Category: Topics

  • COMMENT | Gay Media… Do better

    COMMENT | Gay Media… Do better

    Gay Times never should’ve hired Josh Rivers…20 days.

    That’s how long Josh Rivers lasted as editor-in-chief of Gay Times, Britain’s oldest and arguably most prestigious gay men’s magazine. Yesterday, the magazine suspended him following a Buzzfeed article which exposed bigoted and offensive tweets Rivers sent between 2011 and 2015 in which he attacked just about every marginalised group you can imagine.

    “I’ve just seen a girl in the tightest white tank & lord help me if she’s not pregnant, she should be killed. #gross” reads one tweet. “I wonder if they cast that guy as the ‘The Jew’ because of that fucking ridiculously large honker of a nose,” he tweeted in 2011. “Look here, tranny. 1) you look like a crackhead 2) YOU’RE A TRANNY & 3) your wig doesn’t deserve a mention. Avert your eyes, honey,” he said in a transphobic post.

    These are just the tip of the iceberg. While he did apologise, it clearly wasn’t enough. Following a public backlash, Gay Times sacked Mr Rivers today, effective immediately.

    The saga of Josh Rivers begs a lot of questions. Previously Gay Times’ marketing manager, Mr Rivers was promoted to editor despite having no discernable journalistic experience. A Google search on Wednesday turned up a negligible web footprint for any journalist, let alone the editor of one of Britain’s premier lifestyle magazines.

    This was part of the magazine’s “reboot,” an attempt to diversify their staff, output, and appeal beyond white gay men. Mr Rivers, who is multi-racial, was to head this reboot and make the magazine more appealing and relevant to a wider audience.

    Obviously, that failed. Instead of finding a bright young writer or editor to take the magazine in this brave and laudable new direction, James Frost – the man who bought Gay Times back in March – hired a bigot with a Twitter history to rival Donald Trump’s in the breadth of communities he’s insulted.

    “To every single person who is hurt, offended, and disappointed: I’m sorry,” Mr Rivers said in a tweet on Wednesday. “The tweets are horrible. They are abhorrent. They are ugly. They are so hateful. These tweets from my past show a deep self-loathing that I’ve worked hard to overcome.”

    This apology did little to placate many in our community, including me. I tweeted at Mr Rivers that “I’m just curious what you’ve done that shows you’ve changed and repudiated these horrible views.” Mr Rivers never responded.

    He should have. I firmly believe people deserve second chances. We’ve all had messy politics before. People grow and change as they mature. I wouldn’t want some of my opinions as a 17-year-old to be held against me at 31.

    But here’s the crux of the issue. Mr Rivers wasn’t 17 when he sent these tweets. He’s my age, which means the bulk of his offensive tweets were sent when he was about 25. 2011 wasn’t 1911. He should have known better. That he didn’t shows, at best, a stunning lack of judgment and at worst a strain of hatred and bile that shouldn’t be tolerated in a locker room, let alone on Twitter and certainly not in the pages of a national magazine.

    The issue is further complicated by the fact that the only way we know Mr Rivers disavows his old tweets is by his most recent tweet. He’s gone radio silent since Buzzfeed published its piece, and as I said, he has little web presence to go on. It’s hard to judge his sincerity because we don’t have a body of work to read. He’s as green as they come, which really begs the question – why was he promoted to editor in the first place? How did Mr Frost and Gay Times not know about Mr Rivers’ past? Buzzfeed found these tweets with little more than an advanced Twitter search. It’s clear nobody did their due diligence before Mr Rivers took the helm.

    That’s beyond unfortunate, especially given the circumstances. Trying to diversify Gay Times – and gay media in general – is a noble goal, and many (including me) were excited that a Black and Minority Ethnic gay man was at the helm of one of our most notable publications. Gay media has for too long been dominated by fit young white men, and it’s high time that we include more voices more regularly.

    For their part, Gay Times sought today to assure readers that even though Mr Rivers has been sacked, the magazine plans to continue with its rebranding. In a statement, Gay Times promised that it “will relaunch on 30 November, with what is quite possibly the most significant overhaul in its 33-year history.” Articles by Mr Rivers will be removed, but the “new-look magazine will feature submissions and significant contributions from the far reaches of our wonderful and diverse LGBTQ community.”

