Hatred on the Buses

[sparkindarkness]

Now, it’s possible in the UK you have seen various adverts by Stonewall and other groups saying “Some People Are Gay, Get over it.”

Well, Christian group has tried to put its own homophobic adverts up advocating conversion therapy, especially on London buses. And they’ve been told “no no, ye gods hell no” basically.

And, of course, they’re spitting their dummies out and are now suing to try and force bigotry on display. Because of Christian love and stuff

 Ugh, let’s address this bullshit, shall we?

 

First of all – “freedom of speech” does not mean anyone has to repeat or broadcast the shit you have to say. I could have a long, furious rant about why Cardinal Keith O‘Brien needs feeding feet first into a woodchipper and why Benedict, when he dies, needs to be burned and his ashes scattered over water to make sure he stays down – that doesn’t mean the BBC has to let me say that to the nation or billboards have to accept my adverts for Cardinal Wood Chipping. Similarly, these Christians can have their bigoted beliefs and say bigoted things (within reason – and outside of reason as well - as we’ve seen time and again, anti-gay hate speech is not treated very seriously) but that doesn’t mean the City of London needs to broadcast them.

Secondly, it’s hate speech. The Stonewall ad it copies is encouraging acceptance and denying hate. This is pushing junk science that is used to spread hatred and bigotry. “Ex-gay” therapy and the myth that we can “change” is constantly used as a lying excuse for denying us human rights – up to and including the right to exist. This is the ultimate coded language and it’s blatant hate speech and blatantly wrong. This isn’t a message of reassurance – this is an attack. This is an assault. This is trying to coerce people into hurting us.

Thirdly, it’s bullshit. It’s harmful bullshit that every capable and competent medical body has denied. “Conversion” therapy is harmful, it’s dangerous, it hurts people and it simply doesn’t work. Simple as. Ultimately, advertising “conversion” therapy is as malicious and dangerous as telling people that the cure for diabetes is to eat lots and lots of Mars bars. This isn’t a good analogy  - because being gay isn’t a disease and doesn’t need medical intervention in the first place, but it is a point that their proposed “cure” will only hurt people. This is like trying to sell poison as a vitamin

 Which, even if you have the morals of a Tory and the ethics of a banker, should be more than enough reason to ban these adverts. They’re WRONG, pure and simple.