THEGAYUK

Author: News Desk

  • Brad Pitt Allegedly Punched In Face At Maleficent Premier

    Brad Pitt was allegedly attacked at the Los Angeles Premier of Maleficent, by a Ukranian reporter.

    The Hollywood hunk was reportedly struck in the face by a notorious Ukranian reporter, Vitalii Sediuk, who has become infamous for his red-carpet behaviour, whilst at the Maleficent Premier in Los Angeles. Brad Pitt’s wife Angelina Jolie plays the villain in the new Disney film.

    He was reportedly seen jumping over the crowd control barrier before hugging, then hitting the star in the face.

    Last week Sediuk caused controversy when he crawled under the skirt of Ugly Betty actress America Ferrera at the Cannes Film Festival.

    A police spokesman said that the reporter was being held in custody – with a $20,000 bail price tag.

    Brad Pitt, who doesn’t star in Maleficent, is one of the producers of a film adaptation of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart, which is due to air in the UK on 1st June.

    Sediuk has a history of crashing celebrity events. Last year he crashed Adele’s acceptance, running up to Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull before the singer could reach the stairs.

    In January at the SAG awards he was seen hugging the knees of Bradley Cooper on the red carpet – a move he also pulled on Leonardo DiCaprio at the Santa Babara Film Fest in Feb.

    In 2012, he was slapped by Will Smith after the reporter tried to kiss him on the lips.

  • Dustin Lance Black Reveals His Creative Process

    Screenwriter Dustin Lance Black invites you to share in his creative process in a brilliant and intimate short film.

    In a short film made for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences (AMPAS), Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black opens up about his creative process.

    He shows how he puts together the ideas for his scripts – up to a year before he even touches the first draft, – which he calls his ‘vomit draft’.

    He keeps an archive of research and hundreds of interviews per project.

    AMPAS has launched it’s first original digital series “Academy Originals” which debuted last week. ​The initiative is a documentary-style video series which examines everything from the creative process, to the moments that changed the course of filmmaking, to the artists who are charting its future.

    New Academy Originals are available each week on Oscars.org/AcademyOriginals and YouTube.com/AcademyOriginals

  • Alexis Houston: New Single LIGHT Out Now

    She’s back and on form…

    Alexis Houston, sister of the late Whitney is back with a new track called Light, which she tells us was inpsired by her husband’s name, which translated is ‘My Light’.

    The catchy summery song, sees a slight departure from her 2010 album, but retains that classic Houston sound.

    The lead single from the EP is the title track ‘Light’, and is to be released on May 26, with the EP hot on its heels scheduled for release July 7.

     

    Alexis chatted to TheGayUK for our next issue – out on 6th June

     

    LISTEN TO THE TRACK ON iTunes

  • Student Loans Company Slammed After Data Breaches

    The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has criticised the Student Loans Company Limited after a series of data breaches involving customers’ records.

    The business reported several incidents where information held about customers, including medical details and a psychological assessment, had been sent to the wrong people.

    An ICO investigation found that not enough checks were carried out when documents were being scanned to add to customer accounts, and more sensitive documents actually received fewer checks.

    ICO Head of Enforcement, Stephen Eckersley, said:

    ‘For the majority of students, the Student Loans Company represents a crucial service that they rely on to fund their studies. Students are obliged to provide personal information to the loans company, both while they receive the loan and in the years when they are paying it back, and they are right to expect that information to be properly looked after.

    ‘Our investigation showed that wasn’t happening. We’ve spoken with the company and made clear that changes need to be made, and a formal undertaking is now in place.’

    The Student Loans Company Ltd has signed an undertaking committing the organisation to ensure proper checks are carried out before correspondence is sent out, as well making staff better aware of its data protection policy.

    The SLC was established in 1989 and is owned by It is owned by the UK Government’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (85%), the Scottish Government (5%), the Welsh Government (5%) and the Northern Ireland Executive (5%).

    SLC spokesperson said:

    ‘These data breaches took place in 2012 and we apologise to the three customers whose medical details were disclosed to the wrong recipients.

