THEGAYUK

Author: News Desk

  • Air New Zealand To Play Host To 1st Same-Sex Marriage At 30,000 Ft

    Air New Zealand To Play Host To 1st Same-Sex Marriage At 30,000 Ft

    Modern Family actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson will board an Air New Zealand domestic flight alongside a lucky Kiwi couple to celebrate the first ever same sex marriage at 30,000 feet next month.

    Same sex marriage becomes legal in New Zealand on Monday 19 August, and Air New Zealand is on the hunt for a special Kiwi couple to prove that love is truly in the air by tying the knot on a flight between Queenstown and Auckland.

    Air New Zealand’s Head of Global Brand Development, Jodi Williams, says the airline expects to be inundated with couples wanting to have a unique wedding experience so they can demonstrate their love to the world.

    “We expect this marriage at 30,000 feet to attract significant global media interest. Naturally, the couple’s family and friends will want to be on hand for the special occasion so we have plenty of seats set aside for them. Jesse Tyler Ferguson being present will make the day even more memorable,”

    Ms Williams says.

    “Jesse has been deeply committed to campaigning for marriage equality and the fact that he is prepared to travel from the United States to be here demonstrates the historic nature of this event.”

    Jesse Tyler Fergusson says,

    “Justin and I are thrilled to be taking part in witnessing this historic moment for New Zealand! After launching ‘Tie The Knot’, our bow tie campaign for marriage equality in the US, it is clear that the journey towards marriage, both in the US and beyond, means so much to us. We cannot wait to celebrate this joyous occasion with Air New Zealand!”

    Kiwi couples keen to walk down the aisle on board the Air New Zealand flight are invited to visit www.flyingsocialnetwork.com and share their love story. Entries close 26 July 2013.
    Ms Williams says the lucky winner will also get the honeymoon of a lifetime.

    “We’re shouting them a honeymoon to Palm Springs in the United States. It’ll be an amazing time there escaping the cold Kiwi winter.”

  • NEWS: UK Peers Say ‘I Do’ To Gay Marriage

    Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill passes Third Reading. First same-sex marriages expected next spring.

    (more…)

  • Sir Nick Partridge to step down as CEO of Terrence Higgins Trust

    Sir Nick Partridge will step down from his role as Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust at the end of October 2013.

    Sir Nick joined Terrence Higgins Trust as its first paid member of staff in 1985 when it operated out of a small London office run by a determined and dedicated group of volunteers. It is now the largest HIV and sexual health charity in Europe, supporting more than 100,000 people with HIV or sexual health needs every year through over 30 centres across England, Scotland and Wales. It has a membership of 14,000 people, 500 tireless volunteers and 270 staff, and an annual turnover of just over £20 million.

    Sir Nick Partridge said: “It’s been an extraordinary three decades, and a privilege to serve such a remarkable charity as Chief Executive. Having led Terrence Higgins Trust through it’s 30th anniversary, the time feels right for me to move on to other challenges. I know that the Trust will continue to go from strength to strength and of course I’ll continue to support that journey as a friend of the charity.”

    Professor Christopher Bones, Chair of Trustees of Terrence Higgins Trust said,

    “We are hugely grateful to Sir Nick for his enormous contribution to Terrence Higgins Trust over the last three decades. His vision, networks and insight are huge assets, and I am delighted that he will remain an important part of our family in the years to come.

    “Our environment is one of continual change and we know that the future holds significant challenges. The Board is now looking for the next Chief Executive to lead Terrence Higgins Trust to 2020 and beyond.

    From 1st November, Paul Ward, currently Deputy Chief Executive at the Trust, will become acting Chief Executive while the Board recruits into the role.

  • Update on cluster of Meningitis cases in gay men in Europe

    Public Health England have released advise on the clusters of meningococcal disease in MSM in USA and Europe

    An outbreak of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) (serogroup C) has been reported amongst men who have sex with men (MSM) in New York City, with 22 cases notified between August 2010 and February 2013. There have been seven deaths, five of which were among HIV-positive cases. New York City Health Department has been recommending vaccination for all men who had regular intimate contact with multiple male partners whom they met through a website, smartphone application, bar or party, in New York City since 1 September 2012. This recommendation was initially limited to known HIV-infected men but was later expanded to HIV-uninfected men with the same high risk behaviours.

