LGBT* in Ukip and Pride

There is a lot of hot debate going on at the moment about the decision of Pride London to reject LGBT* in UKIP application to march as a group this month in the parade. The Board of Pride London are citing "secuirty issues" as the reason for this rejection, something Peter Tatchell calls a "cop-out" which seems somewhat ironic as the same man had called for UKIP's exclusion mere days earlier.

Tatchell himself is appearing confused in his stance to LGBT* in Ukip's participation and I suspect that London Prides talk of direct action against the parade if they allowed the Ukip group to take part have led to similar confusion within LGBTory, LGBT Labour, LGBT+ Lib Dems and LGBTIQ Greens from taking an official position are they are not aware of the facts that Pride are stating are the security issues. With rumours of BME or immigrant groups threatening the action it is uncertain where the facts lie.

Therefore this is my personal opinion and not in any other capacity.

I think LGBT* within UKIP should be allowed to march in the London Pride Parade.

As for security fears when Pride first started out there were always security fears. In Eastern Europe and Africa there still are when a Pride march takes place. So in that that essence Peter Tatchell is right, it is a cop-out.

However, unlike Tatchell and others I do not think we should tar the LGBT+ representative group within any political party or organisation with the expressed view of the majority within that organisation. After all we have faith groups that are working hard within their groups who oppose same-sex marriage, actively campaign against it and all LGBT+ equality measures. These were all reason that Tatchell noted in his reasons to ban LGBT* within UKIP from marching.

I'm not sure when the predecessors of LGBTory, TORCHE (Tory Campaign for Homosexual Equality) or CGHE (Conservative Group for Homosexual Equality) first marched in London Pride but I suspect that it was probably during the time that the party policy was in favour of Section 28 and opposed to civil unions for LGBT people and other LGBT equality measures that are now in place. There were probably also concerns of how others within LGBT+ circles would react to the Conservatives marching in their midst at that time.

I would be ashamed if the security measures were a smokescreen from the Board of London Pride to give in the bullying tactics of some within the LGBT community to petition against the inclusion of LGBT* within UKIP from participating, and that includes high profile opponents to their participation like Tatchell. I would also be ashamed if any LGBT group threatens the safety of Pride because other LGBT people and supportive friends are participating because they disagree with the certain aspects of the politics of the group then shame on them.

I would love there to be an LGBT unionist presence at a Belfast Pride soon. Currently all three of the unionist parties in Northern Ireland with MLAs DUP, UUP and TUV have fair from exemplary LGBT voting records but there are unionist party members and supporters who are LGBT are lobbying those MLAs to change just as LGBT* within UKIP are doing to those politicians and candidates in their own party who are far from LGBT supportive and even overtly anti-LGBT. The LGBT and Pride community should be supporting such groups seeking change not excluding them from our parade.

Reason not to take Pride in Moscow

It is coming up to Pride season here in the UK. But effectively in Moscow there will not be a sanctioned Pride parade until 2112.

In Moscow applications for a parade have to be submitted not later than 30-45 days before the event. But there is no maximum time before the event that such an application has to be submitted. So gay rights activists submitted applications for each of the next 100 years. Only for City Hall to turn them all down. This decision has since been upheld by the district and city courts.

In a country where a little over 25 years ago there didn't appear to be an end to communism, where little more than 20 years ago homosexuality was still illegal, a decision has now been made that will last more than 4 or 5 times that long.

As recently as 2007 the then Mayor of Moscow Yury Luzhkov considered attempts to hold a Pride parade in Moscow as 'satanic' so I guess here in Belfast we are lucky that one of our leading politicians only thought we were repugnant last year. There has never been a sanctioned Pride parade in the Russian capital and more cities across the country are taking the same stance as St. Petersburg in banning the dissemination of any homosexual propaganda, that included health issues both physical and mental pertinent to the LGBT community that exists there.

