THEGAYUK

Author: News Desk

  • Barnados Is Seeking Out Gay Parents For Children and Siblings

    Barnardo’s will appeal to the crowds at this weekend’s Pride in London event to find would-be adopters who could offer a loving family for a group of siblings.

    A team of around 40 LGBT staff, volunteers and allies from the children’s charity will join the march through central London on the afternoon of Saturday, June 27, helping to raise awareness that adopters who offer family life to sibling groups can benefit from a wide range of support.

    The parade will run from 12pm to 4pm and will culminate in a celebration at Trafalgar Square where Barnardo’s will have a stall close to the famous Fourth Plinth.

    Volunteers will be at the stall all day talking to Pride supporters about tailoring support to adopters who take on three or more siblings, such as a home extension, financial assistance, a bigger car or help in the home.

    Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said: “Barnardo’s has been actively placing children with LGBT adoptive parents for more than 25 years and we are very proud of the contribution they have made in turning around the lives of some of the most vulnerable children in the UK.

    “Pride in London will be another great opportunity for us to talk to potential foster carers and adopters who would like to find out more about offering a loving family to sibling groups.”

    Barnardo’s is working with the charity New Family Social to recruit more adopters to offer siblings a loving family. Siblings on average wait the longest time for a placement.

    Barnardo’s Family Finder Ian Harmer-Draper, who will run the Trafalgar Square stall, said: “As always we’re very proud to take part in Pride in London and stand up for Barnardo’s LGBT staff, carers, adopters and volunteers.

    “It’s also a great opportunity to explain to people who want to adopt that although providing a loving family for a group of three or more siblings can seem daunting, there can be lots of support available to help you make it work.

    “If you are attracted to the idea of a large family but are concerned about coping with the material, financial, practical and emotional impact, you might be surprised by just how much help may be at hand.”

    Call 01206 562438 to book your place(s) at an information meeting that will cover the work of the sibling group initiative.

    To find out more about adoption visit www.barnardos.org.uk/adoption

  • Reading’s Oldest Gay Bar Closes After ACRIMONIOUS Rent Review With Owners

    The oldest and only remaining gay bar in Reading, England has closed following, a lengthy and acrimonious rent review and lease renewal with the landlord, Star Pubs.

    A statement from the venue’s management on the Wynford Arms’ website placed the blame of the closure on high costs and rent increases from the pub’s owner Star Pubs to a “completely unrealistic level,” amongst other factors including the smoking ban and social media.

    The Wynford was the last remaining LGBT space in Reading after The Rising Sun closed in 2014. The Wynford is described as opening in October 1992 and “been there for the community 365 days a year since”.

    The cost of the battle has strained the management leaving the business reportedly in a poor financial position. Management also blamed, “the smoking ban, cheap supermarket alcohol, changes in people’s drinking habits, the increasing use of social media to meet people and the fact gay people generally feel comfortable drinking in many more establishments in Reading than used to be the case.”

    The Wynford has its last party on the 28th May.

  • MICHAEL MOORE: No Longer “Gay Marriage” It Is Just Now Marriage

    US documentary maker and director Michael Moore has taken to social media to celebrate the legal change in the USA that now allows gay couples to marry.

    Celebrated documentary maker Michael Moore has taken to Twitter to celebrate the news that marriage between same-sex couples is now legal in the United States.

    “VICTORY!!!!!!!!!!!! #SCOTUSMarriage

    “Court overturns the bigoted Michigan constitutional amendment prohibiting gay marriage in 2004. Now legal in all 50 states! Hate loses!

    “NEVER AGAIN will it be referred to as “gay marriage”. It’s now called “marriage.” #SCOTUSMarriage

    “How far we’ve come since the Pres Obama & Sen. Clinton ran against gay marriage in 2008! People can change. Never give up. #SCOTUSMarriage.”

    Justices at the Supreme Court Of The United States have voted 5-4 in favour of legalising gay marriage across all states in the US. This means that marriage between same-sex couples is now legal in the 14 states in which a ban was still in place.

    The vote has been described as the biggest shake in civil rights in fifty years.

