THEGAYUK

Category: News

  • Hillary Clinton Runs For President

    It’s official at last. Hillary Clinton will run for president of the USA. The announcement came yesterday in a video released by her campaign that in typical Hillary style features a diverse group of people making changes in their lives, including a male couple about to be married. A female couple is also included in the video.

    Not only does Hillary Clinton support marriage equality, she’s spoken out on the other side of all those arguments. She really consolidated her standing among the LGBT community with a speech she gave before the United Nations in Geneva while Secretary of State in December 2011 in which she said to the world that “Being LGBT does not make you less human. And that is why gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights.”

    Documents released this week by the National Archives at the Clinton Library show it was Hillary Clinton’s staff who pushed during her husband’s presidency for greater acceptance of LGBT people. For example, President Obama signed an executive order last year that went into effect last week banning discrimination in employment by federal contractors — something that Hillary Clinton’s staff pushed her husband to do back in August 2000.

    Her candidacy is in great contrast to the two senators who have declared that they are running to be the republican candidate for one of the most powerful jobs in the world. Paul Rand has said that same-sex couples shouldn’t get to use the word marriage because it “offends myself and a lot of people,” whilst the right-wing Ted Cruz went one step further when he publically declared he was against “the radical gay marriage agenda,” then went on to warn his supporters about the gay ‘jihad’ against religious freedom.

    Openly gay Robby Mook, a Democratic strategist who ran Terry McAuliffe’s successful 2013 campaign for Governor of Virginia, has been chosen to be Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign Manager.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage – National Tour

    ★★★★ | Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage – National Tour

    Gareth Thomas is one of the most successful rugby players ever to take to the field for his country. But in the testosterone filled world of professional rugby, he hides the fact that he is gay, causing him to engage in a secret double life and bringing him to the brink of suicide. But equally, his hometown of Bridgend in Wales is also a place of sadness, as a spate of teen suicides blight the small, close-knit community. Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage tells the story of both Gareth Thomas and his struggle with his sexuality and the story of two teenage girls from Bridgend, each battling with their own issues.

    Set on a stage resembling a locker room, and utilising only the simplest of props and costumes, each of the six-strong cast played multiple characters and morphed seamlessly from one to another, including each taking turns to play Thomas himself, as they recounted the two intertwined stories. Told in a verbatim style with the script primarily delivered in a direct address to the audience, the writing of Robin Soans had a very natural feel as it was conveyed by the cast, leading to characters who were accessible, felt familiar and who were instantly likeable. From the cast, Rhys ap William and Daniel Hawksford stood out the most, with both delivering solid performances in their various roles. Taking the audience through a number of ‘crisis points’ in both stories, there were a couple of points during the play where I felt myself welling up; but interestingly enough, it was a real shame that the moment when Thomas comes out to his parents was not handled particularly well by Katie-Elin Salt, leaving such a pivotal scene feeling flat and slightly awkward despite the best endeavours of the other cast members.

    The play draws parallels between the personal struggles of Thomas and the young people of Bridgend, demonstrating that even those considered heroes have their personal demons; and showing young people that they are not as isolated or alone as they may think. Dealing with a number of sensitive topics, the play handles them well, and draws a genuine emotional reaction from the audience as well as providing food for thought on many levels, whether that be empathising with the characters or their families on stage or reflecting on their own experiences and emotions.

    Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage is thought provoking and emotional, with an undeniably strong message of hope and positivity.

    Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage was reviewed at West Yorkshire Playhouse (www.wyp.org.uk ) and is continuing on its national tour, details of which can be found at http://www.outofjoint.co.uk/production/crouch-touch-pause-engage. You can also read our interview with Gareth Thomas about the production.

  • Six Things We Learnt This Week: Divorce, Tories, Christians, Joey Essex and Sue

    The world is constantly changing and we’ve learned things about Joey Essex and Sue Perkins we never thought we would, and divorce is not what it used to be.

