THEGAYUK

Day: 15 September 2014

  • German Gay Rights Activist Attacked in Belgrade.

    German gay rights activist who took part in a gay rights conference in Belgrade, Serbia, was severely beaten on Saturday 13th September 2014, suffering life threatening head injuries. The name of the victim has not yet been released, but reports from the Serbian Police, gay rights activists and the German Ambassador confirm the story, according to the Associated Press.

    Jovanka Todorovic, from the Labris Gay and Lesbian Group, told the Associated Press that the man was attacked and beaten around the head with a glass ashtray, whilst his attackers shouted “we don’t want foreigners in Belgrade”. The attack left him with internal bleeding and head injuries.

    Heinz Georg Wilhelm, the German ambassador to Serbia, stated that the man was “awake, but that it [was] still too early to say something”. He added that “If it’s true that the attacker said that he does not want foreigners in Serbia; that gives a new xenophobic dimension to the whole incident”.

    Protesting the attack, hundreds of gay rights supported marched in downtown Belgrade on Saturday, carrying signs saying “Stop the Violence” and “Your Policies, Our Blood”. Anti-riot police were present to protect the demonstrators.

    The incident comes two weeks before the first gay pride march to take place in the city since disturbances between police and anti-gay far-right groups halted the events four years ago.

    The Interior minister, Nebojsa Stefanovic pledged that police will identify the attackers, confirming that he has ordered an intensive investigation so that the attackers are brought to justice. The BBC reports that three men have been arrested, but no further details are known.

    Serbia has repeatedly pledged to protect human rights as it seeks membership of the European Union.

    Serbian officials have previously prevented LGBT-Rights demonstrations, claiming that they could not control the anti-LGBT violence, but whether this may impact on their inclusion in the EU remains to be seen.

  • INTERVIEW: My Transexual Summer: Lewis Hancox

    Lewis Hancox, a 24-year-old Digital Film and Video student tells Matt Peake about what it was like to appear in Channel 4’s ‘My Transsexual Summer’, his plans for the future and about the love of his life, Sophie.

    Can you explain the process of how Channel 4 initially approached you?

    I made video blogs on YouTube ever since I first started my transition to see how I changed. Twenty Twenty, the production company, found me on YouTube and emailed saying ‘we found your videos and we think you’d be good for this programme. Can we give you a call?’ They came round to film an audition tape then rung me up saying we’d like you to be part of the show.
    During the show you lived in a house with all the other Trans people? How was it meeting everyone?

    Yes, it was a big massive house in Bedford and we stayed there every other weekend during the summer. That was really fun. I’d never met anyone else transgender before and I was really excited to meet other people in my position and really nervous because I knew cameras were going to be on us. Straight away me and Drew just clicked because I think she’s my age and she’s a northerner and we just had loads in common. That would have never happened if it wasn’t for the show.
    I find it interesting that the representation of trans people in the show was so varied from people only weeks into their transition and others who were years into theirs.

    Yes, we were all at different stages in our transition. At the time I hadn’t had my chest surgery. The show helped me raise the money as St. Helen’s wouldn’t fund the chest surgery saying it wasn’t part of the gender reassignment process, which is ridiculous. Within the time that the show was filmed people really transformed.
    Obviously having the support for the chest surgery funding. What was the general reaction from the public?

    I was a bit worried and almost dropped out of the show at the last minute because I didn’t want to reveal to everyone that I was transgender. I felt it was something to be ashamed of and I was embarrassed by it but I literally didn’t get a single negative reaction.
    The most unlikely people in St. Helen’s, like the chavs, were shouting at me saying ‘oh, it’s that guy off the telly! Well done!’. In terms of transitioning, some people don’t even want to be classed as male or female and would rather be called ‘genderqueer’. Personally, I just see that being transgender for me is a medical thing. I feel like I’m just a guy that happens to be born a bit differently. It doesn’t not make me feel ashamed or embarrassed because I don’t mind telling people I was born a bit different. It’s a condition that I have or had. I have to put it behind me and I’m just me.
    You said you’re still in contact with Drew and Fox but have you met the others since the show?

