six year long case Convention Rights.
OU P discriminatory.
tain, campaign ON 22 October the European Court of Human Rights, in a brought sovernment, British government, found the law which bans all male homosexual activity in the North of Ireland to contravene the European of Human The court found that the law is an unjustified interference into private life, but would not go so far that the of Ireland.
To conform with this ruling, the government will at least have to bring the law into line with that in Bri there is a (discrimi- the British natory) age of consent of 21 for gay men. However, to do this would antagonise both Paisley, who led a ward which stopped the Labour government from changing the law in 1978, and the Dublin The law in the South of Ireland is the same as in the North, and the Republic is also a signatory of the Convention. Imperialism in Ireland has created for gay people, in James Connolly's words, a carnival of reaction, North and South'.
Socialists in Britain should sup port this campaign, particularly in the Labour Party which has an ap palling record on this issue. To do so is not in any way to recognise the right of Britain to rule in the North It is rather to support the de mand of guys in the 6 Counties that state stops oppressin them with this law. To remove thi law from the arsenal of the British state in Ireland would be a step for