Right wing mayor cuts Doncaster Pride funding
June 8th, 2009
Doncaster’s new mayor has announced he will slash funding for the town’s gay pride event, as part of a campaign against ‘political correctness’.
“I have nothing whatsoever against gays and lesbians, what they do in their private lives is absolutely fine,” said Peter Davies on his first day as Mayor. “But I don’t see why councils should be spending money on that sort of thing.”
He added, “My policy on gays and lesbians is very simple. I don’t think councils should be spending money on them parading through town advertising their sexuality.”
Davies has also announced plans to cut funding for translation services for non-English speakers in the borough.
Davies, an English Democrats MP and one of the founders of the Campaign Against Political Correctness was voted in as Mayor on Sunday.
The English Democrats say they want ‘English freedoms and values, not multiculturalism’ and the ‘right to enjoy and celebrate Englishness’. They also want the UK to withdraw from the EU, and an end to mass immigration to the UK.
Doncaster Pride have released a statement confirming that the event will still go ahead, ‘with or without support from Doncaster council’.
“We believe everyone has a right to their opinion, and if the newly elected mayor of Doncaster holds personal opinions about the staging of a Pride event in the borough we feel he is entitled to that view,” said a spokesperson for Doncaster Pride.
“However, in the last two years we have brought over 6,000 visitors into Doncaster and anticipate an audience this year of up to 8,000.
“These people spend money in Doncaster and come to enjoy a great day out.
“The simple message is the show goes on. We as a committee are resolute in our aims to bring this event to Doncaster and will do so with or without support from Doncaster council.”
The organisers pf Doncaster Pride said they had received “massive support” from other agencies, including South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, South Yorkshire Police, the Home Office and a number of trade unions.
“I have nothing whatsoever against gays and lesbians, what they do in their private lives is absolutely fine,” - could he be any more of a bigoted stereotype??
jane ∼ June 8th, 2009 10:54 pmThere are few phrases that make my blood boil like “political correctness gone mad”. It would be lovely if people who use it actually understood political correctness in the first place, but it’s really become code for “I want to put other people down, but it’s socially unacceptable, so I’ll complain about how persecuted I am by ‘the PC Brigade’ instead”.
k ∼ June 9th, 2009 12:21 pmI think he is right. It is great to celebrate our sexuality, but at a time of national difficulty when funds are tight it is cheeky expecting to receive funding for something that is a “luxury” when there are so many desperate needs in the community.
In a way I agree with him. It’s our party and our fun, we don’t need a council to support us, we can do it ourselves.
pinky ∼ June 9th, 2009 10:38 pm