I remember how just 22 years I was distributing literature in the USSR that was illegal to be distributed, that was the bible then. I'm sure that these bans won't last 100 years, or even 10 years. But we need to be clear when telling the Russians that there are concerns of health, suicide and well being of young LGBT individuals that without literature and advise many young people will feel that they are alone.

There are concerns that by trying to hide the Russian LGBT community it is doing untold harm to those individuals. It is on a par to what was repressed by the communists before the Soviet Union dissolved to allow greater freedom, but with that freedom comes responsibility something that those in authority seem to be ignoring with these anti-LGBT decisions.

To appeal to liberals DUP have to be liberal

Apparently Peter Robinson's moves to attend GAA games are to woo liberal unionists according to today's Belfast Telegraph.

If the DUP really want to woo liberals, why don't they start to send a representative to the discussion panels that form part of the Pride weeks around Northern Ireland. Until they are seen to be listening to everyone they cannot be seen as 'liberal'.

Jim Well's response watch Day 7

Me with QUBSU VP Welfare Adam McGibbon

As we know last week Jim Wells said:

"I understand that you [Belfast Pride] contacted my Kilkeel office regarding what is termed a 'Belfast Pride' debate.

"As you are probably know I find the behavior of those who take part in this march totally repugnant.

"I do not thereforee wish to be association in any way with this event.

"My position on this matter will not change in the future and I would politely suggest that any further requests of this nature will be a total waste of your time."

As one of the Northern Irish LGBT community, and the LGBT people of faith community who has also been to a Wells' family event I thought I'd give him to the right to clarify just what he meant in that statement and his subsequent comments to Diana Rusk at the Irish news.

It is now 7 days on from the Pride on the Hill event and Mr Wells has yet to answer the following questions that I posed to him on 26 July.

1) You turned down an invite to a debate as part of the festival not to the parade itself by saying that you found the behavior of those at the parade totally repugnant. As the areas covered included the higher level of LGBT teens who commit suicide, adoption by L&G couples, heteronormative views and traditions within schools etc some of this is within a Health remit. Does your statement that your "position on this matter will not change in the future and I would politely suggest that any further requests of this nature will be a total waste of your time" mean that you are never likely to meet with LGBT groups to discuss such issues?

2) You said you found the costumes and behaviour of those who take part in such parades repugnant. I'll be wearing my kilt with daywear sporran and casual shirt, my activities will be to march in beat to the music and represent my party. How is this anymore repugnant than many other parades that take place in this wee country of ours?

3) Diana Rusk reposted that you were asked if it was the behaviour of the participants that he felt were "repugnant" and not the activities of gay people, to which you said you had no comment. That is a political evasion that the LGBT community see as avoiding giving an awkward answer. As John McCallister said yesterday "The DUP don't condemn same sex cohabitees, or everyone who has sex outside marriage, bacause there are too many of them." The implication being that your party's refusal to meet and answer questions of the LGBT sector under part 1 of Section 75 is to do with electoral maths rather than a matter of principle. How do you respond to that and do you want to answer Diana's original question?

4) There is anger in the LGBT community at the DUP's continued marginalisation and apparent demonisation of the community. While the party talks about being newly progressive, how can continued non-attendance or no comment on issues raised about the LGBT members of our shared society be seen as condusive from the party with the largest level of support?

Still no response. I don't think there is anything in these questions that could be construed in anyway repugnant. We wonder if we will ever get answers.

My abiding image of Belfast Pride 2011

No it wasn't being midway down the parade as seeing it still heading round to the front of City Hall having circumnavigated it. Nor was it the crowd who stood in front of most of the Church protestors to lend us their support. Indeed it was nothing to do with the parade at all.

But it was after the event, once the Party in the Square had closed down for another year and people were heading home or on to the after parties and it happened on the concourse of Great Victoria Street Station. It was two teenage young men giving each other a kiss goodbye. It was so natural and so right, yet something that those of us, though out, still find hard to do in a public space.

