Mental health advocate, actor and icon, Carrie Fisher, has died at the age of 60 a spokesperson for her family has confirmed.
By Riccardo Ghilardi photographer (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
The actor, Carrie Fisher has died at the age of 60, days after it was revealed that she had suffered a heart attack.
A family statement expressed a “very deep sadness” hours after her death. She had taken ill on a flight from London to LA on Friday.
The statement released on behalf of her family read,
“It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning.”
“She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers.”
She became famous for her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars film franchise. She also appeared in The Blues Brothers, When Harry Met Sally and Hannah and Her Sisters.
Carrie was born to actress Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher in 1956.
An Amazon Prime Grand Tour live studio audience applauded a comment made by Richard Hammond which insinuated that eating ice cream was gay.
CREDIT: Amazon Prime
Responding to a comment made by Jeremy Clarkson on the Amazon Prime show, Grand Tour, about being unable to eat an ice cream inside of a car’s interior, co-presenter, Richard Hammond replied,
“It’s all right, I don’t eat ice cream. It’s something to do with being straight.”
🤗 hello & here's the full richard hammond 'ice creams are gay' piece and yeah, it's awful pic.twitter.com/JhDisRsc1Q
The studio audience after a few laughs erupted into applause. Questioning the applause Jeremy Clarkson, who looks slightly stunned by the comments asks the audience,
“Why are you applauding him? What do you mean? You’re saying all children are homosexual?”
Richard Hammond replies,
“What? What? Ice cream is a bit – you know… There’s nothing wrong with it, but a grown man eating an ice cream – it’s that way, rather than that way.”
The conversation then dives into a not so subtle joke about 69ing and a chocolate flake.
Many users of Twitter blasted the presenter calling him out on what they called his “casual homophobia” and demanded that he stop normalising homophobia. Some suggested the clip was aired to boost an underperforming show.
Dear @RichardHammond, casual homophobia has no place in 2016. You're in the public eye on a public TV show. Your voice is heard & it hurts.
The comments were made on the sixth episode of the Amazon Prime show, which was called “Happy Finnish Christmas”. It was released on 23 December.
THEGAYUK reached out to Amazon Prime for comment.
In 2015 Jeremy Clarkson caused offence when he tweeted a picture about fudge packing. Jeremy uploaded a picture of himself and Richard Hammond standing outside a fudge factory with the caption “We have got jobs at last. Here. As packers.”
THEGAYUK announces its 2017 New Year’s Recognition nomination list, to acknowledge the massive support and campaigning efforts that companies, organisations and individuals have made to the LGBT community in the UK.
To celebrate the contribute to LGBT+ life in the UK here are your nominees. Vote at the bottom of the page.
Nominees
Activism, Awareness and Politics
Mhairi Black
By Scottish National Party (SNP) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klq9GBqRsFU) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Mhairi Black is a Scottish politician. She has been the Member of Parliament for Paisley and Renfrewshire South since 2015, when she defeated Labour Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander. She is the youngest openly lesbian MP to ever be elected into British politics.
Britain’s first Muslim Drag Queen. Shot to fame in 2015 during a Channel 4 documentary which highlighted the Asian LGBT scene in Britain. Asifa has gone on to become a strong and vocal LGBT activist and advocate for gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans Muslims.
Past recipients: Stephen Fry, Shane Bitney Crone, PinkNews, Allout.org, C4EM, David Cameron
Health
GMFA
GFMA is one of the UK’s leading sexual health charities which was founded in 1992. It was created to promote safer sexual health amongst gay and bisexual men during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It was founded by a group of gay men who felt that not enough was being done in HIV prevention.
Darren Batey
CREDIT: Darren Batey / Twitter
Darren Batey was hailed as a community hero for Bolton Pride before his death in December last year. He was described as being instrumental to Bolton’s first pride event in October 2015.
Hailed by MP Chris Bryant as “Unambiguously Brilliant”. Diversity Role Model Charity organises volunteer LGBT spokespeople go into schools across the UK to talk about their experiences of growing up as gay, lesbian, bi or trans. Diversity Role Models (DRM) was established in 2011 to tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in UK schools with the aim that all children and young people would be able to learn safely at school without fear of bullying.
Peter Tatchell Foundation
Peter Tatchell Foundation
Endlessly battling the injustices of the world the Peter Tatchell Foundation has fought to promote and protect the human rights of individuals, communities and nations, in the UK and internationally, in accordance with established national and international human rights law.
Past recipients:Bridegroom (Documentary film) Bisi Alimi, Human Rights Campaign, Shaun Dellenty, Tim Franks, NoHomophobes.com, RUComingOut.com and Wayne Dhesi.
Producing queer theatre throughout the year since 2008. It was founded by creative director Peter Bull. It is an award-winning theatre in Vauxhall London.
