Gay spy murder; Matt Lucas sues tabloid; Sir Elton voted for; Politician not welcomed; and too much party at the Manchester Pride

The employers of James Bond, MI6 (or more correctly the Secret Intelligence Service as it is actually called officially) have become involved in a murder mystery. On of their employees, Gareth Williams, on loan from the GCHQ, was found murdered in his Pimlico apartment this week, and police are speculating in the media that a gay lover may be involved.

And while the media is salivating about James Bond, spies, and gay lovers, the comedian Matt Lucas has decided to take legal action against the tabloid Daily Mail over an article following the death of his civil partner that he says was a “very serious invasion of privacy and intrusion into grief it represented.”

While Lucas preps the lawyers, the British singer Elton John is, possibly, breaking out the champagne having been been voted for by the readers of Entertainment Weekly. What was voted for was ‘the most surprising duet’ ever. What was that? It was the one he did nearly ten years ago at the 2001 Grammy Awards when he sang with the US rapper Eminem.

And over in the states one man is possibly putting back the champagne into the fridge after his coming out was not received with the rapturous welcome he possibly envisaged. The conservative politician Ken Mehlman, former chairman of the Republican National Committee and aide to George Bush the elder, revealed that he was gay in the magazine The Atlantic. The LGBT community remembers that he was the leader of a party that during his stewardship put in deeply discriminatory laws over there.

But other people object to champagne, whether it’s in the fridge or not. Organisers of the 20th Manchester Pride were accused of dumbing down the celebrations because they focused on, um, the celebrations. A spokesman for the gay rights group “Reclaim the Scene” objects to how Machester Pride has focused on the partying, instead of focusing on the politics of it.

Glee for Scooch; Emma Thompson upset Isle of Wight; Gay man is upset too; Stephen Fry joins Norwich City; Will Young wins

My gay wiring got a bit of a short circuit when I read that Reading Pride – which takes place in September – will feature the group Scooch performing hits from the TV show Glee. A mix of Eurovision and musical theatre, in other words, and it may be too much for a gay man to bear. It seems like a planned joke.

And if it’s a joke, maybe it will fall as flat with the queers of Reading as Emma Thompson’s joke on The Late Show in the states did with the inhabitants of the Isle of Wight. She commented on the island with “Oh, so they stone homosexuals there? Nice. I think they are still allowed to flog them, which of course some of them enjoy.” This was not taken in a spirit of the Jest by the people of Isle of Wight, who got upset.

Spreading the misery around, the gay journalist Michaelangelo Signorile is upset too because national media in the US has described Judge Vaughn Walker as gay. Signorile said that the description of Walker was “a testament to how easily the media is manipulated by the right into doing things about which editors and reporters claim to be staunchly opposed.” What they are, supposedly, opposed to is outing.

A gay man that is not upset, hopefully, is the British writer and comedian Stephen Fry, who is joining the board of british football club Norwich City. “Truly this is one of the most exciting days of my life and I am as proud and pleased as I could be.”, Fry said in response to it all. So no, he doesn’t appear to be upset. Hopefully. Unless his joining the board will give him depression for not being picked as a member of the first team. Time will tell.

And as if that’s not enough, the gay singer Will Young has been voted Best Role Model for Gay Young People this year. If the title hasn’t left your tongue in knots, you will undoubtedly be pleased about that, and that he won by 58% in a poll arranged by the UK gay charity Stonewall. And that of course also makes me happy because I can include a shirtless Will Young in this post.

Vicar banned from fostering, sunny prides, and “gay marriage is child abuse”

A former Anglican priest in Blackburn wanted to become foster parents, but when they said “we don’t want any gay couples in our house” the council rejected their application and banned them from fostering.

The former vicar is appealing the decision, because he says that “it is vital that as Christians we are allowed to live out our faith in public and not be eliminated from this kind of vital community work due to oppressive equality legislation”. Right, equality is oppressive and is bad for morals, hear.

If that makes you want to go and grab a drink, or a bottle, you could have headed to Brighton this last week for the biggest Pride ever there. More than 160.000 people showed up for the fun times there. And the weather was nice too!

And if you think that’s too crowded, Liverpool had its Pride too, where 21 thousand people turned up. There they enjoyed a march and a party. Or, if you still are annoyed with the crowds, you could have gone and drunk grave ale over Worcester Pride which was cancelled due to lack of sponsoring.

If you still haven’t found that drink, the strong one, after the vicar things, you might want to consider just ditching the going out and drink after shave when you read Australian Senate candidate Wendy Francis views on gay marriage.  The Queensland politician said gay marriage was “child abuse” and that legalizing gay marriage was akin to “legalizing child abuse.”

Marriages, presidents and a spot of Pride

That old tease Robbie Williams has decided to tie the knot today with Ayda Field, 31, accord to a report in The Telegraph. The wild man of the pop scene is settling down in other words, and gay fans all over the country and the world is crying into their caffe lattes.

Another singer making the news is of course Wyclef Jean who is running for president of Haiti, who at this time is busy finishing his lates album “Haitian experience”. The country who is still reeling from the earthquake is otherwise known for its endemic homophobia, but perhaps a President Wyclef would help there.

And if presidential ambitions get too tiring, or wedding plans, then Brighton Pride has just opened. Tens of thousands of people are streaming into the south english town to don the glitter and the fabulosity of the festival.

Stockholm Pride is on again

I know I’m not supposed to write about foreign stuff on this blog, but to keep it centered on the UK – by my own choice – but there is one reason to leave the country in the next few days, and that is to visit one of the best parties in Europe at this time of year, Stockholm pride.

The festival lasts from Monday 26th to Saturday 31st of this month, and there will be tens of thousands of gays, bisexuals, lesbians, straights and transgender people there. A smorgosboard of activities from the intensely political to the unapologetically festive.

Pride Park, where the party will take place, doesn’t open until the 28th, so in the two days preceeding that you can partake in debates, seminars, and political meetings. And then you can go get blinding drunk, or not, in the park at noon on the 28th.

I’m a bit sorry I miss it this year. I should be there. But things conspire to prevent me from going, but if you have a bit of spare cash and a few empty days in the calendar I highly recommend it. This is a time when the naturally private and shy swedes drop the mask and party like there’s no tomorrow.