THEGAYUK

Author: News Desk

  • These gay sex and lifestyle shops have reopened in England

    These gay sex and lifestyle shops have reopened in England

    Following advice from the government, numerous gay shops have reopened their doors, following on from the COVID-19 lockdown that has forced the majority of the UK’s “non-essential” retail shops to close.

    Stores in Scotland will remain closed for the foreseeable future as Scotland’s government have yet to announce a date for lockdown easement. Stores in Wales and Northern Ireland could start to reopen from Friday.

    Prowler which has five stores across England tweeted that its stores in Soho, Bournemouth, Bristol and Brighton had all reopened.

    Clonezone also tweeted that it had reopened all four of its branches including the flagship store on Old Compton Street, in Soho and showed how their shop layout had changed to become COVID Secure.

    It also warned that only seven customers would be allowed into the store at anyone time.

    Fetch also in London tweeted that it had opened its doors and asked its customers to remember to sanitise their hands on the way into the store.

    Stores in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland remain under lockdown until their respective governments start to loosen restrictions.

    Are gay Saunas and Bars opened?

    The rest of the LGBT+ scene remains shuttered until at least the 4th of July in England. Gay bars, saunas and hotels will have to remain close until lockdown restrictions are eased.

  • Parish council in Derbyshire voted against flying rainbow flags – “dangerous precedent”

    Parish council in Derbyshire voted against flying rainbow flags – “dangerous precedent”

    A parish council has voted against flying any rainbow flags during Pride Month in two villages in Derbyshire. Councillors say that it would create a “dangerous precedent”

    We’re now officially in pride month. Towns and cities around the UK are flying their rainbow flags in solidarity with their LGBT+ citizens.

    However two villages in Derbyshire will not be flying the flags after the majority of parish councillors voted against them being displayed.

    According to DerbyshireLive, councillors from Ockbrook and Borrowash parish council decided against flying rainbow flags. When asked why a statement said there was a “fear” that flying the iconic symbols would set a “dangerous precedent”.

    “Seemingly gives the appearance that one part of our community is being made more special”

    The unnamed councillor is quoted as saying: “The parish council is of the opinion that it is totally wrong to politicise this issue by the flying of a flag which seemingly gives the appearance that one part of our community is being made more special than all the others. This simply cannot be right.

    “Some councillors fear that a dangerous precedent could be set by flying this flag which could be seen as divisive when we have spent many years working to bring our communities together.”

    It is unclear which councillor made the statement and DerbyshireLive have apparently reached out to ascertain who made the statement.

    Towns not raising the flag

    In 2016, Warwick District Council had come under criticism after refusing to fly the rainbow flag during Warwickshire Pride, a petition was launched with many who signed,  describing their disappointment with the council’s original decision.

    However the decision was overturned a month after mounting pressure from the organisers of Warwickshire Pride.

  • India Willoughby just pointed out something pretty crucial about ITV’s Loose Women

    India Willoughby just pointed out something pretty crucial about ITV’s Loose Women

    An oversight?

    Journalist India Willoughby just questioned why one of ITV’s flagship daytime programmes, Loose Women has never had any permanent LGBT+ representation on its panel – despite the fact that they have, in the past, talked regularly about LGBT+ issues.

    In her now-deleted Tweet, India said, “#LooseWomen has never had a regular panelist who’s LGBT in 30 years. Will this be ever addressed? #2020

    https://twitter.com/IndiaWilloughby/status/1272863024118988803

    Then added, “Currently solely for straight, coupled-up, hetero-normative women. That’s the profile.”

    https://twitter.com/IndiaWilloughby/status/1272865610112909314

    The show currently has Kaye Adams, Ruth Lansford, Andrea McLean and Christine Lampard as its regular presenters.

    Three out panelists

    The show which has been running since 1999, has only featured three out, panellists. None of which had long term contracts.

    In 2004, Amy Lamé, who is out and London’s “Night Czar” was a presenter for a brief period and then in 2018, the show saw Anna Richardson take on some hosting responsibilities.

    Also in 2018 Mel B had also had a stint as a guest panelist.

    THEGAYUK.com reached out to ITV for comment.

  • Gay Blood. ‘Delays might be justified if it applied to everyone’ not just gay and bi men

    Gay Blood. ‘Delays might be justified if it applied to everyone’ not just gay and bi men

    A campaign in Wales, which is aiming to give gay, bi and MSM (men who have sex with men) the right to donate blood in line with everyone else, is calling for reform.

