Phillip Schofield has come out as gay

[catinb0oots]

Blimey. Married for 27 years.

And in the 1980's the biggest acts in terms of hits in the UK were
Shakin' Stevens, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Madness, Cliff Richard

In terms of biggest acts in the UK who were British themselves these were -Shakin' Stevens, Madness, Cliff Richard, UB40, Elton John

Elton John has been openly gay in 1988. The people you remember from the 1980s is not the same as those who actually had the most hits.

rateyourmusic.com/list/abyss89/the_100_biggest_acts_of_the_80s_in_the_u_k_/

Show me the legislation that meant people could not be fired for being gay in the 80's

Legislation covering unfair and wrongful dismissal existed in the 1980s. As for ‘prove that you couldn’t be fired’: it’s not possible to prove a negative. I’d explain why, but you’d probably complain about being patronised again.

My dad told me he was gay when I was in my late 30s and it completely shook me.

At first I was totally supportive, open and caring, and actually a bit proud that he'd trusted me to tell me. A while later it hit me like a shockwave and I actually went into real shock, which floored me.

All that lying, the pain he put my mum through over the years, all the way that my parents just didn't love each other and never had. It substantially changed my relationships with my parents, my understanding of my family, my childhood and my own beliefs. For example, it took so long in life for me to understand that real people can actually love and desire each other, and that romance and care and love weren't just fake nonsense.

It truly, really fucks with your head, and I don't think the equivalent is "what if he'd just been in love with another woman all that time", although I can't easily articulate why. It's a different sort of lie because it's not just "I fancied someone else", he's actually not the person I thought he was. So much of his whole life has been a sham and an act and a pretend persona.

I think if your parents haven't put you through it, you can't understand. Even I don't understand it. But I feel for the pp who tried to talk about this and got shot down relentlessly.

This has been known in tv and theatre for years. What is odd is that being gay in tv & theatre is totally acceptable, so why didn't he come out as a young man, I wonder? It was as accepted back then in the 80s/90s as it is now. I always assumed he had an arrangement and had married with his wife's knowledge of his sexuality. What is interesting is the timing. I assume he is pre-empting a tabloid story. I guess we'll know when the Sundays come out.

I knew it!

There were paragraphs in there, I promise. Bloody app.

No flaming please, but PS was obviously gay, married with kids or not. Do you not have acquaintances/colleagues who are married to obvious gay men or lesbians, have children, seem to have a happy family life m? And you wonder privately what their arrangement is, but you stop giving it thought because really it is none of your business. And they always eventually "come out" to no ones surprise, except seemingly to their family's. I have seen at last three examples of this in my lifetime. I have just never understood how the shocked partners could be so blind?

This seems very manipulative. There's something rumbling on behind the scenes and he's chosen to break this 'news' now

I agree. I suspect it’s being used as a diversionary tactic given the complaints from Ruth and a few others.

Gay or not. He’s still a smarmy creep.

There is a difference to not being openly gay and duping someone into being your beard. I’m surprised women are ok with this.

The people you remember from the 1980s is not the same as those who actually had the most hits.

Oh dear. You really are on a crusade, aren’t you? All that wasted effort. Try reading my post properly. You missed the word ‘British’ and now you have conflated ‘1984’ with ‘the 1980s’.

I’m not going to argue over Shaky’s record sales! Talk about missing the point.

As I said in an earlier post, that vile Piers Morgan was probably threatening to out him..his newspapers have been orchestrating a smear campaign against PS for quite sometime.

It seems quite odd that he’s come out now. He could’ve done it many years ago. So many celebs coming out in late 90s, naughties. Could have saved him years of misery.

I never knew people thought he was gay and that there were rumours years ago. Feel sorry for his wife. Won’t be easy for her to find someone else.

He was pretty clear that his family have known for some time and that they knew he was going to do this today.
I dont think anyone thinks his wife found out on live tv like everyone else

In 1992, PS was performing as Joseph. Much less chance of being head butted for being gay when you're working in musical theatre.

Of course, how silly of me, gay people were all OK if they just chose to work in a certain industry... And even then, I'm sure it's within your capabilities to imagine what the downsides of being a high profile gay childrens presenter and entertainer was at the time. Section 28 wasn't repealed for another 8 years. I was growing up in the 90s and still remember lots of comments from bigots about not wanting gays to have influence over children. These sort of comments are still being made, it's just not as prevalent as it was.

No-one saw it coming in my case. No-one.

So yes we were blind to it all. Because he wasn’t ‘obviously gay’ and because he lied so convincingly.

Until you live it you don’t know.

@Iamthewombat Being gay and lesbian was not a reason for unfair dismissal.
You obviously don't think there was any real discrimination in the 80's. You are very wrong. I was active in the union, the union was crap in terms of supporting gay and lesbian members IMO. I remember people being sacked and if the employer had no policies against this, there was legally nothing we could do. Zilch. You could take a court case on contractual terms if an employer had policies saying they supported lesbian and gay employers. But most employers did not.

You obviously know nothing about what you are talking about though. Even the really easily checked claim that 4 of the 5 biggest UK pop acts were openly gay is very easily disproved.

In the early 1980's sex between men only became legal in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

People forget how fast things have changed.

I hear you hasty.

And why the blame is being pushed there at the spouse for not being a mindreader, I don't know.

George Michael came out because he had been arrested for "lewd behaviour" in a public loo in LA and then decided he may as well come out officially, using his own words, which he did during a tv interview later that same year. The press were releasing stories between the two incidents which amounted to a heap of homophobic BS as you might expect from the tabloids but it is my understanding that he wasn't responding to any story in particular.

@Thebishopofbanterbury Err which of "Piers Morgan's newspapers" do you mean? You are aware he doesn't own or edit any aren't you?

I don’t feel particularly bad for his daughters, but his poor wife. Lied to for all those years. I really do hope it was an open marriage so that she hasn’t totally been blindsided.

This was never a secret behind the scenes. I knew over 25 years ago when worked in the media.

Why would his wife be ok, never mind proud? She must have loved him and been attracted to him for the last thirty years. Why would she be ok with her marriage being over?

@Iamthewombat The list of acts I posted were the biggest in the 1980s in the UK. Not in 1984. You obviously did not follow the link that showed that.
I don't know why you want to deny reality?
Are you one of those people who complain about all these gay people shoving it in your face, so you remember only the openly gay pop stars and forget all the openly straight ones who were actually the biggest acts?

I think based on what’s been said both now and over the years that his wife was aware of this.
A knowing beard or staying for the sake of their children, is anyone’s guess.
My heart goes out to her and their children and to Philip, I’m not keen on him myself but I hope he finds peace with himself, you never know what someone is battling behind closed doors.

@Thebishopofbanterbury,what are you talking about!!!! Piers Morgan is a journalist,he doesn’t own any newspapers!!!

Do some research instead of spouting tripe.