It's a gay thg | Hywel Williams | The Guardian

Contents:

• PETER MANLSON SAYS HE IS GAY ROLE MOL
• PETER MANLSON – FRIEND OR FOE TO THE GAY COMMUNY?
• IT'S A GAY THG
• PETER MANLSON IS GAY
• OPENLY GAY MISTER PETER MANLSON UGHT UP LATT EXPENS SNDAL
• A 'GAY MAFIA' WHEHALL? SEX IS BACK THE HEADL BRA
• NEW PRTT GAFFE AS HE REVEALS HIS FEAR OF GAY SAILORS

PETER MANLSON SAYS HE IS GAY ROLE MOL

Three days earlier the paper had mand: "Tell the tth Tony: are we beg n by a gay mafia? " The private liv of two gay bet misters had been all over the tabloids: Peter Manlson and Nick Brown, both of whom now fd themselv back at the top table. It seemed that a sorry chapter the history of Brish journalism had e to an now, a later, Manlson's return to ernment has been greeted wh some wearily faiar homophobic ment.

One recent ller to Rad 4's Any Qutns referred tilly to "the prcs of darkns" is that Manlson is subject to a level of bchy nuendo that would never be tolerated about any other gay man or woman public life?

Ten years ago, untg the number of gay people the bet and the Hoe of Commons was a popular sport. Image ptn, Lord Manlson's memoirs have been serialised the Tim newspaperThe BBC is to air the moment lumnist Matthew Parris "outed" Lord Manlson as gay for the first time sce happened more than 10 years slip happened 1998 durg an terview for BBC Two's Parris told Jeremy Paxman there were "two gay members of the Cabet at least... Chris Smh is openly gay and Peter Manlson is certaly gay" rerdg, to be played durg a Rad 4 terview wh Lord Manlson, has sce been kept om the clus Paxman's rponse: "Ah, I thk we'll jt move on om there, I'm not que sure where he is on that.

PETER MANLSON – FRIEND OR FOE TO THE GAY COMMUNY?

In October 1998, durg his first perd the Cabet, Manlson was the centre of media attentn when Matthew Parris gay former MP and then Parliamentary sketch wrer of The Tim) mentned durg a live terview on Newsnight, the wake of the rignatn of Ron Davi, that "Peter Manlson is certaly gay". ↑ The Mirror 28 October 1998 "Manlson is gay, says former MP". In a vio terview wh The Tim, Lord Manlson was qutned about his posn as ''the most powerful gay man the untry'' when he was first secretary of state and effective number two Mr Brown's admistratn.

Labour’s PR gu across as secure about his sexualy and has done ltle to help the e of gay equaly. It was back 1987, before Manlson beme an MP, that he was first outed by The News of the World a ont page story headled, “My love for gay Labour boss”. Manlson met a iend of me, a member of the gay rights group OutRage!, durg trip to Mosw a few years back.

He is, apparently, regard as highly fanciable by many gay profsnals, once beg voted to the top ten ‘Hunks of the Year’ by rears of the gay magaze HIM.

IT'S A GAY THG

Decryg Manlson as over-amb, a few poisono crics even spread the mour that the cisn to shave off his ‘gay clone’ motache was a reer move signed to ‘butch-up’ his image and prepare himself for higher office. Gould’s book generated nsirable tert the gay prs. Gay Tim sought, whout succs, to qutn Manlson.

PETER MANLSON IS GAY

Ined, Manlson, unlike the four openly gay MPs, has never given an terview to the gay media, never appeared at a gay muny event, and never publicly endorsed the mpaign for gay human rights.

OPENLY GAY MISTER PETER MANLSON UGHT UP LATT EXPENS SNDAL

Unsurprisgly, he is not much liked by lbians and gay men. There is a general feelg wh the gay muny that Manlson is not dog as much as he uld to help secure equaly. Some even claim he is rponsible for -gayg Labour Party policy.

Labour’s 1997 electn manifto dched key gay rights mments that had been s 1992 manifto, cludg the all-important promise to outlaw discrimatn agast lbians and gay men hog and employment. More recently, is alleged that Manlson is behd Labour’s reversal of s pre-electn pledge to lift the ban on homosexuals the armed forc.

While his terie argue there is no electoral advantage supportg an end to the ban, last October’s BBC Panorama poll found that two-thirds of the public back the right of gays to enlist. The toled locks, the quiverg lower lip, the nostrils poised to flare: all signalled a gay at bay. This is a gay thg - the story of a man who polilly was once one man's bch and then beme another' Manlson manner and appearance (arch, equivol, layered suggtive meang), was a historilly specific product.

A 'GAY MAFIA' WHEHALL? SEX IS BACK THE HEADL BRA

It me om the genr-benrg 80s when there was enough liberatn around to step outsi the closet, but not enough for the orthodox reerist to swg the door behd gays, such as the travel wrer Gav Young who died earlier this month, arrived at a different acmodatn wh the gen. Enjoyg the homosexualy tradnal among Arabists of his class and generatn, Gav travelled for . He was an old-school mascule gay - the kd who embraced physil toughns travel as an affirmatn of character.

Conventnal thought - both pro and anti gay - would have judged him "reprsed" but though racked by self-doubt he sailed through life wh disciple and flair. Most schools have a PE teacher or two who, likg "lads who keep themselv f", are rather terim ethics of Mandy-gaydom seems a sadr thg. The fact that he never acknowledged his gayns only nfirmed a reputatn for ce.

As the most famo gay man Bra he was a rdboard cut-out figure, the polil Village People's Machiavelli, a parody of the gay man as the shifty fudge-packer the rner.

NEW PRTT GAFFE AS HE REVEALS HIS FEAR OF GAY SAILORS

But Mandy-gayns also sued their riturg homophobic party he chose found him exotic - which says more about that party's Methodist dullns than do about the Hendon boy. Chris Smh and Nick Brown show how New Labour even the gay men are stra-laced. But mpery is the rapace of reprsn, put place to release what might otherwise be psychology tri to expla the gay fascatn wh polics as a qutn of tatty operetta charms, charged emotns and episodic fs of drama, of quarrels and renciliatns.

The queeny stereotype is pre- "post-gay" and reveals a prent partial tth. But for the moment gay life has an existentialist qualy wh s choic of the moment.