In his late teens a relative was arrested for technical supply of cannabis and has a criminal record that will blight his life. I could also be guilty of the offence of technical supply although I have never been arrested or convicted. When I was 18, I bought some cannabis from a friend I worked with, took it to my…
Her Loyal Voice wishes to make clear that the family of the young girl called for a peaceful protest and that she has been retraumatised by the violence. We stand in solidarity with her and her family and hope they are receiving support and that their plea for the violence to stop is listened to. The two boys accused of…
“I’m sure that people will remember us” Sappho 630-570 BC February is LGBT+ History Month in the UK and the theme this year is Activism and Social Change. Throughout history LGBT+ people have been activists and helped shape and create social change, advancing society for everyone. To celebrate this, we have put together a series of pen-portraits of LGBT+ loyalist…
Her Loyal Voice is a project which was started in December 2019, as a way of amplifying the voices of loyalist women, the majority of who are not often given a platform to have their voices heard. To date Her Loyal Voice has undertaken interviews with loyalist women which are published on the HLV blog, a loyalist women’s engagement survey…
The most widely accepted description of loyalism is Billy Mitchell’s The Principles of Loyalism. In this seminal document Mitchell traces the development of loyalism to the Ulster Solemn League and Covenant of 1912 and expands upon it to lay out the political philosophy of loyalism in the 20th century and updates it for the 21st century. The Principles are material…
What is Islamophobia? Islamophobia threatens civil and religious freedom and is therefore incompatible with the Principles of Loyalism. As Loyalists we must therefore stand foursquare against this prejudice. This short article will introduce the concept of Islamophobia and how we as Loyalists can combat it. Watch this excellent explainer from Tell Mama: Islamophobia is a fear, prejudice and hatred of…
“A library in the middle of a community is a cross between an emergency exit, a life-raft and a festival. They are cathedrals of the mind; hospitals of the soul; theme parks of the imagination. On a cold rainy island, they are the only sheltered public spaces where you are not a consumer, but a citizen instead.” Caitlin Moran February…
February is LGBT+ History Month in the UK and the theme this year is Activism and Social Change. To mark this, we’re celebrating LGBT+ loyalist women who have used their activism to achieve amazing things. You can check out the series here. In this article we want to take a deeper look at the personal impact of activism, how activism…
Her Loyal Voice is relaunching with new weekly content starting 10.02.2025, featuring topics like LGBT+ History Month, International Women’s Day, and activist self-care. Our goal is to amplify loyalist feminist voices. If you are a loyalist woman wanting to share your voice, contact us at herloyalvoice@gmail.com. We have a range of ways to get involved both publicly and privately. We…
By Caroline The singing has been taken out of context, it’s just defiant youth culture, it’s ignorance about the past. These are just some of the excuses we have heard for the celebratory singing of a hate song by the young women of the Irish football team. Feminist commentary exploring the incongruity of young women role models using a group…
The test of a peaceful and inclusive society is one where equality andhuman rights are realised and that no-one feels left behind. From theLoyalist Women’s Engagement Survey to semi-structured interviews, theevidence presented indicate that loyalist women feel farthest behind; from nolonger feeling they are able to express their culture and identity freely, feelingpolitical parties no longer represent their views and…
