June 14th 2024.
One of the most controversial topics in recent news has been the comments made by former Top Gear star James May about Pride bunting. As Pride month kicked off in June, colorful rainbow flags were displayed all over central London, including on popular streets such as Regent Street. This display of support for the LGBTQ+ community sparked both praise and backlash.
While many members of the queer community proudly celebrated their identity and culture, others felt that the overwhelming presence of Pride flags was too much. Among those expressing this opinion was James May, who took to social media to voice his concerns. He described the bunting as "authoritarian" and "oppressive," and even made a comparison to the start of World War Two. This sparked a fierce backlash from fans and followers.
Despite his controversial comments, James maintained that he had always admired the LGBTQ+ movement. However, he felt that the excessive display of Pride flags could be seen as oppressive. His post was accompanied by an old photo of the bunting, and he even added a compliment about the design of the Progress Pride flag, which includes stripes representing the trans community, marginalized people of color, and those living with HIV/AIDS.
The backlash was swift, with many fans calling out James for his offensive comparison and questioning his understanding of the struggles faced by the LGBTQ+ community. Some even accused him of trying to police their visibility during Pride month. While there were a few who agreed with James and thought that the bunting was too much, the majority of the responses condemned his remarks.
This is not the first time that James has faced criticism for his comments about the queer community. In 2021, he and his fellow Grand Tour presenters, Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson, were called out for making jokes about a certain car being a "gay man's car." Singer Will Young, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, called it out as "sad, shaming, and bigoted." While Richard denied any homophobic intent, James defended their jokes as simply making fun of people in general.
Despite the backlash, James maintained that he and his co-hosts were not trying to offend anyone. He expressed that they try to be inclusive in their humor and make fun of everyone, including themselves. He also clarified that he was not aware of any crass or homophobic jokes made on their show.
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