27 April - And They All Lived Happily Ever After
A strange thing happened at last week’s Full Council meeting and it wasn’t
just Matthew Chapman ducking out of the Shvorob question; I wasn’ְt
bored rigid
by the half hour of Motions.
Labour
Leader Stefano Borella said how pleased he was that his “This Council notes
that LGBT+ inclusive relationships and sex education is crucial to the
development of young LGBT+ people” etc. had got to the top of the Motions list after a wait of five years.
The Agenda showed that the list is currently ten Motions long.
At this point I shall declare an interest. During my time at school (boys only
from ten years onwards) there were no pupils who showed any sign of being in any
way different, nor do I recall any persistent bullying. There was just one
teacher who was a bit too touchy feely.
I have had neighbours from the G community one of whom commuted to London with me and I
occasionally meet up with someone who is very definitely T and we get on just
fine. At work LG&B were everywhere and I would like to think that is because we
provided a safe environment for them, but currently I know none and haven’t for
several years. I am far from being an authority on the subject but concede that
schools may be a big problem.
My two children are a year or two older than Stef and what they used to say
to ‘friends’ got them a good telling off and like everything else, that sort of
thing will have got far worse by now.
Stefano gave a
moving account of how he had suffered in his younger days and
he was backed up by Councillor Nicola Taylor. They asked that everyone backed
their Motion. (It is a rule in Bexley Council that Labour Motions are either
flung out or amended and taken over so that they become Conservative Motions.)
A Groan filled the air as Patrick Adams (Conservative, Blendon & Penhill) stood
to propose an Amendment but here an even stranger thing happened. Stefano’s
Motion was five years old which gave Patrick the opportunity to update it and polish it.
When he had finished Proposing the Amendment, Councillor Chris Ball (Labour, Erith) jumped to his feet
and pulled his Master Stroke. He Seconded it.
LGBT Councillors in Bexley are more than 10% of the total and I think they all
spoke for the Motion. When it came to the vote only the Independent for Crayford
was against and then promptly left the Chamber.
Mayor Ahmet Dourmoush chairing the meeting was genuinely delighted that the
Motion had been carried unanimously and looked forward to seeing the rainbow
flag flying more often. Bearing in mind that his Muslim Cleric was sitting by his
side it was a joyous night for all sorts of prejudices and misconceptions to go flying out of the window.
Hostilities will resume on doorsteps all across the borough this morning.
Note: The foregoing is from memory and may be revised when
the recording is analysed, at present spare time is hard to come by.