Helmer: “homophobia is a word created by the militant gay rights lobby”

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982

Tory MEP Roger Helmer is doing himself no favours as he tries to dig himself out of a very large hole after saying yesterday that “homophobia doesn’t exist“.

In the Northampton Chronicle today, Helmer said:

“What I was saying was that the word homophobia has no meaning. I have never met anyone with an irrational fear of homosexuals, it is just a propagandist word created by the militant gay rights lobby.”

I would suggest Mr Helmer takes a look at the case of David Copeland, who blew up the Admiral Duncan pub in a vile anti-gay attack in 1999. Or Thomas Pickford and Scott Walker, who killed a stranger in a park because they thought he was gay in 2005. Or James O’Connor, who murdered Michael Causer for being gay just last year.

Or perhaps Mr Helmer should look at the constant use of the word “gay” as a derogitory term in the school playground, that still persists to this day.

People in his position should know better. All people should know better. That’s why, the battle against homophobia that still affects people daily, must go on.