Griffin and his party have been heavily criticised by LGBT representatives.
Rónán Burtenshaw
Deputy Editor
Brian Fitzgerald, editor of Ireland’s weekly gay and lesbian newspaper Gay Community News, has admonished The University Philosophical Society (Phil) for its invitation of BNP leader Nick Griffin to Trinity College.
Describing Mr. Griffin as someone who suffered from “mental problems”, Mr. Fitzgerald said that he “clearly wasn’t the right person to be debating a serious issue like immigration.”
“The Phil may have invited Mr. Griffin over with the intention of having a broad debate. But I don’t think a person with such extreme views will deliver that. It won’t be a debate, it will be a fight, and it will be very polarising.”
Mr Fitzgerald continued his criticism of the society’s invite with specific reference to what he saw as racist and homophobic views and statements by Mr. Griffin. He said that he believed the Phil had “used Trinity College’s name to bring someone who voices hatred to this country.”
He continued that Ireland’s views on gay people had “moved on” but that it had never been “the kind of country” to support the BNP’s views. He contrasted the BNP’s view that homosexuality should be “returned to the closet” with the openness and supportiveness of modern Irish families to young people who are coming out.
The issue of violence by BNP members against gay people was also raised. In 1999 David Copeland, a neo-Nazi and former BNP member, placed home-made nail bombs in British pubs that targeted ethnic minorities and gay people. On the 30th of April 1999 a bomb exploded at the Admiral Duncan, a gay pub in London’s Soho district, killing three people and wounding seventy others.
Mr. Fitzgerald said that giving Nick Griffin a platform in Trinity College “might inflame people who also feel hatred towards gay people”.
“Whenever a homophobic person like this is given a platform violence against gay people increases. With this invitation and all of the coverage of his views certain elements might see this as an opportunity to beat up gay people.”
Women’s rights activist and LGBT campaigner Ailbhe Smyth joined the chorus of voices condemning the Phil. She said that she was “appalled” by the invitation and said that it was “shameful” for an organisation comprised of “privileged” young people to amplify the voices of “racism, homophobia, misogyny and hatred”.
In 2008 the BNP was forced to withdraw one of its London Assembly candidates, Nicholas Eriksen, for comments he made that called rape “a myth”. Mr. Eriksen compared rape to “force-feeding a woman chocolate cake” and said it was “simply sex”. He also wrote on his blog-posting that “a woman would be more inconvenienced by having her handbagsnatched”.
Ms. Smyth said she could not understand “how any society calling itself The Philosophical Society could countenance extending such a platform” to Nick Griffin. She continued that it displayed “indifference” on the part of The Phil to the realities faced by those dealing with issues of racism, homophobia and misogyny.
Suggesting that the event could be used as “a platform for fascism in Ireland”, Ms. Smyth, who is a senior lecturer in UCD’s Women’s Education Research and Resource Centre, said that she was sure her academic colleagues in Trinity would have similar opinions.
Responding to the argument that the invitation was in the interest of“open debate” she said “there is no such thing as an open debate with fascism. The whole point of their movement is to close off debate,close people out of the debate and exclude them. And to do it aggressively.
