@izzythepush,
Quote:I do think that what has brought this into focus is the fact that it's gay sex, and had he had consensual sex with an underage girl there wouldn't be such an outcry.
l think if the allegations involved sex with an underage girl there would still be a scandal because Clash works around children and any suggestion of pedophilia would cause shock waves. There can be no legal "consensual sex" with someone below the age of legal consent.
The fact that Clash is gay unfortunately revives the old stereotype that gays are sexual predators who go after underage males, and that makes these allegations damaging, not just to Clash, but to gay men in general, because it revives the old fears about letting them work near children.
I'd be more inclined to take these allegations seriously if the accusers weren't actively seeking wide-spread publicity and a great deal of money. One of them has allegedly been writing a book about his relationship with Clash since 2009, so why has he suddenly come forward now? To help find a publisher? To gain money from giving interviews? And the other one is seeking $5 million in damages from Clash, and both are represented by the same attorney. It's difficult to separate the monetary factor from the allegations since they appear to go hand in hand.
All these are at the moment are allegations, without any accompanying criminal complaint. They may, or may not, be followed by civil trials to allow a jury to evaluate whatever evidence might exist, and then pass judgment on the matter of whether sexual abuse of a minor actually took place, and whether monetary damage awards are justified.
But we certainly are in no position to determine the truth of these allegations right now--we lack any evidence one way or the other.
