Okay, I admit it – I am biased. I have been a long-time fan of Stephen Gately. When I ran the AstaBGay website, Stephen had pride of place amongst our Gay Icons. So my heart has warmed on seeing the massive public outcry to Jan Moir’s venomous article in the Daily Mail.
Right from Jan Moir’s second sentence: “It was not just that another young star had died pointlessly“, it was plainly obvious where the article was going – into the dark depths of the sewer of her mind! The fact is: Stephen did not die pointlessly, he died of natural causes, and something this writer should perhaps remember is: neither did Stephen live pointlessly. He was a much loved gay guy, one who as a young lad struggled out of a working class background and made it – he became what he wanted he wanted to be, and for that millions of us are eternally grateful.
Why the Daily Mail should publish articles by a person with such an obvious lack of understanding of life and all its many diversities simply amazes me. To give space to such an article filled with malicious judgements, insinuations and innuendos, and based on no evidence at all, is, in my mind, morally criminal. The Daily Mail stands ashamed. Just occasionally paying lip service to diversity, whilst all the time showing an obvious lack of conviction, doesn’t work for most of us – get real! Maybe this one time restaurant critic for the Daily Telegraph would be better employed by the newspaper on a cookery page.
I give full marks to those big names that immediately sprang to Stephen’s defence, most notably Stephen Fry, and to all those companies that pulled their adverts from the webpage containing the article, where not even a change of headline could sanitise the rubbish written. It seems to me Marks & Spencer, Nestle, Visit England, Kodak, and National Express are more in touch with the pulse of the nation than the Editor of the Daily Mail.
My heart goes out to Stephen’s family and his partner, Andrew Cowles, at this terrible time, and to all his many, many friends. A light has gone out, and today the world is that much dimmer. Rest In Peace, Stephen. By an overwhelming majority, you will always be remembered with love and admiration.
Were Jan Moir to be that deserving!
