If you haven’t watched Mean Girls then you’ll need to hand in your gay card. Mean Girls is one of the seminal moments of camp history, basically when we learnt how to b*tch like the best of them.
You can buy it here and bone up so you know what the rest of us are talking about.
The 3rd October
Controversial Katie Hopkins caused outrage after tweeting that a child born with an incurable brain condition, Microhydranencephaly, shouldn’t have been born at all – calling the parents “cruel and inhumane”. Hopkins also referred to the child as “it” and said he felt “sorry for a baby with no future.”
Seeing the Tweet, Perez Hilton who is a father of two, slammed the Daily Mail columnist and his former Celebrity Big Brother housemate branding her evil and called her a “C**t.”
Children born with Microhydranencephaly usually only survive a few days. Some survive for a year. Jaxon Emmett Buell made headline last week after celebrating his first birthday.
Morante raised eyebrows and smiles by wearing a simple black t-shirt with a picture of Kim Davis on it at the exhibition of his 2016 spring fashion show.
However the picture had been doctored and someone added a big black dildo, complete with massive balls to the picture, making it look like the anti-gay marriage Rowan County clerk is celebrating the power of sex toys.
The clerk, who has married four times, holds a strong religious belief that same-sex couples should not be afforded marriage licenses, despite it being the law of the land, and has stated that she should be exempt from discharging that part of her job. She spent 6 days in jail because of her refusal to sign or give out licenses to gay couples last month.
During his recent trip to the United States, the Pope allegedly, according to Ms. Davis’ lawyer met with her and “thanked” her for her courage and told her to “keep strong”.
JH: Why was it important for LUSH to launch the GAY IS OK campaign?
A: About two years ago, the press was full of sad news for LGBT+ people: the fight for equality was facing new challenges in places like Russia, Uganda and even the United States. Our staff and customers felt very passionate about these issues and asked us to make a stance – and so we did our first #SignofLove campaign. At that point I had to confront a sad reality: Lush has almost 100 shops where running that campaign would have been illegal, and our staff security could have been at risk. When we spoke to our charity partner, All Out, they told us that in 75 countries being gay is illegal and in 10 it can cost you your life. This was shocking, how can love be illegal? We developed #GayIsOK to raise awareness and developed a charity soap that was actually illegal to sell in around 100 of our shops simply because it has the word ‘gay’ on it. The response has been overwhelming, and even if a lot of victories are happening on this side of the world, this is a reminder that there’s a long way to go for global equality.
JH: Who came up with the design?
As usual at Lush, it was a collaborative effort. I came up with the concept of the soap and our R&D team made up samples in different colours in the Lush lab. When we tried to take selfies, only the bars filled with golden lustre would show the hashtag clearly in the pictures – it was meant to be sparkly. Our design team worked on the mugshots that we used in the windows and on social media, and some of them are actually featured in them! They seemed very happy to lend their faces to a good cause.
JH: Are LGBT employees encouraged to bring product ideas forward?
A: You don’t always need to invent new products for a campaign, and a lot of Lush product are already full of love, rainbows and glitter! For instance our recent campaign for marriage equality in Ireland was developed by John, the manager of one of our Dublin stores, and we asked customers and allies to take a say YES to equality by taking a selfie with our “Yes Yes Yes” solid massage bar which has a fat big YES engraved on it.
JH: Some people criticise corporations for jumping on what they consider the “pink pound”, what do you feel about that?
A: Every little helps – but turning a logo into a rainbow for a week definitely doesn’t make a company more diverse or friendly. The work on equality within organisations starts from the people within it. If there’s a real commitment, I see companies and brands playing a crucial role in educating the public, creating policies and pushing for change alongside governments and charities.
JH: Lush linked up with AllOut recently, what was that like?
A: You just need to subscribe to their newsletter on AllOut.org to figure out that they’re absolutely on it. They are a small organisation but they use the internet to reach over two million members, at least one in each country of the world, and achieved amazing things. For instance, they managed to get Chinese LGBT+ activists released from jail, convinced the International Olympics Committee to consider equality criteria for countries that want to host the games and are currently campaigning to stop damaging “Gay Cure” therapies. Most of All Out members campaign on LGBT+ rights for the first time, just like many Lush staff or customers.
