Comments on: Britian’s Gays Go Conservative

By: Latestarter

Latestarter — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:32:06 +0000

I too would be sceptical of these figures.

Many gay people in the UK are still deeply suspicious of the Conservative Party’s line on gay issues.

David Cameron may represent the more forward looking views of ‘new tories’, but there is a significant proportion of ‘old tories’ in the party who have ingrained anti-gay views.

At the large London Pride parade there were groups from both the Labour and LibDem parties, but no Conservative group, and the single Conservative speaker at the after-rally was reputedly booed.

By: Helen in Ireland

Helen in Ireland — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:33:57 +0000

Please take careful note – during the recent European Parliamentary elections, the Conservative Party was seen to align itself to various right-wing parties that included those with noted racist and anti-gay biases. They included the Polish Law and Justice Party, headed by the controversial Kaczynski twins.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/racists-may-plague-tory-europe-group-1710729.html

So, wolves in sheep clothing?

By: Terence

Terence — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:55:52 +0000

Careful in taking this poll at face value. (The op-ed was written by a prominent Conservative spokesman). As for the ‘reputable’ poll, the only such poll I have seen reported here in the UK was not a scientific sample, but was selected from a ‘network group’ begun by a Conservative member. Not all members of the group are Conservatives, but one would expect that in any network group, the early members will cast a definite bias over the later membership. The claimed 38% support from gay men is in any case unremarkable – it is pretty close to national Tory support by all men, in spite of the biased sample.

The larger point, though, is sound. There is no longer any political mileage to be made in arguing against gay rights, which are now clearly endorsed by all THREE (not two) major parties.

It should also be noted that for years, London Pride parade has included groups from all branches of the armed services marching in military uniform – as it did this past week. A far cry from DADT.

By: tavdy79

tavdy79 — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:04:00 +0000

Don’t get too excited over those figures. A lot of gays are planning to vote Tory because they’re no longer any worse than Labour on gay issues, and are less distasteful on most of the rest. In the UK we don’t generally vote for who we want in power, but for who we least dislike.

Labour could actually win back gay support if they manage to do three things: get rid of the Blairite/Brownite contingent, replace civil partnerships with full marriage equality, and pass the Single Equality Bill, which would extend employment protections to include the trans community. Unfortunately only the last of these is likely.

The legalisation of gay marriage in ME, VT, NH, CT and IA in the US, and in SE and NO in Europe, has reopened the debate in the UK. Public support is at over 60%, however Brown seems to be ignoring it (probably doesn’t help that the loudest voice is the increasingly-popular Peter Tatchell) and that isn’t going down well with LGBTs and allies. It’s a situation remarkably similar to DADT in the US – 60% public support for repeal, yet the senior pols aren’t giving it much support.

Similarly Brown is refusing to leave office despite even some senior Labour pols calling for his resignation. Once he becomes a liability for enough backbenchers he may be forced out a la Thatcher after the poll tax riots, but that doesn’t yet seems to be happening. It would appear that ignoring public opinion is infectious…

By: Elisabeth

Elisabeth — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:50:46 +0000

Like the previous poster said, the obvious reason is because the Labour government has placed more emphasis on appeasing conservative Muslims while in power than really pushing for LGBT rights. Most of the rights I would say are resultant from UK compliance with the European Court of Human Rights rather than real political will.

I have seen the same phenomenon in The Netherlands where many of my fellow lesbians now vote for more conservative parties, which would have been unthinkable a decade back. People just do not trust parties which claim to be progressive but ally themselves with the most conservative elements of our society.

By: Lucrece

Lucrece — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 03:46:33 +0000

It’s no surprise. The Conservative party is the only party taking a stand against so-called “multi-culturalism”, aka look the other way as its many Muslim immigrants spit on the face of assimilation and comprise a large portion of gay bashings in most progressive countries that take them.

By: cd

cd — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 03:45:12 +0000

It took about four years for Democrats to catch up with their voters and clear out some loud problematic politicians in their upper ranks.

The Republicans also need to catch up with a lot of their voters and clear out some loud problematic politicians. Could well take a similar amount of time.

By: Emily K

Emily K — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 03:32:05 +0000

Good point, Burr.

All these parties have ideas that are just fine n’ dandy, but in the end, humans are the ones controlling the parties, and human beings are by nature selfish and corrupt. the Libs and Minarchists have cute party ideals but they place a faith in human responsibility that I will never achieve. This is only my view, of course, as a part of the single-member Cynicist Sarcasmican Party.

By: Burr

Burr — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 02:28:59 +0000

If only the LP hadn’t decided to burn some bridges by nominating DOMA architect Bob Barr.. :P

By: Pomo

Pomo — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 02:11:34 +0000

Now if only America could get past the two party system and gay people who are politically conservative and believe in small government would realize that the LIBERTARIAN party has been pro-gay long before the democrats ever were!