THEGAYUK

Day: 19 December 2013

  • THEGAYUK Comes Runner Up In The Co Op Respect Awards Loved By You

    Huzzah! TheGayUK has been announced as a runner-up in the Co-Operative Respect ‘Loved By You’ National Magazine of The Year Award.

    It’s with great pleasure that we announce that TheGayUK along with all its contributors have come runner up in the Co-Operative Respect ‘Loved By You’ Awards 2013.

    “We were up against some Titans,’ remarked Jake Hook, one of the co-founders, ‘but we’re so happy with our placement – against two of our incredible colleagues in gay media – DIVA and Attitude. My congratulations goes to both publications and the teams that make them happen and thank you to everyone who voted for us…’

    The awards have generated lots of interest and 8,753 nominations were received and the awards have reached over 2.5 million people on Twitter with lots of support from community groups, celebrities and charities. The winners of the awards are those that received the most nominations.

    The awards were an opportunity for people from all over the UK (anyone in the world could vote too) to vote for their favourites in 27 diverse categories. Categories ranged from ‘LGBT Charity of the Year’ to ‘Inclusive Event of the Year’.

    Winners for the other categories include:

    Village Bakers – LGBT Networking/Social Group of the Year

    UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG) – LGBT Community Group of the Year

    Stonewall – LGBT Charity of the Year

    George House Trust -Health & Wellbeing Charity of the Year

    Newcastle Ravens RFC -LGBT Sports Group of the Year

    Out North West – Regional LGBT Magazine of the Year

    DIVA – National LGBT Magazine of the Year

    R U Coming Out – LGBT Website of the Year

    Kieron Richardson Show (Gaydio) – LGBT Radio Show of the Year

    Stephen Fry – Tweeter of the Year

    Matt Fishel – Not Thinking Straight – Album of the Year

    Matt Fishel – Radio-Friendly Pop Song – Song of the Year

    Gravity – Movie of the Year

    Hollyoaks – TV Show of the Year

    The Palace of Curiosities – Rosie Garland – Book of the Year

    The Secret Diaries of a Teenager Queer – Theatre Production of the Year

    Tom Daley – Inspiring Celebrity of the Year

    Manchester – UK Pride Event of the Year

    Amsterdam – International Pride Event of the Year

    The Rainbow Intersection – A dialogue about Race, Sexuality & Culture in Modern Britain – Inclusive Event of the Year

    Polari – LGBT Cultural Event of the Year

    Taurus, Manchester – LGBT Bar of the Year

    Velvet, Manchester – Restaurant of the Year

    Contact Theatre, Manchester – Inclusive Venue of the Year

    Gran Canaria – Holiday Destination of the Year

    Barefoot Wine – Brand of the Year

  • Gay footballer Robbie Rogers, Other gay footballers “scared” to come out

    Robbie Rogers one of the world’s most famous openly gay footballers has said no other players have contacted him about the issue since he came out in February 2013.

    Speaking to BBC Newsnight, openly gay footballer Rogers hasn’t received any contact from any other players since he made news about his sexuality back in February. He was the first professional player to play for an English team, to do so since Justin Fashanu in 1990.

    ‘I haven’t received a letter or text or anything from one footballer that wants to talk about these issues,” he said.

    ‘I’ve received phone calls and I’ve spoken with all my friends here in the UK and around the world that have supported me, but I haven’t had one message from a [gay] footballer,” he told BBC Newsnight.

    ‘It reminds me of the fear that I had – you remember that atmosphere and how it made you feel. It just shows there’s a huge problem.

    ‘What do you do to change that, do you try to support them to create an environment that would support them to come out and they would feel comfortable in? It’s really tough.’

    Robbie Rogers now plays for LA Galaxy.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Lady Rizo, At Soho Theatre, London

    ★★★★ | Lady Rizo, At Soho Theatre, London

    We are so lucky to live in London. The sheer range of entertainment this city offers is absolutely astonishing. On any given night, we are offered a bewildering array of choices, opera, ballet, theatre, whether it be mainstream or fringe.

    There really is something for everyone. It is surely the sheer richness of London’s cultural life that attracts artists from all over the world here. So it is that self-styled New York entertainer, dream maker, chanteuse and superstar Lady Rizo is visiting London to take up residency in the Soho Theatre’s intimate downstairs cabaret space until January 4th.

    Taking in a wide range of material, Lady Rizo lends her powerhouse vocals to such classics as Cole Porter’s “Love For Sale” and the seasonal “The Christmas Song”, as well as contributing some of her own songs from her own album “Violet”. With a nod to the festive season, she even puts her inimitable stamp on a bluesy rendition of Adolphe Adam’s “O Holy Night.”

