THEGAYUK

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  • Carlisle’s First LGBT HQ Opened

    The opening of Carlisle’s first LGBT HQ happened on Saturday 27th July 2013. His Royal Highness, (Mr Billie Raymond), officially opened the Centre.

    A host of police officials, local councillors, church representatives and local dignitaries attended to show their support for the project. Members of the public and businesses in the local area also attended in large numbers to witness the ceremonial opening of the building.

    People who attended were; Deputy Mayor and Mayoress of Carlisle Councillor Steven Bowditch and his wife Christine, Vice Chair of Eden District Council Pat Godwin and Cllr David Wilson. Also Sarah Dimmock, Diversity Manager, Chief Superintendent Steve Johnson, Sergeant Mike James, from Cumbria Constabulary and Constable Ian Ashton and Chief Inspector Ralph Copley from Lancashire Police. The Dean of Carlisle Cathedral The Very Revd Mark Boyling and his wife Helen. Sam Brown who runs the Dumfries and Galloway LGBT Centre. Glenn Anderson founder of LGBT HQ premises, Pam Eland co-founder, owner of Sticky Bits Cafe and project worker of Pride in North Cumbria, Martin Reeves Chair LGBT HQ Steering Group, Ben Vollans Managing Director for Gay Older Brothers & Sisters, Richard Kavanagh from OutREACH Cumbria hosted the event.

    Representatives from Gay Older Brothers & Sisters (GOBS), OutREACH Cumbria (ORC) and Pride in North Cumbria (PiNC) were there on the day to show people around the proposed plans for the upper floors of the building and how they would like to develop the idea of the LGBT Centre. The proposal includes offices for organisations, meeting rooms, counselling rooms, a health suit and room for the youth group. We aim to rent these office spaces, meeting rooms and counselling rooms out to the wider community to use. Organisations have been approached to provide specialised support for health issues too.

    The proposed plan includes Pride in North Cumbria, a youth organisation aimed at helping people aged 13-25 who identify themselves as LGBTQ, by providing a safe environment for young people to socialise, take part in workshops and get involved in activities and events. In the sessions there is information and advice and a chance to discuss issues that affect individuals and the group. They encourage young people to get involved in project planning so they can direct the project in a way that suits their needs.

    Gay Older Brothers & Sisters, who provide a mentoring scheme to people aged 13+ while identifying themselves as LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender) and ‘coming out’ to their family and friends. The individual is given a mentor to talk to, have coffee with, even meet up and go bowling with. Their aim is to help people that are struggling and need to talk to someone when dealing with being LGBT. They are there to help people prepare for life as an ‘out’ LGBT individual, which comes with its ups and downs. They believe that ‘coming out’ shouldn’t really be such a big deal.

    OutREACH Cumbria currently works with the statutory and voluntary sector providing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality advice and facilitate consultation with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. ORC uses the intelligence gathered to address inequalities and other issues that lesbians, gay men, bisexual and transgender people face, from homophobia to hate crime. ORC also provides support for LGBT clients, such as one to one sessions to the provision of advice and information. They also facilitate LGBT Equality training sessions and workshops.

    Our main aim is to provide a safe place for the LGBT community to come to, to access services that are situated all under one roof. We are hoping to obtain local and national government funding, further private funding and sponsorship from local and national businesses.

  • EDINBURGH FRINGE: Gay Pick Of The Fringe

    Well it’s almost time for the biggest Arts festival in the world, the Edinburgh Fringe, to kick off this year. With almost 3000 shows to choose from, we have chosen a selection to get you started. Keep checking our site for updates and reviews for the rest of the month!

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  • Boy, 16, arrested in connection to ‘homophobic attack’ in Reading

    A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in connection to a homophobic attack in Reading last week.

    Thames Valley police have released a statement which confirms that one 16-year-old boy has been arrested in connection to a homophobic assault which happened in the early hours on Sunday 21st July in Cintra Park, Reading.

    The two gay men were walking through the park just after midnight after spending the evening at a barbeque, when they were set upon by a gang of youths, beaten and one of the men robbed of cash and cards.

    The boy from Reading, was released on police bail until 20th August.

