...to froth at this homophobic "Conference" being allowed to tour the UK?

[Bossybritches22]

OK re-posted from a less busy section but advised to post here as it'll get more reaction/support, my first AIBU so be gentle with me!

I'm so <img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Sad" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/build/assets/sad-q5SIe0Cq.png"> and cross I can hardly type, but here's the gist. 

<a class="break-all" href="http://www.humanism.org.uk/news/view/973" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How can this happen in London 2012??</a>

It slipped under the radar as the press didn't get hold of it until after 9am yesterday and the "conference" was scheduled for yesterday afternoon and evening. It has been touring the UK I'm trying to find out where it is going next.

 They believe being gay is a malignancy and can be "cured"

I believe in the past US churches have been banned from coming here and spreading their bigotry  so should this one have been?

It has been pointed out to me that some of the exisiting churches in the UK are just as homophobic, in their own way.However I do think, gradually, there are more that are accepting of gay church members, I know we have a long way to go yet but tolerating this particular brand is particularly abhorrent to me. 
Thanks for reading this.

Whatmeworry Sun 29-Jan-12 10:06:07

And can all this bollocks about free speech please stop

It's the most important right we have.

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Notfluffy, I don't think you're wrong to limit this discussion to gay people. We get absolutely nowhere by constantly refusing to talk about one minority group by always bringing in the issues of another minority group, and I'm aware that I've derailed this thread a little.

This issue with the church event is undeniably about gay people. I just don't think it helps to build support for gay people (or anyone) by saying that X minority group wouldn't be treated in Y way, because they very often are treated with similar levels of contempt.

I don't know how we do build support; I suppose we have to look at our own lives and how we've come to a position of supporting things more. With homosexuality, my feelings of support from it derive from the fact that my own children could grow up to be gay, and how would I feel if they were treated negatively because of it, and what kind of discrimination would they want to put up with. I also think supporting it comes from understanding that the situation for all women, regardless of sexuality, is better in a world with less homophobia because homophobia is so interlinked with gender stereotypes and oppression or misrepresentation or control of women's sexuality in general. That is why the law is framed in such a way as to deal with homophobia regardless of whether or not the victim is gay, because homophobia is often a way of forcing boys into a gender stereotype.

But attempts to appeal solely to people's inherent goodness and sense of justice don't always get far; I suppose because many people have compassion fatigue.

Will people stop fucking quoting me out of context, it's doing my head in!

That was directed at OldMumsy

Free speech.
It's the most important right we have.
Is that right?? notfluffy? I had hoped so.

Canon Chris Sugden Church of England supports this group, this is not just an American view point it. The Church of England should condem his actions

See back of leaflet
www.core-issues.org/uploads/TLAUmike_webpdf%2811%29%20Adapted%20Dec%2019.pdf

Will people stop fucking quoting me out of context, it's doing my head in!

So you do support free speech then, do you?

"And to the people who go on about being Bi, realise that most of us have a degree of sexual ambivalence and stop dining out on your 'unusualness', you aren't."

Oh fuck off with the typical biphobic comments. No-one here is "dining out". If you can't mention your sexuality in a thread about gay rights, when can you mention it?

Oh why that FUCK is it ok to be horrible about bisexual people? It really fucking grates. Where did ANYONE say they thought they were unusual? When I say I'm bisexual it's just a statement of fact - I honestly couldn't give a flying fuck if everyone else is bi too - in fact, it would make my life 100% easier if they were.

So much bloody prejudice in this country.

It's discriminatory to disallow gay people from getting married if they so wish. For one thing there are plenty of gay Christians who'd like the option of a church wedding.

"what's wrong with a Civil Partnership as opposed to a Marriage"

Why do so many threads get so bitchy?

notfluffyatall :"I am 100% behind freedom of speech, I can't make that clear enough. What we do need to do in this country though, is make it clear to groups like this one that their views are unacceptable, make it an unsuitable environment for them to sell (cos that's what they're doing) their woo. I said some of the stuff that was being said about freedom of speech was bollocks. I will repeat, as part of our right to freedom of speech we need to ensure we do not tolerate intolerance, freedom of speech does not come without responsibilities."

Do you not see the innate contradiction in what you write here?

"I am behind freedom of speech.... we need to ..make it clear their their views are unacceptable.... we do not tolerate intolerance".

So you are behind freedom of speech - as long as people do not express viewpoints which you find unpleasant/uncomforable and/or diasagree with? There is no freedom of speech at all, if those who disagree with you should not be allowed to freely express their views. "Tolerance" only really has meaning through our refusal to silence views that we strongly disagree with; that is the real testif tolerance.

In 1691, the French theologian Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet boasted that Catholicism was the least tolerant of all religions, stating: ?I have the right to persecute you because I am right and you are wrong.? Isn't this what you are saying, in effect? ("make it clear to groups like this one that their views are unacceptable ")

John Stuart Mill, in his essay "On Liberty", argued that in an uncertain world refusal to tolerate ?pernicious? views means assuming that one possesses the authority of ?infallibility?: ?To refuse a hearing to an opinion, because they are sure that it is false, is to assume that their certainty is the same thing as absolute certainty. All silencing of discussion is an assumption of infallibility.?

He also insisted that intolerance of a false belief is itself an evil. ?We can never be sure that the opinion we are endeavouring to stifle is a false opinion and even if we were sure, stifling it would be an evil still?.

Brad you will confuse them with logic!

Superb posy bradbourne

post even

bradbourne

Really good post, but I meant it when I said I give up, and now the nasty bitching's started I'm having nothing to do with this thread.

See you on another thread maybe

Where have I said I'm NOT normal? Find me one sentence which suggests I think I'm anything but.

I would bloody love to just be able to say how I feel about my sexuality without being abused for it.

What I am saying Yellow is that you are pretty normal, we are all a mix of sexuality, just most of us dont go on about it.

Yes I know I'm normal.

I'm not going on about it. I mentioned it because it was relevant to the thread. Can you show me exactly where I've said that I'm something special? Or where I've "gone on about" it?

It's quite weird that every time bisexuality is mentioned, someone always manages to jump down my throat and say exactly what you're saying. As if I'm not allowed to mention my sexuality.

Would you say the same to a gay person who mentioned their sexuality?

I dont care about your sexuality, and you should not care about mine either. I am not jumping down your throat but I am saying you are not a fucking special case.

And no I don't care about the gay persons sexuality either if it has no relevance to the subject.

And I'm asking you where I said I was special.

And it does have relevance, clearly, we're discussing LGBT rights.

No we were talking about limiting freedom of speech. Even if you don't like it.