Comments on: Gay flag removed from London police station http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html/ PinkNews.co.uk Gay News (UK and world) from Pink News - all the gay news for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community in the UK and beyond- thegaynews from Pink News Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:55:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Dennis Hambridge http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html/comment-page-1/#comment-43148 Dennis Hambridge Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:11:32 +0000 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html#comment-43148 Has anyone ver seen the St George flag fly over the Met on St George's day, load a hypercritics. The LGBTI community must mobilise to stop the mail equally with their perverted bigotry, equally against ALL bigots who beleive only they have a human right to be themselves, and i hope a couple of people on here note the words "Bigotry and Hypocracy" Has anyone ver seen the St George flag fly over the Met on St George's day, load a hypercritics.
The LGBTI community must mobilise to stop the mail equally with their perverted bigotry, equally against ALL bigots who beleive only they have a human right to be themselves, and i hope a couple of people on here note the words "Bigotry and Hypocracy"

(Report comment to the moderator)

]]> By: Dennis Hambridge http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html/comment-page-1/#comment-43146 Dennis Hambridge Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:01:38 +0000 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html#comment-43146 The rainbow colours are allways related to the gay community, which in it's self is intterelated homophobia, the rainbow colours, the same as the rainbow spreads across the world as the colours of diversity, the rainbow colours have a meaning in all country's in the world and not just the symbolism of the Gay community, whislt i agree any flag should not be flown on a police mast for long periods, when a special occasion occurs there is nothing wrong in showing the flag to support diversity. Regardless of the flag issue, the Met and commisionor are "Interrelated Homo/Trans phobics" The rainbow colours are allways related to the gay community, which in it's self is intterelated homophobia, the rainbow colours, the same as the rainbow spreads across the world as the colours of diversity, the rainbow colours have a meaning in all country's in the world and not just the symbolism of the Gay community, whislt i agree any flag should not be flown on a police mast for long periods, when a special occasion occurs there is nothing wrong in showing the flag to support diversity.

Regardless of the flag issue, the Met and commisionor are "Interrelated Homo/Trans phobics"

(Report comment to the moderator)

]]> By: Mark http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html/comment-page-1/#comment-43124 Mark Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:28:04 +0000 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html#comment-43124 ... Also intersting that the Met spokesperson said that only the Union and Met Police flags are allowed to fly from police stations - it's their rules. Don't they even allow the St. George's Cross flag (the OFFICIAL flag of England, which forms part of the Union flag)? Or is London not part of England anymore? … Also intersting that the Met spokesperson said that only the Union and Met Police flags are allowed to fly from police stations – it's their rules. Don't they even allow the St. George's Cross flag (the OFFICIAL flag of England, which forms part of the Union flag)? Or is London not part of England anymore?

(Report comment to the moderator)

]]> By: Flapjack http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html/comment-page-1/#comment-43109 Flapjack Wed, 04 Feb 2009 10:57:54 +0000 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html#comment-43109 Found this interesting article in the Guardian about reading the Daily mail for a month as a Morgan Spurlock style investigation... http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/aug/20/mydailyhell ""The ideal Daily Mail story," a former Mail journalist told me, "should leave you hating someone or something" - this, at least, was the advice he was given by his sub-editor at the time. As a mission statement, it shows remarkable consistency. The Mail's founder, Lord Northcliffe, is said to have ascribed the paper's success to the fact that it provided its readers with a "daily hate", and critics have long acknowledge this to be the case. "Democracy knows you as the poisoner of the streams of human intercourse, the fomenter of war, the preacher of hate, the unscrupulous enemy of a peaceful human society," wrote the author of A Letter to Lord Northcliffe in 1914, adding for good measure that he was "the most sinister influence that ever corrupted the soul of English journalism". Then there was the infamous rallying cry for the British Union of Fascists, headlined "Hurrah for the Blackshirts" and penned by Lord Rothermere himself, which cemented the impression that the Mail's politics are fundamentally nasty. Certainly, it casts the paper's current stance on migrants in a lurid light." I've always found it to be like a watered down BNP newsletter for people to cowardly to actually pin their stripes to the mast. How it's still sold on lower shelves of newsagents along with quality newspapers containing balanced journalism is beyond me. Found this interesting article in the Guardian about reading the Daily mail for a month as a Morgan Spurlock style investigation…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/aug/20/mydailyhell

