It shouldn’t be an issue. It should be good news that Wiltshire Council has voted in favour of flying the Pride flag on top of County Hall. But as Newsquest spreads the word, watch local knuckle-draggers gather on social media, competing for the most ingenious objecting comment, which least exposes their homophobia. But, is the local newspaper company encouraging this?
Controversy sells, I understand this. Get yourself a scoop “with legs,” manipulate it to your advantage. It’s what the media is about. But surely there should be someone monitoring Facebook shares and deleting offensive comments? As you can imagine, there’s a fair few on this particular story, completely and utterly uncensored. Some inciting violence, hatred, and even murder, but they seem to stay up there for all to digest and be horrified by; ironically, it’s exactly why we need the Pride they’re so against.
For example, when someone highlights the tragedy at Berlin Pride, this comment is made: “i hope there is many more heros willing to drive the car shame more didnt die.”
Surely, Newsquest, this isn’t the kind of reaction you would support? Surely you should have a smidgen of respect and be able to filter out hate this blatant? I mean, everyone is welcome to an opinion, but incitement to murder?
I’d like to think it’s something they’ve overlooked, but since the article uses an international political activist to quote an objection, Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, also known as Posie Parker, I have to question if their motives are as homophobic as the comments, and Newsquest are actively encouraging this hate-spreading exercise.
Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull is not from Wiltshire. She was born in Somerset, now lives elsewhere and speaks on an international stage. She’s fiercely anti-LGBTQ, who criminal Tommy Robinson sings her praises. Why is she even invited to comment on a county issue unless to deliberately force an agenda? No renowned or celebrity names were invited to speak in favour of the decision.
It’s media bias at its finest. Encouraging all the hatred and division the Pride flag exists to raise awareness of.
In the article, Mrs Keen-Minshull is quoted as saying, “the Progress Pride flag is widely understood to represent a specific political and ideological movement.” What an absolute crock-of-shit.
The Pride flag is a global symbol of identity, visibility, and hope for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) community. It has absolutely nothing to do with politics. Last time I checked, no one of the LGBTQ+ community is expected to make any declaration to a political party.
The only time it becomes political is when hateful spokespersons like this get behind objecting to it, and that’s something Newsquest are, if not directly supporting, but certainly are deliberately stirring the pot for clickbait.
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