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GAY BELFAST NEWS for November 2005
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Chairman of the Alliance Party set to resign over Civil Partnerships (29 November 2005)
An argument over whether civil partnerships should be performed in Lisburn City Council room normally reserved for weddings prompted the chairman of the Alliance Party to resign his position Monday. "We have a wedding suite. And as a council, we decided to keep that room for weddings, and not allow civil partnership registrations there," said Lisburn Councillor Trevor Lunn, in a quote published by Ireland On-Line. But his political party felt otherwise, overturning his decision to keep lesbian and gay couples from celebrating their unions in the same place Lisburn's straight married couples do. Saying his party betrayed him, Lunn stepped down."How can I chair an organisation hinting at disciplinary action against me? The campaign against Lisburn from within the Alliance Party has continued to the point where I thought it would be better if I wasn't chairing the organization. I always thought the Alliance Party was a broad enough church that we could support some difference of opinion. But it appears that, in terms of equality issues, we just can't. The party has managed to make a major issue out of something trivial," Lunn insisted, adding that he actually supports lesbian and gay partnerships.
The 59-year-old insurance broker's resignation comes just months before he was to finish his two-year tenure as chairman. Same-sex couples in Britain will get civil partnerships - granting legal recognition of their commitment and most of the rights enjoyed by straight married couples - starting December 5, when the historic Civil Partnership Act becomes law.
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Gay Community in Derry celebrate new Civil Partnership legislation (25 November 2005)
The Gay Community in Derry will celebrate the introduction of the new Civil Partnership legislation with a major party for all. The party will take place at Pepes, 64 Strand Road, Derry on December 4th were the community and supporters will gather for a countdown to 12 midnight when the legislation becomes law. The party is open to members of the Gay Community, family, friends and all those supporters we have in Derry. It will be a night of music, cabaret and celebration. Sean Morrin from the Rainbow Project said "The legislation becoming law will be the biggest day in the history of the Gay Community when after years of campaigning; our relationships will be recognised in law. This now affords us many rights that heterosexual married couples are given. I think it is proper that we celebrate with family, friends and supporters and considering the very first registration will take place in Derry we have lots to celebrate about".Gay rights Campaigner to march on Ballymena (24 November 2005)
A gay rights campaigner is planning to picket a meeting of Ballymena council in protest at controversial remarks made by a DUP councillor who said God sent Hurricane Katrina to punish homosexuals in New Orleans. PA Mag Lochlainn, president of the Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association, could come face-to-face with Councillor Maurice Mills at the monthly meeting next month. Mr Mag Lochlainn said: "God willing, I will be there and I hope to have a few with me to protest at what Maurice Mills said." Meanwhile, Mr Mag Lochlainn said a gay pride parade in Ballymena is a long way off and expects one to take place in 10 to 15 years. But added: "These horrible nasty words of his (Mr Mills) may have simply brought the day forward in Ballymena when it might have otherwise have taken years before we had a parade. Speaking about his remarks, Mr Mills said: "We all deserve to be punished. The only answer to the avoidance of punishment is if they are interested in coming to a personal knowledge of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And once that happens, sodomy goes." Mr Mills said he would not welcome a gay pride parade.Gay rights group call on DUP to clarify position (23 November 2005)
Leading gay rights group, The Rainbow Project has reacted with fury to
remarks by a DUP councillor that Hurricane Katrina was an act of God
against homosexuals. Ballymena councillor Maurice Mills also branded
homosexuality a "filthy practice" responsible for the devastating
scourge of Aids across Africa. The Rainbow Project has challenged the
DUP to give an unqualified response to the councillor's comments. "It
would appear that the politics of the DUP is contaminated with a
particular brand of religious fundamentalism, which is used by its
adherents as a cloak to justify vile homophobia. We demand the DUP
clarify its position on both racism and homophobia, as its public
representatives are often to be found delivering barely articulate,
pseudo-religious diatribes which run contrary to one of their election
pledges, which states that the party is committed to 'Equality for
all'. We also want to know if disciplinary action will be taken against
Mills and if the DUP is aware of how his comments may be challenged
through the utilisation of hate crime legislation."
Mr Mills said the recent natural disaster to hit the US - which claimed 1,300 lives and left tens of thousands homeless - was sent by God as a warning to the world, two days before a "gay mardi gras" in the city. "The abominable and filthy practice of sodomy has resulted in Africa being riddled with Aids." he said. In July, DUP MLA Paul Berry was suspended from the party following newspaper claims he had met a male masseur in a Belfast hotel who alleged a sexual encounter took place. Mr Berry denied the allegations and is facing a party disciplinary hearing. In the 1980s the DUP leader, Ian Paisley, campaigned to "save Ulster from sodomy." Earlier this year, Ian Paisley Jnr claimed that the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland view same-sex relationships as "obnoxious and deeply offensive". Former DUP councillor for Newtownabbey, Arthur Templeton, was thrown out of the party after he was convicted of anti-gay harassment against a fellow election candidate. While Fermanagh DUP councillor Bert Johnston said last February that gays were "perverts with reprobate minds".
