Northern Ireland to launch gay equality law

By Marc Shoffman • November 24, 2006 - 0:00

Gay activists are recommending Ulster as an ideal holiday destination for the LGBT community as Northern Ireland looks set to implement Sexual Orientation Regulations early

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Gay activists are recommending Ulster as an ideal holiday destination for the LGBT community as Northern Ireland looks set to implement Sexual Orientation Regulations early in the New Year.

The law, which guarantees equality in the provision of goods and services, is rumoured to be introduced in January 2007, while the legislation will be enforced in the rest of the UK in April.

A spokesperson for LGBT History Month said: "If you want to be guaranteed that the hotel won't deny you a bed because you have a same sex partner, go to Ulster."

Ben Summerskill, chief executive of gay charity Stonewall, who led the campaign for the regulations, said he is confident about the rough draft of the law, he said: "We are examining it carefully and are currently reasonably optimistic."

The proposed legislation has already been criticised by religious groups despite saying it will protect the "doctrine of the organisation" and avoid conflicting with "religious convictions."

The Lawyers' Christian Fellowship have accused the government of rushing through the law, a spokesperson told the Daily Mail: "In Northern Ireland the government has ignored the consultation which closed only weeks ago, and has dramatically expanded the ambit of the law beyond the proposal that had been made known to the public."

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