So it's back, like a nasty bout of herpes, Ian Thorpe's sexuality is being questioned yet again. For years now rumours have surrounded the swimming superstar about his sexuality. Maybe it's because he attended every swimming event at the Sydney Gay Games? Maybe it's because he has his own range of pearl necklaces, his own fragrance or maybe it's because he loves fashion and has his own underwear brand?

It was after the 2002 Gay Games that Ian went on ABC's Radio National to deny the rumors of his sexuality, while still saying "Not that there is anything wrong with that", but lately he has taken to gracefully sidestepping the question, neither admitting nor denying.

So why do we want him to be gay so bad? Maybe because we need have a need for some good, solid gay role models. Young gay people have a very limited range of international celebrities who are out and who model to them what it means to be same sex attracted. They have Elton John, tired, old, flambouyant and grumpy with a hair transplant, there's George Michael, who says random toilet sex is ok even though he is in a "committed" relationship. Darren Hayes came out and he certainly does make a good role model for young guys who have ambitions of becoming pop stars, what about those who don't relate to that? There's Ian Roberts. Rough and tumble but hardly an international figure.

So we come back to Ian Thorpe. He is young and relates well to young people, he is successful without having to go on some reality TV show, he is able to display a healthy balance of a dedicated sportsman and a creative, sensitive man. He would be the ideal role model for a young guy or girl who is same sex attracted, but who don't relate to the Queer Eye/Queer as Folk stereotypes that we are told represents our community. Suicide rates for same sex attracted teens is alarmingly high. Most of them occur because they don't feel accepted by thier families, by society and because they don't understand or relate to the stereotypes they see.

We need successful role model with good values, now more than ever in our community. We need people who are same sex attracted and successful to stop worrying about what thier sponsors may think and to start thinking about how they can affect and can even save the lives of so many young people.

Yes we want Ian Thorpe to be gay, because we don't want Tom Cruise.