""The ideal Daily Mail story," a former Mail journalist told me, "should leave you hating someone or something" – this, at least, was the advice he was given by his sub-editor at the time. As a mission statement, it shows remarkable consistency. The Mail's founder, Lord Northcliffe, is said to have ascribed the paper's success to the fact that it provided its readers with a "daily hate", and critics have long acknowledge this to be the case. "Democracy knows you as the poisoner of the streams of human intercourse, the fomenter of war, the preacher of hate, the unscrupulous enemy of a peaceful human society," wrote the author of A Letter to Lord Northcliffe in 1914, adding for good measure that he was "the most sinister influence that ever corrupted the soul of English journalism".
Then there was the infamous rallying cry for the British Union of Fascists, headlined "Hurrah for the Blackshirts" and penned by Lord Rothermere himself, which cemented the impression that the Mail's politics are fundamentally nasty. Certainly, it casts the paper's current stance on migrants in a lurid light."

I've always found it to be like a watered down BNP newsletter for people to cowardly to actually pin their stripes to the mast. How it's still sold on lower shelves of newsagents along with quality newspapers containing balanced journalism is beyond me.

(Report comment to the moderator)

]]> By: AdrianT http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html/comment-page-1/#comment-43106 AdrianT Wed, 04 Feb 2009 10:20:22 +0000 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html#comment-43106 When you post a reaction on the daily mail website to a story, the following message pops up: "All contributions by members are pre-moderated. MailOnline receives thousands of messages every day so please be patient." What I would love to know is, how a 'pre moderated' message appeared yesterday morning on the comments to the daily mail article, - since deleted - calling for 'queers to be shipped to an island, and be given ebola...'? How did something like that get past the moderation stage in the first place? The reason why the police should show solidarity with LGBT people is because down the road in shoreditch, a kid got attacked and was left paralysed because he was gay; another jumped off the roof of a building in derby because he couldn't cope with being taunted for it, in 2008. Flying the flag goes against police policy and thats understandable; but indeed, the DM is using the issue to play on the worst prejudices and bigotry of its readers. When you post a reaction on the daily mail website to a story, the following message pops up: "All contributions by members are pre-moderated. MailOnline receives thousands of messages every day so please be patient."

What I would love to know is, how a 'pre moderated' message appeared yesterday morning on the comments to the daily mail article, – since deleted – calling for 'queers to be shipped to an island, and be given ebola…'?

How did something like that get past the moderation stage in the first place?

The reason why the police should show solidarity with LGBT people is because down the road in shoreditch, a kid got attacked and was left paralysed because he was gay; another jumped off the roof of a building in derby because he couldn't cope with being taunted for it, in 2008. Flying the flag goes against police policy and thats understandable; but indeed, the DM is using the issue to play on the worst prejudices and bigotry of its readers.

(Report comment to the moderator)

]]> By: Andrew Quick http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html/comment-page-1/#comment-43104 Andrew Quick Wed, 04 Feb 2009 08:52:02 +0000 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html#comment-43104 I agree it, had NO place flying our flag. However what is MORE important is that that fundamentalist christian paper is on the war path again. Is it time we fight back? I agree it, had NO place flying our flag.
However what is MORE important is that that fundamentalist christian paper is on the war path again.

Is it time we fight back?

(Report comment to the moderator)

]]> By: Michelle http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html/comment-page-1/#comment-43103 Michelle Wed, 04 Feb 2009 08:38:03 +0000 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html#comment-43103 i agree with John, we don't need the police to fly flags to be out and proud, let them get on with what they are supposed to be doing and allow us "normal" gay people to lead our perfectly normal and acceptable lives i agree with John, we don't need the police to fly flags to be out and proud, let them get on with what they are supposed to be doing and allow us "normal" gay people to lead our perfectly normal and acceptable lives

(Report comment to the moderator)

]]> By: Thomas http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html/comment-page-1/#comment-43083 Thomas Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:57:24 +0000 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html#comment-43083 I agree with most others here - we must have one rule for all -if we have our rainbow flag on police stations then every minority group - moslems, jews, rastas etc. Its not homophobic to remind police staff to only fly the Met or Union flags, its being fair. By all means have gay history displays in public libraries and schools, but the police service is different and must be impartial. I agree with most others here – we must have one rule for all -if we have our rainbow flag on police stations then every minority group – moslems, jews, rastas etc. Its not homophobic to remind police staff to only fly the Met or Union flags, its being fair. By all means have gay history displays in public libraries and schools, but the police service is different and must be impartial.

