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Day: 15 December 2017
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Mary Portas’ son in heels is EVERYTHING
He has his mumma’s taste.
Fierce is an understatement as Mary Portas & Melanie Rickey’s son, Horatio posed for the camera, in a pair of incredible Robert Wun heels. Striking a pose that even Nioami Campbell would be proud of, Mary remarked, “When the 5 year old slips into your hot new boots by @robertwun and rocks it.”Horatio who is just five, wore the boots which can retail at over £1000 and looked confident and well, let’s face it, sassy AF. He’s the son of retail consultant and TV presenter Mary Portas and her wife, Melanie.
Bravo!!
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Tory MPs blasts questionnaire asking pupils if they’re happy with their gender
Asking a child what they feel about their gender described as “deeply destabilising” by straight, cis Conservative MPs.
Wokandapix / Pixabay Two Conservative MPs have blasted a move by the NHS in Lancashire, in which a non-mandatory questionnaire was sent to year six pupils asking what they felt about their gender.
MP Tim Loughton, who was the Children’s Minister until 2012, blasted the questionnaire saying that questioning children’s thoughts on their own gender identity was “unsettling” and “deeply destabilising”.
In the survey, pupils were asked if “feel the same inside” as the gender they were assigned a birth – and then asked whether they considered themselves a boy, girl or other options.
Loughton, according to TheyWorkForYou.com has a long history in voting against LGBT+ equality ranging back to 1998.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph about the survey, Loughton said,
“At a time when children are growing up and having to deal with all sorts of challenges of the modern world, now they are being asked to confront their gender, which for many will be unsettling.
“Forcing children to question whether they are the right gender so early on can be deeply destabilising.”
Children not forced to answer optional questionnaire
THEGAYUK.com reached out to Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust to asked whether the questionnaire in question was forced onto children. A spokesperson responded, “The questionnaire was given out to as part of the Universal School Health Needs programme to assess the health and wellbeing needs of children and young people. Questionnaires are provided at Reception / Year 1, Year 6 and Year 9, and are developed according to reflect the needs of children within these age ranges. Completion of this questionnaire is optional”.
Fellow Conservative MP, Jacob Rees Mogg also criticised the survey saying,
“It is quite intrusive – these are private matters in a family. The problem with this approach is not just with the question but with the intrusive survey that invades people’s privacy and assumes the state has a role in a matter that actually belongs within the family.
“These questions are not likely to be helpful. The child is too young – if they have these sorts of issues, the parents are the right ones to discuss it with, not a state survey.”
Gender question removed?
Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed to THEGAYUK.com that the gender question is under review for future surveys. In a statement they said,
“We are constantly reviewing how to capture sensitive information in relation to the needs of children and young people both through universal screening and more targeted approaches. All questions are in the process of being reviewed as we are moving towards a digital platform instead of the current paper based system.
“We are working with our commissioners, Lancashire County Council, to develop this and there is agreement that more consultation is needed on questions about gender and other sensitive health issues in the assessment.”
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THEATRE REVIEW | The Wizard of Oz – Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
★★★★| This Christmas, Sheffield Theatres whisks you off to the Land of Oz, to join Dorothy, a Kansas farm girl, who follows the yellow brick road to the Emerald City to find the great and powerful Wizard of Oz. On the way, she is joined by the scarecrow, the tin man and a cowardly lion, all of whom have something to ask the Wizard themselves. But the four of them are pursued the Wicked Witch of the West, and Dorothy soon comes to realise that there is no place like home.
Photo Credit: Johan Persson The Wizard of Oz needs very little introduction, and has been embraced by the gay community for many years – after all, with anything that is the source of the phrase “friend of Dorothy”, you can expect high camp and an iconic gay status.
The four main leads fill their characters with charm, in particular Max Parker as the Tinman, who brings a great singing voice and some nifty robotic steps to the stage. Andrew Langtree’s scarecrow is wonderfully reminiscent of a rag doll and Jonathan Broadbent’s Lion adds much of the comedic element. Gabrielle Brooks portrays Dorothy with innocence and wide-eyed wonder, although she did sometimes get a little lost amongst her more boisterous on stage travelling companions. But the real testament to her performance was her beautifully sung version of Over the Rainbow, with Brooks nailing the iconic moment with ease. Toto was portrayed by both a scene stealing puppy in Kansas and as a brilliantly performed puppet skilfully (and convincingly) operated by Rhiannon Wallace in Oz, helping to establish that the girl in gingham certainly wasn’t in Kansas anymore.
The production as a whole is beautifully done, in particular, Janet Bird’s set design is ingenious, and the transformation from Kansas to Oz is an unexpected delight. The stage is illuminated underfoot to form the yellow brick road, and everything from a large multi-purpose ensemble to puppetry to practical effects are used to great effect to bring the Land of Oz to life. Add to that a lighting design which is colourful, vivid and incredibly well thought out and some stunning costumes and you have a production which is a visual treat.
The majority of issues with the Wizard of Oz are primarily down to the book, rather than this production. The show itself takes a while to hit its stride, but then, so did the film; and once Dorothy starts to meet her travelling companions, the momentum starts to build, yielding to a much better second act. There were times when the show encroached into pantomime territory on occasions and the Wicked Witch was not particularly menacing, although this was more likely due to being toned down for a family audience rather than Catrin Aaron’s performance or ability. For a musical, the show is also relatively light on musical numbers, with only a handful of songs, but director Robert Hastie makes the most of them, especially in the rather jaunty opening to the second act.
With its high camp value and its snappy presentation, Sheffield Theatre’s production is light, airy and so colourful that rather than being taken over the rainbow, you are placed slap bang in the middle of it.
The Wizard of Oz plays at Sheffield Theatres until 20th January 2018, alongside their pantomime, Mother Goose playing until 7th January 2018 and their interactive production Rent Party until 23rd December 2017. Visit www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk for details and tickets.
