THEGAYUK

Author: News Desk

  • THIS IS HORSE SH*T, LGBT activists disrupt plush housing awards

    The Sexual Avengers strike again. This time a plush, £3000 per table, Property awards ceremony in central London.

    2017 Property Developer's Awards Protest-Photo Bex Wade-28

    LGBT+ activists dumped manure and cockroaches in front of a swanky London hotel yesterday. It was hosting the Annual Property Awards, an event which costs up to £3030 per table and hosts the who’s who of the property and housing industry. The campaigners say that the awards celebrate, “an industry which leaves queer youth homeless on the streets of London”.

    The pressure group, the Sexual Avengers, were campaigning for more “genuinely affordable homes”, the scrapping of ‘right to buy’ which they say breaks up the social housing system, and the provision of LGBT+ homeless support service.

     

    2017 Property Developer's Awards Protest-Photo Bex Wade-14

    2017 Property Developer's Awards Protest-Photo Bex Wade-6

    Guests arriving at the Grosvenor House hotel, for the £330 per ticket event, were met with manure and cockroaches, dumped by the activists on the doorstep of the building, forcing hotel staff to clean up the mess. The guests were ushered into the event via the backdoor.

    2017 Property Developer's Awards Protest-Photo Bex Wade-5

    Sexual Avenger Stacey Jones said,

    “My partner died of cancer last April, and they wanted to kick me out in May. They couldn’t understand how I could be in a relationship with a woman when I had a child. I’d just lost my partner and had to sit there and justify my sexuality. Why did I deserve the house where we lived, where I cared for her and where she died?

    “Property developers need to build for need not greed. I’ve been homeless twice, and I’d be on the streets now if it wasn’t for Stonewall. The number of empty properties and the number of people on the streets –it’s madness.”

    2017 Property Developer's Awards Protest-Photo Bex Wade-9

    According to the latest stats, one in four people currently living on the streets identifies as LGBT+. Speaking in 2016, Tim Sigsworth MBE, Chief Executive of the Albert Kennedy Trust, which  said,

    “Homeless LGBT young people are one of the most disenfranchised and marginalised groups within the UK. 4,800 young LGBT people in the UK are currently homeless or living in hostile environments – that’s 24% of the youth homeless population in this country.”

    Sexual Avenger Dina Fox said,

    “I am a mentally ill, disabled transgender woman in my early 20s. I am nominally a student but I’m currently taking a break from my studies due to my ongoing mental health problems.

    I normally only rent in London during the academic year and return home to the countryside for the summer. However, I have been depending on social and mental support from LGBT charities and services based in central London and could not expect any such support back home. In addition, the community where I grew up is far more socially conservative than London and it would be very unlikely that I’d be able to transition or live openly there.

    I am trying to secure new housing as I will not be able to afford my current rent for long, since my student finance money has been stopped with the interruption of my studies. I am receiving help from Stonewall Housing to apply for supported housing for vulnerable people and I have been told I will be able to pay for this with housing benefit. While I am currently optimistic, I am keenly aware of how fragile my present situation is, and also of how a person in my position who might have additional barriers in accessing these organisations would really struggle.

    If I fail to get housing in the next couple of months I face a choice of being homeless in an environment where I receive appropriate support and healthcare, or moving back home where I would likely face a serious further deterioration of my condition. Until I experienced it for myself I had never understood how easily a person can slip through what I imagined to be our social safety net.”

  • 6 things you probably didn’t know about Joe Gill

    He’s become a household name thanks to his role on ITV’s Emmerdale, but what do we really know about Joe Gill, who plays the openly gay character, Finn Barton in the soap.

    Is Joe Gill gay?

    Is Joe Gill gay?

    Joe Gill identifies as straight, but he knew that the character of Finn Barton was gay before he auditioned for the part. Speaking in an interview he revealed that he enjoyed playing a gay character because it helps him understand, learn and see things from other points of view. He said, “I think it’s been really good for me to play a character that’s far removed from myself. It means that I get to see things from someone else’s point of view, and learn and understand things that maybe I wouldn’t have done if I hadn’t played Finn”.

    How old is Joe Gill?

    Joe was born in 1994. His birthday is the 12th February, which makes him an Aquarius. He was born, Joseph Peter Gill.

    Where was Joe Gill born?

