To mark 35 years since the first Pride parade in Belfast, this episode of Big Sexy Talk was recorded live following a special screening of the film Pride as part of Informing Choices NI's Open Conversations: Film, Rights & Cultural Change series.

Host Ruairi Rowan is joined by Joe Walsh, former Heritage Project Officer with HERe NI, to reflect on the history of Pride in Northern Ireland, how LGBTQIA+ communities have changed over the past three decades, and why preserving LGBTQIA+ heritage matters.

Together they explore Pride as both a celebration and a protest, the role of community and solidarity in advancing equality, the importance of sharing LGBTQIA+ stories, and the progress that has been made alongside the challenges that remain.

Whether you're interested in Northern Ireland's social history, LGBTQIA+ rights, or the conversations that continue to shape our communities, this episode offers a thoughtful reflection on the past, present and future of Pride.

Useful links

1. HERe NI  
2. The Rainbow Project                                                                             
3. Cara Friend                                                                                                             
4. Sexual Health NI

BBC Sounds

• Blood on the Dance Floor                    

This episode features an in-depth interview with Nick Mathison MLA. Nick is an Alliance Party MLA representing the Strangford constituency, and the Chair of the Education Committee in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
 
During the interview Nick reflects on the messages he received around relationships and sexuality growing up; his views on positive and negative depictions of masculinity; his experiences of working in England; his journey into politics; conversations on sexual health in the workplace; his role on a Board of Governors at a local Primary School; discussions with constituents regarding Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE); the Education Committee’s inquiry into RSE; the role of parents in the teaching of this subject; meaningful engagement with young people; and forming relationships with MLAs from different political parties.

Useful links
Informing Choices NI
Education Committee - RSE Inquiry
NI Assembly - RSE Motion

Legislation
The Relationships and Sexuality Education (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Regulations 2023

Research
NIACT Review 2024
A thematic evaluation of the preventative curriculum in schools and EOTAS centres
Relationships and Sexuality Education in Post Primary Schools in Northern Ireland: A Compelling Case for Reform
Any use? report
SSUNI Let Us Learn report

This episode features an in-depth interview with Joe Harris. Joe has worked in the field of sexual health for almost 30 years, during which time he has been employed in both the community and statutory sectors. He worked for the Family Planning Association in Northern Ireland as a Project Officer before joining the Belfast Trust Sexual Health Training Team. Joe is the sexual health lead for the Health Improvement Team within the Belfast Trust, and organises the Annual Regional Sexual Health Conference in Northern Ireland. He is also a Trustee of Common Youth.

During the interview Joe reflects on the messages he received around relationships and sexuality growing up; his early career and journey into the field of sexual health; working with young men and the issues they faced; providing RSE training to teachers; changing attitudes towards the teaching of RSE; the recent changes announced to the education curriculum by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland; involving parents in the teaching of RSE; the upcoming Annual Regional Sexual Health Conference; and his aspirations for sexual and reproductive health going forward.

Useful links
https://informingchoicesni.org/

Legislation
The Relationships and Sexuality Education (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Regulations 2023

Consultation
Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) Consultation

Research
Any use? report

A thematic evaluation of the preventative curriculum in schools and EOTAS centres

Relationships and Sexuality Education in Post Primary Schools in Northern Ireland: A Compelling Case for Reform

This episode features an in-depth interview with Yas Rodriguez. Yas was born and raised in Cuba, before moving to Northern Ireland in her 20's, and has now lived in Belfast for the past 25 years. She is a parent, and a teacher, and is involved in several local community campaigns.

During the interview Yas reflects upon her childhood in Cuba; the messages she received around sexual health and relationships; the process involved in establishing a new Code for Families; accessing sexual health services in Cuba; her experience of living in Northern Ireland, and the difference in attitudes around sex and relationships; her views on how RSE is taught in Northern Ireland; what issues the teaching of RSE raises for her as a parent; her views on how best to support parents to engage with their children around RSE; and her aspirations for sexual health, rights and education going forward.

Useful links
https://informingchoicesni.org/

News
Cuba Family Code: Country votes to legalise same-sex marriage

This episode contains an in-depth interview with Ellen Taylor. Ellen is the Vice President and Community Relations Officer of the Secondary Students’ Union of Northern Ireland and chair of the Newry, Mourne and Down Youth Council. She is starring in season 2 of the CBBC sci-fi adventure series Silverpoint, and is currently studying her A-Levels.