It may have helped that almost everyone else in the station had some form of rainbow on them, but maybe it didn't. Maybe it was just something that the generation after mine in Northern Ireland just do. They don't have as many hang ups as those of us who were that age before the first Belfast Pride in 1990 had to go through. It may well have helped that the biggest Pride in Ireland was bigger again this year, but it seemed so natural and it really warmed by my heart. So all praise to GLYNI (Gay and Lesbian Youth Northern Ireland) for heloing bring normality.

As a teen I knew I had same sex attractions but it was something I had to keep hidden and something I battled myself over for some time. Those young men at that age there this evening made the efforts of those who have gone before seem so worth it. As for the small pockets of protestors they were so easily swamped by the number of positive shows of support for so many as we walked through the heart of Belfast's shopping district.

There is one other image I say earlier today. On one side of the pavement was a man wearing a "Proud Dad of a Gay Son" T-shirt, on the other side his wife wearing one that said "Proud Mum of a Gay Son." in the middle was the T-shirt "Proud Son of 2 Straight Parents". When I walked through the door my mother asked how the parade was and said she was looking out for me on the news. Maybe next time I can get her to come along.

OK you want a straight pride...

One of the arguments that most homophobes give for not having a Pride Festival or even a Parade is "Well you don't see a Straight Pride". Here is Davey Wavey asking those people to think about it and why there isn't.



I'll be in Belfast today marching with my fellow Liberal Democrats, as well as the Alliance Party, Greens, SDLP, trade unions, LGBT groups, individuals, other supportive groups. We'll set out from Custom House Square at 2pm. At the City Hall we will parade past the Sinn Féin Lord Mayor, before returning to Custom House Square for the party in the square.

This is my first Belfast Parade but not my first Pride Parade, indeed I did three of them last summer and will be heading up to London/Derry in August to take part once again in Foyle Pride.

Some Pastors do get the harm done by Churches to LGBT pride

I'd like to thank my cousin for pointing this link out to me. In a week when first our future Health Minister and then a church leader came up with excuses to avoid engagement with the LGBT community in Belfast, what better way to start Pride Parade Day than this message from Hans Kristensen, leading Pastor of Resolved Church in Sydney.

• I am sorry that a lot of Christians have not treated you with dignity and respect even though as people you are created in the image of God
• I am sorry that a lot of Christians have not listened to you. We haven’t spent the time to hear about you and your hurts and fears and dreams.
• I am sorry that a lot of Christians (especially the ones on T.V.) talk about being gay as if it is the worst thing even as we turn a blind eye to our greed, gossip, slander and other sins we make excuses for
• I am sorry for TV Evangelists because they are TV Evangelists
• I am sorry that in our conversation we major on your sin when I think Jesus would have majored on his love
• I am sorry that we have not been there for you in your dark times. When you have seen friends die of AIDS. When many from within your number have committed suicide.
• I am sorry that we have not preached against the sin of Homophobia
• I am sorry that we have kept saying that we are all sinners which has made many of you wonder why is being gay so bad if we are all sinners? We should have communicated that the response we all have to make to Gods love is one of repentance.
• I am sorry that we have tried to cure you of your homosexuality instead of helping you see how Jesus transforms who you are and gives you a new identity.
• I am sorry that we have not loved you as God himself loves you.

I am sorry for all these things and I hope you can forgive us. We would love to start a conversation about who Jesus is and how much he has done for you and how much he loves you.

As I mentioned on Thursday night there was a young Presbyterian training for the ministry at Hymn or Us who similarly asked to start that conversation, I just hope and prayer that more of them come forward in Northern Ireland. In our churches, in our politics and in our workplaces. So that we can feel able to be who we are without fear.

'Hymn or Us' without Him

Last night the Rev David McIlveen didn't turn up to GLYNI (Gay and Lesbian Youth Northern Ireland's) even for the Belfast Pride Festival entitled "Hymn or Us". It was a look at can homosexuality and being LGBT co-exist. Earlier in the week on BBC Radio Ulster's Wendy Talks Back while discussing the non-appearance of Jim Wells at the "Pride on the Hill" David McIlveen and Simon Rae the secretary of Belfast Pride both showed that Rev McIlveen was more than welcome to return to Pride in the debate that was due to happen last night; he'd appeared at a similar event last year.

