Monday, December 9, 2013

"Catching Up" for those like me who are slow on "the news". . . . .. ;-)

Hello All. . . I include this five days after the fact. . ..as it were. . .for those of you who didn't read it last Wed, and fior those like me who've sorta wondered about Brit's Tom Daley. . . . .
I am assuming JoeBlow's permission to re-post this since I do not know now how to contact him. . . and I am one of those who've tried to post a comment on his blog but it never "works". . .I read, I comment and. . . lo and behold. . . my attempt just "disappears" and never sees the light of day, I guess. . . .or maybe Joe thought it was just too trite. . . donno. . . Anyway. . .
Here's JUSTIN with the LATE NEWS. . .borrowed from the Closet Professor. . . .whom I love to have as a prof. . . . ;-)

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Tom Daley Comes Out


I doubt there are many people who have not heard the news that the hottest little diver in Britain made a big announcement Monday.  British Olympic diver Tom Daley revealed he's been in a relationship with another man in an emotional YouTube video.  This video just warmed my heart.  I've always had a special place in my heart for the incredibly cute and talented Tom Daley, this video just endeared me to him more.

Daley, 19, says in the video, "Come spring this year, my life changed massively when I met someone and it made me feel so happy, so safe and everything just feels great. And that someone is a guy.”

He then adds, "It was always in the back of my head that something like that could happen, but it wasn’t until spring this year that something just clicked ... My whole world just changed, right there and then."

Still, Daley stops short of using either the term "gay" or "bisexual." “Of course I still fancy girls," he says. "But I mean, right now I’m dating a guy and I couldn’t be happier. It makes me feel safe and just really does feel right."

The diver, who tweeted the video to his more than 2.4 million Twitter followers, concludes, "I’m still Tom. I still want to win an Olympic gold medal at Rio 2016 for Great Britain. I’m still as motivated as ever to do that.”

Daley's sexuality had been the subject of ample media speculation for some time. The diver, who won a bronze medal at the 2012 London Summer Olympics and was recently named the sexiest man in the world by Attitude magazine, laughed off the gay rumors in an interview with The Mirror earlier this year.

“I think it’s funny when people say I’m gay... I laugh it off... I’m not," he was quoted as saying. "But even if I was, I wouldn’t be ashamed. It wouldn’t bother me in the slightest what people thought."  Still, Daley said he was "cool" with his sizable gay fanbase: "It’s great to have gay fans even though my friends gently take the mick.”

It appears that Tom is a new breed of man. He's not one who seems to like to be labeled.  Isn't that something that would be wonderful if we didn't have to announce our labels and that we could just be who we are.  Alas, the world seems to need us to label ourselves so we do, but I congratulate Tom in not bowing to the pressure of a label.

When famed Olympic British diver Tom Daley revealed to the world Monday morning that he is in a relationship with a man, some of the responses from the Twitter universe were, unfortunately, less than positive.  However, Daley also received an outpouring of support from the public -- including a handful of celebrities who were quick to vocalize their pride regarding the athlete's decision.

Now, it looks as if Daley can also expect his family to get behind his decision to publicly come out. Though the diver's grandparents admitted they were a bit "confused" and surprised at first, the pair told the Daily Mail that they vowed to support their Olympic athlete grandson.

"We asked him if he was absolutely sure. He’s our first grandson from our son who died," Daley's grandparents told reporters. "We have always been supportive of him and we always will. We’re not old-fashioned, in fact we’re quite liberal. But I do think he’s too young to be making this sort of decision... But we hugged him, we thanked him for coming to see us, and we’ll be seeing him over Christmas. We’ll always be here for Tom."

Sounds like Tom has quite a supportive family and I couldn't be happier for him!


Update:

E! News and The Advocate are reporting that Tom Daily is dating Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black.  Many may not agree with me, but I hope this isn't true.  I've never particularly liked Black, though I've liked his movies.  I guess, Black is just not who I pictured with Daley.  Not that it really matters, but Daley is 19 and Black is 39.  I don't mind May to December romances, in fact I think their fine, but honestly, didn't you picture Daley with a hot young man his own age?  Maybe this is why his grandparents asked him, "...if he was absolutely sure."

