Gay Bashing Victim Speaks Out About N. Ireland MP Iris Robinson

Stephen Scott, the victim of a gang gaybashing who inspired Northern Irish DUP MP Iris Robinson to publicly advise gays to seek therapy to "turn (them) around" from homosexuality, has spoken out about Robinson:

The BBC reports: "'I certainly will not rest until she stands down for what she's done, because she's made my life hell since her comments,' he said. He said he had struggled with coming to terms with being homosexual, something made more difficult by his background. 'I took an overdose last November because I was finding it hard to cope with being gay - I had no support from anyone and felt on my own,' he said. 'I had always denied it but now I'm out and I'm not ashamed to say I'm gay.'"

Robinson also told the BBC in an interview that "just as a murderer can be redeemed by the blood of Christ, so can a homosexual; and that is the message and that is the word of God; and if anyone takes issue they are taking issue with the word of God."

That clip, again, if you missed it, is AFTER THE JUMP...

previously
Northern Irish MP Iris Robinson Compares Gays to Murderers [tr]
Sinn Fein Calls on MP to Resign Over "Ex-Gay" Remarks [tr]

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Northern Irish MP Iris Robinson Compares Gays to Murderers

Yesterday I posted an update on Northern Ireland DUP MP Iris Robinson, the UK's very own Sally Kern, who said that gays can be cured of their homosexuality and advised them to seek therapy.

The remarks prompted political party Sinn Fein to call for her resignation and for the activist group Outrage! to call on people to start outing members of Robinson's Democratic Unionist party.

Like Kern, she seems to wallow in the attention her bigotry brings her.

Robinson is now comparing gay people to murderers!

Watch her interview with the BBC, AFTER THE JUMP...

previously
Sinn Fein Calls on MP to Resign Over "Ex-Gay" Remarks [tr]

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Sinn Fein Calls on MP to Resign Over "Ex-Gay" Remarks

On Friday I posted about Northern Ireland DUP MP Iris Robinson, whose remarks that gays should seek therapy to "turn (them around" were met with protest from activists and other leaders.

The comments, in which Robinson said "I have a very lovely psychiatrist who works with me in my offices and his Christian background is that he tries to help homosexuals - trying to turn away from what they are engaged in. I'm happy to put any homosexual in touch with this gentleman and I have met people who have turned around and become heterosexuals," have sparked a furor: "John O'Doherty, a member of the South Belfast District Policing Partnership, said he has complained to police. 'People like Mrs Robinson need to learn that their comments have consequences,' he said. This is the second complaint in relation to the Strangford MP's remarks." Police are reportedly investigating.

Robinson's husband has come out in her defense: "There is a legal obligation to ensure that no-one in our society is discriminated against. I have to say that even if there was no legal obligation I would be at the forefront defending anyone who was being discriminated against. And I know my colleague the member for Strangford (Mrs Robinson) would be alongside me in that."

Today, the activist group Outrage! urged gay men to publicly "out" members of Robinson's Democratic Unionist party: "We have always supported the protection of people's privacy who lead a double life, where they are gay but maybe still have a family. However in circumstances where you are a member of a political party which openly espouses homophobia than we think it is entirely justifiable that members of that party be outed."

Robinson's remarks were in response to reports of a brutal gay bashing in the Northern Ireland town of Newtownabbey which took place last week.

Sinn Féin has called on Robinson to resign, saying she's not fit to chair the Assembly health committee.

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Gay activist slams Norther Irish politico's statement that gays and lesbians can be "turned around". Said the MP: "I have a very lovely psychiatrist who works with me in my offices and his Christian background is that he tries to help homosexuals - trying to turn away from what they are engaged in. I'm happy to put any homosexual in touch with this gentleman and I have met people who have turned around and become heterosexuals."

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Northern Irish Man Attacked by Homophobic Gang

The BBC reports:

"Stephen Scott, 27, was walking home near Ballyduff Brae in Newtownabbey on Wednesday night when he was attacked. Three youths, thought to be in their late teens, knocked him to the ground and continued kicking and punching him as they shouted insults. Mr Scott is being treated in hospital for a head injury, a leg injury and broken ribs. 'As far as I'm concerned they're scum,' he said. 'It's enough to take a life - there were three of them on me and I was left for dead.' He urged victims of homophobic attacks not to be afraid to tell police."

