THEGAYUK

Category: The Political Debate

  • Seven Days Later – The Legacy of the Pulse Nightclub Shooting

    Seven Days Later – The Legacy of the Pulse Nightclub Shooting

    Seven days ago my usual Sunday morning routine was in full swing. I was making a cup of tea, picking up my tablet and heading back to bed to eat biscuits, listen to the radio and browse the net. Seven days ago my usual Sunday morning routine was broken rather abruptly by the eight o’clock news as it reported the shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Seven days ago, my usual Sunday morning routine was interrupted for me to write an article on the breaking story for THEGAYUK.

    Photo Credit - Paul Szabo
    Photo Credit – Paul Szabo

    For the remainder of the day, as the events of the night before unfolded and the scale of the tragedy became apparent; I eagerly listened to the news for developments in a story that we all wish we had never had to hear.

    In the last week, I have felt many emotions about what happened that evening. Those people were groups of friends enjoying themselves in a nightclub, quietly getting on with their lives in a space that was meant to be a safe place for all members of the gay community. There are been times when I’ve been angry. There have been times when I’ve been sad. There are times when I have felt despair and there are times when I wondered exactly what this world is coming to.

    But despite all of these feelings, there is one which has always bubbled to the surface and has always seemed to have overridden all of the others, forcing them to be no more than temporary swells in a turbulent sea of emotion. And, believe it or not, it has been an enduring feeling of hope.

    On Monday evening, I attended a vigil in Sheffield, my home town. Sheffield does not have a particularly large gay scene and I felt it was important to go along not only to pay my respects to the victims of the tragedy but also because I felt that those who had organised the vigil at such short notice, who had publicised it and who were wanting to share their feelings with others should be supported. I wanted to take a stand and publicly say that this was not the type of story I ever wanted to hear about or write about again. As I approached the square where the vigil was to be held I was completely taken aback by the number of people who had attended. There were so many people who had come to express their sadness, their anger and to share in a common experience with others who felt the same.

    And that’s when I started to look at social media. Vigils were taking place not only in my home town but all over the UK. Whilst Compton Street made national headlines and was widespread across the media, there were pockets of people; in great numbers and in few; all over the UK who were coming together as a community to be unified in their grief, anger and support. It didn’t stop there. All over the world, vigils were being held and people were uniting.

    Both Twitter and Facebook were awash with rainbow flags, with the hashtag #loveislove, and with people outpouring not only their grief but also their support of the gay community. World leaders stopped to draw attention to the tragedy. All across the globe, people both gay and straight were coming together to tell the world that this tragedy is not acceptable. They were coming together to tell the world that prejudice will not be tolerated and they were coming together to tell the world that the fight will not cease until equality is achieved.

    And if there is a silver lining to this blackest of clouds, it hit me as I stood in the rain, surrounded by around 200 other people and holding a candle in Hallam Square in Sheffield. Despite the hatred that we so often see, hear about and experience; thankfully incidents like this devastating tragedy are rare. What it has highlighted to me is not the hate for the gay community that people hold; but actually how many people love, welcome and embrace the gay community; how many people support the gay community and, in particular, how the gay community support each other.

    I’m writing this article on Father’s Day. I can’t stop thinking that there are fathers in Orlando who are missing their sons or daughters today. I can’t stop thinking about how, for the husband of murdered MP Jo Cox, Father’s Day is going to have a very different meaning this year. It made me realise even more that all over the world there are fathers and mothers who are missing their sons and daughters because of hate crime and homophobia. But the outpouring of love and support across the globe in the wake of the Pulse nightclub shooting proves two things to those who hate – that love is stronger and that the numbers of people who offer love far outweigh those who offer hate.

    Whilst nothing can bring back those were needlessly murdered 7 days ago, we should celebrate their memory and their lives by remembering that on that very bleak day of the 12th June 2016, the World stood together and said that “love is love”; and that those taken from us left not only many happy memories for their family and friends, but also left the global gay community with a legacy of hope.

     

    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.

     

  • OP ED: LGBT – Legal, Guns, Ban, Them

    OP ED: LGBT – Legal, Guns, Ban, Them

    It has taken me a while to sit down and write this. To sit down and write anything. In fact, it has taken me a while to want to write anything. Mainly because I’m not entirely sure what it is I want to say. And, if I’m honest, I’m still not entirely sure, so bear with.

