Hi George
Outraged at the disciplinary process being brought against you. I have written a guest post which I hope you will check for any potential problems. If it passes your eagle eyes would you put it up on your blog. I hope the cretins who have brought this process against you have the courage to respond. I am sure they will not.
I found your post on your upcoming disciplinary most entertaining.
Firstly may I state I am not a member of any political party, and any politicians I have encountered, amateur and professional, have roundly disappointed me.
You are an SNP member but are willing to point out their faults and failings, as you see it. This is most refreshing in our current political climate where there is a lack of tolerance of deviation from the party line.
I was therefore not surprised by the trumped up allegations being made against you. It does raise two important questions which senior SNP officials must answer:
1. Does the SNP believe in social inclusion or not?
2. Is the SNP a party of homo-phoebes?
Allow me to explain.
I am Catholic. If you accused me of being a Catholic, I cannot be offended as it is a matter of fact. If you call me a Muslim, a Hindu or an atheist, you are wrong, but there is nothing wrong in these belief systems, so how could I possibly be offended?
I couldn’t unless of course I was a small minded bigot that hated those that had a different belief system from my own.
The SNP are proposing gay marriage etc. We are being told by the SNP and all the other political parties that homosexuality is equally as valid as heterosexuality. If the SNP truly believe this and are not simply politically posturing to win votes, how can they be offended at your use of the word gay?
If the people that attended were gay then it is a matter of fact. Those who were not gay should not be offended as it is an equally valid lifestyle. Surely the only people who could possibly feel offended would be the small minded bigots that hate gay people and do not believe in equality and social inclusion.
If the SNP actually discipline you, does that prove that they do not believe in social inclusion? Does it prove the SNP are lying to the electorate and are actually intolerant of LGBT community?
I feel they will kick you out of the party and pretend it is because you used the word gay. Anyone who reads your blog will know it is because you have criticised the leadership of your party on policy issues. I contrast your being dragged through a disciplinary process, with those who alleged accused you of being a sexual predator. They are left free to smear again.
Humza Yousaf’s wife Gail Lythgoe, who falsely accused Ian Davidson of having a history of intimidation against women. No disciplinary process brought against her, as the SNP claim she was speaking in a personal capacity.
Christine Grahame, who according to a former member of staff, allegedly hates Catholics. Yet again no disciplinary charges are brought against her.
George Laird uses the word gay without any sexual context, charges are immediately brought against you.
You, however, are to disciplined! That is gay (American slang meaning lame or crap, in case the SNP Gestapo decide to come after me).
Larry Grayson often said “oh what a gay day”.
No doubt the SNP leadership would accuse him of being homo-phobic if he was an ordinary member of the SNP. The rules being clearly different for senior members, i.e. the rules do not apply to them. How elitist, for a supposedly left leaning party!
In the words of Father Jack, SNP social justice, “my arse”!
I dare you to put this up on your blog, or are you going to behave like a party drone from now on.
Regards
William
I also read your blog on the Declaration of Cineworld, I cannot see any offence or any reference to anyone's sexuality.
ReplyDeleteI can assume the SNP will outlaw the word "Gay"? In any form?
How on earth could these people in the SNP party misunderstand your original blog, which is fair and unoffensive?
ReplyDeleteAre these party members trying to influnce free speach by bulling bloggers or have they just got power mad.
Keep up the good work dont let these nuts deter you from expressing your unbiased reporting views of all the political issues
in Scotland.
Perhaps the Alex and Nicol should be looking at who the SNP employs
and what their motives are
Dear George Laird,
ReplyDeleteAs an occasional visitor to your blog, I may have missed some of the background to this issue.
I gather you are subject to disciplinary proceedings by the SNP for alleged homophobic comments on your blog.
My recollection of some of your older posts is that when your dander is up, you can be blatantly homophobic, misogynistic and xenophobic. Although I don't recollect you managed to combine all three onto one person. Maybe if the next Principal of Glasgow University were to be a Lesbian Mongolian ......
It is nonsense to claim that a factual statement cannot be prejudicial. In certain contexts referring to omeone as gey or Jewish or female for that matter can be pejorative.
You are playing the daft laddie if you claim otherwise.
George
ReplyDeleteI have seen the article in the sunday mail.
You dont look like i imagined.
Keep up the good work.
Dear Anon
ReplyDeleteWhere you expecting something truly awful or some knuckle drag fiend?
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
George
ReplyDeleteThere was someone truly awful in the photo....
She was standing next to you.
For those who dont buy papers it is Nicola Sturgeon.
Will the SNP start burning books next outside Holyrood because the nuts in the party dont like the odd word.
I will be changing my lifelong voting habits next election and switch to Labour.
Dear Anon
ReplyDeleteI have met Nicola Sturgeon on several occasions, she isn't a friend of mine, despite that I have helped her in the past.
Unfortunately for me, when I asked her for help, not only did she not give it as freely as I did, she didn't even have the courtesy to reply.
To say I am disappointed in such treatment by her would be an understatement.
What has happened to me in the SNP has changed my opinion of them.
I am not surprised that the vast majority of the people in the SNP branches I was part of refuse to come out for them.
Now, things are going backwards, bad decisions are getting made, and it is a downward spiral.
And this is in part because of a lack of fairness, equality and social justice in the party.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
I have been unimpressed by all the parties,the beter together campaign and independance campaign have both been poorly delivered.
ReplyDeletePolitics in Scotland is a joke, with the poor politicians here.
The only one worth any note is
Alex Salmond.
johann Lamont is unbelivebly bad and Ruth Davidson wont be doing anything to increase there vote.
Not the A Team the B AND C teams.