Man jailed in anti-gay row

Neal Keeling

October 16, 2007

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Banned: Joe Fairclough

A CAMPAIGNER against gay rights was locked in a police cell for eight hours after he refused to be served by a homosexual librarian.

Devout Christian Joe Fairclough, 58, describes homosexuality as 'a sin' and has protested against adoption rights for gay couples.

Now he has been banned from his local library after telling a gay employee he wanted to be served by a different member of staff because he was opposed to same-sex `marriage'.

Mr Fairclough, a married father of three, was arrested after making the remarks and put in police custody before being released without charge.

The incident happened at Leigh Library. The body which runs it on behalf of Wigan Council has defended its decision to ban Mr Fairclough for `unacceptable behaviour'.

Police say he was arrested for a public order offence when two library employees complained that his comments caused them alarm and distress.

But after being interviewed, Mr Fairclough was not charged as there was insufficient evidence to prove that he intended to cause distress.

Trouble flared after a member of staff, who is gay and has been through a civil partnership ceremony, offered to help Mr Fairclough with an inquiry.

Mr Fairclough said: "I asked him if anyone else could help me, and he asked why. I pointed towards a ring on his finger and said I didn't approve of two men being married. He then told me I was barred.

"I went back the next day and two members of staff told me to leave because I had insulted their colleague. I refused. A caretaker came over and eventually the police came.

"A police constable took me into a square outside the library and I gave him my side of the story, but he did not take notes."

Mr Fairclough, a semi-retired plumber, went to Leigh Police station to complain about the way he had been treated. But he was arrested after police received complaints about his behaviour.

He said he was held eight and a half hours. When he was released at 11.30pm the bus station was shut so he had to walk home to Leigh.

He added "I am against homosexuality but I don't wish anyone any harm."

The library worker involved said Mr Fairclough's remarks were `very homophobic.'

A spokesman for Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust said: "We take a serious view of verbal abuse, intimidation or violence against any of our staff.

"This wasn't an isolated case and our code of conduct has a variety of sanctions, including banning people from our facilities."

Previously Mr Fairclough had put comments, deemed homophobic, on the library notice board and staged a protest outside the library against the adoption rights of gay couples.

A police spokesman said: "The library customer's behaviour was unacceptable and was the culmination of a number of incidents involving this man at the library over the course of a year."

Should Mr Fairclough have been banned? Have your say.

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Pete (16/10/2007 at 08:35)

This subject is a very sensitive one where the belief of one party and the lifestyle of another have to be balanced. I not sure that an objective discussion can be had on a message board such as this where strong views either way will need to be censored and carefully moderated. The story does not give enough information as to whether the exchanges were considered and therefore the response too robust or whether the exchanges were offensive and therefore the actions justified. I am sure an argument could be introduced whether you have the right to refuse to be served by anybody - black, female, disabled, youth, elderly, just because of a personal belief.

Joshua Monks (16/10/2007 at 09:09)

if being openly gay is freedom, then so is being openly against it

The Bobelesque, In The Rye (16/10/2007 at 09:30)

Joshua Monks: what a briefly brilliant post. Same applies to politics - ok to spout socialist worker rubbish but apparently offensive to voice BNP policy. Good luck to Joe Fairclough.

TSJ, Levenshulme (16/10/2007 at 09:33)

Of course the library had every right to ask him not to come in again. You cant pick and choose who serves you, homophobia is exactly the same as racism, just with a different minority group.

As for the arrest, on the face of it seems a bit excessive and certainly unlikely to educate ignorance, but think the phrase not an isolated incident is key here. If, as i suspect, he has been intimidating the library employee for some time then he deserves his punishment

Janeyb (16/10/2007 at 09:33)

I work in a large hospital and it is not unusual for patients to ask to see a "white doctor". If he felt more comfortable asking somebody else to help him, then that is his choice - you should not have to state your reasons and a member of staff certainly should not be given authorisation to ban somebody from using a local service.

tezza, tyldesley (16/10/2007 at 09:44)

I find it hard to understand how he found out that the librarian was gay? It is not something that they should be discussing at work, I am heterosexual but I would never tell anyone that I did not know that came into my work place. I don’t agree with what this man did but he is entitled to his thoughts as long as he does not try to force them on to other people. I did find it funny that he went to the police station and then got arrested, how lazy are the police in Leigh just wait and all the criminals will turn up at the station

Jack (16/10/2007 at 09:46)

Janeyb, it may not be unusual but it's most certainly offensive and wrong and I suspect if they were on deaths door they wouldn't be so discriminatory. Imagine how you would feel if someone said they wouldn't deal with you 'cos of something intrinsic about yourself, must be upsetting and intimidating. This guy is just trying to do his job, I assume he pays his way in life and doesn't cause any harm to anyone therefore he is entitled to be treated with the same respect and courtesy as anyone else.

