Michael Fabricant: A Bestial Backstory

“Now, when the Sochi Games started I did a few tweets pointing out that Russia had a very crude and outdated legal system in its attitude to gays. And someone tweeted at me asking ‘are you gay or are you just pretending to be?’

“And I thought well, I could ignore this, but then again what the heck and I had this picture of Darren [a llama owned by his friend, Matthew Parris - you heard me]. So I tweeted: ‘What I can reveal is that I’m having an affair with a llama. But I won’t say if it’s a boy llama or a girl llama.’”

“Well, it then turns out that a certain individual who is a strategist contracted to the Conservative party decided that this was outrageous. He spoke to David Cameron, told him that after the party had almost torn itself apart over gay marriage me – a vice chairman – advocating bestial marriage was a step too far..."

The 'eccentric' Michael Fabricant in an Independent interview following his sacking in the wake of Maria Miller's resignation

Minister For Women: Not Equalities (And Vice Versa)

The new minister for women is Nicky Morgan, while Sajid Javid, a former banker and general high-flyer, will take up Miller's old role as culture secretary in charge of equalities. Morgan isn't a secretary of state but a minister - one step down. And in early briefings, aides suggested she would report to Javid. That's right, the minister for women, and thus the portfolio she holds, is subordinate to a man. Unsurprisingly, Number 10 beat a hasty retreat on this idea later in the day.

On top of this, in the past Morgan has voted against equal marriage and backed Nadine Dorries controversial amendments to the Health and Social Care bill in 2011, calling for independent advice for women seeking an abortion. Meanwhile, Javid is the minister who found himself in hot water for appearing to suggest that there are no women on the Bank of England's monetary policy committee because they didn't make the grade. It would have been tough to find two ministers with a history more ill-suited to the women and equalities brief... *

The Guardian.

Hilarious.

* Sajid Javid's voting record on gay stuff is quite good. Just about...

Maria Miller: 'And Also The Gay Marriage Stuff'

"I know Maria very well, she worked for me before she went to cabinet. I am enormously fond of her.

“I think she has done a very good job in a very difficult set of circumstances, with the Leveson Inquiry, which has stirred up a lot of media antipathy to her, I know.

”And also the gay marriage stuff – there’s a lot of Conservatives out there who perhaps weren’t necessarily supportive,and  also feel rather bitter about that. In a sense, she is also receiving some of that as part of this process.

"I've known her always to be a reasonable and honest person...

"My view generally is that I’m supportive of Maria, because I think if we are not careful we end up in a witch hunt of somebody."

Ian Duncan Smith launches a valiant defence of the beleagured Culture Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities, Maria Miller on The Andrew Marr Show. 

Laughable.

When in trouble, cry 'homophobia'.

Watch the segment here.

Mind you his comments about his cuntily callous changes to Employment And Support Allowance make this pale into insignificance.

And if Fagburn sees one more story about Mrs Miller called 'How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?'

PS Uh-oh! Maybe IDS has a point - Norman Tebbit wades in against Miller on his Telegraph blog.

Monday's Mirror.

Correction: An internet graphic on MM's voting record on equality issues has been removed as an eagle-eyed viewer pointed out it was a load of balls. See comments. Apologies. x

Russia: We Care A Lot!

The gays of Sochi are dreading the Winter Olympics.

The UK government is to give extra funding for gay rights campaigners in Russia amid growing concerns over the introduction of legislation outlawing the promotion of homosexuality.

In an interview for the BBC, Culture Secretary Maria Miller said it was the "right thing to do".

Additional money will be given to protest groups such as Stonewall.

The move comes just a week before the start of the Winter Olympics in the Russian City of Sochi.

The sporting showpiece has already been dogged by concerns over freedom of speech and security.

"It's very important indeed we use the opportunity of the Winter Games to underline the importance of treating people fairly, which is at the heart of the Olympic charter and important to the Olympic movement," said Mrs Miller.

"As a result of the changes in the laws in Russia, there are considerable strains on gay rights.

