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Canada: 'Israeli apartheid' censorship row puts Toronto Pride funding in jeopardy
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Robert in S. Kensington 842
Eddy 400
Rehan 277
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rapture 237
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Ray123 219
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Midnighter 199
Yeah, yeah, you’re just a normal guy but when it comes to donating your blood then you’re just one of those dirty gays that just can’t help sleeping around with thousands of guys……What’s the point of positve gay images when ultimtely we’re not good enough to be allowed to marriy and we’re not allowed to donate blood etc….Has our image really changed??
Well done to Lance Corporal Wharton on raising the money
Well done on his willingness to be a strong role model to create a culture of acceptance
What a great man and an even greater role model.
It’s the likes of Lance Corporal James Wharton that has the chance to inspire an even better accepting generation.
Hero
Good for him.
Although it is a real shame that he raised this money on behalf of the Stonewall charity.
It would have been a much better action to raise the money on behalf of an organisation which believes in LGBT equality.
Stonewall does not believe in LGBT equality – as evidenced by the grotesque, homophobic treachery of Ben Summerskill who was caught redhanded campaigning AGAINST marriage equality at the LibDem Party conference last year.
As a result of the outcry Stonewall now claim they support LGBT equality.
Yet the homophobe Ben Summerskill remains in his job.
And Stonewall haven’t done a single thing to advance marriage equality.
This soldier in a sense is wasting his time and money for an organisation whose leadership believes that he is a 2nd class citizen.
Do NOT donate money to Stonewall. They represent no-one but their own board. They certainly don’t represent those of us who believe in LGBT equality.
@David
You have a valid point
Although while I do accept Summerskill was arrogant and wrong in his attitude to gay marriage last year – that does not make him a homophobe
I also think this thread should be more about congratulating Lance Corporal Wharton both for his fundraising and willingness to stand up and be counted as a role model (in a Stonewall campaign) to school children.
Yes, it does make him a homophobe.
That is like me denying to marry a white and black, because it might offend someone (Christians) or I am worried about the child being in that environment (sound familiar?). The first reason is exactly why he thinks gay people shouldn’t have the right to marry, along with his long chain of idiotic comments about it plunging Britain into debt – do we not pay taxes too?
Given that the definition of homophobia (OED) is “an extreme and irrational aversion to homosexual people”. I fail to see how Summerskill is homophobic.
True, his claims “Stonewall is not a democracy” came across as arrogant and damaging to the organisation. True, the manner he led the marriage issue was wrong and damaging not only to himself and Stonewall but also to the LGBT equality agenda.
However, none of these things mean he has an extreme and irrational aversion to homosexual people. Indeed, there are significant reasons to consider that he is and has been very supportive of the LGBT communities. Yes, Summerskill needs to apologise and demonstrate that Stonewall has changed on this issue. Is he homophobic – categorically – no.
Stonewall, sadly lost sight when they had to be forced into accepting they had to campaign for Equal marriage. The way they handled it was appalling and I feel they should make some apology to the LGBT community for dragging its heels.
However because of this we do get side tracked we forget that they still are relevent and they still do good work.
Like Stonewall needs another £4000 donated to its multi-million pound hedge fund when there are far more deserving causes…
I get fed up with anti-Stonewall rants like this. Stonewall is a trustee-managed charity and campaigning organisation. If you don’t like it, form your own. It has been over the years infinitely more effective than the predecessor the Campaign for Homosexual Equality, bless its soul, and only the 1960s Homosexual Law Reform Society achieved anything as much as Stonewall has. And if only Stonewall did have a multi-million pound hedge fund. Its accounts are published, check them out instead of making silly posts like that.
Are you trying to suggest that Stonewall is responsible for the advances in gay rights in Britain.
They are not.
And their leader Ben Summerskill was caught red-handed engaging in a homophobic campaign against marriage equality. And he remains in his job.
That is evidence of the utter contempt Stonewall has for LGBT people.
Do not donate money to this ridiculoius Stonewall Group.
There is not a single issue that Stonewall campaigns on that cannot be done by an organisation that believes in full LGBT equality.
Until Stonewall sacks Ben Summerskill for his revolting behaviour in campaigning against LGBT marriage equality, then quite simply Stonewall cannot be trusted on ANY issue.
David you have hijacked this whole thread to rant against Stonwall.
Jog on.
I am not ranting.
I am merely pointing out that Stonewall is headed by a homophobe.
That is clearly of importance in any article about the group.
This article was about a soldier who raised £4,000 for Stonewall.
What guarantees do we have that Ben Summerskill or Stonewall will not use those funds to campaign against LGBT equality?
Their word? I will not take the word of a group whose leader campaigns against equality and who remains in his job.