    Lisa Power, Policy Director at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “Doctors have recently reported small clusters of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) (serotype C) among gay men in New York, Berlin and Paris. This is a type of meningitis. There have been a small number of deaths in those cities, particularly in men with HIV, and we are aware that news of this is spreading via social media and word of mouth.

    “IMD type C is very rare in the UK, with around 30 cases a year overall. The UK has a vaccination programme which means that most men aged 35 and under will already have been vaccinated, and the vaccine is available free on the NHS to anyone under 25. An outbreak in London, or anywhere else in the UK, is therefore considered much less likely, but gay men who are concerned about the news can download an app about symptoms from the Meningitis Trust. All HIV and sexual health clinicians have had a briefing from Public Health England giving the facts.

    “Realistically, if you’re out there partying this summer, you’re much more at risk of HIV, Hepatitis C, gonorrhoea or sunstroke. Take your suncream, condoms, and HIV treatment if you’re positive, and stay informed.”

    To find out the symptons of Meningitis visit: http://www.meningitis-trust.org

  • How I Lost A Stone In 4 Weeks

    It sounds like one of those annoying adverts you see whilst perusing the net. You know the one, the jelly belly one… But, jelly bellies aside I lost the easiest stone my life the four weeks after my trip to Allen Carr’s UK clinic in London.

    May 5th 2013,
    Weight: 13 Stone 9,
    Mood: Miserable.

    My diary, if I was a Bridget Jones type of a guy.

    Okay, I’ll admit, I’m not the gym bunny I once was. As the editor and chief of TheGayUK my schedule doesn’t allow for anything but swift runs down to the kitchen for coffee and a sandwich. I know that I should be all Anna Wintour and get up at 6 for half an hour of tennis, showered and in the office by 8, but it’s not going to happen.

    Changes that massive don’t just happen.

    Or do they?

    As I took my seat on the top floor of the Allen Carr centre, I thought it strange,. This isn’t the room where miracles look like they may happen. Where were the candles, the dry ice, and the evangelical preacher? There were however, mumblings and hushed excitable claims; claims of salvation from smoking and drinking and deliverance from the jaws of addictions.

    The woman next to me, positively brimming with excitement, said that she had done the course years ago, and was, for years after, ‘too thin – and loved it.’

    My fellow weighty-warrior’s excitement reached a palpable levels of rapture.

    Something amazing would happen here today, people were sure of it. I, jaded about weight-loss was not so sure.

    I’ve always felt I was over-weight, although looking back on old photos; I was just a whippet of a person. I’ve tried every diet from Cabbage to Californian, from Atkins to Abstinence. When I was 21, I was bulimic for two years, and from my twenties onwards my life has been dogged with weight-worries and yo-yo dieting which leave most people spinning from the absurdity of it all. No calorie was left uncounted, no gram of fat ignored.

    So you understand my dulled view on the enraptured clientele dotted around the weighty warrior’s room.

    Chris our mentor for the day, formally an Allen Carr veteran having lost a nearly an entire man’s worth of weight, is a calm, softly spoken and considerate person.

    He asked us why were here and what diets we had done in the past. One by one each person recited a litany of failed diets and crushing stories of unsuccessful ‘get-thin-quick’ schemes. After each Chris genuinely reaffirmed:

    “You did not fail the diet, the diet failed you.”

    A number of my fellow would-be weighty warriors also recounted miraculous stories of renouncing their smoking habits. People who had formally been a 40-a-day chain smoker had walked away from the clinic, throwing their cigs into the bin as they walked out free, never to return to the habit again.

    These, I thought, are clearly paid actors, or zealots – fanaticals that should be ignored at all costs.

    After all, I’m here to prove that no weight loss claim is true – I have tried every single one.

    His soft tones and talk of a healthier, brighter, leaner me was ticking all the right boxes. Yes I did want to be healthier, eat healthy, be healthy, yes I do want to stand in front of a mirror naked and be happy! His well-trodden homily was enough to send me into some kind of blissful outer body experience. A bit like when Mr. Tumnus plays his magic flute to Lucy in Narnia. Yes I would be fitter, healthier and leaner, yes I would learn to love lettuce and radishes.

