May 2000
WAR EDITION Oooh, Mr Souter… Who’s a pretty boy then?

No sign of Jack Irvine or David Macauley - yes the one that graced the screens with his long, feminine fingers, but not quite long enough for me to check the length - for their big day in the Scots Parly on Monday, 20 March. Just a couple of reps turned up to chuck in the towel for Keep the Clause and accept defeat. But were they misleading the Executive? According to the Executive's verbatim report, while 'representative' Patrick Rollinck was telling the Scottish Executive enquiry "we have accepted that Section 2a will be repealed," Keep the Clause were planning a referendum on the issue. Patrick Rollinck was later dismissed by Keep the Clause as just a "concerned father." Some observers suspected this Christian militia had bigger fish to fry, like the growing, international menace of civil unions, or 'gay marriages', as they called them now. Keep the Clause had already insisted it wouldn't be putting up with any of that malarkey! The Daily Mail was quick to rise to the challenge and found the wedding guest from Hell, Sarah Harris. "The stale remnants of the Marks & Spencer wedding cake lay on the coffee table, close to the bride's wilting bouquet of yellow roses.... Presents still litter the room..." Ouch! "She says her depression has made her unable to work for two years, an illness which has its roots in the unhappiness surrounding her lesbianism." So what kind of awful wedding was this? Quite simply, the Daily Mail's worse nightmares come true! "The bride used to be a man. The groom is a girl of 23. Welcome to Britain's first lesbian marriage." It wasn't. But we were going for effect here. "They insisted their wedding was merely the final chapter in a 'simple love story," reporter, Sarah Harris bitched. It was as simple as this: Britain's refusal to recognise transsexuals meant Diane Maddox could legally marry Claire Ward-Jackson. And since the marriage could not consummated in the traditional sense, divorce would be quite simple too.

Damn him! Soapy Souter. For a moment I thought he'd chucked in the towel over Section 2a and my dreams of seeing him whipping round Aldi's with his trolley was over. I've got transport. I was gonna pick him up and nip round Allied Carpets for some off-cuts of tartan foam-back for his council house! The Pink Paper also ejaculated too early. "It lacked a valid case, it lacked the necessary victims, it lacked any real conviction from its mistaken supporters, and it lacked any real integrity." Don't piss me off, Brian. I'm running out of places to hide the bodies.

On Friday, 24 March, the Christian militia's tabloid, the Daily Mail had time to dissect the wholly expected revolt by the Lords over Blunkett's useless appeasement slipped into the Skills and Learning Bill. After losing by 15 votes in the House of Lords, to repeal Section 28 in England, the Daily Mail roared: "SEX LESSONS LAW IN CHAOS... Lords revolt boosts campaign against the repeal of Section 28." The Daily Mail's response beggars belief. "Tony Blair's bid to scrap the ban on gay propaganda in schools failed last night after peers rejected an attempt to buy them off." Never mind "gay propaganda" in schools. What about the sort of propaganda churned out by Associated Newspapers waiting for kids when they get home? Souter was of course "delighted." But then, she would be. After witnessing the sad spectacle of a slightly bewildered Margaret Thatcher propped up next to former Conservative education minister, Baroness Young, one had to wonder exactly who was supposed to be running this country. Lady Young trotted out the same blind reasoning: "I know I speak for the overwhelming majority of the population which does not want the promotion of homosexuality in schools." The Government was defeated. Even some Labour peers failed to support them. Unable to restrain itself, the Daily Mail dropped in a "comment" box. "Ministers have failed to convince their core supporter that their obsession with gay issues is in line with the mood of the nation." Beg your pardon... whose obsession? "With every defeat and setback, new doubts are raised over its judgement." And who are helping to raise these, I wonder? "New Labour hasn't anything better to do with its time." Something the Daily Mail really should be asking itself!

Not usually a paper with much time for ethnic minorities, (unless of course they can be put to some good use), the Daily Mail suddenly found a whole page for Labour peer Lord Paul. "We British Asians look with sorrow at the spread of divorce..." he sighed in big white letters on a black background as a precursor to more homophobic drivel as he added, "...and what might be taught about homosexuality." Here was another one claiming to be 'speaking on behalf of the majority.' "Jack Straw's wise words about the strength and resilience of the traditional Asian family will be welcomed by the millions of British subjects whose origins are in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh... We desperately needed the backing of our wives and children in those early days. Quite simply, we would not have survived and prospered without the support provided by marriage - proper, traditional marriage... We would certainly not have found the strength and the stability needed to build up mighty businesses and to plan for our domestic futures in our new homeland... That is why... the Government must... pay less attention to those trendy liberals..." Lord Paul came to this country in 1966 to be with his daughter who was dying of Leukaemia. "My wife and I were so heartbroken that we determined to stay on to be near her. That is why I founded my business here instead of going back home to join the family firm." His remonstrations were contradictory. He voted with the Government and claims single parents and families who have chosen to live together without marrying can do well for their children. "Who ever thought otherwise?" he begged. But, mixing fact with fiction added: "Our (apparently all Asian's) instinctive feeling for marriage is strengthened by academic research which shows that children desperately need stability and continuity - and that those values are most likely to be found in God-fearing families built around proper marriages." Towing the Daily Mail's agenda by quoting from their pages, he begged: "Why does marriage not bring with it fiscal rewards - as it does in France and Germany?" Er.. Don't forget the Pacte Civil de Solidarite which allows gays to financially benefit from civil unions in France and how they deliver better sex education by keeping religion out of schools.

Despite the welcoming noises the Scottish Mail made to ethnic communities backing its militant line against gay equality, the mask soon slipped once "the floodgates (were) thrown open" and refugees were given temporary homes in Glasgow. "Taxpayers pick up the bills," they stormed. The Daily Record was little better, reporting a "second wave of refugees set to arrive in Glasgow..." described as "a new influx of asylum seekers..." What both papers conveniently failed to mention was how the empty hard-to-let houses at Sighthill in Glasgow were being leafleted by the British National Party.

The Daily Record insists it is not homophobic, but "the most hated traffic warden in Britain is to host a gay Blind Date in Scotland"? Ok, they may just get away with it. He is, after all, a traffic warden. But a "self-confessed gay"? Now that's homophobia or I'm a self-confessed straight. Ray Brown was apparently "back to shock audiences again with his Gay Date Mate." How delicate are readers of the Daily Record that they still find such things so "shocking"? Would it help them if homosexuality were taught in schools do you think?

Saturday, 25 March and the Daily Record made it sound such a downright liberty. "Blair is said to be so angry over his tenth defeat by the new-look Lords in just four months that he will risk another 'Tony's cronies row' to strike back." The Record had been doing their homework on the Prime Minister's "devilishly simple plan to get round the Lords' rebellion over Section 28 repeal in England... He has already told members of his Cabinet to cast around among party members and sympathisers to find candidates for life peers. The first batch of 19 will be created next week. But Blair will need to bring in a further 31 new peers at his next opportunity, which is at least six months away, to defeat the inbuilt majority. Even after the Lords reform which abolished all but 92 hereditary peers, the Tories still have 232 in the Upper House to Labour's 182." They can only introduce a maximum of 50 at a time. Under the heading: "Souter attacks Blair bid to pack the Lords," that happy-clappy, bus driving, chutney-ferret declared that the Government were "obsessed with political correctness... They must be completely beholden to minority pressure groups to consider such a desperate course of action." A spokesman for the Catholics weighed in to declare the Lords were effectively being "silenced." And Tory leader David McLetchie was the final voice in this laughably unbalanced piece of reporting: "The Lords have defied him and hell hath no fury like Tony Blair scorned. Now he intends to bring them to heel by packing the house with Labour placements." Oh, good! A Government we voted for at last! The Daily Record's editorial sounded off in a fury: "Unfortunately that still leaves Mr Blair with the small matter of a general public who are adamantly OPPOSED to repeal on both sides of the border. And no amount of foot-stomping, steamrollering or gerrymandering seems capable of helping him out there. But - as has become so very obvious since this row started - when did what YOU think ever matter anyway?" Tom Brown put his name to a piece claiming the Lords had been "bastardised."

Meanwhile, between the lines of Daily Record bias, you could read trouble ahead for Scottish School Boards Association's president, David Hutchison. He had apparently "bungled" his application for re-election. "He will be told today he is now ineligible to stand again as an executive board member and must step down," the tabloid crowed. Pro-Section 28er Alan Smith's name wasn't mentioned in the report, but Ann Hill confirmed her belief Hutchison couldn't be re-elected. The Record hinted: "Hutchison's opponents claim he has played down opposition within the SSBA to the Government's Section 28 plans."

The Sunday Post reported how "more than 100 people turned up at Parliament Square" on Saturday, 25 March "to protest that 'real' family values are about love, commitment, honesty and respect. Amongst them were parents and children with banners saying, 'Hate is not a family value', and 'My family is not pretend.'"

"SICK." Those were the four letters the Scottish Sun used, quoting TV presenter Esther Rantzen, to introduce it's front page story on the sheriff that gave 70s pop group Bay City Rollers' drummer, Derek Longmuir 300 hours community service. There is no reason to suppose that the words of Longmuir's lawyer, Robbie Burnett were not true. "He is not a paedophile and is not someone who is terribly interested in child porn." But the media left little room for such a supposition. "Storm as Bay City pervert walks free," cried the Scottish Mail and "fury as shamed Roller escapes prison" stormed the Daily Record. The notorious head of Scotland Yard's Obscene Publication Squad, (now the Paedophile Unit), Mike Hames was dragged out of retirement to register his disgust. "This sends out completely the wrong message to those who might think of copying Mr Longmuir. It is not easy to track down people who are downloading child pornography from the Internet, but when you have brought that task to a successful conclusion, to find the defendant getting a sentence like this is very demoralising." It is hard to imagine anyone thinking of copying Derek Longmuir, but it does raise important issues on the use of the Internet. Officers seized 73 floppy discs. 14 pictures out of 1,700 on the computer's hard drive were judged to be child porn and 117 pictures of a sexual nature "which experts said included 27 of children being abused," the Scottish Mail added. "Of those 27 images, it was accepted that four were downloaded by Longmuir." The Herald put it more simply, reporting material seized as: "...Discs containing more than 100 indecent images - many showing young children involved in sex acts - as well as dozens of indecent films, photographs and videos when police raided his home in September 1998." No account was made of the changes in definition of 'child porn' since most of the films were 20-years-old and bought legally at the time. Longmuir claimed an American friend had bought much of it in Portugal before it was made illegal. Sheriff Isobel Poole accepted this and noted significant extraneous circumstances in the case. Derek Longmuir, much wider in girth and with blonde locks gone, has changed much over two decades. So too has the definition of 'decency.' The bare-chested and stripped youths that confidently flaunted themselves in the pages of teen magazines like Oh Boy! in the seventies, a style reflected in British gay porn of the same period, are now considered bordering on the expression of paedophilia. The Daily Record added: "What Edinburgh Sheriff Court did not hear about was his close relationship with a 15-year-old Portuguese boy..." The Scottish Sun said: "Nelson Queiros met the ex-drummer when he was just 14. Nelson, now 17, told stunned cops: 'I love Derek'" when they burst into the flat. There was no critical analysis of any of the issues thrown up by the case in the letters that poured in to the Scottish Sun. Just a blind faith in the delivered reportage. Duane Irvine, Alford, Aberdeenshire wrote: "This man deserves to be treated the same as any other pervert sent to jail and left to rot." Rosemary Thomson, Wishaw, Lanarkshire wrote: "As a mother I am horrified at the lenient sentence handed out to sex-Bay City Roller Derek Longmuir." George McLean, Alloa wrote: "Would you like to be nursed by him? I doubt it. ...I say he should have been put away for a long time." Alick Richardson, Camelon, Falkirk wrote: "The sentence is a joke. He should have been sent to prison for a long time." J Simpson, Alloa agreed: "The sentence was a joke." D Carson, Cowdenbeath wrote: "It should be an automatic two to three-year sentence, then we might start to beat this disgusting practice." Two weeks later and Scottish Television news was focusing their cameras on the front of Longmuir's grey and dismal flat at Queens' Mansions. The Daily Record reminded everyone how he had been "caught with a vile collection of porn," admitted to possessing "a mass of child-sex videos, indecent photos and computer images" and how "some of the snaps showed children as young as six being sexually abused." The 49-year-old psychiatric nurse was sacked from his job at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Not until the middle of May could any balance be found for the story, which came, not from Derek, but Jorge Loureiro, the 28-year-old Portuguese boy he adopted. He told the Sunday Herald that an obsessive American fan Derek befriended had framed him, telling the police there were sexual images on a laptop he had left with Derek. It was also revealed that floppy discs had been sent anonymously to Derek's flat a few days before the police raid. The paper reported: "The police also received further details about the items in Longmuir's flat from a long-term police informant with links to the Bay City Rollers who has served a jail sentence for underage sex with young boys." It emerged that police broke the Data Protection Act when they gave Jorge's address to a Scottish Sun reporter and one of the officers even gave a television interview before the case had gone to court. Derek had met Jorge when he came up to him begging for money. He was rewarded with a meal. Now married with two children and living in Edinburgh, Jorge had nothing but praise for the man who helped him. Jorge told the Sunday Herald: "Detectives asked me at least five times in the course of two hour interviews whether Derek and I ever had a sexual relationship. I kept saying no, that it was never like that, but they just kept on coming back to that question. They got increasingly angry when I wouldn't say yes and showed no interest in how Derek had rescued me and brought me up. I told them that Derek could hardly work computers... It wasn't even his..." Jorge's wife Michele said: "I think losing his job is what Derek has found most hard to take. He was a good and devoted nurse". Derek's lawyer, Robbie Burnett told the Sunday Herald: "I have been a solicitor now for 26 years and I have never come across such misleading, inaccurate and sensational reporting. The coverage of the case was disgraceful and I am very concerned that Mr Longmuir's employment is being decided on what the newspapers have said rather than the facts."

The Stirling Observer reported how Cornton residents where holding an emergency meeting after claiming they were being used as a dumping ground for perverts. A mother of two said: "We knew there was a former resident who had returned to stay in the area after serving a prison sentence. We didn't have enough time to try and prevent him coming back but we now hear that there may another one already here and the possibility of a further two moving in. We simply can't allow that". The Observer named one of the offenders as George McPhee who had already been the subject of protests in Balfron.

"I am straight, not gay, but I have always had a thing about men in uniform," was the unlikely start of a letter to Old Mother (Joan) Burnie in the Daily Record. Clearly itching to get into some hot action in uniform and pull out his truncheon, he was soon told to zip it up and put it away. "Impersonating a police officer is definitely something which could get you into very serious trouble... But really, I think you should either bin the outfit completely, or at least keep it as something you only do within the privacy of your own home."

Sunday, 26 March and the Sunday Post was reporting how members of Scotland's ethnic communities were planning to send their children to Catholic schools. The newly formed Multi-Faith Coalition included members of the Islamic, Chinese, Hindu, Sikh and Muslim communities. The group also threatened to oust Labour MSPs such as Mohammed Sarwar, George Galloway and Ian Davidson in Glasgow who have a high proportion of ethnic communities in their constituencies. Ayub Khan, chairman of the coalition told the Sunday Post that MSPs "are not listening to what we want. We do not want Section 28 in our schools (sic) and don't want to see it repealed and homosexual liaisons placed on the same moral footing as traditional family marriage. One of the apparent reasons for teaching homosexuality in schools is to stop bullying and homophobia but we don't accept that. I was bullied at school because of my colour, and I don't believe any amount of teaching will ever stop bullying." Extraordinary!

In London, in June, the gay Muslim group Al Fatiha secretly organised a meeting at the London University. Protesters, unable to find the location, staged a demonstration outside the BBC offices. According to a London-based Arab newspaper, they had planned to throw eggs and bricks.

Scotland on Sunday's front page was given over to Souter's efforts to find a family that would take Donald Dewar's administration to the European court. "Souter pays family to sue on Section 28," (altogether a little premature since he had yet to find one). The Sunday broadsheet also described the SNP's position as "very close to that of the Keep The Clause campaign" after the SNP national council had met and voted to table an amendment in Parliament to make guidelines 'semi-statutory' by placing a duty on education authorities to 'have regard' to the guidelines. The Herald's wording avoided making it sound such a capitulation. They said the SNP "affirmed support for the leadership's position in favour of repeal of the existing section coupled with a clause in the Ethical Standards Bill placing a responsibility on local authorities to heed the new guidelines currently being drafted." Asked on BBC 2's Holyrood programme whether the guidelines should mention marriage and "traditional family values," SNP leader Alex Salmond appeared weak. He said that they should, but that they should also be non-discriminatory. In the Sunday Herald, Iain Macwhirter wrote: "This should have been hailed by Keep the Clause as a great political victory and one that could force the Scottish Executive to think again. But instead, by calling a referendum on outright repeal, Souter left Salmond hanging in the air. The SNP leader will now have to condemn Souter's attempt to buy into the democratic process if he doesn't want to be accused of cynical opportunism."

The Sunday Times Scotland featured an interview with Donald Dewar's former adviser, John Rafferty who had played a key role in Labour's election campaign for Holyrood. Asked about their friendship, he said, in the interview printed in the Ecosse supplement: "Friendships are too valuable to destroy. I have a great fondness for Donald. I feel a great deal of sympathy for him," but added, "I have seen the most gentle and sincere people changed because it is a very tough and selfish world." He maintained that there should have been more consultation with parents in repealing Section 28 and expressed no desire to return to politics. The Christian militia's tabloid, the Daily Record took what they wanted from John Rafferty's interview and ditched the rest. Rafferty was still bitter about the mauling he received in the tabloids over his daughter's drug addiction. Now the Daily Record was headlining: "RAFFERTY: DEWAR GOT IT WRONG ON SECTION 28... Donald Dewar's handling of the repeal of Section 28 has come under fire again - this time from his sacked chief of staff." They praised him for advising Donald Dewar to get children to send letters home to parents to reassure them and for suggesting the setting up of a complaint's procedure. "But Dewar bulldozed ahead with his proposals," they moaned.

