Singer Greyson Chance who was discovered aged just 12 after doing a school performance of the Lady Gaga song Paparazzi has come out as gay aged 19.
http://gty.im/531343320
Chance who was signed by Ellen Degeneres’s record company after appearing on the show soon after his video was released and went viral has taken to Instagram to confirm his sexuality. Talking on the social media site and sharing a rainbow picture, he said
“I came to fully recognize that I was gay when I was sixteen. I decided not to publicize my sexuality largely due to a matter of privacy, as I was still trying to find comfort and confidence within my own skin”
Chance who has a steady following on social media took the decision to talk about his sexuality after a message from a fan inspired him come out and share his sexuality with his followers.
Jade, who’s legal name is Arlo, went missing in New York on June 26th. Logue has spent nearly every day of the past two weeks taking to Twitter and Facebook in the search for his daughter, posting numbers to call with any information and begging anyone who knew where Jade was to just let her come home, with no questions asked.
However, within the last hour, Donal Logue and his representatives have confirmed that Jade has returned home. No reports have been released as to the whereabouts of Jade since she went missing other than she was found nearly 400 miles away in North Carolina. But in a Twitter post, Donal Logue thanked everyone who had been involved in the search for his daughter.
I wanna hold your hand (and other straight jealousy)
As the title says, it’s a simple request; all I want to do is hold a hand, specifically my partner’s hand. We’ve been together for 8 years and I’ve never openly held his hand or been overly affectionate in public, and a video posted recently of two men in Russia just walking down the street holding hands painfully illustrates the kind of reactions that we would get. Obviously, the UK is far more liberal than Russia when it comes to gay rights, but I would still feel nervous about what could potentially happen.
I consider myself a strong guy mentally, and if someone is openly homophobic I will stand up for myself, but it’s the subtle type of reactions that bother me more. The whispers and stares from people we would get for doing something so benign that straight people don’t even have to think about it. I do feel a pang of sadness and jealousy when I’m walking along with my partner and see couples holding hands or being affectionate, completely oblivious to the world around them, thinking of nothing more than their eventual destination or what’s for dinner that night.
Straight people take for granted how easy it is for them to display affection towards their significant other, and while there may be a very small minority of people who might stare at a straight couple, if they are of, say different races or different physicality, it is nowhere near the level of hostility a gay couple would endure.
I also very rarely visit “straight” nightclubs on a Friday or Saturday because it only takes one person saying something to ruin a night out. I feel constantly on edge, always wary of the kind of people who are about and how they might react to me, and obviously, with alcohol involved, this becomes more of a minefield. Most straight people can go to a nightclub and have a great night out without the fear of either having something said or worse, being attacked. Yes, it can happen that anyone can get into an incident in a nightclub, but as a gay person, the odds are stacked far more against me.
I’m lucky in the fact that I’ve only ever experienced a few incidences of outright homophobic verbal abuse, and I’ve never been physically attacked and I consider myself fortuitous that the most I’ll get from friends and work colleagues would be considered nothing more than friendly banter and natural curiosity to me. However, what is friendly banter to me, could be incredibly hurtful to someone else and in the younger LGBT population especially, who may still be struggling with their identity this can be potentially dangerous.
To some straight people reading this, they may question why I would be jealous of them, and this is where the problem lies, they don’t see a problem. They don’t have the need to see an issue, something I and the LGBT community don’t have the luxury of.
The reason we have Pride events is so that as a community we can feel safe enough to be ourselves, where the worst we’ll get is from a few sad people in anoraks quoting bible verses at us, who are easily ignored. I’ve had it asked to me and others many times “Why do you have pride marches?” And my usual reaction is “be thankful you don’t need one”. The fact we have had to fight to be given basic rights, and it took until the 21st century to even be allowed to have a civil partnership shows there it still a long way to go to change people’s attitudes. We simply haven’t come far enough to stop the fight for our right to exist and to be recognised.
But what can be done, should all gay couples just hold hands and sod the reactions? Sadly this isn’t as easy as it sounds. In some places in the UK, this could potentially result in a violent reaction. LGBT people have been attacked and or killed, and over 35,000 incidences of homophobic hate crimes go unreported every year. Does this illustrate that the LGBT community are so used to these kind of reactions that they consider it pointless to report it anymore, or is there something of a more deeply disturbing trend when it comes to homophobic abuse, in that LGBT people don’t feel anything would be done even if it was reported and would that then result in worse treatment from the perpetrator after they got their slap on the wrist. Statistics show that fewer than 1 in 10 homophobic hate crimes that are actually reported lead to a conviction.
Times they are a changing though, and the general overall attitude towards gay people is positive and accepting, and as people become more educated about the LGBT community the more people will not think twice about seeing two men holding hands.
Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.
The scene… hold on I hear you say? Why do I hate the scene? It’s the place to be, to socialise and meet other like-minded individuals! But as you shall see my friends, The Scene is fraught with obstacles and dangers that lurk in the dark underbelly of that glitter infused world
1. The Shade, The shade of it all…
This one would probably be the most obvious of things to dislike about the gay scene. The natural bitchiness that seems to infest the community. Whether it’s simply snide comments, or outright nastiness, there is a constant feeling of being judged by your taste in music, or who you are, if you don’t subscribe to the idea of perceived gay perfection.
2. It costs a lot of money to look this cheap…
Recently there is a fashion to go towards having the most up to date underwear, the most on fleek eyebrows and enough makeup on your face to smother a cow. I’m first to admit I’ll happily slap a thin layer of foundation and powder on in order to have a more even skin tone, but taking out shares in Boots makeup counter is not something I really feel the need to do. Plus hotels probably charge for leaving that amount of fake tan on the pillows.
3. You can’t sit with us…
Unless you’re 18, with perfectly styled hair and weigh enough to make a Twiglet look morbidly obese, you’re painfully looked down upon. God forbid you should be over 30 with a receding hairline and carrying a few extra pounds and still want to go out and have a dance and a drink. Cliques are frustrating if you simply don’t fit into one. Yet trying to find a group of people you do fit in with, can usually result in meeting people who probably strangled small animals as a child.
4. Jimi Hendrix deceased, drugs. Janis Joplin deceased, alcohol. Mama Cass deceased, ham sandwich…
Most club DJ’s seem to forget any music existed between 2000 and 6 months ago and before 1990 and unless you ask for it, the brilliant music from the past is completely passed over for the mind-numbing tunes that you’re not entirely sure where one ends and the next begins because of the same beat traversing through the tracks. Not every gay person enjoys the same music, and even the most dedicated of club goers can get bored by the same tracks being played week in week out
5. Nissed as a pewt…
With the way most jobs are these days, shift work causes a natural tendency to go out and get absolutely wrecked on alcohol. I don’t just mean louder and not caring how you look on the dance floor drunk, I’m talking as drunk as possible before passing out. And this can lead to many unfortunate accidents and waking up next to the creature from the black lagoon. Find your limit of where you’re still an acceptable human being to be around and bloody stick it.
6. We’ve got one night only…
Let’s face it, the gay club scene is usually not where you’re going to find the love of your life. But most people seem to expect it and this leads to disappointment that Prince Charming didn’t come in on a white horse and sing at you. But it is disheartening when the most you can usually expect is a fumble behind a skip
7. Calm down Beyonce…
We’ve all seen them, and we’ve all been on the receiving end of them. The diva queens who insist they are the dog’s proverbials. Strutting around like the world owes them something, pushing in at the bar because they think they should be served first, but as soon as you call them out on it, it’s like you’ve somehow insulted THEM and aren’t bowing down to their sense of entitlement.
8. No, no, you said it. It’s out in the open. We have to live with it now…
The girl that guy is trying to get with goes to a club with her best gay friends, he tags along, and then acts surprised by the fact he’s in a gay club. Then the questions start… the endless questions and the protestations of: “no I’m fine with gay guys, just don’t come on to me”
Consider it flattery, just say you’re straight and move on. Don’t act offended, you’re in a flipping gay club with men who are attracted to men.
9. A dog’s not just for life, it’s for Christmas…
The girls who are on the lookout for a new “pet gay” Their old one has moved on, or got into a relationship and these girls are on the shop. While it’s always nice to make new friends, we certainly aren’t looking for someone who only wants a gay friend as some kind of fashion accessory and to boast to their lady friends. We also shouldn’t be used by these female strangers as a way for them to call judgement on and or pull the tall guy we fancy ourselves, and no I won’t come shopping with you tomorrow.
10. My god, it’ll be beautiful…
When your local club announces it’s going to have a “refurbishment” and closes down sections for weeks with endless announcements of the re-opening with all the special promotions that go with it. You gussy yourself up, get all your friends out. Have a few pre-drinks, because those club drinks don’t come cheap. You queue outside anxiously waiting for this little slice of gay heaven to open it’s doors. You go in with sparkles and rainbows in your eyes to be greeted with a new mirror ball, a smoke machine that fails after an hour and the walls being painted blue. Oh the humanity!
Shock horror younglings, gay men in their 30s do exist, I am one of them. And here is my helpful tongue in cheek guide to traversing the minefield of being classed as over the hill by anyone who’s under 25.
