Omagh Pride: LGBT campaigner claims double standards on drag queen photo at Gospel Hall
A photo of a drag queen posing in front of a Gospel Hall during LGBT Pride events in Omagh would have sent the media "demented" if a loyalist had done similar in front of a chapel, a gay rights activist has said.
Former UUP councillor Jeff Dudgeon was speaking after a photo was published on social media of a drag queen outside Omagh Gospel Hall during Omagh Pride events on Saturday.
The hall is situated close to the official parade route, which saw 750 participants march nearby.
After the parade, TUV Party Secretary and Equality Spokesperson Ann McClure wrote to the Parades Commission and PSNI to say a number of Christians who were "deeply offended" had contacted her.
But Mr Dudgeon has now also raised concerns.
"In my view, if a loyalist had done something like this outside a chapel, the wider media would have gone demented over it,” he told the News Letter.
"As the TUV said, if a loyalist had done anything like this there would have been severe consequences for them."
(Mr Dudgeon brought a legal challenge to the European Court of Human Rights in 1981 which saw homosexuality decriminalised in Northern Ireland.)
However leading English LGBT campaigner Peter Tatchell strongly defended the photo.
"Christians have persecuted LGBT+ people for over 2,000 years, supporting executions and long jail sentences down the centuries," he told the News Letter.
"They drove many LGBTs to suicide. More recently, evangelicals opposed protection against discrimination for LGBTs and marriage equality.
"In this context, they have no justification to complain about a drag queen posing in front of the gospel hall. She was showing joyfully that LGBTs have survived despite Christian anti-LGBT+ prejudice. She made no offensive comments. It is a storm in a tea cup."
On Sunday, Ms McClure said the photograph was taken approximately 60 yards from the official parade route.
"This means that the individual involved went out of his way to approach a place of worship, with the clear intention of causing offence. More seriously, the photograph was then shared publicly on the official Omagh Pride Facebook page — a decision that strongly implies endorsement of this disrespectful act by the event organisers themselves."
She urged the authorities to investigate possible breaches of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998.
Omagh Pride was invited to comment.
Responding, the Parades Commission said that it has “no statutory functions” in relation to alleged violations of parading legislation and that any offences are a matter for the PSNI. It added that it will respond directly to any queries from political parties.
The commission’s Code of Conduct requires parades to show due regard for feelings of others; refrain from provocative behaviour; keep to the designated route; show no “irreverent” behaviour at places of worship, and refrain from intentionally provocative, insulting or lewd behaviour.
A PSNI spokesman said that they are "aware of an image that was posted to social media at the weekend following the Omagh Pride parade" and that "enquiries are being made into this". They declined to say what potential offences might be investigated.
In 2014 Belfast Pastor Jim McConnell was acquitted of charges of improper use of a public electronic communications network and sending a grossly offensive message, after preaching that Islam was "satanic" in an online sermon.