Heads turn as Titty protests against Iris Robinson's gay comments
Friday, 1 August 2008
enlarge
Print
Email
Titty Von Tramp, Northern Ireland's most famous drag queen, strutted her stuff among SDLP Youth members yesterday at a protest in Belfast against homophobic comments made by the First Minister’s wife, Iris Robinson.
The demonstration, held outside the City Hall, was held as part of Gay Pride Week which culminates with a parade through the city centre tomorrow followed by a carnival in Custom House Square.
It has also emerged that police will use mobile phone technology to drive home their anti-hate crime message at tomorrow’s event.
For the first time the PSNI will use ‘Bluetooth’ to send electronic messages to people in the vicinity of the annual parade.
The initiative is part of the ongoing campaign by officers to raise awareness of homophobic crime and urge people to report it.
Anyone in the Custom House Square area with bluetooth switched on will receive notification that the police are making contact.
Community Safety Inspector Jeremy Adams said: “Reporting hate crime is one way of ensuring that further incidents are prevented and offenders are brought to justice. We want to encourage people, whether they are victims of a crime or witnesses to an incident, to report it to police.
“There are a number of methods available to make reports; either in person, via telephone, email, letter or alternatively online reporting.
“The Bluetooth message is clear and simple — hate crime is unacceptable, no one deserves it and no one deserves to get away with it.”
Post a comment
Limit: 500 characters
View all comments that have been posted about this article
Offensive or abusive comments will be removed and your IP address logged and may be used to prevent further submissions. In submitting a comment to the site, you agree to be bound by BelfastTelegraph.co.uk's Terms of Use
Comments
38 Comments
Government is the last place she should be.
To compare a loving relationship of two people of the same sex to "sexually abusing innocent children" is offensive beyond belief!!!!
Posted by David Sambrook | 15.08.08, 16:04 GMT
The new soon to be introduced government Equality Bill does not appear to extend to N.Ireland and this is a pity. Since the Good Friday agreement we have been trying to forget our religious differences or at least to co-exist peacefully and it must be the same with differences in sexuality.
Posted by John | 09.08.08, 12:44 GMT
J. Matthews, It is not God's word that is doing the harm, it is man's sinfulness. You fail to realize that for too long now the word of God in this country has been supressed by religious leaders who have opted for man's wisdom in its place; so there is no moral restriants in ous society: Proverbs 29 please. Now, if you would just take a look at the words of mr. harper and williams, both archbishops, youwill see what I mean; man's wisdom prevails over Scripture and our society is in ruins: Jeremiah 23:18 - 25. So if you are going to point the finger at "Christians" start with these two who profess to be and are not; because real Christians will speak the truth in love and not compromise to your detriment as it says in Proverbs 27:6 " Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but, the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." Compromisers of God's truth are your enemy and if you dance to the music you must pay the piper: Look at how society lives, now, what about changing the tune?
Posted by Chuck & David's Mighty Men Evangelism Team, Portadown | 06.08.08, 10:30 GMT
David, that is one of the most idotic, pompus comments i've read yet.
And i've read them all.
Posted by Kas | 05.08.08, 14:01 GMT
It is so good to see so many of the commments below are from sane people. Gay people have as much right to celebrate as Ian and Iris on the 12th and Gerry and Martin on Paddys day. If it offends you dont go to the parade!!!! Oh and David there were just as many straight people there having fun as us Gays so get a grip on reality!
Posted by Colm | 05.08.08, 13:58 GMT
happry gay pride ppl!!
sorry i missed it was workin!!
Posted by no1faghag | 04.08.08, 18:15 GMT
gay parades would be more acceptable if they did not dress up like circus clowns . ok you are gay thats fine but some of the outfits were laughable .in fact most were . looked like ( the circus is coming to town )
Posted by em | 04.08.08, 18:02 GMT
At last some sanity SAM MILLAR has got it right , lets amalgamate the Colourful and Spirited Gay Pride and the Orange Orders
12th of July Celebrations , what would that do for TOURISM .
After all there is a connection .
Posted by SAIGEADOIR COLLAC ABU | 04.08.08, 17:55 GMT
In response to Liam - what about all the Christianity that is shoved in our faces every day? On my way home this evening I will pass a church and a 'missionary' tent in a field both of which have tens of signs and posters telling me to 'repent now'. As long as Iris makes vicious comments such as she has done, then there is a need to have a parade every year to remind everyone that we are here to stay, whether she likes it or not!
