June and July are considered as gay pride months around the world, and it is also the month of mass celebrations with parades. The parades that throughout the summer are staged around the U.K every year. It took place in Newcastle on 21 July 2018.
June and July are considered as gay pride months around the world, and it is also the month of mass celebrations with parades. The parades that throughout the summer are staged around the U.K every year. It took place in Newcastle on 21 July 2018.
Citizens’ Debate
In order to gauge the strength and diversity of public opinion on the issue of LGBT rights, we decided to ask some members of the public what their thoughts were. We managed to find a few willing participants who provided us with some very interesting views, particularly on the state of, and reasons for, homophobia.
Over the Rainbow
Has corporatism ruined the symbol for the LGBT community?
The Rainbow Flag: Who, What, Where, When and How?
The rainbow flag was initially designed in 1978 by the self-described “gay Betsy Ross” (Pink News, 2018), Gilbert Baker, after he was asked by Harvey Milk (one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States). Apparently high on LSD in a gay bar, Baker got the inspiration for a multi-coloured symbol to challenge what was the dominant symbol of homosexuality at the time, the Pink Triangle. This triangle had been used in Nazi concentration camps to identify homosexual prisoners. As Baker wrote in his memoirs: “It functioned as a Nazi tool of oppression. We all felt that we needed something that was positive, that celebrated our love." (Wong, 2016).
The Pink Triangle used in Nazi Concentration camps
Pink News
The original flag consisted of eight colours, each color with its own meaning (hot pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, turquoise for art, indigo for harmony, and violet for spirit). This is the flag which was initially used at the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade in June 1978, ridden under by Harvey Milk just months before his assassination; making it not only a symbol of freedom but also showing the oppression which LGBT people still face. However, largely due to practical concerns relating to printing costs, two of the colours (turquoise and hot pink) were dropped from the flag by Baker, and the new six-coloured flag took over as the universal expression of gay pride.
It is also notable that Baker never copyrighted his design, despite the potential for huge personal wealth and instead has allowed the flag to become a ubiquitous symbol which holds significant meaning for LGBT people across the world.
Is the Flag inclusive enough?
In recent years, there has been an argument developing that the rainbow flag is not inclusive for LGBT people who don’t belong to the western, white-cisgender section of the LGBT community. This year, at the Manchester Pride event, organisers included black and brown stripes to their traditional rainbow flags with an attempt to represent the black, Asian and other ethnic minority backgrounds of a large portion of the LGBT community (Baggs, 2019). This generated huge controversy with some suggesting that the flag was “patronising” towards BAME LGBT members, as the flag was always thought to be an all-encompassing symbol (Baggs, 2019). However, others suggested that the extra-colours are necessary to specifically highlight the often more severe forms of discrimination encountered by LGBT people-of-colour.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT)
people in China face social challenges
not experienced by non-LGBT residents
Calvin Lin
Richard Liu
Positive Symbolism of the Flag
The use of bright colours to denote homosexuality is not a new phenomenon however the forging of this new symbol which brought all these colours together makes the flag one which can represent togetherness within the LGBT community. In their article discussing the semiotics of the rainbow, Wolowic et al. (2017: 525) suggest five meanings which can be developed through LGBT people’s ownership of the rainbow flag as a powerful symbol: 1. Showing an affiliation with the LGBT community; 2. The symbol being part of LGBT memories and aspirations; 3. The rainbow can be helpful in navigating LGBT people towards useful health, emotional and social services 4. The symbol being used to express thanks to supportive individuals such as parents, counsellors and teachers; and 5. The recognition that there are limits to the effectiveness of the rainbow as an all-encompassing symbol of homosexuality and LGBT culture. Undoubtedly the rainbow has developed into a symbol which can bring together people who feel excluded from the rest of society (Laskar et al., 2016: 194). The idea of imagined communities (Anderson, 1983) is important to reference here, as the sense of belonging which can be provided by various symbols, such as the rainbow, can be vital in providing a notion of identity to a group of people who often face discrimination outside of this group. However, others argue that this symbol is still not receptive to all members of the LGBT community and suggest additions to the flag need to be made.
