Friday, November 07, 2003

Prince Charles Gay Rumor

I don't know or care if Prince Charles has ever had any kind of "homosexual encounter," as long as they were consensual. But, given that literally every other detail of the man's personal life has been broadcast freely, I find rather amusing that the media are treating this as if someone had accused him of killing babies. It's big news in Britain right now, even though at the moment libel laws are keeping the "open secret" about what the rumor is from being printed. Here, where libel laws aren't as restrictive, I see absolutely no reason why an American publication would publish anything about this story without informing its readers what was at the heart of it.

Wants to be his mistress's tampon? Print away! Accused of possibly touching another man's winky? The horror!

I read the Times story before they pulled it down. There was nothing wrong with it whatsoever.

....Steve G fills in more details. If I remember correctly, the Times story didn't even mention the accusation that Charles had been covering something up for his supposed lover, though they did mention what he had been accused of.