1. It creeps up on you faster than you think.
http://gph.is/1UkkJdN
When I was but a wee gay nipper myself back In the early 2000s I never thought 30 would happen. But time marches on, and suddenly I was 30 before I knew it. There’s only 52 Saturday nights to be had in a year, and those goes shockingly quickly. In just a few short years, you too will be a bitter old queen writing articles about how to cope being in your 30s.
2. Beauty fades, dumb is forever
http://gph.is/XLjZ6y
Here’s a tip for you, you aren’t going stay looking the same for the rest of your life, and let’s face it, getting surgery or fillers will make you end up looking like a permanently shocked shop mannequin, or Madonna. So for the love of god, please teach yourself some skills that don’t involve how to get into a pair of skinny jeans.
3. You WILL lose those luscious locks.
http://gph.is/29Fls7m
I still feel a slight pang of jealousy towards the young gays who can have any hairstyle and colour they want, I used to do it myself, but these days I’ve only got 12 hairs, and three of them are my husbands. But there is a high chance that by your 30s you too will either be bald, or balding. So make the most of your hair while you have it, but once you start losing it, shave that stuff off and grow a beard, or invest in some really ridiculous wigs.
4. You have to become fabulous
http://gph.is/2jI8mip
In order to stay relevant on the gay scene, you will have to become hilarious and fabulous. One liners will have to actually be witty, and you need them to distract from your gnarled old face and rapidly vanishing hairline, you will have to become a talking point but luckily, by your 30s you should have met a group of people who put up with your crazy notions of “good music” and who will sit with you and judge everyone else.
5. Nightclubs will become a chore
http://gph.is/15CoNhx
Not only do hangovers last a lot longer, attempting a death drop could result in breaking a hip, and you’ll also find yourself resenting the fact that you can no longer tell when one song ends and another begins. You also don’t want to have to deal with the drama that young gays manage to get themselves into. While in your youth you could cope with the crying friend, the horny friend and the throwing up friend all in one night, once you’re past 30, most of the time your find the expression “oh for f***s sake, what now?” will become a staple of your vocabulary when dealing with the 18 year olds.
6. It becomes a lot harder to maintain your figure.
http://gph.is/2d1Xjvo
That skinny twink body of yours you so love, yep that’ll go the way of your hairline once you get past 25, and it becomes a lot harder to maintain it without taking out a pact with the devil. That whole pizza and cheesy chips you managed to cram down after a night out, will now stay on your hips unless you run a marathon or rig up a home liposuction device using a funnel, a hose and a Dyson.
7. Hookups in their 40s become a viable option.
http://gph.is/2ghqsDE
When you’re 20, the idea of hooking up with a guy in his 40s might seem like a terrible idea unless he’s rich, has a heart condition and you really like loud indoor fireworks. But in your 30s you realise a guy of 40, could only be 5 years older than you and they are the only ones paying you attention on Grindr anymore.
8 And on the subject of hookups…
http://gph.is/2lMWs3s
In one’s youth, you can be ready for a hookup at the snap of a finger and with pretty much anyone. you’d meet a guy in the club, go back to his place and be careful not to wake up his parents. Even an invitation of “can you meet now?” on Grindr is ok, because you know your feet won’t ache if you walk a mile. Past 30, if someone were to ask “meet now?” You’d have to think about whether you can be bothered to travel that far and whether it’s worth having to have another shower for what could potentially be a lacklustre blowjob.
9. Popularity isn’t everything
http://gph.is/1SGkont
The wisdom of old age makes you understand popularity doesn’t mean a goddamn thing if the people who hang around with you wouldn’t piss on you if you were on fire, they’d most likely Snapchat it and try to go viral, so they too can become a vapid attention seeking whore. But fear not young gay, by your 30s the people who have stuck around are the ones who will have your back and most likely be able to provide bail money.
10. You can still have a f**king good time
http://gph.is/1uaonYi
It’s not all doom and gloom, by your 30s you’ll have found yourself, and find the whole idea of the gay scene infinitely amusing and you can appreciate it a lot more. You’ll have met so many different types of people that hardly anything will be a surprise, but you’ll have enough experience not to care. You’ve loved and learned and become a better person for it, so strap on your safety belts, it’s still a hell of a ride.
Help us deliver unique, usable and reliable journalism that supports the gay, bisexual and curious community of the United Kingdom. Can you help protect LGBT+ media? Publishers like us have come under severe threat by the likes of Google and Facebook. The problem is that advertisers are choosing to put their money with them, rather than with niche publishers like us. Our goal is to eliminate banner ads altogether on site and we can do that if you could pledge us a tiny amount each month.
We’re asking our readers to pledge just £1 per month, more if you’re feeling swanky. You can stop payment at any time.