    Elegant, but engagingly wacky, she jokes with the audience between songs, at one point stuffing most of her fist into her mouth as she peels off her gloves in a comedy strip routine, though, like Rita Hayworth’s Gilda, the gloves are all that come off. Mid-way through the show, she entices an audience member on stage and gets him to help her change her dress behind a back lit screen, whilst he tells her the story of how he lost his virginity. It’s that kind of show. We soon feel like old friends. By the end of it, she has the audience eating out of her hand, and singing along with The Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody”.

    Big on personality, big on voice, this is one lady you shouldn’t miss, but get there early, or, even better, book, Tuesday’s performance was completely sold out.

    Lady Rizo is at the Soho Theatre Downstairs until January 4th 2014

  • Steps star Ian “H” Watkins gets public apology from E!

    Steps’ Star Ian ‘H’ Watkins has received an apology from E! Entertainment after it mistakenly used his picture instead of Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins.

    Steps’ lead man Ian ‘H’ Watkins received a barrage of abuse after his photo was posted by Entertainment website E! Online, to illustrate a story about disgraced Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins.

    Ian H Watkins had been receiving abuse from online trolls, who had mistaken the Steps’ singer for the Lostprophets’. The singer quit Twitter a number of weeks ago.

    The entertainment company’s solicitor acknowledged the ‘distress and damage’ that the use of H’s photo had caused the star.

    Ian H Watkins released a statement today saying:

    ‘In Court this morning E! have publically apologised to me and a statement has been read in court to make the position clear.

    ‘This was not something that I did lightly but it was important to me that a public statement was made so that there is no confusion going forward.

    ‘I am really pleased that it has been resolved so quickly so that me and my family can try and move on from what has been an extremely distressing time.’

    Ian Watkins was sentenced to 35 years for 13 child sex offences.

  • TECH REVIEW | Kobo Arc 10HD

    When offered the chance to give the Kobo Arc 10HD a trail run, I couldn’t wait to compare it and its functionality against the recent review of the Kobo Aura eReader I recently did. This unit is vastly different to the Aura, not better as it would be like comparing chalk and cheese.

    The Arc is an eReader, but goes further and is a serious iPad competitor. It allows you the usual e-reader experience, offering a vast library of books and magazines but also moves into games, movies and net access to make this a more rounded experience and a more popular option.

    The design is sleek, and doesn’t really stray from the usual black and glass. It isn’t radical, but to be honest, I think most manufacturers are leaving that end of the market to Apple and are concentrating more on price-points. This unit being no different, coming in at under £300, and offering a similar experience to the iPad.

    The operating system is smooth, with the capacitive touchscreen running as quickly as anything Apple produces. It is as intuitive as other models, with icons and buttons being simple, clean and clear. It comes with a selection of pre-loaded apps which includes Facebook, Twitter, Skype and OfficeSuite, making this one workhorse of a tablet. It supports all major file types, allowing you to work across formats – when out and about you can now access your Office files from emails, alter and share.

    My only issue with it is that it isn’t Apple – that’s how highly I rate this item. I am an Apple fan, and it would take something major to make me buy another brand, but this comes close! Similar to the fact that the Aura made me a fan of eReaders, this tablet could prise me away from Apple. It has everything you need in a tablet, it is a portable computer, offers thousands of books at your finger tips, prefect web browsing, easy set-up and access to over 1million apps from Google.

    The item has a clear 10” HD display, 16GB storage and weighs a little over 600grams. It has the usual sockets, micro USB and micro HDMI out, allowing you to link this little beauty with other pieces of kit. It also has a front facing 1.3 megapixel HD camera, allowing you to snap and share your memories.

    The Positive

    ▪ Ease of use and set-up
    ▪ HD display, clean and clear
    ▪ An office on the go

    The Negative
    ▪ The brand – needs time to establish itself more

    Price: The Kobo Arc 10HD comes in at £299.99 RRP, and is readily available from:
    http://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/kobo-arc-10hd-black-16-gb-tablet/product/36787517

    For me, this tablet is worth its cost. Some may hold out for a cheaper model, however – you do get what you pay for. This item doesn’t feel cheap, you can see where the money has been spent. It runs smoothly, its simple to use and add to, the apps that come with it are enough to get you going with plenty more available to suit your needs. If you are looking for something as a alternative to Apple, then loo no further.

    Our Rating: ★★★★

    Specifications:

    • 10” HD LCD display
    • 2560 x 1600 screen resolution
    • NVIDIA Tegra 4 T4OS, 1.8 GHz quad core processor
    • 2 GB DDR3L RAM
    • 253 x 172 x 9.9 mm dimensions
    • 627g weight
    • 16 GB storage
    • Micro USB, Micro HDMI out and 3.5 mm headphone jack ports
    • Front facing 1.3 MP (720p) HD camera
    • Dual stereo speakers, microphone for audio
    • dual band wifi and bluetooth connectivity
    • battery life of up to 9.5 hours of continuous reading
    • Andriod 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system
    • Google Play access
    • File support for ePub, JPG, PNG, GIF, mp4, flac and many more