Peter Tatchell fail

[Lozzer]

http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory/600 ... -demo.aspx

Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell experienced homophobic hostility from some members of East London's Muslim community, while heading an anti-EDL protest, last weekend.

As reported on PinkPaper.com, Tatchell had planned Saturday's counter-protest in response to a static demonstration held by the English Defense League which drew more than 1,000 supporters, despite a ban by Home Secretary Theresa May.

He said he was there to: “defend the Muslim community against EDL thuggery” and because he “wanted to stand in solidarity with Muslims who oppose far right Islamists."

But, while holding placards which read 'Stop EDL & far right Islamists. No to ALL hate' and 'Gays & Muslims UNITE! Stop the EDL', Tatchell was subjected to anti-gay hostility from a minority of homophobic Muslims who, ironically, were part of the anti-EDL demonstration.

According to the veteran equality activist, the group attempted to destroy the placards and were intimidating. At one point he feared the threat of violence.

Speaking to PinkPaper.com, Tatchell said: “I was surrounded several times throughout the day by angry Muslim youths who ordered me: ‘You must remove this placard...You can’t walk here with these words...We don’t allow gays in this area...Gays are not permitted here...We don’t have gays in Tower Hamlets’. When I suggested that LGBT Muslims must also be defended against the EDL, I was told: "Gays can't be Muslims...We will never accept them (LGBT Muslims)...They can't come around here...We won't allow it."

He added: "My response was to engage with these Muslims hotheads and argue against them. The discussions got very heated; at times even menacing and scary. There were moments when I thought I was going to be physically attacked."

Despite this, Tatchell said the moment passed without incident – partly because of police presence and also because other members of the Muslim community intervened and offered their support.

He described the latter as being "significant" in diffusing the situation.

Yet it was not just Muslims who opposed Tatchell's presence at the demonstration.

In a statement released earlier today, he claims he also suffered: "dirty looks from a small number of left-wing and LGBT anti-EDL protesters, some of whom said explicitly that our placards were 'insensitive...provocative...inappropriate...divisive'."

They also claimed he was "racist...fascist...anti-Muslim".

Sixty people were arrested at the demonstrations for violent disorder.

[Robert_S]

How long before the EDL starts recruiting from the gay community?

[HomerJay]

How long before the EDL starts recruiting from the gay community?

There's quite a history of it, actually, especially in this area.

There was a Pride march organised in this area earlier in the year but it got cancelled due to the organisers links with the EDL.

[Lozzer]

How long before the EDL starts recruiting from the gay community?

It's been happening since the organisation's inception.




I know rather a few gays who ardently support the EDL, too.

[PsychoSerenity]

The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend after all!

[Robert_S]

So when are the more tolerant Muslim groups going to do the same?

[Lozzer]

The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend after all!

Indeed, except it speaks volumes when gays feel vulnerable enough to join the right-wing camp.

In impoverished, working class areas which has a high proportion of the far-right, gays are habitually victim to homophobia.

In predominately Muslim areas, gays are more often the victims of ideologically motivated homophobia.

Gays in the EDL aren't vocal against traditional homophobia, but the infectious, and religious kind.

[Robert_S]

The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend after all!

Indeed, except it speaks volumes when gays feel vulnerable enough to join the right-wing camp.

In impoverished, working class areas which has a high proportion of the far-right, gays are habitually victim to homophobia.

In predominately Muslim areas, gays are more often the victims of ideologically motivated homophobia.

Gays in the EDL aren't vocal against traditional homophobia, but the infectious, and religious kind.

What are the common manifestations of the homophobia in the two areas?

[Lozzer]

The enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend after all!

Indeed, except it speaks volumes when gays feel vulnerable enough to join the right-wing camp.

In impoverished, working class areas which has a high proportion of the far-right, gays are habitually victim to homophobia.

In predominately Muslim areas, gays are more often the victims of ideologically motivated homophobia.

Gays in the EDL aren't vocal against traditional homophobia, but the infectious, and religious kind.

What are the common manifestations of the homophobia in the two areas?

1. Maybe being called 'gay boy', 'faggot' etc. You can occasionally be physically assaulted.

2. A friend of mine is from Luton, and recently escaped up north. He claims he's never suffered such abuse as when he did living there, in an area densely populated by Muslims. He says he feared for his life at times, and often received death-threats and such. That kind of religiously endorsed hate manifests in such ways as this:

That poster was plastered throughout Tower Hamlets a while ago, and there's been similar Islamic campaigns since. So why are gays getting comfortable with the EDL and BNP? well, it's because they do not have such grievances with them. They do not resort to such tactics, and they probably find that the far-right in this country is comparably more liberal.

[Robert_S]

That's a sad state of affairs.

[Lozzer]

That's a sad state of affairs.

Indeed, but Tatchell was naive to believe he'd be welcomed by all anti-fascists in open arms.

They're all as bad as each other.

[Atheist-Lite]

I would encourage all gay muslims to come out in this country knowing they are fully protected by our robust equality laws and strong police force. They have no reason to fear their own communities. They are not in a country governed by sharia law here.

[Robert_S]

That's a sad state of affairs.

Indeed, but Tatchell was naive to believe he'd be welcomed by all anti-fascists in open arms.

They're all as bad as each other.

If they're going to be that small minded, they don't strike me as anti-fascist really, just anti-the-wrong-kind-of-fascists.

[redunderthebed]

That's a sad state of affairs.

Indeed, but Tatchell was naive to believe he'd be welcomed by all anti-fascists in open arms.

They're all as bad as each other.

If they're going to be that small minded, they don't strike me as anti-fascist really, just anti-the-wrong-kind-of-fascists.

In the anti-fascist movement you'll always get crazies and people with their own agenda separate to anti-fascism but see it as convenient to hitch their wagon to it same with any movement i guess.

I'd say that muslims aren't fascists its the wrong word but fundamentalists is the correct one they do in the methods and such share similarities but in ideology are radically different most fundamentalists are a-political unless it offends their beliefs hence why they bang on about poofs and abortion and morality and couldn't give a toss about the poor for example and consequences of their morality.

Also hence why you get Muslims who oppose EDL but will abuse peter tatchell for being gay for the same reason. Dunno about engurland but the anti-fascists i've known oppose all racism and prejudice and not just stuff aimed towards their beliefs.

EDL from what i can see is no different to what english football hooligans have believed for years about "british" and "english" and hating the IRA and support the loyalist cause this is just a new popular cause amongst those morons. The leadership used to be involved the scummy firm that "supported" luton town.

[Atheist-Lite]

Islam embeds politics into theocracy from the start. Islamofascism is a awful stigmatising word but still accurate as a objective description of the totalitarian nature of the religion.