Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s first female prime minister and the reason behind Meryl Streep’s third Oscar, has passed away from a stroke at age 87.
“It is with great sadness that Mark and Carol Thatcher announced that their mother, Baroness Thatcher, died peacefully following a stroke this morning,” a statement from her spokesman, Lord Tim Bell, said, referring to her son and daughter.
The Iron Lady was a controversial figure in many respects, including, LGBT rights. PinkNews writes:
Despite some controversy around Section 28, which in 1987 banned the teaching or promotion of homosexuality and was passed under her government, Baroness Thatcher supported legalizing homosexuality in the 1960s, in the face of fierce opposition from Tory traditionalists.
In 1967, she voted in favor of the decriminalization of homosexuality, in England and Wales. While she was Prime Minister, it was made legal to be legal to be gay in Scotland in 1981 and in Northern Ireland in 1982.
Thatcher also appointed the Earl of Avon, who was widely known to be have been gay, as Under Secretary of Energy in 1983 and then of State for the Environment before he died from AIDS in 1985.
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But for her good, there was always a share of the bad.
In October 1987, Thatcher attacked “positive images” of gay people during her speech at the Conservative Party Conference saying she worried that children “are being taught that they have an inalienable right to be gay.”
Calling her “extraordinary for mostly the wrong reasons,” LGBT activist and political campaigner Peter Tatchell didn’t “rejoice in her death” but he didn’t pull any punches either.
“During her rule, arrests and convictions for consenting same-sex behaviour rocketed, as did queer bashing violence and murder,” Tatchell said. “Gay men were widely demonised and scapegoated for the AIDS pandemic and Thatcher did nothing to challenge this vilification. ”
Jack E. Jett
I would like to think about now that Maggie is strapping on her Jeff Stryker dildo
and greasing it up to giving it to her buttboy Ronnie Reagan.
Now, I could be very wrong about this. She could very easily decide to opt out of the
lube and give it to him dry. Either way, they should both experience a taste of the
hell they put us through here on earth.
2eo
You wouldn’t believe the running tackle hug I got off my other half. Thatcherism was directly responsible for his fathers suicide.
Everyone I know is so unbelievably happy, as am I, it is the best news in absolutely ages here in Britain, great news for all the good working members of my great nation.
fagburn
Dear Queerty,
If you can’t see after this – of all things – that the UK gay news sites you keep quoting – Pink News and Gay Star News – who talk about the “controversial” “gay icon” Thatcher are right-wing wing sh*t machines and servants of power, then I despair.
Wake me up when you do.
I expect better of Queerty.
FFS!
Sohobod
Fine if people want to create a pantomime villain who can be blamed for everything, but the truth is that Mrs. T and her policies – which included the introduction of evil union reforms like a postal ballot (how terrible), and the defense of the Falkland Islands, the standing up against the USSR etc – were popular with the general public, winning her three general elections. I didn’t agree with MANY of her policies, but really, the vitriol of the self-satisfied middle class left is, unfortunately, completely predictable.
jwrappaport
Iron Lady – Rust in Peace.
2eo
Surprised you don’t have a little shrine to her, candles and all.
Blah blah pantomime villain, blah blah just hand the country to unions, blah blah section 28 wasn’t that bad really, blah blah taking milk off children taught them capitalism, blah blah.
Sohobod
How do you know I don’t have a shrine?
You should watch Jon Snow’s programme about her on Channel 4. Although Dennis called Snow a ‘pinko’, it’s a balanced and rather affectionate portrait.
Ruhlmann
@Sohobod: Well said, love her or hate her the woman had balls and knew how to swing’em. RIP Margaret Thatcher.
2eo
Notice the right wing rags hating the “OMGMILITANTLEFTNAZISOCIALISTSOBAMA” in their articles.
Because freedom of expression only applies to them and what they think and everyone else is an EU PARASITE.
The party in Glasgow over her death looks awesome, friend of mine whom I did some work with is texting me pictures, so jealous.