  • Boris Johnson Backs Campaign To Save The Royal Vauxhall Tavern

    Boris Johnson has joined Sir Ian McKellen and Paul O’Grady in the campaign to secure one of London’s most iconic LGBT venues, The Royal Vauxhall Tavern.

    Speaking about the RVT Future’s campaign, which is fighting to turn the RVT building into a listed building, Boris Johnson said,

    “The Royal Vauxhall Tavern has been a lynchpin at the heart of London’s LGBT community for more than six decades. This week, New York gave the Stonewall Inn landmark status, recognising its place in that city’s history. The RVT’s unique contribution to the vibrancy of London life should also be celebrated. It is a beacon that is known around the world and must be made a listed building so it can continue to shine for years to come.”

    Amy Lamé, chair of RVT Future – a group of performers, producers and punters concerned by the RVT’s purchase by property developers last year – said:

    “We are absolutely delighted to have Boris’s support. It’s great to know he takes the LGBT community’s interests seriously and loves the Royal Vauxhall Tavern as much as we do. We hope Historic England and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport give the Mayor’s view due consideration as they consider the listing application. Ultimately, we’d like the RVT to be owned by the community that cherishes it, so we hope this will be an important step on that path.”

    Yesterday, Sir Ian McKellen and Paul O’Grady – who developed his legendary character Lily Savage during a long-running residency at the RVT – gave their support to the campaign.

    O’Grady developed his legendary character Lily Savage at the RVT during a long-running residency in the 80s. “I consider the venue to be my very own school of dramatic art,”

    O’Grady writes. “The Vauxhall Tavern was our village hall” during a turbulent era marked by homophobia, police raids and the AIDS crisis.

    More than 30 performers, producers, local residents, LGBTQ charities, architects, historians and politicians have written to Historic England (formerly English Heritage) to back the listing application made by RVT Future.

  • SAME-SEX MARRIAGE Legal Across The US

    BREAKING: SCOTUS legalises gay marriage nationwide.

    Justices at the Supreme Court Of The United States have voted 5-4 in favour of legalising gay marriage across all states in the US, remarking that there was no legitimate reason to deny same-sex couples the right to marry.

    The ruling is the biggest civil rights movement in over 50 years. The vote equalises the law in all states, including the 14 in which same-sex marriage was still blocked.

    Writing about marriage, Justice Anthony Kennedy said,

    “No union is more profound than marriage for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family,”

    The news has caused #SCOTUS, #LOVEWINS US Supreme Court and Congratulations America to trend worldwide on Twitter.

    President Obama declared the ruling as a “Big Step” in the march towards equality, adding, “Gay and lesbian couples now have the right to marry, just like anyone else. #LoveWins”

  • Sir Ian and Paul O Grady Support Turning The RVT Into A Listed Building

    The action plan to turn the iconic Royal Vauxhall Tavern into a listed building has being given celebrity backing as Sir Ian McKellen and Paul O’Grady put their weight behind the campaign.

    Many of London’s gay venues have closed recently forcing the iconic RVT to seek landmark status as a listed building, which could protect it from redevelopment.

    In recent years over ten LGBT venues have shuttered.

    New York’s Stonewall Inn was awarded Landmark Status in recognition of its role in LGBT+ history.

    The application for listed status was made by RVT Future, a group of performers, producers and punters concerned by the RVT’s purchase by property developers last year. The new owners have refused to discuss plans with the community about the fate of the RVT.

    McKellen and O’Grady are among more than 30 performers, producers, local residents, LGBT+ charities, architects, historians and politicians who have written to Historic England (formerly English Heritage) to back the listing application made by RVT Future, a group of performers, producers and punters concerned by the RVT’s purchase by property developers last year.

    The pub’s local vicar is on board with the campaign too.

    O’Grady notes that following the closure of LGBT+ spaces across London, including the Black Cap in Camden, Madame Jojo’s in Soho and the Joiners Arms in Hackney, the RVT “is now one of the few remaining venues to showcase new and old talent every week”.

    He believes the Tavern “should be offered protection to withstand today’s developers… Without listing the threat to its future is all too real. With listing I know the community will rally round and ensure it remains an important venue for many decades to come.”

