Author: News Desk
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Campaign Of Homosexual Equality Celebrates 50 years
Unveiling of plaque to Commemorate 50 years since the founding of The Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) at Church House, Deansgate, Manchester.
Tuesday 7th October 2014 sees the 50th anniversary of the first meeting of The Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) a democratic voluntary organisation, founded in 1964 as the North Western Committee for Homosexual Law Reform (NWHLRC) in Manchester.
The plague will be unveiled by Lord Mayor, Representatives of Church House/Diocese of Manchester, in the company of invited guests including representatives of CHE, The Lesbian & Gay Foundation and invited local LGBT community members at 2pm.
The Lesbian & Gay Foundation (The LGF) are organising a tribute and celebration in honour of the 50th anniversary of the birth of the modern in lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) rights movement through recognising the formation of The North West Homosexual Law Reform Committee and later The Campaign for Homosexual Equality.
The charity has worked with The Diocese of Manchester to unveil a special commemorative plaque at Church House on Deansgate in the city centre to mark the very first meetings of NWHLRC/CHE on October 7th 1964. This will take place in the early afternoon and is also supported by Manchester City Council. The plaque unveiling will be followed by an afternoon tea in the presence of The Lord Mayor of Manchester at Manchester Town Hall.
Later on in the evening on 7th October, The LGF’s annual Homo Heroes Awards ceremony will be held at a city centre hotel in Manchester to mark the 50th Anniversary of CHE. The awards, supported by Barclays, are now in their fourth year and provide an opportunity to celebrate those people that have made a difference to the lives of people in LGBT communities.
Paul Martin OBE, Chief Executive of The Lesbian & Gay Foundation, said: “Many people know a little about LGBT history from the decriminalisation of male homosexuality in 1967 but there is a story that goes back much further and one that Manchester and the North West played a key part in. The men and women behind CHE have made huge steps forward in fighting for LGBT rights for over half a century and we are delighted that representatives from CHE, who still have an important voice in campaigning for equality and respect for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people, will be attending the commemorations of this historic date in the LGBT calendar.”Peter Tatchell, Patron of The Lesbian & Gay Foundation, LGBTI and human rights campaigner, said: “The North West Homosexual Law Reform Committee was Britain’s first grassroots gay rights organisation. Led by openly gay people such as Allan Horsfall, it organised one of the early gay law reform public meetings in the UK. Held in Manchester on 7 October 1964, it urged the decriminalisation of homosexuality. We celebrate the 50th anniversary of this meeting and salute the pioneers of the NWHLRC. They trailblazed for LGBTI freedom. We remember and honour them – with pride.”
Ross Burgess, representing CHE’s national Executive Committee, said: “This country has seen enormous changes since CHE’s foundation in 1964, when all sex between men was still illegal. CHE is proud to have played a great part in those changes, both by campaigning for law reform, and by organising a nationwide network of local groups that touched the lives of thousands of lesbian and gay people. We are greatly honoured by this recognition in Manchester, where it all started, and our only regret is that so many of the early pioneers, such as Allan Horsfall and Ray Gosling, are no longer here to celebrate with us.”The Rt Revd David Walker, Bishop of Manchester, said: “Fifty years ago, sexual activity between adult males was still a criminal offence in England. The attitudes of the wider population to same sex relationships were gleaned from court cases and comedians, spiced up by innuendo and accusation, and fuelled by fear. Half a century on, most of us are informed in our views by our friends, work colleagues and close family members who are able to be open about their sexual identities. That we are in such a better place is a tribute to those who were here in October 1964. This plaque is a modest recognition of that fact and of the debt we owe.”
Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor Sue Cooley, said: “Manchester has a long and illustrious history of fighting for inclusion, representation and equality for all members of our diverse society, a fact that we should all be proud of. The Campaign for Homosexual Equality is one of the oldest gay rights organisations in the UK and on their 50th anniversary it is only fitting that a plaque is unveiled to create a permanent reminder of everything they achieved. Attitudes have dramatically changed since the 1960’s, when the CHE was founded, but there is still work to be done in fighting discrimination and I hope people find inspiration in the work of organisations like CHE.”
