THEGAYUK

Author: News Desk

  • Behind The Scenes, Ryan Murphy hired a sex choreographer for The Normal Heart

    If you are still reeling from the powerful potency of THE NORMAL HEART that was screened on Sky Atlantic TV last night, then here is a little-known fact about how director RYAN MURPHY made the sex scenes so authentic and very sensual.

    Whilst most of the actors playing gay men were actually gay (a real novelty in Hollywood even today) lead man Mark Ruffalo is not.

    Ruffalo was playing Ned and his affair with Felix is gut wrenching and is one of the relationships that drives the film. It did however, require Ruffalo and Matt Bomer to perform some intense sex scenes in a bathhouse and in bed.

    So Murphy hired a former Broadway choreographer who he knew specialised in these scenes and he explained, ‘So he would come and he would work with the actors and it was like, ‘Okay, then you move your leg here, and your asshole goes up here, and then your neck goes over here.’ So we worked on it, so the actors felt like, ‘Okay, I’m in “A Chorus Line.” I can do it.’”

    Ruffalo had never even kissed a guy on camera before, and Boomer had never been that intimate in a movie, and although they were both terrified, they put in stunning performances as they knew it was an essential part of the story.

  • Sultan of Brunei Cancels Dorchester Fashion Prize

    The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the US’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organisation, today commends the many leaders in the fashion industry who have publicly stated that they will avoid the Sultan of Brunei’s Dorchester Collection of hotels.

    In the wake of intense criticism of its owner’s planned implementation of new laws that could lead to women and LGBT Bruneians being stoned to death, the company made public this morning its decision to cancel its annual fashion competition and gala, known as the Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize. The decision by the hotel company was made within hours of Dorchester learning of a planned action by HRC today to bring attention to the fashion prize. So hasty was the retreat that the website and Facebook page for the event are still up.

    ‘We applaud the many designers, companies, and leaders in the fashion industry who have refused to turn a blind eye to the Sultan’s blatant disregard for the human rights of all Brueneians,’ said Ty Cobb, HRC’s director of Global Engagement. ‘The fact is that the Dorchester Collection’s profits belong to a regime that could start stoning women and LGBT Bruneians as soon as next year, and the cancellation of this prize is yet another sign that the Sultan’s company is feeling the impact of the worldwide movement to reject the Sultan’s horrific new laws.’

    A spokesperson for the DHC said that the decision to cancel the event was ‘due to other newly created similar awards’ – at the beginning o 2014.

    Last week, American Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour and Glamour Editor-in-Chief Cindi Leive joined François-Henri Pinault, the leadership of Yves Saint Laurent fashion house, and many other prominent voices in the fashion world in announcing they’re avoiding the Dorchester Collection’s global properties in protest of the Sultan of Brunei’s new laws.

    Established in 2010, the company claims the Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize was the “first award of its kind developed by a luxury hotel company,” and that it seeks to “build on [its] own established fashion heritage.” Although it maintains an active website and social media presence to promote the annual competition and event, the company had remained conspicuously silent throughout the recent controversy regarding plans for this year’s competition until today.

    On April 30, HRC condemned the Sultan of Brunei’s decision to begin implementing the first of the new laws’ three phases, and called on Americans who supported the rights of those who would be affected to avoid the Sultan’s hotels. In addition, HRC has recently criticised the Dorchester Collection for shamefully parading its own employees out on social media and for reporters in a desperate attempt to divert attention away from actions taken against the Sultan of Brunei’s hotels. This ploy comes despite assurances from the company that it has guaranteed the positions, income, and benefits of all of its employees for as long as the controversy continues.

  • Adam Lambert Guest Of Honour At Last Ever We Will Rock You

    Adam Lambert was the personal guest of Brian May at the last ever performance of We Will Rock You in London at the weekend.

    Adam Lambert, the first openly gay artist to secure a number 1 album on the Billboard charts, was the guest of honour at the last ever production of We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre, London, this past weekend.

    The show, which was initially panned by critics, went on to run for 12 years, becoming one of the West End’s biggest commercial successes.

    The show was written by Ben Elton and co-produced by Phil McIntyre, Queen and Robert De Niro’s Tribeca company.

    Taking to Twitter, Adam tweeted, ‘Thanks @DrBrianMay and Roger Taylor for inviting me to see the closing night of West End’s We Will Rock You. Great performance!’

    Adam Lambert is currently in the UK rehearsing for an upcoming 24-date Queen tour of the United States, Australia, Canada and Tokyo.

