I watched a documentary in the 1990s. It was about the investigation into the molestation and murder of a prepubescent boy in England in the 1970s. It was in the 1970s, so suspicion immediately fell on gay men. The police opened an investigation and right away approached known homosexuals and entered gay bars, asking men to come to the station for questioning. The men were photographed, and detailed notes were taken of the interviews. At one point, a gay man was accused by another of the crime. Once the accused realized that he was under suspicion, he told the detectives interviewing him that he was saying nothing without his solicitor present. It turned out that the accusation was wrongful and levelled against him by another man who had a grudge. Eventually, the culprit was found and confessed when presented with evidence against him. He was not a gay man and had no previous suspicion of sexual interference with boys. He said that the boy struggled during and after the assault and that he had not meant to kill him. The man was convicted of the crimes of manslaughter and sexually assaulting the boy. He was imprisoned for his crimes. With the case closed, the police destroyed the evidence they collected in their investigation: the photos and notes from the interviews of the gay men.

The documentary was a stark reminder of the prejudice against gay men that lingers to the present. The suspicion persists that gay men have their eyes on underaged boys. I try not to dwell on it. In my life, the people who know me understand that I am not a threat to their or anyone’s children. One of my hunting buddies, an Evangelical Christian, told me recently that his twelve-year-old son enjoys my company. The boy accompanies us on hunts and will join us in the field with his own shotgun when he comes of age. It is good that reasonable people assess the gay men they know for who they are and do not let past prejudices influence their judgement. That said, however, it is concerning that the transgender ideology, represented by the queer alphabet soup constituency, actively targets children in its campaigns to convince wider society of the validity of their claims about gender identity and expression. It is not gay men who are putting drag queens in front of preschoolers and promoting books that tell children there is no such thing as boys and girls, that men can have babies, and that women can have penises. That is stuff and nonsense; it does not conform to reality. Granted, if that is what people believe, fine; what they teach their children at home is their business.

As a gay man, I wish I did not have to address this situation. The gay rights movement succeeded in the removal of the stigma of being a male homosexual. Gay men move openly in society and the labour force. We can marry and adopt children. We are accepted by reasonable religious folk in the mainline denominations of Christianity. Unfortunately, the gains of the gay rights movement are in peril because of the actions of the queer alphabet soup constituency. No matter how consistently I reject the claim that I am part of the queer community, I will be tarred with the same brush when people have had enough of the transgender madness. I think it is appalling that children are targeted and sold “gender affirming” care. Worse, I dare not express my criticism outside of private Facebook groups. I was put on paid administrative leave by my university employer for three months in 2022 because of an anonymous complaint about discussions I had on social media. I was reinstated but opted for retirement as there was nothing to return to; how long would it have been before someone else complained?

I left the university and became a professional actor, something I dreamed of my whole life. I have an agent and am auditioning for film and stage roles. The entertainment industry is not immune to the reach of Woke cancel culture, so I remain circumspect in my discussions of gay rights and queer culture. I do not like the state of affairs, but I have an acting career to protect. I hope to inspire others who dare to speak freely on these issues by posting in select Facebook groups. Beyond that, I lead by example in my personal life. I am open about my homosexuality, stressing that it does not define me. Hence, I make friends quickly with people, such as my Christian hunting buddy, who knows that I am of good character and that is all gay men want: that “people assess the gay men they know for who they are and do not let past prejudices influence their judgement.”

Posted by Geoffrey