    My lack of willingness to put down my thoughts is because my thoughts are fighting with each other. I have no idea what thought it is I should listen to. I have no clue as to which emotion I should let take the forefront of my mind-set. Sadness? Anger? Confusion?

    I am, of course, saddened. Horribly so, down to my gut. I am, of course, just as angry and outraged and mad as I am saddened. I am greatly perplexed. Confused as to the actions of this man, yet just as confused as to the lack of action by the American government. And then I am lead to, in some respects, the most frightening reaction of all, I am unsurprised. Unsurprised that this has happened, yet again. Of course it was going to happen again. America has not changed anything to do with gun law so of course a man – a man known to the FBI – can still purchase a gun and spread his hate and end the lives of those so opposite to him. So different to him.

    I am not just talking sexually here. But in open-mindedness. He hated what he didn’t know. He hated them because they were so unlike him. A man kissing another man, to him, was wrong. Morally wrong. Yet, to him, murdering them was not morally wrong, but acceptable. Falling in love with a man if you are a man is outrageous. Killing them because of that fact, is not. To him murder was more honourable than love. Natural love killed by manmade weaponry.

    Maybe he thought he was freeing them? Curing them of their gay lives. Healing them of their gay wounds. But how can someone be freed from freedom? Two definitions of freedom so horribly different. Their freedom, my freedom, so loving, so celebratory, so real. His freedom, so damaging and demented and vile and unethical.

    Then comes the anger. The anger for him. The anger for American gun law. The anger that a Kinder Egg is banned for consumption in the USA because it is threatening to the American people. A choking hazard. A piece of confectionary is deemed more damaging than a gun. Nice one America.

    The statistics of these mass shootings are ludicrous. In 2016 so far, just this year alone, there have been 133 mass shootings in America. That’s 133 in just 164 days! It took the UK just one mass shooting – the 1996 Dunblane massacre – for our own gun law to change. In Australia the gun law was reworked after the horrific Port Arthur massacre of 1996. Yet in America, 133 in just one year and still nothing.

    How many people have to die?

    In light of the most recent mass shooting, the 133rd shooting of 2016. Where the death of 49 (at present) members of the LGBT community occurred, LGBT is pretty apt, pretty ironic for the occasion. LGBT: Legal Guns, Ban Them.

    I am proud to be LGBT. I am proud of how our community stands tall. Stands together. United. I may feel many things at present. I may feel angry and sad and confused. But thanks to the support of this community, I have never for a second felt threatened.

    Follow Mark Goggin on Twitter

     

    ALSO READ: Nearly one quarter of LGBTS are scared for their safety on the scene after the Orlando shootings

    ALSO READ: Who were the 49 victims of the Orlando shootings

    ALSO READ: How to survive a terrorism attack

    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.

  • COMMENT: GREEN: A Party For The Common Good

    I’m obviously not here to tell you who to vote for. I’m not even going to try and persuade you into voting Green.

    But I am going to share some important policies the Green party have to offer, and not only from an LGBTIQ stand point. Although, from a gay man’s perspective, The Green Party are standing up for our rights in many amazing ways.

    “For The Common Good,” is their slogan, and it rings true throughout their manifesto. To me this simple statement is somewhat empowering. It doesn’t segregate between social class, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability – it encompasses everyone together. They are treating us all as equal, as the United Kingdom we are.

    Let us start with an important issue doing the rounds within the debates: immigration. Other parties are stabbing at this issue and the effect it is having on our government, on our own personal taxes. Yes, it is an issue but, in my opinion, it’s down to a flaw in how our benefit system operates, not the immigrants claiming them. I don’t begrudge foreigners seeking solace within our welcoming nation, I don’t want to condemn them to the life they were desperate to flee from. The Green Party agrees.

    They propose a reworking of the benefits system by controlling immigration fairly and respecting every immigrant individually for the contribution they make to our nation. In terms of immigration from an LGBTIQ perspective, the party desperately want to end the detention of LGBTIQ (and other) asylum seekers and the notion of disbelief that often denies asylum seekers refugee status.

    In regards to foreign and national civilians, they seek to double child benefits and raise a pension that people can live on realistically. In the long term, for the common good, the party aim to unite tax and benefit in a Basic Income system. This scheme will cover everyone, again respecting us all as equals.

