THEGAYUK

Author: News Desk

  • Jakub and Dawid from Poland have just got married against all odds

    Ahhh! So sweet, Jakub and Dawid, the internet sensations from Poland have got married in a stunning cliff side wedding in Madeira.

    CREDIT: Magdalena Sobieska

    Despite the criticism and homophobic they have faced in their homeland, Polish couple Jakub and Dawid have finally tied the knot, although not in their own country because Poland does not yet have same-sex marriage.

    In a statement the couple said,

    “It’s sad that we cannot get married in Poland but we are aware that’s not gonna be changed anytime soon in our country, so decided to have it abroad.

    “I wish our grandmothers and grandfathers were with us but the journey would have been too exhausting them so we really missed them. If we were allowed to have this ceremony in Poland they would have been allowed to share these moments with us”.

    CREDIT: Magdalena Sobieska

    The couple invited 20 members of their family and friends including Dawid’s mum, two brothers and Jakub’s sister according to guests at the wedding the couple’s “dreams finally came true”.

    Congrats guys!!!

  • DUP “not homophobic” just traditional

    The leader of the DUP, Arlene Foster, has taken a swipe at the criticism and backlash launched at her party for its anti-gay equality policies.

    Arlene Foster has defended her party’s policies on LGBT+ equality, after a huge online backlash formed when it became apparent that Prime Minister Theresa May would need to do a deal with the DUP in order to maintain some kind of majority in Parliament. Nearly one million have signed petitions of no-confidence in a deal between the Conservatives and the DUP.

    Embed from Getty Images

    Ms Foster yesterday had a meeting with the UK’s Prime Minster, Theresa May.

    Theresa May’s gamble to hold a snap General Election to fortify her party’s stronghold in government backfired spectacularly last week leaving her party fewer less seats than they needed in order to form a majority government.

    Speaking on ITV News the DUP’s leader, Ms Foster said they were not homophobic but they “take a particular view in relation to the definition of marriage”, she described the backlash as “hyperbole”.

    The Northern Irish government have failed to legalise gay marriage 4 times, with the DUP being the main obstruction to equality. Northern Ireland remains the only place in the UK which does not allow gay couples to marry. It does, however, have civil partnerships.

     

     

  • RIP | Simon “Nicksy” Nicks, former presenter of Gaydio radio has died, 44

    One of the founding presenters of Gaydio, the world’s largest LGBT+ radio station has died at the age of 44.

    https://twitter.com/Nicksy/status/869218770056863745

    Simon “Nicksy” Nicks has died at the age of 44. Tributes have been pouring in since his death on the 29th May. His widower, Liam Nathan Nicks has described his late husband as “brave” in a tribute. Mr Nicks died fighting cancer, his husband wrote in a Facebook post that “it has just taken a hold”.

    He had been in a hospital since he was diagnosed in February. In an emotional post, Mr Nicks’ partner said,

    “He was surrounded by me , my mum and dad, His Florence cushion and his Grandma Kitty picture that went everywhere with him.
    And of course listening to Radio!”

    In another statement, he wrote that he was thankful “from the bottom of his broken heart” for the love, support and tribute that had been sent.

    Simon Nicks help launch Gaydio when it was just a fledging operation broadcasting just a few hours a day. He started by hosting a drive-time show. At the time Simon was an establish radio host and his attachment helped put Gaydio on the map.

    He was working as the Head of Content at the British Forces Broadcasting Corporation at the time of his death.

  • You won’t believe what age Colton Haynes lost his virginity to a guy

    Colton Haynes has revealed at what age he lost his virginity – and it was young!

    So Colton Haynes has revealed something about his sex life in an extraordinarily candid interview with SiriusXM radio host Andy Cohen. During the interview Colton opened up about the first time he had sex and apparently, he lost his virginity to a male and female at the same time.

    The Arrow actor revealed that he was just barely a teenager when he had sex with both a guy and a girl.