The Rainbow in China
Outside of the western world, where LGBT causes have been generally accepted by large proportions of the public as well as legislators, in countries such as Russia and China therainbow flag may not be viewed in such a positive light. In China, recent news events have highlighted the risks involved with waving rainbow flags (Daily Beast, 2018), with potential violence being at the heart of this. In 2018 for example, two women handing out rainbow flag stickers during an event in Beijing’s famous 798 art district were hit by security guards, with one woman falling to the floor during the incident, according to online videos (Reuters, 2018). Chinese LGBT people do not have the same freedom as those in the West, with same-sex marriage still illegal and the state frequently positioning itself as hostile to LGBT causes. This is evidenced by the state-backed broadcaster (Mango TV) whose coverage of the Eurovision Song contest involved censoring a song which had “LGBT elements” (Reuters, 2018), as well as pixelating rainbow flags which were being waved by members of the crowd. Here then, the rainbow flag becomes far more subversive, with the symbol often being used to denote the struggle against the overt oppression of the authorities and whilst the threat of violence and legal discrimination is real, many Chinese members of the LGBT community continue to use the symbol as an act of defiance (Bram, 2017- Dazed).
To gain an understanding of the young LGBT people, we interviewed S.Hoon (Ben) about some emotional and personal questions. He is a gay student studying at Leeds University, and a ¼ Chinese and ¾ Filipino, self-taught different culture and language, and also be a positive part of the local LGBT community. He was very willing to support Asian gay representation in the media.
Interview with: S.Hoon (Ben) discussing Asian LGBT experiences
C-When did you found out your sexual orientation? And was there a change that caused this?
B-Probably when I was really young. I have a memory of when I was 4 and I used to stare at guys from the balcony in my house quite a lot and it gave me a “tingly feeling” near the bottom of my body. I didn’t know what that feeling was then because I was so young but looking back, I definitely know what that feeling was.
C-Were there any difficult issues you faced as a young person coming to grips with your sexuality?
B-Not so much. Ever since I was young, I was always a bit feminine and energetic but people thought that that was just because I was happy, not gay.
C-What are the main differences, in your opinion, between experiences for Western and Asian homosexuals？
B-Definitely how open and how developed gay culture in both regions of the world. Because Western culture is so much more individualistic, people celebrate and encourage being different rather than going against it whereas people from Asian cultures are more collectivistic so they don’t like sticking out too much. Members of the LGBT are already the minority and are already different and that’s much more developed, celebrated and open in a Western culture because they encourage those differences. This means that there is are huge differences in gay slang, LGBT programs, gay people appearing in media, differences in people’s viewpoints and thoughts in both cultures.
C-And what prevents the LGBT community from being able to live a free life?
B-The biggest factor is definitely society. Society doesn’t just affect the gay person themselves but the people around them - their friends, parents and people they’ll meet. If a gay person is scared to do something, most of the time, it isn’t because of themselves but due to how other people will react. Living in a society where you’re not allowed to be yourself is difficult.
C-In your opinion, what powers could influence the worldwide conversation about sexual-orientation equality? If celebrities were to get involved, for example?
B-Celebrities, media and political policies are a great start in changing people’s viewpoints about LGBT. The reason people don’t see heterosexual people differently is because it’s seen as “normal”, so the more people are exposed to the LGBT community, the more they’ll get used to it and hopefully, the more likely they are to accept it.
C-What process do you feel has been the most positive one for achieving equality?
B-Definitely the legalisation of gay marriage in the UK in 2014. Political processes like these usually have one of the biggest impacts compared to marches or parades because policies affect the whole country, rather than marches or parades that only affect a small area.
C-And what effort you think the gay group itself should make and step forward?
B-Not being afraid to speak out and being themselves, as long as it’s safe to do so. Trying not to hide their identity but instead trying to be proud of it. This can involve talking with people who don’t know about it. Educate people around you and let them know that we’re just people, just like them.
C-Obviously, according to UK law, same sex marriage is now legal. What you think about this and the state of gay rights more generally?
B-Gay rights has definitely developed more than it has before and it’s going in the right direction, but this is different for every country and we still have a long way to go. But, I’m very happy with the progress we made and I can’t wait to see what happens next. I was very happy to find out about the legalisation of gay marriage in the UK and hope it continues to show the world that the LGBT community is here.
C-In a previous interview, we found the word “AIDS” occurred a lot in the conversation. It is shocking that within the gay community, this disease is a more urgent issue than for others. What are you thoughts on this?
