Friday 26 June 2009

”They have everything for you men to enjoy, you can hang out with all the boys...”

Canterbury is now officially ‘gay enough’:
One of Britain's most historic cities has today been told it IS gay enough - after a complaint sparked a two-month investigation costing thousands of pounds.
Ah, well, it’s only taxpayer money, after all…
The Local Government Ombudsman - who asked for the city's council to provide evidence of how it supported the gay community - said it was satisfied the community was being catered for.

But the conclusion the council was not at fault was only reached after council officers had to painstakingly build a case for its 'inclusiveness'.

It had to provide the ombudsman with 'details of touring plays and musicals, for example, which would be of interest to the LGBT community'.

And it had to show that it had 'put forward suggestions for small events that it might help fund, as well as proposals for other events such as exhibitions'.
Thus diverting three council workers from their usual jobs of harassing families who’d put the wrong waste in their bin or planning how to encourage more restrictive parking in the town centre.

So, maybe not such a bad idea after all!
The two-month investigation began at the end of April after a letter was sent from two representatives of Pride in Canterbury.

Chairman Andrew Brettell lodged a formal complaint with the Local Government Ombudsman claiming his initial letter to the council in November fell on deaf ears.
It took two months…?
The letter, written by the ombudsman Christine Kane, said the council had 'no statutory duty' to promote LGBT culture.

The letter read: 'I see from information provided by the council that it has given your organisation funding in past years.

'It has invited you to provide details of touring plays and musicals, for example, which would be of interest to the LGBT community.

'And it has also invited you to put forward suggestions for small events that it might help fund, as well as proposals for other events such as exhibitions.'

She also wrote that there was no basis for continuing to respond to the same complaint from the activists after the council apologised for failing to send a letter to the initial complaint last year.

She said: 'I see no reason, therefore, for the council to keep revisiting complaints that have been properly considered simply because you are unhappy with the outcome.'
It took them two months to find the letters they’d sent in the first place to this whining cretin asking him for the information they needed to meet his own complaint! Good lord…

And what the hell are ‘plays and musicals, for example, which would be of interest to the LGBT community’…?

Isn’t that treating them as a block, not as individuals, with the same likes and dislikes in entertainment as everyone else?

What was the council supposed to do, ensure that ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’ and ‘Rent’ was on at the local playhouse, then say ‘job done’?
A spokesman for Pride was not available for comment.
No, I’ll just bet….

5 comments:

North Northwester said...

And what the hell are ‘plays and musicals, for example, which would be of interest to the LGBT community’…?

Realistically, you're looking at your Hello Dollys and Carousels, your Wizard of Oz's and your Breakfast at Tiffanys.

Oh, and Oklahoma and Annie Get Your Gun for the special ladies.

Money well spent, no doubt. Canterbury will have no crime it CPSOs could have harassed on extra overtime, or multiple benefits scroungers that its housing benefit department could have investigated and brought to justice [and forced to repay thousands] on this group's budget

Anonymous said...

Thank God they got that sorted! It's really been eating away at the rest of us down here on Planet Earth. Somehow I don't think it will be long for something else to upset the largest section of the easily offended and permanently aggrieved community.

JuliaM said...

"Oh, and Oklahoma and Annie Get Your Gun for the special ladies."

Heh!

"Somehow I don't think it will be long for something else to upset the largest section of the easily offended and permanently aggrieved community."

Nope, I'm sure the gentleman concerned is already planning to ignore more requests from the council to suggest what gays and lesbians want, so he can whine about the council not giving gays and lesbians what they want...according to him!

DJ said...

You mean there are musicals that aren't gay?

David Gillies said...

I've personally always found Canterbury to be screamingly effeminate, so I have no idea what the shirtlifters are on about.