THEGAYUK

Category: News

  • Gay Couple Sprayed With Pepper Spray In Violent Homophobic Attack In Kiev

    A violent gang in Kiev physically attacked a young gay couple after trying an experiment to see what social reactions they would get if they held hands or showed public affection.

    Zoryan Kis and Tymur Levchuk from Bird In Flight TV repeated an experiment filmed by a Russian Vlog team, ChebuRussia TV, to see what would happen if two men showed affection in public in Kiev, unlike the Russian experience, Kis and Levchuck found themselves in the centre of a violent attack involving pepper spray and kicks to the head.

    The shocking video reveals the real danger posed to openly gay men in the city of Kiev.

    In the video, the two men start by holding hands around the city. Their actions weren’t met with anything more than stares. Kis said, “We never heard any insults and those people who did have a verbal reaction… we were like aliens to them.”

    The couple then decided to heat up the action a little by sitting on each other’s lap and giving flowers. It was then that they were approached by a group of 10- 15 reportedly neo-Nazis, with one of them saying:

    “It looks like they’re f**king mistaking this place for America.”

    Luckily for Kis and Levchuk the attack was quickly broken up when a man in blue stepped into to separate the group, but not before at least three of the gang had landed kicks to the faces and bodies of the gay couple.

    Neo-Nazi groups have been accused of violence and even the murder of several gay men in the last few years. In 2013 it was reported that neo-Nazis were posting fake personal ads in Russia in order to lure gay teens into an ambush.

    In June 2013 an 18-year-old French gay rights activist Clément Méric was left brain dead after a violent attack by a gang of neo-Nazis.

    The Uk’s Foreign Office warns gay travellers that, “Although homosexuality is not prohibited by law, public attitudes are less tolerant than in the UK and public displays of affection may attract negative attention. There is no provision under Ukrainian legislation guaranteeing freedom from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and there has been an increase in intolerance towards the LGBT community.”

  • Free Pride U-Turn On Drag Ban

    The organisers of Free Pride have made a U-turn on its policy to ban non-trans drag queens at its pride event in Glasgow

    A controversial pride event which made international headlines when it banned non-trans Drag Queens from performing at its pride event has u-turned after being slammed by social media users, celebrities, drag queens and other pride organisers.

    In a statement released the unnamed organisers said:

    “Sadly, this attracted not just fair criticism, but also an immense amount of harassing, abusive behaviour. This harassment took the form of rather nasty insults and threats which were aimed at free pride organisers.

    “The original decision was made because many trans members of Free Pride have had negative experiences with drag acts veering towards racism, misogyny and transphobia; the lack of contact with the drag community contributed.

    “We made a mistake, and we apologise.”

    The organisers, which haven’t yet made public whether the organisation is a charity, a CIC (community interest company) or how it is managed added:

    “We hope to learn from this in order to foster the kind of community we want to see. We believe there is a greater need for dialogue within, and indeed between the trans and drag communities. We look forward to creating spaces where these dialogues take place with mutual compassion and respect.”

  • GROOMING | Wingman Scrubs Up Well

    There’s no other time of year when one needs a good wash! Long hot sticky summer days, lashings of suntan lotion and muddy weekends in a field camping – whilst sipping cider from a can listen to a variety of folk and rock music as thousands of others jump beside you. Well fear not for there’s a new Wingman in town who’s got your back… your face… your whole body actually.

    It’s not often I get excited about taking a shower. It happens daily and is a part my morning routine along with drinking two coffee’s to get out of bed, the blended fruit breakfast and hatred of other commuters. However, I now look forward to time spent in the water box thanks to Wingman’s range of face scrubs, washes and moisturisers that turns your morning or work aged body into a new man ready to take on life.

    The face scrub, wash and moisturiser – handily numbered 1,2,3 in case you’re still not quite awake and try to moisturise before you’ve scrubbed – have a fresh scent using ginseng and vitamins to help cleanse and brighten the skin. Another shower great is their 3-in-1 range suitable for body, hair and shaving. Available in Jet, Mint and my favourite Citrus, this is the perfect travel companion if packing space is limited. If like myself you have longer hair then you may also want to pack a conditioner as well.

    Overall a great new ‘man-brand’ to hit the shelves of Waitrose, Tesco, ASDA, Superdrug and Sainsbury’s or available online from www.WorldOfWingman.com ranging between £2.99 – £5.99.

    You can also pick up a free Wingman Gift Set with a year’s subscription from THEGAYUK’s stall at our sponsored Pride events across the UK, including upcoming Glasgow, Cardiff and Swindon. If you see us come and say hello and pick up a set before they’re gone!

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Oklahoma! National Tour

    ★★★ | Oklahoma! National Tour

    Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical, Oklahoma!, is revived in this touring production, bringing with it a plethora of muscly armed cowboys, giggling girls and barn dances aplenty.

    Oklahoma is one of the classic American musicals, featuring songs including “Oh What a Beautiful Mornin’”; “People Will Say We’re In Love” and the title song, “Oklahoma”. The tale is a familiar one, of will they/won’t they love, a jealous potential suitor and a host of colourful supporting characters, all set against the backdrop of the turn of the century Old West.

