David Furnish: Flawless

Pee-wee Herman via PG Wodehouse?

On first impression, Furnish comes across as an unlikely activist. His grooming is so flawless, he looks as if he's been Photoshopped, and he has a sweetly modest, almost innocent demeanour. Before meeting John, he'd been in advertising, and talks in the smoothly polished voice of a transatlantic executive. But as soon as he talks about HIV, Furnish becomes very focused, the antithesis of a celebrity endorsing a cause he doesn't know much about.

"Everyone should be tested," he says. "Whenever they have a checkup, they should test for HIV, because if we can get to a point in our society where everyone is automatically tested, nobody will fall through the net. In strictly medical terms, there's no difference between HIV and diabetes; they're not curable, but they're very, very highly treatable, and early information is power. The only thing – literally the single only thing – that is different is the stigma. And we have to overcome it, because it is now the only reason people are dying."

From a HUGE profile of David Furnish in Guardian Weekend magazine.

It's promoting the Halve It campaign to encourage gay and straight people to test early for HIV, supported by the Elton John Aids Foundation, and others.

But what would a weekend broadsheet supplement be without a gushing article about some gay dads?

Did you not know that David's going out with the flamboyant singer, Elton John, and they have two lovely children?

No? 

Me neither.

The remarkable thing about Furnish is that, from the way he talks, you would think he had no idea that all over the world there are people saying nasty things about him, accusing the couple of treating babies like designer accessories. The impression of oblivion is so striking that, when we first met, I wondered if he was perhaps just not particularly bright...