The Atticus column in the Sunday Times Scotland suggested "old Commons hands" were curious to see the famous Wendy Alexander MSP when she arrived to give evidence at a select committee inquiry into Scottish poverty. "She acquitted herself quite well," one observer remarked. "What were they expecting?" laughed Atticus. "Woad?"

The Sunday Herald reported how Government legislation was to be introduced to stop Souter influencing the vote as he did at the Ayr by-election. "At the next Holyrood election in 2003, the Keep The Clause campaign, or its successor, will have to register with the Electoral Commission and will be limited to only £76,000 expenditure in the four months leading up to the vote." With the cost of a full-page ad in the Scottish national newspapers starting at around £11,000, that would limit them to just six full-page advertisements or, with billboard sites at around £500 a month, around 150 of them. Brian Souter was spending more per voter on this campaign than US Presidential candidates spend on their entire election campaign. Keep The Clause was not the only campaign to influence voters in this way. In 1997, Unison backed the Labour and LibDem proposal for a minimum wage without mentioning any party to the tune of over £1 million.

The alleged theft by the Mail on Sunday of an article by Nigel Wrench on Barebacking, (sex without condoms) from the Pink Paper sparked a furious response from its editor-in-chief, Mike Ross. He called for the resignation of Paul Dacre, the homophobic editor of the Daily Mail from his post on the Press Complaints Commission. The Mail were clearly unhappy about the transmission of HIV in casual sex yet had done more than most to obstruct the work of organisations promoting safer sex. The Pink Paper's David Bridle blasted: "Associated Newspapers needs gay men in Britain to remain criminals and figures of hate for their readers. After all, who else would they target in their campaign to preserve the 'forces of conservatism'? ...Maybe Lord Rothermere should check his sales figures. Last month, the Mail had the biggest drop in sales of any national daily newspaper. It lost 27,000 readers - right in the middle of its virulent anti-Section 28 campaign. Not a huge loss by newspaper standards but maybe a small sign that its readers are just beginning to tire of homosexuality being thrust across their breakfast table every morning." In its Disclosures column, the Pink Paper explained their version of events. "The Mail on Sunday - or the Forger's Gazette as it is known so fondly in Fleet Street - asked if they might reproduce (Nigel Wrench's piece on 'barebacking).' The Pink Paper said no... The Mail's hypocrisy about obeying the law will, of course, come as not surprise to those who have followed its approach to family values. While sternly preaching monogamy to its readers during the 1970s and 1980s, ageing proprietor Lord Rothermere was engaged in a prolonged adulterous relationship with a Japanese hand-model. The dowager Viscountess is now known to some disrespectful Mail staff as 'Lady Hand-job." A group calling itself the Bigot Busters stormed the offices of Associated Newspapers and brought the newsroom to a standstill for 15 minutes. They Pink Paper reported how: "they chained themselves to furniture, let off foghorns and held up banners emblazoned with 'Daily Mail promotes anti-gay hatred.'" Others cheated security officers and made their way up the balcony overlooking the vast atrium at the heart of the organisation.

Monday, 27 March and the Scottish Mail's propaganda machine went into overdrive: "CLAUSE 28: BLAIR IS SET TO CONCEDE DEFEAT... Tony Blair is ready to concede defeat south of the Border in the bitter struggle to scrap Section 28, the law which bans homosexual propaganda in schools." Hamish Macdonell, the Mail's Scottish political editor had decided that, "the revelation will now put immense pressure on Donald Dewar to follow suit in Scotland." A Downing Street spokesman, however, put the record straight for the Pink Paper: "Such reports are complete speculation. We remain completely committed to repealing Section 28, and will be looking at our options again in the light of (the) vote in the House of Lords. Anonymous quotes form alleged cabinet ministers will make absolutely no difference to this commitment." No matter! The Scottish Mail was popping their corks. "In what will be seen as an epic victory for campaigners for traditional family values, the Prime Minister has signalled to colleagues that he will abandon the fight if the House of Lords defeats the Government for a second time on the issue." The vote was expected in June. There was a worrying prospect from their journalist Hamish Macdonell warning: "Campaigners from all over Britain will now focus their energies on Scotland, raising the profile of the contentious issue yet further." Under the homophobic heading: "Climbdown over gay law," there was a good deal of tub-thumping: "The Daily Mail has led the way in campaigning for the retention of Section 28 which was introduced by the Tory Government to prevent left-wing councils spending public money on the promotion of homosexuality." Never mind if this was a lie. No evidence of Labour councils 'promoting' homosexuality has ever emerged. Certainly homosexuality has never been promoted in Northern Ireland where Section 28 does not apply. The Mail insisted: "Opinion polls show opposition to repeal in Scotland is even more widespread that south of the Border." So come on up to Scotland where a barrage of homophobic Keep the Clause billboards will greet you! The Daily Mail's version of events, with key dates in the development of the campaign, paid particular attention to "JAN 21" when the "Scottish Daily Mail poll reveals only one third of people support repeal." The Scottish Mail, having long since dispensed with any attempt to sound impartial, mixed conjecture with fact; commentary with reporting. They considered that the issue had become "a touchstone for many young modernisers on the Labour benches" and printed the unchallenged words of Jack Irvine. "...If Tony Blair sees sense and calls a halt to this politically correct madness, Dewar's position will be untenable. It does sound like a re-run of the Poll Tax - good enough for Scotland but not for England. Strange Donald Dewar should be the man bringing Thatcherite tactics to Scotland." One would assume the Tory flagship; the Scottish Mail would have been pleased with that! The Scottish Mail's editorial declared how "repeal of Section 28 had become Labour's Poll Tax..." and warned how it had "become a seriously destabilising force in Scottish society." References to the highly contentious poll tax repeatedly surfaced. Keep the Clause had already warned of riots in the streets similar to those initiated by the poll tax if Section 28 was repealed. The Scottish Mail advised: "It is time for the First Minister to bow to the settled will of the Scottish people and abandon this ill-advised initiative."

The Daily Mail, promoting Christian propaganda of any kind printed, printed a familiar toothy smile. "As the young Mormon stands on the doorstep, there is something about his dark eyes and gleaming teeth that turns housewives back into lovestruck schoolgirls..." It was the son of singer Donny Osmond, door knocking during his two-year stint as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

"Mr Myles, a long-time supporter of gay rights," the Scottish Mail reported, "called Cardinal Winning a 'bigot.'" Now there's some news! If the cap fits, wear it! That's what I say! Andy Myles, a former chief executive of the Scottish Liberal Democrats was speaking up at his Party's annual conference. He told Winning: "I am sorry, but you have shown an unworthy intolerance which is deeply regrettable. If gay men and lesbians are going to be accused of being perverts, then the person stating that is a bigot, there is no way out of it." A spokesman for Cardinal Winning was given the space to scoff in the Scottish Mail: "On the whole question of Section 28, Cardinal Winning speaks for a far larger part of the population than the Liberal Democrats." The Scottish Sun almost got it right: "Scotland's top Catholic Cardinal Thomas Winning was yesterday branded a bigot for trying to stop gay lesson in schools." (He was called a bigot for calling gays 'perverted.)' The Scottish Mail was bitter. "An amendment calling for the proposed guidelines to replace Section 28 to stress 'loving marriage' was rejected. Lib-Dem activists voted for another amendment which expressed regret over the Keep the Clause campaign, accusing Stagecoach tycoon Brian Souter of a cynical attempt to buy public opinion..." Note how this was initiated by "activists." No such attentions are paid to the religionists within the party wanting to promote family values. The Scottish Mail ignored Cardinal Winning's reference to perversion and instead turned on Andy Myles, accusing him of "intemperate language which threatens to add a sectarian dimension to an already heated issue." The Daily Record added how "the conference also confirmed the Liberal Democrat support for the repeal of Section 28, despite warnings from within their own ranks." But it was hardly a revolt! Comments from party executive member Gordon Macdonald were added: "I don't accept that all these people are misplaced in their concerns, which is the line that comes out of the Executive all the time." In fact, an amendment with a Christian theme calling for guidelines promoting "loving marriage as the ideal" was only backed by a handful. Nora Radcliffe, Liberal Democrat MSP for Gordon told the delegation: "It is frightening to witness how quickly a tide of bigotry and fear could be released." And Lanarkshire delegate Hugh O'Donnell compared Keep the Clause's "scurrilous campaign" to the Bible Belt fundamentalists in the US or the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The Daily Record had already moved on to the next stage: Promoting the nuclear family. Amongst the Keep the Clause propaganda was a piece on Brian Epstein, "a manic depressive homosexual who worried constantly... haunted by inner demons - despite his incredible success." There was also a double-page moral tale on the destructive forces of relationships formed on the Internet. "LOVE.CON... Ian losses wife, job and savings after falling for fake beauty on Internet." Ian McLean from Paisley had fallen for an American girl who had probably not expected ever to meet her cyber lover. "Ian had been fooled by... a woman who looked more like the psychopath played by Kathy Bates in chilling movie Misery." Actually, an attractive woman, she looked nothing like her, but a picture of Kathy Bates in her character role was dropped in to help the story along. The Record warned: "Already thousands of marriages are being ruined by the internet" and in it's editorial moralised: "The Internet may bring us all closer together, but as Ian McLean knows to his cost, an old-fashioned dinner for two is safer than a cyber-courtship any day." In another editorial the Daily Record once again tried to hammer home its moral message. "WARNING - the Internet can seriously damage your marriage...! It all seems like cyber-silliness, except that these Internet romances have led to real-life heartbreak. Lives have been ruined, families have broken up, wives and husbands have been dumped and children left behind. So be sure what your partner's getting up to on the home computer. They could be dialling up www.divorce.com." The Daily Record also carried a picture of former Conservative Prime Minister John Major giving away his daughter. It topped a piece on marriage's fall from fashion. "It has got to the stage where almost 40 per cent of babies are now born out of wedlock... But it's not all bad news for the traditional family - four out of every five children still live in a two-parent home and 90 per cent of those parents are married to each other." But how much worse could it get? Even the Daily Record was forced to admit, "the number of couples who choose to get married has plunged over the last four decades." The controversial Dr Adrian Rogers' Family Focus, (a new front after being shunned by the Conservative Party), was given an air of respectability by the Daily Record: "Not only are people not marrying, they are not having children - we simply aren't reproducing enough. These people who aren't getting married are going to face terribly lonely futures. There is a large element of loneliness that's going to hit them in their 40s." The Herald spelled out the research from the Family Policy Studies Centre more honestly. "Divorce rates are soaring, with more than two in five marriages now ending in the courts, while people are marrying at a later age or opting to cohabit or live alone." The Keep the Clause campaigners apparently "declined to comment." But The Herald was able to drag out the Sexfinder General who had been peculiarly quiet throughout the Souter debacle. Tom Connelly, the Catholic Church spokesman told them: "It is a very sad reflection on our society that we do not encourage people from a very young age to have any serious commitment or loyalty to marriage." He then turned on Spice Girl and her footballer hubbie, "Posh and Becks" and blamed them.

NAME AND SHAME

Tuesday, 28 March and the Scottish Mail's headlines spelt out a sinister new twist in the campaign to prevent repeal of Section 28: "LET'S PUT IT TO THE VOTE... £1m private cash for Scottish referendum over Section 28... 23 co-sponsors helping pay for the ballot." (The Daily Record printed 22). According to the Daily Record, the costs - £950,000 before VAT - was to be split between the backers with Souter underwriting the total. Keep the Clause deputy, Jack Cassidy refused to answer the Sunday Herald when they asked what brought this particular business group together and exactly how many were clients of Jack Irvine's Media House. He dismissed their questions as "irrelevant." Many of those putting their names forward as sponsors of the referendum were part of the Entrepreneur Exchange network, and at least four of them winners of the top entrepreneur award sponsored by The Herald. It seemed like it was all coming together for the Keep the Clause campaign. It used a standard political technique: Scour the opponent's record for potentially embarrassing views; quote them out of context, then get together plausible allies to lend authority to your attack; and don't be put off by your own shortcomings on the issue. And here they all were: -

Sir Tom Farmer, a devout Catholic, a personal friend of Cardinal Winning and a papal knight of St Gregory the Great. He was a former chairman of Scotland Against Drugs when the sacked Keep the Clause frontman David Macauley fronted it. Sir Tom Farmer established Kwik-Fit in 1971 and sold it to Ford in 1999 for £1billion. He ploughed £6 million into Hibernian football club where Jack Irvine worked briefly as PR.

Tom Blane Hunter is Scotland's richest man, driving round in his blue, tinted windowed Bentley, marked 2 TBH, he is estimated to be worth around £400million. When, in his fifth year at school he applied for a job as a trainee manager at a jeans' store, his father, a family grocer who wanted him to attend university, called the company's headquarters and, as reported in a profile in the Scottish Mail, told them "in no uncertain terms that his son's applications had been withdrawn". In a similar profile in another Souter supporting paper, Scotland on Sunday, he said: "When you have as much as I have, making another million isn't going to make a difference." Hunter made £260 million selling his Sports Division business to JJB Sports and allows Jack Irvine to handle his personal PR. His 20 per cent stake in the Reality Group, net him a further £7million in May 2000 when the company was sold to Great Universal Stores. He is married with two children. Alf Young, a respected business writer and a personal friend of many of the sponsors of the referendum wrote in The Herald: "Tom Hunter, says it doesn't really matter whether he thinks Section 28 should be repealed or not. 'This issue is now one of democracy.' Come off it, Tom. You believe there is a genuine majority in Scotland for keeping Section 2a. I suspect there is an even more decisive majority in favour of higher taxes on the very wealthy, like you... Were that cause to be given the same PR welly Brian Souter and Keep the Clause have given Section 28, Tom, polls would soon be telling us a decisive majority of Scottish voters want you and I to pay higher taxes. Would you, Brian and all the other sponsors be willing to bankroll a referendum on that issue in the name of democracy? I think I know the answer to that one." Along with Brian Souter, Hunter's personal fortunes grew by around three million in August 2000 when Edinburgh-based Orbital Software confirmed a £70million stock market flotation. The company produced Internet search engine software packages.

The homophobic convener of the Church of Scotland's Board of Responsibility, Anne Allen's mug was now frequently shown in the Daily Record in the form of a soft, friendly tilted portrait that looked like it had been shot in a Hollywood studio in the forties. Forget it! When Edinburgh council were carrying out a survey of homophobia she wanted to know why people who were disgusted at the activities of homosexuals weren't being surveyed too.

Brian 'Soapy' Souter and his wife Betty who are both members of the evangelical Church of the Nazarene based in Kansas, USA. This Church has its own publication house that distributes its propaganda in tongues across the globe. With a personal wealth estimated at the start of 2000 at over £565million, Brian, boss of Stagecoach, is Scotland's richest man. (Well... He used to be, ha-ha)!

Also on the list is Brian Souter's 57-year-old sister Ann Gloag, Scotland's richest woman - at her height, richer even than the Queen - with a personal fortune that has been estimated at more than £100 million and an annual dividend payout of £4 million. She also owns the £2 million Beaufort Castle in Invernesshire and a £150,000 silver 456GT Ferrari sports car that once belonged to the Princess Royal and carries a 1 ANN number plate. In May, she had her driving licence endorsed with five penalty points after being caught doing 74mph in a 50mph zone. Gloag's son Jonathan committed suicide in 1999 when he was found hanging from a tree. He stood to inherit the Stagecoach empire, had what the Scottish Mail described as "a loving and pretty wife and three small sons," a £450,000 mansion bought by his mother and, after trying to work in his mother's business, left to become a chef. Sensitive Jonathan took his domineering mother's side in her divorce with her husband Robert who set up a bus company of his own before Ann joined forces with her brother to drive him off the road. Robert Gloag's name wasn't mentioned at Jonathan's funeral. Ann and Brian's elder brother, the Rev David Souter, conducted the service. Ann Gloag made what is believed to be Britain's biggest donation to a Christian charity giving £4 million to a Danish organisation that converts old car ferries to 'Mercy Ships' or floating hospitals, relief centres and missionary bases. She also donates money through her Balcraig charity and her PR is handled by - guess who - Jack Irvine. However hard sympathetic newspapers tried to paint Gloag the caring and benevolent woman, nothing can escape the fact, Keep the Clause spent, according to one estimate, £4 per head of the population of Scotland to persuade them to support a bitter and divisive anti-gay law.

Jim Sillars, former MP for Glasgow Govan and deputy leader of the SNP, now a regular columnist in the homophobic Scottish Sun. He thinks gays need an age of consent as low as possible to keep a "stock of homosexual young males... to ensure a continuous supply of sexual partners. ...Sex objects, to be used."

Gerald Weisfeld, connected to Tom Hunter through the retail trade, helped his wife Vera build up the 'What Everyone Wants' discount chain before selling it for £50 million.

David Moulsdale is a close friend of Tom Hunter and owner of Optical Express, now the fifth largest chain of opticians in Britain. Jack Irvine's Media House works for Optical Express. You might now want to get your glasses from Vision Express; Jeffrey Black; Boots; Lizars or by knocking them out of the bottom of a couple of bottles of Irn Bru!

Pat and Alex Grant who both set up Norfrost in Caithness, one of the largest refrigeration businesses in the world. Although the couple have no children of their own, Pat's son by a former marriage made a headline in ScotsGay: "Half-baked Clay," this occasional member of the International Church of Christ posted homophobic posters up in Edinburgh. He has enjoyed gay sex in the past. Well, sort of. He says he was so "tormented by guilt" that he subsequently tried to take his own life. The Sunday Mail once referred to Clay's mother as the Ice Queen. She is a close friend of Souter's sister Ann Gloag through the Scottish Business Trust.

