"“Tinky Winky,” wrote Sussex University lecturer Andy Medhurst, “may be the first queer role model for toddlers.”"

The whole history of Tinky Winky's outing (and inning) is here. It tells us that "According to a few of his old co-workers, [the first Tinky Winky actor] had a penchant for “romping around naked” between takes -- a quirk that had once earned him the nickname “Kinky Winky” on set." However, we are also told that "campy" is British slang for "blatantly homosexual", which feels like an over-simplification to me.

In case you don't want to read the whole thing, including its attempt at a touching, melancholy summing-up of the fate of TW's handbag in the final sentences, the take-home message is that Tinky Winky is not gay.