THEGAYUK

Category: Comment

  • OPINION | No Time Wasters

    There is a photograph in a grid. Taken in the harsh yet flattering light of a locker room. You click on the picture and then read the shopping list.

    ”Vers”

    ”Under 40”

    ”Smooth”

    ”Muscle”

    ”Neg Guys only”

    And then there is it; the three word clause, so common as to be almost a default mantra of the hook up app profile;

    ”No Time Wasters”

    You do a quick sum and calculate the amount of time it will take to travel the 1.2km it says he is away. Hey, you may be horny but you’re busy too and can only spare an hour. Two max.

    So please don’t waste my time.

    We know just what those words on the phone screen mean. Showering and douching for the fit muscle guy a couple of streets away that never shows. The chain of hot cock pictures that abruptly goes cold. In order to secure a casual Sunday afternoon hungover f**k, we write it on the list. When you encounter yet another one; curse those f’king apps and I AM gonna delete all them this time for definite; it becomes another piece of evidence to pluck out and present how all gay men are shit.

    So we write it down. If only to save ourselves from minor irritation. After all that half an hour spent negotiating could have been invested in a hot bloke who followed through. It’s annoying isn’t it… Every gay man can swap war stories of the casual time waster that’s inconvenienced him, the ones who don’t show up, the guy that didn’t text back.

    Much has been documented about the ”Together Alone” nature of social media and how isolating the faux intimacy of virtual relationships can be. There is something brutal about how the Grindr and Scruff’s of the online world at their most ruthlessly efficient can pare interaction down to the bare minimum. Why spend half a day traveling into the city to engage in drinks ‘n small talk with a good looking potential conquest when one can in theory be naked with a like minded individual in the vicinity via the exchange of a few messages?

    At a time when we are told we work on average far longer hours than our parent’s generation, it’s hardly surprising that more so than ever time has become a currency not to be squandered. In the prehistoric pre web days, quick casual sex was the domain of the scuzzier gentlemen’s toilet and public park cottages. Now though, due to health fears, the risk of law and advances in portable technology, sex on the doorstep has become infinitely more convenient. Not unlike putting in a grocery order online. Witness the amount of gay businessmen away from home who reach for the smart phone and check out who’s nearby barely a split second after the hotel room door is shut.

    It’s true that No Time Wasters has become a hook up app cliché but it’s there though because phones and laptops have made us increasingly impatient and searching for what’s instant. No matter how small the investment we’ve made with that currency.

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • COMMENT | The Dangerous Relationship Between Obesity and HIV

    The Dangerous Relationship Between Obesity and HIV

    According to recent data from the SUN (Study to Understand the Natural History of HIV and AIDS in the Era of Effective Therapy), which includes 494 patients, approximately 61% were either overweight or obese. Obesity was associated with insulin resistance, elevated cholesterol, increased inflammation and atherosclerosis.

    A reduction of dietary intake of 500 calories per day for 8 weeks resulted in a 6% decrease in body weight. What was remarkable in this study was the dramatic decline in systemic inflammation observed in the study participants. Indeed, two reputable markers of inflammation, tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and C-reactive protein, were reduced by almost 50% in only 8 weeks of calorie reduction.

    Inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), kidney problems, osteoporosis, cogitative impairment and fragility, are becoming increasingly common in people living with HIV. As the prevalence of obesity and HIV-associated co-morbidities continues to rise, and concerns for the spiralling economic and social costs escalate, innovative management strategies beyond primary care are urgently needed. Many traditional lifestyle interventions can be implemented with the assistance of professionals, including:

    • Maintain a maximal viral suppression with antiretroviral therapy
    • Reduce or stop smoking
    • Lose at least 5-10% of body weight (if overweight)
    • Exercise
    • Consume more fruits and vegetables
    • Reduce alcohol intake

    One reason why people who are infected with HIV have high levels of inflammation is that HIV destroys the structure of the intestine (gut), causing bad bacteria to strive, and changes the dynamics of the gut microbiota.

    Toxins produced by bad bacteria cross the wall of the intestine and into the blood stream to instigate and fuel inflammation, and cause age-associated diseases. Similarly, alterations of the gut microbiota and mucosal barrier have been identified as a novel CVD risk factor and are associated with metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.

    Incredibly, probiotic treatment using Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis 420 has shown great promise in reducing body weight and liver inflammation in animal models.

    The increasing prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes demonstrates the difficulties of conventional treatments and interventions to curb these diseases. Efforts to identify new therapeutic strategies to modulate gut microbiota are now a high priority for public health and, to date, probiotics and/or prebiotics seem to be the most effective tools.

    Diet, especially high intake of fermentable fibres and plant polyphenols, appears to regulate microbial activities within the gut, supporting regulatory guidelines that encourage increased consumption of whole-plant foods (fruit, vegetables and whole-grain cereals) and providing the scientific rationale for the design of efficacious prebiotics.

    Polyphenol-rich cranberry extract has been proven to protect mice from diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance, although the effect might have been mediated by the regulation of intestinal inflammation. Recent human studies with carefully selected probiotic strains have shown that ingestion of viable micro-organisms with the ability to hydrolyse bile salts could lower blood cholesterol, a recognised risk factor in obesity-related CVD.

    1. Overton ET. Metabolic complications of HIV infection and its therapies. Top Antivir Med 2014,22:651-654.
    2. Palmer CS. Inflammation speeds up the aging process in people infected with HIV, 2014, http://www.naturalimmunity.com.au/hiv.html#B.
    3. Palmer CS, Crowe SM. How does monocyte metabolism impact inflammation and aging during chronic HIV infection? AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2014,30:335-336.
    4. Stenman LK, Waget A, Garret C, Klopp P, Burcelin R, Lahtinen S. Potential probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis 420 prevents weight gain and glucose intolerance in diet-induced obese mice. Benef Microbes 2014,5:437-445.

