President of the English Chess Federation, Connagh-Joseph de Mooi, was criticised yesterday for wearing a Stonewall 'Some people are gay - Get over it!' T-shirt.

CJ de Mooi, President of the English Chess Federation
CJ wrote afterwards about what happened.

Apparently the 'problem' was that he would be presenting prizes for the championships, and some of the awards were for junior players. It was, some people were suggesting, inappropriate for him to wear something mentioning "sexuality" in the vicinity of children.

CJ de Mooi: Personally, I was incensed. No matter how I try to drag chess into the 21st century, I seem to continually face "antediluvian" attitudes.

Made me think - has he, I wonder, ever encountered similar attitudes at the BBC? Has he ever worn one of those 'Some People Are Gay' T-shirts when he appeared on Eggheads?

Seems to me the most sensitive measure of institutional prejudice is evidenced by a desire to prevent children from finding out that it's OK to be gay.

Some people are gay. Get over it!