Rubber bands and red herrings

I arrived back in Belfast last night, after a delayed flight from Gatwick, in time to present Talk Back today (I'll be sitting in for David Dunlseith all week). Phone-in shows are always unpredictable. You start with a story that ticks all the journalistic boxes -- it's a live, of-the-moment story that's developing and has, prima facie, great public interest. Then you watch while another story, lower down the running order, triggers a small avalanche of calls and comments from listeners. This is what happened today. We began with a debate about the Beijing Games, then I interviewed a caller about his frustration with postmen who drop red rubber bands in his garden. We couldn't keep up with the reaction to the rubber band story.

Then, since it was the Monday following this year's Pride parade, we interviewed a Christian minister who marched on the parade in support of gay rights. The Rev Chris Hudson is minister of All Souls Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church in south Belfast. He came into the news studio to speak passionately about his support for Northern Ireland's LGBT community, and to respond to criticism from more conservative Christians. One text to the programme read: 'I don't go to church, but I'd go to Chris Hudson's church.' Other texts and calls challenges his Christian credentials on the basis of his stand on gay rights. We reported on the unprecedented attendance at this year's Pride parade of local politicians, including Basil McCrea of the Ulster Unionist Party. The only party not respresented on the parade was the DUP. Has Northern Ireland politics just reached a tipping point on the issue of gay rights, with local politicians now willing to walk in a gay pride procession? Will we see more politicians on the parade next year? And what of church leaders: will they join the ranks of politicians and human rights groups -- such as Amnesty International, which brought a very large group of supporters and well-wishers to the parade -- in walking next year? Needless to say, our phone-in audience was divided on these and other questions.

My favourite moment in the debate was when we had a call from one of the conservative protestors who demonstrate each year outside City Hall during the parade. The lady explained why she felt it was important to join the religious protest, and another caller challenged her claim that 'homosexuality is a abomination'. The caller mentioned the Old Testament's ban on the eating of shellfish (also an 'abomination' according to the text), and the conservative protestor replied, 'The shellfish is a red herring'. Priceless.

I fully expect to get through tomorrow's programme without any items dealing with sexuality -- or crustaceans. I can't promise that red rubber bands won't make an appearance, though.

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