1,500 rally in Belfast for equality and against DUP's 'Conscience Clause'

DUP POLITICIAN Paul Givan could be 'forGivan' for thinking that he was not flavour of the month when as many as 1,500 people turned up at a rally in front of Belfast City Hall last Saturday and told him in no uncertain terms that the intolerance and prejudice against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in the North that lays behind his 'Conscience Clause' Bill will not be tolerated.

The rally, organised by the Rainbow Project, saw political representatives from all the North's parties (except the main unionist parties), trade unionists, church representatives and Amnesty International tell Givan last Saturday that his so-called 'Conscience Clause' is nothing but a discrimination clause and people are opposed to it.

The Lagan Valley representative intends bringing a Private Member's Bill to the Stormont Assembly in which he is calling for an exemption clause in the North's Equality legislation that will allow people who profess a religious conviction to deny access to goods, facilities and services to others on the grounds of their sexual orientation.

Givan and the DUP's crusade lies in the controversy surrounding the refusal of the Belfast-based Asher's Bakery to supply a cake to a gay man carrying the message 'Support Gay Marriage'.

The bakery's owner refused to fill the order, citing his Christian beliefs, and his view that marriage is 'preordained by God' as a relationship between a man and a woman only.

Among those who addressed the crowd was world renowned singer/songwriter Brian Kennedy. His message to Givan and the DUP was to tell them: “Get out of my gay life!”

North Belfast Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly told the DUP fundamentalists that Sinn Féin is “for equality and opposed to discrimination”.

● Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly with singer/songwriter Brian Kennedy at the Belfast rally against the DUP 'Conscience Clause' Bill

Both the Alliance Party and the SDLP were represented. Patricia McKeown spoke on behalf of the trade union UNISON. Patrick Corrigan of Amnesty International said: “This is not about freedom of religion – this is about treating a section of our population as second-class citizens.”

Echoing that sentiment, John O'Doherty of the Rainbow Project, which advocates on behalf of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, said the so-called 'Conscience Clause' would use the religious beliefs of some to discriminate against the LGBT community.

● Collette McAllister of Queen's University Sinn Féin Cumann and Sinn Féin Ballymena Councillor Patrice Hardy