In other news, the first gay bar outside of a major Irish city recently opened in the Northern Ireland town of Strabane.

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Oregon Court of Appeals upholds ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage in the state.

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Redwood City, California man to stand trial for attacking his neighbors with a wrought iron table, fists: "Prosecutors say Santos-Coy had been drinking when he approached two neighbors of his apartment complex as they worked on their car in the building's carport. Yelling that the men — a couple in their 20s, according to prosecutors — were 'dirty nasty people' and other things not fit to print in this publication, Santos-Coy allegedly struck one of the men several times in the face. He then picked up a wrought-iron table and swung it at the victims, prosecutors said. The men managed to avoid getting hit by the heavy table, according to prosecutors...He faces up to eight years in prison for two felony counts of a hate crime and one count of assault with a hate crime purpose."

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Scotland Yard arrests 198 across London for "domestic, homophobic and race hate crimes."

Owner of the first gay bar outside a major city in Ireland talks about the reaction from the community: "When someone comes up to one of my sons and mentions the gay bar, it's to tell them that their uncle or cousin is gay. The young people in Strabane seem to be very open-minded — there's been no hassle at all."

"Ex-Gay" Bar? UK former gay bar under inquiry for putting up banner announcing that it is "now straight". "A police inquiry is under way into a complaint that the sign, which has now been taken down, was offensive. The bar owners said it was never their intention to offend. Assistant manager Carl Lovett said: 'We admit it was not the best banner but there was never any intention to cause offence.' ... The bar, which opened as a seven-days-a-week gay venue in January, decided to switch to becoming a mainstream premises after failing to attract enough customers."

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Canadian middle school students told they can't wear anti-homophobia t-shirts: "School principal Kim MacKenzie said the word "gay" was used inappropriately. He said the T-shirts weren't appropriate for a middle-school level and didn't comply with the school dress code. 'This is a middle school,' he said, adding no other disciplinary actions were taken. 'There were questions from Grade 5 students as to what homophobia was. That's something that many of our parents would have a concern with -- the notion of how that conversation (was started) in the school,' said MacKenzie."

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Archbishop Desmond Tutu honored by International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission in San Francisco. Tutu: "How sad, how tragic, that the Church be so concerned with this issue when God’s children all the world over are suffering. I ask for your forgiveness for the way the Church has ostracized you."

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First gay bar outside of Ireland's major cities opens in Strabane, Northern Ireland. Rainbow Project leader: "What the opening of this bar is saying is that, yes, our small towns have a gay community too and they are welcome and they are valued. I have been a gay rights activist for 25 years and when I started out, gay people were moving away in their droves because they were deemed socially unacceptable. But now we have this development and it is one of the biggest steps I've seen for the gay community. What it is saying to us is stay, there is something here for you."

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Northern Ireland town of Strabane prepares for opening of first gay bar. Proprietor: "All the feedback I've had about the bar has been positive, I was so surprised by everyone's reaction, I've received no negativity whatsoever. Even elderly residents of the town have voiced their support and have been wishing me all the best."

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International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association condemns Jamaica: “We call immediately on Jamaica’s community leaders to cease their oppression. We will continue to speak up and to spotlight these cruel and bigoted actions before tourism and business leaders everywhere. IGLTA is in complete solidarity with Jamaica’s own LGBT leadership, J-FLAG. Therefore, like J-flag, it is not our intention to provoke reprisals or political condemnation in Jamaica by supporting a global tourism boycott. We understand this step could be counter-productive to making true progress in that Caribbean nation, and instead we will focus on education, publicity and market competition to highlight and help curb these terrible abuses."

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Northern Irish councillor calls opening of gay bar 'foolish': "A veteran Strabane councillor has said he believes there is 'not a need' for a gay bar in the town. James O'Kane, an Independent member of Strabane District Council, claimed it would be 'very foolish.' The North West gay community has widely welcomed the annoucement of Strabane's first gay bar. However, speaking to the 'Journal,' Councillor O'Kane said: 'My own assumption is that it would be very very foolish to open it, it wouldn't be welcome. I'm a pioneer myself so I would not be frequenting these places anyway but I couldn't see it operating in the town. In this day and age we are all liberal but I can't see a need for it, I suppose only time will tell,' Colr. O'Kane said."

