Charlie Condou: Openly Gay

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.

Attitude's new star columnist Charlie Condou has issues with the term 'openly gay'.

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...

The Sun: Showbiz News 1

Well there you go...

However the Mirror has the really EXPLOSIVE news...

In an explosive exit storyline, his character will fall for Todd Grimshaw - played by Bruno Langley.
However, it was claimed Condou has been at odds with former on-screen lover Anthony Cotton - who plays gay Sean Tully in Corrie - and that they only spoke to each other now when they really have to.
The 40-year-old actor reportedly riled Cotton, 37, after it was alluded that Condou had slagged off the amount of pictures Cotton posts on the social networking site of his food.

And on that bombshell...

Charlie Condou: Scoop Of The Century!

Oh god, my secret is out!! great journalism @daily_star RT @jamesrbuk: Er, what, Daily Star? pic.twitter.com/PEIdR46XvR
— Charlie Condou (@Charliecondou) August 21, 2013

The actor, 40, who plays midwife Marcus Dent, agreed with actress friend Catherine Kanter they would have a child if she did not find love by the time she was 40.

Catherine stayed single but Charlie hooked up with partner Cameron Laux, 49.

But the soap star honoured the deal, fathering Catherine’s daughter Georgia, four, and two-year-old son Hal, by IVF.

Charlie, Cameron and Catherine, 45, all share the responsibility for raising the youngsters in Islington, north London.

Charlie said: “I always wanted to be a daddy. Catherine and I had the conversation thousands of women have with gay friends, a Plan B pact, to have a child together should Mr Right not appear.”

And, err, that's the full extent of the Daily Star's front page story today!

The quote - singular - is taken uncredited from yesterday's Daily Mail, which came from an interview Charlie gave to Red magazine.
Eagle-eyed viewers may have spotted Mr Condou is one of the best-known gay dads - and most prominent advocates for gay parenting - in the country, and used to write a weekly Guardian column about it.
Heaven forfend that the Star should ever find out about Elton John and David Furnish's secret love children.

Coronation Street: The Ex-Gay Movement

"Funnily enough the response has been overwhelmingly positive, the response. Some of the gay community have not been happy, and I kind of understand why.
"A lot of gay people think perhaps we're giving the message, 'Oh, this is what happens - a gay man just needs the love of a good woman and then it's all fine'. Actually that's absolutely not what we're saying at all.
"If we'd played this story 20 years ago or even 10 years ago, then I'd agree and think, 'I don't think that's appropriate'. But actually we've moved on from that and what we're saying is that sometimes people's sexuality is a little bit confusing!"

Charlie Condou talking to a Canadian TV station about Marcus now being in a relationship with a woman.
Via Yahoo.
How boring would you have to be to be angry about this - it happens.

Coronation Street: Spunky Axe

The Sun claims Marcus Dent, played by Charlie Condou, could be axed from Coronation Street, "quoting" an "insider".
But if The Sun "predicts" something about a TV soap, it usually turns out not to be true.
He appears to be turning straight, anyway.
Phew!

Charlie Condou: On Being Frank

'For Rupert Everett it was clear cut. Coming out ruined his career. And if an Equity survey published this week is anything to go by, many actors feel the same.

'According to the survey, only 57% of gay actors feel they can be open about their sexuality to their agents. '"A previous agent of mine once told me to keep quiet about my sexuality and, though I am out, I do not broadcast it," said one.
'I can't relate at all. For my entire career I've never had a problem being frank about my sexuality, never felt I've been turned down for a role on the basis of being gay, and have only played three gay characters in a career that spans 20 years. The idea that keeping your sexuality a secret will win you better and more varied roles is a lame excuse – often the result of internalised homophobia rather than reality. The industry has moved on and it's time actors did as well.
'Some of Hollywood's most bankable actors are openly gay. Ian McKellen, for example, starring in some of the highest grossing franchises in cinematic history such as Lord of the Rings and X-Men, had his most commercially successful period as an actor after he came out in 1988. Look at how the career of Russell Tovey, openly gay from the start and one of this country's brightest young prospects, has blossomed. And my co-star on Coronation Street, Jeremy Sheffield, is still very much the housewives' choice and leading-man material – he's been out since he started. So why all the fuss?'

