Comments on: Comment: Peter Tatchell on why he'll still march at Moscow Pride

By: Jean-Paul

Jean-Paul — Thu, 14 May 2009 18:57:34 +0000

Today we here in Canada are celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality by Bill C-150.

For the story and video clip of the opinions of today's politicians, check www dot xtra dot ca.

I wish Peter Tatchell would see it too if any of you can communicate with him.

Best regards,

(Report comment to the moderator)

By: Jean-Paul

Jean-Paul — Thu, 14 May 2009 04:55:28 +0000

Why did Peter Tatchell say he'll still march in Moscow?

It's all right with me , but why did he say he would still march in Moscow?

(Report comment to the moderator)

By: Keith

Keith — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:03:06 +0000

So very true all that Ciaran, especially the 'trapped' bit and the 'cruising at 4am in the park…' bit.
Why should there be any need for that today..except for the ignorance of the likes of Ian Watson in the Scots Kirk.
K
x

(Report comment to the moderator)

By: Ciaran McMahon

Ciaran McMahon — Wed, 13 May 2009 13:24:09 +0000

Keith, agreed. I won't be bated again.

The issue at hand is that while there is obviously "mixed feelings" about Peter going to Moscow, I would love to have his courage… more like him fighting for us and there would be fewer gay men trapped in straight marriages cruising parks at 4am when while their wives and kids sleep. We need people like Peter to bring attention to the oppressive nature of most of the world when it comes to LGBT.

(Report comment to the moderator)

By: Keith

Keith — Wed, 13 May 2009 13:01:49 +0000

Ouch..!
ATTAGIRL!
You tell it like it is, Ciaran..!

Keith
Salford.
(Getting very 'off the point' isn't it, with all these queenie
gibe-ettes and gettin' poysonalls.
…I wanna read debate and opinion..)
Can't have evryfink.

(Report comment to the moderator)

By: Ciaran McMahon

Ciaran McMahon — Wed, 13 May 2009 11:28:19 +0000

Then, RobN, you're as stupid as your are bitchy. I've been posting on this site for 4 years. I have confronted homophobic religious nuts like Hank and "reality Check" as well as engaged in many interesting and intelligent conversation with Sister Mary Clarence, Luke, Will, and other regulars here. However, I don't need to prove all that, its irrelevant to the fact you have consistently shown yourself to be a petty minded twat with very little of substance offer other than stirring s*it.

If you have nothing intelligent to say, then go read a book before banging your face on a keyboard to regale us all with your puerile "insights".

(Report comment to the moderator)

By: Pete & Christopher

Pete & Christopher — Wed, 13 May 2009 10:01:26 +0000

Ciaran, many thanks for the warning re. RobN. We agree. 50 years old and behaving as he has = shameful. But there we are. We can't automatically expect the finest behaviour of all gay people. There will always be a rotten apple or two at the bottom of the bag.

(Report comment to the moderator)

By: RobN

RobN — Wed, 13 May 2009 09:33:50 +0000

Ciaran: Well considering I've never even seen you on here until today, your pearls of wisdom are about as enlightening as a dog turd. WTF has Paris Hilton got to do with anything?

If you have nothing to say, do us all a favour and keep your gobshite opinions to yourself.

(Report comment to the moderator)

By: Ciaran McMahon

Ciaran McMahon — Wed, 13 May 2009 05:40:35 +0000

RobN: "but wasn't sure if you were referring to the holocaust, or one of you breaking a fingernail in the LA back in the 80″

Delightful. Simply delightful. Just what we need in here, another bitch with the intelligence of a tomato.

Well done RobN, nearly 50 years old and STILL behaving like a 14 year old girl with aspirations to be Paris Hilton! A triumph for wisdom in the middle years.

To Pete & Christopher, ignore him, he well known on this site for being one of the top fools around.

(Report comment to the moderator)

By: RobN

RobN — Tue, 12 May 2009 21:19:40 +0000

Pete & Christopher: "Our guess is that Rob is only a young lad, cocky for sure, probably privileged, & certainly not aware of the horrors of the past."

You two couldn't be farther from the truth. I'm close to 50 and come from a pretty conventional background. I am also well aware of the "horrors of the past", but wasn't sure if you were referring to the holocaust, or one of you breaking a fingernail in the LA back in the 80's. I just happen to despise right-on socialists that try to represent me and my sexuality. I am quite capable of defending myself.

(Report comment to the moderator)

By: Keith

Keith — Tue, 12 May 2009 19:28:16 +0000

#25 EDDY…..& WILL….

"(And by the way, Will, don't get drawn into a debate over this with Jean-Paul. His brain is all over the place…"

Hahahaa…effin'hahahahaha..

And here's me thinkin' it was just me…!
Yep, Will, that geezer JP…!

You'll be flavour of the month one mo and the next worse than an itch up the Grand Canyon…and do you know what? You won't even know why..!
"All over the place" … isn't in it..!"

Acadia my fanny!
Hahaha.

(Report comment to the moderator)

By: Eddy

Eddy — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:32:36 +0000

The Email addresses are:

"Director General – Jean Reveillon" ebu@ebu.ch
"Eurovision Operations Department" kuerten@eurovision.net
"Eurovision News & Events" dubin@eurovision.net
"Eurovision Song Contests Unit" stockselius@ebu.ch

(Report comment to the moderator)

By: Eddy

Eddy — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:31:22 +0000

Everyone, please write to the organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest RIGHT NOW and get everybody you know to write to them too.

"Simon Murphy" has provided the following four addresses in another thread, plus the following excellent template.

Don't delay, do it right now, and pass a copy on to friends – including friends in other European countries.

