These comments are un-moderated and do not necessarily represent the views of PinkNews.co.uk. If you believe that a comment is inappropriate or libellous please click "Report" or email us. Terms and Conditions · Privacy Policy
New 'Gay Marriage No Thanks' group launches with 'ten good reasons' to oppose equal marriage
88
Lord Tebbit: I wouldn't have been surprised if Jimmy Savile was homosexual
85
Archbishop of York: Would the Church of England rather bless 'sheep and trees' than gay couples?
85
Barry Cryer brands ITV's Vicious 'homophobic' television
85
Lib Dems' Baroness Williams to support anti-equal marriage 'union' amendment
72
Mixed martial arts fighter: 'Equal marriage could lead to incest, bestiality and child marriages'
69
Maria Miller tables Public Order Act amendment protecting critics of equal marriage
67
Labour MSP Elaine Smith: 'I'm against equal marriage but don't call me homophobic'
65
Tory Lord Mawhinney tables 'traditional marriage' amendment for equal marriage bill
62
Lord Hylton tables new wrecking amendment for the equal marriage bill
62
Taxpayer 385
Robert in S. Kensington 366
That There Other David 310
Eddy 307
twitless 267
D.McCabe 260
Rehan 256
Jock S. Trap 240
Pavlos 240
bobbleobble 216
A picture please…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8921578/John-Bercow-unveils-his-37000-portrait-and-coat-of-arms-complete-with-ladder-rainbow-and-pink-triangles.html
Fabulous.
Great portrait and love the touches on his coat of arms …
Bercow is a true friend and ally of the LGBT communities.
He’s still a complete scumbag.
If he wants all this bullsh|t he should pay for it out of his own pocket, not bill the taxpayer for £37,000
Did Betty Boothroyd have to pay for her additional to Parliamentary history with her portrait and coat of arms?
Huh, the Taxpayer’s Alliance is now criticising the painting? I guess highlighting the cause of LGBT equal rights is a waste of taxpayer’s money according to them, then. Shows that they don’t get the point of it at all.
I really love it.
Any ‘trivial’ expense is being criticised now. It doesn’t matter that this is a traditional thing, its the first time many people will have heard of the practice, therefore they see it as a waste. The Gay community connection just give them more fuel.
The Straight White British-Born Able-Bodied Neurotypical Cisgendered Male Alliance do nothing but complain! Except when money is spent on them and their own, of course.
Perhaps you could tell us what money is spent on them?
I don’t think they are all bigots who are anti LGBT causes. £37,000 is more money than most people in the country make in an entire year.
Personally I’m very grateful for the support from Bercow and think this is a very positive thing, but I also can understand the concerns of the people who think that £37,000 pounds is a slap in the face to the people who are struggling to pay their bills, (LGBT citizens included).
It cost a bloomin fortune!! The country is skint and we’re spending thousands on that junk? And it doesnt say much for equality when everyones broke, but the government can waste our money on this sh*te.
It’s a wonderful gesture and a wonderful motto, well done John Bercow!
Considering Bercow was once a right-wing Tory, this shows that people can change.
Three cheers for the Speaker!!!
This has absolutely nothing to do with party political affiliation. The conservative party has more openly gay MPs than all other parties put together. You think the conservative party are against equality? Just look at which party is currently planning to legalize gay marriage!
Great symbol and shows that the Speaker is fully supporting equality for all. Congratulations John Bercow!
Given that our parliamentary traditions here are adopted from Westminster’s, I don’t understand what the fuss is about. The corridors, galleries and halls of our federal Parliament Buildings and of the several provincial legislatures are lined with portraits of prime ministers, premiers, and Speakers to name but a few. It sounds rather strange that this criticism would target a Speaker of the House who is gay-friendly. It sounds more like a back-handed swipe at the gay community more than anything else. Nice subtle touch on the coat of arms. Good to see.
Great portrait and “an inspiration”
Like the Rainbow flag became a symbol or pride and recognition for the gay community, I hope this goes on to be widely used and recognized to identify the UK as a country of tolerance, acceptance and proud of the diversity of its people.
As a coat of arms, I hope it becomes widely used and not simply an artifact in the Parliamentary Art Collection.
Couldn’t agree more steve
No, it is a symbol of waste, vanity and sticking up two fingers at the British taxpayer.
If this man was so pro-gay, maybe he could have donated the £37,000 to a gay charity like London Friend or the Albert Kennedy Trust instead of this complete and utter waste of money. He is an egotistical twat of the highest order.
It already is. The local Domino’s Pizza has a version of it on its shopfront.
lol, first impressions… and that was mine too!
It certainly seems positive for such a senior person in the Establishment to support gay equality.
