News
2006-09-12
Mr. Gay U.K.
finalist not deemed a model sailor
A gay British
sailor who hit the headlines for entering the Mr. Gay U.K.
contest has been kicked off his base for allegedly having
A gay British
sailor who hit the headlines for entering the Mr. Gay U.K.
contest has been kicked off his base for allegedly having
sex with a male trainee, The Sun of London
reports. Fitness instructor Sam Connell, 22, is said
to have enjoyed a consensual romp with a 20-year-old
recruit in the gymnasium. When the incident came to
light, Connell was ordered off HMS Raleigh in
Plymouth at an hour’s notice, the Sun
said.
Strict
“no-touching” rules ban fraternization between
trainers, senior ratings, and recruits at the base,
where all naval enlistees have their initial training.
Navy detectives are now investigating the incident, the
first in which a male trainer stands accused of sexual
relations with a male recruit.
Connell, who
enlisted at 16, has proved quite a challenge to the
navy’s tolerance of open sexuality.
Naval bigwigs
were unimpressed by Connell's presence in Mr. Gay U.K.
qualifyings, where he capitalized on his military
career, posing in a seductively unbuttoned uniform.
Following an unsurprising furor in the gay press and
tabloids, the navy allowed Connell to continue his pursuit
of the pageant crown. Discussing the contest, Connell said,
"I only entered the contest when I was out with
friends and I got pushed into doing it. The heat was
like any other beauty contest, I suppose. I had to get
onstage in my underwear, talk about myself, and try to look
as good as possible." He did well, winning Mr.
Regional Gay in Plymouth.
Mr. Gay U.K.
winners find themselves stripped to their underwear for
phone-line advertisements and personal appearances at
nightclubs, and they get sucked into a whirlpool of
VIP rooms, motorway cafés, and photo shoots.
Connell's position might be challenged should he win the
title.
The winner
receives £5,000 worth of prizes, including £1,500
cash and VIP places for four people on a gay cruise in
May. Connell said, "It is just like any other beauty
competition, I suppose. We have to chat onstage about
our likes, dislikes, hobbies, and job, then a panel of
judges choose their favorite, based on looks and
personality. I think my best feature is my teeth. I
love them. I always want them to be sparkling white,
and I just love brushing them."
The finals of Mr.
Gay U.K. will be held September 29 at the Flamingo Club
in Blackpool. (Stewart Who?, Gay.com/U.K.)
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