    The show itself remains the fairly easy going and generally pleasant experience that it has always been, where the whimsical plot and jolly songs require no effort on behalf of the audience. It’s a fairly typical musical of the era, and this version remains fairly simplistic in its presentation. Ashley Day, as the lead cowboy, Curly, has the right balance of looks, charisma and natural singing ability to carry off the part, and Simon Anthony does an equally good job as Will Parker. Standing out from the crowd was Gary Wilmot, as Ali Hakim, the pedlar, remaining, as ever, the consummate professional and looking like he genuinely hasn’t aged a day. The remaining cast generally were in fine voice, but the female characters were hampered by ultra-thick American accents and a far too high pitched and squeaky tone.

    But where the production was let down was in its rather straight forward presentation. The majority of the (95 minute) first act took place on a static stage with only one key set change, which led to a set which was not as visually stimulating or dynamic enough as it could have been. Added to this was the fact that it was genuinely difficult to hear what was being said or sung which made the play harder work then it should have been. The direction was generally functional rather than dazzling and the choreography came across as slightly clunky at times. Those issues aside, the cast’s enthusiasm was undeniable, the performances were polished and the whole thing did pick up in the second act, finishing with a rather rousing chorus of “Oklahoma” and a standing ovation from the audience.

    Overall, this was a fairly basic and incredibly safe production of a classic musical. I do feel it slightly missed the chance to be something much better than it is, but for a straight forward production and to enable the audience to hear those classic songs sung well, it is a pleasant enough evening at the theatre.
    Oklahoma! is playing at the Sheffield Lyceum until Saturday 1st August 2015 (see www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk for details and tickets); before rounding off its national tour at High Wycombe from the 4th to the 8th August 2015 (see www.wycombeswan.co.uk for details)

  • There Are Just 20 Openly Gay Athletes In This Year’s Olympics

    According to Outsports.com there are twenty openly gay and lesbian athletes competing at the 2012 Olympics in London this summer.

    (more…)

  • Channel Island Gay Pride Starts Fundraising

    An organisation called Liberate Jersey has started a fundraising campaign to start a gay pride event in September.

    The crowdfunder is looking to raise £2500 to help launch the very first LGBT+ Pride, because the organisers state, “it’s long overdue”.

    Homosexuality has been legal in Jersey since 1990 and same-sex couple has been able to get civilly partnered since 2012, however same-sex marriage is still illegal.

    TheGayUK reached out to Liberate for comment.

  • Anti-Drag Pride To Fund Event With Drag Film Fundraiser

    A pride event which has come under immense criticism for banning drag performers at its event is planning a fundraising film night by showing a film about a drag queen.

    UPDATE: Free Pride has now announced it has overturned their ban on drag performers.

    Glasgow based Free Pride, is hoping to run a fundraiser for it’s “anti-capitalist” pride by showing a film called Pay It No Mind: The Life And Times Of Marsha P Johnson, a drag queen who was instrumental in the Stonewall riots in 1969.

    However, the pride event has been condemned after announcing a policy banning “cis” drag performers at its event, in favour of allowing trans or non-binary drag acts to perform, a move which has commenters questioning the legality of the policy as it could breach the Equality Act 2010.

    The pride event has been scheduled on 22nd August in direct competition with Glasgow Pride. Writing in THEGAYUK, Warwickshire Pride founder Daniel Browne called the move “confrontational”.

    Gay right advocate Michelle Visage called the move to ban drag queen performers as “Bullsh*t”

    The fundraiser event, which is being advertised on Facebook is due to take part this Saturday.

    TheGayUK has reached out to Free Pride for comment.

  • The Coalition Of Organisations Which Support Anti-Gay Laws Exposed

    Channel four is about to expose a global coalition of organisations that support anti-gay laws around the world.

    The groundbreaking team behind last year’s documentary Hunted, Liz MacKean and the Dispatches team return with an investigation into the global networks that are supporting a wave of anti-gay laws around the world.

    In a special one-hour documentary on the 23rd July, Dispatches will unveil the well funded and organised back-lash against the LGBT community across four continents, led by bodies which promote and believe in family values.

    One group, the World Congress of Families – an umbrella organisation of religious conservative groups which has established links in over 80 countries – is based in America, where same-sex marriages have just been made legal in all 50 states. The WCF and their associates (who boast combined budgets of almost $200 million a year) claim they are merely supporting pro-family laws in other countries. But Dispatches reveals how, in doing so, they have supported anti-gay laws in Russia and lobbied the Slovakian government to help pass laws curtailing the rights of the gay community.

    Dispatches has discovered that, days after the anti-gay propaganda law came into effect, Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage (part of the WCF), was present at a Russian parliamentary meeting preceding Russian legislature banning the adoption of children to countries which support gay marriage and also to some same sex couples.

    Also interviewed is Pastor Scott Lively, who has previously linked homosexuality with paedophilia. In this programme, Dispatches reveals the extent of his links with the WCF. Lively advised Uganda’s government on how they might take forward their anti-homosexuality legislation. The Ugandan Anti-Homosexual Act was passed into law in December 2013 (though it has recently been annulled on a technicality, but is soon to be reintroduced to parliament). The passing of this legislation resulted in a sharp increase in homophobic attacks in the country (from sources including SMUG and the United Nations). However, like Jacobs, Lively rejects this claim and any responsibility for the increase in violence against gays.