JH: Basically the soap smells gorgeous, who decided the smell of gay acceptance would be so fruity and fresh?
A: We used to make a perfume called Love and this was the perfect opportunity to resume it from the Lush archives. The soap smells of love, in every sense. It also contains lovely oils of bergamot and lemon that we buy in Italy – the country where I come from and that is still lagging behind on LGBT+ rights. A gentle nudge to the Italians won’t do any harm.
JH: Are there more products in the pipeline?
A: My lips are sealed! But for those who want to use their hard earned cash to make a difference, I suggest to check out our Charity Pot. It’s a lovely hand and body lotion made with beautiful ingredients grown sustainably around the world, such as like aloe vera from Kenya and Colombian cocoa butter. All sales (excluding VAT) go to grassroots charities working on human rights (including LGBT rights), animal rights and environmental causes.
JH: How important is social media to Lush?
A: Social media is at the core of Lush and its campaigning effort. It helps us reach more people and is a democratic space for debate and feedback with the public. Our community is very engaged and especially supportive when talking about LGBT+ rights. With this campaign alone we had a direct social reach of over thirty million – with an extra forty million thanks to all those that used the hashtag #GayIsOK as part of their celebrations about marriage equality in the US.
JH: Complete this: Gay Is Ok Because…
… because LGBT rights are human rights. And how on earth can anyone be entitled to fiddle with those.
Tom Daley was recently revealed as being one of the UK’s top gay icons, as voted for by readers of THEGAYUK. He came runner up to Stephen Fry.
Now we’re careful to point out here that these are moderated comments and do not reflect the thoughts, opinions or anything else of the DM editorial team…
There was a lot of conspiracy talk of the BBC ticking boxes.
Bert Puttocks: “Another BBC diversity box ticked”
JackMonroeFanClub: “The BBC has to tick the boxes. No random selection of candidates here methinks.”
Hansel: Boxed ticked. Well done BBC. Another year a, another chance to open the diversity playbook.
Then there were those who were happy with the proactive actions they had taken to make sure no gayness ever entered their living rooms ever again:
allyc: “So glad I cancelled my TV licence.”
That’ll show em…
Stephen: This guy is a dream come true for the left wing, he seems to tick all of the right boxes to gain him favour with them.
smg: is everyone gay now?
However to be fair and balanced – there were a lot of positive comments – but most people commented on whether Tamal was a “heartthrob” – the answer is yes people, yes!
Filming starts for the LONG AWAITING Fab Ab movie in two weeks time. It’s been announced that Jennifer Saunders has roped in Dragons’ Den star Kelly Hoppen for a role in the film.
In a convo with Digital Spy Hoppen wasn’t giving anything away
“My lips are zipped for a while. So you’ll have to wait and see!”
The film will also star heartthob and professional M&S pant wearer David Gandy.
Anti-gay marriage Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis had a private 15-minute audience with the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, during his recent visit to the United States at the Vatican Embassy in Washington.
The clerk has spent six days in jail for contempt of court, after refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in Kentucky. Ms. Davis who has been married 4 times has argued that her religious beliefs should make her exempt from issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples.
Lesbian, Bi and Gay couples have had the right to marriage licenses in the US since SCOTUS legalised same-sex marriage in June, earlier this year.
According to Ms. Davis’s lawyer Mat Stavers, the Pope “thanked her for her courage” and to “stay strong”.
When asked about his views on government officials seeking exemption because of their religious beliefs he told reporters that
“It is a right. And if a person does not allow others to be a conscientious objector, he denies a right.”
The trendy beards were amongst 20 things Britain’s workforce considered as “inappropriate” for the work environment along with novelty ties and flip flops.
Britain’s be-whiskered are bristling with anger after beards were voted among the most unsuitable items of work attire.
Full beards featured in a list of 20 ‘items’ or looks considered inappropriate for the workplace.
Other no-no’s included too much cleavage, crop-tops and novelty ties, according to a survey of 2,000 workers by workplace uniform provider Simon Jersey.
But David Dade, the President of TBBC – The British Beard Club – took the criticism on the chin, claiming beards “allow men to show their masculinity rather than stifle it by shaving”.
