"The Making of Me: John Barrowman"

[inbhirnis]

--Tonight on BBC America. This could be interesting: John Barrowman, of Doctor Who and Torchwood fame, goes in search of the scientific bases for his homosexuality.

Comments

[stockykub1973.livejournal.com]

I think this was all part of the tv documentaries and dramas that where commisioned to mark the Sexual Offences Act 1967.

The gheys do seem to get away with more over here than in the USA. Russell Tovey being a case in point. Though any actor who hopes to do good in hollywood probably keeps his mouth shut.

I wonder if one of the reasons we have a fair share out out gay comics is something to di with the grand tradition of Panto. As well as all those queens who acted in Carry On films. Gawd bless Frankie, Kenneth & Charlie.

[inbhirnis.livejournal.com]

I wonder what the Great British public of the 1960s thought when they watched "Carry On" comedies and saw these rather 'precious' men in them - did everyone know, and it was just unspoken, or were they just thought of as 'eccentric'?

[stockykub1973.livejournal.com]

Well I think from listening to things like "Julian & Sandy" on "Round The Horne" my guess is they knew fine well what was on and mostly didn't care. Of course this might have also been down to the de-sexualisation of the Sissy in folks mind. As Homer says in "The Simpson" "... I like my Homosexuals flaming!"

Sissy's have shown up in both American & British popular culture but to a certain extent they where always non sexual Neuters. Since after all real sex can only happen between a man and a woman. I suspect it is the same argument that some folk use in Prison & Boarding schools. One of the reasons I guess i never messed around with any of the other boys I was at school with was I was an out gay man by the time I was 15. Messing around with another "straight" boy would not have put their sexuality in question but doing it with Queer me just might have.

[inbhirnis.livejournal.com]

15?!! In central Scotland? That's quite brave.

[stockykub1973.livejournal.com]

Not really. I was getting called Queer. So I thought I might be honest about it since I was going to get bullied about it anyway. That was 20 years ago this May.

[inbhirnis.livejournal.com]

Did your twin get that too?

I was in the 'brainiac' set, so we were all thought of as poofs by the knuckle-draggers, so I had a bit of cover.

[stockykub1973.livejournal.com]

Mark was a little bit of a jock. So not really. Though he certainly never fooled any of the other Queers.

I was one of the smart kids too. PLus I was one of the Am Dram/Artsy sort.