Thatcher’s biographer Charles Moore is very upset about little green men holding hands
Former newspaper editor Charles Moore is very upset about traffic lights featuring gay couples.
The former editor of the Telegraph and biographer of Margaret Thatcher penned a column for the Spectator about his objection to the gay traffic lights.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan unveiled a number of equality-themed traffic lights in Trafalgar Square in June 2016, to celebrate Pride in London.
Instead of simply showing a little green man, they light up in symbols signifying two little green men or two little green women holding hands.
The lights were made permanent after proving popular with tourists, and have now been in place for a year and a half without incident.
The ever-attentive Charles Moore apparently only just noticed the lights, though, and has expressed his retrospective outrage in his Spectator column.
Mr Moore wrote: “If you cross the roads round Trafalgar Square, the pedestrian lights no longer show red or green men. Currently, they display same-sex gender symbols interlocked, or the transgender sign, instead.
“Technically, this jeu d’esprit must be capable of wide variation — one could have crucifix traffic lights when the Passion is enacted in the square on Good Friday, or a pack of red/green hounds when the next Countryside March tramps by.
“But on the whole, it would be better if these lights had only one, unambiguous message.
“They should simply tell you when to cross a road, which can be matter of life or death.
“Perhaps the only way of avoiding the intrusion of the politically correct equivalent of product placement is to use the plain words favoured in American cities: ‘WALK’ and ‘DON’T WALK’.”
Transport for London have reported zero safety incidents related to the lights in the year and a half they have been present.
Given many of the visitors to Trafalgar Square are foreign tourists, putting a sign in the English language would likely be more irresponsible than a universally understood red-green traffic crossing.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan launched the initiative last year.
He said: “One of the greatest things about this city is our differences and every Londoner should be proud of who they are. I am very proud of our LGBT+ community here and I am looking forward to working closely with them as their Mayor.
“These new signals show that we stand shoulder to shoulder with them and display the tolerance and celebration of difference in our city.”
The Daily Mail previously attacked the lights.
The newspaper fumed: “As Trafalgar Square gets new PC crossing lights depicting same sex pedestrians… what would Nelson say!
“Nelson was fond of a signal or two – most famously using flags to say that England expects every man to do his duty. Were he alive today, however, he might raise a quizzical eyebrow at the signs being used to help pedestrians cross the road at Trafalgar Square.
“Dozens of ‘gay-friendly’ traffic lights now greet visitors at the London landmark. In the shadow of the monument to Britain’s greatest naval hero, walkers are directed safely across junctions by a little green man – and his same-sex partner.”
The newspaper claimed that a double-masculine symbol pointing to the right could lead to tourists wandering off to the right instead of crossing the road.
Moore is a consistent critic of LGBT rights, claiming that same-sex marriage is a “trend” like “asbestos”.
He previously complained that “traditional views” are being drowned out by “a form of gay rights Sharia”.
