20th
June 1999
*
article from the sun
-
17th June 99
(thanx a lot to Karen
Johnson Kazz.johnson2@tesco.net for the information)
TIDE OF LOVE FOR STEPHEN
Boyzone star Stephen
Gately was thrilled last night after fans backed his brave decision to
admit he is gay.A spokesman said: "It means everything to him." Messages
of support poured in for Stephen, 23, who revealed his love for a singer
in a Dutch boy band in yesterday's Sun. Not one email or fax said he was
wrong. Fellow stars hailed his courage too.
WE ALL LOVE YOU STEPHEN
He's thrilled by huge
wave of support Fans and celebrities last night joined in a chorus of support
for Boyzonestar Stephen Gately after he confessed: " I'm gay."E-mails and
faxes flooded into our offices backing the 23-year-old's brave decision
to " come out " in a moving declaration in yesterday's Sun. It was the
biggest response The Sun has ever had to a showbiz interview - and not
one of the messages criticised him. The star's spokesperson Caroline McAteer
said: " Stephen is thrilled with the reaction to today's interview.It means
everything to him" It's important the fans know Stephen was not forced
to come out - he decided on his own that it was the right thing to do.
Now he hopes hecan concentrate on his career without any speculation."
Each message will be forwarded to Dubliner Stephen and boyfriend, Dutch
singer Eloy de Jong, 26. Fans feelings were summed up by Sharon, Tina and
Nikki whose email echoed the words of a Boyzone hit. They vowed: We will
continue to love you "no matter what." Stephen can rely on the support
of showbiz stars too. Posh Spice Victoria Adams said: " You are what you
are. " He is very talented and this should not come in the way. Everyone
should support him." All Saints singer Shaznay Lewis said: " He's very
courageous and I wish him all the best. I'm very proud of him." Neil Tennant
of the Pet Shop Boys said: " Good on him!" Radio One DJ Zoe Ball said:
" It's a really tough thing for him to dO and I just want to say well done.
" I think all the little girls will cope - they probably secretly knew
they weren't going to marry him." Ritchie Neville from fellow boy band
Five said: " Good on you Steve! Your fans will be cool - it's the music
that's important." U.S. band Backstreet Boys rang just before kicking off
the UK leg of their tour to say: " He is still the star we all know and
love." Stephen told The Sun how he met Eloy four years ago at a showbiz
bash in London. They only began their relationship last November. Until
then Eloy was part of a boy band called Caught In The Act who topped the
charts in Europe & the Far East. They have since split to follow
solo careers. Stephen said his momentous decision came as he learned someone
was planning to sell a twisted version of his story.His move was immediately
backed by band members Ronan Keating, 22,Shane Lynch, also 22, Keith Duffy,
24, and Mikey Graham, 26. And yesterday their mums added their voices too.
Mikey's mother Sheila Graham said: " He wasn't the first and he won't be
the Last." Shane's mum Noleen added: " At the end of the day, it's God's
will the way they all are, you know." Stephen is one of many pop stars
to admit being gay or bisexual. Others include Sir Elton John. George Michael,
late Queen singer Freddie Mercury and lesbian U.S. country singer kd lang.
One of the most flamboyant, Boy George, spoke out for Stephen on Capital
radio's breakfast show.George, 37 said: " It's best to tell people. If
you live a lie, you always worry about somebody doing something horrible."He
said many fans were gay too and went on: " You go to any concert, TakeThat,
any of them - it's always loads of queens, loads of kids and loads of mum's."He
predicted Boyzone's fans would NOT turn against Stephen and joked: "Most
if them are too young to know what sex is anyway."
THE END
*
article from the sun
- June 15th 1999
(thanx a lot to Eveline
en Laura Vriese h.vriese@tele2.nl for the information)
In the most moving
showbiz interview you will ever read, Boyzone star Stephen Gately today
tells the world he is gay. With the full support of the rest of the band,
Stephen, 23, has decided to talk freely about his love life for the first
time.For six years he has avoided questions about his sexuality.