    The current law in Wales states that any man who has sexual relations with another man (gay, bisexual, MSM) must abstain from such sexual activity for a period of three months prior to donating blood. 

    This waiting time does not apply to heterosexual blood donors, regardless of how many sexual partners they’ve had.

    Campaign Coordinator at Blood Equality Wales, Alexander Bryant-Evans had this to say,

    “This could be respected as a justification, if it applied to everyone. Afterall, bloodborne pathogens such as HIV can and do infect people of all sexualities, gender and race.

    “Yet on grounds of sexuality, only gay and bisexual men are subjected to this law of forced abstinence before donating blood.”

    Blood Equality Wales believes this to be unfair, unjust and blatantly discriminatory. Their campaign is looking to challenge and change the law here in Wales around gay and bisexual (MSM) blood donation.

    A fairer more modern approach is called for

    Campaign Coordinator Arron Bevan-John says,

    “Blood Equality Wales advocates the use of a fairer, more modern approach. Instead of a sweeping, generalised law targeting all gay and biseuxal men, we would like to see a more individualised approach implemented by the Welsh Government on the issue of blood donation.”

    This approach would take the individual and their actions into account, as opposed to an automatic imposition of a deferral period purely because of the individual’s sexuality.

    Ending abstinence for those who do not engage in high-risk sexual activity

    kropekk_pl / Pixabay

    Blood Equality Wales believes that this approach would allow more gay and bisexual men, who do not engage in high-risk sexual activity, to be able to freely donate blood without having to undergo a period of abstinence first.

    The campaign has launched a petition on the Senedd’s official petition site. 

  • Here’s who the highest paid drag queen is on Instagram

    Here’s who the highest paid drag queen is on Instagram

    Thanks to RuPaul’s Drag Race, drag has gone mainstream and those at the top of their game can be raking in tons of cash, especially if they post sponsored posts on their Instas.

    The researchers at SlotsUp.com have crunched the numbers to rank 149 drag superstars based on their estimated Instagram earning prowess. 

    At the top of the tree is Season Six winner Bianca Del Rio, who can, according to the researchers be commanding nearly $7500 per sponsored post. Next is Trixie Mattel who can earn just over $7,000 per post.

    With 2.2million followers, it’s season 6 superstar Bianca Del Rio that tops RuPaul’s Rich List, earning an estimated $7,378 per post! …that’s 62 times more than the lowest-earning queen Kenya Michaels who could bank just $118 per Insta post.

    http://gty.im/103222982 http://gty.im/137683186

    RuPaul’s Richest Queens (according to Instagram) 

    1. Bianca Del Rio: $7,378 per Instagram Post
    2. Trixie Mattel: $7,055 per post
    3. Adore Delano: $6,909 per post
    4. Katya Zamolodchikova: $6,550 per post
    5. Kim Chi: $6,355 per post
    6. Violet Chachki: $6,040 per post
    7. Alyssa Edwards: $5,876 per post
    8. Sasha Velour: $5,841 per post
    9. Alaska: $5,801 per post
    10. Aquaria: $5,474 per post

    What does RuPaul earn from sponsored posts on Instagram?

    How much money does RuPaul earn from Instagram posts?
    (C) BIGSTOCK

    Well, according to research, RuPaul could be earning over $10k per post, while co-judge Michelle Visage could be banking $5K. RuPaul has over 4 million followers, while Michelle has 1.6 million followers.

    However, RuPaul rarely, if ever, posts sponsored posts, but does use the platform to advertise his own podcasts and shows. Although the queen of queens has recently taken time off social media. RuPaul unexpectedly removed most of his socials a few months ago.

  • US Supreme Court rules that it is not lawful for employers to discriminate against LGBT+ people

    US Supreme Court rules that it is not lawful for employers to discriminate against LGBT+ people

    In a landmark ruling, decided by a 6-3 vote, the US Supreme Court ruled overwhelmingly that discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is a form of sex discrimination and therefore prohibited by the Civil Rights Act.

    Voting in favour were Justices Gorsuch Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, and Chief Justice John Roberts.

    This is a critical case for the USA, where more than half the states do not have explicit protection against discrimination for LGBT+ people.