B-I think it is a very urgent issue and that everyone should be aware of the risks. The fact that most gay people don’t care or aren’t educated enough about this comes from the gay culture of the 1960s where people weren’t even aware of such a disease and were spreading it unwillingly. This was made worse by the West being so free with sex. It’s a lot better now and we have a lot more awareness and options, but we definitely need to improve with making people more aware of it and reducing the stigma around the disease. It’s the unknown that makes people scared of this disease.
C-Have you came out to you families already？
B-I have.
C-How would you describe the feeling?
B-I feel great! I felt a lot better because I knew I can just be myself around them and not have to lie anymore. I can discuss my future plans without any lies and I can just be so much more comfortable.
C-Do you have any personal love stories? How would you explain the feeling of love?
B-Loads! Too much! Too much to write them all down but I suppose what makes love stories and memories so nice is just that feeling of connection with someone else. When you’re deep in love and talking to that other person, both people don’t really care that they’re the same gender. They just see that person as that person. Maybe that’s because I’m just so used to loving guys and connecting with guys in a culture and society that accepts it (the UK) so it just feels natural and accepted. I’m lucky I don’t have to worry about my safety or anything. I love that person because they are the way they are and it makes me feel the best.
C-Do you think there is any difference between the ‘true love’ experienced by gay or ‘straight’ couples?
B-It doesn’t even matter what your sexual orientation is, but I think true love is having the desire to connect with and look after another person. It’s that feeling that never changes no matter what happens and explains why that person stays with you no matter what and doesn’t give up. This is a common thing I’ve seen with every couple I come across.
C-You’ve had amazing and unique experiences, traveling around and learning all about different cultures. We are curious about the stories behind.
Are there any stories which relate specifically to the LGBT community?
B-A lot! There aren’t any particular stories that stick out because to me, every story is important but one really good memory is when I went to the queer gay parade in Seoul, Korea. After talking with people there and celebrating the LGBT community and gay culture, I recognize that us gay people are like our own separate race – we have an instinctive ability to recognize each other and we can connect instantly even though we’re in different countries because being LGBT provides a lot of unique experiences and feelings that only we can go through.
C-If you got a second chance, would you still choose to be a gay? And why?
B-Of course! Being gay let me become the person that I am now and I love who I am. I wouldn’t be living the wonderful life I’m living now if anything about my life was anything different in another world. I wouldn’t change a thing. Even though there were times of difficulty, that’s life and it’s every experience we have that changes us as people.
Concluding Remarks:
Ben was an incredibly enthusiastic interview subject who provided some fascinating insight into the lives of Asian homosexuals living in the UK. He noted the stark contrast in the attitudes of people in the West, and outside towards the LGBT community and also touched on a few key issues affecting LGBT people today such as AIDS, the legalization of gay marriage, and the role which celebrities can play in achieving full equality. Also extremely pertinent was Ben’s discussion of his own experiences of love, which show to the fullest extent that there is very little difference in the way homosexuals and heterosexuals conceptualise their emotional attachment towards people. Whilst Ben may have referred to gay people as their own ‘race’, and celebrates the uniqueness of the LGBT community, he was also keen to highlight that there is nothing that should divide us regardless of our sexuality.
Carrie Zhou
15/05/2019
When Emma Parker, a lecturer and Professor who has written numerous seminal pieces about the role of homosexuality within pop culture and beyond, came to Newcastle University to deliver a lecturer regarding Joe Orton’s ‘What the Butler Saw’, we thought it was too good an opportunity to pass up. We asked Emma some questions about the way LGBT people are depicted in film, TV and literature; as well as the causes of discrimination and the way corporations have attempted to appeal to the gay ‘market’.
Interviewing Emma Parker:
Professor of Post-War and Contemporary Literature at Leicester University
G: We would like to get a few thoughts on how depictions on how LGBT people in TV, film, literature or music could have an effect on LGBT and non-LGBT viewers. So when people see these depictions of gay or transgender characters on TV or in film how do you think that might affect depictions in wider society?
