Culture

Is Channel 5 weaker than UKIP when it comes to combating homophobia?

Jun 11 2014
Written by Joseph McCormick

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a pink background.

Is Channel 5 weaker than the UK Independence Party (UKIP) when it comes to dealing with homophobes?

While UKIP is forced to remove councillors and candidates who have made homophobic remarks after media attention, the producers of Big Brother, which now appears on Channel 5, took no action when it surfaced that a contestant had called for a gay person to be shot for using the word “lush”.

Yesterday Channel 5 confirmed to PinkNews that it would not remove a contestant from the Big Brother House who in 2013 tweeted calling gay people “poofs” and said they should be shot.

Danielle McMahon also said in an interview with the Daily Star that due to her Catholic beliefs, she thinks same-sex marriage is “just not right”.

When asked by PinkNews whether McMahon would have been ejected from the house if she had made a similar remark based on race or disability, Channel 5 has not yet responded.

A UKIP councillor who made similar remarks, was expelled from the party less than a week after being elected, after it emerged he referred to gay people as “poofs, dykes, and perverts.”

Dave Small, who was elected to Redditch Borough Council’s Church Hill ward, made a series of homophobic and racist Facebook posts.

The party said: “He has now been expelled for clearly bringing the party into disrepute.”

David Silvester, a UKIP councillor who blamed recent floods on equal marriage, was also expelled from the party.

Others have stepped down after making homophobic remarks in public and on social media.

On 1 May 2014, Channel 5 was acquired by Viacom, which also owns MTV and Logo TV, a US-based LGBT channel.