Rainbow Laces

[Sunnysideup]

Jesse Owens is famous because his actions are inextricably linked with Hitler, not so much for the message it was intended to convey.

Undoubtedly so. How many remember Tommie Smith (without googling it)?

I notice the laces now turn out to be linked with Paddy Power. No such thing as bad publicity?

[Gullscorer]

This campaign is insulting and offensive to the vast majority of footballers and football supporters, as are similar campaigns aimed at the general public, since these days it's only a small minority of people who harbour hateful or discriminatory feelings towards gays (is the use of the word homosexual now forbidden?). At one time, such non-conformity in society was criminalised. Now, laws are in place to protect such groups against abusive behaviour, so why should this issue be constantly rammed down everybody's throats? Are gays and groups such as feminists so weak and victimised that they need such overbearing official protection? An offensive opinion expressed at work? Head for the shrink, call it post-traumatic stress and claim damages. A boss who fails to promote you? Head for the tribunal and call it discrimination.

Moreover, why should it be deemed to be beyond the pale to regard homosexual, any more than heterosexual, practices with disgust, if one is, say, disgusted by sex? Or to express a reasoned opinion on any subject? Freedom of expression was always one of the great freedoms of our society. But now,it seems, only when officially approved. The principle of live and let live works both ways. To have one's opinion censored, or worse, to be forced into denying one's own feelings on any human activity by having to acquiesce or even approve of it due to political correctness is offensive in the extreme and would not only replace one criminalised non-conformity with another, but take us farther along the road to totalitarian dictatorship.

[DTG]

This campaign is insulting and offensive to the vast majority of footballers and football supporters, as are similar campaigns aimed at the general public, since these days it's only a small minority of people who harbour hateful or discriminatory feelings towards gays (is the use of the word homosexual now forbidden?). At one time, such non-conformity in society was criminalised. Now, laws are in place to protect such groups against abusive behaviour, so why should this issue be constantly rammed down everybody's throats? Are gays and groups such as feminists so weak and victimised that they need such overbearing official protection? An offensive opinion expressed at work? Head for the shrink, call it post-traumatic stress and claim damages. A boss who fails to promote you? Head for the tribunal and call it discrimination.

Moreover, why should it be deemed to be beyond the pale to regard homosexual, any more than heterosexual, practices with disgust, if one is, say, disgusted by sex? Or to express a reasoned opinion on any subject? Freedom of expression was always one of the great freedoms of our society. But now,it seems, only when officially approved. The principle of live and let live works both ways. To have one's opinion censored, or worse, to be forced into denying one's own feelings on any human activity by having to acquiesce or even approve of it due to political correctness is offensive in the extreme and would not only replace one criminalised non-conformity with another, but take us farther along the road to totalitarian dictatorship.

I completely agree with the above. This over vocal minority group has far too much influence. You only have to look at that idiot Stephen Fry calling for a boycott of the Russian Olympics ffs! The world has far more important things to consider. Kenya anyone.............?

[wodger of awabia]

Yes,
I do wish that people will stop referring to this group as "gay" this is a word that they like, & have hi-jacked in order to make their life style & sexual acts more acceptable to the general public. I.M.O. the word "homosexual", should always be used to identify them.

[madgull]

Are these last three posts serious?

[Dave]

Thing is kick racism out football was a campaign that allways stood more than a good chance of working, with more and more young talented black footballers coming into the game, the emergence of the African nations cup, political will plus other reasons.

Kick homophobia out of football, lets be honest here, no chance, rainbow laces pointless exercise, in pointlessness. For a start there are atleast 76 countries worldwide were homosexuality is still a criminal offence, there atleast another 6 countries that have some form of anti-gay law, including 2022 world cup hosts Qatar, some of these are deeply religiuos countries were there is no will either amongst their goverments and the majority of the people to change anything.

FIFA are not about to ban 82 countries from the world cup, 83 if Ukraine go ahead and change their laws , any time soon.

Personaly no problem with living and to let live have worked with and known gay people, and had no problem with any of them personaly,however do not want it rammed down my throat either, it's not right and lets not pretend it is.

[Gulliball]

This page of posts would indicate that the campaign is needed, and that there is a lot more education required. Very sad.

[Rjc70]

This page of posts would indicate that the campaign is needed, and that there is a lot more education required. Very sad.

Quite agree. Bizarre.

[ferrarilover]

Not necessarily. These days, these sorts of campaigns aren't really aimed at anyone who actually exists.

This sort of thing is aimed at people who must change their attitudes and will do so in response to this campaign. That person doesn't exist any more. Society is now 2% gays, 95% people who really don't give a shit whether you're gay, straight, black, white, pink, orange, tall, short or anything else and 3% people so blinded by rage towards poofs that it will pass them by, save for making them upset for a while that "the queers are getting all the publicity again."

No one in England doesn't know that homophobia is wrong. Those who know and act accordingly don't need telling again and those who know but ignore it anyway will not be affected by this campaign.

It's the same reason we really don't need gay pride marches. Yeah, lovely, you're gay, whatever, no one really cares, if we're honest.

Matt.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Thing is kick racism out football was a campaign that allways stood more than a good chance of working, with more and more young talented black footballers coming into the game, the emergence of the African nations cup, political will plus other reasons.

Kick homophobia out of football, lets be honest here, no chance, rainbow laces pointless exercise, in pointlessness. For a start there are atleast 76 countries worldwide were homosexuality is still a criminal offence, there atleast another 6 countries that have some form of anti-gay law, including 2022 world cup hosts Qatar, some of these are deeply religiuos countries were there is no will either amongst their goverments and the majority of the people to change anything.

FIFA are not about to ban 82 countries from the world cup, 83 if Ukraine go ahead and change their laws , any time soon.

