Since that time 100 years ago we have publicly remembered those who give their lives in service on just one day of the year. We can do more.
The world we live in is and has been protected by those who make the ultimate sacrifice, those who serve and are maimed and others who become veterans of service.
As a gay man within a broader LGBT+ spectrum, I am able to identify how I choose because of the campaigning that has taken place in the free democracy of the western world.
Changes to rights have been enshrined in law because of the society in which we live. The world could be a much different place if it were not for those who gave their lives.
We could show more respect by using the rights we have. Voting is the cornerstone of democracy, whether it is in general or local council elections, a mayoral vote, or a referendum on a specific topic.
The gift of freedom and the right to vote are so often taken for granted. We have them and don’t know or think what life would be without them, or under a dictatorship. There are examples on this planet that might be representative of how we could be indoctrinated and punitively treated if the outcomes had been different.
Some casually dismiss going to vote because it is cold outside or wet or they don’t feel like it, and yet so many have died that we may have the choice and the chance to vote.
Whatever your political affiliation and whatever your view on the issues of the day, when you are afforded a vote it is your chance to make your voice heard and to be counted. The dead don’t have a vote, so remember and honour them by casting yours.
There are few occasions in the modern world when we are alone with our thoughts. One such time and place is in the booth of a polling station. It feels an apt and poignant situation to consider those who died so we may be free; so I suggest a campaign to add the poppy as a symbol of remembrance be added to all future ballot papers
Piers Morgan is raging at Snowmen being called Snowpeople.
Someone, please adjust Piers Morgan‘s tie before he had a seizure. The Good Morning Britain presenter blasted a BBC presenter after she used the term “snowpeople” instead of “snowmen”.
Morgan went on a tirade on Monday morning against Children’s TV presenter, 20-year-old Catie Munning, who was speaking on her CBeebies show, Catie’s Amazing Machines when she said, “snow is amazing. You get to build snowpeople and go sledging.”
Piers Morgan, who has consistently railed against gender non-conformity ranted, “You don’t build snowpeople, you see, you build snowmen, we’ve been building snowmen for 10,000 years”.
10,000 years? Could someone please fact check?
No gender here. Snow figures don’t actually have any sex or gender characteristics… Free-Photos / Pixabay
He went on,”We, part of mankind, humans, build snowmen, Catie, you seem a lovely lady, whoever you are. You’re 20 years old, you present CBeebies,”
“They’re not snowpeople, they’re snowmen. Or as somebody put it here, one of the parents, ‘politically correct garbage.’”
Calm down dear… Who knew snowflakes could get you so hot and bothered.
The reality TV star, Frankie Grande has been in a thruple relationship and he reveals the best bits of both of his boyfriends…
CREDIT: kathclick-bigstock
Speaking to US Weekly, the former Celebrity Big Brother star Frankie Grande, 35, has been dating two guys which he introduced as his boyfriends before saying that they had all been dating three months before dropping an old cliché – “but in the gay world, it’s like five years.”
The showman showed off his new beaus to the magazine introducing them as Daniel and Mike – and then proceeded to give the best part about being with each of the boys, for Daniel he said, “his d**k” and for Mike, it was his brains “Mike is also very smart”.
He recently showed off his new relationship on Instagram.
Frankie Grande has been relatively quiet in the UK since his appearance in the 2016 summer edition of Celebrity Big Brother where he struck up an unlikely bromance with Lewis Bloor.
Frankie with his boyfriends, Mike and Daniel. (C) CREDIT: FRANKIE GRANDE / INSTAGRAM
Frankie managed to achieve finalist status in the show coming in sixth.
JAMIE. Cor, that name takes me back. I can’t quite remember when he was in my life. Let me just ponder for a moment. I’ve got a feeling it was back in 2015.
That was back in a time when I had quite an addiction to Grindr. At one point, I thought I was going to need therapy to wean myself off the app. I’ve since deleted it as Grindr gets right on my tommys these days.
But one night, I think it was a cold winter’s night in February 2015, I was just finishing work and I fancied a bit of jiggy jiggy and a glass of wine. So, I turned on Grindr and waited for a ping.
