Tom Daley

I enjoyed Claire on Desert Island Discs last Sunday. I admire her for feeling she must go to Russia despite their atitudes.
I am pleased that Tom will be back on TV soon with another series of Splash. Who cares about his sexuality? He seems a pleasant and decent young man, that is what counts with me.

I am a prodigious fan of Claire Balding .
She seems to light up the screen when she is on !!

It was most entertaining when Claire and her wife, Alice Arnold were leading opposing teams on Only Connect a few weeks ago. They are just like any other married couple and obviously also the best of friends.

I expect you are right When, I can only speak from my own experience and I think if I knew someone with such an attitude I would immediately not know them!

I think I am a bit bothered by this because he sounded a little confused about whether he likes girls or boys. How will he feel in 20 years time, or sooner, if he has decided he is straight and has a family and then this is brought back up?

Listening to him I felt that perhaps he is a little less mature than some boys of his age and maybe hasn't done all the things others might have because he has been so busy training. Now he has made this video it may be harder for him to find out who he is in a natural way. I just hope he doesn't regret doing this.

Eloethan I just read that piece, not really about sports people. It is interesting that it was from Stonewall who have their own agenda. I would like to see such a survey on the population as a whole and see how the general public feel about it.

nonnie my 33 year old son has faced that very situation, as he has dated girls, then boys and so on, until he just accepted his bi-sexuality for what it is. His fiancée is fully in the picture, a mature woman who understands the nature and range of human sexual orientation. Being bi-sexual doesn't permit lack of commitment to their relationship, nor does being straight ensure either party will be faithful to each other. They both say it's the person they're attracted to and they want to be together. Tom Daley is young yet, so no reason for him to feel he has to be in a committed relationship until he has matured and knows himself better.

We seem to be a very broadminded generation, don't we. My first (and subsequent) reaction was So what? Is this relevant to his diving ability? Do the best divers now have to be bi-sexual? Claire Balwin being gay seems to slipped past me too. I just see her as a good presenter, her private life isn't relevant.

Poor methodologies have been used by the UK National Office for Statistics when collecting data on the prevalence of lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgendered people in the UK. Under-reporting is concluded, as the stats don't fit for global prevalence, which could lead one to conclude that it still isn't a comfortable thing for gay people to be able to disclose personal information to people they don't know well, or at all. As some gay people will feel more confident about disclosure to Stonewall, it isn't surprising that they have data that aligns with global stats where they have been collected with more comprehensive methodologies.

This piece is interesting and informative:

www.outnowconsulting.com/latest-updates/press-centre/request-for-withdrawal-of-misleading-uk-office-for-national-statistics-data.aspx

Oh Gawd! Not Splash again

merlot I feel your pain!

Brave Man..Admire him for being true to himself.

Welcome Drummerman Good to 'see' a new face

Hi, Drummerman, look forward to hearing more from you.

Ooooh, we've got Father Christmassss. Welcome Drummerman

Why oh why did the BBC see the need to put this into main news bulletins? Hardly earth shattering and really only fit for the gossip columns if at all. Really its just a matter for those involved.

I've just been told that his boyfriend is in his 40s, is that true?

My thought exactly Hilda ... how on earth does this warrant including in the BBC National News?

I think his "outing" was to prevent the media doing it first, and putting their own spin on it; better to label himself first, in his own way. The mainstream media are out to attract readers, some in any way they can - vide the gutter press/ red tops.

No problem at all with Tom Daley's announcement,but ,finding out that his partner is 20 years older, just have a slight 'niggle' that he might need more of a father figure . He did seem very close to his Dad . Just a thought!

Can't pretend to be interested in Tom Daley's life or 'lifestyle'. I only recognise the name because every time I see or hear it I think of that mournful dirge 'Tom Dooley', much beloved by drunks in my youth, and wonder what his parents were thinking when they named him, (maybe too young to have Tom Dooley on their radar?)

Oh, that's strange, Granny23 because I hadn't even thought of it until I read the title of this thread the other day, and haven't been able to get that awful song out of my head ever since....!

I love sport and I've followed Tom from a young age he's achieved a awful lot for a young man. I think it was obvious from a young age he was gay( I work in the arts.....) ...so what, he's a great sportsman, great bod! I hate splash!!

I look forward to the day when people who aren't heterosexual no longer feel that they have to define themselves by their sexuality. It's only one part of anyone's existence. Gay Pride does of course, have a place in our strangely tolerant/intolerant society but can anyone imagine a Straight Pride event? I love my friends because their are clever, charming, kind, generous, fun – whatever. Straight, gay, bi, trans, asexual has nothing to do with it really.

I think that day may be a long time coming when the first question about a new born is still 'boy or girl' and expectations of the baby's future role in the world are set from that moment on. It is hard enough to be true to yourself and challenge gender stereotyping in a world where there remains strict demarcation between boys teams and girls teams, boy's clothes and girl's clothes and boy's toys and girl's toys when at least your sexuality conforms to the accepted norm, without having to exist in a world where you will be perpetually in a minority as regards a central part of your being. It must be difficult to accept that you are a whole individual person, the sum of all your parts when society sticks a big label on you and sees that as your defining characteristic. It is like forcing Jews to wear a star of David, such that they are permanently one of 'them' rather than one of 'us'.

I agree with Absent.Why the need for a march if you don't want to be defined by your sexuality.