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GAY BELFAST NEWS for July 2005
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Harassed gay man in landmark damages award (30 July 2005)
A Belfast man who claimed he endured discrimination because he is gay has been awarded £6,000 in compensation. Fannin Healthcare settled the case brought by salesman Paul Hindley, 30. He claimed he suffered severe verbal harassment when he worked for the company in Belfast and that it failed to deal effectively with his complaint. It was the first settlement of a sexual orientation case in Northern Ireland. It was brought with the assistance of the Equality Commission. In a statement, Fannin Healthcare said the company had been working with the commission to ensure its policies comply with legislation. "We do not condone any form of harassment or discrimination," the company said.Gay Pride parade given go-ahead (29 July 2005)
The Gay Pride march due to take place in Belfast on 6th August will take place as planned, the Parades Commission has ruled.Amnesty International offers support to Belfast Pride (28 July 2005)
The Parades Commission is due to decide today on whether or not the Gay Pride march due to take place should be banned or limited. The march, scheduled for 6 August, has been held in the city centre for the past 14 years. The police passed the matter on to the commission for consideration after some Christian groups called for the parade to be banned. However, Amnesty International has said the march should be given the go-ahead. "Prejudice against people based on their sexuality is, sadly, all too common in Northern Ireland and around the world," said Amnesty International's NI Programme Director Patrick Corrigan. "Politicians, church leaders and ordinary people all have an obligation to stand up against such prejudice and stand in solidarity with gay people here and worldwide who face persecution and violence."Belfast Pride meet with Parades Commission (26 July 2005)
Organisers of Belfast Pride are meeting with the Parades Commission today to discuss how best to move forward with the controversial event. The meeting follows a complaint about the lesbian and gay event from religious groups, who have called on the commission to block the parade from taking place on August 6th. They say the march is offensive to local people and religious beliefs and hope the commission will be forced to barring it from taking place. The commission was originally established to focus on unionist and loyalist parades through the region, some of which ended in violence in the past. Despite the controversy, the Pride parade has now seen support from local officials, including the Alliance party. The political group's deputy leader Eileen Bell said the parade was "flourishing" and part of the local calendar. "The gay and lesbian section of the community is drawn from all walks of life. They are an integral part of this society," she told the Belfast Telegraph. "I do not believe that there is any case for either banning or restricting this parade." The Stop the Parade coalition, which is behind the latest campaign against Belfast Pride, organised a counter-demonstration last year. However, following the group's high profile objections to the Pride parade, the number of supporters for the lesbian and gay celebration reportedly trebled. The pride events take place between July 30th and August 6th. Discuss this article on the Gay Belfast ForumGay women attacked in Portrush (24 July 2005)
A gay woman has been forced to leave her home, after coming under relentless attacks because of her sexuality. Ashley Stinson has had her window smashed and her rubbish bin set on fire by local thugs. Additionally, cars belonging to her friends have been vandalised while outside her home in Portrush. She says that she can no longer take the level of abuse, which she believes is sparked by homophobia. She told the BBC that the attitudes that led to the attackers are archaic and "disgraceful". "Ignorance, I would say, is a big part of it. If anybody is slightly different, people are afraid of them," she said. "I thought: 'That's enough I'm going to get out of here now'." The details of the attack come as Northern Ireland continue to be the focus of attention because of its apparent rise in homophobia. Earlier this month, a gay man in Derry said he lived in fear after he received death threats from local people. In the past 12 months, attacks have ranged from verbal abuse, to stabbings and beatings. Police have admitted the number of attacks are increasing. Local campaigners are calling for more community-led action from across the region to stamp out homophobia. Discuss this article on the Gay Belfast ForumExecution of Iranian Teenagers (21 July 2005)
