[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by Livia

Although not many have it written into their rules nor abide by it so vigorously as Islam does. And even if they do... Jews and Christians for example, both acknowledge the book of Leviticus, but apart from your weird, joyless fundamentalists, they're pretty accepting of gay people. Islam is about 300 years behind other religions, though.


I'd like to say for the record, what was the point of painting over the bench? I thought it looked very nice...

probably a council regular maintenance team doing all the benches in the area one color and they did not get the memo

[BBXX]

Originally Posted by bots

i never said otherwise. I just find the intentional blindness to an ever increasing immigrant population that have homophobia written in to their religion and way of life quite staggering

I am talking about this specific instance. Around 900 of the towns residents (out of 24,300) were born outside the UK. Most of the in Europe.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by bots

i never said otherwise. I just find the intentional blindness to an ever increasing immigrant population that have homophobia written in to their religion and way of life quite staggering

Originally Posted by Livia

Although not many have it written into their rules nor abide by it so vigorously as Islam does. And even if they do... Jews and Christians for example, both acknowledge the book of Leviticus, but apart from your weird, joyless fundamentalists, they're pretty accepting of gay people. Islam is about 300 years behind other religions, though.


I'd like to say for the record, what was the point of painting over the bench? I thought it looked very nice...

The bench did look very nice before it was painted over

But yeah, I just think to make claims that it could have been a Muslim is pretty pointless, it could have been anyone and like BBXX said, pointing fingers at one demographic when there's absolutely nothing to say it was a Muslim person is just divisive.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Crimson Dynamo

probably a council regular maintenance team doing all the benches in the area one color and they did not get the memo

Can you imagine the outrage if it turns out to have been a clerical error and not raging homophobia?

[Glenn.]

Originally Posted by Crimson Dynamo

probably a council regular maintenance team doing all the benches in the area one color and they did not get the memo

Unlikely as it was the council that installed the bench for a purpose. You know that though

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

The bench did look very nice before it was painted over

But yeah, I just think to make claims that it could have been a Muslim is pretty pointless, it could have been anyone and like BBXX said, pointing fingers at one demographic when there's absolutely nothing to say it was a Muslim person is just divisive.

I think people were pointing out that it's disingenuous to say that someone from a backward, gay hating, women oppressing religion probably didn't do it. It's much more comfortable to say it's a white, working class, right wing person, also without one shred of proof. We have plenty of homophobic dickheads in this country, but none quite so zealous as Islamists. I think it's quite relevant to point out, in a thread about perceived homophobia, that we have a section of society who, if homophobia was ever a sport, they would take gold.

[bots]

what i have a problem with is citing a vandalised bench as a homophobic action when people are actually being beaten up or worse. Pick the right battles to fight

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Livia

I think people were pointing out that it's disingenuous to say that someone from a backward, gay hating, women oppressing religion probably didn't do it. It's much more comfortable to say it's a white, working class, right wing person, also without one shred of proof. We have plenty of homophobic dickheads in this country, but none quite so zealous as Islamists. I think it's quite relevant to point out, in a thread about perceived homophobia, that we have a section of society who, if homophobia was ever a sport, they would take gold.

It could have been anyone, I don't think it's any more likely either way. What demographic is more likely to be walking around with cans of spray paint?

[Glenn.]

Originally Posted by bots

what i have a problem with is citing a vandalised bench as a homophobic action when people are actually being beaten up or worse. Pick the right battles to fight

You do realise it’s possible to care about both? Vandalising a bench—especially when it wasn’t even a Pride bench but was targeted because someone thought it was—shows just how irrational and knee-jerk bigotry can be. This is the same mindset that fuels actual violence against people. Visibility matters. Symbols matter. Pretending it’s not worth calling out is exactly how hate gets normalised. You don’t have to pick just one “battle” against it.

[Liam-]

Originally Posted by bots

i never said otherwise. I just find the intentional blindness to an ever increasing immigrant population that have homophobia written in to their religion and way of life quite staggering

As opposed to the ever loving and accepting bible teachings

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

It could have been anyone, I don't think it's any more likely either way. What demographic is more likely to be walking around with cans of spray paint?

Graffiti artists who tend to be kids so maybe no homophobia intended just did it or the sheer hell of it like every other vandalised bench

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Graffiti artists who tend to be kids so maybe no homophobia intended just did it or the sheer hell of it like every other vandalised bench

Graffiti artists tend to want to leave some sort of a message which is why I think that painting over the rainbow is more likely to be sending some anti gay sentiment rather than "hey lets paint this bench black"

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Graffiti artists tend to want to leave some sort of a message which is why I think that painting over the rainbow is more likely to be sending some anti gay sentiment rather than "hey lets paint this bench black"

Its pretty perfectly painted they took their time anyway Maybe its an antisocial person who just wants a bench to sit on and doesn't want to chat

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Its pretty perfectly painted they took their time anyway Maybe its an antisocial person who just wants a bench to sit on and doesn't want to chat

maybe

[Crimson Dynamo]

I am pretty sure the puzzle of whodunnit will soon be solved soon as the local Police have released the 2 detectives who are on the case

Spoiler:

[bots]

it obviously took more than a couple of mins to paint. It would be difficult to paint a black bench black at night, so did someone get the masking tape out and spend an hour painting it during the day

[Glenn.]

