Singer Sinead O’Connor has stunned fans after appearing on Good Morning Britain wearing both a traditional Islamic headdress and a rainbow flag.
Sinead O’Connor has divided viewers with her appearance on Good Morning Britain on ITV, wearing a traditional Islamic head dress and a top which featured a rainbow flag.
The singer, who converted to Islam in 2018 was on the show to sing her iconic cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U”. When she converted to Islam in 2018, she also changed her name to Shuhada’ Davitt.
However, her choice to wear a Rainbow flag top left some viewers questioning whether it was the right thing to do, while some praised her for uniting Islamic and LGBT+ symbols.
Commenting on her decision to wear a rainbow symbol, fans of the show were quick to comment.
One viewer wrote, “I’m genuinely pleased that #SineadOConnor is happier now but if she wore Islamic dress with a flag on it in an Islamic country it wouldn’t end well. #unicornislam#GMB“
While another added, “I’d very much like to see #SineadOConnor try to wear traditional Muslim dress plastered with the rainbow flag in Brunei if she’s so enamoured by Islamic attitudes to sexuality”.
While another continued, “I’m genuinely pleased that #SineadOConnor is in a happier place right now but if she wore Islamic dress with a flag on it in an Islamic country it wouldn’t end well”.
Many years ago, Sinead actually identified as part of the LGBT+ community when she came out and then went back in again. She said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that she was three-quarters heterosexual.
With a General Election looming, we looked at just how gay-friendly Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, is.
(IMAGE CC / FLICKR by garryknight) https://www.flickr.com/photos/garryknight/26392896430/sizes/l
We looked into Jeremy Corbyn‘s voting record on gay issues to see how LGBT friendly he is.
Since entering the House of Commons as an MP for Islington North in 1983, Jeremy Corbyn has consistently voted pro-gay in laws relating to equality.
During his time as an MP he has voted to reduce and equalise the age of consent for gay men, he voted to allow gay people to become adoptive parents, he voted positively for civil partnerships and for same-sex marriage. He was absent on the vote to repeal Section 28.
However, in 2003 he was absent for the vote on repealing Section 28 “Local Government Bill — Maintain Prohibition on Promotion of Homosexuality (Section 28)”
Overall in the opinion of THEGAYUK.com editorial team, Jeremy Corbyn, politically has been an ally to LGBT+ people.
This article was updated on the 28th May, 2019 – to reflect Jeremy Corbin’s absent vote on Section 28.
Global star, Sam Smith has revealed that being referred to by gender netural terms such as “they, them and theirs” feels beautiful.
CREDIT: kathclick / bigstock
The “How Do You Sleep” singer, Sam Smith, has revealed on Twitter that being called “they” is much more preferable than being called “he”. The star, who came out as gay in 2014, wrote in a Tweet that being referred to in a gender-neutral – or non-binary way felt “beautiful”.
The singer was replying to a Tweet from radio and A Gay And A Non Gay podcast presenter James Barr who referred to Sam as “they” in a tweet, saying, “just interviewed @samsmith and they sounded so happy and free and more themselves than ever. it’s made me feel like the world is a good place again”
just interviewed @samsmith and they sounded so happy and free and more themselves than ever. it’s made me feel like the world is a good place again 🥰🏳️🌈 @hitsradiouk
The 27-year-old star came out as non-binary earlier this year.
According to the Sun, A “pal” who continuously misgendered the star in a statement said, “This is a decision Sam has thought long and hard about, including doing a lot of reading on up it.
“He knows that it will take some people longer than others to fully get it.
“First the request is going out to mates and then it will be passed on to the music industry too. It’s an exciting and groundbreaking time for him.”
Sam recently attended the GQ awards and wore a pair of heals to the event. Taking to Instagram, the singer wrote “Tonight I wore heels for the first time to an award show. I’ve just got home from a gorgeous evening and as I was walking to my front door I stopped and listened to my heels clonking against the floor. And I just thought ‘FUCK YES’!! There was a time where I thought I’d never ever ever be able to be myself like this in front of the industry or anyone. It feels so good and I just wanted to share that with you all, and share a picture of my GORJ Gucci heels. They’ll always be my virgin heels”
The number of court summons and charges for those arrested for hate crimes has plummeted, despite hate crime reports doubling over the last five years.
