LONDON — Tom Robinson, the gay musician and longtime activist, has performed his song “Glad to be Gay” with updated lyrics to mark the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalization of homosexuality in England and Wales.
Gay Star News interviewed Robinson about his experiences, where he premiered his updated version of the song.
In the past, “Glad to be Gay” was banned by the BBC with a ‘do not play sticker’. Robinson will be performing the song with other LGBTI artists at a BBC concert ‘I Feel Love’ this weekend on BBC Radio 2.
In the interview, Robinson mentions the struggles the LGBT community have faced with mainstream media producing homophobic headlines, in particular, publications owned by Rupert Murdoch.
Robinson, referring the Murdoch news empire said, “Commissioned by bigots and written by shits … Rebecca and Rupert still do what they please.”
Rupert Murdoch owns titles including The Sun, Sky News and Fox News. Back when it was still running he also owned News of the World. In 1967 they ran an editorial calling the change in the law a ‘charter for corruption.’
Robinson has updated the 1976 lyrics to now say, “For 42 years now, I’ve fought for the right for people to love whoever they like. Today we can laugh as we march to the park, with clause 28 consigned to the past’…’Bisexual, lesbian, flexible, straight – we’re in, we’re human and we’re all happy to say we’re glad to be gay.”
Amendment 28 was enacted May 24 1988 and stated that Local Authorities in England, Scotland and Wales shall not intentionally promote homosexuality, publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality or promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship.
Robinson said it would be “a brilliant vindication” to sing the song live on air as the broadcaster marks the 50 years with a special season of programming Gay Britannia.
Jamie Wareham, Gay Star News’ new Student Editor, conducted the interviews.
He said: “When I first came out, my dad gave me a copy of the Tom Robinson Band’s album Power in the Darkness because he knew the power of that music in the ‘70s – the live version of the song made the queer pop-punk kid inside me melt with emotions”.