However, Rev McIlveen was unable to attend dues to "an issue in his church". He was replaced by a Church of Ireland lay preacher Dermot O’Callaghan, who along with Mike Davidson of Core Issues, Pádraig Ó Tuama of Irish Peace Centres and Rev Chris Hudson of All Souls Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church took questions from the audience directed by the BBC William Crawley.

The discussion was wide ranging seeing as there were a high number of LGBT people of faith in the room with a vast variety of personal experiences. There also were a number of straight people in the room, some the parents of LGBT children, one a young man training to be a minister in the Presbyterian Church.

Dermot O'Callaghan tried to use some rather selective science, just as yesterday Rev McIlveen's church tried to use rather selective readings from the King James Bible, to say that being gay was down to nurture not nature. Apparently it is not the same as left handedness or skin colour as something we are born with because there are twins who are not both gay, I know some twins who are not both left handed as well. Well there was one blogger's father who asked the pertinent question about how he didn't bring up his sons to be gay, he didn't nurture them that way, and did that make him a bad father or his wife a bad mother.

Somebody else had asked Mike Davidson of Core Issues after he said that he started with the presumption that homosexuality was a sin and that reparative therapy wouldn't work for everyone, did that mean that some people were beyond salvation. After a bit of stumbling he said yes. But William Crawley also challenged him on his qualifications, or lack thereof for giving therapy. The killing blow came when he was asked "Most therapists see someone unqualified providing therapy and counselling as unethical." Davidson actually replied "Yes" before going on to try and cover his tracks.

Chris Hudson brought up a good point about those who disagree that you can be gay and a Christian, as these people concentrate more on the practise that the being. He said that the bible isn't a sex guide but a book about love with a care ethic.

Then the young Presbyterian Minister in training got up near the end. Admitting that these were his first baby steps into this whole element of theological thought. But at least he was there. He saw that the LGBT community can respect those that disagree with us and not shout them down, lock them out or ignore their opinions as is often the case in the reverse. I hope he does look at these things more fully, I obviously gave him a few tips of where to start from within the PCI, like the Board of Social Witnesses own pastoral guidelines and what they are doing about the action points, something I may have blogged about before.

Anyway it was a night of good discussion and there was certainly a lot to take away and think about, as much for the panellists and those in the audience.

Update Thanks to IcedCoffee for pointing me in the direction of this Vlog by @RuthEbabes

Selective celebration of the King James Version from Sandown

By all means Sandown Free Presbyterian are more than welcome to give thanks for the 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible but they are rather selective in how they are going about it.

Some people on Twitter are wondering what they will be doing for a grand finale. Will they take out Iris Robinson and Kirk McCambley and stone them on the Square in front of St. Anne's Cathedral after all in Leviticus 20 v 10 it says:

"And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death."

Actually as this comes three verses earlier than one they quote in their advert maybe this should be the warm up act.

Or if they are so worried about abominations mabe they should picket outside the Mourne Seafood Bar while they continue to serve oysters, crab, prawns and lobster after all:

"And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you. They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcasses in abomination.Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you." Leviticus 11:10-12

 Or maybe they will have to have a witness outside House of Fraser or in the Victoria Shopping Centre or Castle Court or basically any shop that sells clothing after all:

"The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God." Deutoronomy 22:5

Of course while they rejoice incircimventing the law that says that a protest against a parade needs to be registered with the Parade Commission maybe they should bear this one in mind next time they feel like praying.

"He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination." Proverbs 28:9

Of these other protests, or as they would like to have you say 'witnesses' will not be taking place this this 400th Anniversary year of the King James Bible that they hold so dear, even though many of the translations within it are of the time of writing to keep the propriety of the reader.

