An award-winning regional daily columnist has been accused of homophobia after writing a controversial column about a Gay Pride event in the city.
Mike Lockley, left, wrote the piece for the Birmingham Mail headlined “I didn’t mince my words at festival!” about the Pride Festival held in Birmingham last month, which he covered for the paper.
But his comments have sparked a backlash from readers who said the article was offensive and accused Mike of homophobia.
Mike has since sought to defend the column in a further piece, saying he had intended to “highlight the bigotry and ignorance Birmingham’s gay community still faces”.
Mike was named Columnist of the Year at the Midlands Media Awards last year and was previously a long-standing editor of the Chase Post in Cannock, Staffordshire, until it was closed by Trinity Mirror.
In the controversial article, Mike wrote that he had asked someone taking part in the event to say various camp catch phrases in front of a video camera which are associated with entertainers from the 1970s and 80s, such as “Shut that door” and “Oooh, missus”.
He wrote: “Why I, a reporter who cut his teeth in the 1970s, a time when there was a role for openly gay men (Widow Twankey in the local amdram society’s Christmas performance of Aladdin), was chosen to provide coverage at the lavish event remains a mystery.
“‘Don’t,’ growled my editor, stubbing his finger at me, ‘underestimate the power of the pink pound. Thankfully, celebrations such as this can take place in our city without prejudice and stigma. It is a major LGBT event…’
“I mouthed the initials, before asking: ‘That’s a sandwich, isn’t it? I’ve got the lettuce, bacon and tomato, but what’s the G? Guacamole?'”
Mike goes on to recount further the conversation between him and his editor, in which he mention gay stereotypes such as listening to Kylie’s greatest hits and the Village People.
But readers reacted angrily to his column, with one saying he was “shocked and appalled that this has been written, let alone published” and another saying Mike’s opinions “are derogatory, outdated and have no place in our modern press”.
In response to the criticism, the Mail has published a column responding to it from a reader, along with a selection of views about it, while Mike has also penned a piece defending it.
He wrote: “The storm sparked by my column last week has not yet subsided. The flood of angry e-mails to my editor has a running theme: I’m homophobic and should be sacked.
“Some have been very hurtful. I have a simple message to one author: we no longer use typewriters. Even if we did, what he suggests would be physically impossible.
“The humorous piece was intended to highlight the bigotry and ignorance Birmingham’s gay community still faces from a certain generation – and the strides taken in recent years. For some, that message failed to hit the target.
“It was written without malice and praised the event. It was intended to be self-deprecating. I was the intended butt of jokes, not Birmingham’s gay community.”
Mike added that the Mail had provided Birmingham Pride with eight pages of positive coverage in previews and news reports.
He has been nominated for three further awards in next week’s Midlands Media Awards and was also shortlisted in the Regional Press Awards held last month.
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When he is penning his columns (rather than news reports) Mike’s very offbeat humour isn’t always to my taste, but I have never found it to be vicious or malicious. And, yes, he is more often than not the butt of his own jokes for being a bit of an old-fashioned journalist and not, shall we say, the most modern or metrosexual of men.
Perhaps this piece was a little too ironic for some people and a bit silly but I, as a gay man, did not find it offensive.
And yes, Mike, even I struggle to remember to include all the currently politically correct terminology (it seems to change regularly) when referring to the LGBT community.
One thing about his piece has inspired me, though – I must try some guacamole on a BLT sandwich….
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Shame he doesn’t work for ITV, when they get an abundance of gay stereotyping they turn it into a sitcom called “Vicious”. At least Mike’s piece seemed to offer some amusment unlike “Vicious”.
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How tragic that the such a fine journalist is forced to defend himself to the humorless ‘I’m offended’ brigade.
Even if Mike Lockley is homophobic, has this country reached the point where he cannot state his views?
The comments by his critics are chilling. They are …’appalled that this has been written, let alone published’ … ‘derogatory, outdated and have no place in our modern press’.
The critics clearly state their agenda: views that contradict theirs should not be published.
Coverage of gay pride must be ‘positive’ – or else.
If was Mike, I’d write the same piece again and tell the PC brigade – who no doubt support Hacked Off and press regulation – to go to hell if they don’t like it.
Basic freedom of speech is at stake here.
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Pretty poor stuff from Mike Lockley. Apart from anything else, they are cheap, lazy jokes and puns borrowed from Bernard Manning and his ilk. You shouldn’t be sending an old hack on an event like this. It’s for younger, more open-minded reporters
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What I find most objectionable is the fact that journalists continue to use the expression “homophobia” in reference to attitudes towards Sodomites.
Homophobia, translated into English, literally means “fear of the human race”. It has nothing whatsoever to do with attitudes towards homosexuals and their various associated groups.
The sooner people start saying what they actually mean, and phrases such as “homophobia” are banned, the better.
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If a columnist is winding people up he’s obviously doing his job.
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Scoop – I think that’s the point, that Mike was mocking himself for being an old hack. Although I have to say I think he made it all too subtle for his own good. I didn’t get any self-deprecation on first reading of the piece.
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For any right-minded person the jumped up reaction of some members of the gay community shows up a recurring trait of the gay movement….intolerance and a lack of humour.
I don’t think I have ever witnessed such a minority group who are continually screaming for censorship and, of course, no-one is allowed to debate gay rights without having the cliches thrown at them.
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A good columnist should provoke rage, joy and, occasionally, tears. Mike regularly does this. I read this column and found myself laughing out loud and politically-correcting myself at the same time. It was a rare touch of brilliance. Close to the edge? Yep. But enjoyable. And it provoked a conversation on the subject with my teenaged boys. Not much does that!
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Cleland Thom, would you want racism in columns too? After all, free speech is at stake here…
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It’s old-fashioned, outdated fun-poking. It’s not offensive, just like something from the 1980s. I don’t find it self-deprecating or particularly sharp, just hackneyed and dated. Gay people do, at times, either take themselves too seriously or are too flippant. But if you’re going to try to bring some colour to the occasion, look at it from a more colourful angle. The ‘my generation’ angle is poor.
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Sub a dub dub …nope, but does YOUR definition of racism include:
intelligent debate on immigration
discussion of racially motivated crimes
discussion important racial issues, like honour killings, radical Islamification, etc
I’ve worked with various sub a dub dubs over the years who see any sensible discussion on these issues as racist … But I’m sure you’re not like that.
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Cleland Thom
“Even if Mike Lockley is homophobic, has this country reached the point where he cannot state his views?”
You’re suggesting that homophobic views are acceptable & acceptable in the media?
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Not homophobia but something else: the unacceptable comments of the men filmed after the attack in Woolwich.
The reporting of their words was somehow deemed acceptable in the media.
Legally, this was probably on more dangerous ground than the publishing of the above column.
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Sub a dub dub … No, and yes.
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