    After the show came out we did a UK club tour. We got to be in the VIP sections and basically live the high life for a year. So that was amazing. I now live down south and am moving to Brighton in April with my girlfriend. Sarah lives in Brighton so I’ll probably see her a lot more.

    You met your girlfriend after the tour didn’t you?

    Yes, basically it worked out quite well. Sophie saw the show and messaged me on Facebook saying ‘Congratulations on getting the money for your surgery!’ or something along those lines. I messaged her back and checked out her pictures because I thought she was hot. I never actually thought that I would meet someone online but we just got on straightaway. We live in Buckinghamshire now. Everything just flowed really “I feel like I’m just a guy that happens to be born a bit differently. It doesn’t not make me feel ashamed or embarrassed because I don’t mind telling people I was born a bit different” naturally.
    What are you up to at the moment?

    I’m studying Digital Film and Video. It’s the one time when I’m actually doing well at Uni because I’ve dropped out of other Uni’s in the past. I’ve also been doing loads of work on the side with Fox so I’m building up a really big portfolio.
    How was it coming out to your parents?

    I told my mum first and she completely understood because when I was a kid I used to say that I was a boy all the time so I don’t think it was really a shock for her. She was still concerned but only because she thought that I would have a hard life. We both didn’t know anything about it so we did research and watched shows about it. We were both learning together.
    My dad was the one who was a little bit weird about things. When I told him, it was like the news had just been sprung on him. I think he felt that I should have discussed it with him, rather than saying ‘I am going to transition’. Maybe he felt that he wanted to be a part of that decision. I think the real issue was that we didn’t see each other enough. On ‘My Transsexual Summer’, they wanted me and my dad to talk and we became closer, with him beginning to accept it. He’s completely cool with it now. He wanted me and Drew to get married at one point. I actually came out as liking girls before coming out as Trans so I suppose that I’ve sort of had two coming outs.
    So what is your ultimate ambition?

    I really want to write a comedy drama based on my life about being Trans with me as the person going through college having to experience that but making light of it and turning it into comedy.

    How do you feel about the representation of transsexuals in the media?

    I think that slowly it’s getting better but what I’d like to see is more Trans people in the media, but not about them being Trans. For example, if I’m a filmmaker, I want to be known as the filmmaker who happens to be trans. I think that would help people recognise that we’re all normal, and that we’ve all got ambitions, hopes and dreams. There is still prejudice and it needs to be tackled directly. Also there are not many Trans men in the media. I know that there are a lot of people that don’t think Trans guys exist, like my girlfriend thought, before she watched ‘My Transsexual Summer’, that a Transgendered person was a man changing into a woman, she didn’t realise that it could be the other way round.
    How do you feel about the gay media’s representation of transsexuals?

    I think in the media that there is too much focus on surgery and things like that and it’s good to educate people but it’s not good if someone were to ask someone if they’ve had surgery or not, to just be nosey. It’s not like people who aren’t Trans are going around ask others what their bits are like. Why should that matter?
    How do you feel about the representation of the Trans community within the supposedly ‘LGBT’ organisations?

    There is the debate that the T shouldn’t be with the LGBT because LGB refers to sexuality and transgender isn’t sexuality. I’ve never been involved or been to an LGBT group for support because I’ve never needed it. I tell a lie, in fact I’ve been to an LGBT group once when I was at Salford Uni and everyone just assumed I was a gay guy when I was there. I think there’s still work to be done with people realising that LGBT isn’t just about being gay. I’ve never felt the need to be part of that though as I don’t see myself as any different. I’m a straight guy and I don’t feel the need to go to LGBT groups.

    Could you explain more about the surgery that you’ve had?

    Well before the surgery, you have to have had your name changed and have been living a whole year as the new gender. It sounds weird to say as I’ve been living my whole life as this gender, except for that time in high school, as a guy. I then got on the hormones for a few years before I had the chest surgery because I had to raise the money myself. I applied for the lower surgery and everything was straight forward and within a few weeks they said did I want to come in for my first stage. There are two different types of surgery. There’s the phalloplasty, which was featured in the show with the guy who had the skin graft from his arm, but I’ve gone with a different type of surgery called the metoidioplasty.

