Rainbow Springfield, Grim Up North

I don't really watch all that much television, preferring to spend my time probing the nether regions of the worldwide web, but this week has been a bit of an exception. For one, I've taken to recording the Simpsons on Channel 4, because, after what feels like a decade, they are finally broadcasting episodes I have not seen a million times before. Wednesday's episode began with the Springfield gay parade, with a float from the Steelworkers of America, and one called Keepin' In The Closet featuring none other than Smithers and Patty (Marge's sister).

The Simpsons always makes me laugh, but continuing on the gay theme, and attacking the same themes of being gay, in the closet, and a blue collar worker in a much grittier style, was the third episode of the second season of The Street on BBC One last night. This one was about a Mancunian construction worker Charlie (a very grizzly and double-eye-bagged Vincent Regan) falling for his colleague Tom (a buff and tattooed Will Mellor). The story itself wasn't about their relationship, but the how Charlie loses control as he tells lie upon lie to cover his secret. There isn't really a happy ending as the fallout is pretty awful from both his family (yes, he is married with two children) and the community at large, but at least when he does come out, the honesty is far less wretched than the hiding. Charlie does eventually stay with Roz, his wife, but the closing image is of her watching him go off to a job from their living room window, with this incredible look of regret.

I have two very good gay friends who are/were married. The first is someone I have known for a very long time, and while we came out together as teenagers, he elected to settle down as an adult with a very lovely woman. This is perhaps a more modern relationship, in that she is fully aware of his past, and I can see that the two of them are very happy together and great friends. In the end, gender is perhaps not the issue, but companionship.

My other friend did in the end leave his wife, but maintains a very close and healthy relationship with her and his children. He has since gone on to remarry (another guy in a similar position) and their super extended family is a source of incredible warmth and love. It takes a huge amount of courage to make this kind of leap, but I have seen that it does not necessarily lead to tragedy.