One of the best things to have happened in my lifetime is the gradual destigmatisation of being gay. The tabloid press used to feed off stories about people's sex lives, often ruining them in the progress. Pop star George Michael was one such victim; although hitherto closeted, he came out fighting, and helped defang the mob. The story of Michael's exposure (in both senses of the word!) is not actually very interesting; the backstory, that of a young man who felt forced to hide one part of his identity (while being celebrated as a heterosexual sex-symbol) is more interesting. The shamelessness of the journalists who appear in this sort of programme always amazes me, and not in a good way. The series ends by stressing that even today, there is still a lot of bigotry in the world; nonetheless, I think the larger story remains one of progress.
Review of George Michael: Outed