    ‘Our investigations found that these data breaches were caused by human error when we were manually assessing the eligibility of students applying for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA). Those customers whose details were disclosed were advised of this.

    ‘When we realised our mistake, we immediately contacted the person or organisation the information had been sent to, to apologise for our mistake and to make sure the details were deleted. We also reported the breaches to the Information Commissioner’s Office and will continue to keep them updated.

    ‘SLC takes our responsibilities seriously to protect customer data under the Data Protection Act. We have put in place additional quality checks and are confident these will prevent this from happening again. We are also investing significantly in new technology and systems to improve our service to customers.”

  • Polari Literary Salon Announces Arts Council Funding and Tour

    London’s award-winning LGBT literary salon Polari has been awarded a grant from Grants for the Arts, supported by the Arts Council of England.

    The grant will fund a national tour in the Autumn, beginning in September and ending at the Southbank Centre in November, which marks the literary salon’s seventh birthday.

    The tour will include Polari events at the Marlborough Theatre in Brighton, Homotopia in Liverpool, shOUT in Birmingham and the Manchester Literature Festival and will feature the best in established and emerging LGBT literary talent. It will also help to promote The Polari First Book Prize, which is now in its fourth year.

    Paul Burston, founder and host of Polari said, ‘After several successful, sell-out years at the Southbank Centre, it’s been a dream of mine to take Polari on tour. I’m very grateful to the Arts Council of England and the National Lottery for making this possible.’

  • INTERVIEW | Rosie Beaver

    We catch up with Drag Queens Of London’s Rosie Beaver, who talks about dating and mating, why drag queens should never date each other and why App dating is sooo over….

    Tell me about your dating history. Have you had long terms partners, has it been short and sweet bursts, have you been single for too long?
    I’ve been single just over a year now, before that I was in a relationship with a lovely French guy to had to go back home to study. Since moving to london in 2006 I’ve had a varied dating life. I don’t know if it’s my probable ADHD or just the fact I’m fussy that has made it a bit of a struggle at times. I’m a big ol’ romantic at heart but I’m also a perfectionist so can’t settle for something that’s not right. As much as I enjoy a good night out, I’m very much a cup of tea and a movie person when in a relationship, I adore that feeling of going home and cuddling up, and when I’m single that’s what I miss the most- not having anyone to go home to. Becoming a drag queen, just over two years ago now, has made my dating life more complicated, plus the fact that my 30th birthday is creeping up on me I’m in this odd place of, let’s call it, despair, to be dramatic. I’d always had this notion of being 30, being settled in work and life and having a man there, so to be in such a state of upheaval it makes me a bit restless.

    What are the challenges when it comes to dating?
    The biggest challenge for me when it comes to dating is meeting people. Sure, there are plenty of apps and sites, but they usually lead to some quick sex and a speedy exit. My last few relationships have all been with people I met in social situations. It seems that nowadays a lot of people are only looking for a quick thrill, which I’m more than guilty of at times, so you never have the time to get to know a person. I enjoy bring a little old fashioned when it comes to dating, taking time and knowing someone is fun. It also makes the sex much better when it happens!

    People don’t talk anymore either- it’s a sorry state of affairs when you go into a bar and the only way you can talk to someone is through an app on your phone. When I realised I was gay (15 years old) it was when chat rooms and msn messenger and such were really taking off, so all of my dating life has been side by side and I’ve seen it go from talking and dancing in a club to sitting there texting and poking. I sound like I’m in my 80’s, but goddammit I want a conversation in life, not on an app.
    Dating is also expensive, to actually woo someone takes time and money: restaurants, drinks, theatre, it all adds up!

    What are you looking for in a partner?
    My biggest things I’m looking for are a damn good sense of humour and that indescribable chemistry. That feeling where you can’t wait to rip off someone’s clothes but also want to snuggle in front of a fire in baggy jumpers watching trash movies. I’m a big kid at heart so I need someone who can be silly with me and watch spongebob. Someone who has their own life, passions and interests, but shares and takes interest in mine… This is sounding like a personal ad…. I also enjoy long walks and knitting.