    The NHS is another huge playing field when it comes to the debating parties, and rightly so. It is an important offering the UK holds and requires a delicate yet stable approach to maintain it’s future. The Green Party wants to end the privatisation that has started to appear and provide it with the proper funding it deserves. They also want to introduce free social care to the elderly and aim to give more time, funding and effort into the tackling of mental health.

    Other parties have ignored such medical issues, by cutting funding to the likes of the mental health services and certain out-reach programmes, which have had some cruel effects on our LGBTIQ community. Additionally the party want to end other NHS cuts, which have undermined HIV services and made it harder for trans people to access gender reassignment assistance. Plus, another bid in our favour concerns giving blood. They want to reduce the current 12-month deferral period and base each case specifically on the individual wanting to donate.

    The Green Party stands to help us elsewhere, and all other equality issues. One amazing bullet point they are prompting calls for mandatory diversity and equality lessons in schools. This will step up to combat all forms of prejudice based bullying and teach important lessons of acceptance to children from primary school ages. They also propose a requirement for the police to employ diversity liaison officers whose main responsibility will cover a prevention action on crimes originating in discrimination of any kind. As well, they seek to tackle the topic of institutional racism within our current justice system.

    In terms of women’s rights, they have suggested a UK wide strategy to tackle violence against women – concerning domestic violence, rape, sexual abuse and trafficking. This is alongside other women’s rights battles they want to challenge including equal pay for both sexes; a reworking of sexism in the media particularly with the likes of “lads mags” and their availability, plus making it illegal to stop nursing mothers feeding their babies in public spaces.

    They strongly invite an end to stigma in the workplace towards any minority, from everything and everyone covering race to disability. This bracket stretches to the teaching profession where the party wants to introduce comprehensive training for all educational staff on diversity and inclusion issues. Elsewhere in the classroom the party propose the teaching of HIV, sex and relationship education with an inclusion of LGBTIQ relationships. Adding a requirement of every school to have an anti-bullying programme explicitly combating homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying.

    I am not telling you to vote for The Green Party, but I invite you to read their manifesto, which offers relief to battles that do concern the LGBTIQ community. They want to take us forward and treat us with the equal rights we deserve. We are no different, we deserve our say, and The Green Party are a good ally. Please read their manifesto and decide for yourself, for the common good.

    by Mark Goggin

    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 | 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.

  • OPINION | Do We Need To Redefine The Term Marriage To Accommodate Our “Monogaymy”?

    MONOGAMY VS. MONOGAYMY

    Monogamy is not a board game that you used to play at Christmas with the family. Monogamy is not a kind of wood. Monogamy is to practice being with one person only and having sex with that one person only. I know just a handful of gay couples that have a strictly monogamous relationship. Is it old-fashioned or unrealistic to believe you can find happiness in one person?

    The majority of gay couples I know enjoy three-way, utilise Grindr with separate profiles, and indulge in chem-sex parties. It just seems so empty to me. However, these couples are not constantly arguing, striving to be in a different room/postcode from one another- they are very happy. The setup obviously works for them. In fact, it works extremely well as these are the couples that have been together for the longest time, and I am talking up to 20 years.

    For me, an open relationship would not be an option. If a partner even suggested inviting someone else into the bedroom, I would walk away. In a relationship, I want to be my partner’s ultimate, the one and only. Not a supplement, or “just enough”. And I do not share (only child). But, I can’t help feel I am missing out on a big secret, or rather, not quite being able to grasp that the key to a successful long lasting relationship, maybe it being an open one.

    I am single, and for the first time properly in about 11 years. I’m loving it, but I know the novelty will wear off… Perhaps. With the last 3 years being absorbed by absolute time wasters, the next time around, I want to do it properly. Is it bad to say I’m only 28 but am TIRED of dating? I would like the next guy I am with to be the one I end up marrying. Please.

    A lot of these couples that I type of being in open relationships are in fact married / civil partners. If I didn’t understand being in an open relationship with your boyfriend then I certainly am unable to grasp the idea of carrying that through into a marriage. Isn’t the whole essence of marriage to declare your love and devotion to each other? And no one else?