(Report comment to the moderator)

]]> By: Flapjack http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html/comment-page-1/#comment-43075 Flapjack Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:10:12 +0000 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html#comment-43075 I guess there's always a risk someone might think the local police station is a gay bar! Gay solidarity doesn't have to come in flag form, as long as the police treat the gay community with the same respect as everyone else that's fine by me. BTW - by way of correcting myself, just checked out Charlie Brooker's Daily Mail Island concept- the proposed format for the show was actually to send a bunch of ordinary people to an island with nothing but the Daily Mail for reading material and see how long it took them to become paranoid sociopaths! I guess there's always a risk someone might think the local police station is a gay bar!
Gay solidarity doesn't have to come in flag form, as long as the police treat the gay community with the same respect as everyone else that's fine by me.
BTW – by way of correcting myself, just checked out Charlie Brooker's Daily Mail Island concept- the proposed format for the show was actually to send a bunch of ordinary people to an island with nothing but the Daily Mail for reading material and see how long it took them to become paranoid sociopaths!

(Report comment to the moderator)

]]> By: Chris http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html/comment-page-1/#comment-43074 Chris Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:09:08 +0000 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html#comment-43074 Harry, the only religious flag I could think of. Harry, the only religious flag I could think of.

(Report comment to the moderator)

]]> By: John http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html/comment-page-1/#comment-43073 John Tue, 03 Feb 2009 18:56:24 +0000 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html#comment-43073 I think we need to stop this PC stuff - are any gay people really offended by this? It's completely trivial and they shouldn't be flying it - it's biased and makes us look like PC whiners. We're letting guilty heterosexuals and Stonewall (unelected, unaccountable, unrepresentative) dictate what 'the gay community' think and feels - whereas most of us are happy to just get on living our lives as openly gay people doing normal things: that will achieve far more than any amount of legislation and PC posturing. Get a grip people, and recognise what's really offensive and what's not - and let's stop Stonewall etc being the only voice of gays. I think we need to stop this PC stuff – are any gay people really offended by this? It's completely trivial and they shouldn't be flying it – it's biased and makes us look like PC whiners. We're letting guilty heterosexuals and Stonewall (unelected, unaccountable, unrepresentative) dictate what 'the gay community' think and feels – whereas most of us are happy to just get on living our lives as openly gay people doing normal things: that will achieve far more than any amount of legislation and PC posturing. Get a grip people, and recognise what's really offensive and what's not – and let's stop Stonewall etc being the only voice of gays.

(Report comment to the moderator)

]]> By: John http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html/comment-page-1/#comment-43072 John Tue, 03 Feb 2009 18:52:09 +0000 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html#comment-43072 I think this is the right thing to do - it looks like special treatment and political correctness, which is not what we want to be associated with. The best thing we can do is just get on with our lives as openly gay people doing normal things - let's ditch the whole taking-offence-at-trivial-things stuff, it's totally counterproductive. It takes a lot more than that to offend me, anyway! All this PC stuff just looks like majorities imagining what it feels like to be a minority - in fact, most of us I daresay are perfectly aware that we're abnormal and fine with that. It's also sad that Stonewall etc are seen as the definitive voice of the gay 'community' (if such a thing exists) - but they're unelected and unrepresentative. I think this is the right thing to do – it looks like special treatment and political correctness, which is not what we want to be associated with. The best thing we can do is just get on with our lives as openly gay people doing normal things – let's ditch the whole taking-offence-at-trivial-things stuff, it's totally counterproductive. It takes a lot more than that to offend me, anyway! All this PC stuff just looks like majorities imagining what it feels like to be a minority – in fact, most of us I daresay are perfectly aware that we're abnormal and fine with that. It's also sad that Stonewall etc are seen as the definitive voice of the gay 'community' (if such a thing exists) – but they're unelected and unrepresentative.

(Report comment to the moderator)

]]> By: eleanargh http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html/comment-page-1/#comment-43071 eleanargh Tue, 03 Feb 2009 18:40:25 +0000 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html#comment-43071 Oh, this is a shame. My local (also London) police station had a rainbow flag flying yesterday and I emailed them to say thanks. I hope they're allowed to keep it up. Oh, this is a shame. My local (also London) police station had a rainbow flag flying yesterday and I emailed them to say thanks. I hope they're allowed to keep it up.

