2010 CORNWALL PRIDE : LGBT Gay LIFE...and DEATH

The SPROCKET Trust (est. 1995)
Cornwall's oldest LGBT & HIV/AIDS campaign & awareness group
created by Cornish man Andrew Smith (1967-96)

2010 CORNWALL PRIDE : LGBT Gay LIFE...and DEATH


...The SPROCKET Trust (est. 1995) ...is on Facebook
(A Discretionary Trust)


This video only scratches the surface of numerous multiple homophobic incidents & hate crimes over many years of institutional prejudice towards gay persons in Cornwall, UK...still in 2010.

The video touches upon the surface of efforts of some to challenge & combat protected homophobia & HIV/AIDS prejudice within Cornwall's deeply prejudicial authorities & local Constabulary.

...information about Cornwall's homophobic attitudes within the police & other authorities that some would prefer others were kept ignorant about.

Violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people are actions which may occur either at the hands of individuals or groups, or as part of governmental enforcement of laws in particular by police targeting people who are perceived to violate heteronormative rules and who contravene perceived protocols of gender and sexual roles. People who are simply perceived to be LGBTQ may also be targeted.

A hate crime is when individuals become victimized because of their race, ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation (Conklin, 1992)(CSVR). Hate crimes against LGBTQ people often occur because the perpetrators are homophobic. The attacks can also be blamed on society & culture itself. The attitudes & practice within police forces remain predominately anti-gay.

A variety of religious groups as well as proponents of extremist political ideologies condemn homosexuality and relate it to being weak, ill, feminine, and morally wrong. Violence targeted at people because of their perceived sexuality can be economic, psychological and physical including murder. These actions may be caused by cultural, religious, or political mores and biases.

In 2005 the UK Government Home Office released a report stating Homophobia was ENDEMIC throughout the UK police forces.

2007: Metropolitan Police review
In July 2004 an independent inquiry into police procedures carried out by the independent Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Advisory Group for the Metropolitan Police was announced.

In May 2007 the report for the independent review was released; it had examined how detectives had handled 10 murders of gay men or transsexuals. The report found that some police inquiries were hampered by lack of knowledge, reliance on unfounded stereotypes and personal prejudices; these problems were mirrored and exacerbated by media coverage. The review recognised that Scotland Yard's work with the gay, lesbian and transsexual communities and its investigative processes had improved significantly since the 1990s, but warned that more radical steps were needed.

Every week, the Gay Police Association (GPA) collates startling examples of police homophobia. It chairman, Paul Cahill – himself a distinguished police officer who has served as a detective and on armed response units – explains, “There are so many examples. We were just contacted by a gay officer who was stripped naked, handcuffed to a chair, and attacked with a truncheon while his fellow officers yelled that he was a ‘faggot’ and a ‘queer.’ We get lots of calls from officers who say that after they came out, their colleagues refused to eat with them in the canteen, sit in the police car with them on a shift, or go out on patrol with them. This hasn’t been declining – it’s actually increased in the past year.” That's the GPA stance!

Unfortunately, more provincial police forces like that of the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary, have learned nothing from repeated incidents & reporting of homophobia within the police force. Despite ‘lip service’ to equality & diversity issues, Devon & Cornwall Constabulary continue to cover for those police officers & police staff whose homophobic & anti-gay attitudes & practices have a adverse & detrimental impact & affect upon handling of incidents involving gay persons.

To try to get around this problem the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary has simply thrown money at such events as Cornwall PRIDE, and sort consultation with those who wish to appease the police, but without actually tackling the continued problem of multiple reported incidents of police misconduct & failure of duty of care, criminality & blatant homophobic prejudice carried out by named & identified police officers & staff.

(see video below:- many older lgbt persons who fought for gay equality & HIV/AIDS awareness & patient care in the 1980's & 1990's are actively excluded from Cornwall PRIDE...which has become a 'circus')



CLASSICAL HISTORY:- "Bread and circuses" (from Latin: 'panem et circenses') a metaphor for a simplistic means of appeasement of the ‘plebs’, classical Roman poet Juvenal (circa 100 AD ).
In politics, used to describe creation of public approval, through mere satisfaction of immediate, shallow requirements of a populace.
Roman politicians devised a cheap plan in 140 B.C. to win votes of the poor & ill educated, by giving out cheap food and providing circuses.
History repeats itself

...AND LET US NOT FORGET EXACTLY WHAT THE POLICE ARE REALLY LIKE....(SEE video below)



NB:- This blog started specifically due to direct contribution by multiple homophobic harassment, attitudes & practises, failure of 'duty of care', misconduct & or contribution to police criminality & abuse of power in abusing gay persons as contributed too by ALL of the following Devon & Cornwall Constabulary police officers to my factual knowledge & experience....

DC WOODS (retired)

DC SCOTT (Camborne)

DC ANNING (Camborne)

DC CROWE (Camborne)

DC PARKER (& his DS at Camborne)

DS BECKERLEGGE (Camborne)

PC TAR & accomplice (Black Female Police colleague) (Camborne)

PC FULLER (Helston)

PC TRELOAR (Helston)

PC ALEXANDER & Police Colleague,

PC PIPER (Diversity Officer)

PC CANNON (Diversity officer)

Sgt. ROWE (Helston)

Inspector BOLT (Camborne)

Inspector EASTERN (Professional Standards Unit),

Various Custody officers from Camborne Police Station 2004,

Three Helston Police Officers on duty evening Flora Day Helston 2006,

Former Chief Constable Maria Wallis

Former Acting Chief Constable Nigel Arnold

Chief Constable Stephen Otter

....This is NOT the complete list of violating & abusive Devon & Cornwall Police officers or employees I know personally and factually to be responsible for contribution to continued abuse & adverse affect upon gay persons in Cornwall.Until the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary address these issues of police homophobic conduct by known, identified, named &/or identifiable homophobic police, I will continue to Blog their names on the internet.