Telegraph Column: "Gays Aren't "Normal" and "Shouldn't Play Victim"

The Telegraph is a newspaper geared towards the United Kingdom and International community. A column by journalist James Delingpole called "But gays AREN'T normal..." borders on the offensive. In the article the author is trying to convey the point that the homophobic comments of a conservative political candidate are not necessarily shared by him but that he defends their right to say it.

The first problem is the provocative title and wording of the article to suggest that gays aren't normal:

"Some of my best friends are gay and I don’t think any of them would describe their sexual preferences as “normal”. In fact, for one or two of them, the very fact that what they do is abnormal is one of the major bonuses of having been born homosexual: it’s ruder."

If Delingpole would simply use the word unconventional as opposed to normal, there wouldn't be any problem. Of course gay people are a minority but to suggest abnormality is to suggest that there is something wrong with gay people.

Delingpole than goes on to make the claim that anti-gay views along with other views should be accepted within the conservative movement:

"Conservatism is a broad and tolerant church – and that ought to include toleration of the mild intolerance of free citizens like Lardner."

While society has free speech principles, a politicians job is to represent all the people, including his gay and lesbian constituents.

Finally the author says that nobody should play victim:

"Gay victimhood is soooo last year. In fact, victimhood of any kind is not a Tory concept at all."

When a whole group of people are subject to discriminatory language by a politician there must be consequences for the language that seeks to hurt others.

Author James Delingpole can be contacted on:
http://twitter.com/jamesdelingpole

Contact the Telegraph to complain about this offensive article:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/about-us/form/