Seeking the non-existant gay on/off swtich : today in Belfast

Today is one of those strange days. As soon as this story broke on the BBC website I would have expected a DM from Andrew Reeves either asking me for details, or telling me he was going to blog about it, or already had and would I like to comment.

His blog post would of course taken the line that no religion had any place to say anything about being LGBT, my riposte would of course have mentioned that the church needs to recognise the LGBT members within their midst that have not turned their back on them despite the church turning their backs, all too often, on them.

You see today in Northern Ireland one of Iris Robinson's 'christian' psychologist friends David Pickup is in Belfast to promote reparative therapy. The group holding a one day seminar up at Belvoir Parish Church, CORE supports "men and women with homosexual issues who voluntarily seek change in sexual preference and expression". They see having same sex attractions as an illness that is there to be cured. They see it is being a lesser option that being straight. They see it as something that through therapy can be suppressed and heterosexual lifestyle and feelings comes into its place. They say there is some sort of switch that can turn off the same sex attractions that LGB people feel. There isn't, I've tried TWICE. They say they love LGBT people, but pressure them into feeling lesser, to feeling that they are constantly failing, from a holier than though, judgemental stand point.

Forgive me if I am wrong or stepping out of line here but part of the bible tells me I should not bear false witness. You may have heard of that bit, it is the ten commandments. Now the fact is that I am attracted to other men. That does not necessarily more that one at the same time and be promiscuous. I can be so in love that I only have eyes for one man at a time, just as a heterosexual can only have eyes for one person of the opposite gender.

I don't have issues with that. At fifteen and sixteen because that is what the church seemed to imply, or on the rare occasions it was talked about tell me straight. My church now does have some pastoral guidelines on people with same sex attractiveness. It does come over 20 years after I needed pastoral guidance, although I doubt under the guidelines at present I would seek such pastoral care at that age. My profession of faith, enough to become a member of the church, is not sufficient, now is my preparedness to donate to church funds all because of my sexuality and more to the point my not wishing to hide it under a bushel: not that I'm shouting it from the rooftops either in the confines of any Presbyterian meeting house.

See I'm a Liberal Democrat, as such I don't think anyone should be enslaved, by poverty, ignorance or conformity. The people at the seminar in Belfast today are ignorant of the harm that reparitive therapy can do and they are trying to make people who are difference conform to a norm. They say willingly, but it is most often merely so that they fit in that they submit to this. There are people out there who are Christian, or of other faiths, and LGBT.

There is a protest up at Belvoir Parish Church handing out leaflets to highlight the harm that this approach to LGBT people within the church can cause, but because of all manner of commitments I am unable to attend in person. There is a growing open LGBT community in Northern Ireland, because of our religious nature a lot of that community is of faith and have struggled, or are struggling, with that dual persona themselves. It is not an issue they have with themselves, but an issue of how the church and fellow Christians perceive them.

Thankfully according to the BBC only 15 people were inside this morning attending the seminar.

Read Also 

• Andrew Mc Farland on Faith and Pride 
• Ed Simpson on Looking for a Better Way
• Jeffry G. Ford Reparative Therapy: A Pseudo Science

Update

Just seen  David Pickup on the lunchtime news. He says that gay is a lifestyle choice and wasn't around 100 years ago. Maybe we should tell to Edward Carson QC, whose statue is outside Parliament Buildings, whose judgement in favour of the Marquess of Queensbury in the libel case brought by Oscar Wilde in 1895, led to a warrent being issued for his arrest for gross indecency* upon leaving that trial. The eventual 2 years sentance of hard labour obviously mistaken as there was no such thing as gay 100, never mind 116 years ago.

* Homosexual acts not amounting to buggery.

Bang, Crash, Wallop what a Grand Prix

They say that the street circuit at Montreal is a slippery circuit. Seeing as it is partly used as normal roads for most of the year and not as a specific race track. However, you never thought that applied to underfoot until this weekend.




