Nick Clegg Tells a Gay Student to "Lighten Up"

Mikejoslin Mon Oct 06, 2008 at 03:22:53 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

http://www.student-direct.co.uk/2008/10/lighten-up-lib-dem-controversial-q-a-session/

 Nick Clegg visited the University of Manchester Students' Union last Thursday and made several incendiary comments that offended students in the audience.

 A gay student asked Mr Clegg about the Liberal Demcorat 'Homophobia is Gay’ campaign, with the student initially saying that he found it derogatory and actually being homophobic in itself as a campaign. After Mr Clegg told the student "to let it lie" and told him that the Lib Dems needed "a light hearted campaign", the student told Mr Clegg that he was a gay man and that he found that this sort of campaign added to homophobia. Mr Clegg's response was to tell the student to "lighten up". This clearly is not an appropriate comment from the leader of a mainstream party let alone the leader of a supposedly 'liberal' party.

http://www.southmanchesterreporter.co.uk/news/s/1039661_mp_and_students_in_rape_letter_row

 Mr Clegg was also asked whether he supported or condemned local Withington MP John Leech's comments, after the recent horrific rape of a Manchester student in which Lib Dem Mr Leech blamed other loud students making noises for the incident occurring. Rather than taking the opportunity to condemn Mr Leech, Mr Clegg said "that it is a laugh a minute here" and refused to answer, with Mr Leech launching into a tirade about the furore that his comments caused saying that he hadn't actually said the comments in question.

 Mr Clegg also confirmed his party's u-turn on tuition fees, which were in part responsible for his party's victory in Manchester Withington at the 2005 General Election.

 The Lib Dems really are a light weight party and they certainly seem to have a light weight leader who thinks that it is appropriate to tell a gay student to "lighten up" about homophobia.





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Nick Clegg Tells a Gay Student to "Lighten Up" | 9 comments (9 topical)

Nick Clegg Tells... (#1)

by Jim Dodd on Mon Oct 06, 2008 at 10:22:46 PM GMT

I'm afraid I think you're being a little to partisan and poe faced on this one.

We can accuse the lib dems of many things but institutionally homophobic is not one of them. 

I'm delighted that Clegg told the little prigg to lighten up. I'd personally have told him where to get off. 

What's absolutely clear is that Clegg did not diminish the student for being gay - he dismissed him for making a very obvious and clumsy attack invoking his (or her) sexuality to do it.

There is nothing wrong with satirising homophobia for the lunatic and bigoted foolishness that it is. You may not find the campaign clever or amusing (I think it's neither) but you can't use this bullshit fake outrage to score political points. 

In my humble opinion...


Re: Nick Clegg Tells... (#2)

by NorthernMonkey on Tue Oct 07, 2008 at 03:19:22 AM GMT

That was the most stereotypical Daily Mail style rant you could imagine.

I'm amazed you didn't include the phrase 'militant gays' in there.


[ Parent ]

Re: Nick Clegg Tells... (#4)

by Jim Dodd on Tue Oct 07, 2008 at 10:55:36 AM GMT

You're joking, right?


[ Parent ]

Re: Nick Clegg (#3)

by NorthernMonkey on Tue Oct 07, 2008 at 03:23:04 AM GMT

Completely agree.

It shows what a small-time party the LibDems are when the best they can come up with is crass statements like 'homophobia is gay'.

It's clear that not only does Clegg look like a pre-pubescent schoolboy, he thinks like one as well.


Re: Nick Clegg (#5)

by Jim Dodd on Tue Oct 07, 2008 at 11:52:01 AM GMT

Right – you’re clearly not joking.
I’ve read and re-read my post and cannot imaging how any rational or intelligent person could conclude it was akin to a Daily Mail rant.
I said homophobia was lunatic and bigoted foolishness. I can only assume that in your haste to attack the opposition you neither read nor thought about what was written.
Had this been David Cameron or a Tory of the old “Section 28” right wing – well, then I can see how the “Homophobia is Gay” campaign would’ve been conceived from a mindset I’m far more suspicious of with regard to equality issues.  I still wouldn’t personally be offended but could begin to understand why a gay person might want to have a pop at it. Even then, there’s a far better argument than: “I’m gay and I find it offensive.”
The logic of this type of faux outrage – for that’s what it is – is so undermining for those of us who’d really like to see the argument for equality (racial, sexual, gender – across the board) properly and sensible articulated. Not this tripe.
And not, least of all, against the Lib Dems. Nasty, grubby, treacherous little brats they can be in a local campaign but organisationally homophobe they are not.