    PC Nick Hook of Reading Local CID, is calling for help from anyone who may have seen the attackers, who are described as youths aged 15-20, some of them are described as being stripped to the waist.

    One was a white male of slim build approximately five ft with short dark hair and wearing no top. Another was a white boy of slim build, aged about 15, and about five ft with short dark hair, wearing long trousers and no top. A third boy was white, of slim build aged about 16 with dark hair, wearing dark tracksuit trousers and a top.

    He said: “We are investigating the incident as a homophobic hate crime which has left the victims understandably shaken.

    “This incident is being treated extremely seriously. We will not tolerate hate crimes in our community and will be making every effort to track down and bring to justice those responsible.”

    Call the police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

  • NORTH WALES PRIDE: Pride Weekend Back To The Past

    The stars are ready, the weather might be okay, but one thing is for sure, North Wales Pride looks set to be the biggest and best yet.

    This year’s theme is Decades, so you’re invited to step back in time from the 1920s to the 90s. The headliners include X Factor’s Kitty Brucknell and Aled Haydn Jones from Radio 1.

    The events starts today and continues through Saturday and weekender tickets cost just £15, which you can buy at the event.

    The entertainment starts today at 12:30pm – full list of acts below:

    Saturday’s Entertainment

    Comedy duo Roxy Fart and Crystal Bawls will co-host the show and will kick off the event in style in the main room at 12.30. If you want a giggle then we can assure you that these pair will have you doubled up in laughter.

    Bringing RIO to BANGOR is the amazing Batala- a Samba percussion band (click for link)…In true carnival style they promise to lift the roof off Hendre and start us off on a high.

    Meinir Gwilym (click for link) Daytime headline act – Meinir is from Anglesey and has established herself as one of the best selling Welsh language artists ever. Her first release Smôcs, Coffi a Fodca Rhad (Cigarrettes, Coffee and Cheap Vodka) in 2002 met with phenomenal response with her unique voice and punchy lyrics, Celtic/acoustic/folk-rock/pop

    Lowri Mair- brilliantly talented acoustic Welsh artist

    Awen Haf – Local power house vocalist

    Jamie Connolly (click for link) – recently performed at Birmingham Pride 2013 & brought down the house with his Bon Jovi meets Robbie Williams act. Currently number ONE Rock Artist on Reverbnation!!

    – The L Project released an LGBT anti-bullying charity song entitled “It Does Get Better” in 2012 (charted in 4 countries) recorded by 17 of the UK’s most talented lesbian artists. All proceeds and royalties from the song go directly to two chosen charities Stonewall and Diversity Role Models, both work tirelessly to prevent LGBT bullying.

    Sunday’s Entertainment:

    Craig Cavanagh (click link)- singer songwriter from Liverpool. He connects both acoustic soul and power pop into one with a unique vocal style which brings powerful timber and cloudy tones to the ears of the listener.

    We are proud to announce that the controversial X Factor finalist Star Kitty Brucknell is one of the headliners of Saturday night!

    Our main headline act Aled Haydn Jones from Radio 1′s Surgery will be banging out his DJ set from 10pm and putting Bangor back on the map.

    If this isn’t enough for you… we are also excited to announce that Wakestock, Creamfields and resident Embassy DJ Ed Mackie will be taking you through to the early hours.

    CAMPING:

    At North Wales Pride you can also come along and pitch a tent and camp for the weekend! For more info visit the official website: http://www.northwalespride.com

    GETTING THERE

    Please find below information on how to get to Hendre Hall for this year’s North Wales PRIDE!

    CAR- Parking is limited at the venue and we encourage car sharing where possible.

    Arriving at Hendre Hall: (postcode for sat nav/route map – LL57 3YP)

    From the east and England:

    Join the A55 for north Wales and follow sings for Conwy and then Bangor. Hendre Hall is 4miles outside Bangor. Turn off at junction 12 signed for Tal-y-Bont and bear right after this turning. At the top of the road turn left and you have arrived at Hendre Hall.

    From the west, south and Bangor.

