The furor around actor Rebel Wilson being potentially pressured to ‘come out’ regarding her new same-sex relationship after an approach by the Sydney Morning Herald has grown to be an international news story.
While forcing celebrities to come out had been business-as-usual for tabloid media decades ago, the suggestion that the Sydney Morning Herald actions recalled this form of publishing have almost being universally condemned.
Even conservative hosts on Sky News condemned the approach taken by the newspaper with Chris Smith, Rowan Dean and Paul Murray all voicing alarm at the actions of the Sydney Morning Herald.
Sky News did manage to find one person who had a different take. Katherine Deves, the failed Liberal candidate for Warringah, told Monday night’s edition of The Paul Murray Show that discussion about your dating life and sexuality is just part of being a celebrity.
“Unfortunately when you are a public person nothing is sacred.” Deves said.
“I have gay and lesbian people in my life, I’ve stood by them when they came out, and I hear the stories of people coming out in the seventies, and the eighties, and nineties and how harrowing it was back then.”
“Then I look at it now and its just not comparative, I really don’t think. Rebel just has to accept the fact that she’s a public person.” Deves said.
Since unsuccessfully running for parliament Deves has been a regular commentator on Sky News, returning to her campaign to stop transgender women participating in women’s sports.
Graeme Watson
