People celebrating same-sex affection in Sitges, Spain | Photo: Mike McBey, Flickr
People called out British newspaper The Telegraph for using a homophobic remark in its travel guide for major gay destination Sitges.
A Twitter user spotted the remark on the article, originally published in 2012. The writer gives tips on how to avoid same-sex couples, despite the Catalonian town’s reputation as a gay holiday destination.
The comments came under the sub-heading ‘What to Avoid’.
‘Staying in town if you are troubled by all-night music and partying and/or public displays of same-sex affection. This goes especially for Calle Dos de Mayo, Calle Espaltar and Calle de San Francesco,’ it says.
The paper has since removed the reference to same-sex affection.
Anger at The Telegraph
This statement riled up Twitter users, pointing out that no such example exists for opposite-sex couples.
The original Tweet has been liked hundreds of times, with just as many comments underneath it.
The user wrote: ‘wow @telegraphtravel – great tip. but any suggestions on where I can go to avoid public displays of heterosexual affection?’
wow @telegraphtravel – great tip. but any suggestions on where I can go to avoid public displays of heterosexual affection? pic.twitter.com/4xpCmjfzXT
— kate (@katecliffy) September 5, 2018
She followed it up with: ‘of course fine to let their readers know that it’s a popular lgbtq+ holiday destination,but this isn’t what they’ve done here. they’ve clearly stated that ‘same-sex affection’ (which sounds an ailment) is something you might want to avoid[sic.]
‘that isn’t just homophobia, but homophobia that the telegraph are allowing to be normal.’
Famous gay author Paul Burston wrote also shared the comment on his Facebook page.
The Gay Divorcee writer commented: ‘In which the Telegraph advises its gentle readers on visiting Sitges. For anyone thinking that old News of the World cutting I shared a few days ago belonged to a bygone age.
In which the Telegraph advises its gentle readers on visiting Sitges. For anyone thinking that old News of the World…
Posted by Paul Burston on Wednesday, September 5, 2018
‘”Public displays of same-sex affection”. Because of course heterosexuals are never prone to “public displays of affection”.
‘For fuck’s sake – it’s 2018, not 1981! And it’s Sitges! If you don’t like it, there are many places you can go where people like me wouldn’t dare show affection for fear of being queerbashed or locked up.
‘Fuck off with your homophobic travel advice.’
[The Telegraph guide was published in 2012, not 2018]
Gay Star News has reached out to The Telegraph for comment.
Clashing with the trans community
The Telegraph came under fire in 2013 for re-publishing an article that was offensive to the transgender community.
The article, originally published in British newspaper The Observer, was titled ‘Transexauls Should Cut It Out’.
In the article, the writer declares that cis women ‘are damned if we are going to be accused of being privileged by a bunch of bed-wetters in bad wigs’.
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