Lock & Load

Simon says…. I’ve had sex with men

Well, that confirms more than two decades of speculation. LibDem leadership candidate Simon Hughes has finally decided to be ‘open’ about his sexuality. I suppose it could be argued that he’s not actually saying he’s gay (neither did Elton John, at first) because he says he’s had sex with men and women in the past. So, if we take him at his word, he’s technically admitting to being bisexual. Whatever the case – welcome to the LGBT community, Simon!

At least Mr Hughes has done it with confidence and dignity – even if it did take 23 years. There was no tearful ‘admission’ and to his credit, no shocked wife and kids to tell.

Now, of course, Simon Hughes presented himself as “the straight choice” in that notorious Bermondsey bi-election in 1983, in what is acknowledged as the most homophobic election campaign in living memory. The Labour candidate – a pre OutRage! – Peter Tatchell was relentlessly smeared and attacked over his sexuality both by his rivals in Labour and by Liberal canvassers. Tatchell documented the whole sorry saga in his book The Battle for Bermondsey.

However, despite a (somewhat unfounded) reputation for ‘outing’ public figures, OutRage! never outed Hughes, despite having the ability to do so. Why? Well, because he wasn’t a hypocrite. It is only acceptable to ‘out’ someone if their public pronouncements are at variance with their private lives. That is to say, if they’re spouting homophobic crap and voting for antigay laws while hiding a secret gay life. Hughes did not do that.

Still, he’s being accused of “lying” by the straight media. I suppose technically that’s true. But I’m not convinced that the straight media either appreciate the difficulties many gay people have in coming out, or – more importantly – the media’s role in creating those difficulties.

The tabloid press are beyond the pale. The Sun used the term “LimpDems” in their story.

Sky News glibly referred to it a “scandal”, though perhaps they meant that it was a controversy because Hughes had denied being gay in the past. The Sky News story also confirms that The Sun were behind the ‘outing’. One has to wonder what the legitimate public interest is. Obviously I’m always glad when more people exit the closet, but I must confess to being ambivalent when the agent of that action is the Tabloid press who have no genuine interest in destroying the closet.

For gay people – even in “the 21st century” – the question of coming out or not is still a difficult one, and it isn’t just politicians, Hollywood actors and others in the public eye worry about. Will I get that promotion if the boss knows I’m gay? Will I be allowed to see my nephews if my sister knows I’m gay? Will I get harassed by the neighbours of they know I’m gay? These are questions that everyday gay people aske themselves… well, everyday. Even those, like myself, who are very ‘out’ – because every new day brings a new situation where one has to decide whether to out oneself or not.

Of course Simon Hughes should have come out. Of course, these days, even the Tories have openly gay MPs. But if there has been any hypocrisy, it’s been from a media that frames the question as if the answer is self-evident. To many, unfortunately, it isn’t. Homophobia and prejudice is still very much with us.

But, the only way we can begin to confront homophobic prejudice is to ‘out’ it. And, the only way to ‘out’ prejudice is to expose ourselves to it by coming out ourselves.

Peter Tatchell has forgiven Hughes for his part in the homophobic Bermondsey bi-election a quarter of a century ago. Tatchell is right to do so. In coming out, Simon Hughes is now one of us, and as such, we should protect and nurture him - as we must do when the estimated 50 other gay MPs who are still deeply in their closets decide to do the right thing.

posted by Brett Lock @ 2:05 pm