Gay Belfast News

A new group for lesbian, gay and bisexual people has been launched in Bangor, Co Down. Gay and Lesbian across Down (GLAD) aims to provide a range of events for gay people living in or visiting the county, which is south of Belfast. District Commander Chief Superintendent Graham Shields of the Northern Ireland Police Service used the launch event to present a new initiative designed to increase the reporting of homophobic hate crime. 20,000 leaflets printed and distributed by GLAD and funded by the police will inform people of future events and detail how to report hate crimes. An Ulster Unionist Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Alan McFarland, and UUP councillor James McKerrow also attended the launch event. Andrew Muir, Chairperson of GLAD, said: "Back in 1996 when I came out as a gay man I was living in Bangor. "It was a completely different place than today. I felt excluded, isolated and alone. "Today in 2008 I am now again living in Bangor. I feel valued in a part of Northern Ireland which embraces diversity and provides hope of the future." GLAD grew out of the North Down and Ards Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans group, which was officially formed on March 2007. "With growing interest in the group we felt it necessary to hold a Development Weekend in October last year," said Mr Muir. "At this weekend we discussed how the group should grow over the next number of years. "We agreed to adopt a new and much more snappy name. To make the group more accessible we also agreed to launch an Induction Service." The Induction Service was formally launched at the event and allows people to find out more about the group by ringing GLAD's dedicated phone line (07791 398 438). It also offers the opportunity for people to 'break the ice' and meet up with induction service volunteers in advance of events. Meetings can be arranged by ringing the phone line. A full programme of events was announced at the launch, with something occurring every month, ranging from a Community Safety event in May to Camping and Caravanning Weekend with Barbeque in June and an Interior Design talk in September. GLAD also used the event as an opportunity to make an award to North Down Borough Council in recognition of the support provided by the Council since the group's inception. Further details on the group are available from www.gladni.org by emailing info@gladni.org or telephone 07791 398 438.

Northern Ireland's only gay rugby team is promoting a form of sporting apartheid, Sports Minister Edwin Poots has claimed. Mr Poots said he could not understand the motivation behind the founding of the Belfast-based Ulster Titans. "I just cannot fathom why people see the necessity to develop an apartheid in sport," he said. However, one of the team's founders, Declan Lavery, said everyone was welcome to join the club. "When the club was set up it welcomed members regardless of their age, creed, religion, sexual orientation or whatever, and that's how it continues," Mr Lavery said. "Yes, it was primarily something established as a vehicle for gay people but that doesn't mean somebody who isn't gay can't join, everyone is welcome." However, Mr Poots said: "It would be unacceptable to produce an all-black rugby team or an all-white team or an all-Chinese team. "To me it's equally unacceptable to produce an all-homosexual rugby team and I find it remarkable that people who talk so much about inclusivity and about having an equal role in society would then go down the route of exclusion."

The DUP First Minister Ian Paisley has faced his first major crisis as Ulster's leader when his son resigned from his government amid growing controversy over cash and cronyism allegations that have damaged both men's reputations. Ian Paisley jnr insists he has done nothing wrong. Ian Paisley jnr became the first casualty of Northern Ireland's power-sharing regime when he handed his resignation to his father following five months of publicity about his alleged lobbying tactics, links to a local property tycoon and homophobic comments in Hotpress. Paisley jnr, told Hotpress: "I am, unsurprisingly, a straight person. "I am pretty repulsed by gay and lesbianism. I think it is wrong. I think that those people harm themselves and - without caring about it - harm society. "That doesn't mean to say that I hate them. I mean, I hate what they do." His comments were heavily criticised by partners in the coalition government in Northern Ireland, including Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, who assured the gay community that Paisley Jnr was not speaking on behalf of the devolved administration. Mr Paisley Jnr was nominated for the Stonewall Bigot of the Year award 2007.

Seven months ago Seany O'Kane was planning to build a global fan base. But last night, Ulster's Big Brother 8 contestant admitted he was penniless and on the verge of despair - and now contemplating building houses. The unemployed Derryman was speaking to the Belfast Telegraph after the reality TV show - which he initially saw as springboard to success - dramatically failed to kick-start his career. "There's nothing worse than being broke and famous," the 26-year-old said. In terms of future projects, the annoying redhead said he hasn't given up hope of becoming a top television star just yet. "I feel I already have the public on my side," he said.

