THEGAYUK

Category: News

  • Yep. Those Christian bakers are going to appeal. Again

    They aren’t giving up. Those Ashers Bakery owners are now going to appeal to the UK’s highest court.

    Despite two court rulings defining their decision not to bake a “gay cake” as discriminatory and unlawful, Ashers Bakery owners, the McArthurs, are appealing to the UK’s Supreme Court according to The Evening Standard.

    Gareth Lee the LGBT activist who initially ordered a cake in 2014 which bore the inscription “Support gay marriage” had his order denied by the company whose bosses cited that the “order was at odds” with their beliefs. They added that the supportive message was “in contradiction with what the Bible teaches.”

    An original court case found that the bosses had acted unlawfully. District Judge Isobel Brownlie ordered the firm to pay damages of £500 after ruling that religious beliefs could not dictate the law.

    Last month judges at the Court of Appeal upheld the original judgement. However, the family behind the bakery is not satisfied and the family’s legal team have written to the Appeal Court judges in Belfast, “to consider giving a short ruling on the question of whether (an) appeal to the United Kingdom Supreme Court is available in this case”.

    The McArthurs have insisted that the issue was never with Mr Lee’s sexuality, but with the message that he had requested on the cake.

  • LBC Radio Presenter: If your partner has HIV don’t have sex

    In a late night rant about the prescription of PrEP the LBC presenter, Ian Collins, told listeners of his show not to have sex if their partner was HIV positive.

    After the news that NHS England lost its appeal over whether it is responsible for prescribing the anti-HIV medication, PrEP, to “at risk” demographics of which gay and bisexual men are; one radio host Ian Collins suggested that the move was scandalous and people at risk of being infected with HIV shouldn’t have sex.

    PrEP pills
    (C) marcbruxel Depositphotos

    The Court of Appeal told NHS England that it is responsible for prescribing PrEP – a move which could cost £20 million.

    PrEP is described as a ‘game-changing’ pill that, when used alongside condoms, testing and treatment, could help bring the beginning of the end for HIV.

    Speaking on his LBC show Ian Collins said that the decision to fund a preventative drug for people who haven’t got HIV as a “scandal”.

    He said,

    “Critics have said at £400 per person per month, the drug treatment is too expensive and those in that high risk group should be encouraged to practice safer sex. Well just don’t have sex at all.

    “We are funding a drug for people who haven’t got HIV, but as a way of protecting them so that they might not get it so they can still have sex with their partner and not worry about protection.”

    He then went on to suggest that if your partner has HIV not to have sex at all.

    “Love your partner, hug your partner, kiss your partner, do all manner of other things you can do with your partner, just don’t have sex. If your partner HIV positive, don’t have sex. There’s lots of people that don’t have sex for lots of reasons.”

    Collins also stated that if you’re in a relationship with someone with HIV that you should “keep your pants on”.

    “…you’re being asked to just simply keep your pants on. This is not a drug that is funding people with HIV. It is funding people without HIV so that they can sleep with people with HIV. That’s it.”

    Ian Howley, the interim CEO of the GMFA said,

    “We understand many people’s concerns with the cost of PrEP being free on the NHS. However, this will only be 0.02% of the total NHS budget for the year. The short term cost outweighs the long term as currently the lifetime cost for treatment of someone living with HIV equates to nearly £380,000. PrEP has shown to decrease new HIV infections by 18% in cities like San Francisco. A similar reduction in the UK, year on year, could save the NHS and the tax payer millions in the long term. Too many people are becoming HIV-positive and we now have a tool that can help stop HIV. GMFA believes that PrEP should be free to anyone who is at high risk of becoming HIV-positive. We need PrEP now.”

    Ian Green, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said

    “Every day the NHS delays access to PrEP, 17 people are diagnosed with HIV – and the lifetime cost to the NHS for each diagnosis of HIV is £360,000. PrEP must be prioritised and made available now to those at risk.

    “There is still a long way to go before people at risk have access to this groundbreaking pill that will protect them from HIV – but thanks to today’s decision, we are a step closer to a world without HIV transmissions.”

  • You won’t guess how many people shot off their penis since 2010

    You won’t guess how many people shot off their penis since 2010

    At least seven men in America have accidentally shot their penis with a handgun since 2010.

    how many shot themselves with a gun
    CREDIT: Pixabay | Kerrtu / CC/

    The initial report from the website, deathandtaxes.com has suggested that five American men shot off their penis between 2010 to 2013 and we’ve managed to find another two reported cases where men accidentally put a bullet through their dicks.

    Usually from holstering their gun in their trousers.

    This is just a drop in the ocean to the number of self-inflicted gunshot wounds recorded in the US.

