London just elected a new mayor and he seems pretty dope. Sadiq Khan already made headlines by being a real dick to Donald Trump (hooray!) and now he’s flying a rainbow flag over London City Hall to mark International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT).
So far, the flag-raising has been well received in England, the country that refined homosexuality to an art form.
“I was elected on a pledge to be Mayor for all Londoners and I will work with the LGBT+ community,” wrote a mayoral spokesperson on the Mayor’s behalf, “to do everything I can to make London a more tolerant, fairer place to live.”
The mayor has spoken in the past about being a victim of hate crime (he’s Muslim) and acknowledged that all minorities are vulnerable. In addition, he promised to attend Pride. The former mayor, Boris Johnson, skipped Pride every year since 2010, though he did support marriage equality.
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Khan, on the other hand, seems to be taking a far more active role, even at great personal risk. Several years ago, after announcing his support for marriage equality, other Muslims sent him death threats. At the time, he was the MP for the unfortunately-named area known as “Tooting.”
In addition to supporting gay marriage and gay flags, Khan voted in favor of nondiscrimination protections and for broadening marriage protections to members of the armed forces.
More recently, he got into a tiff with Donald Trump over Trump’s Muslim ban. Khan observed that the ban would prevent him from visiting the US, and Trump relented and said he’d make an exception. But Khan stood his ground and retorted that Trump was missing the point — that the ban itself was the problem.
So far, it seem like London’s got a real winner on its hands. Must be nice to have politicians who are actually intelligent, sensitive people who genuinely want to improve the lives of everyone around them. Is it too late for America to say “never mind” about that whole declaring-independence thing?
joeyty
Worshipping the rapper Dappy, and the Rotherham rapes ? I’d say I still want independence from the UK, Benji.
GayEGO
The Mayor of London is setting a good example for equality, something that Drumpf has yet to learn.
joeyty
@GayEGO: I can’t stand Hillary Clinton, but to be fair she was never the mayor of a city. She’s trying out for a whole different, more complicated, position.
Baba Booey Fafa Fooey
Awesome Mayor.
GayEGO
@joeyty: Compared with Donald Trump, Hillary has more experience and has stood up to the GOP phonys on the Benghazi and Email fake accusations. I am ready for a Madam President after checking the facts on those false GOP accusations.
GC1985
@joeyty: Baloney. Hillary has a myriad of experience, including working for the State Department. All Trump does is bankrupt companies and lies about his wealth. Trump is a total moron.
Billy Budd
Fabulous guy. One of my closest friends in the US is a muslim and he is totally gay friendly EVEN THOUGH he is secretly religious.
joeyty
@GayEGO: Yes. That’s why I said she’s going after a harder job than Mayor, even Mayor of a big city.
joeyty
@GC1985: Uhh…when was she ever a Mayor ??
charlie_jackpot
You’re making a joke about Tooting when one of the main candidates for President has a name that means fart?
GC1985
@joeyty: stop talking about important issues. Being a mayor means nothing. Remember the late Rob Ford? The guy was a joke. Hillary has much more vast experience than a mayor. You need to stop being a fool. These topics are beyond your comprehension.
silveroracle
I take my hat off to Sadiq Khan.
Hopefully this is the way forward.
Geraldsok
Keep in mind, Muslims Kill Gay people and under their faith their allowed to lie to non-Muslims. So, No I don’t trust him.
osman
I am muslim and I am proud to have him as London Mayor, he is the peoples choice, son of a bus driver not from a well to do white middle class upbringing but actually an immigrant backg, to all you muslim haters !! take good look !!
osman
@Geraldsok: Bro So do Christians and Jews and Trump fans !!!
please don’t generalise.
osman
@Geraldsok: Bro So do Christians and Jews and Trump fans !!!
please don’t generalise. @Billy Budd: you have another Muslim friend now !
DCguy
Hmmm, I notice a deafening silence from all of the usual commenters on here who scream about all Muslims hating gays every time there is a story about right wing Christians attacking LGBT rights.
Gee, where did they all go? It COULDN’T be because a Muslim Mayor of one of the world’s major capital cities and financial centers just raised a gay flag over it now would it??
AtticusBennett
@DCguy: i think the reason is that here we have an example of a Muslim man who has done more for the LGBT community than those commenters Christian families ever have, and likely ever will.
they don’t like that. they hate when the people they hate do more for them than their own blood ever will.
kudos, Mayor!
Stilinski26
Good for him standing up for LGBT communities!
Stilinski26
@DCguy: Well I despise all religions but I have been noticing most gays are too quick to defend and support Muslims Knowing that majority of Muslims still hates gays like every other religious bigots.
Kangol
Mayor Sadik Khan is starting off a good foot on LGBTQ issues and others.
And he’s cute to boot!
dean089
Good for him! He makes a great contrast to the clowns and fools vying for leadership in the U.S.
GC1985
@Stilinski26: Which gays are doing that? Point them out please. As far as this mayor is concerned he’s proven he’s level headed. The conservatives tried to paint him as a radical. It’s all wrong!
clhs
Why have you written the name of Tooting in quotation marks? Poor journalism. Tooting is a well known area in south London. Fools.