I happened to speak with Roger Helmer this morning – the Tory MEP who started an internet row after suggesting homophobia “describes something which simply does not exist”.
Ian Dale has his say last night. But Helmer said this morning: “I’m not pretending that there is not any prejudice and discrimination towards homosexuals.
"No-one is pretending there is no abuse, intimidation and violence. I condemn violence against any minority group.
“My point is that a ‘phobia’ is an irrational fear – people who attack homosexuals don’t have a fear of them or they would run away from them instead of attacking them.”
He went on to explain that the term ‘homophobic’ implied someone had a psychological disorder – and was used wrongly against people who simply had conservative views on sexuality. Probably true.
The ‘conservative views’ he’s talking about in this instance are those about homosexuals and marriage – which he doesn’t think go together.
In fact, his original post was more pointed than his tone today would suggest. In the ensuing comments he made a rather stark allegory about homosexuals needing marriage like a scuba diver needs a parachute.
Helmer has a knack for getting on all sorts of people’s goat, including his own party leader.
At the last party conference he was centre of attention again after stories circulated about him being “banned” from attending a debate with UKIP leader Nigel Farage.
No doubt his most recent comments will leave Cameron grumbling about old guard Tories again.
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
Helmer defends himself
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5 comments:
Sorry, but did he state any untruths?
I happen to think he's right, unpopular as that might make me.
Anyone who is anyone should be allowed to get married if they want to - that what the freedom means that Helmer so strongly defends.
In his piece he talks about the views on mariage that have been held for centuries as if that was a reason not to change what marriage means.
People thought for centuries that the world was flat - but they were left behind by the progress of mankind and so will those who think only a man and woman can be married.
And here's me thinking the Christian definition of marriage was for purposes of procreation. Silly me.
Helmer is nasty right wing bigot. He supports nuclear energy hates gay and is euroskeptic he is just a knee jerk nationalist right wing wanker fuck off to Helmer.
The more you read about the Tories, the more you realise that the nice, warm, inclusive, hoodie hugging, black loving, gay loving imagge that Cameron portrays is just that....
.... an image.
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