TheGayUK’s Debut Edition Featuring: The Overtones in their ‘gayest’ interview ever, Ben Cohen, RuPaul, Shane Bitney Crone, Helen Lederer and many more… PLUS: Exclusive underwear shoot, 10 things to keep you fit, news, reviews, lifestyle, advice and our 2013 Christmas Gift Guide. Our first issue is practically an antique now and should be read with white gloves. Enjoy.
Well well, stocks of the ‘Gay Icon’ apron maker must have skyrocketed after Gay Ally Ben Cohen and newly out Tom Daley both showed off their ‘Gay Icon’ Apron.
So guys who do you think wore it better? Tom or Ben?
Diving champion and Olympic medalist Tom Daley has had a festive Christmas – judging by his Instagram account.
Rainbows were apparently the theme for the newly out Diver, Tom Daley as he shared his Christmas day on Instagram with his fans and followers.
Pictures included his brand new rainbow socks and a pressie wrapped with a rainbow – but most revealingly of all – Tom posed in nothing by a ‘gay icon’ apron.
Apparently the turkey was shocked.
Alan Turing, a World War II hero has been granted a posthumous pardon by the Queen. He was prosecuted and sentenced to chemical castration in 1952 for ‘gross indecency’ after it was found he was in a relationship with a man.
Two years later in 1954, Turing killed himself.
David Cameron said,
‘Alan Turing was a remarkable man who played a key role in saving this country in World War Two by cracking the German Enigma code
‘His action saved countless lives. He also left a remarkable national legacy through his substantial scientific achievements, often being referred to as the father of modern computing.’
Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has written to the Prime Minister urging a new inquiry into the death of the scientist Alan Turing, who has just been granted a royal pardon for his 1952 conviction for homosexual relations.
‘The government should open a new inquiry into the death of gay war-time code-breaker, mathematical genius and computer pioneer Alan Turing, including an investigation into the possibility he was murdered by the security services,’ said Peter Tatchell, Director of the human rights advocacy organisation, the Peter Tatchell Foundation,
‘The security services would have been very fearful that Turing was vulnerable to blackmail and anxious that he might pass information to the Soviets, as did the British nuclear scientist Klaus Fuchs, who was convicted in 1950 of assisting the Soviet Union’s atomic programme. There was an irrational, paranoid fear that other leading scientists might also aid the Soviets.
‘Although there is no evidence that Turing was murdered by state agents, the fact that this possibility has never been investigated is a major failing. The original inquest into his death was perfunctory and inadequate. Although it is said that he died from eating an apple laced with cyanide, the allegedly fatal apple was never tested for cyanide. A new inquiry is long overdue, even if only to dispel any doubts about the true cause of his death.
‘Turing was regarded as a high security risk because of his homosexuality and his expert knowledge of code-breaking, advanced mathematics and computer science. At the time of his death, Britain was gripped by a MacCarthyite-style anti-homosexual witch-hunt. Gay people were being hounded out of the armed forces and the civil and foreign services’
The LGBT section, which had been edited by Paul Burston, had in recent years become smaller and smaller- but the publishers have announced it is to disappear altogether. Paul Burston had edited the section for 20 years.
The Guardian writes that the section, as well as others, had been closed because of ‘cost cutting’
As well as the LGBT section, classical music, dance and caberet were to be folded into other categories within the printed edition.
You can still find listings for all LGBT bars and venues at TheGayUK – by visiting http://www.thegayuk.com/listings
The Ugandan Parliament has passed a law which could see thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the region jailed for life.
The law was first introduced in 2009 – and sparked world-wide condemnation – a petition by AllOut to Uganda’s President, Yoweri Musevni, reached nearly 250,000 people.
In the original draft of the bill, lawmakers had suggested a death sentence tariff for “aggravated homosexuality”, which would have included: sex where one person is infected with HIV, serial offenders and sex with minors.
The law was post-poned after the world’s media shone a spotlight on the proposal, with President Obama calling the bill ‘odious’.
