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Feb 2020
7:59am, 8 Feb 2020
9,959 posts
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Joopsy
Great post from JK above and Raemond. I also made the assumption that the Sun and Mail would have been waiting to pounce and to say they don’t have much influence over people now is incredibly naive. We get the government that Rupert Murdoch and the Barclay’s want, we got the Brexit they want too and they will destroy anybody’s career and/or life to shift a few copies.
There is still an astounding amount of people who think that being gay is a lifestyle choice and throw in that argument every year when the inevitable ‘why do we still need pride’ argument comes around.
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Feb 2020
9:03am, 8 Feb 2020
2,896 posts
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Wombling Plodder (Welsh Womble)
When I first heard the news I assumed that the gutter press were just about to post something.
It may be that the time is right for him to be true to himself. From what I have read it would appear that his wife and children have known for some time. And if he wasn't on the TV he could have dealt with this another way - the way that was better for him and his family.
Some will blame him for wrecking a long and happy marriage but who are we to judge. I have several friends and family that 'came out' in later life after living a different life for many years. To watch them be questioned and deal with all the emotional baggage has been awful - fortunately some wounds have healed over time.
It just goes to show that in 2020 people still can't be themselves for whatever reason. Unfortunately Philip Schofield will not be the last person to make such a public announcement.
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Feb 2020
9:35am, 8 Feb 2020
1,732 posts
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Trin
I don't know, maybe I have only lived in enlightened places and come in to contact with open minded people, but when my youngest son was at school 10 years ago a couple of boys came out and according to my son, everyone was cool about it. That was a decade ago, in a secondary school with not fully mature people.
So why is this still an issue?
I know many parts of Britain have gone 'a bit' narcissistic with the whole b**xit thing but surely there can't be any link.
RotS made a comment to me earlier that (and I'm paraphrasing here) it would be almost understandable if Schofield was a rugby player or in some male dominated sport to come out publicly because that would send the message to other boys that it's ok to be gay in a male dominated arena, but Schofield is in the world of entertainment where historically there has always been people open about their sexuality, Larry Grayson, John Inman spring to mind without me even having to think about it.
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Feb 2020
9:38am, 8 Feb 2020
35,751 posts
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Nellers
To KJ's point about a rising tide of intolerance we had a conversation with my daughter in the early hours of this morning. She was out with her uni mates in Manchester. She got abuse from a group of lads and called a "Faggot". Didn't react well to this and things got overexcited. Police were called. My daughter and her friends were warned off by the police. The lads weren't even spoken to about their homophobic abuse. Don't worry. She's OK, but she's angry and so am I.
We all live in a bubble to some extent. We have a circle of friends who broadly agree with us. They reinforce our own view of how accepting the world is. It's not all like that. There are plenty of people who grow up thinking being gay is weird and wrong. Seeing high profile people come out shows everyone that gay people are just people.
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Feb 2020
9:46am, 8 Feb 2020
6,612 posts
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Jono.
Nellers I think you're right about some of us living in a bubble, I've said as much to molly J and her fella.
However even in liverpool that boasts of its cool credentials you don't have to go far come across prejudice- recent newspaper reports of anti Chinese rants due to the Corona virus shows this.
Once you leave the city the racist, homophobic,right wing noise is amplified.
Or that's how it appears to me.
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Feb 2020
9:52am, 8 Feb 2020
9,960 posts
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Joopsy
My daughter came out at school 7 years ago when she was 13 Trin. Her friendship group narrowed down to and remained at around 3 people for the rest of her time there and she received a lot of abuse. The school dealt with it well but a lot these kids attitudes will have been passed down from their parents.
Two of our kids have gay godparents and grew up with gay neighbours who were a big part of their lives, for them it is entirely normal but I would suggest that they are in the minority in Lincolnshire.
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Feb 2020
10:05am, 8 Feb 2020
1,733 posts
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Trin
Ok, I concede, maybe I'm just being naive
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Feb 2020
10:08am, 8 Feb 2020
35,752 posts
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Nellers
We all live in a bubble to some degree, Trin. I guess the thing is that maybe 30 years ago a bubble with as much acceptance as you've seen would have been a real rarity. Now it's a lot more common but it's still a bubble.
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Feb 2020
10:40am, 8 Feb 2020
12,282 posts
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JK *chameleon*
Nellers, I'm sorry to hear about the abuse your daughter suffered. Manchester boasts of being a friendly and inclusive city, but having lived here for 16 years I see through the facade.
I'm fortunate to be in a job where being gay isn't really a big deal (at times it appears mandatory for the male staff to be so!), but I still feel the "otherness" feeling regularly.
On the other hand, I've definitely noticed an increase over the years in couples holding hands whilst out and about in the city centre. I always try to pretend I haven't noticed, and that I'm totally cool with it, but inside I think it's adorable - and brave!
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Feb 2020
10:48am, 8 Feb 2020
29,613 posts
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Mrs Jigs (Luverlylegs)
I love that last sentence there JK, I feel exactly the same when I see couples comfortably displaying affection 
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Found: a Guardian article. Do not read, do not reply. Thank you.
Mar 2024