Which brings me back to “openly”. There, wrapped up in that tiny little word are a whole bunch of assumptions and prejudices. As if they need to point out that not only is this person gay, they’re open about it. It harks back to a time when we were expected to be ashamed, to hide our sexuality, and when it was widely considered career suicide for public figures to come out. We may still have a lot of work to do in dealing with homophobia, but there’s no doubt that we have come a long way since those dark days. We have countless actors, musicians, politicians and increasing numbers of sportsmen and women who are coming out of the closet; what was once a trickle is becoming a flood. And yet the press still describe people like Clare Balding and Russell Tovey as “openly gay” as if the openness was not already implicit in the word “gay”.
It’s just a little word, but it reminds us of shame, fear and hiding. And it’s not necessary, so can we please lose it.
Though the people who most obsessively use it are often the dimmer reaches of the gay media.
Yes, we know Graham Norton is 'openly gay', no need to remind us every time you mention him...
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