    Joe was born in Manchester, UK in 1994.

    What is Joe Gill’s net worth?

    There is no current information on how much Joe Gill is worth.

    What was Joe Gills first acting job?

    Joe’s first ever TV job was on the BBC’s Casualty. He moved over to ITV shortly after to become the character, Finn Barton, on the soap Emmerdale in 2013. He’s been in the soap ever since. He’s appeared in over 390 episodes at the time of publish.

    Has Joe Gill many hobbies?

    Judging by his Twitter feed, Joe Gill is an avid fan of football and he supports Manchester United.

     

  • Welsh Government announces a new HPV vaccination for gay and bisexual men

    The Welsh Government has announced that an HPV vaccination will be made available for all gay and bisexual men.

    An HPV vaccination which could offer protection against certain types of cancers will be offered to gay and bisexual men in Wales. The campaign was rolled out from April 1st.

    It is currently being offered to men, up to the age of 45, who attend sexual health clinics. The decision follows a recommendation by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). 

    Commenting on the move, Welsh Lib Dem Equalities Spokesperson, Cadan ap Tomos, said,

    “The Welsh Liberal Democrats welcome this announcement as a step towards protecting men who have sex with men against certain cancers. The HPV vaccine is proven to be effective in reducing these risks and should be welcomed.

    “However, while this is a step in the right direction, we want to see the programme go further. All boys aged 14 in Wales should be vaccinated on the same basis as their female peers to ensure the maximum protection, and make sure that gay and bisexual men aren’t at a discriminatory risk of developing these cancers later on in life.”

    What Is HPV?

    HPV is the name for a group of viruses that affect the skin and moist membranes lining the body such as the cervix, anus, mouth and throat. HPV infections are highly contagious when transmitted sexually.

    Some strains of the HPV virus can cause genital warts, and cancers of the anus, penis, mouth and throat. In some cases, it can also cause head and neck cancer.

  • Luxembourg’s Prime Minster was told to pretend partner was “assistant” in anti-gay country

    Luxembourg’s Prime Minster, Xavier Bettel has spoken about how it was suggested that he should describe his boyfriend at the time as an “assistant” on an official trip to an unnamed country.

    Speaking at this year’s Economist Pride Event, Pride and Prejudice, the world’s only and first openly gay world leader, Xavier Bettel, explained how it was suggested, by another country’s government officials, that his boyfriend, now husband, should be described as an assistant rather than his partner. Mr Bettel was on an official political visit to the unnamed country, although he wasn’t Prime Minister at the time.

    Mr Bettel was on an official political visit to the unnamed country, although he wasn’t Prime Minister at the time.

    Speaking about the incident, he said,

    “I was an MP and had a meeting in the country and my partner, he is my husband now, but was my partner at the time, was joining me, I wrote on the paper, a form, that I would be joined by my partner.

    “They asked me, ‘Are you sure?’, and I said ‘Yes, I’m sure!’.

    “They said, ‘can’t you write that he’s your assistant and not your partner, so he’s your political assistant’, I said, ‘I prefer the reputation to be gay than have sexual relaitons with all my staff!’”

    The Luxembourg Prime Minister also said that he was sometimes invited for official visits to other countries, only to be told that it would be too dangerous to come because of his sexuality. One such country’s officials asked that he not to mention the fact that he was gay, to which Xavier said he would purposely bring up and speak out about homosexuality. The invitation was swiftly removed.

     

     

     

     

  • 6 things you probably didn’t know about Ryan Hawley

    6 things you probably didn’t know about Ryan Hawley

    Ryan Hawley is the actor behind the Emmerdale character Robert Sugden, but what do we really know about the actor?

    Is Ryan Hawley gay
    (C) ITV

    Is Ryan Hawley gay?

    Ryan Hawley doesn’t identify as gay, despite the fact that his character in the soap is gay. According to sources, Ryan is known as a “private” person and doesn’t have social media accounts, like Twitter. However, he is apparently married to Daisy, who works with Ryan and his entertainment company R A H Entertainment.

    Where was Ryan Hawley born?

    Ryan was born in Dubai in 1985, which makes him 31 in 2017. He moved to Sheffield to finish his schooling and went to Central School of Speech and Drama in London to study acting. He left CSSD when he was 21. He was born September, 21st making him a Virgo.

