THEGAYUK

Author: News Desk

  • India Supreme Court Rules To Re-Criminalise Gay Sex

    India Supreme Court rules to re-criminalise gay sex, punishable by 10 years imprisonment.

    The 153-year-old colonial law which describes same-sex relationships as an ‘unnatural offence’, had only just been overturned in July 2009, giving hope to many LGBT people in India.

    Now, four years on, it will be in the hands of the government to make the ruling law.

    BBC News reports, ‘India’s Law Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters the government would respect the ruling but did not say whether there were plans to amend the law. Correspondents say any new legislation is unlikely soon – general elections are due next year.’
    There are plans, from disappointed gay rights activists, to approach the court to review their decision.

    This comes in the same year that Russia started to take away LGBT rights from their own people and visitors.

  • Gay marriage date brought forward

    Save the date! Westminster have just announced the date for same-sex marriages to be legal in the UK. Saturday 29th March 2014.

    If you’re looking to be one of the first couples wed, then you’ll be pleased to finally hear the date has been set by the government a little earlier than the planned summer date. You’ll have to swop your wedding shorts for spring trousers.

    From the 29th March 2014 you can be legally recognised as a married couple in a registry office or approved religious premises. However if you are currently in a civil partnership and wish to convert to a marriage, this date is still being set.

    We’ve cleared the TGUK diaries here and await the invites.

  • HIV returns to bone marrow transplant “cured” men

    There’s been a setback in the fight against HIV today as two men who were previously “cured” of the virus after a Bone Marrow Transplant have had to go back on to their medications.

    In July we reported that two men in the US had been effectively ‘cured’ of HIV after the pair had a bone marrow transplant, which seemingly cleared the virus from their bodies.

    Previously Doctors at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, had cautiously announced that two men, who had a long history with HIV were effectively ‘cured’ of the virus. However today The Boston Globe reported that the two men had both tested positive for HIV again.

    The unnamed patients both had bone marrow transplants – and were asked to come off their medications to work out whether it had been the transplant or the medications that had kept their virus at undetectable levels.

    Read more at The Boston Globe

  • WOW: David Gandy Naked

    There’s only one thing we can say about male supermodel David Gandy and that’s wow.

    David Gandy who is most famous for his Dolce & Gabbana adverts, has had quite the revealing photoshoot for Kontraplan.com recently – and well you can see the results yourself…

     

  • Dan Osborne Gets Naked For Reveal

    Well we’re not sure we’ll ever look at Santa in the same way. (more…)

  • Don’t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves Returns Tonight At BBC

    Don’t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves Returns Tonight At BBC

    BBC 4 will be showing part 2 of the short mini-series Don’t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves, tonight at 10:00PM

    (more…)

  • South Africa’s Human & Gay Rights Hero Nelson Mandela Dies

    This morning, the world mourns the passing of Nelson Mandela, a magnificent human rights hero, who died yesterday at the age of 95, surrounded by his family.

    He was championed as the man who changed the history of South Africa forever to become the first black president in 1994.

    Nelson Mandela had been suffering ill-health for a number of years and died from a lung complication, which has been linked to his time incarcerated on Robben Island, over two decades ago.

    Mandela was incarcerated, under apartheid, in the infamous Robben Island prison for 27 years and was made to work in the prison’s quarry.

    ‘He is now resting. He is now at peace,’ South African President Jacob Zuma said when he announced the death. ‘Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father.’

    Later he added: ‘What made Nelson Mandela great was precisely what made him human. We saw in him what we seek in ourselves.’

    For nearly 30 years, the former president fought for equal rights amongst the people of South Africa and spoke out about homophobia numerous times.

    He supported gay South Africans and helped make South Africa the first African nation to enshrine LGBT rights into the Country’s constitution.

    South Africa was the 5th nation to legalise same-sex marriage and remains the only African nation to allow gay marriage.

    Speaking about gay marriage Mandela said:

    ‘I am not truly free if I am taking away someone else’s freedom, the Nobel Peace Prize winner explained,

    ‘Just as surely as I am not free when my freedom is taken from me. The oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity.’

    Nelson Mandela also paved the way for greater HIV protections and healthcare changes in South Africa.

    Paul Ward, Acting Chief Executive at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: ‘Nelson Mandela’s inspirational leadership has been as important in the fight against HIV as anti-HIV treatments. Whenever he addressed a World AIDS Conference, no one could fail to be moved to action. The ideals he stood for – freedom, compassion, and the universal human right to love, life and happiness – struck a chord at a time when people with HIV, myself included, were facing unacceptable levels of prejudice and discrimination. Nelson Mandela was one of the few world leaders who stood shoulder to shoulder with people with HIV, and the legacy of that will continue to be felt not only in South Africa, but in countries and communities worldwide.’

  • Mr Gay UK 2013 Crowned

    Gentlemen… a new man has been crowned as Mr Gay UK – obvs, we’re totes disappointed it wasn’t us – not that we entered… but still…

    Now we do like a semi-naked picture of a man at TheGayUK, so we’re more than happy to introduce to you, Mr Gay UK 2013.

    The judging panel consisted of GT Assistant Editor Lee Dalloway and Editorial Assistant Ryan Butcher, Mr Gay UK 2012 Leroy Williamson gayleeds.com Co-Editor Ross McCusker and Swedish Pop Star Jan George.

    The evening was hosted by MrGayUK Director, Terry George who introduced the 9 gorgeous finalists, who had been chosen by the public from over 250 applicants from throughout the UK (this year digitally via social networking sites).