2eo
Notice the right wing rags hating the “OMGMILITANTLEFTNAZ1SOCI@LISTSOBAMA” in their articles.
Because freedom of expression only applies to them and what they think and everyone else is an EU PARASITE.
The party in Glasgow over her death looks awesome, friend of mine whom I did some work with is texting me pictures, so jealous.
Sohobod
Admit it, it’s a bit ‘sixth form’ and a little childish to revel in an old lady’s death. I’m sure your Glasgow friends will have nice time tonight but who will be remembered 100 years from now?
Lefty
@Ruhlmann: Well said. She may have cynically exploited public homophobia to attack the Labour party in the late 1980s and she may have introduced Section 28, but the woman had ball…. sorry, I fell asleep there…
BJ McFrisky
Honestly, who cares? I would have guessed she’d died years ago. Just because the Eurotrasheans are obsessed with our politicians doesn’t mean we should give a shit about theirs.
Lefty
@Sohobod: Well, Pol Pot will be remembered in 100 years time, dear.
Not sure that’s a particularly valid defence, tbh. 🙁
Lefty
Say what you like about Hitler; at least he’ll be remembered in 100 years time.
UNLIKE ORDINARY GLASWEGIANS!!!
Sohobod
@Lefty
She will be remembered for the ‘Right’ reasons. (pun intended)
BJ McFrisky
@Sohobod: Touche!
brent
@2eo: Wow! Are liberals in England that depraved to celebrate her death. When Obama dies I wonder what you would say if conservatives celebrated
jwrappaport
@BJ McFrisky: That’s funny, the Gipper would beg to differ.
Also, please stop making us Yanks sound like ignorant fools. What’s your beef with Europe anyway? You realize that “Eurotrasheans” are responsible for inspiring the very essence of our American political framework: democracy, republicanism, the separation of powers, checks and balances, inalienable rights, secularism, the common law, oh, and the language you speak every single day – all are very easily traceable to Europe, which is exactly where our Founding Fathers looked for inspiration when creating our country.
But you’re right. Who cares about Cicero, Demosthenes, Churchill, or DeGaulle? They’re just “Eurotrashean” politicians.
2eo
@brent: Haha, you think mining towns like Castleford and Featherstone are “liberal”, you know as much about Britain as you do America.
Lefty
@Sohobod: “She will be remembered for the ‘Right’ reasons. (pun intended)”
Given it’s been over 20 years since she left office and the weight of public opinion is still largely against her, I think that’s about as wishful as you thinking that’s a pun.
Sorry. 🙁
2eo
@Lefty: Actually, using Googles awesome new addition of source filters in their news indexing it’s being entirely possible to completely filter out the right wing fucksh1it sources and just have actual news.
You [and everyone] should use it given how right wing papers spend the most to get the lead stories on the feed.
Joetx
@Jack E. Jett: Yeah, if there is a God, they’re both burning in hell right now.
Demonize gays? Check.
Pile on the poor & weaken the middle class? Check.
Ticket to hell? *crosses fingers*
Sohobod
@Lefty
Not really. In fact, in your dreams. Watch the coverage next week of her funeral 🙂
@2eo
You may be right about Castleford & Featherstone, but that is hardly representative of Britain. Those kind of places are more like locations you’d hear about in Billy Elliot. That’s certainly not the experience of 99.9% of the country.
Of course before her election the ’70s was an idyllic time when there wasn’t a three day week, no social division, no Winter of Discontent, the economy wasn’t fucked, the NUM couldn’t bring down governments at will, the Soviet Union were our friends, race relations were perfect, nationalized industries worked perfectly.
2eo
@Sohobod: Funny how that works, I was born in West Yorkshire, and live in North Yorkshire. These places are far more real to me than a place like Soho, and other places with no character or history.
Basically, all I’m seeing is “southern c*nt troll” who doesn’t get it, isn’t interested in getting it, and isn’t clever enough to get it anyway.
