THEGAYUK

Category: News

  • Policeman killed in Paris “terror” attack was “proud gay man”

    The policeman who was shot and killed in what is being called a suspected terror attack in the French capital was a “proud gay man” committed to the LGBT cause.

     

    Xavier Jugelé was killed when he was shot in the head in a suspected terror attack in Paris, last night. It has been revealed that he leaves behind his partner, who he was civilly wed to. He was a member of Flag!, a group that represents LGBT police officers.

    Mr Jugelé was described by the New York Times as a “proud gay man”. He had been a serving officer since 2010.

    The 37-year-old officer was shot by a gunman who was later killed by French security forces as he tried to flee the scene.

    Mr Jugelé was sitting in a police vehicle near the world-famous Champs-Élysées when the gunman opened fire.

    The shooter, 39-year-old Karim Cheurfi, was apparently known to security services had been a list of suspected terrorists. He lived in the city’s suburbs. ISIS have claimed responsibility for the attack.

    Mr Jugelé had been one of the first responders during the 2015 Paris terror attacks in which 130 people were killed.

    Mickaël Bucheron, president of Flag said,

    “He was a simple man who loved his job, and he was really committed to the LGBT cause,

    “He joined the association a few years ago, and he protested with us when there was the homosexual propaganda ban at the Sochi Olympic Games.”

    Two other officers and a civilian were wounded during the shooting.

  • Chechen President: Eliminate All Gay Men By Ramadan

    The President of Chechnya has vowed to eliminate the LGBT community, by the end of May.

    Following the horrific details of gay men being detained, tortured and even killed, in the region, the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov has said that he wants to eliminate gay men by the start of Ramadan. Up to a hundred men, suspected of being gay are being held, against their wills in what some media outlets have called “concentration camps”.

    Ramadan is a holy month in the Islamic faith and begins on the 26th May. Chechnya is a Muslim-majority country.

    According to a Russian newspaper, Novaya Gazeta,  men, suspected of being gay, disappeared overnight in the Russian Republic of Chechnya. Previously a spokesperson for the leader of the Republic denied the reports and claimed that gay people did not exist in the region.

     Speaking in Parliament, Sir Alan Duncan, Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, said,

    “Human rights groups report that these anti-gay campaigns and killings are orchestrated by the head of the Chechen republic, Ramzan Kadyrov.

    “He has carried out other violent campaigns in the past, and this time he is directing his efforts at the LGBT community.

    “Sources have said that he wants the community eliminated by the start of Ramadan.”

    The minister added, “Such comments, attitudes and actions are absolutely beyond contemptible.”

    Ramzan Kadyrov allegedly made the threats on Russian media.

    Sir Alan, continued,

    “Credible reports suggesting that at least four people have been killed and many have been tortured are particularly shocking,

    ‘”Statements by the regional government in Chechnya which appear to condone and incite violence against LGBT people are utterly despicable.”

    FEARING FOR LIFE

    Last week, the journalist who broke the news about Chechyna’s purge on gay men revealed she was in hiding after the news reverberates across the globe. Speaking on the Victoria Derbyshire show, Novaya Gazeta journalist Elena Milashina said that a “jihad” had been declared on her and the staff at her outlet after 15,000 people met in the biggest mosque in Chechnya and denounced the paper and journalists who published the original story.

  • Explicit gay podcast nominated for British Podcast Award

    The Probably True Podcast has been shortlisted for Best Entertainment at this year’s British Podcast Awards.

    A podcast that celebrates sexuality has been shortlisted for Best Entertainment award at this year’s British Podcast Awards. The podcast features NSFW stories told in a fun and tongue-in-cheek way.

    The award’s ceremony is being hosted on April 28th, in Kings Cross.

    Other shortlisted podcasts include those by Edith Bowman, Scroobius Pip and Romesh Raganathan.

    Probably True is a slightly naughty, sex-positive weekly storytelling project tackling LGBT issues in a fun and engaging way. Adhering to the mantra “Hopefully interesting, occasionally funny, Probably True”, each episode is a smutty-but-charming collection of personal adventures; much like its author.

