THEGAYUK

Author: Daniel Browne

  • OP ED: Why Dan Wootton And The Sun Should Be Ashamed Of Themselves

    OP ED: Why Dan Wootton And The Sun Should Be Ashamed Of Themselves

    There seems to be a lot of people who are attempting to turn back the clock at the moment

    Whether it’s one of my friends who has recently had her latest round of botox or the Conservative government trying to take us back to 1875, it seems we all want to relive the past. Then came The Sun and its journalist Dan Wootton, who are apparently trying to take us back to the 1980s with sensationalised, scaremongering articles.

    By now I’m sure most of us will have seen The Sun’s recent front page, which claims a top Hollywood star has HIV.
    “Hollywood HIV Panic”, the headline read, as if the article is a trashy Hollywood-made drama in itself. The Sun alleged that the famous man has been living with HIV for a number of years and has had a string of also famous lovers.

    The article insinuates that the actor has been knowingly having sex with a number of women when he’s aware of his HIV status, and therefore could potentially be passing it on. In the article, The Sun also claim they have chosen not to name the star. How wonderfully considerate of them.

    I have to admit that I thought to myself, where do I even begin with my takedown of this article and Dan Wootton?

    The whole thing is so odious, and indeed Dan Wootton an odious creature, that I wanted to throw my laptop out of the window and bang my head on a brick wall. Let’s begin with the fact that regardless of this person’s fame, everybody has a right to privacy and confidentiality, particularly when it comes to something such as medical records. Running this story is an absolute invasion of privacy.
    Then there’s the sensationalist, dated tone of the headline and article. It reverts back to the dark days of the 1980s. An article of this type can only help to reinforce the stigma around HIV. It takes a giant leap backwards in the fight to change attitudes and perceptions regarding HIV.

    What The Sun could have done is ran a very informative piece about HIV, but instead they chose to cheapen it and spread vicious gossip that is hurtful to many people.

    Overall I’m not really shocked that The Sun would run such a piece. I’ve long regarded them as a trash rag. What I am disappointed with, though, is The Sun’s showbiz journalist Dan Wootton putting his name to something so shameful.

    I must admit that I have never been a fan of Dan Wootton. I believe he and his type represent what is wrong with the world. I have zero respect for someone who makes a living out of spreading gossip and rumours about people. However, I had assumed that as a gay man he’d have used his position to help rather than to hate. Clearly I was mistaken.

    Upon seeing the article, I tweeted Dan Wootton to ask him if he thought it’s ok to spread hurtful gossip. I told him that he is contributing to stigmatising HIV and that he should be ashamed of himself. Many other people had also tweeted him, saying similar things to what I had. I didn’t expect him to reply, but I was surprised to discover that he has blocked me. I’m not the only one; many others have also been blocked by Wootton for calling him out on what he has done.

    I can understand blocking trolls, but when people are asking genuine questions and aiming justified criticism at you, the best approach is to face it head on and be man enough to admit that you made a mistake. By blocking people and ignoring all criticism, Dan Wootton is burying his head in the sand and not taking any responsibility for his actions. This just makes him look even worse and gives the impression that he stands by the article.

    What I’d like to see Dan Wootton do is apologise for what he has done and make an effort to do something more beneficial for those living with HIV. As it stands, he’s shown himself to be a truly appalling individual. He has betrayed people living with HIV and should absolutely be ashamed of himself.
    Terrence Higgins Trust does amazing work supporting people living with HIV, campaigning and raising awareness. Please have a look at their website and show them some love.

    by Daniel Browne

    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.

  • COMMENT: Is The Gay Community Its Own Worst Enemy?

    Last year I wrote an article for this divine publication about the gay movement eating itself from the inside out.

    It was in response to a comment from RuPaul, in which she made that exact statement after the term ‘she-mail’ was dropped from the Drag Race television show. Almost 18 months later I still agree with RuPaul; perhaps even more so now than I did then. That’s because recently I’ve found myself becoming victim to an increasing amount of abuse… not from homophobes, but from other gay people.

    Locally I do a lot of work with and for the gay community. This has led to a certain level of interest in the work I do and made me the go to person whenever an organisation or the local media wish to discuss a gay-related topic. I’ve never claimed or wanted to be a spokesperson for the gay community, but at the same time whenever I do give an interview or have a meeting, I’m keen to get across points that gay people have made to me rather than simply putting my own point of view across. It’s something that has ran pretty smoothly until the tide appeared to change several months ago.

