Ian Paisley Jr. doesn't have a monopoly on unionist gay controversies. Over on the Young Unionist blog site, the YUs appear to be tearing themselves apart over the recent Belfast Gay Pride event. Differences over comments about the event have led to the resignation of the blog editor Michael Shilliday. At a time when the old unionist party is trying to reinvigorate itself it looks like the young unionists can't kick the habit of internal division.
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I dropped in on the Young Unionists a couple of weeks ago viewing same topic and it had a hell of a lot of comments then (opps I said hell). After taking a cursory glance, I left very quickly realising that pettiness and intolerance was being used to form the main structure of the arguments in the debate.
Unionism has shown itself to be very conservative and has gotten itself worked up over a placard that was in part an example of the frustrations felt within the LGB community on a daily basis.
I believe the placard was an intraverted form of protest designed to provoke thought about how Christians perceive LGB individuals.
Given Ian Paisley Jnrs recent remarks in a Dublin magazine leading to a situation not conducive to good relations, I'm surprised the parade managed to remain as dignified as it did.
One placard was hardly worth so many underhanded comments, but because it got them it only serves to compound IPJs view. Ultimately, it goes to show that if you're gay, Unionism certainly isn't for you.
Centrism is.
Not quite this subject - but may interest some?
Did you haer Jonti in Big Brother pretending to be Mr Paisley tonight in the 09:00 program on C4 - probably repeated sometime tomorrow.
'Ian Paisley Jr. isn't the only unionist who has a monopoly on gay controversies. '
Well if he's not the only one it can't be a monopoly, can it?
(I see a sentence stuck between drafts: 'Jr doesn't have a monopoly on gay controversies' and 'Jr isn't the only unionist to stir up gay controversies')
MARK REPLIES: I think I was having a bad day all around on Thursday. Thanks and will amend accordingly
Frankly... the constant hubbub over the travails of the "gay mafia"... be it the supporters or those in opposition to the gay life $tyle, is boring. The world is on fire (perhaps literally) and we're worrying and arguing about how somebody prefers to achieve sexual orgasm? One would think that there'd be bigger issues.
So who really cares? At least in the $ecular West... who really gives a %$&* about this?
Perhaps the time has come (no pun intended) for the LGB folks to think beyond their sexual orientation. Who's business is it anyway? Why do we need these constant LGB festivals and parades? It is getting very booooring.
The same for the straight shirts! However... it might be a lark to see a "straight shirt" festval or parade.
D-C,
The person carrying the placard was also wearing a t-shirt stating 'kooler than Jesus'. Then isn't a shred of evidence to back up your claim this was an intraverted form of protest.
Making appalling offensive statements about Jesus isn't going to win the LGB community any respect. Stephen Nolan will discussing the incident on his radio show shortly afterwards recieved calls from gay people who objected to the individuals placard. These are the people who will win respect for the LGB community respect, not a bigot parading with a crude slogan.