Lewis Hamilton was in the wars again, this wasn't his first incident of the day, but it was the one where he collided with his team mate Jenson Button. It was to be the first of 6 times Jenson had to go into the pits one of which was for a drive through penalty.



However, after the longest watching of a Grand Prix that I can remember, including all the wet birds, Rihanna turning up to a wet race without her Umberella, ella, ella.

You may well have waited up to watch the end of the race. It was certainly one of the most spectacular finishes of the year. On the penultimate lap Jenson Button despite all those excursions to the pits was just behind Sebastian Vettel, and was within one second to be able to operate his DRS (Drag Reduction System). Here are the final laps as seen from the German television commentators.

He hit a perfect 8

It has been a strange couple of days.

However, yesterday morning I woke up in Kirkcaldy, thanks to Callum Leslie, but more to his mum Susan and step-dad, for putting me, Kristian and Jenny up after Andrew Reeves's funeral. However, with Callum dashing off to Manchester for Liberal Youth at stupid o'clock and me having to back to the airport two cars departed in quick succession.

Callum's mum it was who left me in to the airport. The reason for the ungodly hour? Well I had a bowls match to play, not just was I playing I was skipping. I got off to a decent start, playing some good bowls to convert shots then at 9 all. My rink managed to drop a five.

Editor's alert blog readers are warned that Stephen will start to use a lot of bowling terms, not all of which he explains. You may wish to skip to the end for a nice bit of music, but bear with it for the drama, it is worth it.

Now for the uninitiated I'm talking lawn bowls, not ten-pin, and for league matches there are four players on a rink, with two bowls each, therefore a maximum of eight of your bowls could be closer than the opposing team. So to drop a five is quite dire.

However, the next end was something to behold. Slowly all my bowls got knocked up past the other team's best bowl until there were only three bowls to come.

With my first bowl I drew another shot. I turned to the guys behind and said there's seven in that now. They said don't count your chickens. Quite right my opposing skip had been keeping them in it.

He comes back up from the head and goes to deliver his last bowl. It looks good, it goes into the head. I set my last bowl down and walk up to the head, where I see the damage. It is a measure for shot but I prefer their bowl.

I walk back down to the mat, step forward, but don't feel right. I step back and reset myself. I deliver the bowl, the line looks good, then it starts the turn. I've followed it slightly up the green. I watch as it head in toward two bowls, my other one and the skips. It goes past mine hits the skips full.

Now the laws of physics state that energy is not destroyed it can only change forms.

My bowl had a bit of momentum behind it when it hit their skips shot bowl. However, it almost stopped dead as the energy was transferred to the other bowl and it carried on along that track. I knew from the reactions that it had gone far enough. I walked backward to the mat waiting for the thirds to declare the head. First three bowls are taken out straight away. Then a fourth and fifth. I'm saying under my breathe, "Come on give me the rest". The third then turns out the sixth.

My two shortest bowls at the front remain I know that the only bowl that could be better than them was the one I had just moved. But finally the other two are both turned out, to congratulations all around.

Getting an perfect eight is a rarity, although I have secured five of them in my career, but there are easier ways to get them than to have to turn out the opponents shot bowl as the skip to achieve it. Leads, seconds and thirds, often are resigned to the fact that there is bound to be a bowl gets in amongst their bowls before the end of the head. One did, but their skip showed the mettle to calming take it out and restore parity.

It is a perfect eight that I will remember for many a year. It really was a created rather than a given eight and therefore in honour of that I think a little Beautiful South seems just fine.

Mayoral Procession in memory of Andrew Reeves

Having got up at stupid o'clock, a time normally reserved for polling day*, on Friday to get to Belfast International for the 7am flight into Edinburgh. The reason of course as we know was the funeral of a dear friend, Andrew Reeves.

Of course Andrew's footprint is all over Edinburgh if you know where to look. Touching down in Edinburgh Airport I immediately FourSquared my location. Of course all through the week those of us who use that Social Networking tool have often been touched by on our friend's list seeing "Andrew R. Last seen at Platinum Point", now being in the same city that message came higher up my list of friends, under those in the same city.

