THEGAYUK

Author: News Desk

  • Sam Smith Only Artist To Sell 1MILLION Records In UK and US

    Sam Smith has become the only artist in the world to score a million-selling album in both the UK and the US during 2014, the Official Charts Company confirms today.

    Smith‘s In The Lonely Hour passed the 1 million landmark in the UK during the past 24 hours, making it only the second artist album to reach the landmark this side of the Atlantic.

    The confirmation comes 24 hours after his album was confirmed a million-seller in the United States, by Nielsen Music.

    Sam told OfficialCharts.com:

    “OFFICIALLY sold 1 MILLION copies of In The Lonely Hour! To say I am ecstatic is a huge understatement. Thank you so much to every single person who has purchased my album.”

    By Midnight last night, In The Lonely Hour had sold 1.007 million copies (based on Official Charts data), making it only the second artist album to achieve the feat in the UK this year, after Ed Sheeran’s X hit the milestone at the end of November. In the US, Only Sam Smith, Taylor Swift and the Frozen soundtrack have passed the million-mark this year, according to Nielsen Music.

    The success of Smith and Sheeran also makes 2014 the first year since 2011 when more than one album has passed 1 million sales in the UK – in 2011, Adele’s 21 and 19, Michael Buble’s Christmas and Bruno Mars’ Doo-Wops & Hooligans all passed 1 million sales.

    Official Charts’ Chief Executive Martin Talbot, said:

    “Many festive congratulations to Sam. To hit a million anywhere is impressive, but to become the only artist in the world to do so on both sides of the Atlantic is quite remarkable. His journey in 2014, from unknown newcomer winning the Brit Awards’ Critics Choice award to internationally renowned double million-seller, has been incredible.”

    The BPI’s Gennaro Castaldo added:

    “It’s proving to be another amazing year for British artists, who are not only dominating the charts at home but continue to fly the flag for British music around the world.

    “Like Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith is enjoying an absolutely stellar year, but for him to sell a million copies of his debut album in the UK and, remarkably, the US within the same 12 month-period that he collected his BRITs Critics Choice Award is a truly outstanding achievement. British music has unearthed another great talent that has all the makings of a global superstar, following in the traditions of Amy Winehouse and Adele.”

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    In The Lonely Hour debuted Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart in May and June this year with impressive first-week sales of 102,000. It spent a second week at the top returning for a further fortnight 12 weeks later.

    The record has also been a regular feature at the top end of the chart, having spent just one week outside the Top 5 since its release.

    Sam’s album has also spawned a string of successful singles, including Number 1s Money On My Mind and Stay With Me, as well as Top 10s I’m Not The Only One (Number 3) and Like I Can (9). To date, To date, tracks downloaded from his album total 2.48 million, have been streamed 87 million times and viewed on video streaming sites in the UK 48 million times.

  • Over THIRTY-FOUR THOUSAND Homophobic Incidents Not Reported In The UK

    Commission launches new project to help tackle LGB and T hate crime.

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  • Cucumbers + Bananas + Tofu = A Recipe For Success

    15 years ago Russell T Davies set our television screens alight with his groundbreaking series Queer As Folk that was so successful that the Americans copied it.

    Now this award-winning openly gay writer is back an about to explode on our screens with not one but three series for three different channels.

    CUCUMBER an original drama series follows 46-year-old Henry and his long-term boyfriend Lance in the aftermath of “the worst date night in history” and will air on Channel 4. BANANAS which will be on E4, will tell standalone stories by up-and-coming talent that cover – wait for it – “fifty shades of gay”.

    TOFU meanwhile, is an online documentary series about sex and sexuality and will be screened on 4oD.

    Here’s the first clip that has just been released and suddenly staying in during January looks a whole lot brighter

  • Man Killed In Sydney Siege Leaves Behind Partner Of 14 Years

    The man who has been hailed a hero, after being killed after he grabbed the gun of terrorist Man Haron Monis has been named as Tori Johnson.

    Mr Johnson, 34, was the manager at the cafe in Sydney when self-styled Muslim cleric Man Haron Monis took 17 staff and patrons hostage during a 16-hour siege over the weekend. The lone gunman was eventually killed after a sustained gun fight. It is believed that Mr Johnson, who had worked at the cafe since October 2012, tried to overpower the gunman to protect staff and customers.

    The horrific ordeal began at 9:45 AM, when police were notified and called to Lindt Chocolat Cafe in Sydney’s Martin Place in the central business district. The siege eventually ended at 2:10 AM when commandos stormed the cafe. The exact sequence of events inside the building is not clear.