E: Well I think visual representation is crucially important given the historical invisibility of same sex desire and negative stereotypes of members of the LGBT community, it is imperative to see representations in film and in TV in statues, in history, in all forms in order to challenge stereotypes and to give a true sense of what gay men and lesbians are really like. And it also has a very much a normalising impact because the best way to challenge prejudice I think is to know someone who embodies the kind of identity that people might be phobic about and it really challenges their ideas about what it means to be LGBT so visibility is really important. When I was growing up there wasn’t LGBT people on TV, there were camp men and they tended to be comedians but why are we allowed to see gay men when their funny? Because they’re totally not threatening. There was no lesbian representation at all, the only time you saw gay men was on TV when they were being funny and they endorsed negative stereotypes. Over the last 20 years, particularly the last 10 years, I mean soap operas I think have played a really important role in this, a leading role in this alongside reality TV. I remember when a gay man won big brother and everybody liked him and later a trans women won big brother and there was so much support and sympathy for these people because they really changed the general publics view.
G: Following on from this, do you think there’s enough LGBT role models in todays society?
E: No, not at all. And again there is a huge disparity between the experience of gay men and gay women. Lesbian invisibility is still a massive issue. There’s still quite a lot of interest in trans at the moment, a lot of channel 4 documentaries about trans but we need to be very careful about how trans is being represented in those programs, there’s a lot of social anxiety about age and the age we begin to transition, a lot of anxiety about trans children. In the same way, its parallel with the ages of consent like, 30/40 years ago, the idea that the age of consent shouldn’t be lowered because a teenager doesn’t really know who they are so some interesting parallels there. We definitely need more role models, given the kind of levels of bullying in school and the stone wall health report published in November 2018, and the government survey into LGBT lives published last year all shows that gay people and LGBT people suffer hugely disproportionately from anxiety, self-harm, eating disorders, alcohol and drug mis use. And you have to ask the question why is that? And the answer is because we obviously still live in a deeply homophobic society.
G: Can you discuss how language in general society, gay slurs for example, can affect people?
E: Well, I think language is very important and in school gay is still used as a pejorative to mean weak or stupid.
G: Do you think enough been done in schools to stop this kind of behaviour?
E: No! not at all, I think Britain is rubbish at sex education, there’s nothing about relationships, all the students I teach, if this topic comes up I ask them about their sex educations and there never anything about homo sex in sex education so Britain is rubbish at sex ed full stop. But I think if you put relationships into sex education and included homosexuality we could have a much wider discussion about things like language.
G: Just a final question, I’m not sure if this is an area of your expertise but we are going to be titling our project rainbow so just wandered if you have any thoughts on the symbol of the rainbow and how that used to promote positivity within the LGBT community.
E: I don’t think I have any thoughts about that, I don’t object to the rainbow.
G: It seems to have been used a lot recently in more corporate ways?
E: So I think its been appropriated by cooperate culture, I mean particularly in my university and you’ve probably got this here they have just issued rainbow lanyards and loads of people are wearing them. The university wants to promote a certain image and it wants to tick an equalities box, if they can tix the box I don’t think they are really that genuinely that interested in really in change, its all about showing rather really doing and I personally talk about gay stuff and LGBT stuff in all of my work and in all of my research that makes it absolutely clear who I am. And in my room, I will not wear the rainbow lanyard because it makes me feel like a hypocrite and it makes me feel like I’m doing their work, rather than work.
Concluding Remarks:
As expected, Emma provided some interesting responses to our questions. She highlighted the role of soap operas, something we had not previously considered, as being vital to the changing of negative stereotypes surrounding homosexuality. Emma also crucially shows that, whilst there has been some significant progress throughout the past few decades, discrimination and homophobia is still far too prevalent today. Her comments on the reasons for this, the lack of adequate sexual education, and the appropriation of gay culture by corporations and other institutions, certainly match up with my own thoughts on the matter. The message she ends with, that wearing a rainbow lanyard provided by her university makes her feel like a hypocrite is a powerful statement that suggests the various pro-LGBT campaigns have not been as pervasive to all members of the community.
