‘Gay ke’ row: man los seven-year battle agast Belfast bakery | European urt of human rights | The Guardian

Contents:

• WHAT 'S LIKE TO GROW UP GAY NORTHERN IRELAND
• 'NEW CULTURE WAR': NORTHERN IRELAND'S LGBT+ MUNY FIGHTS FOR GAY MARRIAGE
• IT’S BEEN 40 YEARS SCE NORTHERN IRELAND’S HUMANISG GAY SEX BAN WAS FALLY STCK DOWN
• GAY NVERSN BAN: THERAPY IS A 'HUIATG AND HARMFUL PRACTICE'
• ANTI-GAY ATTUS NORTHERN IRELAND ARE CHANGG
• 'GAY KE' ROW: WHAT IS THE DISPUTE ABOUT?
• NORTHERN IRELAND UNR PRSURE AFTER IRISH GAY MARRIAGE REFERENDUM W
• ‘GAY KE’ ROW: MAN LOS SEVEN-YEAR BATTLE AGAST BELFAST BAKERY
• GAY LIFE BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND
• NORTHERN IRELAND "GAY MARRIAGE KE" URT SE THROWN OUT BY EU AFTER 7 YEARS
• GAY AND NORTHERN IRISH: ‘TEACHERS LLED ME SISSY AND PARED ME TO A PLAGUE’
• THE BEST NORTHERN IRELAND GAY CLUBS & BARSSEE ALL THGS TO DOGAY CLUBS & BARS NORTHERN IRELAND
• EUROPEAN URT CL TO TAKE NORTHERN IRELAND ‘GAY KE’ DISCRIMATN SE

WHAT 'S LIKE TO GROW UP GAY NORTHERN IRELAND

Much of Northern Ireland is standard ral, workg class muni this way, but for me – and I image many others – your experience of livg this type of muny is twisted unexpected ways when you grow up as gay.

BELFAST (Thomson Rters Foundatn) - Hidn away up several flights of stairs the center of Belfast, Northern Ireland, teenagers, many of them wh shocks of red, blue and rabow hair, relaxed and joked wh one the LGBT+ youth group, n by chary Cara-Friend, they felt themselv to be among iends, ee to be outsi, the young people said they don’t always feel wele a place where many policians make homophobic ments and same-sex marriage is still banned, spe beg legalized the rt of the Uned Kgdom 2013.

”Northern Ireland is erned separately om the rt of the Uned Kgdom on many issu, a legacy of the domtic nflict between “republin” and “unnist” groups over whether to une wh the Republic of Ireland to the Democratic Unnist Party (DUP), one of the most socially nservative Europe, has repeatedly blocked gay marriage, spe support for om more than two-thirds of Northern Irish adults, acrdg to a 2015 poll by Ipsos year, the Northern Ireland Assembly voted to legalize same-sex weddgs, but the DUP blocked g a veto tend to protect mory Brish ernment has refed to impose gay marriage on the regn, which had a populatn of 1. ’”Nairn, who is himself gay, said was “crazy” same-sex marriage was not yet legal, an terview at the Unn Street Bar Belfast’s small gay district, where he ed to work, often drsed as a drag queen lled year, two legal challeng to the same-sex marriage ban were heard Northern Ireland’s Court of Appeal, the regn’s hight appeals urt, after beg rejected by s High judgments are expected the next few months, but activists said they will appeal them to the Uned Kgdom’s Supreme Court if same-sex marriage isn’t also expect Northern Ireland’s attorney general to appeal if the lg go the other way.

'NEW CULTURE WAR': NORTHERN IRELAND'S LGBT+ MUNY FIGHTS FOR GAY MARRIAGE

But gay marriage is now legal the south of Ireland, after a referendum 10 years ago, no Northern Irish party supported LGBT+ rights, Jefey Dudgeon, a Belfast cy uncillor for the Ulster Unnist Party told the Thomson Rters Foundatn an terview the imposg Victorian-era Cy Hall.

