In a move which has surprised many, Germany has held a snap vote which has approved same-sex marriage and adoption.
The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, whose Christian Democrat Party (CDU) is in a coalition with the Social Democrat Party (SPD), has previously been strenuously against equal marriage on the grounds of “children’s welfare” and admitted to having a “hard time” with the issue. However, on 26 June in an interview with women’s magazine Brigette, Chancellor Merkel said she had a “life-changing experience” when she had dinner with a lesbian couple who are fostering eight children, and would allow a free vote on the issue in the future.
As the news spread supporters of equal marriage spread the message on social media, including sharing the hashtag #EheFeurAlle (Marriage for all) on Twitter, and calling for a vote as soon as possible. The SPD seized this initiative by calling for a vote by the time the German parliament went into recess by the week ending 30 June 2017. Although the SPD are trailing the CDU in the polls for the upcoming German election, they had signalled that there would by no future coalitions unless marriage reform was agreed upon. The Green Party, the far-left Linke Party, and the pro-business Free Democrats said likewise.
So it was, amidst Angela Merkel claiming she had been “ambushed” that the vote took place on Friday, 30 June, and was passed by 393 to 226, with four abstentions. Chancellor Merkel voted against, and said afterwards that she still believed “marriage was between a man and a woman” but did add that the passing of the bill would bring more “social cohesion and peace”.
Germany now joins the club of European nations which have legalised equal marriage. The others are;
Belgium (2003)
Denmark (2012)
England (2013)
Finland (2017)
France (2013)
Iceland (2010)
Ireland (2015)
Luxembourg (2015)
Netherlands (2001)
Norway (2009)
Portugal (2010)
Scotland (2014)
Spain (2005)
Sweden (2009)
Other types of civil partnerships are recognised by:
The tiny state of San Marino has recognised unregistered cohabitation since 2012.
There is no recognition of equal marriage in Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Monaco, Romania, Russia, Turkey and the Vatican City. Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine have specific constitutional bans on same-sex marriage. Malta’s new Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat, has committed his government to passing same-sex marriage this summer.
In the UK, equal marriage is now law in the UK bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on Cyprus, in Gibraltar, the UK dependencies of Gibraltar, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man. Alderney recognises same-sex foreign marriage, the tiny island of Sark has no recognition, while the Bailiwick of Jersey and the province of Northern Ireland have civil partnerships, with the latter stalwartly holding out against equal marriage.
That’s Northern Ireland where the UK government just recently squeaked into power after giving a £1 billion bribe to the homophobic, transphobic, anti-abortion, Biblical creationist, climate change denying Democratic Unionist Party to support them, dears.
Northern Ireland last of British Isles to hold out.
The tiny Isle of Man has voted to allow same-sex marriage. The island in the Irish Sea, 221 square miles with a population of 84.500, is a UK Crown Dependency but retains autonomy over many aspects of legislature, which is overseen by the Manx parliament, the Tynwald. The upper house of the Tynwald, the Legislative Council passed the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Amendment) Bill by six votes for to three against on Monday, 26th April 2016.
Famous for it’s TT motorbike races, tailless Manx cats, the last part of the British Isles to retain regular steam trains, and giving the world the Bee Gees (yes dears, the lovely Gibb brothers did indeed hail from the Isle of Man; betcha didn’t know that) the Isle of Man is surrounded by Scotland to the north, England to the east, Wales to the south, and Ireland to the west, all four of which can be seen on a clear day from the mountain of Snaefell, and thus has been at the crossroads of civilisation for millennia. Yet despite at one time or another being part of the Kingdom of Galloway, the Norse Lordship of the Isles, Scotland, and finally an English Crown Dependency, the Manx people have always been fiercely independent and insisted on doing things their own way, and in the Tynwald boast the oldest continual parliament in the world, dating back to the 8th century.
