THEGAYUK

Day: 11 January 2020

  • 6 Gay Things to do in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

    Mexico is vast and stunning country, but many travellers never make it past Cancun or Tijuana. Puerto Vallarta is a coastal city that sits on the western coast just south of Mexico City, and it is chock full of fun gay things to do that make it well worth a visit.

    1. Go gay clubbing

    Let’s start with the obvious one, you’ve got to go gay clubbing when you visit Puerto Vallarta. The gay scene exists mostly in the romantic zone (Zona Romántica as they say) along Lázaro Cárdenas. Though not expansive, the gay scene in Puerto Vallarta is warm and welcoming, with a string of stylish bars opening out onto the street. Wandering from one to the next is a great way to meet both visiting and local gays as each will have an opinion of where you should go next.

    We started out with dinner at The Top Sky Bar (LGBTQ, where you can enjoy both the stunning sunset and the go-go boy dancers while you eat. From there we went to Roxy Rock house for a couple of cervezas, and then danced to Madonna in Mr Flamingo. If you want something a little more hardcore, Cici’s Slaughterhouse is your more traditional club setting. Complete with sex swings should you so desire.

    2. Head to the beach clubs

    If clubs aren’t your thing, or they are and you need a place to chill out the next day and nurse your hangover, then you should absolutely spend the day at Mantamar Beach beach club. Whether you want to sprawl out on the beach, splash around in the pool, or chill out in the VIP area and have hot waiters bring you drinks.

    3. Visit the islands

    With year-round sunshine you need to make the most of your time outdoors, and if lounging around the pool isn’t your thing then you should take a trip to Las Caletas with Vallarta Adventures. You’ll receive endless refills on your margarita as you set sail for the islands, with plenty of high-energy entertainment from your hosts during the hour-long trip. As a happy coincidence our tour leader was a screaming homo, but in all honesty the straight ones are so camp you wouldn’t notice the difference.

    The island itself offers all the typical beachfront activities including water-sports (not those kind of water sports though), boat rides, zip lines and all that fun stuff, as well as cooking classes and tequila tastings. For something a little different, visit the island at night for Cirque du Soleil-style evening experience.

    4. Naked boat trips

    Unfortunately there are no nude beaches in Puerto Vallarta, which is criminal given the sensational weather they have all year round. So the next best thing is to head out on a nude excursion. Jets Private Boat Tours offer both public and private tours of a nearby beach that is only accessible by boat, offering the closest alternative to a nude beach experience.

    Trips last 5 hours and include a number of activities including nude snorkeling, nude jungle activities, and of course some good old fashioned nude sunbathing.

    5. People watching

    Again, no necessarily a gay thing but man do we love to watch people and silently (or not so silently) judge them. Head down to the Malecón, the mile-long esplanade downtown that runs along the beach. You’ll find stretches of bars, restaurants, cafes and galleries to wander around in, or simply park yourself outside and watch the world go by.

    To get a more in-depth experience of the city, take a guided walking tour with Vallarta food tours. You’ll never experience tacos the same way again.

    6. Go to Pride

    Puerto Vallarta Pride is a sight to behold, starting from the Hotel Rosita, followed by a party in the park at the Lazaro Cardenas Park Gardens. The whole of the gay district is closed off for a massive street party, with 20+ gay bars and clubs all getting involved.

    It’s an 8-day event and a Pride not to be missed.

    ABOUT PUERTO VALLARTA

    Puerto Vallarta, located in the state of Jalisco, is well-known for the preservation of its authentic Mexican traditions. The Pacific Coast port features 40 miles of coastline and a diverse topography, including tropical jungles, river beds, steep mountain sides and arid flatlands.

    Tourist Board Website: www.visitpuertovallarta.com

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/puertovallarta/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/puertovallarta

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visitpuertovallarta/

  • Woman who pretended to be a young boy to groom young teenage girls, jailed

    Woman who pretended to be a young boy to groom young teenage girls, jailed

    Gemma Watts has been jailed for eight years after being sentenced at Winchester Crown Court.