Lefty
@Sohobod: “Not really. In fact, in your dreams. Watch the coverage next week of her funeral :)”
I know a certain type of gay man loves people like her, but do you completely overlook the homophobia she exploited for political gain in the 1980s?
Or do you think that was somehow excusable?
Lefty
@2eo: Soho used to have character and history, but that ship sailed decades ago, sadly.
Sohobod
If you think that living in N Yorkshire is some sort of badge of honor – fine. I don’t think it matters, really.
Basically, mining had no future. Sorry, but it didn’t. Coal was dying source of energy. Was it going to be subsidized at the expense of every other industry?
I don’t mean to be a c u n t but the NUM had to be crushed. It had thrown its weight around for the previous decade and there was an apatite in the country to finish it off. I’m old enough to remember that the average person in the street was
sick to the back teeth of Scargill and his ilk.
Maybe you can look at those tomes through rose-tinted glasses but you’re in a minority.
Sohobod
@Lefty
She was one of the very few Tories who voted to legalize homosexuality in the ’60s. That doesn’t prove anything, but it’s too her credit.
As for Soho, I’ve lived here for 20-odd years and its never been what it once was – and I doubt it ever was or will be.
BTW are you and 2eo the same person?
Lefty
@Sohobod: Do you completely overlook the homophobia she exploited for political gain in the 1980s?
Or do you think that was somehow excusable?
Lefty
@Sohobod: “BTW are you and 2eo the same person?”
How quaint. Any chance you could answer the question? I’m positively baffled…
2eo
@Lefty: Hey, I’ve had just about enough out of you alter ego, get back under the sorting hat.
In good news, Thatcher is dead.
Sohobod
@Lefty
It was a different world. No I don’t excuse the homophobia that political parties exploited back then, but it wasn’t just the Tories – what about how Tatchell was attacked by the Libs – and Labour were not exactly supportive of him, either.
My father was a small business man in the Midlands. He was of working class origins, and as children, at the weekend, we would either be taken the Conservative club or the local working mens’ club. As a kid in the 70s I didn’t notice much difference in the homophobic/sexist/racist language I heard at either location.
I have something of a cynical attitude to political groupings and allegiances.
Sohobod
@Lefty
It was a different world. No I don’t excuse the homophobia that political parties exploited back then, but it wasn’t just the Tories – what about how Tatchell was attacked by the Libs – and Labour were not exactly supportive of him, either.
My father was a small business man in the Midlands. He was of working class origins, and as children, at the weekend, we would either be taken the Conservative club or the local working mens’ club. As a kid in the 70s I didn’t notice much difference in the homophobic/sexist/racist language I heard at either location.
Sohobod
@Lefty
It was a different world. No I don’t excuse the homophobia that political parties exploited back then, but it wasn’t just the Tories – what about how Tatchell was attacked by the Libs – and Labour were not exactly supportive of him, either
Full story here: http://www.queerty.com/margaret-thatcher-dead-at-87-20130408/#ixzz2Pude5S8U
Read more at http://www.queerty.com/margaret-thatcher-dead-at-87-20130408/#sB2IoUgP7PaqGooI.99
Sohobod
“BTW are you and 2eo the same person?”
How quaint. Any chance you could answer the question? I’m positively baffled…
You will excuse me, only your opinions are both so cliched I though they may have originated from the same orifice.
2eo
@Sohobod: Ah, I see. Seems my deriding of you as intellectually inferior a bunch of times has proven 100% justified. I expected nothing less of course.
Sohobod
@2eo
I’m glad I’ve not disappointed.
Lefty
@Sohobod: Are you seriously trying to draw an equivalence between Thatcher introducing Section 28, and her sustained campaign attacking Labour’s pro-gay stance as being dangerous to children, with Labour apparently not being terribly supportive to Peter Tatchell??
Are you serious??
That’s your justification? “It was a different world”?
And you’ve got the gall to accuse anyone else of being cliched.