    Who is your celebrity crush?
    Oh I have so many- and they’re all the obvious ones. Zac Efron is looking hot right now, but for marriage I’d go for Joseph Gordon Levitt.

    How do you find dates? Dating websites? Through friends? On a night out?
    I used to use all the gay ‘dating’ apps, Grindr,Scruff etc, but have removed myself from them as it seems people are after only one thing, and usually when I logged on to them I’d be in the mood for something like that too. You get caught in a rut with apps like that. I have actually met a fair few guys from Twitter in the past. It’s a great site to chat away casually with someone and get to know them, their likes, and their sense of humour, then you can start to DM, exchange numbers and take it from there. One of my longest relationships (the one who when I get drunk I still Facebook stalk) started through a twitter follow!

    Have you had any horror/funny stories?
    There’s nothing worse than a stagnant date. I pride myself on being able to make dates fun, but there’s been a few where you sit there clock watching. Luckily no horror stories yet!

    What is their reaction usually, when you tell them you are a drag queen?
    Most people are a little unsure on the idea right away, but when you explain and tell them it’s a job and tell them that you DON’T want to be a woman (everyone asks that!) then it’s usually fine. A lot of gay men and drag queens have stories that are horrific in and out of the dating world, but I’ve been very lucky to have a supportive circle of family and friends throughout my life.

    Do you tell them upfront that you are a drag queen or leave it a while?
    I leave it a while, I always feel odd bringing it up. I think that’s my insecurities and fear of them not liking me than a judgement on the guys I date though. I want to find a man who like Chris, not Rosie!

    Have you ever dated another drag queen? If so how was it? Would you do it again?
    Nope, never have. It’d make it easier to date one as we’d know each other’s way of life and how demanding it is. I don’t think I would though as it’s also nice to have someone outside or the world you’re in to go home to and vent all your frustrations!

    If you were new to the dating scene – what would be your tips? Where would you go to find dates? Any good sites?
    Try and talk to people in life. Tell some jokes. Get your group of friends to join tables with another … There’s nothing better than meeting and giving your number to someone you’ve met in real life, and waiting til he texts (or doesn’t!). Speed dating is fun too- Village Drinks and 28 Gays Later are both great fun. If you do want to go online the Tinder app is the only one I use as it feels more social and talk based, as opposed to sending your cock shot as an opening line. Twitter too is as good as any site to chat and flirt…. And you can find boy me @chrisdclegg if you want to say hi!

    Drag Queens Of London continues tonight at 10:00PM on London Live

  • DRAG QUEENS OF LONDON | Shiz Gets Real For Buffalo Girls

    The Buffalo Girls – Lady Lloyd, Baga Chipz and Silver Summers – continue their quest for pop stardom but a disagreement with their new manager scuppers their plans.

    Band member Silver also has to deal with competing commitments as a member of family-friendly drag troupe The Supreme Fabulettes prepare for a nationwide theatre tour after a hiatus. Silver’s ‘frenemie’ and co-performer Vicki Vivacious decide to confront their long-running issues with each other.

    Meanwhile Rosie Beaver decides to date within the drag community as she steps out with a fellow drag queen and Tranny Shack Academy contestant Snow White Trash, but with two drag egos at play will it mean yet more heartache for Rosie?

    Drag Queens Of London continues tonight on London Live at 10:00PM

  • Frozen Becomes 5th Biggest Film Of All Time

    The Disney animation Frozen has become the fifth biggest grossing film of all time.

    The winter spectacular, Frozen has become the fifth highest-grossing film of all time, putting it in the top ten which include Avatar, Titanic and Harry Potter.

    Frozen is now the highest-grossing animation in history.

    In March the film won 2 Oscars in March – one for the best original song – Let It Go.

