What a gay week!

Well channel 4 has gone gay crazy this week with it's series of programmes on homo's like my dear self. I have not been able to see all the shows but the 2 that have stuck out so far have been the drama "Clapham Junction" starring Paul Nicholls screened on sunday night. I watched it in a rather intoxicated state but could not take my eyes off the screen. Basically it was a 2 hour drama focusing on the inter-linking lives of several gay men in south london. There were 2 bits that could be deemed as controversial - firstly the storyline of a 14 year old schoolboy seducing a man in his 30's who was apparently a known paedophille. This raised questions in my head as to when we do become sexual, i don't think we give young people the chance to say that nbot only is sexuality fluid but also our awareness of it is. I can remember being attracted to my teachers at school and although no action was taken i knew exactly how i felt. The danger of course is that the daily mail will probably have just leapt onto the "gay men are all paedophilles" thing (totally untrue and statistically incorrect by the way)

Also the character played by Paul Nicholl's basically went to gay bars and took men home and attacked them. By the end of the drama he had become a victim of his own plight and had been attacked and put in hospital. Was he just a homophobe or was he totally in denial of his sexuality taking his anger out on his peers?

This was an amazing programme, extremely distressing and thought provoking. I am sure certain people in this country will have watched in shock and terror at the goings on in the twilight world of the homosexual or maybe they will have seen between the lines and realised that this was a snapshot of certain gay lifestyles?

Last night there was a discussion programme with the gays looking at how things have changed over the last 40 years since gay sex was decriminalised. One of the discussion points was is being gay still the big issue it once was. Well for many people being gay is just a part of life, they are accepted by their family and friends. The majority of legislation has been changed and gay men and lesbians are now in many ways seen as equal, well that's the law and as much as i respect it, how much of an impact does it have on people's attitudes? Could 2 gay men walk down any street in the UK kissing and not be scared of being verbally or physically attacked? Can young gay men and lesbians get through a day at school without being taunted or bullied?

The times they are a changing but not quick enough for me. I am still scared of showing affection in public and am sick of having an in built security watch everytime i kiss a male friend heelo or goodbye. So before we hop, skip and jump down the streets singing "Glad to be gay" let's remember those who can't be.



Jodi Dobrowski - murdered October 2005



David Morley - murdered November 2004




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