When I was an avid Grindr user, I would never initiate a conversation. Call it fear of rejection or whatever you like. But just as I was taking a sip of Savvy B, a message pinged up.
It was a very handsome man, in his late 30s and he lived in Weybridge. My antennae started whizzing around. Oooh, I thought. An older man is just what I need. He’ll be mature and experienced, I thought. And he lived in Weybridge. So I assumed he would be rich, even more appealing.
Before you could say blow job, Jamie had invited me over to his gaff for a glass of Savvy B. Which we all know is secret code for sex. Well, maybe not so secret.
Pardon the pun, but when I walked in, he really blew my mind. Along with something else.
It felt different with Jamie. For anyone not in the know about Grindr, you normally walk straight through the front door and then, more often than not, you head straight to the bedroom.
But not with Jamie. He already had a glass of plonk waiting for me and told me to take a seat on the sofa. We actually got on really well and I could feel my heart skip a beat as he looked at me as we laughed.
After two glasses of Savvy B, he came in for the kiss. Obviously, it would have been rude of me not to reciprocate. There was a real passion in the way he kissed me and before you could say anal, he had dragged me into the bedroom. Not that I needed much dragging.
I pulled down his trousers and I nearly fainted. He almost had my eye out. His penis was already fully erect so as it escaped from his flies, it came at my face like a coiled spring. I had to dodge it otherwise I fear I may have been blinded in my right eye.
And I hate to be crude, but my word, it was rather large. I do believe I could have used it as a canoe.
As I stripped off my clothes, I saw him lean over and open his bedside drawer. When I saw him pull out a pair of handcuffs, I think I turned white.
Everyone who knows me well, knows my complete obsession and love of the well-known TV show The Bill. But I didn’t know how I felt about being handcuffed to a bed.
Before you could shout, “Arrest that man!”, he had handcuffed me to the bed and I actually found it quite exhilarating.
After an hour of passionate lovemaking. I call it lovemaking as, contrary to popular belief, I am really a hopeless romantic. After the deed was done, he released me from the cuffs and I kissed him goodnight. As I drove away, I hoped he would ask to see me again.
A few weeks went by and we had started to see each other on a regular basis. Although it was only for sex. I become quite accustomed to being handcuffed. I used to scream, Next Time on The Bill!
We never left the house together or went to a restaurant or anywhere in public actually. It was just sex. But I had started to fall in love with my fuck buddy. Oh shit. What a big faux pas.
On numerous occasions, I begged him to take things to the next level.
“Why don’t you take me out for dinner?” He would always fob me off when I asked that question.
“I’m tired.” Not too tired for sex, I used to think. Not that I was complaining, it was very passionate and I enjoyed it.
One day, after quite a few months of handcuffed lovemaking, I insisted that I would be round on Monday when he finished work, to cook him a lovely home cooked meal. If he couldn’t take me out for dinner because he was too tired, I would bring the dinner to him!
I gauged his reaction and considering he’d never tasted my cooking, I could tell he wasn’t keen on the idea. And then he came out with it.
“I think you want more from me than I want to give you.”
OH. My face dropped. Obviously not literally. I’ve had far too much botox for that to happen. But you get the picture.
“But you keep asking me back”, I was ashamed at how needy I sounded.
“Yes, but I just want sex.”
Heartbroken. I walked out of his flat, taking my half drunken bottle of Sauvignon Blanc with me. I felt no desire to share my expensive New Zealand wine with that bastard.
A year had passed me by and Jamie hadn’t entered my thoughts in a while. Until one day, when a message popped up in my inbox.
“Do you still do beauty treatments? I need my eyebrows waxed please.”
My first thought. You cheeky bitch. But then, I thought of the money. What did I have to lose?
I turned up at his flat, armed with my wax strips. I lay him on my beauty couch and got to work on his bushes that housed his eyes.
Strip after strip, he yelped out in pain. I decided he wasn’t worthy of my usual gentle touch I normally use on my clients. I was quite enjoying inflicting some pain on him.
“WHOOPS!” I suddenly screamed out. He shot up from the couch and looked straight in the mirror. He looked horrified as the realisation dawned on him that he had a rather large chunk missing from right in the middle of his brow.
Feigning complete innocence, I pulled my best sorry face that my botox would allow.