    Dr Clovis Palmer is a graduate of the University of Sydney, Australia, and holds a PhD in plant biochemistry and molecular genetics. He conducted postdoctoral studies in immunology, liver disease and obesity at the University of New South Wales, Australia.

    Dr Palmer is a reviewer for several top ranked international journals including Hepatology, AIDS and Antioxidants and Redox Signalling. He is the chief scientific editor for Natural Immunity-Health, Australia (www.naturalimmunity.com.au).

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • The Rise Of Revenge Porn

    Revenge porn is an issue that affects us all and is far from just a women’s issue.

    This has been made apparent in a recent high profile case appearing in the media where an openly gay journalist was sacked after his employers were notified of private photographs of him posted on a website without his consent. We read a lot about the legal issues behind revenge porn but what is actually going on in the minds of the perpetrators and the subjects of the pictures.

    What is revenge porn?

    Revenge porn is the term used to describe the distribution of sexual graphic images normally where such distribution whether physically or electronic is without the subject’s consent. The motive behind revenge porn is to cause harm so it’s not surprising that some refer to it as nothing better than a hate crime, where others view it a form of sexual abuse, with some deeming it to be cyber rape. Emotionally, this form of cyber bullying and harassment can have detrimental effects on the subject, however with a deeper level of understanding of what is going on internally we can make a greater stand against it.

    Psychology of the subject

    Subjects of revenge porn find themselves the object of scrutiny, ridicule and prejudice. Many employers are inexperienced to deal with this burgeoning issue and some have been criticised for apparently mishandling the situation based on the perceived risk to their reputation and credibility. However, it is not just subject’s work lives that can be affected. Relationships can break down because of the publishing of an affair and ultimately many have been left feeling suicidal at the negative impact revenge porn has had on their lives.

    The immediate embarrassment and anger can develop into feelings of guilt, shame, humiliation, stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, sleep disturbance, thought disturbance, victimisation and depression.

    Although men are largely free in society to bare bodies (namely chests) without repercussion, this does not allow for a more relaxed attitude to male revenge porn. The threat of harm is very real. Of the 10% of people who threaten to post revenge porn images, 60% go ahead and do so. The harm caused can be a very real trigger for mental health problems in the subject, not just depression but also PTSD is starting to be seen in revenge porn subjects.

    Understanding these are all natural responses to a difficult and unpleasant situation is the first step in taking action towards a more positive outcome. It is fine to treat the symptoms but getting to the core cause of the matter will help. Understanding the mentality of the person who set the chain of events in motion will go a long way to moving forward.

    Psychology of the perpetrator

    As regularly seen in social media, the increasingly easy access we have to a wider audience means more and more people are using social media and the internet as a channel to express their negativity.

    Revenge porn is not freedom of speech. It is a manifestation of hate.

    Thrill seekers, territory offenders, retaliatory offenders and mission offenders are the most likely perpetrators of revenge porn. These are people who live without integrity, dignity or grace and exist within the track of fear and not the track of love. They apportion blame because they cannot take personal responsibility for their actions. Blame is an unhealthy emotion as it forces the perpetrator to want the subject to feel the same negative emotions the perpetrator feels so that they themselves do not have to deal with such emotions in a helpful positive way. By retaining power over your emotions you are denying the revenge pornographer of his feed and as such you are still in control.

    Perpetrators are seeking catharsis and want to “have the last word” but it is clear by their actions that they are unhealthy weak individuals hiding behind a computer screen. Seeing them for what they really are and exposing such keeps the power with you and will unsettle them as the last thing they want is to be pitied and judged. In some cases, narcissism could be a factor for those who use revenge porn to get back at an ex having been annoyed that they were dumped before they were able to let go. In these cases it is even more so about the power struggle between two people. The best strategy here is to not engage or react where possible, make them play by your rules where you dictate how the situation will actually play out.

    Bullies see cyberspace as a place where societal accepted norms and everyday rules no longer apply. Such disassociation makes it easier for the bully to cause harm and emotional pain as they do not always see the consequences of their actions. Some bullies actually enjoy watching the suffering they cause. Posting revenge porn releases brain chemicals which reduce the stress response and negative emotions which make the perpetrator feel better. They seize control of their environment and circumstances and play out fantasies by dissociative imagination. If you don’t outwardly react in the manner they expect they will not get the repeated hit of chemicals and will eventually feel a deficit of such like a drug addict in withdrawal. It is here you know you have the upper hand and you do not have to feel like a victim because they are the ones with the issue.

    Recovering from revenge porn

    It should not be a right to consume or distribute sexually graphic images without the subject’s consent nor should it be a right to publicise such material or engage in threats or harassment to publicise such. But apportioning blame turns you into a victim. Although being the subject of revenge porn can be hurtful, it is vital that you do not allow the negative actions of others to affect your self-worth. Use the experience as an opportunity to develop.

    It is key to make better decisions about who you trust and who you allow yourself to be influenced by. Letting go of any previous bad decisions you may have made, changing your expectations and raising your standards will guide you towards avoiding attracting unhealthy or unstable people. You can create an environment where this is unlikely to happen again and as such let go of any fears you may hold on to.

    It is easy to take on a victim mentality and as such consider retaliation on the photographer themselves or perhaps someone else later down the line. It is imperative to continue to behave in a healthy dignified way, recalibrate your beliefs and actions only towards the positive by putting out to the environment that which you want to attract

    If you are the type to keep things to yourself then now is the time to reach out for support. If however you feel strongly about such and are the personality type to thrive in the limelight then take the opportunity to turn this seemingly negative situation into a positive one by bringing together your community and take a stand together against this latest form of bullying.