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Irish Cultural Minister Slams Gay Rugby 'Apartheid'

Northern Ireland's first gay rugby team The Ulster Titans have come under fire from Minister for Culture, arts and Leisure Edwin Poots who claims the team is "promoting a form of sporting apartheid," according to the BBC.

Said Poots: "I just cannot fathom why people see the necessity to develop an apartheid in sport. It would be unacceptable to produce an all-black rugby team or an all-white team or an all-Chinese team. To me it's equally unacceptable to produce an all-homosexual rugby team and I find it remarkable that people who talk so much about inclusivity and about having an equal role in society would then go down the route of exclusion."

Apparently Poots didn't read the fine print on the team's website, echoed to the BBC by team founder Declan Lavery: "We are the Ulster Titans Rugby Club, open to all men regardless of age, experience, race or sexual orientation. Northern Ireland's first team identifying with gay men and we are committed to equality, inclusion and the greatest sport in the world."

So, Mr. Poots, you are free to join should you so wish. I'm sure they'd even let you wear drag.

Poots hits out at gay rugby team [bbc]
(team photo source)

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Gay Couple in N. Ireland Face Abuse, Vandalism, Death Threats

UK Gay News reports on a gay couple in Northern Ireland, one of whom is disabled, who are living in fear because of a number of homophobic attacks directed toward them:

"The home of a gay couple in Creggan, Northern Ireland, has been attacked for the second time in a week. The attacks are said to be part of a homophobic hate campaign that has been ongoing for three years. The couple, one of whom is registered disabled, had their window broken last Friday – and then on Monday night their door was kicked in. Now the pair, who live in fear after being verbally abused, are considering leaving the home they have shared of 17 years. The verbal abuse, the Derry gay support group, Rainbow Project says, include threats to burn them out."

Said Sean Morrin of the N. Ireland group Rainbow Project: "We totally condemn this hatred on this couple and appeal to the local community, politicians and community activists in Creggan to work with the Rainbow Project to bring it to an end. This couple have lived very happily for many years in Creggan and it would be devastating if they had to leave their home of 17 years due to the actions of a few homophobes who have nothing better to do than attack a disabled man's home. Both men are suffering the impact of this hatred to the extent that their physical and mental health is deteriorating."

Gay Couple Live in Fear After Home Attacked Twice in Week [uk gay news]

Previously
Hate Sheet: Pennsylvania, Houston, Northern Ireland, Scotland [tr]
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Some say the world will end in fire: Poet Robert Frost's former home ransacked and burned at what police say was an underage drinking party. "The intruders broke a window to get into the two-story wood frame building — a furnished residence open in the summer — before destroying tables and chairs, pictures, windows, light fixtures, and dishes. Wicker furniture and dressers were smashed and thrown into a fireplace and burned, apparently to provide heat in the unheated building, he said. Empty beer bottles and cans, plastic cups, and cellophane apparently used to hold marijuana were also found, according to Hodsden. The vandals vomited in the living room and discharged two fire extinguishers inside the building, on a dead-end road off Route 125."

Former Brit boyband singer Lee Ryan arrested for assault on London taxi driver.

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Top DNC officials subpoenaed in discrimination lawsuit: "Those ordered to provide sworn testimony include chairman Howard Dean, openly gay treasurer Andy Tobias, and Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council executive Director Brian Bond. The suit charges that a campaign of infighting, discrimination and retaliation led to the illegal firing of Hitchcock after his partner, former Clinton appointee Paul Yandura, criticized the Party for what he claimed was a lack of support for LGBT causes, especially on the issue of defeating anti-gay ballot measures."

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Northern Ireland Gay Pride controversy reaches House of Commons: "Stormont Minister Nigel Dodds has thrown his weight behind DUP protests over a placard carried at the Belfast Pride event which read 'Jesus is a fag'. And Security Minister Paul Goggins has revealed that the Parades Commission is seeking a meeting with the march organisers following complaints about alleged breaches of its code. The DUP were outraged when one participant was seen carrying the controversial placard during the colourful August 4 event."