Hugh Adam, a trustee of the Keep the Clause campaign and a former director of Rangers Football Club. Adam also ran the Rangers Pool Division. After letting off a statutory 'I'm not homophobic, but...' rant in the Scottish Sun, proceeded to reveal just that. He told them: "My difficulty is that I cannot persuade myself that homosexuality is other than an abnormality. That does not mean, of course, that its practitioners are diminished in any way as human beings. I know that there are many people with the same views as myself but decline to speak out for fear of being branded politically incorrect. I urge them to come out." With the roar of the gang gathering round him in this big and influential Scottish playground ringing in his ears: What left was there to cry but 'Go get 'em!'

John Cameron, a Fife landowner and farmer who was chairman of the National Farmers' Union of Scotland. He was also railway advisor to Brian Souter's Stagecoach and director of South-west trains, best remembered for its refusal to grant the partner of lesbian subsidised travel and its £4 million fine by the Strategic Rail Authority for offering unreliable services.

Donald Macdonald, who had worked his way to the top at Stakis Hotels before he established a chain of hotels of his own, Bathgate-based Macdonald Hotels. In June 2000 they announced a £100m joint venture with the Bank of Scotland and Royal Bank of Scotland to build 10 upmarket city centre hotels. They announced an 8 per cent increase in underlying pre-tax profits to £13.8 million in 1999 and won the Scottish Enterprise top Elite award as they notched up an 18% rise in operating profits, in line with group turnover, and pre-tax profit rose 15% to £7m in 2000. The group has an annual turnover of £40.6m. With 26 owned and 53 managed, Macdonald Hotels is engaged in a joint venture with Sheffield University for a 110-bedroom hotel as well as a number of other ambitious hotel projects. After the announcement, Macdonald shares raised their total dividend by 9 per cent to 6.0p with a final pay-out of 4.0p. Its shares firmed half-a-penny to 178p. Asked if the company was vulnerable to takeover Macdonald said the board owned more than 30 per cent and there was probably another 20 per cent or 30 per cent in "very friendly hands". They include Standard Life, Scottish Equitable, Scottish Mutual and Edinburgh Fund Managers. Their rival is Thistle Hotels.

George Russell, chief executive of Scotland the Brand which promotes Scottish products was approached by Brian Souter with whom he has long-standing personal and church connections. "I'm not in the same church, but we follow the same Saviour," he told the Sunday Herald. NEXXXXXT!?

Sir David McNee, formerly Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police and Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police from 1977 to 1983 when Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister.

Fergus Ewing, an SNP MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber and deputy shadow minister for tourism, small business and the Highlands and Islands.

Lord MacKay of Clashfern, is a retired former Lord Chancellor and was a member of Margaret Thatcher's Cabinet.

David McLetchie, leader of the Scottish Conservatives and MSP for Lothian was asked to sign up leaving only enough time check with a couple of his colleagues before he did. Not all the party appeared to be entirely happy with McLetchie aligning himself so closely with Keep the Clause.

Andrew Welsh is chairman of the powerful audit committee of the Scottish parliament.

Bill Hughes, once the Treasurer and Deputy Chairman of the Scottish Conservative Party, a key figure in the Scottish division of the CBI and an elder in the Church of Scotland. He was also an architect of Scottish Enterprise as well as a chairman of Grampian Holdings, a company Jack Irvine has done PR work for. The Scottish Mail, proclaiming itself "the favourite newspaper of Britain's leading businessmen" claimed: "It was his Christian duty to support moves to retain Section 28." Then allowed him to let off a tirade of militant gobbledegook: "As a Christian, I believe in the sanctity of marriage and that the traditional family unit is critically important. It is the ideal state of affairs in which to propagate a child. This stance is strongly taken by our minister, Alistair Horne, and the membership of the church are totally behind him." Nurse? Screens!

Neil Hood, Professor of Business Policy, director of Strathclyde University's International Business Unit and advisor to Scottish Enterprise, a non-executive director of Kwik-Fit - Sir Tom Farmer's former company - and of Grampian Holdings whose former chairman is Bill Hughes. Neil Hood is also a lay preacher.

Vali Hussein, vice-principal of the Islamic Academy of Scotland, which promotes research in Islamic Jerusalem, told the Scottish Mail how his deep religious convictions led him to take a stand. "I firmly believe the promotion of homosexual acts is completely immoral and is a terrible thing to teach innocent children in schools. I do not want such things in schools. We respect family values and want children to grow up in a normal environment and not be brainwashed into thinking something abnormal is normal." I take it he means it's OK to take children to watch the stoning?

The Scottish Mail swaggered: "There is not a fanatic, a crank or a so-called 'homophobe' among them." The Daily Record crowed: "This time, Souter doesn't stand alone. He had put together an impressive bunch of backers from every walk of Scottish society who share his rage at the Government's arrogant refusal to listen to public opinion over gay sex lessons in schools. Along with church leaders, they include academics..." yes, all two of them! "Parents need a vote," the Scottish Mail cried. "Question will be put to every family."

The Daily Record wasted its gism over another editorial devoted to Section 28. "There's one thing you have to give Brian Souter - he's got guts." Of course it was just another excuse to cheer Souter's efforts to get a referendum so that everybody can have "THEIR" say. As the Equality Network was not able to advise in the Daily Record since they simply ignored their press release: "Brian Souter has just spent half a million pounds promoting misinformation about section 28 across Scotland - the biggest billboard campaign ever. Now he wants to measure whether his adverts have had an effect. That's not democracy. We elect our MSPs to examine issues carefully, weigh the evidence, and take a decision. That is democracy, and we believe that MSPs will make the right decision. The last thing we need in Scotland is the Americanisation of politics, where what matters is not the facts, but how many millions are spent on advertising and promotion. Children's welfare groups like Childline and Children in Scotland, and groups working in education like teachers, Directors of Education and the Church of Scotland Education Committee, support repeal of Section 28, because they know Section 28 benefits no-one, and does a lot of harm to young gay people. It would be quite wrong for MSPs to ignore that evidence." Indeed, it would be an enormous challenge to persuade the electorate why they were not entitled to vote on an issue of human rights, as it would be on the subject of hanging. That MSPs were their representatives, not delegtes in Parliament. This issue worried the liberal-minded long before the surge of universal voting rights. In the nineteenth century, Napoleon III would order a plebiscite and whip up the prejudices of the conservative majority whenever it suited him. Would now the enfranchised majority destroy civil liberties in a tyranny of the majority? A constitution protected by courts, out of reach of the majority, has now become the compromise in many countries. Donald Dewar did his best to explain that referendums were only used for great constitutional issues, like should we be a member of the European Union, or do we want a Scottish Parliament? The Daily Record, of course knew this but it's editorial just spun the tale of there being "ample evidence" that "unsuitable teaching material" was being prepared for the nation's children before screaming that the Government were not listening. They boasted that "if Mr Souter's devastating poster campaign got under the Government's skin, his decision to bankroll a nationwide referendum will send them right into orbit."

When Media House's Jack Irvine was questioned on Scottish TV News, he once again demonstrated ineptness over his handling of affairs. The reporter asked if the Electoral Reform Society had agreed whether Keep the Clause could go ahead with a referendum. Jack Irvine assured the reporter documents were signed. The reporter told him that the Electoral Reform Society had denied this. He tried to explain he didn't mean that document, but other documents with other people involved, still insisting he had an "agreement with them we are going ahead." A "stunned" Brian Souter whined to the Daily Record that there had been an "enormous breach of trust." The Record published a blurred letter dated 3 March from Electoral Reform Services that "outlined a timescale and methodology that could be adopted for such a referendum" and an estimate based on a similar referendum commissioned by Strathclyde Regional Council. Sources close to the company admitted there had been some internal wrangling over the issue with staff wanting to ditch it. The Scottish Mail declared: "So far we have witnessed Brian Souter and Cardinal Thomas Winning subjected to vicious abuse by politicians and commentators whose so-called liberalism has been exposed as downright intolerance. Are the co-sponsors of this referendum now going to be subjected to similar treatment? Will those who demonised Mr Souter as a maverick tycoon with more money than sense turn their vitriolic attacks on Tom Hunter, Sir Tom Farmer, David Moulsdale, Sir David McNee, Pat Grant and the rest? We hope not." Both the Daily Record and the Scottish Mail printed Brian Souter's statement to back their story. He said: "Parents are angry that a social equality argument over sexuality, valid for consenting adults, is being applied to children." He also defended his argument for a referendum by recommending that this was the way policies were decided in Switzerland. With such an admiration for European methods, would he now be taking a fresh look at the Dutch system of sex education boasting a teenage pregnancy rate seven times lower than Scotland's? We think not! The Scottish Mail dug up the Scottish School Board's Association survey and tagged it on to the end of the story. "A survey conducted by the Scottish School Boards' Association of its members - representing 80 per cent of Scottish schools - has shown 90 per cent of parents are against repeal." Oh really? Less than half of its members responded, representing a third of all school boards and a quarter of Scotland's 3000 schools. 40% wanted the matter put on hold until more information was available. This was lumped with 46% who had not consulted parents or seen any detailed information on the subject and were either against repeal or recorded a split vote. Add that together and you have 90% supporting the retention of Section 28. And the Scottish Mail calls itself a newspaper? Sadly, even the BBC picked up on this propaganda and used it in reports.

The Daily Record featured a picture of pop star Ricky Martin swinging his arse round to face the camera with a commentary on his "gay side-step." They wrote: "Latin pop idol Ricky Martin fuelled rumours that he was gay when he refused to discuss his sexuality on an American chat show. Ricky was happy to discuss his boozing and drug-using past." After National Cleavage Day, Old Mother Burnie featured Ricky Martin in her column suggesting a National Bulge Day. In an unlikely display of liberalism on a day her column even supported reform of outdated drug laws, she said: "The sight of Ricky Martin's bulge... is a heart-warming one." Had someone sent her a homemade cake? Was this really Old Mother Burnie giggling with girls over Ann Summers' parties? Adding, "women on the whole want consensual, inclusive and mutually enjoyable sex" Steady!

The Scottish Mirror featured a picture of Prime Minister Tony Blair standing next to First Minister Donald Dewar with the caption: "Is that a smile or is the knife in your back making me wince"? Their Scottish political editor, Lorraine Davidson wrote: "Furious Tony Blair warned Donald Dewar he would be hung out to dry in the battle to scrap Clause 28 - if he didn't halt the damaging row in Scotland." The Premier had apparently told Dewar he was "on his own" after Dewar "complained his hands were tied on the issue by the hardline views of the Liberal Democrats... A source confirmed he held a meeting with Dewar to warn him of the possible U-turn and told him to end the row over the issue because the massive public backlash was proving too damaging." Not half as damaging if Dewar were to give in to the influential Christian militia!

Wednesday, 29 March and The Herald's editorial was kicking arse. Calling Brian Souter's poll "a referendum too far... If we had too many referenda we would be entitled to ask what the point was in having Government." Faced with the privatisation of water by the Tory Government, Strathclyde region itself organised a referendum with an inevitable result. But "Mr Souter has no mandate other than money (and a tricksy PR outfit)," The Herald spat. Robbie Dinwoodie, their Scottish political correspondent explained: "In keeping with the way the whole campaign has been run, news of the development was given only to newspapers which have given editorial support to the campaign to halt the repeal of Section 28... Media House were approached for comment on reaction to the referendum plan, but they declined to return the call." Local Government spokesman Donald Gorrie reminded The Herald how school pupils would be denied a voice under Souter's proposal. Columnist Iain Macwhirter was less than patient with the petulant bus driver: "Brian Souter's plebiscite, if it happens, will cause deep divisions within Scottish society. The lies about 'gay sex lessons' being taught in schools will be spread again by billboard, tabloid and pulpit. The voice of the Scottish parliament drowned by the homophobic megaphones." Iain Macwhirter was not welcoming "a head-count after a campaign of lies" and regretted the fledgling democracy's "inability to cope with popularism..."

In response to the referendum The Scotsman commissioned two pieces, one from George Kerevan, the independent MSP and another from Sunday Times's conservative columnist Allan Massie. Kerevan castigated Souter's "deep-seated religious beliefs" that encouraged "his sad, anti-gay obsessions." Allan Massie showed a lack of interest in the whole affair. "I would rather the Scottish executive had had the sense to let the sleeping dog of Section 28 lie, till, disused, the clause mouldered." Mouldering away unnoticed it might have been to the likes of Allan Massie, but a constant reminder to the many gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered who have had to grow up with it. He blamed Wendy Alexander, "who couldn't see the trouble ahead" for having "stirred things up and made what was not a political issue of any consequence a topic of fierce debate." I hadn't realised Ms Alexander had stepped into the shoes of Daily Record editor Martin Clarke, when did this happen?

Mr Souter faced public humiliation over his poll after the Electoral Reform Society further backtracked after reports from Scotland of increased attacks on gays. A spokesman for Lothian and Borders police told the Pink Paper: "It is possible that Keep the Clause has had an effect and there's certainly been an increase in homophobic attacks." To be fair, they were only at the proposal stage when they announced they were putting off any decision until Monday. Brian Souter told the Scottish Mail: "It is outrageous that gay cliques within the Labour Party are now putting intolerable pressure on the Electoral Reform Society to break our understanding." The Scottish Mail described the letter from the balloting wing of the organisation's deputy chief executive Sian Roberts "outlining how it intended to conduct the referendum" but failed to draw reader's attention to the big letters at the top which spelled out: "RE: POSSIBLE REFERENDUM." It was of course a great pity there had not been a referendum on the privatisation and deregulation of bus services, which would have made Souter's referendum a non-starter. The finger of blame continued to be laid at the feet of 'gays' or a 'gay clique,' echoing MSP Jimmy Wray's reference to a "gay mafia" in the Scottish Sun. This paper also reported: "Stagecoach boss Brian Souter last night accused a gay clique within Labour of trying to wreck plans for a referendum on Section 28." This was unfairly headlined by the Scottish Sun as "gay dirty tricks." Again there are parallels in this to the treatment of Jews in Germany during thirties when there were the same references to powerful Jewish cliques influencing government and of Jewish trickery. The Daily Record reported: "Tycoon Brian Souter accused the Government and the gay lobby of sabotaging the plan for the referendum..." Headlining the eruption of "fury" the gays had caused, the Daily Record's 8.5 cm lettering declared Souter's efforts: "POLL AXED" along with a picture of a "concerned" Brian Souter. The Daily Record reported that Souter had claimed "the gay lobby had managed to influence the U-turn - a clear reference to gay MP and ERS member Stephen Twigg, who last night denied spiking the referendum." The Daily Record was not amused. Its editorial added its voice to the dark forces threatening democracy. "The Section 28 turmoil has gone from unsatisfactory to downright sinister. It is now clear that powerful factions are determined that the people of Scotland will not have their say." But the Daily Record had made its mind up and used the editorial to threaten the Election Reform Services. "If they refuse the people the chance to give their opinion on Section 28, they will be accused of showing partiality to the gay lobby. It would be a shame if such an important body lost its authority by caving in to a minority, no matter how influential... If the voters are not allowed to have their say now, they will have it sooner or later..."

R D Don, 63 Hadyard Terrace, Dailly, Girvan wrote to The Herald to wag a finger at the First Minister: "If he had been exposed to some of the evils that I have seen among 'gay' (there's nothing gay about depravity) communities around the world, he would not be so keen to encompass them in what he holds as 'normal' relations. More strength to Brian Souter. Thank God someone is prepared to stand up for decency. I for one will be pleased to receive his referendum form."

P Wardlaw, 45 Ireland Street, Carnoustie despaired: "Of course we cannot expect sense from Brian Souter - he's clearly a few coaches short of a bus fleet - but has the rest of Scotland gone completely made too? How can we expect the rest of Europe to take us seriously as a modern nation if we act like refugees from the Middle Ages? God help us if we ever get complete independence - we'll be having public executions before you can say 'Cardinal Winning'".

The Scottish Mail was raging. "The people must have their say," its editorial blasted. "The Electoral Reform Society has stated it would only participate in the exercise if it advanced the cause of democracy in Scotland. The fact that it was not prepared to commit itself to the project last night is cause for alarm in that failure to proceed as planned would be seen as bowing to outside influences... The whole future course of democracy in Scotland is now at stake. The people must have their say." But what form of democracy was it when only those rich enough could afford to pick and choose an issue for referendum? In this case, a sinister evangelical challenging a human right.

Writing in the Scottish Express, Keith Aitken was spot on. He wanted a "gentle" word with Brian Souter. "You evidently think you are doing us all a big favour by giving us a referendum. Actually, you are treating us with monumental insolence. Why? Two reasons. First, your actions imply that we, lacking your wealth, are incapable of making our democracy work properly. But our democracy is not an ailing company to be sorted out by hostile bid. It's something that was fought for over generations by people with smaller pockets but bigger ideas than you. The idea they fought for was that public policy should be determined according to public rules, not private privilege. It is for the public to decide whether the rules are right, not for you. You are one five millionth of the Scottish public, and not a fraction more. The way our democracy works is that we elect an administration by reference to its broad policies and outlook, we let it get on with the job, and we change it at the next general election if we don't like what it has done. The fact that you evidently lack the patience for that process doesn't mean that the system isn't working, merely that it isn't delivering what you want... Secondly, it is an impertinence for you to suppose that you can hire voters like casual staff. Scotland is not a rotten borough that can be sent obediently to the polls at your feudal command... The simple truth, I rather suspect, is that you are proposing to confect a referendum for no more complicated reason than the belief that you can win it. Please don't be offended by that assertion. It is exactly the same motivation which has driven every politician who has ever called for a referendum. The difference, of course, is that we can get rid of politicians. I'm not quite clear how we get rid of you." Keith Aitken must be gay! He's too good!

Old Mother Burnie was called in for a bit of overtime at the Daily Record to do a piece on Scots who had been prevented from expressing their views. The tousle-haired old harridan explained: "To them it looks like a sinister, politically correct stitch-up - with everyone but those most involved having the First Minister's ear." The majority of people she spoke to, of course, applauded Souter's efforts. "Either that, or they echo the feelings of those such as William Campbell, 71, of Dundee, who suspects this obsession with Section 28 is all a red herring, to 'cover up some far more serious issues." Joan must have had a quick shuffle round the ward to collect comments before setting out with her notepad. "The Government's priorities were questioned again and again, not least by Labour voters who fail to see why this single issue, above all others, must be tackled, when anyone can see there is so much that requires attention in our brave new Scotland." Er... Who did you say concentrates too much on this single issue, dear?