     

    Time to take a stand

    If we all refused to look at it, the perpetrators would lose their power and this issue would go away. Although that may be an unrealistic expectation, what we can do is stand up to these latest bullies in whatever way feels right for us.

    As a society we are constantly allowing the unacceptable to become acceptable. Although it is easy to say and harder to do, we need to rise above the behaviour of perpetrators of revenge porn and put a stop to their negative actions.

    If you are affected by the issues raised in this article and you need to talk to somebody call the LGBT Switchboard: LLGS on 0300 330 0630 or visit: http://www.llgs.org.ukor call Samaritans on 0845 790 90 90.

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • OPINION | Coming Out? Won’t someone think of the parents?

    For a lot of people, even with today’s increasing acceptance of gay men and women, declaring one’s ‘different’ sexuality or ‘coming out’ is difficult and complicated. Society doesn’t expect straight teenagers to stand up and declare they like the opposite sex (i.e. heterosexual) – it’s still normally assumed. But gay teenagers do have to make a public declaration.

    So, accepting that you aren’t the same as your family, and most of your peers, can create emotional turmoil. It takes strength of character to be different. On top of that telling others about this very personal part of you can be uncomfortable.

    As the actor, Ben Whishaw, recently said in an interview with the Sunday Times, “It’s hard to have a conversation with people you’ve known your whole life about a very intimate thing. It’s massively weighted with all sorts of stuff, whatever the wider world is saying… it’s an intimate and private and difficult conversation for most people.”

    For most young adults, gay or straight, talking about sex to their parents is embarrassing. Having the added element of not being of the same sexual persuasion as them is even more challenging no matter what some may believe. Yes, there is an increased awareness and lots of gay soap opera characters and gay celebrities but, if your are heterosexual, finding out that your son or daughter is not of the same sexual inclination as you can take some adjusting.

    Unfortunately, for family and friends, because of this increased awareness, there can be an attitude of ‘just get over it’ or parents should accept you for what you are – if they love you. There is a general expectation that the acceptance of people with different sexual attractions should be easy and almost immediate. But life is really not like that, and for quite a few parents, and family members and friends, a coming out announcement is a challenge.

    A lot of focus, quite rightly, is placed on helping gay individuals who are confused about their feelings. In time most come to accept who they are. Little support, however, is given to parents, siblings and friends. They are expected, almost immediately, to accept a ‘different’ son or daughter to the one they thought they knew – a person that perhaps the coming-out individual has spent years learning to accept.

    Acceptance usually takes time and mistakes are made. Because of this family and friends can suffer feelings of guilt, loss and shame. The fact that these feelings are understandable doesn’t make it easier. Sometimes, because of religious or cultural beliefs that have been part of a parent’s whole life, it can become almost impossible.

    Learning that a child, sibling or friend is gay, lesbian or bisexual can feel like discovering that the person you knew is actually someone different. In fact, a person who has come out hasn’t changed; they are still the person that parents loved and cared for. But they, the parents, have to come to terms with new information about their child. And as they are heterosexual this is an area they have little experience in.

    There may be a sense of mourning for the loss of what society still sees as the ideal – a wedding and grandchildren, or nephews and nieces. There may be guilt – “what did I do wrong and what will the extended family and neighbours think?”. Anger is also not unusual – “How could they deceive me and let me think of a future that wasn’t to be or do things behind my back?”.

    All of these feelings are normal. Sometimes these feelings can be worked through by talking to the son or daughter who has ‘come out’; sometimes talking to others in the same situation can bring about a normality or even a realisation that the end of the world is not actually nigh. In some situations there may be a need to talk to a professional, such as a counsellor, so that one can explore one’s feelings without judgement.

    Remember, few parents are lucky enough to be able to accept the coming-out announcement without confusion and maybe anger. For most it can take time and may be difficult to adjust; but you, as the person who has gone through your own acceptance, has the control. You actually have some idea of what they may be going through too.

    You are the one to help them on the way forward. But you may have to be patient and remember the trip you have travelled to get where you are. Just don’t lose a father or mother, sibling or friend because they have not quite reacted the way you wanted them to. Give them time and remember your learning and acceptance about yourself also wasn’t instant.

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • OPEN LETTER | South Molton News, Alex Da Silva

    Following an article published in South Molton News, reader and writer for  THEGAYK Alex DaSilva writes an open letter to the editor, Paul Henderson.

    Hi South Molton News,

    I don’t know where to begin really: astonishment or anger.

    ‘The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions’. – This does not connect with the articgfle’s content.
    Allow me to correct you:

    ‘The Road of South Molton News is Paved with Bigotry and Ignorance.’

    I am so happy for you that you have never needed to have an “aggressive” pride movement. I am thrilled that you have, not once, felt ostracised, marginalised or made to feel like a second class citizen.

    Let me educate you on this raging pride. Pride means that no matter how much hatred comes in one’s direction, love and care that others feel for one another will be celebrated and proclaimed as a symbol of hope.

    A reminder that organisations: “Stonewall (and such like)” have gone through sacrifice and indefatigable knock backs, knock backs of which that have been caused by the likes of columnists of the South Molton News.

    It’s in not just a Gay Pride.. It is now a Human British Pride, for thousands and thousands are fighting our corner, against bigots (and such like) that reside in establishments such as yours.

    Have a ‘happy’ day.

    Alex DaSilva

    if you have an open letter to send Paul Henderson, please email it newsdesk@thegayuk.com

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • OPEN LETTER | South Molton News, G Dudley

    Another letter to the editor of South Molton News, after an article appeared under the title Grave Turner (See below) in which gay people are called an aberration.

    Sir
    I write by way of complaint and to express my disgust at your grossly distorted, bigoted, inaccurate and hateful article about homosexuality.
    Gay people are accustomed to reading drivel about them, from people who lack integrity and understanding. However, to find such an article written by what appears to be a patronising, bigoted old git, in what I can only describe as a second-rate rag, offends and concerns me deeply.