It’s quick and easy to sign up and you’ll only have to do it once.
What makes a gay icon I hear you ask? Well, there’s not actually a specific set of rules, if someone is an icon, it rarely needs to be said, it’s just known. But there are some celebrities who try desperately hard to obtain the status, and they are laughed at for the most part. I’ll start with these cases first. The ones who so desperately crave a “YAAAASSSS QUEEN” off the gay community, but mostly fall short. A gay icon is created without the need for effort. For the list, I’ll be concentrating on the icons who are currently alive, with an honour roll of icons past at the end.
1. Any member of the Kardashian/Jenner clan.
There I said it, I can hear the wails of anger already. To some, they are the epitome of an icon, but to most, they are shallow, money-hungry, low rent TV reality stars who only got famous after one of them slept with Brandy’s brother and had the tape “leaked”. No one can actually point out specifically what they do. They are famous, merely for being famous. The only good thing they have going for them is they know exactly how to exploit that. Not even Caitlyn Jenner can rescue them. Her “struggles” with coming out as transgender are so far removed from the actual hell that transgender people go through that she is almost universally hated by the LGBT community. These are not people to look up to.
2. Tori Spelling
When someone feels the need to boast about their gay icon status, they are not a gay icon. While a vocal supporter of the gay community, she is far removed from icon status. Having her friends tell her she’s a gay icon doesn’t count. She’s not exactly well known, and it’s unlikely she could command much of a crowd at any event. Yeah, she used to be in Beverly Hills 90210, but who really gives a shit?
3. Katie Hopkins
Oh, Ms Hopkins, you may want to be a gay icon, but this you never shall be. While some gays may like your no nonsense mouth, to most you’re just a loud mouthed harridan who revels in spewing vitriol and trying to be as controversial as possible. It takes class to be an icon, and Katie Hopkins is severely lacking in that. You need a certain gravitas to be able to pull off being a bitch and still be beloved.
4. Perez Hilton
His disgraceful Celebrity Big Brother stint pretty much destroyed any small hope he had of achieving icon status. Gossip monger by trade, he has always tried much too hard to be a gay icon, and it comes across as crass and disingenuous. He has a knack for really pissing people off, and like Ms Hopkins, he doesn’t have the proper qualifications for being bitchy and getting away with it
5. Milo Yiannopoulos
An avid Trump supporter and self-proclaimed “dangerous faggot” Yiannopoulos tries to shock and offend as much as possible and has said incredibly offensive things about transgender people. He is the ultimate in petulant, self-obsessed, narcissistic, nasty, vindictive and hateful gays. And while some people may agree with some of the things he says, he comes across as smarmy and greasy.
6. Nick Jonas
Yes, he’s got a hot body, and a bulge for days, but being a gay tease does not an icon make. People are starting to see through the blatant attempt to appeal to the gay community by posing in very little clothing and playing TV roles that involve man on man action, I’m half expecting his nudes to “leak” at some point when he needs a boost of gay male interest in an upcoming project.
7. Miley Cyrus
Her post-Hannah Montana days shenanigans were mildly entertaining at first, but then it all became rather desperate looking and uncomfortable. She fell out of favour fairly quickly with gay fans, and she never really achieved the status of icon in the first place, despite being an advocate for LGBT rights. She seemed to be desperate for the gays to love her and it riled a lot of people.
And now for some of the true gay icons. In no particular order. This is a difficult list to narrow down because many people are considered gay icons. But there are some who stand out above the rest as the ultimate in enduring gay icons. You can’t hear their name without thinking “gay icon”
CREDIT: kathclick /BigStock
1. Dolly Parton
The queen of cheap and tacky, but amazing with it. Her look, her quirky southern charm, her infamous ahem assets and her attitude are forever endearing to the community. There will always be a Dolly tune you can rock out to, or find solace in. She is a true icon without having to be boastful. She is grateful and loving and supportive. That makes us love Ms Parton.
2. Sir Ian McKellan
Come on people, he’s Gandalf and Magneto, and a massive advocate for the gay community. He’s the true stately homo, with dignity and class, and his bromance with Captain Picard makes the nerd in us scream with excitement. He also loves attending Pride events, and has been known to be found at 3am outside a club, smoking and hobnobbing with fans. A proper British institution.
3. Cher
The big kahuna herself, and when the apocalypse happens, there will be only three things left, Cockroaches, Twinkies and Cher. Not much needs to be said as to why she is a gay icon. She’s bitchy, fabulous and a drag queen’s dream. Her costumes, stage performances and films and TV appearances bring out the queen in all of us. Plus she’s so famous she doesn’t need to know how to order pizza (according to Kathy Griffin) and no one cares. She is one of the ultimate gay icons. She’s Cher bitch!!
