Changes

Boorish, thick-skinned, arrogant and a lifelong sexual boaster, Vidal explained his world-view to an interviewer, “The difference between Italian boys and American boys, is the Italian boys have dirty feet and clean assholes, while American boys have clean feet and dirty assholes.” Vidal was a founder and financial donor to the Boston/Boise group that later became NAMBLA. He appeared at NAMBLA fundraising events and he appeared as a defence witness for various NAMBLA members who were prosecuted for pederasty in the 1970s.

Boorish, thick-skinned, arrogant and a lifelong sexual boaster, Vidal explained his world-view to an interviewer, “The difference between Italian boys and American boys, is the Italian boys have dirty feet and clean assholes, while American boys have clean feet and dirty assholes.” Vidal was a founder and financial donor to the Boston/Boise group that later became NAMBLA. He appeared at NAMBLA fundraising events and he appeared as a defence witness for various NAMBLA members who were prosecuted for pederasty in the 1970s.

In later life, Vidal moved to a villa in Ravello in Italy, where the ages of consent for homosexuality and prostitution are among the lowest in Europe, and took annual holidays in Thailand, a notorious pederast’s haven.

In later life, Vidal moved to a villa in Ravello in Italy, where the ages of consent for homosexuality and prostitution are among the lowest in Europe, and took annual holidays in Thailand, a notorious pederasts' haven.

His half-sister Nina Straight, told his biographer Tim Teeman that Vidal was a paedophile who preyed on underage boys and that this was the reason he took holidays in Bangkok. This is confirmed by his nephew, the actor and director Burr Steers, who was very close to Vidal and says the writer was afraid that secrets about his pedophile activities would come out.

His half-sister Nina Straight, told his biographer Tim Teeman that Vidal was a paedophile who preyed on underage boys and that this was the reason he took holidays in Bangkok. This is confirmed by his nephew, the actor and director Burr Steers, who was very close to Vidal and says the writer was afraid that secrets about his pedophile activities would come out.

Steers said Vidal was "terrified that conservative columnist William F. Buckley had evidence that Mr. Vidal had sex with underage boys" — or as Nina Straight put it, "Jerry Sandusky acts." Vidal spent a lot of time and money on litigation against Buckley for libel and this was a long-running feud.

Steers said Vidal was "terrified that conservative columnist William F. Buckley had evidence that Mr. Vidal had sex with underage boys" — or as Nina Straight put it, "Jerry Sandusky acts." Vidal spent a lot of time and money on litigation against Buckley for libel and this was a long-running feud.

When discussing the case of Roman Polanski, the film director who faced criminal charges for sex with various underage girls, Vidal in a 2009 Atlantic interview expressed indifference to age of consent issues and referred to Polanski’s 13-year-old victim Samantha Geimer, who was drugged and raped, as a "young hooker".

When discussing the case of Roman Polanski, the film director who faced criminal charges for sex with various underage girls, Vidal in a 2009 Atlantic interview expressed indifference to age of consent issues and referred to Polanski’s 13-year-old victim Samantha Geimer, who was drugged and raped, as a "young hooker".

''Interviewer'' In September, director Roman Polanski was arrested in Switzerland for leaving the U.S. in 1978 before being sentenced to prison for raping a 13-year-old girl at Jack Nicholson’s house in Hollywood. During the time of the original incident, you were working in the industry, and you and Polanski had a common friend in theater critic and producer Kenneth Tynan. So what’s your take on Polanski, this many years later?

''Interviewer'' In September, director Roman Polanski was arrested in Switzerland for leaving the U.S. in 1978 before being sentenced to prison for raping a 13-year-old girl at Jack Nicholson’s house in Hollywood. During the time of the original incident, you were working in the industry, and you and Polanski had a common friend in theater critic and producer Kenneth Tynan. So what’s your take on Polanski, this many years later?

''Vidal''. I really don’t give a fuck. Look, am I going to sit and weep every time a young hooker feels as though she’s been taken advantage of?

''Vidal''. I really don’t give a fuck. Look, am I going to sit and weep every time a young hooker feels as though she’s been taken advantage of?

 

According to his relatives, Vidal spent a lot of his immense fortune on legal fees to conceal his guilty secret. This came as a shock to those who thought Vidal had spent most of his money on his chronic alcohol addiction and his generous patronage of young male prostitutes brought to his house daily by his secretary. Speaking to Tim Teeman, who wrote a book about Vidal’s sex-life, his sister compared Vidal to Jerry Sandusky, the notorious sports coach paedophile. Vidal spent $1 million on legal costs to keep Buckley from revealing details of his dealings with underage boys.  Mr Steers, an actor and film director, said: ‘I know Buckley had a file on him that Gore feared. Buckley had something over him. It would make sense if that material was about him having underage sex.’

According to his relatives, Vidal spent a lot of his immense fortune on legal fees to conceal his guilty secret. This came as a shock to those who thought Vidal had spent most of his money on his chronic alcohol addiction and his generous patronage of young male prostitutes brought to his house daily by his secretary. Speaking to Tim Teeman, who wrote a book about Vidal’s sex-life, his sister compared Vidal to Jerry Sandusky, the notorious sports coach paedophile. Vidal spent $1 million on legal costs to keep Buckley from revealing details of his dealings with underage boys.  Mr Steers, an actor and film director, said: ‘I know Buckley had a file on him that Gore feared. Buckley had something over him. It would make sense if that material was about him having underage sex.’

And he added, pointedly: ‘Gore spent a lot of time in Bangkok, after all.’ The Thai capital is infamous for child prostitution and Gore would visit every year. Friends say he had sex there with young male prostitutes.

And he added, pointedly: ‘Gore spent a lot of time in Bangkok, after all.’ The Thai capital is infamous for child prostitution and Gore would visit every year. Friends say he had sex there with young male prostitutes.