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Antheil
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« on: 19:39:17, 20-08-2008 » |
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Leo Abse died today. He was a Welsh lawyer, politician and gay rights campaigner. He was a Welsh Labour Member of Parliament for nearly 30 years, and is noted for promoting private member's bills to decriminalise male homosexual relations after the Wolfenden Report and liberalise the divorce laws.
He had some extreme views and probably dabbled too much in psychology for his own good but he was a tireless campaigner for the rights of gay men. He died aged 91.
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Reality, sa molesworth 2, is so sordid it makes me shudder
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Antheil
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« Reply #1 on: 21:20:19, 20-08-2008 » |
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I find it really sad no one salutes Leo Abse, he may be Jewish Welsh (what a combination!) but his reforms enabled gay relationships, of which we have many here on the MB here
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Reality, sa molesworth 2, is so sordid it makes me shudder
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trained-pianist
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« Reply #2 on: 21:35:33, 20-08-2008 » |
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 I just noticed this thread. I am so sorry Leo Abse has passed away. R. I. P. Thank you Antheil for bringing this to my attention. |
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Stanley Stewart
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« Reply #3 on: 22:07:03, 20-08-2008 » |
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I've suddenly remembered the spirit and the joie de vivre among old Labour; well, some of 'em!
RIP Leo Abse
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Swan_Knight
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« Reply #4 on: 10:23:39, 28-08-2008 » |
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Difficult to know what to say about Leo Abse. I knew him less for his homosexual equality work than for his latter day dabbling in questionable psychology - but he had a good innings and I'm sure that, when it came to the crunch, he was on the side of the angels.
I believe there are quite a few Welsh Jews, but they tend not to be in the public eye.
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...so flatterten lachend die Locken....
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martle
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« Reply #5 on: 12:22:15, 28-08-2008 » |
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I believe there are quite a few Welsh Jews, but they tend not to be in the public eye.
With exceptions, of course...  Abse seems to me to have been a force for nothing but good. RIP |
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Green. Always green.
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Swan_Knight
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« Reply #6 on: 12:31:29, 28-08-2008 » |
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Isn't Mr. Howard only Welsh by accident? I believe he's Lithuanian by birth?
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...so flatterten lachend die Locken....
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Il Grande Inquisitor
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« Reply #7 on: 12:35:30, 28-08-2008 » |
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Isn't Mr. Howard only Welsh by accident? I believe he's Lithuanian by birth?
I thought it was further south...Romania?  |
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Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency
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martle
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« Reply #8 on: 12:48:34, 28-08-2008 » |
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Howard was born in Gorseinon, Wales. Father was Roumanian (original name, Hecht).
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Green. Always green.
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time_is_now
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« Reply #9 on: 12:49:00, 28-08-2008 » |
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I find it really sad no one salutes Leo Abse, he may be Jewish Welsh (what a combination!) but his reforms enabled gay relationships, of which we have many here on the MB here Sorry Anty, only just seen this. I wasn't aware of Leo Abse. (No relation to Dannie I take it?) RIP |
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The city is a process which always veers away from the form envisaged and desired, ... whose revenge upon its architects and planners undoes every dream of mastery. It is [also] one of the sites where Dasein is assigned the impossible task of putting right what can never be put right. - Rob Lapsley
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George Garnett
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« Reply #10 on: 12:54:27, 28-08-2008 » |
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They are brothers.
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time_is_now
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« Reply #12 on: 12:59:41, 28-08-2008 » |
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The books published in his later career sound fascinating, actually, to an old psychoanalysis nut like me anyway. This is a rather amazing cover too:   |
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The city is a process which always veers away from the form envisaged and desired, ... whose revenge upon its architects and planners undoes every dream of mastery. It is [also] one of the sites where Dasein is assigned the impossible task of putting right what can never be put right. - Rob Lapsley
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George Garnett
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« Reply #13 on: 13:03:41, 28-08-2008 » |
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No disrespect to Leo Abse's memory and achievement, and we are all children of our time and circumstances and all that, but even so it is surprising to see some of the arguments he put forward (and this is in the middle of the swinging sixties) for decriminalising homosexual acts:
"Surely, what we should be pre-occupied with is the question of how we can, if it is possible, reduce the number of faulty males in the community. How can we diminish the number of those who grow up to have men's bodies but feminine souls? It is clear from the number of homosexuals who are about that, unfortunately, little boys do not automatically grow up to be men. Manhood and fatherhood has to be taught. Manhood has to be learnt."
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« Last Edit: 13:10:43, 28-08-2008 by George Garnett »
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martle
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« Reply #14 on: 13:22:34, 28-08-2008 » |
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Hmm. Well, that certainly is a little surprising, George. Sounds more like the ranting of a Christian Fundamentalist than a champion of human rights...  |
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Green. Always green.
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