THEGAYUK

Day: 12 August 2012

  • LGBT Stars And Allies Help Close The Olympics

    In a show to end all shows the London 2012 Olympics came to a triumphant conclusion yesterday at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, London.

    The televised event was seen by an estimated 1 billion people across the globe and a crowd of over 80,000 in the stadium.

    In an extraordinary show of British talent the Closing Ceremony hosted some of the finest talents of the UK music and fashion scenes both past and present as the cast of thousands was joined by George Michael, The Spice Girls, Annie Lennox, Jessie J, Pet Shop Boys, and controversially Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss, causing an immediate Twitter backlash.

    The Daily Mail reported that Piers Morgan wrote on twitter: ‘I suspect Kate Moss might fail her drugs test later’, in reference to her alleged drug abuse and Jojo Mayes wrote: ‘Naomi Campbell: gold medal in phone throwing’, while Charles Arthur wrote: ‘Kate Moss! Who represents the Olympic ideals of not doing drugs, or smoking, and achieving lots. Work with me here.’

    Campbell and Moss weren’t the only stars to feel the wrath of the Twitter audience as thousands of users used the service to Tweet their frustrations of Emeli Sandé’s double appearance in the show.

    The show had moments of sheer joy, eccentricity and contemplativeness, in what turned out to be a show to rival that of the Opening Ceremony in July at the beginning of the Olympic games.

    George Michael wowed the audience with a two song set of arguably one of his greatest hits ‘Freedom’, and his forthcoming single ‘White Light.‘ He looked trim and healthy wearing an all black ensemble complete with trademark sunglasses and leather jacket.

    Annie Lennox a long time campaigner for LGBT rights sang in great voice for her moment in the spotlight. The singer sang her hit ‘Little Bird’ whilst surrounded by pirates and was brought on to the stage in a giant skeletal ship.

    However it was the reformation of The Spice Girls that really lifted proceedings, producing an incredible buzz on social networks across the globe. As five brightly lit London taxis parked centre stage, the crowd roared almost uncontrollably as Ginger, Scary, Sporty, Baby and Posh alighted to sing two of their biggest hits: ‘Wannabe’ and ‘Spice Up Your Life’. Their appearance at the show set a new record of 116,000 Tweets per minute on Twitter. Even London Mayor Boris Johnston couldn’t resist a boogie to the sounds of 90’s ‘Girl Power’.

    Jessie J was featured heavily in the proceedings having sung her own hit ‘Price Tag’ and then joining Brian May on the main-stage to sing the iconic ‘We Will Rock You’. A poignant moment in the show however was when the 80,000 strong crowd echoed Freddie Mercury in a video installment in the middle of the stage.

    The Pet Shop Boys also enjoyed their moment in the spotlight, appearing in orange chariots, singing ‘West End Girls’.

    The closing ceremonies brought an end to a record breaking games for Team GB having secured 29 Gold medals, 17 Silver and 19 Bronze to make a total of 65. Team GB came 3rd in the Olympic leader-board, with China in second place and the USA in poll position.

  • Matthew Mitcham Will Not Retire

    Although Matthew Mitcham, the Australian diver crashed out in the 10m platform semi-finals yesterday he has decided that he will not be retiring from the sport after the London 2012 Olympics.

    Mitcham, one of the very few openly gay male athletes in this year’s Olympics in London is quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald as saying:

     

    “Before coming to London, I’d pretty much decided that this was going to be my last Olympics. I was going to retire, just because of all the injuries and everything.

    “I couldn’t see it getting any better, just how wearing 10m is on the body … but once I got here, all bets were off.

    “The Olympics is just the most amazing experience and I never want to miss another one again. In no matter what capacity —  whether it’s a diver, maybe just a springboard diver, or whether it’s media or anything, I’m definitely going to be in Rio, no matter what.”

     

    Mitcham told the press that there were other options open to him such as the 3m springboard. He has experience as a 1m, 3m and 10 metre diver.

     

    “I do have a history as a springboard diver, but I’ve never been solely a springboard diver”, Mitcham said.

    “I’ve always been a platform diver and done springboard either to fill spots, or just because I was sort of semi-OK at it.

    “But I have been in discussion with Chava my coach about the possibility of becoming solely a springboard diver … I’m not really going to take a holiday when I get home — I’m actually going to start working on the strength required to be a springboard diver straight away.

    “It’s going to take a long time to get my thighs as big as [China’s] He Chong’s.”

     

    After failing to reach a place in the finals, Mitcham said:

     

    “I could never have done more.