    There was a bit of controversy surrounding the Coventry Pride festival earlier in the year. I had been organising it, but decided to step down from that position over a disagreement with the venue, who I perceived to be in it for the money and exposure rather than for the community. With money and influence on their side, the venue went on a spin campaign that absolutely trashed my reputation. It was then that negativity from people within the gay community began. I was subjected to threats of violence, death wishes, slurs about my appearance, and general Dan-bashing. It led to me having to log off social media for several days until things started to die down.

    That experience got me thinking again about how the gay community can sometimes be its own worst enemy. There I was doing what I thought was something positive for the community, only to have people jumping on the bandwagon to troll me. I resolved to ignore ‘the haters’ as I thought the truth of the situation was all I needed. Besides, if you start to respond to trolls it just feeds them, right? I anticipated that the trolling wouldn’t last as people would get bored and move on to something else. How wrong I was.

    Back in September, there was a horrific attack on a gay man in Leamington Spa. A number of people from an outraged community asked me to do something about it as we could all see that violent crimes against gay people were becoming more common locally. So I set about an awareness raising campaign and organised the Leamington Spa Equality Rally, which took place at the beginning of October. As part of the campaign, I gave interviews to local press, as well as holding meetings with the Police to discuss increased support for the community. As the press reports began to surface, I started to receive abusive comments again. What shocked me was that it wasn’t from homophobes, but from gay people. I was called all sorts of names, and it was claimed that I was making the violent incidents up as a form of self-promotion. I let it go as frankly I had more important things to think about, but at the same time felt a sense of disappointment that so many gay people appear to turn on each other so easily. Where was the sense of community and togetherness going? Does the hatred come from their own self-loathing or is it jealousy?

    After a couple of weeks free from being trolled, it has flared up again recently. This time it’s due to an article that a local newspaper ran based on one of my tweet sabout the LGBTQ charity I run not doing too badly considering I was told by a local councillor that there are no gay people in Warwickshire. It’s a very old story and I thought it was common knowledge. However after a sensationalised article locally, the story was picked up by national gay publications. They began running the story of how I had made this revelation, despite the fact I hadn’t revealed anything or even spoken to those publications. As the comments from gay people started, they ranged from the amusing to the abusive. For some, it became less about the article and the issues we face as a community, as more comments about my appearance surfaced, with some gay people basically saying I’m a minger.

    Whether I’m a minger or not, the thing that concerns me the most is how the gay community appears to be fracturing. I’ve detailed some of my personal experiences here, but I’m sure we’ve all seen profiles online that state “no fats, no fems, no blacks, no Asians”. There’s even one person on Grindr who states he is looking for “beef, not mince”. The reality is that we are now in a position where it’s seemingly ok to ridicule and discriminate against our own kind rather than stick together. I now find myself questioning whether the ‘gay community’ actually exists or whether it’s a thing of the past.

    With hate crime on the rise and equality still to fight for, particularly in a social context, I don’t see that in-fighting and discrimination within the gay community does anything to further our cause. It worries me that so many gay people would rather abuse and ridicule their own kind than come out in support of the issues that are being highlighted or in support of each other as a minority. We’re no longer the family we once were.

    So what’s the solution? Unfortunately, I don’t have all the answers, but it’s clear to me that trolling, racism, body shaming and ridicule are becoming increasingly prevalent within the gay community. Surely we’re better than that.

    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.

  • COLUMN: Why I Am Outraged by LGBT People’s Outrage

    If there’s one thing that really annoys me these days, it’s people being ‘outraged’ over things that do not require any amount of outrage.

    Particularly with social networking sites being so popular, it’s easy to log on to the likes of Twitter and jump on a bandwagon of outrage against something.

    This week there have been two stories in the news that have resulted in LGBT people claiming outrage. The first is about the comments that Sir Tom Jones made regarding his former views on homosexuality. In an interview he said he was paranoid about homosexuals in the 50s and 60s when he was starting out in the music industry. When I read the article I had no doubt that he was referring to a certain period in history and that his views are surely more open minded now. However, the outraged brigade failed to see that and leaped on to the Tom Jones bashing bandwagon to call him out for being a homophobe. As Tom Jones himself has since said via his Twitter feed, let’s put this story into context. He was clearly talking about a period in history when homosexuality was illegal and people had very different views to ones that are held today.