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Hate Sheet: Pennsylvania, Houston, Northern Ireland, Scotland

Not a lot of fun writing this post up, but there was quite a bit of news on this topic today, so here it is:

Police investigating potential hate crime in Bucks County, Pennsylvania: "State police in Dublin are looking for two men who assaulted 40-year-old Brett Saylor along Route 313 near the Dublin Star Diner at about 4:45 a.m. Saturday. Saylor, who was on his way to work, was treated at Doylestown Hospital. Saylor, who moved to the area four months ago from Louisville, Ky., said the two men called him abusive names indicating they knew about his sexuality. He said they did not take his money or valuables."

Killer of gay man in Houston is up for parole: "Paul Broussard, 27, was brutally beaten and stabbed to death while walking in Montrose in 1991 because he was gay. One of the attackers, Jon Buice, is serving a 45-year prison sentence for Broussard's murder. Buice is up for parole for the third time. 'They not only took Paul's life, they took his future,' said Nancy Rodriguez, Broussard's mother. 'I know in reality, he will not spend 45 years.' Rodriguez, from Georgia, plans to make her plea to the parole board. 'Regardless of who it was or who he was, nobody should have to die like that,' she said. 'This was a horrible, horrible thing. If you read the autopsy -- it took me years to read it -- and he actually carved my child up like you would a deer. He meant to kill him.'" Read a bit more of the backstory on this here.

A group of gay tourists has been attacked in Bogside, Northern Ireland: "Members of Gay and Lesbian Youth Northern Ireland (GLYNI) and their Australian guests came under fire from the youths at Rossville Street on Saturday afternoon. The visitors were enjoying a tour of the Bogside when they were confronted by the gang who shouted homophobic abuse, threw bottles and stones, and toted the replica firearms. Details of the incident only emerged yesterday afternoon. David McCartney, of Derry-based gay, lesbian and transsexual support group, the Rainbow Project, said it was a "terrifying experience" for the tourists."

Two men have pleaded guilty to a lethal assault on a gay man in Perth, Scotland: "Mr Kerr, who worked as a civic officer for Perth and Kinross Council, died in Dundee's Ninewells Hospital hours after being repeatedly kicked in the head. Meehan, Soutar and the 15-year-old all admitted punching him on the face and knocking him to the ground. Meehan and Soutar admitted kicking him numerous times on the head, with Meehan admitting landing the blows which amounted to murder."

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FOX pans Alan Ball film Nothing is Private for its "graphic sexual, mental and physical child abuse": "If Ball, who regularly toyed with conventions in his TV show and in American Beauty, thought all this would somehow illuminate the tragedy of child abuse, he was wrong. Too much is shown and too many lines are crossed for Nothing Is Private ever to be released by a major studio or distribution company to theatres. If nothing else, the endless 'ick' factor involving nearly every character is a permanent obstacle."

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Issue of rainbow flags remains unresolved in small Nova Scotia community of Truro. Background.

At $24.2 million domestic, Michael Moore's Sicko is now third-highest grossing documentary of all time, behind Fahrenheit 9/11 and March of the Penguins.

Indian construction worker in Dubai gets 25 years for bludgeoning lover to death with a rock: "The Dubai Court of Appeal increased the 15 years initial sentence of 23-year-old Indian named only as B.A to 25 years, which is life imprisonment here. The appeal's court also awarded him an additional month in jail for consuming liquor. He will be deported after serving his term. The Public Prosecution charged the Indian with consuming liquor and murdering his compatriot, identified as S.D. According to a Yemeni policeman, who questioned B.A., the accused was having a homosexual affair with the deceased. An Indian witness said he saw B.A. committing the crime when he woke up after hearing a commotion in the room at a construction site."