    A deceitful woman who pretended to be a young boy online so she could groom young teenage girls from around the country has been jailed.

    Gemma Watts, 21 (18.09.98) from Pembroke Avenue, Enfield has been sentenced at Winchester Crown Court to eight years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty at the same court on 28 November 2019 to:

    • – Assault by penetration (Section 2 of the Sexual Offence Act 2003) – victim 1;
    • – Sexual Assault, (Section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003) – victim 1;
    • – Meeting a child following sexual grooming (Section 15 (1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003) – victim 1;
    • – Sexual Assault, (Section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003) – victim 2;
    • – Meeting a child following sexual grooming (Section 15 (1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003) – victim 2;
    • – Meeting a child following sexual grooming (Section 15 (1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003) – victim 3;
    • – Sexual Assault, (Section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003) – victim 4.

    Watts was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and was made subject to a life-long Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

    Detective Constable Phillipa Kenwright, who was the Met’s Safeguarding Lead for the case, said , “In this particular case, Watts targeted her young victims on social media platforms and duped them into believing they were entering into a relationship with someone whom they could trust.

    “She then went on to form physical relationships in which she spun a web of lies and deceit, giving her the opportunity to commit sexual offences. 

    “Her arrest, and now lengthy prison sentence, has prevented her from targeting further victims, but I hope that it also gives reassurance to other victims of sexual exploitation that offenders will be brought to justice. I encourage them to come forward and speak to us.

    “I am delighted with the sentence that the Judge has passed today and hope it acts as a warning to others intent on exploiting and manipulating children online, that they will be dealt with robustly.”

    Watts created an “elaborate web of deception”

    Following a joint operation by the Met and Hampshire Constabulary, it was established that Watts had spun a bizarre and elaborate web of deception by inventing a fictional alias ‘Jake Watton’. She used this profile to groom teenage girls she met through social media sites and then sexually assault them.

    Watts contacted her victims through social messaging apps, Facebook, Snapchat, Yubo and Instagram, under the alias of 16-year-old Jake Waton or Jake Watton.

    Watts exchanged messages with her victims, obtaining their trust before meeting them and committing a number of serious sexual offences.

    Hampshire Police contacted officers from the Met’s Central Specialist Crime unit informing them an investigation had been launched after receiving reports from a medical professional that a 14-year-old girl (victim 1) had reported being sexually assaulted by her boyfriend ’Jake Waton’ in April 2018.

    She used various aliases, including “Jake Waton”

    The investigation showed that ‘Jake Waton’ was actually an adult female called Gemma Watts. Further research by officers identified another two victims, both under 18, (victim 2 and victim 3) who also reported being groomed and sexually assaulted by Watts under her alias.

    Officers executed a search warrant at Watts’ home address in July 2018 and arrested her for a number of serious sexual offences.

    During interview, she admitted to grooming the victims whilst pretending to be ‘Jake Waton’ and partially admitted a number of the assaults. Watts was bailed to allow further enquiries to be completed. 

    It was later established that she continued to groom young females whilst on police bail and was re-arrested in October 2018 in West Midlands when she was found with a 15-year-old missing girl (victim 4). The victim reported to officers that she had been sexually assaulted by Watts. 

    In November 2018, officers from the Met obtained an interim Sexual Risk Order from Stratford Magistrates’ Court which allowed Watts to be closely monitored by officers to prevent her from re-offending until charges were authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in Hampshire. A final Sexual Risk Order was obtained on 2 May 2019 and Watts was charged on 12 September 2019.

    PC Nicola Benson, from Hampshire Constabulary’s Missing and Exploited Team, said , “The level of manipulation and deceit used by Watts to snare her victims, in this case, was truly shocking. Children are particularly vulnerable to exploitation online with increased use of social media apps, and there is a real risk that any contact with a stranger online can lead to a child meeting an offender in person.

    “This case demonstrates the stark reality of that, and it is astonishing the lengths that Watts went to, to ensure she could abuse these girls.

    “I am pleased that Watts has now received a custodial sentence, and I would like to commend the bravery of the girls and their families who found the courage to come forward and make this happen. I want them to know that they are not in any way to blame for this, and hope they can now move on from this ordeal.