A Freedom of Information request by the BBC’s 5 Live has found that despite the rise in homophobic hate crime reports the number of people actually going to court to face justice has fallen by 10 per cent, meaning that fewer people are being prosecuted for homophobic hate crimes, despite police calling on victims to come forward and report incidents.
The report also found that the number of reports soared from 5800 in 2014/15 to over 13,000 reports in the last year.
But the number of cases that led to charges or court summons fell by 10% over the same time period.
A BBC Radio 5 Live Freedom of Information (FOI) request found that 13,530 people were recorded as the victims of homophobic hate crimes in the last financial year, compared to around 5800 in 2014/15.
Over the same period, the number of people actually being charged or issued with a court summons fell from 1157 (20% of complaints) to 1058 (just 8% of complaints), meaning just a small fraction of those arrested for a hate crime actually land up in court or being charged with the offense.
A hate crime is defined as “any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice”.
5 Live Investigations sent a Freedom of Information request to 46 police forces across the UK and received full responses from 38.
Data from Police Scotland was only partial and not included in the analysis.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council said that many of these crimes involved no witnesses and a lack of evidence.
“Police will investigate crime reports and will pursue action against those responsible where there is evidence to do so”
A spokesman for the National Police Chiefs’ Council said: “Targeting someone because of their sexuality is completely unacceptable. It undermines our fundamental human right to feel safe and can have a devastating impact on victims and the wider community.
“Police will investigate crime reports and will pursue action against those responsible where there is evidence to do so. Unfortunately, with many cases, there are often no witnesses to these crimes and scarce evidence – this may lead to police being unable to identify a suspect,” he said.
Different parts of the country have seen more dramatic rises in reported crimes, according to the figures.
Both West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire Police have seen reports homophobic hate crimes increase five-fold
In West Yorkshire, there were 961 reports and in South Yorkshire, there were 375 reports over the past five years.
The proportion of crimes that resulted in a charge or summons, however, fell over the same time, from 19% to 4% in West Yorkshire and from 10% to 3% in South Yorkshire.
Two of Britain’s largest police forces, the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police, have also seen an increase in the number of reported crimes, while the number of cases that led to charges or summonsed fell by around a third, to 165 and 50 respectively, over the past five years.
A spokesman from the Metropolitan Police said, “We recognise that our sanction detection rates have fallen … as many of these non-violent offences present less evidential opportunities and victims often feel that there is a barrier between bringing the matter to court and prefer to make police aware of each offence.”
“We are committed to improving our total number of sanction detection rates and successful prosecutions and continue to remind communities to report hate crimes even if they do not want to go to court as it helps the police to provide a true picture of the abuse,” he added.
Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live on Wednesday 11 September from Breakfast at 6 am and all day for further details.
The boom of online shopping hasn’t just stopped at online groceries, now you can get your favourite sex toy and lube direct to your door, but which sex shop offers the best shipping deals?
There are a number of online adult stores based in the UK. They include the well-established gay brands such as Prowler and Clone Zone but also Bent and our very own TheGayShop.
All of these shops offer home delivery, but what does it cost?
For our experiment, we looked at the price of shipping a bottle of Liquid Silk 250ml to a UK mainland address. Here’s what we found.
THEGAYSHOP came out with the cheapest P&P coming in at £3.75 – using Royal Mail while Love Honey was the most expensive costing a whopping £3.99 for postage, however, they did use Royal Mail’s tracking service.
So here’s what the various brands charged for delivery of 250ml bottle of Liquid Silk.
All of the stores also offer free stand delivery on orders when you reach a certain price.
Prowler free delivery on orders over £25
TheGayUK free delivery on orders over £40
Regulation free delivery on orders over £50
Bent / Esmale free delivery on orders over £20
CloneZone free delivery on orders over £25
LoveHoney free delivery on orders over £40
GayMegaStore free delivery on orders over €120
Disclosure: TheGayShop is a division of Pineapple Rock Ltd. and profits go towards funding THEGAYUK.com. This is not an advertisement and the contents have not been paid for by any party.
A gay couple in Newport have told of their harrowing experience when a homophobe threw a glass bottle at them
A young gay couple has spoken about how they were harassed when walking to their car from the railway station after a night out in Newport, Wales.
Bleddyn Harris and David Barraclough both in their twenties were harassed by a man who hurled homophobic abuse at them on the pavement outside Newport Railway Station at about 10.30pm on the 31st August. The couple were returning from a night out. Bleddyn explained how he had given his partner his coat to keep him warm and was reaching into the coat pocket to retrieve his car keys.
