Many politicians’ attitude towards LGBT rights nothing short of depressing and demoralising

IT need hardly be said that Northern Ireland has been, to borrow a wellknown local historical phrase, a ‘cold house’ for LGBT people over many decades.

One might have liked to assume, with the attendance of Arlene Foster at a PinkNews event at Stormont, followed by the recent Alternative Queer Ulster event at Parliament Buildings, that even in this province, things might be starting to look up for a systematically abused section of the community.

But, alas, in the last few days alone, we have seen appalling behaviour from our biggest political party, the DUP.

Comments from Jim Wells (who, despite having had the whip withdrawn, most people would still see as a DUP figure) about the Queer Ulster event “bringing Stormont into disrepute” were not just disgraceful, but extraordinarily tone-deaf in a context that has seen no functioning government here for a year-and-a-half.

Then, last week, we were treated to the DUP conjuring up and misusing yet another procedural mechanism to block the flying of the rainbow flag by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Council (which, considering the party’s eagerness to appease the flying of flags — often designed to intimidate — by the loyalist community, is beyond parody).

Meanwhile, local ‘Christians’ (anything but, if they actually grasped the core tenets of their faith) become animated over a shop window display supporting Pride, TUV leader Jim Allister attacks Translink for showing their own support and LGBT people have to endure almost daily pronouncements on Brexit by Sammy Wilson, a man who has uttered some of the most vile opinion about gay people of any local representative.

This has been a depressing and demoralising few days. On the issue of LGBT rights, Northern Ireland’s politics is currently clinging on to what little integrity it has by its fingernails.

CHRISTOPHER MOORE By email