Old Mother Burnie was open for business as usual on her problem page. A parent wrote and told her how her young son had tried to kill himself after being bullied at school. The parent went to her son's school and found the teachers were able to deal with the subject "sensitively." Mother Burnie seized the opportunity to flog the Daily Record's line on Section 28. "You're right," she gleamed. "Schools have a responsibility to protect ALL their pupils from bullying. Clause 28 shouldn't and doesn't come in to it. Your very welcome and sensible letter only emphasises a situation about which every teacher and parent should be aware." But considering the time the parent was referring to, it must've been before Brian Souter brought Section 28 to everyone's attention and teachers acted without the dark hand of censure. It is extraordinary to find any agony aunt these days supporting the retention of Section 28. But then Mother Burnie is no ordinary agony aunt.

In another letter to Mother Burnie, "a normal 17-year-old" with a girlfriend spilled out his love for a boy at his college. After dismissing it as "having what they used to call a 'pash.'" Old Mother Burnie suggested "some things are better left unsaid. So go on being friends, but don't try to force it into something else."

In the Scottish Mail, Katie Grant was full of praise for the "nimble feet" of the SNP for shifting their position "to support statutory guidelines." Yes, guidelines that support the 'stable family' and not the 'one man, one woman' one the tabloid Ms Grant works for wanted. She was full of praise for Souter's referendum backers. "Not one of those supporting a referendum, from Tom Hunter to Vali Hussein, could be accused with any credibility of being homophobic or anti-democratic. You could not even call them part of the awkward squad." She generously saw the referendum as "a neat way out for Mr Dewar." Under a picture of one of the Keep the Clause propaganda posters showing Donald Dewar with his fingers in his ears, Katie Grant set about doing a hatchet job on the First Minister. "Dewar now appears to feel that democracy is more his enemy than his friend. The idea of a referendum seems to cause him some affront. This only serves to underline the general feeling that slowly but surely Donald Dewar is becoming more distant from the nation he governs. He is up there on the Mound, flanked by his Executive, living in one world. The rest of us are out here living in another." She said this smacked of arrogance. "Quite what Dewar sees is a mystery - even, perhaps, to Dewar. The result has been that this erstwhile thoroughly respected astute politician is now perceived to be drifting along like a stick in a river, tossed about helplessly and occasionally getting badly snagged." A bit like what will happen to Katie Grant's tights if she ever walked passed me!

A letter, printed in the Scottish Mail from Douglas Sampson of Gattonside, Melrose offered enormous encouragement to Christian militants. "Congratulations to the Scottish Daily Mail and Brian Soutar, our champions for the silent masses of Scotland. Congratulations also to all those 'concerned individuals' who are organising and financing this Electoral Reform Society referendum on Section 28. The list reads well. In the absence of a House of Lords in Scotland, might it not be a good idea to retain the services of these responsible citizens as a watching brief on this irresponsible Scottish Government?" Of course, even Scottish Daily Mail readers have opinions. But like... Who cares?

Thursday, 30 March and papers were reporting the frank exchange in the House of Commons over Labour's failure to repeal Section 28 between Prime Minister Tony Blair and the shadow minister William Hague. Hague challenged Blair with the words: "Just so we know what we have to do to get you to back off from this politically correct nonsense, will you tell us if the Lords defeat it one more time will you abandon it?" Of course, there was every prospect of a humiliating defeat in the unelected and Tory-led House of Lords. Unless a compromise was reached, the whole bill would be lost; including the prospect of elected city mayors. (There was still considerable speculation that Section 28 would be dropped from the bill). In London, mayoral favourite Ken Livingstone promised to terminate Greater London Authority contracts with homophobic firms. A clear threat to Stagecoach, whose buses filled London streets. Ken Livingstone said: "I think Brian Souter's campaign in Scotland is homophobic. I would not countenance London buses becoming associated with that sort of cause." Souter snapped: "It is none of Ken Livingstone's business." In the House of Commons, Blair took the safest route over Section 28 and told the Conservative leader he was "committed to the repeal of it." He added: "We in particular remain absolutely set against the mischievous propaganda campaign run against this that has suggested that, in some way, by repealing Section 28, children in our schools are going to have their sex education lessons changed." In England and Wales, sex education is determined by parents, teachers and governors guided by the 1994 Education Act. In Scotland, a consultative process between parents and teachers guide sex education, not statute. Blair said: "This campaign is based on people who don't want to come out and say they are prejudiced against gay people and so they hide behind the issue of child protection." The Herald reported how "Mr Hague consistently side-stepped the challenge from the Prime Minister, concentrating instead on the apparent contradiction that, if Section 28 did not apply to schools, then why did the Government want to repeal it." Jack Irvine, confident his own reputation for irrational behaviour was well behind him, gave his response in The Scotsman to the Prime Minister's labelling of opponents to the repeal of Section 28 as bigots. "Frankly, I find it an astonishing view for Blair to take, but it might suggest the level of stress that he and Donald Dewar are under over this issue, in that they are now making irrational statements."

After the "POLL AXED" headline, the Daily Record was grovelling. "The respected organisation had already signalled to Souter and his backers that they would go ahead with the ballot. But they staged a last-minute rethink which left them open to accusations that they were responding to Government pressure." Now, things appeared to be "back on track." All the same, the tabloid's editorial expressed contempt for suggestions that many were planning to rip up the ballot sheets. But had Souter any credibility to mastermind a ballot of this nature? Bankrolled by militant Christians? Oh, please! But the Daily Record blasted: "The Government is determined to do all it can to sabotage the referendum of the Scottish people on Section 28. So afraid are they of the will of the people that suggestions for a 'bin the ballot' campaign are being made at the highest level. They hope that if enough people boycott the referendum, the results will be discredited... The Executive is also likely to run into major problems if it tries to pay for such a campaign out of public funds," the tabloid warned. Then, with shameless disregard to its own contribution opined: "The longer the Section 28 dispute drags on, the worse the damage to Scottish society and relations between Parliament and the people. A responsible Scottish Government would be seeking to heal the divisions. Instead, day by day, they are making them worse."

Sinking to the level of the Scottish Sun, the Scottish Mail printed a "tongue-in-cheek" list of questions to put "New Labour's 'patriotism' to the test." They asked the question: "You believe in the family, so how do you help to protect it? A) Follow the German and French lead and give married couples huge tax breaks. B) Scrap the Married Couples Allowance and encourage schools to promote homosexuality. C) Make divorce illegal and adultery a criminal offence." If you scorecard showed all C's, Edward Heathcoat Amory's quiz suggested: "You are clearly a force of conservatism and will be deported with your home being donated to a Romanian gipsy." For the B's, you were "a perfect Blairite Briton" and scoring all A's you were asked to learn to be more modern.

The very same Edward Heathcoat Amory was stirring things again in another feature warning: "Labour's obsession with incorporating European human rights laws into our legal system threatens to undermine every aspect of British life." Human rights were treated with the same respect as a Laurel and Hardy sketch. "Our slapstick comedy politicians have got Britain into another fine mess. Carried away by their desire to suck up to the rest of Europe, they have rushed to embrace the Human Rights Act." He ought to have known better. The European Convention of Human Rights has nothing to do with the European Union but a convention of the Council of Europe, which Britain signed up to in the forties. Neither does the European Court of Human Rights have anything to do with the European Union. Both Conservative and Labour have abided by it's rulings with Scottish law now conforming to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Of course, "GAY RIGHTS AND THE END OF MARRIAGE," was given special mention in Edward Heathcoat Amory's piece. "The changed law is certain to lead to a flood of other challenges, with gays demanding exactly the same rights as married couples in every field, from public housing to inheritance, from taxation to pension rights." Oh, how awful! With an illustration of bomb being detonated, the caption ran: "EURO LAW TIME BOMB." The Scottish Mail's editorial asked: "A new tyranny of human rights?" And imagined "scenes from British life, a year or two from now: In a packed courtroom, the head of a public school is ordered to pay damages for the 'offence' of banning gay sex between his pupils... Meanwhile at a nearby office, staff turn up in jeans and trainers, knowing that their bosses can no longer insist on suits. Welcome to the brave new world emerging under the European Convention of Human Rights. Such examples of politically-correct lunacy could become almost routine." I dunno. Sounds alright to me! Robert Boyd, an education lawyer flipped in The Scotsman: "Sodomy after the age of 16 is going to be lawful and gay children at boarding schools may insist that they have the right to have sex with one another." Thank goodness this wasn't the Daily Record having to explain all this. John Scott, director of the Scottish Human Rights Centre was rushed in to administer aid and accused him of scaremongering. The key right in the convention was the right to education, he said. It was clear that a school couldn't simply expel a teenager and deny their right to an education for having sex if they were over the age of consent.

There was some excitement attached to the discovery of two Frenchmen 'marrying' in Edinburgh on Tuesday. This administrative act took place in the French consulate. The legislation, containing all the legal benefits but none of the vows of matrimony is known as PACS (Pacte Civil de Solidarite) and was introduced by the French government in 1999. The French must have been quite baffled by all the media attention over such a non-event. The Scottish Mail, one of the last to get hold of the story - oh, I wonder why? - stomped: "A Scotsman and his gay French partner have become the first homosexual couple to be 'married' in Scotland." The Catholic Church leapt into the story with frocks flying and "immediately demanded assurances from the Scottish Executive that similar legislation would not be introduced in Scotland." The Mail hinted darkly that Jacques Chirac's introduction of the Pacte Civil de Solidarite was met with objections from national and local politicians. Not enough to stop it becoming law, though. Reporter Gavin Madeley gasped: "Up to 100,000 French couples are expected to sign an agreement over the next year." While this was left to appear as though thousands of gay couples were queuing to sign up, in reality, this figure also included straight couples. Cardinal Winning was invited for yet another comment on behalf of the Catholic Church and "asked for reassurances from First Minister Donald Dewar that the concept of marriage would not be broadened to include gay couples." The spokesman for the Catholic Church was also given another shot to add: "Any move towards recognising gay marriages is an attack on the marriage-based family..." The role of the French Consul-General in Scotland - apart from occasionally legitimising a bit of cock-on-cock action - is that of political observer. They will only be too aware of the homophobic climate existing in Scotland at this moment in time. Anita Limido, a spokesperson for the Consul General actually spoke to the Scottish Mail and elaborated on the words 'fuck off' in the following way: "This was a purely administrative act. We cannot comment as this is a private matter between two men."

Efforts by the progressive Lothian and Borders police in Edinburgh to recognise the special needs of gays at this difficult time by opening up a special surgery in the gay area of the capital was an excuse for a quirky caption in the Scottish Sun: "Send for the boys in pink."

The Daily Record gave "a simple pointer" to establish someone's sexual orientation. New research had pointed to men who are the youngest in large family of boys "are more likely to be gay." There was picture of a hand with advice on how to spot a gay. "...Gay men with several older brothers had an unusually 'masculine' second and fourth finger length ration. But gay men with no older brothers had finger lengths the same as heterosexuals... Lesbians had a greater difference in length between their second and fourth fingers than 'straight' women." The Daily Mail did better and printed a double-page spread with an anatomical diagram of the human phalanges explaining: "Homosexual men have slightly shorter second fingers than straight men." And "lesbians tend to have the homosexual male characteristic of a shorter second finger." After ransacking picture libraries, a selection of photographs were found of "well-known figures whose sexuality - present and past - is, almost without exception, known." This was presented "in the interests of scientific debate - and public curiosity..." Included was Prince Edward whose picture, taken on his wedding day showed his "index finger is clearly longer," indicating he was, as the Daily Mail always suspected, completely straight. This echoed the pseudo-science of phrenology whereby millions of Germans under Nazi rule had their head shapes, nose sizes, hair and eye colours measured to determine racial purity. At the same time, these new studies were showing gay men had bigger cocks than straight men. (But, I suppose the picture editor had to draw the line somewhere). R Bain of Boturich Cottages, Balloch wrote to The Herald complaining, "one of my hands is homosexual and the other heterosexual. Fortunately in my case for most of the time the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing..." Ever under the microscope, a letter titled "gay myth" in the Scottish Mail repudiated the claim gays represent 10 per cent of the population, but - selectively quoting the discredited survey Sexual Behaviour In Britain - only "between 1 pc and 2 pc." He quoted research from the Kinsey Institute "which revealed that 84 pc admitted to having shifted or changed their sexual orientation at least once, 60 pc reported a second shift, 32 pc a third shift, and 13 pc at least five changes. In a lifespan, immutable personal traits such as eye colour or left-handedness never changes once, let alone three, four or five times." And of course, we all know how good hetties are at keeping to the straight and narrow!

"Soap chiefs rapped for Eastbender," was the headline the Daily Record used to describe a story on the broadcasting watchdog's criticism of BBC soap Eastenders. "The Broadcasting Standards Commission upheld two viewers' complaints, saying the show had gone 'beyond acceptable boundaries.'" The storyline covered ten of the characters going to Amsterdam to celebrate Ian Beale and Barry's joint wedding to Melanie and Natalie. The Daily Record listed the almost relentless "drunken and promiscuous behaviour, sexual innuendo and drug-taking, before the watershed... In December's programme, Mel... was challenged to kiss men from six countries. Natalie... had to acquire three love bites. Her husband-to-be, Barry, was caught kissing his mother-in-law, Andrea. The rest of the men, wearing clown wigs, visited the red-light district to try to buy a prostitute for idiotic Robbie... who was violently sick after smoking a joint." Apparently all too much for just two viewers. But this was supposed to be a combined hen and stag weekend and was bound to depict some boisterous behaviour, wasn't it? Anyone involved in any moral shenanigans was not seen to have benefited from it either. In another ruling, the hit Asian comedy Goodness Gracious Me "showed Asian members of a congregation using chutney with their communion bred." I roared when I read that! This was the first time I laughed at something in the Record since Old Mother Burnie showed readers what she looked like on her wedding day! The Daily Record moralised how in 1999 "a survey for the Commission showed the proportion of people who believed there was too much sex on TV had jumped from 32 per cent to 36 per cent."

Friday, 31 March and while the chief executive of the ERS balloting arm was discussing the wording of the proposed referendum, the pro-Section 28 papers concentrated their efforts on attacking Donald Dewar in another way. After the final bill for the new Holyrood parliament building in Edinburgh soared to more than £200 million, the Scottish Mail headlined their response: "SHAMBLES."

The Scottish Sun diverted readers in a different way altogether with "gorgeous Heather Jackson... bust-ing with pride" and celebrating a "pair-fect day in Scotland" with National Cleavage Day. Leaning forward with her tits hanging heavy in her bra, this was described as "chest what Scottish Sun readers wanted as they hailed the biggest and breast day of the year."

Celebrating a new report from Edinburgh University Professor Lindsay Paterson, the Daily Record reported that "working-class children from Catholic schools are more likely to go to college." 65 per cent of pupils at Catholic schools from disadvantaged areas opted for further education after getting three or more Highers. This compared with non-Roman Catholic schools were the figure was 56 per cent. The Scottish Mail also gave the story some weight.

On the evening's BBC News Scotland headlines, the announcement was made that the Electoral Reform Society had abandoned its plans to conduct a referendum for Brian Souter and his Keep the Clause campaign. In the newsroom, a lardaceous Jack Irvine swivelled in his chair to face the ERS spokesman, Ken Ritchie and in unconcealed rage, called the ERS "spineless" and "gutless." Ritche, visibly shocked at Irvine's language, expressed deep misgivings about the true motives behind Souter's campaign. This had clearly hit Jack Irvine were it hurt. Ritchie, had phoned society members asking them if they wanted to get involved in this and they hadn't. The Herald had also written to the ERS pleading for them not to go ahead. Ritchie tried to explain the complexities of balloting and wording sensitive issues such as this. He said it was not the Electoral Reform Society that took the decision not to conduct the referendum for Keep the Clause but their "professional balloters (who) didn't want to compromise their integrity." The ERS felt no one could form a final opinion over repealing Section 28 until they had seen the guidelines that replaced it. Jim Sillars in the Scottish Sun hit out at Labour for pandering to "fanatical minorities" and the ERS for showing itself "to be engaged in humbug. It's excuse for not holding a ballot on Section 28... pathetic." The commentary appeared under a clip of a unsubstantiated headline that fuelled suspicion of a powerful gay clique: "Souter blames gay dirty tricks." The Daily Record accused the ERS of a major blunder. "The guidelines in Scotland are a totally separate issue and will not replace Section 28. In its place will go a clause promising to promote stable family life." And your problem, caller?

Stewart Lamont, a religionist used his regular column in The Herald to spill his homophobic bile in the form of a wee joke. "A minister goes into public lavatory in the centre of Glasgow, one of the type which is entered by a flight of stairs down from street level. He recognised the lavatory attendant as one of his parishioners and greets him cheerily. 'How are things with you, Geordie?' 'Nae verrra great, minister,' replies the man, grimly. 'This job used to be a pleasure when it was real gentlemen that used to come in here. Noo it's a' different. If it's no the gays coming in here to meet, occupying the cubicles, then it's they drug addicts, using the place to inject themselves, and selling their stuff to each other. You know, minister, when I get someone in here for a right good s***e it's like a breath of fresh air." Poor Stewart Lamont "felt a bit like a lavatory attendant this week," clearly something quite beneath him, forced to listen to "debates about decriminalising drugs and abolishing the ban on promoting homosexuality in schools..." Lamont believed: "A majority in our society still believe that neither homosexuality nor drugs deserves to be promoted, so why not take their opinions into account in public policy while leaving people freedom to deviate in private? That way we show tolerance towards others but still demand high standards of ourselves, an approach which seems to me rather close to the teaching of Jesus. Of course, some may say that it it's a double-standard, and in a way it is, because it has the double virtue of toleration and pragmatism, common sense and compassion." Whaaa? Remember Lamont, the next time you're in St Vincent's 'cottage' pointing Percy to porcelain. I'm one of those bad things that happen to good people. Oh dear. What a shame that just when The Herald was improving itself by leaps and bounds, it goes and produces shite like this! With no corresponding gay columnist at the top of the page to whip out his cock and piss on Lamont's head, The Herald only leaves itself open to a charge of bias. Sadly, there are no regular gay columnists writing in Scottish papers. (Except for maybe Karen Dunbar for Scottish editions of the Sunday Mirror but this is not regular and she has an entertainment brief).