Corporatism: Co-Opting the Rainbow
Candidate Donald Trump used a rainbow flag, with ‘LGBT for Trump’ written on it at a campaign event in 2015- Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
In the western world, the rainbow symbol developed into such a recognisable and popular image that corporations and politicians began to notice the value of associating themselves with it. In the past few years we have seen events such as the Premier League’s ‘Rainbow Laces’ week, Smirnoff releasing a range of ‘rainbow bottles’ (Nicholson, 2017), and even then Presidential Candidate Donald Trump holding up an upside-down rainbow flag at a campaign rally in Colorado. Such events showcase the attempts to co-opt the rainbow logo in order to generate support from the LGBT community. Companies have been trying to ingratiate themselves within the gay community since the 1970’s when market researchers originally started to view homosexuals as a “potentially lucrative market” (Cook and Ryan, 2015): 1). Urvashi Vaid (1995, cited in: Whitney, 2006) has argued that “queer identity” has actually been created largely through the commodification of the LGBT community, as specifically-designed products affect the way community members view themselves and what it means to be queer. As LGBT causes became mainstream, corporations have seen that by tying themselves in with the ‘gay brand’, they can develop a more caring and sensitive image for their company. Often, this can be achieved through small, arguably meaningless gestures such as Nike making a pair of rainbow shoes, or Oreo releasing images of ‘rainbow-filled cookies’; as Nicholson (2017) described these are just “cynical acts of decorative lip service”. The rainbow flag was never meant to be a symbol which portrays a strong social conscience (therefore a company befitting of your hard-earned cash) but is a sign of strength, love, equality and freedom. Surely, as esteemed LGBT campaigner Steve Wardlaw argues, surely companies should at least have to “earn the right” to put rainbow flags on their products, as he states “by doing something that actually advances LGBT causes” (Huffington Post, 2018).
Of course, there are numerous companies who provide vital contributions to LGBT support services, which certainly makes the issue more complex. Nike, for example, donated almost $2.7m to LGBT causes between 2012-18 (Vox, 2018) and whilst this represents but a tiny fraction of Nike’s profits the money will not go unnoticed. In response to concerns in 2016 that Facebook, Google and other big tech companies were sponsoring the San Francisco Gay Pride Event,
Coors are one of many companies to try and appeal to the LGBT community- Chad Baldwin via Twitter
officials stated that “corporate sponsors are critical to offsetting the costs of the event” (Guardian, 2016) and this also enabled the SF Pride Group to make over $166,000 worth of donations to local LGBT community groups. As well as this, there is also the argument that the support of corporations helps to provide a sense of public, widespread support for LGBT people which helps them feel a part of wider society. Although the motives of these coporations can certainly be questioned, as Nicholson (Guardian, 2016) states “I would rather a company such as Coors put out a beer can with a rainbow on the side, than donate to anti-LGBT organisations” which was what Chick-Fil-A have notoriously done (Vox, 2019).
In Peter Moskowitz’s article in the Washington Post entitled “Why you should stop waving the rainbow flag on Facebook” (WaPo, 2015), he shows that the rainbow flag became a representation of his own self-confidence and acceptance of himself as an LGBT person. Criticising the attempts of Hilary Clinton, her Facebook page “awash in rainbow-themed regalia”, he suggests that it is now ‘easy, popular and politically expedient’ to support gay causes through the addition of rainbow logo to your profile picture, as evidenced by recent polling data on same-sex marriage (US Polls have 61% support for gay marriage, via Pew Research Center, 2019). Moskowitz also notes the struggle which LGBT people have often faced simply to survive and express themselves and highlights that any attempt by outsiders to represent this will fall short. In his own words: “the rainbow symbol is easy to co-opt, but the experience it represents is not”.
Glyn Sheldon
11/5/2019
G-How would you describe the city of Newcastle’s overall treatment of LGBT people? Is it difficult to be openly gay in the city?
S-I think Newcastle treats LGBT people very well, hosting LGBT events encouraging people from the LGBT community the opportunity to come forward, in a non-judgmental environment, to speak to Police and agencies about hate crime.
G-Do you have any first-hand experiences of facing discrimination as a result of being gay?
If so, could you briefly discuss how you felt about this?
S-Being a 47yr old gay man, I have seen a significant improvement in the attitudes towards the LGBT community from that of 30yrs ago. I remember in the 1980’s when I was 20yrs. old, leaving gay nightclubs such as Powerhouse and Rockshots in Newcastle at 2am in the morning and there were occasions where Police officers would be shouting discriminatory homophobic comments out of the Police patrol van. At the time, it made me feel angry, ostracised and I found the behaviour of the Police completely unnecessary. How times have changed, as I would find it difficult to believe that would happen today.
G-Where do you think homophobia stems from? What makes people homophobic? What is it (if anything) that sustains the systemic homophobia in the UK?
S-Having worked contracting in cities across the UK (including Bristol, Derby, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, and Winchester) meeting many different people from different social backgrounds and industries, I am of the opinion homophobia stems from a lack of knowledge/understanding and stereotypical views. In my experience prejudice in predominantly ‘straight’ environments where you might expect widespread discrimination (
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/homophobia-rife-in-the-construction-industry-as-85-of-lgb-workers-face-offensive-remarks-10469585.html.)