The Isle of Man was the last part of the British Isles to legalise homosexuality, which was hotly debated before finally being passed in 1992. Today the island also boasts the fact that the Chief Minister of Mann, Alan Bell, is openly gay. It is thought that England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland passing same-sex marriage have been the catalyst which have pushed marriage equality in the island through much quicker.
The main Channel Island dependencies of Jersey and Guernsey have also given the green light to same-sex marriage, which now leaves the Province of Northern Ireland to be the last part of the British Isles where it is still denied.
Poor old NI. I really don’t know what we are to do with them. Sectarianism between Protestants and Roman Catholics remain and sometimes still erupts into violence, but on both sides of the religious divide, the people can remain fiercely conservative, particularly on matters of sexuality, abortion, and other matters where religion is allowed to interfere; an exhibition at the Giant’s Causeway, hexagonal basalt chimneys forced up by volcanic pressure, claim that they were formed like that in the Noachian flood. The Protestant majority of NI, fiercely loyal to the UK and the Crown, are trying to cling onto a form of British political Calvinism which really no longer exists, while the Roman Catholic minority hold by the strict religious conservatism of their faith, while even the Irish Republic most of them long for the province to be reunited with is gradually releasing itself from church clutches. Northern Ireland is a prime example of just how deeply religion can poison people’s lives.
Yet, I hold out hope yet. I have met people from NI – Protestant, Roman Catholic, atheist – who are really downright decent and accepting of all, and now that it stands as the last official bastion of homophobia in the British Isles, change is inevitable and it too must sooner of later fall.
Meanwhile hats off and raise a glass to dear little ‘Ellan Vannin’, and congratulations to the Manx LGBT+ community.
Make the strange lady go away Mummy, she’s scaring me!
Paola Binetti, Italian “Union of the Centre” Party member and member of the Italian parliament’s Chamber of Deputies, thinks she has come up with the answer concerning equal marriage in Italy – gays should just change gender.
“Why do we need to pass a law on civil unions for homosexual couples, and to engage in a lengthy semantic debate around what ‘marriage’ means today?’” Binetti asked in an interview with Huffington Post Italy, “Why must we embark on a bitter parliamentary battle on the value of the family, to decide whether certain reforms will strengthen it or weaken it further? It would be a complete waste of time: all debate has now been rendered void by the recent verdict of the Supreme Court in the case of the individual who has demanded the right to change sex without surgical intervention.”
Yes dears, you did read that correctly – she did suggest that gay people need only undergo gender reassignment to get married. Hang on for a bumpy ride, this is a woman with degrees in surgery and psychiatry.
“Sexual difference appears completely irrelevant. It is enough for an individual to claim not that they are a certain way or they look a certain way but merely they desire to be a certain way,” Binetti continued, “Just present your documents, declare how you feel and how you want to be considered and the die is cast.”
To steal a line from the BBC comedy series Blackadder Goes Forth, “I do believe the phrase rhymes with ‘clucking bell’.”
When I first came across this story, which appeared in The New Civil Rights Movement, I thought it had to be satire or a spoof. Surely no politician could be that stupid? So I went searching the internet. Sad to say that it is 100% genuine.
Some people really don’t get it, do they dears? Hello Paola, gay men like men, lesbians like women – they are not interested in the opposite sex, and have absolutely no desire to change gender. If any of my gay friends saw some muscled Adonis, say in a kilt, I could be wearing my sexiest outfit – and they would trample over me to get to him.
Oh well, I suppose no-one can every accuse her of transphobia.
Her comments follow the European Court of Human Rights condemning Italy for denying same-sex couples their human rights by not offering them marriages or civil unions.
72-year-old Binetti is a devout Roman Catholic and a Numery member of the ultra-conservative and controversial Roman Catholic organisation Opus Dei (Work of God), which Dan Brown mistakenly called a “secret sect” in his novel and subsequent movie The Da Vinci Code. As a member, Binetti has voluntarily asserted that she does indeed wear a cilice; a toothed metal belt worn around one of her thighs, to constantly remind her of the suffering of Christ (let me see; crown of thorns, scourged, crucified, spear in the side – nope, nothing there about wearing a toothed belt – they didn’t even break his legs because he was already dead).