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News: Whoopi Goldberg, NYC Cabs, Rupert Murdoch, Sean Hayes

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. wins bid for Dow Jones, publisher of The Wall Street Journal: "Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. sealed a $5 billion agreement to purchase the publisher of The Wall Street Journal after three months of drama in the controlling family and public debate about journalistic values. One of the oldest and best-known franchises in the newspaper industry, beset in recent years by business pressures, now enters a new era as part of a world-wide media conglomerate. The 76-year-old Mr. Murdoch, whose properties range from the Fox television network to the Times of London, negotiated hard to win the paper he long coveted. He has promised to invest more in Dow Jones journalism."

Sean Hayes to play Bill Gates in "Nerds" musical? "From the writers of the Off-Broadway smash hit The Bomb-itty of Errors and the hot animated TV series 'Robot Chicken' comes a funny and irreverent musical take on the parallel stories of computer pioneers Bill Gates and Steve Jobs as they blaze a path from garage inventors to warring titans of the computer revolution. With its rollicking tunes and brilliantly off-beat humor, Nerds://A Musical Software Satire celebrates the inner nerd within us all!"

Whoopi Goldberg confirmed as new co-host on The View.

Cheney still unwilling to answer which branch of the government he works for.

Some of New York City's cabs of the future are here today...

Gay Pride festival launched by Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in Derry, Northern Ireland: "No-one should be discriminated against on the basis of their sexual orientation in the same way that it should not happen because of their age, race or indeed any other characteristic of their being."

Hamptons toga bash brings out Reichen, Ryan, and baby.

Hillary Clinton position on federal funding for needle exchange programs is illustrative of how she, as a candidate, is "informed and bound by her husband's administration."

Man who murdered wife with sledgehammer in 1986 after she threatened to tell his mother he was gay and received 16 years to life in prison for second-degree murder, may be released from prison next month.

Gawker: Why do straight men think they're gay men?

Rocks thrown through window of Colorado Springs Gay and Lesbian Fund building: It was a targeted crime. It was a hateful crime."

Montreal gay couple receives $10,000 after harassment by youths in their neighborhood: "Theo Wouters and Roger Thibault said four youths targeted them because of their sexual orientation. The Quebec Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission says the parents of one of the youths must pay the two men $10,000. Three other adolescents who were mentioned in the case now live in Calgary and are not targeted by the ruling of the human rights group. Wouters and Thibault have lived together for more than 30 years and got married a few years ago."

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Suicide of Former Mr. Gay Derry Shocks Northern Ireland City

Eamon Johnston, Mr. Gay Derry 2003 and a favorite to win the Mr. Gay UK competition that year, was found dead in his home yesterday in an apparent suicide.

While the death on its own is tragic, 22-year-old Johnston is the eighth young person to commit suicide there in recent months.

The Rainbow Group, an LGBT support group in Northern Ireland, reportedly canceled its summer plans to close for the holidays in light of Johnston's death.

Said staff member David McCartney: "At this time, the thoughts of everyone here at The Rainbow Project are very much with the family and friends of Eamon. This event has sent waves of shock throughout both the gay and wider community, many of whom are struggling to comprehend what is happening. A sudden death of this nature traumatises communities in a way that is indescribable and causes immense emotional pain for those left behind. We are acutely aware of the vulnerability of those that knew Eamon and the need for support at this time. We urge anyone for whom this is having an impact to come and talk to us in confidence. Our door is open to anyone that would like to talk."

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News: UFO, Chelsea Hotel, Mark Dalton, California Gay Marriage

Northern Ireland politician Ian Paisley Jr., who made disparaging remarks about gay people last month, has no regrets about being a bigot: "What is done is done, I've said those comments why should I try and hide what I've done."

UFOs spotted over Britain: "It was 2,000ft up and stationary. I thought it was about 10 miles away, although I later realised it was approximately 40 miles from us. At first, I thought it was the size of a [Boeing] 737. But it must have been much bigger because of how far away it was. It could have been as much as a mile wide. I'm certainly not saying that it was something of another world. All I'm saying is that I have never seen anything like it before in all my years of flying."

Activist outs homophobic Russian politician on national TV.

Gay accusations fly over domestic partner benefits in Kentucky gubernatorial race.

Elton John raises £110,000 for karaoke tune.