Now - after learning that someone was planning to sell a twisted version
of his story - he has made the momentous decision to be honest to himself
and his adoring fans. And he has chosen to do so in the Sun. Stephen
says: "This is the most important day of my life. From today I will
have the freedom to finally be myself."Stephen slumps back on a sofa and
utters three words that will change his life forever. "I am gay."After
six years in the phenomenally successful boy band, Stephen - a pin-up to
teenage girls around the world - has made the courageous decision to come
out.Speaking softly but with conviction, he says: "This is the hardest
thing I've ever had to do but I owe it to our fans - as well as to myself
-to be completely honest. I know this may come as a bombshell to
our followers.Many of them will be upset. I only hope they understand
how important it is for me to reveal I am gay."Stephen's words come at
a time when Boyzone can claim the title of the biggest-selling boy band
in Britain.He says: "I think the moment is now right to tell the world
who I really am.Boyzone have just finished a sell-out UK tour and we've
sold millions of records but I can't begin to enjoy that success until
I can be the real me." Stephen's timing also owes a lot to the strength
of his feeling for his partner - Dutchman Eloy de Jong.The couple met four
years ago at a showbiz bash in London, but htey only began their relationship
in November last year. Until then, Eloy, 26, was part of the Dutch
boy band Caught In The Act. The group topped the chart in Europe
and the Far East and sold four million albums worldwide before splitting
to pursue solo careers. Stephen recalls: "I kept bumping into Eloy at gigs
and we became good friends. But last year we realised our feelings
were stronger than friendship. I was nervous about being discovered
but it felt so right." The strain of keeping their relationship a secret
has been enormous. Stephen says: "There have always been rumours but more
recently I've heard that someone who worked with Boyzone in the past was
planning to sell a story about my private life. I wanted my fans
to hear the facts from me and Eloy before anyone lese got the chance to
publish a twisted version of the truth. That would have been devastating.
I hope the fans who have supported us from day one will respect my honesty.
I want to reassure them that this will not affect Boyzone. We'll
be around for years to come."Anyone who has seen us performing live knows
I always give 100% and I will continue to do that. But the pressure
to be something I am not and the fear of a hurtful story being printed
has just become too intense." Eloy nods in agreement and says: "I will
always be there for Stephen. We will get through this. With
the support of our fans I know life can be brilliant for us." until now,
the couple have gone to remarkable lengths to keep their relationship secret.
Stephen says: "We want to be with each other all the time, but we can never
be seen to travel together or arrive at a restaurant or hotel at teh same
time. We are under a lot of pressure anyway because of our demanding
schedules. But when you add booking twice as many flights or cars,
then that pressure becomes unbearable. "Until now we have never been able
to relax and enjoy the simple pleasure of just going for a drink together.
If giving this interview allows us to do that then all the agonising will
have been worthwhile."The other members of Boyzone - Ronan Keating, Shane
Lynch, Keith Duffy and Mikey Graham - and their wives and girlfriends have
welcomed Eloy into the group's close-knit entourage. Stephen says:
"They have all been brilliant. Eloy gets on really well with everyone.
They accepted him straight away and made him part of the family that we
are." Stephen has known he was gay since he was a teenager. He says:
"At school dated girls but by the time I was 15 I knew they weren't
for me. I was well respected among my classmates because I came from
a rough part of Dublin and stood up to the class bullies. I'm sure
some of the other kids could see that I was different but it was never
an issue." Stephen's problems only began when he answered an audition for
Boyzone n1993 and was snapped up by the band's management. He recalls:
"I desperately l wanted to be a pop star but I decided right away that
to admit to being gay would be to say goodbye to any chance of fame.
So at first, I told noone in the band or management. To be honest,
I'm sure they suspected but they were good enough never to raise the subject.
I was so keen to succeed that suppressing my real feelings was a small
price to pay. I'm sure that anyone that age would have done the same
thing. I didn't lie- I just wasn't completely honest." As the Boyzone
story went from strength to strength, the pressure on Stephen to talk about
girlfriends also grewstronger. Over the years, and particularly the
past 12 months, he has become adept at dodging awkward questions.He reveals:
"I have worked extremely hard over the last six years and not once have
I really been able to relax and be myself. I say again - I have never,
ever denied being gay. I don't know how many times I've used the
phrase 'I'll settle down when the right person comes along.' And
now ronan and the boys have started families, it has become harder to explain."1
year after joining the band, Stephen broke the news to his family that
he was gay. He told his sister Michelle, 24, first - and her reaction
surprised him. He reveals: "She smiled and said 'Steve, I always
thought you were.' " It took the brave youngster another year to
pluck up thecourage to tell the rest of his relatives. He recalls:
"I broke the news to my dad Martin over a pint in our local pub in Dublin.
It had been preying on my mind to tell him and halfway through a conversation
I just blurted out 'Dad. Look I'm gay.' I knew if my dad accepted
the way I was, my mum would too."At first he just sat there and then he
smiled and said, 'Don't worry son, there's nothing to be afraid of.
