A commemorative LGBTQ+ stained-glass window installed at Belfast City Hall in May has sparked controversy after the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) branded part of its design “offensive” and criticised the council’s equality screening process. The dispute centres around a depiction of the late LGBTQ+ and disability rights activist Tarlach Mac Niallais, shown wearing a T-shirt reading “Save Sodomy from Ulster”, a direct protest against the infamous anti-LGBTQ+ campaign “Save Ulster from Sodomy” led by Rev Dr Ian Paisley.

Tarlach Mac Niallais, the figure depicted in the disputed image, was born in Belfast and later became a well-respected activist in New York, where a street was named “Tarlach’s Way” in his honour after his death in 2020. His protest T-shirt has been recognised as a powerful counterstatement to decades of oppression faced by LGBTQ+ people in the province.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Belfast City Council (@belfastcitycouncil)

The TUV has accused the council of breaching its equality duties by failing to consult with faith groups about the inclusion of this specific image. They argue that there is “no evidence” such organisations were involved in the screening process and claim that the council has failed to publish the outcomes of the screening, which is a legal requirement under equality law.

Under Northern Ireland’s equality legislation, public bodies must carry out equality screening on proposed policies or decisions, showing due regard to promoting equality of opportunity between groups, including people of different religious beliefs, political opinions and sexual orientations, etc. Although the council has a list of consultees, including LGBTQ+ and religious groups, the TUV insists there was no engagement with faith communities regarding this particular section of the window.

As a result, the TUV has demanded that this section of the window be removed or covered, that retrospective screening be undertaken, and that the council issue an apology to the faith communities they say were “ignored and disrespected”. They are also calling for civic spaces to better reflect the “diversity of all citizens, not just those with one ideological viewpoint”.

In response, Green Party councillor Anthony Flynn defended the artwork, calling the window “an iconic feature” of Belfast City Hall and an important tribute to the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in Northern Ireland.

“Its design incorporates powerful imagery and references that reflect key moments in the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights in Northern Ireland,” Flynn said.

“In recent days, members of the TUV have taken issue with one particular slogan featured in the design. Yet they remain silent on the origins of that slogan, which was a campaign of bigotry that inflicted deep harm on LGBTQ+ people across Northern Ireland. It’s deeply hypocritical to take offence at the response while ignoring the damage caused by the original message.”

According to Northern Ireland World the TUV complaint is now under investigation.