Northern Ireland has a well-known history of homophobia. Yet a historian recently uncovered something surprising. Public archives and private papers tell a different story.

Before the 1950s and 1960s, people showed more understanding. Society operated on a 'live and let live' basis. There was quiet acceptance in communities.

This changed sharply during the 1950s and 1960s. A so-called 'moral panic' emerged. People became increasingly fearful and hostile toward homosexuality.

The 1970s made things worse. Ian Paisley led a notorious campaign. He headed the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). He also led the Free Presbyterian Church.

Paisley launched a crusade called 'Save Ulster from Sodomy'. He aimed to prevent legalising homosexuality. His efforts sparked wider intolerance.

This period of hostility lasted over fifty years. The situation became so extreme an opera was created about it. Northern Ireland gained an international reputation as deeply homophobic.

New historical findings paint a more complex picture. They show ordinary people often felt compassion. Official documents support this view of quiet tolerance.

Historians hope this knowledge helps us understand the past. It reveals intolerance was not always the norm. There were periods of relative openness and acceptance.

Northern Ireland has made significant progress recently. Same-sex marriage became legal there in 2020. This was later than elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

This research reminds us history is complicated. Societies can be both tolerant and intolerant across different periods. This applies to how communities treated LGBTQ+ people.