I used to get into terrible trouble for pointing out that well into living memory, and even more so when I used to say this 10 or 15 years ago, "homosexual" was only ever an adjective rather than a noun, and only ever referred to acts rather than to persons.
But now, even Matthew Parris, who unlike me is old enough to remember it, says this, and he does so in the pages of The Times. The reaction has been predictable.
Yet although this may not necessarily be true among today's very young, at least until a few years ago most gay men and almost all lesbians had had at least some heterosexual experiences, often well into adult life.
What times we inhabit, that sexual orientation is held to be fixed, while "gender", which has always been known to the rest of us as biological sex, is held to be "fluid". And woe betide anyone who dares to challenge either of those propositions.
15 years ago most Chadsmen had a homosexual experience before a heterosexual one.
ReplyDeleteAfter my time. As you clearly know, being familiar both with the old place and with me.
Delete15 years ago? I was already 26. Terrifying, isn't it?
Women, the pill, and the installation of a condom machine (in 1988) have, both singularly and collectively, been the ruin of many a good Chadsman.
ReplyDeleteBungo who was evidently before your time never recovered from the JCR meeting as to whether there should be condom machine he thought that a bubblegum machine would be far more useful. Fluffy (later a curate in West Hartlepool) boycotted the bar for three months while Rolo opened a pirate toastie bar in Number One. Did it still exist when you were there. It was there, of course, when Bossie (Arthur Bostram the actor) was there - probably also before your time. I should have typed 30 years ago but still feels like only yesterday.
ReplyDeleteAlas, there was no pirate toastie bar in Number One by my time. What a shame.
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