I just want rights for everybody

I just want rights for everybody

29 April 2015

PETER Surginor and his partner David Lee hope to marry one day.The Ballyhornan couple, who met two years ago, say they have the same lifetime aspirations as many young people.

It is for this reason that 29 year-old Peter, a professional artist, decided to pose a question about the legalisation of equal marriage to a panel of MP candidates at the Down Recorder hustings event at the St Patrick Centre on Thursday.

Little did he know that his query, posed for personal reasons, would create aftershocks across Northern Ireland politics.

Although he does not consider himself a gay rights activist, Peter said the Health Minister Jim Wells’ controversial response to his question had, by default, given a much greater voice to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and its hopes and concerns.

He said this community had been touched by the widespread support expressed in recent days, while he had been “warmed” by the strong support shown by the people of Downpatrick.

“I am not a gay right activist,” said Peter. “I do not want women’s rights or gay rights, I just want rights for everybody.

“People talk about tolerance, but tolerance is very different from equality, and a civil partnership is not marriage. 

“The same terms of tolerance used in relation to same sex marriage were used for slavery and apartheid. To tolerate something is not equality and we are looking for equality.”

Despite the unexpected political fall-out, leading to Jim Wells’ resignation from his ministerial duties on Monday, Peter says he has no regrets about his question.

He said he was already familiar with Mr Wells’ views on the subject of gay marriage but was surprised at his lack of professionalism on the night and the controversy that ensued.

“I thought what Mr Wells said was reflective of his views, but I also thought he was smart enough not to say it,” he said. “He really mis-judged the audience. To see people call the Minister out on it was both surprising and hugely warming.

“People often talk about politics not being engaging and that going to events like this do not make a difference, but this shows that it does.

“As far as I am concerned, I asked a reasonable question, but Mr Wells’ response was controversial.”

Peter says he is grateful that public pressure for reason was placed upon the Health Minister, leading to his resignation. “It is not ministerial to behave like that,” he said.

“Although what he said is up for interpretation, the inference was that children are more likely to be abused if they are being brought up by a gay couple.

“He has apologised but he meant what he said. I think he is only apologising because he got caught saying it publicly.

“But it is not his party that is holding him to account, it is public pressure and that is why he has had to go.”

Peter’s partner David, a staff development officer who has previously lived in Los Angeles and Hong Kong, said he was often surprised by the old fashioned attitudes to homosexuality in Northern Ireland, but said he too had been buoyed by the local support expressed.

“The audience at the hustings was not huge, but its reaction was and I was surprised by that,” he said.

“It is like victory but not a victory. It is a relief. Jim Wells has been held to account by the people.”