Commons Speaker Outrages Conservatives with Pro-Equality Intro of 'Kaleidoscope' Queen Elizabeth: VIDEO
John Bercow the Commons Speaker who also happens to be president of the LGBT rights group Kaleidoscope Trust, caused outrage among conservatives and got what appeared to be a puzzled scowl from Prime Minister David Cameron, as he introduced Queen Elizabeth II as "a kaleidoscope Queen of a kaleidoscope country in a kaleidoscope Commonwealth".
The reference was seen by many as a plug of the charity.
Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...
The reference, in Bercow's introduction to The Queen's address to Parliament to mark her Diamond Jubilee, came as part of a longer statement about diversity:
"This is a land where men and women are equal under the law and where your people are respected regardless of how they live, how they look or how they love."
UK Telegraph columnist Damian Thompson is infuriated:
"Let me quickly pay tribute to the Queen's magnificent achievements and her perfectly judged speech before asking… who the hell allowed that creep Bercow to hijack the event with his self-serving PC drivel about the "Kaleidoscope Queen" – and, worse, to insert a thinly disguised plug for gay marriage into a loyal address? The man is a disgrace to our public life. I hope readers share my anger."
The Week UK reports:
Prime Minister David Cameron, who is not a fan of Bercow, was pictured glaring at him during his address. The New Statesman described it as a "look of contempt".
Daily Mail political editor James Chapman commented on Twitter that Prince Philip also gave Bercow a funny look when he quoted Ghandi, and went "on and on with a misjudged and florid speech".
"Queen's Diamond Jubilee address rather shorter than Speaker Bercow's. She didn't want to upstage him on his big day," Chapman tweeted later.
Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...
Royalty is so gay.
Posted by: JONNY NYNY2FLFL | Mar 20, 2012 8:48:35 PM
Damian Thompson aside, most of the criticism has been that Bercow -- as is his pattern -- tried to make the event about himself.
NB: in the UK, the Speaker is not a party political role. S/he is the non-partisan presiding officer of the House of Commons, and at state events like this represents the House of Commons.
Posted by: BritInTheUS | Mar 20, 2012 8:52:02 PM
Totally inappropriate. There is a time and a place for everything and this was neither of those. Almost detrimental to the movement, truly.
Posted by: Munro | Mar 20, 2012 8:55:57 PM
I just watched the video, and I have to say, it's not as bad as I assumed when I just read the comments. I didn't think it was a bad introduction.
Posted by: JC | Mar 20, 2012 9:01:33 PM
"Kaleidoscope Queen" almost makes her sound interesting for the first time in forty years, a tough feat to manage.
It also sounds like an unreleased track from Freddie Mercury's group. Dynamite with a laser beam, guaranteed to blow your mind, anytime.
Posted by: bobbyjoe | Mar 20, 2012 9:33:13 PM
It's the most interesting story about that idiot family in a long time. The old lady should be pleased she's getting such dishy press.
Posted by: Tone | Mar 20, 2012 9:43:55 PM
In the UK, the gay rights group got such a high profile politician to be its president. In the US, one automatically assumes he is gay. Apparently he is not.
Posted by: simon | Mar 20, 2012 9:57:06 PM
You can just hear Prince Philip on the carriage ride home: "That Bercow bore, he's an upstart Jew isn't he?" Queen: "quite" *sniff*
Posted by: Danny | Mar 20, 2012 10:00:50 PM
Why don't he just call her Rainbowbrite ?
Posted by: Mark | Mar 20, 2012 10:05:51 PM
I love how the Queen was wholly unfazed, while the lesser politicians all went about their unroyal little agendas.
Posted by: Winston | Mar 20, 2012 10:16:04 PM
Good for him. He put a good word in for equality before the Welfare queen of the word spoke to her sheep. As an American of Irish descent I can imagine few things more repugnant and useless than a Monarchy (in Britain's case a Constitutional one) in general and Royalty in particular. They kiss her backside because of her blood line. We threw that nonsense out of our country over 200 years ago.
Posted by: Dearcomrade | Mar 20, 2012 10:26:50 PM
Probably not the best time to interject a bit of self-serving language, even if it seems somewhat accurate. If the Queen outlast Victoria there will probably be maneuvers to reform the monarchy even more, though everything they do is incremental. People are probably wondering how they can skip over Charles (an unlucky name for an English king).
Posted by: anon | Mar 20, 2012 11:49:38 PM
I dont see how it's "self-serving" - seems to me he's pushing a bigger agenda than just himself here. Anyway, I say good on him. Who cares if the stuff shirt old goat sitting in a silly chair in the middle of a flight of stairs found it all a bit confounding. K Queen looks like she's taken a nap and only the starch in her frock is keeping her upright. She's got the right idea.
Posted by: Jacki | Mar 21, 2012 3:09:12 AM
"Cool Britannia" was ok in the '90's but "Keleidoscope" isn't?
Posted by: mike flower | Mar 21, 2012 3:17:27 AM
Elizabeth in London and Benedict in Rome are mostly just two old queens who are tourists attraction.
Posted by: jack | Mar 21, 2012 3:59:14 AM
Putrid Prince Philip isn't fit to wash Gandhi's feet.
Posted by: Paulie | Mar 21, 2012 8:39:26 AM
I'm with Bobby Joe, the first thing that came to mind was "Dynamite with a laser beam, guaranteed to blow your mind!" That or Lizzie in the Sky with Diamonds.
Have "the Royals" said anything about gay marriage or do they keep away from topics like that? On one hand I think it's odd the UK gay marriage proposal FORBIDS churches from performing the ceremonies even if they want to do them, but on the other I can see where that would head off a LOT of strife, preventing (for the time being at least) claims and counter-claims of bigotry and agendas.
Posted by: Caliban | Mar 21, 2012 9:53:16 AM
It wasn't so much what he said as the language he used and how long he talked. He spoke longer than the guest of honour, HM The Queen. He tried to make the event about him which was inappropriate. While he is an advocate of gay rights he didnt do the movement any favours in this instance. Also it is the Conservative PM who is trying to push through same sex marriage so it isnt a case of Cameron being homophobic either. this was just another case of Bercow being too self important, probably being advised by his horrid reality show star wife.
Posted by: Swiminbuff | Mar 21, 2012 10:33:27 AM
swiminbuff is right... to suggest that Cameron is somehow homophobic is nonsense. Bercow was just pushing his own agenda when it is part of his role to be apolitical. He is widely seen as a buffoon here anyway and this did him no favours. As for his 'Kaleidescope' charity... not a single gay person I've spoken to here has ever heard of it. Even the name of it makes me cringe
Posted by: Steve F | Mar 21, 2012 10:59:53 AM
He has a reality show wife? LOL This just gets better and better. *grabs popcorn*
Posted by: Jacki | Mar 21, 2012 11:16:41 AM
the lovely Sally Bercow...
http://tiny.cc/480ibw
Posted by: Steve F | Mar 21, 2012 11:29:56 AM
A little silly to accuse Cameron being adverse to Bercow's nod to gay marriage, rather than just the fact that Bercow loves the sound of his own voice.
The Conservative Party just simply no longer the the backwards homophobic bigots people would love to believe. Read the contract for equality from the 2010 general election and you'll see before they were even elected they were pushing for marriage equality, and they're doing it right now with the consultation!
Posted by: NJay | Mar 21, 2012 3:44:12 PM
Another twit on an ego trip
Posted by: wimsy | Mar 21, 2012 5:26:36 PM