“I’m so sorry. It was a complete accident.”
Needless to say, he never made another appointment.
There are calls to make Alan Turing the face of the new £50 to serve as a “painful reminder of what we lost.”
Public Domaain
The Bank of England has invited members of the public to vote on which figure should appear on the new £50 note.
Former Manchester MP John Leech led a nearly decade-long campaign to pardon Alan Turing, gaining immense public support from legendary physicists such as Stephen Hawking.
During the campaign, Mr Leech submitted several bills to Parliament saying it was “utterly disgusting and ultimately just embarrassing” that the conviction was upheld as long as it was, and celebrated the posthumous pardon.
At the UK premiere of a film based on Turing’s life, The Imitation Game, the producers thanked Mr Leech for bringing the topic to public attention and securing Turing’s pardon.
Supporting Turing for the new £50 note John Leech said, “It is almost impossible to put into words the difference that Alan Turing made to society, but perhaps the most poignant example is that his work is estimated to have shortened the war by four years and saved 21 million lives.
“And yet way he was treated afterwards remains a national embarrassment and an example of society at its absolute worst.
“Placing Turing on the £50 note would at least go some way to acknowledging his unprecedented contribution to society and science.
“But more importantly it will serve as a stark and frankly painful reminder of what we lost in Turing and what we will lose again if we ever allow that kind of hateful ideology to win.”
Twenty-seven-year-old actor Jake Borelli came out via Instagram the same night as his character on the show Grey’s Anatomy.
Jake Borelli, took time on Thursday to write a heart-warming message on social media after his character, Dr Levi Schmitt, on the long-running TV drama, Grey’s Anatomy embarked on a same-sex love story. The actor wrote how he “craved” as a young person, storylines like the one his character is involved with and hoped that the character would bring hope to others.
Taking to Instagram the star wrote, “As a gay guy myself, tonight’s episode was so special to me. This is exactly the kind of story I craved as a young gay kid growing up in Ohio, and it blows my mind that I’m able to bring life to Dr. Levi Schmitt as he begins to grapple with his own sexuality this season on Grey’s Anatomy. His vulnerability and courage inspire me every day, and I hope he can do the same for you”.
Borelli continued, “To all of you who feel like little Levis out there, know that I do too, that you are seen, and that we’re all in this together. And to everyone who has supported me over the years, I can’t thank you enough, and I love you more than all the stars…”
The actor also spoke to Entertainment Weekly about opening up about his sexuality, saying that he was already out to his wider circle of friends and family, “I’ve been out to my friends and family for almost 10 years now, but within the last couple of months of shooting the show and really getting to know this character and seeing the response, I’ve realised that this is becoming bigger than just me,” he told the outlet.
“Within the last year or so, I’ve been given the opportunity to speak on a much larger platform. With that opportunity, I am able to come out to a much larger group of people”.
The post was liked 25,000 times over 12 hours and the actor received scores of supportive messages from fans.
