THEGAYUK

Author: News Desk

  • Eddie Izzard To Run For Mayor Of London

    British cross dressing comedian to run for London mayor in plan to move from comedy to politics.

    Move over Boris Johnson, Eddie is in town.

    Known for his cross dressing, high profile comedy king, Eddy Izzard believes that an injection of comedy will improve life in the UK.

    Speaking to the Sun’s TV Biz (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/article4859858.ece) he said: “I’m going to chuck in comedy in six years to go into politics. I’ve proved I can be determined and do things in a different way. And you need comedy in politics. There are lots of decisions to be made and people get bored talking about things that are only slightly different. It’s very dry so you need comedy to make it palatable.”

    Mr Izzard recently made a BBC show called, Meet The Izzards, in which geneticists identified that 2.8% of his DNA was Neanderthal.

    He said: “The TV project struck a powerful blow against racism by illustrating that the ideal of racial purity was “bullshit” because all humans are related.”

    Taking another incredible political step, next March, Izzard plans to run 27 marathons in 27 days, in tribute to the number of years former South African president Nelson Mandela was in captivity.

    His first attempt this year was filmed by Sky, and will air later on in the year, however Izzard was forced to abandon the challenge when began to urinate blood.

    He isn’t nervous at failing a second time, saying: “I guarantee I will do it. I will drag myself round. I did think, ‘What if I fail a second time?’ But Mandela tried and failed, tried and failed. Then he had a bit of success and failed. I will do the same thing — I’ll go again until I do it. Mandela is a big hero of mine.”

  • Top List Of Gay-Friendly Healthcare Providers Published

    Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust tops Stonewall’s 2013 list of gay-friendly healthcare providers.

    Stonewall today publishes the results of its inaugural Healthcare Equality Index, showcasing the most gay-friendly healthcare organisations in England. Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust heads the list with Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust in second place followed by London Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

    The Healthcare Equality Index is a new tool for health providers to benchmark and track their progress on equality for their lesbian, gay and bisexual patients and communities. Sussex Partnership NHS Trust leads the Top 10, following their success at being the top performing NHS employer in Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers 2012.

    Thirty two healthcare organisations entered the Index, providing services to over 15 million patients across all regions of England. Organisations were assessed against criteria including policy and practice, engagement and communication, health promotion and staff training.

    James Taylor, Stonewall’s Senior Health Officer, said: ’Every healthcare organisation that secured a place in the Top 10 has performed well. Our ground-breaking research consistently demonstrates that many lesbian, gay and bisexual people still face poor health outcomes and experiences when they use the NHS. Every organisation that entered this Index is helping to tackle health inequalities and deliver a 21st century health service accessible to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation.’

    Lisa Rodrigues CBE, Chief Executive at Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘We’re utterly delighted to be awarded the number one position in the first Stonewall Healthcare Equality Index. We see the award not as a sign that our work is done. But rather, we have made a strong start. It’s our honour and duty to provide the best possible treatment and care to the 100,000 people a year we serve.’

    The Healthcare Equality Index 2013 can be downloaded from www.stonewall.org.uk/HEI

  • Red boxes with pink stripes dominates the web

    Red boxes with pink stripes dominates the web

    The internet was awash with the colour red and pink yesterday as the iconic Human Rights Campaign logo went viral.

    Facebook and Twitter users shared the red logo, with pink stripes, hundreds of thousands of times on Tuesday, 26th March 2013, which is the first day of oral arguments in marriage equality cases before the US Supreme Court.

     

    The logo, which is normally, blue and yellow was altered for the occasion.

     

    “Red is a symbol for love, and that’s what marriage is all about,” Human Rights Campaign spokesperson Charlie Joughin told MSNBC.com on Tuesday. “We wanted to give people an opportunity to show their support for marriage equality in a public and visible way.”

     

    High profile supporters who showed their red and pink square included Star Trek’s George Takei, Beyoncé and Madonna.

     

    The Human Rights Campaign (http://humanrightscampaign.tumblr.com/) says its website has seen a 600% increase in traffic since posting the revamped logo.

     

    The Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in the case of Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage in the state of California.

     

    The controversial constitutional amendment, which was backed by voters, passed in November 2008, which provides that “only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognised in California.”

     

    Proposition 8 overturned the California Supreme Court’s decision, just months after it voted that same-sex couple did have a constitutional right to marry.