I have found there to be an initial limited understanding of the LGBT community.
My occupation means that it is necessary to work away from home staying in hotels, from socialising with construction workers, while far from them being homophobic towards me, male construction workers were initially suspicious of my intentions. They were curious to ask me questions to gain a better understanding of LGBT community. In my experience, the prejudicial views stem from a lack of understanding and gay stereotypes. Once I have mixed and openly chatted to construction workers, it is great to see a change in their attitudes and some have become good friends. Some of the guys working in construction have even openly admitted they have a different view of the gay community since meeting me! How good is that?
G-Have you had any experiences campaigning for LGBT rights (marches, demonstrations etc.)? If so, could you describe being part of a group protesting together in this manner?
S-I have never really been involved in marches campaigning for LGBT rights.
G-Do you think that the lives of LGBT people have been markedly improved as a result of activism? If so, how has this occurred?
S-While I think it is fantastic to see changes including the age of consent, it being lawful for gay couples to marry and inclusion in the Equality Act due to activism, I think we need to be mindful as a society that there is a balance. Endless crusading and activism, endless media coverage of promotion of gay issues can lead to dispiritedness from the wider heterosexual community (oh not yet another gay campaign) as after all we must remember LGBT is a minority group with circa of only 10% of population identifying as gay.
G-Do you think homophobia has decreased within British society over the last 20 years?
S-In my experience, I have seen a dramatic improvement especially from young adults LGBT is now widely accepted and no-longer unmentionable in general conversation.
G-Do you think legal progress (i.e. equal marriage) for LGBT people has had an affect on the attitudes of the general public?
S-I feel the British public’s view of same sex relationships has become socially acceptable to the wider public. It is a marked improvement in attitudes towards the LGBT community to that of the 1980’s Aids crisis, often rightly or wrongly attributed to the gay community.
G-How else do you think attitudes towards LGBT people can be changed for the better? Does there need to be more education at an earlier stage? Are there other solutions?
S-I think it is important that same sex relationships be discussed in schools to appropriate age children. https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/furious-muslim-parents-withdraw-600-15909858 it is not about the ‘promotion’ of homosexuality and same sex relationships as is often quoted in the media but educating communities of acceptance to ensure equality across all communities. LGBT adolescents have the highest rate of suicide attempts, which scientific research indicates is linked to homophobic attitudes therefore I think it is important as it helps tackle the problem of teenage suicide by inclusion of gay people in society.
G-How would you describe ‘LGBT culture’? Would you say there is a specific LGBT identity shared by all group members or is individualism more important?
S-LGBT culture varies widely by geography and the identity of the participants, as with anything in life there are a wide variety of explanations. Some LGBT people choose to live in areas with a high proportion of gay residents such as Manchester and Brighton. Furthermore, not all LGBT people identify with LGBT culture due to a number of reasons such as fear of social stigma or career progression.
G-Who do you see as the biggest LGBT pop culture role models in modern society/throughout recent history? (They don’t necessarily have to be LGBT themselves)
S-There have been a number of LGBT icons over the years including Shirley Bassey, Freddie Mercury, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande however; there are other popular role models such as the late Princess Diana.
G-What makes/made them such good people to look up to?
S-Personally I think it is fantastic stance when those in the public eye, for example George Clooney and Elton John recently challenged and made a stand against the introduction of draconian laws. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/may/07/george-clooney-vows-pressure-brunei-gay-sex-death-penalty-boycott
Stephen Fry is another person in the public eye doing great work in the LGBT community meeting gay aversion therapists and intelligently challenging homophobic views and the reasons behind their narrow-minded viewpoint.
G-Do you think it is important for young LGBT people to see famous or successful LGBT people in TV/Film/Music etc.? If so, why? If not, why not?
S-I think it is very important from the perspective of young people as it makes it the norm to see that being LGBT is not something to be ashamed of.
G-Do you feel that there is enough pop culture representation of LGBT people in society; and do you think the way LGBT people are represented is both fair and helpful?
S-While I think it is great that LGBT are well represented, I sometimes feel they are overly represented as a tick box exercise i.e. gay actor, disabled actor, and ethnic actors on television.