"We are already putting in place additional support to make sure that gay rights organisations have got the sort of support and expertise that I think can make a real difference with the work they are doing on the ground in Russia."

BBC News.

How good of Maria Miller to go public on this wonderful gesture.*

Even though by doing so she'll only play into the hands of Putin and anti-gay politicians and religious leaders, who have fostered the idea that gay rights and homosexuality are foreign infections being foisted on Russia by the West - and thus she could make life even more difficult for LGBT camapigners there.

Truly, who could now doubt the compassion of the caring Conservatives who are committing a vicious class war against ordinary people - straight and gay - in the UK?

And for our next trick we'll kindly take in three refugees from Syria.

So brave!

* All of this from Miller appears to have slipped out during an interview, so be prepared for clarification/reverse-ferret.

PS A group of her fellow gay and human rights-loving Tory MPs have added an amendment to the Immigration Bill which would stop anyone with HIV from entering the country. The bill goes before the Commons today.

Gay Marriage: On Homophobia And Hypocrisy

Maria Miller, the Minister for Equalities, has rejected a claim made by the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats that same-sex marriage is being “fast tracked” through Parliament without the proper consultations.
Mr Hughes said to Mrs Miller: “Neither of us [Conservatives or Liberal Democrats] had it in our manifestos and it wasn’t in the Coalition agreement. There has not been a white paper, there has not been a green paper, there has not been a draft bill and I did not sense that this was something with some sort of deadline that it had to be enacted in double quick time.
“Can you explain to us why this bill [Marriage (Same Sex Couples)] was not envisioned in the Coalition agreement, why it has had a fast tracked treatment when it is probably in the eyes of many the most controversial bill in this Parliament?”
Mrs Miller replied: “One factual error in what you said is that there was a very clear statement by the Conservative Party around looking at same-sex marriage in our Contract for Equalities that was issued at the general election. It was in a very extensive manifesto commitment document around equalities and it highlighted commitment to equality in this area.”

Pink News.

It wasn't in the Conservative Party manifesto - and that's a fact.
It is being rushed through - fact.
Odd that Maria Miller is now out about supporting something she didn't when it mattered.
And the dullard doesn't even support civil partnerships for straight people.
Is this all Pink News can get agitated about?
What a load of wank. 

PS Stonewall too were slow in supporting equal marriage, oddly, though they're now tweeting about this crap.

Maria Miller: Your Actual Minister For Equality

Telegraph.

Oops!
A Tory who's a greedy crook?
Whodathunkit?
"But she supports the gay marriage!" etc.

Marriage: Hello, Cock Meet Up

The Sun.

The look on Lynne Featherstone's face says it all...

Here's the small print;

:: No religious organisation or individual minister can be compelled to marry same-sex couples or to permit this to happen on their premises;

:: It will be unlawful for religious organisations or their ministers to marry same-sex couples unless their organisation’s governing body has expressly opted in to provisions for doing so;

:: The Equality Act 2010 is to be amended to ensure no discrimination claim can be brought against religious organisations or individual ministers for refusing to marry a same-sex couple;

:: The legislation will explicitly state that it will be illegal for the Church of England and the Church in Wales to marry same-sex couples and that Canon Law, which bans same-sex weddings, will continue to apply.

 Teh bigots is teh win!

Marriage: Gay Cake-Topper Watch

The newspapers' reactions to yesterday's really rather minor announcement that the gays may be allowed to get gaymarried in churches (some restrictions apply etc) were as predictable and boring as the cake-topper illustrations accompanying them.
The wonderfully creepy one above is from the Telegraph, the most anti-gay-marriage paper who, oddly, also got some exclusive old twaddle by Equalities Minister, Maria Miller, reassuring its readers how desperately dull and reactionary marriage equality actually is.

"Marriage brings stability and it binds us together. It helps make our families stronger... For me, far from being a radical departure, this is simply one more in a long line of reforms which have strengthened marriage, ensuring it remains a modern and vibrant institution." 

How very interesting.
And now with added religion!
(Though note, they still haven't said how they're going to introduce this gay marriage thing yet). *
I genuinely can't be arsed to comment on the rest.
What do they say?
Little parlour game - have a bleedin' guess!  
Enjoy your weekend.

