THEGAYUK

Author: News Desk

  • Lord who likened gay marriage to bestiality faces 18-month suspension for homophobic bullying

    Lord who likened gay marriage to bestiality faces 18-month suspension for homophobic bullying

    Lord Maginnis who is an Independent Ulster Unionist, is facing suspension from the Lords after an inquiry found that he had bullied three MPs and one security guard, using anti-gay language.

    The Lords Conducts Committee has recommended an 18-month suspension, which is one of the longest ever handed down and will come into effect if it is voted for by Lords on the 7th December.

    An inquiry into the Lord’s behaviour found that there were a series of complaints brought against Lord Maginnis in early 2020.

    First, there was a report from a parliamentary security officer, Christian Bombolo, who reported that the Maginnis was “verbally abusive” after he was requested to show his pass to enter the Palace of Westminster on 7 January.

    Scottish National Party MP Hannah Bardell intervened and says that she was treated “rudely and aggressively”.

    Embed from Getty Images

    On 11 February, Lord Maginnis apparently became “agitated” during a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Armed Forces when not called upon to ask a question. He apparently addressed “rude remarks” to the meeting’s chair, Labour MP Luke Pollard.

    The 82-year-old Lord then complained about Mr Pollard via email sent to a number of parliamentarians – including the APPG chair, Conservative MP James Gray. The email apparently contained a “homophobic subject line” allegedly, “Discrimination by Homos” and contained “remarks about Mr Pollard which centred on his sexual orientation and were homophobic”.

    Lord Maginnis later discussed the incident with the media, using “disrespectful and derogatory” language about Mr Bombolo and “homophobic and derogatory” language about Ms Bardell.

    Labour MP Toby Perkins asked Lord Maginnis what had happened, and claimed that the peer answered by being “homophobic, aggressive and disrespectful, including by making further homophobic remarks” about Mr Pollard and Ms Bardell, the inquiry found.

    A few weeks later on 4 March, Lord Maginnis was embroiled in a “heated discussion” with Mr Gray at an APPG breakfast meeting after he was told he couldn’t attend due to his behaviour towards Mr Pollard.

    In a normal workplace Lord Maginnis would be “shown the door”

    Speaking about the potential 18-month ban, Ms Bardell said,

    “I appreciate that an 18-month ban is a serious sanction and that Lord Maginnis’s return to the House of Lords will be dependent upon him undertaking ‘a designated course of bespoke behaviour change training and coaching’,” said the Livingston MP.

    “However I consider it likely that if this had happened in any normal workplace in the UK and someone behaved in such a systematically abusive, bullying and homophobic way, which the report clearly states he has, they would be shown the door.”

    The report said that the recommended suspension of 18-months, the longest ever dished out, should not finish until Maginnis has completed behaviour change training showing that he is “able to demonstrate a clear understanding of how his behaviour impacts on other people in the parliamentary community”. 

    Lord Maginnis has a history of unacceptable behaviour and comments towards LGBT+ people

    In June 2012 the Ulster Unionist Party whip was withdrawn from Lord Maginnis by party leader Mike Nesbit over his anti-gay remarks, where Lord Maginnis likened gay marriage to bestiality on Northern Ireland’s Stephen Nolan Show. Lord Maginnis said that gay marriage was, ‘a rung on the ladder’ to ‘other deviant practices’ and ‘Will the next thing be that we legislate for some sort of bestiality?’

    In 2012, Lord Maginnis was nominated by Stonewall for the Bigot Of The Year award and when approached by THEGAYUK for a comment he called the outlet an, “aggressive, perverse and corrupting influence on susceptible and vulnerable young people”.

  • This dating site for small penis guys is apparently a hit with gay and bi guys

    This dating site for small penis guys is apparently a hit with gay and bi guys

    SMALL PENIS? Great things come in small packages

    A dating app designed for guys with smaller penises has become an unexpected hit with the gay and bi male community according to its creators.

    Nearly one-quarter of the guys who have registered on the app identify as gay or bisexual. The app, which is called Dinky Ones was only launched in March 2020 and has already had over 100,000 men join.

    According to the app’s founder, David Minns, Dinky One has registered nearly 25,000 gay or bi men registered and over 800 of them log in every day.

    For the super nerdy, they swapped 1955 messages.

