Stephen Fry's Marriage To Elliot Spencer Draws Homophobic Backlash Over Age Gap
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Last week Stephen Fry, a 57 year old British comedian and television personality, married Elliot Spencer, a fellow comedian known for being 30 years Fry's junior. From the jump neither Fry nor Spencer made much of an effort to conceal the nature of their relationship from the public, and the pair quickly made headlines for their significant age gap.
“This was the week celebrities and politicians from all over the free world linked arms in defence of a Paris magazine’s right to give gratuitous offence to Muslims,” wrote Tom Utley for The Daily Mail. “OK, nobody is going to shoot me. But how many of them, I wonder, would show the same solidarity with a paper that showed similar disrespect for Mr Fry’s nuptial arrangements?”
In Utley’s piece, he openly admits to having reservations about Fry and Spencer’s relationship. Primary among his concerns is the couple’s significant age differential, and the implicit disparity between the men in terms of their ability to make long-lasting decisions involving their romantic lives.
To their credit, Fry’s account of his newlywed status to Spencer is anything but difficult. The couple have purportedly received the blessings of the Clooneys, J.K Rowling, and David Cameron. As Utley’s piece goes on, however, the more homophobic elements of his argument begin to surface.
“I entreat you not to misunderstand me, “ he begins. “It would break my heart if any son of mine felt I was such a bigot that he couldn’t tell me he was gay, or thought that I’d love him any the less for it. I’d also like it on record that I came round long ago to civil partnerships, and I’m a little ashamed of my initial opposition to them.”
“But as I understand marriage, it’s an institution for child-rearing and mutual support between the sexes, which means the real thing can only be between a man and a woman….I strongly suspect, too, that some of my other objections to the Fry-Spencer match will have occurred to many, if not most, parents of 27-year-olds.”
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Let them be. They're doing you no harm. How many billionaire old men are with twentysomething bikini models who they have nothing in common with? These two guys are both comedians who share a bond that turned romantic. Homophobes have a lot of nerve bringing up the age gap. At least be honest and up front about your hate and bigotry.
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I'm not sure if its homophobes or homosexuals who are more outraged or vocal in attacking Fry. It is possible that Fry is losing the plot. I mean that 27 year old is hardly attractive in any way. But he isn't doing anything illegal.
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What difference does age make. Seems people just like to comment and bitch about other people.
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Well there is also the fact that some younger men like more salt in their pepper.
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Great for him, why is this important again?
Really so many thing more relevant going on and they are age shaming now… typical of inferior complexed minds.
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Good for them. And to the haters. Fu*k off. At 27 you're old enough to know whats best for you. And even if it doesn't work out at least they had the courage to try
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No one knew who Elliot Spencer was until he got engaged to the old man.
It's surely a career boost and a massive safety net.
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Who is Elliott Spencer?
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He refers to himself as a "comedian" and an "occasional writer". Other than that, I have no idea who he is.
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