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Gay Men Buck Downward HIV Infection Trend
New figures from Public Health England (PHE) show that gay men are bucking the downward trend for new HIV infections.
Yesterday PHE released its 2013 HIV statistics, showing new HIV diagnoses amongst gay men have slightly increased, whilst new diagnoses overall are declining.
Shockingly the new statistics show that, in the past ten year new diagnoses amongst gay and bisexual men aged 15-24 have almost doubled, as well as new diagnoses amongst the over 50s have almost doubled. This worry for the over 50 was mentioned by Doctor Christian Jessen in his interview with TheGayUK in 2012.
The latest PHE figures come after a recent campaign by a coalition of LGBT organisations which called on political leaders to improve sex and relationships education in schools. These figures highlight the urgent need to make LGBT-inclusive Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) statutory in all schools.
Yusef Azad, director of policy and campaigns at (NAT) National AIDS Trust, said: ‘The Public Health England statistics for 2013 show a continuing high rate of new MSM HIV diagnoses in the UK – about nine gay and bisexual men are being told they have HIV every day. This reflects undiminished and significant levels of HIV transmission in our society amongst gay men.’
LESS GAY MEN DIAGNOSED LATE
However more positively, less gay men are being diagnosed late (within four years of infection). Yusef Azad, director of policy and campaigns at (NAT) National AIDS Trust, said: ‘There continues to be an encouraging decline in the proportion of gay men diagnosed with HIV late – from 43% in 2004 to 31% in 2013. Being diagnosed late, which usually means you have had HIV for at least four years, can have a serious impact on your health, potentially leading to a shorter life expectancy, worse health outcomes and in some cases death soon after diagnosis.’ONE IN TWENTY
According to the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) around 100,000 people in the UK were living with HIV in 2013, which means 1 in 665. In gay and bisexual men THT estimates this figure jumps to one in twenty. It could even be as high as one in twelve in highly populated cities such as London.Dates for the National HIV Testing Week were announced last month. The week will run from the 22nd to the 30th of November.
If you’re worried about sexual health visit our online sexual health microsite for some easy tips and to ask our experts questions on sexual health.
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Elyar Fox Records Naked… Hurrah
British pop singer Elyar shows off his nips as he does a vocal…
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Poison Warning For Mushroom Pickers After Dozens Fall Ill
Every year dozens of people all over the UK have to seek medical advice after picking and eating wild mushrooms which then make them ill.
This is because some varieties which grow wild in the United Kingdom are poisonous and can make foragers ill when consumed: some types can even be fatal. Foragers should remember that the poisons in some of the most dangerous wild mushrooms are generally not destroyed by cooking.
So far this year the Public Health England commissioned National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) has been consulted for advice on 84 cases, and with the foraging season now underway the medics are sounding their warnings once again. The NPIS is contacted by frontline medics who need expert assistance when dealing with poisonings.
Dr John Thompson, Director of the NPIS unit in Cardiff, said, ‘As the weather starts to change many people will soon be heading out to the countryside to seek out wild food which can be a really fun thing to do.
‘But when it comes to wild mushrooms people really need to be aware of the very real potential dangers involved, it is always at this time of year that we see a noticeable increase in poisoning cases.
‘This is because while many mushrooms growing in the wild are tasty and safe to eat, it is not always easy to differentiate between toxic and non-toxic species even for people with experience in foraging.
‘That’s why we say that people should not eat mushrooms collected in the wild unless they are very familiar with the various types that grow in the UK and are sure that the mushrooms that they have collected are safe to eat.’
In 2013 the NPIS was contacted about 237 times after people who had eaten mushrooms fell ill, and reports came to the service from every region of the UK.
Many of those involved were children under 10 who had eaten mushrooms, but some enquiries were about adults who developed illness after consuming mushrooms that they had collected in the wild. Because of the risk of severe poisoning after accidental consumption of toxic mushrooms, the NPIS experts are warning foragers to take care when picking mushrooms and only to consume those that they know to be safe to eat.