Brilliant!!! Really like it John Bercow!! :)
Me gusta.
I remember Bercow back in the day when he was a student and used to go to NUS conferences with ‘Hang Nelson Mandela’ badges like the rest of the Federation of Conservative Students.
Out of all the student politicians who went on to parliamentary careers, Bercow has gone on the longest and strongest ‘journey’ of actually considering his politics and seeing how he could actually make other people’s lives better. That said, he’s still a pompous dwarf… (yes, there’s a bitter LOL in there – mostly aimed at my own low achievements in life). But rather a single ‘pompous dwarf’ like Bercow who actually thinks than a thousand ‘conviction politicians’ who never give a thought to what their actions mean.
Oh, and on a truly shallow note, he’s really got hotter as he’s got older.
Anything the ‘Taxpayers’ Alliance says can be safely discounted. It is run by someone who has squirrelled himself away in a farmhouse in France to ensure he avoids paying his fair share of tax in the UK.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/oct/09/taxpayers-alliance-director-tax
Wow! Nice one.
Nice to see an ally in John Bercow – more than what I can say for the previous speaker, Gorbals Mick. While Gay Marriage is on the cards I still feel that this government should be dealing with the really important issues such as the economy, Europe, law and order, energy, public transport and race relations.
pretentious
Would you have the same opinion if there were subtle religious references in the coat of arms or painting?
I think it is a hypothetical question Stu because what I can make out it is unlikely to happen. I feel I may have been a touch uncharitable but we all form opinions based on impressions. I guess we also see things differently. I suppose if equality and climbing the ladder to better things is his thing, the speaker is right to include the appropriate symbology.
Not that it is ever likely to happen, my symbols would include: the cross, a globe, a dove and a Bible or would I be pretentious too :-) – how about you?
My symbols would be rainbow (LGBT and peace), scales of justice, olive branch and the caduceus and maybe some musical notes …
“equality and climbing the ladder” … and tennis of course :-)
Only because it shows equality. If it was a religious one you wouldn’t even be commenting.
-
Bigotted much?
This is a total bloody joke, we are just about to fall into another recession, many people are worried about their jobs, income and where their next meal is coming from, and wankers like this can blow nearly double the average national income of trivial fripperies like this crap. I don’t care what side of the political spectrum he is, but this is downright fcking obscene and rubbing people’s noses right in it.
Just because it has a few gay triangles does not let the man off the hook.
£37k is just about one and a half times the average salary.
Regarding the portrait, any decent high steet photographer could oblige, with a good amount of change from £500, and as for the coat of arms, the Speaker ought to have a standard one. Last time i checked, my local authority’s community police officers, binmen and toilet cleaners didn’t have their own coats of arms, and yet the “order” they impose is more important and valuabel to me than anything Mr Bercow could accomplish.
So the people who created it do not have jobs to support? Oh of course, they must be fat cats and they are intent on grinding the working person’s face into the dust.
I would imagine many aspects of gay commercialism are able to be similarly critiqued. Imagine the tens of thousands spent by selfish gay clubbers just on club entry at the weekends? And what about people who wear afterhsave – what a waste! There are people, so I have heard, who eat sandwiches with MULTIPLE FILLINGS; what despicable greed and waste. The whole world can be reduced in these ugly terms.
The design of this grant of arms is hideous. Looks like something created by a board game manufacturer. Are the College of Arms taking the piss?
Envy envy envy. God we are so predictable. Yes I am sure it could have bought some hospital beds or something similar. In fact the whole of our civilisation is about how many hopsital beds we could have for the cost of something else. Why don’t we just cover the country in hospitals and be done with it? We can become a giant hospital. Non-confirmity will be banned since there can be nothing better or more noble than a hospital. Everyone working in them from porter to receptionist to consultant is a hero / saint. They should all get an oscar and the pope should canonise those that dont mind. In fact we should bow to them and all those in the public sector because the rest of us are not good enough. Gay rights? Whatever; there is a growing demand for total hospitalisation. We need hospital beds. Hospitals are beyond criticism (and the public sector too).
Bravo!! Bravo!! The taxpayers Alliance can go on and scream bizargar all they want. Am not English, but let me ask. Do gays pay tax? If yes, then i think its still value for your money. Straights are not complaining,but some bunch of straight bigots and religious extremists. Bravo!! Paving way John the baptist.
Good stance but all are equal? not yet we ain’t but thanks and here’s hoping.
No tax-payers money was used. Bercow paid for the grant of arms himself, and the portrait and painted arms are paid for by the Parliamentary Art Collection, which has NO connection to public fuunds. Why can’t people look up the facts before commenting, or do they want to be ignorant all their life? Tax Payers Alliance is the worst.