It’s only the US where his career is over.

Oh, Babs! What hubris.

I regret that you continue to pose as a journalist.

I do think it is a different matter though for non-celebs. I think people do have a right to privacy and no one should be forced to come-out, or do anything that they are not comfortable with.

and @16, Thanks for ably demonstrating that some gays are a ´nasty piece of work´. How dare you label someone an overprotective interfering MORDER (whatever that is), you do not know the facts or the people you are so quick to label. Too quick to label someone as homophobic just because some members of the family might be. I´m sure you are ´speaking from experience´…YOUR experience. Clearly that does not apply to everyone.

I think its great that Lizzie wants to be involved in her sons life, wants to support him and be proud of him. She obviously has much to learn about what it is to be gay and, (not being a know-it-all) she seems keen to learn.

Good on you Lizzie! I would rather have you for a mother than one who rejects her child and kicks him out to fend for himself… Yes Jay, I too speak from experience!

That is not the job of the media and if you think that it is then that’s absurd.

And by the way – Adam Lambert’s career is three times more successful than the straight person who actually WON American Idol this year.

Lance Bass’s moribund career was reignited by coming out.

And when Britney was splashed all over the tabloids the result was a flop album; losing custody of her children and her father taking control of her estate.

People vastly underestimate the ability of straight society to deal with the news of someone’s homosexuality.

No double standards should apply. If it’s acceptable to ask Britney Spears about her private life, then it’s acceptable to ask Ricky Martin about his.

and lizzie, its very nice you’re ‘researching’ gays because your son is – but you sound like an overprotective interfering MORDER to me. if you’re son has told you he’s gay – its time to let him go – and have sex with some men. the fact that you come from a homophobic family is testament to the grief you will bring on him, and the problems you will, and have already put into his head – I speak from experience. Time to get that ‘one eye’ out of his business and let him get on with his life.

Tabloids and bloggers were referring to him as ‘Gayken’ before he eventually came out.

Adam Lambert – last year’s American Idol was being referred to as ‘Glamberace’ before he casme out.

Lance Bass of N Sync was being referred to as gay before he came out.

All these men were openly gay in their private lives. It was therefore a bit rich of them to expect the tabloids to lie about their sexuality when every single detail of someone like Britney Spears’s life was available for public consumption

Speculation about his sexuality was rife at the time. She would not have been doing her job as a journalist if she had not asked the question.

He had 3 choices in his answer:

1. To say he was straight – which would have resulted in loud guffaws of laughter from the audience.

2. To say he was gay – which would have resulted in a national shoulder shrug of people saying ‘Tell us something we don’t know’.

3. To say ‘Mind your own business’

He chose option number 3 which was the WORST choice. It implied he thought it better to hide the truth. No-one respects that.

No straight celeberity EVER says ‘Mind your own business’ when asked to confirm their heterosexuality. It is an absurd response.

It is equally absurd for a gay celebrity to say it.

If a gay person is going to voluntarily enter the public eye they need to accept that we are living in a time where thanks to paparazzi and tabloids and the internet, that their private lives are fair game. Trying to be the 21st century’s Rock Hudson or Liberace is simply not going to work. You will not be allowed to get away with remaining in the closet.

It may be tough. But that’s the reality

But then I have good reason to understand and fear its power. And the power of the mob — any mob…

For some reason when I was posting at work my replies would not publish (although from home they were published fine)

So I did a quick name change and problem solved.

ps are you Simon Murphy?? or a new Simon?? x

But every time someone is interviewed (unless it is a programme like Newsnight of course) it is par for the course for the interviewee to be asked ‘So is there anyone special in your life at the moment?’

Nobody is outraged on behalf of heterosexual celebrities being asked this question. Even though they are being pressed to reveal their sexuality when asked it.

Why?

Because it is regarded as a perfectly reasonable, standard, acceptable question.

And if we agree that gay people deserve equal treatment to straight people then there should not be double standards applied to what is appropriate for them to be interviewed about.

If Ricky Martin had been honest in his answers to Barbara Walters then I suspect he would still have a career.

As it stands his refusal to answer the question made it look like he was hiding something.
That is very unappealing to both a gay and straight audience.

Because that’s what sells magazines and newspapers.

If we take your position to its logical conclusion then no heterosexual singer or actor or sportsperson would ever discuss their sexuality.

That is never going to happen.

If it acceptable to question Victoria Beckham about her heterosexuality (which is what happens every time someone asks her about her husband) then of course it is acceptable to ask Ricky Martin about his sexuality.

I suspect what you are trying to say is that you want gay stars to not be subjected to the same tabloid journalistic standards as straight stars.

I disagree totally with that. That is a reversal of progress and is a step backwards.

People in the public eye are subject to different standards by the media than Joe or Joan Bloggs on the street.

If it acceptable to discuss a straight celebrity’s private life in the press, then it is a hypocritical double standard to say that it is unacceptable to discuss a gay star’s private life.

Times have changed. There are many examples of singers who prove that being open about your sexuality does not damage your career.

I honestly do think that times are better than when I was a kid, but there is still much to do and many battles to be fought before we are considered fully equal to everyone else. It´s a battle for hearts and minds as much as anything else.