    In another part of the interview he said that he soon realised that most people “were normal” before going on to clarify that “homosexuals are normal” and that “he shouldn’t have put it like that”. From my point of view he had said something that could cause offense, realised what he had said and then corrected himself.

    Therefore there’s no issue, right? Apparently not so, as swarms of people took to Twitter to berate him for saying homosexuals are not normal; something which he never actually said. I wonder how many of those people criticising him actually read the article or considered the context of what he said, and how many blindly jumped on the bandwagon of being outraged by something that he didn’t actually say.
    The second story that caught my eye is regarding the calls to ban Germaine Greer from speaking at Cardiff University due to transphobic comments she has made in the past. I’ve long been an advocate of trans rights and actively campaigned on behalf of trans people. However I have to disagree with any calls to ban Germaine Greer from speaking at Cardiff University (or indeed any other university). Although I do not agree with the comments she has made about trans women, I also do not believe in silencing or censoring people who have differing views, regardless of how offensive people may find them. As long as no laws are being broken and there isn’t any incitement of hatred, I am all for freedom of speech. Surely it is much better to organise a peaceful protest or actively challenge Germaine Greer over her views than to act to silence her. Doesn’t that make us as bad as those who act to silence our voices?

    The link between the two stories and the views I hold, is the outrage and offense that people claim they feel. While I cannot tell people what they do or do not feel, I can’t help but think that people need to read between the lines, see things for that they are, and perhaps open their minds a bit more before getting angry.

    Another example is when I recently organised an equality rally in my hometown of Leamington Spa to peacefully protest against a rise in violent attacks on LGBT people. Although not a dangerous place, attacks on the community have been slowly rising over the past couple of years and I decided to do something about it. As well as organising the rally, I also spoke to many local councillors, my MP and the Police to alert them to the situation and call on them to do more to support the LGBT community. The concerns were positively received and in particular the Police were incredibly supportive. They agreed a series of strategies to combat hate crimes against LGBT people, encourage reporting and support the community. I posted about the positive outcomes on social media so that those attending the rally could see what was happening behind the scenes. While the news was welcomed by the majority, there was a sect that became outraged that I would allow the Police to be involved with LGBT people and LGBT events.
    A number of very angry individuals, who were acting on behalf of a militant LGBTQ+ group, began aggressively posting their thoughts on how the Police actively murder people from our community and stated that the Police should be banned from all LGBT events. My response was to again explain the context of Police involvement. I told the individuals that the Police were being supportive of our community and that they were not attending local LGBT events to ‘police’ us. It was about positive community engagement and trying to learn how they can do better for our community. My clarification fell on deaf ears and the outrage of that sect became increasingly intense. Along with their outrage and aggressive posts came personal attacks on me, including racism.

    Ultimately what happened was a group of people became outraged over something they completely missed the context of and refused to listen to any kind of reasoning or explanation. I guess that’s the same in the case of the Tom Jones and Germaine Greer stories; people are becoming outraged over something without really understanding the context or considering the alternatives.

    As I keep saying, the LGBT community is sometimes its own worst enemy.

     

    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.

  • COMMENT | Why Free Pride Glasgow are Offensive, Not Cis Drag Queens

    Over the past couple of years, I have been noticing a worrying pattern of behaviour amongst a number of LGBT people, who seemingly take offence to absolutely everything and cry outrage at the drop of a hat.

    Whether it’s being offended over the naming of a road, the use of the word queer, or the inclusion of UKIP in a Pride parade, I often feel much of this ‘outrage’ is unnecessary and rarely take offence to things myself. Sometimes we need to lighten up a bit and consider the bigger picture. However, on hearing the news that Free Pride Glasgow have banned cis drag performers, I am on the side of those who are outraged at the decision.

    I had not heard of Free Pride Glasgow until the news of their drag ban was posted all over Twitter. After doing a bit of research on the event, on one hand I admire what they’re about. I organise a Pride event myself and do my best to ensure it’s not a commercial event. It’s all about the community and I feel that Prides should be free events that are accessible to all. However, on the other hand, I feel that Free Pride Glasgow are a bit militant in their views and the way they are going about things. For starters, putting their event on the same day as the mainstream Glasgow Pride is a bit confrontational. Then, of course, we come to the decision to ban cis drag performers from being a part of Free Pride Glasgow.