    In 2011 the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control released figures that suggested there were 73,883 non-fatal firearms injuries that year, 14,675 (19.86%) were unintentional. That same year there was, according to stats released by the CDC,  591 deaths due to “accidental discharge” and a further 248 due to “undetermined intent”.

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  • Yikes. You could go to prison for sharing a SNAPCHAT image

    Yikes. You could go to prison for sharing a SNAPCHAT image

    Ever thought of screengrabbing someone’s Snapchat and sharing it? Well, be careful because if you do, you could face two years in prison.

    can sharing pictures put me in prison

    So Snapchat is home to a lot of naughty pictures (apparently). We’ve not spent too much time there, obvs, but reliable sources tell us this is the truth. Well, you could face up to two years in prison if you share “private” pictures of someone without their permission under British copyright law.

    That news might come as a bit of welcome relief for certain male celebrities who have had their private stash of naughty pictures released to the world recently.

    In March this year the then culture minister Ed Vaizey was asked whether steps “to prevent Snapchat images being made public without the consent of the image owner”, would be presented, by MP Jim Shannon.

    Vaizey replied,

    “Under UK copyright law, it would be unlawful for a Snapchat user to copy an image and make it available to the public without the consent of the image owner.

    “The image owner would be able to sue anyone who does this for copyright infringement.”

     

    © belchonock Depositphotos

     

    Sharing private or sexual images without permission could get you into prison type of trouble.

    We spoke with lawyer, Phil Gorski at Blacks Solicitors who told us,

    “Last year there was a new piece of legislation introduced, which actually set out the specific crime of revenge porn. There is a specific charge that can be brought and so the option is there and should probably be taken if the information has been distributed to a large number of people.

    “What the legislation says is that where you’ve got photographs and the phrasing is, “… of a private or sexual nature …” That doesn’t mean you have to be showing intimate body parts or anything like that. It can be in a sort of context that’s perceived to be sexual.

    “If they are disclosed and it’s done without consent and the purpose of disclosing them was to cause distress or embarrassment, which when you think about it, it would be very difficult to not be the case. Then, there’s a potential crime that’s taken place.”

     

    Of course, if you’re worried about your pink bits being on display to the entire world it might be best never to put them on the web in the first place. Remember nothing you share on the internet is secure.

    Gorski continued,

    “Where these images are taken consensually then you need to be thinking very carefully about whether you actually want to do it or not. Not putting yourself in the position where there are images around in the first place is the easy fix but not necessarily something that someone will always want to do.”

  • Are gay rights at risk now that Donald Trump is President?

    Are gay rights at risk now that Donald Trump is President?

    Gay rights could be under threat now that Donald Trump has been elected President.

    Will get marriage be repealed by Donald Trump
    CREDIT: ©-welcomia-Depositphotos

    Gay rights, such as same-sex marriage could be under threat now that Donald Trump has been elected President of the United States. It all depends on who he chooses to appoint as a new Supreme Court Justice. There is currently one vacancy on the bench after the extremely conservative Antonin Scalia died in February.

    The Supreme Court, which makes rulings on social issues such as gay marriage and abortion, has nine judges and they are appointed by the President. They are only replaced when they die, decide to retire or a impeached for wrong-doing.

    As it stands the judges are balanced between liberal and conservative politics. However, two liberal judges, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 83, and Stephen Breyer, 78, may choose to retire soon which would leave Donald Trump able to replace those with more conservative judges meaning that the political skew of the Supreme Court would be conservative rather than liberal.

    When same-sex marriage was legalised across all 50 states the vote was made 5 to 4. The four Justices who voted against the decision (Chief Justice John Roberts, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito) were all conservative leaning judges.

    Democrats do have the ability to block a judge’s appointment using a filibuster in the Senate.

    Activists and rights campaigners are concerned that Mr Trump will look to overturn the gay marriage ruling made in 2015, something he said he would “consider” doing in an interview with Fox News.

     

  • Court of appeal rules that NHS England has legal power to fund PrEP

    The Court of Appeal has upheld a High Court judgement which ruled NHS England has the legal power to fund PrEP.

    PrEP pills
    (C) marcbruxel Depositphotos

    NHS England claimed earlier this year that it does not have the power to commission PrEP but a judicial review brought by the National Aids Trust determined that NHS England could commission PrEP. NHS England appealed this ruling on Thursday 15 September 2016.

    PrEP is a ‘game-changing’ pill that, when used alongside condoms, testing and treatment, could help bring the beginning of the end for HIV.

    The Court of Appeal issued its ruling on their appeal today, in a judgment that confirms that NHS England can legally fund the HIV prevention drug PrEP.

    Ian Green, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said,

      “PrEP is nothing short of a game-changer and, if used alongside condoms, regular testing and treatment, it could be the vital piece of the puzzle to help end the HIV epidemic for good.