This is not the first time Paolo Binetti has made homophobic statements. In 2007 she stated on Italian TV channel La7 that gays and lesbians needed medical care, maintaining that homosexuality is a disease.
As well as holding a senior position in the Italian government, since 1991 Paolo Binetti has been overseeing the work of the medical facility of the Biomedical Campus of Rome.
They’ve saved the state the trouble of firing them
In the wake of the US Supreme Court declaring that all 50 states in the USA must recognise same-sex marriage, the entire staff of Decatur County (Tennessee) Clerk’s Office have announced their resignations.
Clerk Gwen Pope and her employees Sharon Bell and Mickey Butler announced their resignations on religious grounds, with Ms Pope (oh the irony) first claiming that it wasn’t for publicity but then stating “It’s for the glory of God. He’s going to get all the glory.”
Well dears, I certainly am not going to shed any tears for Ms Pope, who has been Clerk since 2008, or her two underlings. In fact, they have done Decatur County, the state of Tennessee and the USA a favour by jumping before they were pushed.
In most civilised, developed countries today, showing prejudice in your place of employment is frowned deeply upon, and in some countries it is against the law. There are few nowadays who would show prejudice on the grounds of binary gender, race, ethnicity, creed, colour, physical / mental disability, social class, income, or many other criteria. Sexuality and alternative gender should then be no different.
As one who has worked in customer services, I am disgusted that anyone should allow their prejudices to interfere with their work. In any public-facing role, there are two rules; 1, you treat every customer not as equals, but you do not allow any personal feelings to make any distinctions between customers; 2, the most important customer is whosoever you serve. In other words, you treat everyone with respect. And anyone who allows prejudices, whether they be religious-based or not, is neither following the above rules, nor treating customers with respect.
Anyone who does neither is not fit to be in a public-facing role.
Asides from the above, given that this ruling took place in the USA, if the three are not willing to grant marriage licences on religious grounds, then they would be contravening the First Amendment of the US Constitution. I don’t know if they think that the USA is a Christian country, and frankly I do not care whether they do or not. The facts say different. The US Constitution is the supreme law of the USA, which is by law a secular state with a wall between church and state. Therefore, if this three allowed their faith to interfere with their state employment, then they are doubly unfit for the offices they held. In fact, by contravening the First Amendment, they would in fact be committing a criminal offence.
I’ll go further, and publicly call the Clerk’s Office staff out as being hypocrites to their own Christian faith. Ms Pope has been in her job for seven years. It is probable she employed the other two.
They claim to be resigning over same-sex marriage on religious grounds, because it contravenes the Bible (as they interpret it). Really? Well, one wonders just how many divorcees they have married? And what does the Bible have to say about that? “Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.“ (Luke 16:18, KJV).
And of course there is one thing we can be more than fairly sure of in this day and age, that the overwhelming vast majority of people getting married have had sex before marriage. And the Bible is very clear about that; “I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide (celibate) even as I.But if they cannot contain (their lust), let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.” (1 Corinthians 7:8-9, KJV).
In the USA only a judge can grant divorce. However the process begins by applying to the County Clerk’s Office to get the necessary paperwork or enquire where to get the said paperwork. In doing so therefore the three must have abetted people in gaining divorces, only for the same people to marry others, despite the Bible being very clear on this matter; “And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.” (Mark 10:11-12, KJV)
It is worth noting here that the commandment against homosexuality which conservative Christians always fall back on comes from the Levirate Law of the Old Testament; “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.“ (Leviticus 18:22, KJV), The verses I quote above however come from the New Testament, represent the New Covenant, which was allegedly God’s new message for mankind, and the verses from Luke and Mark allegedly being the words of Jesus Christ himself, the very man who Christians are supposed to worship and follow.