We all love you.' I couldn't have askedfor more support."Stephen's
mum Margaret and brothers Tony, 16, Alan, 23, and Mark, 28,were also completely
accepting. He says: "It's a great feeling to know that your family
loves you unconditionally." before Stephen confided in his family
he admits he was incredibly lonely. He says: "I had so many sleepless
nights worrying about what would be in the next morning's papers.
The lack of girlfriends obviously created a lot of rumour. I remember
one morning waking up and feeling so depressed that I thought about running
away -giving it all up and trying to forget everything. I had to
make a choice. I could either break down and cry or stand up and be positive.
That's what I'm doing now. This interview is the most positive thing
I have ever done."He adds: "I have thought long and hard about this moment,
but it's the Nineties and hopefully people are open-minded enough to accept
me for what I am. I'm gay and I have had gay romances, but now -
for the first time in my life - I am in a relationship with someone I love."Despite
being consistently written off by the music press, Boyzone show every sign
of continuing their success into the new Millennium -another reason why
Stephen has decided to tell his story. He says: "How could I plan
a future and still be hiding this secret> I hope my story helps teenage
kids to face up to whatever problems they have and encourages parents to
be as understanding as mine have been."Stephen realises this interview
will change his life forever. In an emotional appeal to his fans,
he says: "Today is the most important day of my life. From now on,
everything will be different. I know that and it's pretty scary.
But I'm still the same Stephen, still singing the same songs.You have been
with us through thick and thin. I've given you smiles and I will
continue to do that. I've been strong for you, I've signed your autographs,
answered your letters nad given the performances you deserve on stage.
Now I need you to be there for me. I know you won't let me down."
*
article from the Mirror (www.mirror.co.uk)
(thanx a lot to Lucy
Witts lucy.witts@diamond.co.uk for the information)
MY SON WAS BULLIED
INTO ADMITTING HE IS GAY
Mum blast The Sun
over 'blackmail' THE angry mother of Boyzone star Stephen Gately has claimed
he was bullied into confessing he is gay. Cleaning lady Margaret Gately
hit out at what she called "blackmail" by The Sun - who persuaded Stephen
to admit his secret sexuality by saying a member of the band's roadcrew
had approached them to sell the story. Margaret, who has one other son
and three daughters, says Stephen did NOT want to go public, but realised
he had no other option. In an emotional outburst, Margaret, 50, told
The Mirror: "Stephen wasn't ashamed about his sexuality - but he never
wanted people to know about it. "Because it was always his own business,
and that is the way it should be. I think what has happened is blackmail.
I always thought my children should never be pressurised. "But Stephen
has been bullied into doing this." Margaret learned of the "deal" between
her son and The Sun last week - and says the news broke her heart. "We
have been going through hell since we were told that this was going to
be published," she said. "I haven'tslept for a week. "The effect
it will have on the whole family will bephenomenal. "Everyone has been
so worried. I have problems with my lungs and I'm afraid that the stress
of this will affect my illness." Margaret added: "The Sun has destroyed
so many lives.There was Lenny Henry and there was Sophie Rhys-Jones. Now
it's my son - and us. "All of us are involved in this. I have to
go out and do my day's work with the whole place looking at me." Stephen's
younger brother Tony said that he would be lying low after the fuss generated.
"I have no notion of sticking around for this one," hesaid. "I'm going
to my girlfriend's to stay for a while until it all dies down. "I can't
believe that anyone would want to do this to Stephen. It's going to affect
the whole family. But at The Sun, they don't care whose lives they ruin.
Tony added: "This will have a huge impact on us. Since we were told The
Sun was going to print it, we have literally been waiting for the worst
to come." The Sun claimed in an editorial yesterday that Stephen
had approached them to ask for their help in coming out. But it is now
established that the paper approached Stephen to tell him his gay secret
was going to be revealed by a roadie. They suggested to him that the best
way to deal with this was to go public in an exclusive interview.
Boyzone's PR agency last night denied The Sun had threatened to "out" Stephen
if he did not co-operate. But a source close to the band told The Mirror:
"Stephen knew The Sun had him over a barrel. They made it clear that if
he didn't go public, the information would come out somehow anyway." The
paper's behaviour flies in the face of a pledge earlier this year never
to out gays. In a hypocritical declaration of intent, the paper announced:
"From now on The Sun will not reveal the sexuality of gays - men or women
- unless we believe it can be defended on the grounds of overwhelming public
interest. "If gays choose to come out, we will report it if we feel
it is newsworthy or relevant. Otherwise, we will not invade the privacy
of gay people. Why are we doing this? Because we recognise that public
attitudes are changing."In fact, The Sun published its statement because
the day before it had caused widespread revulsion by suggesting on the
front page that Britain was being run by what it described as a "Gay Mafia".
