ACOMSDave

Community Journalist

Belfast Listed Buildings

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Belfast Listed Buildings

On Saturday, February 22, 2025, the Belfast Telegraph (Sam McQuade) published a compelling piece titled “Belfast is a great city, but swathes of it are crumbling…”, in this he is referring to our listed buildings in the main, but by inference to the general state of Belfast.

The article boiled down to two main ideas:

1. Belfast’s crumbling buildings and neglected areas
2. Why do the authorities seem powerless to halt the decay?

Like many cities, Belfast has always been a hub of change, shaped by shifts in population, employment, and development. Yes, our history is marked by the Troubles, which devastated both people and infrastructure. But Belfast has shown resilience, bouncing back with new developments like Castle Court, the Victoria Centre, and the Waterfront. Still, vast parts of the city remain overlooked, opportunities lost.

Take, for example, the area between the Short Strand and the Lagan, or the Tribecca site between Donegall Street, Rosemary Street, and Royal Avenue. I’m not here to rewrite the article, but what struck me most was the missed opportunities—funding sitting idle in bank accounts for years, generating interest, while nothing materialises on the ground.

The planning department seems to lack a clear, coherent strategy to preserve what heritage remains. Meanwhile, politicians at Stormont appear to play at politics, failing repeatedly to safeguard Belfast’s history, its fabric, and its future.

Then there’s the case of the Victorian houses in the University area, recommended for listed status as of March 15, 2025. They’re interesting, no doubt, but what really caught my attention was the broader context: Northern Ireland currently has 9,000 listed buildings, yet this is only the second survey since 1974—that’s 51 years between checks. That’s simply too long.

Some experts understand the intricacies of our listed building process better than I do, but even I can see that without a cohesive, forward-thinking plan—beyond mere politics—the gaps in protecting our city’s heritage are glaring.

Belfast Listed BuildingsBelfast Listed Buildings Belfast Listed Buildings Belfast Listed Buildings

 

 

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WHAT DON’T WE KNOW ABOUT LGBTQ+ HOMELESSNESS

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(AND HOW YOU CAN HELP US ADDRESS THAT)

 

WHAT DON’T WE KNOW ABOUT LGBTQ+ HOMELESSNESSAccording to Dr Edith England (Cardiff Metropolitan University) and Dr. Neil Turbull (Cardiff University), WHAT DON’T WE KNOW ABOUT LGBTQ+ HOMELESSNESS,  is over and under-researched.   There has been a lot of research carried out on young people (especially those living in areas with high LGBTQ+ populations), but little or no research has been carried out for others, e.g.

  • those over 25
  • rural LGBTQ+ people
  • those disengaged from or avoiding services

To try to gauge just how bad (or good) the reality is, the survey being conducted will look at:

  • What percentage of the LGBTQ+ population has experienced homelessness
  • How homelessness, and experiences of homelessness, differ within the LGBTQ+ population
  • How LGBTQ+ homelessness is different in different areas across the country
  • What LGBTQ+ people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness want and need
  • What happens after LGBTQ+ people experience homelessness

 

What can you do to help?

The LGBTQ+ community need a baseline, and with this survey, Dr Edith England and Dr. Neil Turbull, hope to fill the gaps in the areas indicated above.  They believe that establishing answers to these fundamental questions will benefit all researchers in this area, and even help towards emboldening government policy.

The survey takes around 10 minutes to complete and asks questions about demographics, housing and homelessness experiences through the lifetime, and service needs.  If you are aged 18+, UK resident and LGBTQ+, please complete the survey.

 

 

Links

LGBTQ+ Library Survey

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LGBTQ+ Library SurveyLGBTQ+ Survey – Over the last 30+ years, I have written for various magazines and organisations, and I have been an active member of the Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association,  and whilst based in Surrey was active in CHE.

Prior to the pandemic, I had been trying to find out how libraries across the United Kingdom had been responding to the LGBTQ+ community, but with little success.  

