Ian Thorpe is.....

Majestic 12

Gay!

Well you could have bowled me over with a feather. I think the majority of the British population may have deduced that after his punditry stint for the Beeb at the London Olympics. Well certainly he was camping it up more than Colin Jackson anyhow.

But most of all, I couldn't give a flying whatsit. This stuff is not important anymore and certainly no longer newsworthy.

herb71

I could not care either, but it is newsworthy in some respects. He did not come out earlier because of commercial considerations, somehow a gay athlete being less attractive or marketable than a straight one.

That demonstrates that there is still progress to be made and perhaps his coming out might help.

Silly Old Hector

Majestic 12 wrote:

Gay!

Well you could have bowled me over with a feather. I think the majority of the British population may have deduced that after his punditry stint for the Beeb at the London Olympics. Well certainly he was camping it up more than Colin Jackson anyhow.

But most of all, I couldn't give a flying whatsit*. This stuff is not important anymore and certainly no longer newsworthy.

I think you'll find that it's wetsuit

Daz555

Herb71 wrote:

I could not care either, but it is newsworthy in some respects. He did not come out earlier because of commercial considerations, somehow a gay athlete being less attractive or marketable than a straight one.

That demonstrates that there is still progress to be made and perhaps his coming out might help.

Indeed. Seems odd though that an athlete would lose money when he officially confirms what the entire world knows already.

His flirting with Mark Foster during the Olympics was about as subtle as a brick.

bianchimoon

Majestic 12 wrote:

Gay!

Well you could have bowled me over with a feather. I think the majority of the British population may have deduced that after his punditry stint for the Beeb at the London Olympics. Well certainly he was camping it up more than Colin Jackson anyhow.

But most of all, I couldn't give a flying whatsit. This stuff is not important anymore and certainly no longer newsworthy.

Then why the need to start a thread on it?

Alain Quay

It is a big deal esp in Australia, because the poor guy has suffered serious depression, etc for years, thinking if he came out he would not be accepted. What people say in public and what they say in private are different; the world is not as tolerant as we think. Anyway, good on him.

rick_chasey

Was Mr Goo banned?

ddraver

Agree with both really. It's important that he came out as i do think it offers a lot of support to young people who are struggling to come to terms with or accept their sexuality (and i don't want to tread on toes, but I can't imagine how hard it must have been for anyone who was gay at my school), but also, in an ideal world it shouldnt even be an issue.

The fact that actually the dominant response to his and Tom Daley's coming outs is ambivalent is a good sign, but it's not the end of the battle yet...

Philly8mt

Ian Thorpe, Tom Daley etc etc ...

I don't care quite frankly!

Perhaps if nobody gave a toss then we'd be where we need to be on "gay" issues, coming out etc.

Cos let's face it ... A guy being gay shouldn't be shocking or news anymore should it?

Anonymous

That's the point. It shouldn't, but it is, and needs to be. People in the public eye being gay should be a non-issue, yet still the American football player made derogatory comments about another who outed himself. Sometimes young homosexuals need someone to look up to and realise that it's a non issue, and there is nothing to be afraid of as everyone accepts it, and actually, no one cares one way or the other.

Alain Quay

I guess a measure of acceptance is the number of gay sportspeople with big advertising or PR contracts. Can't think of any.

metronome

Ellen Page's speech at Time to Thrive was inspirational.

http://youtu.be/1hlCEIUATzg

Pross

Alain Quay wrote:

I guess a measure of acceptance is the number of gay sportspeople with big advertising or PR contracts. Can't think of any.

Not in the really top ranks but Tom Daley certainly has a few contracts and the value is probably limited by the sports exposure rather than his sexuality. To be honest I don't see why sportspeople are afraid to 'come out' other than in team games where I can see that opposition supporters would use it to taunt them. How many actors or musicians have had their careers or marketability affected in the last 20 years due to being gay?

ballysmate

Probably be slated for my double standards, but having known and worked with gay people of both sexes with total indifference to their sexuality, I know that in my heart of hearts I would have been disappointed if my kids had been gay.
Just being honest.

mr_goo

I see they have wheeled the Thorpedo out again as a Beeb pundit for the Olympics Lite. Certainly appears even more camp than two years ago. Perhaps he's being paid by Glasgows' producer of that liquid coffee beverage (if that's what it can be called) in a subliminal advertising campaign.

mfin

With the mention of him maybe acting more camp now ...to open a can of worms, do we think it's people being camp or people being gay that gets to those who have negative opinions about gay men more? (Not that there are people on here who are expressing negative opinions I should say).

mr_goo

I couldn't give a whotsit about anyones' gender preferences.
But it's those that camp it up with their effete deportment that irritate me. I would equally be irritated if Clare Balding took to wearing dungarees, black polo shirt and had her hair cropped. It's the acting out of the 'stereotype' by some that is annoying when in reality there is no stereotype.

ballysmate

The Julian Clareys of this world really grate. A gay guy I used to work with found him and his ilk as irritating as I do.

secretsam

Is this even news? Who cares whom a former swimmer likes?

tangled_metal

Ballysmate wrote:

The Julian Clareys of this world really grate. A gay guy I used to work with found him and his ilk as irritating as I do.