    Mr Johnson had been in a long-term relationship with his partner of 14 years – Mr Thomas Zinn, who is currently being looked after by Mr Johnson’s family. A statement from the family have said via a journalist Ben Fordham,

    “We are so proud of our beautiful boy Tori, gone from this earth but forever in our memories as the most amazing life partner, son and brother we could ever wish for.

    “We feel heartfelt sorrow for the family of Katrina Dawson.

    “We’d like to thank not only our friends and loved ones for their support, but the people of Sydney; Australia and those around the world for reaching out with their thoughts and prayers.

    “Our deepest gratitude to the NSW police, armed forces and paramedics for their tireless efforts.

    “We ask that the media respects our privacy in this difficult time.

    “Let us all pray for peace on earth.”

    A former colleague Peter Manettas said Mr Johnson was,

    “a very selfless manager… he put his staff first in everything that he did.”

    A co-worker, and mother of three Katrina Dawson, 38 also died.

  • The UK Loves A Good Toy, 26 Is The Age Most People Buy A Sex Toy

    New research commissioned by Durex has revealed that UK couples are more adventurous than ever before. The results reveal that over half of survey respondents (55%) are not-so-secret sex toy users and couples are increasingly keen on exploring together. It seems the purchase and use of sex toys and other sex enhancement products is becoming more of an everyday thing.

    In response to this changing mindset, Durex is encouraging UK couples in this spirit of exploration via its newly launched website and online shop (durex.co.uk). The site has been designed with couples in mind, providing the perfect environment for lovers to tap into that spirit of exploration. As well as discovering a whole world of amazing sex toys the new site offers couples advice, tips, articles and guest blogs from the UK’s leading sex and relationship experts.

    Gone are the days when sex toys were the reserve of the kinky extrovert, today using sex toys is no big deal. A far cry from the traditional view of Britain as a reserved, even prudish nation, it seems attitudes to sex and specifically sex toys have changed. A considerable 82% of Brits agree that they think using sex toys regularly is more acceptable than it used to be.

    Tight lipped not pillow talk: Despite a new found acceptability, Brits are still maintaining their traditional decorum when it comes to spilling the beans on what they get up to in the bedroom. More than a quarter say they avoid conversations about using sex toys and confided that they may have bought a sex toy earlier in life if they’d felt more comfortable to discuss it with friends first – 26 is the average age for purchasing your first sex toy; the new coming of age, perhaps?

    Men: They live to give – In the Durex survey, the top reason given for buying a sex toy is based very much on our partner’s enjoyment. 59% of men said this was the main reason for purchase. Also a staggering 62% of men rank pleasing their partners as the most important factor when considering a sex toy, suggesting that men perhaps aren’t the selfish lovers depicted in the stereotype.

    Do sex toys improve sex lives? Well, maybe. According to the survey conducted by Durex, 38% of people bought sex toys for the first time to spice up their relationship. However half of sex toy users said they simply enjoy ‘good sex’ and that using sex toys was just a part of that. Almost a quarter of couples said their toys get a regular work out whilst a third said they’re saved just for special occasions – Merry Sexmas!?

    Shopping for sex toys
    It seems that Brits have become very discerning and sophisticated in their sex toy tastes and preferences; Purple and pink tones, discrete and reasonably priced are the main things Brits are looking for in the perfect sex toy. Regular size vibrators are the clear favourite with 30% of people saying that was their first choice. It’s not just about what they’re buying but how they’re buying it that is an influential factor for consumers. Discretion is king with anonymity (18%), online availability (13%) and partner’s opinion (26%) cited as the driving factors in choosing what and how to buy.

    This significant shift in society’s perception suggests that the landscape and how we feel about sex toys is likely to change further. So what’s the future of sex toys? Only a small minority (16%) feel embarrassed about buying sex toys and 14% of people who have never experimented with them reveal their reasons for not doing so is their partners’ reaction.

    Leading sexpert, Alix Fox urges couples to try them, at least once. “Once you introduce sex toys to your relationship, you open up a whole new spectrum of sensual possibilities. Toys give you both the opportunity to experiment with fresh methods of turning each other on, and they can positively support relationships in so many ways – for instance, by helping you both to become more orgasmic, and allowing you to explore your bodies and discover a wider range of sensations you’re capable of experiencing together. Through playing with toys, you may well be amazed at what you discover about your partner and yourself – for the better!”

  • How to survive the UK’s “Weather Bomb”

    With Britain bracing itself for potential chaos brought on by the “weather bomb”, one of the nation’s favourite building societies is advising people how to stay safe and be prepared this Christmas. A few simple preparations can help save a great deal of time and trouble.

    Nationwide’s winter weather tips:

    Give your car a winter weather check
    – avoid breaking down by keeping your car maintained. Make sure your tyres have enough tread; check oil, anti-freeze and screen-wash levels and keep fuel topped up. Many garages offer a winter health check for a small fee which will ensure your car is ready for the cold snap.

