Tories and homophobia - have they really changed?

Well done to the Independent on Sunday for digging on this story. Roger Helmer, Conservative MEP for the East Midlands claims homophobia doesn't exist, in fact he writes on his blog "Straight Talking" that homophobia is "merely a propaganda device designed to denigrate and stigmatise those holding conventional opinions".

This coming from the same Tory MEP who defended homophobic Michal Kaminski, the head of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group which the British Tories are now part of in Europe.

Although Michal Kaminski and Margaret Thatcher have something in common, no not Section 28, it is their admiration for General Augusto Pinochet!

Michal Kaminski, the head of the European Conservatives and Reformists group, is under fire himself over his controversial views, his one-time membership of the far-right National Rebirth party (NOP) and his opposition to an apology for Polish involvement in a wartime massacre of Jews in the town of Jedwabne.

Anyway, back to Roger Helmer, the MEP who describes himself as having liberal views towards homosexuality but is dead set against gay marriage. Hardly liberal.

Honestly, what an absolute buffoon, how dare he say homophobia doesn't exist, what about those people all around the world beaten to death because they are gay, I was attacked when I was much younger because I was gay, in Nottingham, the person who attacked me did purely because I was gay, he had followed from Gatsby's, the main gay pub at that time and he hurled homophobic abuse at me for well over an hour before he threw the first punch, so Mr. Helmer I can categorically say you are talking out of your arse!

I cannot say I am surprised, this is a Member of the same Party who brought us Section 28, the same Party that controlled Kent County Council under Sandy Bruce-Lockhart who introduced their own version of Section 28 after the law had been repealed.

Senior Tories like Michael Howard MP, William Hague MP, Baroness Young and David Wilshire MP were vocal supporters of Section 28.

Leopards do not change their spots and neither have the Conservatives. I accept the younger newer members may have, and most of those don't remember the bad old days and can't understand folk like me getting worked up about it, but I do, I do remember it.

So my challenge to David Cameron, sack Roger Helmer if you disagree with him or back him?

My message to Roger Helmer, go and meet some gay people, yes real ones, constituents in your region and ask them if homophobia exists?