Outing some dead British guy

We're never going to find our way out of this outing mess, are we?

"Former British Prime Minister Edward Heath is the latest public figure to die while rumors of homosexuality are omitted from their obituaries, according to some gay rights advocates," wrote the Washington Blade a little while back. "Andrew Sullivan, a conservative gay commentator, lamented on his blog that obituaries about Heath did not delve into rumors about his private life."

Sullivan: "I must also say that it is very weird that the obits barely say anything about [Heath's] private life. He never married. It was widely assumed he was gay… I know of no one in British politics who didn't talk of it privately. And a gay prime minister -- however terrible he was at the job -- is an historic matter of fact or at least inquiry."

The Blade's writer noted that "Heath's obituaries did say that he never married.... Much more than his personal life, however, Heath was known for his controversial views and acerbic personality.

"Heath became prime minister in 1970 and in 1973 he brought Britain into what is now known as the European Union.... Heath remained active in British politics until 2001, drawing criticism for his controversial comments, which many perceived as supporting dictatorships over democracies.

"As for his personal life, Heath’s obituaries only mentioned that he was a 'lifelong bachelor.' Some gay rights advocates have criticized media coverage of his death for not noting rumors he was gay. They see this as a continuation of erasing gay celebrities' sexual orientation from obituaries."

Hmmm. Not asking, or not digging about, are signs of either fear or laziness, and neither is an impressive attribute for a reporter. Bash away! But -- to criticize reporters for not printing rumours? Geez -- you could use that excuse to print absolutely anything.