Why, oh, PIE are we in this mess?
The spectacle of rainbow inclusion in Scotland is a wonder to behold. In recent months, we’ve had drag queens in schools and pride marches through sick children’s hospitals. Events like these, to the sane, are like nails on a chalkboard - we see the harm, the indoctrination and the ideology clear as day. To others, mainly men with fetishes, this appears to be the ultimate validation and in fact a celebration of reasonable and basic safeguards being bulldozed. There are many reason why we ended up here. None more obvious to me than the government funded lobby groups who work, with huge tax-payer funded budgets, to normalise and support puritanical ideological goals.
Take the Equality Network, for example. A Scottish Government funded charity and lobby group. Founded in 1997 and incorporated in 2001 by Timothy Hopkins and witnessed by Duncan Hothersall, it has grown to be one of the most influential lobby groups in Scotland. Over the last few years it became one of the biggest voices in supporting the flawed and dangerous GRR bill in Scotland and is the parent of the Scottish Trans Alliance.
Its director, of 20 odd years, Timothy Hopkins has long been involved in controversial policies, companies and most importantly charities. In 1997, Hopkins founded the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Community Project which was based out of 58a Broughton Street in Edinburgh, a well known address to those who have concerns about child safety in Scotland. His co-founder was none other than Ian Dunn.
Ian Dunn founded the Scottish Minorities Group (SMG) in 1969. SMG, as many will know, was the birthplace of the Paedophile Information Exchange (PIE). Co-founded by Dunn and Michael Hanson in 1974, PIE was set up to campaign for and build acceptance of paedophilia and to connect paedophiles with each other. SMG changed name several times over the years. It was firstly changed to SHRG (Scottish Homosexual Rights Group) in 1974 before becoming Outright Scotland in 1992. Interestingly, Hopkins later referred to Outright as the ‘sister organisation’ of the Equality Network.
Dunn was also known to have let a pro-paedophila magazine, named ‘Minor Problems’, operate from his Edinburgh address. When he died in 1998, his funeral was attended by hundreds. This included senior police officials, clergy and politicians. Obituaries flooded in for him; the most notable two being by John Hein, a fellow PIE member pictured below with Patrick Harvie MSP, and Peter Tatchell, a news pundit who constantly tells lesbians what to think and who has a rather murky writing history to say the least. A young man attended the funeral of Dunn to ‘make sure he was dead’ after alleging Dunn had raped him when he was just 15. There was a memorial award set up in Dunns name after his death with Hopkins being the first recipient and Mr Harvie being the sixth.
Hopkins was also a director at two of Dunns other companies. SHRG (Scottish Homosexual Rights Group) properties and Calosa Publishing. The records of SHRG Properties and Calosa Publishing cannot be found but we can see from the incorporation papers of the LGB Community Project that both men were directors of the companies.
One strong connection to an infamous paeodophile is surely noteworthy enough, at least in my world, but this isn’t where this tale ends. In 2001, at a Scottish Parliament committee meeting, Timothy Hopkins introduced someone of note to the Scottish Parliament. James Rennie, at the time of Hopkins introduction, worked for the Stonewall Youth Project. It was based in Edinburgh and was disbanded when Rennie decided the set up LGBT Youth Scotland. Many will know that Rennie, in 2008, was arrested and later convicted of being in possession of child rape materials and for the rape of a 3-month old baby. He led one of the biggest paedophile rings in Scotland with 7 others being convicted as part of the conspiracy. The 2001 meeting was an Equalities Committee meeting that was focusing on, ‘Improving our Schools’ and was well attended by MSPs including the now Deputy First Minister of Scotland, Shona Robison.
More recently, Hopkins attended and acted as a treasurer to various LGBTI Equality meetings within the Scottish Parliament. The Equality Network also acted as treasurers to this group. These were chaired, mostly, by Patrick Harvie MSP. They focused on various issues, including again, Scottish schools. Importantly the issues discussed in these meetings related to more ‘inclusive’ education. Screenshots of one of these meetings can be found below.
The most pertinent question, at least to me, is: are these the most appropriate people in Scotland to be advising on policy? This is all the more important we consider our schools and education. I’m struck by the similarities between paedophilia and gender ideology. Both seem to want children to never grow up, both seem to assert dominance over our young and both seem to fight tooth and nail to sexualise children. I’ve had my own dealings with the worst of society, I know how evil and cruel they are. This is in part why I’m writing this. Through trying to work out why what happened to me was allowed to happen, I’ve spent probably hundreds of hours scouring archives and speaking to people. Without even looking particularly hard, the same names kept constantly coming up. Lapses in the judgement of the Government, Police, Social Work and organisations kept coming up. People knew and done nothing.
It’s equally important to note that certain people and groups have been all over these issues for years, especially women’s rights organisations in Scotland, who’ve bravely stuck their heads above the parapet only to be accused of homophobia or some other nonsense. Most recently a woman, and someone whom I consider a close friend, was assaulted in Aberdeen by a TRA at a Women Won’t Wheesht event held in a local park. The assault itself highlights the state of the current situation in Scotland and indeed the U.K. Additionally the response from Police Scotland has been abysmal. It obvious to me that these organisations have an extreme, and frankly unique, amount of power over institutions that should be independent.
The forced silence around creeps roaming the halls of power in this country must end. The institutional abuse and grooming that has long plagued us must be exposed. It’s clear to many of us that our governments don’t, or won’t, touch these issues with any seriousness and I see the only way forward for us all is to continue to organise amongst ourselves and shame those who are worthy of shaming.
With the current state of things in Scotland, and indeed all over the West, we have to ask ourselves, was the rainbow worth the rain?
"When he died in 1998, his funeral was attended by hundreds. This included senior police officials, clergy and politicians."
Do we have names?