Sunday 28 December 2008

No Respect

Taking up the cudgels against New Labour vulgarity in its latest expression are a group of nonagenarians. Brighton and Hove council workers, on the side of the barbarians, have demanded to know if they are gay, lesbian or transgendered.

And were told to mind their own business. How dreadful that such questions can be put to anyone by council workers. How much worse that people who have most certainly done their share in fighting, quite literally fighting with weapons of war, the tide of fascism in the middle of the last century, are called upon again to defend us all as they did in their days of strength.

We are so very fortunate as well as honoured, to have them with us still. We need them still.

The Mail reports that Phil Wainwright, director of human resources for Pilgrim Homes, said he was told by Brighton and Hove council that the home had to ask residents if they were lesbian, gay, bisexual, heterosexual or ‘unsure’, even if they objected. Many of the elderly rebelled, however, and the home wrote to the council saying residents did not want to participate. The council workers took away a grant that makes a contribution to warden services.

9 comments:

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Brighton deserves all the bad publicity it gets Hats.

I've never felt comfortable there, even when working. The sort of people who spend money on ridiculous wasted schemes like the pier renovation, and the awful pavilion, will have to admit that they've gone too far this time. And they're not even luvvies!

I'd rather like to be able to drive along the coast from Seaford, and never have to see anything of Brighton, until I get to Church Road, Hove, where there are a couple of nice wine bars...

lilith said...

I share your outrage. It is none of their business. This is why I put semite in ethnic origin. According to dna tests I had a Syrian granny 10,000 years ago. I have no idea if she was a lesbian.

hatfield girl said...

How can anyone determine their ethnic origin? What does that mean?

Mater semper certa est, pater nunquam. That's the whole point of most of our cultural baggage in patrilineal societies.

Any way, perhaps Newmania can out and shame the council workers.

hatfield girl said...

Haven't seen Brighton since I was a little girl Scrobs, when we used to stay for a week in the summer with the parish priest's housekeeper who had a lovely house in Hove.

Anonymous said...

...and the most dismal thing of all is that this council is, I believe) a Tory one who should be in the forefront of putting two (or more) fingers up to all this Nulabcrap at every possible opportunity. Shame on them.

Elby the Beserk said...

As a (long ago) Northerner, I have always steered clear of the South Coast. Have been to Brighton on business two or three times, Portsmouth to get the ferry to Ryde (and hence to travel back to the 50s), Bournemouth - never; Sarfampton - never; Poole - never.

Just say no.

My answer to the ethnicity/sexual orientation question is - none of your business.

God - or some higher force - be with us. We are terminally fucked.

My ethnic origins as far as I know - bog Irish, Huguenot, Cornish, Lancastrian.

Pure mongrel. And that might be what I will now answer with regard to that question.

Elby the Beserk said...

And yes, Brighton is Tory, but the New Labour busybody mindset has infected local councils, who are now taking on Stasi status.

However, as I push towards pensionerhood, what a delight to have so many more people to get absolutely mad at.

hatfield girl said...

What is it with origins anyway, E? Why, if they want to know, do they not ask, 'what race are you?'

They used to keep asking 'what are your class origins' too. Not 'what is your class?' Very odd. They'll be asking 'what sex were you?' next.

Elby the Beserk said...

Indeed. Truth be know, I think the only real answer to this is to invoke Anglo-Saxon and tell them to fuck off.

New developments to take us forward to our bright future under Comrade Brownyko. Councils to employ plainclothes litter snoopers who can fine you on the spot. I foresee fisticuffs. Some poor old codger the other day was walking past a scuffle, and was bumped into. Dropped his fag, and was immediately fingered. Similarly, a driver who tapped his fag ash out of his car window (where presumably it was dispersed within second). Gotcha. Bang to rights.

No problem with telling people not to litter. But this will cause a lot of fisticuffs for sure.

Also - swearing monitors, who can cop you for swearing in a public place, so a casual "that twat Brown" as you talk to to the fishmonger can also get you done.

I must sign up, when my hip is fully functional again, for some courses in inflicting swift and effective violence on others. Not really my style as an old hippy, but much more of this will I not put up with.

Shotgun too. And a quid of baccy to chew, given that we are in hillbilly territory.

Git off'n my land or I'll blow your head off.