Bus advert wars - Round 2

[mistersloane]

Anyway, he's stopped it now.

 

[you]

I would say yes. These things aren't neutral. Not so long ago homosexuality was illegal so you couldn't just say "I'll live my life and not worry about it" - ok that's changed now but rights are still not equal. Asking for equal rights isn't an aggressive point of view is it?

No asking for equal rights is totally cool. Asking for equal opinions - I'm uncomfortable with that.

But bus adverts are not lobbying politicians to change the law or equalise the rights of the populace, they are targeting the passerby, asking him/her to change his/her internal opinions in a rather aggressive manner. I feel freedom of opinion is pretty sacred, and with that there will be differences and a minority will form repulsive, nonsensical opinions. Point is rights, equality and laws should be consistent and homogenous across all types of people (regardless of how they live and WHERE they live*). But the private opinions of individuals should be kept separate from this - if they act on these opinions that are contrary to notions of equality in law and rights then the safety net is the law and the rights of others (not to be abused).

Venn diagrams up in dis...




*another can-o-worms

 

[mistersloane]

Actually I fucking hated those Stonewall ads, and I think, what I actually think, is that Stonewall should just shut up. If they can do ads as 'positive promotion' in that way, then anyone else can too, they started it. What did they hope to acheive? Its Stonewall's fault. I remember emailing people at the time going "oh jesus look at what they're fucking doing".

I'd still smash the bus windows if those fucking christian idiots ever get their way though.

 

[baboon2004]

Not sure what I think about the ads (the Stonewall ones, that is), but one thing that riled me about them - when I was researching them cos of something at work, I found an index with the best workplaces in terms of anti-homophobic policies. Fine idea in principle, but in practice the whole list was made up of horrendous multinationals, police, prison service etc etc, thereby sending out the message that it didn)t at all matter what awful shit a company/workplace was doing as long as it wasnt being (directly) homophobic. Pretty depressing indictment of single-issue politics really.

 

[Mr. Tea]

Well that's what happens when "diversity" becomes a box-ticking exercise, isn't it?

If it was ever anything else...I think it went pretty quickly from "we value you regardless of your personal background" to "we value you because of your personal background" to "we value you because you make our stats look good".

 

[mistersloane]

Not sure what I think about the ads (the Stonewall ones, that is), but one thing that riled me about them - when I was researching them cos of something at work, I found an index with the best workplaces in terms of anti-homophobic policies. Fine idea in principle, but in practice the whole list was made up of horrendous multinationals, police, prison service etc etc, thereby sending out the message that it didn)t at all matter what awful shit a company/workplace was doing as long as it wasnt being (directly) homophobic. Pretty depressing indictment of single-issue politics really.

Yuck thats horrid! Stonewall to me were always the face of conservatism....never liked em lol.

 

[Bangpuss]

Taibbi makes the point that corporate assholes shouldn't be commended for speaking out on issues like gay rights pretty well here: http://www.rollingstone.com/politic...n-the-wrong-spokesman-for-gay-rights-20120214

Although I agree that they shouldn't be made spokesmen, ambassadors, beacons, or any other metaphorical status for merely not being total bigots, I do think it's important that companies are scrutinised for their attitudes to minorities. But league tables, etc. is bound to lead to tokenism. So basically: don't give corporate evil-doers credit for not doing reprehensible shit some of the time.

 

[IdleRich]

Not exactly bus wars but fits in with the "not being bigoted is basically just another religion" comment.

The Roman Catholic church has written to every state-funded Catholic secondary school in England and Wales asking them to encourage pupils to sign a petition against gay marriage.

Just evil.

"The Catholic view of marriage is not a political view; it's a religious view."

So that's alright then.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/25/catholic-church-schools-gay-marriage