    In the “article” (and I use the term loosely), it is claimed that the Human Rights legislation “has been used to overturn well founded taboos that have, hitherto, stood the test of time over many generations.” Does this include the right to life? The right not to be thrown in jail for non payment of a debt? The right to freedom of expression, so that mutton-headed cretins can express their ill-conceived, vile views to other people? In point of fact, the Human Rights Act had not come into force when, in 1967, the then Conservative government decriminalised sexual “acts” between two consenting men. Indeed, the aforementioned legislation makes no direct and specific mention to homosexuality.

    The “article” is based upon the nonsense of antiquity. Such rubbish has long since been discarded by more enlightened thinkers. Perhaps you consider we should go back in time to antiquity:-
    In 1102, the Council of London (Roman Catholic church council of the church in England) took measures to ensure that the English public knew that homosexuality was sinful. In 1533 King Henry VIII passed the Buggery Act making all male-male sexual activity punishable by death. I feel certain we all know of Henry’s attitude towards his wives. Perhaps you would still prefer to have gay people hanged.
    It has only been men who were persecuted (remember Oscar Wilde?). Perhaps you would prefer to see both men and women hanged, or does your prejudice not include women on this particular “thorny issue”?

    In deference to the patronising statement that “Such persons as suffer from it should be treated with sympathy and understanding”, homosexual people do not “suffer” from being what they are, any more than heterosexuals do. I think it is more accurate to say that some people suffer from religion – as well as blind stupidity, absurd prejudice and a lack of empathy, whilst the rest of us, in turn, have to suffer them. It is also interesting to note that a significant number of people who are anti homosexuality are, in point of fact, homosexual, themselves, but are afraid or ashamed of what they are. Their fear and/or shame only having been born out of ignorance spouted by people who, themselves, feel they have something to be ashamed or afraid of. Fear/hatred of homosexuality is learnt, not inherited.

    As is so typical of people with a “chip on their shoulder”, the originator of the article (who is evidently so proud of the bile it writes, that it is too cowardly or ashamed to identify itself to other people), has to bring children into its nonsensical verbiage. Of course, no piece of bigotry would be complete, if it didn’t try to justify its stupidity, by “tugging at the heartstrings” of the feeble minded, suggesting that homosexual people are all child molesters and that homosexuality will corrupt the young. I’m afraid you’ll have to do much better than that, because that has been proven – time and again – to be factually incorrect. It is not possible to make someone into a homosexual – just as it is not possible to make a homosexual person become heterosexual. Were the great Alan Turing still alive, I don’t doubt that he would confirm this. However, because of people such you and the vermin that spout the drivel you have chosen to publish, Mr Turing was deprived of happiness and thus his life, despite having arguably one of the greatest minds the world has ever seen. The benefits he would have brought to humanity are immeasurable, but he was destroyed by the same ignorance, absurd prejudice and utter stupidity that you have shown. I am also wondering what other views you share with Adolf Hitler.
    If you have never watched the film “Victim”, starring the late great Dirk Bogart, I would suggest you do (that is always assuming you have the intelligence to understand its message). It is based so honestly on facts. People should not be killed or blackmailed, just because they happen to be attracted to members of the same gender. We are supposed to be the most intelligent species on the planet. However, so many people seem to revel in persecuting others for no reason other than they happen to be different. I can see no signs of a population crisis – indeed, far from it. It isn’t homosexual people who have overpopulated this planet. I am also not aware of any gay organisation that tries to “convert” people to being homosexual. Neither do not know of any homosexual who wants to kill or injure someone just because of an absurd and unjustified dislike of a quirk of fate that befell them due to something entirely beyond their control – their birth.

    What gives you the right to publish the nonsense that you have? The answer to that question is simple: the right to freedom of expression. That you won’t be persecuted because of your jaded, antiquated and dangerous views. That you should be allowed to publish the anonymous scribble of a coward, who was probably masturbating over images of naked men as he expressed his own self-loathing, and who found an outlet for his ghastly offspring in the grubby pages of a grotty, provincial, piece of tat! If you doubt what I say, think about why you have devoted so much time and energy in order to express your absurd dislike of something that is so benign. To think of all the problems this world faces, yet there are still people who devote feverish energy to criticise and persecute fellow human beings, whose only “crime” is to have been created different. You have made yourself look a complete and utter fool.
    You have shown a total lack of compassion towards fellow human beings. Before you go preaching your false prophecies of doom and destruction, because a few people are “gay” and want to be allowed to exist in safety and peace, think. Use the brain you would have us believe you possess. Remember that you believe you are a decent human being. All you have done is show your crass stupidity, your lack of understanding and that you and the coward to whom you have given a voice, are a menace to civilisation. Shame on you, sir!
    “…in spite of your talk of equality and fraternity, you still believe some people are better than others because of the way they make love.” Another Country
    G. Dudley

    If you have an open letter you wish to have published, please send to newsdesk@thegayuk.com

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • OPINION | Why we need to take Yulia Volkova’s Anti-Gay Comments Seriouslydan

    If the word hypocrite was to apply to one person in the world right now, I would have to apply it to Russian fake lesbian t.A.T.u singer Yulia Volkova.

    By now I’m sure everyone has heard about Volkova making anti-gay comments, saying that she would not support her son if he was gay and banging on about gay people not being real men. It’s got us all talking about t.A.T.u again, long after they slipped from relevance, but whether it’s another marketing ploy or not I believe that we need to take Yulia Volkova’s comments seriously and consider the damage her words could do.

