Is this really news???

[Tabby1963]

Just watching the 6oclock news and, 20 minutes in there is a report about a well known Olympic diver having a boyfriend. FFS, is that news? No, it blooming ain't!

thing is I wasn't surprised at all. been obvious from when I first saw him yonks ago. and my gaydars broken! that's how obv it was!not shocked at all.

but agree, don't know it should make headliny news.

I had the same thought. Then I thought, it's actually a positive story and the video was so well done by the lovely Tom that surely it can only help coming out as a gay/bisexual young adult easier for others. We'll done to him.

Yes I agree, it would be more newsworthy if it had come out that he was straight! I don't think anyone is very surprised.

However, like Buffie I think it is a very positive thing for a young sportsman near the start of his career to declare that he is very happy in a same sex relationship and I guess this is the newsworthy bit. Good luck to him, he seems very nice!

Not news at all, but I suppose if it helps people in coming out / general acceptance etc (not that help should still be needed in this day and age but...) I suppose it can only be a good thing

I think it has value on prime time TV as a way of normalising it maybe. It could help other young people feel at ease about being Gay. Especially within the sporting world where there is still a bit of a lag in openly gay icons.

No, it is definitely not newsworthy. Am shocked!

It would have probably been better handled by talking about it on chat shows and the like, rather than 20 minutes of news time. Far more newsworthy things happening at the moment, but then maybe they aren't things that the powers that be want published at length. This is good PR isn't it.

I have to admit I was heartend to see how positively social media such as Facebook and YouTube can be. Within 5 hours of Toms video going on Facebook, it had over 700,000 views.

This is a great example of social media allowing the famous to say things their way and unedited. Such a lovely and normal video, a far cry from what the tabloids would have done if they'd broken the 'story'.

Of course it is news, though I understand your point.

Think of it this way. There will be loads of teenagers out there agonising over their sexuality. This is a famous and successful sportsman - a great role model. Tom took control of the situation by releasing the video, rather than letting himself be misquoted in all sorts of shitty tabloids.

If the reaction is "Great, but what's the big deal?" that's a good thing. It means that young people and their parents will realise it's not a big deal either.

I can't believe that in 2013 that it is actually a big deal someone is gay. I really don't think that people should honestly feel that have to announce it. I hope he has no negative reactions and is happy.

Well it's news in the sense that he is a very popular and successful athlete, and the attitude to sexualtity in sports is sometimes an issue. I think he IS brave to do what he's done today.

Of course it's news. Did you know?

Admittedly it must be a slow news day as they have given it a lot of coverage.

I'm spilt on this I wish it wasn't news but it's also nice to see how far we've come from Ellen Degeneres, Stephen Gately and will young. It's great to see most responses are positive. just waiting on the whose the boyfriend debate starting

I think it shouldn't be news but it is. That's the day we're waiting for - when a young person in the public eye starts a relationship and doesn't ever have to think 'do we need a press conference about the gender of the person I'm with?'
The more and more public figures come out, the more and more people say 'so what' - that's how we move closer to that.

I think Tom has made a good decision. He's in control of what he said and when he said it. Long term he may have made quite a lot of difference to this whole 'debate'.

Why cant you believe this Giles? Where were you when people were petitioning against gay marriage? When high ranking church leaders publicly said it was wrong and not equal to heterosexual marriage?
Haven't you noticed campaigns against homophobia? The very fact this is needed shows that actually, being gay is still a massive deal.

I don't think homosexuality is accepted by our society as a whole. It is still socially acceptable to be 'against' homosexuality and many who are supposedly cool with it are still very much 'but not in my backyard'

Making out that we're all so open minded in 2013 is just another way of pushing gay rights out of the spotlight 'yeah yeah you've got your rights now shut up'. This isnt a personal dig Giles, just a bit of a vent!

Daley has now been bombarded with abuse on Twitter. It shouldn't matter at all but it would seem that it does to some people.

I don't have any issue with people being straight, gay or bi. It's none of my business, it's entirely personal and, like Hester says "what is the big deal?". I am more than happy to hear about Tom's diving competitions though.

I do take on board posters comments about it being positive news for anyone feeling the same way as Tom. We have come a long way since being gay was considered a crime. Yes, I am prepared to concede that maybe this news report was just about ok .

it's just been on CBBC's Newsround.

It is big news because hardly any sports men feel confident coming out. They are worried about the backlash from fans and loss of sponsorship.

I do know what you mean welth

I just meant that with all the nasty things that go on on the world. All the nasty people walking the streets that being gay should not even feature as newsworthy.

I do hope that by the time my children grow up and meet the loves of their lives that it won't be something they feel needs an announcement and that it will be seen as normal as breathing and talking.

The rights to marry should never ever have been in question.

Tom himself said he didn't think it was a big deal and it shouldn't be one, but unfortunately it is.

Gareth Thomas was a very very brave man and I think Tom, and young sportsmen like Tom, will regard him as the icon he is. I don't mean "a gay icon". I mean someone who confronted his fears.

Maybe hes "the one" and they are to be married? Thats nice, its nice to read about nice things happening to people

'Man is normal'.

That's it, isn't it?

I remember when one of my favourite musicians Rob Halford from Judas Priest came out. The reaction he got was mainly 'so what' - he was the first heavy metal musician to come out. The more people who shrug their shoulders at this kind of news, the better it has to be. It would be nice to think that acceptance for people's sexuality is becoming more widespread. And if it helps other young people, then so much the better

I do hope that by the time my children grow up and meet the loves of their lives that it won't be something they feel needs an announcement and that it will be seen as normal as breathing and talking.

What a lovely thing to say, Giles, I hope you are right.