THEGAYUK

Day: 4 June 2016

  • Stephen Fry and Doctor Christian blast NHS England on PrEP decision

    Celebrities and activists have condemned this week’s announcement from NHS England that it will not fund PrEP, a pill that is almost 100% effective in preventing HIV.

    © Jean_Nelson Depositphotos

    Stephen Fry led the movement of celebrities rallying for PrEP to be made available to those at risk of HIV.

    Stephen, a patron of Terrence Higgins Trust, said:

    “I have been a supporter of HIV charities for 35 years and seen remarkable medical and social breakthroughs in treating infection and stigma. But I never imagined I would be alive to see the day when a pill was created that could actually prevent HIV.

    “It is remarkable and thrilling to witness so tremendous an achievement, but deeply frustrating in equal measure to discover that our national health service has pointedly refused to provide it to people at significant risk of infection from HIV.

    “Surely this must be challenged: if not in the name of humanity then in the name of economy and plain common sense.”

    His sentiments were echoed by Dr Christian Jessen, an ambassador for National HIV Testing Week, who said,

     “I was shocked and saddened to see NHS England’s refusal to fund PrEP, following months of campaigning by HIV organisations and activists.

    “As a doctor, this makes no sense to me. There should be no ‘controversy’ – this is a drug that works, it will halt HIV, and it is cost-effective. Condom use has prevented tens of thousands of HIV infections and remains a cornerstone of HIV prevention, but it’s not enough on its own. PrEP could have been the last piece of the puzzle.”

    Christian Jessen (C) Monty McKinnen
    Christian Jessen (C) Monty McKinnen

    The UK now has the worst HIV epidemic of any large country in western Europe, having overtaken Spain, France and Portugal. Every day, seven men who have sex with men get HIV.

    The HIV sector has been united in its outrage following NHS England’s announcement on Tuesday. In an unprecedented move, the UK’s HIV charities and organisations have now joined forces and announced they will march together at London Pride on 25th June for the first time in Pride history, under the banner of #United4PrEP.

    In a letter to The Times, the coalition of over 20 HIV organisations called the decision “a dark day for the NHS.”

    The letter was signed by National AIDS Trust, Terrence Higgins Trust, Gay Men Fighting AIDS, British HIV Association and many more.
    They said,

    “Our Government seems to have no idea who is responsible for funding the drug that could help end the HIV epidemic, with departments passing the buck and no-one taking charge. The broader implications of that chaos should worry everyone.”

    Rather than making PrEP available to high-risk groups, the NHS has agreed to provide PrEP to just 500 gay and bisexual men.

    “The tokenistic offer to provide PrEP to 500 gay men over two years is arbitrary and inadequate,” continued the letter in the Times.

    “It won’t scratch the surface when 2,500 gay men get HIV each year, let alone other groups such as trans women and black Africans.”

    Other celebrities joining the outcry have included Coronation Street actor Charlie Condou, who said:

    “Anything that can stop people getting HIV can only be a good thing, and that’s why I was so disappointed that the NHS has refused to fund PrEP. Despite what lots of people think, HIV hasn’t gone away. It’s an incurable health condition affecting thousands of people – and I believe that if there’s a way of stopping it in its tracks, our health service should be grabbing that opportunity, not letting it go to waste.

    “I understand it costs money to provide PrEP, but in the long term, it will be cheaper for the NHS to prevent at-risk people from getting HIV than to fund a lifetime of treatment for them.”

    Sir Elton John has previously voiced his support for PrEP. Writing in the New York Times in 2014, he said,

    “Many view the drug Truvada — often used in pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP — as a miracle drug that will end AIDS. I share in this excitement, and have great hope for PrEP — and praise for leaders who advocate its wider use.”

    The Prime Minister David Cameron has publicly spoken out about the benefits of PrEP, saying,

    “There’s no doubt there is a rising rate of [HIV] infection. These treatments can help and make a difference.”

     

    Now HIV activists and organisations are calling on him to show leadership and see this game-changing drug provided to those most at risk.

    This article was written by Terrence Higgins Trust but was edited to meet THEGAYUK’s style guide.

  • Britain’s Largest LGBT Domestic Violence Charity Closes

    Broken Rainbow, Britain’s largest charity for the survivors and victims of Domestic Abuse has ceased trading.

    Britain’s largest charity for LGBT survivors and victims of domestic violence, Broken Rainbow is to close after failing to keep financially viable.

    The charity had released a number of funding warnings in 2015 and again in 2016 – blaming the Government’s silence in confirming whether the charity would be funded for another year.

    The charity did receive funding for 2015 and 2016 but a charity insider blamed “major mismanagement” for the issues.

    Communications to its chief executive, Jo Harvey Barringer by THEGAYUK went unanswered in early 2016.

    In 2014 the charity relocated to Manchester.

    The closure is the second LGBT+ charity shuttered in 2016. In January mental health charity PACE closed.

    Buzzfeed were the first to break the news that the charity was to close.

    Some of the services offered by Broken Rainbow to victims and survivors of domestic violence will be transferred to Galop.

    The National LGBT Domestic Violence Helpline will remain available on 0300 999 5428 or 0800 9995428.

  • Theatre Review | Dancing In The Streets – Sheffield Theatres & National Tour

    ★★★ | Dancing In The Streets

    Mowtown magic lives on in this musical revue, pulling together the classic artists, the timeless songs and the sound which defined a generation with an unmistakable musical legacy.  Featuring songs from The Temptations, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Lionel Richie and Stevie Wonder; seven singers and a live band bring to life the golden days of Tamla records.

    Photo Courtesy of The Flying Music Company Ltd.

    Musical revues can often come across as slightly polished cruise ship cabaret and their success rests primarily on their subject matter rather than the way in which they are put together. Production wise, one would be hard pressed to find very much to sing about with this show, with nothing more than a static set made up of a handful of podiums for the backing band, three posters of legendary artists, an average lighting set up and a collection of microphone stands. The costumes are functional but nothing spectacular and overall, the whole show remained on a plateau in terms of pace and presentation. There is no narrative, just a relentless set list to carry the show over its two hour running time.

    But it is that set list which really scores the points for this production, with songs including “Superstitious”, “Stop In The Name Of Love”, “Baby Love”, “Reach Out, I’ll Be There”, “My Girl”, “Dancing in the Streets”, “The Tracks Of My Tears”, “Get Ready”, “River Deep Mountain High” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, the show certainly crams in the classics.  Performed by a five piece band, three female singers and four male singers, the vocals were perfectly functional, with all of the singers taking turns to step into the limelight, and each of them finding their niche with a particular song or two. But where the show succeeds is in getting the audience involved. From the outset, audience members were encouraged to dance, clap, sing and shout throughout the proceedings, and the audience certainly took advantage, barely sitting down for the majority of the show and quite literally packing out the aisles in the theatre as they danced.

    When you compare this show to others similar revues, such as Thriller Live which has the hits coupled with some slickly choreographed routines, Dancing in the Streets is lacking in spectacle and, quite honestly, is visually rather bland. But what it lacks in spectacle, it makes up for in energy and atmosphere.

    So put on your dancing shoes; and provided you go and see this show for the music and the party atmosphere, and not for the production values, then you are highly likely to have an enjoyable night.

    Dancing In The Streets is currently on tour throughout the UK until 19th June 2016. For details, see http://www.flyingmusic.com/our-shows/dancing-in-the-streets/ .The production was viewed at Sheffield Theatres (www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk) who have announced their new season, including Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Annie Get Your Gun, The Shawshank Redemption and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.