     

    After the oral arguments, the US Supreme Court could maintain the 2008 state ban, retract it in just California or void all state same-sex marriage bans in the US.HRC

  • Lucy Meadows vigil outside Daily Mail attracts large crowd

    Lucy Meadows vigil outside Daily Mail attracts large crowd

    Around Two Hundred and Fifty People Unite In front of the Daily Mail offices in London for the candle-lit vigil for Transgender Teacher found dead at her home.

    Lucy Meadows vigil
    CREDIT: TheGayUK

    A gathering of around 250-300, from all walks of life, braved the near sub zero temperatures in London this evening in solidarity with the transgender community, to pay respects and to mark a vigil for teacher, Lucy Meadows, 32, who was found dead at her home last Tuesday.

    The Vigil which was dubbed a ‘vigil against monstering’ was aimed at the Daily Mail and its columnist Richard Littlejohn, who prompted an angry outburst after the emergence of an article entitled ‘He’s not only in the wrong body… he’s in the wrong job’.

    Daily Mail have since removed the column, however a cache copy of the article remains here: http://web.archive.org/web/20121221195332/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2251347/Nathan-Uptons-wrong-body–hes-wrong-job.html

    It’s claimed that following Littlejohn’s column, Meadows, who was transitioning at the time, was routinely hounded by the press. In a New Year’s Day email to a friend, reported by the Guardian, Meadows complained that the media had published one of her wedding photos, and had lifted other photos from her siblings’ Facebook pages. She described the lengths she had taken to avoid being photographed. “I became pretty good at avoiding the press before Christmas. I live about a three-minute walk from school so they were parked outside my house as well as school. I’m just glad they didn’t realise I also have a back door. I was usually in school before the press arrived and stayed until latest I could avoid them going home.”

    Lucy Meadows vigil
    CREDIT: TheGayUK

    Speakers at the event included journalist and activist Jane Fey and Natasha Kennedy, who works in trans activism. Graham Jones the MP for Haslingden and Hyndburn, the constituency in which Miss Meadows lived, also made an appearance.

    He tweeted: “Just raised the death of #lucymeadows in the House of Commons. Universal sympathy. Speaker described such journalist actions as despicable.”

    Creators of the Facebook events page, Theresa Heath and Puja Maniar, said: “It was so spontaneous and I think shows a real feeling that people are sick to death of it. The trans community has been absolutely trashed by certain sections of the media, and everybody is thinking this has just got to stop.”

    Jane Fae tried to get a comment from the Daily Mail, but they wouldn’t talk to her.

    Two online petitions calling for Littlejohn to be fired by the Daily Mail and issue a formal apology have received huge support over the weekend.

    http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/the-daily-mail-fire-richard-littlejohn-for-victimizing-lucy-meadows-leading-to-her-possible-suicide

    http://action.sumofus.org/a/daily-mail-littlejohn-lucy-meadows/1/1/?sub=homepage

    Combined the two e-petitions have garnered over 162, 922 signatures.

  • 130,000 Signatures On Petitions For The Sacking Of Richard Littlejohn

    Over One Hundred and Thirty Thousand Signatures Call For The Sacking or Resignation Of The Daily Mail’s Columnist,Richard Littlejohn, Over ‘He’s In The Wrong Body’ Article.

    Over 130,000 signatures have been collected on one of two e-petitions calling on the Daily Mail to fire one of its writers, Richard Littlejohn.

     

    The controversial writer was blasted by thousands of people after the Daily Mail published a piece, in December 2012, entitled “He’s not only in the wrong body… he’s in the wrong job”, about Lucy Meadows, a transgendered primary school teacher, who was found dead in her home last Tuesday.
    Creators of the SumOfUs petition said: “The vile article led to a witch hunt targeting Meadows. Newspapers offered to pay parents for a picture of her, and she complained of having to leave home by the back door and arrive early to school to avoid the packs of journalists.

    Sign our petition to the Daily Mail: sack Richard Littlejohn, issue an apology, and institute an editorial review to ensure that this never happens again.”

     

    The two online petitions are hosted by SumOfUs.org and Changes.org. They have received 108, 520 and 22,097 signatures respectively.
    You can find the petitions here:
    http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/the-daily-mail-fire-richard-littlejohn-for-victimizing-lucy-meadows-leading-to-her-possible-suicide
    http://action.sumofus.org/a/daily-mail-littlejohn-lucy-meadows/1/1/?sub=homepage 

    The Daily Mail have vehemently defended Littlejohn. A spokesman said: “It is regrettable that this tragic death should now be the subject of an orchestrated Twitterstorm, fanned by individuals – including former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell – with agendas to pursue.”

