO has today called for all political parties within Northern Ireland and across the United Kingdom to sign up to ten pledges for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community in Northern Ireland. “For far too long we have allowed politicians in Northern Ireland to negate their obligations, duties and responsibilities as our elected representatives. This ends with this election,” said James Knox, Convenor of the Coalition. CoSO has asked that all political parties sign up to the following election pledges:1. To actively pursue a society that is free of discrimination for people of differing sexual orientation.
2. To publicly challenge and condemn all forms of discrimination, harassment, violence, homophobia etc towards members of the LGBT community.
3. To ensure that the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland is fully supported in relation to its ‘duties’ for sexual orientation.
4. To actively support an inclusive Single Equality Act for Northern Ireland which ends discrimination for LGBT’s in relation to goods, facilities and services and other forms of discrimination acted out towards members of the LGBT community.
5. To enter into an on-going dialogue with organisations and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities in order to take account of their developing needs and issues.
6. To support an inclusive, comprehensive and strong Bill of Rights that will benefit everyone in Northern Ireland including LGBT’s.
7. To strengthen the powers of and aim to support the work of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.
8. To strengthen the powers of and aim to support the work of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.
9. To help underpin the work of the LGBT community by developing government based funding initiatives which include LGBT’s and which can be accessed by LGBT organisations and individuals.
10. To lead in fostering a society for all in Northern Ireland where there is zero tolerance of homophobia and other forms of ‘hate’ such as racism, sectarianism, and discrimination towards people with a disability.
CoSO’s hopes are that the 2005 elections move the political parties, politicians and LGBT community into a new phase of renewed partnership working. There are so many existing and new avenues of inequality which need to be explored over the next few years as the LGBT community in Northern Ireland develops its voice and flexes its muscle. Politicians have the power and we will apply pressure and to get them to use it for the benefit of all.
CoSO has also offered its services to the political parties to assist them in renewing their existing LGBT policies or in supporting them to develop a new policy over the next few months if they do not already have one. Knox continued by stating that, “In a democracy politicians are elected to represent us, we need to make sure that they do and in an equal way.” Discuss this article on the Gay Belfast Forum
Irish government to fight equality claim (19 April 2005)
The Irish government has decided to fight a legal claim for equality made by a same-sex couple, sparking accusations of acting "shamefully" by political opponents. The government announced late last week that it would challenge a legal case brought to the courts by a lesbian couple married in Canada. Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan say the legally binding marriage should be recognised by the Irish state, and that they should receive the accompanying financial benefits. They believe they are being discriminated against by both the Irish constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. They were given the go-ahead by a court ruling last November, in which the judge ruled that the case would break new ground for same-sex couples in Ireland and would have "far reaching issues". However, the government has said it will fight the case in the courts, despite announcing its support for civil unions last year.The stance has been attacked by the country's Fine Gael, Labour and Green parties. The Green Party's justice spokesperson told the Irish press that the legal action was "shameful", adding that the case is a "human rights issue". Both Ms Zappone and Ms Gilligan are expected to continue with the case, which they said was vital to recognising their "love and faithfulness". "Twenty-three years ago we made a commitment of life partnership to each other. We have been exceptionally blessed with our unconditional love for and our fidelity to one another. This case is about equality, fairness and human rights." Discuss this article on the Gay Belfast Forum
Greens promise full gay marriage at manifesto launch (15 April 2005)
The Green Party is set to launch its LGBT manifesto for this year's election today, promising more protection against hate crime, improved sex education and more support for gay asylum seekers. The party, which is the third to launch a gay specific manifesto for May's vote, will also give civil marriage rights to same-sex couples, replacing the government's planned Civil Partnership laws, and will increase funding for sexual health clinics in a bid to crack down on the spread of STIs and HIV. Green's spokesperson Nigel Tart says the new manifesto shows the party's commitment to 'social justice'. "What separates the Greens from the opposition is the way our policies remain a reflection of our principles," Mr Tart said, "not some compromise acceptable to Middle England."Other promises in the manifesto are:
Ensure the Proposed Commission for Equality and Human Rights address homophobia and transphobia
on a par with all other discrimination
Extend employment protection laws to close the current 'religious exemption' loopholes