Artful Thursday 7- Pride

This week is Belfast Pride week. Therefore I'm going for some of the artful contributions out there that display the Rainbow flag colours. The colours chosen for the well now known 6 since 1979 instead of the original 8 in 1978 were to show the diversity of the LGBT community. The colours are red (life), orange (healing), yellow (sunlight), green (nature), blue (harmony), and purple/violet (spirit).

Rio

This image by Jeff Ball

Finally something so quintessentially Northern Irish. There are so many image of the Free Derry Corner but last August for Foyle Pride it was painted pink here it is as a work in progress. Wonder when we will have a Belfast wall mural to celebrate Belfast Pride

Future DUP Health Minister calls Pride "totally repugnant"

Diana Rusk in the Irish News today is naming the DUP member who called the people who take part in the Belfast Pride Parade as "totally repugnant". As the Irish Times is like its UK counterpart behind a firewall you can learn about this on The Journal's website.

repugnant [rɪˈpʌgnənt]adj

1. repellent to the senses; causing aversion

2. distasteful; offensive; disgusting

3. contradictory; inconsistent or incompatible
from Collins English Dictionary

The fact that the person named ignores the fact that the people who are parading because they are still needing the devolved assembly to pay attention to a number of inequalities that affect the LGBT community, especially from the DUP spokespeople, is shocking. The fact that he is the future Minister for the Department of Health and Social Services, South Down MLA Jim Wells, is bound to be even more horrifying. It was while she was Chair of the Health Committee that Iris Robinson made her comments about homosexuality being an abomination. There are also some distinct health measures that the LGBT community use more than some others, e.g. the services of the various GUM clinics, so for the future health minister to make such comments is of obvious concern

Apparently though as I am repugant to all the senses Jim Wells is going to have to get rid of me from four out of five of his* having attended a family wedding linking both his and my family. I've been attending Pride and will be there with fellow LGBT Lib Dems on Saturday in the parade.

As there is that connection however I have invited Jim Wells to have a right to reply posted fully on this blog, I await his response.

The full story in the Irish News I have posted below so that people do not have to pay for the pay wall.

Future minister says gay pride event 'repugnant'

 by Diana Rusk, Political Correspondent

The future health minister Jim Well has branded as "totally repugnant" those who take part in Belfast's gay [sic] pride parade. Mr Wells made the comments in a text message to one of the event's oirganisers.

All the main parties bar the DUP took part in the political discussion at Stormont yesterday as part of Gay Pride Week.

The South Down assembly member, who is to take over from Edwin Poots as health minister in 2013, was among colleagues who rejected the invitation. He explained his reasons in a text he sent to Gay Pride secretary Simon Rae on Friday.

"I understand that you contacted my Kilkeel office regarding what is termed a 'Belfast Pride' debate," he wrote.

"As you are probably know I find the behavior of those who take part in this march totally repugnant.

"I do not thereforee wish to be association in any way with this event.

"My position on this matter will not change in the future and I would politely suggest that any further requests of this nature will be a total waste of your time."**

Mr Rea said the message was like a "painful shock" when he recieved it.

"I was personally offended and deeply disappointed," he said.

"I thought Jim Wells would have been the ideal candidate to take part in this debate. he is the chair [sic only deputy] of the health committee and will be the next health minister.

"Some of the issues will be a major part of his brief.

" A lot of the debate will be around health issues like suicide, self-harm, adoption, without even looking at the sexual health stuff.

"Regarding his future as the health minister, it is not a good start.

"He seemed to think I would know he would have an issue with being asked.

"We invite all parties to these political events. The DUP never take part and normally we either get no response of one stating  that they are not available.

"I think politicians need to realise that seven to 10 per cent of their constituencies are lesbian, gay or bisexual."

Sinn Féin lord mayor Niall O Donnghaile, the SDLP's Delores Kelly, UUP Deputy Leader John McCallister, Alliance councillor Michael Bower and Green Party Leader Steven Agnew all attended yesterday afternoon's debate. Mr O Donnghaile described Mr Wells' comments as "offensive" while Ms Kelly said he was guilty of a "demonisation of a sector of the community". Mr McCallister said his comments were unnecessary and unhelpful".

