THEGAYUK

Category: News

  • Robbie Rogers Urges FIFA To Consider Gay Fans Safety For World Cup

    Openly gay footballer Robbie Rogers has reminded FIFA to include basic human rights in its guidelines when choosing a host country for the World Cup.

    FIFA came under fire in December 2010 when it was announced that Qatar, infamous for its abuses on the rights of gay people and women, won the hosting obligations for the World Cup 2022. Qatar will be the first Arab nation to host the World Cup.

    Many human rights campaigners were concerned that gay football fans and players could be subject to humiliating tests, which could include anal probing, to ascertain whether they were gay or not. Currently, gay men and women face between one and three years in prison if caught.

    Robbie Rogers who came out in 2013 reminded FIFA about gay and women’s rights and urged the organisation to make those considerations part of the guidelines for future hosting countries. In an interview with GQ he said,

    “I would hope that FIFA would be sensitive not only to gay rights but also women’s rights and basic human rights, and they should pick host countries for the World Cup based on what’s best for the competition—that’s what the athletes and fans want.”

    “So my goal is to create a dialogue with FIFA and convince them to create guidelines for how they choose countries to host the World Cup going forward, so that they only pick countries that ensure the safety of all the athletes and all the fans.”

    In Qatar it has been reported that a small advertising campaign has been started to educate tourists and expatriates about appropriate clothing for men and women to wear in public, suggesting that when in Qatar “you are one of us”.

  • A “Trans” Woman Abused On Street In Experiment To See If People Would Help

    The social experiment by Trollstation showed a ‘Transvestite’ abused by an actor on the street to see if passersby would step in.

    Trollstation
    Actors create a scene on a busy London street to see if anyone would help a trans woman.

     

    The experiment filmed by Trollstation showed footage of passersby standing around as one actor hurled abuse at another actor named Neg, who used to star in Channel 4’s Balls Of Steel, playing a transgender woman. The man is seen abusing the “transvestite” and saying, in front of a growing crowd, that ‘he’ was disgusting and ‘messed up’ whilst using violent hand gestures.

    Neg Dupree asked passersby for help, with one woman stepping in and suggesting that he ‘leaves it’ and for Neg to just “go somewhere else”.

    The man, who then says that the woman should ‘burn in fire’ is then turned on by Neg, who says “If you point at me again I’ll drop you alright, f**king jog on”, as onlookers stand amused at the unfolding scene, before being told that it was a social experiment to see if anyone would step in to save the trans woman.

  • UPDATE: #Pizza4Equality Reaches $55,000

    The campaign to raise $800,000 for homeless LGBT youth in the US has hit a stunning $50,000 after just two days.

    The campaign called Pizza4Equality, which is supporting Cyndi Lauper‘s True Colors Foundation, has an aim to match the $800,000 (£550,000) raised for Memories Pizza, a business in Indiana which attracted world-wide exposure after the owners admitted that they would refuse service to LGBT couples, based on their belief system. Over 29,000 people supported the money raised through GoFundMe.

    The campaign has now been backed by 1486 people, raising over $55,000, with seven donors paying $500 each.

    Mr Wooledge 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!”

  • Pizza For Equality Campaign Raises $16,000 in 24 Hours

    A campaign to raise money for homeless LGBT youth in the US has earned $16,000 in just 24 hours in a marked contrast to a campaign set up to boost the failings of a family owned pizzeria which would refuse services to gay couples.

    Pizza4Equality

    The campaign called Pizza4Equality has an aim to match the $800,000 (£550,000) raised for Memories Pizza, a business in Indiana which attracted world-wide exposure after the owners admitted that they would refuse service to LGBT couples, based on their belief system. Over 29,000 people supported the money raised through GoFundMe.

    Pizza4Equality, which was organised by Scott Wooledge aims to raise the same amount for the Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Fund, whose focus is to end LGBT homelessness. The fund has already been backed by 449 donations and raised $16,520 (£11,072) so far.

    Mr Wooledge 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, ‘f 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!”

    Visit the funding page here

     

  • Anti-gay Marriage Pizza Shop Makes $800,000 in Donations

    The pizzeria that publicly admitted that it would refuse services to gay and lesbian couples because of the owners’ religious beliefs has managed to raise over $800,000 in donations on a crowdfunding site.

