Cameron scores more brownie...erm, pinkie points

Ever vigilant in his quest to score more political points and gain more votes for his party, Conservative leader David Cameron has apologised to the gay community for the infamous Section 28 legislation which outlawed what it termed "the promotion of homosexuality in schools."

Precisely what constituted "promotion" of homosexuality has never been clear, but it left teachers unwilling to prevent bullying of children thought either rightly or wrongly by their peers to be gay, for fear that in stating homosexuality is acceptable and not "wrong" they would fall foul of the ruling and lose their jobs. In addition to this, gay support groups were prevented from offering advice and counselling to school children.

David Cameron: friend to gays? Doubtful. Insincere vote-whore? Probable.
Picture adapted from a copyright-free image at Wikipedia.

Local authorities were likewise prevented from carrying out any action that might "intentionally promote homosexuality" or from publishing "material with the intention of promoting homosexuality," meaning that health advice leaflets aimed at gay people had to be removed from medical surgeries if they suggested that homosexual relationships were normal and healthy.

Gay rights activists, who have campaigned long and hard for the legislation to be repealed, declared the apology "historic."

"If we do win the next election, instead of being a white middle class middle-aged party, we will be far more diverse," Mr. Cameron said, during a Tory fund-raiser. "The Conservatives had the first woman prime minister and we are bound to have the first black prime minister and the first gay prime minister."

However, just six years ago Mr. Cameron voted in support of retaining Section 28 in a Parliamentary ballot that was eventually successful in achieving the legislation's abolition. In 2008 he attracted scorn from gay people when he voted to restrict lesbian couples' right to in vitro fertilisation in a vote aiming to toughen up existing laws which state that clinics offering the treatment must consider the "need" for a child to have a mother and a father.

We can't help but think, in view of that last paragraph, that Mr. Cameron is not being entirely sincere when it comes to his new friendliness towards homosexuals. In fact, we rather suspect that he's a bit of a homophobe, but willing to do absolutely anything just so long as there might be a few extra votes in it.