    What was Ryan’s first acting job?

    Before Ryan was in Emmerdale he starred in a number of films and television shows including a series called Titanic. His first job was a part in the TV show Life is Wild which was released in 2007. When he got the part in Emmerdale he kept the news secret from his family for six weeks because he didn’t want to jinx it. He is the fourth actor to play the role of Robert Sugden in the soap.

    How tall is Ryan Hawley?

    Ryan is six foot tall.

    What is Ryan Hawley’s net worth?

    There are no known stats for how much Ryan Hawley is worth. However a company in his name, R A H Entertainment Limited has total assets worth £50,000.

    Is Ryan Hawley married?

    Ryan Hawley is married to a woman called Daisy who works with him.

     

     

     

  • Gay men “round up” in Chechnya, three reportedly killed

    More than 100 men, suspected of being gay, have been allegedly rounded up and subjected to torture in Chechnya.

     

    According to a Russian newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, dozens of men, suspected of being gay, have disappeared in the Muslim-majority Russian Republic of Chechnya. Three have reportedly been murdered.

    Meanwhile, the spokesperson for Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov, said, that the report was “lies and disinformation” and claimed that gay people did not “exist in the republic”. The report was even dismissed as a sick April Fool’s joke, by the region’s interior ministry.

    The Republic is known for being very conservative and has a Sunni Muslim majority population. LGBT people who come out are often shunned by their families. Chechnya is formally part of Russia, but functions ostensibly, as an independent state, taking many of Russia’s laws as its own, including Russia’s anti-gay propaganda law, which it passed in 2013.

    Amongst the missing are two television reporters and at least one religious leader.

    The men had been detained in “connection with their nontraditional sexual orientation, or suspicion of such,” Novaya Gazeta reported.

    According to The Independent Tatyana Lokshina of the Human Rights Watch in Moscow said,

    “It’s a vicious attack against LGBT people. It’s happened for several weeks under order of leadership,”

    She revealed that many of the men had been tortured and humiliated. She said that there had been reports that three had been killed.

     

     

  • THEATRE | Adam & Eve and Steve

    What is Adam & Eve and Steve about?

    Adam_and_Steve_2

    Adam & Eve… and Steve is a brand new five-star musical farce set in a newly created paradise, the Garden of Eden. The basis of every love story, every romantic ballad, and every sentimental poem ever written is man meets woman, they disagree, they resolve their differences, they fall in love.   But…..

    Adam & Eve… and Steve  is the story of the first couple up to a point…everything in the Garden is going according to God’s plan until the pesky Beelzebub adds the hunky Steve into the mix.  Fun, mischief and mayhem ensues as Adam & Eve compete for Steve’s affections and God tries to impose some order on the chaotic love tangle that ensues.

     Adam & Eve…and Steve won Best New Musical at the Hollywood Fringe 2015 and comes to London after a highly acclaimed run at the Edinburgh Fringe 2016

     Dale Adams (Steve) trained at the Arts Ed, London. His stage appearances include Prince Charming in Cinderella and Frankie Valli in Oh What a Night! He has also appeared at Glyndebourne and was in the ensemble for the Olivier Awards.

     Michael Christopher (God) played Sir Thomas Moore in Robert Bolt’s A Man For All Seasons and Monk Tetzel in John Osborne’s Luther.

     Hayley Hampson (Eve) trained at Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and her credits include: Blue Girl in Shout! The Mod Musical; Faryl in Golden Oldies; Daisy in Pharaoh Cross the Mersey; and Sophie in Departure Lounge.

     Stephen McGlynn (Beelzebub) has appeared in the West End in Mary Poppins, Mamma Mia (original cast), Les Miserables, Witches of Eastwick, and State Fair. He has also appeared in Romeo and Juliet, It’s A Wonderful Life, Hairspray, Macbeth, Beauty and the Beast and Evita.

     Joseph Robinson (Adam) trained at The Guildford School of Acting and this is his professional debut.

     Adam and Eve… and Steve is directed and choreographed by Francesca Goodridge. Francesca Trained at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts. She has worked as an actor, singer and director. Her directing credits include Shout! The Mod Musical at LIPA, Edinburgh Festival and Liverpool’s Royal Court Theatre.

