THEGAYUK

Day: 8 January 2016

  • COMMENT: So who is the UK’s new “Homophobe” in chief Winston McKenzie ?

    A couple of days ago we reported on the controversy caused by Winston McKenzie entering the Celebrity Big Brother house.

    In a first for the bi-annual series shown on Channel 5 during August and January now in its 11th series there were 165 complaints to Ofcom before a housemate had even entered the house. This was due to his “I could cope with there being a homosexual in the house. I guess I’ll just have to stand with my back against a brick wall all the time,” comment.
    Complaints have now risen substantially to 350 plus and an investigation will be underway once all complaints have been processed. McKenzie who entered to loud boo’s from the crowd is not making many friends on the inside as within 48 hours of entering he has been nominated for eviction already by his fellow housemates throwing his fate into the hands of the voting public.
    The record number of 16 contestants in the house is causing McKenzie further problems as he has declared on the show repeatedly that he would not share a bed with another man under any circumstances ‘I would not even share a bed with my own Brother’ he said.
    This very popular show with gay viewers, probably only beaten by anything featuring RuPaul, drag queens or pop songs from Boznia-Herzegovena, it prides itself on booking the most outrageous people available such as Janice Dickinson, Spencer ‘Spidey’ and also placing Katie Price in the same building as Katie Hopkins and Perez Hilton for a month. Channel 5 could be in trouble with Ofcom this time though as the original ‘homophobic’ remark was made on a pre-recorded interview which was then edited and they still chose to show the hateful comment rather than take it out. The gay NTA award nominated host of the sister show ‘BB Bit On The Side’ Rylan Clark-Neal (His married name) who will do McKenzie’s first major interview live when he is evicted has according to his social media already had a small wall constructed so that either he or McKenzie can stand with their back to it to conduct the interrogation.
    McKenzie obviously figures that he is a very desirable male and that all gay men are after him for his body – he should be so lucky of course. So who is this latest gay irritant ?.
    This year he is standing for London Mayor on behalf of the English Democratic Party and he cites the main reason for doing Big Brother is to gain publicity for his campaign which currently seems to revolve around getting other female reality stars to jump into bed with him.
    He was a welterweight boxer of middling success but his career was cut short at 23 due to retina problems. He then went on to open The McKenzie Brother Bar and Grill in Thornton Heath with his two boxing siblings. Very shortly afterwards in 2002 it was raided by the police with 25 people arrested on either possession of drugs or firearms charges after losing their license the pub closed, was boarded up and has since been demolished.
    McKenzie who fancies himself as a rapper then tried to audition for the X-Factor but failed to get far enough through the process to make it in front of Louis, Sharon & Simon Cowell.
    He then decided to pursue his political career. After being a Labour Party member he switched to the Liberal Democrat party.
    He then left, stood as an Independent then joined Robin Kilroy-Silks Veritas party, then Independent again and then (are you keeping up ?) back to Veritas. After a very dissapointing campaign to which he wholly lies the blame at Kilroy Silk’s feet rather than his own.
    As an Independent he stood for the 2008 Mayoral election coming last polling fewer votes than a candidate who had actually withdrawn from the process! He then jumped ship to the Conservative Party often stating that you have to join these parties first before you actually find out what they are like. He then started his own Unity Party in 2009 before later that year joining UKIP.
    He has said that he believes Nigel Farage is like ‘Jesus Christ’ and calls him Teflon in his ability to shake off dirt that is thrown his way. UKIP made great use of the fact that McKenzie was a black man in their publicity and allowed him to represent them several times for election in the Croydon area.
    It was at this time that McKenzie made his infamous, “To say to a child, ‘I am having you adopted by two men who kiss regularly but don’t worry about it’ – that is abuse. It is a violation of a child’s human rights because that child has no opportunity to grow up under normal circumstances” remark to the Metro.
    He also stated “some people pretend” to be gay: “They take on being gay as a sort of fashion. Celebrities come out to become more well known, it gets attention. It’s a fact of life that some people actually are gay. They are what they are. They can’t help it but the other bunch take on being gay as a fashion and push it because they have nothing better to do with their lives.”
    He also made a very strange attempt to take over Crystal Palace Football Club. He stood for local Office in Croydon but to little success partly due to calling the borough, ‘Unsafe and a dump and descending into depravity’ before polling day.

    UKIP lost faith with him and his branch for mishandling several thousand pounds worth of branch funds and he was suspended. He was still UKIP spokesman for Commonwealth Affairs but lost that job just before the 2015 election where he lost for UKIP once again.
    In November last year live on ITV News he threw his UKIP badge onto the table and declared he was resigning as he had been overlooked as a Mayoral candidate due to racial issues from senior UKIP members (The race card of which he has played often when explaining why he lost jobs or elections) and was going Independent again.
    A couple of weeks later he joined the English Democrats who made him their Mayoral candidate calling him “the most influential Black English political figure today”. Three weeks later he was in hiding awaiting entry into the Celebrity Big Brother House.
    His most recent remarks have been defended by the spokesperson for the English Democrats, Steve Uncles, who compared the gay community to Nazi’s”when it comes to freedom of speech”.
    Please check online as during your reading of this article McKenzie may have since joined the Green Party Or Ulster Democrats to complete his set of political parties.

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • CBB’s Jonathan Cheban Had His Sexuality Questioned On TV

    Way back in 2012, Kim Kardashian’s BFF Jonathan Cheban had his sexuality questioned on TV.