4. Betty White
If there’s anything better than sliced bread (she was born before it was even invented) it’s the only remaining Golden Girl herself, Betty White. She’s the matriarch of gay icons, and at 95, she is still rocking and beloved by all. There really isn’t anything bad you can say about this woman, and long may she continue to entertain us. And as the younger generation find out about The Golden Girls, they too will fall in love with Rose Nylund.
5. RuPaul
The drag mother himself, RuPaul has entertained fans for many years. Never one to mince words, RuPaul found fame in 1993 after the song “Supermodel” came out, but it was 2009 that saw his star truly rise when a little show called RuPaul’s Drag Race came thundering onto our screens, and nearly 9 seasons later the show goes from strength to strength, and also reintroduced us to RuPaul’s cohort, Michelle Visage, who is somewhat of a gay icon herself, due to her unwavering vocal support of a community who took her to their hearts.
6. Ellen DeGeneres
Her reminder of “be kind to one another” strikes a chord in the community and her warmth and generosity towards others can only make people smile. She rose from a little-known stand-up comedian to one of the most watched women on TV. People love Ellen, and her gay icon status is very much deserved. She doesn’t take herself seriously and proves that it’s OK to be gay and live a normal life without shame or guilt. A truly inspirational woman.
7. Stephen Fry
I would be hard pushed not to put bitingly witty, intelligent, charming and all round fabulous person Stephen Fry on this list. From the days of Blackadder to the presenter of QI, Fry has been an icon for a long time. He has been voted numerous times as an ultimate gay icon and it’s not hard to see why. His eloquent way of speaking and conducting himself appeals to many fans alike.
8. Madonna
Anyone who can bring voguing into the mainstream deserves a place among the icons. The Queen of Pop and reinvention herself has been popular for 30 years, and to this day still commands massive crowds. Gay fans flocked to Madonna and her ridiculously catchy dance tunes will still get many a gay on the dance floor, and while she may not be as popular as she once, there’s still only one Madonna.
9. Diana Ross
With a gay anthem like “I’m coming out” Diana Ross with all her glittery outfits, and diva-like behaviour screams gay icon. Having a career that’s lasted since God’s dog was a puppy also helps. She’s also probably the only woman to shut down West Hollywood so she could film a music video with RuPaul and 200 drag queens. Gay Icon certified.
10. Bette Midler
Miss Midler was performing in gay venues in the 70s after seeing the positive reaction from the LGBT crowd, and then in 1993, she achieved gay cult status as Winifred Sanderson in Hocus Pocus. Her glittery stage presence and music is always a hit amongst the gay crowd, and while occasionally she has put foot in mouth, her iconic status cannot be refuted.
Some of you may ask why I haven’t included people like Britney, Beyonce or Lady Gaga, Well I’ll explain. The icons I chose have been talking points for a very long time, and I can see them still being talked about long after they are no longer with us. Gaga et al, still have a way to go before true icon status is achieved, and while they have an icon-like following, in my eyes they aren’t legendary…yet!
Honour roll of past gay icons
Carrie Fisher
Joan Rivers
Bette Davies
Joan Crawford
David Bowie
Bea Arthur
Quentin Crisp
Divine
Judy Garland
Donna Summer
Harvey Milk
Marsha P Johnson
James Dean
Marlon Brando
Marlene Dietrich
Lucille Ball
Freddie Mercury
George Michael
Whitney Houston
Alan Turing
Marilyn Monroe
Mae West
Jackie Onassis
Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, it’s management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.
CREDIT: By Lucian Piane Note: Per communication with image owner logged via OTRS (Ticket#: 2009031310000079), he is both copyright holder/owner of the image, and also author of the photo. (Lucian Piane) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia CommonsIt all started off with some relatively harmless political tweets on his Twitter account. Lucian Piane, the songwriter for RuPaul and occasional Drag Race judge was sharing stories on the less than shining sides of Hillary Clinton and President Obama in the run-up to the presidential election. Some fans thought he’d gone a little too far down the conspiracy theory route, but on the whole, they were humouring him mostly. But on November 3rd, his account took a turn for the worst.
