Comments on: Home Secretary asked to ban God Hates Fags protesters

By: Simon

Simon — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:05:06 +0000

According to The Sun's website, we have had a positive result from the Home Office, and they have been banned from entering the UK!

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By: Simon

Simon — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:43:54 +0000

Apparently they have been banned!
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2250721.ece

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By: Simon

Simon — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:40:02 +0000

We don't have the concept of "Freedom of Speech" in the UK, so I don't really understand what the problem is. You can't say certain words in this country without the possibility of being arrested for a hate crime. So I say ban the bastards! And if they aren't banned, they should be arrested for hate crimes, just as I would be if I used the "n word".

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By: Nick

Nick — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:14:58 +0000

I say do what the supporters of Matthew Sheppard's family did when they picketed his funeral. They surrounded the Phelp's mob and held up large white sheets alla round the compound they were penned in. That way the family were not subjected to seeing them. If a sound system is brought along too then they can be drowned out. This means freedom of speech for everyone, just that we are a bit smarter how we use ours…

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By: Flapjack

Flapjack — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:26:29 +0000

I hate to say it but i'm with Rick on this one… the overwhelming temptation to pelt them with stuff may prove too great. Unfortunately, either way Fred Phelps is likely to chalk up another victory. All he craves is attention and media coverage, and he has that already. So if we ban him he plays the martyrdom card, and if we protest it means he's getting attention, and frankly the only way of winning this one is if no-one but Fred Phelps shows up, or he shows up at the wrong venue.
Perhaps we should just starve him the oxygen of publicity, or failing that… simply starving him of oxygen would be fine by me.

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By: gendy

gendy — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:45:35 +0000

That they dare to come here to the UK to spread their message of hate is entirely down to the apathy of the gay community.If they thought that their group might well be surrouned by a large gathering of gay counter-protesters and that they might well be going back to the USA with a lot of bruises and the odd broken bone,they would think twiceabout coming in the first place.Why ,oh why do we allow ourselves to be intimidated by this bigot-scum.We could be more than strong enough to give these people a good kicking.That is all they respect.Stop their mouths with a good helping of knuckle sandwich.We also need to be vigilant with regard to police officers sympathetic to these people – many officers are Roman Catholic and will heed the current Pope's teachings as well as the usual Evangelical protestants from the Christian Police Association who have,by the way,been very active in trying to undermine the Gay Police Association and LGBT acceptance in the Police Service.Thus far ACPO have faced the CPA down but that might not last.

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By: Rick George

Rick George — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:29:18 +0000

Oh let them come please. Im so looking forward to pelting them with eggs, ketchup, silly string, squirty cream. Arent their laws now about hate preachers not being allowed into the country?

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By: C

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 12:25:12 +0000

I remain uneasy with people invoking the old "freedom of speech" argument here… It ignores the parallel penalties we already have for racial hate speech, and encourages a climate where positive progress in human rights can not only be challenged but undone outright. We also know how tentative these rights can be in a changing world from the slim margin by which Proposition 8 was passed. I am not saying Westbro pose any real threat – just that freedom of speech is not a statute by which an extremist group of propagandising zealots should be protected when they are this hurtful, unpleasant and destructive in their message. Freedom of speech can only work as long as it is not expolited for the purposes of malice – or to try and deprive a long-oppressed minority of their civil rights, for that matter. Westbro, or any other Christian wing, is entitled by the aforementioned freedoms of speech to cry foul at this, but they do so with a forked tongue.

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By: Ric

Ric — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 11:43:29 +0000

lock the haters up in a sanitorium, they hear voices and they are dangerous

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By: Vulpus_rex

Vulpus_rex — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:43:35 +0000

Ban this, ban that, ban, ban, ban – this is not the answer to everything.

I don't believe we should feed the authoritarian and controlling appetites of this government by calling for more restricitions on speech, as soon they will start banning anyone who opposes them in any way.

These people are nutters and will be laughed at more than anything – I say let the come and make fools of themselves.

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By: Simon Murphy

Simon Murphy — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:27:34 +0000

These freaks should be allowed to protest though. Geert Wilders should have been allowed to protest also. I am not remotely comfortable with all these new calls for limits on freedom of speech. Granted it should be an equal playing field (which it isn't at present). But the focus should be on ensuring that similar rules are applied – not on reducing people's rigtht to protest – regardless of how nasty they are.

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By: Flapjack

Flapjack — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:20:29 +0000

"Some of the best Bible preaching in the history of the world came out of that dark dismal land, but now it is full of all abominations!"
I agree Fred…my personal favourite example of UK pulpit preaching has to be the hymn "Jerusalem" which speculates that Jesus visited the UK, as in "and did those feet in ancient time walk upon England's mountains green". It could have happened…perhaps he went interrailing on a gap year before finishing his carpentry course at Palestine polytechnic.
Mind you after all the other stuff featured in that book it actually looks quite plausible by comparison.

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By: Flapjack

Flapjack — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:06:40 +0000

GAPOI – Damn. Does that mean I have to take up smoking to cover all possible bases when I show up for the protest! I'll have to pack my "fag-enabler"… or zippo lighter as everyone else calls them!

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By: Jack Holroyde

Jack Holroyde — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 03:43:55 +0000

The Queer Youth Network, the largest peer-led youth organisation in the country, is heading up the counter-demonstrations and the effort to get these individuals banned from the UK.
The mainstream press have picked up on this – and heavy pressure will break the home secretary.
Full updates are on our website, and our facebook group.

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By: Peter Martin - Director B PROUD, Bedfordshire

Peter Martin - Director B PROUD, Bedfordshire — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:45:19 +0000

B PROUD despite being based in Bedfordshire has been working tireless requesting what Hampshire Constabulary and the Home Secretary are doing to ensure they protect and serve gay people in the UK. This has proved very positive with action plans being put in place. If you are interested in attending on Friday night, can I suggest you join the candle lit vigil aimed at celebrating the life of Matthew Shepard – there are tickets available for the show on Friday, show your support for this issue and the youth group who have been targeted here.

I look forward to meeting you there.

Peter MARTIN Director B PROUD, Bedfordshire.

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By: GAPOI

GAPOI — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:37:18 +0000

Wouldn't it be so funny if we got the anti-smoking protestors on the scene as well? "Fags" is a popular word for cigarettes in the UK. That ought to confuse the hell out of thse bigoted retards.

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By: PCG, Germany

PCG, Germany — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:15:19 +0000

Well it is really easy to ban non-European Union cititzens, but the UK cannot really ban an European Union citizen unless there is a extremelly good reason. If the Dutch MP was banned, then these homophobic folks must be banned as well, they even insulted Her Majesty the Queen, is there is anything worse than insulting the Her Majesty? It is fair and simple. Just do it, otherwise the European Court of Justice will certainly be on Britain's door.

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By: Jeff Duncan

Jeff Duncan — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:21:37 +0000

Its important these nutters are isolated – why should a Dutch MP be banend for what some say is racist/inflamatory views but homophobes with more vile outpourings walk right in?

Ban the Phelps!

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