Saturday, 1 April and the Scottish Mail - proving its readers were having troubled following whole sentences - lay another one-word wonder on their front page: "SILENCED." (If only)! The Scottish Mail editorial cried: "The majority voice has been snuffed out. Silenced." They reported how "a spokesman for Cardinal Winning, the (unelected) leader of Scotland's Catholic community" had described it as a "massive disappointment." The Scottish Mail then tore into the committee. "Liberal society with Tory share cheat at the helm," they spat at the society's chairman, former Tory MP Keith Best who was sentenced to four months in prison for making multiple applications for British Telecom shares. "As a lobby group for voting reform, the majority of ERS members are form left wing and liberal political backgrounds, with many Liberal Democrats on its ruling council." Presumably, this was not something that bothered them before the ERS made its announcement. A fact The Herald certainly hadn't missed, quoting a pro-repealer: "Last week the Keep the Clause people were extolling the society's reputation and boasting about its credibility, and clearly the society has looked at what it was getting into and decided to have nothing to do with it. That says much more about the Keep the Clause campaign's referendum plan than it does about the Society." Jack Irvine told Scotland on Sunday: "If we had realised the kind of people they were we would never have got involved with them. They have presented an image of propriety and fair dealing and it turns out their chairman is a spiv." Oh, Jack, don't make me laugh! Of course, the militant tabloid was not going to spare a gay member of the ERS. "Stephen Twigg's views on Section 28 were made clear last month when he joined a pro-repeal march organised by homosexual groups. The Labour MP and ERS council member has made no secret of his homosexuality since he ousted Michael Portillo from the Enfield Southgate seat at the last election." This was another lie. Stephen has always been perfectly open about his sexuality. But so what? The Scottish Mail dragged an only too willing Anne Allen off her Church of Scotland Board of Social (Ir)Responsibility to express her extreme disappointment.

In the same issue, a revolting double-page feature by Daniel Jeffreys from New York went out nationally. Headlined: "HETEROPHOBIA," the review of Oscar-winning American Beauty was depicted as a "sinister attack on heterosexuality" by gays. The feature promised to reveal "how Hollywood is demonising heterosexual life as part of a disturbing new pro-gay agenda." It explored the idea that "some time in the past ten years, a new theory gained currency among gays, especially in the entertainment business. This held that heterosexuality was a curse to be denigrated and mocked wherever possible, and that gays could never win the power they craved in society without undermining heterosexuals whenever possible." The idea of homosexuals 'craving' power to undermine heterosexuals is not just ridiculous, it is also deeply offensive, dishonest and blatantly homophobic.

Soon, the Mail will be moving shop and the Bible-bashers will be sharing the same canteen as Scottish Television. (Steady lads, no pissing in their coffee)! A paper with the attitude that won the respect of Mosley's Blackshirts, I can't see it lasting myself.

Another powerful, militant tabloid, the Scottish Sun jumped on the bandwagon to make its contribution of malicious propaganda on behalf of the Christian militia. "Clear. Concise. Democratic. What are they scared of? Are the people of this country so stupid to call this toss the wrong way...? Anti-repeal supporters were looking for a simple answer. Like: Yes, delighted. What time suits you? What they got was another affront to the democratic process." Anyone would think the public were being taken away the right to vote at the next general election. They weren't. And the reason Keep the Clause campaigners were so vociferous in their fight to have a referendum was because they saw it is as their only chance of victory. The only Party to support them at the election was the Conservative Party. It was wiped out in the last election in Scotland and stood no chance of gaining a majority. None the less, "furious Mr Souter" said: "From our feedback it's clear that the people of Scotland want a referendum. We will just have to find a way to give them the referendum they want."

Daily Record editor Martin Clarke had been sharing the same bed with Brian Souter for so long now, readers were beginning to wondering if he was ever going to change the sheets. Not today! "ERS chiefs sabotaged poll... The Record can reveal it was the 15-strong ruling council which vetoed the plan," they cried. "The name of the Electoral Reform Society has become a byword around the world for integrity, fair play and democracy. But not any more. Today, the men and women of that august organisation should hang their heads in shame at their craven decision not to organise the postal petition over Section 28." I'm sure the feeling was mutual. "The Society's commercial polling arm bottled out after it discovered what a hot potato the issue has become in Scotland." Executive director Owen Thomas was in for a right grilling! "Mr Thomas also fails to grasp the most essential point of all which is that most parents are not impressed with the concept of non-statutory 'guidelines' anyway. They want a law and are quite happy with the one they've got, thank you... In the meantime, Mr Thomas's excuses are so flimsy that the inevitable suspicion arises that somehow his organisation has been nobbled. We know, for instance, that one openly gay Labour MP, Stephen Twigg, sits on the society's ruling council..." Stephen told the Record: "I do not have to speak to you and I do not take kindly to being slagged off in your editorials." Go, girl! And was the wicked Queen from Anderston's glass palace holding a mirror up to her own face when she accused the Executive of Nazism? "It would be a scandal if the sinister forces of control-freakery which now infest our political life had succeeded where some of the world's scariest dictators failed. But all in all, who'd put money against it?" A "spokesman" for Keep the Clause - who everyone knew by now was Jack Irvine - was quoted saying: "I have seldom come across such a gutless, spineless organisation. We can smell the fear coming through from ever line of their letter."

The Herald's editorial was mocking. "After celebrities who backed but did not back the Keep the Clause and the ERS contracts that were signed but were not signed, Mr Souter's PR company has enough egg on its face to make a meal of it."

In a sinister development reported in The Scotsman, a gay website was suddenly closed. It followed a legal landmark case only days before, when a university lecturer was paid almost a quarter of a million pounds in damages and legal costs by the Internet Service Provider, Demon, owned by Scottish Telecom, in an out-of-court settlement over material carried on the site. Outcast was a respected and nationally distributed gay political magazine. It boasted contributions from, amongst others, Ken Livingstone MP, human rights activist Peter Tatchell and writer Mark Simpson. The ISP NetBenefit wanted an assurance from a solicitor acting for Outcast that they would not print anything libellous. "Obviously, no solicitor can give a guarantee like that," said editor Chris Morris who took Britain to the European court over our unequal age of consent law. The ISP admitted closing the site following a complaint. Unlike the UK, the Internet in the USA is looked upon in the same way as a telephone where a company cannot be held responsible for conversations taking place on it. Outcast magazine is run by volunteers and has a circulation of around 10,000.

Sunday, 2 April and Scotland on Sunday, a trusted friend of pro-Section 28ers revealed how Brian Souter had spent £50,000 commissioning a computer firm to build "an up-to-the minute computer database of every voter in Scotland." He had commissioned a computer firm to build a database of almost four million Scots who are registered to vote. "The database - compiled from electoral records held by local councils - was finished on Friday and took the firm just five days to complete."

On the BBC's Frost on Sunday, Donald Dewar stood by his commitment to abolish Section 28 and challenged the pressure on him to define 'stable relationships' claiming that family life could not be defined as heterosexual marriage because 50 per cent of Scottish children were born out of wedlock. The Scottish Mail snapped: "In fact the correct figure is 40 per cent." But since when had 10 per cent of the population concerned them?

A lot of questions were being asked in the Sunday Herald. Iain Macwhirter wrote: "Keep the Clause has been a bad joke. So why has this flaky organisation been allowed to run civic Scotland ragged this winter?" Derek Ogg QC asked in the same paper: "This is a major issue for Scotland. What if they decide abortion is next? Or capital punishment? Scotland will become a playground for millionaires who realise they can buy a change in the law?" Iain Macwhirter, himself facing legal action wrote: "Recently a number of political journalists have been discovering that discrete inquiries are being made about their own private lives. 'What's he like? Is he married? Is he divorced? Is he gay?' Even newspaper editors are being threatened by sinister figures on the fringes of Scottish media life. In the small pond of Scottish pubic life, this kind of thing can rapidly become poisonous. Some gay journalists are seriously thinking about leaving the country altogether. The referendum would have been - might still be - one of the ugliest political campaigns in mainland Britain since the Smethwick by-election in the 1960s. Naked prejudice would have returned to mainstream politics. In Smethwick, they chanted: 'If you want a nigger for a neighbour vote Labour.' I dread to think what they would have found this time to rhyme with 'poof' and 'queer'. The lies about gay sex lessons being taught in schools would have been - may still be - spread anew by this unholy alliance of egotistical businessmen, tabloid newspapers and the Roman Catholic Church. Homosexual teenagers would be victimised, gay teachers targeted, political opponents vilified."

In another worrying development, the Scottish Mail on Sunday revealed the Christian Institute was ready to sue Phace West, the group that produced the booklet Gay Sex Now. The Christian Institute believed "Glasgow Council is illegally promoting homosexuality by paying around £50,000 a year to the group, which offers advice on homosexual practices to youngsters as young as 12." Lawyers acting for the Christian Institute had been instructed to stop the council from making any further payments. "They also intend to demand the group, Phace West, pays back money granted over five years," the Scottish Mail on Sunday dutifully informed readers. Simon Calvert, of the Christian Institute, told the paper: "We are keen to see Section 28 is properly enforced. It has served as a deterrent and it is a perfectly proper to see the law is applied." And where is the money coming from to fund this, I ask. From little old ladies popping a few pennies in the collection box? Yeah, riiiight!

The Gay Sex Now booklet, aimed at gay men, or even youths having gay sex, was a useful guide to safer sex. A Daily Record editorial on AIDS admitted: "In more enlightened countries, there has been no epidemic, or infection rates have been reversed by properly-funded programmes."

The news that Brian Souter was looking to the US to find a company to run his referendum in Scotland was carried by the Sunday Times. He told them gays even had the backing of figures in Britain's financial establishment and said: "If someone felt as strongly about repeal then they could launch a campaign. There's an enormous (amount of) money coming from the gay lobby group, who are even sponsored, sometimes, by people in the City." So how come that money has not secured any equality for gay rights in Parliament? Brian Souter was interviewed by Patricia Nicol in the Sunday Times Scotland. She joined him on the sofa in his Victorian drawing room. (What d'yer think of that tartan carpet, Pat)? "A devout Christian, Souter is not comfortable discussing sexual mores with a stranger," she observed. "He avoids eye contact at first and seems awkward..." (He might have been more comfortable if it had been one of his bus driver's armed with a notepad, Pat... Just a suggestion for next time). Brian Souter's views on sexuality were decidedly suspect. Pat asked him why he thought a half-hour's role-playing exercise at 14 was going to change a child's sexuality. Brian replied: "We all know that when children are going through a phase in their early teens, when they are coming to terms with their own sexuality, they often have a same-sex crush. Now when they are going through that difficult stage I think it would be wrong to send a child a message that 'gay is a good choice', because a perfectly normal heterosexual child going through that phase could be encouraged into a series of sexual experimentations that could actually be very damaging to them. It could leave hem emotionally scarred and at risk from sexual disease. As a parent I don't want that for my children - I want them to be nurtured with things that are wholesome and good and conform to our traditional values." In interviews with Brian Souter I've commented before on how he hides references to homosexuality behind others. He did the same again with issue of the 'gay phase myth.' Pat noted how "he says he did not experience such a crush himself, but has a close friend who did." She finished by adding: "He seems so awkward that I wonder how he deals with his children asking about sex. 'I'm just a normal guy,' he answers softly..." (Well for once, Brian, she wasn't talking about you). "'It embarrasses me. The one time Amy asked me something I said, 'Your mother will tell you when she gets back from the shops.'"

A more bizarre headline appeared in The Observer in Scotland, which announced: "Souter's new ambition is to buy Herald." Their columnist Arnold Kemp found, "although his spokesman, Jack Irvine, of Media House, dismissed the suggestion as fantasy, it is known that Souter has told friends that he is keen to buy the paper, perhaps jointly with his friend and fellow millionaire Tom Hunter, founder of Sports Division." The Herald was bought by the Scottish Media Group, which owns Scottish and Grampian TV for £110m. Irvine told The Observer in Scotland: "That's fantasy. He must have been winding somebody up" and told them Souter was willing to spend up to £2m, but his pledge to go back to living in a council house in Perth was only hyperbole.

Monday, 3 April had the Scottish Mail reporting how a System Three survey showed Labour slumping into second place behind the SNP. "Translated into seats, that would give the SNP 49, Labour 42, the Lib-Dems 19 and Tories 14." Carrying the story as part of a report on Souter's efforts to find another company to administer his referendum, the tabloid failed to mention that the SNP also supported the abolition of Section 28.

The Daily Record was reported how "Lazarus rises up against Labour," promoting Glasgow's former Lord Provost Pat Lally's new book in which he savaged Tony Blair for attempting to expel him from the Labour Party and Blair's appointment of Tory billionaire Michael Ashcroft in the House of Lords.

As spring arrived in Scotland and hundreds of column inches were still being given over to the Section 28 debate, Jack Lovie of 7 Highet Gardens, Irvine wrote in The Herald: "May I interrupt the avalanche of intellectual debate in your letters pages on the repeal of Section 28 to inquire if anyone has heard the first cuckoo?"

Tuesday, 4 April and never before had there been such an interest in the business news. "Stagecoach shares hit the buffers with a grinding crash...," announced The Herald. "Stockbrokers' screens turned into a sea of red," wrote the Scottish Mail as Stagecoach shares went into freefall. The Perth-based bus, rail and airport group, owned by Brian Souter and his sister Ann Gloag and employing more than 40,000 people world-wide had warned that profits at its Coach USA acquisition were going to be worse than expected. They blamed difficult labour marketing conditions and a hike in oil prices. There were difficulties too at Coach USA, the largest provider of sightseeing and charter bus operations in the US, which had 16,500 coaches and 3,000 taxis and cost Souter £1.2 billion in 1999, a price too high according to some analysts. The Scotsman's Business View hinted: "The US had been tipped as the market where Stagecoach would find major growth. But yesterday's news aroused fears that if it can't get it right in the US, then perhaps its strategy is faulty." Then there was the sudden departure of Coach USA chairman Larry King at the end of February and before that, chief executive Mike Kinski who was given a £1million 'golden goodbye' and a £1.4million pension provision. In Larry King's case, the Sunday Herald reported: "The theory goes that King deliberately pumped up the group's turnover ahead of its sale through a series of fast and loose acquisitions, 'just so he could persuade some sucker to buy it.'" The Daily Record reported Mike Kinski "quit after a series of boardroom fallouts with Souter. The antagonism reached a head in a row over the publicity Stagecoach was attracting through Mr Souter's high profile involvement with the bitter Section 28 controversy." In The Herald's Business Comment, they said: "According to one insider, it was a profound disagreement over strategy that led to Kinski's departure. The former ScottishPower director was said to want measures to boost earnings short term. Souter, on the other was said to have insisted on giving priority to growing passenger volumes at the expense of short-term profit. Guess who was right?" Amongst other business interests, Prestwick Airport in Ayr, also owned by Stagecoach, had been badly hit by the withdrawal of Federal Express, which occurred before Souter started his campaign to challenge the Scottish Executive over Section 28. There were discussions last year to sell Prestwick for £71 million. Now it was up for sale with a book price of £21 million. Stagecoach's Scandinavian subsidiary, Swebus had already been sold in October after a three year struggle to make it pay. Souter had already pulled out of markets in Kenya and Malawi. Added to that, Souter wanted to be China's biggest bus operator and had a minority share in a toll-road business there called Road King which had been a disappointment. To clear the air, Stagecoach announced the sale of its Porterbrook, train-leasing arm to Abbey National for £1.4 billion. This was a controversial move since this highly profitable company had been contributing between a third and a half of the group's profits providing a safe and steady income. Despite much-hyped new share issue to pay for Texas-based Coach USA in 1999, Stagecoach was now saying they planned a £250 million share buy-back. The City got nervous and £850 million was wiped off the Stagecoach share value in two hours of frenetic trading. The shares tumbled 42 per cent in two hours, falling at a rate of £116,000 every second. Shares plunged 51¼p to a four-year low of 70¼p when the Stock Market closed on Monday. Although more people wanted to travel by train, Stagecoach was finding it impossible to pack more paying-passengers onto its overcrowded commuter trains, like South West Rail and even faced a £5 million cut the following year in its annual rail subsidy. Brian and his sister had £170 million wiped off their personal fortunes. Brian Souter and Ann Gloag were no longer Scotland's richest couple. Their new worth of £238 million made them fifth behind Tom Hunter with an accumulated wealth of £400 million. It was not often that Brian Souter was not available for comment to the Daily Record but "a spokesman for Stagecoach" told them "Mr Souter was 'on an aircraft and uncontactable' while travelling abroad on business." Souter's friends in the press did their best to soften the blow. Hamish Macdonell, the Scottish political editor for the Scottish Mail warned there would be "no end of funding for polls," referring to Souter's quest for a private company to administer a referendum in Scotland over Section 28. The paper gave him a glowing reference as the "tycoon with a £1m heart" over his gift of a heart scanner to Glasgow University. The Daily Record also made a contribution, describing his donation as "typical of the generosity to charity shown by him, and, on an even greater scale, by his sister." Ann Gloag made what is believed to have been the largest single donation to a Christian charity in Britain: A £4 million floating hospital for the Third World.

