Football: Shaw Thing

But why did you have to clarify? And why is it headline news that two footballers are gay? Blah blah blah... Role models are important... To have two openly gay footballers in the Premier League would send a powerful message.... Blah blah blah...

Ruth Hunt, head honcho at Stonewall, Independent Voices.

If loads of people are tweeting that he's gay, what's wrong with him gently pointing out that he's not?

With a peace sign and a smiley face!

The article ends with a plug for Stonewall's 'campaign to combat homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in sport'. 

'Over the last two years we’ve sent a pair of Rainbow Laces to every professional footballer in the country and encouraged them to lace up and tackle the problem once and for all.'

Take that homophobia in sport!

Ah well, at least she didn't say 'IT'S THE LAST TABOO!!!'

PS 'My only concern is that this doesn’t cause a bit of a witch-hunt. On social media, people are already starting to guess who they think it is. 

'I can’t help but feel this is testing the water to see what the media and public reaction is to this story, which may inform the players whether or not they think coming out is a good idea at this time.' 

Ed Connell, chair of GFSN [Gay Football Supporters Network], quoted in The Telegraph.

Yup.

Stonewall Awards: Best Bye (Geddit?)

Stonewall hosts its final annual awards ceremony next month, and is marking the occasion by celebrating 10 years of achievements of lesbian, gay and bi people and their allies...

Stonewall Chief Executive Ruth Hunt said: ‘We’ve been on an incredible journey since we launched our awards. Ten years ago, a peck on the lips between two men on TV would have caused uproar, and books featuring lesbian characters rarely made the best-seller list. And this was one of the only award ceremonies to celebrate the achievements of the lesbian, gay and bi community. That simply isn’t the case today, and ceremonies and awards that recognise the success and diversity of our wonderful community have blossomed.

‘We have therefore decided that now is the time for us to step back, making this year’s awards the final Stonewall Awards. But there is still a long way to go. Greater diversity of LGBT people is absolutely essential and the power of this should not be underestimated. Having a richer and more varied range of role models means that everyone, no matter what their religion, ethnicity, age, background or identity, can see themselves positively represented. And this ensures that every person, wherever they are, knows they are not alone, and that they don’t have to hide. Watch this space for something new next year, which will reflects all our communities and brings people from across those communities together.’ ...

Stonewall.

Good, bye.

There are far too many stupid sodding LGBT awards these days, it's all rather silly and pointless (and all too often tokenistic and fixed).

And they never give me one!

Especially this totes ridic rainbow-coloured shitstorm.

PS Might bring back the Fagburn Worst Awards this year, though.

Ruth Hunt: #hashtag

“We have now bred a generation of campaigners who think hashtag bring back our girls, hashtag boycott, is in some way contributing to that social movement internationally, but it isn’t always the most helpful way of going about things..."

Stonewall's new CEO, Ruth Hunt, is interviewed in The Guardian after six months in the job.

She also talks about the trans thing, schools, her catholicism, and Ben Summerskill...

#Stonewall hashtag etc etc

PS An interesting Guardian interview from last year where Ruth says LGBT campaigning should aspire to be more than taking selfies outside London's foreign embassies while going 'Boo!.

Fagburn wonders if she had anyone in mind?

Ruth Hunt: Practising Catholic

The Independent.

Stonewall statement.

Stonewall are now going to do more with the tranny community, The Guardian reports [Subs, is this okay?]

Update: Interview with The Independent.

The quote the media liked best...

“Nicky Morgan wrote to me this week saying she was very keen to tackle homophobic bullying in schools, and there’s a very real commitment to shifting attitudes in schools/

“I think the next step is about going into preschools. We need to encourage [under-fives] to think about different families. Loads of kids these days have two mums or two dads – or at least gay uncles and aunts...

“The most important thing is that it’s all age appropriate, but we grew up reading Cinderella and that didn’t turn me into a blatant heterosexual, so we need to just chill out a bit, don’t we? Banning books is never the way. There’s no evidence whatsoever that you can make anyone gay.”

Pink News: Vs Stonewall (Cont).

Pink News.

May you never advance a reasoned argument again, lady!

Hey, I posted a selfie of ME to go BOO to the Sultan of Brunei!

That's activism, yah.

They pretend to be angry, but can only express hegemony.

Quixotic, much?

Why did the gay media not complain about this connection before?

Do they complain about The Savoy?

That's owned by a billionaire beheading-loving Saudi prince.

They have a [theoretical] death penalty for sodomy, too.

Or what about those nice people who own The Ritz?

Why have they never mentioned this?

If it's suddenly so important to find an ethical five star London hotel to hold a swanky posh fundraising do.

Newsflash: You may search in vain for one.

Boo to those who want to think about complex arguments - which you must ignore - and who want to try and concentrate on doing things that might actually change things.

x

PS No 'gays' are going to be executed - get a grip!

Brunei: Star Wars 2

The celebrity boycott of Dorchester hotels over anti-gay laws in Brunei will be ineffective and “most rewarding to the individuals taking part”, the charity Stonewall has claimed.

Stephen Fry, Richard Branson and several A-list US stars have forsaken the luxury chain over its ties to the Sultan of Brunei, who plans to make homosexuality punishable in his country with death by stoning.

But they will not be joined by Stonewall, the gay, lesbian and bisexual rights charity, because it risks “turning the issue into a battle between gay people and the Sultan”.

Writing in The Telegraph Ruth Hunt, the charity’s chief executive, described the Sultan’s plans to introduce a strict Sharia code in his country as “an abomination” but said the charity would “only implement actions that we can calculate will have an impact”.

She said: “We’re renowned for our pragmatism and our belief that talking is usually more effective than protests – however satisfying protests may be, in the short term they’re often most rewarding to the individuals taking part.

“The crucial questions for Stonewall are whether there is a mandate for the boycott and would such a boycott work? We believe the answer is no, on both counts.”

The Dorchester Collection is owned by the Brunei Investment Agency and comprises 10 properties including the Beverly Hills Hotel, Hotel Bel-Air, and The Dorchester in London.

But Ms Hunt questioned the logic of targeting the hotel group, saying it was doubtful what influence Christopher Cowdray, its “somewhat beleaguered” chief executive, could realistically have on Brunei’s legal system.

“By turning the issue into a battle between gay people and the Sultan… we limit the opportunity for dialogue and put the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people of Brunei at far greater risk,” she said.

Stonewall prefers to encourage change by working with groups such as the Dorchester Collection to ensure all their employees have fundamental rights at work, while supporting human rights groups with their work around the world, she added.

“The change we’ve seen here in the UK did not happen because of boycotts. It happened because a constellation of campaigners, individuals and companies committed changing the country.”

Daily Telegraph. 

Well said - couldn't have put it better my own fantastic self.

Though Scott Long has - here he is on how many have got it wrong about Brunei and boycotts. 

Now I'm not a professional psychic, but something tells Fagburn all Teh Gays who prefer knee-jerk self-serving posturing, media stunts and celebactivism to rational and effective campaigning won't like this one bit.

Maybe we should concentrate on things that might actually affect change, not just silly stuff that makes us feel good?

PS Admittedly, I'll look pretty silly if it turns out the Dorchester group are a major Stonewall donor. 

They're not are they...

Mirror: Timeline

Have to say this fing in the Mirror is pretty well done.

Apart from the fucking photo of some more disembodied gay hands at the top.

Makes a nice change from the usual 'hopeless posh straight intern has a quick Google'.

Tom Parry - Fagburn salutes you!

PS See also Ruth Hunt in the Sunday Mirror - apparently now no longer acting CEO of Stonewall - on why there is still much to be done.