Posted by Terry | 04.08.08, 17:28 GMT
Well done all those christians who took a stand against this parade. It really does make you look forward to the return of Jesus for his own blood washed followers.
The flaunting of sin is nothing to celebrate but rather to mourn.
Posted by Brian, Portadown | 04.08.08, 16:51 GMT
could not have said it better myself Liam!!
Posted by peter | 04.08.08, 16:46 GMT
You know, Christians need to catch themselves on. Do they not realise their words of hate - oh, and in case you didn't realise calling people like me an abomination is pretty hateful- give succour to the mindless thugs around the world who beat, and kill people purely for being gay.
Christians say, 'love the sinner, hate the sin', but here's the problem, the homophobic thugs of this world don't understand the difference.
Just last week, openly gay 18 year old Michael Causer was walking down the street in Liverpool, and was BEATEN TO DEATH in what the Merseyside police have described as a brutal Homophobic attack. His story is in the Liverpool daily post.
Wake up, you so caring christians, you words of hate do real harm. How many more young gay people need to be murdered for being gay, before you religious extremists wake up to the harm that your words do.
Posted by J Mathews | 04.08.08, 16:29 GMT
In response to Joe - No, I didn't say I would tolerate gay's as long as they stayed silent. I haven't got a problem with gay's full stop, but just be gay and get on with it don't have a carnival because you're gay becasue quite frankly most people don't care. Just as most people don't care that I'm a hetrosexual. You are always going to get planks like Iris Ribinson speaking out against gay's but a parade around the city isn't going to change that.
In my opinion there will never be a time, not in my lifetime anyway, were everyone accepts gay's so you are going to have to live with that fact. It doesn't matter if you parade from here to Hong Kong, that fact will remain!
Posted by Liam | 04.08.08, 16:17 GMT
I was in the city centre on Saturday to get some things and I have to say that I thought the whole event was a brilliant one. The atmosphere was so carnavalesque, and it was brilliant to see so many people (both gay and straight) enjoying each other's company for a good cause. As for the idea that the gay pride should be scrapped when gays have achieved full equality, I say NO, because it's just a good idea to have a fun day out and attract some tourism. It was nice to see so many tourists there as well, and the fact that the protesters were severely outnumbered. I say they should have a Winter Gay Pride!
Posted by Sean O'Rourke | 04.08.08, 15:32 GMT
In response to LIAM, the answer to your question lies in your own comment, "you don't see a hetrosexual pride parade through the city centre simply because there is no need for it" and if gay people felt accepted by society, there would be no need for a gay pride parade either. If we were not forced to be invisible in society with comments like the one you just made which in a nutshell means, you will put up with us as long as we remain silent and blend in with the dullness of the city. We look forward to the day when the gay pride parade is a thing of the past too because it means we have achieved acceptance.
Posted by Joe | 04.08.08, 14:36 GMT
A great day! Good to see the *real* freaks (ie: the protesters) kept behind bars, at the city hall, where they belonged! Congrats to the organisers and participants for putting on a colourful show. BIG congrats to the people of Belfast who turned out in their thousands to give the two-fingered salute to all that Iris Robinson and her ilk stand for.
Posted by HOO-HAA | 04.08.08, 13:51 GMT
I don't have a problem with gay people but why oh why do you have to have a parade to shove it in peoples faces that you are proud to be gay? O.k your gay, that's fair enough but let's not organise parades to prove this. You won't see a hetrosexual pride parade through the city centre simply because there is no need for it. I'm hetrosexual, big deal, does anyone else care? I think not.
I disagree Iris Robinson's comments but I also disagree with this pointless annual parade for people to prove how proud they are of their sexuality.
Next we'll be having a "I prefer brown bread to white bread and I'm proud of it parade!!" WHO CARES???
Posted by Liam | 04.08.08, 13:39 GMT
>Congratulations to the organisers and participants of the Gay Parade. It was fun to watch. If only the dour Orange Order would take a leaf from the Gay marchers’ book. Think what fun we could all have...
Posted by sam millar | 04.08.08, 12:49 GMT
The parade on Saturday was a carnival affair , gay people celebrating and having a good time , as the orange men do,the bohemians and the St Patricks day parade.
Posted by colin | 04.08.08, 12:41 GMT
I agree with Colin. (3 comments down) We don't choose our sexuality, we don't choose who we happen to fall in love with, no matter what the gender. Ellen, do what he says and CATCH YOURSELF ON!!
Posted by Jaime | 04.08.08, 10:40 GMT
38 Comments