A tweet from his account directed at Sia’s Manager David Russell, saying it was funny that Russell had AIDS was posted out, and at first the fans thought Piane had been hacked and jumped to his support. What also led people to believe a hack, was over the next couple of hours, various tweets that sounded like they were coming from a hacker were posted out, including accusations of X-Men director Bryan Singer making one of Piane’s friends have sex while the director watched and that Piane had kissed CNN anchor Anderson Cooper while Cooper was in a relationship, and as the tweets kept coming, they seemed to get more ludicrous and offensive, anything from calling himself, “the biggest f*ggot I know”, to claiming a love for feet and wanting straight men to perform oral sex on him. But people still believed he’d been hacked, but then suddenly a periscope video with his mother Darlene appeared which confirmed that everything that had been tweeted so far had in fact come from Piane. The tweets kept coming over the next few hours and days, descending further and further into chaos after he openly claimed the Obamas and Clintons were murderers and that both Bill and Hillary were paedophiles and that Barack Obama was gay and his own body and nearly everyone on earth was infected with brain-controlling parasites and he recommended bathing in bleach and also drinking small quantities of it to combat them. He posted various videos showing sores on his face and hands, saying these were where the parasites were leaving his body.
The fans were starting to grow concerned for his well-being and Piane even claimed that Perez Hilton had sent the police around to visit him but that there was no cause for alarm, but still, the worrying behaviour was continuing, and the continued attacks against people voicing their concerns. He claims he is just telling the truth on matters and that it’s unfair people are attacking him, while still insulting people himself.
Sadly the social media has since gotten considerably worse, with Piane not only sharing private messages between him and his family who allegedly didn’t invite him to thanksgiving dinner while also calling his mother a c*nt. He is also saying that black people should embrace the N word (while using it himself) and that in order for people to get along, the Jews should just get over the Holocaust, while also simultaneously claiming Hillary Clinton is a hermaphrodite (as well sharing a picture of his own nether regions) and that Michelle Obama is committing sexual assault against her own daughters.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNR_BrxgdfX/?taken-by=revolucian
But what is going on? Why is Lucian Piane acting this way? Accusations of drug use and mental health issues are plaguing the songwriter, and in what appeared to be a moment of clarity earlier this month, Piane claimed he was on the anti-psychotic medication Seroquel, and that it had been affecting him. Seroquel is known to have some serious side effects and in some cases, it can make people worse, and if it’s true he is indeed on the medication, he needs to change it fast. Others have pointed out that the aforementioned facial and hand sores are a classic sign of continued Methamphetamine use. I personally don’t want to speculate as to what is going on, but whatever it is, it is worrying to see someone so talented and respected go down such a calamitous route on social media. He seems utterly oblivious to what he is posting, whether it’s because he simply doesn’t care, or that he’s gone so far down the road of mental health issues that he doesn’t understand what he’s doing and why people would be so worried.
Quite how his accounts are still active at the time of writing is beyond me because Twitter and Instagram take a stance on bullying and offensive language and have suspended or banned people for less than what Piane has been posting.
It remains to be seen what effect this will have on his career. He has stated that he pulled out of being on Season 9 of Drag Race before it was filmed earlier this year. How true it is that he left of his own accord is in question. But unless something is done about his current behaviour, it’s unlikely he will return anytime soon to the Drag Race panel or work with RuPaul again.
Strangely, RuPaul himself has remained resolutely silent on any matters concerning Piane, declining to issue any statements or even respond to any tweets mentioning his songwriter.
Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.
In February a new seven-part mini series premieres in America about the early gay rights movement.
CREDIT: ABC/YouTube
I’ve written about the Stonewall riots before, and this new series focuses on that time period. Written by Tom Daley’s fiance, Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (who also directed two of the episodes) it is based on true stories of the brave LGBT community members who fought tooth and nail to be heard, and to be accepted. There’s also some big names involved as well, Whoopi Goldberg, Rosie O’Donnell, Guy Pierce, Michael K Williams David Hyde Pierce, and Mary Louise Parker, to name just a few.
Dustin Lance Black has always been a strong vocal advocate for the gay rights movement, and it appears with this series he is showing how far we’ve come, and how far we still have to go. I for one will be watching it when I can, and I hope with it being on the TV station ABC that it will also appear on Netflix soon after it’s release so UK viewers will have a chance to watch it.
The first trailer has just been released, and I must say I was actually quite choked up after watching it. It really hit home that people had to, and are still going through hell just to be accepted for who they are, and with the divisive US election still fresh in people’s minds, this series is coming at a time when a fresh struggle for our community is upon us. I hope that the younger generation of LGBT folks, will watch the show, and know that the type of freedom they have today is thanks to a generation that endured violence, seething hated and brutality, and who cried out that they had had enough and fought back. I don’t want to waffle on with a big piece so I’ll let the trailer speak for itself, and hope it touches you in the way it touched me.
This article does contain spoilers for All Stars season 2.
With RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 2 having just broadcast its latest episode, with a dramatic twist, a hoo-hah has erupted between the shows makers and one of its star turns. In this case, it’s Phi Phi O’Hara aka Jaremi Carey.