Withdraw charitable status from organisations refusing to abandon discrimination policies
Require police forces to adopt and implement action plans on homophobia and transphobia hate
crimes
The manifesto has been backed by activist Peter Tatchell, who switched from Labour to become a full member of the Green Party last year. “Greens want the harmonisation of European laws to guarantee gay equality and outlaw homophobic discrimination across the entire continent, from Dublin to Moscow and from Oslo to Athens," he said in a statement today. “I am voting Green and I urge everyone who supports gay human rights to vote for their local Green candidate. A big pink vote for the Greens will encourage the grey parties to adopt more gay-friendly policies. He also praised the choice of gay London Assembly member Darren Johnson as the party's leader. Discuss this article on the Gay Belfast Forum
Homophobic attacks treble in Northern Ireland (15 April 2005)
New figures released by local police suggest homophobic attacks have trebled in the Northern Ireland city of Derry, with gay groups warning of increases across the whole province. The statistics, which reveal 49 incidents were reported to officers between April 2004 and March 2005, come as the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee warned the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to do more for minority communities. During the same period last year, just 17 incidents were reported.The figures reflect a growing awareness of the homophobia problem in Northern Ireland on the whole. Recent reports have suggested an increase in both frequency and ferocity against gay people in the province, with attacks ranging from verbal abuse to excrement smeared on houses and death threats. The report from the House of Commons Committee came last week, and criticised the PSNI for not doing enough to protect LGBT and ethnic communities in Northern Ireland. It said the PSNI was relying on a "sluggish and disjointed" approach that was resulting in an increase in attacks. The police said it was working hard to improve both its efficiency and image amongst minority communities.
In a statement released in response, Northern Ireland gay group Rainbow Project said the Committee was right to question the PSNI. "In light of this enquiry and the most recent figures from police it is a matter of particular concern that practical strategies aimed at challenging homophobia are virtually non-existent in Northern Ireland," project coordinator David McCartney said. However, it questioned the suggestion that only 7% of cases continue through the prosecution process. "The Rainbow Project fears that the clear up rate for homophobic hate crimes is far lower as we are only aware of one successful prosecution last year," McCartney said. "There are tens of thousands of gay people living here whose needs are not being addressed despite positive words from political leader’s and the authorities," he said, noting that initiatives had been introduced in the city recently. He also called on victims of homophobia to not shy away from reporting their attacks. "The Rainbow Project further feels that the numbers of reported incidents will continue to rise as we get a more accurate reflection of the full extent of homophobia in society." "We urge people who have experienced homophobia to contact us; we are here to support you in any way that you feel is most appropriate including involving police, community restorative justice, housing authorities or other victim support agencies," he added. Discuss this article on the Gay Belfast Forum
How an Irish man gave Welsh village its only gay (10 April 2005)
The Irish Big Brother star Brian Dowling was the inspiration for Daffyd, 'the only gay in the village' character in the Little Britain comedy series, it has emerged. Matt Lucas, the star of the series, says he got the idea for the character when a second gay contestant was sent in to join Dowling in the Big Brother house. "He seemed quite comfortable being the only gay in the house but the arrival of the more mature gay man Josh put him out," Lucas told Channel 4. The Little Britain character lives in a small Welsh town, where he tries to offend villagers with his sexuality. Much to his annoyance, a lot of them are gay or bisexual too. Dowling, from Kildare, won Big Brother in 2001 and has since become a successful television presenter.MPs slam the Police over Hate Crimes (09 April 2005)
The police clearance rate for racial and homophobic incidents in Northern Ireland is disturbingly low, a new report claimed last night. And even though the level of hate crime is increasing, the approach by authorities is disjointed, sluggish and lacking in vision, according to an all-party committee of MPs. Until recently, the police service had no formal definition of sectarian hate crime which was alarming given the country's troubled history, the Northern Ireland Affairs committee alleged. Less than 7% of incidents recorded as crimes by the police resulted in charges or summonses and the committee said it was greatly concerned about the very low level of confidence which most ethnic, as well as the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities have in the police. The committee recognised the steps taken by the police to develop more effective relationships and to improve its training strategies, but said much more needed to be done to heighten confidence. They recommended the policing board secure higher levels of recruitment from the minority ethnic communities as a matter of priority. The report claimed: "It is deeply worrying that minority communities do not have full confidence in the police, particularly against the background of increased incidence of hate crime. This situation must be changed rapidly." The committee claimed the Northern Ireland Office and the criminal justice agencies had also shown a lack of firm and effective leadership. The agencies appeared to be aware of the problem and were taking some action but these were initial steps only. Without victims' reports, the police and the authorities could do nothing. Worse still, the impression may persist that there was simply no problem to address. The committee said it was concerned by the failure of the Office of First Minister and deputy First Minister to produce strategies and agree timetables which had a direct bearing on hate crime. Discuss this article on the Gay Belfast ForumTV Show seeking the last Mummy's Boy (08 April 2005)