    The host, Scott Flashheart, explained the premise of the Probably True podcast series,

    “The whole idea for this series was to talk openly and honestly about things that we might not normally, for fear of being judged. I use these podcasts to talk about these things openly, non-judgementally, and (hopefully) entertainingly, to foster larger conversations within the community.

    “I don’t have all the answers, but the point is more to start a conversation. And if I can do it in a way that makes you laugh, then even better.

    “So far, the series has covered issues such as promiscuity, coming out, cruising, masculinity and masturbation in engaging and funny 5-10 minute episodes, that all tell funny, touching and occasionally gross stories.”

    On hearing of the nomination, Scott exclaimed,

    “I’m actually amazed – this project is essentially just me sitting in a cupboard and talking to myself about jizz and sex and silly stories from my youth. To think it would be considered up against work by actual professional broadcasters whose work I know and respect is very bizarre and incredibly humbling.”

  • Jack Monroe to stand in the next General Election

    Writer and activist Jack Monroe is planning to stand in the next General Election and vows to fight for the poor, the disenfranchised and the let-down.

    CREDIT: Twitter

    Jack Monroe is to stand in the snap General Election called by Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday. Over a series of tweets the writer, activist and food blogger outlined plans to represent the “poor, the disenfranchised, the let-down.”

    Mx Monroe, who recently won a libel case against Katie Hopkins also said, that she’d “do the best I can for the most people” and that priorities would include, “Healthcare. Services for people with disabilities. Living standards. Jobs. Decent homes. That everyone feels valued in society”.

    https://twitter.com/MxJackMonroe/status/854779350192984064

    https://twitter.com/MxJackMonroe/status/854779431281471489

    https://twitter.com/MxJackMonroe/status/854780102542073856

    https://twitter.com/MxJackMonroe/status/854780303033982977

     

    At the time of writing, it’s not clear which party or constituency Mx Monroe will run for in the election on 8th June 2017.

    THEGAYUK reached out to Jack Monroe for comment.

  • London’s highest ranking Police Officer, Cressida Dick comes out

    London’s highest-ranking police officer, Cressida Dick has revealed that she’s in a same-sex relationship with a co-worker.

    Speaking to The Evening Standard, London’s highest-ranking police officer, Cressida Dick revealed that she’s in a relationship with another woman. The woman is called Helen and also works in the Metropolitan Police force.

    Cressida Dick was appointed London’s Commissioner in February 2017 and is the first woman to take the job. She was appointed by the Queen and was recommended by the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd.

    This week marks her first week on the job and she’s spent it by visiting various London boroughs and meeting as many of her officers and staff as possible.

    Speaking about her first week, Commissioner Dick said,

    “I have been spending my first few days getting around London meeting and listening to officers, staff and members of the public. I want Londoners to feel they can approach anyone in the Met and talk to them about their concerns and what matters to them.

    “This city deserves a truly modern police service based on our traditional policing values. Being back in the Met has reminded me of how special our officers and staff are, and the extraordinary job they do day in and day out for London. It’s wonderful to be here.”

    She was made a CBE in 2015 by the Queen. She also holds the Queen’s Police Medal for distinguished service.

  • Tim Farron does NOT consider being gay a sin

    The Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron has said that he does not think that being gay is a sin.

    • Tim Farron said that he did not think that being gay was a sin.

    • He said he was proud that the Liberal Democrats were able, with the Coalition Government to introduce same-sex marriage.

    • He said there was still so much more to be done and called for an “open, tolerant, united society”.

    Tim Farron has answered that he does not consider homosexuality a sin, following a direct questioning in the House of Commons today.

    Asked by Tory backbencher Nigel Evans on whether he thought being gay was a sin, the Westmorland and Lonsdale MP answered,

    “I do not. I tell you what, I am very proud to have gone through that lobby behind him there in the Coalition Government where the Liberal Democrats introduced gay marriage, equal marriage and, indeed, did not go as far as it should have done in terms of recognising transgender rights.

    “There is much more to be done and if we campaign in this election – as we will – for an open, tolerant, united society then we need to make sure that we do not in any way be complacent about LGBT rights not just here but in other parts of the world.

    “In particular what is going on in Chechnya at the moment.”

    The answer comes after the Lib Dem leader failed to answer Cathy Newman’s question on Channel 4 News.