During the interview Ellen reflects on school life during Covid-19; her involvement with the Secondary Students' Union of Northern Ireland; establishing a Feminist Society; producing a report into sexism and sexual harassment in schools; counselling services in schools; her experience of RSE and preferences on how it should be taught; the provision of information on sexual health services; social media and the influence of Andrew Tate; and her aspirations for sexual health, rights and education going forward.

Useful links
https://informingchoicesni.org/
https://ssuni.org/

Resources
SSUNI Sexual Harassment and Sexism Survey

News
DUP's Jim Wells criticised for response to teenager who used 'The North' in email

Period poverty: No free tampons in school 'adds stress to families'

Students tell of anger at cuts to NI education services

The Good Friday Agreement changed everything for Northern Ireland's young people - so teach them about it

This episode contains an in-depth interview with Professor Dirk Schubotz. Dirk is a professor in the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work at Queen’s University Belfast and has conducted vast amounts of research in the areas of sexuality, sexual health, and gender. He is a member of ARK, Northern Ireland's Social Policy Hub, and has directed the annual Young Life and Times survey of 16-year-olds since 2003. He is also a Trustee of Common Youth.

Dirk reflects on growing up in East Berlin before the fall of the Berlin Wall; his background in youth work; attending the first Pride parade to take place in Belfast; producing the first large scale study into the sexual attitudes and experiences of young people in Northern Ireland; interacting with schools on conducting a survey regarding young people's views on homosexuality and abortion; young people's experiences of relationships and sexuality education (RSE); findings from the Young Life and Times Survey; working with the Belfast Youth Forum to produce their 'Any Use?' report on RSE; and his aspirations around sexual health in Northern Ireland going forward.

If you would like support around a sexual health issue you can call the Sexual Health Helpline on 028 9031 6100.

Useful links
https://informingchoicesni.org/
https://www.ark.ac.uk/ARK/ylt

Resources
Any Use? report: Young people’s opinions on Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in Belfast

Sticks and Stones?  Violence experiences of 16-year olds in Northern Ireland

Sexual risks and capacities: Developing a peer-led educational resource to address sexual risks among young people 

Relationships and Sexuality Education and Homophobic and Transphobic Name Calling

The opening episode of series two contains an in-depth interview with Mary Crawford. Mary was the CEO of the Brook Advisory Clinic in Northern Ireland for 25 years, and oversaw the organisations transition to Common Youth before retiring in 2018. She is a veteran pro-choice campaigner, and a Trustee of Informing Choices NI.

Mary reflects on the sex education she received growing up; being involved in abortion rights campaigns as a student in the 1970s; running personal development courses at Youth Action; the opening of the Brook Advisory Clinic in Belfast in 1992; the impact of protests and being targeted within her local area; meeting with former Northern Ireland Secretary of State Mo Mowlam MP; delivering relationships and sexuality education (RSE) programmes in community settings; providing sexual health services to young men; the decline in teenage pregnancy rates; and what constitutes good RSE.

If you would like support around a sexual health issue you can call the Sexual Health Helpline on 028 9031 6100.

Useful links
https://informingchoicesni.org/
https://commonyouth.com/

Resources
An Early Day Motion from 1991 regarding the proposed establishment of a Brook Advisory Centre in Belfast

News articles
A BBC News article regarding the firebombing of the Ulster Pregnancy Advisory Association which references the letters sent to Mary Crawford's neighbours

A Belfast Telegraph article regarding the provision of young men's sexual health clinics by Brook NI

A Guardian article regarding relationships and sexuality education in Northern Ireland

A platform piece by Mary Crawford in the agendaNi publication regarding sexual health in the 21st century 

The final episode of the first series contains an in-depth interview with Dr Laura McLaughlin. Dr McLaughlin is co-chair of Doctors for Choice NI, and a member of the Northern Ireland Abortion and Contraception Taskgroup. Following the decriminalisation of abortion Dr McLaughlin worked alongside healthcare professionals and Informing Choices to establish local early medical abortion services, and currently provides abortion care in Northern Ireland.

Dr McLaughlin reflects on her experiences of working in the health service in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Canada; how the previous abortion law in Northern Ireland impacted upon medical professionals and the care provided to women; the formation of Doctors for Choice NI; the impact of Covid-19 and the establishment of early medical abortion services in Northern Ireland; conversations with medical colleagues around the provision of abortion; how abortion is viewed by women and society in Northern Ireland; and her aspirations for sexual and reproductive health going forward.

