Alternative Ulster

Andrew Sullivan notes that the times they are a-changin in Northern Ireland:

The one thing that has always united the Catholics and Protestants of Northern Ireland—as is the case with many religious extremists—is hatred of gays. I remember during the UK tour for "Virtually Normal," the first book to argue for marriage rights as the central cause for the gay movement, that I was on a TV show in Northern Ireland. It was the first ever network show on gay issues in Northern Ireland ever, I was told. I was beamed in remotely. They asked ten gay men and women to come to give their side of the story. Only three turned up. The rest were that scared of the social consequences. Yesterday, the first civil marriage took place in Britain for two lesbians. In Belfast. Gay sex was a criminal offense in Ulster as recently as 1982.

Whole thing here.

Stiff Little Fingers' history here. Snippet of Alternative Ulster here.