    What this “overhaul” will look like is anyone’s guess, though. If the debacle of Mr Rivers’ hiring-and-firing shows us anything, it’s that this diversification of gay media is off to a rocky start and will be harder than perhaps initially thought. Without announcing an interim editor-in-chief, it’s unclear what the future holds for Gay Times.

    Hopefully the magazine will again be helmed by a BME editor, preferably one with journalistic experience who has been thoroughly vetted before being hired. But it’s also important that all gay media, not just Gay Times, continue to bring in diverse writers, photographers, editors, and staff.I’m interested to see how Gay Times (and gay media generally) proceeds after this.

    Whatever happens, though, we need to not let this set us back on our road to including move voices. Mr Rivers is one man who should never have been given the job he had, but he’s not the only gay BME writer. There are hundreds of talented young BME LGBT people ready to take his spot. Hopefully, Gay Times will hire one of them – preferably one who doesn’t have such a checkered past.

     

    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 | Social Media: Is forgiveness a forgotten concept?

    Sometimes people are full of sanctimonious self-satisfying pandering to the masses actions.

    In the name of reasonableness do we not all have a past? I know I have said things in the past I am not proud of. I probably hold opinions now, some would disagree with.

    I loathe being near people who smoke, possibly more than any other person than an ex-smoker! It is those who are reformed who often have the strongest opposite view of the things they have taken part in.

    Life is about growth. We only learn who we are by experiencing life and that includes making mistakes.

    Whether it is an editor, a politician, a member of the local parish council, a film star or a worker at the checkout at the local supermarket, we are all likely to have sinned.

    “Let he or she who hath not sinned cast the first stone.” John 8:7

    Where would we be without forgiveness and understanding of change to promote growth. The best example I can think of where not holding a grudge against past actions would be the Germany of the Second World War, through to reunification and where it is now a strong European power.

    Please give it a rest. It is getting to be more frequent than a re-run on the BBC

    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 | Do we really live in a world where you can be gay in a football game, but not in real life?

    The computer game, Football Manager is to feature gay players. I find this one of the most refreshing and liberating moves of 2017.

    Although it also angers me that it’s taken until 2017 for it to happen. And it’s so shocking that modern male British football is still waiting for its first openly gay player.

    I find it incredibly weird that homosexuality still seems to be a problem in football. It’s absolutely crazy that in this day and age, we are still in a world where people can’t be themselves.

    I’m hoping this computer game will be a massive boost in combating homophobia that stems from football fans. Especially the young teenage fans who will be playing football manager.

    From what I’ve read about this game, I feel it will create a really a positive message. Yes, there are some amazing footballers who also happen to fancy men. Now let’s move on.

    This is what shocks me. The statistic that 8 percent of football fans said they would stop watching their team if it had a gay player. WTF! That shocks me to my very core.

    I’ve got a message for you 8 percent. I’m sure your teams won’t miss you or your homopnarrow-minded minded, bigoted support.

    I look forward to the day when anyone involved in football feels 100% comfortable with sexuality. Of course, I’m not naive enough to believe that this computer game is the answer to the problem. But at least it’s a start in normalising homosexuality in football.

  • COMMENT | Move the first brick and the wall of silence tumbles like a House of Cards

    Move the first brick from a wall of silence and it tumbles Like a House of Cards, like the world of Kevin Spacey must be doing right now.

    Anthony Rapp spoke out, feeling empowered following the allegations made against Harvey Weinstein. Rapp’s claims against Kevin Spacey may have unleashed the gay parallel.  Now young men are queuing up, to make disclosure of encounters of predatory behaviour and grooming.

    The Old Vic where Kevin Spacey was artistic director 2004-2015 has set up a confidential email address and is using external advisers.

    It seems the qualifying criteria of being a man under 30 could mean many may have been approached who have yet to come forward, though there is already a steady stream of allegation across 2 continents.