A Northern Ireland TV company is looking for grown men, still living at home, to take part in an exciting new series. The entertaining series will take a group of young men away from the bosom of the family home and transform them into independent, self-sufficient men. The series which will be broadcast on BBC Northern Ireland later in the year and will be called Mummy's Boys. The producers of the programme are currently looking for one more candidate, who they say should be outgoing and have a good sense of humour. Candidates can either contact the television company directly or be nominated by a friend or family member. Assistant Producer Michelle O'Dowd said "we all know one. He's between 25 and 45 and should have left home long ago, but for one reason or another he just hasn't got round to it." She added "we also want to feature the mothers who have allowed their sons to stay at home for so long. It's bound to be a fascinating series and a lot of fun into the bargain." The Producers are not saying exactly how the boys will be transformed, but have hinted at a series of trials and tests supervised by a team of experts. The six part series is being made by Holywood based independent TV company Extreme Production and will be filmed later in the spring. Candidates, or anyone interested in nominating someone should contact Ronan or Michelle without delay at 028 90809050, mobile 07840 712203 or by email michelle@extremeproduction.com Discuss on the Gay Belfast ForumChild access for lesbian ex-lover (07 April 2005)
A lesbian has won a "breakthrough" legal battle over access to the two children of her former lover, who is the biological mother of the girls. Appeal Court judge Lord Justice Thorpe reversed a ruling made in November at Telford County Court, which denied a joint residence order to the woman, 46. She now shares responsibility for the girls, six and three, with the mother. This is the only way a same-sex partner who is not a biological parent can claim such responsibility. Lord Justice Thorpe, a specialist in family law, said "firm measures" needed to be taken to safeguard "a vital side" of the children's life. It was the first case of its kind to reach the Court of Appeal, which imposed reporting restrictions barring identification of any of the parties involved. Discuss on the Gay Belfast ForumDeath of Anti-Gay Pope (07 April 2005)
Attacks on the gay community have been commonplace among the Pope’s pronouncements in recent years. Many tributes to him in the past few days have concentrated on him taking on communism in Poland – few have had the balls to go into detail about his fights against homosexuality that have undoubtedly aided persecution of gays throughout the world. In recent years he has also issued papal bulls preventing raped women from taking the morning after pill or HIV positive men using condoms while having sex. The Pope and his Church are directly responsible for spreading disease, killing millions and promulgating misery throughout the world. But that’s all right, because he was absolved of all his sins on his death. Isn’t it nice to think of John Paul using that wonderful Catholic get-out clause so he can rest in peace. Whereas the rest of us just have a royal wedding and an election to look forward to. And no more Pope. Gay Belfast's choice of tie for the funeral on Friday is likely to be the lurid pink of our website rather than a sombre black. Happy days.Talking of pathetic old religious geezer's. Jerry Falwell the fundamentalist Christian who formed the Moral Majority movement in the States, lies critically ill. Mr Falwell, like the Pope, doesn’t like The Gays. In fact, in one of his outbursts he blamed us for the September 11 attacks. He said: “I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle. I point the finger in their face and say ‘you helped this happen’.” Hmmm. Anti-gay, anti-abortion, anti-modernisation. And mad. Remind you of anyone else? Let's have your list, discuss this article on the Gay Belfast Forum
Belfast Born man heads the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (06 April 2005)
The London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival is the U.K.'s third-largest film event, which last year reported 24,000 tickets sold and has Renault as a sponsor. This year's edition, the 19th, will take over all three screens at the National Film Theatre for two weeks and show movies from Russia, India, Israel, South America, South Africa and Australia as well as Europe and the U.S.The range of movies from drama to documentary defies any notion that this is a solemn educational affair. The real-life tale of Thailand's star kick-boxer Parinya Charoenphol, who changed gender and became a woman, comes to the screen in 'Beautiful Boxer.' And with gay marriage on the political agenda, Don Boyd's U.K. film 'Andrew and Jeremy Get Married' is nothing if not timely.