    “I would also like to thank officers from West Midlands Police, Devon & Cornwall Police, Kent Police and the Metropolitan Police for their involvement in this complex and lengthy investigation.”

    For more information about how to keep young people safe online, go to https://safe.met.police.uk/index.html

    Anyone who has any information that could help lead to an arrest, or protect a child from online abuse, is asked to call 999. Alternatively, they should contact the NSPCC or Internet Watch Foundation (https://www.iwf.org.uk/).

    Detective Inspector Mark Rogers, from the Met, added, “Thankfully, these type of crimes are rare. However, it is important that parents, guardians and everyone who works with young people takes an interest in what children are doing on the internet and educates them about the risks associated with using social media.

    “The internet is a fantastic resource enabling young people to socialise and learn. Unfortunately, it can also be used by predatory offenders to target children. We will robustly investigate any child sex offences committed online, and I would urge any young person who has experienced unsolicited contact to report it to police.”

    PC Maria Carrick, Hampshire Constabulary’s Education and Youth Engagement Coordinator, said ,“Young people are vulnerable to exploitation online, and in serious and worrying cases, adults pose as young people to groom and exploit them into engaging in sexual activity online, or trick them into meeting with the intention of physically causing sexual harm. 

    “This is what makes prevention so important and why we continue to actively work with young people, schools, parents and youth partners in a joined up approach to educate whole communities about the risks children face online, and the impact this can have on them and their families. 

    “We encourage parents and teachers not to be afraid to talk to children about their activities on social media and explain the importance of privacy, and thinking before uploading content online to help prevent them from becoming victims or perpetrators. This is key to developing young people’s trust and confidence to talk to you, someone else they trust or to report if they’re concerned about inappropriate contact they’ve had online.”

  • TV REVIEW | AJ & The Queen, Episode 1 – promising, but not entirely what I’m looking for

    TV REVIEW | AJ & The Queen, Episode 1 – promising, but not entirely what I’m looking for

    AJ AND THE QUEEN

    As a Drag Race and RuPaul fan, the thought of a comedy-drama starring Ru and so many of her girls sounded like a dream.

    Sadly Episode 1 isn’t giving me entirely what I was looking for.

    Yes, Ru is fabulous, as always, and the first half of the episode was brilliant:
    Ru as Ruby Red performing at the club, her reading of the owner in front of so many incredible Drag Race alumni including Bianca Del Rio. The scenes with Michael Leon Wooley who plays her fierce best friend. These were all great, with just that mixture of camp, drama and comedy you’d expect from a show like this.

    The story moves along nicely: Ruby Red has been in the drag business for decades and has finally saved up enough money to start a club of her own. She dreams of making life better for her drag sisters.

    This by itself would be an amazing show. The characters introduced so far work and Ruby thinking up ways to earn money to get her club after all with help from her drag friends would be a great series.

    Sadly it’s when AJ arrives that the story goes off the rails. So far it is unclear why her character is needed as it takes the flow out of the story. AJ’s background story is written as very tragic, but the way Izzy G performs it does not evoke any sympathy. In fact, so far all she does is shout and annoy.

    She also steals from Ruby and utters homophobic slurs. Not really clear to see why Ruby would be so caring towards her in return. Perhaps the idea is that we will see AJ grow and change as the series moves along. I hope that some of this change will be sooner rather than later as right now her scenes are difficult to watch.

    Sadly, the man she thought loved her and would help her build her dream turns out to be a con who steals all her money and her dreams. This leads into a hilarious scene in the police office and a lovely scene of her best friend encouraging her to try again.

    The story ends with Ruby leaving for a road trip to earn back some of her money while the police are working on her case that may turn out bigger and more dangerous than she had imagined.

    Despite the minor niggle, the story has a big heart and a clear message: RuPaul’s message – it is okay to be you, it is okay to love yourself, you matter.

    There is warmth and a strange comfort that is rare in TV shows these days and with promises of big performances, more Drag Race stars and adventure I am looking forward to what happens next.