It was a place where I very famously while out canvassing for Kevin Lang got no reply from a Mr A Reeves on the canvass card. So while I proceeded to make my way down the stairs I got out my phone and rang one of my favourites in my phone. The recipient answered and I said:

"Good evening, is that Mr A Reeves of X Platinum Point?"

The answer came back, "Yes."

"Thank you, my name is Stephen and I'm calling on behalf of Kevin Lang your Liberal Democrat candidate in the Westminster election. I was calling this evening to enquire if Kevin can rely on your vote."

The deadpan response came back.

"I can assure you that Kevin will get my vote, and I'd like to make sure that as many people in my constituency do likewise."

We left the conversation at that and said our farewells. Next time I saw Andrew he told me about the very thorough canvassing team that Kevin Lang was using. If they failed to get someone in on the doorstep they would call  them immediately to check. Kevin who was also present, said "Huh?" and looked at the two of us then the penny dropped.

But of course that wasn't the only footprint Andrew still leaves in Auld Reekie.

As I came in on the Airport Bus past Haymarket I decided that I had to mention that I was passing 4 Clifton Terrace and the Offices of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, where Andrew's now empty and far from its usual busy desk has sat for a week. Or course when I checked in it was only appropriate that Andrew was the Mayor on FourSquare.

After grabbing some breakfast I was determined to fill my time productively. First step was to take a picture of Edinburgh Castle from an angle another blogging friend with the same first name as Mr Reeves hadn't used last week. I took a couple here is one of them.

Edinburgh Castle between the Galleries

However, on the way to here as I checked in at the Scott Monument I got a FourSquare tip from Andrew Reeves about BHS. I only wish I'd seen this before taking my breakfast so I could have followed up on his advise, next time in Edinburgh I will.

However, it got me thinking. I knew Andrew was Mayor (ie most frequent visitor) to a number of Edinburgh locations, so I decided to see how many and where. In total there were 15, and a number of them in the New Town. I decided as a tribute to follow the footsteps of the Mayor in a Mayoral Procession in his memory. This is that trip.

Had to start here at 4 Clifton Terrace and the Office that brought Andrew to Scotland to work in the first place.

Just around the corner on Haymarket Terrace was the little bakery Zea. Not that us Lib Dems are used to a little pastry from time to time.

West Maitland Post Office was next, just up the road from Clifton Terrace. I cannot think why a post office would feature in a campaigners most visited places.

Paper Tiger on Stafford Street, which as I tweeted at the time shows that the man has taste. It is also a matter of not just going for any old stationery to meet his personal needs.

Along to Shandwick Place and we stumble across Sugacane. This might come as somewhat of a surprise to all of Andrew's friends. We would never say that he had a sweet tooth, well at least not to his face.

Final location is on Hanover Street, on the corner with Queen Street (rather appropriately). It is City Alterations a tailoring and dry cleaning business. One suspects if Mark Pack is truly looking for the secret of Andy's constantly pressed shirts this might be a location that was let in on the secret.

I was heading to the Burn Monument on Regent Terrace, when Caron tweeted she was on a train on the way in to Waverley, so I stopped my procession there and met up with her and then a growing clowder of waifs and stray Lib Dem cats. The rest of the day is told by her, Mark Pack and Mark Cole elsewhere, so read there for more details.

There is one final thing about my trip. Following the music from Andrew's funeral when I arrived in the Departure Lounge of Edinburgh Airport, the first piece of music I heard was the last piece that was played at the cremitorium. Some people were concerned when I FourSquared that quirk of fate, don't be. Just as this was the music we said goodbye to Andy, so it was the music I would associate with saying goodbye to Scotland this time. As I tweeteed yesterday the last words he said to me in person were, along the lines of go on and win this thing (that thing being the referendum) so that is the feeling I took with me.

Indeed as the words of another of the songs on the day says

There is progress now where there once was not (none)

where there once was not (none)

then everything came along

Although no-one understood

we were holding back the flood

learning how to dance the rain.

There was more of them than us

now they'll never dance again.

