Going back to wearing makeup in the streets of London in 1931, was the harassment considerable?
Oh yes. The only thing the movie (‘The Naked Civil Servant’) doesn’t show is the crowds that followed me in the street, so much so that traffic was stopped. And yet you never attempted to alter your behavior? I wasn’t tempted because I was stuck with it. Even if I hadn’t worn make-up and dyed my hair I could never have disguised my effeminacy. That was obvious to everyone. Of course I lived in a room by myself and didn’t have to accommodate anyone or else it would have been awkward. They would have said, “Must you go out looking like that?” and then there would have been a row. But since I was only accountable to myself it was easier. What do you think of the current ‘queer’ movement? Well, I don’t think you can really be proud of being gay because it isn’t something you’ve done. You can only be proud of not being ashamed. I’m glad that they’re no longer ashamed and that they don’t find their lives difficult to live. But of course, if they take this protest very far it inevitably does
