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Being outed by Downing Street is breathtakingly wrong Being outed by Downing Street is breathtakingly wrong
(35 minutes later)
It is quite something when it’s 2018 and the government is attempting to undermine people because they are gay, and not just that, but outing them. I never thought I’d see an official statement from No 10 outing an individual for political ends. But here we are, as the government’s rhetoric sinks ever lower. A Downing Street spokesperson, on behalf of the leave campaigner and Theresa May’s special adviser Stephen Parkinson, said of the Cambridge Analytica whistleblower, Shahmir Sanni: “Shahmir became an occasional volunteer for Vote Leave and other leave campaigns, and we began a personal relationship. We subsequently dated for 18 months, splitting up – I thought amicably – in September 2017.”It is quite something when it’s 2018 and the government is attempting to undermine people because they are gay, and not just that, but outing them. I never thought I’d see an official statement from No 10 outing an individual for political ends. But here we are, as the government’s rhetoric sinks ever lower. A Downing Street spokesperson, on behalf of the leave campaigner and Theresa May’s special adviser Stephen Parkinson, said of the Cambridge Analytica whistleblower, Shahmir Sanni: “Shahmir became an occasional volunteer for Vote Leave and other leave campaigns, and we began a personal relationship. We subsequently dated for 18 months, splitting up – I thought amicably – in September 2017.”
The statement was the same as had been earlier published on the website of Dominic Cummings, the former Vote Leave campaign director. Sanni’s sexuality has absolutely nothing to do with his volunteering for Vote Leave, or the revelations he disclosed to the Observer. The implication of Parkinson’s statement, and Downing Street’s, is that Sanni’s whistleblowing was a revenge-of-the-ex move. Or as Sanni put it in an interview over the weekend: “The only reason that this was brought to light was just to make it seem that this was a vendetta, when it is not about me.”The statement was the same as had been earlier published on the website of Dominic Cummings, the former Vote Leave campaign director. Sanni’s sexuality has absolutely nothing to do with his volunteering for Vote Leave, or the revelations he disclosed to the Observer. The implication of Parkinson’s statement, and Downing Street’s, is that Sanni’s whistleblowing was a revenge-of-the-ex move. Or as Sanni put it in an interview over the weekend: “The only reason that this was brought to light was just to make it seem that this was a vendetta, when it is not about me.”
And that’s where Parkinson’s phrase “I thought amicably” comes in – as though Sanni was speaking out in spite, not because he was genuinely troubled by the practices of Vote Leave. The statement has since been removed from Cummings’ website after a letter from Sanni’s lawyers.And that’s where Parkinson’s phrase “I thought amicably” comes in – as though Sanni was speaking out in spite, not because he was genuinely troubled by the practices of Vote Leave. The statement has since been removed from Cummings’ website after a letter from Sanni’s lawyers.
Sanni was not publicly out. This carries extra import for him, because he is of Pakistani heritage, a country with a culture that is conservative when it comes to LGBT matters. Sanni’s mother did not know about his sexuality, and in Pakistan, certain homosexual acts are illegal, although laws aren’t always enforced. Since Sanni was outed, it has been reported that his family in Pakistan has had to have security put in place.Sanni was not publicly out. This carries extra import for him, because he is of Pakistani heritage, a country with a culture that is conservative when it comes to LGBT matters. Sanni’s mother did not know about his sexuality, and in Pakistan, certain homosexual acts are illegal, although laws aren’t always enforced. Since Sanni was outed, it has been reported that his family in Pakistan has had to have security put in place.
I believe that LGBT people, where possible, have a responsibility to come out and be open about their sexuality. However, I also know that for some this either isn’t feasible or is incredibly difficult, whether because of external dangers or internal struggle. I would never condone the outing of anybody. I readily admit that in certain situations I would skirt the issue myself, either for safety fears or to avoid hassle. But the practice of being outed can never be supported: outing is often weaponised and always ignores the agency of the individual. To have one’s government, the body that is responsible for upholding the rights of its citizens or residents, to do so is quite breathtaking. One of the reasons Sanni said he spoke out on his experiences of Vote Leave’s campaigning was because of his admiration for Britain’s sense of decency – imagine his opinion on Britain’s sense of decency now.I believe that LGBT people, where possible, have a responsibility to come out and be open about their sexuality. However, I also know that for some this either isn’t feasible or is incredibly difficult, whether because of external dangers or internal struggle. I would never condone the outing of anybody. I readily admit that in certain situations I would skirt the issue myself, either for safety fears or to avoid hassle. But the practice of being outed can never be supported: outing is often weaponised and always ignores the agency of the individual. To have one’s government, the body that is responsible for upholding the rights of its citizens or residents, to do so is quite breathtaking. One of the reasons Sanni said he spoke out on his experiences of Vote Leave’s campaigning was because of his admiration for Britain’s sense of decency – imagine his opinion on Britain’s sense of decency now.