    I have to admit to genuinely being annoyed by Volkova coming out publicly as a homophobe, particularly when she used lesbianism to gain exposure for her band and to make money. I believe her comments to be dangerous. Russia is now well known around the world for being an anti-gay country that is seemingly going backwards in time towards the dark ages rather than progressing with the majority of other countries on Earth. Whether people here in the UK take Volkova’s comments seriously or not, there is potential for those comments to be inflammatory and lead to a rise in anti-gay feeling, not just in Russia but in other European countries where t.A.T.u remain popular.

    Another thing that annoyed me about Volkova’s comments was the fact that she used supposedly having gay friends in an attempt to demonstrate that she is not a homophobe. Sadly this is something that is all too common. I have lost count of the amount of times that someone has said “I have loads of gay friends, but…” before then going on to make a homophobic statement. These people need to understand that having gay friends doesn’t mean that they can’t possibly be homophobic in any way.

    Something else that Yulia Volkova is guilty of is reinforcing a stereotype. Apparently, two women together (i.e. lesbians) is more aesthetically pleasing than two men together (i.e. “fags”). Of course, all lesbians are hot and purely exist for the titillation of heterosexual men, but gay guys and the thought of two men having sex is vomit inducing. How disgusting. I hope you detect the sarcasm there, but it’s outrageous that there are people in the world who genuinely think like that. It’s that reinforcement of stereotypes that t.A.T.u built their whole career on.

    In 2002 t.A.T.u released All The Things She Said. It was a massive hit around the world and quite rightly too (let’s not forget what a brilliant song it is), but it played on lesbianism and the idea that being lesbian is hot or en vogue. The two members cavorted around in the rain, wearing school girl outfits (jailbait, anyone?) and kissing passionately. Lots of us were fooled by the act and believed they were genuine lesbian pop stars. The gay community championed them and the band rose to fame, while no doubt making a lot of money on the way. Then came the revelation that they are not really lesbians and it was just a marketing ploy. I went off t.A.T.u at that point, despite being excited by their music. Using or exploiting sexuality for fame or financial gain simply isn’t cool, and I chose to no longer be a part of t.A.T.u’s machine.

    Even when it was revealed that t.A.T.u are not really lesbians, the members spoke out in support of the gay community. Volkova’s recent comments have shown her true opinions, though, and demonstrated that her previous support of gay people was as fake as her lesbianism.

    I’m quite aware that t.A.T.u as a band are no longer taken seriously, but I do feel we should take Yulia Volkova’s anti-gay comments seriously. She is a public figure in a notoriously homophobic country. There will be people who agree with her comments or who will change their views to match hers. That is a dangerous thing and we should be concerned, despite how ridiculous this woman obviously is. But to end on a positive, at least we gays are “better than murderers, thieves, or drug addicts”. There’s clearly hope for us yet.

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, it’s management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • OPINION | Yes or No… Is Scotland going to go?

    On Thursday 18th Sept 2014, History WILL be made. Never in my lifetime have I seen as many people engaged in politics, some for the very first time, there have been many arguments, wild accusations and straight out lies from both sides, and there have been some very ugly scenes on the streets, It feels like a different country and sometimes it feels like the beginning of a new revolution.

    It is exciting, scary and sometimes downright awful, but a passionate fire in Scotland has been lit, and it is more powerful and brighter than ever, and whatever your view on it all, it can’t be denied what has happened amongst the people has been incredible.

    But what about the LGBTI community in Scotland, how will it affect us?
    On Mon 15th Sept 2014, The Pink News website, published the results of a poll of 2163 LGBTI people and 54% voted in favour of a Yes vote, When I tweeted I wanted people’s opinions for this article, the majority of people also said they are voting Yes, and again the majority of LGBTI people on my social networks also favouring a Yes vote.

    Why is the Yes vote so strong amongst the LGBTI community in Scotland?
    Since the Scottish Parliament was formed, it has taken incredible strides for equality for the LGBTI community, but Britain as you may or may not know has no written constitution, decisions can be made and over-turned just as easily depending on who is in power at any given time, eg. nothing is set in stone, what is law now could just as easily not be law in the next government.

    From an LGBTI point of view that would be disastrous for everyone, for everyone who has fought for equal rights.

    From a Yes point of view, Scotland will have a written constitution with today’s laws written and enshrined in it, that would be a sense of stability for LGBTI communities all over Scotland, we would be equal, it cannot be taken away, an incredible reward for the decades of fighting for the smallest of rights to being able to marry the person we love. It would be leading the way in equality rights.

    It is with this in mind the Rainbow Paper was published detailing why a Yes vote would be beneficial for LGBTI communities –

    What If No Wins
    If a No vote does indeed prevail on Friday morning, then LGBTI communities all over Britain should be aware that after the next general election in May 2015 and the Conservative party are still in power they may seek to review and repeal the Human Rights act, placing everything that everyone who has fought for in jeopardy. That is something that everyone should be aware of, no matter where they live in the UK.

    The Morning After The Night Before
    On Friday 19th Sept, Britain is going to be a very different place, and that IS scary, even if a No vote has succeeded, a fire has been lit not just in Scottish politics but all over the UK, and the Govt and Westminster have a right to be scared, we all want change, we all want something better and we can and should make it happen.

    If a Yes vote prevails, it is very important to remember that it is NOT because Scotland hates England and all that tiresome rubbish the media and scumbags of society are throwing about, Hadrians wall is not suddenly going to re-appear, it was just a chance for change, a chance to make life better, a chance to have your voice heard.

    Scotland will always quite literally be a part of Britain, it will just have its own voice, It will be your annoying brother, that deep down you love to bits, just as England will be the annoying older Brother that we also dearly love.

    I LOVE Britain, It is Great! Just because there maybe 2 Governments instead of 1, does not mean a thing.

    I will still count myself as British, just as I have always done no matter which way it goes.
    In the words of the legendary RuPaul: Can I Get An Amen Up In Here!

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, it’s management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • OPINION | Cost The Reason HPV Vaccinations Aren’t Offered To Boys?