    Follow A487 (south Gwynedd and Caernarfon) or A55 from Anglesey towards Bangor. Follow signs and continue on A55 for Conwy. Turn right off A55 at junction 12 for Tal-y-Bont. Take first right after junction, head over the bridge and Hendre Hall is on your left.

    TRAIN– The nearest train station is Bangor (Gwynedd). Arriva Trains Wales and Virgin Trains have regular services to Bangor. Typical journey time from Chester is approx. 1 hour. Hackney taxis are aplenty at Bangor train station.

    TAXI FROM BANGOR-

    Local Bangor taxi numbers:

    A5 taxis – 01248 360 360

    Chubbs Cabs – 01248 35 35 35

    Classic Cabs – 01248 370 717

    Glyn’s Taxis- 01248 351 554

    BUS- Arriva buses have regular services that directly pass Hendre Hall. You will need the X5, 5 or 5S services from Caernarfon and /or Bangor for Llandudno. It’s best to take the X5, 5 or 5S service from Llandudno for Bangor. Please visit ‘Traveline Cymru’ website for public transport information.

  • Two men robbed in ‘homophobic attack’ in Reading

    Two men in Reading have been beaten and robbed after a homophobic attack in local park by a gang of youths.

    The two men, who have not been named, were in Cintra Park in Whitley at 12:04am after spending the evening at a barbeque when they were set upon by a large gang of youths, who shouted abuse, kicked and punched them before robbing one of the men.

    PC Nick Hook of Reading Local CID, is calling for help from anyone who may have seen the attackers, who are described as youths aged 15-20, some of them are described as being stripped to the waist.

    One was a white male of slim build approximately five ft with short dark hair and wearing no top. Another was a white boy of slim build, aged about 15, and about five ft with short dark hair, wearing long trousers and no top. A third boy was white, of slim build aged about 16 with dark hair, wearing dark tracksuit trousers and a top.

    He said: “We are investigating the incident as a homophobic hate crime which has left the victims understandably shaken.

    “This incident is being treated extremely seriously. We will not tolerate hate crimes in our community and will be making every effort to track down and bring to justice those responsible.”

    Call the police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

  • Russia boycott petition goes live

    A petition to boycott the Russian Winter Olympics has been created on the official UK Government’s website.

    A petition has gone live calling for the boycott of Russia’s Winter Olympics in 2014.

    The petition reads:

    Boycott 2014 Winter Olympics

    Responsible department: Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    With the increasingly homophobic stance being taken by the Russian government and parliament, including calls to arrest LGBT tourists. I call upon the UK Government to strongly advise the British Olympic Association to boycott the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

    The petition has already garnered over 3,500 signatures.

    To sign the petition click here

  • Queerly Out Opens A New Night In London’s Escape Bar

    QueerlyOut presents new club night QueerlyPOP every Tuesday from 9-3am at Escape Bar Soho. Hosted by KLUBKIDS star Jason Prince and DJ Matt Unique , they present London’s best pop music and Karaoke entertainment.

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  • NEWS: UK Peers Say ‘I Do’ To Gay Marriage

    Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill passes Third Reading. First same-sex marriages expected next spring.

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  • OPINION: To Porn Or Not To Porn

    Manstreaming – The Inevitable Mainstreaming of (Gay) Porn

    Who doesn’t have sex? Everyone has it – but maybe not every session is pretty enough to watch – does that make it better? If one’s personal style of fornication is good enough to capture on film should one be punished for it? And if someone does decide to film themselves ‘at it’ does that undermine them so much that they lose all the skills, talents, credibility they had before?

    Should they be disqualified, expelled or fired?
    To all these questions I say no – and you will too in a few years I bet! Why? Because porn is not such a big deal anymore – everyone is dabbling with a cheeky photo or two; a furtive flexing of pectorals, cheeky flashing of the bum or a full on close-up of your cock in all its glory (shot from below to make it look bigger). We’ve all had a go at some amateur pornography.

    Celebrities, like everyday human beings are also at it. The difference is we hear about it and see it. Everyone knows that One Night in Paris is more than a blog on trip advisor. Eric Dane, of Grey’s Anatomy fame, has had a go (with his girlfriend and a beauty queen no less) and of course dear old Colin Farrell. Dustin Lance Black, Oscar winning screenwriter for Milk, thrilled us with his homemade movie, brokebacking with his then-boyfriend. Everyone’s had a go and it’s turned out ok for most of them right? Ok, ignore Tulisa for now…

     

    But who really cares?

