JAMES BARR & DAN HUDSON
Attitude columnist, comedian and presenter James Barr, 34, and straight pal and podcast co- host Dan Hudson highlight the importance of having LGBTQ allies
Was it friendship at first sight?
J: We became friends through Dan’s girlfriend.
D: She went away to New York and said we should hang out.
J: She was like, you have nothing in common, you should record it, it’ll be really funny. That’s how our podcast A Gay And A Non- Gay was born. James, why did you pick Dan to kiss for the front cover?
J: I emailed my boyfriend first and he didn’t reply, so I dumped him… then I realised Dan was basically my boyfriend.
D: It’s probably true. Other than the lack of sexual contact.
J: We don’t bum each other.
What do you want your cover to say to readers?
J: He deserves a kiss for pushing himself so hard as an ally. We did a documentary in Northern Ireland recently for Radio 1 about gay conversion therapy. We sat with a guy who administers same- sex attraction therapy. I’m the gay, so I’m slightly insecure: is it my fault? Did I have a trauma in my past? Is that why I’m gay? Whereas Dan just said: “You are a fucking loser.”
D: I didn’t say that!
J: No, it’s for the BBC so it’s above board, but he said, “OK, fine, turn me gay, if you can do it that way, do it this way.” He just challenged the “therapist” so cleverly.
Tell us about your most memorable Pride moment, for better or worse…
D: Seattle Pride was my first. There were some Christian lunatics with placards saying whatever, and one guy with a sign that said: “Statistically Nine Out Of 10 Homophobes Are Gay.”
J: It was Brighton Pride. It rained and ruined my hair, so I went home. But the night before that, I went home with a guy. He suggested sleeping in his bathroom. I didn’t really clock what was going on, but there we are in his bathtub and he wants to piss on me. I got wet a lot that weekend [ laughs].