    1) Divorce Papers can now be served on Facebook, in New York (Daily Mail)

    2) The Tories have clocked up the most miles to get you to vote for them. David Cameron has flown, trained, bussed and been driven over 3000 miles to the four corners of the UK. Lib Dems have travelled 1,900 miles while Labour and UKIP have clocked up 1,400 miles. (read more BBC)

    3) A pol revealed that 80% of Christians don’t agree with Cameron that Gay Marriage was something to be proud of. (read more TheGayUK)

    4) Joey Essex called Nigel Farage Reem. (read more Huffington Post)

    5) Two guys from the US, who met on Instagram had the most romantic proposal… ever (TheGayUK)

    6) Sue Perkins, the loveable lesbian presenter is bookies favourite to take over from Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear (read more The Guardian)

  • White House Releases Powerful Video About The Harm Of “Gay Cures”

    In the wake of President Obama’s historic statement this week speaking out against gay “conversion therapy”, a group of White House staffers led by Amanda Simpson, Executive Director of the U.S. Army Office of Energy Initiatives, and the first openly transgender woman Presidential appointee ever, created a video to discuss the dangers of this harmful practice.

    Also on the video are some of the President’s most senior advisers including Valerie Jarrett and also Megan Smith, Chief Technology Officer of the United States and Douglas Brooks, Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy. In addition to this, the U.S. Surgeon General  Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy, M.D. released a statement today calling for state and federal action to protect minors from conversion therapy.

    “Being gay is not a disorder. Being transgender is not a malady that requires a cure. Had I been Leelah Alcorn’s physician, I would have told her exactly that. And that’s the message I want other doctors, nurses, health professionals, and public health leaders to help get out to parents and children who may be confronting these issues.”

    by Roger Walker-Dack

  • Third Of Christians Will Not Vote Cameron Over Gay Friendly Stance

    A new survey has revealed that people who identify as Christian have condemned David Cameron’s statement that same-sex marriage was “among his proudest achievements in 2014”

    The poll by ComRes for Premier Christian Radio asked 2,000 potential voters what they thought about gay marriage and how it might affect their decision on voting Conservative in the next general election.

    More than thirty-three percent agreed with the statement, “I would have considered voting Conservative but gay marriage has put me off doing so”. The coalition government, led by David Cameron was instrumental in bringing forward same-sex marriage in his first term as prime minister.

    Same-sex marriage was legalised in England and Wales in 2014 in a landslide victory.

    80 per cent of those asked lambasted the Prime Minister’s statement that same-sex marriage was “among his proudest achievements in 2014”. The claim was made by  the Prime Minister during a Q&A in Wirral, when he said that same-sex marriage had a personal impact. He said, “I did get a lot of letters from men who said, because of the changes you made, I have been able to marry the person I love. That was great.”

  • Mental Health Charity For LGBT+ Youth Boosted By £120K

    Greenwich-based METRO has received nearly £120,000 from the City of London Corporation’s charity, City Bridge Trust, to boost its London-wide mental health programme for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) young people.

    Established in 1984, METRO runs community and youth services and is one of London’s few specialist providers of emotional and mental health support to the LGBTQ community. It promotes health, wellbeing, equality and participation through one-to-one counselling, group therapy and assessment, and referral services.

    The charity faces increased demand for mental health services and its Youth Chances research found that 44 per cent of LGBTQ young people have contemplated suicide, while 52 per cent have self-harmed and 42 per cent sought treatment for anxiety or depression.

    Dr Greg Ussher, METRO Chief Executive said:

    METRO is delighted to receive this funding from the City Bridge Trust. The findings from our Youth Chances research and the demand on our existing mental health programme show just how vital this funding is to enable us to support so many more Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) young people across London. This investment from the City Bridge Trust gives LGBTQ young people direct access to the essential services when they need them and will save lives.”

    Jeremy Mayhew, Chairman of City Bridge Trust, said:

    Negative attitudes towards these young people make them more likely to experience higher levels of mental health distress than their heterosexual peers. Understanding their needs and providing accessible services during a difficult time in their lives, is vitally important. At City Bridge Trust, we are committed to supporting Metro Centre in breaking down barriers, removing stigma and improving mental health.”

