Scotland: Parliamentary Officer accuses LGBT groups of 'intolerance, intimidation'

John Deighan

In a strongly-worded opinion piece in the Sunday Express, the Catholic Church in Scotland's Parliamentary Officer John Deighan has accused leading LGBT campaigners including a Scottish MSP of "intolerance and intimidation"

John Deighan also charges Gay rights charity Stonewall of displaying stridency and aggression with its ‘Bigot of the Year’ award, created to intimidate anyone who criticises their agenda.

Mr Deighan details some of the intemperate and hateful attacks to which he and others have been subject, simply because they expressed public support for traditional marriage. Examples include a Twitter comment by Green MSP Patrick Harvie who told 7,000 Twitter followers; “John Deighan is possibly the most contemptible man in Scotland".

The full text of the article is shown below.

John Deighan, Parliamentary Officer, Bishops' Conference of Scotland

In a few days’ time, the campaign group Stonewall will host a flashy award ceremony in London, at which it will reveal the winner of its ‘Bigot of the Year’ award. The pressure group has done much to set the agenda on issues relating to homosexuality; and the symbolism of its bigot of the year award speaks volumes of its stridency and
confidence in denouncing and disparaging those who do not share its agenda.

Cardinal Keith O’Brien and Archbishop Philip Tartaglia are amongst the nominees for the award, presumably because they hold the seemingly unpalatable view that marriage is a relationship between a man and woman.

In a society which claims to value equality and diversity should we be attacking and demeaning those who don’t share our views? It does seem incongruous that in our normally politically correct world, such an awards ceremony can even take place.

Hundreds of public bodies give sizeable financial donations to Stonewall and it receives generous government funding for the myriad projects that it runs. It has no shortage of business supporters and benefactors. This year’s award sponsors include Barclays and Google.

The ‘Bigot of the Year’ award reveals the depth of Stonewall’s intolerance. Terms like ‘bigot’ and ‘homophobe’ have been promoted relentlessly, a background beat to the increasing demands of pressure groups whose sights are set on redefining marriage and ruthlessly crushing any dissent.

Cultivating victim status has effectively put Stonewall beyond reproach in the public square. An attempt to counter their antagonistic ‘some people are gay, get over it’ bus advertising campaign was halted before it could even get off the ground by London Mayor, Boris Johnson.

The constant promotion by the media and entertainment industry that anything gay is good has caused informed public debate to be dropped. In its place we have intolerance and intimidation.

Promoting the view that traditional marriage is the most stable foundation for family life opens a door to vilification and hate. I have been labelled; “a f***ing nobhead” “a homophobic tosser” and faced calls for my arrest “on charges of inciting hatred”.

Sadly, these are not solely the rantings of the most extreme individuals Patrick Harvie MSP told 7,000 Twitter followers; “John Deighan is possibly the most contemptible man in Scotland.”

Nick Clegg’s recent slip-up when he labelled supporters of traditional marriage ‘bigots’ may have seemed an injudicious choice of words but it fitted a well developed theme and involved well-rehearsed vocabulary.

This rhetoric creates a culture, which will not confine itself just to the adult world of social policy debate. How can it when we have seen a grim determination by activists to take the debate into classrooms? Children are far more vulnerable to goading by cyber bullies and more easily cowed by rhetorical vilification. Should they dare to voice their support for traditional marriage. ‘Bigot’ and ‘homophobe’ are the routine put-downs they can expect but they are widely accompanied by ‘Nazi’, ‘fascist’ and ‘Hitler-lover’. I know of children who have been on the receiving end
of exactly such abuse.

When Marshall Kirk penned his blueprint for turning around the heterosexual understanding of relationships 25 years ago, “The Overhauling of Straight America”, he stated that there would come a time when vilification of those who oppose the ‘gay agenda’ would be necessary. He specifically spoke of a need to draw parallel with the Nazis, it seems his advice has been followed to the letter.

Robert Lopez, an American who describes himself as bi-sexual was brought up by a lesbian couple, he recently found himself at the centre of a “soul-crushing scorched earth battle”, the recipient of intimidation and threats to his life for daring to defend sociological evidence that showed “children of gay or bisexual parents had greater difficulties than children of intact biological families with a mother and father.” His mistake was to think evidence and experience can count in the propaganda war.

He referenced and cooperated with the largest study of its kind into same sex parenting in the USA, it comprehensively upheld the proposition that married heterosexual parents provide the most secure, stable and successful environment for children. This rigorous academic work was the demonised and attacked by same sex
proponents.

Its time to acknowledge we are in a propaganda war. Disgracefully, only one side is being subsidised and publicly funded. Many may find it easy to stand back and not rush to the defence of Church leaders like Cardinal O’Brien and Archbishop Tartaglia. Their high profile status puts them at the top of a “hit list” They may be today’s victims, we may all be tomorrow’s.

Source: SCMO