    Extending the HPV vaccine to gay men could help the fight against cancer.

    Dr Gillian Prue, lecturer of chronic illness at Queen’s University of Belfast, recently published in the British Medical Journal, that the current girl-only vaccination programme leaves men who have sex with men (MSM) at risk of infection from the human papilloma viruses (HPV).

    HPV is a common virus that has more than a 100 different strains. Some of them being common and relatively harmless with most people having some form of the virus during their lifetime. For most people, it will cause no symptoms and goes away on its own.

    But there are some strains of HPV that can cause changes in the cells of the lining of the mouth and throat as well as the penis and anus, known as high-risk HPVs. These changed cells have an increased risk of becoming cancerous.

    There are also strains of HPV that cause warts and verrucas, most commonly found on the hands, feet, genital area and anus. But can also be found elsewhere on the body.

    The danger with HPV is that it can be easily spread through skin contact, open mouth kissing and certain sexual acts. Infection is common in men and reports of infection have increased in the past two decades with HPV causing 5% of all human cancers.

    In September 2008, a free vaccination has been readily available for young girls aged between 12-13 in the UK with a catch-up programme for girls up to 18. Heterosexual men gain protection from the virus via vaccinated women but gay and bisexual men have no such protection and are therefore at a higher risk of infection.

    But by introducing the vaccination to men, vaccinated men would be protected against non-vaccinated girls and other men.

    Many countries have already introduced the HPV vaccination to boys such as Canada, Australia and the US. Studies have shown that vaccinating boys will produce both health and economic benefits, reducing the incidences of HPV-related genital warts and cancerous cells developing.

    And although gay and bisexual men are at a higher risk of infections, a programme targeted solely at the gay and bisexual men in the UK would be limited because many gay and bisexual men acquire HPV as teenagers and many have already been exposed to HPV already according to Prue. It has also been criticised that such a programme would appear to discriminate against young heterosexual men who are also susceptible to the risk of HPV.

    Last November the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation agreed to begin work on the possibility of offering the HPV vaccination to adolescent boys and MSM. No doubt the main deterrent for introducing the vaccination will be the cost of the vaccination, estimated to around £24,000,000.

    The most beneficial response to this would be a gender neutral vaccination strategy in schools. Anything else would simply be discriminatory. With the cost of the vaccination paling in comparison to the cost of cancer treatment caused by HPV, it seems like the next logical step in the fight against cancer.

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, it’s management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • Open Letter To East Sussex Council After Sale To ‘Cure Gays’ Group

    Lewes couple challenge the legality of council sale of former school to ‘homophobic sect’ that claims it can ‘cure’ gays.

    Tony Leonard & Dominic McCartan have written to East Sussex County Council Chief Executive, Ms Becky Shaw, demanding that the council explains how its decision to sell the former site of St Anne’s School at a price below its market value to religious organisation, Subud, is in keeping with its obligations under the Equality Act 2010.

    September 1st 2014.

    Dear Ms Shaw,

    We are writing in regard to East Sussex County Council’s proposed sale of the St Anne’s site at a below market price to the religious sect, Subud. We understand that ESCC are able to agree to sell public assets at reduced cost if the sale is of benefit to the community.

    We would like to enquire how ESCC’s legal obligation to ‘having due regard’ was exercised during the various stages of the decision to accept Subud’s bid.

    Please note that we have copied this letter to Stonewall, the LGBT charity, and the Equality Advisory Support Service (both of which have provided me with information) and other interested parties. Your prompt reply is most eagerly anticipated and will no doubt be closely scrutinised by the above with a view to possible intervention by the Equality & Human Rights Commission.

    We would like to remind you that according to the Equality Act 2010, East Sussex County Council, as a public body, has an equality duty to take account of equality, discrimination and good relations between protected groups in order to embed equality considerations into the day to day work of public authorities in order to counter discrimination and inequality.

    The equality duty covers age, disability, gender re-assignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

    Under this legislation, East Sussex County Council has a general duty which makes clear the goals to which public authorities must have due regard in carrying out their functions.
    The general duty also applies to voluntary or private organisations if they are carrying out public functions on behalf of public bodies – therefore any community services offered by Subud in return for the reduced price at which they acquired the building from ESCC are also required to comply with the general duty.

    The general duty has three aims. Public bodies in all their operations must have due regard to the need to:

    • eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation
    • advance equality of opportunity between people from different (equality) groups
    • foster good relations between people from different (equality) groups.

    The phrase ‘having due regard’ means that a public body must consciously consider the three aims of the general duty in all its decision making.

    In advancing equality of opportunity public bodies will need to consider:

    • removing or minimising disadvantages experienced by people because of their protected characteristics
    • meeting the needs of people with protected characteristics
    • encouraging people with protected characteristics to participate in public life.

    The requirement to ‘advance equality of opportunity’ is stronger than the previous duties which only required the ‘promotion of equality’.

    Fostering good relations means tackling prejudice and promoting understanding between people from different groups.

    The religious sect, Subud, is a homophobic organisation that classifies homosexuality as a “disease of the soul” and claims that it can ‘cure’ homosexuality through the practice of the ‘latihan’. This position has been stated repeatedly in the talks and writings of Subud’s founder, Muhammad Subuh Sumohadiwidjojo (usually referred to as Pak Subuh or Bapak).

    Here’s what Bapak says about homosexuality in Pewarta Kedjiwaan Subud, Replies to Member’s Question, Volume 5, #157. “Your habit of being a homosexual is actually a habit and conduct which violates the Will of God. For this reason, if someone behaves in this way he is classed as a sinner. This is how it is. So you should really and truly feel about this matter, and since you have been able to receive and practice the latihan kedjiwaan you should prevent the urge of the passions which want to do this, and turn your inner-feeling to the Power of Almighty God with trust and sincerity, so that your inner-self will be protected from the influence of these bad forces. That is all, and Bapak prays that you will be able to carry out what Bapak has said above.”

