The Daily Mail just published a vile homophobic attack on a military official

The Daily Mail has celebrated the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality by publishing a vile homophobic hit piece on a Navy officer.

Richard Littlejohn, an outspoken Daily Mail columnist, penned a piece today attacking a military official who had tweeted support for transgender people currently serving in the Armed Forces, after a decision to ban them in the United States.

Rear Admiral Alex J. Burton, who is the Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces as well as a Royal Navy LGBT champion, had tweeted of Trump’s ban: “As an @RoyalNavy_LGBT champion and senior warfighter I am so glad we are not going this way.”

The single tweet provoked anger from Littlejohn, who wrote a 1500-word piece focused on attacking Burton, peppered with old-school homophobic jibes.

He wrote: “Rear Admiral Burton’s official photograph makes him look like one of those gay Dutch policemen played by Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse.

“Sorry, but I couldn’t help thinking of Julian and Sandy, the alter egos of Kenneth Williams and Hugh Paddick in Round The Horne. ‘Oooo, ’ello, I’m Julian and this is my friend Rear Admiral Burton. Isn’t he bona?’

“Hello, sailor. Or was that The Navy Lark?”

He laments: “These days, the military takes diversity so seriously that even Dick Emery’s camp character, Clarence — catchphrase ‘Hello, Honky Tonks’ — would have no difficulty signing up.”

In one of the most disgusting homophobic smears in the piece, Littlejohn appears to allude to the homophobic slur ‘pillow biter’, quipping: “There’s also mention of a boat called ‘HMS Biter’.”

Attacking the approach to LGBT diversity within the Armed Forces, Littlejohn claims: “It’s nobody’s business. We didn’t ask the soldiers at Dunkirk how many of them were wearing silk cami-knickers under their khakis.”