In yesterday's Sun, Gately told all about the homosexuality he had
kept a secret throughout the six astonishingly successful years he has
been with Boyzone. He even told how he has fallen in love with a Dutch
singer called Eloy de Jong, who he has been dating for the past eight months.
After dodging the issue for so long, Stephen's candour was - to say the
least - surprising.
*
Freeserve article
(thanx a lot to Hazel
Keating <hazelnicholson@hotmail.com> for the information)
REVELATION 'WON'T
HIT RECORD SALES
Boyzone star Stephen
Gately's admission that he is gay will not harm the band's sales, chart
watchers say.They point to the continued worldwide success of stars like
Sir Elton John and George Michael after their homosexuality was revealed.Gately
announced that he is in love with his Dutch boyfriend Eloy de Jong, a
former member of boy band Caught In The Act.In an interview in The Sun,
he said: "I'm gay and I have had gayromances, but now - for the first time
in my life - I am in a relationship with someone I love."Gennaro Castaldo
of the HMV retail chain said: "It won't affect sales at all."There's
no way the fans are going to desert them over this and if anything it will
get all the fans behind Boyzone."They are a band at the peak of their powers
and this is certainly not going to displace them whatsoever."Now this is
out in the open he can relax and be himself and I'm sure the fans will
be able to relate to that. It's a very positive thing for the band."The
coverage of the story has come across in a very empathetic way and the
high profile it has been given can only help the sales. There is no way
that the established fan base would turn against them."Editor of
Smash Hits John McKie said: "Ronan (Keating from Boyzone) got married,
losing his single status, and went on to win three Smash hits awards last
year. I think Stephen will still be immensely popular."
*
article from the Daily Star
(thanx a lot to Lucy
Witts lucy.witts@diamond.co.uk for the information)
BOYZONE STEPHEN STOLE
MY GAY LOVER 'HE LEFT ME WITH A BROKEN HEART'
A gay TV presenter
told last night of his heartbreak at losing his partner to Boyzone star
Stephen Gately.
Dutch telly host Carlo
Boszhard warned Stephen: "He broke my heart -don't let him break yours."Carlo
had pleaded with the boyband singer Eloy de Jong not to leave him after
five years together. But two weeks ago, the £300,000 a year presenter
realised he'd lost him for good when the handsome blond revealed he was
seeing Stephen.Carlo, 29, who hosts the House Party style show Monte Carlo
on Dutch TV was shattered. He said: "I still love Eloy and I think it is
a shame that we are no longer together as we once hoped. I had always hoped
we would kiss and make up because we have unfinished business together
and a special love. But when Eloy told me two weeks ago he was in love
with Steve I finally realised there was no chance."Eloy, a member of Caught
in the Act, shared Carlo's luxury home in the village of Nieuwendam outside
Amsterdam. He met Dubliner Stephen, 23,four years ago, but only began dating
him last November.Carlo and Eloy had a major bust up last year when Eloy
announced he was going back on tour and wouldn't see him for months. "I
told him I couldn't live with that any more," he added. "We had a long
and emotional talk during which we both cried. I decided we didn't have
a future any more." But, when the tour ended Caught in the Act, who enjoyed
15 No1 hits in Germany and sold 20 million records, broke up.Carlo began
seeing Eloy once again but he admitted: "We stayed best of friends, but
we couldn't revive our love. To be honest even up until a couple of weeks
ago, I hoped we'd start all over again but when he told me about Stephen
and their affair I knew there was no chance any more."Eloy, who is reputedly
worth £8million, called Carlo to tell him that he was seeing Stephen
and planned to let the world know about their affair."I was very, very
surprised, to say the least, given the fact that he'd been so reluctant
to reveal his love for me for so long. I found it hard to understand how
he could love Stephen because I thought after being with me he would rather
have an unknown boyfriend with whom he could live anonymously. I suppose,
even though I caused the first rift, Eloy has ended up breaking my heart.