    Top five highest-grossing films of all time
    Avatar – $2.78bn (£1.65bn)
    Titanic – $2.19bn (£1.3bn)
    Marvel’s The Avengers – $1.52bn (£900m)
    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 – $1.34bn (£795,000)
    Frozen – $1.219bn (£723m)
    Source: Box Office Mojo

  • Anna Wintour To Boycott Dorchester Collection Hotel

    The US Vogue Editor In Chief Anna Wintour will shun Le Meurice Hotel over Sultan of Brunei’s anti-gay laws.

    Anna Wintour joins other VIPs and Celebs who are currently boycotting The Dorchester Collection of Hotels, which is owned by the Sultan of Brunei, who has implemented Sharia Law in his country.

    Ms. Wintour released a statement to the New York Times saying, ‘While I am sensitive to the potential impact that this issue may have on the wonderful staff at Le Meurice, I cannot in all good conscience stay there, nor can Vogue’s editors.’

    Ms. Wintour was due to stay at Le Meurice during Paris Fashion Week.

    Last week the UK’s biggest LGB charity Stonewall, admitted it had got its refusal to join the boycott wrong.

    The Sultan of Brunei, has confirmed that he will continue his adoption of a Sharia criminal code in his country.

    This law carries harsh penalties for adultery and sodomy – which could includes death by stoning for homosexuals.

    SHARIA WHAT DOES IT MEAN:
    Islam’s legal system, derived from the Koran
    Informs every aspect of Muslims’ lives
    Islamic jurists issue formal guidance through fatwas, or religious edicts
    Sharia law includes provisions for capital and corporal punishment but modern scholars say getting to that stage can be difficult
    Marriage is treated as a contract in Islam
    From The BBC

    The boycott on the group, is backed by several high-profile people including Ellen DeGeneres, Jay Leno and Richard Branson. The collection includes locations such as London’s The Dorchester and Los Angeles’ The Beverly Hill’s

  • INTERVIEW | Adrian + Shane

    If you’re into social media of one form or another you can’t help but notice Adrian+Shane, the dynamic arty duo who march along to their own tune and create amazing art along the way. They produce t-shirts, prints, you name it, and they have a hand in it!

    This cute and hirsute duo have such talent and an amazing understanding of social media and the way to get your message and artwork out there. They are pan-european in the truest sense, and are forever hopping across the channel to show work, view work or simply march….

    Below is an interview I was lucky enough to do with this lovely couple:

    So, tell me about the Adrian+Shane brand:

    Q: How did you two meet? When and where?
    Shane: We grew up in the same town and went to the same schools. So we knew each others faces but we never actually met until mutual friends introduced us at a club in December 1997.

    Q: How did you first get to work together?
    Adrian: When we met Shane was a student at the Glasgow School of Art and I was still living in Ireland. I flew to Glasgow to visit him for a few days in February 1998. One night we got very drunk, on vodka I had bought in Dublin Airport duty free. We sat on the floor in Shane’s student flat and began sketching and painting in a pad. We didn’t speak. It just happened so naturally. We would swap the pad back and forth, taking turns of adding something. Then when we felt it was finished, we’d flip the page and start a new one. We did 10 pieces over those few days in Glasgow. We still have them. They’ve never been exhibited. Nobody else has ever seen them.

    Q: Do you still have samples of your early work?
    Shane: Oh yes. Everything we make goes into our archive.

    Q: Where do you call home and does it influence your work at all?
    Adrian: We live in Drogheda (Ireland’s biggest town). Looking at our work we don’t think it does influence it. We live in a bubble. Influence tends to come from all over the world usually when we are travelling and on holidays.

    Q: How do you divide the workload?
    Shane: It really depends on what project we’re working on. Once or twice a week we’ll have a meeting in our studio and figure out what needs to be done. We’ll each decide what we want to do, then we’ll go and do it.

    Q: Does one of you have more of a business brain than the other?
    Adrian: I’d say Shane has more of a business brain.