  • Facebook Introduces Gay Pride Icons

    Facebook has launched a number of gay pride icons for users to celebrate Pride season

    Facebook has released a number of free LGBT-themed emoticons – featuring leathermen, a disco man and two sailors and one that looks like RuPaul for gay pride season.

    A Facebook diversity spokesperson said,

    ‘We’re celebrating Pride by adding these free Facebook Messenger stickers to the Sticker Store. We see this as one more way we can make Facebook a place where people can express their authentic identity. Happy Pride!’

    The emoticons can be used within Facebook’s messager. You can install the stickers through the emoticon menu.

    Earlier in the year, Facebook transformed its gender reporting feature – allowing users to define their gender to around 50 different gender expressions.

  • Westboro Baptists release anti-gay version of Let It Go

    Anti-everything Church Westboro Baptist Church has released a version of Frozen’s hit song Let It Go, but have cleverly changed the words… oh those talented beasts.

    The ever-on-the-pulse-of-pop-culture Church, WBC have released a version of Idina Menzel’s Let It Go, with clever, almost rhyming, new lyrics warning us all about our sins… yada yada yada.

    We’re assuming they did this they because Let it Go is seen as the perfect coming out song. (Props to their marketing dept.)

    We particularly enjoyed the failed reach for the high note – it seems god isn’t lifting you up as you reach for your E flat.

    Listen to the song here

  • Rugby Brothers Back Homophobia In Sport Study

    Rugby League Stars the Burgess Brothers support Gay friends and urge people to take part in new study on Homophobia in Sport.

    Australian/UK Rugby League stars Sam and Thomas Burgess have joined their South Sydney Rabbitohs teammate, Greg Inglis, in calling for an end to homophobia in sport. Sam and Thomas Burgess have also recorded a video, to be distributed by the NRL and others, encouraging people to take 10 minutes to tell their story in the first national and international study on homophobia in sport.

    “I don’t see why there should be any discrimination about colour, sexuality, your heritage or where you’re from. Sport is a great thing, and it brings people from all different aspects of life together, so why should your sexuality be a problem? The only way we are going to understand the issue is if people get out there and tell their story so we can help fix it,” said Sam Burgess.

    Thomas Burgess agreed and said, “We have a lot of gay friends and think that discrimination in sport is old fashioned and there is no place for it. In this day and age, we shouldn’t be discriminating against anyone, for anything.”

    The Burgess Brothers, who play for the team co-owned by Russel Crowe, say they are surprised there aren’t more openly gay players in professional sports. They say the study on homophobia in sports will help everyone understand why players don’t feel safe in coming out of the closet.

    The study, called “Out on the Fields” is an initiative of the organisers of Bingham Cup Sydney 2014 and is first broad based Australian and international study on the issue of homophobia in sport. Participation is open to everyone regardless of sexuality. Those interested can visit www.outonthefields.com. Among other things, the study looks at whether people choose not to play team sports because of fear of discrimination as well as the prevalence of homophobia, such as slurs, among athletes and fans.

    The support from the Burgess Brothers follows support from Greg Inglis, who attended an announcement last month by all the major, Australian professional sports who pledged to ‘eliminate’ homophobia. At the time Inglis said homophobia in sport needs to end, “If you stamp that out, then it will probably help players that come out a bit more. I’m a big believer, a firm believer, in respecting what others are and who they are. I’m definitely happy to put my hand up and be one of the leaders behind this great initiative.”

    Andrew Purchas is a current player as well as founder of the Sydney Convicts Rugby Club, Australia’s first gay rugby team and president of the Bingham Cup Sydney 2014, the world cup of gay rugby. ‘Sam and Tom Burgess are highly respected locally and overseas for their no nonsense approach to football. Their support for their gay friends and recognition that the only way to eliminate homophobia is to talk about the issue and encourage people to tell their stories will send a strong message to players and fans. This is why it’s so important people take part in this study on homophobia in sport in Australia and around the world. We need to understand the extent of the problem so we can address it now and we have a baseline to track whether there have been any changes over the coming years. It only takes 10 minutes for people to take part in the study and share their story. We also appreciate that the NRL is tackling head on the issue of homophobia in sports. They responded swiftly and decisively to the recent homophobic slur during the U20 State of Origin match and recently became first football code to join Pride in Diversity, Australia’s peak body for employer GLBT programs.’

    The Australian Sports Commission will conduct similar research on homophobia in future years. Out on the Fields is being conducted by sports research company Repucom. The results and final report will be reviewed by researchers at 6 universities around the world.