The man then apparently threw a glass bottle at the pair. Luckily the bottle missed them. The assailant then escaped the scene in a car, which had at least two other occupants.
Speaking to Wales Online, Bleddyn Harris recalls, “We were walking back from Le Pub to my car because it was late and we were doing the usual couple things – linking arms,
“I could see this guy from afar and he was already kicking off. In my 26 years as a gay man, I know the look. He was shouting and yelling.
“We had stopped because I wanted to get my keys out of my boyfriends pocket.
“Before I knew it he’s telling us we need to f*** off and this bottle came smashing at my boyfriend’s feet.
The man is described as in his 30s and strangely was wearing a hat covered in fairy lights.
Harries took to Twitter to speak about his ordeal saying, “Last night, my boyfriend and I were walking back to my car (linking arms) from a gig when a guy threw a glass bottle at us and told us – in not so many nice words – that we need to go elsewhere. Homophobia at its best. This is why we still need pride”.
Speaking to THEGAYUK.com Bleddyn was keen to stress that this type of occurrence was all too common, saying that there was an “undercurrent of phobia towards non-binary, trans individuals and people who are bi”.
He said despite the incident he was not going to hide who he is, saying “I will continue to be as fabulous…it will embolden me”, but was worried that it might leave his boyfriend “second-guessing” whether to hold his hand in public in future.
Do LGBT+ people fear holding their partner’s hands in public?
In 2019 we asked readers of THEGAYUK.com whether they’d be comfortable in holding their partner’s hand in public. 85 per cent of people said that they would feel uncomfortable holding their partner’s hand in public. Only 15 per cent of those who answered said they would feel comfortable.
Percentage of LGBT+ couples who feel comfortable holding hands in public
2016 50%
2018 41%
2019 15%
Worryingly the LGBT+ community is getting warier of showing public displays of affection on the streets of the UK. In 2018 when we conducted the same survey, only 41% said they wouldn’t feel they could hold hands with their partner and in 2016 that figure was 23%.
A 55-year-old man has been ordered to pay £140 in damages after spraying a homophobic slur on a garage door.
Was ordered to pay £140 in damages.
Parsons denied the allegations
Parsons was identified on CCTV
A vandal who used spray paint to daub a garage door with homophobic slurs has been ordered by a court to pay £140.
Michael Parsons, 55, was hit with the fine after he appeared at court in South Tyneside last week to admit the criminal damage.
On January 16 this year police received a report that homophobic slurs had been spray-painted on a garage door on Lane Head in Ryton.
Officers identified Parsons from CCTV footage in the back lane in which the pensioner could be clearly seen committing the offence.
He was arrested but claimed he had just had foot surgery and required the use of crutches so could not have been responsible.
But the vandal was left red-faced when police showed him CCTV of him leaving a nearby supermarket without his crutches.
The 55-year-old had entered the store with them on his arms but accidentally left them in the shop before leaving unaided.
After being confronted with the footage, Parsons, of Greenfields, Ryton, pleaded guilty to one count of criminal damage.
He was handed a conditional discharge at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court on August 29 but was made to pay £140 because of the homophobic nature of the graffiti.
Following the case, investigating officer PC Ferenc Szilvasi slammed Parsons behaviour and said he had shown no remorse when questioned by police.
He said: “This mindless vandalism left the victim with significant damage to her door but it was the nature of the graffiti that was so upsetting.
“She was very distressed to be targeted by this vandal and I am glad that we have been able to get her a result at court.
“This type of behaviour is completely unacceptable and I want people to know that we will take action against offenders.
“He is a prolific criminal who showed absolutely no remorse and tried to claim that the person in the footage could not be him.
“The only reason he admitted the offence was because of the overwhelming evidence against him and I am glad we have secured a conviction.
“Magistrates ordered Parsons to pay the money he did because this was recorded as a hate crime and I hope that reassures victims.
“Being you is not a crime and nobody should be targeted for who they are. If you have been a victim of hate crime then please get in touch.”
What is a Hate Crime?
A crime is considered to be a hate crime if someone has been targeted because of who they are their race, faith, religion, disability, gender identity, age and sexual orientation.
Anyone can report a hate crime – victims, families and friends, carers or someone unrelated to a victim who has been a witness.
You can do this by calling police on 101 or by filling in an online reporting form at the Northumbria Police website.
