THEGAYUK

Author: News Desk

  • People think George Shelley is NEKKID in this photo

    So former boy bander George Shelley has been hanging out with his boyfriend – and they’ve been taking super cute pictures together, but one has caught the fans’ attention.

    George Shelley and his boyfriend, Matthew Holehouse are really cute together. Their Insta feeds have become basic relationship goals, but this one picture has gone the pair’s fans going crazy because it looks like George is naked in it.

    The loved-up duo has been photographing their first holiday together but one this one picture has gotten the most attention, with fans swearing that George is naked in it.

    George came out in February 2016 after his stint in the Celebrity Jungle. At the time he said he didn’t want to label his sexuality and called the gay and bisexual label “old-fashioned”.

    What do you think?

  • Greens set to launch their gay rights manifesto in a CHURCH

    In what’s being described as setting a “clear distance” between itself and the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party is launching its LGBT+ manifesto in a church.

    • The Green party has said it will commit to supporting LGBT+ asylum seekers.

    • Co-leader of the Greens Jonathan Bartley, said they were the party to ‘always stand up for LGBTIQA+ people’

    • The party has the only openly trans spokesperson in UK politics.

    GPLGBTIQA+GroupShot2
    The Green party is vying for LGBT+ support today after it revealed that it would set out its LGBT+ manifesto in a London Church, a move it says which separates it from the Liberal Democrats. The launch is to take place at The Trinity United Reform Church in Camden, well-known for its progressive views and inclusivity.

    Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, said,

    “The Green Party has a proud history of leading the way when it comes to LGBTIQA+ rights. While other political parties struggle to say what they believe, Greens are clear – we will always stand up for LGBTIQA+ people.

    “We believe in a fairer world, a more equal economy, human rights protected by law, recognition and representation for all gender identities and education and health services which care for and include everyone.”

    Last week, the Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron was criticised after initially failing to answer questions on whether he thought, as a committed Christian, if “gay sex” was a sin. He was asked numerous times by Channel 4’s Cathy Newman, 11 times by an LBC reporter and once in the House of Commons. He finally revealed that he didn’t think it was a sin by saying in a BBC interview,

    “I don’t believe that gay sex is a sin.

    “I take the view though, that as a political leader, my job is not to pontificate on theological matters.

    Aimee Challenor, Green Party LGBTIQA+ spokesperson, who is the only openly trans spokesperson of a UK Political Party, said,

    “Let’s be clear, LGBTIQA+ rights are under threat. From Gay and Bi men being tortured and killed in Chechnya, to Donald Trump weakening protections in the US and the UK’s threat to repeal the Human Rights Act, 2017 has already been a concerning year for everyone who cares about LGBTIQA+ people.

    “The Green Party is proud to stand against the erosion of LGBITQA+ rights and launch a manifesto which proudly fights for bodily autonomy for intersex people, legal recognition for trans and non-binary people, for PrEP for all that need it, and for greater protection for LGBTIQA+ asylum seekers – and more.”

     

  • Caitlyn Jenner’s o so very subtle book plug and message to the president

    Caitlyn Jenner is promoting her book and she wants President Donald Trump to know.

    CREDIT: © Jean_Nelson / Depositphotos.com

    She’s not subtle and knows how to plug her products. We’ll give her that.

    Caitlyn Jenner stood outside the White House to demand that Donald Trump read her book, suggesting that he might learn something.

    Holding up a copy of her new book, in front of the White House, the Olympic turned reality TV star hinted that Donald would learn something if he read a copy.

    It’s not known if Caitlyn dropped off a copy, but she did say that once he was done with it, Donald should give it to Jeff Sessions, the 84th Attorney General of the USA.

    Jeff Sessions is considered to be one of the most conservative members of the US senate who has achieved a ZERO rating by the Human Rights Campaign.

    Caitlyn’s book Secrets Of My Life has just been published. Speaking about the books she said, “Living authentically really is a wonderful thing”.

     

     

     

  • Man sentenced for transphobic hate crime

    A man in his 30s has been sentenced to 2 months for a transphobic hate crime in Surrey, UK.

    38-year-old Darren McClean pleaded guilty to abusive behaviour towards a trans woman in Surrey. He was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court. He was handed a 2-month sentence behind bars on the 21st April.

    On the 15th March McClean (Pictured) verbally abused Ms Philppa Baker, whilst she was shopping at a local supermarket in Caterham.

    Ms Baker was buying groceries at the self-serve checkout when McClean started shouting offensive and transphobic comments at her. She approached McClean and asked him to stop however he continued and began taking pictures of her on his mobile phone.

     

    McClean was eventually removed from the supermarket by security staff leaving Ms Baker shaken by the attack.

    Following the incident, McClean posted images taken on his mobile phone onto Facebook where he continued to make transphobic and hateful comments.

    Ms Baker said,

    “The comments that were made to me were completely vile. He spoke with such hatred which I have not been subjected to previously. I was just minding my own business paying for my items when I was caught off guard by the abuse I received. I would like to thank PC Kara Lyford and Surrey Police for their support and reassurance throughout the case. ”

    PC Kara Lyford said,

    “Philippa was subjected to an awful ordeal whilst simply going about her day to day life. McLean not only verbally abused her but then proceeded to threaten her and take pictures of her without her consent. When she asked him to stop, he refused and continued to hurl abuse and made extremely offensive and unacceptable comments.”