    The ruling comes at a time when the Trump administration has rolled back numerous advances in the protection of particularly trans people, including the Department of Health removing protection from discrimination for trans people in healthcare on Friday, 12 June 2020.

    washington dc, court house, architecture
    Photo by retzer_c / Stockpack / Pixabay

    The Justice Department argued that Title VII doesn’t cover discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

    Embed from Getty Images

    Executive Director of OutRight Action International, Jessica Stern, comments, “The Supreme Court stating explicitly that under the Civil Rights Act discrimination based on sex includes discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is a tremendous victory.

    “The decision comes at a time when the Trump administration has been viciously attacking the rights of LGBTIQ people, in particular trans people. It will protect millions of Americans from discrimination in the workplace, and sends a powerful message – that political power-play can not erase basic human rights. This judgment will have implications for LGBTIQ people everywhere – governments and movements are inspired by each other, and landmark judgments are quoted by courts across the world. OutRight welcomes, and celebrates this ruling!”

  • Gay Dating | What is a bear?

    Gay Dating | What is a bear?

    Decoding the bear – if you see “Bear” in someone’s dating or Grindr profile, here is what it means.

    Bears are guys who are generally thicker and hairier – a bit like a bear. There’s a whole community and they even have their own flag, which you may see during pride season.

    Bears are generally a subset of the gay community and tend to be older guys, younger bears to be are called cubs.

    The bear community is widely thought to have begun in 1970’s San Francisco, USA. The term bear was popularised by Richard Bulger. Bulger and his partner of the time, Chris Nelson created what was thought to be the first-ever magazine catering to Bears and their admires called Bear Magazine.

    What is the bear flag?

    The flag, which is made of seven stripes ranging from Brown, orange to Black and Grey was designed by Craig Byrnes who created this flag in 1995.

    There is a debate as to how a bear and the community is defined as a whole, while some suggest that bears are the epitome of masculinity and ruggedness and the rejection of effeminacy, there are many who feel that bear culture is very inclusive and rejects the stereotypical views of mainstream gay culture, which historically always vaulted for a more “twinky” or muscly aesthetic.

    Whats the difference between a bear and an otter?

    Otters, who are also a subset of the gay/bi community tend to be slimmer but still hairy.

    Unlike bears, otters do not have a name for younger guys.

    Dating Apps for bears

    As with most communities under the LGBT+ umbrella there are quite a few dating and hook up apps for bears, cubs and their admirers.

    Growlr and Scruff are probably the most famous. THEGAYUK also has a bear chat group, which is free to check out.

    Check out more gay dating terms.

  • London’s Pride may have been cancelled, but activists in their 60s and 70s are still planning to march

    London’s Pride may have been cancelled, but activists in their 60s and 70s are still planning to march

    Veteran LGBT+ activists are planning to lead a Pride march through the heart of London, despite London’s official Pride, Pride In London being postponed until 2021.

    Members from the London Gay Liberation Front (GLF) including Peter Tatchell will march in London on the 27th June 2020. They will be marching along the route that Pride In London was meant to take.

    Former members of the iconic group are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the GLF which was formed in 1970, and are generally credited with being the beginning of the LGBT+ movement in the UK.

    The GLF Pride march will take place on Saturday 27 June, starting at 1pm from outside the BBC in Portland Place W1.  

    The ex-GLF marchers, some in their 70s, will wear face masks and ensure social distancing. They will follow the planned official Pride route down Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus and Haymarket to Trafalgar Square. 

    https://www.petertatchellfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/GLF-demo-August-1971-First-major-gay-demo-in-UK.jpg

    According to the organisers, the march will comprise only of older GLF veterans and is not open to the wider LGBT+ community in order to ensure compliance with the Covid-19 regulations and to protect the health of vulnerable at-risk veterans from the early 1970s. There will be a small group of chosen supporters to give the GLF veterans back-up. 

    Embed from Getty Images

    The GLF march organiser, Peter Tatchell, was one of about 40 people who helped organise the UK’s first Pride march in London in 1972. He has attended every Pride London parade since then.

    This will be his 49th. 

    Speaking about the march, Tatchell said, “Homophobia did not defeat us, so we’re not going to let the Covid-19 pandemic stop Pride. We GLF veterans confronted anti-LGBT+ bigots 50 years ago. We faced down police harassment, far right extremists and homophobic political and religious leaders. We are marching as Pride was planned, with face masks and social distancing,”

    Embed from Getty Images

    “We support Black Lives Matter and the just demands of black communities, just as we did in the early 1970s.