———————————————————–

Subject: Eurovision and the Moscow Gay Pride March

To:

"Director General – Jean Reveillon"
"Eurovision Operations Department"
"Eurovision News & Events"
"Eurovision Song Contests Unit"

Letter:

Dear Eurovision Organizer,

Today the British Foreign Office advised gay travellers to Moscow to be aware of possible violence at the Gay Pride festival in Moscow this Saturday.

As you are no doubt aware, the mayor of Moscow regards homosexuals as 'satanic' and all past attempts to organise a peaceful protest against the oppression of gay people has met with violence by neo-nazi groups and a refusal by the police to protect the gay community.

As you are also no doubt aware the Eurovision Song Contest is very popular with gay people. Please be aware that the Russian gay community chose this Saturday to have their parade to coincide with the Eurovision Contest.

Please confirm that if the police or neo-nazis attack the gay pride parade this Saturday in Moscow that the Saturday night final will be cancelled and declared invalid.

Eurovision was created in the 1950's to promote peace among European neighbours.

With the threat of neo-nazi violence and police collusion in facist oppression against one of the Eurovisions most loyal audiences (the gay audience) organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest must make it absolutely clear that they are opposed to neo-nazism.

If there is violence against the gay community on Saturday and the competition goes ahead on Saturday night the Eurovision Song Contest would be making a clear statement that it supports violent homophobia

Yours sincerely,

———————————————————-
(Report comment to the moderator)

By: Will

Will — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:09:05 +0000

Thanks Eddy, appreciate the comments… and yeah, not much point debating with one so prone to over reaction. The lessons of history are lost on him… maybe he can learn them on Wikipedia, when he's blogging for our equality.

(Report comment to the moderator)

By: Eddy

Eddy — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:45:18 +0000

Keith! Your exquisite messages put a smile on my face and make me laugh. Thank you for that.

And you wrote: "I only have the guts to do my 'confronation of demons' in a safe local supermarket in good old Manchester."

Well, Peter Tatchell doing it in Russia and you doing in a Sainsbury's in Manchester: it's all important ACTION. This little bunny at least salutes you, sir!

And, yes, if the world were the la-la land of fairytales and just desserts and happy endings where the good always win in the end, Peter Tatchell would be offered all the gongs under the sun. But I'ld like to think that like Benjamin Zephaniah, Paul Schofield (A Man For All Seasons), and a good number of principled others he would refuse such "bribes" from the establishment.

———————————————

Will, you make fine points! Thanks for them. As you say, sitting at home and just blogging, as Jean-Paul has urged Peter (and presumably all of us to do), is just so safe and comfortable as to be ineffectual. Of course the printed word has power but at the end of the day battles are fought in the physical space, face to face, and there is nothing wrong with battles, battles move us forward. Gays in Russia have the right to walk as proudly down their main street as we are able to do here in the UK and others can do in certain other countries. (And by the way, Will, don't get drawn into a debate over this with Jean-Paul. His brain is all over the place. In another thread he shot somebody down by reminding them that is was the drag-queens of Stonewall who had the guts to take physical action and so trigger one hell of an advance for all of us gay men and women all over the world. Peter Tatchell – and hopefully a bunch of gutsy supporters – will of course be doing exactly the same thing in Russia.)

(Report comment to the moderator)

By: Will

Will — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:00:45 +0000

Jean Paul, then how do you suggest we get out equality then? Sitting at home "blogging", afraid to walk the streets for fear some "christian" homophone tries to stone us?

(Report comment to the moderator)

By: Tony Lambert

Tony Lambert — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:55:54 +0000

Jean-Paul: "to send a man like Tatchell to his death"

WHAT? Who's "sending" him to his death? What a total overreaction!!! He's doing this by himself, no one's making him, doing it so little diva's like you can "eat your fish and chips" as you put it. And you're totally missing the logical and intelligent point Will's making. Less drama, more reading what he has to say there, sweetie.

(Report comment to the moderator)

By: barry

barry — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:15:32 +0000

Because of great gay men such as Harvey Milk and Peter Tatchell, the gay life style has become far, far more acceptable over the last ten years or so. Harvey Milk died in representing gay people; Peter Tatchell is prepared to risk physical injury and humiliation in representing us. You are one Big Brave Man, Peter T – go in peace and come back safely.
If I knew you personally, i'd hug you!

(Report comment to the moderator)

By: Jean-Paul

Jean-Paul — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:04:04 +0000

Will (20):

Don't you think I understand your point of view and how persuasive it is?

Read what the Foreign Office has to say in the latest news in PinkNews, and tell me that it is a wise thing to send a man like Tatchell to his death while you are eating your fish & chips safely watching him being killed on TV.

(Report comment to the moderator)

By: Will

Will — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:36:01 +0000

Well Jean Paul, no one wishes harm to come to Peter Tatchell, or anyone else for that matter. But bear in mind, Harvey Milk arguably done as much for Gay Right by his tragic death, as his tireless campaigning in life did. Much good work for the rest of us has been done in his name, and in his memory, and he is an inspiration for another generation of gay rights activists.

Its the fact that Peter Tatchell is putting himself at obvious risk that brings the much needed attention to the appalling lack of equality in Russia. And Wilde's memory as a great playwrights has survived in spite of his so called "downfall", probably more so because of the injustice he had to endure for his orientation. The same can be said for Dr Magnus Hirschfeld and Alan Turing.

I can't say I always agree with his tactics, but I admire his tenacity, a tenacity often lacking on other gay people when it comes to fighting for our rights. We need people like Mr. Tatchell because they are willing to go and make a stand where the rest of us are afraid to, not because he's staying at home… if he did that, would he deserve our respect?

(Report comment to the moderator)