Now the clocks have gone back, there’s only one day left till Halloween. As the leaves are blown from the trees and dance across the road in the breeze, rain pelts against your windows and the wind howls, it’s the perfect time to settle in, open a bottle of red and creep yourself out with a good horror film. So in this special extended edition of Six of the Best, we have a few suggestions for something you can watch from behind the cushions…
Halloween
Let’s start with an absolute classic. Malevolent monster Michael Myers has become a horror icon, but it all started with this low budget slasher. Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) is stalked by a seemingly unstoppable man who lurks in the shadows before attacking her and her friends on Halloween night. This film slowly winds up the tension by crafting a feeling of paranoia before culminating in a memorable ending. What makes this film so good is its urban setting and it’s “this really could happen” this story. Forget the inferior remake and stick with the original and best. Buy it here
Maniac
Elijah Wood gives a brilliant performance in this exceptional remake of an 80’s slasher flick. A young man struggles with his mental health which leads him to stalk and murder women on the streets of LA. But he falls in love with a beautiful young photographer, which slowly develops into an obsession. This excellent film is shot entirely from the point of view of the murderer and has an outstanding soundtrack, graphic violence and is beautifully filmed. This hidden gem is a more cerebral horror which plays on primal fears. Buy it here
The Strangers
A young couple (played by Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman) find themselves trapped in a nightmare when their home is invaded by a group of strangers in masks. Who they are and why they are terrorising the couple is unknown, but this film proves that you are not even safe in your own home. This tense film is full of suspense and will make you check you have locked the door before you go to bed. Buy it here
The Descent
In this claustrophobic British horror, a group of friends go caving and discover more than they could ever have imagined when they find themselves trapped following a tunnel collapse. As they head deeper and deeper into the cave system, they are clearly not alone as they are set upon by something in the dark. Buy it here
Trick ‘r’ Treat
Four tales of Halloween are intertwined in one night of horror. A group of children play a trick on a young girl based on a local legend which goes horribly wrong, some teenage girls are stalked by a masked man through a Halloween street carnival, a school principal has a secret life and a man is terrorised by a very special Trick-or-Treater. The stories all combine in this enjoyable anthology horror. Buy it here
Hocus Pocus
In this camp classic, three witches are accidentally resurrected on Halloween by a group of teenagers. With the help of a talking cat called Binx, the friends battle the witches in an attempt to save the town. With the entire cast camping it up and Bette Midler singing “I Put a Spell on You”, this family film is great fun. Buy it here
Frankenweenie
When Sparky, a young boy’s beloved dog, dies, his grief stricken owner bring him back to life in his makeshift attic laboratory. But when his friends find out, the young boy is blackmailed into bringing other pets to life, which escape and cause havoc. Using beautiful stop motion animation, this gentle Tim Burton animation is both touching and funny. If you loved The Nightmare before Christmas, then you’ll love this too. Buy it here
La Horde
In this French new wave horror, a group of people are trapped at the top of a high rise building which is besieged by the living dead. Making their way down the levels, they are relentlessly attacked by the fast moving monsters. This film is like “28 Days Later” on speed and is full of gore, fast paced action and terrific set pieces. Buy it here
The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
In this modern remake of the 1970’s shocker, a family on a road trip across the dessert find themselves besieged by a group of cannibals. When their baby is stolen by the cannibals the family revert back to their own tribal instincts to fight back. This graphic and violent film is one of the better remakes of the last few years and has blood, guts and shocks aplenty. Buy it here
The brother of a man who was killed in a terrorist bombing has released a game which shows how distressing it can be when journalists bombard victim’s families with requests for news and interviews.
In journalism, “the death knock”, as it’s frequently known as, is where someone from a news outlet visits the home of the bereaved to find out more details about a victim’s life or cause of death. However, as more and more people are on social media, “the death knock” has gone digital.
Moments after a major incident, those who are tweeting about it and who are in the vicinity of the upset are often besieged with tweets from journalists from all the major networks looking for more information. These often come in the form of picture permission requests or live interviews.
Hett has released a game called “Sorry To Bother You” a short video which shows what happened to him after the death of his brother.
Writing on the game’s homepage Hett wrote, “Sorry To Bother You is a short videogame that details a real experience: specifically, the massive influx of thousands of messages following the unexpected death of my brother Martyn in the 2017 Manchester Arena terror attack. The game tasks players with isolating the messages that are actually journalist requests (sometimes quite thinly-veiled ones). To do this, respond to each message by hitting the heart icon, or the trash can – ‘like’ the real messages, and trash the journalist ones”.
Speaking to Buzzfeed News Hett said, “It was one of the things that underpinned the experience and made it a lot more difficult,
“If I wanted people to take anything away from it, it’s just for it to become a talking point – I’ve had a few of the original journalists reach out saying ‘I was one of the thousands of people and it’s made me reconsider and re-think, and we need to do better’.
“The game’s not offering a solution, it’s a direct observation from me. And if that’s a starter for 10 for even one journalist to go away and think there must be a better way of doing this, I think that’s important.
“Probably more than most I understand the need to tell a story, we’re news-hungry people, that stuff has to happen – but the aim of the game is to show the way in which it’s done during unfolding events is not OK.”
A campaigner who devoted his time to erasing stigma for those living with HIV has died at the age of 25.
Jacob Alexander an immerging designer, a former student at the University of the Arts London and HIV campaigner has died at the age of 25. It is believed he ended his own life, according to PinkNews. He was just 25.
