Fortnight Publications Ltd. A Gay View on Kincora Author(s): Sean McGouran Source: Fortnight, No. 204 (May, 1984), p. 12 Published by: Fortnight Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25547464 . Accessed: 31/03/2013 13:20 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Fortnight Publications Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Fortnight. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 86.174.204.174 on Sun, 31 Mar 2013 13:20:10 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions POLITICS - A GAYVIEW I EEC Election non-transferable the negative aspect, the continued from 11 failure to transfer, can also affect the out ON KINCORA page come of the election. Sean McGouran The rolling back of the progress made The significant factor in this analysis is by the DUP until 1981 has not received as that despite outward competition OUP/ much attention as the DUP voters transfer between the GAY PEOPLE have watched the of theKincora nationalist/repub heavily growth indutry lican the went to with fascinated horror. A number of sordid and petty crimes rivalry. But the DUP share of two parties: 80% of DUP transfers perpetrated against teenaged adults have been presented as vote has declined from 26.6% in 1981 to the OUP and 76% of OUP transfers went atrocities on a with par Bloody Sunday, Bloody Friday and every 23.0% in 1982, to 20.0% in 1983. In 1982 to the DUP. SDLP terminal transfers other bloody day of the Ulster week. split and 1983 had a more 64% to Alliance and 18% to Sinn Prejudices long dormant in the intelligent public have been they straightforward Fein; gentled back into life. Homosexual people are underhand, approach to the Assembly initiative than Sinn Fein transfers split 50% to SDLP and sexually voracious and unusually interested in young as i people their rivals. But a mixed record of 43% non-transferable. The pattern for sex partners, whether those young are or not. despite people willing the the SDLP and SF is therefore that of This ishow the crazed notion that a boy brothel could exist in J participation, highlighted by DUP, compet a the size of Belfast off the are as city got ground. It could be taken for electorate voted OUP in greater numbers ing Nationalist parties: SF votes that men in would find such a granted gay particular set-up than election since 1973. The coincid to be non-transferable as to transfer and thatwe would close ranks to the any likely congenial protect people ence while are who would try to organise such a venture. of the Haagerup Report, the Forum to the SDLP, SDLP supporters William McGrath is the central as figure in the 'Kincora'stew Report, the Assembly boycott by the more than three times likely to transfer he had ideaswhich were lunatic to for he enough pass fascist, OUP and the farm price issue provide an to Alliance as to Sinn Fein. More recent was also homosexual and subjected his charges to distressing abundance of ammunition for another for such as the recent Belfast and unwanted sexual attentions. This, it is implied, is the crux evidence, City of thematter so far asMcGrath is concerned. midable campaign by the DUP leader. Council (Area 4F')election, only confirms Such an attitude is nonsensical. McGrath and his fellow Close examination of recent elections the from the of view of SDLP defendants spent whole lifetimes up of familial picture point building images shows that the result be affected a 16.4% transferred to SF rectitude. They never once said anything about their homosex may by supporters: only ual orientation. It is worth questioning whether they were number of factors independent of party. while 55.2% transferred to Alliance and homosexual at all. No hint of their ever entirely being gay Firstly the turnout has a direct bearing on 28.0% were non-transferable. seeped out into the gay community, much less the general the outcome. While the for election As an idle exercise I have used these two community. quota McGrath's a - 'paramilitary'organisation, Tara, appears to have in three-member constituency remains structural features turnout and transfer consisted of a smallish number of chiefs and no Indians at all. - constant at 25% plus one of the valid vote, patterns together with party vote shares Even Roy Garland, once his deputy, admits that all its invitat the number of votes increases in 1982 and 1983 to see if there was a ions to other Unionist chieftains to pow-wow were always re required fused. This fits inwith the of a construc image psychologically dislocated with the turnout and hence affects the general scenario which could be dreamer. Such people are often attractive to young people. ex chances of smaller parties. ted for the forthcoming election. For Unionists in the early seventies appeared to be about - girt Table 2 sets out the if the 1983 the OUP with cruel foes and successful ones. The Unionist leadership quota necessary ample, using figures, did not have an idea between them.McGrath had lotsof them- turnout is the same as in 1979, 1981, 1982 would be elected on the first count, the all - to utterly impracticable and the ability put them across. and 1983. For if turnout is as DUP would follow, OUP trans Ulster Protestants who hadn't caved in to self-hatred example, helped by Young as the 72.9% in June the and the SDLP would take the final probably momentarily enjoyed the thought that they were the high 1983, quota fers, vanguard of the chosen race (McGrathwas a British Israelite). would be 196,394; but if the turnout is only seat following a multiple elimination. British did know aboutMcGrath and Intelligence probably 55.6%, as in 1979, the quota would be Varying the turnout figure only affected Tara. They probably also knew about his employment and they A at re of on transfers but may have known that he was homosexual. So also did Ian 149,788. glimpse Table 1 would the degree dependence Paisley, who told his informant,Valerie Shaw, that she should veal that if turnout is as high as 1983 then not the outcome. Hence the decision of thanks toGod she 'wasnot born a give pervert'. the OUP could be elected with a the to have three seats in Nor But it for Ireland's only quo legislators required journlistsworking leading qual ta on the first count. and thern Ireland fixes the of itypaper to turn this into something sinister.We are asked to be Both the DUP type represent outraged by the fact thatPaisley did not instantlyassume thata SDLP would require transfers. ation. homosexual must be sexuallymolesting his charges. Secondly, the whole transfer pattern is But elections are not always predict SirGeorge Terry, inhis report into the affair, slates the press in the out able. The vote share in the for their handling of it, but does not mention the never-ending usually significant determining party European a qualtiy fo thewhole thing.For more than two years every single come of single transferable vote election. election could be grossly distorted by per day every single medium regaled us with anotherKincora fable - as - But in the Northern Ireland constituency sonality and campaign factors happ we very rarely got a fact. Public figures tumbled over them for the Parliament there are on ened in 1979. Transfer could also selves to prove that theywere cleaner than clean. European patterns Meanwhile the social services department were in the grip of ly three seats and no party intends to offer vary. However, given the closeness in the paranoia. Gay women andmen went in fear of their livelihoods; more than one candidate. Hence the term party vote share between the SDLP and some had their lives scrutinized; a private insultingly cloely inal transfer will be the Sinn in to ex number were made to assent to humiliatingly intimate physical pattern significant Fein, changes willingness i.e. where the examination. Non-gay people were just as deeply affected as ' one, party preferences go press preferences for the other would have the suspicion was all-pervasive. on vote when there is no longer a candidate of that little impact the result unless the of Sir George Terry laysmost of the blame for the actual events available to them. one had before the other. How at theKincora home on theEastern Health and Social Services party receive collapsed Board, unjustly, one feels. This body could only be expected to The most recent evidence of transfer ever, it is clear that given the close rivalry work with the material to hand. This included that inherited patterns for all the taking part in between SDLP and SF, a positive decision from theBelfast Welfare Committee. Both bodies, like all such parties the election is derived from the Unionist voters to bodies, had to depend on the good will and good faith of their European by express preferences employees. Northern Ireland election of OUP and DUP, for example to - Assembly beyond Welfare on the was what Belfast wanted and that's an cheap 1982.