Balding reacts to ‘homophobic’ Sunday Times review
July 31st, 2010 by Chloe.Setter
TV presenter Clare Balding has hit back at comments by reviewer AA Gill in the Sunday Times, in which he called her a ‘dyke’, and made an official complaint to the Press Complaints Commission (PCC).
In his TV column in last week’s Sunday Times, Gill reviewed Balding’s new programme, Britain By Bike. However, he seemed to more interested in her sexuality than her presenting skills, writing: “Some time ago, I made a cheap and frankly unnecessary joke about Clare Balding looking like a big lesbian. And afterwards somebody tugged my sleeve to point out that she is a big lesbian, and I felt foolish and guilty.
“So I’d like to take this opportunity to apologise. Sorry. Now back to the dyke on a bike, puffing up the nooks and crannies at the bottom end of the nation.”
Balding wrote two letters of complaint to the paper, one to the title’s letter page and one directly to editor John Witherow.
His response has prompted an eruption of rage on social networking site Twitter.
He replied to Balding’s complaint: “In my view some members of the gay community need to stop regarding themselves as having a special victim status and behave like any other sensible group that is accepted by society.
“Not having a privileged status means, of course, one must accept occasionally being the butt of jokes . A person’s sexuality should not give them a protected status. Jeremy Clarkson, perhaps the epitome of the heterosexual male, is constantly jeered at for his dress sense (lack of), adolescent mind-set and hair style. He puts up with it as a presenter’s lot and in this context I hardly think that AA Gill’s remarks were particularly cruel, especially as he ended by so warmly endorsing you as a presenter.”
Balding has responded to Witherow’s letter: “When the day comes that people stop resigning from high office, being disowned by their families, getting beaten up and in some instances committing suicide because of their sexuality, you may have a point.
“This is not about me putting up with having the piss taken out of me, something I have been quite able to withstand, it is about you legitimising name calling. ‘Dyke’ is not shouted out in school playgrounds (or as I’ve had it at an airport) as a compliment, believe me.
“It may be your job to defend your writer and your editorial team but if you really think that homophobia does not exist and was not demonstrated beyond being ‘the butt of a joke’ then we have a problem.”
The Sunday Times reaction has prompted a huge wave of support for Balding on social networking site Twitter with celebrities and politicians alike coming forward to offer their support. For example, Stephen Fry wrote: “Hurrah for @clarebalding1 - I know few people more capable of laughing at themselves, but cruel meanness can’t stand.”
As I’ve already said on Twitter, well done Clare. Smart women speaking up like this makes me proud to call myself a lesbian.
Still can’t get over the Sunday Times and their logic fail that ‘abuse equals acceptance’.
Lola ∼ July 31st, 2010 5:52 pmThanks to Clare Balding for standing up for LGBT Rights-and to Caroline Davies for a great article. Homophobia is almost like the air you breathe - it’s everywhere in all parts of our lives - from not being able to express emotions like holding hands in public or kissing or constantly having to out yourself when people assume you’re heterosexual. It’s like a chronic infection it whittles away at your general well being-this can’t be good for any Society and this is just the smaller things- in some parts of UK- it would be physically dangerous to walk down the street holding hands as you would get bricks flung at you, or spit in your face.
louise evan-wong ∼ August 2nd, 2010 4:58 pm