(Report comment to the moderator)

]]> By: Matty http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html/comment-page-1/#comment-43061 Matty Tue, 03 Feb 2009 18:03:12 +0000 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html#comment-43061 Reading the article (on Pink News and then the Daily Bitch/Mail), it seems that "outrage" was not created. The new met cheif guy ordered it (the gay pride flag) to be taken down "because he did not want to step into political territory", which is a fair reason. But the Daily Bitch has a homophobic twist on it with the headline: "Outrage as police station ditches Union Jack... for a gay rights flag" ...and this attitude by such a vile newspaper does not surprise me in the slightest. Further, the article about the adoption case has homophobia all over it, and now this. Is it really, genuinly, an outrage that the gay pride flag be put up during gay history month? By declaring it an "outrage" in the headline itself says to me the reports author thinks homosexuality is an outrage. To go a step further, with headlines such as this, are the Daily Mail inciting hatred based on ones sexual orientation? Anyhow, this comment made me laugh, a bit: ".....I can understand the need to show acceptance to people of all sexualities....." All sexualities? I thought there were only two and why are the police interested in people's sexuality anyway? It will soon be against the law to be heterosexual. - Mr J Smith -- Matty Reading the article (on Pink News and then the Daily Bitch/Mail), it seems that "outrage" was not created. The new met cheif guy ordered it (the gay pride flag) to be taken down "because he did not want to step into political territory", which is a fair reason. But the Daily Bitch has a homophobic twist on it with the headline:

"Outrage as police station ditches Union Jack… for a gay rights flag"

…and this attitude by such a vile newspaper does not surprise me in the slightest. Further, the article about the adoption case has homophobia all over it, and now this. Is it really, genuinly, an outrage that the gay pride flag be put up during gay history month? By declaring it an "outrage" in the headline itself says to me the reports author thinks homosexuality is an outrage.

To go a step further, with headlines such as this, are the Daily Mail inciting hatred based on ones sexual orientation?

Anyhow, this comment made me laugh, a bit:

"…..I can understand the need to show acceptance to people of all sexualities….."

All sexualities? I thought there were only two and why are the police interested in people's sexuality anyway? It will soon be against the law to be heterosexual. – Mr J Smith

– Matty

(Report comment to the moderator)

]]> By: Flapjack http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html/comment-page-1/#comment-43057 Flapjack Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:18:58 +0000 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html#comment-43057 Zefrog - I seem to remember Charlie Brooker (Guardian's TV critic) suggesting a tongue-in-cheek reality show called "Daily Mail Island" in which everyone the Daily Mail disapproved of was sent to an island somewhere. The rest writes itself... I think Brooker was joking, regretably most Mail readers aren't. Zefrog – I seem to remember Charlie Brooker (Guardian's TV critic) suggesting a tongue-in-cheek reality show called "Daily Mail Island" in which everyone the Daily Mail disapproved of was sent to an island somewhere. The rest writes itself…
I think Brooker was joking, regretably most Mail readers aren't.

(Report comment to the moderator)

]]> By: andy http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html/comment-page-1/#comment-43049 andy Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:27:11 +0000 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html#comment-43049 hmmm, looks like the mail is on a new homophobia campaign...inventing the whole gay adoption issue by paying the grandparents to try and keep a child they previously didn't want, and then dragging this story up from nowhere and giving it an anti gay spin... hmmm, looks like the mail is on a new homophobia campaign…inventing the whole gay adoption issue by paying the grandparents to try and keep a child they previously didn't want, and then dragging this story up from nowhere and giving it an anti gay spin…

(Report comment to the moderator)

]]> By: Harry http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html/comment-page-1/#comment-43048 Harry Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:18:38 +0000 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html#comment-43048 Chris: wjy the papal flag - doea the Commissioner suffer from catholicism:-) Chris: wjy the papal flag – doea the Commissioner suffer from catholicism:-)

(Report comment to the moderator)

]]> By: Zefrog http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html/comment-page-1/#comment-43047 Zefrog Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:11:41 +0000 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html#comment-43047 Some of the comments on the Daily Mail article were absolutely vile! such as "ts bloody disgusting, who the hell do they think they are with thier political correctness, i would make all queers go to an island and force them to live and die there so they couldnt infect people with their perversities and for good measure send them the ebola virus as well. dirty queer perverts." - key, bolton, 3/2/2009 9:58 Some of the comments on the Daily Mail article were absolutely vile! such as "ts bloody disgusting, who the hell do they think they are with thier political correctness, i would make all queers go to an island and force them to live and die there so they couldnt infect people with their perversities and for good measure send them the ebola virus as well.
dirty queer perverts." – key, bolton, 3/2/2009 9:58

(Report comment to the moderator)

]]> By: Chris http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html/comment-page-1/#comment-43046 Chris Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:09:46 +0000 http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11003.html#comment-43046 Equally I would expect the Commissioner to be livid if he saw the Papal flag flying from a police station :-) Equally I would expect the Commissioner to be livid if he saw the Papal flag flying from a police station :-)

(Report comment to the moderator)

]]>