Nottingham: A UK Hotspot For ‘Homophobia’?

Well, so the screaming headline would have you believe:

Nottingham's growing gay nightlife scene plans to ban problem punters from venues.

Drinkers and nightspot owners have created the plan for the city's gay and gay-friendly nightspots. Those hit with a ban could be also be barred from July's Nottingham Pride festival.

Oooh! Harsh!

Gay revellers say the idea could help tackle homophobic abuse in the city centre, after recorded incidents increased in Notts.

Can we hear from the pressure groups and various public servants desperate to puff up their profiles?

Reader, we can:

Police community support officer Zoe Wade, from The Lace Market beat team, has been working with the community to develop a poster campaign.

She said: "This is about all the businesses coming together to say no to violence and unacceptable behaviour in their premises, with an appropriate period of exclusion for those caught causing trouble."

Quite right! Like all those drunk and violent gay peop…

Wait. What?

Those backing the scheme include Michael Connolly, 49, of Mapperley Park. He said he was shocked when he was punched by a gay female drinker in November last year.

Ummm…

Presumably, she’s not ‘homophobic’? Is she?

He said the teenager struck him without warning in Lower Parliament Street after he tried to calm down a row between a group of gay women and gay men in AD2.

He said: "I was saying it's not acceptable and that the community are supposed to stick together. Then she ran out of nowhere and punched me in the face.

"I think we have seen some incidents like this because there are more bars and clubs now."

So, really, despite the screaming headline, the problem seems to be less a case of those awful straights persecuting the gays, and more a case of people being unable to control their inhibitions when in drink.

But I guess ‘Plans To Tackle Drink-Related Violence Problems In Nottingham’ doesn’t make the right politically-correct headline, does it?

And doesn’t continue the right ‘separatist’ movement, that these identity groups need special venues and special treatment, and aren’t, well, just like anyone else….

Russell Thorpe, general manager of gay nightclub NG1, in Lower Parliament Street, is also backing the move. He said: "I think this will make people think twice about entering a venue and causing trouble.

"Some venues have become a lot more mixed and sometimes people go into places not realising it's a gay venue and can be offended and sometimes get aggressive, so this could stamp that out too. There is the odd problem, although it's not a major issue. As far as homophobic abuse is concerned it's mainly outside of venues."

Then banning them from those venues is going to be….well, no solution at all. Is it?