Jeremy Corbyn under fire for saying people 'choose to be gay'
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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been criticised after he said people ‘choose’ to be gay and lesbian.
Speaking at the start of LGBT history month, Mr Corbyn gave a speech in solidarity with people, whatever their sexuality.Deaf woman left ‘stranded’ on train floor despite buying special assistance ticket
However, the wording he used has raised questions.
‘We’re with you, we’re in solidarity with you,’ he said. ‘Your triumphs are our triumphs.
‘Our defence of you is a defence of all of humanity and the right of people to practise the life they want to practise, rather than be criminalised, brutalised and murdered, simply because they chose to be gay, they chose to be lesbian, they were LGBT in any form.’
His comments are made at the end of this video by Pink News, who shot it on Facebook Live last night.Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn talking about how people 'chose to be gay'.
Erm, we didn't choose to be gay, we were born this way. https://t.co/9P9JTjyBwQ
— Michael
(@Taylor_Mikey_) February 2, 2017
Video of the speech on Twitter caused an immediate stir, with Conservative councillor Paul Church describing the comments as ‘retrogressive and offensive’, saying: ‘LGBT+ people do not ‘choose’ who they are.’
One commenter responded: ‘Well intentioned but complete FAIL’ while another said: ‘I think we need a new type of left-wing politics…led by Gen-Ys.’ -
What a dick, but then again, what do I know, I'm not british
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I used to laugh at the pathetic state of the opposition in the UK.It's no laughing matter these days..it's simply doesn't actually exist.The thought of Corbyn pumping that Frank Bruno in drag thing(Dianne Abbot)by 'CHOICE' speaks volumes about his lack of knowledge on gay people.
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Logically speaking, he does make a valid point. I mean, even gay people can 'choose to be straight', right? Let's just have a positive mind, and comprehend his words as 'choosing the wrong words' while trying to say "Choose to be the way they truly are".
With that said, it also makes sense that Corbyn 'choose to be a man', right? After all, anyone has the freedom to change gender.
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Mr Corbyn's choice of words was unfortunate, and he subsequently apologised for using the word 'choose.' It seems a bit petty, however, to pick out this one inopportune phrase in a whole frickin speech dedicated to expressing solidarity with the rights of LGBT people. In fact, it seems perverse. You'd almost think that people on Jeremy Corbyn's own side were trying to undermine him by any means possible, or something.
Moreover, I wonder if the LGBT movement is really this hyper-sensitive. Are we really so up our own collective arse that we throw a fit every time somebody uses the word 'choose' or 'choice' in conjunction with sexuality? Even when that person has laboured for decades alongside LGBT people? I can only imagine what these mental midgets would do if anyone dared to suggest that sexualities might be socially-constructed roles. Maybe some of us need to get over ourselves just a little bit.
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This is the least offensive thing about corbyn.
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And who would you prefer? Theresa May, who repeatedly voted against equalising the age of consent, repealing Section 28 and allowing gay adoption? Or perhaps Tim Farron, who refuses to say whether he thinks gay sex is a sin?
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>:D >:D >:D >:D -
Sounds like more ungrateful PC bitching to me. It's no wonder the left has become so regressive, they attack allies when no other enemy is in sight.
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You choose to be gay (which is s political label) but you dont choose to be homosexual (which is a sexual orientation).
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You choose to be gay (which is s political label) but you dont choose to be homosexual (which is a sexual orientation).
holy shit lmaooooo
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I'm a bit sick of the idea that gay people have no choice at all about what we do, as though we're some sort of animal or automaton that just acts out of blind unthinking instinct. Let's be quite clear: we do have quite a bit of choice.
We do not have any choice over who we are attracted to.
We do (normally) have complete control over how we act on our attractions.
We do not have any choice over who we fall in love with.
We do (normally) have complete control over what kinds of relationships we form.
We do not have much control over the way sexuality and 'sexual orientation' are constructed in the culture and the historical moment in which we happen to live.
We do have some control over what sexuality we choose to identify with and how we choose to project that identity.
So let's stop it with this "we don't choose to be gay" bollocks. This is true only in one sense: in the narrow sense of individual attraction. In many other ways, it turns out we have a fair bit of choice after all.
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One could argue that people choose to be STRAIGHT… because most children prefer to play and associate with their own gender and consider the other gender "icky" until they get older and perhaps peer pressure and society steers them in a different direction.
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I'm a bit sick of the idea that gay people have no choice at all about what we do, as though we're some sort of animal or automaton that just acts out of blind unthinking instinct. Let's be quite clear: we do have quite a bit of choice.
We do not have any choice over who we are attracted to.
We do (normally) have complete control over how we act on our attractions.
We do not have any choice over who we fall in love with.
We do (normally) have complete control over what kinds of relationships we form.
We do not have much control over the way sexuality and 'sexual orientation' are constructed in the culture and the historical moment in which we happen to live.
We do have some control over what sexuality we choose to identify with and how we choose to project that identity.
So let's stop it with this "we don't choose to be gay" bollocks. This is true only in one sense: in the narrow sense of individual attraction. In many other ways, it turns out we have a fair bit of choice after all.
"We do not have any choice over who we are attracted to." - that is the point of ""we don't choose to be gay" - i am aware that what we do re : how we act etc is all choice but the ""we don't choose to be gay" phrase is simply "i did not choose my attraction to the same sex" - which you, rightly, pointed out is not something you can choose
I am a man attracted to men not women.. the rest is always a choice, in any sexuality.. I didn't choose to be a man solely attracted to men
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You don't realize the word means the same thing?! :blink:
You choose to be gay (which is s political label) but you dont choose to be homosexual (which is a sexual orientation).
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GO TO HELL >:D
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Big mouth
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I wasn't super thrilled about Jezza saying this at the time, but in the grand scheme of things he could punch a baby and I'd still want him as PM.
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No one chooses to be gay, if being gay were a choice, NO ONE would be gay because NO ONE likes to be judged that way by the world
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hmmm
