Adam Boulton summarises Ann Widdecombe as ‘a spinster, an old maid and a virgin’

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Lots of comments about this news report from Andrew Boulton regarding Anne Widdicombe -he called her a “spinster,” an “old maid” and a “virgin” while speculating about her private life.
I couldn’t believe that as a mainstream broadcaster on Sky he chose language like this to remember her life, regardless of her politics.

Anne Widdicombe- Sky news Andrew Boulton’s misogyny

The closest I can think of with men has been speculation about their sexuality if they were unmarried a bit of 'confirmed bachelor' wink, wink when they died but the only bloke I can ever think of as having speculation about their virginity is Cliff Richard back in the 80s.

but incels

Yes, it was endless with CR, much worse than AW.

I was a child at the time so I'm not really aware of how prevalent it was but I do remember asking my Mum what a virgin was so it must have been mentioned on prewatershed telly to prompt my question.

Oh and obliviously it was mentioned on his death because that hasn't happen yet.

I remember being reasonably young watching Madonna"s video for Like A Virgin thinking "No way she is a virgin".

Freddie Mercury, George Michael, Rock Hudson, not Boy George, various actors, all the nonsense about Richard Gere in the late 80"s and early 90"s etc. etc. To be fair men perceived as straight were less of a target, but the media would try to catch them on drugs, affairs if married etc. AW had a pretty gentle run IMO, while she was alive anyway, the only time I remember it getting weird was the LT interview, but he has always come across as just odd, to me anyway.

I wonder if part of this is that many people are shocked by the whole idea that someone could remain a virgin or might want to.

I've met a lot of people for example who are convinced that sexual behaviour in the past was the same as it is now, people just pretended to think oral sex or anal sex were gross, or pretended to think people should only have sex with their spouse etc. Really they must have been up to all of it.

It's like they honestly cannot conceive of choosing not to have sex unless they are "asexual" and have no sexual desire.

But also that sex is about what men think is sex. I posted this up thread, but worth remembering that many if not all lesbians are "virgins" ...

And of course they aren’t implying that the man in question has never had sex, they’re suggesting that he is gay.

Whereas with AW, it’s very much the idea that she has never been fulfilled the way a woman should be, ie by a man having sex with her. And as @IwantToRetire points out, lesbian sex doesn't count in these nudge nudge wink wink allusions.

Not all that far removed from cultures where a woman’s physical virginity is the totality of her social identity.

Exactly the suggestions about men (apart from CR and the rather weird fixation on whether he was a virgin or not) were all homophobia.

Just adding this here because it is a reminder that the media and self important commentators really should think about what they say or do.

Have posted link about court report today, but details are unpleasant and shocking. So maybe avoid reading if you dont want to know. But just hope al those media leeches will think about how they behave.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj03r77n07jo