http://blogs.independent.co.uk| Blogs from the Independent newspaper - news, views and features from the world's most free-thinking newspaper| Tue, 18 Jun 2013 04:00:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2| en hourly 1 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/09/14/integrations-spieltag-tackling-homophobia-the-last-taboo-in-football/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/09/14/integrations-spieltag-tackling-homophobia-the-last-taboo-in-football/#comments Fri, 14 Sep 2012 14:40:26 +0000 Kit Holden http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=28418 The shirts of Germany's top flight players will this weekend be adorned with a unanimous slogan: "Geh deinen Weg" ("Go your own way") as part of the weekly Integrations-Spieltag (Integration Matchday). The message of integration is primarily in support of young members of the immigrant community but following an interview with an anonymous gay footballer in the German magazine "Fluter", it is the homophobia debate which has begun to take centre stage.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/09/14/integrations-spieltag-tackling-homophobia-the-last-taboo-in-football/feed/ 71 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/07/05/frank-oceans-brave-decision-in-the-macho-world-of-urban-music/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/07/05/frank-oceans-brave-decision-in-the-macho-world-of-urban-music/#comments Thu, 05 Jul 2012 08:53:07 +0000 Anna Nathanson http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=25972 In the uber-macho and hetero-centric world of urban music, particularly in hip-hop, coming out as gay or bisexual isn’t exactly an everyday occurrence. So Frank Ocean’s decision to publish a heartfelt open letter on his Tumblr site this week revealing that his first love was in fact a man has significant implications.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/07/05/frank-oceans-brave-decision-in-the-macho-world-of-urban-music/feed/ 18 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/28/banter-bigotry-sexism-for-lols/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/28/banter-bigotry-sexism-for-lols/#comments Mon, 28 May 2012 03:00:14 +0000 Nicky Clark http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=24633 Banter is a very odd thing. As an activity it provides a handy shelter for bigots to flex their anti PC brigade muscles and to prove to their friends that they fell out of the funny tree and hit every branch on the way down. What it is not alledgedly is subjective. Anyone who questions the banter status quo is immediately deemed humourless. I’ve seen it used to shield people from accusations of racism, homophobia, disablism and sexism and it’s the latter, which as a 45 year old woman, I’ve witnessed most.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/28/banter-bigotry-sexism-for-lols/feed/ 244 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/04/top-of-the-posts-double-dipping-the-dreaded-bloat-and-a-new-england-manager/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/04/top-of-the-posts-double-dipping-the-dreaded-bloat-and-a-new-england-manager/#comments Fri, 04 May 2012 15:33:07 +0000 Laura Davis http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=23895 The most read blogs this week, as determined by stats.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/04/top-of-the-posts-double-dipping-the-dreaded-bloat-and-a-new-england-manager/feed/ 0 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/01/as-long-as-the-catholic-church-pushes-homophobia-it-shouldn%e2%80%99t-be-allowed-to-run-state-schools/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/01/as-long-as-the-catholic-church-pushes-homophobia-it-shouldn%e2%80%99t-be-allowed-to-run-state-schools/#comments Tue, 01 May 2012 09:13:59 +0000 Ruth Whippman http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=23727 You have to hand it to the Catholic Church. It takes a certain level of chutzpah to come through arguably the most widespread global paedophile scandal in human history and its subsequent alleged cover-up, and still be dishing out moral guidance on ‘disordered sexual practices.’]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/05/01/as-long-as-the-catholic-church-pushes-homophobia-it-shouldn%e2%80%99t-be-allowed-to-run-state-schools/feed/ 379 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/02/01/britains-gay-footballers-a-few-thoughts/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/02/01/britains-gay-footballers-a-few-thoughts/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:20:47 +0000 Musa Okwonga http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=20948 Gay footballers. Why don't they come out? This is a topic that I visited in November 2010, and I don't wish to sound like a broken record by going over all of that ground now. More importantly, last night's BBC 3 screening of Britain's Gay Footballers presents a good opportunity for an update.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/02/01/britains-gay-footballers-a-few-thoughts/feed/ 18 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/11/17/blatter-race-and-status-quo/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/11/17/blatter-race-and-status-quo/#comments Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:34:15 +0000 Musa Okwonga http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=18715 You see, on one level, what Blatter said can be laughed off as the fumblings of an out-of-touch fool. "Rise above it", etc. Except you can't rise above it, and that's the whole point. Blatter is the top dog.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/11/17/blatter-race-and-status-quo/feed/ 9 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/07/18/michele-bachmann-and-the-homophobia-vote/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/07/18/michele-bachmann-and-the-homophobia-vote/#comments Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:50:12 +0000 Oliver Duggan http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=14199 Michele Bachmann, founder of the Congressional Tea Party Caucus and candidate for the 2012 Republican Presidential nomination, stepped out from political obscurity this week when a gay activist working for the homosexual advocacy group, Truth Will Out, attempted to shine a spotlight on the checkered, largely unknown, past of Minnesota’s 6th district Representative. Bachmann entered the race [...]]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/07/18/michele-bachmann-and-the-homophobia-vote/feed/ 36 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/05/06/lets-talk-about-sex-baby/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/05/06/lets-talk-about-sex-baby/#comments Fri, 06 May 2011 11:00:34 +0000 Laura Davis http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=11850 By the time sex education was taught at my secondary school at the end of year nine, one girl had already left to have a baby and another was pregnant; a little too late then, perhaps?]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/05/06/lets-talk-about-sex-baby/feed/ 6 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/01/27/murder-of-ugandan-gay-activist-david-kato-a-response/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/01/27/murder-of-ugandan-gay-activist-david-kato-a-response/#comments Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:43:36 +0000 Musa Okwonga http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=8244 Yesterday David Kato, a Ugandan gay rights activist, was beaten to death in his home.  His murder came a few months after a tabloid had published an article exposing him and other people as homosexual, in what was a very modern witchhunt.  Following the publication of that article, he received several death-threats; the police are currently investigating the circumstances of [...]]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/01/27/murder-of-ugandan-gay-activist-david-kato-a-response/feed/ 11 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/11/16/why-gay-footballers-should-not-come-out/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/11/16/why-gay-footballers-should-not-come-out/#comments Tue, 16 Nov 2010 11:37:31 +0000 Musa Okwonga http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=6189 I blame Mario Gomez. He started it, when he would have been best advised to keep his mouth shut. The Bayern Munich striker, speaking to a German magazine, encouraged gay footballers to come out of the closet. "They would play as if they had been liberated", he said. "Being gay should no longer be a taboo topic... professional footballers should own up to their preference."]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/11/16/why-gay-footballers-should-not-come-out/feed/ 25