Singer Elton John says he admires UK
rugby star Ben Cohen's effort to end anti-gay bullying.
The 64-year-old Sir Elton, who with his
partner, filmmaker David Furnish, earlier this year welcomed baby
Zachary to their family, made his comments in an op-ed published
Thursday in UK daily The
Guardian.
“To become a parent is a blessing I
never imagined might be bestowed upon me until recently. It's an
awe-inspiring responsibility and both David and I are determined to
fulfill that responsibility – not just to our son but to his
generation. We want him to grow up in a Britain where every young
person is not just loved as much as we love him, but is afforded fair
treatment and respect. However, as we start thinking about Zachary's
future education, it's clear that this Britain doesn't exist yet.”
Sir Elton went on to say that he feared
his son would be bullied because he has two fathers.
“Homophobic bullying isn't only an
enemy of kindness and respect, it's an enemy of attainment across the
board.”
“I've got particular admiration for
someone like Ben Cohen. This is a world-class, straight rugby star
who has set up a foundation to support charities working around
homophobic bullying. Now touring schools around the country, he
understands that giving license to any sort of bullying makes all
bullying acceptable.”
“But just like Ben, every one of us
can make a difference,” Sir Elton added.