    Ms Newman asked,

    “A while back I asked you if you thought that homosexuality was a sin and you struggled to answer.

    “Now you’ve had a while to consider that question, what is the answer?”

    Mr Farron replied, “I don’t think I struggled to answer it at all, Cathy. I think I’m not in the position to make theological announcements over the next six weeks.

    “I’m not going to spend my time talking theology or making pronouncements.”

  • Leader of Lib Dems couldn’t answer this question about homosexuality

    The leader of the Liberal Democrats Tim Farron has yet again dodged a question about his thoughts on the morality of homosexuality.

    Tim Farron, leader of the Liberal Democrats has once again failed to answer whether he thinks homosexuality is a sin or not, during an interview on Channel 4 with Cathy Newman.

    Mr Farron who identifies as a Christian was unable to answer a question on whether he thought homosexuality was a sin. Ms Newman asked the 46-year-old politician, “A while back I asked you if you thought that homosexuality was a sin and you struggled to answer.

    “Now you’ve had a while to consider that question, what is the answer?”

    Mr Farron replied, “I don’t think I struggled to answer it at all, Cathy. I think I’m not in the position to make theological announcements over the next six weeks.

    “I’m not going to spend my time talking theology or making pronouncements.”

    The question follows on from an interview in 2015 where she asked, “Do you think as a Christian, that homosexual sex is a sin?” He was so evasive with his answer, Ms Newman asked him three times.

    In an interview with GQ in 2016, Tim Farron revealed that he joined the Liberal Democrats, because of his gay friends saying,

    “One of the reasons I joined the liberals was because of lesbian and gay rights. Friends of mine were gay and I saw how they were treated and bullied. I want a society where people are valued for who they are.”

    Farron has repeatedly had his stance on gay relationships questioned after abstaining on the UK’s same-sex marriage vote in 2013.

  • LGB community share their experiences with cancer care

    A number of lesbian, gay and bisexual people with cancer have taken part in a groundbreaking project to expose their experiences and highlight the differences in their care.

    © Esbenklinker Depositphotos

    The University of Manchester, funded by Macmillan Cancer Support, have just launched a video website, which shares the experiences of LGB people who have cancer. It was created with the intention of providing NHS staff with a valuable resource in learning and understanding some of the difficulties and differences experienced by their gay and bisexual patients.

    Dr Nagington said,

    “LGB people with cancer often experience services which are heteronormative (designed for straight people).  For instance this can include advice on hair loss or makeup which is targeted at making women look particularly feminine when this may not be the way they usually present, whilst not offering any such services to men.

    “Some of the people we spoke to told us how advice about the effects of cancer and treatment on sex was designed for heterosexual people and the professionals they spoke with weren’t able to address their concerns or were reluctant to go into much detail.”

    The website includes video testimonies from men and women of a variety of ages.

    One of these, Lesley who has ovarian cancer, said, “It’d be nice if people wouldn’t make assumptions about your husband coming in to visit.”

    Another, Greg who had prostate cancer, said,  “They said you might experience blood in your wee, but they don’t tell you about how that affects sex.”

    There are several sections to the site covering, sex, homophobia and bereavement and also supporting information which health professionals and patients can use.

    Despite the issues they’d encountered, most people interviewed didn’t think specific LGB support groups were the answer, although they may be helpful. Instead, people felt more recognition of their needs as LGB people would be helpful as they went through treatment.

    Dr Nagington added,

    “Our interviewees often approached misunderstandings about their sexuality with humour and were very brave and honest in telling their stories. I think their overall advice would be that professionals should remember that not all patients are straight and sometimes what fits one group isn’t appropriate for all.

    “I hope to expand the site in the future to give more detail on the sexual challenges that lesbian and bisexual women can face, as well as interviewing trans* people about their experiences.”

    The videos, which were filmed during 2016 by lecturer in nursing, Dr Maurice Nagington, are designed to help people understand the thoughts and feelings of LGB people with cancer and their own experiences of care.

    The site https://lgbcancer.wordpress.com/ is designed for NHS staff as a resource to guide their contact with this group.

  • Russia is no longer part of Eurovision

    Russia is out of Eurovision after the host nation, Ukraine said it would refuse entry to the Russian contestant.

