Owen Jones depicted as ‘hysterical gay man’ on New European front page
Activist and Guardian columnist Owen Jones has criticised a newspaper cartoon for depicting him as an “overly emotional” and “hysterical gay man”.
The writer is featured on the front page of this week’s the New European which portrays the death of ‘Corbynism’.
Jones is illustrated alongside Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Diane Abbott, John McDonnell and Seumas Milne who are laying a wreath in the image.
But the only person portrayed to be crying hysterically at the scene is Jones, as the others bow their heads stoically.
The 34-year-old wrote on Twitter that the crying representation of him was “one of the oldest homophobic tropes in the book,” and joined others in condemning the stereotype in the cartoon.
James B (@piercepenniless), a Twitter user, hit out at the image and wrote: “Caricaturing a gay man as an overwrought hyperemotional hysteric: so ~progressive~.”
While some commenters on social media speculated that the depiction of Jones’ ‘personality’ could have originated from the Orlando Pulse massacre.
After the attack Jones left mid-interview during an appearance on Sky News after the interviewers suggested the attack wasn’t directly perpetrated towards the LGBT community.
Others questioned why the pro-Remain newspaper had specifically shown Jones as visibly emotional.
Jim (@TaipeiValencia) wrote: “Why is Jones the one crying? And why in a cartoon featuring 5 people has Abbott been allocated 90% of the lip allocation?”
While others commented “well done you’ve turned into the Daily Mail”, and “my six year old grandchild could design a better cover.”
However some didn’t agree that the cartoon was unfairly representing Jones. One user wrote: “Are you saying Gay men do not cry? Are you saying that Owen would not be upset at the death of Corbynism? Not sure what his sexuality has to do with anything on the cover?”
Editor of the New European Matt Kelly also defended the image and told PinkNews the newspaper was poking fun at Jones’ personality, not his sexuality.
“Suggesting homophobia in our depiction of Owen Jones as a cry baby throwing a tantrum is wrong,” Kelly wrote in an email to PinkNews, “We depicted him that way because he often acts like a tantrum-throwing cry baby. That’s hardly a new observation.”
Given Remainers are relentlessly demonised by Tory Brexiteers as being snowflakes having a temper tantrum over the referendum, @TheNewEuropean adopting this Trump-like rhetoric is pretty remarkable. https://t.co/o3XDzXaj1I
— Owen Jones? (@OwenJones84) August 15, 2018
Former advisor and spokesperson to Tony Blair, Alastair Campbell tweeted out the image of the front cover, to which some people responded “are you comfortable with the homophobia on the cover Alastair?” and “Try to dial down the homophobia.”