    Make sure you have breakdown cover
    – flat tyres, minor accidents caused by icy or snowy weather conditions and a flat battery are just a few of the common reasons people need breakdown assistance over the winter months. Save a great deal of time, money and distress by having breakdown cover in place beforehand.

    Keep emergency items in your car
    – check the weather report before you leave the house and only travel if the journey is essential. If your journey is necessary, keep emergency items in your vehicle such as a blanket, extra clothes, a torch, water, non-perishable food and a shovel, which could come in handy if stuck in snow.

    Carry emergency telephone numbers
    – avoid being stranded in freezing weather conditions by having your insurance provider’s telephone number to hand. Make sure your mobile phone is charged and keep an in-car phone charger for emergencies. Also, tell family and friends where you are going before setting off on a journey.

    Protect your home
    – prevent water damage by protecting your pipes. Keeping your boiler serviced not only keeps you warm but will prevent pipes freezing and if you are going away, consider asking a friend or relative to check your home. This means if you do suffer a burst pipe, it will be detected as soon as possible.

    Martyn Dyson, Nationwide’s Head of General Insurance, said,

    “Winter weather brings with it many challenges, particularly with ice and snow, and many of us are ill prepared. These conditions can be hazardous and it’s important to plan ahead to not only reduce the financial impact and inconvenience, but to also stay safe. A few simple steps can make a big difference if the worst were to happen, for example taking the time to understand what your home and car insurance covers you for can prevent a great deal of anxiety and expense.”

  • Fifty percent Government cuts will devastate HIV prevention programme

    It was revealed today that the Government is considering to dramatically reduce its funding for HIV prevention schemes by up to 50%.

    The government has come under fire this evening after HIV charities revealed that it was planning to cut HIV prevention schemes, which it has funded since 1996, by 50%, from April 2015, despite a rise in new infections amongst gay and bisexual men. The announcement has been called by campaigners and HIV charities alike as ‘devastating’.

    Both the National AIDS Trust and the Terrance Higgins Trust have decried the move, calling it ‘staggering’ and HIV prevention is at a ‘serious risk of going backwards’.

    Funding will be halved for the year commencing April 2015 and there is as yet no commitment to fund further years of the programme.

    Deborah Gold, Chief Executive of NAT, says:
    “This decision is simply staggering. HIV transmission shows no signs of decline, with the highest number of diagnoses among gay and bisexual men ever last year. Public knowledge of HIV is far too low, and myths about HIV are on the increase. We are at serious risk of going backwards on HIV if national-level investment is not made in HIV prevention. We urge the Government to think again.”

    The current programme, HIV Prevention England (HPE), is coordinated by Terrence Higgins Trust and is focused on the needs of gay  and bisexual men and black African men and women.

    The £1.2million allocated for 2015/16 is equivalent to less than £1 for each person targeted by the programme.

    Dr Rosemary Gillespie, Chief Executive at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “This is not the right time for the Government to pare back spending on HIV prevention. In recent years, we have made good progress in driving down rates of undiagnosed and late-diagnosed HIV. However, tens of thousands of people with HIV across England are still undiagnosed and at increased risk of passing the virus on unwittingly. We have not yet reached the tipping point in our fight against the epidemic, and halving government spending on HIV prevention now would be a regressive step that risks undermining the headway we have made.”

    This decision is in direct contradiction to Simon Stevens’ NHS Five Year Forward View, released in October and welcomed by all main political parties, in which he said:

    “…the future health of millions of children, the sustainability of the NHS, and the economic prosperity of Britain all now depend on a radical upgrade in prevention and public health. Twelve years ago Derek Wanless’ health review warned that unless the country took prevention seriously we would be faced with a sharply rising burden of avoidable illness. That warning has not been heeded – and the NHS is on the hook for the consequences”.

    NAT’s activist network are working to defend the national HIV prevention funding. Please encourage your readers to get involved and join the campaign here: http://act.lifewithhiv.org.uk/lobby/HPE

    A spokesman for the DoH said that negotiations for an extension on their 3-year contract with Terrence Higgins Trust for HIV Preventions, which ends in 2015, were on-going.

  • UKIP Member Who Called Gay Men Poofters Has Resigned

    THEGAYUK  has learnt that Kerry Smith, who had hoped to let his comments about gay men and a Chinese woman ‘blow over” has resigned.

    This morning The Mail On Sunday revealed recordings on which UKIP Parliamentary candidate Kerry Smith is heard calling gay men “f**king disgusting old poofters” has now resigned an Al Jazeera journalist, Sunny Hundal, has tweeted.