Two gay teenagers were publicly executed in Iran on 19 July 2005 for the 'crime' of homosexuality. The youths were hanged in Edalat (Justice) Square in the city of Mashhad, in north east Iran. They were sentenced to death by Court No. 19.Iran enforces Islamic Sharia law, which dictates the death penalty for gay sex. Shocking photos of the execution are at the links below http://www.outrage.org.uk/imagezoom.asp?file=37 http://www.outrage.org.uk/imagezoom.asp?file=38 http://www.outrage.org.uk/imagezoom.asp?file=39 One youth was aged 18 and the other was a minor under the age of 18. They were only identified by their initials, M.A. and A.M. They admitted to having gay sex (probably under torture) but claimed in their defence that most young boys had sex with each other and that they were not aware that homosexuality was punishable by death. Prior to their execution, the teenagers were held in prison for 14 months and severely beaten with 228 lashes. Their length of detention suggests that they committed the so-called offences more than a year earlier, when they were possibly around the age of 16. Ruhollah Rezazadeh, the lawyer of the youngest boy (under 18), had appealed that he was too young to be executed and that the court should take into account his tender age (believed to be 16 or 17). But the Supreme Court in Tehran ordered him to be hanged. Under the Iranian penal code, girls as young as nine and boys as young as 15 can be hanged. Three other young gay Iranians are being hunted by the police, but they have gone into hiding and cannot be found. If caught, they will also face execution. News of the two executions was reported by ISNA (Iranian Students News Agency) on 19 July. A later news story by Iran In Focus, allegedly based on this original ISNA report, claimed the youths were executed for sexually assaulting a 13 year old boy. But the ISNA report does not mention any sexual assault. A report of the executions on the website of the respected democratic opposition movement, The National Council of Resistance Of Iran, also makes no reference to a sexual assault. The allegation of sexual assault may either be a trumped up charge to undermine public sympathy for the youths (a frequent tactic by the Islamist regime in Iran). Or it may be that the 13 year old was a willing participant but that Iranian law (like UK law) deems that no person of that age is capable of sexual consent and that therefore any sexual contact is automatically deemed in law to be a sex assault. If the 13 year old was sexually assaulted, why was he not identified and also put on trial (under Iranian law both the victims and perpetrators of sexual crimes are punished)? Full story in Farsi from ISNA, with three photographs: http://isna.ir/Main/NewsView.aspx?ID=News-556874 "This is just the latest barbarity by the Islamo-fascists in Iran,” said Peter Tatchell of the London-based gay human rights group OutRage! "The entire country is a gigantic prison, with Islamic rule sustained by detention without trial, torture and state-sanctioned murder. "According to Iranian human rights campaigners, over 4,000 lesbians and gay men have been executed since the Ayatollahs seized power in 1979. "Altogether, an estimated 100,000 Iranians have been put to death over the last 26 years of clerical rule. The victims include women who have sex outside of marriage and political opponents of the Islamist government. "Last August, a 16 year old girl, Atefeh Rajabi, was hanged for 'acts incompatible with chasity.' "Britain’s Labour government is pursuing friendly relations with this murderous regime, including aid and trade. We urge the international community to treat Iran as a pariah state, break off diplomatic relations, impose trade sanctions and give practical support to the democratic and left opposition inside Iran," said Mr Tatchell.Urgent action: Protest to the Iranian Ambassador: info@iran-embassy.org.uk Tel: 020 7225 3000 ~ Fax: 020 7589 4440 ~ Iranian Ambassador, Embassy of Iran, 16 Prince’s Gate, London SW7 1PT. If you live outside the UK, protest to the Iranian Embassy in your country, and press your government to break off diplomatic relations and impose trade sanctions against Iran.
Free Presbyterian Church campaigns against Belfast Parade (18 July 2005)
Anti gay protestors in Northern Ireland are increasing the pressure on local authorities to ban Belfast's upcoming Pride parade and celebrations, arguing the festivities will be offensive to local people. Members of the Free Presbyterian Church are continuing to write to authorities about the 6th August events, calling for the celebrations to be barred. They started their campaign last month, urging police to block the event. The issue has since been passed to the Parades Commission, an independent body established to settle rows over the religious parades that take place in the troubled province. Now, Reverend David McIlveen, the man behind the complaints, has said he would like to see a "compromise" from the organisers of the Pride event. He told the BBC that the parade needed to be stopped because it was "more offensive each year, they could change the time of the parade; they could also insist that the code of dress should be adhered to in a manner that is decent and inoffensive." Belfast Gay Pride organisers have rejected the calls, maintaining that their march is important in raising awareness of lesbian and gay people in Northern Ireland. Additionally, they link it to increased tourism to the city. They also say last year's event demonstrated the level of support form local people; after ongoing high-profile protests the number of people attending the event soared. Discuss this article on the Gay Belfast ForumAlliance Party split on civil partnership ceremonies (13 July 2005)
