Simon Callow article in The Times

*See the provocative arguments in The Right to Sex

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1526612534/?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

God Talcum X is such a horrible person. I suspect he gets a lot of his Patreon funding via this kind of thing and that’s why he’s so incredibly invested in it.

Aren't we on Section 31 now?

Section 28; prosecute anything which discusses “promoted homosexuality”.
2014 Section 29; erase homosexuality, change lesbian spaces to mixed-sex or shut them down

2018 Section 30; deplatform homosexuals, cancel people defending homosexuals
2020 Section 31; roll out across public bodies continues

Thank you Simon Callow you beautiful creature. God it feels pathetic to feel so grateful for any bit of public support.

Typical OJ - ignores the arguments and goes straight for playyground jibes.

He simply does not have a clue what politics was like in the 80s, there were no corporate sponsored charities backing those who fought section 28, no posturing on twitter, no huffing about 'no debate'.

There’s a long and tragic history of members of minorities who’ve won greater acceptance kicking their ladder from beneath them.

What a bloody horrible thing to say. Silly man.

Great actor and a man with integrity.
I love how he recognises the women's rights aspect.
A totally good egg.
Bravo.

Stonewall kicked out the ladder for gay kids and fired toolkits at their educators, youth groups and online forums to put pressure on young gay people to transition

There’s a long and tragic history of members of minorities who’ve won greater acceptance kicking their ladder from beneath them.

Really? Does he have some examples in mind.

In this case I'd say it's the people on the ladder trying to stop it being dismantled while they're still on it.

Christ almighty but talcum X gives me utter rage every bloody time.

Stonewall kicked their ladder from beneath them in 2014/15 ; a long and tragic 6 years for LGB kids

^There’s a long and tragic history of members of minorities who’ve won greater acceptance kicking their ladder from beneath them.

That’s what Simon Callow is doing, and it’s grim.

As this thread shows, the onslaught against trans people mirrors the onslaught against gay people^

Owen Jones

The Independent have already nicked in

www.independent.co.uk/celebrity-news/simon-callow-stonewall-transgender-b1908390.html

Stonewall - We are working towards a world in which all lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer people are able to thrive as themselves.

Excepting all the female ones, and all the homosexual ones. Nice little sound bite, but pants on fire over there.

Bravo Mr Callow. It's very good to hear someone who did such work against section 28, at a time when for an actor to be publicly out was the kind of same risk women take these days to publicly stand up for women's rights, speak out and make clear: no it is not the same. At all. In fact it's yet more sounds jolly nice but pants on fire.

Good man. That was wonderful to see I really appreciate that he's made the point about women's rights (& spaces) alongside his (presumably more personal) concerns about the homophobia.

[Did everyone else hear his voice as you read the quotes? ]

Hear, hear, Nonny.

This bit sums up the difference in approach. The liberal stance on how social change should take place. It is such a loss to us that this has stopped being the majority opinion (or so it appears). It was such a rare thing if you think historically and globally, we should have treasured it and passed it down the generations more effectively.

"I shouldn’t have to fear in that way,” he said. “This is just tyranny and that’s what we’ve fought against all our lives, people saying, ‘this cannot be discussed’. Yes, it can be discussed. Everything can be discussed. I’ve always been perfectly prepared to discuss homosexuality with anyone on reasonable terms. I can form a conclusion about a person’s attitudes but I don’t for one second think they shouldn’t have them.”

Callow has written for index on censorship magazine so it's obviously something he considers important.

Bravebananabadge
i wonder if this is part of a wider promo interview as I'm not a fan of editor's extracting comments like this for a stand alone story, always seems like a bit of a 'gotcha' - although Callow knows how the game is played I suppose, and it really does bring sunlight in.
I agree and it's a worry that people answer one question honestly, and then the article is "man has opinions on controversial issue" rather than "man has show on fringe". But I think post jkr they must know what will happen if they even put a toe in that water. I seem to remember grayson Perry saying basically "I'm not going there" but then that was the storey!

Well done to him anyway. Much needed and good to see.

Shame it’s just in the Scottish edition - the Times should run it nationally, as it’s relevant across the whole UK

I would put good money on it being followed up by other outlets like the Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph. And I bet there'll be at least one columnist writing about it.

It's courageous of Simon Callow to speak out.

As Sex Matters says, it should take courageous to have conversations about topics that affect so many people.

Fantastic to read this.

The gender zealots demand respect for their endless gender identities but refuse to respect homosexuality and bisexuality. I am biSEXual and not ashamed of my attraction to both sexes. Leave my sexuality alone you fuckers! Get your own bloody words instead of changing ours!

Hear, hear!

It's great to see Simon Callow speak out.

Extremely well said- especially the bit about women's rights.

When it impinges on women’s rights, hard-won women’s rights, the right to exclusive spaces for women, away from any threat at all — I think that’s a very serious issue.

Thank you Simon Callow. Yes, it is serious. And it's not as complex as you think. Because it's built on a house of cards.

It's interesting that there are a lot of gay men who are recognising the problems.

I wonder if it's because they now see Stonewall as a main player and being against gay rights, rather than representing them.

It doesn't get more undermining than to tell homosexual men or woman, that their orientation must now include the opposite sex, whilst simultaneously pretending that you are advocating for gay rights. And then claiming the moral high ground as Nonny and FindtheTruth have said.

The hypocrisy is a real mindfuck.

A reason to love him more.

Thanks, Simon.