Phi Phi was the villain of season 4, her attitude was terrible, and some of the stuff she said was borderline offensive. She came across as spoiled, narcissistic and bratty. So it was with trepidation that I went into All Stars 2 knowing both her and series 5 villain Roxxxy Andrews would be appearing.
From the get go, Phi Phi was determined to redeem herself and distance herself from the behaviour that put her amongst the elite of the most hated queens to ever grace the show. Tyra Sanchez (Season 2 winner) and Roxxxy Andrews also hold that dubious title, but Roxxxy is far more insidious than the other two and her vile bullying of Jinkx Monsoon leaves me unable to watch Season 5 because of how uncomfortable it makes me.
I must admit I did have some preconceived ideas about Phi Phi and didn’t think that I would feel any different about her this time round. However I was pleasantly surprised, she seemed to have upped her game, her drag style had changed from a pageant queen, to a more refined style, and her cosplay costume was fantastic. But there was the lingering niggle, that the show seemed to exploit.
The way it was shown and talked about was that Phi Phi was deliberately trying to play mind games with some of the other contestants, by saying Roxxxy’s idea to play Sophia Vegara in The Snatch Game could be problematic because her Spanish accent wasn’t as thick as Vegara’s. She actually advised Andrews to work on the accent a little more, and make it thicker, and therefore funnier. A couple of episodes later, and allegedly she was back to her old tricks, this time talking about the fact that Ginger Minj’s dress was a big dress to be dancing around in. Again I didn’t really see it as playing mind games, more just stating a fact and giving Ginger a heads up to ensure she took it into account while dancing. But the other queens, who may or may not have had the same ideas about Phi Phi, seemed to take these statements from Phi Phi as some kind of way of sabotaging the contestants and messing with their heads, and these soundbites were helpfully inserted throughout the episodes.
Another bone of contention was that from the start the queens had agreed that with the new twist of themselves having to do the elimination instead of RuPaul, they would base it purely on judges critique of that particular challenge and runway presentation only, and not previous wins, or losses. Phi Phi was very vocal about sticking with that idea, and when Alyssa Edwards decided to break the chain, and voted to send Ginger home, despite Ginger getting overall better judges comments, Phi Phi wasn’t happy about it, and voiced so.
The episode broadcast where Alyssa was sent home, during the after elimination talk, Phi Phi decided to let it be known that Alyssa had been trying to influence both her and Alaska to send either of the other two in the bottom three home because she hadn’t been in the bottom as much herself, yet she had received the worst critique for both her challenge and runway look. In this case both Alaska and Phi Phi had chosen to eliminate Alyssa, but the way it was presented made it look like Phi Phi had chosen Alyssa out of spite for not having stuck with the agreed upon way of elimination previously. Looking back at what was said, it’s more that Phi Phi was saying Alyssa, did the worst, yet she was trying to save herself by throwing the others under the bus, so she was voted off for simply getting the worst judges comments. In the latest episode broadcast, Phi Phi and Alyssa hashed it out, and while there was obviously still a lot of tension there, they mutually agreed to bury the hatchet.
Since the episodes have aired, Phi Phi has been getting a huge amount of hate online. People have been insulting her and sending death wishes to her. If Phi Phi had been the total and utter bitch she had been previously, I would’ve been among the first to call her out on it because I detested her first time round, but I haven’t seen her do anything that calls for such vitriol. Yes she can be feisty, and a little bitchy, but all of them are to one degree or another and some more than others. It has obviously affected her quite badly, and as of the time of writing, she is not attending the re-union show because she feels the show has misrepresented her quite badly.
I also can’t totally agree with her blaming editing because she has actually said the stuff she says, but I believe it has been taken far worse than it was intended, and the reactions to it by the other contestants could well have been based on their own ideas of who Phi Phi O’Hara is.
To me Phi Phi has made a concerted effort to break away from the idea that people have of her, and this time round I really don’t have a problem with her at all. I even started following her on Twitter. But one gets the feeling that Drag Race Phi Phi, live performing Phi Phi and Jaremi Carey are totally different people. Reading through Twitter, a lot of her fans who have met her have said she’s actually friendly, and very interactive with them and will spend a lot of time at meet & greets taking photos and talking. But distancing from Phi Phi, Jaremi the man has obviously been incredibly affected by this, and feels very hurt by the way the show has represented him and how the viewers have received him. He has since said that aside from the already booked shows remaining for the year, he will not be performing as Phi Phi again for a while, and wants to concentrate on being Jaremi, and releasing music.
