The Oldest Gay in the village

This hip, flamboyant, young man is the oldest gay in the UK - probably alive in general, being 91 years of age. It's not about his age though, it's about the fact he isn't using his age as an excuse. If anything, the exact opposite. I must admit, I couldn't really picture myself dancing up and down a gay parade now, let alone in 70 years time. It's really admirable, and understandable when you research his history. He is so old, that even at the age of 40, he still lived in a suppressed society, in which homosexuality was a crime. He was criminalised for his sexual orientation and remained a convict until only two years ago, when his charges were finally lifted as an act to revoke previous convictions of the homosexuality law was put into place.

Could you imagine, becoming a criminal, for an act of love? This ol' gay, Mr Montague, lost his job because of his convictions; his livelihood of caring for disabled children was taken away from him, simply because of his relationship status. This would be considered atrocious, nower days. Yet, the reality a lot of people miss out on, is the fact that this does still happen today. There are 81 countries in which people are still penalised, convicted and even executed, not for immoral acts, but for simply being who they are. Commonly, crimes are crimes because the associated party has made a conscious choice to perform an act harmful to individuals, communities or the state. To be homosexual is not a choice, believe me. As such, it can not, and should not, be a criminal act, which thankfully is often recognised in western society today. Although many people may still have distaste for homosexuality, they have no right to tell us who we should be, or who we should be with. Nor should anybody, ever. And that's what pride is all about. So you carry on, Mr Montague, party like it's 1982*, and perhaps next year, I might join you.

*By 1982, it was no longer illegal to be a homosexual in the UK.