“Every time ’s been a stggle and ’s aga bee of volutn, ” said Dudgeon, one of the platiffs a 1981 European Court of Human Rights se that legalized gay sex Northern Ireland, 14 years after the rt of the Uned recent years, LGBT+ rights have bee a dividg issue Northern Irish Fe now supports LGBT+ rights, spe s Catholic herage. ”A 2015 survey found ls than a third of DUP supporters are for legalizg gay marriage, pared wh more than three-quarters of Sn Fe voters. “We are danger of unrmg a basic buildg block of society to meet the mands of a ty mory, ” said Jim Wells, who rigned as health mister 2015 after sayg children of same-sex parents were more likely to be, a DUP polician who nied beg homophobic, expects his party will ntue to e s veto agast same-sex marriage when Northern Ireland’s parliament do return, he said emailed fact that many unnists want to both rema part of the Uned Kgdom, unr s laws, and reject same-sex marriage, which is legal the rt of the untry, is not lost on Northern Ireland’s LGBT+ muny.

”Homophobia and transphobia are still rife Northern Irish half of LGBT+ pupils reported beg bullied for their sexualy or genr inty a 2016 ernment survey. It is 40 years sce the European Court of Human Rights livered s landmark lg that ultimately stck down Northern Ireland’s humanisg ban on homosexualy. That lg me wh a ccial veat, however: the mtee said there appeared to be limed support for change to laws around homosexualy Northern Ireland.

IT’S BEEN 40 YEARS SCE NORTHERN IRELAND’S HUMANISG GAY SEX BAN WAS FALLY STCK DOWN

The UK ernment tried to move forward wh the partial crimalisatn of homosexualy Northern Ireland followg that remendatn – however, efforts stalled when beme clear that none of the 12 MPs for the terrory were willg to support change. Those volved the Northern Ireland Gay Rights Associatn (NIGRA) fought tirelsly for the law to be changed as police arrted them, forced them to unrgo humanisg medil exams and raid their hoe.

Paisley, a reverend wh the Free Prbyterian Church, was termed that the law should not be changed to grant gay people the rights and eedoms they so sperately craved. Police disvered personal rrponnc sent by him which he tailed gay sex acts he had taken part , and jt like that, his se was transformed to an anti-gay wch hunt. He said the laws crimalisg homosexualy terfered wh his right to a private life and was vlatn of Article 8 of the European Conventn on Human Rights.

It also found that the law vlated the European Conventn on Human Rights as prevented gay people om exercisg their right to a private life.

GAY NVERSN BAN: THERAPY IS A 'HUIATG AND HARMFUL PRACTICE'

The Rabow Project, a Belfast-based LGBT+ chary, marked the 40th anniversary of the crimalisatn of homosexualy by drawg attentn to the areas where change is still need. Fears of vlence, timidatn and harassment rema a realy for many lbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, tersex and asexual people across Northern Ireland and beyond.

We see how the same twisted msag which were ed to nmn gay people and ce fear of our muny are beg ed to target trans/non-bary people, qutng their existence and ignorg their lived experienc. Image source, PA MediaImage ptn, The motn argued is "fundamentally wrong" to view the LGBTQ muny as needg a "fix or cure"Gay nversn therapy is a huiatg and harmful practice that needs to be banned, a Stormont assembly bate has heard. Policians on Tuday passed a motn llg for a ban on gay nversn therapy " all s forms" non-bdg motn argued is "fundamentally wrong" to view the LGBTQ muny as needg a "fix or cure" passed by 59 vot to 24.

Dr Garry Adair Gilliland, who had nversn therapy 2010-11My experience was a settg of a relig anisatn, was one-to-one work - volved prayer, Bible studi and teachg around opposn to what they phrased as same-sex was really to rerce that this was somethg that wasn't Biblil and was to persua but also to teach me that my homosexualy was is a brawashg technique… to try [to] rerce that shame, to make you many ways feel like there is no way forward wh your sexualy that way.

ANTI-GAY ATTUS NORTHERN IRELAND ARE CHANGG

"In an earlier statement, the DUP said discrimatn agast someone bee of their sexual orientatn was party said did not support gay nversn therapy but said there mt be a balance between safeguardg agast "dangero practic" and any attempt "to rtrict eedom of relig belief, speech and associatn".