    Both Crystal and Kevin O‘Connor stated their discomfort with gay and lesbian couples and that they would refuse to serve at a same-sex wedding, with Mr O’Connor even going as far as to describe homosexuality as a “choice”, and questioning why he should be “beat over the head to go along with something they choose?”.

    The family allegedly went into hiding due to ‘abuses’ levied at the business, which included leaving ‘gay reviews’ on Yelp and other review sites. However, according to Blaze.TV the family have made a stunning ‘comeback’ after receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from well-wishers across the country.

    Lawrence Billy Jones III one of the Television Opinion Contributors at BlazeTV set up a crowdfunding, on GoFundme, “To relieve the financial loss endured by the proprietors’ stand for faith.”

    The funder that has now been closed received over 29,000 donations totalling $842,637 (£564,770) to the owners of Memories Pizza. Donations began to pour in after a segment on an emotionally led interview on BlazeTV’s Dana Loesch’s show, in which the gun loving, conservative commentator called the O’Connor’s story a “culture war” – and “when you stand for faith, you don’t stand alone.”

    According to the organisers of the funding page “The final act on our end is to give contact info of the O’Connor family to GoFundMe. No need for concern as GoFundMe will only release to this family and this family alone. After this, it is all between the family and GoFundMe.”

    GoFundme, the crowdfunding site that hosted the campaign initially failed to tackle any of the homophobic comments made by pledgers.

    Brett Jeffreyes who donated $250 said,

    “Sadly this is the first wave. We are seeing the rise of GAY SHARIA. They will go to any length to destroy people of conscience and good will. I expect to see Gay Sharia violence supported by both Social and mainstream Media in my lifetime.”

    And Brennan Doherty who donated $10 said,

    “God bless them for not agreeing to support the farce of gay marriage.”

    Comments have now been removed and all donations are registered as “anonymous”.

    First-term Republican Governor Mike Pence has now signed a ‘fix’ to the law so that it does not discriminate against the LGBT community. He has insisted, however, that the law wasn’t the problem, but how it was being perceived. The law now has protections based on sexual orientation for the first time in its history.

  • Gay Refusal Pizza Parlour Makes $50,000 In GoFund Me Page

    The Memories Pizza restaurant that made headlines after becoming one of the first businesses in Indiana to say they would actively discriminate against gay couples has earned nearly $50,000 in support on the GoFundMe crowdfunder site.

    The crowdfunder, which was set up by Lawrence Billy Jones III, “To relieve the financial loss endured by the proprietors’ stand for faith.” has received over 1300 donations to the owners of Memories Pizza. The owners have said that they have gone into hiding since they said they would refuse to send pizzas to a gay wedding.

    Kevin O’Connor, co-owner of the restaurant, who supports Indiana’s Religious Freedoms law said, “That lifestyle is something they choose. I choose to be heterosexual. They choose to be homosexual. Why should I be beat over the head to go along with something they choose?”

    Funders have donated as little as $5, but one anonymous donor made a $5,000 pledge. Many of the pledgers have used the comment space to make outrageous homophobic statements.

    Brett Jeffreyes who donated $250 said, “Sadly this is the first wave. We are seeing the rise of GAY SHARIA. They will go to any length to destroy people of conscience and good will. I expect to see Gay Sharia violence supported by both Social and mainstream Media in my lifetime.”

    Whilst one gay supporter of the pizzeria, known only as BG said, “Not all gays are part of this pathetic, progressive, oppressive maffia [sic]. I am gay and I support your religious beliefs. I hope your business survives and thrives.”

    Brennan Doherty who donated $10 said, “God bless them for not agreeing to support the farce of gay marriage.”

    The original target for the funding page was $45,000.

    Republican Governor Mike Pence has said that he wants to ‘fix’ the law so that it does not discriminate against the LGBT community. He has insisted however, that the law isn’t the problem, but how it is being perceived is.

  • US Pizza Parlour Will Refuse Gay Wedding Orders

    The controversial Religious Freedom law in Indiana has already started to show how the business community can and will discriminate against gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans people, by refusing to serve them.

    One Pizzeria has gone the extra mile in its bigotry by announcing it will NEVER deliver pizza to a gay wedding.

