Saving Sodomy from Ulster – Public professions of Christianity frequently mask horrible crimes
Slugger O’Toole is a politically liberal site based in the 6 county bit of Ireland. One of its writers observes :
One of the great lessons in life is that the more someone publicly professes to be a ‘Christian,’ the more unchristian their private life is.
Years ago, I met one of the leading figures in the Save Ulster From Sodomy Campaign. I have a surprisingly good gaydar for a straight guy, and it was pinging off the chart. This guy had spent much of the 70s and 80s persecuting gays while himself being as gay as Eurovision. I felt sorry for him; he was a product of his upbringing. To live your life as a lie and with such self-loathing must be very tiring on the soul.
https://sluggerotoole.com/2024/03/30/public-morality-private-hypocrisy/
The Save Ulster from Sodomy campaign was a vicious anti-gay operation run by the Democratic Unionist party (DUP) and the Reverend Ian Paisley’s Free Presbyterian church. Paisley, a busy man, was leader of the DUP, and moderator of his church.
An effective counter-campaign, Save Sodomy from Ulster, was the brainchild of Tarlach Mac Niallais. Link : CoVid-19 Has Taken Tarlach Mac Niallais From Us in New York – A Courageous Fighter from North Belfast who “Saved Sodomy from Ulster”
In Ireland, Christianity took over public life after the partition settlement of 1922. The Catholic Church controlled key parts of the state in the 26 county southern bit. In the North the Orange State was a Protestant State for a Protestant People.
The rise of the women’s movement since the 1970’s has eroded the political power of the Christian churches in all of Ireland. A key factor is continuing public opposition to child abuse practised under the cover of religious piety.
Down south, mainstream politicians self-identify as gay : a very good development. Three government ministers in Dublin West – Varadkar (Fine Gael), O’Gorman (Green Party), and Chambers (Fianna Fáil) – are gay, an uncontroversial news story. Up north however one of the main parties in the Stormont coalition government is the DUP : a deeply Christian, homophobic, and reactionary party.
Pressure for change in a positive secular direction has built up. For example, well supported Gay Pride marches occur every year in the major northern cities of Belfast and Derry.
We have seen conservative parties such as Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael adapt to popular rejection of hypocritical Christian piety.
A big question now is : can the DUP follow suit?
That looks very unlikely. Recent party leader Edwin Poots is a creationist who rejects evolution. The party’s Stormont Education Minister Paul Givan is Minister for Education – also a creationist.
Mr Givan recently earned himself this BBC news headline :
Sex education: Givan criticised for meeting Christian group, not LGBTQ+ charity
Rainbow Project Response :
A spokesperson for the Rainbow Project said it did not oppose Mr Givan meeting the Christian Institute delegation but was “extremely disappointed to see that, while the minister delegated a meeting with LGBTQIA+ organisations on the topic of RSE provision, he chose to meet with others with a very different view”.
LGBTQ+ young people “rarely see themselves represented in the curriculum” and appropriate RSE is “an important tool to reduce social and sexual health inequalities,” they added.
“If the minister and others across the executive wish to be a government for all in Northern Ireland, the deeds need to match the words and a diversity of voices should be heard to ensure evidence-based decision making.
“We’re concerned that the progress being made will fall short of what’s really needed: comprehensive, inclusive and evidence-based RSE, which meets the needs of all young people at all stages of development.”
There is something deeply rotten about political parties controlled by religious fundamentalism.
John Meehan April 4 2024
Tomás Ó Flatharta 
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