THEGAYUK

Day: 16 October 2019

  • Is The Birdcage on Netflix 2019?

    The Birdcage is one of the most famous gay movies in history and one of Robin William’s most successful, but where can you stream it?

    Is The Birdcage on Netflix in 2019?

    The Birdcage starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane is unfortunately no longer available to stream on Netflix UK. It was removed from the service in Feb 2019.

    The film was originally released in 1996 and has become one of the highest-grossing LGBT+ films in history. Find out about where the cast is now.

    The film is about a nightclub owner (Robin Williams) and his long-term partner (Nathan Lane) who is the club’s drag queen star. When their son, Val, announces he is to wed the daughter of a conservative senator, who deplores liberal values and gay rights, they scramble to make their home, lives and partnership suitable for homophobes. Although it doesn’t all exactly go to plan.

    The Birdcage is also available to buy or rent on iTunes

    The Birdcage is also available to buy or rent on Amazon

    The Birdcage is not available on Now TV.

  • One in 10 people in the UK think that gay people can be cured

    One in 10 people in the UK think that gay people can be cured

    jossuetrejo_oficial / Pixabay

    Startling findings reveal that 10 per cent of the UK’s population think that gay cures could work on LGBT+ people.

    Despite many people understanding that LGBT+ are born that way, around 1 in 10 people in the UK, still think that homosexuality or being transgender can be cured according to findings recorded by Galop, the UK’s largest anti-violence charity for LGBT+ people.

    This is coupled with the horrifying revelation that around 20 per cent of people (one in five) said that being LGBT+ was immoral or went against their beliefs.

    The findings were analysed from a representative sample of just over 1,600 people.

    Does conversion therapy actually work?

    There are a number of therapists and organisations in the UK and in the USA that make the claim that conversion therapy can help LGB people to become heterosexual. However, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, there is no evidence that such change is possible.

    Does gay conversion therapy actually work?

    Nick Antjoule, Galop’s Head of Hate Crime Services said, At Galop we’ve seen a stark increase in the severity and scale of anti-LGBT violence and abuse over the past few years. This appears to be a symptom of emergent anti-LGBT attitudes and social division across society. The fact that anti-LGBT hate crime figures are rising so much faster than race, faith and disability hate crime should be a wake-up call for policy makers. We urge action now to address this problem before it escalates further. 
     
    Our research shows the journey toward LGBT+ equality is far from over. Despite most people in this UK poll voicing support for LGBT+ people; a significant proportion still think we are dangerous, immoral or that we can be ‘cured’. 

    Younger people hold more negative views about LGBT+ people rather than the older generation.

    Antijoule continued, “It offers a sobering reminder that progress achieved in recent decades can easily be reversed.

    “Young people polled tended to hold more negative views toward LGBT+ people than other age groups. This alarming finding warns of a generational pivot ahead and a bumpy road for those of us committed to challenging anti-LGBT violence and abuse. 

  • Is Drag Race UK Baga Chipz a Conservative?

    Is Drag Race UK Baga Chipz a Conservative?

    People are wondering if one of Drag Race UK‘s stars is a Conservative!

    We’re three weeks and we’re starting to see in our analytics, here at TGUK central what people are wondering about the Drag Queens of Drag Race UK and one of the most highly asked questions is whether Baga Chipz – one of the competition’s favourites to win, is a Conservative. If you’re in the US, the Conservatives are like a Republican Lite. Think a centre-right party without the guns.

    Recently Baga Chipz, was forced to defend a pro-Conservative op-ed she wrote for a magazine back in 2017, during the General Election.

    In the piece, she wrote, that former Prime Minister Theresa May had “proved to be a capable politician, always on the ball and never at risk of having a ‘Diane Abbott’ moment”.

    The piece was unearthed by fans of the show, some of whom were quick to condemn Chipz as a “Tory Queen”.

    However, Baga Chipz was quick to confirm that she was actually a “life-long labour supporter” but wrote the piece because she wasn’t a fan of Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

    She pointed out his “record on antisemitism, his support for the IRA and homophobic terror groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, his support for brutal dictatorships in Venezuela and Cuba”.

    In the piece, titled “Why Vote Conservative” for scene magazine Boyz, she wrote,

    “As a member of the LGBTQI community, I often get asked about Theresa May’s voting record on gay rights, and I understand the concerns,

    “But just as Hillary Clinton changed her stance, so has Mrs May. Not only has she voted for every LGBT reform in parliament in the last decade but she was instrumental in pushing marriage equality.”

    “I am not a Tory”

    Defending her 2017 stance, Chipz took to Twitter to write,  “I am not a Tory. I’m actually a lifelong labour supporter. I supported Theresa May in the last election as I’m not a fan of Jeremy Corbyn.. was 4 years ago hun.. one is allowed to change ones views.

    — Baga Chipz MBE (@ChipShopBird) August 21, 2019

    How does Theresa May’s Voting Record on LGBT+ issues stand?

    Although more recently Theresa May’s voting record has leaned to pro-LGBT+ rights here past actions saw her vote in favour of Section 28,  in a GAYUK analysis May only achieved a 29.6% LGBT+ friendly rating. We noted, “Ms May is what we’d call an evolved Minister on LGBT+ and gay rights. Prior to 2004 she systematically voted against the rights of gay people in the UK. Then we see a 180-degree change in her voting pattern, although she did have a blip in 2007 when she failed to vote on the Discrimination on the grounds of sexuality law. Since the beginning of this decade, she has voted positively for the LGBT+ community.”