'GAY KE' ROW: WHAT IS THE DISPUTE ABOUT?

Mike Davidson, of the Core Issu Tst, which offers therapy to gay men and women who seek a change their sexual preferenceConversn therapy is an imposed tle and one that we I unrwent was standard psycho-theraptic and unsellg support om registered psychologists and a psychiatrist - I found as I worked on my behavurs, the feelgs is perfectly legimate but unfortunately has been monised by those who put everythg one bag and ll nversn have to have checks and balanc - we have iologil diversy here and both sis need to e to the nnot be that the LGBT muny simply wip out the ex-gay is the first time the assembly has ever formally bated lls to ban the month, Equali Mister Liz Tss said the UK ernment would brg forward plans to ban gay nversn therapy "shortly" motn put forward by the UUP MLAs urged the assembly to clare "that is fundamentally wrong to view our LGBTQ muny as requirg a fix or cure" lled on Communi Mister Deirdre Hargey to m to brgg forward legislatn before the end of the assembly mandate to ban the on this story. Enjoy more d and podsts on iOS or browser do not support the <d> words om a rated veteran of the war Afghanistan helped nvce Northern Ireland’s legislators to ll for a ban on “gay nversn therapy” siar to a bill unr nsultatn England. Harold McKee, a standard-bearer of unnism the Mourne Mountas, qu on October 30th, lamentg that gay marriage was unter to the “fallible word of God” Beattie says his live-and-let-live nvictns are born of three s of ary service Ai, the Balkans and Iraq, om which he learned that “people of all kds have a need to be rpected”.

Found by Ian Paisley, a preacher who vowed to “Save Ulster om Sodomy”, opposed same-sex marriage until the change was, effect, imposed by London January June Pla Bradley, the DUP’s puty lear, formally apologised for s “atroc” rerd on gay rights.

NORTHERN IRELAND UNR PRSURE AFTER IRISH GAY MARRIAGE REFERENDUM W

One pot of ictn, he says, was his belief that the party should move a progrsive directn, for example by supportg Gay Pri Thompson-McCormick, a gay wrer who liv England but had an Ulster Prottant upbrgg, spi a streak of pragmatism the DUP’s natural voters that he thks will eventually brg them around. Image source, Getty ImagImage ptn, The report was rried out by the Northern Ireland Human Rights CommissnSome schools Northern Ireland are teachg pupils that homosexualy is wrong relatnships and sex tn (RSE).

"For example, one [school] wr that 'the belief that homosexual acts are agast the nature and purpose of human relatnships will be prented to pupils', " the report third of schools who provid rmatn to the NIHRC said their school would teach pupils that "heterosexual relatnships was the 'ma' or 'ial' ntext for sexual timacy" report also said most schools "directly ntribute to the societal victim-blamg and slut-shamg of women and girls. The European Court of Human Rights has dismissed a legal challenge a long-nng dispute known as the "gay ke" se, lg the actn ECHR is the latt urt to have s say the long-nng all started 2014, when a bakery Northern Ireland refed to make a ke wh a slogan supportg same-sex 's a look at how the se reached Strasbourg:What about the bakery? He had wanted them to make a ke that clud a slogan that said "support gay marriage" along wh a picture of Bert and Ernie om Same Street, and the logo of the Queerspace the time, same-sex marriage was still illegal Northern Ireland, but the law has sce changed and same-sex weddgs have been takg place sce Febary ke was beg missned for a civic event Bangor, County Down, to mark Internatnal Day Agast Homophobia and at the bakery passed the orr to s head office, which nsired to be "at odds" wh their beliefs.

‘GAY KE’ ROW: MAN LOS SEVEN-YEAR BATTLE AGAST BELFAST BAKERY

Durg the heargs, a lawyer for the bakery argued the issue was "the ke, not the ctomer" of the bakers, Karen McArthur, said she did not know Mr Lee was gay and would not have mattered as they would not have been prepared to make a ke wh a pro-same-sex marriage slogan for anyone.