Concluding Remarks:
Stephen’s comments certainly suggest that there has been much progress made in the past few decades in terms of the acceptance of the homosexual and LGBT community. As well as the obvious legal changes which have benefitted LGBT people, we have also seen a shifting of attitudes amongst the wider public and here, Stephen’s experiences regarding his work with construction workers were particularly fascinating. As Stephen wrote, “prejudicial views stem from a lack of understanding” and simply by engaging and conversing with straight men who were “initially suspicious” he was able to see them become far more empathetic first-hand.
Regarding education, Stephen provided a useful counter-point to the oft-made argument (frequently provided by religious groups) that schools are ‘promoting homosexuality’ to their young students. As Stephen rightly states, it is instead about simply “educating communities of acceptance, to ensure equality across all communities”
On the topic of role models, Stephen made the crucial point that young LGBT people need to be able to see role models who will teach them there is nothing to be ashamed of although he also notes that this must not be a token gesture. To simply stick a gay character into a TV show is not enough, and must be backed up with wider support of the LGBT community.
Glyn Sheldon
05/05/2019
Interview with Stephen Warren (Walsall Council Worker) discussing British LGBT experiences
To gain a better understanding of the personal, first-hand experiences of LGBT people, we asked Stephen Warren, a gay former resident of Newcastle who now works as an Interim Procurement Officer at Walsall Council, a few questions about the treatment he has faced individually. We also thought it would be interesting to get Stephen’s thoughts on the state of the LGBT activism movement, as well as engaging with why it is that LGBT people face discrimination on an all-too regular basis.
"rainbow" LGBT in Newcastle
The ‘Rainbow’ project has given the group and in-depth look at the LGBT community, highlighting aspects of its history, its symbol plus the difficulties and issues they face continually both in Britain and across the world. While, especially in recent history, so much has been done for the LGBT community it is clear that more can still be done to normalize and legalize aspects of the LGBT community.
The rainbow symbol of the LGBT community is something we have heavily focused on and has provided us with insight into the history of LGBT people while potentially showing us what the future holds for the LGBT community. Looking into the history of the rainbow symbol enabled us to realize its importance and why replacing the old symbol, one of hate implemented by the Nazi’s, was a significant moment for the LGBT community. Gilbert Baker, creator of the symbol, expressed how he want people to celebrate who they were, something he implemented with the design, something that is also a constant theme during this project, being prideful of who you are. The rainbow symbol might also give an insight into the future of the LGBT, which aims to be even more inclusive. This year’s Manchester Pride event saw black and brown stripes added to the flag in order to further support black, Asian and other ethnic minorities who some feel have been overlooked. Although, the colour additions were criticised by some it did show the LGBT communities efforts to constantly be more inclusive and to constantly stride for equal rights. The rainbow symbol has also created debate about how we stand up for the LGBT community. While it stands for positivity, Emma Parker correctly pointed out the dangers it can be bring when large corporations and companies take advantage of it to ‘tick an equalities box’ and even make money. Whereas, the debate over the usage of the rainbow symbol continues, the debate over homosexuality itself rages on in China. As seen in the article, Chinese members of the LGBT community do not have the same freedoms often found in more western societies. This further highlights while yes, a lot has been done to further the cause, internationally there is still a lot of work to do.
From the interviews gathered during this project and the research done, many LGBT members seem to feel that discrimination starts at an early age, often resulting in bullying at schools. This raises the questions of why discrimination starts at an early age and the answer may lie in the traditions created by the religious practices which are hugely important to the creation of Britain and most nations across the globe. In the debate these issues are touched upon when talking about the ‘gaycake’ scandal. A theme of the debate being whether homosexual marriage is a religious rights issue or a human one. From the interviews gathered talking to both members of the public and members of the LGBT community themselves it seems clear that is in a human rights issue about equality and while obviously it is important to respect and listen to views of all parties, as spoken about in the debate, marriage is an ever evolving concept and allowing gay marriage is just the next step in our ever evolving society. It is important to celebrate the strides that have been made in society concerning the LGBT community, but it is equally important to not become complacent with how far we’ve come. Most countries across the planet have not legalised same sex marriage meaning more work needs to be done to normalise it.
Sam Whitehead
Team members
Whitehead
Samuel Mark
Zhou JianTing
Wang Jialei
Sheldon Glyn Dewi
Yang Chengjun
