UKIP rejected from the Pride in London 2015 parade 'to protect participants'

'The Independent'

Ukip has been banned from joining marchers at London’s world-famous gay pride parade to “ensure the event passes on safely and in the right spirit”.

Almost 2,400 people had signed an online petition to exclude the political party, calling Ukip “inherently homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, racist and misogynistic”.

It cited Nigel Farage’s comments on HIV treatment, the party’s opposition to same-sex marriage and other “controversial views” voiced by members.

Organisers of Pride in London, which will take place on 27 June, did not specifically mention the petition while announcing Ukip’s application to join was being turned down yesterday.

The Board of Directors said in a statement: “We appreciate many in our community have strongly held views about Ukip, their policies and comments, but is undeniable that there are LGBT+ members of Ukip, including their MEP for Scotland, and it is important to remember that Pride in London aims to be an inclusive event.”

The directors said they had “wrestled with the difficult issue” of whether to allow the application over several days, adding that the intention was to unite, rather than divide, people with an event that serves the whole community.

“This decision has been made after careful consultation in order to protect participants and ensure the event passes off safely and in the right spirit, it has not been made on a political basis,” a spokesperson added.

"Of paramount concern to us is the experience of all participants at Pride, most especially the position we would be putting our volunteer stewards in."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/pride-in-london-2015-ukip-rejected-from-prolgbt-parade-to-protect-participants-10301771.html

I find this astonishingly hypocritical. The essence of Pride is meant to be loving acceptance and tolerance, and here we are witnessing organisers rejecting those they find to be controversial and potentially divisive, regardless of their sexual orientation or intentions. How can they really justify this given they know the LGBT community have suffered this kind of unfair discrimination for generations? Rejection like this is the polar opposite of what the Pride event supposedly stands for.

What do you guys think?

Reply 1

MatureStudent36

Original post by Reluire

So those on the left complain that UKIP is homophobic and then get upset when they demo tartar that they're not?

Reply 2

Everglow

Original post by MatureStudent36

So those on the left complain that UKIP is homophobic and then get upset when they demo tartar that they're not?

I see myself on the left but think this is totally wrong. There's no fair reason to ban UKIP from taking part in the parade if they have pro-gay rights advocates, which they clearly do.

Reply 3

capitalismstinks

I thought human rights act protected such beliefs.

I have been predicting the social justice movement would cannnabilise itself and it appears as if it is starting to happen.

Social justice movement only tolerates a certain kind of gay person, black person, minority person, female person etc etc.

Social justice movement has no time for the people it pretends to defend. It's a Marxist political movement which is about politics and nothing else.

Gay and right wing? Then expect to be executed by social justice warriors like Dutch MP Pim Fortuyn was.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 4

futbol

We should have been allowed to tell the priders what we thought of their behaviour. Freedom of speech is dead.

Reply 5

PoliteDemon

But when you consider what some of their members have said about gay people, can you blame them? I wouldn't want them at Pride. Most LGBT people I know wouldn't want them at Pride either. They're unwelcome, so why should they participate?

Reply 6

thunder_chunky

Original post by futbol

We should have been allowed to tell the priders what we thought of their behaviour. Freedom of speech is dead.

Why, what is your opinion on that?

Reply 7

Everglow

Original post by PoliteDemon

You can't generalise a whole social group by the words said by a few. It's like labelling Muslims as extremists or Ukippers as racist. Sure there's some anti-gay members of UKIP, but I think the same could be said about the Tories. Just because one member of UKIP said gay people caused the floods a year or two back, that doesn't mean all of UKIP believes that. In fact, Farage and many UKIP members distanced themselves as far from that kind of claim as possible. I don't like Farage, nor do I support UKIP, but I think this is a blatant act of discrimination against those who hold particular political beliefs, regardless of whether they're pro-gay rights or not. How is that remotely fair? Pride events don't interest me, but if they did, I would be happy to see any groups in the mainstream media promoting gay rights. That's what Pride is about - surely?

Reply 8

PoliteDemon

Well, I may be biased- I don't believe that any political parties should be at Pride. But right wing parties especially, since they seem to be the ones who are still homophobic. However, you were right in saying that I shouldn't generalize. It's just that I would be distrustful of anyone who supports a party like UKIP. This is just my personal opinion, and obviously I can't speak for everyone.

Reply 9

Drewski

Original post by PoliteDemon

Once upon a time the armed forces and the police force were outspoken in their opposition to the LGBT community. Indeed, they often used force to get rid of members they suspected of being part of that community.

In recent years that's changed and those organisations are huge supporters of pride events.

Why is it that UKIP are different? Don't you think them being included in such an event would help their members understand why they were wrong? Don't you think banning them will only further alienate them?

Reply 10

PoliteDemon

Did you not read my other comment? And in regards to the police and armed forces- that was years ago. The UKIP comments were in the past few years.

Reply 11

KimKallstrom

If anything, it should be Labour Party members being banned for encouraging people to come into the UK who'd love nothing more than to execute gay people.

Reply 12

joey11223

Original post by PoliteDemon

Did you not read my other comment? And in regards to the police and armed forces- that was years ago. The UKIP comments were in the past few years.

To true, ban UKIP.

But remember to ban LGBT folks from a new straight and proud march we'll hold, after all there is some quite disturbing hatred of the "white cis-male". I mean maybe it's 0.1% of the LGBT but as I always say, it's safest to generalize.

The amusing thing is they;d likely welcome the Tories, they really think many Tory backbenchers don't share the exact same views as UKIP MP's? The only difference is they know better not to air their views in public. Though don't quite know what folks expect Nigel Farage to do, he's thrown out any MP who's ended up being caught saying such things, can't really say the same for the Tories/Labour, and I do wonder if some of those suspended pending investigation quietly step back into the fold...

(btw I actually voted labour so don't think I support UKIP lol)