THEGAYUK

Day: 24 August 2020

  • Netflix is about to get gayer (again)

    Netflix is about to get gayer (again)

    Thank the Netflix gay gods.

    The streaming platform has announced a date for its new film, The Boys In The Band and yep, it’s another Ryan Murphy production for Netflix.

    First look images

    So what is The Boys In The Band all about?

    More than fifty years after Mart Crowley’s play became an unexpected smash hit for putting gay men’s lives centre stage with honesty and humour, THE BOYS IN THE BAND returns to the screen in a new adaptation that reunites acclaimed director Joe Mantello with the all-star cast of the Tony-winning, 2018 Broadway production. In 1968 New York City – when being gay was still considered to be best kept behind closed doors – a group of friends gather for a raucous birthday party hosted by Michael (Jim Parsons), a screenwriter who spends and drinks too much, in honour of the sharp-dressed and sharp-tongued Harold (Zachary Quinto). Other partygoers include Donald (Matt Bomer), Michael’s former flame, now mired in self-analysis; Larry (Andrew Rannells), a randy commercial artist living with Hank (Tuc Watkins), a school teacher who has just left his wife; Bernard (Michael Benjamin Washington), a librarian tiptoeing around fraught codes of friendship alongside Emory (Robin de Jesús), a decorator who never holds back; and a guileless hustler (Charlie Carver), hired to be Harold’s gift for the night.

    What begins as an evening of drinks and laughs gets upended when Alan (Brian Hutchison), Michael’s straight-laced college roommate, shows up unexpectedly and each man is challenged to confront long-buried truths that threaten the foundation of the group’s tight bond.

    When is The Boys In The Band streaming on Netflix?

    The Netflix film, produced by Ryan Murphy, reunites the entire cast of the Tony-winning Broadway revival. Premiering globally on Netflix on 30 September.

  • TODAY IN GAY: Marsha P Johnson born

    TODAY IN GAY: Marsha P Johnson born

    Marsha P Johnson was born in August 1945 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. She was also known as Malcomn Michaels Jr. Johnson and had six brothers and sisters.

    Before “Marsha P Johnson” became the icon that we now know, Michael’s took the drag name, “Black Marsha”, before adopting Johnson as her surname. According to reports, the Johnson name was taken from the Howard Johnson’s restaurant on 42nd Street in NYC and the P standing for “pay it no mind”.

    Johnson was found dead on the 6th of July 1992. She was 46-years-old at the time of her death.

    Johnson was a drag performer and LGBT+ activist and usually used female pronouns for herself, but also referred to herself as “gay, as a transvestite or simply as a queen” She was a well-known character in the New York Greenwich district and is widely considered to be a key figure in the Stonewall Riots of June 1969.

    She was heavily involved in the advocacy of AIDS patients and homeless LGBT+ folx.

    In 1992 Ms Johnson went missing on the 4th July, two days later her body turned up in the Hudson River, New York. Police and an autopsy ruled her death a suicide, but friends and relatives believe that she would never end her own life.

    The authorities, under pressure from the community, reclassified her death as “death to drowning from undetermined causes”.

    In the David France documentary film, The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson, her death and its possible causes are discussed as large (available to stream on Netflix)

    Was her death an accident, suicide or something more sinister? This is the question that activist and crime victim advocate Victoria Cruz from the New York Anti-Violence Project has set out to determine as she launches her own investigation into the death of one of New York‘s most prominent LGBT figures.

  • Lil Nas X in Calvins is hot AF and the only content you need to today

    Lil Nas X in Calvins is hot AF and the only content you need to today

    At this point, we’re not even pretending that this content is high class or challenging in any way…

    Aside from being ridiculously talented, Lil Nas X has other talents he’s prepared to show off, as demonstrated in Calvin Klein’s latest marketing campaign.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CD6prh1FSdj/

    However, it was this second rather candid photo posted on Calvin Klein’s Instagram page that really captured fans’ attention. Particularly over the subject on whether the star is cut or uncut…

    We’ll let you judge for yourself….

    We have to say that we’re surprised the Instagram censors haven’t had their way yet.

  • This video sums up why gay bars are important to LGBT people

    This video sums up why gay bars are important to LGBT people

    YouTuber Michael Henry has weighed in on the age-old argument about who and what gay bars are for!

    It’s become one of the contentious issues of the day… who gets to use LGBT /gay bars… Hen Parties? Guys looking to hook up with girls? Michael Henry lays it down…

    So does he have a point?

    This article was first published in August 2017.

  • Are The Seychelles Gay-Friendly?

    Are The Seychelles Gay-Friendly?

    When you think of dream beach getaways and idyllic honeymoon destinations there are a few locations that spring to mind. You might consider the Caribbean, plan to bounce over to Bermuda, or maybe even the Maldives. Unfortunately, the sad truth is all those countries still class being gay as a criminal act. So there’s one clear winner when it comes to the best place to go for a gay beach vacation, the Seychelles aka the GAYchelles!

    Gay/LGBT rights in the Seychelles

    In May 2016, the Seychelles Parliament voted to amend Section 151 of their Penal Code that named sodomy a felony that was punishable with up to 14 years in prison. While the news wasn’t especially well-received by religious leaders, it was a landmark decision that gives gay travel enthusiasts added confidence in visiting the stunning 115-island country off the East African coast, making it one of the few African countries to decriminalize the gays.

    With male-male intercourse now legal (lesbian sex was always fine apparently) the Seychelles have even legalised same-sex marriage, and gay residents are able to legally adopt children as a couple. That being said, the predominantly Catholic country is still fairly conservative, operating a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy to all visitors, but with any hostility directed more towards locals than tourists.

    Gay travel in the Seychelles

    Tourism is one of the Seychelles’ most lucrative industries, so it relies on doing it well. The islands are scattered with high-end resorts, catering to the luxury escape fantasy that fills most of our minds when we think of a trip to the Seychelles.

    I was lucky enough to stay at the luscious Eden Bleu resort which has always been welcoming of LGBT travellers, offering discrete private beaches and villas long before it was all decriminalized.

    While the country is now more accepting of LGBT visitors and locals, it’s still a long way from having any kind of gay scene. The capital city of Victoria can be walked in about 30 minutes (40 if you stop to take photos) so don’t expect a bustling social scene of any kind. That’s not really what tourists come to the Seychelles for.

    Two of the islands, Mahe and Praslin, are a little more vibrant and are home to a few nightclubs, bars and discos (oh yeah, discos). While there are no actual gay-only venues local sources say that Barrel is probably the best place to go if you’re looking for an LGBT-accepting crowd and a place to dance the night away before you pass out on a beach.

    The Seychelles are a great beach holiday for any gay traveller, and the locals will go out of their way to make you feel welcome. I visited the Seychelles as part of an LGBT press trip, and even wandering around with a big group of gays I never encountered anything but friendly, genuine welcome attitudes.

    When to visit the Seychelles

    The Seychelles has a tropical climate and has warm temperatures all year round so you’ll never need to pack anything warmer than shorts. The downside being that there are rainy seasons, which is great if you like swimming in the rain or if, like me, your ginger skin is not designed for sunbathing.

    Otherwise, April – May or October – November are the sunniest times to go … if you’re into all that sunshine, beaches, and sailing stuff. ?️‍?