Neither can the Decatur County staff feign ignorance upon this, for Mark chapter 10 contains the very verses which opponents of same-sex marriage fall back on to claim that the Bible defines marriage as between one man and one woman; “But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.” (Mark 10:6-8, KJV)
We therefore see that the resignations are not “for the glory of God”, but just plain old-fashioned homophobia dressed up as religion, from three bigots who were unfit to hold their posts in the first place, unfit to hold any US governmental posts, and who actually do their faith a disservice than any honour through their blatant hypocrisy.
They have therefore done Decatur County a huge favour by resigning; they have saved Mayor Mike Creasy the trouble of firing them for contravening their terms of employment, and possibly committing criminal acts.
Decatur County Commissioner David Boroughs stated “That’s a personal individual decision, but I strongly support them if their faith is that strong, I’m proud of them that their faith is so strong and well-rounded that they feel they can do that.”
Well, I for one do not share Commissioner Boroughs sentiments. Rather I say good riddance. I hope that the homophobic hate the three are displaying does not go unnoticed by future prospective employers and that they have difficulty finding any future employment in public facing roles.
If that sounds harsh, cold, spiteful, or bitchy, I make no apologies for that dears. I am more concerned about the people who may have to deal with them than three self-righteous bigots who may let their personal prejudice and their faith interfere with the public they deal with. Neither do I care that they have lost their livelihoods, which was their own doing. They took that choice when they decided to put their faith above their employment. They’ve made their beds, now let them lie in them.
It would not look good on a curriculum vitae (what you lovely people across the pond call a resumé) for public roles here in the UK. One can only hope the same applies in the USA.
The Republic of Ireland has voted to allow same-sex marriage. Ireland is the only country to date which has actually held a referendum on the issue. This was wholly necessary as to allow equal marriage was a constitutional matter, and it must now be enshrined in the Irish republic’s written constitution.
The Irish people could not have made themselves clearer either. There was a 60% voter turnout, over 62% of which voted Yes. In voter terms, 1,201,607 people voted in favour of same-sex marriage, while 734,300 voted against.
Ireland had allowed same-sex civil partnerships in 2010. However, the ‘protections’ under these could be changed by the government. Now couples in same-sex marriages will have the same constitutional and legal rights and protections as heterosexual married couples. Those rights and protections can now only be removed by another majority vote.
The vote marks a huge cultural change for Ireland, where the Roman Catholic Church once had not inconsiderable influence, with views towards sexuality and families tended to be extremely conservative.
Come on, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands; time to join the club, drag yourselves into the 21st century and quit being the embarrassment on the doorstep of these isles.
I pinched this from Pink News. Someone posted this picture to Twitter, an illustration from a children’s book about the Biblical story of Noah’s Ark – complete with two male lions going into the Ark. Lionesses are of course much more slender and cannot grow manes.
Just a thought, if there was a large collective of homosexual lions, would that make for “gay pride”?
The highly respected International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (IGLA) has named Scotland as the top European country for legal LGBTI rights.
IGLA is an association of 1100 organisations from 110 countries around the world, campaigning for IGLA rights.
The 2015 IGLA ‘Rainbow Index’, which judges nations on legal rights fo LGBTI people against 48 standards of criteria, placed Scotland with 92%, compared to 86% for the UK as a whole.
The criteria nations are measured by include legal protections from discrimination in work and services, measures to tackle hate crime, rights and recognition for transgender and intersex people, and equality in family law including same-sex marriage and parenting rights.
The Scottish LGBTI charity, Equality Network, released the news on Sunday, 10 March, stating that it was their belief that the success was largely down to the devolved Scottish Parliament’s willingness to engage with the Scots LGBTI community over matters of legislation. Scotland’s LGBTI laws include same-sex marriage under the Marriage and Civil Partnerships (Scotland) Act, 2014, which had cross-party support in the Scottish Parliament and only came into Scots Law on 31 December 2014, after a long consultation with Equality Network. The result was some of the most LGBTI-inclusive marriage legislation in the world.