    This is not merely an historical position; Bapak’s teachings remain the underlying philosophy of Subud following his death in 1987. Although membership is open to everyone, in the absence of a single spiritual leader, control of the movement has fallen to local, national and international committees of ‘Helpers’ who are instructed by Bapak’s Advice and Guidance to Helpers. This was last republished in 2013 and remains the most current and up-to-date position of the sect.

    The section on homosexuality states:

    “The latihan kejiwaan is guidance and training from the power of God which we receive whenever we surrender to Him, free from the influence of the heart and mind. As a result of the latihan kejiwaan sins and faults that are hidden deep within our being are brought to light in order that they may be cleaned out and put right. These are things that we may not have been aware existed within us. It is necessary that we should become aware of these faults within us during the process of purification. Only what is most important for you is that you should not follow or act out the temptations you are experiencing, which are just part of the purification process. This is because homosexuality is not allowed by religion and is not allowed by God. It is a misuse of the body and not only harms a person physically but harms the jiwa in a way that is very difficult to put right.

    Therefore, you must be very firm in avoiding such conduct. To lighten your situation the only way possible is to do the latihan with a full feeling of trust in and surrender to the greatness of God Almighty, for He is able to correct those things within us that we are unable to put right.” From Bapak, (letter) 5 May, 1976.

    Any questions as to the current status of the doctrines contained in this volume within the sect are clearly and unambiguously answered in the introduction:

    “In visiting many groups, we were often surprised to see helpers confused and resorting to testing matters that are clearly explained in previous editions of this book. We would therefore like to recommend strongly that all helpers allow time during their helpers’ meetings, when discussing a problem – before making a decision – to look up what Bapak says about it. We hope that this way all helpers’ work will be lighter and have more clarity.

    “Reading Bapak and Ibu Rahayu’s answers to members questions, it is clear to us that many questions would not have been necessary had the content of Bapak’s talks been known to the writers – helpers as well as members. Bapak’s saying, well known by now, ‘stand on your own feet’ surely also implies looking up the answers to our questions in Bapak’s talks ourselves, a task that everyone will find most rewarding, and for which this book may be of great help. ”

    There is clearly no confusion as to Subud’s position on homosexuality.

    The fact that Subud regards “being a homosexual is actually a habit and conduct which violates the Will of God”, although nonsensical in terms of our current understanding of the nature and roots of human sexuality, is unfortunately shared by many religious believers, whose rights are also protected under the Equality Act 2010. However it is the legally-stated duty of ESCC to tackle prejudice and foster understanding in order to foster good relations between people from different equality groups. It is our view that the general duty cannot be achieved by selling a public property off cheaply to the benefit of a bigoted and institutionally prejudiced organisation. We are keen to hear how this sale will benefit the wider community when it is clearly deeply offensive and alientating to LGBT community members.

    To describe people’s relationships and families in such terms is obviously obnoxious and divisive. LGBT people have fought long and hard against legal discrimination and social exclusion and to witness a local authority endorse an organisation that holds such views is disappointing and distressing. But it is Subud’s claims to be able to “correct” homosexuality, as a “disease of the soul”, through its spiritual practice that makes this sect damaging and dangerous to its own members and members of our community.

    Subud promotes the ‘latihan’ as a therapy that can result in the “correction” of homosexual desires. This practice is a form of “reparative therapy” or in layman’s terms, “praying the gay away”.

    In 2012, the Pan American Health Organisation / World Health Organisation said in a position statement that “services that purport to “cure” people with non-heterosexual sexual orientation lack medical justification and represent a serious threat to the health and well-being of affected people.”

    “Since homosexuality is not a disorder or a disease, it does not require a cure. There is no medical indication for changing sexual orientation,” said PAHO Director Dr. Mirta Roses Periago. Practices known as “reparative therapy” or “conversion therapy” represent “a serious threat to the health and well-being—even the lives—of affected people.”

    “The PAHO statement notes that there is a professional consensus that homosexuality is a natural variation of human sexuality and cannot be regarded as a pathological condition.

    “The document notes that no rigorous scientific studies demonstrate any efficacy of efforts to change sexual orientation. However, there are many testimonies about the severe harm to mental and physical health that such “services” can cause. Repression of sexual orientation has been associated with feelings of guilt and shame, depression, anxiety, and even suicide.

    “To address the problem, PAHO makes a series of recommendations for governments, academic institutions, professional associations, the media, and civil society, including:

    • “Conversion” or “reparative” therapies and the clinics offering them should be denounced and subject to adequate sanctions.
    • Public institutions responsible for training health professionals should include courses on human sexuality and sexual health in their curricula, with a focus on respect for diversity and the elimination of attitudes of pathologization, rejection, and hate toward non-heterosexual persons.
    • Professional associations should disseminate documents and resolutions by national and international institutions and agencies that call for the de-psychopathologization of sexual diversity and the prevention of interventions aimed at changing sexual orientation.
    • In the media, homophobia in any of its manifestations and expressed by any person should be exposed as a public health problem and a threat to human dignity and human rights.
    • Civil society organizations can develop mechanisms of civil vigilance to detect violations of the human rights of non-heterosexual persons and report them to the relevant authorities. They can also help to identify and report people and institutions involved in the administration of “reparative” or “conversion therapies.”
    (http://www.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6803&Itemid=1)

    All the major psychotherapy and counselling professional bodies in the UK have issued statements condemning the practice of “reparative” or “conversion” therapies and interventions. These are some examples:

