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Peter Tatchell: stigmatisation of ME/CFS #PACEtrial campaigners similar to what he faced

TiredSam

The wise nematode hibernates
Messages
2,677
Location
Germany
I'm a bit wary of Peter Tatchell, but I'm glad to see ME presented as a social justice issue.
To be honest I'd never really heard of Peter Tatchell until the last week or so. Until very recently ME suffers automatically owed an undying debt of gratitude to just about anyone who gave a shit, and I'm not sure we've moved on that far from beggars can't be choosers yet.

He seems ok to me, he's got lots of followers so his interest will increase awareness, and I can't help admiring someone who tried to arrest Mugabe. With any luck he may even try a citizen's arrest on Sir Simon or one of the PACE authors, and then we'll have a legitimate comparison for abuses of power and crimes against humanity without breaching Godwin's law.
 

worldbackwards

Senior Member
Messages
2,051
Tatchell is disliked by many for being an uppity gay man who isn't prepared to take scraps from the table.

In a sense his achievements are magnified because he's been moving with the tide of history, but he was prepared to plough on when it was very unfashionable and still does so in countries where it remains very dangerous to be gay.

In a sentence, he isn't a man to back down on an issue when people put pressure on him. I'm both happy and proud to have him on our side.
 

Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
I've always had huge respect and affection for Tatchell. I think he's one of our bravest public figures. Much of his work goes unseen. I think the reservations stem from his past, when his organisation used to "out" public figures (including clergymen) who spoke or voted against gay rights, but were secretly participating in gay activities. It was felt by some to be an unfair tactic and to be invasive of privacy. The tactics were divisive and i understand why some people found his tactics questionable.

I think one of his life's highlights and funniest moments was his attempt to arrest Mugabe; they hadn't locked Mugabe's car door and apparently Mugabe's face looked like he thought his life was finished. Luckily for him it was just Peter Tatchell attempting a citizen's arrest! Tatchell's also been very brave in Russia standing up against violent thugs and police.
 

eastcoast12

Senior Member
Messages
136
Location
Long Island ny
Tatchell is disliked by many for being an uppity gay man who isn't prepared to take scraps from the table.

In a sense his achievements are magnified because he's been moving with the tide of history, but he was prepared to plough on when it was very unfashionable and still does so in countries where it remains very dangerous to be gay.

In a sentence, he isn't a man to back down on an issue when people put pressure on him. I'm both happy and proud to have him on our side.
Sounds like an awesome dude
 

Glycon

World's Most Dangerous Hand Puppet
Messages
299
Location
ON, Canada
Sounds like an awesome dude

I have a love-hate relationship with the man. More often than not he is on the good side in his activism, but he also prone to unnecessary theatrics and it isn't always clear whether he's more interested in making a difference or in getting attention.

Much the same can be said about many prominent activists, so... yeah.

And it is a very strong statement indeed coming from him.
 
Messages
13,774
I have a love-hate relationship with the man. More often than not he is on the good side in his activism, but he also prone to unnecessary theatrics and it isn't always clear whether he's more interested in making a difference or in getting attention.

I think that the UK media (used to) presents him like that: "He may be right about important moral issues, but does he have to make so much of a fuss about it?"

His work to get attention for the causes he campaigns on seem likely to have been pretty useful to me!
 

sarah darwins

Senior Member
Messages
2,508
Location
Cornwall, UK
I think that the UK media (used to) presents him like that: "He may be right about important moral issues, but does he have to make so much of a fuss about it?"

Yep, he's been an absolute hate figure for the press for decades. They present him as badly as possible at every turn. It started in the worst days of The Sun, back in the 80s, when Murdoch and MacKenzie singled Tatchell out for 'special' treatment when he was standing for parliament. The Sun did its best to destroy the man in every way, and his treatment by the press hasn't got much better any time since. To say he's misrepresented would be an understatement.

He has the nerve to be gay and foreign (Australian born) and still think he has the right to protest about the state of our country! The press just can't forgive him.
 

SilverbladeTE

Senior Member
Messages
3,043
Location
Somewhere near Glasgow, Scotland
Considering how vile the UK tabloid and especially Murdoch's media is....being attacked by them should be a badge of honour :p

Kelvin Mackenzie, ex-editor of The Sun, routinely attacked and abused Scottish people for years, but he could get away with it because being "Scottish" isn't a "race" :grumpy:
and of course you have the Hillsborough and Phone Hacking evils all linked to it, and much wider British Establishment evils *spits in disgust* :mad:

what gets me is how many people still will NOT see how crooked and rotten the entire British system is, how interwoven with each other and their corruption they all are.
Look at how we have been screwed over, the way it links to media "pundits" like the S.M.C., etc
 

Cheesus

Senior Member
Messages
1,292
Location
UK
I think one of his life's highlights and funniest moments was his attempt to arrest Mugabe; they hadn't locked Mugabe's car door and apparently Mugabe's face looked like he thought his life was finished. Luckily for him it was just Peter Tatchell attempting a citizen's arrest! Tatchell's also been very brave in Russia standing up against violent thugs and police.

I had never heard of this before but just found some of it on Youtube:


What a courageous man. I have absolutely enormous respect for him.