PM told to stop ‘whoring’ after the gay vote, by Telegraph journalist
Damian Thompson, the editor of Telegraph Blogs and a columnist for the paper has criticised Prime Minister David Cameron for trying to gain support from the LGBT community.
In an article printed on Saturday, Thompson cites a letter published in last Wednesday’s London Evening Standard in which a widowed civil partner disagrees with the coalition’s support for “gay marriage” because the individual claims the term adds nothing of substance to the current legal benefits prescribed from civil partnerships.
The individual also believes the title risks offending certain religious worshippers.
Thompson claims the sentiments would have been met with “incomprehension” by David Cameron and Nick Clegg – who have both repeatedly stated the case for equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.
Along with referring to last week’s “bigot” row, when Mr Clegg had to be apologise for appearing to link the opponents of equal marriage with the word “bigots”, Thompson accuses the coalition of “whoring” after “the gay vote”.
He also cites a sketch in the Economist of Mr Clegg resembling a drag queen and Mr Cameron dressed as a member of The Village People as part of his argument.
Thompson also says support for equal marriage in the LGBT community “is more complicated” than the government realises.
He believes some gay men and lesbians are worried about opening up “wounds between Christians and homosexuals” over the measure “which have only recently healed”.
Thompson also claims that “many homosexuals who want the right to gay marriage would prefer that the electorate had the chance to vote for it”.
He concludes by saying “Cameron is chasing a vote that isn’t coming his way”.
“Although there is a homosexual subculture in the Conservative Party, for countless gay professionals voting Tory is something you just don’t do. Ever”.
Thompson adds: “But there are other factors to consider. One of the dirty little secrets of gay history, never referred to in “queer studies”, is that many gay people voted for Margaret Thatcher (and kept very quiet about it, as I recall).
“They did so because, despite Section 28, they knew it was in their economic interests”.