    The study is at: www.outonthefields.com

  • Jesus Christ Superstar Tour Axed

    Jesus Christ Superstar has been axed its producers have said.

    A statement on the official JCS website said, ‘Options Clause Entertainment LLC, an affiliate of S2BN Entertainment, announced today the cancellation of the Jesus Christ Superstar Arena Spectacular Tour. The tour was scheduled to kick off in New Orleans on June 9. All purchased tickets will be refunded. Tickets purchased online and via telephone will be automatically refunded. Tickets purchased from outlets/venue box office must be returned to that location for refund.’

    The Musical which found its lead role on a TV talent show back in 2012, starring Andrew Lloyd Webber and Mel C as judges is to close without delay.

    Ben Forster, winner of the talent show would have played the part of Jesus.

  • Act Up Paris Faces Closure After Lawsuit

    The French Act Up organisation is facing financial ruin slander suit goes ahead.

    ◉ Two former civil servants are planning to take the LGBT Rights organisation to court after being named in a press release.
    ◉ Organisation faces financial ruin if the court case goes ahead.
    ◉ Act Up Paris urging supporters to donate money to help the organisation.

    According to Act Up Paris, the organisation says its very survival is at stake after two former civil servants of the Ministry of Economy plan to sue the organisation for slander – after being mentioned in a press release.

    A statement from Act Up Paris reads,
    “This lawsuit is a threat to the very survival of the association, which is now facing harsh financial difficulties. Beyond our organization and the struggle against the AIDS epidemics, our loosing this trial would also have dire consequences for all citizens and organizations that will later denounce equivalent treatises.”

    The press release in question was about the ACTA Treaty.

    ‘Two years ago, you were taking part to the struggle against ACTA, this international agreement which, had it been signed, would have harshly restrained our rights and fundamental liberties, in particular as far as access to medicines, the neutrality of Internet and open software are concerned, the statement continues.

    ‘Today we appeal to your solidarity. To support us in this trial is to defend the right of civil society to launch alerts against threats, to denounce international agreements being negotiated without citizen control and to question the responsibility of civil servants led to counsel our political decision-makers without their having full knowledge of what is at stakes with these treatises.’

    Last year French anti-gay marriage group La Manif Pour Tous planned to sue activism group Act Up after members threw red liquid at the JLF genetic research firm in south-west Paris.

    Act Up Paris is the French unit of the Act Up Organisation, which was set up in the early 80s by co-founder Larry Kramer.

    Visit: http://www.actupparis.org/spip.php?article5359 to find out more and to make a donation.

  • 19-Year-Old Olympian John Fennell Comes Out As Gay

    19-year-old luger, John Fennell has come out as gay in an interview after ‘suffocating’ game of hiding his sexuality.

    John Fennell, 19, joins an ever-growing number of sportsmen who are coming out of the closet. The Canadian luger spoke about his sexuality in an interview with the Calgary Herald, saying, ‘You have to play this game of, ‘Who knows?’ You can’t let off any vibes or secrets. You have to act super macho. You have to be hyper-aware of your mannerisms and to not let off any vibes that could get detected. It’s very exhausting.’

    He recently participated in the Sochi Winter Olympics, but didn’t see his position as strong springboard for political gain and was distraught over the lack of LGBT keadership saying,

    “I’m an athlete, Realistically, I put on a spandex suit and slide down a mountain. I’m no message board for political movements. But we need to have leaders in our sport community.

    “If it takes a 19-year-old to step up and to that, I’m more than willing to use my voice or the platform that I’ve been given to give a figurehead to gay youth in sport.”

  • Angelina Jolie Inspiration To Drag Queens

    Everyone loves a Disney villain and many Drag Queens around the world have channelled at least one Disney Diva for their look. Now Angelina’s Maleficent is joining the ranks it seems.

    When Angelina Jolie was asked by Gay Times at the ‘Maleficent’ Press Conference, ‘Disney villains are well loved by the gay community – how do you feel about forever being an inspiration to drag queens thanks to this role?’, she replied with, “Thrilled! I would be thrilled if it’s embraced by the drag queens. I think we both – I think we ALL – share a love of this kind of costume, I’m with them.”

    You can see the drag queen love, by checking out the below photos of Angelina posing with another rather fabulous Maleficent at the LA premiere on Wednesday.

    “Maleficent” explores the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty” and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realises that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever.

  • UK Chart Topper Sam Smith Comes Out As Gay

    UK Chart Topper Sam Smith Comes Out As Gay

    Sam Smith, whose album is currently riding high in the midweeks, tells how his debut album is about a guy he fell in love with.

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