Sep 30
85508106
A Note From The Editor’s Desk….....
The following is an introductory commentary from Andrew prior to his going to the Tory Conf starting this coming Monday.
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A week from today the Tories will be congregating in Bournemouth, desperately trying to find where their mojo went. Thanks to Currie and Major, there will be those digging for more dirt. The rest of the party will be desperately grasping at something to get it into gear. The trouble is, like all political parties, there will be lots of suggestions, few practical. The wets will want the party to apologise to Clarke & Co and beg them to come lead the party to victory. The Monday Club/”Conservative Democrats”/crypto-fascists will want a return to authoritarian policies. And the Portillistas will be convincing us all that the prodigal son must return. Problem being, they will all be missing a big point.
Many Tories have been searching for their own “Clause 4”...the holy grail that will lead them to victory. Unfortunately, that holy grail is right before them all, and it is not turning turtle on the €URO. The Tories must drop their support for Clause 28. It is a milestone around their neck which makes much of their recent rhetoric about “inclusiveness” ring untrue. As Iain Murray stated recently there are other activities that are distasteful that do not require their own teaching ban; why should homosexuality be any different? Homosexuals are as old as the human race; surely not teaching about them is a inaccurate view of mankind. Other minorities are covered in great detail, why avoid just the homosexuals. Homosexuality should not be taught as a preferred lifestyle; but basic facts about it are appropriate. If one believes, as do I, gay men are not made but born that way, it is not as if teaching about homosexuals will “convert” anyone. Just as teaching about Islam or Wicca in Comparative Religion will not turn everyone into an extremist or a witch. The Conservatives need to stop seeming as though they are bunch of paranoids.
What will be interesting to see is if anyone else “comes out” before conference to aid the inclusiveness cause. There are certainly enough homosexual and bisexual MPs and activists to provide a big pool. It is nice to see that IDS is planning to attend the homosexual party at Conference. It will be interesting to see those who will attend just to be seen “with the leader” and whether they can hide their distaste for the event. There will be those who stay just as long as the leader is there, let us hope it is not too many to make it too obvious.
Gays in the party need to do their part as well, instead of hiding their sexuality. They should be open about it. In this way it will help those uncomfortable with it be able to be around out “normal” gay men. The campaign to overturn the party position must be one of winning internal “hearts & minds” and not slamming the party from the outside (as it has been in the past.) It would be nice if certain homosexuals, male and female, would drop their hypocritical public stance on the matter. Why is it that certain people seem to think no one else can do as they wish, but privately, they can?
With a bit of tact and discussion, it will be possible for the party to move out of this cul-de-sac. Let us hope the party can finally lance the boil that is Section 28/homosexuals and the Conservatives.
As they say in some circles, but most probably not in Islington, mind, “treat it like a fence…and get over it!”
