Somewhere out there, Tinky-Winky is weeping.

As far as I know, Falwell didn't write or say anything about Tinky Winky. There was an article in one of his publications about Tinky Winky, but it was submitted by the editor of that publication, not Falwell. And it wasn't the only publication that eluded to Tinky Winky being gay.

Time:

In the past five years, several movies, plays, tabloid shows and famous cross-dressers like RuPaul have moved from the fringes of gay culture to prime time. Even Teletubbies, a show for toddlers, features Tinky Winky, a boy who carries a red patent-leather purse.

People:

Gay men have made the purse-toting Tinky Winky a camp ...

read more»

Somewhere out there, Tinky-Winky is weeping.

As far as I know, Falwell didn't write or say anything about Tinky Winky. There was an article in one of his publications about Tinky Winky, but it was submitted by the editor of that publication, not Falwell. And it wasn't the only publication that eluded to Tinky Winky being gay.

Time:

In the past five years, several movies, plays, tabloid shows and famous cross-dressers like RuPaul have moved from the fringes of gay culture to prime time. Even Teletubbies, a show for toddlers, features Tinky Winky, a boy who carries a red patent-leather purse.

People:

Gay men have made the purse-toting Tinky Winky a camp icon.

Washington Post:

Tinky Winky, the gay ‘Telletubby. . .

Just an FYI

You know, I wonder how Falwell would feel, knowing that the topic most interesting at his death remained gay teletubies...

But I can't resist...

To say Tinky Winky, certainly the most fabulous teletuby, is gay implies we know TW's gender. What if TW is actually a girl?

I mean, what did they do? Roll it over and check? Did someone look to see if its plastron was concave or convex? And in all honesty, the only person I've ever met who called herself Tinky was a stripper from Reno.

Aside from ascertaining their gender, what is the mating cycle of the wild teletuby? Do they swim up river and spawn? Do they release spores that grow to be other teletubies? Does it have something to do with the...

You know, I wonder how Falwell would feel, knowing that the topic most interesting at his death remained gay teletubies...

But I can't resist...

To say Tinky Winky, certainly the most fabulous teletuby, is gay implies we know TW's gender. What if TW is actually a girl?

I mean, what did they do? Roll it over and check? Did someone look to see if its plastron was concave or convex? And in all honesty, the only person I've ever met who called herself Tinky was a stripper from Reno.

Aside from ascertaining their gender, what is the mating cycle of the wild teletuby? Do they swim up river and spawn? Do they release spores that grow to be other teletubies? Does it have something to do with the mysterious appendage that grows from their heads?

Anyway, their cabaret-esque gender neutrality is the least concerning element I say in the teletubies.

What about the fact that they live in abject fear of the terrible solar infant, who's every wrathful mood dictates who among the teletubies shall live or die, and when they must go to bed?

To say Tinky Winky, certainly the most fabulous teletuby, is gay implies we know TW's gender. What if TW is actually a girl?

I mean, what did they do? Roll it over and check? Did someone look to see
if its plastron was concave or convex? And in all honesty, the only
person I've ever met who called herself Tinky was a stripper from Reno.

This reminds me, because at my age everything reminds me of something else, that I can get far too easily cracked up at real but bizarre names. For years Heidi Ho was my favorite, encountered in a registry of names belonging to the HMO I worked at. I could not, however, quite hold it together the time I needed to bring in someone from a tempo...

To say Tinky Winky, certainly the most fabulous teletuby, is gay implies we know TW's gender. What if TW is actually a girl?

I mean, what did they do? Roll it over and check? Did someone look to see
if its plastron was concave or convex? And in all honesty, the only
person I've ever met who called herself Tinky was a stripper from Reno.

This reminds me, because at my age everything reminds me of something else, that I can get far too easily cracked up at real but bizarre names. For years Heidi Ho was my favorite, encountered in a registry of names belonging to the HMO I worked at. I could not, however, quite hold it together the time I needed to bring in someone from a temporary agency and she introduced herself as Muff Creamer. I think I had to pretend that I'd started to sneeze, just to disguise my reaction.

Um, to update the teletuby debate, I have asked a friend who is a cryptozoologist, and who also has spent years doing field research in the bush, actually living among the wild teletubies.

According to his observations, the plastron of all teletubies in the species Cenmidophorus Teletubium are convex. Although little is known about the reproductive cycle of these creatures, he feels sure that a convex plastron indicates the presence of female reproductive organs.

He says this is consistent with his belief that they are an asexual species that reproduces through parthenogenesis. Although they would technically be classified as polyploid individuals, in layman's terms we would say that it is...

Um, to update the teletuby debate, I have asked a friend who is a cryptozoologist, and who also has spent years doing field research in the bush, actually living among the wild teletubies.

According to his observations, the plastron of all teletubies in the species Cenmidophorus Teletubium are convex. Although little is known about the reproductive cycle of these creatures, he feels sure that a convex plastron indicates the presence of female reproductive organs.

He says this is consistent with his belief that they are an asexual species that reproduces through parthenogenesis. Although they would technically be classified as polyploid individuals, in layman's terms we would say that it is an all female population. Given that, I suppose, that means that when they do exhibit sexual tendencies (not unheard of in asexual species) the would of course be homosexual.

So, I will have to conceed this point. Credit where credit was due: (the anonymous) Falwell (proxy mouthpiece) appears to have been right when he said that Tinky Winky was a polyploid parthenogenetic asexual with homosexual tendencies. (I paraphrase, but that's the gist of what he said, wasn't it?)

Perhaps that is the best way to say it, on both sides. I can never know what he felt in his heart, but I do know what he inspired in others, which was hatred. He inspired hatred among the left who felt the sting of his intollerance. But he also was a hero to many on the right who themselves wanted to spread hatred.

Having never met the man, I will admit that I can only judge him by the impact he had on people's lives. But that impact, by far, was a negative one. He seemed to bring out anger and hate in people on both sides of his political issues. He sowed bitter division among Americans, instead of uniting them. As a person who is intensely opposed to the institution of the culture wars, I...

Perhaps that is the best way to say it, on both sides. I can never know what he felt in his heart, but I do know what he inspired in others, which was hatred. He inspired hatred among the left who felt the sting of his intollerance. But he also was a hero to many on the right who themselves wanted to spread hatred.

Having never met the man, I will admit that I can only judge him by the impact he had on people's lives. But that impact, by far, was a negative one. He seemed to bring out anger and hate in people on both sides of his political issues. He sowed bitter division among Americans, instead of uniting them. As a person who is intensely opposed to the institution of the culture wars, I feel that he was definitely working in direct opposition to all I believe in.

Perhaps that was why I didn't feel happy when he died, but instead, somehow, profoundly sad. I would have liked to see a man who softened in his old age, renounced intolerance and encouraged those who followed him to act with compassion. Today I mourn for the words he will never say.

I never knew the man, but the symbol and the legacy are all too familiar to me, and that is where the hatred lies. Sadly, that legacy will not die with him. In fact, I fear it will only grow.