[Altered Daily Mail article: "]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1220756/A-strange-lonely-troubling-death--.html]

 

A Daily Mail column by writer Jan Moir has provoked a storm of anger on the internet for apparently suggesting that Boyzone singer Stephen Gately died because he was gay.

 

Gately was found dead in a Majorca apartment last weekend. Post mortem examination results show he died from natural causes.

 

Hundreds of people have contacted the Press Complaints Commission over the article, while the Daily Mail appears to have removed advertisements from the column's web page.

 

Moir wrote today: "Healthy and fit 33-year-old men do not just climb into their pyjamas and go to sleep on the sofa, never to wake up again.

 

"And I think if we are going to be honest, we would have to admit that the circumstances surrounding his death are more than a little sleazy."

 

She also drew comparisons between Gately and Kevin McGee, the former civil partner of Matt Lucas, despite Gately dying of natural causes and McGee committing suicide after months of depression and addiction.

 

She wrote: "Another real sadness about Gately's death is that it strikes another blow to the happy-ever-after myth of civil partnerships. Gay activists are always calling for tolerance and understanding about same-sex relationships, arguing that they are just the same as heterosexual marriages. Not everyone, they say, is like George Michael.

 

"Of course, in many cases this may be true. Yet the recent death of Kevin McGee, the former husband of Little Britain star Matt Lucas, and now the dubious events of Gately's last night raise troubling questions about what happened. It is important that the truth comes out about the exact circumstances of his strange and lonely death."

 

Moir's comments have provoked anger from all quarters.

 

A number of PinkNews.co.uk readers have emailed in to complain about her comments. One told us: "Poor Stephen, he was a young man that died too early. Do we really need this sort of veiled hate? What about his family? I hope to God that they do not read this."

 

Another described it as "utterly dreadful" and called on gay and lesbians to complain.

 

Many readers of the Daily Mail's online version have expressed their disgust at the article with some calling for her to be sacked. Only a minority of those leaving comments on the story agreed with her sentiments.

 

On Twitter, Moir's name is the top news subject. Prolific Tweeter Stephen Fry wrote: "I gather a repulsive nobody writing in a paper no one of any decency would be seen dead with has written something loathsome and inhumane."

 

Meanwhile, Times journalist Caitlin Moran wrote in a tongue-in-cheek message: "Jan Moir better pray she never needs another hair cut or interior design job again."

 

Angry readers are being encouraged to complain to the Press Complaint Commission (PCC).

 

A PCC spokesman told PinkNews.co.uk that it was receiving "a significant number" of complaints, with around 200 logged by 1pm.

 

By around 3pm, the commission's website appeared to have crashed under the weight of the complaints.

 

Earlier today, a number of Twitter users suggested contacting companies such as Marks & Spencer, Enjoy England and BT which were advertising on Moir's page on the Daily Mail website.

 

In the last few hours, most of the advertisements on the page have disappeared.

 

The headline of the piece has also changed, from 'Why there was nothing "natural" about Stephen Gately's death' to 'A strange, lonely and troubling death'.

 

At the time of publication, the Daily Mail had not responded to a request for comment.

 

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/10/16/twitter-storm-over-vile-daily-mail-column-on-gay-singer-stephen-gately/

I can't believe that in the XXI century, a newspaper (even if it's a very stupid one as the Daily Mail) can post such homophobic things. I'm proud we don't have such stupid newspapers here, some newspaper post pointless news but they never post homophobic/racist stuff

Just stupid, ignorant and homophobic.

:wtf:

I wonder if they have real journalists to write all those stupid things

What the hell?!

What century is that journalist living in ? Making comparasins between two deaths because they were both gay. One was natural causes and the other was suicide! D:

hah! they pulled the article already, it seems!

 

50p of absolute crap "journalistic reporting"! :P

Another real sadness about Gately's death is that it strikes another blow to the happy-ever-after myth of civil partnerships.

 

What the heck? :wtf: Unless every untimely death of a heterosexual woman/man casts a negative light on heterosexual marriage, this statement is complete bullshit. :dozey:

She wrote: "Another real sadness about Gately's death is that it strikes another blow to the happy-ever-after myth of civil partnerships. Gay activists are always calling for tolerance and understanding about same-sex relationships, arguing that they are just the same as heterosexual marriages. Not everyone, they say, is like George Michael.

 

Uhh. No thanks. :laugh3:

 

Straight people are terrible when it comes to relationships.

 

EDIT: I just saw this part:

 

Meanwhile, Times journalist Caitlin Moran wrote in a tongue-in-cheek message: "Jan Moir better pray she never needs another hair cut or interior design job again."