Equality Network also stated that the rest of the UK fared poorer due to inadequate provision for intersex people in English and Welsh legislation, and Northern Ireland’s “failure to respect LGBTI human rights in a range of areas including its refusal to legalise same-sex marriage”
Equality Network’s Policy and public affairs coordinator, Tom French, welcomed the news but also cautioned that there is still room for improvement.
“The fact that Scotland now ranks best in Europe overall on LGBTI legal equality is welcome recognition for the efforts of campaigners and the willingness of our politicians to properly consult with LGBTI people and then act on the evidence by passing progressive measures,” Tom French stated, “However, the Equality Network warns against any complacency, as we know there is still much more to do to achieve full equality for LGBTI people in Scotland. As ILGA’s review shows there are still areas where Scotland is failing to respect LGBTI human rights and falling behind the progress in other countries, particularly when it comes to the rights of trans and intersex people.”
He concluded, “There is also a big difference between securing legal rights and full equality for LGBTI people in their everyday lives. Despite real progress in the law, LGBTI people in Scotland are still facing unacceptable levels of prejudice, discrimination and disadvantage throughout their lives.”
Scotland now takes pride of place at the top of the IGLA European table, with the rest of the UK on 86%, Belgium on 83%, Malta on 77%, and Sweden on 72%.
The lowest countries for LGBTI rights are Azerbaijan (5%), Russia (8%), Armenia (9%), Ukraine (10%) and Monaco (11%).
Hidden “conscience clause” would protect religious bigots while stripping LGBTQI people of human rights
In a document not released to the media, the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) have suggested that they would introduce a “conscience clause” which would create legal protection for Christians who oppose same-sex marriage on religious grounds.
The document, Valuing our Christian Heritage, states that the party, while not rescinding England’s Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act 2013, that the party opposed same-sex marriage and would amend the English law to allow “reasonable accommodation” to those opposing equal marriage on religious grounds.
The document states;
“UKIP opposed same-sex marriage legislation because it impinged upon the beliefs of millions of people of faith. Rushed through Parliament without proper public debate, the legislation is significantly flawed. It should have been subject to a review of the state’s role in marriage. We will not repeal the legislation, as it would be grossly unfair and unethical to ‘un-marry’ loving couples or restrict further marriages, but we will not require churches to marry same-sex couples. We will also extend the legal concept of ‘reasonable accommodation’ to give protection in law to those expressing a religious conscience in the workplace on this issue.”
In his introduction to the document, UKIP leader Nigel Farage gives his own views on the subject;
“Sadly, I think UKIP is the only major political party left in Britain that still cherishes our Judaeo-Christian heritage. I believe other parties have deliberately marginalised our nation’s faith, whereas we take Christian values and traditions into consideration when making policy. Take the family, for instance. Traditional Christian views of marriage and family life have come under attack of late, whereas we have no problem in supporting and even promoting conventional marriage as a firm foundation for a secure and happy family.”
The document, the contents of which are not mentioned in the UKIP 2015 manifesto, was not released to the media. It was however distributed to some churches and the strongly anti-gay group Christian concern.
Any such clause would give legal protection to any business which openly refused business to same-sex couples on grounds of their sexuality. Moreover, the wording “We will also extend the legal concept of ‘reasonable accommodation’ to give protection in law to those expressing a religious conscience in the workplace on this issue.” could effectively be used by employers to refuse employment to, or even fire, LGBTQI employees on the grounds of their sexuality. And given that two key UKIP policies are the repeal of the UK Human Rights Act, and pulling the UK out of the European Union – where we currently enjoy the protection of the European Convention on Human Rights – that would effectively give those discriminated against with no means of appeal in law.