    All about normalising penis size

    Of course, penis size is a source of great discussion on gay dating apps, like Grindr and Scuff and many guys have a warped sense of what is normal when it comes to penis size, thanks to media and unrealistic porn scenes. Our sexpert Jack Devon told us, “Penises come in all shapes and sizes and most of them are smaller than you think, as gay men we tend to watch a lot of gay porn, which usually has two or more penises involved, but guys who work in porn tend to have larger cocks – which gives us a warped perception of what is actually average”.

    Dinky Ones says, “In addition, the internet is packed with false claims and products to increase penis size. Many young men now think that you need a 12-inch penis to satisfy your partner. This is simply not the case and our dating site is here to normalise the situation.”

    [totalpoll id=”124541″]

    Big market for small penises

    This dating app isn’t the only business marketed towards guys who have smaller penises (or their admirers), no, there’s also a small penis festival and there could be a range of other services as guys become more comfortable with whatever size they’re packing, even if they have a micropenis.

    What is the average penis size and what is a small penis?

    what is a small penis?

    According to research conducted in 2015, the average penis size worldwide is around 5.5 inches (13.9 cms) when fully erect and according to the research, the UK’s men are exactly in that spot – so the average erect penis size for men in the UK is 5.5 inches.

    [totalpoll id=”126197″]

    The average girth according to research by the British Journal of Urology International is 4.3 inches (10.92 cms).

    Those figures were come to (no pun intended) by studying the cocks of around 17,000 men.

  • Will gay saunas be able to open after lockdown?

    Will gay saunas be able to open after lockdown?

    The second lockdown in England has in no doubt been tough for many businesses, but even more so for businesses that serve the LGBT community, like gay saunas and LGBT bars

    Gay bars that don’t serve food, which is a vast majority of them, have been forced to close in Tier 2 and Tier 3 areas and all businesses except “essential” shops have been closed for nearly a month during the last lockdown, due to the on-going coronavirus pandemic.

    Gay saunas have been no exception. While some were able to reopen after the first lockdown eased, many, particularly in London never reopened.

    So after this latest lockdown will gay saunas be able to open from the 2nd December?

    According to sources, Spas and Saunas across England will be permitted to reopen again from the 2nd of December, provided the area which they serve doesn’t end up in Tier 3.

    Rules in the devolved nations will be slightly different.

    Spas in England will be in no doubt be in touch with their local Environment Health Office for the all-clear. However, it is thought that if an area is in Tier 1 or Tier 2 that gay bathhouses and saunas should be allowed to reopen, although there may be some restrictions on capacity and restrictions on some of the facilities.

    Club Zeus in Mansfield told its customers, “We aren’t totally sure of the full restrictions yet, but according to officials, Saunas and Spas can re-open across the UK from December 2nd.”

    Many businesses are planning to reopen come the 2nd December, but life will be far from normality until Spring of 2021 when it is hoped that a full roll-out of an anti-COVID vaccination will be made available to the UK’s population.

    How gay saunas coped in the Tier system

    Some saunas were able to reopen in England, however, it seemed as most gay saunas in London never actually reopened. The Number 52 sauna in Newcastle came up with an ingenious way of staying open for business, by becoming a cafe for a short period. It told it’s customers, “Our venue has been responsibly adjusted in accordance with current government guidelines. We have installed seating throughout, adapting the venue into a Cafe & Bar.

    “We’ve got alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, teas, coffees and we’ll also be serving food and snacks. Take this opportunity to see Number 52 in a different way.

    Do you have to wear a face mask while inside a gay sauna?

    Do you have to wear a face mask while inside a gay sauna
    Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com

    The law isn’t clear on whether you have to wear a face mask in a spa or sauna and there are health implications of wearing a mask inside hot spaces, such as a sauna or steam room.

    As most bathhouses would be classed as a health spa, it would most likely be impractical to wear a face-covering during your visit, however, it’s best to follow the policy of the sauna/spa that you’re visiting.

    Saunas along with bars and restaurants will be required by law to take your contact details for the government’s track and trace system. A system that allows up to 35 companies, organisations and government departments access to your contact details.

    However, in line with data protection guidelines, your details must be deleted after 21 days.

  • BBC issues apology for misappropriating the red ribbon on World AIDS Days

    The Twitter team behind BBC North released an apology that many are calling unacceptable.

    In the tweet the BBC North West team, said,

    “We have deleted a tweet about our project to pay tribute to COVID victims. Given we have used red ribbons as part of it, we understand why some people found it insensitive on World AIDS Day. We’re sorry.