    Will this torrent stop at just Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey or are there other actors and perhaps even female actors who are not sleeping too well at the moment waiting to be contacted by the press to rebut an allegation of predatory or abusive behaviour against them.

    In the UK, we have seen the fall from grace of many a celebrity following the Jimmy Saville allegations and subsequently operation Yew Tree. Is there a need for a similar in-depth investigation into the glitzy underbelly of the American movie world to protect child actors, to protect women, and to protect men?

    The boundaries of decency and morally appropriate behaviour seem to have been crossed. In a world where there is a blurring of the boundaries between fantasy, and reality and life plays out like a “soap opera” is it time for the law to take definitive action and draw the line?

    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 | Kevin Spacey just handed bigots an open goal

    In any other moment, news that Kevin Spacey had come out would be met with worldwide acclaim.

    By Siebbi (ipernity.com) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
    He would’ve been welcomed openly, lauded for his bravery and provided a generation of his LGBT fans with another positive gay role model. Instead, Spacey decided to “come out” as a result of being accused of ‘sexual advances’ with a then-14-year-old boy. Criticism within the community was instant and deservedly brutal. But why aren’t the LGBT community not supporting Spacey in this moment? Well, because of history.

    “Gay Men are Paedophiles” has long been the right-wing attack on LGBT people. When Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was repealed in America,  prominent right-wing leader Bryan Fischer said it would increase cases of paedophilia stating, “we’ve talked about the fact that homosexuals commit sex crimes against children at about 10 times the rate of the heterosexual population…there’s this proclivity toward the abuse of children.”

    The fact is that there has been zero scientific evidence that would back up such a claim doesn’t seem to bother him and his audience lapped it up.

    But how could people believe that? Primarily, in the UK and US, this way of thinking has come from mishandling of LGBT groups around pro-paedophile groups namely, PIE (Paedophile Information Exchange) and NAMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love Association). In the UK, PIE was formed in 1974 by a gay man who was, at the time, in a relationship with a 15-year-old boy. The group, which advocated for the removal of the age of consent, received support from the National Council for Civil Liberties (now known as Liberty) and thus the connection to paedophilia and homosexuality was born. Similarly, with NAMBLA, they were part of the International Gay and Lesbian Association (ILGA) which would, in 1993, achieve UN consultation status (the group lost their status in 1994 due to the NAMBLA association and quickly dis-associated with them). Again, this appeared to align paedophiles and homosexuals. Add in decades of reports of sexual misconduct towards boys of men in power such as Priests and you can easily see the picture that was being painted over decades. That is why LGBT groups have battled for years to avoid even the slightest air of support of this sexual misconduct.

    Then why are we mad at Kevin Spacey? What he has essentially done here is used the accusation of ‘sexual advances’ with a minor to announce he’s a gay man. This opens up the old wound that has been deeply damaging to the community. If allegations against Spacey and, let’s face it, any gay male celebrity are proven to be true, (we must state that these are just allegations, Kevin Spacey denies any recollection of misconduct), then it gives anti-LGBT groups ammunition and opens generations of us to violence, accusations and mistrust. By using his statement to link homosexuality and sexual misconduct with minors, Kevin Spacey has swung open the door to the past, ripped open the healing wounds of the 70s, 80s and 90s and exposed LGBT people to false equivalence.

    You may be sat reading this thinking it’s an over-reaction but you’re wrong. I implore you to search Kevin Spacey’s name and the word “faggot” or “homo” on Twitter and see for yourself people coming up with their own conclusions about gay men as a whole. Minority groups don’t have the privilege of common sense dissociation. When a straight Hollywood exec is accused of rape, nobody questions if all straight men are rapists but if a gay man is found to be a paedophile then, for some, ALL gay men are paedophiles.

    Decades of bigotry, ignorance and hatred have been battled and now Spacey has handed them an open goal yet for him, it’ll mean nothing. Unless further allegations occur, Spacey will likely be able to lie low in his mansion, wait for it to blow over whilst he counts his millions and protects himself with hired security. But the real damage will be felt out here in the real world, beyond the bubble of celebrity. It’ll be felt by the gay school teacher looking to make a difference, the gay Scout Leader looking to enrich lives, the gay social worker looking to keep our young people safe. All that it takes is for a bigot to question their motives. Bigots do not need concrete evidence, they just need tenuous links, fragments of a conspiracy to build upon. And now… they’ve got it.

