Date published: 2009/05/16
The BBC says:
The cathedral city of Canterbury is being investigated over claims it is not welcoming to gay people.
Andrew Brettell of Canterbury Pride has complained the Kent city is a "cultural wilderness" and one of few in England without any gay bars.
He said the city fails to welcome its "closeted" lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
The Local Government Ombudsman is investigating the claims, which have been denied by the council.
Mr Brettell criticised Canterbury City Council for "ticking the boxes" but failing to do anything to attract gay people to the area.
"What we need is for the council to send signals that it's OK to be gay and that they are welcoming gays to the city," he said.
Gay Pride events were held in the city in 2005 and 2006, but none has been held since.
Canterbury Pride is calling for the council to fund a community drop-in centre for the LGBT community, and to make more reference to gay people in its culture.
They also want a gay bar to be opened. Mr Brettell added that the council could be missing out on substantial revenue.
This reads like an April Fool's joke. Hopefully the Local Government Ombudsman will treat this case with the derision it deserves. Why should Canterbury be required to promote gay-specific activities in any way whatsoever? Brettell is in effect just trying to force the rest of society to subsidise his lifestyle, which of course is the real point of most special interest pressure groups. And if Canterbury loses this case, then presumably blind French-Canadian Buddhist plumbers between the age of 29.5 and 29.7 will be the next minority to claim it is being ignored.
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