When contacted by The Irish News yesterday, Mr Wells said his comments referred to the activities of the participants of the parade.

"The gay pride people are trying to miscontrue my comments," he said.

"They refer to teh parade. If a heterosexual group were behaving in this way, I would still condemn it.

"The parade is repugnant - the costumes they wear and the way they behave during it."

Asked if he meant that it was the behaviour of the participants that he felt were "repugnant" and not the activities of gay people, he replied: "I have no comment on this."

He refusal to clarify that last comment is not the first time Jim Wells has been unable to comment on gay issues. I guess my clothing for Saturday a kilt with casual daywear is repugnant, though totally in keeping with Scottish use of the kilt way from a formal setting even down to the correct level of sporran. Or maybe it is my activity on the march, walking to the beat as I usually strive to do at these events, that is repugnant. But surely this activity is just like the 4,000 plus other marches across Ulster, including those that Mr Wells takes part in wearing an Orange piece of material around his neck which is so not really his colour. After all he must be busy being a member of 3 loyal orders.

* He didn't taste me.
** There is a photo of the text in question with the time stamp 15:55 on 16/7/11 which also throws out the DUP  excuse for not attending as they were not invited until Thursday of last week i.e. 21 July.

Wrong Sort of Cocktail for Belgrade Pride

At the end of a Pride parade the attendees generally look forward to to relaxing with an event laid on by the organisers and maybe enjoying a cocktail*. Today was the first time since 2001 that the Serbian capital was attempting to hold a Pride parade.

As someone who grew up in Northern Ireland I am quite used to seeing Molotov cocktails (aka petrol bombs) being used against security or police forces. However, when they used against individuals trying to carry out a peaceful demostration you know that something is not right. Today in Belgrade that is what happened.

Over 100 people, mostly police, were injured when homophobic protestors unleashed a barrage of petrol bombs on the parade. Another 100 were arrested as a result of the incident which marred the day for the 1,000 people who were marching in support of gay rights in Serbia.

Armed police had to surround the rally at the start of the march at which the head of the EU mission in Serbia, Vincent Degert, addressed those gathered. He said:

"We are here to celebrate the values of tolerance, freedom of expression and assembly."

Meanwhile across the city the counter demostrators were gathering chanting:

"The hunt has begun. Death to homosexuals."

This is one hunting season that I do not want to see repeated. It was a hunt, capture and extermination that was carried out by Nazi Germany. It is a sexuality-cleansing that cannot be allowed to gain momentum in the nation that brought ethnic cleansing to the Balkan states in the early 1990s.

People ask why it is still necessary for people in the UK to still hold Pride events. One of the major reasons is to show solidarity for the rest of the LGBTQ** family world wide who are not so lucky to enjoy the many freedoms that we have, either to assmble freely, or even to act upon their sexual desires.

Places like Serbia need the rest of the world to speak up for those who tried to march for gay rights in Belgrade today, and condemn those that think that an open hunting season is open with the LGBT community the prey.

Update: I have since received via Facebook a first hand account of what actually happened by way of correcting factual errors in this blog post:

Molotov Cocktails simply were not thrown at PRIDE partcpants as suggested in your blog because the highly professional Police correctly anticipated we would be sitting targets and very very intelligently cordoned the gathering area and the parade route. Mind you the drive in pitch black, anti-riot vehicles was a bit bumpy in certain places.

* For non-Pride regulars non-stereotypical beer, cider etc are also readily available, cocktails is merely used to the dramatic effect of this story.

** Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning

A Little Bit of History

It's not everyday that you can say you took part in a little bit of history but setting off from Bangor on the 9:57 train this morning heading to my father's home city I did just that.

