Ray Gosling - The Man Who Never Stops Fighting - Euthanasia, Murder, False Allegations and Endgame

I am lucky enough to be able to say I know Ray Gosling, and for all his eccentricities he is a man of passion and conviction who exudes a quiet strength that is rarely seen today.

You can imagine then the shock with which I received the news of his part in the death of a suffering lover.

Not, I must add, so much shock that he had been part of this act of mercy, but that with all his experience of the UK justice system that he should open himself up to attack.

He has, of course, always been a fighter, all gay men and other disadvantaged groups, including myself, owe him a debt of thanks, although many younger folk would sadly not even know why.

His work, colleagues and the importance of CHE (Campaign for Homosexual Equality) has previously been recognised in 2004 by Manchester City Council. An important recognition no doubt, but I cannot help feeling that sadly, within 10 years, the very community that he and others like him laid the foundations for, will no longer know, or care, why the freedoms they enjoy, are available to them.

What is perhaps more galling than anything is that a 20 year relationship between CHE and Liberty has now ended, quite recently, and in response to the call for action on historical abuse claims CHE requested and Liberty stated was not even open to discussion.

This is a cause Ray Gosling and Alan Horsfall have passionately fought for this past ten years or more and it would be a shame if this was overshadowed by the revelation today has brought. I have to question whether there is a link between the two, Ray states on his site the following:

GAY MONITOR LATEST

Ray writes...
I am very depressed and wondering quite how we can carry on.
The cases keep coming in – trickle by trickle – and we have folk we’ve been with through their terribletimes to care for / keep in touch with.

We went quite strongly last year to push the case for some STATUTE OF LIMITATION – writing to the press and gay groups across the land. We have dear Antony Grey a stalwart on our side and the support of CHE.

But others are lukewarm to hostile including Peter Tatchell.

When it comes to Europe and the USA we don’t know what we are talking about in any real factual way and no one will come forward to help us. In fact we don’t know how many cases happen in the UK nationwide – and nor do any relevant departments of Government.

I am very depressed and I’m 71 years old with how much more energy?

The link may well be the need to call attention to his ongoing work, coupled with the apparent cry for help above, borne by the hardship Ray has suffered personally, and no doubt, the suffering of others he has witnessed, this may indicate that he is still as caring, thinking and socially conscious as he ever was, despite age and exhaustion.

I would have said long may that continue, but I can't.

This revelation, guaranteed to provoke a reaction in the semi police state of the UK will truly test the "no such thing as bad publicity" idea to the edges. This places Ray at the centre of a current and difficult topic, one that we cannot get our collective head around as a society.

Ultimately, I believe the right to die is singularly ours and ours alone, and that it should be easier. Ray obviously has sympathy with that view. The result of this furore may be disaster. He will know this all to well, media veteran that he is.

He has stated quite clearly that he does not wish to make a crusade of this, and already doubt is being cast on the veracity of the story.

I can only hope that his promise not to tell the police even if "tortured" is a true one. His continuing fight against current injustices has made him enemies politically and in the force and I imagine hands being rubbed with glee in some quarters, shamefully so.

There is a certain ironic twist that a man who has spent the best part of his life fighting a hostile system should hand himself over to that very system so seemingly easy. Beggars the question what is his agenda here?

Can this be an attempt to re-engage the public with a veteran reporter who in his own words fell victim to a paucity of glamour over substance, allowing him to bring to the front the types of injustice he historically and currently still fights for?

Perhaps his age has caused him to recognise the need for a change in the law in time to prevent him, like so many others face daily, the ignominy and cruelty of dying slowly and painfully in stages of despair?

I am sure as the events unfold all wil be revealed. He is a clever man, allowing me to take comfort from the thought that whatever the agenda is, he will probably come away from it in one piece.

Ultimately, for all his courage and strength over the years, his epitaph should read defender of human rights and gay campaigner not murderer, and it would be a terrible thing if it didn't.