Pink List 2011: All Apologies

We said that compiling the Pink List is an inexact science, and readers, in their many comments, some of which are published here, agreed. Owing to an administrative blunder too low-fi to go into, one of the most influential gay men of this century, Peter Tatchell, was forgotten. It's not as if he's had a quiet year: in 2011, he co-ordinated the Equal Love campaign which helped persuade the Government to commit to same-sex marriage; lobbied the Commonwealth to call for LGBT human rights; and successfully campaigned for an end to the blanket, lifetime ban on gay blood donors. Kindly, Mr Tatchell has accepted our apology. "I am not much fussed by my omission," he said. "It is pleasing to see many previously little-known and unsung LGBT people on the list." Nonetheless, Peter, we are sorry.

The Independent On Sunday.
They then proceed to print some of the most boring letters ever sent;
"Great to see the Pink List again, but why no Hope Powell? She took the England women's football team to the World Cup finals, and has just been appointed to lead the Great Britain women's team to the Olympics... rather influential, I'd think."
It's what we were all thinking.
Jolly hockey sticks!

• Painting of Peter by Vince Laws.

Peter Tatchell: A National Treasure?

"It's a rare day indeed when we find ourselves in agreement with the Daily Mail, but we did so in the case of Peter Tatchell. Last year, having spent years vilifying the human rights activist and all his works, the paper conceded that he was more good than bad and labelled him, for sheer staying power if nothing else, a national treasure. We agree. Most agree. And thus there was widespread surprise to see that there was no mention at all of Tatchell on the Independent on Sunday's Pink List 2011. It is, after all, a list of the "101 most influential gay and lesbian people in Britain today". A strange omission. True, there was no place for Brian Paddick, or the author Sarah Waters, but with Tatchell having claimed seventh place last year, his absence took some explaining. And so we asked around, not least because he was none the wiser, and we discovered that a deliberate decision was taken by the judges to leave him off the list. Instead he was to be given the accolade – along with Stephen Fry and Sandi Toksvig – of "national treasure". But then something went wrong, something distinctly low-tech; the Post-it note with his name was shuffled into an incorrect pile and nobody noticed until it was too late. Oh well. "I am not much fussed," Tatchell says, when we explain. "These lists are fairly arbitrary, and I am glad for those unsung gay people who have been recognised." And, unlike them, he has that glowing accolade from the Mail."

Hugh Muir's Diary, The Guardian.

The Daily Mail calling Peter Tatchell a "national treasure" - imagine that!
You may have to.
Here's a piece by Hugh Muir in The Guardian last year Peter Tatchell: the reluctant national treasure.
But there Muir appears to be "consulting" a piece from The Guardian five years ago, which asked titularly (and rhetorically); Is Peter Tatchell a national treasure?
Reading that you realise the words "national treasure" are The Guardian's, not the Mail's.
Here's The Daily Mail piece that Hugh Muir refers to in today's Diary; He's been beaten by Mugabe's thugs and Russian Nazis: Is Peter Tatchell the bravest man in Britain?
Ironically it's one of the few recent profiles of Peter Tatchell that doesn't call him a "national treasure".
To my knowledge the Mail never has.
But let me know if you find one.

• Peter Tatchell has written an obituary of Rose Robertson - founder of the lesbian and gay counselling service Parents Enquiry - in today's Guardian.

• Donate to the Peter Tatchell Human Rights Fund.

The IoS Pink List 2011: It's Just A Bit Of Fun, But Please Write In...

The votes are in!
The people have spoken!
The judges have ignored them!
This year's Independent On Sunday Pink List is as bafflingly random as ever.
A leader column acknowledges this; "It was never supposed to be a rival to the Nobel prizes. Its purpose was always to entertain, to inform and to celebrate the contribution to national life made by gay and lesbian citizens."
This year it has the veneer of democracy; they asked "readers to nominate the unsung heroes and heroines who make life as a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender person better – as well as the celebrities who make the world a more entertaining place."
It was good to see Elly Barnes (above), a teacher at Stoke Newington School, at number one.
Though the claim of her "eradicating homophobia in her school" by teaching about LGBT history sounds like ever such a slight exaggeration.
(And is nicked from a hyperbolic line in The Guardian).
But where were the other "unsung" community activists?
Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, MD of UK Black Pride (64), Paul Martin, chief executive of Manchester's Lesbian & Gay Foundation (74), Nick Partridge of the THT (81), and Jackie Crozier of Manchester Pride (87).
Is that it?
Quite bafflingly - particularly if this was put to a (kind of) popular vote - Peter Tatchell is not featured at all.
The disgraced Independent contributor Johann Hari was also noticable by his absence - I wonder why...
Most offensive inclusion? Lord John Browne.
Former boss at BP when they were polluting the Gulf of Mexico and killing their workers.
Walked into a lordship, told the government to lift the cap on tuition fees.
And being forced out the closet cause you lied to a court about how you met your boyfriend might be sad, but hardly makes someone a queer hero or (barf) "national treasure".
This year was the first Pink List to include bisexual and trans people.
An admirable move, of course, but it makes the list rather wonky.
Just as it's well-meaning that the list tries to get an equal number of lesbians and gay men, but as there are markedly less out lesbians with a public profile you end up with some inclusions that just look tokenistic and silly.
Like the "night editor of The Times in Scotland" (94) and "Britain's only Goth, lesbian, transsexual stand-up comedian" (96).
Well, good for them, but does anyone think they should be in this 101?
And does anyone really think Scott "Nice But Dim" Mills deserves to be in the top ten?
And what on Jupiter has Jessie J ever done to warrant being placed at number three?
And where the fuck was Bradley Manning - a British citizen and truly heroic and influential (gay) man.
Oh well, same time next year...

Independent On Sunday: From The Message Boards

"Britain in the pink?
"What total rubbish, and who, exactly did your poll talk to - probably the guilt-ridden loony left who are all over these pages espousing their 'minority rules' ideas.
"Try a poll of a month ago in the UK that was much clearer: Over 70% are against gay marriages and this incessant push from a loudmouthed minority. The vast majority are conservative (with a small c), family orientated heterosexual.
"No we don't support your ideas or their cause. Marriage is between a man and a woman, aimed to grow the human race. The disgusting, depraved lifestyles of gays should be put back in their closet.
"Don't employ them, don't invite them into your home (I don't and wouldn't) - and make sure they know they are in the minority and wrong, and out of step with 'normal' lifestyles.
"Don't like the comment, you gay lovers? It's called freedom of speech, and no, thankfully I don't live in p**f loving london, or UK, circa 2011."

"Pedrowe" - writing in response to an IoS editorial, Britain Is In The Pink, accompanying the Pink List 2011.
"The poll of a month ago" he cites was a Daily Mail fiction.
Strange a moderator let this comment through - though I kind of like seeing the thoughts of homophobes who are utterly nutty and hateful published.
Probably helps us and "the cause".
And acts as a reminder that everything in the gay garden isn't rosy.