LGBT History Month - unraveling NI's 'hidden heritage'

This LGBT history month, we're reflecting on the road to equality here by paying tribute to those who lived through difficult times pre-legalisation of homosexuality in Northern Ireland.

2020 was a landmark year for LGBT rights in Northern Ireland since same sex marriage became legal.

But it's not that long since actually being homosexual was something to hide from the law.

Same sex relationships were criminal until 1982, while marriages were only permitted in the last year.

Activist and historian, Richard O'Leary is coordinating an LGBT heritage project, so that the tragic histories of communities here aren't forgotten.

His work is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Project, and it’s being carried out in conjunction with Here NI, the Rainbow Project and Cara-friend.

The aim? To collect, conserve and share the ‘hidden heritage’ of the LGBT community in the 1980s and 1990s in Northern Ireland.

Richard says it is a good time to share untold stories at this time - like that of local trans woman, Wilma Creith.

She died on August 24th 1980 while undergoing the final stage ‘of a long struggle to become a woman’, according to her obituary.

Richard believes key figures like Jeff Dudgeon, Doug Sobey, Marie Curie and Heather Flemming are among the names we should all look-up this History Month, as they're to thank for the huge progress here.

However, he says it's important to be aware that the worst is still happening elsewhere.

He said: “Even now when you’re going on holidays, there are so many countries that if I was to go on holidays to, being gay is criminal and in some cases punishable by death.”

That is the case in countries including Iran, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

He continued: “Just because things have improved locally in Northern Ireland, let’s not be under any illusions about the challenges facing LGBT people in the wider world. Brazil – trans people are being murdered in substantial numbers,” he said, urging activists to turn attention elsewhere, now that marriage equality has been achieved in Northern Ireland.

But Richard, now 56, has not just found eye-opening tales of abuse,

marginalisation and punishment for the LGBT community here.

He also has his own lived experience of being on the fringe of society, even after the law change.

He cited some examples of how difficult life was, not that long ago.

“I came to Belfast as a student in 1988 in Queens, and within a few months I had moved out of my accommodation because of homophobic graffiti which was written about me in my house,” he said.

Richard went on to highlight some examples of overt inequality: “The owner refused to give us a double room, and it was quite late, and we were quite tired, so we reluctantly agreed to have two separate rooms.

“At that time, there was no protection to be able to come back and say look, this is discrimination because we are gay.”

He also said prejudice prevented him from getting life insurance, and his life-partner did subsequently die.

“I bought this house with my late partner in 1999. When we went for a mortgage, we put in a joint application, and on the application he was described as ‘friend’.

“I also sought to get life insurance cover in case anything happened or one of us died… The life insurance company, they responded to my application with a supplementary questionnaire, which asked me for a detailed history of my sexual history which I thought was intrusive and I wasn’t prepared to give it, so I didn’t get life insurance.

“It is a pity because my partner eventually did die and I didn’t have it which would have been useful. But that was legal at the time.”

The LGBT History Club of Northern Ireland’s next meeting is on February 23rd, and you can access it here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/125056746149205

Downtown Cool FM will have more in this series this weekend and next week.