Scottish Socialist Party News Release
24/02/08
Fox writes to Salmond on Northern Ireland minister’s homophobic comments
Scottish Socialist Party national convenor Colin Fox today wrote to the
First Minister Alex Salmond seeking an assurance that any future meetings
with members of the Northern Ireland Assembly would raise the issue of attitudes
towards Lesbian and Gay rights by its ministers.
Fox’s letter comes after a meeting between Alex Salmond and the First
Minister of Northern Ireland, Dr Ian Paisley, his Deputy Martin McGuinness
and Ian Paisley Jnr.
In May 2007 Ian Paisely Jnr, then the Minister for Equality, had said “lesbians
and gay men harm society” and that he is “repulsed” by
them.
On 19th February the Northern Ireland Sports Minister, Edwin Poots, attacked
the formation of a gay rugby team in Belfast saying that he “cannot
fathom why people see the necessity to develop an apartheid in sport”.
In his letter Colin Fox, former SSP MSP for the Lothians, writes;
“
Gay sports teams are formed, as I’m sure you fully appreciate, not
to self exclude the community from the rest of society, but to create a safe
space where LGBT people can play sport. The necessity of these safe spaces
is surely appreciated even more now when you consider the unacceptable attitude
expressed by both these members of the Northern Ireland government towards
the LGBT community.”
Colin further writes;
“
Can you reassure me that you took the opportunity to raise the serious issue
of homophobia in Northern Ireland when you met with Dr Paisley and the Irish
delegation.
“
I do hope you can also reassure me that you make every effort to distance
yourself personally, the Scottish Government and the Scottish people from
such sentiments as were expressed by public representatives in another administration
in these islands.”
[ends]
Full text of letter
23rd Feb 2008
Mr Alex Salmond
First Minister
Scottish Parliament
Holyrood
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP
Dear Alex,
On Wednesday you met with the First Minister of Northern Ireland, Dr Ian
Paisley, his Deputy Martin McGuinness and Ian Paisley Jnr. You spoke of
closer cooperation between your two administrations.
I wish to draw you attention to comments made by Ian Paisley Jnr and other DUP ministers in recent weeks concerning the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community in Northern Ireland. In May 2007 Ian Paisley Jnr, the former Minister in charge of equality [sic] in the power sharing executive said that ‘lesbians and gay men harm society’ and that he is ‘repulsed’ by them.
Further to this rather bigoted prejudice it is reported that on the day you met with the Northern Irish leaders, Edwin Poots, the Minister for Arts and Culture [again from the DUP ] attacked the formation of a gay rugby team in Belfast saying that he ‘cannot fathom why people see the necessity to develop an apartheid in sport.’
Gay sports teams are formed, as I’m sure you fully appreciate, not to self exclude the community from the rest of society, but to create a safe space where LGBT people can play sport. The necessity of these safe spaces is surely appreciated even more now when you consider the unacceptable attitude expressed by both these members of the Northern Ireland government towards the LGBT community.
Can you reassure me that you took the opportunity to raise the serious issue of homophobia in Northern Ireland when you met with Dr Paisley and the Irish delegation. I am sure you will appreciate that the LGBT community in this country and indeed wider civic Scotland would have expected nothing less. I do hope you can also reassure me that you make every effort to distance yourself personally, the Scottish Government and the Scottish people from such sentiments as were expressed by public representatives in another administration in these islands.
I look forward to your reply and in receiving such assurances in due course.
Yours sincerely
Colin Fox
National Convenor, Scottish Socialist Party
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