How's Ben Barba doing these days?

Last I heard he was taking notes from Hardaker.

Update: He’s still taking notes from Hardaker

Pushing on open doors, last time I checked being gay has been legal for donkeys years, even to the point they that being LGBTQ is a protected characteristic with special laws in place to protect them so what are they marching for? Who’s persecuting them? They have a pride month, pride march, Manchester pride, Wigan pride and now it’s getting thrown in our faces who just want to go and watch a game of rugby.
A game of rugby which everyone is welcome to attend, whereby the only labels given to people are home or away fans, the only vitriol spewed is because you’ the opposition and not because of sex, colour, sexual orientation etc.

Call me a bigot, call me homophobic I couldn’t give a toss, I know I’m not. All this is is a cheap publicity stunt by the club and brings identity politics which is extremely divisive into the club. This for me would be exactly the same as the club organising a ‘Celebrate Leaving the EU Day’ against Warrington, I’d feel the same way about that too as not everyone voted leave, it’s not everyones cup of tea and like I said before, politics and religion are best kept out of sport.

You say you are not homophobic and it's likely that you are not directly however I believe your apathy contributes to a lack of acceptance. I can't understand the thought process of not being homophobic but also being annoyed at pride events. Those two things don't really add up, especially since it has absolutely no impact on your life.

Legality and acceptance are not the same as I'm sure youre smart enough to know. LGBT people still suffer homophobia on a regular basis. That is fact.

Your example is poor and once again, an example of a CHOICE. Of course having a celebrate leaving the EU day would be weird because that's based on a choice people made. I'll say it louder for those in the back, sexuality is not a choice.

So you are not saying it never happens? By the way I am happy for those who are involved in the examples you give to be arrested.

Quote: post "Pushing on open doors, last time I checked being gay has been legal for donkeys years, even to the point they that being LGBTQ is a protected characteristic with special laws in place to protect them so what are they marching for? Who’s persecuting them? They have a pride month, pride march, Manchester pride, Wigan pride and now it’s getting thrown in our faces who just want to go and watch a game of rugby. A game of rugby which everyone is welcome to attend, whereby the only labels given to people are home or away fans, the only vitriol spewed is because you’ the opposition and not because of sex, colour, sexual orientation etc. Call me a bigot, call me homophobic I couldn’t give a toss, I know I’m not. All this is is a cheap publicity stunt by the club and brings identity politics which is extremely divisive into the club. This for me would be exactly the same as the club organising a ‘Celebrate Leaving the EU Day’ against Warrington, I’d feel the same way about that too as not everyone voted leave, it’s not everyones cup of tea and like I said before, politics and religion are best kept out of sport.'" Who is persecuting them? Just a few examples that have made headlines last year. When was the last time you and the missus walked down the street and were subjected thought of a beating (for no reason)? I've never really had to think about that thankfully. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-engla ... n-49119947 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/stories-4 ... -being-gay https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social- ... -1.4053100 It's more common than you think. Having worked in Manchester over the last few years a number of gay colleagues were discussing abuse one day at work and every single one of them had suffered verbal and/or physical abuse for no reason when going about their daily lives. A female colleague of my missus was physically attacked and raped in a Manchester City Centre pub toilet just before Christmas by a regular customer (bloke) who knew she was gay and had been giving her grief earlier in the evening.

Quote: post "Pushing on open doors, last time I checked being gay has been legal for donkeys years, even to the point they that being LGBTQ is a protected characteristic with special laws in place to protect them so what are they marching for? Who’s persecuting them? They have a pride month, pride march, Manchester pride, Wigan pride and now it’s getting thrown in our faces who just want to go and watch a game of rugby. A game of rugby which everyone is welcome to attend, whereby the only labels given to people are home or away fans, the only vitriol spewed is because you’ the opposition and not because of sex, colour, sexual orientation etc. Call me a bigot, call me homophobic I couldn’t give a toss, I know I’m not. All this is is a cheap publicity stunt by the club and brings identity politics which is extremely divisive into the club. This for me would be exactly the same as the club organising a ‘Celebrate Leaving the EU Day’ against Warrington, I’d feel the same way about that too as not everyone voted leave, it’s not everyones cup of tea and like I said before, politics and religion are best kept out of sport.'" Who is persecuting them? Just a few examples that have made headlines last year. When was the last time you and the missus walked down the street and were subjected thought of a beating (for no reason)? I've never really had to think about that thankfully. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-engla ... n-49119947 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/stories-4 ... -being-gay https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social- ... -1.4053100 It's more common than you think. Having worked in Manchester over the last few years a number of gay colleagues were discussing abuse one day at work and every single one of them had suffered verbal and/or physical abuse for no reason when going about their daily lives. A female colleague of my missus was physically attacked and raped in a Manchester City Centre pub toilet just before Christmas by a regular customer (bloke) who knew she was gay and had been giving her grief earlier in the evening.

That's why I said 'chances are'. You're the one who made a statement that 'the police do', maybe you should provide some examples of police persecution against drunks?

All I know is if I'm walking home from the rugby tomorrow night (bevvied up or not) *chances are it will be incident free like it has been over the last twenty odd years I've been walking that route.

*Theres always the chance of bumping into a disgruntled Wire fan after we have put thirty on them tomorrow. (we love in hope).

I said the police persecute drunks, I didn't provide a number but if it happens to one person then the fact holds. You responded by stating that they persecute 'violent drunks. Or drunks that drive. Or drunks that run down streets naked' and then contradicted that statement by saying 'if you're a happy drunk minding your own business chances are you will be alright'. That leads me to believe that you agree that a drunken person can be persecuted even if they are a happy drunk?

By the way, I do hope that we put 30 on the Wire tomorrow but I don't believe we will. A one point win would be good enough.

I may be wrong but I don't think the poster is saying they're annoyed at pride events, just at them spilling over into events that are no more about that specific demographic than they are any other minority cause. If we're going this route then surely we should include every other (specifically) non-rugby related cause too? People suffer abuse for any number of things such as race, body type, religious beliefs, sex, education levels, disabilities both mental and physical, social standing, poverty even things like baldness or other physical attributes, none of which are choices. I believe the point being made is why sexual orientation in particular?

As I say, I may be wrong but that's the way I read it.

Spot on.

I just knew you would reply to this post but fail to reply to any of the others that condemn homophobia. You are part of the problem, the sad thing is that you don’t understand that.