the life of a gay Tory is not always a happy one. The Daily Mail published a nauseatingly homophobic piece in its Ephraim Hardcastle column about gay blogger Iain Dale's bid to become the Tory candidate for the Bracknell constituency. Dale sought an apology. He got one, but it was a fake. Then he got told to be a bit "less sensitive". We have all been here before. See the story here. I know that Tories think the Daily Mail is the voice of their supporters, so when it is racist and homophobic, as it regularly is, they have a problem. In fact the Daily Mail has its finger on the pulse of the nation - most of the time. Not this time. Most people are not homophobic. Most people do not like homophobia. I would bet that most people in Bracknell do not like homophobia either.
Oscar Wilde wrote: "He who lives more lives than one, more deaths than one must die." That was his fate, and it was the fate of most gay men in his time. You wouldn't think it would be today, would you. But it is. A gay friend of mine died last month, at the age of only 43, and while he was out to most if not all the people in his life, he too lived more lives than one, it emerges from his papers. Gay men very often die young, and not because of AIDS. Discuss.
Lily Allen sings: "You say it's not OK to be gay, well I think you're just evil." Also discuss.
9 comments:
Iris Robinson, wife to DUP leader, and Stormont First Minister,Peter Robinson has ,today,turned down an invitation to attend a a play detailing the effects of homophobia on various characters here in Belfast.Iris,it will be recalled called homosexuality an 'abomination' and offered to pass on to those afflicated the mobile number of a reputable shrink,of her aquantaince,who could turn them away from the path of sin.Her husband defended his wife by saying that it was not Iris but the 'good book'that had described gays as 'abominations'and that the 'good book'as ye all know is the word of the Lord.
'The word of the Lord.'Well,that's OK then.
Agree with Jane's comments about homophobia - a disgrace - although I didn't read The Daily Mail's piece as homophobic. I thought that Ephraim Hardcastle (aka Peter McKay) was having a justified go at Dale for trying to use his sexuality to sweep the Primary.
There is a saying that is apt for those attempting to go into politics and it is this: if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
As someone who has been quite gratuitously libeled by Dale and smeared in the most objectionable and unwarranted manner - and no, not in his blog - but in the dead tree media - I, for one was cheering McKay on in attempting to puncture this pretentious political puffball's bubble.
I hope that the PCC will throw out Dale's complaint and back The Mail.
If Dale is so affronted by McKay's comment, then why is he taking the soft option of the PCC anyway? Why not go the whole hog and sue with a No WIn No Fee deal if necessary? I suspect he has already checked that one out and found that he'd be extremely unlikely to win.
In fact, rather than suing the paper, why isn't he going the full hog, like Alan Sugar and suing the journo in question ( Quentin Letts on another topic, but same paper).
If you can't take it, don't dish it out.
A lesson that Ian Dale would do well to learn at the earliest opportunity.
Oh and, Ian -- thank your lucky stars that you have fallen foul of McKay rather than Letts!!
Quentin is the wittiest and most lethal journo in the trade. Remember, when you speak in the Commons, should you be selected and then elected, Mr Letts is going to be peering down at you from the Press Gallery, pen poised, specs misting up.
A true joy to come.
Don't say I didn't warn you .....
I don't like Iain Dale. But here he's right. I speak as someone who is overtly short
and I'm overtly tall, and of course overtly female too. So let's tell Peter McKay to overtly shove it up his...
Mind you I do think Farmer Dale seems to suffer from a more than mild dose of candidateitus. He has allowed this to divert him from his Bracknell campaign, does Peter McKay have a friend in the race?
1. The Daily Mail is anti gay
2. The Daily Mail is Tory
3. The Daily Mail is written by tossers
4. Dale is Gay
5. Dale is a Tory
6. Dale is a tosser
Question - does Dale write for the Daily Mail as there doesn't seem to be much between them? Discuss.
Question - do we give a toss. Nosiree as everyone knows that the Mail is a homophobic, racist anti everything paper for the middle (and aspiring) middle classes. So what's new? When they've run out of immigrants to attack, they'll start on their own.
By the way, as a gay man it didn't read to me as homophobic - it did seem a bit crass encouraging readers of the Pink to attend, like King Harry at that French battle thing. I see Willis has done a puff for him too. Dale sort of had it coming, if you get my drift.
More rats fighting in a sack before next May we hope. Go you (political) gays!
Agree with last poster that Dale had it coming - but not with the comments about The Mail.
The comments are very acute, pertinent and trenchant - as a description of The Guardian.
Dale has awoken the scavenging Mail beast and it returns to bite him.
See Richard Kay in today's edition.
Also see Dale's weeping and wailing about the nasty Mail in yesterday's Media Guardian.
The ridiculous Dale is attempting to sent The Mail to the naughty step.
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