Another disgustingly homophobic piece of lies and distortion appeared in The Herald. "We're off along the road laid down by Hitler and Stalin," wrote historian Michael Fry before signalling his willingness to "stand up and be counted" in support of Section 28. Fry insisted if referendum supporters hadn't taken up "the people's cause" against repeal, "somebody else would have." He believed that "during a quarter of a century, Scots have grown practised in their own form of civil disobedience: a quiet, steady refusal to take, if they do not want it, what is handed down to them from on high..." Referring to Section 28, he declared: "This is the latest example." But Souter was noticed because he had money. A fact Fry appears to forget. And one wonders what Fry makes of a Catholic country like Holland and who has ever taken up their cause against the forces of liberalism? Michael Fry was blind to the issues. "Ministers and their sycophants shout about homophobia, yet Scotland does not seem noticeably more or less homophobic than other countries. Scottish homosexuals are fully tolerated, and nobody is calling for constraints to be placed on them. No, the worried ones are the parents. I dare say most parents... acquire a bias in favour of that form of social organisation, which is often commended by politicians, too... They tend to think it would be a great affliction if one of their children grew up to be a homosexual... Since homosexuals do not procreate, they only increase through recruitment. And Section 28 is a safeguard against recruitment. That line of reasoning, central in the campaign to keep the clause, does not rely on the money or character of its backers." Not noticeably more homophobic to Michael Fry, safely cucooned in the heterosexism he surrounds himself in, but then he hasn't had his head jumped on by thugs because he is gay. But he did allow himself to be taken in by the propaganda and lies spread by Keep the Clause. It is quite tragic that he should deny a gay child the support in school of the sort of homophobia that clearly exists in his own household. A level of homophobia he is sufficiently comfortable with to describe as an "great affliction." The Herald is clearly proud of Michael Fry. Proud enough to open up their offices for him to broker a new publishing deal. Only a week after this feature and Brian Monteith, the Scottish Tory leader was enjoying Scottish crustaceans in a late lunch with his friend Michael Fry.

Wednesday, 5 April and Stagecoach had taken another tumble with £190 million wiped off the company's value, pushing it below the psychologically important £1 billion barrier. The sort of fury the City were displaying is normally reserved for companies on the brink of going bust. The day had started badly with a slide in the share-price target from 210p to 85p and security house Goldman Sachs downgrading its rating of Stagecoach from 'market outperformer' to 'market performer.' Similarly, Morgan Stanley downgraded its recommendations from 'strong buy' to just 'neutral.' Stagecoach's value had been halved from £2 billion to £1 billion in just two days. The share price recovered slightly to close at 63.25p, down 7p. Fears were growing that Stagecoach could be in danger of a hostile takeover bid. The Daily Record found an Edinburgh stockbroker to beef up the news. "This is not the end of the road for Stagecoach - there are still many good bits to the business." Gert Zonneveld, transport analyst at securities house WestLB Panmure was not so optimistic. He reported in The Herald's Business section that Stagecoach should not have included in its exit price the £270 million of Porterbrook train purchase commitments being taken on by Abbey National. The price was, he argued, only £1.17 billion and therefore at the bottom, rather than the top end of City expectations ranging from £1 billion to £1.5 billion. Once again Souter was unavailable for comment and Keith Cochrane, his new chief executive was on a flight to Hong Kong for a board meeting of the Citybus subsidiary. The City was not best pleased. Brian Souter and his sister Ann Gloag dropped sixth place in the league of Scotland's richest and The Herald speculated that Souter might take Stagecoach off the stock market.

The Daily Record turned its attention on Health Minister Susan Deacon's plans to spend £150,000 on four new Brook Advisory Centres in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and Stirling to add to two already operating in Edinburgh and Inverness. The Scottish Mail simply headlined: "Fury over new sex clinics for the under-aged." In 1998 there were 9,218 teenage pregnancies in Scotland, the highest in Europe. Of those, 4,033 were abortions. Of the 12,500 abortions that were being performed each year in Scotland, 4000 were amongst teenagers. "Deacon faces pro-life fury over sex clinics," ran the headline. "They drew up plans to picket her in protest at the centres which offer contraceptives and abortion advice to girls as young as 12 without the permission or knowledge of their parents." Comments were fielded from the Sexfinder General, Monsignor Tom Connelly who told the Record: "Evidence is clear over the years that, the more the availability of contraception, the higher there number of pregnancies." What evidence, he didn't say. But he did rely on a useful propaganda technique that attempted to turn the tables on Susan Deacon, suggesting her methods were already tried and tested. That all along, Scotland had been a progressive and sexually liberal country that had directly resulted in a rising level of teenage pregnancies. In fact, it was the other way round. Rose Docherty, development officer for the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children felt: "The abortion figures are going up and it's clearly time to go back to the drawing board. We are living in a sex-saturated society." The Scottish Mail allowed "Miss Deacon" to explain that "Brook Centres do not promote under-age sex. They do provide essential information about all aspects of sexual health in a way which encourages young people to make informed choices." Her voice was matched by a motley-crew of Christian militants. Rosie Docherty once again resorted to the familiar ploy of portraying Scotland's sexually history as one of sexual anarchy: "For years now the approach has been to and out more condoms and more information on sex to young people, but where is the evidence it is reducing the problems when the statistics are going up?" The Sexfinder General agreed and even Valerie Riches, the director of Family and Youth Concern was satisfied: "This is a charter for underage sex." Extraordinarily enough, Ms Deacon's plans received cross-party support, including from the Tories.

After five Labour MPs got together to take the Sunday Mail to the PCC for "complete distortion", Catherine MacLeod, The Herald's chief political correspondent reported that "the MPs' decision to make such high-profile complaints reflects the general frustration felt throughout the Government at coverage in sections of the press." The complaint centred on a column in the Sunday Mail by SNP MSP Andrew Wilson claiming nine Scottish Labour MPs were lazy, enjoying the best of food and drink for next to nothing. Government Whips Anne McGuire and Tommy McAvoy, who were criticised in the piece for neither asking questions or making speeches - their role as Whips mean they are unable to do either - are pursuing legal action.

Thursday, 6 April and the Daily Record's average must have wondered what editor-in-chief Martin Clarke's evangelical crusade to keep Section 28 was all about. The front page echoed with the sound of his tantrum and another survey showing how right he was. "We want vote on clause... 64 per cent of Scots tell Dewar they back referendum... and 60 per cent said they would vote to keep the law which bans the promotion of homosexuality in schools." But where was the enthusiasm? Where were the demonstrations we were promised? In truth, the Scots were as keen for a referendum on Section 28 as they were for a referendum on the issue of stickers on apples. Never mind, this was predictably "the biggest poll ever conducted on the issue." But no one was listening anymore and no other paper followed up the story. Brian Souter mysteriously popped up from oblivion to welcome the Record's findings. The survey was conducted by - you guessed it - Scottish Opinion Ltd who - according to the Record - "Interviewed 1426 adults across Scotland by phone from March 31 to April 4." Jack Irvine said: "The Record has demonstrated it has totally understood the will of the people" and editor of ScotsGay magazine, John Hein said: "I'm sure the vote reflects the opinion of people after the lengthy and expensive campaign waged by Mr Souter." Showing its customary 'impartiality' on the matter, the Record announced the results "a blow to campaigners who want Section 28 axed." The tabloid's editorial insisted the "people's voice will be heard... What will it take to get the stubborn Scottish government to unplug their ears and listen to the voice of the people?" The Daily Record's homophobia has always been paper-thin. Now it was unsheathed. "From the moment they announced the repeal of Section 28, it has been obvious that they are flouting the will of the majority by siding with the gay lobby. Today, they have more evidence that they are driving a dangerous division deep into Scottish society." We have only the Scottish media to thank for that! "They have another think coming because this issue will not go away quietly... The sound of protest is growing too loud to be ignored."

Amidst speculation that Brian Souter was going to take the company private, Stagecoach spent £6.4 million buying back its own shares to halt a collapse in price. Stagecoach edged up 1.75p to 65p after it bought 10.25 million in the open market at 62p. Souter was going to have a lot of explaining to do to, not just to the City, but his institutional investors: Standard Life; Mercury Asset Management and Franklin Resources. As the following Scotland on Sunday's Doug Morrison advised: "The buses are still running. So too are the trains. But for Stagecoach, as far as its share price and its relationship with the City are concerned, the wheels have well and truly come off."

In an extraordinary move, in an award ceremony organised by media and marketing magazine The Drum, the Daily Record was made Scottish newspaper of the year for best news coverage! Interestingly enough, The Herald also picked up two awards at the annual Royal Bank of Scotland newspaper awards for best business pages and the best opinion and editorial sections. The Daily Record beat its chest in celebration: "Scotland's champion leads the way in fighting to ensure the nation's real voice is heard... Our support for the campaign against a repeal of Section 28 has been a reflection of the very real fears across the country," and "the Record continues to be a caring, family newspaper." The chairman of the judging panel was former Herald editor Arnold Kemp, who writes for the Observer in Scotland and recently revealed Brian Souter could purchase The Herald. Other judges were Boston Globe editor Matthew Storin; Endell Laird, former editor of the Daily Record; Cameron Grant, former chairman of the Institute of Public Relations; Giles Brooksbank, of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising; and David Appleton, head of group media relations at the Royal Bank of Scotland. (The chairman of the Scottish Daily Record, Sir Angus Grossart, is also vice-chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland and managing director of merchant bank Noble Grossart whose portfolio includes Souter's Stagecoach. Interviewed in the Sunday Herald, he said: "I have a lot of respect for Brian and... he has the right to do this"). The former editor of the Daily Record, Endell Laird said: "The Daily Record takes news stories and gives them a good punchy angle." As some of its victims will surely testify! The Sunday Herald reported how the Scottish newspaper editors were planning a meeting to discuss "the growing array of press awards" that was "getting out of control." Meanwhile, in London, the homophobic Scotland on Sunday won an award for best Sunday newspaper in the 2000 Newspaper Awards. Its editor John McGurk was on the judging panel.

An enterprising website author soon had The Herald back into its old ways, peddling the views of the Church over "city vice guide on the Web." Recommending the best sex workers in Aberdeen and marking girls with up to three cartoon cats for looks, value and performance, 'The Mannie' wrote: "This site has been created for the information of those who share my hobby - the enjoyment of the company of prostitutes... We have some lovely lassies here and with a relaxed police attitude, you can really relax and enjoy yourself. Here in Aberdeen there is an enormous choice, but for the poor old visitor (or even local), very little information. The site only contains information that I have personally checked out myself (damn hard work I can tell you)... I have to say that the majority of the street girls I've been with have been nice people who have given me a great deal of pleasure." Mrs Anne Allen of the Kirk's Board of Social (Ir)Responsibility told The Herald she felt it "obviously gives information to anyone who cares to access it on purpose - or by accident." (Children, no doubt). "I think it further demeans the women who are involved in prostitution and it's really a very sad commentary on the person involved."

Friday, 7 April and the Scottish School Boards' Association - with mounting debts that were predicted to top £82,000 over three years - were in deep trouble. Even the Daily Record struggled to ring a positive note. It began after Mrs Ann Hill handed her draft business plan for the next three years to the Board's executive. Despite the plan listing an accumulated loss of £72,000, Mrs Hill still intended to claim £9,500 on top of her baseline salary of £38,000 a year with £4,620 to be added to her assistant's salary! She earned £10,000 for 100 days work back in 1995. Now, her salary had jumped to £38,000 for working 200 days a year. She had given herself and her assistant a £1,200 a month rise for providing services that no longer existed! These fees were for managing the Furbie Foundation whose main backers were ScottishPower and the Bank of Scotland and aimed to refurbish old computers in schools. But with Tony Blair promising new computers for all schools, Furbie ceased trading, more or less, back in December, yet it appeared Mrs Hill had been accepting payments of £3,000 a month since January. Mrs Hill was on holiday in Cyprus and "not available for comment." John Bonington, an SSBA executive board member from Fife wrote to The Herald. "Despite asking, the Executive Board has never received proper reports and accounts of the Furbie scheme's actual operation over the last year. The full written report of the conduct of, and implications arising from, the Furbie venture which we expected tabled at our meeting in December of 1999 was not forthcoming, and continues to be unavailable to us." Ann Hill claimed in The Scotsman, after receiving £1,200 a month salaries bonus for administration of the fund, that she regarded the payment as a one-off fee that had been rolled into her salary of £38,000 rather than individual monthly payments.

After Soapy Souter's shares going into freefall, never before had The Herald's Business section been so interesting. (But what had I been missing? Stories like Jim Mackay's efforts to start theclan.com, for gay businesses. Jim, a cute Wick-boy worked the oil rigs and became a Roofer before opening the Voodoo Lounge and the Edge with their combined annual turnover of £6 million).

Saturday, 8 April and the Scottish Mail moaned about "gay law fury as Galbraith group backs the repeal." The Working Group on Sex Education in Scottish Schools, a group of parents, teachers and church representatives... (Church representatives)? Was set up by the Executive to look at the guidelines replacing Section 28. The group will go on to prepare summary guidelines for teachers and a package of information on sex education in schools for parents. The Scottish Mail dragged Brian Monteith for the Tories to warn: "that the infamous gay book for schools 'Jenny Lives With Eric and Martin' could easily be used by schools if the working group failed to recommend changes to the law. Nothing short of the specific legal right of parents to remove their children from sex education classes and granting greater powers to school boards in deciding the content of sex education materials will suffice." Unfortunately, parents already can remove children from sex education classes. The Roman Catholic Church's representative on the group, John Oates "objected to the report and asked for his objections to be publicly noted. He said it was wrong for the Executive to repeal Section 28 without putting anything in its place which placed proper emphasis on the importance of marriage." And wasn't it a good thing there weren't more like him on the committee! "The report noted Mr Oates's concerns..." Cardinal Winning's spokesman was in on it too, sniffing his disapproval of "nebulous guidelines." The Scottish Mail's editorial bemoaned that the working party had noted without comment the objection from the Catholic Education Commission on the omission of a reference to marriage. Like they were interested? And threw themselves into a paddy over "the Executive's refusal to give any support or promotion to marriage at time when family life is under concerted attack from all quarters in our morally disintegrating society." Someone slap him! The Herald's editorial summed it up as "sweet reason darkened by sour prejudice."

The Herald ran a piece on The Society for the Defence of Tradition, Family, Property (TFP). Formed in 1989, TFP is funded by private individuals and has 1000 part-time members in Scotland, 4000 across the UK. This Christian shower's director Philip Moran linked homosexuality with paedophilia. 20,000 leaflets went out warning that repeal of Section 28 could lead to "dire consequences, both socially and morally" for Scottish people. Postcards were enclosed urging people to send them to First Minister Donald Dewar and requesting donations of up to £25. The letter stated: "If we do not stand fast for traditional moral values, you, your children and the Scottish people will suffer the dire consequences, both morally and socially. Homosexual acts are an unnatural vice and a moral disorder - they are sins that cry out to heaven for vengeance." Moran was dismissive: "Of course, some will be upset by the truth, but sometimes the truth hurts." The Sexfinder General Tom Connelly, speaking for Catholics, while not willing to say "anything in support of TFP... couldn't wholly condemn them either..." because he "simply didn't know enough about them." The Herald found Jack Irvine taking much the same line: "He also refused to support or condemn TFP," and suggested in its editorial that TFP "would be in deep legal water if, say, the word black replaced homosexual in the odious leaflet it has been distributing in Scotland... Unlike other newspapers (that seem to be leaving Section 28 behind in their damaging wake, having found new targets to replace a discredited campaign) we believe in full, fair, and open debate." But how true is that? The Herald has clearly supported the government throughout the debate and tried to reflect the opinions of both sides of the argument in its Letters to the Editor pages. But it also has a batch of religionists writing regular columns; expressing undisguised homophobia. With more gays in Scotland than there are bums on pews - and not one regular gay columnist, how fair is that?

Sunday, 9 April and the Sunday Herald showed a different side in the commentary for its business section. Brian Souter was described as having "an enviable reputation" for building his Stagecoach empire "from scratch in less than 20 years" and declared themselves "admirers of his buccaneering, entrepreneurial style." Adding: "It would be a crying shame if we were to lose Stagecoach." Is it hankys or knives I see coming out of pockets?

It looked like another newspaper war in the offing with the Sunday Herald taking a leading role in supporting Catholic Church liberal Father Fitzsimmons against Cardinal Winning. He told them: "Most priests don't want to risk putting their heads above the parapet but I can't stand by and say nothing while we have Winning supporting the retention of Section 28. It is the most malicious piece of legislation ever placed on a statute book and it has no place in a civilised country. We should imagine the words 'promotion of homosexuality' being replaced with 'promotion of Catholicism' or 'promotion of Judaism'."

The attacks in the media on the Health Minister, Susan Deacon were told to Sarah-Kate Templeton in the Sunday Herald. "When she began a drive to improve the sexual health of Scotland's teenagers, Susan Deacon steeled herself for the inevitable backlash. But she has now admitted that its ferocity caught her off-guard. The health minister has been branded a nutcase by a spokesman for the Catholic Church, depraved by anti-abortion campaigners and morally suspect by the Daily Record." The Daily Record actually suggested in its editorial that Ms Deacon shouldn't be passing judgements on sex education because she wasn't married to her partner John Boothman and they had a child out of wedlock. Susan Deacon had pledged to open four new Brook Advisory Centres in Scotland.

