ABSTRACT
As regards homophobic attitudes the research by Borooah and Mangan found that in Western countries persons who attached importance to religion were less bigoted than non-religious respondents towards minorities such as Muslims and immigrants, but they were more likely than non-religious respondents to be bigoted toward homosexuals. Crockett and Voas for Britain also found that Christians are more conservative about gay sexuality than rest of the population. In Summer of 2008 in England the Lambeth conference of the worldwide Anglican Communion politely tip-toed around the Communion's disagreements about gay sexuality. In contrast Northern Ireland was facing another marching controversy. Rather it is argued in this chapter that the ethno-religious context and conflict between Catholics and Protestants has shaped both Christian anti-gay and Christian pro-gay activism. The Belfast Gay Pride parades and public comments about gay persons made by Democratic Unionist Party politicians are key events which precipitated public discourse in mid 2000s about being Christian and gay in Northern Ireland.