Rimsky (16/10/2007 at 09:52)

The gay community have directly developed the pink pound to drive money into gay business and help support gay communities. Therefore gay people can search out and purchase products and services from these companies who only employ homosexuals, it gives them a choice. Joe Fairclough was only expressing his preference and doing this through freedom of speech and choice, good luck mate and keep your head up, you have done nothing wrong.

The Bobelesque, In The Rye (16/10/2007 at 09:53)

Tezza: the key phrase is " ...as long as he does not try to force [his views]on to other people". This is the problem that Joe Fairclough and many others feel they face. Homosexuals are now forcing their views on other people.

If Joe had been a gay rights campaigner and requested that he be served only by a camp librarian would it have been a story? I think not. Same as when black or asian patients request to be seen by a black or asian doctor - again a non-story.

Neil Armstrong. Talking live, from The Blue Moon. (16/10/2007 at 10:02)

he's lucky the law didnt throw the book at him!

as long as he was polite in asking for another member of staff there should not of been a problem. this gay librarian is just being over sensitive. all he had to do was walk away and never offer to help joe 90 again.

storm in a tea cup really.

deephouse, whitefield (16/10/2007 at 10:14)

god these bible thumpers are annoying

RANDYRED (16/10/2007 at 10:20)

Joe had the right to ask to be served by another person its his choice and the librarian shouldnt have questioned his question.
Joe might be a devout church goer and very religous,thus he pointed out his rights and sticking to his religious beleifs.
Joe must have know this man was gay as he must use the libary often.
After all if there is a god he made adam and eve,not adam and adam or for the lesbian issue eve and eve.
Joe stick to your rights,as the gay community stick to theirs and demand to be know.
Shouldnt the police be doing some thing a bit more than locking a man up for asking to be served by some body else.
Joe you wasnt charged so id seek a solicitor for wrongfull arrest and why didnt the gay man and his colleages just have got on with it and served joe with out this nonsence and acted in a professional manner,obviosly they wanted to make a point and it got them no where,as joe was being locked up the libary staff were more than likely hindering the poor gmp force from attending a real crime e.g assault,rape,burgalry.
Get a life.

tezza, tyldesley (16/10/2007 at 10:21)

The Bobelesque, In The Rye; I agree with that yes, the minority seem to have all the rights these day, but I would like to have been there when they had the argument , I bet it was all in hushed voices.

The Bobelesque, In The Rye (16/10/2007 at 10:21)

Rimsky: a very valid point.

The Bobelesque, In The Rye (16/10/2007 at 10:26)

deephouse: yer. I agree with that too.

Ash (16/10/2007 at 10:28)

Doth protests too much methinks...

SamV, Manchester (16/10/2007 at 10:49)

pre-marital sex is also a sin, does he check everyone he deals with if they engage (or have engaged) in such un-godly behaviour.

For someone who purports to be a "devout" christian he isn't acting in a very christian manner.

Dave (16/10/2007 at 11:00)

Why has the MEN turned into the Daily Mail all of a sudden?

LeythBlue, Leigh (16/10/2007 at 11:01)

Why was someone from Leigh in Wigan in the first place???

Miss M, Manchester (16/10/2007 at 11:09)

He was at the library for a BOOK! Get a grip
What right doesnt have to ask to be served by another member of staff as he is Gay. He should be ashamed.

Barry C (16/10/2007 at 11:13)

We can always rely on the MEN to whip up hatred by printing half a story.

We don't know exactly what the guy said or how he said it, all we know for certain is that he hates gays.

It saddens me that the MEN seems to be moving away from journalism and towards sensationalism.

For all we know, the inflamatory remarks on this page are from MEN hacks trying to whip up a bit of interest.

Don't you agree Bobelesque?

tiggeruk, Eccles (16/10/2007 at 11:17)

I wonder if he would check the sexuality of all the fire fighters before letting them put out the fire should his house be ablaze, or the paramedic treating him for a heart attack had had any homosexual tendencies, I wonder if he asks all the checkout assistants at his local supermarket what they do in bed. I doubt he would do all of that. To me it is just another example of a small minded person getting his 15 minutes worth of fame for shouting from his soap box.

tezza, tyldesley (16/10/2007 at 11:18)

LeythBlue, Leigh, what are you on about he was at Leigh Library and Leigh police station so not that far from his house.

The Bobelesque, In The Rye, I agree, but the majority of my last comment never made it passed the censor.

Mr Angry, Bury (16/10/2007 at 11:27)

Mmm, going to have to tread a bit carefully here as the censors might be waiting to pounce. I think the guy was probably being a bit of a nuisance by the sound of it but why arrest him?

had enough, Walkden (16/10/2007 at 11:41)

He should get a job at Sainsburys.

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