15 comments:

Richard said...

Justin,
I have the same problem in trying to post to his page. Several times I have entered a message only to have it disappear into the ether. Hopefully he will see our comments on here.

JustinO'Shea said...

Thanks, Richard, for jumping in. .. ;-)) I hope it can be 'adjusted'. . .but I can continue to read. . .JB posts so much pertinent and useful info. . .as I mentioned I'd like to have him as prof in class.. . ..ahem. . .when I start my new career. . .ho ho ho. .

Unknown said...

I am happy to see this trend of young men and women that look at sexuality as more of a fluid thing. If this is what works for him at this time, then good for him. If he wants something else later, then that's OK too.

JustinO'Shea said...

I like the questioning of classifying/identifying oneself by a given term. . . in my case, why do I use gay or homosexual? There is far more to me, personally, and to you, also, than our sexual orientation.
AND is my S.O. anybody's business? Really?

Gary Kelly said...

A fluid thing. I like that. As to labeling, when my mother, who was totally blind by that stage, lived in aged care run by the Franciscans, she had a priest who regularly came to her room for a chat. She thought he was a lovely man. One day she discovered he was Indian and she was surprised. Later, when she was telling me the story, she said, "To me, everyone's the same, they all look black."

I agree, JustinO. Sexual orientation is nobody's business but your own. So next time Peter asks, tell to go take a running jump.

JustinO'Shea said...

Hahahahaa. . . waste of time. . Peter doesn't ask, , he intuits!!!
yo ho ho

JustinO'Shea said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
J said...

I have decided that there are a considerable number of younger males in this world who want daddies. This doesn't mean they are whores. They may just like the power and security an older male projects, and there can be a genuine physical attraction if the older male is one who is in shape and takes care of himself. Black is far from looking like he's over the hill.

Joe said...

Justin, I have no idea what the problem is with commenting on my blog. I will check it out and see what I can figure out. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

JustinO'Shea said...

Thanks, Joe. . and good luck. ;-)

JustinO'Shea said...

Good for ya, CoopstaBabes, you tell 'em. . .nonna yer bizzness! And if you don't like it and can't handle it. . .too bad for ya. . I'd a been a wonnerful friend to ya. . blaaaaaaahhhh!!! Your loss.

JustinO'Shea said...

That's what I'd say to anyone who will not/cannot accept my degree of self-revelation on my terms.
With all the alleged "freedom from the gay community". . . try not to do things, live my life on my terms. . .why, talk about hissy fits and the rest of the Cat's Meooww thar goes on when one tries to do it "his way". . .
It's like the director of a program at a mid-western university who affirms: "You can do anything here you wish. in this program. . as long as you do it our way."
Yo ho ho!!! And he was stone cold sober too. . hahahaha

GreginAdelaide said...

It took me a few reads of your last comments Justin, but I sorta get it now.

I'd not really considered what you probably(!) have to deal with, being so open and in such a professional and perhaps rigid academia and field....hmmm...

Anti-gay opinion and sentiment (of others) could .... and no doubt will be something that shapes your professional life I guess.

Hmm.... more so than it ever would have shaped my career, if I'd been openly gay... I think. Mainly cos engineering is not a field that intersects with your chosen profession.

Interesting. You made me think again. That's why I hang around you of course...haha!

Yeps, you is brave indeed.

Thanks.

JustinO'Shea said...

Too late now. .for me anyway, but I do want to buzz away with you a bit about the post. Hope I remember in daytime. . . if i forget, would you pls remind me? Thanx.
Off to zzzzzzzzzzzzz
nite. . . ;-)

GreginAdelaide said...

Justin!!! A REMINDER!!...lol ... (I also forgot, ha! until I fell over your comment again whilst checking for updates)