* "A free vote in the spring" has been promised, according to those oft-quoted "sources".

The Independent: You Need Hands

The Independent - which regular viewers will know has the most piss-poor coverage of gay issues of any broadsheet - has started a "campaign" for equal marriage!
Oh hurrah!
And new Equalities Minister Maria Miller has finally come out for equality.
Clicktivists can even sign a petition. 
Wow!
Funny how they've just realised they were alienating gay readers with only publishing some intermittent irrelevant patronising schlock about The Gays.
How can this be?
Who told them?
Anyway, behold a tidal wave of patronising sentimental vomit while they try to redress the balance. 
Gay marriage YAY!
I think The Independent would make a more significant contribution to gay liberation, if they didn't think we are all so ashamed that they can only print photos of our hands.
Or cake toppers.
Just a thought.

Maria Miller: Don't Laugh

The Independent.

Maria Miller: Shocking!

The above meme has been much RT-ed on Twitter since Maria Miller was appointed Minister for Women and Equalities on Tuesday.
It's shocking, isn't it?
It's shocking because the charges it makes against Miller are at best somewhat dubious and at worst utter balls.
I'm not going to go through them all blow-by-blow - mainly as blogger How Upsetting has already done this here.
(I trust he's right, I couldn't be arsed to check).
It's terrifying how often these things get passed on and on and on, unchallenged, unquestioned, unchecked.
But such is the apolitical "political" virtual world of online clicktivism.
How depressing.

Further, when it was announced that Miller had been made Minister For Equality, you'd think any gay journalist would immediately automatically go and check her voting record and see what she has said - or not said - on LGBT issues.
In the age of the internet it would take mere minutes to do a basic check.
Her record is piss poor, by the way - which doesn't bode well for marriage equality legislation. 
And it's really piss poor that both Pink News and Pink Paper only pointed this out the following day after picking the story up from bloggers and a press statement they were sent by a church group.
How very depressing.

Cabinet Reshuffle: News In Briefs

Lynne Featherstone - It emerged late in the day that Featherstone is leaving her post, Home Office (Equalities) Minister, as Equalities is being moved to the Department for Culture (See Maria Miller below). A good friend to The Gays - unacknowledged architect of getting marriage equality on the agenda. And thus predictably hated by the Daily Mail and the Tory Right.

Chris Grayling - Justice Secretary. Supports hoteliers right to be homophobic. Votes "moderately against gay rights". Irony! Hardline right-winger. Replaces the liberal pro-gay Tory, Ken Clarke, who was attacked by the tabloids for being "soft on crime". Be afraid.

Nick Herbert. Tweeted he was resigning as Policing Minister late this afternoon. It's thought in a queeny flounce at not being promoted.

David Laws - Education Minister. Went to private school, natch. Return of the unconvicted fraudster. Background in business, which shows how the Tories see our schools. Only a slight return - he's an Education Minister, and hasn't returned to Cabinet - notorious heterosexual Michael Gove remains Secretary of State for Education.

Maria Miller - Culture Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities. As Equalities - bafflingly - moves over to her new department, Culture, she takes over the equalities brief from Lynne Featherstone. I'm not sure where all these shenanigans leave Theresa May. According to a tweet earlier from Coalition 4 Equal Marriage, Miller has not told them whether she supports gay marriage. Votes "moderately against gay rights" (Has only been able to vote on two gay bills, but absent for one, against another). Gay marriage looks ever further off now.

Lady Warsi - Minister for Faith And Communities. Homophobe. Irony! Demoted from party "chairman" [sic]. Knows a lot about faith and communities as when standing for election in 2005 published a special leaflet for Muslim areas full of homophobic lies about Labour [sick]. Unelected. Appointment by tokenism.

[This was updated through the day, so ended up a bit garbled - not helped by different uses of the word "Cabinet". Hopefully it makes sense now]

PS In general, Cameron's reshuffle has been seen as a lurch to the right.  Oh crap...