This is not my first time trying to gain an understanding of what is happening in our libraries for the LGBTQ+ community; whilst I was based in Surrey, England I was totally surprised over what can occur during a four year period.  When I first arrived in Sutton, a town 14 miles from Central London, and in the heart of natural conservatism, stocked the Pink Paper, Capital Gay and Gay Times (all of which are no longer in production or print-based magazines).  They also had a ‘few’ gay books on the shelves in the social studies section.  these items slowly disappeared because according to the librarians ‘some users abused the facilities i.e. they kept moving or hiding the items.

Just as everything seemed to go into limbo, Sutton Libraries got a new assistant librarian.  IN the two years following my initial survey, she provided the LGBTQ+ community with an alternative book show, including a display from Gay’s the Word, free copies of gay papers openly available on a shelf for anyone who wanted one, and also a Gay & Lesbian section in the main library with over 120 items including videos.

To find out what our current situation is after the pandemic I have created a short survey online and I am asking any individual or group to go and check it out and complete it in relation to their location.

I hope you will all take part and look forward to pulling together the survey results and publishing them.  LGBTQ+ Library Survey

 

LGBTQ+ Library Survey

LGBTQ+ Library Survey

 

 

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Gender-based violence and discrimination in Sport

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Dear members,

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has been drawing attention to gender-based violence and discrimination for many years. The Assembly is now working on a report titled “The fight for a level playing field – ending discrimination against women in the world of sport”, which will result in a resolution to be adopted by the Assembly in 2021.

We, along with EL*C, TGEU, and OII Europe, are working to prepare a short submission on the specific needs and struggles of LBTI women in sports, and are looking for inputs to this submission.

Inputs can be:
– focused at the local, regional, or national level, or presenting a full Council of Europe perspective
– focused on LBTI women as a whole or on specific groups within the LBTI communities

The format for submissions is informal, and can include individual testimonies, statistical data, or descriptions of situations and practices affecting these communities.

Inputs are due by 31 January 2021. 

The questions on your email address and inclusion of reference to you or your organisation in the survey are mandatory; all other questions may be skipped if you choose.

Click here to share your inputs via an online form.

Sincerely,

Cianán B. Russell, Ph.D. (EN: they/them, ES: elle/le/*e)
Senior Policy Officer
ILGA-Europe
Mobile/WhatsApp: +32 478 12 0076
Rue du Trône 60, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Tel.: +32 2 609 54 10 • Fax: +32 2 609 54 19 •  www.ilga-europe.org

The Roads Are Dangerous

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A while ago, I wrote about driving on the roads and how both cyclists and motorists seem to be disregarding the ‘Highway Code’ the aim of The Highway Code is to make the roads safer for everyone because the roads are danerous. It gives guidance as to how you are to use the road in conjunction with fellow users (whether they be motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, or even riders of horses).
For motorists, they are cocooned in a metal box of some type which seems to make them think they are invincible, for the other users (who should be thinking of visibility) most seem to think that wearing dark clothes night and day is perfectly acceptable – of course, everyone will see them!

 

The Roads Are Dangerous

 

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

Get Up To Speed – The Roads Are Dangerous

So why am I writing again about the dismal use of the Highway Code on our roads; well Belfast Live decided to also run an article on the use of our roads.

‘Belfast the most dangerous city for cyclists in the UK, new research suggests’

The statistics they gathered are staggering:

⦁ 71% of those who took part in the survey had been involved in some kind of accident while on their bike
⦁ At least 51% cannot correctly identity Highway Code rules related to cycling and that four out of ten cyclists (38%) quizzed don’t agree that cycle helmets should be compulsory on UK roads (sic doesn’t this remind you about the argument about seatbelts?)

 

The Roads Are Dangerous

Photo by Matteus Silva de Oliveira from Pexels

Lockdown

Lockdown - The Roads Are Dangerous

Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash

With lockdown, the usage of bikes has gone up, but it would the majority of cyclists are not aware of many of the current rules put in place for their own protection! For example, over two-thirds of those surveyed (69%) wrong believe cyclists are able to ride more than two abreast on the road…59% of those surveyed did not think they were required to obey all traffic signs and traffic light signals.

However, the problem is not all one-sided. Motorists are equally as blind to the Highway Code, but they are more likely to get stopped and advised by the police, whilst the police do not have cyclists high enough on their radar.