    The 28-year-old revealed,

    “I lost my virginity at 13 to a girl and a guy,

    “I’ve never said that before. The girl was two years older than me, and the guy was, I would say, around 16.”

    And it happened at the same time… although he did say it wasn’t a threesome, however, “everyone participated” and “it was exciting”.

    The TV star came out as gay in 2016 and got engaged to his boyfriend, Jeff Leatham, not once but twice.

     

  • Check out the strip tease in Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black

    If you’re an OITNB fan then you may have already seen the strip tease, but if you haven’t started yet, this may be the excuse you need: Netflix And Thrill.

    Orange Is The New Black has rolled out some male hotness this season in the form of Evan Hall, who plays a hotter than hell prison officer, CO Stratman.

    Well, Stratman is persuaded to do a striptease for the inmates of Litchfield… and we wholeheartedly approve this message.

    So click here to see the NSFW images.

  • 10 signs of depression you should look out for

    Depression and mental health have been hot topic subjects of late and sometimes spotting the signs can be difficult.

    We spoke to psychotherapist Andrew Smith clinical director of TherAppUK Ltd who gave us 10 pointers to look out for.

    1. Social Withdrawal.

    This is when someone may become more withdrawn from social activities, and not be as interested in going out and socialising. However, more importantly, they may not be doing anything else as an alternative. Give them an invite to something and mean it. As a therapist, we often use the boundary of a session to gently challenge clients who would wish to withdraw.

    2. Being Less communicative.

    Has the talking stopped? Keep the conversation going. It can really help if the person opposite really feels like you care about what they are saying.

    Most people who are struggling with difficult feelings and experiences often lose an ability to engage in dialogue with their loved ones. This happens over time and is a gradual response to depressive feelings. Keep talking, even if it feels like drivel, and really listen to what people are saying. It is very difficult to push away someone who is genuinely interested in you.

    3. Isolation.

    This is the effect, not always the cause. Pop around to see them, offer to help out, and persevere. Often, the message that someone is not going away, no matter how hard they are going to be pushed, is so important. Therapy is a further way of helping this, in a far less pressured way.

    4. Health.

    As we descend into the spiral of depression and anxiety, we often lose sight of how taking care of ourselves (better things to worry about), and gradually this can lead to poorer choices in food, sexual health, financial matters, and exercise. Ironically, good choices in all of these can help immensely in our recovery. So ‘encourage’ someone to take up a new activity with you (yoga can be amazing), try a meditation class, and cook some healthy food together.

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  • Hillary Clinton pays tribute to the 49 victims of the Pulse Massacre

    Hillary Clinton has paid tribute to the 49 victims killed in last year’s terrorist attack in Orlando.

    Hillary Clinton and the Pulse shooting

    Taking to Twitter, Hillary Clinton sent a heartfelt tweet saying that her heart was with “the loved ones” of the 49 victims who were killed when a lone gunman entered the Pulse nightclub on the 12th June 2016. Along with her message she tagged it with the hashtag #WeWillNotLetHateWin.

    The tweet was almost immediately retweeted 6000 times and liked over 20,000 times.

    During the US Presidental campaign Ms Clinton visited the Pulse nightclub laying a bouquet of white roses at the site.

    President Donald Trump also paid tribute to the victims Tweeting a picture of the victims and saying,

    “We will NEVER FORGET the victims who lost their lives one year ago today in the horrific shooting. “

    This article has been updated since it was published. Previously we observed that President Trump hadn’t Tweeted about the Pulse victims, but had mentioned that Ivanka Trump was on the news.

     

  • Hey guys… Geri H is BACK!

    Geri (formerly Halliwell, now Horner) is back with a new single, her first in 12 years.

    Geri Horner (née Halliwell) is back with a brand new single, ‘Angels in Chains’, which she wrote in loving memory of her late friend George Michael who sadly passed away in December last year.  Having signed an exclusive agreement with East West Records UK (Warner), the single will be released worldwide on Friday 23 June, two days before George’s 54th birthday. Geri is donating her profits from the sale of this single to one of George Michael’s favourite charities: Child Line.

