The superstar, Boy George, has caused controversy with trans and non-binary advocates after suggesting that preferred pronouns should be left out of the conversation.
Boy George has lit a match under the “preferred pronoun” conversation and is currently under fire for suggesting that pronouns should be “left at the door” to further compound the issue, he went on to call it a “modern form of attention seeking”
Fans of the 80’s hitmaker told the star that he should “respect people’s preferred pronouns” while some called the singer “transphobic” for his comment.
In response to a question about not using someone’s preferred pronouns, Boy George replied, “Thanks for that but I have eyes and can mostly describe what I see!”
Former Pink News journalist, Benjamin Butterworth responded, by tweeting, “Then we’ll stop calling you your attention-seeking identity “Boy George”, and use your real identity of George O’Dowd, convict who falsely imprisoned and beat a man with a metal chain.”
Ego Boost?
Others were quick to applaud the singer for his stance. One fan wrote, “Every venomous, deranged tweet I come across has a pronouned [sic] bio attached to it” while another added, “Pronouns are nothing more than ego boosters for people who use them”.
One user said using, “compelled pronouns was ridiculous”
Horrifying details have come to light after the UK’s “most prolific” rapist is jailed in Manchester. He will serve a minimum of 30 years for his crimes.
A serial rapist who filmed himself attacking his victims after drugging them at his home in Manchester has been jailed.
Reynhard Sinaga (19/02/1983), of no fixed address, has today (Monday 6 January 2020) been sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of 159 counts of sexual offences against 48 different men. He will serve a minimum of 30 years before being considered for release.
The sentencing – which took place at Manchester Crown Court, Crown Square – comes at the conclusion of four separate trials. The earlier trials were unable to be publicised due to reporting restrictions that were put in place to protect the integrity of the ongoing legal proceedings.
Targetting men who were alone and used GHB to drug them.
During the course of each trial, the court heard how Sinaga would target men who were alone and potentially vulnerable before approaching them in the street.
Sinaga would then strike up a conversation with his intended victim, before convincing them to come back to his home under false pretences, taking advantage of their trusting nature. Once inside he would offer them a drink which, unbeknownst to the men, would contain a substance – believed to be GHB – that would render them unconscious.
With his victim unconscious, Sinaga would rape and sexually assault the men whilst filming his horrific acts.
He was unknown to the police, but there might be 190 potential victims
Sinaga was completely unknown to police and his offending – which is believed to have taken place between 2005 and 2017 – only came to light in June 2017, when one of his victims woke up during one of the sickening attacks and fought him off.
After the incident was reported to police, the scale of his offending soon became apparent and he was swiftly arrested and charged before being remanded into custody.
Including the men that Sinaga has been found guilty of attacking, the investigation team found evidence linking over 190 potential victims to him.
Although the majority of these victims have been identified and provided with specialist support from St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) and Survivors Manchester, there remain around 70 who have not yet been identified and detectives are keen to speak with them to ensure they have any support needed.
“Depraved”
Assistant Chief Constable Mabs Hussain, of Greater Manchester Police, said: “Reynhard Sinaga is a depraved individual, who targeted potentially vulnerable men that he had spotted walking on their own after a night out.
“He would strike up a conversation with them before leading them back to his flat under a false premise and drugging them before subjecting them to sickening abuse, all the while recording the attacks as they took place.
“Not much was known about Reynhard Sinaga prior to his final victim telling police of his ordeal and he had never previously come to the attention of GMP with regards to any criminal incidents.
“To the rest of the world he came across as an engaged member of society who was studying for a PHD qualification and had a small circle of law-abiding friends that he would socialise with. However beneath that façade was a serial sex offender, who we now believe to be Britain’s most prolific rapist. The fact that he was able to cover-up his true nature for so long, just serves as further evidence of his calculating criminal nature.
“I want to be clear that Sinaga is just one appalling individual and he should not be considered as being reflective of any community.
“I do not wish to waste another word on Reynhard Sinaga. Instead, I would now like to pay tribute to his victims, many of whom did not know for certain what had happened to them until they received a visit from the police, after they had been identified from the videos taken by Sinaga.
“I can only imagine how devastating this news must have been for them but the bravery that these men have shown in engaging with officers and support workers in an effort to come to terms with what happened is nothing short of incredible.
“Many of these men have stood up in court and provided evidence, which detailed the significant impact these offences have had on their lives. We appreciate this can be a daunting experience and it truly does take a lot of courage to stand up in court and tell your story.
“Finally, I would like to thank the investigation team for the meticulous work that they have put in since this inquiry was launched. They, along with colleagues from the Crown Prosecution Service, St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre and Survivors Manchester, have made supporting and seeking justice for those affected by Sinaga their absolute priority.
“Even with the video evidence, this was not a straight forward case and it required round the clock work, including consulting with subject matter experts, carrying out detailed research, arranging pre-trial court visits for witnesses and other vital tasks.
“Horrifying video evidence”
Hussain continued,
“Many of the team also had to sit and watch the horrifying videos that Sinaga created, which has undoubtedly had a personal impact on them. Without their work, there would be more victims out there who were unaware of exactly what had happened to them and without any specialist support being provided.