A conference organised by Children in Scotland: Developing a Sexual Health Agenda for Scotland's Children and Young People was a bold step in the current climate. Professor Peter Aggleton, director of the Thomas Coram Research Unit, at the Institute of Education, University of London certainly had his fingers on the pulse when he said: "Sex has become linked to infection and disease and in the case of young people at least, to unintended pregnancy. We are encouraged therefore to view sexual health in largely negative terms. It seems important to recognise that sexual health is, or should be, an affirmative concept, a state of well-being imbued with positive qualities, not merely the absence of those that are undesired. Sexual health must be concerned with the attainment and expression of sexual pleasure not with the repression of sexual energies and desires, still less with their denial." (Professor Aggleton: I love you). He went on to say how he'd trawled the various agencies working with young people on reproductive and sexual health matters and found only one - the London Brook Advisory Centre - that made any reference to sexual pleasure. The Sunday Herald trawled in - not unwillingly, I'm sure - 'Sexfinder General,' Monsignor Tom Connelly who spoke for all Catholics saying: "The adult world is obsessed with sex. It is time the adult world gave young people a sense of discipline." Not that he wasn't getting enough of it, of course! Just everybody else was obsessed with it! He said what young people wanted were "discipline" and a "decent code of conduct." Quite apart from this sounding a little kinky, his philosophy runs the risk of becoming a sexual expression in itself if it were ever forced on the young. The 'Sexfinder General' declared it the responsibility of adults to ensure children were not allowed to "lose the innocence of youth." And judging by the behaviour of a good many Catholic priests, I would have understood the 'Sexfinder General' more if he had declined any request for a comment on matters of a sexual nature.

In the Daily Mail's preparation for next moral crusade, Fidelma Cook found for the Scottish Mail on Sunday a "gay law professor's lover in bid for 'marital' rights." Equality shouldn't be such a difficult concept for anyone to master, but the Sunday tabloid couldn't fathom it even after two pages of reportage of Regius Professor of Law at Glasgow University, Joe Thomson v Alastair Murdoch. They apparently met in a "trendy Glasgow wine bar." Soon, Alastair was mentioned on invitations to parties and rubbing shoulders with a whole string of celebs. "Scotland's leading expert on divorce law is embroiled in an extraordinary battle with his former gay lover that could lead to full legal rights for partners in same-sex 'marriages'," the tabloid gasped. Alastair declared "the Lord Chancellor told me and my gay lover we should have the same rights as married couples. Now my lover has married a woman and left me penniless... We sat in Derry Irvine's drawing room (the Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine) a few years ago discussing that very point. Both Joe and Derry agreed that the law had to change and would. I vividly remember Derry saying something had to be done to change the law to give us rights." Fidelma Cook added that Lord Irvine, with his responsibility for divorce law, "appear to underline the Government's determination to greatly increase gay rights." Ms Cook stops short of suggesting she had a problem with this, but other commentators won't. Gays meddling with the inner workings of government will always send shivers down the spine of Mail readers. Mr Murdoch was manna from heaven. "It was Joe's idea to offer (Lord Irvine) a Doctorate of Law and he wanted to get it in before Labour got in power. I seconded it. Nine months later, as Lord Chancellor, he came up to Glasgow with Alison to receive it. We had a very merry time." And a gay ole time it was too. "A whirlwind round of parties and entertaining. There were formal dinners and receptions of the Faculty of Advocates in Edinburgh, opening nights at the ballet and the opera and holidays in the Caribbean. (This certainly wasn't Newton Mearns, was it)? Their friends and acquaintances included Princess Margaret's daughter, Sarah Chatto, Lord Rodger of Earlsferry, the Lord Justice General of Scotland; designer Jasper Conran; playwright Peter McDougal; BBC Scotland Controller John McCormick; former president of the Scottish Tories, Professor Ross Harper; and artists John Cunningham and George Devlin. Lord Irvine and his wife Alison... became close friends." Just imagine having to list all the friends and acquaintances of every straight person featured in the Scottish Mail on Sunday!

Vicky Allen made an interesting contribution to the debate on public sex in Scotland on Sunday over the case of Amanda Holt and David Machin who got hot together on a flight. Once details of their in-flight entertainment were splashed around the papers, they lost their jobs, bonuses and forced to pay a fine. The total cost: £103,350! "For what?" Stormed Ms Allen. There was of course the woman sitting in front who found herself being thumped by Holt's flailing feet above her head-rest and descriptions of her in various states of undress. And the steward who witnessed the pair "groping each other quite openly." Quite forgetting herself, Vicky Allen argued: "In Britain, public sex is kept to fields and parks and beaches, and other bits of nature, not enclosed spaces. And why? Because people can't cope with watching other people having sex. It reminds us too much of the animal in us. Holt's 'glazed eyes' told those around her that for a moment she'd forgotten herself, and that's scary."

When Labour MSP Pauline McNeill organised an evening of sketches and songs in Deacon Brodie's bar on Edinburgh's Royal Mile before the Scottish Executive broke up for two weeks. The political editor of the Daily Record probably thought he was really funny organising a karaoke performance with two other Daily Record yobs of YMCA. The 'Insider' for Scotland on Sunday wrote: "I am told by those with an interest in popular music, is a song admired by some in the gay community."

A new programme made by the Scottish company behind Chewin' the Fat is "tacky and offensive" according to the National Viewers' and Listerners' Association. Scotland on Sunday gave them oxygen to say that the Naughty Naughty Hypno Show on Channel 5 "should not be screened." It features hypnotist Peter Powers who the Scotland on Sunday warns hypnotises "a man who imagines he is suffering from diarrhoea squatting over a toilet, men in their underpants who imagine that they are female lap dancers and men who think they are gay lovers." Challenging sexuality in this manner will not be tolerated. (Anyone know of any evening classes in hypnotism)?

Monday, 10 April and the Daily Record were preparing themselves, not so much for the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill in the House of Lords to equalise the age of consent at 16, but the Local Government Bill in the House of Commons on Tuesday. In both cases they were second reading debates and no amendments could be made. Last year, the Lords threw out the Sexual Offences Bill at its second reading. If they did the same tomorrow, it would become law in just over a month by way of the Parliament Act because the House of Commons had passed it twice. As for the Local Government Act, the Government would put back what the House of Lords took out, and that was Section 28. The Daily Record assured readers that repeal of Section 28 for England and Wales would be defeated when it was returned to the House of Lords and observed: "If that happens, it is believed Tony Blair will drop the issue until after the next election, putting pressure on Holyrood to follow suit." Oh no they won't! But any MP objecting to the repeal of Section 28 in the House of Commons was not likely to be whipped into line, but advised instead that they could take the day off. But "the ploy to keep the rebels away looked likely to fail - with two MPs set to abstain and another indicating he was virtually certain to vote against the Government." Urging two MPs to take a sicky was made to appear necessary by a Government "keen to diffuse a backbench rebellion." (The Daily Record named one of the rebels as Glasgow MP Jimmy Wray). It appeared: "Westminster MPs are unhappy that the Scottish Executive has made Section 28 such a major issue." And Jack Irvine, Martin Clarke, Brian Souter and Uncle Tom Cardinal Winning and all)! One MP told the Record: "The problem is that someone decided they were going to make the abolition of Section 28 a crusade" and "we have lost the support of a large section of the electorate and... the support of Scotland's leading Catholic cleric." Well they will know all about running crusades!

Brian Souter refused to comment on suggestions he might take a part-time non-executive role in running Stagecoach by the end of the year. The Herald reported in its Business section that this "would allow him to focus on other interests. These include his growing private investment portfolio, as well as political activities like the current 'Keep the Clause' campaign..."

A letter from Bob Harper, Anstruther, Fife appeared in the Scottish Mail and added to the growing clamour against 'gay cliques' working behind the scenes to undermine Brian Souter. After sniping at the "Scottish arm of the so-called independent body of the Electoral Reform Society" he warned Souter that "he must ensure there is no external manipulation of the stock market by Government or the minority groups that are forcing the repeal of Section 28 on to the public in Scotland without first consulting them as to their own wishes on the subject."

The Scottish Mail hit back with its support for Cardinal Winning over the "bitter personal attacks over his defence of family values." It appeared that "Cardinal Winning has been targeted by a succession of gay rights campaigners and liberal politicians who accused him of promoting a Right-wing extremist agenda." He had also "angered a wide-range of politically correct groups." But was this serious reporting or just a personal rant in a Christian militant tabloid? Winning's critic, Father John Fitzsimmons was dismissed by the Scottish Mail as "a maverick priest." The header in bold declared: "Church leader targeted by gay activists over family values" and quoted Winning saying: "Critics won't silence me." By April 15, Father Fitzsimmons was summoned to a disciplinary meeting with his bishop which Sunday Times Scotland understood to be at the behest of the papal nuncio, Archbishop Pablo Puente, the Pope's ambassador to Britain. He was forced to issue a public apology to Cardinal Winning or face suspension.

"He loves wearing women's tights" was probably not what this correspondent wanted to see splashed over his letter to Old Mother Burnie in the Daily Record! She was unrelenting. "If it was stockings and suspenders, I might think you had a problem..." You see, "loads of men wear tights and leggings. For instance, many mountaineers, rock climbers, skiers and cyclists enjoy the comfort and the warmth they provide. So stop worrying about something which is completely harmless." Sorry all you tights and lycra-lovers! If anyone else infiltrates the Palace of Sexual Repression and gets a really giggly reply printed in the Daily Record from the olde bagge herself, let me have a copy!

The Scottish Sun had: "A T-V IN EVERY ROOM" and went "inside Scotland's first hotel for transvestites." A good way of getting a double-page spread to advertise the hotel, of course, but it doesn't come cheap. "Burly Dennis McCrudden and missus Sheila" were courageous. "Sheila, 53, revealed how she stuck by her hubby after he shocked her by announcing he wanted to be called Denise... Denise is a lovely lady and Dennis is all man so I've got the best of both worlds... We can't keep our hands off each other. We make love every single night and sometimes we don't even make it to the bedroom... We love each other completely. We have a very strong marriage and total trust."

Not everyone can be affected by media repression of sexuality. 22-year-old "cheeky Ayr United fan Gordon Benson" certainly wasn't. He was shown romping naked across the field in the Scottish Sun - an Ayr United logo hiding strategically placed - "to show off his famous tackle" as millions watched after Rangers beat Ayr 7-0. "I'm planning to become a serial streaker - the buzz is amazing," Gordon added shamelessly. His "naughty" escapade raised £50 for charity and a charge of breach of the peace.

Tuesday, 11 April and it was the debates on Section 28 in the House of Commons and an equal age of consent in the House of Lords. There was the usual fuss in the Lords ("fierce criticism" if you read the Scottish Mail), about vulnerable youngsters being put at risk. Lord Williams of Mostyn insisted proper safeguards could be introduced, and Tory frontbencher, Baroness Blatch said: "Children's rights have given way to gay rights," but with the likelihood of the Parliament Act being evoked, the second reading went through unopposed. The Scottish Mail concentrated on the Tories bid to "give parents say over sex lessons" in the Scottish Executive. With the quoted header: "'This would be an excellent idea,'" Tory education spokesman Brian Monteith described his ideas for tinkering with the repeal of Section 28. "He also proposed giving parents the legal right to withdraw their children from any classes of which they disapprove. At present, children can only be taken out of class for religious reasons... The move gained the backing of senior members of the Scottish School Boards Association." And here was one crony they could rely on: "Alan Smith, chairman of the school board of St Andrew's Secondary in Paisley, said: 'This would be an excellent idea which would go a long way to reassuring parents and allaying their fears over repeal." A story accompanied this headed: "School heads are asked to give out gay newsletter." In Connect, a gay newsletter for Berkshire, were items such as "a report on a gay pub in Reading which has a website featuring pictures of naked gays, and another urging readers to join the Mr Gay UK contest." So shocking in fact, the programme had been televised by Channel 5!

The Scottish Sun reported how "store manger axed for being HIV positive won £250,000 compensation..." in an out-of-court settlement. The Scottish Mail advised: "The case of 34-year-old Mark Hedley is expected to be the first in a wave of Aids-related claims which could cost businesses millions." Aldi, the German supermarket chain told the young manager, to stay away from work because his HIV status would be bad for business. The Scottish Sun immediately followed up the story with: "Health chiefs in Lanarkshire yesterday blamed gay men for the biggest increase in HIV infection ever in the county." Half the new cases estimated appeared to have been caused by sex between men. Ten new cases overall. Last year, health board and local authorities were condemned by churches and politicians for handing out condoms in Strathclyde Park, a popular gay cruising area. One critic, North Lanarkshire Council SNP leader Richard Lyle told The Herald with a shrug: "...That does not mean giving out free condoms at what should be a tourist venue and family facility is the answer. I still believe that this may have the effect of encouraging homosexual activity at the park and this is wrong." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA has found that the social stigma of homosexuality has helped fuel the spread of HIV within minority communities, particularly African American and Latino men.

Wednesday, 12 April and James McMillan, Scotland's leading composer added his voice to the debate with an attack clearly aimed at Cardinal Winning. A devout Catholic and socialist he spoke in Glasgow at the launch of Scotland's Shame?, about sectarianism in Scotland saying: "There are other prejudices which afflict us... the behaviour patterns of bigotry replicate themselves in other contexts." He was joined by the Glasgow's 80-year-old gay poet laureate Edwin Morgan who criticised Scotland's puritanical atmosphere for keeping him in the closet until the age of 70.

The Daily Record, reporting on yesterdays Parliamentary debates focused on Local Government minister, Hilary Armstrong's remarks that Section 28 was likely to be in breach of the European Convention of Human Rights. They hit back with Baroness Young's assertion that the Convention upheld the traditional family and did not give gay relationships equal status. Unfortunately for her, the Convention would almost certainly look at Britain and question why it needed Section 28 whilst the rest of Europe were managing to get along very nicely without it, thank you very much!

Thursday, 13 April and The Herald reported "Stagecoach on the ropes." There was another 10 per cent slide in its value of its already battered share price. Brian Souter failed to attend a 7 am breakfast briefing for City transport analysts. In just two days, the stock market value of Stagecoach had nearly halved to £1.05 billion. The Scotsman had gay spokespeople warning Brian Souter that many investors were doing everything could to find alternatives to placing their money with Stagecoach.

The Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) also announced it was to hold an emergency debate on Section 28 next week.

The Daily Record, with little to say on the Keep the Clause campaign for a change discovered National Health Service bosses were "swaying to music in a dance class." It was a team-building exercise that warranted printing a picture of their hated liberal Health Minister Susan Deacon alongside the headline: "FAT CATS GET DANCE CLASS ON THE NHS."

Friday, 14 April and - as the Daily Record puts it - there's "FURY OVER £1m LOTTERY GRANT FOR GAY GROUP." (There has been almost 2,000 grants awarded since April last year, and out of a total of £246m, only £2.8m have gone to lesbian, gay or bisexual projects). Reporter Simon Houston wasn't interested. He had a filthy job to do for the Daily Record and he wasn't stopping here. Stonewall - which only "claims to have a staff of nine" - was attacked on all sides. He reminded readers of the Stonewall's last show: "The star performer was Elton John - who shocked observers by performing a raunchy stage routine with male dancers dressed as cub Scouts," and upset Old Mother Burnie too, if you remember! A picture of Elton dancing with the cheeky Scouts was shown alongside Stonewall's director: "Activist: Mason...." The National Lotteries Charities Board spokesman Robert Blow "admitted" that Stonewall's grant was "a bit of a whopper." Lottery chiefs were portrayed as having to 'defend' the award and attention was drawn to "healthy annual donations" already donated by the "increasing" number of gay businesses. Backers where listed: "Richard Bransons Virgin group, NatWest bank and the huge American financial institution, JP Morgan." Keep the Clause wanted to know whether the board "would be just as happy to award £900,000 to a group which promotes traditional family values" and Dr Adrian Rogers of Family Focus - remember him? Digging the bottom of the barrel now aren't we? - Believed anyone not wanting to promote homosexual behaviour had to stop buying lottery tickets. The Herald, despite my published letter requesting they ditch the freak show when reporting these issues also pulled out Dr Adrian Rogers from the hat along with Valerie Ritches, director of the Christian militant organisation Family and Youth Concern. She thought it "scandalous" and said: "If the lottery board had their heads screwed on they would give it to helping the lot of families. The family unit in Britain is breaking down and is in desperate need of support." Stop giving these people air and they'll stop breathing! I wonder if such anger stemmed from the news that Stonewall was opening an office in Glasgow. A letter was going out from Stonewall begging donations to "match the bigots £ for £... They're rich and they're wrong." Payments can be sent to Stonewall 16 Clerkenwell Close, London EC1R 0AN. 020 7336 8860. Credit cards accepted.

The prudish Daily Record reported how telly bosses were apparently bracing themselves over a programme on A Brief History of the F-Word. The word was traced to a Scottish poem of 1503 where it was used to rhyme with 'chukkit.' The Record couldn't bring themselves to pronounce the great Scottish word, but said: "An academic claims that Scots caused the world wide spread of the word f***."

And it was "lessons in lust" for the lucky lads of fee-paying Glasgow Academy caught on camera trooping through the Wallatjes, Amsterdam's red-light district. The Record accused bouncers of trying to "lure" the youngsters into nightclubs. The tabloid wanted to know what the kids were doing there. "Everyone knows about Amsterdam and its seedy red-light district." A bit rich coming from the Daily Record, isn't it? They've just built their new offices in the middle of one!

Old Mother Burnie was not best pleased with Eastender's star, Babs Windsor marrying a man half her age. "She says this one is for keeps. Yes - and so did Elizabeth Taylor, dear. Eight times." Meeeeow! "When I rule the world, I shall bring in a three strikes and you're right out of the wedding game. I mean, there has to be a limit to the number of times people can make a mockery of the until death us do part bit of their vows."

Saturday, 15 April and all the Record could find was a "porn probe at nuclear base." The 37-year-old computer operator, contracted to work at the Royal Navy arms depot at Coulport in Fife had "been quizzed by police over claims he downloaded explicit pictures. Cumbria police travelled to Scotland to raid the man's Glasgow home, where they seized a personal computer and files. They swooped after a tip-off that the man downloaded porn at his last job..."