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  • ANGIE BOWIE: Winston McKenzie Can Suck My Big One

    A homophobic storm has hit the Big Brother house after Winston McKenzie tries to explain his beliefs about gay couples adopting children.

    An explosive feud between Angie Bowie and controversial politician and London Mayor wannabe Winston McKenzie is brewing after McKenzie tried to explain his belief that adoption of children by gay couples is akin to child abuse.

    McKenzie was nominated by the LGBT charity Stonewall as Bigot Of The Year in 2013 for the comment.

    In tonight’s episode during a task where the celebs have to see how well they know each other, Winston is correctly identified as having described adoption by gay couples as child abuse, debate sparks.

    McKenzie tried to explain,

    “How can I? I’m a Christian. How can I go against my beliefs? No I’m not homophobic, no I don’t hate gays, people live their lives as according to how they want to live.”

    Later that evening David Gest is talking to Angie Bowie about what had gone down earlier with Winston.
    Angie tells David

    “I didn’t do 45 years fighting for gay rights for f*cking nothing. I’m not tolerating that c*ap. If he comes within 10 feet of me it’s over. My f*cking eyes nearly popped out of my head. I knew it was him, it’s not like anyone else would have said such a stupid thing. And if he didn’t say it, he didn’t prove to me that he didn’t.

    David says,

    “I love you and I love everything you stand for.”

     

    Angie then continues,

    “Well thank you but at the moment I only stand for being an absolute pratt for having trusted him, for having said nice things about him. What was he all the time? A little mincing, f*cking, stereotypical straight a*sshole hiding behind that it’s a Christian belief. Suck my big one. And when you’re done with that do it again, on your f*cking knees. Piece of cr*p.

    CBB continues tonight on Channel 5 at 9PM

  • THEATRE REVIEW: St Petersberg Classic Ballet – Sheffield Theatres & National Tour

    THEATRE REVIEW: St Petersberg Classic Ballet – Sheffield Theatres & National Tour

    Formed in 1996, the St Petersberg Classic Ballet is currently in the midst of their first ever UK tour, bringing an abundance of classically presented ballet and a trio of traditional tales; The Nutcracker, Giselle and Swan Lake. ★★★

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  • COMMENT: Could Therapy Save Your Life?

    COMMENT: Could Therapy Save Your Life?

    As a psychotherapist, the current news around suicide, immigration, and HIV transmission, troubles me greatly.

    CREDIT: Ocus Focus / Bigstock

    It is only a matter of months since we heard that Vikki Thompson, despite being known to be at serious risk in custody, was sent to a male prison anyway, resulting in her making the upsetting decision to end her life. The reverberations around the country have been vast – people are now engaging in dialogue about suicide, considering the fate of transgender men and women in the prison estate, alongside considering the wider concerns around the risk of suicide to the LGBTF community. For those of us who are part of this community, the concerns are real, and significant.

    But what are, roughly, the facts?

    In terms of stats, you are all probably aware that the majority of suicides are male (of the 6,233 reported suicides in the UK during 2013, 4,858 of those were men, and 1,375 were women (Samaritans’ Report, 2015). Males – and usually white males – between the ages of 49 and 65 were particularly at risk, especially professionals such as doctors, social workers, and solicitors. In addition, suicide amongst the LGBT youth is notable, with LGBT teens and young adults having one of the highest rates of suicide attempts in comparison with the rest of the population. The situation is truly disturbing for us, our families, and our friends. For those left behind when someone ends their life, recovery can be arduous at best. Even more sadly, the lack of a therapist who shares the same sexual identity can significantly impact the quality of the therapeutic relationship from developing at all. But what can we do about it?

    The statutory services are often less than helpful. Without casting ‘shade’ on my Health colleagues, who work hard under very difficult circumstances, waiting lists remain high, the quick fix agenda is still rampant, and getting a therapy which will actually do what it sets out to do is rarely available, despite promises otherwise. Rather unconventionally, in a country where we expect to be treated for everything for free, my humble suggestion would be for anyone with a need for some emotional support, is to consider paying for the therapy yourself. Here are some things to think about in order to help your decision:

    There are often no waiting lists in private practice.

    Choice actually means something. If your therapeutic alliance is not working, find someone else.
    An hour’s therapy costs the equivalent of a meal out, or a pair of jeans. Your happiness is priceless.
    Therapy can take as long as you need it to, not just six sessions.

    Many therapies are available online, i.e. Skype, meaning you don’t even need to go out of your home.


    Confidentiality is more meaningful, as there will be no trace on your health record. At all.

    The thing is, research supports the idea that therapy can be really helpful. For myself (yes, therapists are required to complete their own therapy) the therapy was life-changing. Therapy can help alleviate difficult feelings to the point where, for example, with depression, the impact can rival anti-depressants, and the effects can be felt for much longer afterwards. Some people report that therapy has been profound, with many people wishing they’d made the decision much earlier. Isn’t it about time you considered trying therapy for yourself?

    About Andrew Smith:

    Andrew is the clinical director of TherAppUK Ltd, an organisation based in Greater Manchester that provides a range of therapeutic solutions to individuals, families, and groups. He is also a doctoral researcher at the University of Huddersfield, and lives in the Calder Valley with his partner, Nigel, their son, a neurotic Chihuahua called Chicky, and two cats. If you have any urgent concerns about your own or someone else’s emotional health, please call 999 or NHS Direct. If this is a matter that can wait until one of our therapists can call you back, please email Andrew on andrew.smith@therapp.org

    Provided Content by Andrew Smith (What does this mean?)

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.