Call to boycott paper over 'vile slur' on singer
Saturday October 17 2009
THE British-owned 'Daily Mail' was embroiled in a growing storm last night over what critics called a "vile" and "poisonous" slur on Stephen Gately and the gay community which it did not publish in its Irish edition.
Gay British comedian Stephen Fry, along with 'Father Ted' writer Graham Linehan, launched a campaign against the tabloid after columnist Jan Moir wrote about what she called the "sordid reality of the Boyzone star's demise" -- and gay marriages.
By last night more than 1,000 people had emailed the UK's Press Complaints Commission (PCC), whose website crashed yesterday under the weight of so many complaints. As demands grew for a boycott of the paper, supermarket chain Marks & Spencer demanded its advertising be moved away from the article on the Mail website.
No doubt anticipating a furious backlash in Ireland, it emerged yesterday 'Daily Mail' executives dropped the Gately column in its Irish edition. But it was carried on its website under the headline: "Why there was nothing natural about Stephen Gately's death. . ." and in the paper edition as "A strange, lonely and troubling death. . ."
In Ireland, readers of the 'Irish Mail' read glowing tributes to the former Boyzone star. British readers got a different picture and were told the circumstances surrounding Gately's death "are more than a little sleazy". Despite confirmation from the police that there were no suspicious circumstances, Moir said Stephen's family wanted his "demise" to be seen as a "tragedy".
She added: "What happened before they parted is known only to the two men still alive. What happened afterwards is anyone's guess."
Moir said Gately's death struck "another blow to the happy-ever-after myth of civil partnerships" and said "the ooze of a very different and more dangerous lifestyle has seeped out for all to see".
Last night hundreds of the paper's readers had complained about the piece published a day before Gately's funeral took place.
Marks & Spencer demanded its adverts be moved away from Moir's article on the website. "Marks & Spencer does not tolerate any form of discrimination," said a spokesman.
The PCC said it would investigate if it received a complaint from Gately's family. Thousands of others posted their fury on social networking websites, including 'Twitter'. British actor Stephen Fry led the protests, calling the column "loathsome". Also on 'Twitter', 'Father Ted' writer Mr Linehan encouraged a boycott of the paper. "Which brands advertise in the Mail? Are they aware of Jan Moir's piece?...what are they going to do about it?" he asked.Ms Moir made the unusual move last night of issuing a statement defending her opinion and said the article was not anti-gay. "In what is clearly a heavily orchestrated internet campaign I think it is mischievous in the extreme to suggest that my article has homophobic and bigoted undertones," Moir added.
- Ciaran Byrne
Irish Independent