    ‘Angels in Chains’ is produced by Chris Porter, who has worked with George Michael for over 30 years (from Wham through to ‘Jesus to a Child’), and also with Elton John and David Bowie. The single also features the wonderful contribution of George’s ‘music family’ who has performed alongside the music legend for many years: Chris Cameron (George Michael’s music director), guitarist Phil Palmer (who has played with George for 30 years), Shirley Lewis (backing singer, who has worked with George throughout his solo career), Lucy Jules and Jay Henry (who have performed with George since 25 Live).

    The heartfelt ballad, written by Geri, is coloured with lyrical references to George’s most cherished songs, which will not go unnoticed by his biggest fans. Sonically, ‘Angels in Chains’ shows a more vulnerable and soulful side to Geri’s pop songwriting repertoire, carrying a beautiful, healing message for anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one.

    Geri said,

    “When I first heard the sad news of his passing, I was nine-months pregnant with my son Monty and I was full of emotions. I didn’t know quite what to do with my feelings so I put it in a song, which became ‘Angels in Chains’. I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to work on this record with Chris Porter and the same team George had hand picked for his own projects.

    “I am first and foremost a George Michael fan, so to be in the same studio with these amazingly gifted artists who have put their stamp of so many of my favourite records was a real privilege for me.

    “In the process, I found how healing making this record had been not only for me but also for everyone involved. This is our way of saying goodbye to our friend and music idol, and I hope George’s fans enjoy this as much as we have making it.”

    Dan Chalmers, President, Rhino, East West, ADA UK said,

    “Geri has written a brilliant and poignant track in memory of her friend George. It’s great to be working with her on new music and I look forward to fans’ reaction to ‘Angels in Chains’.”

    ‘Angels in Chains’ is Geri’s first global music release in 12 years. Geri has to date sold over 85 million records worldwide with the Spice Girls and notched up 11 UK #1 hits (four of which were her own solo singles: ‘Mi Chico Latino’, ‘Lift Me Up’, ‘Bag It Up’ and ‘It’s Raining Men’). Geri has released three solo albums to date – Schizophonic (1999), Scream If You Wanna Go Faster (2001), and Passion (2005) – that have collectively sold over four million copies worldwide.

     

  • ONE YEAR ON | Remembering the Pulse Massacre victims

    A year ago today, a lone gunman entered the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida and opened fire. He killed 49 people and wounded dozens more.

    On the 11th June, the popular Latin night at Pulse was in full swing. Pulse was a well-known LGBT club standing around a mile from downtown Orlando. That club has now become world-famous for the terrible atrocity and the events that would unfold well into the early hours of the 12th June. The attack would become the deadliest mass shooting by a single shooter in the United States.

    That night, around 320 people were packed into the club, they were dancing, drinking and watching the entertainment. The night was just about to come to an end as last orders was announced at around 2:00 AM (the early morning on the 12th). At 2.02 AM the gunman entered the building and began shooting indiscriminately and holding terrified patrons hostage for hours before the siege was ended at 5:05 AM when police enforcement and a SWAT team stormed the building.

    Dozens were killed and many received life changing injuries.

    Who are the victims?

