Prince Harry Can Lick My Face Anytime

Britain's Prince Harry, under fire over alleged racism, received rare praise from a leading gay rights campaigner on Wednesday who said he was "liberated and enlightened" for kissing and licking a male friend.

Harry, a serving British army officer, was widely criticised earlier this week after footage emerged of him describing a colleague as a "Paki" in 2006.

The video, obtained by the News of the World tabloid, also includes images of Harry on a night out with friends in which he mouths to one soldier: "I love you" before kissing him on the cheek and licking his face.

Another extract shows Harry asking a colleague how he felt after an army exercise, adding: "Gay, queer on the side?"

But Peter Tatchell, an Australian-born human rights activist who made his name focusing on gay rights, said he had no problem with Harry's use of the word "queer" and praised his show of affection.

"For him to happily give his soldier friend a public kiss and lick his face strikes me as rather liberated and enlightened, for a straight man," he said.

"If only more heterosexual men were relaxed about same-sex affection like Harry, the world would be a better place."

Tatchell added: "The context and intention of words is crucial in deciding whether they are offensive or not. I don't find anything objectionable about the context in which Harry used the word queer."

Heterosexual men rarely kiss their male friends or family members in stiff upper lip Britain, preferring to greet each other by shaking hands.

A new royal race row emerged on Tuesday when it was revealed that Harry's father Prince Charles calls his Indian-born friend Kolin Dhillon "Sooty".

Harry and his brother William also reportedly use the nickname, which Dhillon said was "a term of affection".

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