  • COMMENT | Terrorism: Is the media part of the problem?

    “COWARDS ATTACK AGAIN”

    I really don’t understand the mentality of the media. Fighting terrorism includes you. The media makes me sick with the number of times they re-run the same newscast. This is publicity for terrorism. Free publicity no terrorist organisation could afford. Primetime advertising. When will you realise that in your haste to earn a buck you are just a glorified marketing man of the terrorist.

    What a shocking and terrible intrusion into the grief of the families of the dead to see the location and the belongings of their loved ones in disarray bloodied and on the street, on every channel hour after hour. Have some respect.

    When unarmed people are gunned down, blown up or mown down in a country that is at peace in the name of a cause and religion, that is not a holy war. It is cowardice. War requires armed combatants fighting against each other to defend their beliefs. This is not a state of war there is no glory in massacring innocent people, it is a crime against humanity.

    Delusional fanatics are traditionally told one of 2 stories, especially suicide bombers:

    1. They will be protected from the fire and explosion by their God to emerge victorious.
    2. This is a route to glory and everlasting paradise.

    In the absence of surviving suicide bombers and it generally being accepted their pebble dashed remains stay at the scene, the first would appear to be a lie.

    The second poses the question, is this is the route to glory and eternal paradise and it is such a desirable place to be; why have your leaders not gone before you? This lack of willingness to tread the path to the ultimate goal by those who endorse it would suggest it too is a lie.

    There is too much procrastinating among politicians; now is the time for a political “cough and drop test” to see who has the balls to take stronger action.

    If the UK and the USA really do have a special relationship I would like to see shared policy-making to protect our citizens in both countries. United we stand.

     

    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 | Why Liverpool is the gayest city in the UK this time of the year

    Liverpool’s cultural history has always been rich, colourful and varied and has all the diversity you would expect of a major international port with a cosmopolitan outlook and long-established trade links to centres of creative activity the world over.

    Liverpool’s LGBTQ presence is well established, active and visible throughout a city which has long been proud of its artistic and cultural heritage and the contribution artists and pioneers such as Holly Johnson, Terence Davies and Brian Epstein have made to both Queer and mainstream popular culture.

    While some might say Liverpool lacks an established ‘gay village’ like Manchester’s Canal Street or Soho in London, savvy local’s will be quick to point out that the much of Liverpool’s city centre is a friendly, welcoming and safe space for LGBTQ locals and visitors alike. Many of the city’s well known and established bars, restaurants and creative spaces have a long history of gay ownership, staffing and management which has always encouraged a diverse and mixed clientele.

    Liverpool has a rapidly growing reputation as a world-class tourist destination having been granted World Heritage Status in recognition of its architectural and cultural importance. The city was also a European Capital of Culture and this major event kick-started a cultural and artistic renaissance which was also instrumental in positioning Liverpool as an important champion of LGBTQ arts and culture for the 21st Century.

    The Liverpool Biennial arts festival attracted a creative crowd from all over the globe, and its Independent fringe events in particular often featured a range of works by LGBTQ artists from Liverpool as well as further afield. Homotopia also originated during this exciting period of Liverpool’s artistic history with the specific aim of focussing on and celebrating LGBTQ art, performance and creativity and has become an essential and internationally significant yearly fixture in the cultural calendar.

    by  James Lawler, co-artistic director of The Gallery

    Find out more about Homotopia, visit their website.

     

    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 little cheaty secret the supermarkets don’t want you to know

    I have a lot of pet hates, as you will be aware if you ever get to know me or mistakenly read more than one of the items I write. I may even by now have made your list of pet hates.

    Just been to the local supermarket. It’s perched on a plot of land on the outskirts of the town. Well, of course, it is. Generally, they all are. It is how the High Streets met their untimely end and became what they are today in many places up and down the country. Streets of Barbers, hairdressers, coffee shop shops, branded and unbranded, fast food joints, empty shops and of course the ubiquitous charity shops. Rarely are a butcher’s, bakers, Green Grocers to be seen.