    Drag Queens are a huge part of our history and culture. Without Drag Queens we wouldn’t have many of the freedoms we take for granted today. The Stonewall riots in the 60s were started by Drag Queens and for that reason we have much to thank them for. To ban cis drag performers is to ignore a large part of our culture. I genuinely feel that the organisers of Free Pride Glasgow should be ashamed of themselves. It doesn’t appear to be in the spirit of being ‘free’, nor in the spirit of Pride.

    Pride festivals need to be inclusive of all people, whether they be lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, cis, non-cis, straight, black, white, purple, orange or anything else. They should be open to anybody who wants to celebrate diversity and our rich LGBT culture, and that should extend to entertainers. Banning cis drag performers makes Free Pride Glasgow an exclusive event, not an inclusive one.

    A solution to this situation would be for Free Pride Glasgow to allow cis drag performers to be a part of their event, but to have them perform in a specific drag area like some other Pride events do. That way, those who are not offended by cis drag artists can see them perform, and those who are offended by cis drag artists don’t have to see them.

    There are clearly ways around this that would benefit everyone. However, Free Pride Glasgow are choosing to bow to pressure from one section of our community and alienate a whole other section in the process. The organisers are doing nothing to further our cause by taking this action. In fact, they are contributing to a divide in our community that I fear is growing at a time when we all need to be on the same side. For that, they should be ashamed of themselves.

    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.

     

  • COMMENT | Is Pride In London Right To Ban UKIP? Either Allow All Political Parties Or Ban Them All

    I pose this question because over the past few days there has been a lot of debate around London Pride’s decision to allow UKIP to be involved in their parade, before then backtracking and banning UKIP from being a part of the festival.

    With many LGBT people feeling that UKIP should not be part of Pride events due to many of their representatives holding homophobic, biphobic and transphobic views, I can see why London Pride have backtracked. However, my personal view is that London Pride should not have banned UKIP.

    In my opinion, UKIP should be allowed to march.

    For the past three years, I have organised the Warwickshire Pride festival, which takes place in Leamington Spa each summer. Among the 75+ stalls that attend the festival, there are usually a number of political parties represented. Labour have a stall each year, my Conservative MP typically gives a speech and sticks around to enjoy the day, and other parties get involved in some form too.

    This year I received a stall application from UKIP. Along with the application was a passionate email from a representative of UKIP’s local branch, who said that although he is not LGBT himself, he supports equality and had contacted UKIP’s LGBT network to ask them to join him in supporting Warwickshire Pride. The representative acknowledged that not all people would be pleased about UKIP having a presence at a Pride event due to the reputation that the party has, but demonstrated that the local branch is willing to engage positively with the LGBT community.

    At first, I thought there’s no way that I could allow UKIP to have a presence at Warwickshire Pride. As an individual, I am wholly opposed to what UKIP stand for. I believe that the homophobic and racist comments that some of their representatives have made are abhorrent. However, once I calmed down a bit I began to consider that if I allow other political parties to have a presence at the festival, it’s not fair of me to ban UKIP. That would be discrimination, which is not in the spirit of Pride, and I would also be allowing my personal views to affect my professionalism. Therefore I decided to allow UKIP to book a stall.

    I also took the issue to my board of trustees, who agreed that we cannot discriminate against a political party because we don’t like their views. It was decided that we either allow all political parties who want to join in with the Pride celebrations to do so or ban them all.

    The fact that UKIP is making an effort to become involved with a Pride festival shows that they’re not all bad people. In every political party, there are positive and negative representatives. Just look at how many Conservative MPs were against marriage equality and other LGBT equality laws. Yet there doesn’t seem to be any protest against the Conservatives having a presence at Pride events.

    Ultimately Pride is about representing all LGBT people and the entirety of our culture. I am mindful that there are LGBT people who support UKIP, despite how the party is perceived. When I began organising Warwickshire Pride I was keen to create something for everyone to enjoy, and as much as I may not like it on a personal level, that does include allowing UKIP to come along and join the celebrations.

     

    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.

  • Should Gay People Vote Purely On Parties’ Record On Gay Rights?

    I’ll jump straight in and start by stating the bleeding obvious, that I don’t think gay people should be voting purely on political parties’ record on gay rights.

