Support College Censorship or Become Its Target, Prominent Gay Activist Discovers
17th February 2016
My, what a surprise! Aren’t you surprised? I’m sure surprised.
Peter Tatchell is one of the most prominent and vocal gay rights activists in England, participating in causes and actions going back to the 1970s. He famously attempted a citizen’s arrest of extremely anti-gay Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe when the leader was visiting London. He was actually attacked and injured by Mugabe’s guards during a second attempt to arrest the man in Brussels in 2001. He has a lengthy history of support for LGBT causes, peaceful causes, and all sorts of left-leaning positions.
But he signed a letter opposing behavior by students in colleges in the United Kingdom who were attempting to deny the ability of speakers to discuss ideas with which they did not agree, so screw him. If Tatchell doesn’t support driving out speakers who hold unpopular views, then he shouldn’t get to speak either. So the argument apparently goes. Tatchell is supposed to give a speech today at Canterbury Christ Church University on “re-radicalizing queers.” But his support for open platforms for free speech are not queer enough for the National Unions of Students’ LGBT rep.