I did also say that the campaign was neither clever nor funny.


[ Parent ]

Re: Nick Clegg (#6)

by Mikejoslin on Tue Oct 07, 2008 at 02:08:56 PM GMT

The point remains do you think it sensible to tell a gay man to "lighten up" when he clearly knows a lot about the Lib Dem campaign and clearly cares deeply about LGBT rights? What I'm questioning is Nick Clegg's judgment. I don't agree with you about 'homophobia is gay' and I'm happy to debate you on it, but the point remains that Nick Clegg has acted in a way very unbefitting of a mainstream party leader. He could have said "I disagree with you" or he could have said nothing at all but instead he said, "lighten up".

 I also think that there are also other relevant parts of the article. Nick Clegg says he has no idea where his party's donations come from. He refuses to criticise John Leech MP for clearly ludicrous comments about rape. He accepts his party has made a humiliating u-turn on tuition fees. These are other points that illustrate my argument that Nick Clegg’s judgment should be called into question.


[ Parent ]

Re: Nick Clegg (#7)

by Jim Dodd on Tue Oct 07, 2008 at 03:34:19 PM GMT

 I also think that there are also other relevant parts of the article. Nick Clegg says he has no idea where his party's donations come from. He refuses to criticise John Leech MP for clearly ludicrous comments about rape. He accepts his party has made a humiliating u-turn on tuition fees. These are other points that illustrate my argument that Nick Clegg’s judgment should be called into question.

All this and you go with the anti-gay headline?

I hope you don't think I'm defending the stupid campaign. What do you disagree with me about on that?

I think there are occasions when it is perfectly acceptable to tell a person to "lighten up". Even if they are gay and even if we're talking about homophobia.

Of course, victims of discrimination are better informed about what hurts but they by no means have a monopoly what is or is not offensive. They certainly are not immune to being disagreed with on a matter of taste and someone who does disagree with a gay person should not be vilified when they merely put down the person - not their sexuality.

I do not think it is unbecoming of a Liberal Democrat leader in the sense that you suggest.


[ Parent ]

Re: Nick Clegg (#8)

by Stuart King on Tue Oct 07, 2008 at 04:09:02 PM GMT

The point remains do you think it sensible to tell a gay man to "lighten up" when he clearly knows a lot about the Lib Dem campaign and clearly cares deeply about LGBT rights?

Being passionate about an issue doesn't make you automatically right about it.

I'm with Jim Dodd on this. I think the Lib Dem campaign is well intentioned but perhaps poorly worded, and Clegg's language was clumsy. But he's not a homophobe on the basis of they way he acted...in my opinion, and of course this is all subjective. 


[ Parent ]

Re: Clegg Says "Lighten Up" (#9)

by ChrisPaul on Thu Oct 09, 2008 at 12:03:15 PM GMT

Clogg isn't homophobic, but the campaign - with slogan nicked from a throwaway remark by Frank Iero from My Chemical Romance - is crap. And so is Clegg. Looking strained and stressed to these eyes. And what a terrible PPB with Cable the other day. Methinks Clegg may fail and be replaced by Cable ... what they should have done in the first place. Faced with Huhne or Clegg and split 50:50 on these two weak characters of poor judgement they should have said "None of the above". Stephen Williams is trying to talk his way out of the TUF U-Turn with lies. Leech is a fool and a failure. With that rape story - a little close to home and indicative of the party's blame game* some LD insiders would say - a case in point. * Cf Cyril Smith blaming asbestos workers for their own cancers. http://chrispaul-labouroflove.blogspot.com/2008/10/tuition-and-top-up-fees-lib-dems-lie-to.html


Nick Clegg Tells a Gay Student to "Lighten Up" | 9 comments (9 topical)