It is a matter for all of us; in today’s society where we are handling a pandemic of global concern, and where our NHS is under so much pressure, surely we can all take a little bit more care, dress appropriately and act safely to ensure we don’t become the next statistic in the hospital waiting list.

 

Link:

 

 

ILGA-Europe – Global LGBTI Inclusion Index

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LGBTI Inclusion IndexUNDP, together with OHCHR, are developing a Global LGBTI Inclusion Index that will show how well governments are delivering on the new Sustainable Development Goals to LGBTI populations. So, we need civil society voices to help guide how LGBTI inclusion will be measured when it comes to international development.
A Survey and full explanatory Context Note are supplied in six UN languages on the ILGA website: http://ilga.org/measuring-lgbti-inclusion-in-the-world/
The Survey is produced by UNDP/OHCHR and the Context Note is from ILGA and OutRight jointly. It takes around 15 minutes to fill (although there is space for considered comments).
Please note that the Survey will close on 23 November 2015. Also, here is some suggested text that you might like to use for social media posts:
English
This is the time to shape a Global LGBTI Inclusion Index! Follow the link below to read a context note and take this UNDP/OHCHR survey before Nov 23rd. Be counted!
http://ilga.org/measuring-lgbti-inclusion-in-the-world/
Chinese
《全球LGBTI融合指数报告》意见征集正在火热进行中！点击以下链接，了解该报告的背景，在11月23日之前填写联合国开发计划署和人气高专办共同发布的调查问卷，你的声音很重要！
http://ilga.org/measuring-lgbti-inclusion-in-the-world/
Arabic
هذا هو الوقت الأمثل لصياغة مؤشر عالمي  لإندماج المثليين والمثليات و مزدوجي الميل الجنسي و مغايري الهوية الجنسية و ثنائيي الجنس!
قم بالضغط على الرابط الموجود بالأسفل ثم قم بقراءة المقدمة التعريفية حول المشروع ثم قم بإجراء الإستبيان الخاص ببرنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي/ ومكتب المفوضيّة السامية للأمم المتحدة لحقوق الإنسان قبل 23 نوفمبر/تشرين الثاني. يتبع!
http://ilga.org/measuring-lgbti-inclusion-in-the-world/
French
C’est le moment de façonner un Indice Global d’Inclusion des LGBTI! Suivez le lien ci-dessous pour lire une notesur son contexte et prendre part à ce sondage du PNUD / HCDH avant le 23 novembre. Soyez compté! http://ilga.org/measuring-lgbti-inclusion-in-the-world/
Spanish
¡Es el momento de formar un Índice Global de Inclusion LGBTI! Haga clic en el enlace abajo para leer una nota de contexto y acceder la encuesta de PNUD/OACDR antes del 23 de noviembre. ¡Sea contado! http://ilga.org/measuring-lgbti-inclusion-in-the-world/
Russian
Настало время сформировать Глобальный Индекс Инклюзии ЛГБТИ! Перейдите по ссылке внизу, чтобы прочитать пояснительное письмо и принять участие в опросе ПРООН/УВКПЧ до 23 ноября. Участвуйте!http://ilga.org/measuring-lgbti-inclusion-in-the-world/
 
Best wishes from ILGA-Europe.
 
 
Emma Cassidy
Communications and Media Officer
ILGA-Europe
Direct line: + 32 2 609 54 16
 

Study shows 1.6% of UK population identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual

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by Daniel Megarry

 

New figures released today have shown that 1.6% of the UK population consider themselves gay, lesbian or bisexual.

The Office for National Statistics has said that an average of 1.1% of the population said they were gay or lesbian, while 0.5% described themselves as bisexual. 0.3% classified themselves as ‘other’ while 3.9% didn’t know or refused to answer.

London had the highest figure, where 2.6% of respondents said they were lesbian, gay or bisexual.

The findings are taken from a household survey conducted last year, which also shows that 2.1% of professionals – such as lawyers or doctors – are gay, lesbian or bisexual, in comparison to 1.4% among manual workers.

You can see the full findings here.

And here are some graphs… We love a graph.

