"The thing that struck me most was that when I joined it they didn't sail out the North, they sailed out the South and there were a lot of gay guys on board and I was quite amazed at this.... And I remember saying, spending three months on a voyage and there were ten gay guys in a room and I said 'I'm not staying in a room like this' Anyway I went in another room"So, southerners are gay, northerners aren't, and he can't stand to be in the same room as gay men (who are southerners too)? Prescott's press people have been reassuring people that he was young, and you have to contextualise his homophobia.
Friday, January 19, 2007
Prescott says he can't stand being in the same room as gays?
According to a report in the Evening Standard, John Prescott has recorded interviews for a BBC Radio 4 show called Prescott at you Service about his time in the cruise liner industry. Amazingly in the interview he says
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You should change the headline. Unless you have information that the attitude of an insecure ?Teenage? lad has carried forward to the statesmanlike, mature Prezza of 2006.
Came to a fish and chip supper in Gorton once. There were quite a number of gay men and lesbians in the room. I don't know if John was told this or not. But anyway, as a positive anecdote for a future edition, the salt of the sod insisted on going to the chip shop that supplied the cod and thanking the staff in person.
Which was a nice touch.
PS
But of course that was at the same latitude as Hull.
I added a ? for the "statesman"
He and Jade Goody would make a fabulous team, although she did just apologise unreservedly for her intolerant behaviour.
Honestly though, there are a LOT of straight men who aren't necessarily homophobic but are uncomfortable with gays. Think of all the ones you've seen who will happily banter about straight porn and sexy women, but as soon as the conversation turns even slightly homosexual, will kill it dead. You probably either know someone like that, or you are that person. If so, then next time take an interest, even if it is only to be equitable. It shows tolerance and an indication that you are comfortable with your own sexuality without feeling threatened.
Manic would like to know what your position is on children being in the same room as homosexuals.
Prescott was born in 1938, and homosexual acts between consenting males, in private, over the age of 21, were a criminal offence until 1967 (i.e. when Prescott was 29). Consequently, at the time he first went to sea, his homophobia was perhaps not quite so remarkable -- shared as it was by the English criminal law -- as nowadays it would be.
A lot of things have changed over the last 40 or 50 years; possibly some of John Prescott's attitudes are among them.
Hmmm... doesn't the logical end of that argument allow for apoligism for Nazi anti-semitism
I don't know about 'apologism', but it's a simple statement of fact that social attitudes to gay rights, sexual equality and all manner of things have changed over the last 40-odd years. C'mon -- you don't even have to go back 40 years; it's unthinkable that the Conservative Party in general and Michael Howard in particular would have taken the same attitude to civil partnerships in 1987 that they did in 2004. It's also highly unlikely public opinion as a whole would have been so accepting of civil partnerships back in 1987.
Make of it what you will, but just as individuals' attitudes change over time, so do the attitudes of the public as a whole.
I'm not saying it isn't an accurate assessment to make. I'm merely saying that one could apply the same logic and argument to "contextualise" Hitler's anti-semitism. If we go down the road of wooly moral relativism then we find ourselves defending heroes because we negate right and wrong, don't we?
"Manic would like to know what your position is on children being in the same room as homosexuals."
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It would appear, according to this you were in fact asking me directly that question. Sadly, my MRML is quite rusty. I suggest you ask me directly next time, perhaps using my name, else it will appear like you are talking to the person directly above. This will also avoid the possibility of you making false claims on your website.
My position in relation to your question is simple. I couldn't care less if a transexual with a fetish for having her balls stepped on was in the same room with children (assuming she wasn't engaging in her fetish at the time of course).
Then, Dizzy, Manic would like to know your position on Paul Staines (posing as Guido Fawkes - as you said, names are important) suggesting that Mark Oaten is the type to hang around schools, would not be trusted by 'Guido' near his children etc. and then - when Oaten was outed as gay, referring to his earlier comments by saying "Did it hint enough?"
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* suggesting that Mark Oaten is the type to hang around schools - it was clearly a joke
* would not be trusted by 'Guido' near his children - that's his choice, the same as it was Prescott's choice to not sleep in the same room as ten gay men. It's called freedom of thought.
* when Oaten was outed as gay, referring to his earlier comments by saying "Did it hint enough?" - well considering the words "Yeah, he's defintiely gay" were said I'm not sure what I can say. Yes he did hint enough?
Manic thanks you, Dizzy. Whether you know it or not, you've made your position on this absolutely clear.
As if I didn't know you were going to say that.
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