    Russia will not be taking part in Eurovision 2017 after the Ukraine banned its entry, Julia Samoylova from entering the country. According to the EBU two solutions were offered to Russia’s Eurovision broadcast partner, Channel One and both were vetoed. Russia first performed at the Eurovision in 1994. This will be the first time it has not taken part in the competition.

    In a statement, the EBU said that Julia could take part via satellite or change their chosen artist to one that could legally travel to the Ukraine for the competition.

    The EBU stated,

    “Sadly both proposals have been rejected by Channel One and they have now announced they do not intend to broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest 2017. Unfortunately this means Russia will no longer be able to take part in this year’s competition. We very much wanted all 43 countries to be able to participate and did all we could to achieve this”.

     

    Why Did The Ukraine Ban Russia’s Eurovision Entry?

    Ukraine law forbids entering Crimea in order to perform. According to sources around 140 other Russian artists have been blacklisted by the SBU following the annexation of Crimea last year. Julia Samoylova is one of those artists as she had previously travelled to Crimea to perform.

    Russia and Ukraine have been in dispute since the annexation of Crimea and the fighting in east Ukraine.

     

    Frank Dieter Freiling, Chairman of the Eurovision Song Contest Reference Group, the event’s steering committee, said,

    “We strongly condemn the Ukrainian authorities’ decision to impose a travel ban on Julia Samoylova as we believe it thoroughly undermines the integrity and non-political nature of the Eurovision Song Contest and its mission to bring all nations together in friendly competition. However, preparations continue apace for the Eurovision Song Contest in the host city Kyiv. Our top priority remains to produce a spectacular Eurovision Song Contest with our Member UA:PBC in May.”

  • Journalist who broke Chechen gay torture news is in hiding after ‘jihad’ death threats

    The journalist who broke the news about Chechyna’s purge on gay men is in hiding after the news reverberates across the globe.

    The Russian journalist who is responsible for breaking the news that Chechen officials had rounded up, tortured and detained men suspected of being gay, has said that she is in hiding and fearing for her life after a “jihad was declared against her”.

    Speaking on the Victoria Derbyshire show, Novaya Gazeta journalist Elena Milashina said that a jihad had been declared on her and the staff at her outlet after 15,000 people met in the biggest mosque in Chechnya and denounced the paper and journalists who published the original story.

    She said,

    “They reacted [to the story] in a terrifying manner… on April 3, in the biggest mosque in Grozny, 15,000 religious and various types of people came together and announced a Jihad on us… not just me personally, but all journalists at Novaya Gazeta.

    “They said the people at the newspaper who raised this question have damaged the honour of Chechen nation and should be prosecuted.”

    A spokesperson for Chechnya’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov, said, that the report was “lies and disinformation” and claimed that gay people did not “exist in the republic”. The report was even dismissed as a sick April Fool’s joke, by the region’s interior ministry.

    As information continued to circulate about the mass rounding up and detaining of gay men in Chechnya, being referred to as a “gay purge” Baroness Anelay released a statement calling on Russia to investigate the claims.

    The UK’s Prime Minister, Theresa May has yet to speak out against the action.

  • Teenager hospitalised after homophobic attack with a BRICK

    A teenager was left hospitalised after a horrific assault, in which he was attacked with a brick to the head.

    • The 18-year-old victim was targetted by a “group of men”.

    • Assailants allegedly hurled homophobic verbal abuse at the victim.

    • A brick struck the back of the victim’s head – and he was hospitalised.

    Police are appealing for information after a teenager was attacked with a brick in an apparent homophobic attack in the north of England. The man, who is 18, and has not been named, was hospitalised after the vicious attack by a group of men.

    Police say the victim was subjected to homophobic verbal abuse before throwing a brick at the rear of his head. The attack took place on the cycle path to the rear of Hollis Academy in Saltersgill in Middlesbrough.

    After the attack, the assailants ran off in different directions. One is described as wearing a mustard coloured ‘puffer’ style jacket.

    The incident occurred at around 8:30 PM on Monday 10th April,

    Following the attack, the victim was taken to James Cook University Hospital. He was treated for head injuries and has since been released.

    Anyone with information regarding the incident or the identity of the suspect is asked to contact PC Josh Parry on the non-emergency number 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org.