    “That’s what I have to say to make myself feel better … [and] no one can take that [gold medal] away from me, and that’s another thing that I can use as consolation, that I’m always going to be an Olympic champion.

    “So there.”

     

    His failure to achieve gold this year disappointed many of his fans, after promising to dive naked if he achieved gold.

  • COLUMN: Mind The Gap

    What is it with gay couples and the age gap thing? It seems to be so much more prominent in gay life but that could be my perspective as I have a mildly jaundiced view.

    A friend of mine is in his mid forties yet wouldn’t consider entering a relationship (sexual or otherwise) with any man over the age of thirty. His ideal is twenty-five. He constantly trawls the internet, bars and Grindr looking for attractive younger men who he can bed and or develop a relationship with. Oddly, these relationships don’t seem to go well. They tend to be messy and short lived. I can’t imagine dating someone a lot younger than myself. If they haven’t heard of The Clangers, vinyl records or can’t remember when the pound was a note, then I don’t want to know. What could we possibly have in common apart from sex and you can only do that so many hours of the day…

    Maybe my view is skewed through past experience. My first boyfriend was older (by one year). It was a full on teenage infatuation. I loved him madly to the point where I couldn’t eat or sleep. Two weeks later I realised he was actually a bit dull and had a funny whiff about him. I then upped the ante. My next boyfriend was a lot older. I met him aged almost seventeen in a gay bar (I was precocious and illegal, O.K.?). He was 39. He wooed me, by telling me I was beautiful and buying me books and gin, which was a sure fire way to my heart.

    The power balance was skewed from the outset and by the time we were living together a year later he was definitely assuming the role of the older and wiser one. I didn’t know how to manage money, pay bills and shop. I was still a teenager. I could cook and clean but not much else. I was pretty useless with a power tool too. This felt fine and him keeping my bank account card seemed a positive and sensible thing.

    I think I made a fundamental mistake though. I fell in love with an older man rather than pursuing one for his money. My older man was penniless with terrible career prospects and a deep love for alcohol.

    Fast forward twelve years: I was now 29, still without my own bank account and believing I was unable to function at the most basic level without him supervising everything practical for me. He chose the holiday destinations, the TV we watched and where we went out. The basic problem was that he wanted me to stay a teenager, naive and vulnerable. Unfortunately for him, in the intervening years I’d gained a career, friends and confidence. The balance of power shifted and along with this I gained the characteristics of someone hurtling towards thirty (ear hair, the beginnings of crow’s feet and general grumpiness). It didn’t bode well.

    When I finally left him it was a revelation that paying bills, changing light-bulbs and making choices in life wasn’t that taxing for me. I’m also pretty good with managing my own money. I vowed to myself that never again would I enter a relationship where the age gap was more than the amount of time Eastenders has been on the BBC for.

    The next relationship was with a man who loved young fair haired men who were slim. He was a more sensible choice at four years older but his adoration of youth came to become a stressor. My hair grew darker, I grew older and less toned and frisky and we disintegrated, going our separate ways after six years.

    The world of internet dating that I found myself in aged 36 was at times frustrating. I’d read through a profile for a hot looking man of my own age only to come to the crunch line: No one over the age of 25 need apply. This happened time and time again. It seemed bizarre to me. It seemed to be a recurring theme that the older you get the younger you want your take out or take home to be. I’m not bitter, I met some decent men and of course a few cads. It was fun at times, demoralising at others.

    Then there was the withholding of truth. A hunky thirty five year old would turn up on a date and you’d quickly realise that he was actually ten years older and twenty pounds heavier. Maybe the grainy Polaroid picture with the Wham posters in the background should have been a clue. The Eighties mullet should have told me those photos weren’t recent. Liars are really not my thing.

    Eventually, I met my current partner. I know that’s a lot of long relationships but serial monogamy is so my thing. We didn’t meet in a bar, on the internet or Grindr but in actual real life. How odd is that? Here’s where I reveal my hypocrisy. He’s a fair bit older than me. The balance of power is fine. We’re both equally powerless. It’s pretty good so far. I go with the flow and am happy with that.

    I know some of you will be shouting at your screens: “But I’ve been with my boyfriend who’s twenty years older/younger for ten years and we’re blissfully happy.”

    Good luck to you, if that’s the case. Maybe I was just unlucky and it was just the wrong man. I just hope you can cope with those awkward restaurant moments well. It’s never nice when people address him as your dad or son. Unless that’s your thing of course but that’s a whole other topic.

    Chris Bridges is a regular writer for The Gay UK and also writes more of his observations on his blog:http://www.gayboyinterrupted.blogspot.co.uk/