    Q: Where did the marching come from? How did it catch on?
    Shane: We were asked by a magazine to do some self portraits to accompany an Adrian+Shane interview. As we were taking the photos Shane just started marching. It wasn’t planned. We loved how it looked. That photo has become our most recognised image. And we use it as our logo.

    Q: Your work feels very European? Do you agree?
    Adrian: Does it? We never heard it being described as European before. Sounds good though.

    Q: Is this your full-time role? Does it support both of you?
    Shane: Yes, this is what we do full-time. Things have really started to take off over the last few years. Selling prints and T-shirts online is a constant income. They sell worldwide. We also get commissioned to make artwork/paintings too.

    Q: Where did the type t-shirts come from? Where do you get your ideas from?
    Adrian: Like a lot of our work they were accidental. One day we stencilled on to a couple of T-shirts to wear out to a club that night. Then photo’s of us wearing the T-shirts were posted online. Suddenly we got a tonne of requests from Facebook and twitter followers wanting to buy the T-shirts. We hadn’t planned on making them for anyone but ourselves. So we decided to give it a go. Back then we were using spray paint and stencilling directly onto the T-shirt. These days we screen print them.

    Q: What’s next for you two? What’s the next project?
    Shane: We currently have some new paintings on show in a gallery in Berlin (until June). There’s an exhibition featuring a brand new photographic print of ours opening in Brooklyn, New York next week. Right now we’re working on some new pieces that’ll be exhibited in London in September. And there’s a few major top secret projects that we can’t talk about right now.

    Q: You use social media very well, how did this come about? It gives your work a very 21st century feel.
    Adrian: Social media is an important tool to get your work seen by a large audience in an instant. It’s played a key part in our success over the last few years. We use it as a sort of visual diary, recording what we’re seeing and doing every day. Technology excites us. We love discovering new apps etc.

    Q: You offer prints of your work – do you like this option as it gives everyone a chance to own decent artwork?
    Shane: Yes, prints are a great way to own a piece of Adrian+Shane if you don’t have the money to buy the original artwork. We plan to offer a larger selection of prints in the coming months.

    Q: How did you get into video work? Why use this art form?
    Adrian: We love experimenting with different mediums. Our first short film “42 Rotations” was shown at several film festivals and won awards. We’d definitely like to explore film making some more.

    Q: There’s an air of Gilbert & George about the brand – not as in a copy, but were they an influence in any way?
    Shane: We get compared to Gilbert & George a lot. They’re great artists so it’s flattering. Maybe subconsciously they’ve influenced us.

    Q: What and who are your influences?
    Adrian: Films (we love documentaries), music, graphic design, fashion, Madonna, Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, Willy Wonka, The Catholic church, The Wizard Of Oz, Alexander McQueen, My Own Private Idaho.

    Q: Does it feel like a brand? My personal feel is that there is a G & G/Warhol/Factory feel about what you do. It’s all about clean, clear, wonderful images and colours.
    Shane: Wow. Thank you. They’re all great things.
    We both love graphic design and branding. And we’ve just applied that to ourselves and a lot of people have picked up on it. We don’t mind being called a brand.

    Links to follow the lovely Adrian+Shane:
    adrianandshane.com
    adrianandshane.bigcartel.com
    facebook.com/adrianandshane
    twitter.com/adrianandshane
    adrianandshane.tumblr.com
    youtube.com/adrianandshane
    flickr.com/adrianandshane

  • Singer Sam Smith Hints At His Sexuality In New Video

    Singer Sam Smith Hints At His Sexuality In New Video

    In a new music video, UK singer Sam Smith seemingly hints at his sexuality, by asking a man to leave his lover for him.

    The Money On My Mind singer, Sam Smith, 21, has released his new music video Leave Your Lover a hauntingly beautiful song, in which we see him appear to ask a man to leave his lover for him.
    The video features a love triangle between himself, another man and a woman, but as the song progresses he is seen dancing intimately with the man.
    It also features the lyrics ‘Leave your lover/leave him for me’. Towards the end of the video, it shows that Smith is suggesting that the man break-up from his boyfriend to be with him.