    I don’t want to give too much away about the experience, because I want you to experience it for yourself, but something incredible happened when I left that day.

    For an entire month, I didn’t drink alcohol, I gave up my 7-to-10-a-day coffee habit, I gave up diary, bread and eggs – and I add, without pain or suffering, something truly miraculous had occurred.

    Within a week, I had lost 7lbs. Going from 13stone 9, to 13stone 2. I can’t remember when I was this light.

    Week two another 2lbs, week three another 3lbs. Within a month I had lost 1 Stone and 1 Lbs.

    Without trying.

    What’s more I had become an Allen Carr zealot – and with results like these why wouldn’t you. I relished the moment, when someone would say: ‘Have you lost weight?’ and I would proudly, say my scripted bit,

    ‘Yes I have! I went on Allen Carr’s Easyway,’ invariably the questioner would look at me with suspicion, and I would add,

    ‘Not Alan Carr – “Chatty Man” (always doing the voice), but Alleeeeen Carr, the guy who invented Easyway!’

    People began to think they were paying me – they aren’t.

    Even now I’m still loosing a pound a week – and I look set to be 12 stone by mid August – and I’m genuinely excited.

    Do I miss coffee, tea, bread, and eggs, cheese? No absolutely not. What I thought were my favourite foods were actually the ones making me most miserable.

    When I first contacted Allen Carr Easyway to book myself on the one day course, the head of marketing John, who presumed I was in the business of trying to sell advertising, very politely told me that Allen Carr never advertised, surviving on customer testimonials.

    Well Allen Carr has clinics in over 150 cities worldwide, they help tens of thousands of people every year and Allen Carr’s books have sold over 13 million copies.

    Clearly there are a lot of Allen Carr fans.

    Today, 15th July, marks the 30th anniversary, so to every Allen Carr Veteran, I applaud you and wish you a happy thinness.

    Buy the book from Amazon now

  • GT releases new social website

    Gay Times, the original gay men’s lifestyle magazine, today launch GT socializer the first social discovery network to connect reader’s offline at group social events and help guys to meet new people and explore their city.

    The networks aims to fill the gap in the market for guys who want to connect with new groups of friends locally, as opposed to dating or meeting up one to one, and coincides with the launch of DIVA socializer – a network for lgbt women looking to meet new groups of girls.

    Teaming up with citysocializer, the UK’s largest social discovery network, it comes as one of the first branded partner channels on the Socializer platform the company is set to launch this summer.

    Anyone who joins GT socializer can search by interest and location for days and nights being organised near them and click to join whenever they are free. Members can also post their own plans on the site and see who is free to join.

    Kim Watson, Media Director at GT (Gay Times) and DIVA commented:

    “We are very happy to be launching a much needed unique social discovery and events platform targeting the LGBT community. As social media is growing and the gay scene is changing across the UK, it is sometimes harder for people to meet up face to face and we are very excited about the prospect of working with citysocializer to bring people together face to face in gay friendly venues.”

    The activities on the site range from after work drinks, cinema nights, and Sunday lunches to walks in the park or nights out clubbing, exhibitions or anything the community wants to share. The interest based search engine then makes it easy for members to find things to do and people to do them with.

    GT socializer will host their launch party in London next Wednesday 24th July, and anyone who signs up this week will be in with a chance of attending.

    Further city launches will follow throughout the summer starting with Manchester and Brighton, with a full calendar of events and activities already in the pipelines.

    The site is a premium paid network, costing from £7.99 per month, however anyone that signs up before July 24th will receive 1 month free membership using the promotion code GTPRESS giving them unlimited access to socials & events, unlimited messaging and more.

    Visit: http://www.gtsocializer.com for more details

  • Gay Olympian diver Matthew Mitcham auctions off underwear

    Olympic gold medalist and openly gay diver Matthew Mitcham auctioned off his undies at the Melbourne Cabaret Festival.

    The hunky Aussie was hosting the Closing Gala for the Melbourne Cabaret Festival when he decided to auction off his rather snazzy undies. The fetching patterned tiny lime green.

    The pants sold for $1000. Whether they are being delivered clean is yet unclear.