    Perhaps the guidelines, vows etc. of marriage are archaic and out-dated. Marriage is, after all, an extremely traditional concept. Whilst the world, humans, technology, music etc. evolve and grow, what is to say that we cannot rewrite/adapt such things as marriage. Do we need to redefine marriage?

    Gay people have a stigma of being promiscuous with our evident open-relationships, and the club drug sex party scene… I don’t even have to explain, you know we do! With gay rights being pretty much everywhere recently in the news along with gay marriage in particular. Do you think perhaps that in some instances, it may not have been homophobia that sparked people to be against gay marriage, but more that how can we expect a global nod to gay marriage when it would appear to others that a lot of gay couples lack the understanding or are unwilling to abide by what “traditional” marriage stands for?

    Perhaps, we need to take a long hard look at traditional concepts and re-write them according to the times. Perhaps we should not. With ever-evolving guidelines, it would surely ensure abolishment of the idea of tradition altogether. If we redefine terms to match our current normality, then what was normal before this normal? Tradition cannot exist without its contradiction. The task to redefine marriage and monogamy could become complicated as each partnership is different and are likely to have their own mandate when it comes to man dates.

    We are spacious with our sexuality compared to the clearly set span of straight relationships/marriage. Someone said to me recently that straight couples fall casualty to break-ups due to the monogamous regime, and gay partnerships last longer due to the ménage a trois/quatre/cinq/six set up.

    Maybe I have fallen victim to our world encouraging us to put things into categorised boxes and in this instance, I am unable to place where I currently stand and where I want to stand on the idea of someone else being intimate with my partner. What are your views on the subject? Do we need to redefine the term marriage to accommodate our “monogaymy”?

     

     

    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 the EU is important for the LGBT Community

    With the rise of extremist parties in the UK and the challenges that face conventional political parties, one of the most contentious battles is over membership of the European Union. The United Kingdom became a member of the EU on the first of January 1973, and have since enjoyed the privileges of a single internal market, a standardised system of laws that apply in all member states and of course human rights.

    But why is the EU so important to the LGBT community?

    LGBT rights are protected under a range of EU treaties and laws that decriminalises homosexuality across all member states. But more than this under EU law there are provisions that combat discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, which have been legally binding across Europe since the 1990s. The EU had single-handedly managed to create a framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation for our community.

    In practice, the law protects every person who identifies with the LGBT from being discriminated against in the work place. This includes refusal of a job, being dismissed and even harassment during work.

    But this is not all the EU has done for our community. In 2009, Lithuania was a battleground of gay rights and abuse. The European Commission made it a point to tone down the homophobic language and abused used freely in the country and even went as far to support the gay pride parade under threat of banning.

    Since then the Council of the European Union have created a binding guideline that instructs EU diplomats around the world to defend the rights of the LGBT community. This is a global effort on behalf of the EU to protect the rights we have fought so hard to gain.

    The legalisation of same-sex marriage in the UK has also been strongly influenced by the EU. Although the EU does allow some level of discretion in the implementation of the EU wide laws, some countries have abused this discretion to prevent same sex marriage. However the views of the EU are clear. It can be seen through the case law of the EU Court of Justice that same sex partners must be treated the same as those who are married.

    The EU has ensured that Europe is most progressive continent in the world for recognising LGBT rights. Legalising same sex activity, marriage and slowly the right for couples to adopt. As well as providing a frame work of anti discrimination laws in the work place and allowing gays to openly serve in the military.

    There is no doubt that the EU has made the world a safer and more accepting place for us. If the UK were to remove its self from the EU then it would also remove all EU wide law that protects our rights. Although we would have domestic law that to some extent offers similar protection, membership to the EU provides safeguards that force even the government to protect our rights.

    No matter your views or opinion on the EU, we can all agree that they have significantly contributed to the protection of our community and without their support, it is highly unlikely that we would have come as far as we have in the struggle for equality.

     

    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 | Arizona – The Pink Dollar Wins?

    I’ve watched in total bewilderment as the recent situation in Arizona unfolded. In the past few weeks, we’ve some draconian measures come into force in terms of gay rights and archaic laws adopted in countries around the world but also some breaking down of barriers as gay marriage is accepted in others.

    We seem to win some ground in some parts of the world, and lose it in others – but the recent registration in Arizona beggars belief.
    Let me give you a layman’s view of this legislation:

    Senate bill 1062 was passed by the Republican controlled Arizona legislature last week and would have given Arizona business owners with “sincerely held” religious beliefs the legal right to refuse service to anyone if it would conflict with those beliefs.