We will meet you where the lights are

the defenders of the faith we are

when the thunder turns around

they'll run so hard we'll tear the ground away.

From The Flood by Take That

Yeah it does seem that there is a task to be done to hold back the flood. Those gathered from all over the UK who are Liberal Democrats went away from Edinburgh charged with defending the faith and making sure the thunder turns around and we once again hear the sound of Liberal Democrat gunfire sounding loud and clear to the voters of the UK.

*Actually it did seem rather an appropriate time to be up for Andrew Reeves.

Reparative Therapy not needed, it merely leads to conflict

Healing a non-Disease

Ed Simpson has written an excellent post about the upcoming 'Interrogating the Pejorative - Considering Therapeutic Approaches and Contexts for those Conflicted in Sexual Identity'. I could save all those wanting to waste time and money on attending such an event with this simple summation.

Those conflicted in sexual identity are conflicted because other's say it isn't normal, that they need to be cured of it, that they can't find love or be loved because they have same sex attraction.

In other words lay off trying to cure us of something that isn't a disease. If that were to happen gay men, lesbians and bisexuals would still go to therapy, just as those who are straight do with real concerns. As is it many young people have to go through the growing up themselves, coming to terms with themselves first, then having to stand up to others. That's why when people like Gwyneth Paltrow want to raise the issue of same-sex attractiveness with their children when it is right to do so it should be applauded, not like the Daily Fail did condemn it.

That's why when in the Doctor Who story A good man goes to war with the thin, fat, gay, married, Anglican marines came up, and my elder nephew asked about that there was a quick glance between me and his parents. Was it time for them to explain that to him? After all best do it now before their uncle finds someone special and decides to settle down with him.

As with Apple Martin the daughter of Paltrow and her Coldplay frontman husband Chris Martin, each child has their own life experiences, when they first encounter the LGBT world is not necessarily something within the parents control. Somebody's mother or father from school may well identify as LGBT. It is how parents, teachers and leaders that come into that child and every child that leads to whether there is conflict or not in that child's upbringing. It may be that the child themself are identifying that in themselves. This first approach to the issue could be the start of the conflict that someone personally goes through, it has nothing to do their actual sexual identity but how it is perceived from others.

There is to be a presence outside the event on Tuesday here in Belfast. Trying to provide evidence of the additional trauma and conflict that reparative therapy can lead to. Some in church circles will be seething with outrage that LGBT people and their friends, will be outside a church building to protest. But then how many of them are also going to turn up to protest at the various pride events, or try and discourage or persuade people away from the LGBT venues on a regular basis.

Nice to knight you, to knight you nice

So at last it will be Sir Bruce Forsyth in the Queen's Birthday Honours announced this morning. Also the presented of Radio 4's Women's Hour becomes Dame Jenni Murray. The Governor of the Bank of England becomes Sir Mervyn King and the actress Janet Suzman also becomes a Dame.

Later today the latest Royal Duke will ride as an escort for the Sovereign as she takes her Birthday salute at the Trooping of the Colour by the 1st Battalion Scots Guards. He was seen here riding in the Colonel's review last week, sitting on the grey Wellesley. This is the first time the Duke of Cambridge has taken part in Trooping the Colour, although he along with his brother Prince Harry have laid wreaths at the cenotaph.

He'll be wearing the same uniform as Colonel in the Irish Guard that he wore on his wedding with the addition of the tradition Bearskin hat as opposed to the cap he wore on that day.

Andrew Reeves the farewell music #AndrewReeves

I'm sitting at Callum Leslie's after Andrew Reeve's funeral service. For those who couldn't make it and those of you who could here is hte choice of music for the day. So very Andrew and best have the tissues ready.

First we came in and fill Warriston Cremetorium to this.



We then moved on to this after Michael Moore and the celebrant managed to sum up Andrew very well and had us in laughter as well as tears.



There was a time of reflection to this, many of those present were in tears. Some afterwards said the lyrics could almost have been written for the Lib Dems.



Then finally, and this was the one that led me to tears, we exited to this.