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GAY BELFAST NEWS for January 2005
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LGBT History Month - February 2005 (27 January 2005)
To celebrate LGBT History Month, The Rainbow Project is joining with the Irish Queer Archive to present 'Pride and Protest'. This exhibition traces the evolution of the lesbian and gay civil rights movement in Ireland and includes an array of information, documentation and memorabilia from LGBT college societies, the Democratic Unionist Party's (DUP) 'Save Ulster From Sodomy' campaign of the early 1980s, the Carpenter Club in Belfast, Jeff Dudgeon's legal challenges against the UK government and more. The exhibition will be hosted by Belfast Central Library and located in the first floor reading room. It will run from Monday 7 February until the end of the month. For more information on LGBT History Month, click here.HIV in Northern Ireland on the rise (22 January 2005)
HIV in Northern Ireland is on the rise according to the latest Department of Health statistics that show 31 new cases recorded from January to September of 2004 - the same number for the overall 2003 figure. And new cases for the first six months of 2003 were double the number for the same period in 2002.Around 450 people (including five children) in Northern Ireland are now believed to have the virus which can cause Aids. To date, 142 people have died in Northern Ireland from Aids. The latest figures have sparked calls for services in the province to be better resourced. Currently waiting times for assessment can stretch to six weeks and up to 700 patients are on the Belfast Royal Victoria Hospital list.
DUP MP Iris Robinson said "Controlling HIV requires easy access to provide rapid diagnosis, and good management to prevent onward transmission. The rise in HIV, alongside increasing rates of other sexually transmitted infections, indicate the need for genitourinary medicine services in the province to be better resourced. Factors that contribute to the increasing rate of HIV are increased sexual contacts from overseas and the fact that many in the current generation did not live through the initial HIV scare and have less awareness of its dangers. Government has estimated the cost of preventing each single onward transmission of HIV is between £0.5m and £1m."
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Colin GLADD to be Gay (20 January 2005)
Irish actor Colin Farrell has received two nominations in the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) awards shortlist, for his roles in the films Alexander and A Home at the End of the World. The Irish stud's last two films were nominated in the Best Film categories in the US organisation's annual list, which recognises the positive representation of LGBT people in international media.
Joining the short list in a relative bumper year for lesbian and gay film on wide release are Monster and high school satire Saved. Kinsey, which is yet to be released in the Northern Ireland, has also been recognised. Spanish Director, Pedro Almodóvar's Bad Education, starring Gael Garcia Bernal, has been nominated in the limited release category.
Farrell's films have grabbed the headlines for their gay content, and A Home is being tipped to win the prize. It follows the interweaving relationships between three friends in the 1970s and 1980s, and was written by The Hours author Michael Cunningham. Despite the films indeed credentials, it has became the centre of a tabloid frenzy after it was rumoured that a full frontal scene featuring Farrell was cut because movie chiefs feared it was too "distracting" for the audience.
The GLAAD Media awards will be handed out on 28th March in New York, 30th April in LA and June 11th in San Francisco. You can read review of Alexander in our Film section.