    The supermarket is pretty high on my list of pet hates for the damage it has caused our towns and the trade’s people whose lives it has decimated. Not to mention the heritage it has stolen from children whose futures were to work in the family shop.

    In the Supermarket, I have a deftness of purpose knowing where the single item I have come to purchase is to be found. But halfway down aisle 6 on the right towards the top shelf I realise it is not there! –“Bugger me sideways”- It’s been merchandised. “It’s been what?” I hear you ask.

    Turns out when we get familiar with where to find things and are no longer looking at everything shiny and knew like a kleptomaniac on day release from the asylum, but are blinkered and single-minded to buy what we want; they move it. They call it merchandising so we have to be aware of our surroundings and are tricked into buying more than we came for. So there you have it merchandising on is my list of pet hates, but today it was much worse.

    With a change of weather in the air and the chill of the night ahead, there was a reason for this fervent merchandising activity. It is in preparation of a festive time ahead, beginning with letter “C.” I shall not spell its name whilst it is still October, as it has no place for another 2 months other than to be in memory for its annual usage.

    But no matter, I was not swayed. I purchased my single item; oh and the mince pies do taste very good this year and such value. No, they got me! I bought bloody mince pies too.

  • COMMENT | Utter Trash: Lord Tebbit, Pollution does not create transgender people

    Former chairman of the Conservative party Lord Tebbit has claimed air pollution is making people transgender. Probably the most offensive and mind-boggling suggestion I have heard in my whole life.

    Personally, I think air pollution is polluting this narrow-minded man’s brain and causing him to make completely ludicrous claims.

    He also claimed that transgender people were a new phenomenon, stating he could not recollect any such individuals among his fellow pupils at school. Maybe, Lord Tebbit, this is because you attended a posh private school where you were wrapped in cotton wool and sheltered from the real world.

    If you’d lived a normal person’s life, seeing the real world, I’m sure such claims would not even enter your head. You’ve only got to read a factual novel or even watch a historical drama or documentary and you’ll be educated in the fact that transgender is not a new phenomenon.

    He says his theory that air pollution triggers being transgender, is the belief of some scientists. Now, I have Googled and researched into this and it’s very unclear exactly which scientists he is referring to. There seems to be no scientific evidence to support his claims. Probably because even a non-scientist, such as myself, can work out that his theories are simply narrow-minded bigotry.

    In an attempt to absolve his bizarre and offensive opinions, he said that he knows “voicing such thoughts will probably bring coals of fire upon my head.” I’m sorry Lord Tebbit but even anticipating that what you are saying will cause offence offers you no absolution.

    Last week, Mrs May said and I quote, “Homophobia, biphobia and transphobia have still not been defeated and they must be.” Yes, I agree with you, Prime Minister. They must be. Maybe a good first step will be ridding the Conservative party of such people as Lord Tebbit. And then you may stand a chance.

  • COMMENT | City Pollution… maybe we need to start from scratch

    Lego City In Traffic Chaos

    I believe the children are the future so the song goes. And it is true. Let’s face it, the young are the ones that are going more forward than me when I’m cold and dead.

    Lego is a fascinating toy. It’s just that it isn’t simply a toy. It’s a learning aid. So much can be achieved from one humble brick added to another and so on. When I worked in the community as an HIV nurse I used Lego as a teaching aid. The choice of colours made it effective. I also used it for a presentation I did for my testicular cancer presentation. Lego is gender proof, ageless and universal.

    Now I have a problem with Lego. All is not good in my spiralling Lego metropolis-on-floor. There is enough housing for all living there. They have access to a snack shop by the side of the road and the petrol station is open 24 hours. There are even 2 postal vans doing the rounds no doubt delivering drunken purchases from Amazon and eBay.

    I’m catered for every eventuality for I have the 4 emergency services. The fire service might be reduced to one rapid response vehicle and two firefighters but my police force is seven vehicles strong with staffing to match. And with seven vehicles comes maintenance so thankfully there is a little garage on the corner.