Past recipients:Graham Norton, Adam Lambert, Theatre 503, Doctor Christian Jessen, Geo Wyett, Soho Theatre
Sports
Tom Bosworth
CREDIT: Monty McKinnen / THEGAYUK
Tom is an Olympic British race walker who made headlines when he came out as gay on the Victoria Derbyshire show in 2015. In an interview with THEGAYUK Tom revealed that as a student he hated PE after fellow students found out that he was gay. He said that his time at school was an easy time to be targeted by bullies. He took part in this summer’s Rio Olympics and beat his personal best times.
Remarking on Hirst’s decision to come out as gay LGBT advocacy charity, Stonewall said his words were “powerful” and that his words “will inspire many”.
Nigel Owens
The only international rugby referee to come out as gay, doing so in 2007. Nigel made the Wales Online Pinc List which celebrates the top 40 unsung heroes of the LGBT community.
Past recipients: Tom Daley, Jason Collins, Clare Balding, Nicola Adams MBE, Lee Pearson CBE, Greg Louganis
It has been confirmed that British singer George Michael has died at the age of 53. He was found dead in his Oxfordshire home in Goring. His manager, Michael Lippman, confirmed that the singer has passed away at 11 PM Christmas day, peacefully after suffering heart failure. Police are reporting that the death is unexplained but not suspicious.
Writing on Twitter and calling Michael by his family nickname of “Yog”, his former bandmate from Wham!, Andrew Ridgeley said, he was,
“heartbroken at the loss of my beloved friend, Me, his loved ones, his friends, the world of music, the world at large. 4ever loved. A xx”
The singer’s family announced his death in a statement issued through the singer’s publicist.
“It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period,” it said.
“The family would ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult and emotional time. There will be no further comment at this stage.”
George Michael was one of the most successful British solo artists with a career spanning several decades and selling over 100 million records. Some of his biggest solo hits included, Careless Whisper, Outside and Faith. He found fame in a band he started with Andrew Ridgeley called, Wham!, their hits included Last Christmas and Wake Me Up Before You Go Go.
George Michael had a unique work ethic and was considered a great multi-tasker as an artist, who not only sung, but wrote and produced most of his hits.
George came out as gay during the late 90s after initially identifying himself to his band mate, Andrew, as bisexual.
A 16-year-old boy, who had dreams of becoming a lawyer committed suicide in September shortly after coming out as gay and being dumped by his boyfriend. He had been a victim of bullying in the years before his death.
An inquest heard that Zenon Bartlett, 16, committed suicide days after his first relationship with another boy ended. His mother found him hanged in his room after Zenon’s, boyfriend ended their relationship
The schoolboy had recently come out as gay. The Mirror reports that he had struggled for three years with “persistent rumours about he and another boy”.
Zenon’s mother, Lynda Bartlett, told the inquest that he found her son’s body at their home in Four Acres, Botley, Hants., on September 6.
She said,
“I had my lunch and just went upstairs and walked into the bedroom.
“I had seen Zenon’s legs sticking out the wardrobe – they didn’t look right and when I walked in and saw what he’d done I was screaming ‘no’ and just calling for help.
“I went downstairs screaming for help. I phoned for an ambulance and ran upstairs with my mobile phone.
“If I had thought for a minute that he would self-harm or he would come to us to say he was depressed we would have taken him to the doctor’s or I would pay for a counsellor.”
During the investigation into his death, it was found that he had reached out to Childline where he was offered help.
Paying tribute, Mrs Bartlett said about her son,
“In his 16 years, Zenon touched so many lives, we are so proud he was part of our family.
“Our wish for this in the future is for people to not be afraid and to talk and get help if they are feeling low or suicidal.”
Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org.
We reported yesterday that adult star Alexander Gustavo’s died yesterday after a self-inflicted gunshot. His fiancé has spoken out about being “broken” after learning that he died.
CREDIT: Alexander Gustavo / Twitter
Bisexual adult star, Alexander Gustavo, 31, was found dead, after an apparent self-inflicted gun-shot wound to the head. His fiancé, whom he was supposed to be married to this month, has spoken to Str8UpGayPorn to speak about the relationship Alexander had with her son and how broken they both after his death. She said that although most people only knew him as a porn star, she “knew him as much more”.
In a statement she wrote,
Alexander Gustavo was 31. He was a loving father to our son, and he considered him his own. They had an unconditional love and my son is broken, and he misses his daddy dearly. He was loved by many and will always continue to be loved by everyone, and will be missed by all those lives he touched. I know I will never be able to replace the bond we had and will always have. Forever will he be in my heart.
I wish all this were a dream. He was awesome at what he did for a living, and many loved his work, including myself. After a hard day of filming he would like to play craps at Texas casino to unwind, then come home and take a shower with me and sleep. He was a natural, and he loved what he did.
Most people just knew him as a well known porn star, but I knew him as much more. I’m beyond broken that we will not be getting married this month; he was who I wanted to spend my life with. His laugh and smile and corny jokes is what people mostly know. He always made sure he came home to tuck my son in at night, watch a movie, and snuggle me to sleep.