Dr John Harrison, Director of PHE’s Centre for Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards, which commissions NPIS, said, ‘ People heading outdoors this autumn, whether it’s to gather wild mushrooms or just to enjoy the great British countryside, should be aware of the dangers that mushrooms can pose. Correctly identifying the mushrooms that are safe to pick and eat is the key to ensuring that foraging is good fun and does not endanger health.’
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STIs, HIV and AIDS To Be Discussed In Secondary Education
This will help make it clear to schools that every pupil must leave secondary school equipped with knowledge about STIs and specifically about HIV and AIDS.
However, the Sex Education Forum warns that learning about STIs must not be left to the final years of secondary school, and will only be effective if it builds on earlier learning about how our bodies work, and crucially about relationships. Having sex and relationships education (SRE) in every year of school helps children build up the understanding needed for good sexual health, and ensures that children learn about stigma and challenging prejudice as well as the biological aspects of the transmission, prevention and treatment of STIs including HIV.
The Sex Education Forum is the national authority on sex and relationships education (SRE).
The Chair of the Sex Education Forum, Jane Lees said, ‘The curriculum for Key Stage 4 science proposed earlier this year had no reference to sexual health, HIV or AIDS. It is very encouraging that calls from the Sex Education Forum and others have been heeded and the Department for Education has made this important change. Our survey with young people showed that 1 in 4 had not learnt anything about this topic at school. There is an urgent need to remedy this situation and this move by the Department for Education will help. We will continue to campaign for action to make the broader subject of SRE statutory in all schools’.
Last week, Human rights activist Peter Tatchell called for LGBTI-inclusive sex & relationship education to be statutory in all schools. Saying that sex and relationship education SRE should be made compulsory in all schools.
One in three gay men diagnosed with HIV in 2012 were in their teens or early twenties, yet 85% of gay and bisexual men receive no information about same-sex relationships in school.If you’ve got sexual health questions visit our no excuse project http://www.noexcuse.thegayuk.com or you can call the London Lesbian And Gay Switchboard on 0300 330 0630.
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Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals Encouraged To Stop Smoking This October
Today is the launch of the Stoptober campaign and troubling statistics show that Lesbian, Gay and Bisexuals are more likely to smoke than their heterosexual counterparts.
Compared to heterosexuals, gay/lesbian and bisexual adults are 1.5 times more likely to be current smokers.
Two-thirds (67 percent) of gay and bisexual men have smoked at some time in their life compared to half of men in general who have smoked.
A quarter (26 percent) of gay and bisexual men currently smoke compared to 22 per cent of men in general.
Gay/lesbian and bisexual adults people over 16yrs are more likely to be current smokers, less likely to have never smoked, and less likely to have given up smoking than the general population.
Professor Kevin Fenton, National Director of Health and Wellbeing at Public Health England and LGBT role model at the HSJ said, ‘The figures speak for themselves – businesses can play an important role in helping their employees and see the benefits of a smoke-free workforce. Quitting smoking is one of the most significant health improvements a person can make and it is encouraging to see so many businesses and employers supporting Stoptober to help make their workplace happier and healthier places for their staff.
Last year, it was noted that English gay youth were twice as likely to smoke and drink hazardously compared to straight people of the same age. In an interview with TheGayUK, Dr. Joanna Semlyen stated there were several reasons why LGB people were more likely to
In an interview with TheGayUK, Dr. Joanna Semlyen stated there were several reasons why LGB people were more likely to smoke and drink, saying, ‘we suspect that the impact of homophobia and heterosexism within society, in addition to the possible experience of homophobic bullying whilst at school, may lead to what we call ‘minority stress’ or in increased self-esteemteem which young people then perhaps seek to alleviate with smoking and/or alcohol.’
