CJ Banned?

[JustinHorton]

I imagine there were adult prize winners who also would prefer not to be pictured next to that t-shirt.

And how far should we go to accommodate them?

[John Moore]

John - if I was a prizewinner, anybody could give it to me.

[Paul Cooksey]

Is there an equivalent T-shirt and campaign and slogan for primary schools?

No the slogan is aimed at secondary school children. The focus for younger children is on different types of family. Slogans more effective to communicate to teenagers I suppose.

Yes, but bullies don't always respond how you want them to. Would you walk into a lion enclosure with a t-shirt asking not to be eaten?

I think it would be a remarkable incompetent school that did not know how to address bullying on the basis of an anti-bullying campaign, if it came to their attention. While I respect John's right to a view, he is arguing against Stonewall's expertise on bullying.

[John Moore]

I am comfortable with that.

[Paul Cooksey]

I imagine there were adult prize winners who also would prefer not to be pictured next to that t-shirt.

And how far should we go to accommodate them?

I argued this point much earlier. It is not reasonable to expect everyone to agree with anything. But the test is whether reasonable people would object. This is no longer a party political issue. The Prime Minister apologised for the Conservative clause 28 legislation which is long repealed. It is a mainstream/ extremist issue.

[John Moore]

Look what the poll has done, Paul. Think I should apologise for waking people who hadn't had a go and, actually, there were some new points.

[Kevin Thurlow]

Someone asked about 400 posts ago if CJ would be allowed to wear the t-shirt on television. It is unlikely. In my experience of TV quiz shows, (much less than CJ's of course), any sort of message or logo is scrutinised closely. One of my opponents on Countdown was quizzed about a small (about 3" across) logo on his shirt, which related to his previous employer I think. I was allowed to have a similar size logo for Combined Services Chess Association, and a smaller one for Civil Service Sports Council, but banned from wearing one relating to my former employer (a Government Department), which had a large message. I think Brainteaser banned logos full stop. BBC probably would as well. But this was in each case because there was a message - the content was irrelevant.

Whether the actions of TV companies have any bearing on what ECF does are a different matter.

[Amnon Cohen]

As a parent of a primary school aged player,
I am glad that the president of the ECF supports causes outside the world
of chess, particularly causes which aim to increase the tolerance and inclusiveness
in society.

[Tom_Field]

This debate has nothing to do with discrimination it is simply about dress code which is a factor in every walk of life.

If I go to a funeral wearing Yellow its not appropriate.
If I go to an interview in jeans it's not appropriate.
If I go to a Night Club wearing trainers its not appropriate.
If I to a Wedding I wear a suit.
I I go to open a Shopping Mall I wear a suit.
If I present an award on TV I wear a suit.
If I present a Chess Boxing match as an MC I wear a suit.

I do not promote my own selfish interests even if it for a charity.

Anyone who makes a different issue about this other than what it - 'A Dress Code Issue for a person in a position of responsibility'

Well they are just a lynch mob pushing there own ridiculous non chess related agenda.

Storey for ECF President!

http://www.CharlieChess.com

What hipocrisy! You have done nothing but exploit this unfortunate saga to promote your own selfish interests.

As far as I am aware the ECF have not accepted CJ's resignation offer, so I have no idea how you can start campaigning yet anyway.

This issue may not have given chess a good name, but I can't see how electing Charlie Storey will make it any better.

[Ian Kingston]

"There is still a reservoir of anti-gay opinion in this country" proof of this fact then Ian?

This should suffice:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8580960.stm

It's about Scotland, but one imagines that other parts of the UK aren't hugely different.

Ian, Scotland is a highly religious country and like a lot of Arab countries shuns homosexuals. England is a very tolerant country, all my gay friends do not get attacked or abused.

Then maybe this story will convince you:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/ ... e-crime.do

[Charlie Storey]

Okay Here is the solution.

1. CJ has put in 16k. even if in my opinion it was not in the interest of Fair Play it's still a very good deed.

2. Clearly he is quite well liked even though he clearly got this one wrong.

3. He got his toys out when Lara, quite correctly, raised a concern.

Soloution

Give him a second chance - bring him up to speed on promoting sensitive issues.

Keep him on until the next ECF election and even give him his chance for re-election.

With regard to me being the next ECF President - I don't want to do it, I simply think it needs me or its gonna break if my information is correct.

Anyway - I hope you enjoy my next video on The White Sniper - It's sort of The Dynamic English on Sniper Steroids!


Show him this posting - it will persuade him to stay.

Best Wishes to all the chess community;

The Sniper Chief.

www.CharlieChess.com

[Paul Cooksey]

2. Clearly he is quite well liked even though he clearly got this one wrong.
...
Give him a second chance - bring him up to speed on promoting sensitive issues.

I imagine what I think of this is obvious.

[Jonathan Rogers]

I'm a bit baffled by the supposed link between CJ giving prizes in a Stonewall T-shirt and the prospect of the schoolboy prize recipients being bullied on account of this. How does it work? Wouldn't the prizewinner have to go to school and show everyone the photos, or would their local newspaper reporter travel hundreds of miles to take the photo (as opposed to simply asking the family for a copy), or would homophobic bullies at the school take out a subscription to a chess magazine to find the photos?...! Surely the bottom line is that the photos would find their way into circulation only if the prizewinners were happy for this to happen.

All the same, I can see that people do let their imaginations run wild and I see no harm in Lara reporting to CJ the reservations of some parents - after all everything would still have gone ahead if CJ had insisted; and there was always the possibility that CJ might have said "thanks for telling me Lara, why don't we let someone else present the prizes to juniors and I will have my photo taken with any prizewinners who want that after the ceremony?"

CJ seems to have admitted that he shouldn't have gone public with this. But it won't do English chess all that much harm and he certainly does a lot more good than harm, so I trust that he will still command widespread support in October.

I agree with the other Jonathan that if CJ wants to rethink anything he has done so far, it should be in the region of his unexplained links with RDK. FWIW, I also think that CJ should not worry too much about "foreign policy" during his Presidency - many people utterly fail to understand why he thought he was in a position to help Karpov in Siberia last year (but he did so at his own expense, I believe, so this is not a cause of concern; just bewilderment).

[Geoff Chandler]

Bravo CJ.

Stand up for what you believe in, published and be damned. Be you.

And all publicity is good publicity.

What about future sponsors?

Sorted. The Gay Organisations will be putting money into Chess for years after this.

Please do not resign else they win and it will damage the rep of the organisation.
(people will think the wrong thing and make 2+2=5)

Hypocritical Footnote.

When I won the Scottish Open ('80 or '81) on the morning of the prize giving all
I had packed was printed tee-shirts. I borrowed money against my winnings to
buy a SCA logo knitted jersey to look more presentable. (I still have it.)

♫ Ah but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now.♫

Thank you Bob Dylan.

PS: Who won the British, in all this excitement.....

[Simon Ansell]

Can I ask if the ECF is going to make a public statement regarding this matter? It is still being reported with the (implied) 'Homophobic ECF' angle on some news sources.

Lara, undeservedly imo, is taking all the flack. There are other people involved.

We've had the ECF Publicity Director and Director of Home Chess post on this thread (and link to this thread on Facebook!) and neither has really expressed an opinion. The ECF really needs to be more media-savvy imo, this is one reason that the story has run as it has. Lara (an arbiter) shouldn't have been left in the position where she needed to make an (informal) public statement. The ECF's position is still unclear to me.