The Alliance Party has called for its members to back civil partnership ceremonies, after a councillor pushed for a ban on the ceremonies taking place in Lisburn. Senior figures in the party have distributed a message "reminding" members of the party of their "equality duties", in what is being read as a subtle increase in pressure over the issue. Lisburn Alliance councillor Seamus Close has called for a bar on the ceremonies, claiming that by allowing them to take place he would be supporting gay marriage. He said last week that the partnership of lesbian and gay couples should not take place in the same rooms as civil marriages because of this. However, the Belfast Telegraph reports that the Alliance party is keen to show its support for the Civil Partnership Act and lesbian and gay rights through the issue. In a message send across the party, it calls for members to remember "their duties both under the civil partnership legislation, but also the wider equality duties". The newspaper reports that senior figures will also meet local councillors in a bid to stamp out the problem. But Close has indicated he will not move on the issue. "I certainly don't concede that there is any issue needing to be resolved. Would it be discriminatory if we stopped footballers playing on a cricket pitch, or painters painting in a music room?" The Civil Partnership Act comes into force in December, with councils across the country being required to offer legal registration for same-sex couples for the first time. However, those opposed to the new system have already indicated they may refuse to hold ceremonies for lesbian and gay couples. Discuss this article on the Gay Belfast ForumLondon wakes up to terrorist tragedy (08 July 2005)
London woke today to the aftermath of yesterday's terrorism nightmare, with transport networks and the central area of the capital opening up slowly. The four attacks, which took place on the underground system and a bus, have resulted in a confirmed death toll of 37 so far. This number is expected to increase sharply as families of victims are contacted and bodies are identified. Yesterday afternoon, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Brian Paddick confirmed to the media that there had been 4 bomb blasts, the first taking place in between Aldgate and Liverpool Street tube stations at 8.51am. The second blast took place between Russell Square and King's Cross tube stations at 8.56am, followed at 9.17am by a blast at Edgware Road tube station, to the west of the city. Finally, a No 30 double-decker bus was destroyed in Tavistock Place. As well as the dead, nearly 700 people were injured by the blasts, making it the hardest hitting attack on London since World War II. Today, the city is slowly coming back to life, after police drew a ring of steel around its heart yesterday. Amazingly, the majority of tube lines are offering some sort of service, although the exact crash sites are obviously likely to take longer. Police confirmed this morning that they were still removing bodies from the King's Cross blast, while forensic teams are studying the other sites in an attempt to determine what exactly happened - and who was responsible. Despite being shut down in the central zone yesterday, the red double-decker buses - a long-cherished symbol of London - were ferrying people home as early as last night. Today, they are thought to be on a full operational service. Soho and the central area of London, usually packed on a sunny Friday afternoon with office workers and tourists - are now open but eerily quiet. Despite assurances that the city was safe, some reports suggest as many as 50% of commuters chose to stay away today. While the UK's Prime Minister, Home Secretary and Police Chiefs spoke of the city's resilience, it was perhaps Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London who moved people the most. Clearly shocked by the attacks, and close to tears, he said the bombs were a "cowardly attack" and that London would not be divided by them. "[The attack] was an indiscriminate attempt to slaughter, irrespective of any considerations for age, for class, for religion or whatever," he told reporters. "That isn't an ideology, it isn't even a perverted faith. It is just an indiscriminate attempt at mass murder and we know what the objective is. They seek to divide Londoners. They seek to turn Londoners against each other." "Londoners will not be divided by this cowardly attack. They will stand together in solidarity alongside those who have been injured and those who have been bereaved and this is why I'm proud to be the Mayor of that city." Article by Ben Townley, Gay.com UK. Discuss this article on the Gay Belfast ForumDUP suspends Paul Berry (5 July 2005)
Paul Berry, the DUP Assemblyman under fire over allegations about his private life was last night suspended from his party. A party investigation is now under way after allegations about Berry's private life first appeared in the Sunday World newspaper on the eve of the Westminster election in May. He has consistently denied all the allegations. A DUP spokesman said: "Mr Paul Berry is suspended from the DUP pending an investigation that is currently ongoing." Berry has threatened legal action against several media organisations over the allegations but there are no reports of any such writs being issued as yet. Berry was unavailable for comment but denied reports of the suspension to the BBC, saying that if he is meant to attend a disciplinary panel he has not been given any date for it. He also explained his absence from a DUP meeting with Secretary of State Peter Hain by saying he was at a funeral. Mr Berry was regarded as one of the rising stars of the DUP when he was elected as the youngest Northern Ireland MLA in 1998 at the age of 22. A textile worker by trade, he came to prominence as a gospel singer. Despite the allegations, Mr Berry retained his seat on Armagh Council in the local election in May. DUP Paul Berry allegations more... Discuss this article on the Gay Belfast ForumPolitical Links: SDLP - Ulster Unionists - DUP - Alliance Party - Sinn Fein - Green Party