     The book and lyrics are by Chandler Warren, a noted US entertainment lawyer, producer and writer. Warren has written extensively for television and theatre, as well as penning numerous books and articles. He has also produced movies, for television and theatre productions, both on and off Broadway.

     The original music is composed by Wayne Moore, whose previous original works include; There’s No Place Like Hollywood (Stella Adler Theatre), Freeway Dreams (The Gardenia), I Know I Came In Here For Something and The Real Desperate Housewives (Taconic Playhouse, New York).

     Musical direction is by Dean Austin, whose extensive credits include Allegro at Southwark Playhouse, Zorro at the Garrick, as well as TV appearances on Jonathan Ross, Royal Variety Show and Paul O’Grady.  Set and Costume designer is Roberta McKeown, whose credits include Shout! The Mod Musical.   Roberta was Wardrobe Assistant for the UK tour of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and the UK tour of Jeeves and Wooster and for Disney’s The Lion King.

     Lighting is by Richard Williamson, production manager for C Venues at the Edinburgh Festival; his many credits include Easter Rising at the Jermyn, Richard lll at Stratford, and Play Size at Young Vic.   Sound Design is by Django Holder who graduated from The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts in 2016 with a BA (Hons) in Sound Technology.  This is his professional debut.

    The King’s Head Theatre is London’s first and foremost pub theatre and is led by Artistic Director, Adam Spreadbury-Maher. New writing, revivals, musicals, opera, cabaret and queer work sit side by side in an unashamedly eclectic programme of work. Thanks to an in-house agreement with Equity, we’re leading the way when it comes to ethical employment on the fringe whilst our resident trainee director’s scheme continues to provide comprehensive, vocational training to the rising stars of tomorrow. With high profile co-productions, national touring and transfers to and from the biggest arts festivals in the world, we’re certainly not slowing down!

    What theatre is Adam & Eve and Steve on?

    Venue: King’s Head Theatre, 115 Upper Street, London, N1 1QN

    What dates does Adam & Eve and Steve run?

    Tuesday 21st March – Saturday 29th April 2017 

    Times: Tuesday – Friday @  8.40pm: Saturday @  3pm &  8.40pm: Sunday @ 5pm

  • Gilbert Baker had the vision to unite LGBT people all over the world

    Tributes have poured in from all over the world since the death of Gilbert Baker, the creator of the iconic LGBT rainbow flag.

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    The creator of the iconic rainbow flag, Gilbert Baker died at the age of 65, his death was announced on Twitter last night.

    The rainbow flag was first seen in 1978 in San Francisco and originally had eight colours to it, to reflect the diversity of the LGBT community. Today the flag has six stripes, red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. Baker referred to this version of the flag as the “commercial version” because it was too expensive to include the hot pink colour in mass production.

    Michael Salter-Church, Co-Chair Pride in London commenting on the death of Gilbert Baker, artist and LGBT activist who designed the rainbow flag in 1978, said,

    “Gilbert Baker had the vision and foresight to unite LGBT people all over the world with the now iconic rainbow flag. As a worldwide movement, LGBT people are connected, strengthened and celebrated through this symbol of diversity and colour.

    “We are honoured that Gilbert personally made the giant rainbow flag enjoyed by millions of spectators at Pride in London over the past decade. We will march with an extra beat in our heart at this year’s Pride in London on Saturday 8 July eternally grateful and ever more determined.”

  • This guy got naked to shed light on the stigma bisexual men face in the UK

    A bisexual activist has shed his clothes in order to highlight the stigma that bisexuals face in the UK.

    Lewis Oakley 2

    Lewis Oakley has published a series of shocking naked photos, which show some of the slurs that he says he receives on a daily basis because he is bisexual. The activist had the insults written all over his body in a photoshoot, by Tom Dingley.

    Some of the insults included that bisexuality was a phase, that bisexuals were in denial and that they are self-hating gays.

    The campaign comes on the back of data from The Bisexuality Report which revealed that bisexual people prone to higher rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide than any other sexuality. These findings were largely found to be linked to the negative attitudes people hold and inflict on bisexual people. 

    Data suggests that bisexual men are 6.3 times more likely to commit suicide than heterosexual people, fifty percent more likely to live in poverty than gay men and eight times as likely to be in the closet at work compared to lesbian and gay counterparts. 