I just hope he is truly happy with Stephen and doesn't end up breaking
his heart too. I have met Steve many times, even when I was with Eloy,
but never could I have expected he would be my lover's new love. I didn't
even know he was gay. I haven't spoken to Steve since but I spoke to Eloy
today. I think it is brave what they are doing because the whole world
is watching, especially because Eloy is starting a new career as a TV presenter
in Germany.Eloy was a star on his own but from now on he will be seen as
the gay lover of Steve from Boyzone. I wonder if that's easy to live with."Stephen
gave Eloy a sporty Audi convertible as a present a few weeks ago and they
have been spotted driving round Amsterdam together.The couple are due to
visit Holland this weekend so Stephen can meet Eloy's family and they are
expected to visit Amsterdam's gay disco It.Eloy and Carlo were both regulars
at the club, where Spice Girl Mel G's hubby Jimmy Gulzar was a dancer.But
Eloy, mindful of his image and effect on his lucrative career, was reluctant
to be seen as gay and went to extraordinary lengths to keep his affair
with Carlo secret. "I had to leave his home in the early hours to prevent
fans from seeing me," said Carlo. "I had more and more troubles with that
because I felt I was lying to the public and eventually I came out as gay.
That felt very good"
*
article from Daily Telegraph article
(thanx a lot to DLorra3173@aol.com
for the information)
He may be gay, but
does he have to tell the children?Mary Killen is worried about the effect
on pop-loving youngsters when a 'clean-teen' star makes revelations about
his sexuality.Yesterday morning's tabloids posed something of a dilemma
for parents of Boyzone fans (average age 8-12). The front pages of the
two best known bore the legends "Boyzone Stephen: I'm gay and I'm in love"
and "I'm Gay:Boyzone pin-up reveals a secret that will break so many hearts".Until
yesterday, the 23-year-old pop star and heartthrob Stephen Gately had been
assumed to be happily heterosexual. Although he was said to be about to
announce his engagement to Irish singer Kerri-Ann, he was in theory, the
last available band member young fans could fantasise about marrying.
But now, he was "out" - and so would the news be, by the time the children
arrived at school.I had been quite proud of the matter-of-medical-fact
manner I had managed to adopt while testing my 11-year-old daughter on
"Human reproduction" for her science exam this week. The coursework is
horribly explicit but, so farthe subject of gay sex has not come up.Since
I am "repressed", or so a therapist friend tells me. I did not relish the
prospect of being asked, "But Mummy, if two men can't have a baby,why would
they have sex in the first place?"My daughter had gone to school by the
time I heard yesterday's news, soI got on the telephone to ask other mothers
how their children had reacted."Fred [11] won't be remotely fazed by the
fact that Stephen is gay,"his mother told me, "because he is not remotely
interested in whether people are gay or not. He just thinks, fine, each
to their own. He is not shockedby it and not impressed by it, though I
think if I told him that one of our family friends is gay, he would be
quite surprised.""They won't be shocked," said Cynthia, a mother of three
daughters,aged six, 10 and 11. "All the soaps have had storylines about
gay relationships these days, and my children are so politically correct
that even if you say something innocent, such as 'That'll earn you a black
mark', they jump down your throat."Nevertheless, I am uneasy. For many
years, my husband has been calling me the heir to Mary Whitehouse and I
am. I concede, a natural censor. At home,we have a black and white television
the size of a biscuit tin, precisely in order to discourage our children
(and ourselves) from watching too much of it.We have been even beadier
about television since my husband and I readThe 60-Minute Father , which
told us that the average amount of time an American dad spends in the company
of his children is an hour a day, and the average number of words he speaks
to those children is 50. In contrast, the average time an MTV-watching
child spends in front of the screen is four hours a day. But even with
a black and white television set and my firm policing, my daughters were
still exposed to all the biological details about Clinton and Monica and
the stains on the skirt, Rosemary and Fred West and the leg clamps, and
the Wayne and Lorena Bobbitt amputation story, because they appeared on
the lunchtime and tea-time news bulletins. I have nothing against homosexuality
but I do want my children to have a few blissful years before they have
to start worrying about issues that are "strictly adult".While Stephen
Gately was pushed out of the closet, rather than jumping,he may well find
he suffers the fate of one of my own teen idols, David Cassidy, of the
Partridge Family, after he decided to change his act.The whole point of
Cassidy, a star in the early Seventies, was that he was sweet and unthreatening;
you just admired him and certainly didn't think of human reproduction when
you daydreamed about him. But when he gave an"adult" interview to Rolling
Stone magazine, accompanied by photographs of him semi-naked, he crossed
a river of no return - and his record sales plummeted.When my daughter
Freya came home from school yesterday, I asked her whether she had heard
the news about Gately. She hadn't so I told her."Oh, he was the nicest
one," she said, though she has no particular affection for Boyzone.Do you
think his fans will be upset? I asked. Her reply was simple and rather
touching: "Why did they have to tell us?" |