    Nigel Farage, leader of UKIP had refused to sack Smith over the phone calls, while the MoS claims that a “well-placed” UKIP insider noted:

    “Kerry wants to make a full apology and is hoping it all blows over.”

    At one point in the recording released by MoS he is heard talking about former UKIP Youth chairman, Olly Neville saying,

    “Olly Neville – the sun shines out of his rear end. He’s now setting up BLT UKIP on Facebook.

    “What the old poofter groups call themselves. I just call it a BLT like the sandwiches. It’s them letters BLT with a Q on the end, bacon, lettuce and tomato.

    “It’s got our logo done with a rainbow. F**king loopy. That’s been approved by the NEC. That’s f**king disgusting.”

  • UKIP Parliamentary Candidate In Homophobic Recorded Rant

    The Mail On Sunday has released a recording of Kerry Smith, a senior UKIP member, making seriously offensive remarks about gay, lesbian, bi and trans people.

    Kerry Smith, a UKIP parliamentary candidate has been caught in a recording calling gay men “Poofers” and a likening the LGBT acronym to a BLT sandwich, “with a Q on the end.” Smith is the party’s PPC in South Basildon and East Thurrock. The recordings of his phone calls have been released by The Mail On Sunday.

    In the recordings, he also is heard to refer to a Chinese woman as ‘ a Chinky’.

    At one point in the recording, he is heard talking about former UKIP Youth chairman, Olly Neville saying,

    “Olly Neville – the sun shines out of his rear end. He’s now setting up BLT UKIP on Facebook.

    “What the old poofter groups call themselves. I just call it a BLT like the sandwiches. It’s them letters BLT with a Q on the end, bacon, lettuce and tomato.

    “It’s got our logo done with a rainbow. F**king loopy. That’s been approved by the NEC. That’s f**king disgusting.”

    Olly Neville came under fire by the party’s leadership in 2013, when he said he endorsed same-sex marriages. Mr Neville claimed UKIP was “on the wrong side of history” on gay marriage and proceeded to publicise on Twitter emails that were to sent him by party leaders.

    A statement released by UKIP on behalf of Smith said:

    “I wish to issue a wholehearted and unreserved apology to those who I have offended within the party and anyone else.

    “With regards to the leadership and management of the party I was completely wrong and my comments were fuelled by frustrations.

    “At the time of this recording, I was considering my resignation due to major management changes which I have since discovered I completely misread and misunderstood.

    “For the record, I was also on a strong morphine-based prescription medication for a back injury.”

    Nigel Farage, leader of UKIP has refused to sack Smith over the phone calls, while the MoS claims that a “well-placed” UKIP insider said:

    “Kerry wants to make a full apology and is hoping it all blows over.”

    TheGayUK approached UKIP’s LGBT society for comment.

  • Seventeen Thousand People Sign Petition For Dehumanising Emily Brothers

    Yesterday THEGAYUK reported that Rod Liddle from one of the UK’s most popular papers, The Sun, had written an article which questioned how MP hopeful Emily Brothers’ would know her gender because of her blindness, which has now attracted over 17,000 supporters on an online petition to apologise for dehumanising her.

    The article published by The Sun (10th Dec), asks how Emily Brothers could possibly know she was in the wrong sex if she was blind, saying:

    “Thing is though… being blind, how she did know she was the wrong sex?”

    An online petition via Change.org has been arranged with over 17,000 people signing it in the first 24 hours, echoing a similar petition for Lucy Meadows in early 2013, after Daily Mail writer, Richard Littlejohn monstered the trans teacher. Two petitions against Littlejohn garnered over 250,000 supporters asking for the sacking or resignation of Littlejohn.

    The organisers of the petition are demanding that David Dinsmore, the editor of The Sun itself apologises to Emily Brothers.

    When the petition had hit over 15,000 signatures, Rowan Davis, organiser of the petition said,

    “Thank you so much to everyone that has signed this so far, if any of you would like to complain directly to IPSO, the independent newspaper regulator, you can do so here”.

    Mark Healey from the 17-24-30 campaign, which aims to highlight hate crimes in the UK, has called on readers to make a formal complaint to the regulatory body IPSO, after calling the piece an “unacceptable piece of journalism.”

    Recently the leader of the labour party Ed Milliband said he was ‘so proud’ that his party had selected a transgender parliamentary candidate to stand in May’s general election.

    Last year there were more than 268 reported murders of trans men and woman across the globe.

    THEGAYUK has reached out to IPSO for comment on the complaints received.

  • Gay Artist Sam Smith Showcases Brand New Video For Like I Can

    Sam Smith who has enjoyed massive success with his debut album both in the UK and the US has revealed his music video for his latest single Like I Can.

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