UKIP claims not to be a bigoted party, and often point to members and politicians they have from various sections of societies, including the LGBTQI community. Sadly, even those have been known to voice bigoted views. Scotland’s only UKIP politician, David Coburn MEP (Member of the European Parlament), who is openly gay and is in a long-standing relationship, has always taken a strong stance against same-sex marriage. In an interview with Huffington Post (30 October 2014), Coburn attacked the subject, expressing his views in deeply offensive terms, stating, “It’s just for some queen who wants to dress up in a bridal frock and in a big moustache and dance up the aisle to the Village People, quite frankly if that’s the cost of upsetting a hell of a lot of people, then I don’t think it’s a price worth paying.”
NIgel Farage claims that UKIP is an all-inclusive and open party, whose manifesto is the best going. When any party hides a ‘manifesto within a manifesto’, particularly one which seeks to strip rights from the LGBTQI community (or anyone for that matter), while attempting to hide those policies from the media and the public in general, then that belies the true nature of that party. Likewise his unequvical opposition to equal marriage and his strong support for “traditional” marriage, coupled with his failure to either reprimand or dismiss David Coburn from the party speaks volumes about Nigel Farage personally and UKIP as a whole.
Some of us believe in democracy, where politicians are open towards and respect the rights of all sections of society. But then, some of use believe that all people should have equal rights – even queens dressed in frocks, with big moustaches, and dancing to the Village People.
Muslims, Christians and one Quaker call for a conscience clause
As the Republic of Ireland heads towards a referendum on equal marriage, Irish Muslims and Christians have become united in drafting a petition calling for a “conscience clause” to protect the rights of the religious to refuse recognise same-sex marriage in certain circumstances, and are railing against the “aggressive secularism” of the Bill.
In what is no more than further religious bigotry, the petition makes it obvious that those supporting it do not recognise equal marriage. The wording states;
“We the under-signed, for reasons of faith, consider the state of marriage the exclusive province of a man and a woman. This is the understanding of all revealed religions,”
The petition comes after a number of high-profile cases of a number of Irish businesses refusing service to gay customers, and the proponents of the petition make it perfectly clear they support such people;
“The current wording of the 34th amendment of the Constitution on Marriage Equality and Implementation Bill not only allows for same-sex marriage, but obliges all citizens and residents of Ireland to endorse same-sex marriage or potentially face prosecution. The proposed amendment states marriage may be contracted in accordance of the law by two persons without distinction as to their sex. We therefore respectfully request that Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald provide for and safeguard the right of people on grounds of ‘conscience’ to abstain from endorsing same-sex marriages while in employment, worship or through social interaction.”
Those backing the petition claim not to be bigoted, and that they recognise the Bill allowing freedom of expression. The wording however obviously tells a different story. If businesses are allowed to discriminate on grounds of sexuality, then they obviously are bigoted and do not recognise freedom of expression.
The petition was started on 4 April 2015 by an amalgam of The Irish Council of Imams, the Galway branch of the Reformed Presbyterian Church. It has since been signed by over 200 members of these groups, and individual Roman Catholic clergy. So in other words, the usual suspects, which one would have expected no less (and no better) from.
Possibly the saddest aspect of all however is the fact that the wording of the petition was drawn up by clerk of the Galway preparative meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, (also known as the Quakers), Richard Kimball. Mr Kimball claimed that a conscience clause would not affect the rights of gay people in Ireland to be served by businesses, then went onto cite the cases of a Northern Irish bakery and a printers in Dublin who refused to do business with gay couples, thereby completely contradicting himself. He then went on in vitriolic language to accuse those campaigning against the said businesses of “aggressive secularism” and claimed there was an “orchestrated campaign” by LGBTQI groups to force people to hide their views
Yes, Richard, Dear – it’s called speaking out against hate speech.