Just, sadly, this time he had not made his way home. One day I will see him again, and I can’t wait for that day.
If you have been affected by this story please reach out to Switchboard, the LGBT+ helpline on 0300 330 0630 or the Samaritans on 116 123
Adult star Alexander Gustavo has died, aged just 31.
CREDIT: Alexander Gustavo / Twitter
UPDATED: 20th December 2016
It has been confirmed that the award-winning gay and straight porn star Alexander Gustavo has died, it is being reported, from a self-inflicted gunshot. His body was found by fellow adult star Jaxton Wheeler. He was living in Las Vegas, Nevada at the time of his death.
“I’ve never seen something like that in person before,
“I’ve lost friends, but for it to be my best friend; he was like my brother. We really enjoyed working together…he looked out for me and I looked out for him.
“To know that he didn’t say one thing to me, didn’t reach out, [and] to find him with his girlfriend and her son following right behind me. It just keeps playing over and over in my head.”
The 33-year-old had started his career in the adult industry in 2012 and worked with a number of gay porn studios including Men, Kink, and NextDoor.
If you have been affected by the story please reach out to Switchboard, the LGBT+ helpline on 0300 330 0630 or the Samaritans on 116 123
Britain’s first openly gay rabbi, Rabbi Lionel Blue has died.
Rabbi Lionel Blue, Britain’s first openly gay rabbi, has died at the age of 86. The rabbi was a regular speaker on the BBC’s Thought For The Day on Radio 4. He came out as gay officially in 1981 in a book he wrote called Godly And Gay. He had been open about his sexuality since the 1960s.
According to the BBC, the Mr Blue was ordained in 1960 after reading History and Semitics at University. He was made an OBE for his “services to broadcasting”.
He was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was aged 57, he was also diagnosed as having Parkinson’s Disease.
His death was announced via his Facebook page,
A statement from a representative from the liberal London synagogue, Beit Klal Yisrael, wrote,
“Lionel was a wonderful and inspirational man, who spoke with such wisdom and humour and whose words reached out far beyond the Jewish community.
“He was a friend and mentor to many and his courage in coming out as gay in the 1970s paved the way for many other Jews, including many Rabbis.
“We will not see his like again. May his memory be for a blessing.”
2016 has been a year that will go down in history as one of the most seismic of all time. From the election of Donald Trump to the UK voting to leave the EU, from the Pulse nightclub massacre to the continued persecution of gay men by ISIS.
There have been many stories that have and will continue to impact the gay community for decades to come. Here’s are just some of the top stories from the past 12 months.
January
David Bowie dies. The year starts with the unexpected death of David Bowie. 2016 would go down as one of the most shocking years for celebrity deaths.
Milo Yiannopoulos is unverified by Twitter. The controversial right-wing commentator is unverified by Twitter. He would later be kicked off the platform altogether in a move many praised but other criticised Twitter for kerbing freedom of speech.
ISIS executes 15-year-old boy. He was murdered for an alleged affair with an ISIS officer. The officer was spared the death sentence.
British LGBT Awards gets a bashing on Twitter. The motives behind the awards were questioned by some after a number of “strange” choices for nominees were revealed including YouTuber Zoella, and Zayn for being allies.
A statement released by the Oxford University students’ union has denied it instructed students to use “ze” pronouns.
An Oxford University student representative has denied that the university requires people to use the “ze” pronoun after The Times reported that a leaflet was distributed to students suggesting that they should look to use non-gendered pronouns.
A statement released by Jo Gregory-Brough stated that the information published was incorrect and that a leaflet had not been produced implying that all students must use “ze”.
Gregory-Brough said,
“As far as we’re aware, the information which has been published is incorrect. We have not produced a leaflet implying that all students must use ‘ze’ pronouns to refer to others, or indeed to themselves.”
However, the statement does suggest that there are other resources that are used by student leaders and welfare representatives, which,
“…alongside other information and tips, reminds individuals of the importance of not assuming the pronouns of their peers while also aiming to normalise stating pronouns in introductions.”
Jo Gregory-Brough outlined support for the trans community at the university by stating,
“We would also like to clearly state that we would never tell anyone to use ‘ze’ pronouns instead of ‘he’ or ‘she’ if ‘he’ or ‘she’ is the pronoun someone wishes to use. That would be misgendering and would likely have the biggest impact on individuals (ie, some trans students) who may already be struggling to get people to use ‘he’ or ‘she’ for them. It would be totally counterproductive.
Some critics have slammed the practice of adding pronouns to an introduction as a form of outing and forcing people to acknowledge their gender or sexual identity before they are ready to do so or enforcing a label upon themselves which may not feel comfortable.
The use of pronoun confirmation is “standard practice” according to Gregory-Brough who said it was “disappointing” that the media storm surrounding the story beset the union’s efforts to “ensure our trans students feel welcome within the Oxford community.”