Policians Northern Ireland will face tense prsure om LGBT rights mpaigners to “tch up” wh the rt of wtern Europe after the Irish Republic overwhelmgly backed same-sex marriage a Irish Congrs of Tra Unns will jo Amnty Internatnal and gay rights group the Rabow Project to hold a mass rally support of equal marriage rights on 13 June, while a legal tt se has also been lodged wh Belfast’s Friday’s historic referendum, which the Republic’s voters endorsed same-sex marriage by 2-1, Northern Ireland remas the last untry wtern Europe where LGBT upl are barred om gettg married [see footnote]. Attempts to legislate to allow gay marriage have been vetoed by the Democratic Unnist party and a majory of Ulster Unnists the volved Northern Ireland assembly at ICTU spokman said the regn need to tch up wh the rt of mocratic Europe – and particular every other part of the UK. “Sce then Northern Ireland has slipped back terms of the human rights agenda and is now isolated the UK as the only place where a gay uple nnot get married.

Corrigan said people Northern Ireland should show they are “sick of livg a discrimatory backwater for gay people” month, a Sn Fé motn on marriage equaly fell after 47 Stormont assembly members voted support while 49 unnists voted agast. It is unrstood one of the ma reasons the DUP ntu to block the bill of rights – promised the wake of the Good Friday agreement – is bee might lead to gay upl havg the right to marry.

GAY LIFE BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND

A source told the Guardian on Sunday: “The DUP now appears more obssed wh gay people and their mands than any tradnal, sectarian objectns to the bill of rights. A man has lost a seven-year legal battle agast a Belfast bakery that refed to make him a ke emblazoned wh the msage “support gay marriage” as the European urt of human rights led that his claim was admissible, promptg disappotment om gay rights Thursday the ECHR, by a majory cisn, said would not rensir the cisn of the UK supreme urt, which had overturned a £500 damag award imposed on Ashers bakery, which is n by evangelil refed to produce the ke, featurg the Same Street puppets Bert and Ernie, 2014 for Gareth Lee, who was a supporter of the mpaign to legalise same-sex marriage Northern Ireland.

Same-sex marriage was legalised Northern Ireland last the supreme urt judgment 2018, after s first hearg Northern Ireland, a Belfast unty urt and a urt of appeal had led that the pany discrimated agast Lee, who is gay, on the grounds of sexual ECHR said the claim was admissible bee the applint had not exprsly voked his rights unr the European nventn on human rights at any pot the domtic proceedgs and had relied solely on domtic said: “The supreme urt found on the facts of the se that the applint was not treated differently on acunt of his real or perceived sexual orientatn, but rather that the refal to supply the ke was bee of the fendants’ relig objectn to gay marriage.

“What was prcipally at issue, therefore, was not the effect on the applint’s private life or his eedom to hold or exprs his opns or beliefs, but rather whether Ashers bakery was required to produce a ke exprsg the applint’s polil support for gay marriage. Its puty director, Daniel Holr, said the ECHR’S lg on admissibily left dividuals and anisatns mpaigng on gay rights “vulnerable to a mercial bs refg to provi servic like prtg posters, leaflets, settg up webs etc, through claimg an exemptn to non-discrimatn laws on the basis of ‘’s not you ’s your msage’. ”The ECHR said balancg the rights of Lee and those of the bakery owners, Daniel and Amy McArthur, was “a matter of great import and sensivy to both LGBTIQ muni and to fah muni”, particularly Northern Calvert, a spokperson for the Christian Instute, which backed the McArthurs, lled the cisn good news for ee speech, addg: “It protects gay bs owners om beg forced to promote views they don’t share, jt as much as protects Christian bs owners.