Meeting up with members of Belfast Pride at Great Victoria Street Station (a task I had to do in my own gregarious way as we weren't meeting Mícheál Carchrie Campbell until Yorkgate) it was off to Northern Ireland's second city for their inaugural Pride Parade. Starting from Duke Street railway station it followed the route of the 1968 Civil Rights March.

As a result it followed a lot of my families history, there are various members living on or near Duke Street in the 1901 or 1911 census. We crossed the Craigavon Bridge, around the 'Hands Across the Divide Statue' which was the closest point to the Fountain area where my father grew up and where my Grandmother lived most of her live. Also up past Carlisle Road Presbyterian Church where my grandparents were married. Eventually arriving having entered the city walls and exited them again at Guildhall Square.

Those of us who had travelled up by train had been a bit worried as the train pulled past the assembly point as there didn't seem to be a great turnout, but that soon changed, as this picture goes some way to show .



As seems to be the way with these things there was a little shower or two, but that didn't spoil the atmosphere as ever. Plus of course all those who marched were making that little bit of history.

One really great thing about how this first Foyle Pride was received was the way the car drivers on the Craigavon Bridge and the bus passengers, plus those along the pavement as we paraded through the City streets past the shops, bars and cafes were really supportive of the parade. Of course there were the dour church folk at the roundabout as we started, whose protested doesn't appear to have been registered on the Parade Commission's website (oops!). But the majority of the people of Derry were not listening to them but accepted the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transexual/gender and Questioning) community to their hearts.

I'm proud to be a son of Derry descent for (at least) four generations on today's reaction.




See more pictures on my Flickr account.

Pride in the Maiden City

Today I really am heading home, for those of you who followed by exploits last weekend you're probably wondering what I'm talking about. What I mean is that the male line for at least 4 generations before be has come not from Bangor but from Ulster's second city Derry/Londonderry on the banks of the Foyle.

The reason I am travelling practically to the other end of Northern Ireland and on one of the longest railway journeys you can take across the six counties is for Foyle Pride. Although there has been Foyle Pride since 2007 there has never been a Pride Parade this year is the first and it is taking the historic route of the 1968 Civil Rights march from Duke Street Railway station to Guildhall Square.

Of course this being Northern Ireland there are the usual protests, but this son of Derry will be marching with pride this afternoon.

Belfast Pride and their Hero

There has been a full week of events in Belfast for Pride which will culminate with the parade later today. Yeah today is a parade where Orange and Green and the other colours on the Pride flag will not be giving the Parade's Commission too many headaches. Indeed there were no issues for the Commission with the parade or the counter demonstrations.

However, even in Belfast where religion is often such a dividing line for other reasons there is a ray of hope for members of the LGBT community who have faith. The Rev Chris Hudson the minister of All Souls Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church has been named Belfast Pride Hero of the Year.

While there are people like Rev David McIlveen and his Sandown Free Presbyterian Church who are vocal opponents of the LGBT community*, there is an oasis of hope in South Belfast. As a non-subscribing church All Souls is independent of any ruling body. Two years ago the Rev Hudson, complete with dog collar, took part in the Belfast Pride Parade. Last Sunday there was a public meeting held in his church as part of the Pride week celebrations, outside was a poster saying 'It's Ok to be gay and Christian'.

The meeting discussed the biblical references in the bible, of which Hudson says:

"Leviticus is quoted quite a lot, concerning 'man lying down with another man', but Leviticus is a priestly code for Jewish priests. It's a list of behaviours, trying to set the priests of Israel apart. They were trying to outdo each other."

As for Paul's references in the New Testament he added that Paul did not condemn homosexuality as is widely believed, but the "quite licentious Greeks" he found worshipping various gods and goddesses.

"There was no concept of homosexuality as we understand it today."

So while Iris Robinson may have had her little pastor friend ready to pray for gay men to become straight, there is a minister in Belfast prepared to pray for and with gay Christians, a worthy Belfast hero for Pride in the 20th year of the event.

* McIlveen did on Tuesday attend the Belfast Pride Talks Back debate event. Where he was apparently given an attentive hearing which is probably not what he will be returning today.