    Traveling around the city is fraught. There are no traffic lights causing jams. Truth is I haven’t built any. We live in a “give way” city where road rage isn’t a thing.

    At the time the picture was taken, my medical team were busy saving a Lego life. The use of blue lights helped the two-vehicle team cut through the traffic. Thankfully there was room for a nurse in the ambulance to get there with the doctor following by car.

    Traffic in any situation, fictional and real life, is a nuisance. It slows the path of progression in your day to day life. If public transport was better, we might find ourselves using it more (damn it! I don’t have public transport in my Lego city! Dear Santa…)

    We are a lot like my Lego people. We jump in our cars and drive. Usually travelling on our own. Our five-seat capacity hatchbacks all being occupied by one person.

    Now, this is where l have a problem with Lego city. There was a time when the vehicles never took a person. Come the 1980s we soon didn’t have to use our imaginations as to where that person went when they drove to work. All vehicles since then have only had one seat up front.

    In order to cut traffic in Lego Metropolis-On-Floor, I was thinking of getting my people to car share. If we want to teach the future about cutting traffic, pollution and enabling densely populated areas to work better, car sharing might help. Four people into one car equals three fewer cars on the road. I’m quick at maths as you can see. Even two in one would be better.

    Lego doesn’t actually sell such a vehicle so l decided that if l was going to save my citizens of Lego metropolis-on-floor, I’d have to design a new car and then hopefully roll out stiff penalties to those that won’t change or insist on taking their single occupancy cars around my city.

    Having a look around the internet and you find that people have made cars to accommodate more than one person so I set about making a car for Dave and Gary. To reflect their preferences it had to be a two-seater, quite sporty looking and that’s about all l could think of at 2 am on a Saturday when making my two-seater for the lads from “Red Cottage” of Fold-Out Mews.

    Lego cars are four dots across. Lorries are six. The trouble is two Lego people next to each other occupies about seven if you want an intimate car or eight realistically because then the dots line up with their legs and bums.

    We made, we destroyed, we reinvented and eventually I had the 2 seater roadster for Dave and Gary. It ended up eight dots wide. My thinking was that this reflected actual life because cars themselves have got bigger.

    Dave and Gary were overjoyed with their sports car in blue and took to the city. Unheard road rage ensued because it took up the entire width of the road and everything almost ground to a halt. Thankfully the love soon fell out of the sports car for Dave and Gary when they discovered they couldn’t actually get it into the petrol station to refuel. It was then stripped down and made into a garden attraction and gym.

    Suddenly I was thwarted in my own thinking. We all have ideas about how to tackle congestion but to implement it can sometimes be difficult. It needs thinking. It’s more than taxing people and adding costs. It comes from learning, exploring, trailing and making small changes one step at a time.

    At a time where pollution from the car comes under scrutiny again, let’s start at the beginning, let’s start with Lego and build it up from there.

     

    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 | What do we mean when we say Mental Health?

    I was taught there are 2 main groups of conditions that affect mental health and that they are:

    Mental Ill Health
    These are the types of conditions which occur as a result of trauma or tragedy, the workplace, home, relationships, the environment in which we live and our physical health.

    Many of us will visit our GP and accept medication and/or a referral to a mental health practitioner at some time. These types of short-term (up to 6 months) interventions help us to adapt and adjust to change

    Mental Illness
    These are acute conditions that are considered as being severe and enduring.

    Mental illness in this group is of the nature that requires long-term medication, monitoring of the person and at times periods of hospitalisation. Hospital admission is a last resort when someone deteriorates and becomes a danger of harm to themselves or others.

    General

    The reasons for a change in someone’s condition can be many and varied from something as simple as neglect. From not eating regularly or taking their medication as prescribed they may experience an acute episode.

    I always reflect on us being a melting pot of chemistry and chemical reactions. By adding or taking something away or some change in routines and sleep patterns adverse effects can be experienced.

    Mental Health is indiscriminate and does not take into account, your ethnicity, age, gender, sexuality or any other character of diversity.

    In the same way, as we are all unique and individual, times of recovery and the severity of symptoms we each experience will be different. A diagnosis requires expert knowledge, training and experience.

    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.