“I hope the work of the investigation team sends out a clear message that Greater Manchester Police is prepared to invest time and resources into bringing those who carry out sex offences to justice as well as work alongside partner agencies to provide victims with any support they need.”
“Brought to justice”
Bev Hughes, Greater Manchester’s Deputy Mayor for Policing, Crime and Criminal Justice, said: “Reynhard Sinaga is a vile individual who preyed upon his victims in a disturbing and depraved manner. Today, he has rightly been brought to justice.
“Both the nature of Sinaga’s appalling crimes and their scale are shocking. This has been a deeply distressing and disturbing case and I want to thank Greater Manchester Police (GMP), the Crown Prosecution Service and other partners for their relentless and meticulous work on what is believed to be the largest rape investigation in British judicial history.
“I particularly want to praise the victims and survivors for their bravery and courage throughout these trials – it has been an immensely challenging and upsetting time.
“The police, St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Survivors Manchester, Victim Support, the National Probation Service and other partner agencies have worked together to provide victims and survivors with the best possible support throughout the trials.
“I also want to echo GMP’s appeal for further victims of Sinaga to come forward, so we can ensure they get the support they need. I also want to urge anyone who has been a victim of any rape or sexual assault to come forward and report it to police, confident that they will receive the help and support they need.
“Greater Manchester is a resilient place. We have undergone traumas in the past and, together, come through them. Sinaga is an appalling individual, who acted alone and is now off our streets. He is in no way representative of our city-region and people should not be fearful of enjoying all that Manchester city centre has to offer.”
Police are still on the lookout for further potential victims
If you have been affected by this case or believe that you may have been a victim of Reynhard Sinaga, then please contact police or specialist support agencies using the contact details below.
All reports made to police will be fully investigated and Greater Manchester is nationally recognised as a model of good practice in terms of support services available to victims.
If you wish to speak to police and make a report relating to Reynhard Sinaga, then please contact: 0800 092 0410 (calls made from within the UK) / 0207158 0124 (international calls).
If you have been affected by this case and would like to seek support from specialist agencies, then please contact: 0800 056 0154 (calls made from within the UK) / 0207158 0011 (international calls).
Bisexual Awareness Month is always celebrated in March, just after the UK’s LGBT History Month and was created in 2014 to bring attention to the health and well being of the bi community.
The bisexual flag was designed by a team headed by Michael Page in 1998. It is comprised of three coloured horizontal stripes, from top to bottom: Pink, Purple, Blue.
In an interview the former Glee star said that people thinking that he’s gay doesn’t bother him, but it did at one point.
Matthew Morrison has revealed that it used to bother him if fans of his shows thought that he was gay, that is, until, he had a revelation.
In 2013 he put the record straight in an interview with the Huffington Post. When he was asked whether the public misconception about him being gay “bothered him” he replied, “I know my own truth. I’m in a great relationship with a woman.
“Maybe before it used to bother me. Then I was like, ‘This is so stupid that this bothers me. Some of my best friends in the world are gay, and if this is bothering me, then that means I have an issue with that.’
“Once I figured that out for myself, I thought, “I don’t care what anyone thinks about me.”
He then made it clear that he was an ally for the gay community and was “very proud” of his role in the community.
Of course, in 2019 these things really don’t or shouldn’t matter, but Matthew is married to a woman called Renee Puente. They were married in October 2014 on the island of Maui.
They had their first child together in 2017. In October Renee had a baby boy who they named Revel James Makai.
Yes, Matthew Morris is married to a woman called Renee Puente. Matthew and Renee got married in October 2014. The pair met at a celebrity party. Renee is a singer and model and comes from Hawaii. Before meeting Renee it is reported that he dated singer and actor Lea Michelle, who would go on to co-star with Matthew in the hit Fox show, Glee.
Matthew Morrison returns to BBC’s The Greatest Dancer in January 2020.
The Asexual Awareness week is an important part of the LGBT+ calendar and it takes place in October.
Asexual Awareness Week was first celebrated in 2010 and aims to bring awareness to asexual or Ace people in the LGBT+ community. It was founded to support and celebrate asexuality and gray asexuality by Asexual advocate Sara Beth Brooks in 2010.
In 2020 Asexual Awareness Week takes place on the last full week of October, meaning it will take place between 25th to the 31st of October (Sunday to Saturday)
What are the colours of the Asexual Pride flag?
The asexual pride flag consists of (from top to bottom) a black, grey, white and purple stripe. It was designed by an AVEN user named, “standup”, and first posted at 4:36 PM on June 30th, 2010.
If someone tells you that a word is offensive, don’t argue just accept it.
A parody account of actor Tim Curry has perfectly summed up why, if you don’t find the word f*ggot offensive or the song “Fairytale Of New York” personally offensive you shouldn’t just dismiss other’s exception to the lyrics out of hand.
A Twitter account dedicated to the actor Tim Curry has gone viral after a simple message detailing why dismissing anyone who has an issue with offensive words is pretty much a dick move.