    “We have been working closely with those who have lost loved ones to COVID and this initiative is to remember those who have died during the pandemic.”

    bbc apology for tree of lives and using red ribbon

    What happened for the BBC to have to apologise?

    The row started after the BBC announced it had created a project to commemorate lost lives from COVID in the North West, except they used a red ribbon, a symbol for the lives lost due to AIDS and which has been in use since 1991. The other element that truly upset people, was the date on which they decided to announce the project, the 1st of December, globally known as World AIDS Day.

    “Unacceptable”

    The apology was branded a “non-apology” by many and an insult to the millions of lives lost to AIDS.

    The apology was dismissed as fakery by many, including user Chris who blasted the BBC newsroom’s apology as “Utter fakery”.

    https://twitter.com/ChrisOfDevon/status/1333936937254653953

    One user also commented on the disrespect of misappropriating well-known LGBT+ symbols in 2020.

    “At the end of a year in which the rainbow flag was ‘borrowed’ to celebrate the NHS and even gay publications were promoting anti-trans lobbying groups, today of all days is not a good moment to misappropriate the red ribbon”

    https://twitter.com/Dutch_editor/status/1333901451115028484

    This is the second symbol appropriated from the LGBT+ community in 2020. The Pride rainbow flag which was designed by Gilbert Baker in 1979 became synonymous with the NHS and COVID-19 during the early months of the pandemic in the UK.

    Another added that the 1st of December should be left to “remembering, mourning, and celebrating the lives of a near generation of queer people…”

    https://twitter.com/SebEvansXX/status/1333887644934299649

    THEGAYUK.com reached out to the BBC for further comment

  • BBC accused of appropriating HIV/AID red ribbon symbol for its COVID-19 Tree of Lives

    ‘Tree of Lives’ branded “Unbelievably inappropriate & wholly insensitive”

    BBC North West has come under fire after it invited people to commemorate victims of the COVID-19 pandemic by tieing a red ribbon to a tree on World AIDS Day, they called the project, Tree Of Lives.

    The Tweet, which was from the official BBC North West Twitter account wrote,

    “Thousands of people across our region have lost loved ones to Covid-19. Join us at BBC NW to remember those that have died, by tying a red ribbon to your Christmas tree or a tree in your garden.”

    https://twitter.com/BBCNWT/status/1333726812120223744

    However, the corporation has been accused of appropriating an established symbol of HIV/AIDs – the red ribbon.

    bbc tree of lives

    The red ribbon has been in use since 1991 as a way of commemorating the millions who have died from AIDS since the 1980s.

    One Twitter user, Scubamonkey, blasted the BBC saying, “Unbelievably inappropriate & wholly insensitive on #WorldAIDSDay2020. I’ve every sympathy for those who have lost loved ones to #Covid, but this appropriation of an established symbol of #HIV & #AIDS is an appalling insult to those people who have lost their lives to #HIV. It is quite frankly unbelievable how you insult and trample over one set of grieving families to show solidarity and support to another. It speaks volumes about where your priorities lie”

    Another, Lkeels, wrote, “What an asinine choice to take the red ribbon for your own cause and ON WORLD AIDS DAY OF ALL DAYS!!! You should be ashamed of this.”

    HIV advocate, Tom Knight added, “I’m sure you meant well but your ignorance is shocking, and to say you ‘thought it through’. This is so disrespectful.”

    This is the second symbol appropriated from the LGBT+ community in 2020. The Pride rainbow flag which was designed by Gilbert Baker in 1979 became synonymous with the NHS and COVID-19 during the early months of the pandemic in the UK.

    “We did consider the colour ribbon very carefully”

    A response by the BBC Twitter feed responded to some of the criticism saying, “we did consider what colour ribbon to use very carefully- most colours are associated with a cause which is why this is tied differently.”

    Tweet deleted

    Since publication, the Tweet, which shared information on the Tree of Lives has been deleted.

    The BBC issued an appology via Twitter saying,

    “We have deleted a tweet about our project to pay tribute to COVID victims. Given we have used red ribbons as part of it, we understand why some people found it insensitive on World AIDS Day. We’re sorry.

    “We have been working closely with those who have lost loved ones to COVID and this initiative is to remember those who have died during the pandemic. “

    Why is the red ribbon used to remember World AIDS Day

    red ribbon is linked with AIDS not the bbc's Tree Of Lives
    Photo by Anna Shvets / PEXELS

    The Red Ribbon symbol has become the defining icon for the awareness, fundraising and determination to beat HIV and AIDS. It’s strong, vibrant red, a symbol that has become synonymous with every 1st December, was designed in 1991.

