Doncaster's English Democrat mayor cuts Pride funding

Pinknews.co.uk reports that the new Mayor of Doncaster Peter Davies has decided to cut funding for the annual Pride event.

The event is however still going ahead on August 16,

Davies has commented "My policy on gays and lesbians is very simple.

"I don't think councils should be spending money on them parading through town advertising their sexuality."

Sounds like Peter Davies does not like public displays of homosexuality, although he also says "I have nothing whatsoever against gays and lesbians, what they do in their private lives is absolutely fine."

If he had said "Doncaster council is struggling to fund public services, so we need to cut Pride funding", then it wouldn't be so bad.

However, this seems like a rather sad way to stop people standing up to homophobia, which is endemic across Britain.

According to the BBC, this action is part of Peter Davies' pledge to "fight political correctness".

This fits in with the English Democrats' policies, which could have been written by Richard Littlejohn. Their site says "It is time common sense prevailed. The various quangos promoting political correctness should be closed and those laws promoting political correctness repealed. We want English freedoms and values, not multiculturalism."

Which quangos promote political correctness? Why is multiculturalism unEnglish when England culture has been heavily influenced by immigrants?

The only reference I can find on the site about homosexuality is a statement by a member called Guy Leven-Torres on why he joined the English Democrats. "Not now of course as they investigate, persecute and prosecute offences that only ten years ago, would have been ridiculed- like making religious jokes, or about homosexuals, or ethnic minorities like the ‘Irish’ who are actually Caucasians like the English."

Doncaster Pride told the BBC that the event bought 6,000 visitors to the town over the last two years, boosting tourism and loyal employment.

This year, the event will have Abba tribute band Abba Revival and Tina Cousins performing, and there will be a Walk of Unity from near Waterdale to the Market place.

I do however support the proposed cuts on translation functions for non-English speakers in Doncaster, as the town does not recieve a lot of international visitors. However, there should be greater funding for English classes to make up for this.

The particular problems that older gay,lesbian and bisexual people face are also worth reading.

Why not attend Doncaster Pride this year on August 16, even if just to prove to the new mayor that a celebration of gay pride is worth having?