Gay rights: Ulster urged to reform

Sweeping changes to end discrimination and improve the rights of gays, lesbians and bisexuals in Northern Ireland were urged today.

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission said laws, policies and practices in the province ‘‘discriminate extensively’’ against lesbian, gay and bisexual people.

A report, produced with the help of four academics from the University of Ulster, said discrimination ‘‘pervades most areas’’ and reached into the criminal law, employment, education, health care, housing, immigration and the taxation and social security systems.

‘‘Such discrimination is embedded in the nature and effect of laws regarding the family and partnerships, which deny carers and dependants rights in, for example, succession and inheritance,’’ it added.

But the extent of discrimination tended to be hidden because of an absence of research and a fear of ‘‘outing’’ and further discrimination, said the Commission.

And it said while public authorities were required to promote equality of opportunity for such sections of society, many showed ‘‘little evidence of policies or practices that affect lesbian, gay and bisexual people’’.

In a raft of recommendations the NIHRC called on the Northern Ireland Assembly to repeal or amend any law that discriminated against gays, lesbians and bisexuals.

It said further that they should enact a law that recognises same-sex partnerships through registration.

The report recommended the repeal of the law on sexual offences relating to consensual sexual activity between gay, lesbian and bisexual couples.

Discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation should be made an automatic ‘‘unfair’’ reason for the purposes of unfair dismissal law.

The Assembly was urged to set up a task force on gay, lesbian and bisexual issues to address the wide range of social and economic matters faced by them and to establish a legal advice service in Northern Ireland for the three groups.

The British Government was further urged to sign the European Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine to strengthen the rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual patients.

Brice Dickson, chief commissioner of the Human Right Commission said he hoped close attention would be paid to the report and that early changes in the law and policy would result so the members of the three groups would ‘‘genuinely feel more included in our society.’’