イギリスで最高にカッコいいゲイは誰か？ 英国ブラックプールのフラミンゴクラブで開催された「Mr Gay UK 2006」で、マーク・カーター（Mark Carter）さん23歳が見事その栄冠に輝いた。カーターさんは現役の警察官だ。
 |
Mark says: “I am absolutely 100% over the moon. Two years ago I used to cry myself to sleep at night, I was so daunted by the prospect of coming out, but when I did, it was the best thing ever. I was so happy I could finally be myself Mark’s colleague Pc Maureen Hales, one of the party who came along in matching t-shirts bearing his photograph, said: “Mark is great, I knew he’d win, he’s so down to earth. He’s lovely.” Mark came out as gay to his colleagues a couple of months after he joined the police and says he’s had support from the people he works with.（Gay.com UK) |
PC strips off uniform to become Mr Gay UK [Daily Mail]
ウエスト・ヨークシャーの警察署に勤務するカーター巡査は言う。「自分がゲイだってカミングアウトすること……そんなことを思うと夜も眠れなかった。それが二年前だ。でも今は最高の気分なんだ。
He is expected to have a year of personal appearances and photo shoots ahead of him after beating off 25 other contestants in the final at Blackpool's Flamingo Club to win £5,000 worth of prizes.
He said: "Two years ago I used to cry myself to sleep at night, I was so daunted by the prospect of coming out, but when i did, it was the best thing ever.
"I was so happy I could finally be myself. I thought telling people I was gay would mean no one would want to know me, but at the Mr Gay UK final, I had more people together, supporting me, in one place than I've ever had in my life."
こうしてありのままの俺を示すことができてハッピーだ。以前なら、俺がゲイだと言ったって誰も見向きもしなかっただろう。でも俺は今「ミスター・ゲイ」のファイナルにいる、俺はみんなと一緒にいる。みんな俺を応援してくれている。
"I am happy that people will be able to see that there are police officers who are gay and we are not necessarily the usual people that they see on TV programmes like Big Brother," he said.
"It will be good for other young gay men to see someone like me who has been successful in a professional job like policing."
PC Carter joined the West Yorkshire force nearly two years ago after completing a degree in sports science.
He said his colleagues had given him tremendous support over his sexuality.
"I didn't tell them straight away but one day somebody asked me and I told them," he said.
"I was nervous about how my colleagues would react but they have been absolutely brilliant."
ゲイの警官だっているんだ──そんな風にみんなが思ってくれれば俺は嬉しい。若いゲイにとってもいいんじゃないかな、俺みたいに警察で職務を全うしているゲイの男がいるってことで。警察署の同僚たちも、なにかと配慮してくれている──最初はそれが一番心配だったんだが、でもあいつら最高なんだ。
He said: "The police are a disciplined organisation and I wasn't sure how my bosses would feel about me competing to be Mr Gay UK."
Luckily they were supportive, and 50 officers went to cheer him on in Friday's grand final, where each contestant was interviewed on stage about their likes, dislikes, hobbies and job in front of a panel of judges that included Su Pollard and Anita Dobson.
PC Carter's charm and good looks stood out, and he was picked ahead of a town planner from Brighton and a sailor from Plymouth to be named the country's sexiest gay man.
Organiser Terry George said: "Mark is a great example of a young gay man achieving his goals in life.
"If anyone assumed it was just bimbos who entered competitions like this, then Mark is proving them wrong."
もちろん、警察ってところは規律第一なんで、俺が「Mr Gay UK」に参加することに上司がどう思うか……それは気に掛かっていたさ。でもこの最終決戦には、ほら、署の同僚50人が応援に来てくれて（揃いのＴシャツを着て、マークの写真を手にして）……すごくラッキーだった。
ミスター・ゲイの主催者テリー・ジョージ氏は言う。「マークは本当に素晴らしいゲイの青年だ。彼は確固たる人生の目標を持っている」。