    Thats it in a nutshell – it gives a business downer carte blanche to refuse service to anyone the owner believes to contravene their ‘sincere’ religious views. The widely held view is that this is aimed at gays and lesbians and the whole marriage question. Cake shops can refuse to deal with the LGBT community on religious grounds, not personal feelings – but who can differentiate between the two? And how do you prove this?

    This comes hot on the heels of several high profile law suits in America when services were refused to LGBT couples wishing to purchase goods or services, based mainly on the business owners religious beliefs.

    With the new and growing area of LGBT marriage, some businesses are embracing it, as it is a money-spinner in these tough economic times – others seem happy to turn away the business.

    Now, once this bill had been passed, and highly advertised through social media with everyone and his tanning salon having an opinion (and quite rightly), we then come to the next amazing turn of events. I swear to god (pun intended) if this turns out to be an ad campaign for Arizona Tourism, it should win awards.

    My favourite piece on Facebook this week about this actually quotes one Arizonan as saying that they hadn’t realised that “gays spent money” and the whole issue of it being bad for business hadn’t occurred to them. They actually went on to blame the “gays” for this as we (the gays) should have brought it to their attention before they agreed the legislation!

    In what must be a most embarrassing turn of events, the governor for Arizona, a seemingly sensible woman named Jan Brewer has vetoed this bill. The state senators even came out (pardon the pun) against it, stating it would be catastrophic for the state in terms of business, commerce and tourism.

    Even big business came out (yes, I did do it again!) against it, with Apple, American Airlines and Marriott trying to tell the state what a mistake it was making! The NFL was said to be investigating shifting the agreed Superbowl away from the state as it feared a backlash.

    Even Obama’s regime waded in, stating it trusted in the integrity of the state governor – but also doubted the ability of the bill to hold up in the supreme court!

    On behalf of my fellow gays, I apologise for not making the entire state of Arizona aware that we have money and like to spend it. Please be aware that our pink pounds, dollars, euros do actually get used to buy products and services – but not in places that feel they have the right to judge us for what we are. We vote with our very well shod feet honey and go where we are welcomed!

    I feel 2014 is going to be an interested and challenging year for human rights everywhere – watch this space!

     

    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 | Sochi Sucks

    So, there I am, minding my own business when BAM – suddenly being gay in Russia is seen as a crime and beating people much like myself seems to be turning into a national sport!

    To top this off, the eyes of the world are on Sochi from today – with the opening of the Winter Olympics, and the patronage of dozens of sponsors and the IOC. Seemingly, despite calls for the games to be moved, they are staying put with the clarion call of “keep politics out of sport”.

    However, there are mixed signals here – is ensuring that people have basic human rights across the globe really politics? When there were issues over South Africa and apartheid, it actually felt wrong to buy something flown in from there when we were urged to hit them where it hurt – in the economic pocket.

    So what’s the issue here? My social media timelines are full of conflicting messages.

    1: Boycott the games totally as a show of support for gay people over there, show Russia that the world wont stand for this by NOT participating in the myth that everything is lovely and there aren’t cases of state sanctioned beatings and murders which are available to view as shared videos fly around various sites.

    2: Watch the games as a way of showing Russia that the world really is watching and watching carefully. Every loo seat that is put on the wrong way round in a journalists hotel, every reported case of “canine cleansing” where companies are recruited to clear the streets of stray dogs days ahead of the opening ceremony, every report of $30 Billion of a reported $50 billion budget going missing…

    What’s the answer? Is there one? Is it a case of make your own mind up? Make an informed decision? If this interests you, and we have to accept it won’t interest everyone, then read what you can and decide for yourself.

    Me? I hate sport – dull as dishwater, so I wouldn’t be watching anyway – but I am boycotting some of the sponsors.
    Why I hear you cry? It’s simple really – it’s my own little response, my own little act of defiance. I’m just me, one teeny tiny individual in the world – but I hate bullies and having seen some of the footage around, that’s what this feels like it comes down to – sanctioned bullying. I had enough of that at school and I’ll be damned if I’ll stand by and watch it happen elsewhere IF I feel I can do something about it.