    I believe there is a much bigger picture that needs to be looked at. Sexuality should not define us as individuals and although we have some way to go until things are really equal for us, I feel that there are more pressing issues that should be given consideration at this time.

    With just just under two weeks to go until the General Election, it’s looking like it will be a close battle between Labour and the Conservative Party, with losses likely for the Liberal Democrats and some gains for UKIP. The campaigning is ramping up a gear with each rise of the sun and the various political parties have been releasing their manifestos.

    As part of the manifestos, most of the political parties have mentioned LGBT rights and the Labour Party have a specific LGBT manifesto. It’s great that the parties are being mindful of LGBT rights and it shows what great progress has been made in recent times. However, it could also be seen as an attempt to win the ‘pink vote’ and I’m cautious of voting for a political party just because they have pledged to do the most for gay people.

    The last Labour government did a lot for gay people; lowering the age of consent, repealing the ban on gay people serving in the armed forces, repealing Section 28, introducing civil partnerships, and a whole host of other equality legislation. The current Conservative-Lib Dem Coalition has introduced marriage equality for gay people and set up a £2 million fund to tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in schools.

    The Green Party have always been supportive of full equality for gay people. Then there’s UKIP, who despite having some truly awful characters in their ranks and being the only main political party not to address LGBT rights in their manifesto, have an LGBT network.

    In fact, at this year’s Warwickshire Pride festival, which I organise, so far UKIP are the only political party to book a stall there.

    Now I’m by no means a UKIP supporter, but the point I am making is that all of the political parties have aspects that could appeal to a gay voter. But as mentioned previously, there is so much more to take into consideration.

    If you cut me open, my blood is red (take from that what you will). I know exactly who I’ll be voting for on May 7th. The issues that matter to me are the economy, protecting the NHS, and supporting the most vulnerable in our society. The state of the country and our society as a whole is more important to me than my individual rights. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one (fans of Star Trek will recognise that quote).

    It would be wrong of me to tell you who you should be voting for. Ultimately you will know what your values are and where you stand on certain issues. What I will plead though, is that you at least exercise your right to vote. You never know; it could be your vote that counts the most.

     

    by @MrDanielBrowne

     

    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.

  • COMMENT | Radio One Did What To Madonna? Are We Living In An Ageist Society?

    As eternal gay icon Madonna prepares to launch her new album Rebel Heart, she’s on a promotional trail that includes interviews and performances at events such as the Grammy’s and the upcoming BRIT Awards. I’m looking forward to the new album and will no doubt mince along to the shops to buy it when it’s out, but I’m also finding myself becoming increasingly annoyed that it seems to be en vogue to hold ageist attitudes about Madonna.

    The great lady probably doesn’t care that people are being ageist towards her (B**ch, she’s Madonna), but from my point of view, it’s quite disgusting. I haven’t managed to watch Madonna’s recent Grammy’s performance, but when looking on Facebook I saw lots of statuses and comments about Madonna needing to ‘put it away’ and act her age. To be honest I’m not really sure how a 56-year-old should be acting. Surely as long as Madonna is happy and not doing any harm, she can behave however she wants to. In fact, I applaud Madonna for being so carefree and doing what she wants. I hope I’m just as ballsy when I reach 56.

    The latest act of ageism comes in the form of a story from the Daily Mail that Radio 1 has banned Madonna songs from their station. Radio 1 has since denied the accusations, stating that they individual songs on their merit and relevance to the station’s target audience. The Radio 1 spokesperson also stated that they do include older artists on their playlist and gave Paul McCartney currently being featured as an example.

    While I understand the statement that Radio 1 made, I would like to ask them whether they can give an example of an older female who is currently on their playlist or has been in recent times. I can’t think of any and the Paul McCartney example is pretty much void as he is only on the playlist because he features on a Rihanna song. If Paul McCartney was releasing a song that only he features on, I don’t think he would even be considered for the Radio 1 playlist.

    Although the Radio One refutes the Daily Mail story, it does raise questions about the prevalence of ageism and sexism. Ageism remains a big issue in society and is often coupled with sexism when you consider a number of women who are mocked for ‘looking old’ or not ‘acting their age’. I can’t think of any males who face the same treatment.

