LGBT

theHandpuppet

(19,964 posts) Mon May 26, 2014, 11:43 PM May 2014

Three gay politicians on newly elected Belfast City council (N. Ireland)

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/elections/three-gay-politicians-on-newly-elected-belfast-city-council-30304675.html
The Belfast Telegraph (NI)
Three gay politicians on newly elected Belfast City council
'Imagine no longer the only gay in the village,' tweets Sinn Fein councillor
By Liam Clarke – 26 May 2014

There will be three openly gay politicians – two lesbians and a gay man – on the new Belfast City Council.

The news was revealed in a celebratory tweet from Councillor Mary Ellen Campbell of Sinn Fein after her election.

"Aren't the electorate amazing... Imagine no longer the only gay in the village," the north Belfast woman posted after hearing she had been returned to the new super council.

The two newcomers are Julie Anne Corr of the Progressive Unionist Party and Jeff Dudgeon of the Ulster Unionists.... MORE at link posted above.

3 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Three gay politicians on newly elected Belfast City council (N. Ireland) (Original Post) theHandpuppet May 2014 OP

Funny that this is deemed newsworthy in Belfast. Smarmie Doofus May 2014 #1

How so? theHandpuppet May 2014 #2

And... I'm guessing... a heightened religious sensibility owing to the "troubles". Smarmie Doofus May 2014 #3

Smarmie Doofus

(14,498 posts)

1. Funny that this is deemed newsworthy in Belfast.

Reply to theHandpuppet (Original post)

Tue May 27, 2014, 09:15 AM

May 2014

We have *six* self identified LGBT city council members here and that fact is pretty much beneath the radar as far as MSM news coverage goes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Council_LGBT_Caucus

Which *reminds me*..................

theHandpuppet

(19,964 posts)

2. How so?

Reply to Smarmie Doofus (Reply #1)

Tue May 27, 2014, 09:37 AM

May 2014

Belfast is a city of less than 300,000 people and Northern Ireland is the only country within the UK that doesn't recognize gay marriage.

Smarmie Doofus

(14,498 posts)

3. And... I'm guessing... a heightened religious sensibility owing to the "troubles".

Reply to theHandpuppet (Reply #2)

Tue May 27, 2014, 10:40 AM

May 2014

Which are threatening to become troubles again.

Sounds like a big step forward given the likely political terrain there.

I'm perplexed that the dominant media *here* doesn't take notice of growing lgbt political power. I just did a quick google of the new, "larger than ever" lgbt caucus and found acknowledgement of that fact from only a few "independent" blogs and the tiny LGBT news media ( i.e. Gay City News).

Where's the Times, Post, News, Newsday, etc.? Maybe it's there, but I couldn't find it.

If they covered it at all... it's hard to find.

Reply to this discussion