Is David Dimbleby Gay?

There was surprise from David Dimbleby and laughs from the audience at the way Labour MP Stella Creasy answered the final question on last night's BBC Question Time program.

A man in the audience asked a question about the Belfast bakery that was fined £500 for refusing to make a cake with the text "Support Gay Marriage" on it. The questioner was clearly upset by the ruling, asking:

"Should the courts be deciding who's rights and beliefs are more of a priority?"

He followed up by asking

"How can you play top trumps on rights? You can't, can you?"

Before getting to Stella Creasy's answer, which made me wonder if Dimbleby was gay, let's just puncture the audience man's stupidity balloon. Tim Farron was the first to speak and gave a clear answer:

"If you're providing a service, then you need to do so without prejudice, without discrimination, to those who come through your door."

I went into this in detail in Wednesday's blog post, finally concluding:

In a multi-belief society, it's in everyone's interests that businesses and public services are run in a single-belief way: no discrimination to any group

But when it was Stella's turn to speak, she made it personal. She turned to David and asked:

"How would you like it if someone did that to you, David?"

David (somewhat mischievously): "Did what to me?"

Stella: "If somebody judged you in that way..."

And the audience began laughing at the look on David Dimbleby's face. 

David: "You've lost me now."

Stella (turning to look at David): "...that your sexuality was something they could judge in that way..."

Looking at his hands, though, I could see no rings on David's fingers. So I began to doubt myself - was Stella Creasy outing David Dimbleby? A quick Google search revealed the answer, courtesy of an Independent article on him.

David Dimbleby has three children from his first marriage - which lasted 26 years - and now lives with his new (female) partner and their teenage son in a farm in East Sussex. So no, he's not gay.

Which explains David's quizzical look when Creasy began citing his sexuality, why the audience were laughing and why Clumsy Creasy couldn't get the support needed to run for leadership of the Labour party.