 

What. The. Fuck.

 

 

Well you're an ugly bitch, aren't you?

Charlie Brooker writing about the Jan Noir article.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/16/stephen-gately-jan-moir

 

I basically agree to everything he says most of the time, and this is no exception.

 

Twitter Update: Jan Moir has now joined twitter to "Apologise". It's not working. Oh, and this is her actualy apology from earlier.

 

http://ianburrell.independentminds.livejournal.com/7590.html

"Healthy and fit 33-year-old men do not just climb into their pyjamas and go to sleep on the sofa, never to wake up again."

 

Uh, yes they can. There's all sorts of freakish things that can go wrong in the blink of an eye to a young, seemingly perfectly healthy person. All it takes is a little tiny undetectable flaw in the heart or something similar. Lost people like that myself. And if we didn't live in a culture that was so completely in denial of it's own mortality, we wouldn't have to put up with crap articles like that.

 

 

 

Surprised Mark hasn't weighed in yet. I've never seen him pass up a Daily Mail article. :uhoh2:

That is just a stupid article. Enough said.

Charlie Brooker writing about the Jan Noir article.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/16/stephen-gately-jan-moir

 

I basically agree to everything he says most of the time, and this is no exception.

 

Twitter Update: Jan Moir has now joined twitter to "Apologise". It's not working. Oh, and this is her actualy apology from earlier.

 

http://ianburrell.independentminds.livejournal.com/7590.html

 

Charlie Brooker is a f*cking legend wouldn't you say James?

Charlie Brooker is a f*cking legend wouldn't you say James?

 

Ya! I certainly would. I'm a big fan. Love his TV shows, columns etc. You seen Nathan Barley before? It's a show he wrote with the equally brilliant Chris Morris

Jan Moir probably hasn't had a good lay in quite some time.

Ya! I certainly would. I'm a big fan. Love his TV shows, columns etc. You seen Nathan Barley before? It's a show he wrote with the equally brilliant Chris Morris

 

The Hell of It All is a good book, he should do another series of screenburn

thats just terrible... unbelieveable.

Although the fact that there was a third man in the building at the time does make it highly suspicious, the article written by this Daily Rag "journalist" is just ill informed and just plain stupid.

She is a little ignorant, sure, and a little stupid, but this is implying that she said "Stephen Gately died cuz he was gay", which was never said... she's kinda right tho, there isn't always a happily-ever-after in gay/bi relationships, and to think that is just silly... I'm not sure. That article makes it sound very hazy and confusing.

She is a little ignorant, sure, and a little stupid, but this is implying that she said "Stephen Gately died cuz he was gay", which was never said... she's kinda right tho, there isn't always a happily-ever-after in gay/bi relationships, and to think that is just silly... I'm not sure. That article makes it sound very hazy and confusing.

 

No there's not, but gay people are documented to have higher satisfaction in their relationships (and longer relationships) than straight people:

 

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200612/queer-iq-the-gay-couples-advantage

 

So the stereotype is the opposite of reality.

No there's not, but gay people are documented to have higher satisfaction in their relationships (and longer relationships) than straight people:

 

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200612/queer-iq-the-gay-couples-advantage

 

So the stereotype is the opposite of reality.

 

Ah I see... still, the main article is just confusing to me.

No there's not, but gay people are documented to have higher satisfaction in their relationships (and longer relationships) than straight people:

 

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200612/queer-iq-the-gay-couples-advantage

 

So the stereotype is the opposite of reality.

 

Well of course it's wrong to generalise. At the Marillion concert on Saturday I met a gay couple who had been together at least a dozen years. It turned out they had moved to Holland from California together 11 years ago.;)

Well of course it's wrong to generalise. At the Marillion concert on Saturday I met a gay couple who had been together at least a dozen years. It turned out they had moved to Holland from California together 11 years ago.;)

 

Oh wow, that's great. I really respect them for having the guts to move to a new place... most Americans consider moving to a new state to be a huge life-changer. If more people would leave their home-countries, maybe governments couldn't be so tyrannical.

Oh wow, that's great. I really respect them for having the guts to move to a new place... most Americans consider moving to a new state to be a huge life-changer. If more people would leave their home-countries, maybe governments couldn't be so tyrannical.

 

I had a decent chat with them as we were together at the front of the queue. One of them had to move to Holland for work and his partner went with him. I don't think they had any particular desire to return to the U.S. from what they told me.

Maybe I'll bump into them at another Marillion gig one day.;)

DP