    The British Psychological Society – Dec 2012
    “The British Psychological Society (BPS) opposes any psychological, psychotherapeutic or counselling treatments or interventions (often referred to as ‘reparative’ or ‘conversion’ therapies) that view same sex sexual orientations (including lesbian, gay, bisexual and all other non-heterosexual sexual orientations) as pathological. The BPS believes that people of all genders and identities should be regarded as equal members of society and protected from potentially damaging therapies and pathologising.”
    (http://www.bps.org.uk/system/files/images/therapies_attempting_to_change_sexual_orientation.pdf)

    British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy – Oct 2012
    “BACP opposes any psychological treatment such as ‘reparative’ or ‘conversion’ therapy which is based upon the assumption that homosexuality is a mental disorder, or based on the premise that the client/patient should change his/her sexuality. BACP believes that socially inclusive, non-judgmental attitudes to people who identify across the diverse range of human sexualities will have positive consequences for those individuals, as well as for the wider society in which they live. There is no scientific, rational or ethical reason to treat people who identify within a range of human sexualities any differently from those who identify solely as heterosexual.”
    (http://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/oct/01/conversion-therapy-gay-patients-unethical)

    British Psychoanalytic Council – 2011
    “The British Psychoanalytic Council opposes discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. It does not accept that a homosexual orientation is evidence of disturbance of the mind or in development. In psychoanalytic psychotherapy, it is the quality of people’s relationships which are explored, whether they are heterosexual or homosexual.”
    (http://www2.bpc.org.uk/sites/psychoanalytic-council.org/files/6.2%20Position%20statement%20on%20homosexuality.pdf)

    UK Council for Psychotherapy – Feb 2010
    “UKCP does not consider homosexuality or bisexuality, or transsexual and transgendered states to be pathologies, mental disorders or indicative of developmental arrest. These are not symptoms to be treated by psychotherapists, in the sense of attempting to change or remove them. No responsible psychotherapist will attempt to ‘convert’ a client from homosexuality to heterosexuality (‘reparative’ therapy).”

    College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists (COSRT)
    “COSRT as an organisational member of UKCP supports the UKCP statement on the ‘reparative’ therapy of members of sexual minorities. General Members must agree to comply with this document.”

    Professional Standards Authority
    “The Professional Standards Authority believes gay conversion therapy is inconsistent with our obligations under the Equality Act.”

    Association of Christian Counsellors – Jan 2014
    “We recognize that such models have the potential to impose situational demands on the client at a time of vulnerability with the potential to create harm and therefore view them as incompatible within the ethos of counselling.”
    (http://www.acc-uk.org/pdfs/ACC%20statement%20to%20its%20members%20January%202014.pdf)

    A compilation of professional bodies’ positions on “reparative therapies”, written in in response to a request by the Department of Health, can be found here: http://www.healthylives.stonewall.org.uk/includes/documents/cm_docs/2014/c/conversion-therapy-final.pdf

    We see from Subud’s plans for St Anne’s that it intends to provide a range of therapies and counselling services. Because of its categorisation that homesexuality “violates the Will of God” and because its interventions to “cure” homosexuality are unethical, unprofessional and present “a serious threat to the health and well-being—even the lives—of affected people” (PAHO/WHO), Subud is not an organisation that can or should be trusted in this role.

    We believe that East Sussex County Council is in serious breach of its obligations under the Equality Act 2010 in conducting this below-cost sale. We look forward to your reply, making clear how ‘conscious consideration’ of ESCC’s general duty under the Equality Act was applied at every stage of this process.

    Yours sincerely (and in violation of the Will of God according to Subud),

    Tony Leonard & Dominic McCartan

    A county council spokesman said: ‘East Sussex County Council takes its duty under the Equality Act 2010 extremely seriously and made all bidders aware of this at the application stage. Ability to comply with the Act is always part of an assessment process. In this case prior to assessment of the submitted bids, SUBUD was asked to clarify its position on people from groups protected by the legislation. Following these discussions we are satisfied that SUBUD is an open organisation which does not discriminate against any individuals or groups and has strong links with local communities. The assessment panel was also confident that SUBUD will work with all parts of the community.’

     

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • Joan Rivers, A Tribute

    “Comic genius, legend, diva, icon, trailblazer and one of the best and funniest friends the gay community has ever had”

    As the tributes come flowing in on the sad death of Joan Rivers comic genius, legend, diva, icon, trailblazer and one of the best and funniest friends the gay community has ever had, we have decided to reproduce our review one of The Gay UK’s most favorite movies of this Grande Dame. I had the pleasure of being at its Sundance Premiere in 2010 where it had been reported that Joan was not happy with the way that the movie portrayed her as a friendless figure. As the final credits rolled the audience unanimously gave it a rapturous standing ovation, the same reception it received when the movie played world wide, especially in front of gay audiences. Joan loved that we loved it, but then what’s not to love.

    The opening shots of “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work” are of an extreme close up of Joan’s face, without makeup first thing in the morning. This so succinctly sets the tone for this exhilarating bare-all movie that documents a roller-coaster year in the life of this comedic tour-de-force. Joan allowed the filmmakers complete access into her world, letting the cameras capture her numerous failures and joyous successes.

    The result is one of the most wonderfully truthful and funny documentaries about a show business legend that we may ever see.

    Here is Joan at 75 (as she continually reminds us) and she has not lost one ounce of her energy and vitality. Though she is as we expect, blisteringly funny, we see the depth of her ability to laugh at herself and also discover her relentless work ethic, her vulnerability and her compassion. As we have learnt from her stand-up, absolutely no topic is sacred even when she is being serious, and she is completely upfront about everything from her marriage, daughter Melissa, to her fall out with Johnny Carson and eventual blacklisting from NBC, and naturally her plastic surgery.

    If you admire Joan’s work, then you’ll end up really liking the woman too, and if you are already a fan, then you will positively love her after this endearing movie. Totally unmissable!