And he said the inclusion of facial hair in the list may have been a “broadside” at hipsters who have adopted the beard in recent years.
Dade, 69, a former radio sound engineer with the other BBC, said: “Unfortunately this seems to be another example of pogonophobia – an extreme dislike of beards.
“But these days the vast majority of beards are tidy and well-maintained.”
The study found that many people also consider anything which bares too much skin to be out of place in the office, including low cut, strapless or backless tops and short skirts.
More than six in 10 people believe the way they dress or look may have had an effect on their chances of getting a pay rise or promotion.
Their fears may be well-founded as 37 per cent of managers admitted they have overlooked someone for consistently dressing inappropriately.
Two-thirds of managers said they would be less likely to give someone a job if there was something they didn’t like about their appearance during the interview.
The poll, by workplace uniform provider Simon Jersey, found one in five workers has been reprimanded over “inappropriate” work wear.
One female employee was hauled up in front of her boss because her dress was “too pink”.
Other unusual or bizarre requests include one boss telling a woman to wear more make-up, another to dress “less young” and wearing hair up instead of down.
Simon Jersey, which provides uniforms to more than half a million UK workers, said: “What to wear to work can be a controversial and confusing subject – the type of job you do, and the industry you work in, can make a massive difference to what is and isn’t deemed appropriate.
“As if what to wear isn’t confusing enough, while tattoos, bright hair colours and even flashing your skin might be fine in one job, you could wear the same look to another role and get a completely different reaction.
“Worryingly, it seems some are even picked up because of the colour of their clothes or the amount of make-up they have one.
“Your appearance can be especially important if you deal with clients, customers or members of the public – your boss will want you to be representing the company in what they consider to be the right way.
“But this can make it a minefield when choosing what to wear. Each morning, there are probably thousands of people looking in the mirror trying to decide if what they look like is ‘acceptable’ for the day ahead.”
The study found crop tops are deemed the most unacceptable item to wear to work, followed by cleavage-flashing clothes, mini-skirts and baseball caps.
Flip flops completed the top five, with beanie hats, underwear on show, t-shirts with inappropriate logos, backless tops and ripped jeans also a no-no.
Other things considered to be beyond the pale include high heels, long or unkempt beards and excessive make-up.
And while some still brand visible tattoos a no-no, six in 10 think body ink is more acceptable than ever before, with 42 per cent believing the same is true for piercings.
The survey revealed that while 42 per cent of bosses simply have a quiet word with someone they think needs to improve their appearance, one in five has had a formal conversation or warned them about it.
One in 50 has even fired someone over the way they dress.
The Simon Jersey spokesman added: ‘’There has been a definite shift towards a more casual working wardrobe over the last decade and we’ve reflected that trend in our range with new garments that create a more relaxed working wardrobe.
“There’s more than 900 garments in our catalogue, so no matter what your role or what industry you work in, we can create a uniform for you and your team.”
Top 20 things unsuitable for the workplace:
1. Crop tops
2. Tops which show cleavage
3. Mini-skirts
4. Baseball caps
5. Flip flops
6. Beanie hats
7. Visible underwear
8. T-shirts or tops with large logos or images
9. Backless tops
10. Ripped jeans
11. Strapless tops
12. Shorts
13. Anything which shows too much skin
14. High heels
15. Unkempt, long or full beards
16. Visible body piercings
17. Tattoos on show
18. Excessive make-up
19. Trainers
20. Novelty ties
It’s nothing but revelation after revelation when it comes to what the stars are calling their penises. Firstly Channing Tatum revealed that he calls his Little Tatum, Gilbert. Then Made In Chelsea Jamie Laing exposed his penises’ name as Mercutio. Now Gaffney’s dong has been named, as Wellard.
The news came to light after Gaffney returned to EastEnders as Robbie, after a long break and according to the actor’s brother, Gary, he calls his willy Wellard after the dog which was Robbie’s pet.
His brother regaled a story about how Dean would answer fans who asked how Wellard was, to which Gaffney apparently would look in the direction of his crotch and say: “Yeah, he’s alright!”
Dean Gaffney returns to Walford / EastEnders with Wellard 2 for an 8 episode stint.