11 Million Work Days Lost
Leading employers are supporting this year’s Stoptober quit smoking campaign because smoking is bad for business. Smoking currently costs the economy in England a massive £13bn1 a year, with businesses losing over 11 million days of productivity each year due to smoking-related sick days, which alone costs £1bn a year.FREE RESOURCES
New free resources are available for employers to support staff with the 28-day quit attempt. Everyone joining Stoptober can choose from a range of tools to suit them, including a new stop smoking pack, a 28-day mobile phone app, text support with daily updates, quitting advice and tips for coping, as well as the encouragement and support from thousands of people through social media. For more information and to join the biggest stop smoking challenge of its kind, search ‘Stoptober’ online and sign up. -
Look at the size of Rylan and Dan’s ROCKS
Now that Rylan Clark is off the market after announcing his engagement to Dan Neal, we’ve called upon an expert to analyse their rocks…
Now that Rylan Clark is off the market after announcing his engagement to Dan Neal, we’ve called upon an expert to analyse their rocks…
Lewis Malka of Lewis Malka London (www.lewismalka.com) says ‘Rylan and Dan look so happy together and the ring looks amazing too. It’s set with three rows of diamonds; a row of baguettes surrounded by two rows of round diamonds. All in all its a fabulous show piece and one that looks extremely comfortable to wear. I would estimate that this ring is worth in the region of £15,000.’
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Beautiful Thing Comes To Birmingham
Nikolai Foster’s celebrated anniversary production of Jonathan Harvey’s Beautiful Thing comes to Birmingham Hippodrome’s Patrick Centre from 30 March – 11 April 2015.
Multi-award winning actress Charlie Brooks, best known for her role as Janine Butcher in EastEnders, will lead the cast as Sandra in the forthcoming performance of Beautiful Thing. Other notable credits include Jenny in Bleak Houseplus being crowned the Queen of the Jungle in I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here! and winner of the mirror ball trophy in the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special in 2011. She also recently enjoyed a critically acclaimed stage performance in Our Country’s Good at Liverpool Playhouse.
Thomas Law, whose roles include Peter Beale in EastEnders, Matt Haddon in Casualty and most recently as a young Simon Pegg in blockbuster film The World’s End will star as Ste.
Sam Jackson, whose roles include Alex Henley in Skins (E4), Jack in Drifters (E4) and a critically acclaimed performance as Billy Casper in Kes (Derby Theatre) will star as Jamie.
Director Nikolai Foster was recently appointed Artistic Director of Curve Leicester. His work has been seen in most of the UK’s leading regional theatres, touring houses and internationally, and recent productions include The Hired Man (St James), Calamity Jane (UK tour), Brecht’s The Good Person Of Sichuan (Mercury, Colchester), Flashdance (West End), Hayfever (CFT), Merrily We Roll Along (Clwyd Theatr Cymru), The Diary of Anne Frank (York Theatre Royal & The Touring Consortium), and Annie (WYP, Leeds).
Beautiful Thing is a glorious urban love story between two young men set on an inner city housing estate. It tells the story of teenager Jamie’s relationship with classmate and neighbour, Ste. Together the two boys find comedy, warmth and the music of Mama Cass through their loud-mouthed next door neighbour Leah. Jonathan Harvey combines comedy with drama in his critically acclaimed award winning play. Beautiful Thing truly captures what it is to be a teenager and to fall in love.
Executive producer Tom O’Connell said, “Having produced the original anniversary production, I am honoured to now partner with Nottingham Playhouse and Curve theatre, Leicester, two fantastic producing theatres, to bring Jonathan’s hit comedy to the stage one more time. Nikolai and I made a promise to each other that if we ever re-visited his production it would play cities and theatres that it hadn’t been to before. We feel with this new cast and with some new elements added to the show, this new production will have audiences smiling all the way home.”
Stuart Griffiths, Chief Executive, Birmingham Hippodrome said “The arrival of Beautiful Thing in the theatre’s Patrick Centre continues an expanding programme for the venue and Birmingham Hippodrome’s commitment to presenting an expansive and varied list of performances for a diverse range of audiences.”Jonathan Harvey wrote Beautiful Thing when he was just 24. It premiered at the Bush Theatre in 1993 and sold out its five-week run before transferring to the Donmar Warehouse, and then the Duke of York’s, eventually winning its author an Olivier Award nomination and the John Whiting Award. A screen adaptation of the play was released in 1996 by Channel 4 films, which went on to be a cult hit. Jonathan is a regular writer for Coronation Street and wrote the TV hit series Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, as well as the best-selling 2012 novel All She Wants. His plays include Canary and Corrie!
