ILLUSTRATION FERNANDO SAFONT
You can do some interesting things with time when you’re a columnist. I’m writing this in May, post-London Mayoral election. I returned home after a trip to the US to headlines stating Sadiq Khan had won and felt kinda good, but more relieved: it’s a tentative victory in a hostile climate. The overt viciousness of the press will have again reverted to something more insidious – every win under Corbyn will be framed as a loss, even by members of his own party – and we’ll be in the midst of a post-election hush, that funny time when the winners rejoice and the losers rethink their game, before gearing up again for the EU referendum. What changes? Everything and nothing. I will still be a writer – won’t I? I’ll still live in south London – if it’s affordable? – which has already changed beyond recognition in the last 10 years. And I’ll still be a thoroughly queer thing – hopefully? – though it won’t be the queer I’m used to.