November 16th, 2005
Another group Paisley doesn’t like
It might not be a surprise to learn that the DUP don’t like Catholics, Nationalists, people from Southern Ireland, gay and lesbians, immigrants and [insert a multitude of others it would take a while to list]. They also don’t like black people because I remember Peter Robinson remarking, when being asked what he thought of Ireland qualifying for the World Cup more than a decade ago, “I see they have coloureds playing for them now” (in reference to Paul McGrath). Now it seems that they don’t like women much either, even if they’re related to them by blood.
Ian Paisley’s daughter is taking a legal action against her father and several prominent DUP leaders fo sexual discrimination. Rhonda Paisley is taking the case because she believes she was passed over for a job in the DUP’s policy unit in 2004 because she’s a woman.
As well as her father and brother, Ian Paisley Junior, DUP chief executive Alan Ewart, deputy leader Peter Robinson and DUP MPs Nigel Dodds, Gregory Campbell, Jeffrey Donaldson, Sammy Wilson, Iris Robinson, William McCrea and MEP Jim Allister are all named in the action.
We know that bigotry is alive and well in the North but it’s heartening to see that misogyny hasn’t beat a hasty retreat either.
November 16th, 2005 at 1:25 pm
Rhonda is a bit of a maverick woman and while I don’t know enough about her to really comment, she appears to have some strange ideals. And I say strange considering her upbringing and family influences, not because they actually are.
She once, the early 1990s, campaigned in Belfast for a statue of working women, prostitutes, which I believe never happened and is instead became a statue of women with shopping located beside the Europa Hotel, not the same at all (though I could have the outcome wildly wrong). But still fair play to her for her efforts, can you imagine saying you are going to propose that at a DUP meeting?
She seems to follow the beat of her own lambeg drum, if you pardon the very bad joke - I couldnt resist, with more than a hint of feminism, you go woman!
November 22nd, 2005 at 1:44 am
As a Northern Irishman and equal opportunity guy, I’m finding myself very conflicted by this post.My dilemma is whether to laud her for taking a postion on employment discrimination within that nefarious party or administer a kick in the arse for being in said nefarious party in the first place. I think I must bow to my upbringing on this one!!
February 4th, 2006 at 2:58 am
I don’t know Rhonda, but have heard wonderful things about her here in the states. I have had dinner with Dr. Paisley and know him to be one of the warmest personalities on earth. He is an ardent defender of scripture and the gospel. I would hope this is just a bit of media hype which will come to nothing.