Greiving gay husband forced from his Belfast home.

This is really sad,especially as I was in the bed next to Maurice for a week or so in mid January before he worsened.(I was having more chemo as my leukemia had returned in December & was coming to the end of my first of 4 chemo sessions)
He was a nice chap,very upbeat & chearful despite being terminally ill.

http://anon.projectarchive.net/?http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-31539004

A grieving man who has been the target of a series of homophobic attacks and death threats has said he can no longer live in his north Belfast home.

Paul Finlay-Dickson, whose civil partner Maurice died of cancer last month, said the attacks began 18 months ago and continued through his illness.

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That is really horrible

Ireland likes to present itself as the land of a thousand welcomes, but that welcome is sometimes distinctly lacking, especially in Northern Ireland, where loony preachers like Ian Paisley held too much sway for too long. Some parts of Belfast are like a small ex-clave of the US Bible Belt - born again into hate!

B.

bigvern said:

This is really sad,especially as I was in the bed next to Maurice for a week or so in mid January before he worsened.(I was having more chemo as my leukemia had returned in December & was coming to the end of my first of 4 chemo sessions)
He was a nice chap,very upbeat & chearful despite being terminally ill.

http://anon.projectarchive.net/?http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-31539004

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Well, first of all let me send my best wishes for better health soon for you.

The news of Paul Finlay-Dickson's persecution even while he grieves the loss of the man he shared his life and love with is very sad. This is more than a tale of one man's rocky road to travel alone. It's a wake up call for us all.

No matter how many protections and rights are adopted by governments the struggle for Gay equality is far from over. Until we have won the support of the rest of society as a whole we are still at risk of discrimination, persecution and violence. Until there are real life consequences for those who discriminate, persecute and do violence to us we should keep one eye over our shoulders at all times.

When those last vestiges of homophobes and bigots are the ones who are refused service or in some way shunned by society then we will be halfway there. When the haters find the price for their hatred is too high they will have to adapt to the reality that we are equal in every way. They will have to change.

When that happens I fear they will just find some other minority to discriminate, persecute and do violence to.

bigsal said:

They are just cowards without dignity. The worrying thing is that the so-called Western civil society is full of these wretched beings.

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You're absolutely right, bigsal. Let's face it, this could have happened ANYWHERE.