    Lewis said,

    “It’s one thing to say these words, it’s quite another to see them projected on to someone’s body like this. Sometimes we need a visual reminder of what we are doing, these are comments said to bisexuals every day. Sometimes you have to hold a mirror to society and show them the consequences.” 

    Photographer Tom Dingley who worked on the shoot said,

    “working together on a new project of mine, using projection; we came up with the idea to project the common insults  people use, onto Lewis’ body. These comments range from the absent minded questions to the more serious insults bisexuals are subjected to.The concept is really strong we’ve simply taken what is said verbally and projected it visually to highlight what bisexual men hear all the time.”

    All images (C) TomDingleyPhoto

    Lewis Oakley 1

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    Lewis Oakley 4

    Lewis Oakley 3

     

  • Gay charity GADD set to close after fatal funding cuts

    One of Northern England’s longest running  LGBT+ charities, aimed at tackling homophobia and giving advice on LGBT sexual and mental health issues is set to close.

    © chrisbradshaw Depositphotos

    Gay Advice Darlington/Durham is to close its doors in late April for the last time after deep and “savage” funding cuts from the current Conservative government. From 1997 the charity has been funded by the County Durham and Darlington Health Authority for its work in South County Durham and Darlington Borough Council to support those infected or affected by HIV/AIDS in Darlington.

    The charity’s chief officer, Emma Roebuck wrote on her LinkedIn profile,

    “The organisation I have invested 18 years of my life in GADD is coming to an end. In April we will close the doors for the last time and I feel adrift in mixed emotions most of which are negative and useless.

    “…The current situation with austerity and cuts to organisations such as GADD have made it impracticable to function without serious mission drift in the name of sustainability”.

    According to Emma, the charity’s popularity has not dwindled and demand for its services is as high as it has ever been.

    She continued,

    “I do worry for those who have sought out support or will do in the future. LGBT+ people in the area now have no voice or safe place to call their own. The demand for help by those in need has not waned or dwindled but the financial help to drive that support has dropped significantly to the point the costs of the building and its services is unsustainable’.

    Board of Trustee member Phillippa Scrafton said,

    ‘GADD has operated for several years facing unrelenting financial challenges from within

    “GADD has operated for several years facing unrelenting financial challenges from within an economic landscape of a wholly ‘ideological’ austerity agenda imposed by this Tory Government.”

    “Savage cuts to local government funding have impacted on us terribly which ultimately affects the most vulnerable. In my opinion the situation we face is firmly at the feet of this out of touch Government and their ‘cuts’ agenda!”

    MP for Darlington, Jenny Chapman told THEGAYUK,

    “It’s terrible news. Sad that such a long standing important charity is closing. Question now is, what do we do next?”

     

    THEGAYUK reached out to the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust for comment.

  • The creator of the rainbow flag, Gilbert Baker has died

    The creator of the rainbow flag, Gilbert Baker has died

    Members of the LGBT community are in mourning this evening as the creator of the world famous and iconic rainbow flag Gilbert Baker, has passed away.

    The creator of the iconic rainbow flag, Gilbert Baker has died at the age of 65.

    The rainbow flag was first seen in 1978 in San Francisco and originally had eight colours to it, to reflect the diversity of the LGBT community. Today the flag has six stripes, red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. Baker referred to this version of the flag as the “commercial version” because it was too expensive to include the hot pink colour in mass production.

    Gilbert was a gay rights activist, Army veteran before becoming a self-taught tailor. He created the LGBT flag 39 years ago.

    Gay rights activist Cleve Jones was one of the first to pay tribute to Gilbert saying,

    “My dearest friend in the world is gone. Gilbert Baker gave the world the Rainbow Flag; he gave me forty years of love and friendship.”

    https://twitter.com/CleveJones1/status/847915825885462529

    Gilbert would have been 66 this pride season.

    Dustin Lance-Black, who included Gilbert in his TV series, When We Rise also praised the designer on Twitter by saying,

    “Even rainbows weep. Our spectacular Gilbert Baker has left us our LGBTQ world is far less colorful without him.

    But he created the Rainbow Flag to unite us. To make us stronger. In Gilbert’s memory #UNITE again. In Gilbert’s memory find #STRENGTH. Find #BEAUTY. Find #LOVE. #RISE UP.”

    There are no confirmed reports to why he died.