Over its 20 year history, the play has featured in the careers of many famous actors including Jonny Lee Miller, Suranne Jones, Hugh Bonneville, Philip Glennister, Andrew Garfield, and Rhys Ifans, and has been produced over 25 times worldwide, with international dates in China, France, Canada, Australia and Holland.Lighting design is by David Plater and sound design by George Dennis, Beautiful Thing will be a co-production between the Nottingham Playhouse, the Curve Leicester and Tom O’Connell for QNQ Ltd.
Beautiful Thing runs at Birmingham Hippodrome’s Patrick Centre from Monday 30 March – Saturday 11 April 2015. The first 100 tickets at every performance are priced at an early bird rate of £25 – call 0844 338 5000 or book online at birminghamhippodrome.com. 5% transaction charge applies (excl. cash sales in person) postage from £1. Phone calls from 5p per minute. Prices and discounting subject to change.
Perf times: Mon-Sat eves 7.45pm, Fri & Sat mats 2.30pm.
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ADVICE | How To Last Longer In Bed
It’s happened to the best of us. At the worst of times.
You’re halfway through your performance with a totally hot guy you just met, when without warning your little Mister calls time. Yes, you’ve spaffed your load without warning. The little swimmers are taking a curtain call as you mutter “I’m so sorry, i.. i…” (I mean, what do you say as he’s riving in agony with man juice in his eye….. ‘It Burrrrrnnnns’)
Here are our top tips to making sure you last longer in the sack.
1) Homework
The best part of this lesson is that you get to do homework and as much of it as you like. A wank is a key element to why many men prematurely blow their loads. Why? Well if you train yourself to cum quite quickly when you’re alone, the chances are that you will do exactly the same when you’re with a partner. So next time your palm is dating your dick, work your way up to 15 minutes, 20 minutes and for those who have cocks of rock try 30 minutes.
(C) BIGSTOCK Try bringing yourself to the point of no return and stopping. Giving yourself a moment to relax and start again.
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First Trans and Gender Non-Conforming Swimming Group Opens In London
Trans and Gender NonConforming Swimming Group (TAGS), after meeting with Lewisham council, have confirmed they have full private use of the training pool at the Glassmill Leisure Centre, Lewisham for a transgender safe swimming group.
Facilities are accessible for individuals with disabilities and include a very discrete space with electric blinds on all windows to ensure privacy. There is a 20m Teaching pool with moving floor to alter depth. The Glassmill Centre also includes gender specific and gender neutral training facilities. Swimmers will have an hour and a half slot for changing and swimming. In additional, pool staff will be given training by TAGS to ensure that gender issues are covered and treated sensitively. There will be TAGS representatives to greet swimmers and take them to changing area. There are also accessible CCTV monitored parking at a very reasonable rate (£2 per hr) open until the centre closes and a cafe space to socialise. Parents of young people and carers are welcome to swim or spectate.
TAGS is the only Trans Gender Non Conforming swimming group in London. This first swimming session is part of a three-month trial with Lewisham Council, so TAGS is seeking all interested swimmers to take the initiative to support the space by coming to the sessions. The cost will be £3.20 (lower for Lewisham residents) a session. The more swimmers at each session, the more TAGS can negotiate the cost down further.
TAGS is organised by volunteers from the Gendered Intelligence Volunteer Society. Roberta Francis, the main volunteer, organised TAGS because she wanted to go to her local swimming group, but felt nervous. “I felt there was a big need for a swimming group in London to allow trans and gender nonconforming people the opportunity to have access to a safe space. Being able to swim is a basic right but for many trans people it can be really difficult because of how we are treated in the community as a whole,” Roberta said.
Jay Stewart of Gendered Intelligence, said: “We know physical activity reduces mental distress. This is such a huge factor in trans people’s lives due to the pressures to conform to gender norms. I feel incredibly proud that this initiative has been led by some of our volunteers at Gendered Intelligence. The Gendered Intelligence Volunteer Scheme is all about strengthening the wider trans community and this is doing exactly that.”
Anyone wishing to attend the TAGS swimming group can join their Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/269765326552514/ Or contact admin@genderedintelligence.co.uk for more information.
