Irish senator stands by claims that IRA kneecapped gay people
A CLAIM the Provisional IRA “kneecapped people for being gay” has been met with an angry backlash, but the man behind the comment says he was “speaking the truth” to highlight how attitudes had changed over recent years.
Prominent gay rights activist and Irish politician David Norris made the claim at the launch of the first LGBT History Festival ‘OUTing the Past’ at Belfast City Hall.
BBC journalist Johnny Caldwell reported the Irish senator’s remarks.
In reaction many derided the claim as “total fiction” with some highlighting how gay activists had in the past supported the republican movement.
Sinn Fein’s Alex Maskey described the comments as “reprehensible”. “Shame on David whatever the agenda,” he tweeted.
Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, west Belfast MLA Mr Maskey added: “I found the claim quite pathetic for a man of David Norris’s age and intellect.
“To introduce an idea like that ... it’s a contemptuous statement to make, quite frankly.
“There is no basis for it whatsoever and to introduce the likes of that I would have not expected from David Norris.
“I have had a lot of respect for David in terms of the courage he showed in standing up for gay rights and, for whatever reason, he has said this. I just find it incredulous and I would have expected more from him.”
However, Senator Norris stood by his comments, saying he was illustrating how attitudes had changed and were more progressive.
OUTing the past is the first ever LGBT festival of its kind to be held anywhere on the island of Ireland.
It was held in Belfast as part of LGBT history month and organised by the community organisation Cara-Friend.
Senator Norris has campaigned for gay rights and was instrumental in the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the Republic after taking a case through the domestic courts David Norris has claimed gay people were targeted for kneecappings by the Provisional IRA because they were gay and all the way to the European Court of Human Rights.
He said he was speaking of the changes in attitudes in Ireland toward those in the LGBT community.
“Which I welcome, by the way,” he told the Belfast Telegraph.
“Sinn Fein have in recent years transformed their opinions — they have been very vocal and very supportive and it’s a good thing and I welcome their progressive stance.
“But I remember the dark days, as it were, and the first thing I should say is I was talking about 30 years ago, or more.”
He added: “I can only go on what I know and I have a very strong recollection of people coming through Dublin, from Derry to get to London and we helped them.
“They wore badges, which said, in Irish, ‘gay liberation’ and they had been bullied, intimidated and, yes, kneecapped.
“They were frightened and they had to leave. Now, I don’t know if those behind it may have been acting as freelance but at that time the provisional movement was very anti-gay.”