  • Two Men ‘Free Of HIV’ After Bone-Marrow Transplant

    Two men in the US have been taken off their HIV medication after bone-marrow transplants seemingly clears the virus from their bodies.

    Doctors at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, have cautiously announced that two men who were infected with HIV have been cleared of the virus for months.

    One of the patients has spent nearly four months off his anti-retroviral drugs – with no signs that the infection is returning. The other man stopped taking his medication 7 weeks ago.

    The two men, who have not been identified, have been living with the virus for 30 years.

    Speaking to the BBC Dr Timothy Henrich said,

    “We have not demonstrated cure, we’re going to need longer follow-up.

    “What we can say is if the virus does stay away for a year or even two years after we stopped the treatment, that the chances of the virus rebounding are going to be extremely low.

    “It’s much too early at this point to use the C-word [cure].”

    He continued in saying that even the virus seemed to have disappeared it could still be hiding inside ‘brain tissue or the gastrointestinal track.”

    Dr Michael Brady, Medical Director at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “It is too early to know whether HIV has been eradicated from these men’s bodies or whether it might return. However, the case suggests that what happened to Timothy Ray Brown, the Berlin Patient was perhaps not a one-off.
    “A bone marrow transplant is a complex and expensive procedure, which comes with significant risks. For most people with HIV, it would be more dangerous to undergo a transplant than to continue managing the virus with daily medication. While this is by no means a workable cure, it does give researchers another sign-post in the direction of one. Until a cure is found, we urge people to continue using condoms and testing for HIV if they’ve put themselves at risk.”

  • Tensions Rise In The New York Gay Community After Alleged Attack On Subway

    Following the Supreme Court’s ruling on DOMA in the United States, the gay community in New York City were celebrating gay pride, when this alleged attack happened on a Subway.

    (more…)

  • NEWS: The Cattle Market – Bristol Bisons RFC Bachelor Auction

    Bristol Bisons RFC in support of the Terrence Higgins trust is proud to present The Cattle Market – Bachelor Auction and BBQ. (more…)

  • Find your perfect condom

    HIV Prevention England launches online service to help gay men find their perfect condom.

    Gay and bisexual men in England will be able to access made-to-measure advice on how to find their perfect condom, as Terrence Higgins Trust and HIV Prevention England (HPE) launch a new online service called ‘Fits Me’.

    From Tuesday 2nd July, men can access the new service by visiting www.startswithme.org.uk. The service asks simple questions about size, sensitivity and latex allergy, before giving personalised advice on what type of condom will provide the best fit and give more sensation. Men can then choose to purchase that brand (or others) from campaign partner Freedoms (www.freedoms-shop.nhs.uk) at a significantly reduced price, or take advantage of an introductory offer from custom-fit condom retailer They Fit (www.theyfit.co.uk).

    Gay and bisexual men remain one of the groups most at risk of HIV infection in England. Using condoms – alongside regular HIV testing and antiretroviral treatment for those living with HIV – has been identified as a key factor in halting the spread of the epidemic among the gay community. Using condoms and lube when having anal sex drastically reduces the risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, being passed on. A recent study showed that, if every gay man in the UK had stopped using condoms in 2000, there would have been an extra 80,000 HIV infections within the community by 2010.

    Cary James, Head of Health Promotion at Terrence Higgins Trust, said:

    “No self-respecting gay man would go to a shoe shop and pick up a random pair of trainers, so why go with the first condom that comes to hand? We want to remind guys that selecting the right condom for you is a consumer decision. These days there’s a huge range of brands out there – in different sizes, shapes, thicknesses and materials – and just a little bit of research can yield a big improvement in sensation. We hope our new ‘Fits Me’ service will make it even easier for guys to find their perfect fit, and help them to stay safe while having the best experience possible.”

    As well as the ‘Fits Me’ service, the website also carries information on the different types of condoms and lubricants available. It will be promoted through press and online adverts, leaflets, posters in gay venues, and on tens of thousands of condom packs distributed at venues and events across the country. The campaign will also be rolled out across England through a network of regional organisations, funded by HPE to promote the campaign in their local communities.

    HIV Prevention England is a partnership of community organisations headed by Terrence Higgins Trust and funded by the Department of Health to carry out national HIV prevention work in England among communities at an increased risk of infection.