All Hail the ‘liberal’ North

With all this talk about changing the Southern Constitution, liberal ging the State in the 26 Counties, making it more acceptable to the Northern majority, and improving the position of women, etc., you would think that the North was a haven of equality and democrathe rights for women! Despite the fact that in general, protestant churches are more ‘liberal’ than Gatholiciam on questions concerning women, the actual gituation ef women in the North as regards, divorce, abortion, the right to work, nursery and social facilities ig much more similar to to thet of women in the South of treland itself, than to the Postion of women in England. GAY LIBERATION Metheny could (Dustrate better thea @eedieval and backward attitude of Se chorches in the Marth to the =o of human rights and sexuality the question of gay liberation Be (LLEGAL to be a male homoSree in the North of Ireland (unMe Beton and Wales, but like the Seerth: and Scotland). Gays have been @teccied to a wevere canrpaign of feces and intimidation by the BL” to 0 gong of ‘qoecr-badhers’ lies hepee reacted to mramber and - “hee Uber fro eek eotfoee_ eed bo the “Bev Peetags Cares Paenper ee!

sedicval hangover of an ideology fe be the fell backing of the Gemege Set eed he Beh Govern: ee aco et eerie ed thi!

Hope pee of thew boca t jeppoerd to open Phe cece of he Baoroeen Court Ce the le meade fey the {reland Ge Egte Amocatim (that the iegebty of homoseuality in the Seth contradicted the burma gets of pays) ba eo in exposing the realiry he socalled “hem” North.

These bheral facade is in fact nodiing feet o eel] exploited myth, created those wich as Fine Gael, when Seek) try to find yet another way of Geereiscing the Southern working Glen that mnperialieon le progressive Ad ft hos alot more to do with Pitrgerald's ‘criaade" to foo! the Geathem workers into an alliance eh Britain than it has to do with Geen 's nights or the Northern Geority. For, the reality of the Sorthern majority and wornein’s rights i that since the inception of the forthern State,the British government has given the protestants, and i particular the fundamentalist Presiryterian church, a free band to ape laws in the North, This abject capitulation to one of ie most restrictive and backward Brands of protestantion baa affected frery area of woren’s livea im the Marth, thus: 1967 Abortion Act: in England, hs not been extended to the North Gee to the objections of the [ree Presbyterians, Abortion is illegal in the North, UNLIKE Englend and Wales, LIKE the South.

Homosexuality: the law legalicing cole homomxuality in England was fever extended to the North duc to tie objections of Free Preabyterianiam, Thus it is egal, UNLIKE England and Wales, LIKE the South.

Divoree Reform: was never extended to the North due to the objections of Free Prestyterianisn. Dieorer, while not ilegal, was igivemely difficult to obtain, invaleaf recent changes fought for by itis of tha WOMEN'S movement). This was UNLIKE England and more LIKE the South, Nursery facilities: State-provided nursery facilities for working women are non-existent in the Marth, thus making it more difficult for the rowing numbers of mothers who Bo cal to work, Those nurseries thal do exist (3 in Belfast), are attached te workplaces. This is UNLIKE England and similar to the child-care situation in the South.

BREAK THE CHURCH/STATE LINK’ FOR A SECULAR, SOCIALIST IRELAND The harsh reality of British qerercoment intervention in the Werth his been to create a Northern clerical gate in which the churches have o well-established WETO over important Die bf Members of the Divorce Action Group at 9 press confensice

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THE MYTH OF THE LIFERAL NORTH

en of Women’s rights, my rights ies os ei o if ‘rest How liheral cin