Canterbury Gay Pride 11 June
pirate | 28.05.2005 11:19 | Social Struggles | South Coast | World
The city of Canterbury,Kent (darkest Toryland) is to see it's first ever Gay pride event. (The 1st such 'open' one in Kent.
A gay pub in Maidstone held an 'in house' version a couple of years ago but this is the first really visible one...
A gay pub in Maidstone held an 'in house' version a couple of years ago but this is the first really visible one...
Link to the Pride in Canterbury website- click thru
to info and to download a poster...
![](/img/extlink.gif)
Canterbury is the sprititual home of the homophobic Church
of England and the Feafdom of an Arch homophobe MP- Tory
Julian Brazier.
Nearby 'phobe MP's (Tory) include- Roger Gale:Thanet North
Anne Widdecombe:Maidstone and soontobe binned Tory leader
Micheal Howard: Folkestone.
Basic details: Assemble 1200 Westgate Gdns,Ctby (near Ctby
West rail station) Parade via city centre 1230 to the
Dane John Gdns for picnic etc in the park from about
1.30pm to 5pm. (Dane John-right next to Ctby East rail
station and bus station).
PLEASE COME ALONG AND SUPPORT THE LGBT PEOPLE OF KENT AND
SHOW THE BIGOTS WE ARE HERE AND NOT GOING TO GO AWAY !!
(Queeruption members and other radicals very welcome)
pirate
Comments
Hide the following 12 comments
Why
28.05.2005 14:51
It seems you are trying to infer there is a problem that does not exist. The majority of the gay and lesbien world here find these type of events somewhat passe.
Gay man in Tonbridge (near Canterbury)
Answer
28.05.2005 18:55
Smelly Scrote
" Those of us who are gay and live here do it without prejudice or problems."
28.05.2005 21:33
ftp
Not as it seems
29.05.2005 08:57
As a Gay man who has been out for 12 years and living in the South East of England with some time spent in Kent I must agree that the homophobia of old has gone. I face no discrimination and my partner neither.
alan
'We're ok Jack !!!
29.05.2005 13:37
So just because alan etc haven't had any trouble, others don't ?? Sounds like
snooty middle class complacency... (As does the comment about Pride being 'passe'.)
Those 100 calls are the tip of the iceberg. Many still don't report even quite serious
attacks due to their circumstances and fear of the police/courts. (I know, i've had
people tell me and though i've tried to get them to report it,they won't.)
The murder of a 'rent boy' in Thanet only last year was because the person concerned
didn't feel able to go to the police after being blackmailled.
Don't forget the murder of two gay men only a couple of years ago in Thanet.
Around the UK, attacks are and have been on the increase (over and above the numbers
reported).
Verbal abuse of gay people is still rife and can still hurt. 'Gay' is used in schools as
a term of abuse and in the street. I have been personally attacked in the last few
years (yes, I reported it and got the toe-rag put in jail) and still have verbal
abuse because i'm recognised as gay.
The subject is still not properly addressed in schools (along with sex ed in general)
particularly in Kent -though the County Council is beginning to see that there is a
problem.
I have friends who say they dont want to go to Canterbury because it's 'too close'
and dont want to be recognised. They'd rather go to 'Brighton or London etc where
no one knows them.
Why is it that the gay group at the Uni at Ctby seem to hide away
in a usually unmarked room every week ? They lost their termtime helpline, the only
Uni group in the UK to do so.
I don't suppose alan etc bother to lift a finger when they hear stories about gay people
being abused or murdered elsewhere ??(Saudi Arabia recently for instance) Or did
anything but 'tut tut , how awful' when the Soho bomb went off or David Morley was
murdered ??
Pride events are about continuing to show we are here and not going away as well as
celebrating 'diversity' within communities.- There does need to be more 'political'
input at such events though. With the rise of the far right here and the rise of the
Christian and Muslim fundamentalists it remains VERY important to be OUT & PROUD at
such events and that cultural diversity and human rights must be maintained.
IF WE DON'T THE BIGOTS -WILL-COME BACK IN GREATER FORCE, INCLUDING THOSE CURRENTLY
HOLDING THEIR TONGUES BEHIND THE NET CURTAINS...
pirate
Aaah Kent - the 'liberal bastion' .....
29.05.2005 13:47
Alan doesn't think shouting "YOU BIG POOF" at a gay man is homophobic......... on the basis that he surmises it is shouted at straight men as well - hmm - (I suspect even some straight men might be offended by it)... even though its a derogatory term for gay people.
Alan doesn't tell us how he knows this incident got reported to the East Kent Homophobic Incident Reporting line - nor does he tell us what the other 99 reports might have been about.
So why are 'Alan' and 'Gay man in Tonbridge' so keen to dispel 'myths' of homophobia in Kent? Are they able to declare that they know the personal experiences of every gay person in Kent?
I is bamboozled.
ftp
appologies
29.05.2005 17:26
I'll try to do better in future. Please forgive me for having a good relationship with my work mates and neighbours and ofr not knoing any other gay people who are feeling as you want them to.
alan
A Fractured Reality
29.05.2005 18:32
Smelly Scrote
Apology
29.05.2005 18:40
What I cannot for the life of me work out is why you are posting on the thread in the first place. It's great if you can get on with your life without being discriminated against - it doesn't however follow that everyone is as fortunate as you.
For you it may be "Not as it seems" - but for others it apparently does seem like theres a problem.
Have a nice day.
ftp
Comment
29.05.2005 20:16
The G&L community is as diverse as the straight community and it is fair to observe that many, many G&L people simly do not feel Pride marches are still relevant to their lives. A Lesbian women of my friend group describes it as "outdated". Perhaps we just celebrate the fact that for the majority (although of course not all) prejudice is a thing of the past
Ann Wilson
e-mail:
A-Wilson@halmill.co.uk
Homophobia in the past?....
31.05.2005 15:29
The idea that homophobia doesn't affect everyone is false. Just because a supposed
'majority' haven't experienced any or anything recently doesn't mean it's gone or even
going away very fast.
At the moment it is very much alive and 'kicking' so to speak in the school yard to
the streets. How many of the 'maj' would regularly and openly walk hand in hand with their partner thru any street (including London and brighton etc-even in the gay areas)
or kiss/cuddle them (or even just friends). Not very many, asy this could well still
attract an attack. (maybe not the first time but soon after).
Look at Rotterdam,Nl- It used to be very 'liberated' until,unfortunately more muslim
migrants arrived and now gay people are spat at and threatened.
We need to greatly improve the education of all if we are to avoid the same happening
here (I suspect it already has).
Canterbury is not as tolerant as people may think.. Why are there no openly gay bars
etc in a major centre ?- For one thing anyone setting up on Church owned land would
not advertise as a gay venue- The one already in such a situ is gay run but doesnt
do so openly.
IN the same venue just a few weeks ago a group of teens/early 20's was overheard to
say 'gay pride in Canterbury should be banned, and all gays should have their heads
punched in'. The police have been made awar of this poss' threat.
As for Pride's as such. In major cities and gay centres they may be a bit 'old hat'
but for many places, previously without such or any visibility, they are vital to
continue to show we are everywhere and to combat homophobia..
pirate
I'll be there
06.06.2005 12:47
What we need is a proper gay bar where we can just be ourselves, pick up the papers and mags and relax.
See you Saturday
Bob