Northern Ireland's first gay rugby team - the Belfast based Ulster Titans - has set its sights on the largest biennial 15-a-side rugby tournament in the world, the Bingham Cup - or the Gay Rugby World Cup which will be held in Dublin this summer. The internationally renowned event is expected to generate millions of euro for the Republic's economy and has received the support of some high-profile Leinster players, current Irish star Gordon D'Arcy and former internationals Emmett Byrne, Liam Toland, John McWeeney and Peter Coyle. Last weekend the Titans flew to Newcastle to compete in their first inter-regional competition as part of this campaign. And while they did not come out top of the table - they came fifth in the tournament - chairman Sean McEvoy explained that the team were just happy they did not come last. "We were just delighted to be playing," he said. "We are not in any league as such and this was our first competition. We even had our first win. We played three matches throughout the day. We lost to Cardiff and Manchester but we beat Newcastle 10-5." McEvoy believes the outcome was a very positive result for the 15-member squad, which has only been together for a year. Since the Titans started, they have struggled to find a proper sporting ground to train on, making it difficult for them to be up to the same standards of some of the more well-established sides. Sean added that the Titans hoped they would be able to find a floodlit ground soon to enable them to prepare for the Bingham Cup which kicks off in June. He said the team was determined to compete in the tournament but also hoped to expand the club in Northern Ireland. "We hope to one day get into the Ulster Branch and compete on that level. Those who are in the team are determined. Some have never even played rugby before but they really enjoy it." Anyone interested in joining the Titans should visit www.ulstertitans.com

On a seemingly routine Tuesday afternoon, word came that 28-year-old actor Heath Ledger, best known for his Oscar-nominated role as a gay cowboy in "Brokeback Mountain," was found dead in a downtown New York apartment. Apparently, a masseuse showed up for an appointment and was led in by a housekeeper, who discovered Ledger's body about 3:30 p.m. The police found pills near his naked body. There was no obvious indication of suicide, New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said. An autopsy is planned for today. In "Brokeback Mountain," his portrayal of secret male love made Ledger an instant icon in the gay community, according to Neil G. Giuliano, president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. "His powerful portrayal changed hearts and minds in immeasurable ways," Giuliano said in a statement. "Brokeback Mountain" also was where he met actress Michelle Williams, with whom he lived until the two split up last year. The couple had a daughter, Matilda. Ledger also had relationships with actresses Heather Graham and Naomi Watts. Ledger was born in Perth, Australia, in 1979 to a mining engineer and a French teacher, according to the Associated Press. At 16, he began appearing in independent films in Sydney. When he was 19, he came to Los Angeles and landed a part in '10 Things I Hate About You', a modern-day version of 'The Taming of the Shrew'. His roles in 'The Patriot' (2000) and 'A Knight's Tale' (2001) earned him heartthrob stature. But his career path steered him back to the independent movies, including 'Monster's Ball' in 2001, and 'Brokeback Mountain' in 2005. "I had such great hope for him," Mel Gibson, who played Ledger's vengeful father in "The Patriot," said in a statement, the Associated Press reported. "He was just taking off, and to lose his life at such a young age is a tragic loss." In an interview published in November in the New York Times, Ledger said he was "stressed out a little too much" while making 'I'm Not There' and had trouble sleeping during the filming of 'The Dark Knight'. "Last week, I probably slept an average of two hours a night," Ledger told the Times. "I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going." Unlike most of his contemporaries, Ledger had an old-fashioned manliness - the kind that seems to have fled America and gone south in recent years, as far south as Australia. But unlike most of the old-fashioned manly stars of America's macho period, Ledger was at his best playing men in turmoil, men in trouble, men suffering from deep wounds to the spirit. At 28, he had 25 prime casting years ahead of him this has been tragically cut short.

