WITH his purple bodysuit, red patent leather handbag and his effeminate mantra of 'uh-oh', it was only a matter of time before Tinky Winky was hauled out of the closet.
One of the members of the pre-school world's Fab Four, the Teletubbies, was front-page news across the United States last week when religious right mouthpiece Jerry Falwell branded the cuddly character a homosexual.
The outburst, from the evangelist all liberals love to hate, caused predictable mirth and no shortage of outrage. The claim came, after all, only a couple of weeks after Mr Falwell announced that the anti-Christ was at large on Earth, and was almost certainly a Jewish male.
'Jerry Falwell's paranoia about gay people has reached a new and ludicrous high-water mark,' said gay rights activist David Smith. 'As farcical as it may sound, Falwell's latest ranting has serious consequences.' But you know what? Mr Falwell is right. Tinky Winky is gay.
If you don't believe us, just head down to your local gay bar and do a vox pop. The gay community long ago adopted the Teletubby as one of their own.
No matter that Tinky Winky's gender can hardly be distinguished, and that the toddlers who watch the show are years away from comprehending issues of sexual orientation.