The Society of Friends have yet to either endorse or reject the petition. However that a Quaker should even draft such an odious and obviously bigoted petition, seeking to legitimise homophobia, is indeed depressing, The Society of Friends never stood against nor sought a conscience clause in either England’s Same Sex Marriage Act, nor Scotland’s Marriage and Civil Partnerships Act. It seems therefore that Mr Kimball may very well be out of step with the views of his own faith.
Thankfully the petitioners may have missed the boat, for as the referendum debate is well under way, any such clause is now unlikely to be included.
Religious loony claims gays will force Christians to enjoy anal sex.
Oh dear. Just when you think he cannot get any more bigoted, bizarre or ill-informed, American Christian fundie Pat Robertson insists that allowing same-sex marriage will eventually lead to all sorts of sexual behaviours he finds “abhorrent”, including male rape apparently.
Speaking on the Christian Broadcasting Network’s 700 Club in response to Indiana’s homophobic Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Pat claimed that gay customers “make you conform to them.”
In one of his most bigoted and bizarre statements to date – and he’s come out with some doozies – Pat said “You’re gonna say you like anal sex, you like oral sex, you like bestiality,” he added. “Sooner or later, you’re going to have to conform your religious beliefs to the group of some abhorrent thing. It won’t stop at homosexuality.”
As ever, a homophobe hiding behind a Bible to promote his bigotry, and getting it all wrong as usual. In falsely claiming that homosexual men (you’ll notice Pat never references lesbians) will enforce others to ‘enjoy’ anal sex, what he is talking about is rape. I would like to ask Pat Robertson if he thinks women victims enjoyed their experience of rape, but I am frankly scared of the reply I might get.
It may interest Pat, and any who think like him, to learn that the vast majority of rapists are heterosexual men, and that includes rapists who anally rape other men. This is because rape is not about sexuality, it is about control and power over and the humiliation of the victim. As he is such a loyal ‘merkin’ boy, who no doubts hates the ‘dirty commies’, I suggest that Pat reads about the atrocities the Red Army committed during the march through Germany to Berlin in 1945. Soviet soldiers, mostly heterosexual (the Soviet Union was probably more homophobic than the west), raped anything that moved; women and men, girls and boys. as a weapon of war and as revenge for the Nazi invasion of Russia.
Oh gosh, we’re all going to like oral sex – like we don’t all like it already. And I’ve got news for Pat, that includes many Christian couples, with both partners happily going down on each other, just as couples have been doing for millennia. Unless of course, given his obsession with gay sex, Pat is referring purely to homosexual fellatio (and no dears, that’s not a character in Hamlet).
And here comes the stupid statement – bestiality. I really wish Pat would become better informed and learn that every US state and every country which has allowed same-sex marriage has the same stringent laws against bestiality (he means zoophilia, rather than human beings being sexually ‘bestial’, which was the original definition) as all others do. And of course it is not gay men who practice bestiality – it’s mostly straight men who do that. I know this; I live in Scotland, where the men are real men – and the sheep are nervous.
Then we come to polyamory; group sex. Again, people have been happily engaging in orgies for millennia, and if Pat thinks this does not happen in the straight community, I suggest he takes the blinkers off.
I really cannot BELIEVE that Pat Robertson describes polygamy, having many wives, as an “abhorrent” practice. WOAH, Pat. To use a wise old Scots saying, haud the bus. Pat Robertson bases his opposition to homosexuality on verses against it in the Old Testament – the very same Old Testament which is replete with men having many wives, and Bob Almighty certainly didn’t seem to have a problem with that. It’s not the LGBTQI community calling for polygamy, Pat, it’s your religion which advocated that.
With predictable ignorance and bigotry, Pat then goes off on a rant about Islam, correctly stating that stoning wives is in the Qur’an – whilst conveniently ignoring the fact that the very same practice appears in the Old Testament. In fact, the laws on stoning appear in the Book of Leviticus; the very same book that Pat and his like get the rule of gay sex being an “abomination” from.
