A View From Middle England - Conservative with a slight libertarian touch - For Christian charity and traditional belief - Free Enterprise NOT Covert Corporatism

Monday, April 18, 2011

Gay men pub snogging row rumbles on

Iain Dale had Lynette Burrows on his LBC show. If you haven't heard of her before, she pops up occasionally on TV and radio as a family concern expert. In this dialogue of the hard-of-hearing, she and Iain discuss gay men snogging in pubs. I've heard it and think he beat her on a 70/30 basis. In fact, he sounds quite controlled. Lesser men might have thumped her!


The trouble with so called gay rights is that it isn't so much about rights but more about wrongs. Both sides seem wronged by the other. I was very much in favour of decriminalising homosexuality in England (male homosexuality that is, as Mr.Gladstone couldn't bring himself to discuss lesbianism with Queen Victoria!) because the vile crime of blackmail was dehumanising and degrading. Many homosexuals were prone to greedy and despicable  types who saw an opportunity to make financial gain or some advantage. The Sexual Offences Act of 1967 basically allowed "consenting adults in private" to be free from the criminal code. However, now, with a new act and various other laws, New Labour succeeded in giving unfair provocation a legal leg-up.

It is one thing to be persecuted, it is quite another to provoke in order to pursue an agenda. The vast majority of people in Britain are not homosexual. It is estimated that between 5 and 10% are depending on who you ask. I think most who are not gay are happy with private sexual activity, but are not so sure about public displays. This is not homophobic, to use the jargon (although I've thought homosexophobic a far more accurate and literal meaning), just uncomfortable. It goes against a grain.

The publican where the two gay men were ejected apparently objected to them "snogging" at the bar. They claimed it was a first date. Some might think this a bit forward even for a non-gay couple. The point here is that tolerance is not something that should be swept aside by coercion. I got the distinct idea that these two men were trying it on, pushing the boundaries. This is a dangerous road to travel. It may cause a backlash that is ugly and unmanageable.

Lynette Burrows did herself no favours by adroitly linking homosexuality with paedophilia. The kaleidoscopic nature of human sexuality, proclivities and urges is not a basis for this topic. She also sounds so shrill that I get a distinct feeling I wouldn't like her family concern in my family. We all have a sex map, my wife tells me. Having been told that I pondered whether mine was more sat nav than gazetteer or the other way round. None of us is wired conclusively as far as sexual identity is concerned.

However, I think these two young men are better off with discretion being the better part of valour than trying to use a broad brush stroke in their attempts to change attitudes. I once was having a drink in a pub when a young woman got carried away with her boyfriend. I wasn't about to complain, but neither was I that comfortable with it. Details can be witheld but this was far more than snogging!

There's a time and place for everything.

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