Bloomberg's David Benedict caught up with one of the event's four programmers, Belfast Born Brian Robinson, 45, between meetings shortly before the opening night gala.
Minority Movies?
Benedict: Year after year, this event plays to virtual capacity. Who makes up your audience?
Robinson: The festival is owned and operated by the British Film Institute, so to begin with we have 30,000 members who receive the National Film Theatre program. We are a very broad church. As much as 10 percent of our audience is straight and the rest is evenly balanced between lesbians and gay men. It's important to the BFI to be able to serve different communities and one glimpse at the program tells you just how culturally and ethnically diverse the work and the people involved are.
Benedict: Might this be described as minority programming?
Robinson: Well, it's programming for a minority but with work that other people are interested in seeing. There's a general cultural point here: gay people watch straight dramas and don't stop watching because the heroine is heterosexual. A love story between two men or two women can move, entertain and thrill, whatever your persuasion.
Benedict: Does the sexuality tag of the festival make it hard to attract funding?
Corporate Sponsors
Robinson: We are unique in the world for being a lesbian and gay film festival funded by a government-sponsored cinema organization -- the BFI. However, we couldn't mount something on this scale without significant corporate sponsorship. If you'd told me 19 years ago that an organization like Renault would be a highly visible sponsor I wouldn't have believed it. But that's the case now, alongside clubs, media sponsors and other cultural institutions like the Canadian High Commission, the Goethe Institute and the Finnish Institute.
Benedict: Does the festival context change the way people see the films?
Robinson: It is important that lesbians and gays have the opportunity to see work collectively that reflects their own lives and experience. There's nothing more off-putting than seeing a gay film with a straight audience who sometimes laugh at, rather than with, the situation. It can make you feel you are surrounded by, perhaps, enemies. And a screening of a classic like ``Rebel Without A Cause'' with the bisexual James Dean feels very different within a gay context.
Benedict: How did you become involved?
Robinson: I grew up in Belfast in Northern Ireland and came to London on holiday in 1977 and attended what happened to be the first gay cinema event at the National Film Theatre. It was curated by Richard Dyer, now professor of film at Warwick University. Yet the NFT failed to take advantage of its initial lead position so it wasn't until 1986 that Mark Finch, a student of Richard Dyer, set up the model of what we have today. He screened films that are now genre classics like Donna Deitch's love story ``Desert Hearts'' and ``Parting Glances,'' which was the debut of actor Steve Buscemi.
Almodovar, Haynes
Benedict: Has the festival altered gay visibility?
Robinson: We've been a showcase helping people advance within the industry. Some 20 years ago, the Spanish writer-director Pedro Almodovar was a minority filmmaker. He came up through the alternative screening circuit such as this, as did Gus Van Sant. Now they are part of the mainstream, winning Oscars and the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Or look at Todd Haynes, four times Oscar-nominated for his film ``Far From Heaven.'' Twenty years ago, the only place he could get his work shown was in a festival like ours.
Benedict: But haven't things moved on? With increasing gay presence on screen, is this festival necessary?
Robinson: However many clean-cut, attractive male homosexuals there are on the screen, there is always going to be a range of material that is too transgressive or difficult for the mainstream. People say, "You've got 'Will and Grace' or the U.K.'s 'Graham Norton...' but they don't represent the whole of gay life. They're male, neat, polite and well-scrubbed: the so- called acceptable face of homosexuality. Where are the child- rearing couples? Where are the people who want a rich, crazy life? Men in leather? Young lesbians?
Gays on TV
Benedict: Are you pessimistic about the future of lesbian and gay film?
Robinson: It's a very interesting time. There are more visibly gay people out there than ever before. But there's a danger that there's a generation content merely to be consumers enjoying 'Will and Grace' or 'Six Feet Under' but who don't see that there's more than that to cultural expression.
Benedict: So is there an agenda to the festival?
Robinson: Issues raised during the re-election of George W. Bush proved that that there are people who really do not want homosexuality discussed openly. Therefore, it's important for our community to understand itself and talk to itself, and have a social and cultural forum to reinforce our identity that isn't formed solely by Hollywood scriptwriters or New-York-based sitcoms. We're part of that forum.
The London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival ends on April 13.
Interview From www.bloomberg.com
Political Links: SDLP - Ulster Unionists - DUP - Alliance Party - Sinn Fein - Green Party
