'Toxic nostalgia' for bygone era fuelling online abuse against Pride on Scottish island

Rebecca Atkinson-Lord, artistic director and chief executive of An Tobar and Mull Theatre, said online attacks directed at the Mull and Iona Pride celebrations had intensified this year, driven predominantly by people who do not live on the island but have connections to it as holiday makers or regular visitors - who had an idealised view of the island as a throwback to the 1950s.

More than 60 businesses, organisations and community groups from across Mull and Iona have come together to publish a joint statement speaking out against the abuse which took place as more than 100 people attended the Pride event in Tobermory in June.

Ms Atkinson-Lord, who warned some members of her staff had been afraid to work at the event following the attacks, said she believed some of those who did not want Pride events to go ahead on Mull were not residents on the island, where she says there is a strong queer community.

The event, which took place on 21 June, included a beach gathering and family disco.

She said: “Every year we get a bit of nonsense online. We get people posting homophobic comments, or jokes. Historically, we kind of roll our eyes and get on with it, you have to, especially in a small community where even if you disagree with people, you all rub along together.

“But this year, it got worse and what was interesting is that it was quite a lot of people from outside Mull who had visited a lot, or who knew the island as tourists or whatever, who were quite aggressive in the idea of ‘don't bring this to Mull, stay away from our children’ type thing. Then someone posted swastikas anonymously.”

She added: “It felt like we just couldn't let that stand, because that isn't that isn't our community, that isn't the island.”

She said: “I think there's a perception of Mull and places like it that they're heritage places and are stuck in time. Some visitors come and they expect it to be like going back to the 1950s, but if you live here, you know we are all modern contemporary people.

“I think it's all bound up in that sense of toxic nostalgia that is part of the very far right. It's something of a sense that this should be a place where they are safe from the difficult questions we have to think about in the contemporary world and it's not - it absolutely isn't.”

The statement, signed by 69 groups - from hotels, cafés and galleries to churches, charities, community trusts and local shops including Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, Mull and Iona Community Trust, Tobermory Hotel, Glengorm and Church of Scotland congregations - said the online posters “do not speak for our community”.

Ms Atkinson-Lord said one artist travelling to Mull since the Pride event had asked her if it was safe to hold hands with their partner on the ferry.

She said: “I don't want my staff to feel frightened to be part of Pride and I don't want them to feel frightened to go out into the community and be absolutely themselves and I don’t want any visitor to see anything like this and choose not to come here.”

“I do fear that the statement might mean that all of a sudden there's going to be a pile-on online, or there'll be some sort of protest against next year's Pride. I am worried about that, but that doesn't mean this isn't the right thing to do.”

The statement said: “As businesses, organisations, community groups and individuals, we stand together in solidarity with our LGBTQI+ neighbours, friends, family members, colleagues and visitors. We believe that everyone deserves to feel safe, respected and valued, and that diversity is one of the things that makes island life richer, kinder and more vibrant.

“Everyone is welcome here. The future of our islands is one of openness, curiosity and belonging. There is no place here for hatred, bigotry or discrimination.”