The row over last summer's Gay Pride celebration in Belfast has reached the House of Commons. Stormont Minister Nigel Dodds has thrown his weight behind DUP protests over a placard carried at the Belfast Pride event which read "Jesus is a fag". Security Minister Paul Goggins has revealed that the Parades Commission is seeking a meeting with the march organisers following complaints about alleged breaches of its code. The DUP were outraged when one participant was seen carrying the controversial placard during the colourful August 4 event. Mr Dodds last week pursued the matter in a Parliamentary question to the Secretary of State. The party's North Belfast MP asked what steps have been taken by the Parades Commission "in relation to offensive and blasphemous placards" displayed during Belfast Pride parade. Mr Goggins, replying on behalf of the Secretary of State, said: "I have been advised by the Parades Commission that it has written to the parade organiser in relation to alleged breaches of its code of conduct at the Belfast Pride parade on 4 August 2007, and has sought a meeting to discuss the matter further. The Commission is committed to use all of the information at its disposal, including reports from police, participants, authorised officers and monitors, to inform its review of any such parade in the future."The "Jesus is a fag" placard was branded " provocative" last August by East Belfast DUP councillor May Campbell, who called for an end to further gay and lesbian parades in the city. "Belfast Pride claims to promote respect for diversity yet such a blasphemous, provocative placard was carried during the Gay Pride parade in Belfast," said Mrs Campbell. "Whether the organising committee sanctioned the placard, or simply turned a blind eye, questions must be raised by those funding such events and the Parades Commission should be looking into the need for restrictions on any further parades. It is about time those who regulate such public displays clamp down on those continually attacking Christianity and the Christian values of this country." But at the time Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association spokesman PA Maglochlainn rejected the criticism. He said: "Someone participating in the parade was holding the placard. I defend the right of that person to carry it. "To not allow someone to carry such a placard would restrict freedom of speech and religious freedom. The DUP shouldn't be so ready to shout blasphemy."

The Speaker of New York City Council, Chrissie Quinn, has said that comments from junior Northern Ireland minister that he found gay people repulsive should never have been made. During a five-day visit to Belfast Ms Quinn, is one of the most prominent lesbian politicians in the US, attacked Ian Paisley Jnr, who is the son and namesake of the Democratic Unionist First Minister. He told Hotpress magazine in May that lesbians and gay men harm society. Appointed a junior minister in the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister by his father, the department with responsibility for equality issues, he represents North Antrim in the Northern Ireland Assembly. "I am, unsurprisingly, a straight person," he said. "I am pretty repulsed by gay and lesbianism. I think it is wrong. I think that those people harm themselves and, without caring about it, harm society." Ms Quinn, who boycotted the New York St Patrick's Day parade last year because of its ban on gay participants, told the Andersonstown News: "Statements like that shouldn't be made. They are totally unhelpful and hurtful to people. It shouldn't have been said. Sometimes when people say things like that they don't realise the impact. Lots of people are affected, the people at the centre of the remarks, their family, their friends. Comments like that are personal and very painful." In September the Northern Ireland Assembly Ombudsman ruled that Mr Paisley Jnr did not break the code of conduct. His comments were heavily criticised by partners in the coalition government in Northern Ireland, including Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, who assured the gay community that Paisley Jnr was not speaking on behalf of the devolved administration. Despite calls for him apologise or resign, he defended his homophobia in a Radio 4 documentary, The House I Grew Up In, in which he claimed that his views were backed by the Bible, and he was entitled to express them. Mr Paisley Jnr was nominated for the Stonewall Bigot of the Year award 2007 but lost to the Bishop of Hereford.