The underwear brand Aussiebum has found itself having to explain why it ‘liked’ several of Donald Trump’s tweets.
The Australian based underwear brand AussieBum has explained why it liked several of President Donald Trump‘s tweets, by claiming their account was “compromised”.
The official Twitter account of AussieBum apparently liked some of Donald Trump’s more controversial tweets including ones calling Latin American refugees as “illegals”, calling The Washington Post “fake news” and Puerto Rico “one of the most corrupt places on Earth”
The liked tweets were unearthed by a Twitter user. However after the news that Aussiebum had liked the tweets broke on several news sites, the brand swiftly, but without explanation removed their likes.
The brand did reach out to fans on Twitter with the message, “Hi there- sorry for this! We found out that our account was compromised for a short period of time and someone thought it was funny to like Donald Trump. We have now corrected this and secured our account. Cheers, aussieBum Team”.
There are about 12 LGBT+ bars and clubs in Birmingham with the majority of them located in the gay village area of the city, which is in the south-east region of the city. Many of them are dotted around the famous Essex Street – Birmingham’s answer to Manchester’s Canal Street or London’s Old Compton Road.
One of the major critcisms that bars revcieved in Birmingham was overzealous security and bouncer staff. It might worth noting that many bars do not directly hire bouncers but employ outside security contractors.
So here are the best and worse gay bars in Birmingham ranked worst to best by Google Map users.
Eden 4.6 stars out of 72 reviews
(C) GOOGLE MAPS
Eden is located on Sherlock Street and has been voted the best bar by Google reviewers, however, it only has 72 reviews, unlike the Fox which has a whopping 224 reviews. However punters like this bar for its friendly staff and the happy hour. However, some say that the beer is a little bit pricey when Happy Hour ends. One reviewer wrote it was their favourite bar in Birmingham because “ a sense of community here and the owners talk to their customers and care” Another added, “My time in Eden was certainly eye-opening… As soon as I entered the door I felt welcomed, the service was incredible and oh so friendly”.
The Fox 4.5 stars out of 224 reviews
(C) GOOGLE MAPS
The Fox is one of the most reviewed “LGBT Friendly” bars in Birmingham with a whopping 224 reviews and it is only just pipped by 0.1 by Eden Bar. The Fox is located on Lower Essex Street in the heart of the gay village. One customer called The Fox the best place in town for a night out, while another loved the “cheap beer and friendly people”. One reviewer added “The Fox is a fantastic little bar. The staff are always friendly and professional. The music is great and there is a good atmosphere at weekends” another showed appreciation for the signage saying “The best gay bar in town. So much love for the “No TERFs on our turf” sign. Truly, my spiritual home“.
Equator 4.3 stars out of 60 reviews
(C) GOOGLE MAPS
Located on Hurst Street the Equator is another one of Birmingham’s high ranking gay bars and it serves food – apparently “the best breakfast”. One reviewer suggested “A good bar to start your evening out, in the gay village. A very good atmosphere to meet friends to talk in a pleasant atmosphere. Another added, “Great cosy little bar … friendly staff and customers just a shame it often closes on a Sat night between 11- 11:30.“
The Village Inn 4.0 stars out of 245 reviews
(C) GOOGLE MAPS
The Village Inn seems to be the most popular of all the gay bars in Birmingham with the most Google reviews. It has 245 of them – 21 more than The Fox. Reviewers like the music, but some thought the bar staff were a bit rude and there have been complaints about the security staff. A one-star reviewer revealed, “Horrible, security I was pushed at the entrance and not let in with no reason…” However, others think that the place is great and it serves “first-rate” food.
Boltz 4.0 stars out of 48 reviews
If you’re looking for something a little more on the Fetish side then make sure Boltz is on your “to do” list. Customers love the staff and the prices of the drinks. One reviewer added “Not everybody’s cup of tea but sometimes you need a strong coffee.”
The Core Club 4.0 stars out of 5 reviews
Another more fetishy place is The Core. It has the fewest reviews of any of the gay bars in Birmingham but does manage to achieve a 4-star status.
The Fountain Inn 3.8 stars out of 27 reviews
C) Google Maps
If you’re looking for something a little more traditional look for The Fountain Inn on the edge of the gay village. It has only 27 reviews but manages 3.8 stars. It’s fairly informal and what you see is what you get. Reviewers loved the food.