    When it comes to Madonna being a victim of ageism, I doubt she cares, but I think Shirley Manson from Garbage summed it up best when she said the following in a 2012 interview with Bullet Media:

    “The tabloids complain about Madonna looking old, and people laugh at her for that. Then Madonna goes and fixes her face, and they laugh at her for that. Even though they begrudgingly say she looks amazing, they’ll still laugh at her for trying to look young. Then she steps out, looking amazing, and the tabloids go and blow up a picture of her aging hand. Nobody’s doing that to George Clooney, blowing up pictures of his hands! I look at these magazines, and I want to say to them, ‘What’s your point? That she’s aged? Does that surprise you? Or is your ‘point’ an attempt to undercut what she’s achieved?’ I think it is, even if it’s on a subconscious level. … And you probably wouldn’t turn down those hands if they were grabbing you under the table, you f**king idiots!”

     

    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.

  • COMMENT: Germaine Greer, Bruce Jenner, and the Fight Against Transphobia

    I’ve long been a campaigner for trans rights and the elimination of transphobia. In recent times I had been thinking that the public are finally starting to understand what it is to be trans and that societal progress is being made.

    Then I started to read about comments made by Germaine Greer, hurtful gossip about Bruce Jenner, and of course the tragic case of Leelah Alcorn. It is now clear to me that the fight against transphobia needs to be stronger than ever before.

    Earlier this week Germaine Greer made an appearance at Cambridge University Students’ Union, where she was giving a talk. During this talk, Greer was questioned about her previous comments regarding trans women, including saying that being trans is a “delusion” and that trans women seem to be “ghastly parodies”. Her response to the questioning was that she “didn’t know there was such a thing as transphobia” and that trans women don’t know what it is like “to have a big, hairy, smelly vagina”.

    Obviously Germaine Greer’s comments will be highly offensive to trans women, but the most disturbing thing is that she cannot see that her unpleasant views are offensive, that transphobia exists, and that she is guilty of it. Unfortunately I feel that there is no hope of changing the views of bigots like Greer, who hold such outdated and prejudiced opinions, but the fight against transphobia is one that must be fought.

    Recently there have been a lot of articles about Bruce Jenner in the media. Normally the Kardashian-Jenner people are not on my radar, but I have read the stories and gossip about Bruce Jenner with interest because along with the gossip has come the ugly face of transphobia.

    I had heard rumours that someone called Bruce Jenner was preparing to transition, but it was only when I saw the cover of In Touch magazine, that had a photoshopped picture of Jenner on it with a full face of makeup and feminised features, that I understood who he is and what the stories were about. The magazine ran a story about Jenner now living as a woman, without having any actual truthful quotes from anyone, and certainly not from Bruce himself. It was simply gossip and speculation.

    From there TMZ ran a similar story and a video emerged of their staff being transphobic and mocking Jenner, with comments such as “well he’s not doing a good job of being a man” in response to somebody saying that Bruce wasn’t living as a female. This hateful stuff in certain sections of the media gives the impression that it’s ok to mock trans people and that they are a source of entertainment. That is certainly not the case.

    Although I’m no fan of the Kardashians, I have to admire the way they are handling the speculation surrounding Jenner’s gender identity and how they are rallying around him. It shows their strength and love as a family unit and I think as a family they are doing exactly the right thing. It’s clear that Jenner has their support regardless of whether he is living as a male or female.

    The way to tackle transphobia (and any other kind of discrimination) is to educate children from a young age so that future generations become more enlightened and informed. I also think we need to call out the media when they say or do something that is transphobic. They need to be held accountable for their comments and the damage they can do. Prejudiced, discriminatory comments and actions have the power to kill. You only have to look at the tragic story of Leelah Alcorn to see that’s the case. However, I believe that by standing up together as allies of trans people we can help to reduce and perhaps one day eradicate this issue.

    If Bruce Jenner is living as a woman and in the process of transitioning, then I wish him all the best with his journey. It’s not an easy process for any person, never mind such a prominent celebrity with the glare of the media on them. I hope that in time he is able to be open about who he is and not be ridiculed for it. However, if he isn’t living as a woman and is simply experimenting with his appearance, that is ok too. Everyone deserves to be able to express themselves freely without prejudice and I hope that in time Bruce Jenner and every other person on this planet is able to do that, regardless of gender identity.

     

    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.

