Ni dieu ni maître. Ni patrie, ni patron.
Some may recall when Ken Maginnis was feted in Dublin by various groups (including my old political home, though I doubt they’d be as accommodating now as then)… as a ‘liberal’ Unionist.
Well, yes. But apparently no.
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Asked was he equating gay sex with bestiality, Lord Maginnis replied: “I am saying it is a rung on the ladder.” He added that he had a right to define homosexuality “as I see it” and he did not think “we should be doing anything to encourage this deviant practice”.
Is this ladder like the property ladder we used to hear so much about? Should we all be rushing to get on it? What happens if the bottom (ooh,er, missus….) falls out of the deviancy market? Will we be stuck on the first rung, destined to be trapped in boring gay sex while those who got moving earlier are entertaining entire menageries?
So many questions, Ken.
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Save sodomy from Ulster.
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Asked if I equate old style Ulster Unionism with the Apartheid system I reply, “I am saying it is a rung on the ladder.” I have a right to define Unionism ‘as I see it’ but I do not think ‘we should be doing anything to encourage this deviant practice.’
Remember when we were told, rather foolishly, that the best reason to bring in socially progressive legislation in the Republic was that it would apparently send positive signals to the great beacons of tolerance across the border.
I always thought Ken was portrayed as a ‘liberal unionist’ because unlike somebody in the Martin Smyth mould he looked like he might be fond of the beer.
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Nice one Eamonn.
Why was he viewed as a liberal Unionist?
As an ex B special he didn’t sound too promising a candidate.
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IIRC it was the Sindo that promoted him and
John Taylor* as the “liberal” Ulster Unionists.
* That’s John “Partition Scotland” Taylor.
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He’s not well
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His remarks served their purpose. The primary focus has been on his comments rather than on the research that was published yesterday, which scraped in at the end of the Irish Times’s story:
The Irish Times could have reported
But that would have shown there is a serious probem, whereas focusing on a former politician whom makes bozzare connections provides a form of enterntainment for the comfortable liberal masses to tut tut.
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They’re shocking statistics. But I think the McGuinness comments are worth tut tutting about because public statements like that do help the bigots feel like they’re not alone and perhaps embolden them in their bigtory. I do take your point though, it’s easy for people to use an outlandish example like this to comfort themselves with a complacent ‘well, I’m nothing like that,’ while ignoring the extent to which their own views or the views of the society around them may be prejudiced.
It’s sad to see that attitudes have got worse in this respect. I wonder if it’s anything to do with this whole nonsensical attitude about some illusory PC orthodoxy which lurks out there. In the past someone who came out with this kind of guff would have been dismissed as a bigot but now they can get away with being described as being ‘not very PC.’ Thus bullies peddling tired old prejudices get recast by their defenders as brave rebels.
See for example the comments on Slugger O’Toole on McGuinness which are full of guff along the lines of, ‘he has the right to say this.’ Nobody is denying him the right to say this but equally everyone has the right to point out that he’s a silly old fool.
For some reason it does seem to have become more acceptable to voice prejudice against gay people, Travellers, people with mental illness etc and I suppose the survey reflects that. You’re right, it is a very interesting story which deserves more coverage. I wonder what the percentages would be on this side of the border. For all his tactical mistakes, the media attitude towards David Norris in the presidential election often seemed to display a crude latent homophobia.
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All excellent points Tomboktu and worthy of a post in themselves, but I think the reason I was pointing to this was precisely because when I was in the WP in the 1980s early 1990s he was regarded as a ‘liberal’ (albeit that was a bit nebulous and had more to do with a willingness to go to the South etc rather than on social issues). So I think there’s a political point here as well as the points you make.
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You do mean Maginnis there, don’t you?
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No, I’m blaming Martin McGuinness. Your attempts to get Sinn Fein off the hook on this one merely reveal you as a Provo fellow traveller.
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Where was the homophobia in the presidential campaign?
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8 1/2 years later… https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-55171974
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Urggghhhh… he’s learned nothing and cares nothing about how his words hurt other people.
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