    City Bridge Trust is the grant-making arm of Bridge House Estates, whose sole trustee is the City of London Corporation. It addresses disadvantage by supporting London charities, providing grants totalling around £15 million annually.

  • Church Plans Event For People Who Want To “Overcome” Their Sexuality

    The Seventh Day Adventist Church is planning to bring a seminar to London that is aimed at people who have “struggled” with same-sex attraction.

    According to the advert, three people Mike Carducci, Wayne Blakely and Danielle Harrison have found “redemption, victory, healing and freedom from their lifestyle.” and want to talk to members of the public about their “struggles” with homosexuality.

    The advert also claims,

    “This conference will be invaluable for those who are struggling with their sexuality or for those who wish to find out more about issues surrounding sexuality and same sex attraction to reach out to others.”

    GayStarNews has called the free event, called Holy Sexuality Conference a “gay cure summit”.

    Speaking in a video Carducci spoke about how God had anointed him to start a ministry called Exceed, which stands for “Excellence in Christ through evangelism for the erotically defiled.”

    Speaking to GSN one of organisers of the event, said Anamaria, “These three people have overcome what many people are still struggling with, the people who felt so unloved. For them, they have moved out of this lifestyle and embraced Christianity,’ she said.

    “It’s like committing adultery. This conference will teach homosexuals how to overcome similar habits.”

  • $140,000 For #Pizza4Equality Campaign

    The campaign to raise money for homeless LGBT youth in the US, has reached $137,000 in less than a week.

    The campaign that is running in contrast to the Memories Pizza fund, which was started to support an Indiana family who said they would deny service to gay couples, has reached nearly $140,000 in just 6 days and is backed by 3649 donors. The Memories pizza fund was capped at $842,000, before the organisers handed over the funds to the O’Connor family.

    A petition calling GoFundMe, the crowd funding service used to collect the funds, to dump the page was created. Dana Loesch, the commentator who helped the Memories Pizza fund gain traction, jeeringly wrote on her blog, “A whole 24 supporters looks daunting (snicker).”

    The #Pizza4Equality campaign, which backs the Cyndi Lauper True Colors Foundation, was set up by Scott Wooledge who said,
    “There is much disgust and consternation in the LGBT community over a viral fundraiser effort, that has as of this writing, earned $842,387. Many have lamented, ‘if only our cause could raise that much money that fast’

    “I say, yes, we can.

    “So I looked and saw that Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Fund has set April 29 as the first national #40toNoneDay to end #LGBT youth homelessness! And I thought, would it not be totally awesome if we equality supporters (and pizza lovers) could match that #MemoriesPizza “charity” by April 29? Can we match their amount and help homeless youth get off the street, learn life skills and get an education and jobs?

    “I’m an dreamer, but I say yes, we can!”

  • President Obama Supports Ban On Conversion Therapy For Minors

    In a groundbreaking statement issued from The White House last night President Obama responded to a ‘We the People’ petition urging the government to Enact ‘Leelah’s Law to Ban All LGBTQ Conversion Therapy’ after it had reached more than 120,000 signatures.

    The President is quoted “Tonight, somewhere in America, a young person, let’s say a young man, will struggle to fall to sleep, wrestling alone with a secret he’s held as long as he can remember. Soon, perhaps, he will decide it’s time to let that secret out. What happens next depends on him, his family, as well as his friends and his teachers and his community. But it also depends on us — on the kind of society we engender, the kind of future we build.”

     

    His White House Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett added,

    “We share your concern about its potentially devastating effects on the lives of transgender as well as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and queer youth…As part of our dedication to protecting America’s youth, this Administration supports efforts to ban the use of conversion therapy for minors…This Administration believes that young people should be valued for who they are, no matter what they look like, where they’re from, the gender with which they identify, or who they love.”