Taking to Twitter the account owner wrote,
“If a person from a marginalised group asks you not to use a word they find upsetting it’s not your job to tell them the word isn’t offensive. Even if you’re also from said marginalised group & YOU don’t think it’s a slur. Your job is to shut the FUCK up & be kind. Bloody hell”.
If a person from a marginalised group asks you not to use a word they find upsetting it's not your job to tell them the word isn't offensive. Even if you're also from said marginalised group & YOU don't think it's a slur.
The Tweet went viral within hours, with scores of people agreeing and disagreeing with the notion.
What’s the problem with “Fairytale of New York”?
The problem with “Fairytale of New York” is the line, “You scumbag, you maggot, you cheap lousy f*ggot.”
Some in the LGBT+ community find the word offensives, while others don’t.
The one key element is that songs that contain other offensives slurs often use edited versions, which either bleep out a slur or have another word dubbed in.
“Fairytale Of New York” does not have either – and is broadcast as is.
In 2007, BBC Radio 1 did broadcast a version with the word edited, but restored the original after an apparent backlash.
Sharron Davies is taking heat on social media after likening drag to blackface. The former athlete, taking to Twitter, asked if anyone else was fed up of drag shows before stating that drag was a “parody of a real woman” before likening it to the wholly unacceptable practice of blackface.
Her tweet quickly found Davies ratio’d as nearly 1600 people took to comment on the tweet, while the tweet received only 360 retweets.
The majority of the tweets were negative towards Davies’ comments, with many criticising her “stereotyping of women” and ‘narrow mindedness”.
The 57-year-old then reeled off a list of what “real women” do including, juggling kids, cooking wholesome food, doing the laundry and other house chores. She also included “holding down a job” dealing with period pains and “leaky boobs” from breastfeeding.
She finished her tweet by telling drag queens to stop with the stereotypes.
Michelle Visage, judge of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the only Drag show currently broadcasting on mainstream media in the UK (and even then it’s on the digital-only platform BBC 3) hit back at the MBE saying, “or you can see it for what drag actually is, a celebration and homage of all things feminine.
On its tenth anniversary, Meat Magazine will be printing its last editions in 2020. The magazine which has been in print for 10 years has been self-produced and funded by its photographer, Adrian Lourie.
In a statement from the company, Adrian wrote that the decision to end Meat‘s print run was a “tough call” and that he had been “overwhelmed” by the supportive messages he had received.
Challenging expectations from gay media
In 10 years the magazine produced 39 issues and has really challenged expectations for a gay pin-up magazine. The magazine featured models of all shapes, ages, sizes and ethnicities and was championed by its fanbase, which had grown substantially on Instagram.
Speaking to THEGAYUK in 2018 just after pictures had been removed by Instagram, Adrian said, “Meat‘s mission is to champion body positivity amongst gay men, in a community where many often feel sidelined by ‘stereotypical’ male beauty standards. The zine allows our followers and fans to celebrate and own their unique beauty, no matter their age, race, body shape or type.”
Unfortunately, Meat found itself deleted from Instagram several times after falling foul of the platform’s community guidelines.
Meat‘s first Instagram account had amassed over 15,000 fans when it was erased by the Facebook-owned company and the second account had 4000 fans.
Exciting ideas for 2020
Adrian wrote that there were “other projects and opportunities to explore” and that there were “exciting ideas” lined up for 2020.
Rev Richard Coles confirmed the death of his civil partner, Rev. David Coles.
The Strictly Come Dancing star Rev Richard Coles has confirmed that his civil partner, Rev. David Coles has died.
Although the star didn’t disclose what caused his partner’s passing, he did confirm that he had been “ill for while”.
The couple, who are both priests lived to together in Northamptonshire.
Taking to Twitter the broadcaster wrote, “I’m very sorry to say that @RevDavidColes has died. He had been ill for a while. Thanks to the brilliant teams who looked after him at @KettGeneral
“Funeral details to follow.
“The Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended”.
“99.99999% loveliness, but some say that D is in hell”
The support for Rev Coles has been overwhelmingly supportive according to the priest.
He tweeted that he had received “99.99999% loveliness” from people however he revealed he had been subjected to abuse from a “small but lively” group of Christians who had told him that his departed partner was now “in hell”.
Drag Race UK superstar Baga Chipz has left no one wondering what she really feels about the US President, Donald Trump.
Taking to Twitter the Drag Race runner up tweeted “Bye, bye you orange bastard” in connection to the news that the 45th President of the United States had been impeached.
Baga’s fans were quick to agree with the queen, with one adding a simple “word” tweet while another quipped, “Yes good riddance”.
However, some her fans were more hesitant in celebrating the impeachment of Trump saying that because the Senate is controlled by Republicans, that he is likely to be acquitted.
One warned, “It now has to go through the senate – which is controlled by the Republicans- he’s going no where love” while another added, “No, he won’t be removed, but he now has that permanent scar on his presidency and once he leaves office, he can be prosecuted for his crimes. It doesn’t solve the problem, but it sets up a lovely future where he’s behind bars.”