Human Rights groups have called upon President Yoweri Museveni to veto the bill. In order for the bill to become law, it requires his signature in 30 days.
Deputy Africa Director at Amnesty International, Aster van Kregten, said:
“President Museveni must veto this wildly discriminatory legislation, which amounts to a grave assault on human rights and makes a mockery of the Ugandan constitution.
“Passing the Anti-Homosexuality Bill was a retrograde step for Uganda’s Parliament, which has made some important progress on human rights in recent years, including criminalising torture. It flies in the face of the Ugandan government’s stated commitment to ensure all legislation complies with human rights.”
Violation
‘The new anti-gay law violates Article 21 of the Ugandan constitution and Articles 2 and 3 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights – both of which guarantee equal treatment and non-discrimination to all people,” said human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell, Director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation.
‘It is part of a broader attack on civil society and is symptomatic of Uganda’s drift to Mugabe-style authoritarianism. This wider repression includes a clamp down on protests, strikes, the media and opposition activists.’
‘Ugandans have been anxiously waiting for this bill. This day will be a good day for all Ugandans,’said Benson Obua Ogwal, a member of parliament for Moroto.
The law maker of the new piece of legislation, David Bahati said:
“This is a piece of legislation that is needed in this country to protect the traditional family here in Africa, and also protect the future of our children.”
Summary of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill
“The Bill extends the existing penalty of life imprisonment for same-sex intercourse to all other same-sex behaviour, including the mere touching of another person with the intent to have homosexual relations,” added Mr Tatchell.
“Life imprisonment is also the penalty for contracting a same-sex marriage.
“Promoting homosexuality and aiding and abetting others to commit homosexual acts will be punishable by five to seven years jail. These new crimes are likely to include membership and funding of LGBT organisations, advocacy of LGBT human rights, supportive counselling of LGBT persons and the provision of condoms or safer sex advice to LGBT people.
“A person in authority – gay or heterosexual – who fails to report violators to the police within 24 hours will be sentenced to three years behind bars.
“Astonishingly, the new legislation has an extra-territorial jurisdiction. It will also apply to Ugandan citizens or foreign residents of Uganda who commit these ‘crimes’ while abroad, in countries where such behaviour is not a criminal offence. Violators overseas will be subjected to extradition, trial and punishment in Uganda.
“This bill is in some respects even more draconian than the extreme homophobic laws of countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran,” added Mr Tatchell.
Huzzah! TheGayUK has been announced as a runner-up in the Co-Operative Respect ‘Loved By You’ National Magazine of The Year Award.
It’s with great pleasure that we announce that TheGayUK along with all its contributors have come runner up in the Co-Operative Respect ‘Loved By You’ Awards 2013.
“We were up against some Titans,’ remarked Jake Hook, one of the co-founders, ‘but we’re so happy with our placement – against two of our incredible colleagues in gay media – DIVA and Attitude. My congratulations goes to both publications and the teams that make them happen and thank you to everyone who voted for us…’
The awards have generated lots of interest and 8,753 nominations were received and the awards have reached over 2.5 million people on Twitter with lots of support from community groups, celebrities and charities. The winners of the awards are those that received the most nominations.
The awards were an opportunity for people from all over the UK (anyone in the world could vote too) to vote for their favourites in 27 diverse categories. Categories ranged from ‘LGBT Charity of the Year’ to ‘Inclusive Event of the Year’.
