THEGAYUK APRIL/MAY ISSUE 3
2014
INTERVIEW
at the Cornell University with the test of sexual
orientation to see where I lie. Having your
sexuality, something that you’ve always known,
proven by a machine is incredibly satisfying, that
you got it it right, that you’ve been sleeping with
the right people all this time.
Do you believe there is a main factor that
pushes homosexuals into these therapies?
Yes. One main factor is the rampant homophobia
that still exists all around the world and I think one
of the driving forces behind that is religion. I go to
the bible belt of America to see the worst of it.
Outside one church there are these 14-15 year olds
saying, ‘oh yeah homosexuality is caused by
demons, they need to be expunged. All gay people
need treatment’. It’s quite easy to see why if you’re
living in a community like that you might feel dirty
and in need of treatment. You go to Uganda, go to
Iran where your two choices are death or an
enforced sex change and you think: hmmm I can
see why people might seek out these therapies.
You were clearly quite upset from hearing
the views of the young religious kids, do you
feel they are being brainwashed into these
opinions or were they born homophobic?
Of course they haven’t come up with that idea
themselves. They’ve been indoctrinated. Kids don’t
come up with the idea that sexuality is caused by
demons themselves, kids aren’t that ridiculous. I
think in the UK our younger generations are
growing up far more comfortable that people come
in all different shapes and sizes, colours and sexual
orientations. You talk to young people and they
don’t bat an eyelid if someone’s gay or not, but in
America the same young people in that area were
coming out with really quite vile statements but
saying it perfectly pleasantly with big smiles on
their faces.
Was it hard to control yourself at times
because you only swore twice during the
whole programme?
I can tell you now there were a lot more tears and a
lot more swearing that didn’t make the final cut. I
mean how could you not, but I don’t think people
want to see their doctor swearing and crying for an
hour on telly.
108
❝
I’ll be completely
honest with you,
between the two
of us we never
once for a
moment thought
there'd be any
remote possibility
that I’d come
home and tell him
I had a girlfriend
and he’d have to
leave.
❞