    At midnight on the night of the final Stuart Hatton 28 from South Shields was chosen by the judges and crowned Mr Gay UK 2013.

    Stuart is the co-principal at his family dance studios, The Hatton Academy of Dance. When asked how he felt about winner the title of MrGayUK he said: “It feels amazing to be Mr Gay UK and I’m very proud to bring the title to the North East for the first time. He added “I hope I can be a role model for the gay community throughout the UK.”

  • Celebrity Big Brother Returns To Our Screens On 3rd January 2014

    Hold on to ye reality TV hats… Celebrity Big Brother has been confirmed for a January 2014 return.

    A new set of celebs are due to move into the Big Brother House on the 3rd January 2014, during a two launch show on Channel 5, hosted by Rylan Clark and Emma Willis

    Judging by the publicity photos, it looks as though CBB has gone a bit masquerade, giving it a regal makeover, which we love.

    So, will the new series be fit for a queen? Will there be any royalty, minor or otherwise in the new series?

  • Britney puts her foot in it – Gays: ‘They’re Somewhat Girls…’

    It seems as though Britney has landed herself into some troubles by calling her gay fans “Somewhat girls.”

    The Work Bitch singer has garnered some negative attention after saying, “They’re somewhat girls” about her gay fans.

    In an interview with PrideSource, she was talking about how her gay fans inspire her music, as she talked about her brand new album ‘Britney Jean’.

    ‘I get inspiration from them on almost all of my songs,’ Spears says. ‘They’re somewhat girls, so it’s so inspiring to do stuff that they like to hear, like the cool “in” stuff. Whatever I do for each record is definitely inspired by them.’

    However ,there’s been quite a bit of backlash from the gay community.

    As Queerty points out, Britney was criticised when she likened her gay beauty team to puppies, calling them “adorable and hilarious”, in an interview with San Fran’s 99.7 NOW FM.

    What do you think, was she wrong to say that gay people are like girls?

  • Gareth Thomas: ‘What Tom Has Done Is Very Significant’

    Gareth Thomas: Tom Daley will inspire young gay people, Ex-rugby international hopes many take inspiration from Olympian’s honesty and future success.

    Writing in his blog at Sportlobster openly gay former rugby star Gareth Thomas shares his thoughts of Olympian, Tom Daley’s ‘coming out’ video.

    “Hopefully this will give other kids and adults the strength to be honest and take a lot of inspiration from his story,” says ex-Wales rugby international, Gareth Thomas, who announced he is gay in 2009, becoming one of the first openly homosexual male athletes in any major sports team.

    “I don’t think someone coming out is enough – I think it’s his story after coming out that will inspire others. If he goes to Rio and wins the gold medal and has a fantastic life after that it will show other athletes that being honest and open is a good thing to do. Hopefully he can re-focus now and concentrate on his sport and show that being a gay athlete doesn’t define who you are.

    “Tom now needs to be true to who he is and not be who anyone else wants him to be. He has a big responsibility as he is now potentially responsible for many people having the confidence to come out publically about their sexuality. His announcement will change people’s lives and make lives better. He is now a role model who has influence over thousands, maybe even millions of people so that’s a huge amount of responsibility, which I’m sure he’ll take seriously once he realises just how much influence he has.

    “I came out to my family and close friends, and then two years later I came out in a newspaper. Often people ask me why I felt I had to come out, as it’s not an issue for them. We’re now in an age dominated by social media and so many people are interested in celebrities and their lifestyles outside of what they do for a living, that you have to come out publicly if you want to walk down the street hand in hand or go to a pub and drink without people talking and spreading vicious rumours. I came out in a public way because I wanted to live my life in a way that I wanted to and not be judged by people.

    “I thought it was very personal the way Tom made the announcement – you’re watching on YouTube and it’s almost like he’s talking to you. I thought it was a very humbling and genuine way of doing it and I take my hat off to him. People might look at the life he is living and think it’s fantastic but he’s been through a lot. You could see in his eyes that all he really wants is to be Tom Daley the diver and not have lots of people questioning him for his sexuality.

    “What Tom has done is very significant in other ways, because he’s so young and he’s fairly near the start of his career – it’s a great positive message to the world. For him to do it at such a young age is not only testament to him but to society. When I was playing it just wouldn’t have been possible to come out at his age in the rugby world. It was very much a different place then and I wouldn’t have found the acceptance that I found when I eventually did do it.

    “Tom is a great diver and this is just a declaration of who he is sexually, not a declaration of who he is as a person. I’ve watched him in the Olympics and, like most of the nation, felt like I was standing on the edge of every diving board with him. I know he’s a hugely successful young lad with a great life ahead of him. I just hope that this announcement makes his life even better.

    “I was never under pressure to come out and I didn’t do it because I wanted to be some kind of flag-bearer, it was just a position that I was put in. The more people that come out as being gay, the better the world is.

    “The world is constantly changing and people get educated every single day. When I first started playing rugby, being openly gay and progressing at the sport wasn’t possible. Now it’s been proven that it can be done, not just in rugby but across all sports.”

    Work has begun on the movie of Gareth Thomas’ life story, with Oscar-nominated Mickey Rourke, who owns the rights to the film, playing his part.

    Read Gareth Thomas’ Sportlobster blog: https://sportlobster.com/news/20567/congratulations-tom-daley-why-your-announcement-is-great-for-sport.html