ONS

ONSONS

 

Straight guys answer ‘gay questions’ in hilarious video

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attitude magazine logo

Posted On 03 Sep 2015 16:46
By :
Tags: , ,
A pair of YouTubers turn the tables on the kinds of dumb questions gay men are often asked in a great new video.
Davey Wavey and Riyadh ask three straight guys a string of ridiculous questions in a bid to show how stupid they are in real life.
youtubers5
Questions like “What man hurt you that made you decide to be the way you are?”, “What is the PC term for people like you?” and even “When did you first decide to be straight?” are put to the slightly confused guys by the deadpan pair, and the results are brilliant.
When they ask what “coming out to your parents as straight” was like and one of their participants answers, “I didn’t tell them”, they fire back: “So you’re not out to them?… It’s like an unspoken truth?”
youtubers1
Davey Wavey has nearly 1 million susbcribers, while the three ‘subjects’ are also internet celebrities: Derek Deso, who has over a quarter of a million subscribers; Vine star Nick Pallauf, who has 754,000 followers; and LiL MoCo, who boasts almost 800,000 fans on YouTube.
Watch the video below:

Davey Wavey’s done a lot to bridge the gay/straight divide lately – he recently tested if straight guys could tell the difference between a kiss from a woman or a gay man (FOR SCIENCE).

Gay marriage, abortion, euthanasia: 3 charts that show what Catholics and Protestants really think about the moral issues dividing Christianity

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Belfast Telegraph logoPUBLISHED31/08/2015

Catholics more liberal towards gay marriage than Protestants

Catholics more liberal towards gay marriage than Protestants

Catholics have a more liberal attitude towards gay marriage than Protestants – but are more conservative when it comes to euthanasia and abortion, a survey suggests.

YouGov questioned 863 Catholics and 1,707 Protestants in Great Britain – who strongly agreed with the statement “my faith is important to me” – on the three issues.

  • GO TO

The results show that both groups are less accepting on the issues than the public as a whole.
Both same-sex marriage and euthanasia have been widely discussed within sections of the two churches recently.
Pope Francis is widely perceived to be a liberal influence on the Catholic Church – in 2013, when asked if there was ‘gay lobby’ in the Vatican, he replied: “If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?”
Last year meanwhile, the Church of England opposed legislation to legalise gay marriage in the UK.

More Catholics support gay marriage than Protestants

gaymar.jpg
Source: YouGov Get the data
Same-sex marriage was made legal in the UK in March 2014, with the exception of Northern Ireland.
It remains illegal for the Church of England to carry out same-sex marriages.
Previous YouGov research found 38 per cent of the Church of England clergy said same-sex marriage was right while the majority, 51 per cent, said it was wrong.

Protestants are more likely than Catholics to support euthanasia

euth.jpg
Source: YouGov Get the data
Both groups remain more conservative than the general population on voluntary euthanasia.
The former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey has previously said that it is a “profoundly Christian and moral thing” to allow people to “end their lives with dignity”.
An assisted dying bill is expected to be debated in Parliament on 11 September.
Former Crown Prosecution Service chief Sir Keir Starmer has said it is time for politicians to legalise assisted dying.

Catholics want more restrictions on abortion laws

abortion.jpg
Source: YouGov Get the data
Both Protestants and Catholics are more opposed to abortion than the general population.
While abortion is legal in Britain, it is illegal in Northern Ireland, where it remains a contentious issue.
Last month, a United Nations committee said Northern Ireland’s abortion laws were putting women’s lives at risk.
The report concluded by calling upon Northern Ireland’s authorities to amend the country’s laws on abortion “with a view to providing for additional exceptions to the legal ban on abortion, including in cases of rape, incest, and fata foetal abnormality”.
Independent
Full Story at Belfast Telegraph

Gay Mayor for Belfast?

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A poll for radio station LBC has found that 71 percent of Londoners would be happy if the next Mayor of London was gay. The poll of 1100 adults found that most Londoners would be happy if the next Mayor of London was gay. Sixteen per cent said that they would be uncomfortable with a gay person taking the position.

Now I wonder what a poll of Belfast might say, bearing in mind that we have already had one gay mayor in Northern Ireland already – or were there more that I am unaware of.

gay mayor