You say you don’t excuse the homophobia that Thatcher propagated and then cynically exploited for political gain, and then go on to try and do just that.
This was a Tory poster from the late-’80s…
http://oi47.tinypic.com/wlro5h.jpg
Not a Labour poster or a Lib Dem poster. This was Margaret Thatcher’s party. The same party that introduced Section 28.
How many gay people suffered under her government as a direct consequence of her abhorrent policies?
Sohobod
Lefty
No one in their right minds thinks that that poster and the attitudes of the times were anything other than vile. But that was the time. And if you think those attitudes were the preserve of the right, you have a VERY selective memory.
The Labour party of that time was not exactly gay friendly. Read Tatchell’s accounts of the treatment he received from his own party members as a gay Labour candidate. No party was very nice back then. Society wasn’t. But to singe out one person to vilify is just stupid.
2eo
@Lefty: His gimmick is to be the “OMG I am right leaning AND GAY” and thinks it awards him the ability to comment on things he knows nothing about, it’s a running pattern, look at everything to do with the UK he posts on here. Same drizzling rubbish every time.
Lefty
@Sohobod: Can you link me to any posters or other material put out by Labour at the time that has the same sentiment as that Tory one?
The Labour Party and the Lib-Dems opposed Section 28.
And your assertion that “it was the time” doesn’t explain why it was only the Tories who exploited homophobia in such a cynical and destructive way, any more than it explains why many Tories continued to support Section 28 throughout the ’90s and well into the 2000s.
Again, do you completely overlook the homophobia she exploited for political gain in the 1980s? Or do you think that was somehow excusable?
You seem to be suggesting that it was somehow excusable?
Sohobod
Yawn!
Night night boys. I’ve got to be up early as I’m foreclosing on some widows and orphans.
Lefty
@Sohobod: “Yawn!”
Finally. If you’d just been honest in the first place and admitted you don’t care about all the gay people she threw under the bus in order to get re-elected, you’d have saved us some time and you could have got your beauty sleep a lot earlier.
The fact is, it wasn’t “the time” because hers was the only party doing it.
What I find baffling is that you paint such a wondrous picture of her and how she saved the entire country – nay the WORLD! – from the twin evils of the unions and the red menace under our beds, that one wonders why she would need to whip up homophobia to get votes in the first place. Surely people were tripping over themselves to vote for her out of sheer gratitude???
cyberdoogi
Thatcher was an evil and vile woman. Her policies devastated communities and industries. North Sea oil was squandered, public housing was sold off cheaply thus creating housing shortages down the line because they were not replaced, public utilities were sold off for a quick buck only to end up in foreign ownership. The poor, disabled and LGBT people were vilified and demonised for political gain.
I, for one am pleased she is dead. I lived through her dictatorship and saw the devastation her government wrought. Thankfully, the lady’s not returning:-)
2eo
@cyberdoogi: You’ll be pleased to know since yesterday morning the net has being out for the right wingers who were posting about Nelson Mandela “being a fucking n1gger who should be hung” on the Daily Heil and Telegraph and those denouncing celebration of Thatcher’s death.
Fortunately those people aren’t good at hiding their tracks, and these people [whoever they are LOL] got a list of just under 350 peoples real names and workplaces, their comments have being sent to all their places of employment this morning.
2eo
Thatcher’s legacy is a society devoid of sympathy, empathy and emotion.
The fact so many good people still respect what she tried her absolute hardest to take away from the British people, this is what makes Britain awesome, this makes me proud to be British, well done everyone celebrating. We all know what Britain means, what it has done, and what it stands for.
Lefty
If anyone is still in any doubt about Thatcher’s stance on gay people, here’s a clip from her speech at the 1987 Conservative Party Conference:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VRRWuryb4k&feature=player_embedded
Lefty
^^ Thanks to Fagburn for that, btw.
Raquel Santiago
are being taught that they have an inalienable right to be gay.” ummm they do have the right, they have the right to be anyone they want to be.