     

    Campbell had previously tweeted: “I hope journalists are doorstepping Dacre Murdoch and Littlejohn for their reaction to Lucy Meadows suicide. The Mail really is scum.”
    David Allen Green, legal advisor to Trans Media Watch, a charity for transgender people, told BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight: “There is no public interest in the story whatsoever. The only part of the story which seems significant is that there is a gender reassignment, what used to be called a sex change.” 

    “What makes it especially easy for tabloids is that transgendered people are very unlikely to fight back. They are usually members of the public and have no experience of dealing with media and all they want to do is to make it go away.
    “In a way, tabloids treat transgendered people the way they would treat anybody if they could get away with it.”

    “There is a sense that transgendered people are fair game for sensationalist reporting. These are people who are going through the most traumatic experiences you can imagine and they are suddenly humiliated by these stories in the tabloids.”

    A vigil is due to take place outside the Daily Mail offices today on the 25th March 2013, in Memory of Miss Meadows.

  • Over 100,000 People Sign Petitions Calling For The Resignation Of Richard Littlejohn

    Over One Hundred Thousand People Call For The Sacking or Resignation Of The Daily Mail’s Richard Littlejohn, Over ‘He’s In The Wrong Body’ Article.

     Over 100,000 people have signed one of two e-petitions calling on the Daily Mail to fire one of its writers, Richard Littlejohn.
    The controversial writer was blasted by thousands of people after the Daily Mail published a piece, in December 2012, entitled “He’s not only in the wrong body… he’s in the wrong job”, about Lucy Meadows, a transgendered primary school teacher, who was found dead in her home last Tuesday.

    Creators of the SumOfUs petition said: “The vile article led to a witch hunt targeting Meadows. Newspapers offered to pay parents for a picture of her, and she complained of having to leave home by the back door and arrive early to school to avoid the packs of journalists.Sign our petition to the Daily Mail: sack Richard Littlejohn, issue an apology, and institute an editorial review to ensure that this never happens again.”

    The two online petitions are hosted by SumOfUs.org and Changes.org. They have received 91,619 and 18,886 signatures respectively.
    You can find the petitions here:
    http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/the-daily-mail-fire-richard-littlejohn-for-victimizing-lucy-meadows-leading-to-her-possible-suicide
    http://action.sumofus.org/a/daily-mail-littlejohn-lucy-meadows/1/1/?sub=homepage
    A vigil is due to take place outside the Daily Mail offices tomorrow on the 25th March 2013, in Memory of Miss Meadows.
    Details of the vigil:
    Monday 25th March at 6.30pm.
    Outside Daily Mail HQ,

    Northcliffe House,

    2 Derry Street,

    Kensington

    London

    W8 5TT
    Nearest Underground station: High Street Kensington (District and Circle)

    www.thetube.com

  • Scores Of Pro-Equality Turn Up To Anti-Gay Marriage Protest In London

    Scores Of Pro-Equality Turn Up To Anti-Gay Marriage Protest In London

    Hundreds of Pro-Gay Marriage Supporters Turn Out To Anti-gay Marriage Protest In London.

    La Manif Pour Tous in Londom
    CREDIT: TheGayUK

    The anti-gay marriage protest group, La Manif Pour Tous, which was granted permission to hold a rally in Trafalgar Square by the Mayor’s office, failed to attract large numbers this afternoon.

    The ‘static protest’ was launched at 2.00PM in central London, where scores of anti-gay marriage protesters were met with pro-equality supporters, who filled a large section of the crowd.

    Police on the ground estimated that there were around 1500 people in total, including those who were pro-equality. At times the pro-equality was so loud that their chants to “Shame On You” and “Go Home Bigots” drown-out the speakers for La Manif Pour Tous.

    There was no violence and the rally ended peacefully at 5.00PM.

    Damien Fournier Montgieux, the co-ordinator of the anti-gay marriage protest, explained: “Almost out of nowhere we are suddenly faced with a huge challenge to the future of marriage and the family in both France and the UK. There has been no warning or consultation with the people.”

    He and other protestors claimed that the future welfare of children will be put at risk from allowing same-sex couples to marry.

    Reports from Pinknews say that, pro marriage equality campaign, Out4Marriage said: “The scale of the counter protest shows that the public very much support equal marriage, regardless of what French and other protesters might try to make you believe.”

