Joke Of The Week: Peter Tatchell

Is this man a prat?

Let’s stick with the Tatchell business. I know this is meant to be, sort of, a politics-free zone, but the personal is political and I’m taking the backlash against Tatchell a bit personally. I met him once, at a party, many years ago, at the height of his renown. I wasn’t talking to anyone and for a moment he wasn’t, either, so we fell into conversation.

I think I was a bit worried that he might militantly denounce me for not being gay, or disdain me, the way some celebrities do when you are of considerably less note than they are (hello, Stephen Fry), but he was utterly, utterly charming and I came away with the impression, which has not diminished over the years, that here was a thoroughly decent human being, modest, intelligent, honest and brave.

What the hell has happened to my friend ——’s brains, and heart, that she can put her name to a screed that implies he is a wicked bigot? ...

Nicholas Lezard, New Statesman.

You lost me after 'honest' and 'modest', love...

PS Saint Peter's reply to the open letter, On Tatchell, Censorship And Criticism, is - somewhat predictably - first class horse shit.