Personaly no problem with living and to let live have worked with and known gay people, and had no problem with any of them personaly,however do not want it rammed down my throat either, it's not right and lets not pretend it is.

I personally believe that this snippet that Dave wrote is the way in which any 'normal' person would view gay people. Whatever else has been said on this topic I don't really want to get involved with but I fail to see why this statement is 'very sad'. I don't particularly like heterosexual men commenting on 'shagging birds' every minute of the day as I find it a bit sad and they come across as having minimal intelligence so they are just the same as gays in that respect if we are to hold the view that gay men in particular over promote their homosexuality.

Whether a person is gay, a practising witch, a certain religion or anything they wish to be through choice then it doesn't matter to me and it shouldn't matter to anybody else. They should be proud of it yes but also exercise some respect for others who maybe don't share the same views.

If anyone disagrees with this then I would certainly find it very unusual indeed.

There is no need for rainbow laces or gay pride marches, just for people to try and get along and show some give and take and treat everyone as equals regardless of any orientation they may have. It is simply humans having respect for one another and if you cannot also agree with that then I would find it very disturbing indeed.

Just let us all get on with our lives as best we can. People who are cruel to animals are going to do so, people who hit their wives (and vice versa Gullscorer ) are going to do so , people who sell drugs are going to do so, people who abuse children are going to do so and people who hate gays are going to do so. There isn't much we can do about it and there isn't much a rainbow lace can do about it.

Obviously Greeks and Gargs don't count with regards to this though.

Just read Matts post before submitting this and I 100% agree.

[Gullscorer]

Well said, Andy and Matt, these are points I was trying to make whilst focussing on the intolerance of the PC Brigade, of which unfortunately there appear to be a few on this forum, those who insist on their rights and on their 'right' to impose their self-righteous ideologies on everybody else. They are entitled to their views but they must grant others the same entitlement. Freedom of expression works both ways but, for them, 'live and let live' doesn't come into it, because they are always right and they are always victims, and everyone with critical or alternative views is accused of homophobia or misogyny or whatever, and is censored and criminalised. If only they would just get on with their lives and let us live ours without having their world views thrust at us incessantly.

[Glostergull]

Not necessarily. These days, these sorts of campaigns aren't really aimed at anyone who actually exists.

This sort of thing is aimed at people who must change their attitudes and will do so in response to this campaign. That person doesn't exist any more. Society is now 2% gays, 95% people who really don't give a sh*t whether you're gay, straight, black, white, pink, orange, tall, short or anything else and 3% people so blinded by rage towards poofs that it will pass them by, save for making them upset for a while that "the queers are getting all the publicity again."

No one in England doesn't know that homophobia is wrong. Those who know and act accordingly don't need telling again and those who know but ignore it anyway will not be affected by this campaign.

It's the same reason we really don't need gay pride marches. Yeah, lovely, you're gay, whatever, no one really cares, if we're honest.

Matt.

Now thats not right. We campaigned consistantly about your revoltingly gross orange car untill we won and you changed it. We won't rest untill the laces go. lol I would ban orange and you would be banished from society for life. Then we could look without having to wear dark glasses.

[ferrarilover]

Forced equality is no equality at all. The same with acceptance.
I am happy for everyone to do everything because none of it affects me. If it did, I might well be unhappy about it. I don't give a toss about black people (although Hector will tell you I'm a racist), gay people, fat people or ginger people because none of their behaviour affects me. I could do without an element of the Muslim faith, but then, there was a time when I could have done without an element of the Christian faith.
I reserve the right to mock those of a religious bent, but that doesn't mean I mean them any ill will, just that I find the idea talking to a beardy man on a cloud a derision-worthy hobby. I also happen to find campanologists worthy of a gag or two, and grown ass men who queue for three days outside a book shop or computer games retailer to get their hands on a piece of children's literature or a glorified toy. I'm not discriminating against these people, I'm including them, thereby integrating them further into society.

If you want to integrate people and make them part of normal, every day society, sitting them on a plinth and marking them out as "special" somehow is the worst thing to do, because that only alienates them further. No one notices the chap on the Clapham omnibus, in his dark suit and sensible shoes. Everyone is staring at the chap in a Borat style mankini and the woman with the beard. People and things which are outside of the norm are always going to be setting themselves up as targets. I spent months working with a chap before it came out (in casual conversation) that he was gay. I'd spent my whole time with him telling jokes without any censorship. Once I found out he was gay, I continued in the same vein. Had I changed my behaviour and told only "gay friendly" jokes, what sort of inclusion and cohesion would that achieve?

Inclusivity is about treating everyone equally, not treating people differently, so why is it that some among us think we should tiptoe around blacks and gays and ladyboys because of nothing more than their membership of a particular sub-group? No, I wouldn't disadvantage anyone under my control based on their membership of any of these groups, but I might well poke fun at them, because I'd also poke fun at people who aren't members of those sub groups.

Matt.

[Gullscorer]

Matt, we know you have a weird sense of humour. But please don't be too hard on (not that we wouldn't like to hear jokes about): Morris dancers...!! =D

[Dave]

Hmm what education do I need, grammar and spelling yep could do with some help there.

As said FIFA have given the 2022 world cup Qatar homomsexuality is illegal there. So who is going to change what excatly ? If Man.c turned up at Old Trafford with an openly gay player in their line up, it would result in carnage. Again who is going change what excatly ? And the list could go on and on.

As said I have worked with openly gay people and have counted them as friends, no problen acepting homosexuality, however no where in the bible does it say that man should leave his parents and join with another man and the two should become one, no one need get all pompus with me, tell me it's 2013 being gay is normal, because it isn't and never was, never will be, and don't bother trying to convince me otherwise.