| In her June 4 column about Sir John Gielgud's obituary and the omission of any mention of his life partner, ombudsman E.R. Shipp argues that perhaps this exception to your paper's guidelines on obituaries is appropriate because "Gielgud had studiously avoided discussing the subject matter publicly." Shipp cites correspondence from Gielgud to a journalist thanking her for "being so discreet" for not mentioning the subject in another article. She adds that "while it is easy to argue that gay couples should be treated with the same respect as heterosexual ones, the Gielgud obituary is not such an easy call." Perhaps it is best to let the reader put moral value on facts rather than relying on the biases of writers and the deference they give their subject matter. if your paper is going to let individual readers determine what is in their obituaries, I'd suggest you give us a form to include in your next editioin so we can each write what we consider to be the perfect obituary. I doubt, however, the responses would reflect reality, and I'm certain they would not be newsworthy. |
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| HUNT |
| Gene |
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| June 10, 2000 |
| Prisioner of Discretion |
| Sir John talked openly about homosexuality and the theater in a June 1, 1977, interview with the Advocate, the gay magazine. That same interview noted, "Sir John's private life was brutally exposed during the 1960s, when he was arrested on a morals charge stemming from a discovery in a London lavatory," as originally reported in London's Daily Mail. The Advocate wrote that the experience "may help to explain why he is so indisposed to touch directly on his life before an adoring public, despite the fact that he is so obviously in tune with current mores and changing lifestyles." Even now, the press is more prone to report such scandals than it is to report our more important and significant relationships and our ability to overcome enormous adversity. Gielgud was imprisioned by the "discretion" papers like yours gave him. As Originally Published in the Washington Post |
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