MBE for homophobe who blames hurricanes on gay people

[Pangurban]

www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/mbe-for-former-dup-mayor-who-said-hurricane-katrina-was-gods-revenge-for-a-gay-parade-30878194.html

AIBU to think that whatever weight you give to an MBE, it is a state award and may give more overall credibility to the recipient in some people's view. Is it a bit iffy to give it to people who proclaim such hateful things?

If it given for a specific endeavour or achievement, should anything else be looked at? Does it provide a veneer of state sanction to the person and their opinions as a whole?

[Petradreaming]

This outraged a lot of people and is an astoundingly stupid thing to have happened. Though if the press is to believed many people in the 'establishment' knew of savilles activities prior to him being knighted. It is very odd.

[Chiggers]

That man needs to be educated about climate and weather. To come off with a stupid comment like that shows his lack of knowledge about weather cycles. I've come across a lot of religious homophobes, but I usually ask them "What do gays lack that makes you so perfect and so much better?" They can't normally answer that without looking stupid and up their own arse. People (not everyone) generally do judge others and when religion is thrown in there as well, it tends to make people more judgemental about other's lifestyles.

Being gay is not a choice, just like being born male/female is not a choice. Yes, acting on gay impulses is a choice, but the fundamental feelings of being gay have a natural basis. There are studies in the animal kingdom that show that male animals will demonstrate homosexual tendencies by relieving their sexual urges with other males, if there are no females in the group. This doesn't apply to all male animals, only some, but if being gay can be found in animals, then it stands to reason that the same can be applied to humans and is totally natural.

People should be rewarded for their services, by all means, but there should be a condition that if they make racist/homophobic/religiously bigoted comments etc, then they can have that reward taken off them.

[Older]

That's appalling. He should have been excluded on the basis of those remarks alone.

[Catsize]

And there was me, as a gay woman, thinking I had great powers over weather.
We had torrential rain and floods on my daughter's christening day. Had we not had glorious sunshine for her brother's christening two years earlier, I would have put this down to God protesting about gay people having children.
Because God has nothing better to do.
And I am a very very important gay influence on metereological phenomena.

[Patrickstarxx]

My cousin had dead birds posted in his letterbox because he was gay by religious lunatics.
He moved to London eventually through fear..

[JeanSeberg]

Is there a petition against this somewhere that we can sign?

[OhBuggeringBollocks]

It never ceases to amaze me that some people feel it perfectly acceptable to criticize others for who they fancy, love and want to have sex with.

It doesn't affect anyone but the immediate participants. Why would I care if my neighbour is gay, bi, asexual? It makes no difference to my life!

And that's aside from the dreadful lack of equality for non standard hetrosexual couples.

This man is clearly an idiot, and least he is quite open about being an idiot so people know to avoid and ignore him. Oh and also award him with an MBE

[MaidOfStars]

On the off chance that such things make a difference:

Petition at Change.org

[JeanSeberg]

Thanks, Maid.

[Chiggers]

Thanks Maid. Have signed the petition for award retraction. Hopefully he'll soon see that ignorant, uneducated homophobic comments will not be brushed off any more.

[BackOnlyBriefly]

Signed. If an MBE is about contributions to society then he has made a negative contribution.

At the very least signing sends the message that this is not acceptable.

[Enormouse]

Have also signed.

[ithoughtofitfirst]

Signed.

Fucking outrageous.

[Older]

Also signed

[Toooldtobearsed]

Signed

[Chiggers]

Bump

[pointythings]

Signed. It'll probably make no difference, but it needs to be said.

[uglyswan]

signed. Thanks, Maid.

[ifitsnotanarse]

Was wondering if anyone else was outraged by this.

Signed and shared elsewhere.