The Penny Farthing Hotel in Lyndhurst, in southern England, twisted a line from the sitcom Little Britain for its new slogan. In addition to advertising his hotel with the line “Poofters Welcome Here,” Mark Saqui also posted a sign outside the property reading “There’s more than one gay in the village,” a play on the show’s Daffyd Thomas, the show’s flamboyant character that claimed he was was the “only gay in the village.” So why put up the sign? To let gay travelers know that unlike Peter and Hazelmary Bull, he welcomes their kind. And even though the town council voiced its disapproval over the sign, Saqui insists the sign was “put out for a joke. It’s just a bit of light-hearted fun and has been for the past ten years.” I tend to agree.
Drake
Are Poofters GOProudlngs?
Ted C.
“Poofter” is like the British version of “fag”. It’s usually considered quite offensive.
Nick Farben
The hotel is pretty obviously doing it all in good fun, and taking a dig at homophobic establishments. So I say, why not.
Little Britain humour is no more homophobic than Ru Paul’s Drag Race, even though it depends on stereotyping for laughs. It takes a ‘nothing is sacred’ policy that many Brit sketch comedy does, so while I can see how some people kind it offensive on principle, its comedic license at work. I mean they spend half mostly poking fun at themselves, its not meant to be too heavy thought out. It’s just a circus.
Susan
“Poofter” isn’t actually the equivalent of “fag” or “faggot.” It’s really hard to translate slang from one dialect to the other, but it’s really a more gentle slang term — maybe like “queen” or “fairy.” At least that’s true based on my knowledge of English slang, which is admittedly a little dated since I haven’t lived there full time in many years, but grew up English.