Is this taking things a little too far?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.independen...urprises-8216187.html

/// Independent on Sunday readers voted for the influential lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people who work publicly or with no recognition to make Britain a safer, fairer, better and more entertaining place. ///

One has to ask why does the Independent on Sunday find the need to have a 'Pink List' of gay 'heroes' and 'heroines', surely it is all so patronising?

This is last year's list.

http://www.independen...ist-2011-2374595.html

[humbersloop]

Blimey, is it really ten years since Will Young won Pop Idol??

[ummmm]

I take it you have never struggled with your sexuality?

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, whatever, do you think the have it easy? Having people to look up could make it easier for some.

[anotheoldgit]

/// 19 (new entry) Julian Glover ///

/// PM's speech-writer ///

So it's him who is to blame.

/// Exited The Guardian this month to become David Cameron's speech-writer, leaving the paper without a right-wing voice. ///

Didn't even know they had one.

/// Also known as Matthew Parris's other half (they entered a civil partnership in 2006), he is just as influential, credited with steering The Guardian away from Labour at the 2010 election. ///

Now that must have been a task worthy of an award.

[jno]

the Sunday Times runs a rich list every year. Is that patronising?

[friedgreentomato]

No jno but then he can't be a bigot towards the rich

[FredPuli43]

aog, it wasn't very long ago that nobody but the bravest or most extrovert would 'admit' to being homosexual . Did you think that was right? Of course not.And times have changed. But it is now important for all homosexuals to be as confident as the rest of us and publicising the achievements of 'gay, lesbian and transgender' people does much to give them that confidence.

[sp1814]

AOG

I'm not sure whether this is a tongue-in-cheek question or not. But I'm going to answer based on the assumption that you really don't know why it's important to celebrate successful gay people.

In so many areas, there are those who denounce gay people, and who bully gay kids and who kill gay people simply because they hate them.

To balance this out, it makes sense for this pink list to be published each year because it shows what you can achieve in the face of hate and bigotry from some sections of the public.

You asked whether it was patronising, and I can assure you that it's not. And remember, I'm in a position to be able to say that.

[joeluke]

A pointless list of pointless nobodies

[sp1814]

joeluke

The list hasn't been published yet, so how would you know?

And how could the list be made up of nobodies, when it's voted for by the public. If they were nobodies, how would their names be known

[jno]

don't tell me they missed you off the list again, joeluke! And you probably missed out on the Euromillions too?

[joeluke]

sp......so you've heard of them all I take it?

[Bluestone]

"Is This Taking Things A Little Too Far?"

No. Many people are afraid of 'coming out', for fear of being alienated, or cast aside by family or friends - and that's really wrong. The more it's put in the public eye, the better. People look up to 'celebrities', so why not use their sexuality as a positive, by highlighting their achievements.
If it gives just one person that extra bit of confidence, then surely that's no bad thing.

It was an interesting list (last years).
Evan Davis is full of tattoo's and body piercings, apparently. Who'd have thought it, eh?!

[humbersloop]

True chuck, true..

[boxtops]

I've heard of 20 of them. I wouldn't need to hear of the other 80, they appear to move in circles that I don't.

[bazwillrun]

exactly joeluke, pathetic and pointless.

lets have a list of heroes specifically mentioning that they are hetero heroes

[sp1814]

Joeluke

I've just checked last year's list and recognise 86% percent of those listed. However, just because I as an individual don't know 14% of those on this list, doesn't make them 'nobodies'. It just means that I've not heard of them.

Similarly, there are massive Country & Western stars in the US whom I've never hears do - that doesn't mean that they're nobodies too.

[naomi24]

I really wish we’d stop categorising people and putting labels on them. If someone has done something that is worthy of an award, it should be recognised for what it is regardless of gender, colour, sexual orientation, or anything else. This sort of thing exacerbates divide.

[Zacs-Master]

Surely we don't need a list like this in the second decade of the 21st century? Naomi is correct, success is success. Gender and sexual preferences are irrelevant.

[Svejk]

Naomi/Zac. Careful, if you don't agree with them, you must be a bigot.