Gay and Lesbian Youth Northern Ireland (Glyni) the Belfast based gay rights campaigners have clashed with Belfast's Rape Crisis Centre over plans to lower the age of sexual consent to 16. The British government has published proposals to bring Northern Ireland's legal process, under which it is illegal for 16-year-olds to have sex, into line with the rest of the UK. The centre has joined a loose alliance with the Catholic church, evangelical Protestant churches and Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party to oppose the proposed change from 17 to 16. Ranged against them are organisations representing the gay community. Eileen Calder, director of the centre, defended its decision to resist changes to the sexual offences law. 'On many issues we have been on the opposite side of the DUP and the Catholic church, in areas like abortion, where the centre is pro-choice. But on other issues, such as pornography, we have worked with the churches in campaigning against sexploitation,' she said. 'Our concern is to protect vulnerable young men and women from older sexual predators. The 17 age limit has never been used to prosecute, say, a man of 16 who gets his 15-year-old girlfriend pregnant. What we are concerned about is men in their 20s, 30s, 40s and older preying on young people. And that applies to the gay community as well as the heterosexual community.' Gay and Lesbian Youth Northern Ireland (Glyni) said it was 'illogical' to argue that there was a huge gap between someone at 17 and another at 16. Along with the Rainbow Project, a charity supporting gays, Glyni has welcomed the introduction of the Sexual Offences (Northern Ireland) Order 2007, reducing the age of consent to 16. Liam Larmour, Glyni's spokesman, said: 'We appreciate the concerns around sexual assaults, but would remind these agencies that any one individual is a potential victim to an assault of this kind, and age may not be a factor in this unfortunate circumstance.' He said both organisations were concerned that young people were being criminalised in the eyes of the law. 'To many young people, having sex at 16 is no different than having sex at 17, and is their choice of what to do with their own bodies. After all, you can get married at 16 with parental consent, you can smoke, choose your GP and buy your own fireworks, and for the moment can leave school too,' he said. 'You also start paying national insurance at this age, though you can't vote to determine its usage until you are 18. If we can deem 16-year-olds mature enough to make these decisions, and take part of their wages from them, why can't society trust them to make decisions about who they choose to have sex with, without being criminalised for it? Is it fair that we can determine a 16-year-old in England, Scotland or Wales to be more sensible, mature and sexually responsible than a 17-year-old in Northern Ireland?' But Whitehall faces an uphill struggle to create parity in the age of consent law across the UK. The DUP has vowed to resist any changes, though Northern Ireland Office Minister Paul Goggins does have reserve powers to impose reforms. Goggins will also face fierce resistance from the Catholic church and most Protestant churches. At the next monthly conference of the Irish Catholic bishops, a statement will be issued denouncing the lowering of the age of consent and pledging a broad-based campaign against the change. The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission declined to comment on the proposed law change.

The DUP's Ian Paisley jnr is racking up votes in one 'election' battle he won't want to win. For the junior minister is in the running for one of the UK's best known gay campaigning group's gongs - at a glittering ceremony in London this November. Supporters of the Stonewall charity - which counts Lord Of The Rings' star Sir Ian McKellen as a founding member - have nominated Ian jnr as one of five candidates for the 'Bigot of the Year'. A 'rival' for the unwanted prize is motormouth Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson (above), who was ticked off by the BBC earlier this year for allegedly making derogatory references to homosexuality, including agreeing with an audience member that a car was a bit gay;. Ian Paisley jnr, of course, caused a storm of protest last May when he said that he was pretty repulsed; by homosexual people. The 40-year-old added: I think it is wrong. I think that those people harm themselves and - without caring about it - harm society. That doesn't mean to say that I hate them. I mean, I hate what they do. Politicians, including Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, condemned the controversial remarks by the junior minister in the OFMDFM. However, the Northern Ireland Assembly later found that Mr Paisley's views had not breached members' code of conduct. The 2007 Stonewall awards will be presented by John Barrowman - star of the Doctor Who spin-off TV series Torchwood - at the £100 a ticket ceremony in the A (Victoria and Albert Museum), in London on November 1. Northern Ireland Secretary of State Peter Hain is up for the Politician of the Year while Antony Cotton is nominated in the Entertainer of the Year category.

A concerned Irish dad contacted computer software manufacturers after discovering a homophobic term in Junior Scrabble 2007, a game on Nintendo DS. Zachary McAdam, from Holywood, Co Down, was playing the game with his seven-year-old daughter, when he was offered the word 'lesbo' as the solution to a five-letter anagram reports the Belfast Telegraph. The term 'lesbo' is a slang name intentionally meant to cause offence, Mr McAdam said. I looked it up on the website dictionary.com just to make sure I wasn't over- reacting and it described the word as a noun, slang, disparaging and offensive. Ubisoft, the French company that made the game, said the programme was based on words listed in the Chambers Official Scrabble Dictionary. There are over 277,000 approved words in the dictionary,they told the Telegraph. The dictionary includes words used in the English language, but that may be considered unusual or offensive. Although the games features a junior mode which removes these words from play, Ubisoft said the term 'lesbo' was not deemed to offensive because it was not listed as such by the dictionary. PA MagLochlainn, a spokeperson for the Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association, told the paper: I would never use the word. The correct term is lesbian. I am not in the least bit surprised it is included because the young men who design these games are not taught by schools that these words can be used as a form of homophobic bullying.