    Embed from Getty Images

    Chipz has now said that she’d vote Liberal Democrat.

    So no, she isn’t a Conservative, but a Lib Demmer – a party that is pro-EU and has a great track record when it comes to LGBT+ rights.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | On Your Feet – National Tour

    THEATRE REVIEW | On Your Feet – National Tour

    ★★★ | On Your Feet, Sheffield

    (C) PR SUPPLIED

    Tracing her rise from Cuban immigrant to global superstar, On Your Feet tells the story of Gloria Estafan and the Miami Sound Machine.

    From humble beginnings, the group went on to sell over 100 million records, albeit not without struggling to bring their fusion of Latin beats and Pop to the charts. But the American dream turns sour when at the height of her fame, tragedy hits the family.

    You might think that Gloria Estafan’s life was not really eventful enough to carry the narrative of a two-hour show, and, well, you may be right.

    There is very little in this musical biopic that hasn’t been seen before. The show feels a little self-indulgent at times, only ever skimming the surface of Estafan’s life and there are no huge revelations. The story ambles along without really getting very far in act one; and despite the narrative thickening out a little during act two, it remains a rather superficial look at her life.

    Narrative aside and despite a rather lacklustre set, this is a big production with a quality feel, an excellent lighting design taking us from the heat of the Cuban sun to packed out stadiums, some stunningly beautiful costumes, a stage full of actors and a superb live band on stage. Francesca Lara Gordon plays Gloria Estafan as a sassy, headstrong and determined woman, and had a voice enabling her to belt out the pop tunes and softly sing the slower numbers; and there was a tangible chemistry between her and George Ioannides as Emilio Estafan.

    With a good mix of ballads, upbeat pop and Latin American music, the show bursts into life during the musical numbers which are filled with passion and energy. With infectious Latin rhythms and dance routines that positively sizzle, outstanding choreography and an ensemble cast as hot as the Miami sun, the show really does impress during these moments and proves to be utterly irresistible.

    On Your Feet is a musical biopic with the emphasis firmly on the music rather than the biopic, and provides a couple of hours of foot-tapping, feel-good fun.

    On Your feet is at Sheffield Theatres until 19th October 2019, before continuing on its national tour.

  • Daily Mail readers are doing their nut in after it reports that people who abuse trans people might get SIX months in Prison.

    Daily Mail readers are doing their nut in after it reports that people who abuse trans people might get SIX months in Prison.

    jraffin / Pixabay

    Sure as shit smells, Daily Mail readers can’t quite believe that hate crimes against LGBT+ people should be punished with a ‘harsher” prison sentence.

    Hello and welcome to Britain 2019. The Daily Mail has reported that judges in the UK now have the power to hand out “harsher sentences” for those found guilty of hate crimes against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

    That “harsher” sentence actually equates to SIX months (note the capital letters). Which a tiny proportion of those who commit an actual offence will actually receive. And remember six months, will never, in reality, be six months – more like three.

    It’s worth remembering most hate crimes do not get reported in the first place and the majority of those that are reported DO NOT end up in prosecution or a trial.

    Just 8 per cent of reports actually go to trial.

    PublicDomainPictures / Pixabay

    The new sentencing policy is set against the news that hate crimes reports against trans people have risen by 37 per cent to 2333 reports while crimes reported against lesbian, gay and bisexual people has risen by 25 per cent to 14,500 reported crimes.

    The Daily Mail decided to frame the news with a title that read,”Now trans and gay hate crime will mean SIX months in jail after judges are ordered to crack down with harsher sentence” and then used domestic burglaries as a benchmark to drive a point that the sentences are longer – for crimes against the person rather than property. Surely that’s what it should be?

    Well within hours of the piece, written by Steve Doughty for The Daily Mail, there were numerous remarks in the infamous comment section of the website, most of which were decrying the news.

    “mac.attack” hailing from New Zealand, seemed concerned that a misconstrued joke could end up with us all on a slippery slope. God knows where, but we praise the liberal use of lube.

    “Quirkyandcute” seemed overly worried that police time would be wasted… because of reports that someone’s feelings were hurt.

    A “Chufton” was short but to the point, added, “complete nonsense” and “Speak for England” wrote “Gestapo Britain”… yes because punishing those who commit actual crimes will quickly lead to the rise of Hilter 2.

    SMH.

    There were the usual cries of “police state” and “madhouse”.

    Yes, people. Welcome to the UK in 2019.

  • Here’s how to nail the perfect dating app profile picture

    Remember, first impressions count.

    Your profile picture is the first thing that other members will see of you, so take some time to get it right. We’ve put together some tips on what works and what doesn’t work for the perfect profile picture.

    It goes without saying that your profile picture should be of you. We’re not fond of catfishing, fraud or just pictures of cartoon characters. You’re a real person, so a real picture of you is best.

    Remember what they say first impressions can last a lifetime so make sure, when you’re choosing yours, that it reflects exactly how you want to portray yourself.

    So here are our top tips:

    Recent photos

    Make sure your profile picture is recent. We’ve all heard the stories of people turning up to dates only to discover that the person they meet is a good ten years older than their profile photo. It’s a bit like trades description. People want to know who they are meeting – a trustworthy and honest person will have an up-to-date, recent picture of themselves. It’ll also help identify you if you guys actually meet in real life.

    Just you and only you

    Don’t crowd the picture with other people. We can assume that you have friends. You don’t need to show us – after all, we’re interested in meeting just you, to begin with… not your friends. If you want to add pictures with family, friends, pets etc add them to your private galleries.

    NEXT: THE LIGHT YOU SHOULD USE