Sidewalk 3.7 stars out of 102 reviews
The Sidewalk is a trendy loft-style haunt in the centre of the gay village in Birmingham and does 2 for 1 cocktails during the earlier hours. Reviews are generally favourable but does manage to reach 4 stars. One reviewer wrote, “From the minute you walk off the pavement, I was greeted with friendliness and a warm welcome, from door staff, professional and friendly, to bar staff, polite, smiling and engaging. Had a lovely gin and tonic, comfy seat in the leather armchairs, that gives the place a gentlemen’s club feel – gentile. Great ambience”. Another added, “Like the Village, this is perhaps one of the only venues on Hurst Street that I would recommend. It is far classier than The Missing Bar in my humble opinion and you do not have to be on guard 100% of your visit. It is clean, staff are and always have been approachable and friendly, you have a generous selection of cocktails and beverages at the tip of your fingers, and the food is far from shabby too.”
One reviewer did mention that the service could be quite slow writing “So initially this bar seemed quiet and cosy. We stood at the bar for around 5 minutes trying to get served baring in mind there was only a couple of people at the bar but the barman was too busy chatting away.“
Missing Bar 3.7 stars out of 63 reviews
Missing Bar is a popular bar in Birmingham and it manages a fairly respectable 3.7 stars. However one of the latest reviewers complained that the place felt “dreary” and felt that the drinks were expensive. Reviewers also noted that it had a “great buzz”.
Nightingale Club 3.6 stars out of 117 reviews
Another very busy place in Birmingham is the Nightingale Club which received over 117 reviews and it manages a fairly respectable 3.6 stars, however, reviewers complained about security being heavy-handed and “vile”. Reviewers have noted that there is a great atmosphere, with one writing “Great atmosphere, and a fabulous mix of music and entertainment in the different rooms. My only criticism is they need more staff on the bar”
Glamorous Birmingham 3.2 stars out of 58 reviews
Glamorous Birmingham is a club experience in Birmingham with an average rating of 3.2 stars. Some reviewers found the place to be friendly, with lovely bar staff, others had complaints about the security and sticky floors.
Bar Jester 2.7 stars out of 38 reviews
Bar Jester is a little way out of the gay village area of Birmingham and is a little venue, however, it doesn’t do so well in the eyes of Google reviewers. Again reviewers highlight issues with security staff – with one calling them “unprofessional”.
Police have opened an investigation after a report of a man being raped in Manchester’s City centre. Police have released three CCTV images of people they’d like to speak to.
At around 1.30am on Wednesday 3 April 2019, police were called to a report that a 28-year-old man had been raped.
The man had met with two men in the Canal Street area before walking towards Back Piccadilly, where he was then raped and robbed.
After the attack, it is believed the offenders met up with a further man before all three travelled via Birmingham and London Victoria on the National Express Coach, arriving in London around 6 am.
Since the rape occurred, officers have been examining CCTV footage to establish the circumstances surrounding the offence.
CCTV images released by investigating officers show three men they want to speak to in connection with the investigation.
Detective Constable Louise Kelly of GMP’s City of Manchester division, said, “Since the attack, we’ve been following numerous lines of enquiry, but unfortunately we have yet to find the men responsible.
“We have now released images of three men we want to speak to.
“Anyone who recognises these men should get in touch with us as soon as possible.
“We urge people to pass on any information, no matter how small, so that we can progress this investigation further.”
Anyone with any information should contact police on 0161 856 4409 quoting reference 133 03/04/19 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
TV star India Willoughby said that those four years had been “the best years” of her life.
Celebrity Big Brother star India Willoughby is celebrating her fourth birthday as India. Taking to Twitter she said that she had “no regrets” and advise anyone on a waiting list should “hang in there”.
She wrote, “I’m four years old today – and despite one of two things, they have been without doubt the best years of my life. Being true to yourself: priceless. Anyone stuck on a waiting list – hang in there. You’ll get there. No regrets”.
India Willougby was the UK’s first transgender newsreader and has since gone on to star in Celebrity Big Brother, Loose Women, and Good Morning Britain.
Fans of the outspoken journalist congratulated her on the milestone with one adding “Chuffed for you … lovely you’re happy now” while another tweeted, “Happy birthday India. I might not agree with every single thing you say but I commend your audacity to say what you think, not what every 1 expects you should think you’ve taught me to be proud to have an opinion&I don’t always agree with the majority either but I now embrace that”