    Some people clearly still do.

     

    It emerged this week that Jeppe Hansen, the Danish ballet dancer otherwise known as Jett Black, was dismissed by his Royal Ballet school in Canada, when he was outted as a cute, toned, blonde twink who gets penetrated on the side – duh! Their excuse that he didn’t declare his sideline income is weak at best. How else is a starving artist meant to eat? Indeed Keppe/Jett argued that the school’s interpretation of art was limited and they didn’t see the artistic qualities of spreading your legs if not wearing ballet shoes. But what about the rest of us? I’d go and see a ballet dancer perform, especially if I can watch the naked encore at home! What other ballet offers that?

    What about porn which is already in the mainstream? Twitter’s Naked Sunday is fast becoming as traditional as avoiding church or slaving over a roast. TOWIE’s Kirk Norcross also engaged in a bit of homemade, manstreaming nudity and we would be none the wiser if it hadn’t been snapped and leaked – shame (and thank you). He was slightly embarrassed but questioned – who hasn’t? Once again I return to my prior point – he looked good, so we watched. If he didn’t would we have even bothered to?

    Paddy O’Brien, the irrepressible, cockney porn star, models for banglads.com, an underwear retailer – makes sense to me! Or how about the former marine who turned to gay porn and then made it into mainstream Hollywood? David Bradberry has gone from shaking Bill Clinton’s hand, to shaking a few other things and will soon be going Below Deck (seriously) on Bravo TV. Brent Corrigan cameos, Francoise Sagat in arthouse film Man at Bath, the list is a long one.

    Porn is sexy and sex sells. So what is the problem about? Everyone’s doing it – it’s mainstream. Go out and make some (safe, legal) porn – just don’t be too good at it and don’t email it to your boss.

    So what do you think? Would you ever do gay porn?

     

    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.

  • MANCHESTER: Spread The Sparkle

    As different cities up and down the country are gearing up and winding down from pride events, it’s an entirely different scene in Manchester’s village.

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  • TheGayUK Launches the No Excuses Project

    The No Excuse Project is launched today, posting free condoms to your door. TheGayUK and the NHS’s Freedoms Shop have teamed together to ensure that anyone who needs access to free condoms can get them – delivered directly to their door, for free.

    New HIV infections and other sexually transmitted infections in the gay, male bisexual and Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM) community are at record levels. So to try and combat this trend TheGayUK decided to launch their No Excuse Project to help out.

    TheGayUK’s co-founder Jake Hook said,

    “I was watching Channel 4’s The Sex Clinic and it occurred to me that somehow we’re being failed as a community in relation to sex health education. With cuts to vital services and the upward trend of new HIV infections in the UK, either people aren’t freely able to access condoms or don’t know that they can dramatically make the sex you have safer.

    “The day after the programme, I rang Katy Harrad at The Freedoms Shop and asked whether Freedoms would be able to help us out with condoms, luckily for us, she’s just as passionate about safer sex as we are.

    “We’re working towards making sure that there is No Excuse – ever – not to have a condom in your home or pocket.”

    Stand-up comedian Pam Ann, who’s offering her full support to the project, says:

    “If it’s NOT ON… it’s NOT ON!”

    The campaign called the No Excuse Project aims to ensure that everyone and anyone in the gay, bisexual or MSM community who doesn’t have access to free condoms, either because they’re too shy or embarrassed, think they’re too young or don’t live close to a gay bar which provides free condoms, can simply fill in a confidential form at www.noexcuseproject.co.uk and receive condoms through the post.

    A team from TheGayUK will be at a number of Prides around the country, including Oxford, Edinburgh, Reading, North Wales, Gloucester, Warwickshire and Doncaster aiming to bring attention to the campaign and giving out thousands of condoms to revellers.

    If you would like to donate towards the running of the No Excuse Project then please visit: Donate Here

    For every £1 donation we can help protect up to 4 partners from catching or spreading STIs.

    Thank you.