The writer of one
of England's gayest records of all time is funding an
antigay campaign. George Hargreaves, author of
Sinitta's "So Macho," is using the abundant
royalty checks from the camp anthem to bankroll a
legal battle by nine Scottish firemen who were disciplined
for spurning a gay pride parade.
The former pop
impresario converted to Christianity and became a
Pentecostal preacher after years of success in the music
industry. He has since launched his own political
party, the Scottish Christian Party.
Hargreaves has
admitted to writing Sinitta's stomper with the gay
market in mind. "It was for women to dance round their
handbags to and for the gay scene to go mad to on
poppers," he said, according to the Telegraph
newspaper.
Now he has
offered to fund the cost of industrial tribunal actions for
the nine men from Strathclyde Fire and Rescue who refused to
hand out fire safety leaflets at a gay pride event in
Glasgow in June. The men objected "on religious and
practical grounds" to appearing in uniform alongside
the marchers.
The nine men were
given written warnings for failing to take part and
were ordered to attend diversity training courses. The men
launched appeals against the disciplinary action on
Tuesday, and Hargreaves said that if the outcome was
"anything less than total exoneration," the case could
go to the House of Lords. (Gay.com/UK)