Gay cake row: why minority views matter

Feb 3, 2016 by

Letters to The Guardian:

I have not always been grateful to Peter Tatchell for everything he has said and done. However, I am deeply grateful for his fresh comments (Opinion, 1 February) on the Ashers Bakery case.

I grew up in an evangelical home in Northern Ireland where both the Bible and the Manchester Guardian were read daily. While still at school, influenced by both, I was uneasy when a majority in a general election was regarded by Stormont as an adequate mandate for the NI government to legislate without sufficient regard to dissident Catholic and nationalist sensitivities.

Since then the late Lord Hailsham has helpfully warned the UK against tendencies to elective dictatorship. In a healthy democracy, both genuine human rights and the right to express dissident minority opinions should be treasured.

It would be totally unacceptable were the bakery to refuse to sell cakes to gay customers, but they should not be forced by law to promote views about marriage with which they deeply disagree.
Norman Russell
Camberley, Surrey

  • I have great respect for Peter Tatchell and his work to promote equality but I fear that on this occasion he has become confused and misdirected himself. Judge Isobel Brownlie ruled that service providers are required to facilitate any “lawful” message. If the Ashers verdict does indeed stand – as Peter Tatchell speculates – it is only “lawful” messages that will be permitted. So far as I am aware “homophobic slurs” or “bigoted messages” or, indeed, abusive cartoons are not lawful, so the fears which Peter Tatchell expresses are unfounded.

Anti-discrimination laws are well-founded and necessary. It has been held on more than one occasion that conscientious objection is no defence.
Bill Ramsbottom
Alvaston, Derby

  • Peter Tatchell has honourably changed his view in the gay cake row, but Ashers Bakery was a soft target anyway. When will gay rights activists take proceedings against a Muslim organisation for homophobic practices far more intolerant than those of Ashers?
    David Harris
    London
  • People in public life may be more prepared to admit they were wrong if the press did not invariably describe any considered change of opinion as “a U-turn”.
    Lynne Scrimshaw
    London

 

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