Similarly Pat makes the mistake of stating that a Muslim can tell his wife “I divorce you” three times, and the couple are legally divorced. While the “triple-talaq” of a man telling his wife “I divorce thee” three times is indeed legal in some Islamic countries, there are some Muslim scholars who frown upon it, stating that there should be a period of time between each talaq to give the wife two more chances – a sort of “three strikes and you’re out”. The triple-talaq however is most certainly not legal in developed, western countries, where Muslims seeking divorce have to go through the same due process of law as any other couple, nor is it ever likely to become legal in western society. Hell, could you see US lawyers giving up potential divorce cases without putting up a fight? But Pat maintains “it’s in the book”. If he is meaning that the triple-talaq is in the Qur’an, then it is obvious he has never picked up a copy. It appears in fact in the Hadith; writings of Mohammed. And that is why some Islamic countries allow it, but not all.
It may also interest Pat to learn that under Talmudic Law a man must divorce an unfaithful wife, even if he is inclined to forgive her. And the Torah states that divorce is simply obtained by a man writing a Bill of Divorce, and handing to his wife, which any Jewish husband is entitled to do, for as little as the wife being a poor cook. At least in Islam it has to be something substantial, like adultery.
Poor Pat. Such intolerance and ignorance in under three minutes. And always reducing what is supposed to be about loving relationships to sex, and attacks homosexuality at every turn.
Not that I wasn’t already aware of this. In 1999 the Bank of Scotland entered a deal with Pat Robertson to try to use his influence to break into the banking market in the USA. Having come over here on a visit, Robertson responded in an outburst decrying the amount of homosexuality in Scotland. Robertson stated “In Scotland you can’t believe how strong the homosexuals are.” Well, I don’t know if Pat was speaking from personal experience, but while some of them are quite strong, the rest are what are commonly known in Scotland as ‘Big Jessies’ – I should know, I am one. He added that Scotland was “a dark country overrun by homosexuals.” HA! I should be so bloody lucky, dears.
So, having slighted the best wee country in the world, one would imagine the Bank of Scotland would have sent Pat packing wi’ a flea in his lug. Like hell they did. They broke off their business relations and gave Robertson £10 million ‘compensation’. What the hell, BoS? I’ve been a loyal customer for over 20 years. If you’re throwing millions away, throw some in my direction.
So what do we make of Pat Robertson’s obsession with sex, and gay sex in particular? The late great Bill Hicks once said “You just know someone that right-wing is hiding a deep, dark, secret.” and of course, he was right. So know what? I reckon that’s Pat’s problem. Anyone that obsessed about gay sex must be thinking about it morning, noon and night. And as any psychologist worth their salt will tell you, those who are most vehemently homophobic do not necessarily hate gays, they hate themselves for their own latent homosexuality, and are so ashamed of it, but are too cowardly to admit it, they lash out at others.
Let’s face facts; Pat Robertson is so far back in the closet, that he has Aslan on speed dial.
And if that is the case, another reason why Pat Robertson is so homophobic is because he’s not getting any action himself. In that respect, he reminds me of the Conservative Party politician Ann Widdecombe, who at age 67 claims to have stayed a virgin through choice. Yes, but not necessarily her choice.
And so it is with Pat Robertson, who is more to be pitied than anything else, as a sad, sexually confused, old man, who is unlikely to ever get the good solid rodgering he needs, and which may just unpucker his face a bit and make him lighten up a little.
So he need not worry himself about anyone in the LGBTQI community forcing him into anything. Certainly not from me. Sorry Pat dear, but although I’m quite happy to shag just about anything that moves (and a few things that don’t), you wouldn’t even be last on my list; you simply would not appear upon it. And I reckon the same goes for all my LGBTQI sisters and brothers.
Finally, if you are reading this Pat, and you’re not pleased about it, well, you claim to be a Christian, so forgive me.
Another European domino falls.
Northern Ireland last of British Isles to hold out.
Xandra 
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