Discussions have been taking place between myself and Murray Foote, editor of the Daily Record's sister paper, the Scottish Mirror over the possibilities of me having a regular column in the tabloid. Murray said we would talk to me more about this later in the week. If such a thing could happen, quite apart from giving a few grains of justification to militant's claims that the 'gay lobby' have a disproportionate influence in the media. (What a laugh, that is)! I would become the first 'out' gay journalist to write a regular column in a Scottish newspaper since newspapers where first printed. It should be no big deal, this is, after all the year 2000! A small piece was scheduled for publication in the Scottish Mirror today, but it didn't happen. When I called to find out what happened, to my surprise, the editor was away on holiday for a whole week and his deputy didn't know anything about the piece! Neither did Murray Foote return my call as promised. When I finally tracked Murray down the following week he told me he had been "squeezed for space" following a new murder case. My piece had been lined up and ready to roll, but was suddenly pulled at the very last minute on the advice of his superiors. On the prospect of a regular column, Murray Foote assures me "the intent is there" but stressed the difficulties he faces sandwiched between the agenda of the Daily Mirror's London office and the distasteful campaign of the Mirror's Scottish heavyweight sister, the Record. Anyway, this is my website and I'm running this show! So join me for a meeting of Keep the Clause: -

KEEP THE CLAUSE!

This was the Bill Lydon Show with guest stars; Hugh, Pat and Ross from Keep the Clause. (Polite applause). "I'm going to give you all the facts that'd been withheld from you," said Bill in something sky-blue and knitted.

"We're gonnae hear some hot air, th' night!" A woman from the local school board confided in me with a whisper. Looking round, I would never have thought it. Just 30-or-so goodly church folk packed into a room at the Radnor Hotel in Clydebank with Sister Mary running her eyes down a Keep the Clause leaflet.

With the refusal of the Electoral Reform Society to give Keep the Clause a referendum, Chairman Bill Lydon announced that the "gay lobby" were getting their own way too much. With notepad open, I scribbled down his words: "Getting our own way?" The woman from the school board stared into my lap as though I'd left my fly open. Come on! Without managing one single Act of Parliament giving queers any kind of equality. This is pretty hopeless as Mafia's go, isn't it? Bill thought we ought to have had a referendum, but thanks to those powerful 'pink' people and the "strong gay membership on the ERS committee..." We can't! (Some tutting from row two). Bill would name the man responsible. It's "Mr Twiggy!" (Laughs).

In America the Catholic Church contributed $350,000 dollars to a campaign that ensured no one in California would recognise a gay civil union. Ready to chuck his last penny at Keep the Clause, the Scottish Christian militants have got Brian Souter with an influential selection of newspapers poking out of his pocket. It looks like he's gonna spend, spend, spend until he's forced to whip round Allied Carpets for pieces of foam-back to line his council house. Pat Rollinck stood up in a black shirt. He promised us there would be a referendum. "Within three or four days." There was a corporate sigh. Everyone could sleep at night now. "Everyone was going to get their say." Pat's a good ole boy. He wants to be fair. He wanted everyone's voice to be heard.

Des McNulty, the local MSP wasn't able to make it, so he sent a letter to be read out. Bill was disgusted. It was a "fudge" so he wasn't going to read it. Simple as that. It sparked trouble in the second row. A fiery woman from the Scottish Socialist Party got up to leave. "I'm not interested in your opinion. Des McNulty wrote that letter for everyone to hear and I want to hear it!" She finally got her way. Des McNulty supported repeal and promised strong guidelines. Was this really so shocking or had I seriously missed the point.

Timidly, and with my eye on Scotland's teenage pregnancy rate seven times higher than the Netherlands, I suggested adopting the Dutch system of sex education. Oh, Satan's spawn! A woman spun round in her chair and spat: "And the world's highest abortion rate too!" A man shouted: "They legalise sodomy of children! We don't want fornicators in Scotland! The Scottish majority won't have it!" The majority certainly got their way that night. There was a vote and only four people showed their hands in support of repeal. Bob stood up and waved his fist in the air in defiance at new Labour and shouted: "THE PEOPLE WILL HAVE THEIR SAY." There was a thunderous applause. The Keep the Clause boys were given the clap I thought they so richly deserved. Only the coffee and biscuits came between the Christian militia spilling out onto the streets and some ugly scenes. Before I left I told them my human rights were not up for negotiation. Bob shook my hand politely and told me I would burn in Hell.

Sunday, 16 April and the Sunday Times Scotland was contrasting the time when Brian Souter stood up and addressed a Scottish Trade Union Congress with this weeks conference when he will be targeted as "a threat to democracy." The STUC document states: "Misinformation has been disseminated by the Keep the Clause campaign and certain unscrupulous sections of the media. This has led to an unprecedented rise in the number of homophobic attacks and harassment being reported and experienced by our gay and lesbian communities." Jack Irvine dismissed the statement as "the work of a small clique of politically correct officials."

There is a shop window in San Francisco filled with Barbie dolls. When the flags go up every year for the gay parade, the Kens are suitably attired: Full leathers, construction gear, feather boas or fetish wear, Ken is ready to party! And what a million miles away that is from his poor cousins living in a shop window in Moniaive, a small town in Dumfries-shire. 54-year-old Marcelle Bremner used to backcomb Dusty Springfield's bouffant before she went to live in a flat above a now vacant shop in Moniaive and filled the window with Barbie-dolls. That was before the police busted her. They hammered on her door in a raid in the early hours of one Saturday morning insisting she removed a potentially illegal display of two Ken dolls. This followed a complaint from a member of the public of a "lewd and libidinous" display of "a graphic nature." Scotland on Sunday reported "two Ken dolls, sitting suspiciously close to each other, staring out quite blatantly at passers-by, and wearing only Bermuda shorts." The Scottish Mail found them "naked but for their Bermuda shorts... sat in a shop window shamelessly flaunting their bronzed and perfectly sculpted bodies before passers-by..." and giving "more than a hint of the close nature of their relationship... Moral outrage followed swiftly and police were despatched to restore public decency." A WPC ordered Bremner: "Get those Ken dolls dressed. I don't want to see those two men beside each other!" Scotland on Sunday's Shan Ross wrote: "The display, which is housed in the double-fronted windows of Bremner's former clothes shop is festooned in pink and surrounded by Barbie memorabilia and every possible pink boudoir item imaginable." A spokeswoman for Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary said in a prepared statement that they would not be charging Mrs Bremner. It was also suggested she might want to reconsider how she displayed them.

It gets sillier! The Scottish Mail on Sunday called it "shades of a new dark age." I screamed! The 'Sexfinder General' Monsignor Tom Connelly had delivered a scathing attack on Cadbury's 'Squegg', the chocolate square egg! Apparently, only round chocolate eggs could symbolise rolling the stone from Jesus's tomb. A square one "made a mockery of the whole tradition." Cadbury's took it sufficiently seriously to lift the lid off its Catholic spokesman to argue that the pagans regarded the egg as a symbol of fertility and rebirth long before Christians nicked the idea. The name Easter is a corruption of Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of Dawn. It still had the tabloid bemoaning the fact only half of Brits knew what Easter was supposed to be about anyway. "Possibly not since the early Dark Ages - before Pope Gregory sent missionaries to bring the word of God to these shores at the end of the 6^th Century - has our society been so ignorant about basic Christianity. This must be disturbing..." What was really disturbing was their response in the editorial. "In schools, the teaching of Christianity is being sacrificed on the altar of multiculturalism. Where religious instruction was once based on the Bible and its meaning, it now imparts a pick-and-mix smattering of the word's religions, loosely defined." The editorial lambasted churches for tamely giving in to what they dismissed as "politically correct."

Shrieks from Ann Allen and the Sexfinder General graced the pages of the Sunday Times Scotland's report on sex workers as "Edinburgh police seek Dutch-style prostitution zone." With a rise in the number of residents to the Leith docks area, and the Coburg Street triangle where the sex workers operate with virtual impunity and a subsequent rise in complaints, the police engaged themselves in discussions aimed at moving the sex workers to a nearby industrial estate. A similar idea was adopted in Utrecht in the Netherlands, which led to a fall to virtually zero of violent attacks on sex workers. Ruth Morgan Thomas of ScotPep, Edinburgh's support group for sex workers claimed Edinburgh had none of the problems witnessed in Aberdeen where partners of sex workers were mugging clients at knifepoint. A rise in the number of street workers in Edinburgh was attributed to police harassment and attacks on women in Glasgow making the 45-minute journey to Edinburgh for business.

In the Sunday Times Magazine, the Church was further rocked by the revelations of Ze'ev Herzog, a professor of archaeology at Tel Aviv University when he broke ranks with the establishment and debunked the Old Testament in an article in the Israeli newspaper Ha-aretz. Pulling apart the work of archaeologist, the late Yigael Yadin who was the army chief of operations during the 1948 war against the Arabs and General Moshe Dayan who initiated a "hasty, ill-considered" programme of archaeological research in Jerusalem and Hebron. Herzog was accused of revealing a closed academic debate to the public. The Sunday Times revealed: "Today, as a result of technical and intellectual developments, Herzog argues, his profession no longer needs to act as the lapdog of an anachronistic discipline called 'biblical archaeology', whose aim has been to support this flawed text."

The Sunday Herald's diary, Privateaye naughtily referred to a success at Scottish School Board's Ann Hill's folded subsidiary of the SSBA, the Furbie Foundation, aimed at refurbishing old computers. Five of them had been installed in the 32-pupil Mouswald Primary School near Dumfries - "where, by some amazing coincidence," her brood also happen to be pupils. Oh, Ann, how could you? And how was Cyprus? With chief executive of the SSBA Ann Hill and president David Hutcheson both directors of the Furbie Foundation, the Sunday Times Scotland reported "Scottish school boards leaders face bankruptcy." The Furbie Foundation's third director was David Urquhart, a serving officer with Lothian and Borders police. According to latest accounts, the Foundation owes the SSBA £24,000. After the Ann Hill's sudden reinstatement by secretary Frank Farrell and treasurer Alan Smith following her suspension, and on the eve of elections to its new executive board, the Sunday Herald warned the SSBA was "in danger of imploding." Her duties were however seriously restricted pending the outcome of an independent inquiry. They were reported to have been restricted to an SSBA-organised international conference, Parents in Education around the World, a profit-making event organised next month. By the end of the first week in May, Mrs Hill was cleared of any financial impropriety by an independent enquiry.

Jim Lawson's piece on a gay ceilidh was pulled in later editions of the Sunday Mail. The three-day event at the Cummings Hotel in Inverness originally appeared with a big picture of a kilted dancer swirling in his kilt. The Sunday Mail, much reformed in recent times still used the event to get a quick laugh for its readers. It raises a number of issues on reporting an event of this nature. Was it just a camp laugh? There are numerous ceilidhs organised throughout Scotland with men well versed in the dance steps of the Dashing White Sergeant, Eightsome Reels and the Gay Gordons. Was it an opportunity for men whose early experiences in kilts have registered them with a sexual connotation of its own? Or was it an excuse for men to explore a feminine side of their nature, swirling and whooping around to Jimmy Shand and his Band? Whatever the reasons, the Sunday Mail did not imbibe the event with any more seriousness then to print the words of a "startled Highlander" who said: "There were more kisses and hugs than the Oscars and BAFTA awards put together. I've never seen anything like it in my life."

Monday, 17 April and Hamish Macdonell, the Scottish political editor and lapdog for the Scottish Mail reported how the Progressive Partnership of Edinburgh poll revealed 60 per cent of union members opposed to repeal of Section 28 in preparations of a vote by delegates at today's Scottish Trade Union Congress. Most members of the teachers' Educational Institute of Scotland and public health workers union Unison were in favour of repeal. The biggest majority against repeal came from the AEEU with 85 per cent. The piece was simply headed: "How union chiefs ignored poll over Section 28 repeal" and with the usual lies about "gay propaganda" one can only imagine the sort of propaganda rank-and-file members are up against in their quest for the truth.

Monday, 17 April and the Daily Record was still rallying its troops in the propaganda war against the repeal of Section 28 in a double-page spread headed: "We are glad to be grey." This followed comments by 60-year-old Clive Soley, chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party who said pensioners were more likely to vote conservative and are often racist. Peter Mandelson chair of the election planning committee admitted there was "no mileage" to be had from chasing their vote. Tom 'Brigadier' Brown was recruited to report on the "gaffe that could cost Labour dear" and exploit the apparent abandonment of their vote. "It reeks of the smugness and calculating opportunism of the New Labour pipsqueaks... So the elderly are offended when the Governments at Westminster and in Edinburgh seem more concerned with homosexual rights. While there is so much undone for the old, they have every right to get bitter at the sense of priorities that puts gay and lesbian issues at the top of the agenda." Donald Dewar hit back at the report at the STUC, calling it a "prejudiced" second-hand account of a Labour strategy meeting. He reeled off a list of reforms including the winter fuel allowance for OAPs saying: "The idea that we are writing off old age pensioners is grotesque and totally untrue. We are not writing them off, we are writing them in and writing them in big." The Record bitched: "He was eight pages into his speech before he got any applause."

Along with a short piece on the "2600 lashes for 'deviancy'" received by nine Saudi transvestites along with six years imprisonment, the Daily Record delivered the story told to them by "trusting" 18-year-old Kevin Stevenson. In "...MY RETREAT INTO HELL," he claimed abuse at the hands of Tsering Tashi, or Timothy Mannox in the Samye-Ling Tibetan monastery in Dumfries-shire when he was 16. "Within a year Kevin's life lay in tatters, his confidence shattered by the cruelty and hypocrisy of the very people he had placed his faith in." Tashi was both frank and honest with the Record when confronted. He told them: "I wouldn't deny it. There was physical contact. We were intimate because we were sleeping in the same area." He said it was "a bit heavy" to call his advances a sexual assault. Readers were only told that Kevin had been "assaulted" but the true nature of this 'assault' was withheld. All that could be gleaned from the Record was Kevin claiming that Tashi lay naked beside him, saying: "He asked if I knew what spoons meant then he pulled me over behind him, and pulled my arm around his waist. Then he asked me if I knew what forks meant and pulled me on top of him so he was lying on his back and I was lying on top of him facing him." In Buddhism, monks frequently circumscribe the rules governing celibacy by penetrating between the legs. Prominently displayed at the foot of the story, the Record asked: "HAVE YOU A STORY... about a retreat which turned into a hell at the Samye Ling Buddhist centre or any monastery. If so, call us on 0141 242 3251." By mid-June Record reporter Vivienne Aitken reported: "MONK JAILED FOR ABUSING GIRL, 14." No mention of what Tenzin Chonjoe, 30 had done. Only the words of Daniel Travers, prosecuting: "The girl lay down on a bed with her feet up against the wall and he put his head on her stomach. After the assault, the girl got up and went outside. She was very shocked." In his defence, Margaret Payne said: "He said he was just giving the girl a massage which was acceptable in his cultured but he now realises the English are more restrained and less trusting." Chonjoe was sentenced to three months and placed on the sex offenders' register. Such vagaries were enough to have the Record reveal that Samye Ling "was becoming a sinister cult obsessed with secrecy and cash."

Tuesday, 18 April and Hamish Macdonell, the Scottish Mail's political editor was bashing out more propaganda. He declared a "blow to the Scottish Executive" when the Equality Network's Tim Hopkins, addressing a fringe meeting at the Scottish Trades Union Congress "admitted for the first time yesterday they have lost the battle for public opinion and the people of Scotland do not support the repeal of Section 28." His spin on the story was that "the admission from a leader of the gay lobby is a clear indications the Executive is fighting a losing battle." Of course, Keep the Clause described it an "amazing revelation." Utter nonsense, of course, since "gay leaders" have been quite open that such a referendum would not support repeal. Likewise, a vote for Tory at the next General Election - the only Party to support retention - would also fail.

I have made representations to MPs, newspapers and gay rights' groups demanding some sort of prevention against incitement to hatred. So it was refreshing to read in The Herald that the STUC would be calling for "legislation prohibiting incitement to hatred in a bid to prevent future persecution of minority groups." About time too. How anyone could read the Scottish Media Monitor and not believe such legislation is necessary? Bishop Holloway told the National Youth Assembly that he had been ashamed to be a Scottish Christian over the past six months. He added that the Bible also appeared to justify genocide, slavery and the subordination of women and questioned why we should allow one particular section to dominate our thinking.

The Daily Record was still exploiting divisions in support for Donald Dewar. "WITH PALS LIKE THIS LOT... How Labour risks alienating core support over Govan, elderly and Section 28." The first referred to a shipyard crisis on the Clyde as a Minister of Defence contract to build six ferries was in the balance. The Daily Record continued to stir trouble amongst pensioners, leading them to believe New Labour was deserting them and of course Section 28 was again subject to a barrage of propaganda. A letter from Steven P Took from Paisley to the Daily Record said: "The price of the Scottish Parliament, the Repeal of Section 28, Govan shipyards, the admission of 30,000 refugees, and now they're calling OAPs racist. I don't know who I'll be voting for come the next election, but it definitely won't be Labour."

Wednesday, 19 April and The Herald confidently reported at yesterday's Scottish Trade Union Congress debate: "Not a single hand was raised in support of retaining Section 28..." Rowena Arshad, an equal opportunities officer told delegates Section 28 was "grotesque" and unprecedented in law since the days of Nazi Germany. The Daily Record editorialised on Donald Dewar's speech: "He sniffed at the 'rhetoric' about support for family life. What is wrong with supporting family life?" they demanded. The Record reminded the First Minister of the public's - of course, it's never theirs - concern about "the priority given to homosexual issues while there are more pressing priorities for government..." Pity there are not more pressing concerns for the evangelical Daily Record and give us all a break! Jim Friel, president of the printers' union the GPMU charged Brian Souter with being an "anti-trade union bigot." He said church leaders should be ashamed of lining up with those "who would not look out of place alongside the rednecks of Tennessee."

On a lighter note, 49-year-old William Rees, who lives with his parents in Tarbolton, Ayshire, filmed himself jumping out from behind bushes and flashing at lorry-drivers. He said in the Scottish Mirror: "It was a stupid, stupid thing to do but there was nothing malicious in it. I targeted lorries as I didn't want to target individuals. When a lorry goes by you rarely ever see a face and they never carry women and kids." That didn't impress the Fiscal at Ayrshire Sheriff court who fined him £500 and put him on probation for 18 months warning him of a prison sentence if he was caught doing it again.