Opinion

There are secrets and betrayals we must take to the grave, as to utter them would cause untold destruction. There are opinions we can never admit, secret crushes we can never act upon, and sworn enemies blissfully unaware they are at war, because nobody says it out loud. But I cannot hold back this confession any longer. It burns inside me, a raging fire that will consume me unless I finally get it out in the open. And it's all for you, straight guys at my gym. At last, the truth: yes,...

It is difficult to know where to begin, so perhaps I should start at the end. Comedian Victoria Wood has died from cancer at the age of 62. Comedian seems a bit of an understatement when you consider Victoria Wood's talent and legacy. Comic genius, definitely. Her power of observation, to be inspired by what happened in living rooms and department stores and family planning clinics up and down the country, and serve it back to us absolutely dripping in wit and crushing one-liners, was incredible. Comedians, well, they just...

Imagine the scene. An ante room in a horribly opulent Beverly Hills hotel. There are gaudy flower arrangements and vomit-print furnishings as far as the eye can see. And in the very middle of it, stands Sam Smith, convincing his management that he can go on camera and not make a fool of himself. "This time I'll be different," he says. “I can do this. I'll just say thank you to my mum and my dead childhood pets and I’ll leave the podium – I promise.” A flunky will smooth...

The older a gay I become, the fewer straight men I tend to hang around with. It's not a conscious uncoupling from my boob-loving brothers, but most of the ones I knew have either moved away, or got married, or had children or all three. We keep in touch, of course, but with a few exceptions, it's mainly through their wives. As for making friends with new straight men, other than online through Twitter, that too has challenges. I write for a gay magazine, so not too many heteros hanging...