Bigot – ‘a person intolerant towards those holding different opinions’
Re: “When ‘political correctness’ is actually just correct”, Have Your Say, yesterday.
Simon Ordsall is right: he did not, as I mistakenly claimed, use the word “homophobia” in his letter. Instead, he stated that Mr Pike “gives the impression of being homophobic”. Have we entered the realm of semantics? I think so. Maybe Ye Old Pedant could adjudicate.
Mr Pike merely pointed out, admittedly in his own inimitable style, that very young children should not be exposed to current state orthodoxy on such sensitive subjects as gender reassignment and sexual orientation, and I think he was right to do so. He was also right to highlight the hypocrisy of activists, tyrannical or otherwise, and governments in supporting surgery and therapy for those who wish to change their gender (such treatment is available free in Britain’s National Health Service) while denouncing, and making illegal, similar therapy treatment for those who wish to rid themselves of what they believe may be homosexual tendencies.
Mr Ordsall condemns “small-minded bigotry”, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine the difference between that and honestly held and expressed opinions.
Robin Grant
Bangkok
