Stephen Gately

[bc44]

Just heard about the sudden death of Stephen Gately Boyzone singer, so sad and only 33. R.I.P Stephen

[Ms T]

It is, indeed, very sad and so tragic.

[Keef]

Bloody hell, how did he die? That is sad.

[daizie]

'want of breath' my grandad used to pipe up

I saw him in stringfellows years ago just as they had become popular and he certainly wasn't gay then, he loved the women

[sophiesofa]

Oh that is very sad, I used to have a poster of him on my wall.

[iaineasy]

I reckon it sounds like a GHB overdose, bound to be drugs of some sort to kill you that quickly. very sad.

[ontheedge]

Apparently not but let speculation run riot

[sophiesofa]

Why on earth have the rest of boyzone flown out to Spain? What use will they be there? I could understand if the funeral was going to be held there, or if that is where Stephen and his family lived but he'd only been in the country for a few hours with his partner. Does anyone else think they're doing it solely for the media?

[*Bob*]

iaineasy Wrote:

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> I reckon it sounds like a GHB overdose,

My money's on G too.

[bignumber5]

*Bob* Wrote:

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> iaineasy Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I reckon it sounds like a GHB overdose,

>

> My money's on G too.

Based on what, exactly?

I mean, assuming that we're happily throwing away the concept of respect for the dead and debating the cause of death of a young man about whom we know virtually nothing, where's this coming from?

Or, as I suspect, are you just working with the equation of stereotyping that young + gay + sudden death = club drugs?

I'm not saying that it's absolutely definitely not, by the by, because I don't know: the point is that there isn't really anything being put out there at this time that points in that direction clearly enough for such definite sounding statements of what is or is not likely.

[sophiesofa]

Good point BN5.

[*Bob*]

It's speculative. It's a guess. It's idle gossip. However..

I've taken G, so I am fully aware of its effects (good and bad, obviously)

It is popular with gay men.

It is popular for it to be taken on holiday - where other drugs can't be taken - because it's not illegal and slips through customs in a innocuous shampoo bottle.

It is popular for it to be taken on holiday by gay men.

It does not mix with alcohol.

G + Alcohol = fall asleep and not wake up.

It disappears from the bloodstream rapidly, so there would be no suspicious circumstances, and cause of death would not be immediately apparent.

So my wild, speculative guess, is that they went out drinking, met some dude in a bar, went back to their pad to party, ended-up taking some G (either his or theirs) and Stephen fell into a coma.

[davy watts]

According to Sky, Spanish Police said that no foul play is suspected and neither is suicide. He was apparently fit and healthy and was also known to be out partying that evening. The assumption. therefore, of a drug induced death is not a homophobic one.

[annaj]

As someone who used to work in the closest Emergency Department to Vauxhall I am also extremely familiar with the effects of GHB and GBL (both of which are, by the way, illegal *Bob*) and it's popularity on the clubbing scene, particularly amongst gay men (six consecutive LAS priority calls into the resuscitation room is my record for a Sunday afternoon on-duty)

And, yes, when a young man dies unexpectedly drugs are certainly a possiblity.

What I find distasteful is the speculation and, hand in hand with that, the implied judgement.

A young man is dead, long before his time, that is tragic for his family and friends and is just as tragic however it happened.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Pretty much everyone on here has expressed some sort of condolence for his death so I don't think anyone is being mean-spirited

If any 33 year old dies suddenly and with no obvious cause then it's perfectly natural for people to speculate. I'm not sure there is much judgement going on either

I wouldn't speculate under the families noses, but given that we are talking about him (and if he is someone we don't know why are we even doing that) it seems reasonable to try and piece things together

[*Bob*]

Anna: GBL is not illegal.. not yet. (below from government 'Frank' website). Maybe by the end of the year.

GBL.. is a legal product used in industry and probably available from other sources such as the internet. However, The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) which advises the government, has provisionally recommended that GBL should also be controlled as a Class C drug with consultation on a licensing arrangement for its use in industry.

As for speculation (on my part anyway), judgement doesn't come into it. (Pot / kettle / black)

It's just speculation. I'm sure his family, friends and the police will all be doing the same thing and have more important things to think about than reading speculative postings on here, or any of the other thousand places up and down the land.

[annaj]

If there's no element of judgement to the speculation why are drugs, and specifically club drugs popular with the gay community, the only possibility anyone is talking about?

What about the possiblity that he slipped on spilt milk and gave himself a fatal head injury, or put a knife into the toaster and electrocuted himself, or had an underlying heart condition that no-one knew about, or, well, any number of possibilites that aren't as gossip worthy. Sorry, but Ian and *Bob*'s posts didn't read to me as reasonably trying to piece things together, they read like gossip at the expense of a dead man and I found that a bit distasteful.

[annaj]

ps. I stand corrected on GBL, I knew a decision had been made last month, but it won't be reclassified until the end of the year.

[SeanMacGabhann]

probabilty v possibility?

[*Bob*]

I honestly hope it isn't anything to do with G.

Because it it is, it'll ram all the tabloids with stories about G, the evil 'gay drug' - and then you'll see some real 'judgement' for sure.

However, I think we can safely rule-out the toast/electrocution and slipping on milk scenario.

[dbboy]

Can we ALL respect him and his family till the truth is established, then if it is drug related you can gossip all you like but until then, show respect to this young man who has gone way too soon.

[bignumber5]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

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> probabilty v possibility?

A much debated premise in many circumstances, from risk assessment to racial profiling. But the point I was trying to make is that it's fairly unnecessary to trample on a man's grave in the name of demographics.

[*Bob*]

I don't agree with your definition of 'respect', dbboy.

It's an internet thread about someone famous - in showbusiness - who has died in mysterious circumstances. What do you expect.. two minute's silence? Seriously?

In any case, there's no point gossiping about something after the truth is established.

[bignumber5]

  Quote

It's an internet thread about someone famous - in showbusiness - who has died in mysterious circumstances

In a case in which the Police announced on the same day that they were not treating his death as suspicious - did they also need to say that it wasn't mysterious? Which other adjectives do you need covering?

[*Bob*]

No-one has said anything about 'suspicious', BN5.

But 'no cause of death' is a mystery, especially if you're only 33.