Stephen Fry made me think

As I’ve said on many an occasion I’m not much interested in television, in fact the War Office has often told me that when it comes to TV I’m a bit of a bore, but I don’t care I hold my ground against her in matters such as this! 😉

However, I do enjoy watching Stephen Fry, I enjoyed his travels throughout the good ol’ US of A some years ago, at least I think it’s years might only be months but it’s no big deal. I also like his panel program I suppose that’s what it’s called, “QI” which can be very amusing and to use that overworked hackneyed expression; educational at times.

Not being into violence I like the quiet programs and have been entertained and amused with “Kingdom” wherein Mr Fry plays the part of a country solicitor or should that be lawyer, by the name of Kingdom all good fun and a lot of harmless fluff which is very pleasant and quite forgettable.

I must say that I was surprised a few days ago when I saw Mr Fry in a program where he discussed being as he put it ‘gay’. Now I don’t mind one little bit about a person’s sexuality but I do take exception at these men hi-jacking,stealing, call it what you will that delightful word, gay.

No longer can I be “happy and gay the laxette way” to quote from a very old laxative commercial. if I say I feel gay then it’s assumed that I’m homosexual. Which I’m not, well I don’t think I am the War Office has never told me that I am so I can’t be; right?

Well I don’t give a tinkers cuss whether a man is homosexual or not; I know everybody says this, that’s what you’re thinking, but it’s true.

I’ve known many men that are; indeed I once shared a flat/apartment with one back in the mid 1960’s. We got on famously, he was in the “Rag Trade” as he put it he was pretty well connected in the fashion industry.

An Englishman educated at a very fashionable school ‘Chartrehouse’ and he spoke beautifully, yet he was a Cockney like me. His accent wasn’t put on he did well in his eleven plus and his parents pushed and helped him through his education and he gained a scholarship to one of the most prestigious schools in England. Lucky man!

At the time we shared the flat in very fashionable Toorak but being a couple of Cockney swells we never said we were from there always from SE2, great fun. I was recovering from a broken marriage at that time which had hit me hard, and Denis being a good chap did his best to help me recover.

He was acquainted with many delightful young women in the fashion industry and he’d throw dinner parties and invite them along in the hope that I’d find a new companion. There was one in particular that I did like, Sylvia a very attractive brunette, we did go out on a couple of occasions but she reminded me of somebody else so it came to nothing.

At this time I was working for Australian Motor Industries at Fishermans Bend in Melbourne and I was employed in the accounts department. My immediate boss Rex was homosexual his partner who’s name I can’ recall ran the Staff Canteen and they were both two really good blokes and I got on well with them.

As you know back then homosexuality was a whispered secret and Rex did confide in me quietly and I said to him “Rex I don’t give a damn about your sexuality it’s nothing to do with me and I won’t interfere with yours if you don’t interfere with mine” or words to that effect and the matter was never ever mentioned again and I was good chums with both of them whilst working at AMI.

I’ve lived and worked with homosexual men and it’s never bothered me but it does bother me that they have taken a very lovely word from the English language and corrupted it’s meaning.

Are they just hiding behind it? I don’t know but I do care, because I can no longer feel gay, be gay or say I’m gay and if I asked the War Office if it will be alright for me to be gay she’d probably tell me to be quiet and stop being stupid and go back to my book.I kid you not.