    “As a result Philippa has suffered a great deal and has feared for her personal safety. I would like to reassure the residents of Caterham and particularly our LGBT+ communities that we do not tolerate hate crime in any way. We take all reports of hate seriously and will take action. This sentencing result will hopefully give Philippa a sense of justice that she deserves.”

    If you have been a victim of hate crime, please contact Surrey Police on 101 or use the online reporting system https://report.police.uk/

  • Ashley Parker Angel Has Been Giving Us Some O Faces!

    When it’s so cold outside here in the UK, there’s nothing better than seeing hot guys… hot topless guys… hot topless famous guys… enjoying the sunshine. Ashley Parker Angel of O-Town is providing today’s warming thoughts for us cold Brits!

     

    Taking to Instagram, Ashley promises that the last person to leave a message will get a “private” video message from him. Quite how private he doesn’t say, but we can imagine.

    And then there’s the obligatory, It’s so hot I need to stand in a pool shot…

    It took us ten minutes before we realised there was a dog here…

    And after a long hot day of course you’re gonna sleep on top of the duvet… Alone we see…

  • Tim Farron: I Don’t Believe Gay Sex Is A Sin

    It seems as though one question has been following Tim Farron around for some time. Is gay sex a sin?

    A simple question that has been fixated on by the media due to Mr Farron’s refusal to originally answer the question. Back in July 2015, during an interview for Channel 4 news, the newly elected leader of the Liberal Democrats refused to answer the question three times on whether he believed gay sex was a sin. Instead, answering with: “We’re all sinners.”

    Now, nearly two years later, the question came up again as we head into a flash general election. After refusing again to answer the question to journalists, Tim finally told the House of Commons last week, during direct questioning that he did not think that being gay is a sin.

    This still didn’t answer the direct question of gay sex being a sin or not and so, in a BBC interview this week, again Mr Farron’s opinion was sought on the subject. He replied,

    “I don’t believe that gay sex is a sin.

    “I take the view though, that as a political leader, my job is not to pontificate on theological matters.

    “It seems to me that there is a general election on at the moment, we need to be talking about big issues.”

    The general election will take place on Thursday 8th June 2017.

  • YouTube no longer blocks LGBT content

    YouTube no longer blocks LGBT content

    Google-owned YouTube has fixed the problem which meant that thousands of LGBT creators had their content effectively restricted.

    Following criticism, YouTube has issued a fix which means that content from LGBT content creators is no longer restricted.

    In March  YouTube has found itself in the centre of a Twitterstorm and a heavy online backlash after many LGBT content creators found that their videos were no longer open for the general public to view. Instead, in order to watch the videos users had to log into the service, using a Google account, as a way of verifying age, before content would be played.

    Following the discovery, the hashtag #YouTubeIsOverParty trended worldwide as users and audiences blasted the move by the world’s biggest video platform.

    The world’s biggest video platform apologised and now a fix has been remedied.

    In a statement on the platform’s blog, Johanna Wright, YouTube’s vice president of product management said,

    “After a thorough investigation, we started making several improvements to Restricted Mode. On the engineering side, we fixed an issue that was incorrectly filtering videos for this feature, and now 12 million additional videos of all types — including hundreds of thousands featuring LGBTQ+ content — are available in Restricted Mode.”

    The restricted mode was a way in order to keep certain types of content, such as adult or violent footage, filtered from general view.

  • RSC will mark 50 years of gay decriminalisation with Oscar Wilde’s play Salomé

    The RSC is set to stage Oscar Wilde’s play Salomé through what it calls a “gay lens” to mark 50 years of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales.

    Staged to mark 50 years since the decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales, the Royal Shakespeare Company is staging Oscar Wilde’s lyrical one-act play, Salomé.  Originally banned in Britain, this new production, performed with an almost all male cast, explores sexual ambiguity in the contemporary world.  The production is directed by Owen Horsley, and Matthew Tennyson will take on the role of Salomé, a part usually played by a female actor.

    Gay Seattle-based artist, Perfume Genius, will provide the music for the production. Material from his album, Too Bright, will be performed live by the RSC band.

    Salomé also features Andro Cowperthwaite, or simply Andro, who is also a singer, and has just released a new music track, Afterlife, which challenges the listener to rethink their perceptions of what masculinity and femininity is.

    Director Owen Horsley said,

    “For me Oscar Wilde’s Salomé is one of the greatest plays about unfulfilled desire.  It was written by gay man who was expressing his desires at a time – in the 19th Century – when it was illegal for him to do so. In this year, the 50th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales, I felt it was important to view this play through a gay lens – to look back at the gay experience 50 years ago and now.

    “This production will paint the play afresh by casting a male actor – Matthew Tennyson – in the title role, a part that is usually played by a female actor.  This portrayal will explore the ambiguity of gender and sexuality, and the anger, anxiety, mystery and chaos it can cause in the world.