NORTHERN IRELAND "GAY MARRIAGE KE" URT SE THROWN OUT BY EU AFTER 7 YEARS

Amidst the d of voic, Stephen ma some salient pots about today’s Belfast gay scene: (1) he reaffirmed that the ‘notor’ Sn Fe polil arm of the IRA has the most progrsive polici toward LGBT; they’re socialist md and strong on human right-equaly for everyone—Catholics and Prottants, men and women, gay and straight. (3) Belfast as a gay muny of strength, visibily, polil fluence is “10 years behd Dubl, 20 years behd London and light years om Wt Hollywood.

” The generally nservative straight culture is quietly tolerant of gays but lacks unrstandg of homosexualy as a viable and natural way of life. Surprisgly, Belfast has had 11 annual gay pri march although has mimal social or polil effect here; the ftival is very lolized and don’t mand nearly the fluence do London.

GAY AND NORTHERN IRISH: ‘TEACHERS LLED ME SISSY AND PARED ME TO A PLAGUE’

(5) Some rare vlence happens agast gays; Augt 2002 a gay man was killed a dark cisg area on the outskirts of town by three guys, one of whom was only 14. At the time of my vis there were only three for four gay bars, diss, and clubs: Kreml, Parliament, Ctom Hoe and gay iendly Whe’s Tavern. Kreml staff check ID’s for over 18 and re is taken to keep the crowds at least 50% gay sce the place is now popular also wh straight kids who don’t re about sexual persuasns.

The place exus lively and morn energy—a posive place for young gays to e out and feel they don’t have to hi a dark or secretive place.

This not to suggt that gay men are ee of such abe, but is generally acknowledged that lbians are more vulnerable for several reasons cludg physil strength, weaker enomic power, the prence of an often hostile male spoe, havg children as well as beg victims to a diffe social ndng that mands women be submissive and tolerant of hardship.

THE BEST NORTHERN IRELAND GAY CLUBS & BARSSEE ALL THGS TO DOGAY CLUBS & BARS NORTHERN IRELAND

Based on more than 200 live terviews wh women, anizatns and some gay men, the LASI report lays bare the unsettlg realy that, spe legal chang sce 1993 regardg homosexualy, “the experience of work, leisure, fay and tn for many lbians is a story of vilifitn, isolatn, ostracism and abe. Such groups serve to meet such personal needs as tsted sharg, nfince buildg, support g out as well as a need to feel protected by lol thori agast all forms of homophobia. The clu fear of vlence, homophobic discrimatn, low self-nfince, anguish g out, fear of ostracism at work, job loss and, very importantly, a strong dread of beg separated om their children.

Walkg the streets of this rough and picturque cy, seeg the dockyards where the Tanic was built, passg eely through the once-closed steel gat between Prottant and Catholic neighborhoods, admirg the enormo and magnificent neo-classil cy hall, walkg around the mp of Victoria Universy, attendg the opera hoe, talkg wh gay and lbian Northerners enjoyg the current enomic prospery and peace—all the te-life sights and sounds are the real Belfast.

A Northern Irish gay activist who attempted to orr a ke wh a pro-gay marriage slogan has lost a seven-year legal battle after the European Court of Human Rights led his se as "admissible". Gareth Lee took legal actn agast Ashers bakery 2014 after the Christian-n Belfast bakery refed to make a ke wh a slogan statg "support gay marriage". Lee is a member of the LGBT advocy group QueerSpace and attempted to orr a ke wh Same Street characters Bert and Ernie along wh the slogan "Support Gay Marriage" for a private functn celebratg Internatnal Day Agast Homophobia May 2014.

EUROPEAN URT CL TO TAKE NORTHERN IRELAND ‘GAY KE’ DISCRIMATN SE

David, 15, sportg a Goth-style haircut, is explag how support at sendary school helped him e out as gay and how the school is a fortable place for LGBT stunts. It has a Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) group, veloped after an English teacher, Shirley Anne McMillan, heard about the GSA groups US schools. A report on LGBT stunts’ experience missned by Northern Ireland’s tn partment, published last week, reveals that two-thirds of LGBT pupils did not feel weled Northern Irish jt over half of gay stunts felt able to e out.

Another said: “I asked the teacher if we would learn about LGBT+ blogy and they said that everythg you need to know will be found gay/lbian porn.