So apparently it is Pride Month. And so the BBC have published a story about the history of gay rights in the UK. Unfortunately, it is ignorant of the facts in many places. Law changed in 1967 (in England & … Continue reading England-centric BBC get Pride month article badly wrong
This Saturday there is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to celebrate the birthday of William Shakespeare and the 400th anniversary of his death. The Open University and the BBC are joining together with the Royal Shakespeare Company to stage a unique show to be broadcast live on BBC2 and screened to 368 cinemas across Europe. The host, David Tennant, will be joined by Judi Dench, Rufus Wainwright, Ian McKellen, Joseph Fiennes, English National Opera, Meera Syal, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Paapa Essiedu, Alison Moyet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Al Murray and the Royal Ballet, Helen Mirren, Gregory Porter, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rory Kinnear, Rufus Hound, Henry Goodman, … Continue reading Shakespeare Live! From the RSC
My thoughts and prayers are with all Alliance Party representative and their staff at this difficult time following the decision by Belfast City Council to fly the Union Flag on designated days. Reports are coming in this evening that a constituency office for Stewart Dickson MLA, the Alliance representative for East Antrim has been set on fire. According to the BBC the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service are at the scene. As with the protest yesterday that forced Naomi Long MP‘s office to close early, all that these actions will do will be to stop local people from getting … Continue reading Violence and fire-lighting is not the way forward
The Equal Marriage debate in the UK appears to be dividing the country if we were to believe the hype. However, as Conservative MP for Henley, John Howell says on Conservative Home, there will be wider benefits to the country if we legislate and have marriage equality. As Gary Spedding has said in a letter to the Belfast Telegraph, we’re not looking for a separate category of ‘gay marriage’ we’re looking for equal marriage. It’s not that difficult to understand. Recently, I watched Frankie Howerd: Rather You Than Me on BBC iPlayer. Had Frankie Howerd and Dennis Haymer been able … Continue reading Equal marriage: why is this so hard?
Last night, Amnesty International in Northern Ireland hosted their annual Belfast Pride Lecture in Belfast’s Europa Hotel. The exhibition hall was nearly packed to the gunnels; everyone crowding in to hear Patrick Strudwick’s thoughts on “The dangerous world of gay ‘cures’”. In 2010 journalist Patrick Strudwick published “The Ex-Gay Files: The Bizarre World of Gay-to-Straight Conversion” in The Independent, chronicling a year of undercover investigation of therapists claiming to be able to ‘convert’ gays and lesbians to heterosexuality. In some countries, ‘gay conversion therapy’ is used as a form of punishment amounting to torture against gay people. Strudwick’s exposé shone a spotlight … Continue reading Strudwick’s Gay ‘cure’ therapy exposé: was it entrapment?
Thankfully the evacuation of Omagh Police Station last night was due to a hoax device. Sadly, even hoax devices can be used to create terror in the lives of our police and of our communities across Northern Ireland. I call on anyone with any information about those who plant hoax devices and real devices to contact the PSNI about this. It is essential that those responsible are brought before the courts for justice. The PSNI can be contacted on 0845 600 8000 for non-emergency reporting. In an emergency do phone 999. Originally published on Michael Carchrie Campbell Continue reading Help us all by telling PSNI about those who plant hoax devices
With reports from Chris Lindsay, BBC journalist on NewsLine that Omagh Police station is being evacuated due to a suspicious package, Omagh PSNI station being evacuated due to discovery of suspicious package — Chris Lindsay (@chrislindsay_) May 7, 2012 I sincerely hope and pray that nothing untoward is found. My thoughts are with all serving our community in the Police Service of Northern Ireland at this time. Those who continually seek to create terror in Northern Ireland need to know that we will not put up with this. You will be found by the PSNI and brought before the courts. … Continue reading Those who try to create terror must not be let to win.
Once again, the BBC has equated the UK with England…. To mark her Diamond Jubilee, the Queen handed out money to people from all of the UK’s 44 Christian dioceses. – BBC News I think that this should read, from all of the Church of England’s 44 dioceses. There are many more dioceses in the whole of the UK, listing only the Anglican ones you get 19 more: Church of Ireland (Dioceses with territory in N. Ireland) Armagh Clogher Connor Derry Down & Dromore Kilmore, Elphin & Ardagh Scottish Episcopal Church Aberdeen & Orkney Argyll & the Isles Brechin Edinburgh Glasgow … Continue reading Maundy money reporting goes awry at the Beeb.
Martina Purdy of the BBC has produced some interesting registered activities for our MLAs up at Stormont. One that strikes me as a little strange is that Sinn Fein’s Mitchel McLaughlin declared his trip to Boston last November. He was part of a trade delegation from the north west and the cost was met by Golden Bridges (Boston-North West Ireland). Nothing altogether strange in that you say? Ah, well, now… Mr McLaughlin doesn’t represent a constituency in the North West despite being from there. Some wags have suggested that the times he spends most in his constituency of South Antrim … Continue reading Interesting interests from Sinn Féin’s MLA for South Antrim
HM Government’s E-petition site appears to be down. Are we really that surprised when the BBC is reporting that it had more than 90,000 signatures at 6am from BBC News Perhaps the Government did not expect people to actually sign … Continue reading HMG’s e-petition site far too popular…
Gyronny Herald 