Historic Chelsea Hotel to be the east coast's Chateau Marmont? "Hotelier Andre Balazs, owner of the historic Hollywood inn, was spotted 'checking out' the interior of the Chelsea Hotel on Tuesday. The Chelsea's owners just turned its operation over to powerhouse BD Management, and we hear Balazs, with his knack for historical preservation, will have a role in running and restoring the place. Now all he has to do is figure out how to entice people who have long lived there for little to no rent to vacate."

Gay porn actor Mark Dalton arrested...again. (sites NSFW)

Canadian Anglicans to vote on allowing churches to bless gay couples.

California Supreme Court asks each side to answer three questions in gay marriage case: "The first answer the court required from both sides was a specific and detailed explanation of how California’s existing domestic partnership law--one of the most comprehensive in the country--and legal marriage differ from one another in terms of legal rights for families. Secondly, the court required lawyers from both sides to offer their interpretations of what the California state constitution’s provisions might be for marriage rights" and "Do the terms ’marriage’ or ’marry’ themselves have constitutional significance under the California constitution?"

Rules and regulations: Rufus Wainwright in choreographed number with muscle men.

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Northern Ireland Politician "Repulsed" by Gay People

Ian Paisley Jr., an assembly member for the Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland and son of the party's founder, is under pressure to apologize for remarks he made to Hotpress magazine about gays and lesbians.

Said Paisley, Jr: "I am, unsurprisingly, a straight person. I am pretty repulsed by gay and lesbianism. I think it is wrong. I think that those people harm themselves and – without caring about it - harm society. That doesn’t mean to say that I hate them. I mean, I hate what they do."

It's not the first time Paisley Jr. has expressed his disgust for gay people. upon hearing that Irish politico David Trimble's aide Steven King had married his partner in Canada, Paisley Jr. said, "It is really astounding that David Trimble should have had a man such as this giving him advice - and must surely cast grave doubts on his own political judgment. I think these sorts of relationships are immoral, offensive and obnoxious."

Sinn Féin representatives have called on Paisley to apologize. Said MLA Martina Anderson: "Ian Paisley Jr should withdraw these comments and apologise. The fact is that comments such as this cause great harm and distress. They feed into the attitudes that fester and lead to homophobic violence."

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Bid to Stop Gay Rights Laws Fails in the UK

Approximately 1,000 demonstrators held their anti-gay rally outside Parliament in London last night, hoping to sway a vote in the House of Lords to block the laws, which forbid discrimination based on sexual orientation, and are already in place in Northern Ireland.

The laws were upheld on Tuesday by a margin of three to one, 199 votes to 68.

A debate lasting nearly two hours was impassioned from both sides, according to the Independent:

Lord Tebbit said: "These regulations would leave perfectly innocent people in fear of legal action from the fanatical wings of the lesbian, homosexual, gay pressure groups. Whatever the intention of those who drafted the regulations, they are bound to create not only a shadow, or umbra of prohibition, but a vastly-wider penumbra of the fear of prosecution."

But Lord Smith, the former Labour culture secretary, launched an impassioned defence of the protections offered by the rules. He attacked critics of the regulations, telling peers: "What they are arguing for is quite simply the right to discriminate and the right to harass. These arguments are being made in the name of Christianity. I find that very difficult to understand. "People have the right to believe that homosexuality is somehow wrong. I believe very strongly that people have a right to hold views that may be bigoted or discriminatory, but I do not believe they have the right to put their beliefs into action."

Anti-gay campaigners say the rules are a threat to their "freedom of conscience" because they would be forced to act despite their religious beliefs.

Thomas Cordrey of the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship, the organizers of the rally, told Reuters: "Christians have no desire to discriminate unjustly on the grounds of sexual orientation, but they cannot and must not be forced to actively condone and promote sexual practices which the Bible teaches are wrong."

He also told the news outlet that the group was not homophobic. However, see the top photo and ask yourself if you agree with him.

The laws, which went into effect in Northern Ireland on the first of the year, are to take effect in England and Wales in April.

Said Andrew Copson, of the British Humanist Association: "[Discrimination] would not be acceptable in the areas of race, disability, age or religion or belief, and is not acceptable here. Either we hold human rights to be universal or we do not."

Lords defeat attempt to overturn gay rights law [independent]
Challenge to gay rights laws fails [reuters]

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