Gay bashing

Belfast City Council has been accused of ‘banning’ a duo from entertaining at a bash to launch the Gay Pride festival. While UK.GAY highlight death threats to a couple in what they describe as a spate of recent homophobic attacks. UPDATE see more.

As a result of comments attached to this blog Noel McAdam, the journalist who wrote the Belfast Telegraph article, has forwarded a more complete story from a later edition.

‘A council ‘gag’ slapped on a Gay Pride official dinner today sparked a censorship row at Belfast City Hall. For a double-act booked to perform at the formal ‘gay rights’ dinner was told ‘thanks but no thanks’. The lavish gay ‘bash’ kicked off a week of events culminating in the Gay Pride march in the city next week-end. Gay Pride organisers blamed council staff for deciding a skit by actors Angie Mc- Manus and Mary Tor-ney might leave dignataries red-faced.
But today city hall bosses explained the axing of their act – as
outlandish characters Kerry O’Gold and Dolly O’Doyle – was down to a “misunderstanding”. Gay Pride Secretary Sean McDaid said,however: “There was no misunderstanding. We sent in a list of
things we wanted to do and the Council just said ‘no’. There was no give. “I spoke to Angie at the event on Saturday night and she was so
upset she left. I felt very sad about it. This was a very big step for us, showing acceptance by the council, but they just said having our own entertainment was not normal for civic events.” Ms McManus, of the theatre group Playback, said: “I was very disappointed because
I thought it would have gone down so well. It couldn’t have
offended anyone if tried. “It was Gay Pride that asked me to perform
and they were well up for it. But I don’t think the council are that
keen about comedy acts.” Ms Torney added: “I think they were afraid of gay humour offending people and so they banned a piece of light
entertainment without even hearing it.” The council today said it had a firm policy for official civic receptions which was no laughing matter. “This has been a misunderstanding, Belfast city Council
(was) hosting a civic dinner for Belfast Pride and as such it is the Council’s role to organise any entertainment for the
evening,” a spokesperson said. “This has been organised for sometime. Belfast Pride indicated to the Council just two days ago that they
too had booked entertainment at which stage it was too late to rearrange the programme already planned. At no stage was the content of the proposed entertainment discussed.”

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