  • INTERVIEW | (Wild) Bill McKechnie

    You can be forgiven for not having heard of Bill McKechnie. Affectionately known as Wild Bill, the former Britain’s Got Talent contestant has been working away on new music and supporting LGBT organisations over the past few years. Earlier this year saw the release of Bill’s new track ‘Fluffy Snow’, which he is aiming to get into the charts by Christmas. With all of Bill’s work supporting charities, including a number of LGBT causes, I caught up with him to find out more.

    Bill, lovely to speak to you. You’ve released a Christmas song, called Fluffy Snow, which you’re trying to get into the charts in time for the festive period. It’s an incredibly catchy song. How did the idea for Fluffy Snow come about?
    I was going through the rhythms on my keyboard and came across a Christmas Swing which I loved straight away. So I decided to try my hand at a Christmas composition. It took me just over thirty minutes to come up with the tune and as daft as it may sound the words were already there in my head. They were a little bit muddled up to start with but they soon began to flow naturally.

    You’ve been getting a lot of airplay from radio stations around the country. What’s the reaction to the song been like?
    I have been overwhelmed by the support from people all over the world, especially the support of Santa Claus, who has said it is going to be a hit. I have many friends who constantly share my Fluffy Snow posts on Facebook and Twitter.

    You do a lot for charity and in particular you have been a big supporter of gay pride events in recent years. It’s refreshing to see, as you’re a straight man. What is it about LGBT causes that makes you want to support them?
    Straight??? After two failed marriages I like to keep my options open. From a young age until my 40s I was extremely homophobic. I didn’t think it was right that two men should be together, but with age I started to see things from a different perspective. I have met a lot of gay men and lesbians over the last fifteen years and some have become my friends. It was an honour for me to be part of recent Pride festivals. I guess at the same time it was a release to finally allow myself to be me and stop worrying what other people think. I get a lot of pleasure from raising money for community groups and charities. I was blessed with many talents and I aim to use those gifts to help others less fortunate than myself.

    You’re a former Britain’s Got Talent contestant. What was it like being part of such a huge show?
    Being on Britain’s Got Talent was a truly awesome experience. I applied for the show with one purpose in mind and that was to get on national television to reach out to disabled viewers and show them how they could dance using their hands. Everyone joined in and learnt the hand dance routine to Saturday Night Fever, even Simon Cowell.

    What’s 2015 got in store?
    I have self-published an eBook that is available on Amazon Kindle. It’s called First Aid and Health & Safety in Rhyme. I’m aiming to get it accepted by a publisher as I have had great feedback from health organisations and first aid providers.

    You can find out more about Wild Bill and the work he does to support charities, including LGBT causes, at www.wild-bill.co.uk. You can get your copy of Fluffy Snow on Amazon.

  • COMMENT | Are We Born Gay Or Is it A Choice?

    Are We Born Gay Or Is It A Choice? If It Is A Choice, Isn’t That Ok?

    It’s an age-old question that has been asked time and time again; is being gay a case of nature of nurture? Are we really born this way or do we choose to be gay? My personal belief is that we were born this way, baby, but I’ll accept people’s right to hold a different view.

    Drawing on my own personal experience, I knew from around five years old that I was different to other boys. I didn’t know what gay was at that age, but I did know that I wanted to marry a man when I grew up.

    On that basis, I would say that for me it has definitely been a case of nature rather than nurture. I didn’t choose to be gay; it has always felt like a natural part of who I am. Anyway, if I had a choice about my sexuality I probably would have chosen to be heterosexual as life would have been a lot easier!

    Something I’ve always found fascinating is when someone asks me when I became gay as if I simply woke up one day and thought ‘yeah I feel a bit poofy today so I’m going to be gay’. Perhaps they really mean to ask about when I came out rather than when I became gay, or maybe the question should be about when I realised I am gay, but I tend to answer by asking them when they became straight.

    In the past I have met men who say they are straight but choose to have sex with men. On one particular occasion, I had a sexual encounter with one such man, who I didn’t know was married. As he was getting ready to leave he took his wedding ring out of his pocket, put it on his finger and bluntly told me that he “wasn’t like” me. It was around that time I started to think more about the question of whether sexuality is a choice.

