The Rainbow Laces campaign aimed at tackling homophobia in sport has been slammed as completely ineffective.
Changing the colour of your bootlaces doesn’t stop you calling the fly half a noncy boy poof when he kicks rather than passing to you.
Funny that really. It’s almost as if wearing different coloured ribbons and bracelets and vulva hats and the rest makes no damn difference and that couldn’t possibly be true, could it?
They do what they were actually created for, though – virtue signalling.
Careful now, that’s a slippery slope. If we start evaluating the effectiveness of awareness campaigns, we might uncover some unpleasant truths and lots of jobs will be axed in Big Charity.
I was fully behind the “Rainbow” campaign.
Zippy and Bungle can’t have had much work lately.
Is “homophobia” the right word to categorise calling the fly half a noncy boy poof?
Gathering a group of your mates with cricket bats to beat him to a bloody pulp = homophobia.
Gathering a group of your mates with cricket bats to make him think you’re going to beat him to a bloody pulp = homophobia.
Calling him a name which a third party might find offensive but which he probably laughs at? If we’re going to pathologise name-calling then society is in all kinds of trouble.
You might argue that the name-calling leads to the beating and intimidation, but you’ll need to show your workings.
This may explain why AndrewC = https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1atuz
Funny that really. It’s almost as if wearing different coloured ribbons and bracelets and vulva hats and the rest makes no damn difference and that couldn’t possibly be true, could it?
I don’t know. I think they do make a difference. For instance, I used to not give Nancy boys the slightest thought. I hardly had to as I may have worked with one or two but they kept to themselves and got on with it and that was the end to it.
No longer.
As a result I feel a rather strong urge to punch anyone over 21 I see wearing a ribbon. Any ribbon. Or anything like it. Except for a red poppy.
See also ‘taking the knee’ at football matches.
Andrew C – George from Rainbow was a pioneering LGBTQIAWTF character tho.
Also, Bagpuss. He-Man was obviously a power bottom. ThunderCats was the writer’s barely disguised furry fetish.
The stonewall campaign to stop the use of communal baths in sports worked well though.
Also, Bagpuss.
Oh, good grief. I hope the Clangers are in the clear.
PJF – The Clangers were ok, but I’m a bit suspicious of that Willo the Wisp fella
I appreciate the NFL making October Breast Awareness Month.
. . . but I’m a bit suspicious of that Willo the Wisp fella
Next you’ll be saying Round the Horne was a bit camp.
Prompted by memories of Blue String Pudding I went on a little musical round trip this afternoon. It became clear that if we were to throw all teh gayers off hte rooves we’d lose half of our culture. Maybe it’s the half not worth keeping or maybe I’m gay, but then I don’t need commercial sport to designate a month to be breast aware.
They had a “Breast Awareness Campaign” poster at an office I was working in recently. If I thought HR had a sense of humour I’d ask just how much more aware I need to be!
Being gay IS a personal choice. “Oh, that’s wrong-think, gays can’t choose not to be gays.” Yes, but the gayers can choose not to tell everyone.
Mark Foster, Colin Jackson, Philip Schofield – you all chose to tell.
Frank Bough , that guy at Save the Children, they had a certain preference, but didn’t tell everyone. They were found out. Not their choice by and large.
From today’s Guardian (emphasis added) on how to deal with homophobic attitudes:
New research released this week shows Trainer and Schmitz are not alone in their desire to rid traditional male sporting environments from homophobic language. A research team found the use of homophobic slurs is not always indicative of homophobic attitudes. In fact, the majority of young men using the language regularly want it to stop, but do not realise everyone around them feels the same way.
OK, so language doesn’t really matter.
There is no question that this kind of language causes harm, but what lead researcher Erik Denison of Monash University and his team have been most interested in is finding solutions. He is quick to highlight that the current way the issues are being addressed is not effective.
Sigh. Following the science, as ever.