I'm sure Tom Daley will be screaming at me from afar for this page; he can scream all he wants, it won't change my opinion.
It is inappropriate for a 40-year-old to date a 20-year-old. I would wince even at a 25-year-old dating a 45-year-old, but 25 isn't 20. When you get to be 25, it's not as seriously bad to be dating someone who is 10 years older, I suppose even 15 years older, if you really want to.
Tom Daley lost his father at a young age. He was also famous at a young age. He probably suffered a lot, trying to hide his sexual preference. It is never easy to be gay in a homophobic world.
I'm sure that Dustin Lance Black does make Mr. Daley "feel safe," to quote Mr. Daley when Mr. Daley first publicized their relationship. There's the illusion of safety provided by an older person who's taking advantage of a younger one, and then there is the only real safety that life ever offers anyone, which is to take responsibility for your life.
Easy answers to the difficult questions; that's what inappropriately older partners usually seem to be offering, and the younger people who don't treat those answers with skepticism might never realize the high cost of accepting them.
Copyright L. Kochman, June 21, 2015 @ 4:48 p.m.
