BS: Gay-friendly Scotland

Subject: BS: Gay-friendly Scotland
From: Jack Campin
Date: 11 May 15 - 05:16 AM

Scotland has been rated the most legally gay-friendly nation in Europe:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-32683817

Well done, everybody who made that happen.

Subject: RE: BS: Gay-friendly Scotland
From: Musket
Date: 11 May 15 - 06:09 AM

Do you know, I was going to start a thread on it myself..

As a gay man living in Scotland, I can vouch that it is far more than just statistics and policies. When we lived in many parts of England, the "gay" factor was indeed a factor for many, both work and neighbours. From the absurd "embarrassed" when talking about women in the pub to suspicion from those who either believe or wish to believe the myths that surround resistance to changing society.

Up here, and despite living in an area of Scotland which is laughed at by the rest of Scotland for being backward, inbred and behind the times, nothing could be further from the truth.

Anybody who says otherwise doesn't know anything about Argyll or indeed Scotland. The landslide election result to a party that has the slogan "prosperity through equality" says it all really. I would say we are the pink end of Europe, but as a bloke, I am not comfortable with the "pink" bit. Sounds a bit camp really!

Subject: RE: BS: Gay-friendly Scotland
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 11 May 15 - 07:00 AM

I have an excellent pink short-sleeved shirt. I will wear it with pride on my next trip to Scotland.

Wait a minute. No I won't. It's too bloody cold up there for short sleeves...

Subject: RE: BS: Gay-friendly Scotland
From: Musket
Date: 11 May 15 - 07:17 AM

Billy Connolly said most British people go from pink to brown on their holidays. Scots go from blue to pink.

I too have a pink shirt or two, and a pink tie for that matter. I just think the "pink" association with gayness promotes being effeminate, which is a wee bit stereotyping. Especially as many dapper effeminate men who are (as the other Musket keeps pointing out to us) good at colour coordinating soft furnishings are straight blah blah.

The statistics come from The Rainbow Index. Far better choice of colour! 😎

By the way, the information is about equality overall, not just LBGTI specific equal opportunity. Scotland does seem to lead the way, but it must be pointed out that as this is a Europe wide comparison, The UK as a whole does well and it is only entrenched bigotry with religion as an excuse that makes Northern Ireland pull us down as a whole.



By the way, one of my pink shirts was bought as a white one and a new red T shirt got put in the wash......

Subject: RE: BS: Gay-friendly Scotland
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 11 May 15 - 10:15 AM

I've worn pink all my life without giving it a second thought.

Subject: RE: BS: Gay-friendly Scotland
From: Musket
Date: 11 May 15 - 10:38 AM

Aye, and so have I. Although I can understand Musket not being comfortable with it being associated in an inter gender context. He isn't your stereotypical what you expect gay men to dress or look like. (His dress sense is worse than mine...)

I notice he managed to get a dig in about soft furnishings. (As one of the two "best man" slaves at their wedding in Amsterdam a few years ago, I cracked a few jokes about being good at interior design and making soufflés. Kris's Dutch relatives were still having the jokes explained when the rest of us had hit the dance floor..)

I like the story behind the thread. Equality of opportunity is important for any society to flourish. Our right leaning new government should take heed of the idea that privilege has no place, and everybody should be treated equally and have the same opportunities and rights.

Musket is lucky in living today in a nice part of Scotland. In the '70s, my sis and her husband lived in Livingstone, and the anti English shit they had to put up with then was disgraceful.

Subject: RE: BS: Gay-friendly Scotland
From: Ed T
Date: 11 May 15 - 11:53 AM

Interesting 2014 statistics, following the same sex marriage laws (note that the sky did not fall, in 2014, anyway):

The number of marriages in 2014 rose by 1,500 compared to 2013 but levels are still historically low. Of a total of 29,070 marriages registered in 2014, 367 involved same sex couples following the introduction of same sex marriage on 16th December 2014.

Of the 367 same sex marriages registered in 2014, 173 involved male couples and 194 female couples. 359 of the marriages were conversions of civil partnerships.

There were 436 civil partnerships (193 male and 243 female), 94 fewer than during 2013.


Scotland marriage statistics 

Subject: RE: BS: Gay-friendly Scotland
From: GUEST,Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 May 15 - 01:29 PM

We have regular pink shirt days at work. Weds or Thurs I think. Can't remember how or why it started. Should I be getting worried about being in the pink shirt club? :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Gay-friendly Scotland
From: Amos
Date: 11 May 15 - 01:33 PM

It gets confusing when Musket posts discussing what Musket said in a post. Maybe they should have Roman numerals added to their handles to differentiate among them.

I wear pink, brown, maroon, indigo and black without worrying about others' signification.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Gay-friendly Scotland
From: Thompson
Date: 11 May 15 - 01:52 PM

In Ireland we're in the middle of the approach to a referendum in which we'll vote on whether gay people will be allowed to marry (each other). Passions are running high.

At the same time a furious campaign is being waged against a new tax on water, partly because many people feel we already pay for this through our taxes, and partly because of the unpopularity of the company that got the contract to run the water service.

Yesterday was the perfect storm: a determined group of anti-water-tax protestors with "NO" in huge letters on their high-viz jackets were marching through Dublin when they were assailed with roars of "Get out of here, yiz homophobic baaaaastards!" from confused people who assumed they were campaigning against gay marriage. "We got dog's abuse," they sadly told journalists.

Subject: RE: BS: Gay-friendly Scotland
From: Musket
Date: 11 May 15 - 03:07 PM

If we differentiated there would be little point in confusing those who stalk to hide their bigotry.

Do keep up.

Rather fitting given the thread.

Subject: RE: BS: Gay-friendly Scotland
From: olddude
Date: 11 May 15 - 11:01 PM

Don't wear pink.. Don't like the color but I been known to sit around in my underwear like old guys do :)

Subject: RE: BS: Gay-friendly Scotland
From: olddude
Date: 11 May 15 - 11:03 PM

Not gay either but my youngest daughter is. She likes purple a lot, her partner likes pink

Subject: RE: BS: Gay-friendly Scotland
From: LadyJean
Date: 11 May 15 - 11:30 PM

My sister is gay. She likes anything that gets her noticed. Her present partner has migraines when things get too noticable.

Subject: RE: BS: Gay-friendly Scotland
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 12 May 15 - 09:51 PM

Ahhh....Yes, the reason Scott's wear kilts...
Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Sheep can hear a zipper or buttons 100 meters away.

Subject: RE: BS: Gay-friendly Scotland
From: olddude
Date: 12 May 15 - 11:38 PM

Great video thank you

Subject: RE: BS: Gay-friendly Scotland
From: olddude
Date: 13 May 15 - 12:47 AM

That was actually pretty funny gargoyle made me laugh

Subject: RE: BS: Gay-friendly Scotland
From: GUEST,Allan Conn
Date: 13 May 15 - 04:03 AM

Aye some Scotts wear kilts as do some Elliots, Armstrongs, Maxwells, Humes etc.

Subject: RE: BS: Gay-friendly Scotland
From: GUEST,Some bloke in Scotland
Date: 13 May 15 - 04:10 AM

It took a few posts to get to the kilt analogy I suppose.

Allan. At least it wasn't "Scotch"