    So, a certain well known brand of soft drink is off the menu for good – my teeth and general health will no doubt thank me too! It won’t change the world, it won’t stop the bullying and assaults happening worldwide, but it makes me feel like I’m doing something. They may think they can placate us as a group by adding a lovely image of gay marriage to their recent ad – but compare that with being beaten and humiliated for what you are and it just doesn’t cut it.

    So, do what your heart tells you is right – watch or don’t watch, support the sponsors or don’t. Remember, we have the freedom to decide to do this, some don’t have that luxury.

     

    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 | Don’t blame the gay weather man

    So as I woke today, head banging after too much wine last night, I opened my emails to the news that David Silvester, a UK Independence Party councillor had claimed yesterday that the UK’s recent bad weather has been caused by, no wait for it, the legalisation of same-sex marriage!

    After my initial shock and making sure I had actually woken up and wasn’t still dreaming, I actually couldn’t stop laughing and find this extremely amusing. I mean come on!

    Hold on to your hats people…. EXTREME WEATHER WARNING! Tonight for the first time, just about half past ten. For the first time in history it’s gonna start rainin’ men!

    The absurd claims this clown is making is that the country was suffering storms after David Cameron had ‘acted arrogantly against the gospel’. In a letter written to the Henley Standard, he stated ‘The scriptures make it abundantly clear that a Christian nation that abandons its faith and acts contrary to the Gospel will be beset by natural disasters such as storms, disease, pestilence and war.’ This looney who is the councillor of Henley-on-Thames also advised he had written to the prime minister in April 2012 to warn him this was going to happen.

    I hate to be the bearer of bad news and give this fool the rude awakening he needs but further bad weather has been predicted so it doesn’t look like the legalisation of same-sex marriage is going anywhere! The deluded councillor has also told BBC Radio Berkshire in an interview ‘…I believe as a Christian I should love gay people and indeed, I do. My prayer for them is they will be healed.’ He went on to say ‘It is a spiritual disease… it’s not what I say, it’s what the Bible says.’

    All I can say is, it is not us gays that need praying for you knob, it’s the poor people of your constituency.

    A spokesperson for the UK Independence Party said yesterday that the party did not share Mr Silvester’s views but defended his right to state them. They seemed to have changed their tune today as according to Sky News he has been suspended. Well, I hear the Westboro Baptist Church is currently recruiting.

    The stupidity of some people never fails to amaze me!

    You’re never going to get a rainbow, without a little rain!

     

    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 | A Ban on Gay-to-Straight Conversion Therapy Can’t Come Soon Enough

    A new bill put forward by Swansea West MP Geraint Davies looks to ban gay-to-straight conversion therapy in the United Kingdom (UK).

    See the BBC Newsbeat article – My ‘horrendous’ gay conversion in the UK article.

    Gay-to-Straight Conversion Therapy Irresponsible & Damaging
    The practise is not only irresponsible, but potentially damaging to those who are subjected to gay-to-straight conversion therapy. Many people struggle with being gay and coming to terms with it can be an uphill struggle.

    Being gay is not a choice, it is not an illness, and therefore is not something you can change or cure. The sooner someone can come to terms with that the better it is for them, only when then align themselves with who they actually are will they find true happiness in life.

    By giving someone even the slightest hope that they can change what is innately them is not only wrong, but wholly irresponsible. There are many people who have tried to change their sexuality with no success, using all sorts of therapies and rituals. The failure of such gay-to-straight conversion therapies and rituals only cause further issues and anxieties for the person concerned.

    People Need Support in Coming to Terms With Who They Are
    Any counselling or therapy should concentrate on helping people come to terms with who they are and support them in understanding that being gay is natural for some people and can’t be changed. Unfortunately a lot of people do not get help with this and go through many internal struggles over many years, fighting a battle which they won’t win.

    If gay-to-straight conversion therapy worked would we not have heard more about all the successes? From my own experience of coming to terms with being gay I now know the fight I had against my innate sexuality was never going to be one that I was going to win, all it was a lot of struggle and heartache, I wished I just accepted it a lot earlier.

    With psychologists confirming that gay-to-straight conversion therapy is potentially dangerous and harmful, and that there are therapists out their attempting gay-to-straight conversion therapy a ban on this can’t come soon enough. Promoting acceptance of who you are is the only way forward for the health and wellbeing of those concerned.

    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.