Gay bar shot by police
On 9 Mayclubbers were enjoying drinks and dancing at Belfast's only openly gay bar, The Parliament. But what would later happen that night would have a ripple effect, not only across Northern Ireland but through the decades. Policeman Darren Bradshaw, one of only a few openly gay officers in the Royal Ulster Constabulary, was shot dead by republicans.
He was just 24 years old and murdered in front of hundreds of people. Vincent described receiving the call that he dreaded. A police officer had been shot but their identity had yet to be confirmed. He remembered the sickening feeling of realisation that it could be Darren. I remember just thinking to myself what a loss it was.
When The Parliament opened in it was the only venue that openly advertised itself as a gay bar and welcomed the gay community, making it a sanctuary. There would regularly be religious protests and clubbers would be harassed as they entered. One of the drag queens, Trudy Scrumptious, explained how the bar bridged more than just the homophobic divide.
Portia remembered how the bar brought something new to the city's nightlife. It was just so exciting to be somewhere where you knew that you were safe. Actor Kristian Nairn, now world famous as Hodor in Game of Thrones, was a Parliament regular and at the bar that night. ByDarren had been in the bar for nearly two hours.
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There was a Friday night energy and the nightclub upstairs was about to open. Outside, a red Toyota Carina pulled up, and two men exited carrying guns. One had a drawn-on beard and was wearing a wig. The gunman walked up to Darren and from about three feet away shot him in the back.
I remember seeing a girl sitting at the bar covered in blood," Kristian continued. The gunman quickly ran towards the exit. The republican paramilitary group the Irish National Liberation Army INLA claimed responsibility for the killing but no one has ever been convicted for Darren's murder. Homophobic attitudes were still prevalent in Northern Ireland society in It was legal to fire someone for their sexuality at the time, as well as to refuse to rent a property or give them a job.
Set up in as a PO Box and eventually a helpline, the organisation gives a first hand glimpse into what life was like. The first night the helpline launched, its popularity shorted the Queen's University telephone system. For the first time, Cara-Friend is exploring its archive of letters received during the s and 90s, to learn more about LGBT experiences during those decades.
Cara-Friend has been categorising thousands of help letters to look for themes. Adam Murray is the community development manager and explained that often the letters were from people feeling deeply isolated.