    Leelah Alcorn was a 17-year-old transgender youth, who stunned her friends and a vast Internet audience in December when she threw herself in front of a tractor-trailer after writing in an online suicide note that religious therapists had tried to convert her back to being a boy.

    In an interview with the New York Times, Ms. Jarrett said Mr. Obama had been moved by the story of Ms. Alcorn’s suicide. But she said the problem went far beyond Ms. Alcorn.

    “It was tragic, but I will tell you, unfortunately, she has a lot of company,” Ms. Jarrett said. “It’s not the story of one young person. It is the story of countless young people who have been subjected to this.

    It also marks another step forward for the President too whose ideas about gay marriage had “evolved”. But he now supports same-sex marriage and has sought greater equality of treatment for gay men and lesbians in the government and the private work force. In his first term, he pushed the Pentagon to end the notorious ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ policy that had kept gay service members from serving openly.

  • Is this the most romantic proposal ever? Instagram boyfriends get engaged

    Two men who found love on Instagram have become engaged via the social network, in a heart-warming video surprise.

    Ryan and Scott get engaged / YouTube
    Ryan and Scott get engaged / YouTube

    Ryan and Scott have been together ever since they met via Instagram. Last week, Ryan asked Scott to marry him after a day of secret tasks sent via instagram messages. The video on YouTube has gone viral clocking up nearly 70,000 views.

    Speaking to TheGayUK Ryan said, “Scott and I met on Instagram (@scttsndr and @ryanpdonegan) and have been inseparable ever since. I created his perfect day of surprises (including out of town friends and family) for him using Instagram to post clues along the way.

    “I grew up in a Southern state here in the US where gay rights are few, so I think it’s important to share our stories.”

  • Nigel Farage Invited To HIV Play “Positive” After Debate Remarks

    The leader of UKIP, Nigel Farage has been invited to a comedy about HIV called “Positive” by the show’s producers after his remarks about HIV in last week’s Leaders’ Debate.

    Positive credit Bobbin
    Positive credit Bobbin

    In a brand new outing for the play, which previously ran at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2013 and completed a critically acclaimed run at Waterloo East Theatre in May 2014, the show is inspired by true stories from those who are living with HIV.

    Playwright Shaun Kitchener said: “I’m so excited that Positive is part of the Park Theatre’s line-up this year. Whenever HIV is presented on-stage or on-screen it’s usually all doom, gloom and death-beds; but that’s simply not the case in 2015.

    “HIV sufferers in Britain today are reportedly more likely to die from depression resulting from the stigma attached to them than they are from the virus itself. It’s not that it’s a medical walk in the park, but it’s not a death sentence anymore – and it’s about time theatre reflected this. If Mr Farage wants to come along and see the play for himself to learn a thing or two, we’d be more than happy to have him.”

    “Following UKIP leader Nigel Farage’s outrageous claims made about HIV and immigrants at last week’s Leaders’ Debate, an open invitation stands to have him along to watch the play – and find that the stigma he fiercely promoted is total BS,” say the producers of the show.

    View image | gettyimages.com

     

    Nigel Farage was lambasted by the other leaders on the televised debate, with Plaid Cymru’s leader Leanne Wood winning the first applause from the audience after saying that he should be “ashamed” for his remarks.

    Dr Rosemary Gillespie, CEO Terrence Higgins Trust said: “It was great to see so many people express outrage after Farage’s comments about the numbers of people in the UK with HIV who were not born here. HIV is a public health issue in the UK and globally. If we do not take an inclusive approach and provide treatment for people who need it, we will never prevent onward transmission. 24% of people living with HIV in the UK do not know they are living with it, and 4 in every 10 are diagnosed at a late stage, after they needed to start treatment. HIV doesn’t discriminate and politicians shouldn’t either. Such ill-informed and discriminatory comments generate stigma, and make it harder to encourage people to take a test and stay safe”.

    Positive runs July 9 to August 1 at the Park Theatre near Finsbury Park, London N4.

    Tickets available: https://www.parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/positive