    I don’t think we choose our sexuality. It’s a part of who we are as human beings. Some people are gay, some are straight, and some are bi. I also believe sexuality can be a spectrum rather than people fitting into set boxes, but I don’t believe sexuality to be a choice. I do however believe that we can choose whether to embrace our sexuality or not, and whether to live the lifestyle. For example, the married man I once had an encounter with was probably gay or bisexual but was choosing to live a closeted life and have sexual encounters with men on the side.

    I am gay but the only choice I have made regarding my sexuality is to embrace it and allow myself to be who I am. I know it’s not easy for everyone to do that and I’m all too aware of how difficult and confusing it can be when realising you are gay and deciding whether to tell people. I will also accept people’s right to believe that their sexuality is a choice. Just because I hold the view that I do, it doesn’t mean that I am right. Whatever your view is, the most important thing is that you feel able to embrace who you are and live happily as a gay person. That’s a choice we can all make.

     

    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.

  • INTERVIEW | Sassi Afrika, Refusing To Let Anything Hold Her Back

    If there was ever an award handed out for the most apt Drag Queen name, it would surely go to Sassi Afrika. Sassy in every sense of the word, Sassi Afrika is lively, bold and full of mischief. However, there’s another side to Sassi. She has a heart of gold and does a lot for charity. She also lives with disability and is a champion for people who refuse to let their disability hold them back from achieving their dreams. With a new album coming out and a message to spread, I sat down for a cuppa and a natter with this one of a kind Queen.

    DB: Sassi, you claim to have landed on Earth in 2013. What’s the reaction to your arrival been like?
    SA: Oh it’s been outstanding, honey. I’m so grateful to have been accepted by the people of Earth. Really I’m just a simple girl from Sassimus Prime, but I came here seeking fame and fortune, and it’s happening. I’m the modern day Madonna.

    DB: You’ve been performing at Pride festivals and earlier this year were named as one of the judges of Warwickshire Pride’s Got Talent. What is it about LGBT events that you love so much?
    SA: I just love the gays! I also heard that Warwickshire is full of them, so had to make it my destination. To be on the judging panel of Warwickshire Pride’s Got Talent is an absolute honour. Being a woman of many talents, it’s fabulous to be able to pass on my pearls of wisdom to others seeking fame and fortune. Performing at Pride events is always so much fun as I can be as Sassi as I like. And like I said, I just love the gays!

    DB: Your debut album, Shockaholic, is being released at the end of November. What can we expect from it?
    SA: It is shocking, believe me. You can expect lots of upbeat songs, dance tracks, and even a bit of hip-hop. Sassi sings, Sassi raps, and Sassi knows how to work it! I’m very proud of this album. I can feel a Grammy coming on.

    DB: And it’s for charity, right?
    SA: Yes that is right. Sassi likes to give back. As I love the gays, I have chosen to donate all of the proceeds from Shockaholic to Push Projects LGBTQ Youth Support charity. They do amazing work with young people and I am like their fairy godmother. So buy my album. It’s all for a good cause.

    DB: Aside from being a diva, you do a lot for charity and champion a number of good causes….
    SA: I do, darling. It keeps me grounded. I firmly believe in helping others if in a position to do so. I work with young people struggling with their sexuality, I volunteer for numerous charity events, and I also try to be a beacon of hope for people like me.

    It’s no secret that I have disabilities, but I have never allowed them to hold me back. I’m no different to anyone else, apart from being more Sassi obviously, and I am here to show that despite being disabled I can get out there, work it, and do the things I want to do. We should all do that.

    DB: What’s in store for Sassi Afrika in 2015?
    SA: Well 2015 is looking very Sassi indeed! I can exclusively reveal that I will be returning to the Warwickshire Pride’s Got Talent judging panel, which I am excited about. No doubt I’ll do a Cheryl Fernandez-Thingy and perform too; except I sing live. Then I will be appearing at various Pride festivals and other events. I’d like to go on a Sassi tour to promote my album, but as a woman in demand I’m not sure I’ll fit it in. In 2015 I’d also like to cement my status as a fashion icon and muse to the designers. I’m just waiting for Donatella to call me back. If you’re reading this, ring me babes. There’s so much happening in 2015. Like Cleopatra, Sassi’s comin’ atcha!

    Sassi Afrika’s debut album ‘Shockaholic’ is out on Monday 24th November. Check out her Bandcamp page to get your copy. You can also delve into the Sassi world at www.sassiafrika.moonfruit.com or tweet her @SassiAfrika.