    “GLF did not seek equal rights within a flawed, unjust status quo. It campaigned for the transformation of society to end straight supremacism and stood in solidarity with all other oppressed communities. This same agenda of radical social transformation is needed now as the UK faces the quadruple whammy of Covid-19, economic meltdown, endemic racism and climate destruction,” added Mr Tatchell. 

  • Dustin Lance Black celebrates birthday with cute husband and baby photo

    Dustin Lance Black celebrates birthday with cute husband and baby photo

    Dustin Lance Black has just celebrated his 46th birthday and is celebrating with his husband, Tom Daley and son, Robbie.

    In a cute photo of the family, the Milk screenwriter thanked his fans for their birthday wishes and also for their generous donations to the Center Of Black Equality.

    On Twitter Lance had asked fans to donate to the Center, with an initial goal of raising $2000 however, they managed to blast through that objective.

    They raised over $6000 for the organisation.

    Tom wished his husband a happy birthday saying, “Cheers to another orbit around the sun! I hope we are able to make your day special in lockdown!”

  • Gay Dating | What does BB stand for?

    Barebacking is anal sex without the use of condoms. It has become more and more common on dating and hookups for guys to ask for BB sex, as the availability of anti-HIV medications has risen.

    You may see “Negative on PreP” on a person’s profile to indicate that they are potentially up for condomless sex.

    The rise of BB could also be linked to the rise in bareback porn being filmed by studios.

    After the rise of AIDs and HIV in the gay community during the 80s and 90s condomed sex was advocated by community leaders and health professionals as a way to combat the spread of HIV.

    In recent years, however, with the availability of PrEP for “at-risk” communities, condom use is no longer seen, by some, as entirely necessary, particularly in the fight of ending new HIV infections.

    Previously BB sex was seen as extremely risky, however, due to the invention and availability of PrEP, bareback sex is safer from becoming infected with HIV, however, BB sex can lead to other sexually transmitted diseases, such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis.

    Check out more gay dating terms.

    PHOTO FROM SEANCODY. Get your subscription here

  • Are there gay cruising grounds in Nottingham?

    Are there gay cruising grounds in Nottingham?

    Whether you love or loathe the idea of anonymous outdoor gay sex, it’s hard to escape the fact that there cruising and dogging grounds everywhere. Even in Nottingham!

    You probably don’t even know, but from where you’re sitting or standing right now there’s probably a cruising or dogging ground just metres away from you in Nottingham, and there’s a reason why they exist – they’re a hangover from more homophobic times in the UK.

    Gay cruising is not a new phenomenon. It dates back to when sex between men was illegal in the UK. Finding a place where two men could be intimate with each other without too many questions being raised was tricky until it was realised that men’s public toilets were a perfect place.

    These were named cottages because they actually used to look like quaint little cottages.

    The act of finding sex in these public conveniences became known as “cottaging“.

    Birth of the Gloryhole

    The sex between men who would frequent a cottage would usually be anonymous. Gloryholes, a hole drilled between stalls in public toilets became a way in which this sex could remain faceless.

    To this day there are loads of cottages and cruising grounds in Nottingham, two of the most popular are the Arboretum and the Forest Recreation Ground.

    Cottaging and cruising etiquette

    Generally speaking, not a lot of talking goes on when cruising. A series of looks and gestures would let others know what you were up to. At urinals, guys would stand, playing with themselves subtly to let others know that they were up for some play. Then if the feeling is mutual the pair could make their way to a cubicle for more privacy.

    At cruising grounds, much of the same would happen, except the action took place away from public footpaths.

    Is Cottaging Ilegal in the UK?

    Cottaging is illegal in the United Kingdom under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and applies to both heterosexual and homosexual acts.

    The Sexual Offences Act 2003 doesn’t say however that sex in a public place is illegal. Cruising grounds and cottaging are two different spaces. Cruising grounds are defined as open spaces, where men can hook up with men, or straight couples can meet for sex (often referred to as dogging), as long as no members of the public can see you.

    You risk being arrested if reported by a member of the public. If this happens you have the right to legal advice from an on-duty solicitor at the police station. If convicted you could be sentenced to 6 months in prison and /or a fine.