Elton, More Than Just a John

Elton John, a man whom I have always admired more than his music (though I do have a soft spot for both 'I'm Still Standing' and 'Saturday Night's All Right For Fighting' - it's the man in me, as Bob Dylan once said), has let loose for the second time in three weeks on the issue of gay rights. He recently told the Observer Music Monthly that he reckoned organised religion should be banned, something that Elton followed through with an unsurprisingly flimsy rationale. I did however have sympathy with his point of view as he has clearly lost patience with the perennial, and hypocritical homophobia of the various Christian churches, who embellish their 'concern' with as innocuous a development as gay marriage with insulting rhetoric such as wanting to preserve the 'traditional character of marriage.' Compassion is in, or outside the US Bible belt at least, and though the unwashed sons of Sodom may be abominable in the eyes of the Lord, then they may be granted a bit of old-school Christian TLC in order to save their souls (and presumably their sphincters as well). Not to mention the incidental concern about further alienating a population that increasingly couldn't give a flying fuck (rear or front entry) about someone's sexual orientation. The Christian churches, like man, cannot live on bread alone, but they still need the bread.

Anyway, Elton has let fly at Aussie Deputy Dirty Digger John Howard for his opposition to gay marriage, a measure that has already been passed by the Australian Capital Territory. Howard, like his Christian brethren, claims that he is not homophobic, but wishes to maintain the 'unique character' of marriage. To do that in Australia, he might also want to deny the civic sacraments to Jews, Muslims, non-white Australians and non-supporters of his own party. That'd make it pretty 'unique' in my opinion. Elton is the most screaming of the queens and musically best suited to guest spots at Tribute-to-George Michael gigs but I like it when he throws off his previous caution and rants at the hypocritical bigots of the world. That bitch has balls. As Gift Grub's Ronan Keating incarnation says: 'fair play to Elton, he leaves no stone unhinged'. Respect, like.