Can Anyone Blame Abergavenny For Being Homophobic?

In rejecting the article entitled “Abergavenny’s Best Kept Secret ” ( see previous posting ) the Abergavenny Focus Editor writes: “ You mentioned in your previous email that it was OK for me to edit according to our readers’ sensibilities, and my feeling about that would be that it would need considerable re-drafting after which the essence of the article would be lost. By its very nature it is a controversial topic and involves incidents in the not so distant past to which some of our readers may be linked. I do fear that readers of the magazine, who can be extremely sensitive when it comes to content (I know because I get the feedback directly) would take exception to it.” Before submitting the piece I had a feeling about this one, as a publication like the Abergavenny Focus depends on its advertisers and public funding and local people’s support for revenue and continuity. The suggestion I made was for my article to be edited for house style and readers’ tolerances. The inference from the Editor is that readers’ tolerance would be adversely affected by the words of the article i.e. that they would likely take exception to the piece. Although the 1942 case is not spelt out in gory detail the draft article does make reference to named peodophiles molesting boys, and adult homosexuals and in some households in Monmouthshire ( and elsewhere) either of those subjects is abhorrent and feared. But solely in other Monmouthshire homes it’s a question too of not mentioning the war time scandal that besieged the town of Abergavenny and which caused such hideous headlines at the time and still induces a feeling of dread. That said the event was like a town being hit by a tsunami : so can anyone blame Abergavenny for being homophobic? The Focus editor knows her readers and is speaking up for Abergavenny’s equivalent of the person on the Clapham omnibus….. But beside this my thoughts are a little anxious about the underlying issues . Dare I mention the old cliché that …you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs…. And you can’t mention the Abergavenny case of 1942 without using words about the fact that there was child molestation and gay sex. Some men in the case were monsters. But a witch hunt… hunting down all the queers in the place was cruel, sentences passed were severe and surely has ( in retrospect) to be challenged. Certain words about sex and gay sex in particular horrify, terrify some people, and the resulting deeds are not wished for reading at breakfast, lunch or dinner time. But the law expects tolerance of homosexuals in the same way as heterosexuals doing whatever it is they wish to do if the parties are over sixteen. The old 1942 case needs to be confronted for to allow wounds to heal. That is part of the purpose in compiling the book. There is no doubt the embargo on publishing the article prevents information getting out about the book ( intended to raise money for an Abergavenny charity in memory of the nineteen- year- old youth Lewis Matthews who took his own life). Was such censorship editorial discretion or homophobic? Is this example of editorship concerning an ancient historical scandal a display of circumspect, and good sense, or an over-reaction? NB Being homophobic is having a dislike or a fear gays or of being prejudiced against gays. The sorry Will e-mail is neatly worded : I can well understand all the points made, but muse about points not made that could affect a small publication like the Abergavenny Focus, for instance from its local advertisers withdrawing their support at a matter such as homosexuality being thrust upon them. If that were true and admitted it would be homophobic, but does that conclusion still hold true in having an attitude about an historical homosexual crime that took place seven decades ago? The 1942 case has been a taboo subject in Abergavenny for the last 72 years, has it rendered the town homophobic by instinct? It’s been still waters running deep all the while, and the town has been at the butt end ( bad pun) of countless snide comments about the old case from across the country. However would an adverse reaction (as suggested by the Editor of the Focus) have happened? Who would have taken exception to it, and how would that have been pitched? Interestingly the local newspaper The Abergavenny Chronicle, who published a whole page about the scandal and the book on 24 July, 2014, including stark newspaper extracts from the time has not had a single letter of complaint from any of its thousands of readers. The Abergavenny Focus has kindly said they will produce my article on their web site, which would still reach some of Abergavenny citizens and of course a wider stretch of visitors . We shall see if the promise actually materialises. DO PLEASE CONTACT WILL WITH ANY COMMENTS ON THIS e-mail williecross@aol.com