By Caitlin McBride

Westlife star Mark Feehily has revealed that Boyzone singer Stephen Gately’s bravery in coming out as gay helped him find the courage to do the same years later.

Stephen sent shockwaves throughout the music industry when he publicly announced he was gay in 1999.

Mark followed in 2005, and said it was Stephen’s fearlessness that helped him do so.

He also credited the late singer for paving the way for other gay men in Ireland.

“In hindsight, Stephen helped me and probably any other gay lad to come out,” he said.

“Every time a celebrity comes out, people have said to me that they came out after.

“This one young lad said I was in the paper that day and he was with his mum and she responded really positively to the story, no negative attitude.

“So he decided to seize the moment and tell her he was gay.”

He added: “A lot of similar stuff happened with Stephen Gately, but there was a difference in the way it was perceived

Braver

“He was a lot braver than me. Things are constantly improving — he was one of the first people.”

The singer said that when a public figure admits to being gay, it helps promote tolerance and provides a positive image for the gay community.

“I remember what a big thing it was when he came out to a tabloid newspaper,” he said.

“There is a cliche about guys and there is the reality, and a lot of people just see the cliches.

“Every time something normal happens to a celebrity who happens to be gay, or every time a celebrity who is admired by thousands or millions of people comes out, it is one more blow to the negative cliche and one more victory for the reality.

“There is not a whole lot of difference between gay people and straight people. Stephen definitely helped back this up.”

Mark went on to speak of the harrowing day of Stephen’s funeral, three weeks ago.

“I was as close to him as I was to anyone in Boyzone,” he said.

“We supported them when we first started. As a teenager in Ireland, I grew up watching Boyzone on TV, and it was a mixture of a fan from back in the day and a friend that bumped into him.

“I’ve been to a lot of funerals, because, where I come from in Ireland, everyone knows each other and there are big funerals.

Tragic

“There is always something a lot more tragic when a young life is lost.

“You can process the death of an elderly person a lot easier.”

On Stephen’s funeral, he concluded: “It was a little bit of a celebration of his life.

“Everybody was talking about all the good things that had happened.”

Credit/Source: www.herald.ie