    • Stanley Almodovar III, age 23
    • Amanda Alvear, 25
    • Oscar A. Aracena-Montero, 26
    • Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33
    • Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21
    • Martin Benitez Torres, 33
    • Antonio D. Brown, 30
    • Darryl R. Burt II, 29
    • Jonathan A. Camuy Vega, 24
    • Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28
    • Simon A. Carrillo Fernandez, 31
    • Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25
    • Luis D. Conde, 39
    • Cory J. Connell, 21
    • Tevin E. Crosby, 25
    • Franky J. Dejesus Velazquez, 50
    • Deonka D. Drayton, 32
    • Mercedez M. Flores, 26
    • Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22
    • Juan R. Guerrero, 22
    • Paul T. Henry, 41
    • Frank Hernandez, 27
    • Miguel A. Honorato, 30
    • Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40
    • Jason B. Josaphat, 19
    • Eddie J. Justice, 30
    • Anthony L. Laureano Disla, 25
    • Christopher A. Leinonen, 32
    • Brenda L. Marquez McCool, 49
    • Jean C. Mendez Perez, 35
    • Akyra Monet Murray, 18
    • Kimberly Morris, 37
    • Jean C. Nieves Rodriguez, 27
    • Luis O. Ocasio-Capo, 20
    • Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25
    • Eric I. Ortiz-Rivera, 36
    • Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32
    • Enrique L. Rios Jr., 25
    • Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37
    • Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24
    • Christopher J. Sanfeliz, 24
    • Xavier E. Serrano Rosado, 35
    • Gilberto R. Silva Menendez, 25
    • Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34
    • Shane E. Tomlinson, 33
    • Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25
    • Luis S. Vielma, 22
    • Luis D. Wilson-Leon, 37
    • Jerald A. Wright, 31

    Here are the reports that we have from the night and the year beyond, that changed the LGBT community in the US.

    12TH JUNE | Initial report of gunfire at Pulse

    13TH JUNE | Cities around the UK stand still for Pulse Massacre Victims

    15TH JUNE | Scottish Parliament holds one-minute silence for Orlando victims

    16TH JUNE | Flash poll reveals that 25% percent of LGBTs fear for their safety after the massacre

    17TH JUNE | COMMENT | Post Orlando, is this the end of an era or a rebirth for the gay scene?

    19TH JUNE | COMMENT | Legal Guns? Ban Them

    19TH JUNE | COMMENT | Seven days on, The legacy of the Pulse Massacre

    20TH JUNE | The gunman’s 911 transcripts are released to the public

    21ST  JUNE | The US Senate blocks gun controls to known terrorists

    23RD JUNE | COMMENT | A journey to Orlando

    27th JUNE | BBC releases a Panorama programme to explore the tragedy

    28TH JULY | Mother of Pulse massacre victim gives heartbreaking plea for US gun controls

    5TH AUG |  EDITOR’S EDITOR: Orlando gunman took our last safe space

    8TH AUG | The gunman’s autopsy is released

    24TH AUG | Orlando hospitals announce they will not bill massacre survivors

    1ST NOV | The chilling 911 recordings from the shooter released

    17TH JAN | Wife of Pulse Massacre killer arrested

    28TH MAR | Pulse Massacre victims’ families to sue Google

     

  • Farewell so schlong… BBUK’s Arthur leaves the Big Brother house

    There’s been a shock departure at the Big Brother house…

    Big Brother producers have revealed that Arthur has left the house and will not be returning. According to sources, he left the house after he said he felt bullied by fellow housemate Kayleigh.

    See the housemates react on Big Brother tomorrow night at 10 pm, Channel 5.

     

  • This US city has added two more colours to the Pride flag

    The US city of Philadelphia has added two more colours to the world famous and iconic rainbow flag to include brown and black in a bid open up a conversation about racial inclusion in the LGBT+ community.

    Gilbert Baker‘s iconic rainbow flag has had an addition made to it in the US city of Philadelphia. The organisers of the campaign have added the colours brown and black to the flag and used the hashtag #MoreColorMorePride to drive awareness around inclusivity in the LGBT+ community.

    A statement on the campaign’s website says,

    “In 1978, artist Gilbert Baker designed the original rainbow flag.

    “An iconic symbol of LGBTQ+ unity. So much has happened since then. A lot of good, but there’s more we can do. Especially when it comes to recognizing people of color in the LGBTQ+  community. To fuel this important conversation, we’ve expanded the colors of the flag to include black and brown.

    “It may seem like a small step. But together we can make big strides toward a truly inclusive community”.

    https://vimeo.com/220799582