Thanks for sharing this rarity. This may be 1983, but these topics have never stopped being controversial and heated, probably more today than in a number of years. I appreciate how straightforward Claire's interviews are, and I truly appreciate the lack of "fair and balanced" talking heads. Tom Robinson's interview is truly fascinating to me as fluid sexuality remains as much of a third rail now as it was then. Some years after this interview, Tom was castigated for betraying his community by falling in love with a woman, but he was never dishonest about who he was and never stopped fighting for equal rights. He also mentioned that he had always been honest in interviews about his attraction for women, and sure enough, here he is proclaiming his bisexuality on nothing less than the BBC...in 1983.
So good to see this - so much common sense being talked here at a time when it was still difficult for many to even consider coming out, let alone actually doing it. I was 19 when I heard Glad to be Gay for the first time on its initial release in 1997 and it was a revelation to my (still illegal!) ears. It was heroic. Big kudos to Claire Raynor about talking about this and many other personal issues on a national station. It was/is so needed.
Femi’s optimism was short lived in that from 1987 to 2003 Clause 28 was on the statutes. Now, in 2024, even under Labour, the government is still transphobic.
What do you mean “got into a straight relationship”? He is married to a woman and has kids but you only have to listen to what he’s said, read what he’s written and listened to his music to know it’s not what your average married heterosexual couple would recognise as “a straight relationship”!
Claire Rayner was a class act. This can't have been an easy programme to make in 1983.
Thanks for sharing this rarity. This may be 1983, but these topics have never stopped being controversial and heated, probably more today than in a number of years. I appreciate how straightforward Claire's interviews are, and I truly appreciate the lack of "fair and balanced" talking heads.
Tom Robinson's interview is truly fascinating to me as fluid sexuality remains as much of a third rail now as it was then. Some years after this interview, Tom was castigated for betraying his community by falling in love with a woman, but he was never dishonest about who he was and never stopped fighting for equal rights. He also mentioned that he had always been honest in interviews about his attraction for women, and sure enough, here he is proclaiming his bisexuality on nothing less than the BBC...in 1983.
OMG. I remember watching this and coming out to myself.
This needs to be shown again on TV.
So good to see this - so much common sense being talked here at a time when it was still difficult for many to even consider coming out, let alone actually doing it. I was 19 when I heard Glad to be Gay for the first time on its initial release in 1997 and it was a revelation to my (still illegal!) ears. It was heroic.
Big kudos to Claire Raynor about talking about this and many other personal issues on a national station. It was/is so needed.
thanks for sharing
What a hero. The perfect example of how "it was just what everyone thought" is bollocks. She was born in 1934
Femi’s optimism was short lived in that from 1987 to 2003 Clause 28 was on the statutes. Now, in 2024, even under Labour, the government is still transphobic.
Does anyone know if he still married
Tom Robinson very quickly got into a straight relationship after this and stayed married to her
What do you mean “got into a straight relationship”? He is married to a woman and has kids but you only have to listen to what he’s said, read what he’s written and listened to his music to know it’s not what your average married heterosexual couple would recognise as “a straight relationship”!
He was openly bisexual.. it isn't a 'straight' relationship if there is a queer person in the relationship
@@mariannehavisham8323 🙄
@benfisher1376 that's what's known as bi erasure and is a biphobic trope
He straight I doubt he wants a man