Fantastic. But I do hope that all those happy couples who tied the knot this weekend remember how vital Tom Robinson was to that happiness. He’s always been a hero of mine. As a musician, broadcaster but most of all, as a courageous campaigner for gay rights. In 1978, Britain was not as tolerant of homosexuality as it is today. I’ve seen proper full-on fights start just because one bloke called another bloke a “poof”. Even the nice, liberal BBC banned this song but still Tom Robinson bravely persisted in singing it. You can tell everything about how a country treats its people by how it treats its gay people – just look at Russia or Iran. But in this country, Tom’s constant courage and commitment helped to ensure that gay people are now treated more fairly. I cannot truthfully sing that I’m “Glad to be Gay” because I’m not gay. But shouldn’t we all be glad that Tom Robinson was?
Britain’s first gay marriages took place over weekend.

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