    A decade after AIDS began its stranglehold, decimating communities, a coalition of 12 artists gathered to devise a plan to raise awareness for Visual Aids, a New York arts organisation which raises awareness of HIV.

    The 12 people consisted of photographers, painters, filmmakers and costume designers. After a short collaboration they came up with the striking, but the simple idea of the red ribbon, inspired by the yellow ribbons tied on trees at the time, to denote support for US military fighting in the Gulf war.

    The red ribbon logo became recognisable across the globe.

    THEGAYUK.com reached out to the BBC for further comment.

  • Umbrella star comes out as trans, and is now Elliot Page

    The actor formerly known as Ellen Page has said that he is now to be known as Elliot Page as he comes out as transgender in an Instagram post.

    The X Men, Umbrella Academy and Tales Of The City star wrote an emotional post telling fans that his pronouns were now he or they, them theirs.

    In the letter posted to his Instagram account, Elliot wrote,

    “Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot.

    “I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life.”

    “I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self,” he wrote.

    “I’ve been endlessly inspired by so many in the trans community. Thank you for your courage, your generosity and ceaselessly working to make this world a more inclusive and compassionate place. I will offer whatever support I can and continue to strive for a more loving and equal society.”

    “My joy is real, but it is also fragile,” he added

    Embed from Getty Images

    “The truth is, despite feeling profoundly happy right now and knowing how much privilege I carry, I am also scared.

    “I’m scared of the invasiveness, the hate, the ‘jokes’ and of violence. To be clear, I am not trying to dampen a moment that is joyous and one that I celebrate, but I want to address the full picture.”

    Elliot also acknowledged the attacks and slayings of trans folx in 2020 of which there have been at least 40 reported, adding,

    “I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer. And the more I hold myself close and fully embrace who I am, the more I dream, the more my heart grows and the more I thrive. To all the trans people who deal with harassment, self-loathing, abuse, and the threat of violence every day: I see you, I love you, and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better.”

    Elliot’s letter to fans, was greatly received and garnered over 407,000 likes and hundreds of positive comments, one of which was from the official Umbrella Academy Instagram account, which simply said, “proud of our superhero!! WE LOVE YOU ELLIOT!!!”

  • Austin Armacost shows off his “Mangina”

    Austin Armacost shows off his “Mangina”

    Yep, he called it that…

    It’s been a while since we’ve heard or seen anything from the Celebrity Big Brother star, but he certainly got his fans feeling the thirst with a saucy pic on his Instagram feed.

    Sitting completely naked in his bath, Austin Armacost wrote that he was in his happy place, despite not being in his native USA, to celebrate Thanks Giving last week due to the on-going coronavirus pandemic.

    Instead he was celebrating it at his west-Yorkshire home.

    He wrote, that he “should be gobbling on turkey and pumpkin pie” but would make do with a hot bath.

    In and amongst the dozens of replies to the picture one of his commentators, simply replied, “Vagina” to which the ever-sassy Austin quipped, “it is a MANgina darling”.

    Austin is no stranger to a bit of nudity, back in the Celebrity Big Brother days, for which he starred in the show twice, would be usually one of the first to strip off and jump into the pool.

    Since his time on TV, he has kept his fans excited with plenty of nudity, like this, this and this.

    So what do you think about his Mangina? Ever heard of the expression before.

    What does Mangina mean?

    It is a combination of the word man and vagina and in this context, it is not a slur or an insult, but a word to liken a guy’s ass to a vagina. However for some the word mangina can be extremely offensive.

  • What does Mangina mean and is it offensive?

    What does Mangina mean and is it offensive?

    The word Mangina seemingly has a few meanings and its ability to cause offense depends on who is using the word, why they are using it and how. Or to put it simply, the context in which the word is used.

    Is Mangina offensive to say?

    According to Dictionary.com Mangina is actually an insult or slur against any man who is perceived to be effeminate or any guy who identifies as a feminist. It can also be used, according to the site, as an insult to the genitals of persons of all gender identities.

    This definition is also backed up by Urban Dictionary who have a few definitions for the word.

    is mangina offensive?
    (C) BIGSTOCK

    However, within the gay community and particularly sexually active guys, Mangina can be used as a descriptor for a guy’s butt hole. It is a combination of the word man and vagina. In this context, it is not a slur or an insult especially when used by a guy about his own genitals or body or sexual preference.