Originally Posted by bots

it obviously took more than a couple of mins to paint. It would be difficult to paint a black bench black at night, so did someone get the masking tape out and spend an hour painting it during the day

Whether they used masking tape or a rag and a tin of paint isn’t really the point. Someone still took the time to vandalise it because they thought it was a Pride bench. That’s the level of petty, spiteful energy we’re talking about.

[BBXX]

Originally Posted by Livia

I think people were pointing out that it's disingenuous to say that someone from a backward, gay hating, women oppressing religion probably didn't do it. It's much more comfortable to say it's a white, working class, right wing person, also without one shred of proof. We have plenty of homophobic dickheads in this country, but none quite so zealous as Islamists. I think it's quite relevant to point out, in a thread about perceived homophobia, that we have a section of society who, if homophobia was ever a sport, they would take gold.

I don't think anyone said someone of Islamic faith didn't do it, just that it probably unlikely due to the demographic of the town, and that it was simply pointless to bring up race and religion when it may not even be relevant.

Cherie was the first person to reply to this thread and made the initial suggestion with the "importing boatloads of people without western values" comment and I simply replied saying White and British people can also be homophobic, to which you made a comment about people throwing other people off buildings.

Those were the first comments on this thread. Both you and Cherie went immediately to that and nobody at any point has said anything about the race of the person who did it.

It's complete back-peddling to now say you were simply pointing out it's disingenuous to say someone didn't do it in the name of Islam. You didn't give anyone a chance to say such a thing before you started race-baiting.

[bots]

Maybe they didn't like zippy and bungle

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by bots

Maybe they didn't like zippy and bungle

could be a climate change nutter making a political point about solar energy

[Livia]

Originally Posted by BBXX

I don't think anyone said someone of Islamic faith didn't do it, just that it probably unlikely due to the demographic of the town, and that it was simply pointless to bring up race and religion when it may not even be relevant.

Cherie was the first person to reply to this thread and made the initial suggestion with the "importing boatloads of people without western values" comment and I simply replied saying White and British people can also be homophobic, to which you made a comment about people throwing other people off buildings.

Those were the first comments on this thread. Both you and Cherie went immediately to that and nobody at any point has said anything about the race of the person who did it.

It's complete back-peddling to now say you were simply pointing out it's disingenuous to say someone didn't do it in the name of Islam. You didn't give anyone a chance to say such a thing before you started race-baiting.

Whereas you immediately jumped to the "you're all racists!" Stance, as usual. Boring and predictable.

[Livia]

The "Happy to Chat" bench in Mundy Street, Heanor, was found to have been painted black earlier this week - with the town clerk calling it "a great shame".

"The bench is part of a countrywide initiative to help prevent loneliness in communities. It has a plaque that essentially says, if you are happy to chat with a stranger then you can sit here on this bench. The rainbow was chosen as the design because it was cheerful and fun, and it also represents the promise of sunshine after darkness and rain.


It was a "happy to chat" bench, nothing to do with Pride or only gay people... just people.

Thread title is wrong.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...d=BingNewsSerp

[joeysteele]

This is interesting as are the views on it expressed here too.

No one knows who did this, therefore it can only be assumptions as to why whoever did.
However it would appear no other benches were painted over, only this one with a rainbow pattern on it.
I'd say it's fair to assume in that case, that since the rainbow image IS associated with the gay communities, that the probable reason for this rainbow imaged bench being painted over, was from a more likely homophobic thinking and action.

As to comments about plaques on benches, I've sat on benches and not even realised there was a plaque on them.
I'd doubt anyone seeing the rainbow and being probably more homophobic would even read the plaque anyhow.
However IF it wasn't done from a prejudicial homophobic thinking, then why on earth would anyone else even think about painting over this bench, never mind actually doing so.

[Glenn.]

Originally Posted by Livia

The "Happy to Chat" bench in Mundy Street, Heanor, was found to have been painted black earlier this week - with the town clerk calling it "a great shame".

"The bench is part of a countrywide initiative to help prevent loneliness in communities. It has a plaque that essentially says, if you are happy to chat with a stranger then you can sit here on this bench. The rainbow was chosen as the design because it was cheerful and fun, and it also represents the promise of sunshine after darkness and rain.


It was a "happy to chat" bench, nothing to do with Pride or only gay people... just people.

Thread title is wrong.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...d=BingNewsSerp

It was painted black by someone who mistook it for a pride bench.

Are you incapable of reading a thread before commenting? It’s literally what we’ve been discussing?

[Kate!]

Originally Posted by Glenn.

So still homophobic then

Originally Posted by joeysteele

This is interesting as are the views on it expressed here too.

No one knows who did this, therefore it can only be assumptions as to why whoever did.
However it would appear no other benches were painted over, only this one with a rainbow pattern on it.
I'd say it's fair to assume in that case, that since the rainbow image IS associated with the gay communities, that the probable reason for this rainbow imaged bench being painted over, was from a more likely homophobic thinking and action.

As to comnents about plaques on benches, I've sat on benches and not even realised there was a plaque on them.
I'd doubt anyone seeing the rainbow and being probably more homophobic would even read the plaque anyhow.
However IF it wasn't done from a prejudicial homophobic thinking, then why on earth would anyone else even think about painting over this bench, never mind actually doing so.

Excellent post Joey, good point of view and correct. This is why the thread title is WRONG. if the OP won't change it, the staff should.