Another Spineless MP Comes Out

I remember the first time I held a man's hand in public. We had stones thrown at us. It was pretty terrifying and certainly made my 18 year old self feel reluctant to try it again!

So I appreciate that coming out and being honest about yourself is not easy. I came out during the late nineties when things were becoming easier for LGBT people to be who they are, but when things were still pretty difficult. So I can only imagine what bravery and guts it took the men and women who came out before me, or whose attitudes were formed in that dark past. I'm sure being from that generation makes it extremely difficult for many.

So now I've got that out of the way, let's talk about the spinelessness of one Nigel Evans, Tory MP for the Ribble Valley.

This is a man who voted more times against LGBT rights than he has voted for. Hell, he's been absent more times than he has voted for.

He was only trying to protect the children of course, bless him, from dirty people like... HIM!

Yes. He came out. Supposedly due to threats of being outed by a former Labour MP

‘I could not afford it to be used as leverage against me. I couldn’t take the risk. I don’t want any other MP to face that kind of nastiness again.

‘I am sure there are other gay MPs who would like to be open about their sexuality but are fearful of the consequences. I hope this new group will help them to do so.’

So 1) he didn't come out because he was now comfortable with his sexuality, instead it was to continue to protect his career. 2) he seems overly concerned with helping others feel secure in their sexuality yet in the past voted to keep an unequal age of consent and Section 28 thereby causing many young LGBT people to suffer continued hurt.

As I've said before: Never trust someone who will vote against their own rights just for political advantage and partisanship.

We should not welcome this announcement as another victory for LGBT people but should instead hang our collective heads in shame that yet another LGBT person has come out as an "ex-homophobe". Here's a song I think is most appropriate for this situation. You do it to yourself, you do, and that's what really hurts.



If you feel benevolent and particularly generous, this writer always appreciates things bought for him from his wishlist

Damian Collins MP Blocks Me - Confusingly

So... I avoided following Damian Collins, newly elected MP for my soon to be home again constituency of Folkestone and Hythe, on Twitter during the campaign as I hoped my preferred option (the lovely Lynne Beaumont) would be elected ahead of him. Sadly this was not the case and thinking I might want to keep up to date with my MP's movements (and also having just gone on his website to send him a letter regarding electoral reform) I decided to follow his Twitter account. I was rather astonished to find I had been blocked.

Now I racked my brains for any unreasonable, heated comment I might have made to him/against him. It's not unknown for me to be a little OTT sometimes in the heat of the moment (the comments I made in the Guardian about Simon Hughes a few years ago spring to mind... that was a mess...). But I honestly couldn't remember anything. I'd had very little to do with him at all, barely mentioned him as I've been out of the constituency for so long and even remembered once seeing one of my friends giving him grief on Facebook and, being the better person, did not get involved.

So I did a little search through my Tweets and only came up with this:

It's also nice that Damian Collins campaign is getting support from our least fave former MP http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a07cUyW73M

Is this why I was blocked? It wasn't even insulting against him and sweet Jesus if I can't rank MPs by which ones I like and which I don't then what can I do? Does this not speak volumes for the sort of relationship this man is going to have with his constituents?

Very annoying. Very concerning. Sadly all too expected. Tories go on about free speech and being against political correctness but can't even take the mildest criticism from a, at the time, future constituent (and let's admit that Tweet was milder than mild!).

So anyway... very much doubt I'll be hearing anything positive back about electoral reform from him... but suggest any Folkestone and Hythe person concerned about electoral reform keeps up the pressure as he's our only hope.

If you feel benevolent and particularly generous, this writer always appreciates things bought for him from his wishlist