In 1975, at the age of 66, openly Gay writer Quentin Crisp has given up on finding fame and so it comes as rather a surprise when the British TV film '
The Naked Civil Servant', which is about his life so far, makes him a celebrity overnight. However, while Quentin had successfully pushed a nation out of the closet, the sentiment was not reciprocated; the nation, it seemed now merely, 'had a name to put to their demon'. Refusing to return to anonymity and following an invitation to New York, Quentin finds himself in the country where he is welcomed with open arms. What was seen as freakish in London is normal in the Big Apple and having secured his Resident Alien status for his 'unique qualities', Quentin becomes the toast of New York society and a fixture on the Champagne and peanuts circuit. He also holds court as a raconteur in his off-Broadway show, advising people on, 'How To Be Happy'. But all is not perfect in an ever changing world and it is the the gay community this time who now decries him as 'playing to the straights'.