    This interview is from our Feb 2014 Issue – available from iTunes and Android.

  • Thugs Abuse 24-Year-Old Wolverhampton Man In Homophobic Attack

    Police are appealing for witnesses to an incident of criminal damage that occurred in Bridgnorth on Sunday 7th September.

    The incident took place at the Severn Car Park at around 7:15 pm on the 7th September. The victim, a 24-year-old man from Wolverhampton, was walking his dog along with another man when he was approached by an unknown female who became verbally abusive with him.

    Both men went to leave the area when they found their vehicle, a Silver Ford Fiesta, had been surrounded by a group of 6-7 men and women of mixed ages. The group proceeded to push and kick the victim’s car, one member of the group picked up a large metal bin and threw it against the car causing damage to the driver’s side panel and glass. Another member also threw what has been described as a house brick through the windscreen of the car, completely destroying it. Throughout the attack, members of the group shouted homophobic slurs at both the victim and the man with him.

    The initial female was white and described as around 40-years-old, short in height with ginger hair which was tied back. At the time of the attack, she was wearing a white blouse with a knee length skirt. One of the men in the group was described as around 40-years-old, of average build with short blonde hair. A further male was also described as around 40-years-old, wearing a blue polo shirt with dark jeans. No further descriptions of the rest of the group were given. A Ford Focus Saloon vehicle is also thought to be linked to the suspects, which Police are keen to identify.

    Police are appealing for information from anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward by calling 101, quoting incident 646 of 7th September. Alternatively, information can be given to Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111 or visiting www.crimestoppers-uk.org

  • New report shows that SHOWBIZ is rife with homophobia

    A new report has shown that more than 50% of people polled had heard directors and producers make anti-gay comments about actors on set.

    The survey by the Williams Institute for the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, has shown that 53% of respondents believed that directors and producers are biased against LGBT performers in hiring and nearly 20% of gay men and 10% of bisexual men had experienced discrimination in their profession.

    Nearly 6000 members of the SAG-AFTRA were surveyed.

    The study, which was undertaken in 2012, aimed to expand the research on diversity and inclusion in the entertainment industry – and to provide insight into how sexuality and gender identity influence performers’ experiences within the industry.

    The survey also found that LGBT respondents were less likely to than straight actors to have an agent, which might put LGBT performers at at disadvantage when looking for work. Despite this gay men and women had the most days worked in the previous 12 months, with 34 days for gay men, vs. 30 for straight and 41 for lesbians vs. 26 for straight women.

    Earlier in the year actor Daniel Franzese who starred in Mean Girls said that he hit a ‘gay glass ceiling’ after the role in the film and was repeatedly turned down by Hollywood casting directors who were looking for more masculine actors.

    The survey was funded by the Screen Actors Guild.

  • Snoop Dogg in Instagram gay slur storm

    Snoop Dogg, is under fire after a gay slur was published on his Instagram and Twitter feeds.

    A homophobic caption was uploaded to Snoop Dogg’s Instagram account this morning, before being deleted 40 minutes later. It has not been confirmed whether the rapper is responsible for the tweet.

    The caption along with a photograph of two men in bed read: “U n ya boyfriend since u like Jumpn on my page disrespectn bitch boy go suck ya man n get off my line f.A. G.”

    The picture and slur was shared with his 3.5 million followers on Instagram and 11.6 million fans on Twitter.

    Two years ago, Snoop Dogg commended singer Frank Ocean when he came out, saying that Hip Hop was ready for a gay artist. However, in April, he doubted that homosexuality would be acceptable in the rap world saying, “It’s acceptable in the singing world, but in the rap world I don’t know if it will ever be acceptable because rap is so masculine.

    “It’s like a football team. You can’t be in a locker room full of motherf**king tough ass dudes, then all of a sudden say, ‘Hey, man, I like you’.

    “You know… that’s going to be tough.”