The Rainbow Project expresses disappointment at the introduction of a bill to legalise discrimination against LGBT people

The proposed legislation would grant special rights for people of religious belief, and only those people, to deny access to goods, facilities and services on the grounds of sexual orientation.This is just updating ‘No dogs, No blacks, No Irish’ to include ‘No gays.’

Mr Givan claims that his bill will allow believers to deny goods and services to LGB people when it ‘promotes or facilitates same sex relations’. Let us explain to Mr Givan what this means:
• Restaurants could deny a same sex couple a table as this could be facilitating same sex relations
• A mortgage provider could deny a mortgage to a same sex couple as it would be facilitating same-sex relations
• Hoteliers could deny a room to a same sex couple as it would be facilitating same-sex relations 

The examples are countless. Mr Givan clearly has not considered the implications of his license to discriminate legislation. Ensuring LGB people can access goods and services without discrimination is good for business, good for the economy and good for Northern Ireland’s reputation with investors. 

If the DUP and Paul Givan actually wanted to address the tensions felt by religious people towards LGB people they would be working with our community and faith-based communities to encourage good relations and mutual understanding as well as ensuring the immediate publication of a sexual orientation strategy.

The Rainbow Project will strenuously oppose this proposed license to discriminate and we call on business, civic and religious leaders to stand with us against this unnecessary and irrational form of discrimination.

#noconscienceclause
#equalityforall