Charlie Condou -  who plays the bent Marcus Dent in Coronation Street - writing on Guardian Online. 

Well said, sir.

Though your list of "bankable actors" who are "openly gay" is not a very long one, is it? 

And I doubt we could stretch it that much further.
Which is odd - seeing as probably only cabin crew beat acting as a queer career choice. 

Hollywood's only just got its first out young male lead, Zachary Quinto.
And we're still waiting to see what roles he gets offered post coming out.

Not that that negates your original thesis, mind. 

Or does it?

Gay Dads: The Two Of Us

When I did have a long-term boyfriend, whom the children saw most weekends, they never bothered to ask why Mr Scruffy – as they called him – was always there. And though they were fond of him, it was almost 18 months after we split up before one of them even noticed he hadn't been around. "Where's Mr Scruffy?" asked Ed one Saturday afternoon at the movies. Oh, he's been busy, I replied. Ed nodded his head and carried on picking out cola bottles at the pick 'n' mix counter.

"Gay Dad" in The Observer.
Fagburn quite likes this, but it is rather odd that The Observer got a gay dad weekly columnist at the exact same time that The Guardian began running Charlie Condou's column about being a gay dad, The Three Of Us.
They're both quite sweet - in a "Let me show me some photos of my baby" shut up kinda way - and clearly "a good thing", but where does this adoration and fetsish of the great gay dad spring from?
Just a year ago, gay dads Tony and Barrie Drewitt-Barlow were presented as "weird" (and wonderful) on Channel 4.
And there was I thinking "heteronormativity" was just a load of academic wankspeak.

The Observer: Not Another Bloody Gay Dad...

The Observer has started running a series; 'Gay Dad'.
"Once happily married, he's now happily gay. He has two children, aged 8 and 15. He's Gay Dad..."
It's in the Life & Style section - which, if you're like me, you'll normally put straight in the recycling pile.
It's quite sweet, I suppose - even if "gay dads" has become this year's media cliche.
If we're not careful, they'll make being a dad compulsory for gay men soon.

• And here's a feature written by "gay celebrity dad" Coronation Street's Charlie Condou from Saturday's Guardian. Front page of the Family section with a nice photo of Charlie, the boyfriend, mum and their daughter, Catherine. Really well done, I thought.
Condou will be writing a weekly column, The Three Of Us, starting in next Saturday's Guardian. Awww.

Antony Cotton: A Reply To Mr Brian Sewell

"Meanwhile, Brian Sewell continues to think there's a single person who gives a flying fuck what he thinks.
"The irony of him talking about LGBT people in Coronation Street. This coming from the biggest, spineless Mary Ellen in town. What a tit.
"For the record - without a gay man there would be no Coronation Street. End. Of. Story.
"Without gay people there would THE dullest film, fashion, television, literature, ENTERTAINMENT. The world's lives would worse without us.
"Enough with the naff, ridiculous, archaic, bigoted anger toward a community that forms such an important and essential part of society
"Some people are gay, for fuck's sake, get over it. Young people couldnt care less. Enough is enough."

Antony Cotton - "Actor. Barmaid. Factory Worker." - tweets his thoughts about Brian Sewell's bizarre Daily Mail tirade about all The Gays in Coronation Street via Twitter.
Brava, Mr Cotton. Brava!
As the younger someone is the more likely they are to like The Gays, Fagburn say "Keep Coronation Street well before the watershed - and rationally show it during Kids' TV!"
Or - conversely - why not start a channel just for old cunts like Brian Sewell?

Update: And another smashing reply, by Paul Flynn in The Guardian Online; Is Manchester the Sodom of the north? Well yes, a bit. Sorry. Brian Sewell's anti-gay diatribe shows how little he knows about Coronation Street - or Canal Street, for that matter


Update 2: No wait, there's more. On the Comment pages of The Guardian on Thursday, Charlie Condou - ie Marcus Dent on The Street - detailing Brian Sewell's stunning ignorance; We're Not Too Gay For Telly.
Kudos to Antony, Paul, Charlie and The Guardian.