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Wildblood gets more than a little riled over of Moir

Enough of the daily hate

Kate Wildblood

Sunday, 18 October 2009

Come breakfast at my parent’s house and you’ll always find me in a foul mood. Nothing to do with the Essex location, the lack of decent coffee or the early start. Nope, it has been and will always be their choice of newspaper. Nothing riles me more first thing in the morning than a session with the Daily Mail.

And now The Daily Mail’s riling me again and I’m sitting at my own Brighton breakfast table. Not that I’ve purchased a copy, no amount of free DVD’s will ever entice to buy that rag, but I haven’t needed to. Instead the Daily Mail’s approved homophobia has seeped across the web, my more liberal choice of newspaper (big up to Mr Charlie Brooker!) and made it’s own headlines.

I’m lost for words as to what columnist Jan Moir columnist was thinking. If this is her attempt to inhabit the moral high ground and pretend she’s looking out for impressionable young gay men she has failed. Miserably. And to defend her comments as nothing to with his sexuality but just questioning the example he set by use of “drugs and the casual invitation extended to a stranger” is frankly not acceptable. The guy had just died for god’s sake. He has a family, husband and friends suffering the rawness and unbelievable pain and grief of a sudden loss. Leave it be. Who asked you?

The answer I’m afraid would be her editor. The editor of the Daily Mail. A newspaper infamous for it’s active role in encouraging readers to complain to the Press Complaints Commission, their local MP’s and or any power that be, who will listen when it comes to causes they believe in. I guess you can see where I’m about heading. It’s your turn to complain. I’m actively encouraging you to complain about an issue that bothers you.

Jan Moir’s insensitive homophobic comments have enraged many. Read the actual article and you’ll note it’s just not Gately in her moral firing line, she has words for civil partnerships and the unfortunate death of Kevin McGee, Matt Lucas’s ex-husband too. And even in defence of her column Moir can’t let it lie. "In what is clearly a heavily orchestrated internet campaign I think it is mischievous in the extreme to suggest that my article has homophobic and bigoted undertones." Oh you bet we’re orchestrated. And you bet we’re finding homophobic and bigoted undertones. And it’s not just us civil partnered, possibly not too-example setting homos. It’s our friends, family and colleagues who are finding Moir and the Daily Mail view unacceptable.

For as long as articles like Moir's are published we’ll campaign. And campaign hard. For Stephen Gatley, Kevin McGee and every young impressionable gay man who looks to their community to fight back and demand a little decency from the likes of the Daily Mail. That orchestrated enough for you Jan?

Read the Jan Moir Article here
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1220756/A-strange-lonely-troubling-death--.html

Press Complaints Commission Website
http://www.pcc.org.uk/complaints/process.html