It’s puerile paganism and laughing at terrorists. This week Feedback looks at some of your responses to the new, inclusive nature of Amsterdam’s upcoming Gay Pride, there is another gripe about the website, and we take a poke at extremism.

Every year about this time the Gay Canal Parade occurs in Amsterdam with folks from around the globe taking part in this huge street party with colourful barge floats and people in outrageous costumes celebrating the freedom to express their sexuality.

In fact, it’s much like many secular festivals and parades around the globe - a chance to dress up, enjoy a parade and have a bit of a party.

This year’s festival has hit the headlines with the news that it will be even more inclusive: Dutch soldiers may now take part in uniform and the Dutch Christian Democrats (CDA) will also be participating for the first time, highlighted in the article Soldiers on Gay Parade by RNW News Desk.

However, two of our readers/listeners were distinctly NOT in the mood to party.
Hiram wrote in reference to the CDA participation [edited, full text on website]:

"The Dutch Christians must be really proud of this event. I guess every nation must have a Sodom and Gomorrah but calling yourself a Christian and being a part of the event is far worse.”

Whereas Anonymous had a bone to pick with us on the use of our “party pic” for the article:

“The new-and-improved Christian-Democrat version of Radio Netherlands seems to enjoy displaying photos of the most self-degrading self-mocking gay exhibitionists.... that should give the Christian Mammonists plenty of fuel to confirm their bigoted stereotype that ALL gays are demonic and sinful, overshadowing the many self-respecting professional gay people who wouldn't dream of stripping down to panties and dancing in public with horns on their heads like rebellious juvenile delinquents, and who are Humanists, Jews, Agnostics, THINKING PEOPLE, not Sheep, and find both Institutionalized religion as well as puerile Paganism equally nauseating and better left behind to the expired 20th century and earlier.”

Yes, odd we would choose a picture of a colourful parade float to illustrate ... a parade? However, we do respect that a party/parade is not everyone’s way of celebrating, and that not all gay men want to strip down and dance in public.

Well, we asked you to send us your feedback on the new website, and continue to send it you do. Many of you have written in with problems, complaints and sometimes dislike, such as regular respondent Vera Gottlieb, who wrote [edited]:

New isn't always better
“I've been reading RNW for some years already... Items were easily found, comments were easily left, other people's comments were easily read and replied to...

Now, that some young university graduate and computer "expert" has been given free reign, it just isn't the same. ... New isn't always better and in this case - with your redesigned web site, it certainly is NOT better. And your readers' comments prove it.

So admit you were wrong, go back to the old format and make us happy.”

One of our web editors, Tim Fisher, responds [edited]:

“Once again we apologise for the problems you have encountered with RNW's new website. If it is any comfort at all, we too have had some problems with it...

The site is still very much in development, as it were, with our colleagues on the Dutch-language site following with their full transition to it later this year. We are, therefore, still pretty much in the 'teething stage' as it were, which may be the reason why you have experienced problems too...

We are sorry you do not like the new site. Some people find it an improvement, others do not, so you are not alone. However, the site is here to stay - for the next few years at least...We hope that you may come to like it more over time.”

Silken string
And finally, the article Bin Laden Naked - laughing at extremism by Abdelai Ragad reported on the upcoming publication of “a comic book that illustrates the humorous contradictions of religious extremism.”

It also seemed to bring out a spat of poetic one-liners in our respondents, such as Anonymous, who wrote:

“Moderation is the silken string running through the pearl chain of all virtues.”

Or matthews:

“There is no excess to laugh at those who want to terrorize us...”

Perhaps it’s all just an attempt to laugh in the face of fear?