    “Two courts have now ruled that NHS England does in fact have the legal power to fund PrEP.  It is time for NHS England to do the right thing and respect its legal duty to consider funding this highly effective treatment.

    “The conduct of NHS England around the funding of this treatment has reminded us that, 30 years on, HIV is still stigmatised in a way that many other health conditions are not.

    “Every day the NHS delays access to PrEP, 17 people are diagnosed with HIV – and the lifetime cost to the NHS for each diagnosis of HIV is £360,000. PrEP must be prioritised and made available now to those at risk.

    “There is still a long way to go before people at risk have access to this groundbreaking pill that will protect them from HIV – but thanks to today’s decision, we are a step closer to a world without HIV transmissions.”

     

    Cllr Kevin Davis, London Councils’ Executive member for health, said,

    “We are pleased that the court has stood by the original judicial review decision that NHS England can be held responsible for funding the HIV prevention drug PrEP, which we have always said.

    “Now the appeal has reached its conclusion, we urge NHS England to consider the results of its public consultation on PrEP and make a swift decision on how the drug will be made available.

    “HIV is a big issue for London as nearly half of all people living with HIV in the UK live in the capital and 57 per cent of new HIV diagnoses are in London.

    “Given these worrying statistics, it is crucial to use all available methods, including PrEP, to protect people at risk of contracting HIV and reduce rates of infection, particularly as the long term impact and cost of living with HIV are significantly greater than prevention.”

  • Nearly half of all eligible voters didn’t vote in the US election

    And folks this is why it’s important to vote.

    How many votes did Donald Trump get
    CREDIT © sgtphoto Depositphotos

    The world is still stunned by the dramatic results of the US Presidential election which saw Donald J Trump become President-elect of the USA. However, despite his win, only 25.5 percent of the votes cast were actually for Donald. Hillary actually managed to scrape an extra 0.1% of the vote. Which is just under 200,000 votes.

    In the US voting system, candidates compete to obtain the most electoral votes rather than the popular vote. Each state has a number of electoral votes depending on its size. Some states like California have 55, while others like Alaska, despite its massive size, have just three. It depends on the state’s population.

    Whoever gets the most votes in a state wins all the state’s electoral votes. We have something similar in the UK – and it’s called “First Past The Post”. A candidate must reach 270 electoral votes to win.

    Just over half of all eligible voters took to the polls in the US elections.

    According to the United States Election Project, 46.9 percent of around 231,556,622 eligible Americans (that’s 108,600,055 people) did not make it to the voting booth. The turnout was much lower than the two previous elections of 2008 and 2012.

    did Hillary Clinton get more votes than donald
    By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America

    And if you’re wondering how many votes were cast for each candidate:

    25.6% voted for Clinton

    25.5% voted for Trump

    1.7% voted for Johnson

     

    So people, remember when there’s an election get out and vote.

     

  • Here’s 7 things Trump actually said about LGBTs

    Here’s 7 things Trump actually said about LGBTs

    So the world is still reeling from the US election results. Yes, Trump is now President Elect of the USA.

    what does Donald Trump think about gay people
    CREDIT © sgtphoto Depositphotos

    Just to remind us what President Trump feels (or has felt) about LGBT people over the years, here’s seven terrifying quotes:

    1) He seemingly doesn’t need to respect trans people’s preferred pronouns.

    Speaking about Caitlyn Jenner after she started her public transition Trump said,

    “I knew him a little bit when Bruce was a great athlete. He was one of the best-looking people you’ll ever see.”

     

    2) Gay people leave their opposite-sex partners because of their looks…

    Not because you know, they’re gay and perhaps felt pressured into fitting into society’s expectations. Apparently, he felt that Arianna Huffington’s ex-husband left her for another man because she is,

    “unattractive both inside and out.”

    He went on to endorse that notion by saying,

    “I fully understand why her former husband left her for a man – he made a good decision.”

     

    3) Against gay marriage but not discrimination?

    Meanwhile in opposite world, in 2011 he was against discrimination for gay people but he was also against same-sex marriage in the same breath. In 2011 he said,

    “There can be no discrimination against gays. I’m against gay marriage.”

     

    4) Marriage is for heterosexuals, okay?

    In 2000 he said, according to The Advocate,

    “I think the institution of marriage should be between a man and a woman, I do favour a very strong domestic-partnership law that guarantees gay people the same legal protection and rights as married people. I think it’s important for gay couples who are committed to each other to not be hassled when it comes to inheritance, insurance benefits, and other simple everyday rights.”

     

    5) He didn’t think Carrie Prejean’s anti-gay marriage sentiment was horrible.