  • La Manif Pour Tous London Protest draws poor turn out

    La Manif Pour Tous London Protest draws poor turn out

    La Manif Pour Tous, the French anti same sex marriage and anti adoption for gay couples, organisation is taking its protests to the streets of other European cities including our very own Trafalgar Square.

    After the reported 340,000 protesters who turned up last month in Paris to march against same sex marriage, the French organisers have booked out Trafalgar Square for a UK protest, again expecting to bring in thousands of supporters.

    However it could be the great British weather or the fact that most UK citizens support same sex marriage, as the live web cam shows, it’s quite a poor turn out and not quite the scenes of Paris last month.

    The organisers state that they have 3 purposes to their demonstrations:

    La Manif Pour Tous in Londom
    CREDIT: TheGayUK

    – First, because defending children rights is not a French or an English matter, but a global matter- Secondly, because we share the same values around marriage and family; we need to be united

    – Finally, because it’s obviously a way to send a message to the UK government, even if the demonstation [sic] is initiated by the French.

  • Christian B&B Owners Can Turn Away Gay Couples Legally

    Christian B&B owners who turned away gay customers, can now legally turn away homosexual couples.

    Peter and Hazelmary Bull were subject to an international media storm when they refused to let civilly partnered Martyn Hall and Steven Preddy share a room at their B&B, the Chymorvah Hotel, in Marazion in 2008, citing their religious beliefs as a reason for their decision.

    Mr Hall and Mr Preddy successfully sued the hotel owners for £3600 in 2011, in a landmark case which found that Mr. & Mrs. Bull had discriminated against the gay couple, on the grounds of sexual orientation under the Equalities Act.

    The hotel couple took their case to the Court of Appeal, where it was dismissed and are now waiting to have it heard in England’s highest court, the Supreme Court.

    The Independent now reports that the Chymorvah Hotel has been turned in to a respite care centre for Christians and will be run as a ‘not-for-profit’ organisation which means anyone staying under the Bull’s roof will have to abide by their rules, as long as those rules are set out in the company’s articles.

    Mrs Bull, 69, told the Daily Mail:

    “We are not fanatics. We have often been portrayed as being bigoted.

    “I am not homophobic. I have no problem with them – I have always thought of them as people and enjoy their company. It is just that we thought it would be wrong for here.

    “All we wanted was to be able to support marriage, to say no here.

    “This (the result of the trial) is the men’s human rights and they come into a collision with our human rights.”

    Mr Hall and Mr Preddy said:

    “The judge has confirmed what we already know – our civil partnership has the same status in law as a marriage between a man and a woman, and that, regardless of each person’s religious beliefs, no one is above the law.”

    Following the Hearing’s conclusion the Chymorvah found difficulties in attracting guests and was stripped of its Visit England status because of its policies and was not featured in many tourist guides.

    On the hotel’s website, customers are given a special note before booking a double bed which reads: ‘Here at Chymorvah we have few rules, but please note that as Christians we have a deep regard for marriage(being the union of one man to one woman for life to the exclusion of all others).
    Therefore, although we extend to all a warm welcome to our home, our double bedded accommodation is not available to unmarried couples. Thank you’

  • NEWS: Transgender Teacher Lucy Meadows Found Dead

    A transgender teacher who started the new year as Miss Meadows at her school, St. Mary Magdalen’s C or E Primary School in Accrington, has been found dead at her home.

    (more…)

  • There’s an app that shows you where gay bashings have taken place

    There’s an App for everything these days and now there’s one to highlight where a gay person has been beaten called, Bashing.

    After a series of what is commonly known as ‘queer bashing’ happened in 2011, the Belgium LGBT movement decided it was time to act.

    Described by the app developers as ‘for (the) gay community, supported by Outrage! and developed by FAMOUS’ the app is available for free, to download from the Google Android Market Place and the iTunes store and has already had over 1,000 downloads since it was launched last year.

    According to the app there are over 250 reports of ‘bashings’ in Brussels with 53 reports of abuse from the Grand-Place de Bruxelles Grote Market Van Brusselalone.

    The developers say, ‘One of the biggest issues with homophobia is that very little statistic information exists. With this app a user can easily and quickly indicate where he was assaulted and describe what just happened.’
    Download now from Google or Apple
    https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=be.famous.bashing&feature=also_installed#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEwNCwiYmUuZmFtb3VzLmJhc2hpbmciXQhttps://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/bashing/id484868875?mt=8