Hamish Macdonald Shares ‘Terrifying’ Ordeal Of Journalists Wanting To Out Him
The Project host and out gay journalist Hamish Macdonald has shared his thoughts on the treatment of Rebel Wilson and the backlash received by the Sydney Morning Herald over its attempt to out the actress.
During Monday’s episode of the Project, Macdonald compared it to his own coming out journey, the gossip he endured surrounding his sexuality, and how “scary and intimidating” it was.
“For people coming to terms with their sexuality, that may be something they wake up and realise some day. It may be something that’s a very long journey,” he said.
Scary And Intimidating
Macdonald (41) said he himself had been through the experience of the media wanting to out him.
“I don’t think it’s for anyone else to determine the point at which they talk about that. I’ve been on the end of this sort of thing with a couple of journalists before. And it’s scary and intimidating and frankly terrifying when a journalist starts saying to you that they know this about you, and they want to put it in print.”
Macdonald then addressed the Sydney Morning Herald journalist’s apology. “I take at their word what this journo said about learning from it. Maybe in 2022 this is something we can all learn from. Particularly when it comes to people thinking about, learning about and understanding their own identity.”
“It’s a story for them to tell at a time and in a circumstance of their choosing. And to Rebel, good on you, really happy.”
Hamish Macdonald Came Out In 2019
In 2019, Macdonald publicly confirmed his relationship with partner Jacob Fitzroy, at the GQ Gentlemen’s Ball in Melbourne.
Wilson came out in an Instagram post and introduced her girlfriend LA-based fashion designer Ramona Agruma to the world, on June 9.
It has now emerged, however, that the decision to come out was not Wilson’s, but was forced on her by Sydney Moring Herald’s decision to publish the story.
Rebel Wilson Responds After Australian Newspaper Says It Planned To ‘Out’ Her
On June 11, Sydney Moring Herald said that the newspaper had given Wilson “two days” to comment about her relationship or they would go ahead and publish the story.
Wilson then preempted the news by coming out on social media.
Russell, why don’t you name that journalist from the Courier Mail? Respectfully, Victor Marsh
Australian journalism, and I suspect that of other countries, has, like all of our politicians, sunk to a new low – not that the industry could sink much lower.
When, and if, a person wants to “come out” is that person’s business only and no-one else’s.
Our politicians pay lip service to the GLBTIQ+ Community and then you get them trying to introduce their legislation – supported by many within the ALP – so that Religious Businesses – today they are all money-making businesses – why else do they have their greedy noses stuck deep in the Billions being poured into Aged Care? – This legislation would have allowed them to discriminate against not just the GLBTIQ+ Community but also, people with Disabilities, members of their own sects which would have resulted in the revival of Religious Hatred such as catholics v anglicans v muslims v hindus or anyone who did not agree with their perverted views such as the Pray Away the Gay/ Gay Conversion sadism created by the Baptist Union. – this Sadistic, cruel suicide-inducing, evil practice the majority of our Politicians still refuse to legislate against.
Really, really!! In this day and age, the newspapers and television shouldn’t be outing people. It’s their business, and they are the ones who need to come to terms with their own sexuality. There fans will still love them regardless.
However difficult and confronting being outed by the media nowadays is, it was infinitely more dangerous and damaging in the early 1980s when a senior journalist on The Courier Mail (Brisbane) frequently referred to me as a “confirmed bachelor” which was a very thinly described wink and nod to the fact that I was gay. At that time I was working as press secretary to a senior Minister in the Bjelke-Petersen State Government and this journalist tried anything to get me sacked by branding me a “confirmed bachelor” working for the supposedly homophobic government. All I could do was ignore it not even protest.