    Sir Ian McKellen has also written to Historic England to support the application. “I support the campaign to grant the Royal Vauxhall Tavern listed status”, says Sir Ian.

    McKellen was among the founders of Stonewall UK in 1989 and is himself co-owner of a listed pub, The
    Grapes in Limehouse.

    The Tavern was built on the former grounds of the Vauxhall pleasure gardens around 1862, and has been a site of LGBT+ community and culture since the 1950s, if not earlier. The RVT featured in last year’s international hit film Pride, ‘playing itself’ as a hub of community activism.

    A number of venues in recent years have closed, these include: The Black Cap, Barcode Vauxhall, Candy BAr, Covert, Escape, Madame Jo Jos, Green Carnation, Joiners Arms, Lo Profile, Profile Bar, Oak Bar,

  • 35000 Homophobic Crimes Go Unreported In The UK Every Year

    Shocking new research from University of Leicester’s Centre for Hate Studies reveals that 88 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people had experienced some form of hate incident.

    There is compelling evidence that suggests that over 35,000 homophobic and transphobic hate crimes happen every year in the UK with just a fraction of those actually reported.

    The report from the University of Leicester’s Centre for Hate Studies reveals that 88 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people had experienced some form of hate incident leaving them with emotional and physical scars.

    Based on in-depth interviews in Leicester and Leicestershire the report also states only 14 percent of LGB victims reported their most recent experience of hate crime to the police.

    Even more worrying is that stats show that the victims of transphobia can be targeted up to 50 times in one year, however, only three in ten reports the incident.

    The publication of the report coincides with a major new campaign to raise awareness of LGB and T hate crime by a partnership of 31 organisations, funded by the Commission.

    With the message of ‘Recognise it. Report it.’ the campaign will empower LGB and T people to stand up against hate crime through education and training as well as establishing local partnerships.

    Led by the LGBT Consortium, this is the first time that groups from across England and Wales have come together to tackle hate crime, with a focus on rural communities where reporting is especially low.

    Paul Roberts, Chief Executive of the LGBT Consortium, said:
    “LGBT communities are already working with the police to remove barriers to reporting, and offer practical and emotional support. However, too often, LGBT people don’t know they are experiencing hate crime or just shrug it off.
    “Collectively, we are saying it is time to move on from this. Our message today is recognise hate crime when it happens, report it, and get support when you need it.”

    PRIDE SEASON
    Equality and Human Rights Commissioner Evelyn Asante-Mensah, called for committed action:
    “Pride season is upon us and it seems an opportune moment to reflect on the great steps made towards equality, while highlighting the hidden scandal of underreporting of LGB and T hate crime.
    “Just as the Commission is doing with disability hate crime, we need to bring this problem into the open and create a culture where victims are confident to come forward and society confronts all forms of abuse.”

    HATE CRIMES ARE ROUTINE
    Report author, Dr Stevie-Jade Hardy, a lecturer at the University of Leicester’s Centre for Hate Studies, said:
    “Hate crimes are a routine, and mostly unreported feature of many LGB and T people’s daily lives.
    “Simply expecting victims to report without taking meaningful action to dismantle perceived and actual barriers is futile, particularly when the evidence shows that many have little confidence in the capacity of authorities to act empathetically or effectively.”
    The Commission is also funding the UK’s only 24/7 nationwide LGB and T hate crime helpline, run by Stop Hate UK – 0808 801 0661.
    Other regional helplines can be found at www.lgbthatecrime.org.uk

  • Watch As London Transport Turns DLR Proud For Gay Pride

    This amazing timelapse video shows the process of turning an ordinary DRL carriage into a brightly coloured rainbow transport ready for London’s Pride event.

    The DLR train completes a hat-trick of rainbow wrapped transport vehicles, which includes a New Routemaster and an iconic London black cab. The wrapped vehicles were designed to celebrate London’s diversity and the 10th anniversary of TfL’s LGBT+ staff network group, OUTbound.