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Guilty plea at Bishop Street Court (19 January 2005)
Gerard Steven McKinney appeared today at Bishop Street Court, Londonderry, to face charges of serious wounding with intent. The charges relate to an incident which resulted in the stabbing of a gay man in the waterside area of the city on the 5th June 20004. In addition to the stab injury the victim was subjected to a sustained and ‘terrifying’ assault including being kicked punched and struck on the head with a clothes iron. McKinney, who had previously been refused bail, pleaded guilty to the charge and was remanded pending reports before sentencing. The victim, Mr Jim McGuire a Rainbow Project volunteer, told staff at the project that he was greatly relieved by this development, but he had found coming to court to face his attacker distressing. “The police, who have been very supportive, suggested that I may wish to leave the court as victims can often feel upset by coming face to face with their attacker in the same room. I had a friend and staff from Rainbow with me for support and decided that for the sake of closure I should stay”. “What I went through was horrific; it has scarred me physically and emotionally. The homophobic element of the attack has meant me moving to England as I no longer feel safe in Derry which I believe is an intolerant place. When I saw him today he was flanked by prison officers and brought up from the cells and I realised that he wasn’t such a hard man after all, just another bully who has got his comeuppance. “ The Rainbow Project believes that it is extremely important for our community that perpetrators of hate crimes are pursued and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. We are living in an area where hate crimes are commonplace and reports continue to rise at an alarming rate. This attack has seriously affected this young mans life, he no longer feels able to live in his home city, indeed he found returning to Derry to attend court a very distressing experience and cannot wait to leave again. As a community we cannot continue to tolerate an environment that drives young people from their homes, friends and family, this is something we must change.Discuss this article on the Gay Belfast Forum
Holocaust Memorial Service (18 January 2005)
Sean Morrin from The Rainbow Project will speak alongside others at The Holocaust Memorial Service which will be held in Derry this year. The event which will take place at The Waterside Museum at 3pm on Sunday January 23rd. The event will remember all people who suffered and died at the hands of the Nazis. Sean Morrin said "It is a privelege and honour to be asked to speak at such an event. This is also an opportunity to remember among the millions murdered that tens of thousands of gay men and women were experimented on and murdered by the Nazis but above all it is a day to let the world know we can not forget the Holocaust and all who died and suffered."New online TV guide targets gay viewers (08 January 2005)
A new TV guide targeting lesbian and gay viewers has been launched, aiming to cover the many films and programmes across the 150 channels available that it believes gay people would be interested in. Combining specifically gay programmes with features that would be of interest to gay viewers, LoveMyTv is looking to marry cult classics with gay movies, camp comedies and lesbian documentaries. Director Robert Hutchinson says the project is intended to help guide viewers through the shows available on their TV, and help focus their TV watching time. "TV has changed, but the way most viewers navigate around TV schedules means they are not getting the most out of the TV available," Hutchinson said today. "LoveMyTV offers a unique service by compiling listings from across dozens of channels, a task that would be impossible for viewers reading through traditional printed guides". He says the guide helps provide a "context" for viewers. It follows a growth of gay specific television in the past 12 months, with gay characters gradually appearing in mainstream soaps and other programmes. Despite complaints from a minority of its audience, Coronation Street introduced the first gay kiss in its 43-year history, while police drama The Bill recently staged the first fictional gay wedding on British TV. Additionally, make over and relationship shows are increasingly focusing on gay contestants, while brands such as Queer Eye for the Straight Guy have helped solidify a gay presence on television. Hutchinson says the LoveMyTv website will offer a list of the most popular shows that they believe will be demanded most by gay viewers. However, he says the device is not just open to LGBT people. "Any viewers who appreciate a gay sensibility, a sexually diverse outlook or want to keep up with the viewing choices of this key trendsetting audience will benefit," he maintains. The guide is available at LoveMyTv.comDiscuss this article on the Gay Belfast Forum
Northern Ireland survey focuses on young, gay men (07 January 2005)
A new survey from Northern Ireland's leading gay rights and health group the Rainbow Project is aiming to reveal the true picture of being a young gay or bisexual man living in the province. Focusing on gay and bisexual men aged 25 and under who live or were brought up in the region, organisers behind the stuffy hope that by finding official statistics of the current situation, gay people will be better protected from attacks and bullying. The research has already garnered widespread approval and support, including from the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY) Nigel Williams, who believes it will be vital in protecting future generations of young gay people. "We are aware of the homophobic abuse suffered by young gay men in Northern Ireland and the consequent negative impact on young men," he said today, adding that his department were "very supportive" of the research. He said that the research heralded the first steps in promoting positive mental health amongst young gay men. "In order to achieve this however the whole of society will need to adopt positive attitudes, tolerance and acceptance of difference in Northern Ireland". The study comes in the wake of high profile attacks on gay men in the province. As well as verbal and violent attacks, other anti-gay incidents include graffiti and excrement smeared on a house. One gay couple were even given death threats and ordered to move out of the area. The research is part of the Boyz II Men initiative, which is funded by the Diana Princess of Wales memorial fund. It aims to address mental health issues; something the group's coordinator says is still absent in other projects. "Anecdotally we have always been aware of high levels of poor mental health among our young gay population in Northern Ireland and this research is vital to help us get a clearer picture of how to help these socially isolated young men," Boyz II Men forum coordinator David Hiles said today. The questionnaire is available on The Rainbow Project's website at www.rainbow-project.org/survey.html or a booklet format with freepost return envelopes can be obtained by contacting Helen McNamee at 028 9031 9030 or research@rainbow-project.org.Discuss this article on the Gay Belfast Forum
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