    The family who owns the Memories Pizzeria in Walkerton, Indiana told WBND that they would never serve gay people because of their Christian beliefs.

    If a gay couple came in and wanted us to provide them pizzas for a wedding, we would have to say no”. Crystal O’Connor told the News crew.

    ‘That’s a lifestyle that you choose,’ said her father Kevin O’Connor,

    ‘I choose to be heterosexual. They choose to be homosexual. Why should I be beat over the head because they choose that lifestyle?’ he continued.

    First term Republican Governor Mike Pence has said that he wants to ‘fix’ the law so that it does not discriminate against the LGBT community. He has insisted however, that the law isn’t the problem, but how it is being perceived is.

     

  • New, Free 24-Hour Sexual Health Service With Results By Text Is Now Live

    A unique new online sexual health service allows people to test themselves for STIs in the privacy of their own home and get results by text message within seven days.

    (more…)

  • Six In Ten Of Us Are Embarrassed By Our Homes

    Six In Ten Of Us Are Embarrassed By Our Homes

    Six in ten Brits admit to being embarrassed about the state of their home, a study has revealed.

    (more…)

  • Gay Brits Can Now Marry In 24 New Countries

    The Foreign office has confirmed that LGBT brits can now marry at 24 British consulates in 24 countries around the world.

    (C) TheGayUK
    (C) TheGayUK

    Gay Brits who wish to get married aboard will now have the choice to do so in 24 countries including, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Cambodia, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nicaragua, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Serbia, and Vietnam.

    The FOC said the number of countries where same-sex couples could wed was limited to 24 because “British missions are only able to provide a same sex marriage service in countries where it is not possible for British nationals to have such a marriage under local law and where the local authorities have given permission for the missions to conduct consular marriages of same sex couples.”

    Same-sex couples will now be able to marry at the British consulates in Russia, despite its archaic anti-gay law and Azerbaijan, which currently carries one of the lowest ILGA ratings for LGBT equality in Europe.

  • Anti-Gay Marriage MP Tells Gay Voter Never To Contact Him Again

    The former MP and now Conservative hopeful for Peterborough, Stewart Jackson, who voted against the same-sex marriage act, has allegedly sent a response to a constituent, asking her to never bother him again after learning that she is in a same-sex marriage.

    Laura O’Sullivan was shocked to find an official communication from her then local MP Stewart Jackson, that stated that she should never “bother” him again. Mr. Jackson was a key figure in the Coalition for Marriage, a campaign which claimed to have attracted over 600,000 signatures against the redefining of marriage and he was one of 175 MPs who voted against same-sex marriage in 2013.

    Taking to Facebook, Ms. O’Sullivan said,

    “I got a letter through the post, addressed to Laura Hawes, asking me to vote for Stewart Jackson, Peterborough MP.

    As he voted against gay marriage and had kindly left his email address at the bottom for responses I sent him the following message:

    Dear Stewart Jackson,
    You sent me a letter, I wish to inform you that it was sent to the wrong name, Hawes is my maiden name. As of last October I am happy to say I am married, And have therefore changed my surname to O’Sullivan.

    And as my Wife and I enjoying our rights to an equal marriage, something that you did not support we will not, in no un certain terms, be voting for you.
    Please never write to me again.
    Mrs Laura O’sullivan

    She received the following response a few hours later:

    The feeling’s fully mutual.
    Please feel free to never bother me again.
    Yours
    Stewart Jackson”

    THEGAYUK reached out to Mr. Jackson’s office to ask if his response was standard practice for communicating with his constituents. His office replied, “It is the regular practice of Stewart Jackson and his office not to comment on any private correspondence between his office and his former constituents.”

    The post, on Facebook, has now attracted nearly 1,200 shares and a number of comments.

    As the UK Parliament has been dissolved until after the General Election on May 7th, Mr. Jackson is no longer the MP for Peterborough. In a statement on his website he wrote, “It is my honour and privilege to have been elected in May 2005 and re-elected in May 2010 to represent the Peterborough constituency in the House of Commons. He is now fighting for re-election in Peterborough.

    “I have made it my duty to work for Peterborough in Westminster and not for Westminster in Peterborough. I am working for your interests, not self-interests. Above all, I will always put my constituents’ interests above my political career.”