  • RECIPE | Pork Carnitas

    Serves 3 (or two cavemen) | Cook 3 ½ hours | Prep minimum marinade time of 1 hour, overnight would be great

    Slow Cook

    Deliciously sticky, sweet pulled pork can really be a show stopper at the table. Its slow cooking creates such a depth of flavour enhanced with the marinade spices that this meat does not require any effort to “dress up”. Serve alongside simple accompaniments, shredded lettuce, different coloured sliced tomatoes, grated local cheese, flour tortillas etc. Keep it simple, let the meat do the talking. The key is in the length of time you marinate your meat for.

     

    Ingredients.

    Marinade:

    650g pork belly, cubed into small pieces

    300ml apple juice

    1 tbsp garlic powder

    1 tbsp oregano

    1 tsp cumin

    2 bay leaves

    300ml ham stock (you could use pork or chicken)

     

    Method.

    Preheat your oven to 180c / 160c (fan) / Gas Mark 4

     

    1. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade, except the ham stock, in a large bowl with the pork pieces and leave to marinade as long as possible, up to 1 day.
    2. Transfer the pork and marinade, and add the ham stock, into either a large oven-proof casserole dish with a lid, or a deep baking tray with foil wrapped over the top.
    3. Cook the pork in the oven, covered, for the next two hours.
    4. After two hours, remove the foil / lid and continue to cook for another hour.
    5. Remove from the oven and spoon out the pork pieces with some of their oil into a large frying pan over a medium heat.
    6. Remaining marinade juices can now be put into a small saucepan and simmered to reduce down to a sticky sauce to tip over the pork for serving.
    7. Cook the pork in the frying pan for about 30 minutes, stirring regularly.
    8. Transfer the pork to a dish where you can begin to shred the meat using two forks.
    9. Tip over the reduced sauce and serve alongside tortillas, pita breads, fresh salad, cooked onions etc.

     

  • London Transport Goes Gay For Pride

    Some of London’s transport options are getting a rainbow makeover in time for Pride this weekend.

    Some of London’s buses, taxis and now DLR carriages are to be given a rainbow makeover to celebrate Pride in London, which takes place on the 27th June.

    The DLR train completes a hat-trick of rainbow wrapped transport vehicles, which includes a New Routemaster and an iconic London black cab. The wrapped vehicles were designed to celebrate London’s diversity and the 10th anniversary of TfL’s LGBT+ staff network group, OUTbound.

    Martyn Loukes BEM, Chair of TfL’s LGBT staff network group, OUTbound, said: “The wrapping of the DLR train completes a trio of our rainbow themed projects this year to celebrate London’s diversity. We’re extremely grateful that Barclays has paid for the train to be wrapped in our iconic design. This is another great example of two organisations working together to celebrate LGBT staff and customers.”

    The two-car DLR train will be in service on the Canary Wharf to Stratford route from Monday 22 June and will remain on the network until later this year. The train wrap has been sponsored by Barclays and complements the #PrideHeroes advertising campaign featuring the bank’s employees sharing their experiences of working in an environment that is inclusive and engaging for everyone. The campaign will run across the TfL network during the festival and will also feature volunteers and members of the public who have been nominated as #PrideHeroes.

    Mark McLane, Barclays’ Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion, said: “The financial sector continues to make great strides in embracing diversity and what better way to celebrate this than with a Pride-themed train running between London’s two financial centres, Canary Wharf and the City. We’re delighted to be helping Londoners support Ride with Pride.”

    Rory O’Neill, DLR Director, said: “We are delighted to have this iconic artwork on our trains. It has taken a great deal of collaboration with our operator, KeolisAmey Docklands to get it done but it is well worth the effort.”

    Last year, more than 750,000 people attended the Pride in London festival with 30,000 joining the annual parade, which is one the Capital’s biggest one-day events.

  • Prime Minister Recognises The Work Of Anti-Hate Campaigner Mark Healey

    A campaigner from Lewisham who founded the remembrance and hate crime prevention charity ‘17-24-30 No to Hate Crime Campaign’ and started a national week to challenge prejudice has been named a Point of Light by Prime Minister David Cameron in the run up to Pride in London.