Gay equality organisation Stonewall said today that the ruling of the High Court in Belfast on the Sexual Orientation Regulations would not diminish the protections for LGB people in the UK. Stonewall Chief executive Ben Summerskill explained "We are delighted that the court has upheld the regulations as they currently exist across the rest of Britain." Mr Justice Weatherup said that a provision which protects LGB people from harassment when accessing goods and services should be set aside. The harassment provision is only in the Northern Ireland regulations and not those governing the rest of the UK. Christians who provide goods and services will now be allowed to express their disapproval of LGB people, such as when a gay couple try to book a hotel room. However, any gay, lesbian or bisexual person who is denied goods and services on the basis of their sexuality will be able to sue the provider for damages, the remedy laid out in the regulations. "It is a small Pyrrhic victory for the Christian fundamentalist organisations that a very small part of the regulations, that we are not convinced are actually needed, have been struck out on the basis they are not in place in the rest of the UK," said Mr Summerskill. The harassment provision was added to the Northern Ireland regulations to match protection from discrimination provision across all groups in the province. Stonewall have taken legal advice on harassment over the regulations in the rest of the UK and decided they were not necessary. The organisation said that it had not come across a single case where harassment had occurred that would not be covered by existing laws. Mr Summerskill said it was not surprising the judge said that the SORs do not affect the curriculum, as other legislation controls what is taught in schools. "The judgement says that Christian fundamentalists have to abide by the law," said Mr Summerskill.

Controversial remarks made by Ian Paisley jnr about gay people do not amount to a breach of Assembly members' code of conduct. The ruling has been made in a confidential report by the Assembly Ombudsman Tom Frawley, according to the BBC. The inquiry followed a complaint by a member of the public concerning an article in Hot Press magazine in which Mr Paisley said that homosexuals " without caring... harm society". However, in the article, published in May, he said he did not hate homosexuals. The Committee on Standards and Privileges has been discussing the report by the Ombudsman, who interviewed Mr Paisley about his remarks. Ian Paisley Jnr, who is the son and namesake of the Democratic Unionist First Minister, told Hotpress magazine in May that lesbians and gay men harm society. He was appointed a junior minister in the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister by his father, the department with responsibility for equality issues. He represents North Antrim in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Mr Paisley, 41, told Hotpress: "I am, unsurprisingly, a straight person. "I am pretty repulsed by gay and lesbianism. I think it is wrong. I think that those people harm themselves and - without caring about it - harm society. "That doesn't mean to say that I hate them. I mean, I hate what they do." His comments were heavily criticised by partners in the coalition government in Northern Ireland, including Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, who assured the gay community that Paisley Jnr was not speaking on behalf of the devolved administration. Mr Paisley Jnr has been nominated for the Stonewall Bigot of the Year award 2007. The winner will be announced at the ceremony in London on November 1st.

During PRIDE 2007 the Equality Commission is reminding anyone who believes they have been unfairly treated because of their sexual orientation that they can receive free and confidential advice from the Commission.

Equality laws protecting lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people from unfair treatment at work, in training and in further education have been in place since 2003. And this year that protection has been extended to the provision of goods, facilities and services. In spite of this many people are still reluctant to complain about unfair treatment based on their sexual orientation.

Bob Collins, Chief Commissioner of the Equality Commission said, “PRIDE is a time when members of the lesbian, gay and bisexual community celebrate their sexuality through a festival of arts and culture. But many of those celebrating are experiencing discrimination on a daily basis. Our legal advice team has spoken to 164 people about their rights under sexual orientation equality laws. We would like to hear from more lesbian, gay and bisexual people about their experiences and advise them of their rights and options.”

“We are very aware of sensitivities and privacy issues in respect of sexual orientation claims. The realities experienced by LGB individuals often cause them to conceal their sexual orientation at work, in school and in other social contexts. The Commission will publish research later this autumn which will look at the barriers to people taking cases to Tribunal or Court and will recommend strategies to help lesbian, gay and bisexual people to access their rights. We encourage people to avail of our advice services and to know their own rights.”

The Commission will have an information point at Custom House Square on Saturday 4th August and all are welcome. It can also be contacted for free and confidential advice on Tel. (028) 90 890 890. Publications, guides and more advice can be found at www.equalityni.org.

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