Friday, 3 July 2009

Peter Tatchell is right about gay marriage and Gordo

More common sense from the intelligent, charismatic and staunch left-libertarian Peter Tatchell. In the Grauniad, he takes a few pot shots at Gordon Brown for his poor show on gay rights and how he has blocked efforts at improving equality vis a vis civil ceremonies.

Tatchell is staunchly in favour of gay marriage and he remains perplexed and unhappy at Brown's unwillingness to liberalise the laws and bring a halt to what he calls 'apartheid' in the system. Namely that heterosexuals cannot have civil partnerships and gays can't get married and enjoy the same benefits as straight married couples.

In my old fascist Mail reading days as a youngster, I despised Tatchell and his lobbying on behalf of Stonewall and gay rights. Now I realise the ridiculous and despicable error of my ways, for tolerance and open-mindedness is critical and it is entirely down to the individual what life they choose. Who am I or anyone else to judge?

There is no logical position against Tatchell's case. And indeed he is right - Labour have been poor on this matter, and I believe it is because they don't want to rock the boat. I would call this gutless politics, and it is totally in keeping with the soulless Machiavellian nature of our piss poor excuse of a PM.

Tatchell is one of the best advocates of left Libertarianism out there, and I have absolutely no problem with any of his campaigns, human rights or otherwise. The man doesn't exercise double standards like many other lefties. He is principled and consistent, and that makes all the difference.

Any sturdy position against state control is, for me, worth defending and worth fighting for.

Bring on The Tatch.

3 comments:

Henry North London said...

Perhaps we should get him to join LPUK....

John Demetriou said...

It'd make perfect sense. He's been a life long Labour supporter, but I think those days are long gone.

He'd be perfect in the LPUK. Come to think of it, he'd be perfect FOR the LPUK, as I think we need more left Libs to balance things out a bit more and get those views out there.

aljahom said...

"Machiavellian nature of our piss poor excuse of a PM."

I think you're wrong about this. I read The Prince recently, and I don't think Brown is Machiavellian. I think that, outside the bounds of his party, he actively rejects such a forthright and pragmatic approach.

Also, on Tatchell, whatever else he is, he's a lefty and that makes him my sworn enemy, irrespective of his apparent libertarianism.

AJ