    Mark Healey has become synonymous with campaigning to end all forms of hate crime in London. He founded the 17-24-30 group on Facebook in April 2009 to mark the tenth anniversary of the London Nail Bomb attacks in Brixton, Brick Lane and Soho – bombings motivated by racism and homophobia. In the same year, Mark went on to organise a candlelit vigil in Trafalgar Square in response to the homophobic murder of Ian Baynham which saw over 10,000 people come together in London and inspired parallel events in the US and Canada. The London Vigil against hate crime brought a lot of comfort to Ian’s family and inspired the launch of an International Day of Hope and Remembrance which is marked by vigils around the UK on the 3rd Saturday of October.

    17-24-30 has since grown into a community organisation whose core aims are to bring people together, to remember those killed and injured, to provide people with support and to raise funds to tackle hate crime in our communities. The charity organises and facilitates the April Acts of Remembrance on the 17th, 24th and 30th April each year – which include outreach events in Brixton and Brick Lane and a short service in St Anne’s Gardens in Soho.

    Mark has also gone on to establish National Hate Crime Awareness Week every October to raise awareness and tackles all form of hate crime. The first week was launched in 2012 with a special service at St Paul’s Cathedral to remember victims of hate crimes, and Mark received messages of support from all the main political party leaders for the most recent event.

    Mark, 45 from Reading is the latest recipient of a Point of Light award, which recognises outstanding individual volunteers, people who are making a change in their community and inspiring others. Each day, someone, somewhere in the country is selected to receive the award to celebrate their remarkable achievements.

    Prime Minister David Cameron said:

    “As Prime Minister I am personally committed to tackling hate crime, prejudice and discrimination in all its forms. It has no place in our country and I immensely grateful to Mark for all that he has done. As we look forward to this year’s Pride in London – which is another cornerstone of national commitment to tackling prejudice – I am proud to recognise all that Mark has achieved. He truly is a Point of Light.”

    Mark said:

    “I am very honoured to be recognised as a Point of Light by the Prime Minister for my voluntary work with the 17-24-30 No to Hate Crime Campaign/charity. As with all recognition I dedicate my work to those who have been taken away from us through acts of hate, in particular I dedicate this award to the memory of Nik Moore, John Light and Andrea Dykes who lost their lives in The Admiral Duncan nail bomb attack, and to David Morley (aka Sinders) killed by a gang of teenagers in a so-called “happy slapping” attack as he walked home along the South Bank.

    “I am passionate about making the world a better place by tackling all forms of hate in our communities and I hope that the National Hate Crime Awareness Week #HCAW I have created helps inspire every politician, every local authority, every police service and every community affected by hate crime to work more closely together to tackle all forms of hate. There should be no place for hate in any of our communities – so let’s work together to make them safer places for all.

    “I also want to encourage people to consider volunteering and think about what they can do to benefit and improve their local communities. It is very rewarding knowing that we are all capable of stepping in and doing something good. That we all have the ability to be a positive influence on the outcome of events around us.”

    Women and Equalities Minister Nicky Morgan said:

    “Congratulations to Mark on his Point of Light award. No one should have to live in fear or suffer in silence. His efforts to help stamp out prejudice and discrimination in the local community are a huge achievement, and one he should rightly be proud of.”

    Mark’s local MP Vicky Foxcroft said:

    “I was delighted to hear that my constituent Mark Healey had won a Point of Light Award. Mark has spent many years campaigning to end all forms of hate crime in London, most recently establishing National Hate Crime Awareness Week. It’s fantastic to see hard working volunteers like Mark receiving the recognition they deserve.”

    Mark is the 272nd winner of the new Points of Light award which has been developed in partnership with the hugely successful Points of Light programme in the USA and was first established by President George H. W. Bush. Over 5,000 US Points of Light have been awarded and both President George H. W. Bush and President Barack Obama have publicly supported the partnership with Points of Light UK which honours shining examples of volunteering across the country.

    Regardless of whether it’s a doctor restoring local monuments in her free time, a father teaching young people life skills, or a local musician giving a voice to lonely people, the Point of Light award honours shining examples of volunteering across the UK.