Posted on 06/03/2012 2:43:31 PM PDT by presidio9
"Not once in her 60-year reign has the Queen publicly acknowledged the existence of the gay community - or gay members of her own royal family. She has never supported or visited a gay charity. Although she is a patron of many good causes, none of them are gay or serve the gay community. The words 'gay' and 'lesbian' have never publicly passed her lips," said human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, Director of the human rights advocacy organisation, the Peter Tatchell Foundation.
He was speaking in the run-up to this weekend's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in Britain, which commemorate Elizabeth II's 60 years on the throne.
"Even when she announced government plans for gay law reform in her Queen's Speeches to parliament, she did not use the words lesbian or gay. Apparently, mentioning gay people is beneath the dignity of the monarch," he added.
"While she has spoken approvingly of the UK's many races and faiths, for six decades the Queen has ignored lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Britons. If she treated black and Asian Britons in the same way, she'd be denounced as a racist. Why the double standards?
"Whereas most of us now welcome and embrace gay people, the Queen has never done so.
"As our head of state, Elizabeth II is supposed to represent and embrace all British people, not just some. How much longer will the LGBT community have to wait for royal recognition and acceptance?
"There is solid evidence of regal prejudice. Gay staff in the Royal Household used to be banned from bringing their partners to the annual Christmas Ball at Buckingham Palace; whereas heterosexual staff were always invited to attend with their partners. This homophobic discrimination was exposed by the LGBT human rights group OutRage! in 1995. It was only after a protest outside the palace and the ensuing bad publicity that the royals dropped the ban.
"When there are major tragedies involving the loss of life, the Queen often visits the site and the victims in hospital. This did not happen when neo-Nazi, David Copeland, bombed the Admiral Duncan gay pub in Soho, London, in 1999, killing three people and wounding 70 others. At the time, it was the worst terrorist outrage in mainland Britain for many years. To most people's surprise, the Queen did not visit the bombed-out pub or the hospitalised victims.
"Defenders of the monarchy point out that many royal staff are gay men. This is true. So what? Having gay staff wait hand and foot on the Queen is proof of nothing, apart from the fact that she likes well-mannered, well-groomed male servants. It's the equivalent of rich racists claiming that they can't be racist because they employ black staff to clean their homes and cook their meals.
"Ever since the public relations blunders at the time of Princess Diana's death, the Queen has gone to great lengths to be more in touch with the mood of country. She presents the monarchy as modern, compassionate and inclusive; often referring to the value of a diverse multicultural, multifaith society.
"On gay issues, however, she remains curiously out of step with public opinion. While I doubt that Elizabeth II is a hard-core homophobe, she certainly doesn't appear to be gay-sympathetic," said Mr Tatchell.
Does the Queen ever publicly discuss sex ... of any kind?
I thought not.
The Queen comes from a background where there was such a thing as "polite company." I'm sorry those days are almost gone and forgotten.
“Philip and Elizabeth” sounds interesting; I might look for it.
Agree with you about their characters. Very honorable people, with ingrained senses of duty. Philip showed his kind side when he called Catherine during one of her separations from William, and told her to be patient and hang on, she’d get her ring eventually.
Prince Philip tried to help Princess Diana, too, but she didn’t get the message of “Life is like this, stay tough.” Admittedly, Charles is quite a trial for everyone, it seems. It’s impossible for the present generation to understand what life was like for their parents or grandparents who lived through the European turmoil of the World Wars and everything else.
Our generation (I’m about to be 46) may see the End of the World as We Know It. If the Zombie Apocalypse hits, my grandparents will be my inspiration, but so will people like Elizabeth and Philip. You keep your values, you keep your standards, you eat grits and gravy and kudzu, if that’s what it takes.
The Queen has both male and female servants. You are a sexist pig. Most heterosexual men are well-mannered and well-groomed. You are bigoted moron.
The last line is the most I important. In demanding that the Queen demonstrate “sympathy” to homosexuals he explicitly reveals that the goal is not tolerance but active acceptance and approval of homosexuality.
EVERYONE IS HOMOPHOEBIC:
If you do not say gay is normal
If you do not agree that same sex marriage is the same as traditional marriage
If you do NOT support gay pride day/week/month/year/second/history and on and on and on
If you do nto repeat back a pro gay answer when asked in a national competition
If you do not support them adopting
and on
and on
and on!
She knows she's going to answer to the King some day.
LIZ, not LEZ! Go Queen, go!
You've just cited the single reason I cannot and never will vote for Romney or Obama.
Boy, I wish there were a “like” button. Great comment, and I’m stealing “homonauseous” to turn it loose on some folks. Hope you don’t mind.
That's my allotted smile for the day!
(If we had some ham, we'd have ham and eggs, if we had some eggs.)
You’re darned right. The WW II generation sacrificed in ways we can’t imagine.
I can’t say I’m a Diana fan. It’s inescapably true that she was “done wrong”, as the saying goes, but she was a manipulator, and she had problems with the truth. She fed stories to the press that cast her in a glowing light, as the model mother, and then lied about doing so. That “Queen of Hearts” stuff was calculated.
Is the Pope Catholic?
Indeed. And if we were burning our fence palings to boil kudzu soup, we'd get nasty-grams from the homeowners association saying they'll fine us if we don't stop it.
I think Elizabeth and Philip would eat kudzu soup in the Carolinas, if it was that or nothing. Realistic people.
Have at it. It was one of my rare original thoughts. :{)
Diana was only 19 when she married Charles. I was a dingbat at 19, too. Looking back at it, from one’s 40s, it’s easy to say that a person should calculate the benefits and play the game, but we weren’t there at the time.
William and Harry have turned out pretty well. If they were my sons, I wouldn’t be complaining. Sometimes children overcome their parents’ example in dramatic ways!
My parents lived in England at the time of the coronation. My mother always said she felt sorry for Prince Charles. She said she remembered seeing the Queen come back from trips and greet him, a young child, with only a handshake. Mama thought he needed a hug.
His parents wanted him to be as tough as they were, but it seems that just wasn’t his nature.
Send them both back. It’s the only way to be sure.
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