    “Using the music of Perfume Genius, a musician who explores the dangers faced by gay men in contemporary society, the iconic dance of Salomé will be filled with a brute force that reinforces her symbolic status of undying desire.”

    “I want to celebrate a world where you now don’t go to prison because you are gay, but I also feel that it’s important to acknowledge that being a gay man is still complex, especially in the context of gender. There is still a sense of shame, an element of vulnerability and this requirement for male and female to be defined terms. And we still live in a world where in the first two months of this year seven transgender Americans were murdered, and less than a year ago 49 people were murdered in a hate crime at a gay nightclub in Orlando.”

    Andro Cowperthwaite, or simply Andro is a member of the Salomé cast. As well as being an actor, Andro is a singer who smashes the stereotype of what it means to be a Black/Mixed Race artist in this era of social norm and expectancy.

    Talking about Salomé and Afterlife, Andro says,

    “In terms of Salomé, I think that audiences and artists alike should be sensitive and open in our judgement to the fluidity of how we can portray characters of the opposite sex on stage, and even more so in the outside world. And with Afterlife what I’m saying is that we as people need to rethink our perception of what masculinity and femininity is.”

     

    “Salomé” by Oscar Wilde
    Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
    2 June – 6 September 2017
    Tickets     www.rsc.org.uk/salome or 01789 403493

  • What does being gay mean to you?

    We’re asking our readers what being gay means to them.


    We want to hear the good the bad and the ugly of being gay in 2017 Britain.

    Maybe your sexuality was the best thing you ever realised about yourself?

    Maybe it took you a long time to accept?

    Did you know from a really young age?

    What did you feel when you came out to your first person?

    Use the form below to let us know. We’ll publish the best responses later in 2017.

  • Gay Britannia to rule the airwaves as BBC announces a raft of LGBT programming

    The BBC have announced that they are to broadcast a season of programming to mark the 50 years since homosexuality was partially decriminalised in the UK.

    CREDIT: BBC

    Led by programming on BBC Two and Four, with other content across BBC radio and online, the Gay Britannia season will feature bold and provocative stories, celebrating the LGBTQ community as well as challenging existing preconceptions and prejudices. The season will also cast a fresh light on the history of gay Britain, as well as highlighting just what it means to be gay in Britain today. Contributors announced today include Andrew Scott, Val McDermid, Olly Alexander, Sandi Toksvig, Susan Calman, Stephen K Amos, and Simon Callow.

    On BBC Two, the season ranges from the compelling dramas Against the Law, starring Daniel Mays as journalist Peter Wildeblood who was found guilty of homosexuality in the 1950s in the explosive Montagu Trial and the first screen drama from best-selling British novelist Patrick Gale: Man in an Orange Shirt starring Vanessa Redgrave to important and timely documentaries such as Is It Safe to be Gay in the UK? which uses testimony and found footage to explore the rise of attacks on lesbian, gay and transgender people.

    What Gay Did for Art celebrates the contribution lesbian and gay people have made to popular culture, the visual arts, literature, theatre and film on BBC Two whilst Prejudice and Pride: The People’s History of LGBTQ Britain, presented by Susan Calman and Stephen K Amos on BBC Four, reveals the precious mementos and memorabilia that have the changed the lives of LGBTQ people over the last 50 years. Also on BBC Four, Gluck charts the modern British history of female homosexuality and its representation in culture, literature, fashion and art through the untold story of the celebrated artist Gluck who defied the gender and sexuality definitions of her time; and Mark Gatiss offers his and other writers’ responses to the 50th anniversary of The Sexual Offences Act in Queers.

    On BBC Three, Olly Alexander, lead singer of Years and Years and a powerful voice on LGBTQ rights, explores why the gay community is more vulnerable to mental health issues, as he opens up about his own long-term battles with depression in Olly Alexander: Growing Up Gay.

    Highlights on BBC Radio include Val McDermid presenting Queer Britain on Radio 4, exploring the many ways that the LGBTQ community was accepted, tolerated, despised and ostracised and how this was reflected across culture, society and politics. On Radio 2, a two-part series will celebrate out and proud LGBTQ performers who utilised their sexuality to push boundaries, defining the sound of their generation. On Radio 3, the drama Victim will trace the bravery behind the 1961 film of the same name that was the first English language film to use the word ‘homosexual’.

    Patrick Holland, BBC Two Channel Controller, says

    “This is a rich and compelling set of programmes that challenge us all. From the heart-breaking testimony of the men who lived through the years before partial decriminalisation in Against the Law and Patrick Gale’s intensely personal Man in an Orange Shirt to a documentary revealing the experience of people facing discrimination in the UK today, this season is a powerful examination of how far we have come whilst also exploring how much further we have to travel.”

  • RADIO | Crimes Of Passion, BBC Radio 3

    Crimes Of Passion

    Broadcaster: BBC Radio 3

    Broadcast Date: TBC

    Crimes of Passion, a double-bill of Joe Orton plays (The Erpingham Camp and The Ruffian on the Stair) will be recorded in front of an audience in the Radio Theatre to mark the 50th anniversary of Orton’s death.