The <insert name of old school, "mother in law" comedian> really grates. A gay guy I used to work with also found him as irritating as I do.

What a statement?! It can be applied to anything really. It is an opinion only. All gay guys are not the same. All camp comedians are not necessarily the same in real life as their stage personas.

All I am saying is those comments about gay or camp public persons that include a phrase along the lines of "a gay colleague I know" or "a gay friend/acquaintance" are a load of irrelevant hogwash. Sorry Ballysmate but it makes that post sound like you think there is a uniformity to being gay. One gay thinks that so they all must!! No offence meant. I do agree with you about Julian Clary though, never got his humour and style. Found it a bit puerile at times and just not funny most of the time.

ballysmate

Tangled Metal wrote:

Ballysmate wrote:

The Julian Clareys of this world really grate. A gay guy I used to work with found him and his ilk as irritating as I do.

The <insert name of old school, "mother in law" comedian> really grates. A gay guy I used to work with also found him as irritating as I do.

What a statement?! It can be applied to anything really. It is an opinion only. All gay guys are not the same. All camp comedians are not necessarily the same in real life as their stage personas.

All I am saying is those comments about gay or camp public persons that include a phrase along the lines of "a gay colleague I know" or "a gay friend/acquaintance" are a load of irrelevant hogwash. Sorry Ballysmate but it makes that post sound like you think there is a uniformity to being gay. One gay thinks that so they all must!! No offence meant. I do agree with you about Julian Clary though, never got his humour and style. Found it a bit puerile at times and just not funny most of the time.

I made no comment on whether Clarey was/is funny. It had nothing to do with him being a comedian. I find him grating for re-enforcing an outdated stereotype, a view shared by my colleague. You unfortunately took the opposite view to that that I was attempting to convey. Of course there is no uniformity to any strand of life.
I was just being anecdotal about a conversation I shared during a long boring night shift and I am in no doubt that our opinion isn't universally shared, otherwise Clarey wouldn't be on the telly.
Never mind. Next time I post anything you may find hogwash, I will endeavour to canvass a significant sample for you, something along the lines of " 8 out of 10 cats prefer... (X number of cats surveyed) Because you're worth it.

tangled_metal

Ballysmate wrote:

Tangled Metal wrote:

Ballysmate wrote:

The Julian Clareys of this world really grate. A gay guy I used to work with found him and his ilk as irritating as I do.

The <insert name of old school, "mother in law" comedian> really grates. A gay guy I used to work with also found him as irritating as I do.

What a statement?! It can be applied to anything really. It is an opinion only. All gay guys are not the same. All camp comedians are not necessarily the same in real life as their stage personas.

All I am saying is those comments about gay or camp public persons that include a phrase along the lines of "a gay colleague I know" or "a gay friend/acquaintance" are a load of irrelevant hogwash. Sorry Ballysmate but it makes that post sound like you think there is a uniformity to being gay. One gay thinks that so they all must!! No offence meant. I do agree with you about Julian Clary though, never got his humour and style. Found it a bit puerile at times and just not funny most of the time.

I made no comment on whether Clarey was/is funny. It had nothing to do with him being a comedian. I find him grating for re-enforcing an outdated stereotype, a view shared by my colleague. You unfortunately took the opposite view to that that I was attempting to convey. Of course there is no uniformity to any strand of life.
I was just being anecdotal about a conversation I shared during a long boring night shift and I am in no doubt that our opinion isn't universally shared, otherwise Clarey wouldn't be on the telly.
Never mind. Next time I post anything you may find hogwash, I will endeavour to canvass a significant sample for you, something along the lines of " 8 out of 10 cats prefer... (X number of cats surveyed) Because you're worth it.

Oh I am sorry. Misunderstood. You see I associate Clary's campness as an integral part of his humour, describing his mannerisms on his stage persona as grating seems to me a comment on his comedy.

However my main point, perhaps not clearly put, was how you supported your views on Clary by stating your gay friend also held those views. Does the fact he's gay add weight? That's the hogwash in my opinion. Canvass as many cats as you like, a waste of your time but do state whether they're gay or straight.

pinno

We may not care because 'we' are cyclists who find the Wiggle website as good as soft porn but the Sun reading red top addicts of the insidious feedback loop into vacancy love this sh1t.