Monday 26 June 2006

We need more Tatchells in the world

In the March edition of Attitude Magazine, Elton John interviewed gay activist, Peter Tatchell.

During the course of the interview, the homosexual pop star praised him thus:

“You’ve never said anything hateful about anybody, you’ve just told the truth.”
Which isn’t true. I’ve seen him snarl at quite a few.

“You never condemned anybody – well you have – but you haven’t done it with hate. You’ve just said: Listen, this is unfair, this is not right, with the Pope, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the thing in Moscow, and you’ve never reacted violently and reacted with hate. YOU’VE JUST BEEN LIKE JESUS CHRIST WOULD’VE BEEN WHEN HE FORGAVE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT SINNED…

Like you, I am not afraid of going anywhere. I’m not afraid of going to Iran. I’m not afraid of going to Syria… If they shoot me, they shoot me.”
For Pete‘s sake, Mr Ahminedjad, what are you waiting for? As for the USA:

“It’s so f*cking homophobic, it’s ludicrous”.
Tatchell responded:

“If someone has been a homophobe and they change, I am first in line to welcome and embrace them. When Michael Portillo was defence minister, gays and lesbians were witch-hunted out of the armed forces. He voted against LGBT equality in the House of Commons. So when he stood for Parliament in Kensington and Chelsea, I HARRIED HIM WHEREVER HE WENT…

During the 80s and 90s… I was bashed about 300 times, mostly by homophobes and neo-Nazis… The police refused to end their homophobia and wouldn’t negotiate. So the queer rights group OutRage!, which I was involved with, began a high-profile campaign of direct action. WE INVADED POLICE STATIONS, INTERRUPTED POLICE PRESS CONFERENCES…

Within three months, the police were pleading with us to negotiate. WITHIN A YEAR, THEY AGREED TO MOST OF OUR DEMANDS for a non-homophobic policing policy. Within three years, THE NUMBER OF GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN CONVICTED FOR CONSENTING BEHAVIOUR FELL BY TWO-THIRDS… I’m really proud of that campaign.”
I wonder, has the transmission of AIDS and other diseases shot up as a consequence?

“EDUCATION AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA AND ALL PREJUDICE SHOULD BE A COMPULSORY SUBJECT IN EVERY SCHOOL, FROM PRIMARY LEVEL UPWARDS, WITH NO OPT-OUTS FOR INDEPENDENT AND FREE SCHOOLS AND NO RIGHT OF PARENTS TO WITHDRAW THEIR KIDS. THERE SHOULD BE EXAMS IN TOLERANCE. THE RESULTS SHOULD GO ON PUPIL’S RECORDS AND SHOULD HAVE TO BE DECLARED WHEN APPLYING FOR HIGHER EDUCATION AND JOBS.”

Elton John’s partner, David Furnish, chipped in with:

“We need people like Peter Tatchell in the world.”
We need more Tatchells in the world about as much as we need an injection of the Black Death.

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