Horse racing spectators are none too pleased their precious jockeys are riding horses for the sake of “poofters” — and they’re not gonna be quiet about it. The South Australian Jockey Club is participating in Pink Diamond Day in Adelaide, part of the city’s annual queer Feast Festival. And somem of the club’s usual patrons are less than thrilled.
The Advertiser reports SAJC has been hit with a slew of anti-gay communiques.
SAJC chief executive Brenton Wilkinson told The Advertiser yesterday trackside diners had rung to cancel bookings, specifically stating they did not approve of the event. SAJC staff have also received abusive phone calls and “outraged” emails from members. “We’re disappointed some people have taken offence that we have got involved with a large festival that has been here successfully for 13 years, ” Mr Wilkinson said. “One guy rang up and abused the girls in sales and said we shouldn’t be supporting ‘poofters’ and things like this – that it’s not proper. It’s hard to know what to say to people, but attendance is not compulsory and people can make their own choices.”
An email to the club, seen by The Advertiser, suggests former champion sprinter Apache Cat should be promoted as the main attraction for the day and not “a bunch of ***pushers and others dressed in pink”. The writer adds “you’ve lost this homophobic for the day” and argues “Adelaide is not like Sydney in the gay stakes”.
Though Feast Festival general manager David Waylen had the best line: “We don’t go out of our way to make defamatory comments when they hold straight racedays, so I don’t understand this attitude.”
I’m pretty sure the horse racing industry has a solution for problems like this one: take ’em out back and shoot it.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Chris
God, it’s like my whole country was moving forward yesterday but then today they just decided ahh fuck it lets regress.
Dale
Being in the racing industry myself, I’m quite sure management doesn’t give a f#ck about a few moronic homophobes. They surely know they’ll be back in short order to blow next weeks paycheck.
Dawson
These minority/mariginal groups get far too much attention for their stupid point of view. So many of them are brain dead anyways (i.e. Republican Christians). Why are we having to hear their opinions? Rather start publishing their names, addresses and phone numbers. Then let’s see how willing they are to talk.
steve
I’m not that shocked. I bet you most of the homophobes that are making a fuss are at least over 40 years old, along with the usual beer belly and unkempt facial hair
Daez
@Chris: Its called the pendulum effect. Look for it to get a lot worse before it gets any better. Eventually, it will even out.
As long as you have mass groups of church going people hating the gays because of a few mistranslated Bible verses and the inability to understand the teachings of Christ (let thee who be without sin throw the first stone), the entire world will get worse before “it gets better.” Not to mention the other religions.
Daez
@steve: If only that were the case. I think the recent teen suicides should be enough evidence to prove that homophobia is alive and well in the younger generations.