Alexander had devoted the last few years campaigning against HIV stigma and had created The Positive Project, which hoped to enlighting people about living with HIV. For his campaign, he created a t-shirt range and an app with the proceeds going to HIV research.
Alexander has not been heard from since October 5 when he wrote a message on Instagram which read, “Date In private, love in private, be happy in private, live in private, that way, you can take your losses, in private, maintain in private rebuild yourself in private.
In the caption, the campaigner wrote, “pay attention to the last line and understand where I’ve been hiding back soon”
It is understood that Alexander’s family will continue the work of The Positive Project.
According to his website, Jacob was diagnosed with HIV in 2015 and following on from his diagnosis, the designer struggled to come to terms with his status. He launched The Positive Project in 2016.
His website states, “He wanted to combat this stigma and try to shed a positive light on the HIV virus and those living with it by raising awareness through inviting the general public (and a few familiar faces too!) to take part in The Positive Project. As mentioned in Jacob’s TEDx talk in March 2016, he feels as though HIV based charities have been pushed aside in current news by larger run charities such as Cancer Research UK for example. Help Jacob get HIV in the headlines again, and together help him make a difference”.
Tributes have been pouring out for Alexander with Greg Owen, co-founder of I Want PrEP Now, tweeted: “I am shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of @jacobalxndr. He was such a sweetheart. Rest in peace.”
Many people have also taken to his Instagram page to write their condolences on his last message.
If you’d to help continue the good work of The Positive Project please consider buying a t-shirt.
If you feel you need to talk to someone about issues raised in this article please reach out to the Samaritans on 116 123 or write to jo@samaritians.org
Civil Partnerships have now been greenlit for opposite-sex couples.
The UK government has agreed to open civil partnership to heterosexual couples equalising the law for straight and gay couples. Speaking about the decision, Human Rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell said,
“The planned opening of civil partnerships to opposite-sex couples is wonderful news. It is the successful culmination of a 14-year equality campaign that was begun in 2004 by myself and the LGBT+ organisation OutRage! When Labour first introduced civil partnerships but restricted them to same-sex couples we argued that this was discrimination. We campaigned for equal civil partnerships for all,” said human rights advocate Peter Tatchell.
“We are delighted that Charles Keidan and Rebecca Steinfeld have continued this campaign and finally won this stunning result. They secured the backing of the Supreme Court in June this year, when it ruled that the ban on opposite-sex couples was unjustified and contrary to human rights principles. The government’s decision was a necessary response to the judgement of the highest court in the land.
“We thank the government for listening to the judges, human rights law and the appeals of the many unmarried opposite-sex couples who want a civil partnership,” said Mr Tatchell.
Civil Partnerships were first offered to gay couples in 2004 by the Labour government as a way for gay and same-sex couples to protect and formalise their relationship inline with traditional marriage. There have been over 60,000 civil partnerships in the UK since the law was introduced.
What about Ageism, HIV stigma and effeminism, users ask…
CREDIT: Ryazan / BIGSTOCK
Banning racism is on the agenda at Grindr and many of the gay hook up apps, but users are keen to point out that Grindr is failing on other discriminatory language including ageism, HIV stigma and anti-effeminate sentiments.
Recently Grindr announced a new policy, dubbed Kindr, which looks to rid the platform of all types of discrimination, however, users point out that aside from racism there is a whole heap of discrimination that goes seemingly unchecked via people’s profiles.
Grindr says it will now moderate language on users’ profiles, saying they’d rather “hear about what you’re into, not what you aren’t”. Some, however, are concerned that the announcement seemingly only touches on racism. However, the editor of Into, Grindr’s online magazine, has said that the new policy will take into consideration any discriminatory language.
Zach Stafford said, “So, I am seeing some confusion around #Kindr and wanted to clear one big thing up: Discriminatory language like ‘no fats, no femmes, no Asians’ is officially considered discriminatory and will now be banned on Grindr”.
Hi hi,
So, I am seeing some confusion around #Kindr and wanted to clear one big thing up:
Discriminatory language like ‘no fats, no femmes, no Asians’ is officially considered discriminatory and will now be banned on Grindr.
