On one side of the debate over gay and lesbian issues, you have the intolerant religious bigots, and on the other side, you have the tolerant, open-minded liberals. Just kidding.
As if we needed more proof that the left-wing gay and lesbian movement has been corrupted by an intolerance of its own, a new scandal in Britain proves it once and for all. As reported by the Daily Mail, organizer Charlie Shakespeare had put together a “Virtual Pride” fundraising event to raise money for charity in place of traditional in-person gay pride month celebrations. However, it was canceled and subjected to a widespread boycott after activists pressured performers to drop out over charges of mismanagement and after Shakespeare’s past “liking” of pro-Brexit and other conservative tweets was “exposed.”
Here’s a sampling of the online reaction as performers dropped out:
ANNOUNCEMENT: I have taken the personal decision to step down as host from #VirtualPride (pls watch) @DIVAmagazine @LindaRiley8 @HazellHD @Divinadecampo @WSMPRIDE @tmatalentuk #LGBT pic.twitter.com/XITEsYB3sw
— Grant Bickell (@GrantBickellTV) May 13, 2020
Apparently I’m a ‘political bigot’ because @DIVAmagazine has withdrawn any support of #VirtualPride as one of the organisers supports @Nigel_Farage & @toadmeister For clarity any #LGBTQ event which supports the likes of these, will not have my support #proudtobeapoliticalbigot ?
— Linda Riley (@LindaRiley8) May 12, 2020
I have decided to no longer take part in #VirtualPride 2020. This is for reasons I choose not to discuss online, however I wish all the performers the best. I still have some amazing things coming up so stay tuned! ? pic.twitter.com/1uUAvOudlF
— Yvy DeLuca (@yvyworld) May 12, 2020
My Genderation has officially withdrawn from #VirtualPride. It does not sit right with us to partake in an event where organisers engage with and support political figures that fundamentally do not support the rights of vulnerable groups in society. Solidarity now, and always.?️⚧️ https://t.co/k17mF26N6a
— My Genderation (@mygenderation) May 13, 2020
Apparently, to these “tolerant” left-wing folks, the idea of working with someone to raise money for charity whose unrelated private political views are not their own was simply beyond the pale.
The backlash was seemingly amplified by Linda Riley, the left-wing Labour Party’s “diversity” adviser, who said, “My brand will not be associated with anybody who [retweets] Toby Young and Nigel Farage,” and then played the victim when Shakespeare fairly complained, “That seems a little politically bigoted.” It’s also important to note the massive logical leap activists are making here: that because Shakespeare liked tweets from conservatives about Brexit and other issues, he is therefore responsible for every other position under the sun that they hold.
This is not just deeply unfair but an untenable position. I’m sure many of these activists have “liked” tweets from Jeremy Corbyn. Does that mean, therefore, that they support his anti-Semitism?
“’There has been a massive smear campaign to get us canceled,” Shakespeare said. “It seems to be that there is no place for you in the LGBT-plus community if you are right-wing. Just because I liked a tweet by Nigel Farage, I’m now blacklisted.”
To be clear, some, such as YouTuber Bradley Birkholz, have argued that their concerns about Shakespeare and the rally were more financial in nature, and there does appear to have been some confusion about the management, funding, and organization of this event. However, Shakespeare insists that all the money raised would have gone to charity, and it’s hard to take any financial concerns seriously when the outrage has so overwhelmingly focused on Shakespeare’s political views.
Notably, almost all of the public backlash, including Birkholz’s responses, explicitly cite Shakespeare’s support for conservative figures as disqualifying and unacceptable. So, while political intolerance is perhaps not the only factor at play here, it is clearly the biggest one by far.
It’s truly a shame. The fundamental precept here that people must have the “right” opinions to belong in the broader gay and lesbian movement is deeply bigoted and intolerant. And the unwillingness to work with people with whom you disagree on unrelated issues is a deep sickness that, if widely adopted, threatens to dissolve society as we know it.
The biggest losers here? The many people who likely would have enjoyed this event and the charities that would have received crucial funding. This lose-lose scenario is what the “tolerance” of left-wing gay and transgender activists has wrought.