Winners for the other categories include:
Village Bakers – LGBT Networking/Social Group of the Year
UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG) – LGBT Community Group of the Year
Stonewall – LGBT Charity of the Year
George House Trust -Health & Wellbeing Charity of the Year
Newcastle Ravens RFC -LGBT Sports Group of the Year
Out North West – Regional LGBT Magazine of the Year
DIVA – National LGBT Magazine of the Year
R U Coming Out – LGBT Website of the Year
Kieron Richardson Show (Gaydio) – LGBT Radio Show of the Year
Stephen Fry – Tweeter of the Year
Matt Fishel – Not Thinking Straight – Album of the Year
Matt Fishel – Radio-Friendly Pop Song – Song of the Year
Gravity – Movie of the Year
Hollyoaks – TV Show of the Year
The Palace of Curiosities – Rosie Garland – Book of the Year
The Secret Diaries of a Teenager Queer – Theatre Production of the Year
Tom Daley – Inspiring Celebrity of the Year
Manchester – UK Pride Event of the Year
Amsterdam – International Pride Event of the Year
The Rainbow Intersection – A dialogue about Race, Sexuality & Culture in Modern Britain – Inclusive Event of the Year
Polari – LGBT Cultural Event of the Year
Taurus, Manchester – LGBT Bar of the Year
Velvet, Manchester – Restaurant of the Year
Contact Theatre, Manchester – Inclusive Venue of the Year
Gran Canaria – Holiday Destination of the Year
Barefoot Wine – Brand of the Year
Robbie Rogers one of the world’s most famous openly gay footballers has said no other players have contacted him about the issue since he came out in February 2013.
Speaking to BBC Newsnight, openly gay footballer Rogers hasn’t received any contact from any other players since he made news about his sexuality back in February. He was the first professional player to play for an English team, to do so since Justin Fashanu in 1990.
‘I haven’t received a letter or text or anything from one footballer that wants to talk about these issues,” he said.
‘I’ve received phone calls and I’ve spoken with all my friends here in the UK and around the world that have supported me, but I haven’t had one message from a [gay] footballer,” he told BBC Newsnight.
‘It reminds me of the fear that I had – you remember that atmosphere and how it made you feel. It just shows there’s a huge problem.
‘What do you do to change that, do you try to support them to create an environment that would support them to come out and they would feel comfortable in? It’s really tough.’
Robbie Rogers now plays for LA Galaxy.
Steps’ lead man Ian ‘H’ Watkins received a barrage of abuse after his photo was posted by Entertainment website E! Online, to illustrate a story about disgraced Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins.
Ian H Watkins had been receiving abuse from online trolls, who had mistaken the Steps’ singer for the Lostprophets’. The singer quit Twitter a number of weeks ago.
The entertainment company’s solicitor acknowledged the ‘distress and damage’ that the use of H’s photo had caused the star.
Ian H Watkins released a statement today saying:
‘In Court this morning E! have publically apologised to me and a statement has been read in court to make the position clear.
‘This was not something that I did lightly but it was important to me that a public statement was made so that there is no confusion going forward.
‘I am really pleased that it has been resolved so quickly so that me and my family can try and move on from what has been an extremely distressing time.’
Ian Watkins was sentenced to 35 years for 13 child sex offences.
A Petition has gone live calling for the sacking of Russian actor Ivan Okhlobysti after he said that he would strip all LGBT people of their human rights and burn them in an oven.
‘I’d put them all alive in the oven…it’s a living danger to my children,’ Okhlobystin said, according to RIA Novosti.
Okhlobystin voices the main character in the movie The Snow Queen, due for a US DVD release on January 28, 2014. Vertical Entertainment is the US DVD distributor of the film.
In an open letter to Wizart Animation, the makers of The Snow Queen, Derek William creator of the petition said:
‘Such inflammatory rhetoric should alarm anyone with a conscience and awareness of recent history, because it is redolent of the rise of the Far Right in Nazi Germany that led to the Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews perished, alongside another 6 million of other minorities, including homosexuals.
‘Okhlobystin’s call to massacre homosexuals by a genocide of immolation has absolutely no place in the free world, and he is not a fit and proper person to be involved with the public face of children’s entertainment.
‘I call upon you to dissociate yourselves and your company publicly and in no uncertain terms from this outrageous rhetoric, and to end your dealings with Mr Okhlobystin forthwith, stating this as the reason.’