    Hunted: Gay and Afraid, Channel 4 Dispatches, Thursday 23rd July at 11.05pm.

  • Gawker Editors Resign Over Removal Of Gay Escort / Conde Nast Exec Article

    Two Gawker.com editors resigned today after the site’s managing partner Nick Denton removed an article that alleged that a Conde Nast exec was paying to see a gay porn star.

    Gawker Media Executive Editor Tommy Craggs and Gawker.com editor-in-chief Max Read have both resigned citing the removal of a post that many have claimed was the “gay shaming” outing of a Conde Nast exec, who allegedly organised a meeting with a gay porn star.

    In a statement released to Gawker.com staff Cragg wrote:

    “On Friday, I told my fellow managing partners—Nick Denton, founder and CEO; Heather Dietrick, president; Andrew Gorenstein, president of advertising and partnerships; Scott Kidder, chief operating officer; and Erin Pettigrew, chief strategy officer—I would have to resign if they voted to remove a story I’d edited and approved. The article, about the Condé Nast CFO’s futile effort to secure a remote assignation with a pricey escort, had become radioactive. Advertisers such as Discover and BFGoodrich were either putting holds on their campaigns or pulling out entirely.

    “(This isn’t the place to debate the merits of that story, other than to say that I stand by the post. Whatever faults it might have belong to me, and all the public opprobrium being directed at Jordan Sargent, a terrific reporter, should come my way instead.)”

    The article was slammed on social media after its publication on the 17th July. The openly gay site founder Nick Denton express regret in publishing the piece, which included pictures and text exchanges reported to between David Geithener and the unnamed gay porn star.

    Geithener denies knowing the gay porn star.

     

     

  • Pride event bans Drag Queens in case they offend

    Glasgow’s Free Pride, not to be mistaken for Glasgow Pride, has taken steps to ban drag queens from its Pride after a trans and non-binary caucus decided some drag acts could offend.

    A pride event has become the first in the UK to officially ban drag queens from its event after deciding that some drag acts could offend.

    UPDATED: 20th July 2:36

    A pride event has become the first in the UK to officially ban drag queens from performing at its event after deciding that some drag acts could offend.

    A statement released by the “anti-commercialist” pride event reads:

    “After much discussion, the trans and non binary caucus decided not to have drag acts perform at the event.

    “This does not mean that people of any gender can’t wear what they want to the event, we simply won’t be having any self-described drag acts perform at our Free Pride Event on the 22nd August. We hope people can understand and support our decision. However we feel it important to fully explain why we came this decision.

    “The decision was taken by transgender individuals who were uncomfortable with having drag performances at the event. It was felt that it would make some of those who were transgender or questioning their gender uncomfortable.”

    However the policy has led to many commenters to react angrily accusing the pride to be bigoted against cis people and question its role as a non-discriminatory event.

    One user commenting on Free Pride’s facebook page reminded Free Pride organisers that the gay pride movement was started when Drag queens “stood up against oppression” and that they should be “lauded not excluded” Glasgow Pride responded to Free Pride’s policy by saying,

    Glasgow Pride, Scotland’s largest Pride event, responded to Free Pride’s policy by saying,

    “We can understand the actions behind Free Pride over the banning of Drag Performers but believe this to action to (be) wrong and going against what an inclusive event should be about. As an organisation Pride Glasgow had a similar discussion back in 2010 over how Drag could cause discomfort to people however we took the decision that Drag Queens and Kings play an important part in the history of the Pride movement and should be included within the event.”

    In March the students union passed a motion banning cross-dressing or drag due to the offence it could cause trans women.

    Disclosure: THEGAYUK is a media sponsor for Glasgow Pride.

     

  • “We Think Gay People Should Be Stoned Or Hanged Because They Are Destructive”

    The man behind the cancelled 5000 naked anti-gay protest who were aiming to meet Barrack Obama on a trip to Kenya has told audioBoom news that gay men should be stoned or hanged because they are “destructive to the environment.”

    A shocking interview has emerged of Victor Kidaha, the leader of an anti-gay political party that planned to hold a naked protest in front of President Obama to show their disgust at his pro-LGBT stance.

    In the interview Kidaha is asked why he is planning his naked protest in front of President Obama to which he answers:
    “It’s to protect African family values.To show President Obama there is a difference between a man and a woman.
    “The point we are trying to make is there is a difference between a man and a woman. We are saying respect our culture, africa we don’t accept same sex relationships. We don’t allow homosexuality that is not in African culture that is why couples can only marry when they are man and wife.”
    When asked if discriminating against gay people was contradictory to family values he repied:
    “We are not doing this from a religious perspective. It’s environmental conservation. We are conserving the environment. We see gays as destructive to the environment. We are saying they are negative value to africa. As Africans we are here to protect our countries and culture.
    “We don’t think gay people should be banned, we think they should be stoned. They should be stoned to death.”