    One example of this was when Celebrity Big Brother star, Austin Armacost referred to his own “mangina” after a commentator wrote, “vagina” on a naked picture he posted.

    Another word to describe a bottom’s bottom might be bussy which is a combination of the word boy and pussy.

    Can you expand this definition? Use the comments below and your answer could be used to expand or define this glossary entry.

    Check out more definitions in our Big Gay Glossary

  • There are 84 naked guys in the latest Naked Rugby Players calendar

    There are 84 naked guys in the latest Naked Rugby Players calendar

    Despite the on-going Covid-19 pandemic, The world-famous Naked Rugby Players return with a new calendar The Naked Rugby Players – Unseen Bits for 2021 and is one of our favourite LGBT+ Calendars. Best of al it features never seen before images!

    Speaking about the changes the calendar had to make during 2020, principal photographer Monty McKinnen told us, “It sadly turned out to be impossible to shoot 6 rugby teams during 2020 as the pandemic raged through our communities and everyone kept at social distances”

    “Despite this, we’ve rummaged through the thousands of images from our past shoots to bring fans of the calendar never before seen pictures, from 12 teams across the UK.” 

    84 Naked Rugby Players

    The Naked Rugby Players Calendar 2021 – Unseen Bits features 84 players from twelve Inclusive Rugby teams from across the UK.

    Once again the calendar has teamed up with the Balls To Cancer charity to bring awareness of male cancers and features a monthly reminder to check ourselves for any unusual signs. 

    The calendar is available from TheNakedRugbyPlayes.com, TackleMag.co.uk and Amazon.  

  • Urban dictionary has a definition for “Gay Fart” and it’s really not that funny

    Urban dictionary has a definition for “Gay Fart” and it’s really not that funny

    Had you ever heard of a “gay fart” before? No, nor us, but apparently it’s a phrase and it’s even got its own definition thanks to Urban Dictionary.

    According to one of the entries on Urban Dictionary, ‘gay fart’ means, “A genuinely sweet, or pleasantly odourless expression of flatulence. Though not always a fart cut by homosexuals, they do tend to do this while they bake cookies and share a laugh about it.

    In this context “Bake Cookies” means sex.

    Then for context purposes, there’s the sentence,

    “Pete did you just fart? It smells like freshly cut grass, what have you been eating, sperm?”

    Cut grass means “gang bang” according to the website.

    Surprisingly, the website holds not one but three possible entries for what a gay fart could mean.

    Relying on tired gay sex tropes for gay fart comedy

    gay fart jokes rely on a homophobic trope about anal sex
    EME / Pixabay

    Another meaning offered up by the website is, “a silent fart that is often difficult to hear because it just seeps out of your A-hole as if the hole was very loose (like after a penis has been in there).”

    This particular definition makes use of that rather tired gay sex myth that people who enjoy anal sex have loose sphincters, giving rise the rumour that men who engaged in anal sex, eventually have to wear tampons, which, by the way, isn’t true.

    While a third explanation offers, “An act of flatulence that tends to smell like semen as if gay butt sex has taken place at one point. Homosexuals tend to enjoy gay farts by flatuating (not actually a word) gay farts in one another’s mouths.”

    The three definitions were written in 2006, 2008 and 2009 respectively.

    Hilarious homophobia. Just what the world needs.

  • What does AMAB mean? And is it offensive to use?

    What does AMAB mean? And is it offensive to use?

    AMAB stands for Assigned Male At Birth, where a person’s gender was given by medical professionals based on the baby’s genitalia found at birth giving a person a biological sex marker on their birth certificate. In this case, AMAB would mean that doctors or midwives found the baby to have a penis, therefore, would assign male to their birth certificate.

    Using the AMAB acronym could also be used to describe a person’s former gender or biological sex identity – used in the case where the person now lives as non-binary, a trans woman or feminine-presenting or a factual status on a man’s gender identity.

    Is using AMAB to describe someone offensive to say?

    Is using AMAB to describe someone offensive to say?
    Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com

    No, but as with most language, it is how the words are applied or the context in which they are used where offensive can be taken. As being described as AMAB is a fact it shouldn’t be considered problematic unless the person you are referring to has said that they are uncomfortable with being called by a certain term. It could in the case of a transgender person out them as trans, or lead to a situation of deadnaming or deadgendering.

    Can you expand this definition? Use the comments below and your answer could be used to expand or define this glossary entry.

    Check out more definitions in our Big Gay Glossary