Gay Belfast ForumLisburn council overturns ban on same-sex ceremonies (23 November 2005)
Lisburn City Council has reversed its decision to ban same-sex couples from holding civil registration ceremonies on council property. Gay activists had threatened legal action against the unionist-dominated council when it introduced the ban last July. The move to prohibit same-sex ceremonies from the council's wedding room (which is known as the Cherry Room) was approved ahead of a new law allowing gay couples to enter into civil partnerships. Sinn Féin and the SDLP both opposed the ban, but were opposed by the DUP and Alliance Councillor Seamus Close. Gay Belfast ForumMajor LGBT conference in Belfast (18 November 2005)
UNISON, the UK’s largest trade union with over 1.3 million members is holding its annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender National Conference at the Europa Hotel in Belfast today. Over 300 delegates from all parts of the UK will attend. Patricia McKeown, Regional Secretary, who will welcome the delegates to Northern Ireland, said “The UNISON Conference is being hosted against a backdrop of spiralling numbers of Homophobic Hate crimes in Northern Ireland and a warning by the NI Affairs Committee that this type of crime is in danger of getting out of control. However there is also a spirit of change in the way homophobia is viewed and dealt with here. This conference promises to be powerful in the context of challenging prejudice. We salute our union for bring the conference to Belfast in an act of solidarity with our members. Tim Roberts Co-Chair of the National LGBT Committee said “This conference is bringing LGBT UNISON members to Belfast from all parts of our union to debate issues of workplace equality, celebrate our role in public life and challenge discrimination at work and in society” Dave Prentis, General Secretary, who publicly challenged homophobia in Northern Ireland earlier this year, said “UNISON has been in the vanguard of promoting positive change and this will be apparent in the event which is timely considering the climate of homophobia that still prevails”. Motions from Northern Ireland include ‘Homophobia in the Education Sector’ a motion on ‘Civil Partnerships’ which condemns the recent actions of Lisburn Council, and a motion supporting capacity building in the LGBT community. Fringe events include an Evening of Music and Craic and a debate with leading campaigners such as Nell McCafferty and Jeff Dudgeon on Saturday (19th) evening, both organised by the UNISON NI group. Discuss this article on the Gay Belfast ForumCouncils 'undecided' on civil partnerships (07 November 2005)
Councils across Northern Ireland are still undecided as to whether to offer ceremonies to lesbian and gay couples looking to become civil partnerships, according to a new survey. The survey, conducted by the Belfast Telegraph, revealed that two thirds of councils in the province were still not sure about whether to offer ceremonies. According to the newspaper, just 8 of the 26 councils have outlined how much of the registration scheme will be on offer. Although all councils must offer civil partnerships to same-sex couples by law, whether or not they allow ceremonies is up to them. The poll comes as councils in Northern Ireland faced criticism for planning to bar ceremonies. Lisburn councillors tabled motions that would not only bar ceremonies from taking place but also ban the use of any room used for heterosexual marriage for civil partnerships. The proposal was slammed by campaigners and supporters of the new civil partnership legislation. In the rest of the UK, a similar proposal was dropped in the London borough of Bromley after threats of legal action from the capital's Mayor Ken Livingstone as well as protests from local LGBT people. In a bid to avoid any more criticism, Lisburn Borough Council has undertake an Equality Impact Assessment which it will use before it makes a formal decision on civil partnerships. Click Here to read the Lisburn Equality Impact Assessment. Discuss this article on the Gay Belfast ForumNewtownabbey Borough Council joins civil partnerships debate (03 November 2005)
A row has broken out in Newtownabbey Borough Council, after councillors pushed for a private meeting on gay relationships. The motion, suggested by the DUP party, called for discussions on whether to allow civil partnership ceremonies to be held in council buildings, to be held in private. It comes after Lisburn City Council was criticised for attempting to block same-sex ceremonies from taking place in its council buildings. Opponents of the new civil partnership laws, which come into force in December, said that by allowing ceremonies to take place, councils would be undermining marriage. In Newtownabbey, the DUP says plans to hold talks on ceremonies away from the public gaze was a bid to debate the issues associated with the new laws "in an adult fashion". According to the NewsLetter newspaper, he said he wanted talks to take place without councillors "playing to the press or the gallery". However, his opponents have questioned why he feels the need to take the issue away from the public. "It should have been discussed in the open because people should hear what the people representing them think, either they are for or against it," Ulster Unionist Barbara Gilliland told the newspaper. Other councillors said, because the issue had already been passed by government, there was no need to discuss civil partnerships once again. But Hamilton said many people were concerned about the new laws and were keen to see action. "Some believe it could be the thin edge of the wedge and once it is slipped in it will be quietly expanded upon with great ease," he said. Discuss this article on the Gay Belfast ForumPolitical Links: SDLP - Ulster Unionists - DUP - Alliance Party - Sinn Fein - Green Party