I don’t think that the show has intentionally set out to hurt Phi Phi, and I don’t pretend to know the process that goes into making it, and Phi Phi has revealed a lot went on off camera that nearly made her quit the show, but she was eliminated this week by both returning queens Alyssa and Tatianna. However I think some of the viewers have read into everything Phi Phi says with far more of their own biases than the show intended to put across, and the viewers who hate her, will always find a way to hate her. I believe for Phi Phi, blaming the shows editing process is easier than delving deeper into the reasoning behind why people have reacted the way they have. My own personal opinion is that she did herself no favours with how she was on Season 4, and that has left a bad mark on the viewers, and some will never get it out of their heads that Phi Phi is a terrible person, and see everything she does as false. I for one have been able to separate how she was on Season 4 and how she is now. I think there is far more to Phi Phi O’Hara than the general viewers have seen.
Phi Phi did come across as awful in the past, but for me, she hasn’t actually done anything that has annoyed or angered me this time round, and I think people need to stop looking at every single thing Phi Phi says or does as something negative.
The opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK’s editorial or management. If you’d like to join the conversation or write an opinion piece, please click here.
Just how well are us LGBTs portrayed on television & film? Here are 9 of our favourite TV characters.
So I’m going to list my 9 best examples of LGBT characters based on their iconic status or accurate portrayal. For this list I’m using the characters sexuality and identity only, not the actors who portray them.
1. Maura Pfefferman (Jeffrey Tambor)
Transparent. A sensitive and moving portrait of a trans-woman struggling to come to terms with her gender identity and having to come out to her family as transgender. Transparent depicts the struggles that families go through when a loved one comes out with a secret like this. Luckily the series doesn’t sensationalise the issue, nor does it become offensive of the portrayal of Maura, who says the most wonderful line “All my life, my whole life I’ve been dressing up like a man, this is me” Definitely worth a watch.
2. Ellen Morgan (Ellen DeGeneres)
Ellen. In 1997 The Puppy Episode the character of Ellen loudly announced to a whole airport terminal she was gay and made television history in the process. DeGeneres herself came out on the same day to Oprah (who had guest starred in the episode) and the show took a light-hearted comedic approach to the character who’s sexuality had always been a source of speculation. However, after the episode aired ratings started to decline and criticisms were aimed at the writers for concentrating too much on the gay aspect of a character and the show was cancelled a year later.
So it’s all over the web, YouTube star Gigi Lazzarato (Gorgeous) was detained in a Dubai airport for 5 hours after being refused entry through passport control after allegedly being told by the worker there, that she couldn’t enter the country due to her being transgender and that her passport picture and information didn’t match her presented gender, a claim she refutes.
But should she really be remotely surprised that in Dubai, a place not known for its progressive nature towards LGBT individuals she got treated badly.
Now not for one second do I agree with her treatment, but at the end of the day, she was travelling to a predominantly Islamic country.
Yes Dubai is seen as a hip place to be, and the rich and famous go there on their holidays, but Gigi should have done her research before going over there. On the surface it looks like an amazing place to go, well developed and technologically advanced, but just below the surface is a heavily religious city, in a heavily religious area of the world.
It is grossly unfair that there are some places in the world that people from the LGBT community simply can’t travel, but until the world changes, people have to take precautions. It’s a question of keeping oneself safe as possible. There were probably hundreds of other equally exotic places she could have visited, but she chose Dubai. Personally, she should be thankful that immigration stopped her going through, because who knows what could’ve possibly happened if she had got out of the airport. She may have been arrested, or worse.
What people have to remember is that Dubai has a history of atrocities against people, especially women and the LGBT community. In 2013 a Norwegian woman went to local police and said she had been raped by a co-worker. She was actually arrested and convicted of extra marital sex, and consumption of alcohol and sentenced to 16 months in prison. She was eventually pardoned, but only after she was pressured to say the rape hadn’t happened, and this isn’t the only time something like this has happened. Numerous times, women have reported sexual assault and have been charged themselves for other things. And don’t get me started on how LGBT people get treated there. People have been arrested, fined, imprisoned for up to 10 years, lashed, and forcibly deported, simply for being convicted of homosexual behavior.
Everyone should feel free to be as fabulous as they want to be, but there will be places and people who simply can’t handle that. It’s why I thinks it’s incredibly important for people to educate themselves about places that they want to travel to remain safe. And while you may feel there is progress in general, it doesn’t mean there is progress everywhere.
I agree with Gigi to an extent when she said it was disgusting and very scary that you are denied entry somewhere because of who you are, and it shouldn’t happen, but sadly it does.
So if you are thinking of going anywhere on holiday, please find out everything you can beforehand about its laws and customs so you can stay safe and happy and actually enjoy yourself without fear of being arrested, or attacked.
Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, it’s management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.
.jpg "10 Things Gay Men Hate On The Gay Scene 4")