If you would like support around a sexual health issue you can call the Sexual Health Helpline on 028 9031 6100.

Useful links
https://informingchoicesni.org/pregnancy-choices-counselling
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/abortion-services

Resources
Report from the Northern Ireland Abortion and Contraception Taskgroup published in March 2021 on Sexual and Reproductive Health in Northern Ireland

Report published by Informing Choices NI in June 2021 entitled Beyond Decriminalisation: pregnancy choices and abortion care in Northern Ireland

News articles
An Irish News article from April 2020 on the launch of the central access point into early medical abortion care

An article from June 2020 on abortion provision in Northern Ireland written by Dr Laura McLaughlin

An Irish Times article from October 2022 on the uncertainty of abortion provision in Northern Ireland featuring Dr Laura McLaughlin

A Belfast Telegraph article from December 2022 on the commissioning of abortion services in Northern Ireland featuring Dr Laura McLaughlin

Video
A video created by Doctors for Choice UK called 'Kind to women: how the 1967 Abortion Act changed our lives'

This episode contains an in-depth interview with Gráinne Teggart. Gráinne joined Amnesty International in 2009 and is the Deputy Director of the human rights organisation in Northern Ireland. She has lead Amnesty’s campaigning and strategic litigation on abortion law reform and worked on a multitude of issues including human trafficking and legacy issues relating to the conflict in Northern Ireland. Gráinne is a Trustee of the Integrated Education Fund as well as Informing Choices NI.  

Gráinne reflects on the Good Friday Agreement 25 years on; her time at school and views on integrated education; the positive and negative impact of social media; working alongside women who had been directly affected by Northern Ireland’s near total abortion ban; campaigning for abortion reform when she was pregnant; Repeal of the 8th amendment; the decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland; and her aspirations for sexual and reproductive health going forward.

If you would like support around a sexual health issue you can call the Sexual Health Helpline on 028 9031 6100.

Useful links
https://informingchoicesni.org/pregnancy-choices-counselling
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/abortion-services

Resources
UK Supreme Court judgment  in the matter of an application by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

High Court judgment in the matter of an application by Sarah Jane Ewart

News articles
A Belfast Telegraph article regarding a visit to Northern Ireland from a Labour Party delegation hosted by Amnesty International UK and FPA NI

An Irish News article regarding a visit to Northern Ireland from a Conservative Party delegation hosted by Amnesty International UK and FPA NI

A Guardian article regarding the passage of a Motion by Belfast City Council in support of the decriminalisation of abortion

A BBC News article regarding the decriminalisation of abortion featuring Denise Phelan

A BBC News article regarding the outcome of a judicial review taken by Sarah Ewart

Video
A video produced by Amnesty International UK regarding the decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland

This episode contains an in-depth interview with Clare Bailey. Clare is a former leader of the Green Party in Northern Ireland and represented the South Belfast constituency from 2016 to 2022. During her time in the Northern Ireland Assembly, she spearheaded legislation to introduce safe access zones outside abortion clinics, the first law of its kind in the UK and Ireland. Clare was a founding pupil at Lagan College, and is a Trustee of Informing Choices NI.

Clare talks about her memories of attending Lagan College; her contrasting experiences of growing up in Belfast and the Netherlands; studying politics at Queen’s University and her decision to join the Green Party; volunteering as a clinic escort at the Marie Stopes clinic in Belfast; being elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2016; working alongside politicians with opposing views; passing legislation to introduce safe access zones outside abortion clinics; and her aspirations for sexual and reproductive health going forward.

If you would like support around a sexual health issue you can call the Sexual Health Helpline on 028 9031 6100.

Useful links
https://informingchoicesni.org/pregnancy-choices-counselling
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/abortion-services

Resources
Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act (Northern Ireland) 2023

Supreme Court Judgment - Reference by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland - Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones)  (Northern Ireland) Bill

News articles
A BBC article following the Supreme Court decision to uphold Clare Bailey's safe access zones legislation as being lawful

A feature article from the Belfast Telegraph focusing on Clare Bailey

A video of political commentator Alex Kane singing on the steps of Parliament Buildings after Clare Bailey was elected to the NI Assembly in 2016