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The British tabloid newspaper The Sun has attacked a British taxpayer-funded website aimed at attracting homosexual visitors to the UK, which trumpets the country as the “United Queendom”.
The website is published by VisitBritain — which replaced the British Tourist Authority — and which gets a £35 million Government grant every year.
The "Gay Britain" web page says: "Welcome to the United Queendom of Great Britain. With our proud gay history, cutting edge culture and fashion, flamboyant cities and pulsating nightlife, isn't it time you came out...to Britain!"
There are links to Gay Events and gay pages for four British cities.
The paper quotes Conservative MP James Gray as saying: “The notion that we are promoting Britain as a pick-up joint is very distasteful. I am most perturbed if taxpayers’ money is being used to encourage that.”
It also quotes Shadow Culture Secretary John Whittingdale who said: “It seems to be a very strange sense of priorities to be devoting large sums of money to a scheme like this.”
Defending the website, a spokesman for the Department of Culture said: “VisitBritain has identified a commercial opportunity in the key market of the pink pound.”
You can view the site at: http://www.visitbritain.com/VB3-en-US/experiences/gay/index.aspx
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trick
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Getting started |
Location: uk
Registered: September 2004
Messages: 24
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thats why i don't read the sun or vote tory
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Hmmm..."proud gay history"...not exactly a phrase i would associate with the UK. Or the US, for that matter.
cheers
aj
"I promise not to try not to fuck with your mind/ I promise not to mind if you go your way and i go mine/promise not to lie if i'm looking you right in your eye/promise not to try not to let you down."
--Eve6
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13751
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This is totally tasteless. It categorises me as a queen. I feel dirty and sullied now. I shall be adding my own complaint to them
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13751
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Thank you for your email.
We do apologise for any offense the website has caused. I shall certainly pass your comments on to our Web Editor / Internet Department. The websites is regularly reviewed and I am certain these comments will be take in to consideration.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions or call our toll free number 1-800-462-2748 to speak to one of our experienced travel consultants.
Once again, we do apologise for any offense caused.
With Kind Regards,
Fiona Morse
VisitBritain
551 Fifth Avenue #701
New York City
New York
10176
T: 1800 462 2748
F: 212 986 1188
E: travelinfo@visitbritain.org
W: http://www.visitbritain.com/usa
Leading the World to Britain
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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I try not to concern myself with tasteless attempts to down any person, but I find it more of comical. New York, How funny.
Time is lifes currency, spend it well.
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marc
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Needs to get a life! |
Registered: March 2003
Messages: 4729
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I don't understand....
Why is a referance to New York in the reply funny?
Life is great for me... Most of the time... But then I meet people online... Very few are real friends... Many say they are but know nothing of what it means... Some say they are, but are so shallow...
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13751
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They just emailed me to tell me that "United Queendom" has been rmeoved. And it has. I do not expect I was the actual cause of their change if mind, but I am sure I was a contributor. Water dripping in a stone erodes rock very surely. I have written to thank them
Begins:
The website has now been changed, and the phrases you refered to removed. If you click the link you provided to me (below) you will be able to see the new format. Again please accept our apologies. Offence was certainly never our intention.
If I can help you futher please do get in touch.
Regards,
Fiona Morse
VisitBritain
551 Fifth Avenue #701
New York City
New York
10176
T: 1800 462 2748
F: 212 986 1188
E: travelinfo@visitbritain.org
W: http://www.visitbritain.com/usa
Leading the World to Britain
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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And have now edited the website 