    Defending the Miss USA beauty queen contestant, Carrie Prejean, who told Perez Hilton that she was against same-sex marriage Trump noted,

    “That’s the belief of 70 percent of the people, so it wasn’t a horrible answer.”

     

     

     

    6) Overturning laws

    Speaking on Fox News in 2016, he said that he would “strongly consider” on appointing Supreme Court justices who would overturn the gay marriage ruling.

     

    7) Disregarding LGBTs

    Finally, if you wondered where in the pecking order gay, bisexual and trans people are in Donald’s thoughts. Don’t get your hopes up. Back in 1999, he said, “It’s something I haven’t given lots of thought to.”

    So that was 17 years ago… Do you think he feels differently now?

  • Dear god, what have they done to Toblerone

    Dear god, what have they done to Toblerone

    Just what has Toblerone done with its tasty triangle goodness?

    Toblerone
    CREDIT: Toblerone

    People are outraged. Simply outraged with Toblerone bosses after they redesigned the iconic bar. Now it seems as though you’re getting just half a bar.

    The airport staple has gone on a diet. The 450g bar now weighs 360g and the 170g bar now weighs in at 150g thanks to the larger spacing in between the triangle chunks.

    https://twitter.com/hashtag/Toblerone?src=tren

     

    https://twitter.com/DeanomusicUK/status/795905550965948416

     

    https://twitter.com/SophiaCannon/status/795909928644911104

    https://twitter.com/PeripateNic/status/795906223078043648

    https://twitter.com/Advanced_Diesel/status/795896438433648640

     

     

    Apparently, it’s a move Toblerone bosses at Mondelez International, who also own Cadbury’s have made to keep the chocolate affordable.

     

  • Australian senates puts a stopper on gay marriage vote

    Australian senates puts a stopper on gay marriage vote

    The public vote on whether gay couples are able to marry has been stopped by the Australian senate in a move being celebrated by gay marriage supporters.

    gay marriage vote in Australia
    CREDIT: GoodGuyPaul/Pixabay / CC

    Austraila’s government’s proposal to hold a public vote on making same-sex marriage legal has been defeated in the upper house of parliament. Same-sex marriage is not currently legal in any of Austrailia’s states. Civil partnership or registered relationships are available in most of Austrailia’s states. Those relationships, however, are not considered marriages under federal law.

    Latest opinion polls show that most Australians support gay marriage.

    Instead of a public vote, the upper house has suggested that parliament itself will make the decision. It’s a decision that looks to be shelved until the next term of parliament.

    Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is a supporter of same-sex marriage but is said to be “reluctant” to allow his Liberal party a free vote. The opposition, Labor party, announced that it would not support the bill, which will make passing a same-sex marriage law very difficult.

    Gay guys kissing, gay marriage
    Portrait of a loving gay male couple on their wedding day.

    According to the BBC Attorney-General George Brandis accused the Labor Party of “playing politics with gay people’s lives”. He said,

    “A vote against this bill is a vote against marriage equality,”

    “Those who claim to believe in marriage equality, but nevertheless, for their own cynical, game-playing reasons, are determined to vote against it, should hang their heads in shame.”

    Same-sex marriage campaigners widely support this move, who would prefer the issue to be decided in parliament rather than leaving the decision to a public vote.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Peter Pan Goes Wrong

    ★★★★ | Peter Pan Goes Wrong

    If you’re a fan of farce, then this genius gem will slap you round the head, crack your ribs from laughter and leave you with a weaken bladder.

    The Mischief Theatre Company are changing the face of comedy in the West End. They already have The Play That Goes Wrong and The Comedy About A Bank Robbery and now they’ve brought back their Christmas pudding, Peter Pan Goes Wrong. They’ve tapped into something that the West End has been missing for a long time. They’re giving us what we need. A laugh and lots of them.

    In these politically trying times of neverending referendum headlines, a plummeting currency, a US Presidency election that makes even EastEnders look dull, and don’t even get us started with how Brexit is going to affect us in Eurovision, this theatre company is like a lit candle next to a flammable costume. On Fire.

    The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society are about to put on their Panto (oh no it’s not) and they’re nearly ready, but the audience has arrived for the first night and the show must go on, regardless if all the necessary health and safety checks have been made. The set has been improved for 2016, thanks to a cast buy in of £40,000 and they’ve splashed out on a revolving stage. All is set to be an incredible, critically acclaimed am-dram performance of the evergreen favourite of Peter Pan… Or is it?

    The theatre’s electrics are on the blink, the sound recording cues are all wrong, the revolving stage has gone haywire, lines have not been learned, but that’s no barrier to this well-meaning band of merry actors. It’s hilarious.

    Christmas has never been so funny. Even that time Dad tried to play charades in a full body cast.

    This is exactly the pill the doctor ordered!