This isn’t the first time, of course, that people have been outed for political reasons. In 1975, the American Oliver Sipple helped prevent the shooting of President Gerald Ford when he grabbed the arm of an assailant. He was outed by the gay politician Harvey Milk, who felt Sipple’s heroics would reflect well on LGBT people, and help in the struggle for equal rights. Unfortunately, Sipple suffered a backlash, both public and personal. For years his mother refused to speak to him. After Sipple’s sexuality was revealed, he received just a cursory note of thanks from the White House, despite the fact he had probably saved the president’s life.This isn’t the first time, of course, that people have been outed for political reasons. In 1975, the American Oliver Sipple helped prevent the shooting of President Gerald Ford when he grabbed the arm of an assailant. He was outed by the gay politician Harvey Milk, who felt Sipple’s heroics would reflect well on LGBT people, and help in the struggle for equal rights. Unfortunately, Sipple suffered a backlash, both public and personal. For years his mother refused to speak to him. After Sipple’s sexuality was revealed, he received just a cursory note of thanks from the White House, despite the fact he had probably saved the president’s life.
In 2017, former Scottish Labour Party leader Kezia Dugdale said she was “outed against her will” when her sexuality was included in an article in the Fabian Review. The magazine disputed that account, but Dugdale’s comments speak to how important it is for people to come out on their own terms. If someone’s sexuality is not part of a public interest news story (Keith Vaz’s deception over male sex workers, for instance) then it is frankly nobody’s business. Even then, Vaz’s sexual preferences should not have been the focus of that story.In 2017, former Scottish Labour Party leader Kezia Dugdale said she was “outed against her will” when her sexuality was included in an article in the Fabian Review. The magazine disputed that account, but Dugdale’s comments speak to how important it is for people to come out on their own terms. If someone’s sexuality is not part of a public interest news story (Keith Vaz’s deception over male sex workers, for instance) then it is frankly nobody’s business. Even then, Vaz’s sexual preferences should not have been the focus of that story.
It beggars belief that a government that is supposedly an ally of LGBT people (the prime minister appeared at the PinkNews awards last winter, “vowing to support LGBT rights”) would think it appropriate to announce an individual’s sexuality without their consent and to imply somehow that it was part of a deception (Theresa May, by the way, defended the statement outing Sanni). Stephen Parkinson should know how painful it is to be outed against one’s will, when something similar happened to him during his 2010 parliamentary campaign (something Nick Timothy pointed out to me on Twitter, though in defence of Parkinson). Parkinson felt pressured to come out after criticism of his stance on Section 28, elements of which he is on record as supporting – which is rather different.It beggars belief that a government that is supposedly an ally of LGBT people (the prime minister appeared at the PinkNews awards last winter, “vowing to support LGBT rights”) would think it appropriate to announce an individual’s sexuality without their consent and to imply somehow that it was part of a deception (Theresa May, by the way, defended the statement outing Sanni). Stephen Parkinson should know how painful it is to be outed against one’s will, when something similar happened to him during his 2010 parliamentary campaign (something Nick Timothy pointed out to me on Twitter, though in defence of Parkinson). Parkinson felt pressured to come out after criticism of his stance on Section 28, elements of which he is on record as supporting – which is rather different.
The media, too, should not be emphasising the sexuality of an individual where it has no relevance. Who could forget the Mail’s “Enemies of the People” front page in which it was pointedly mentioned in the online headline that one of the high court judges was “openly gay”. If we can’t trust the government to uphold our human rights (note: it’s Section 8, the “right to privacy and family life” under the European Convention on Human Rights) then what does that say about the country we live in? As Sammi puts it: “[Parkinson] knew the danger it would cause, and that’s why he did it. My coming out should have happened at a moment of my choosing – not his or the government’s. Some things are more important than politics and I hope that one day he agrees.” The media, too, should not be emphasising the sexuality of an individual where it has no relevance. Who could forget the Mail’s “Enemies of the People” front page in which it was pointedly mentioned in the online headline that one of the high court judges was “openly gay”. If we can’t trust the government to uphold our human rights (note: it’s Section 8, the “right to privacy and family life” under the European Convention on Human Rights) then what does that say about the country we live in? As Sanni puts it: “[Parkinson] knew the danger it would cause, and that’s why he did it. My coming out should have happened at a moment of my choosing – not his or the government’s. Some things are more important than politics and I hope that one day he agrees.”
Hannah Jane Parkinson is a Guardian columnistHannah Jane Parkinson is a Guardian columnist
SexualitySexuality
OpinionOpinion
BrexitBrexit
Foreign policyForeign policy
Cambridge AnalyticaCambridge Analytica
Theresa MayTheresa May
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