THEGAYUK

Category: News

  • When The Good News Is Followed By Bad News

    Today Alabama become the latest US State to allow same-sex marriage after US District Judge Ginny Granade ruled that the Alabama Marriage Protection Act and the amendment that later enshrined it in the state constitution both were unconstitutional.

    However just as we start the celebrations HRC the major gay rights organisation reminded us that whilst we now have the freedom to marry in some 37 States, it still doesn’t stop the fact that in 15 of them, gay people can be can still be fired from their job just because of their sexual orientation.

    The 15 States in question have no laws that specifically prohibit employment or housing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, so the words ‘I Do’ can, and often are, followed by ‘You’re Fired’

  • Bakery Who Refused To Make Gay Hate Cake Faces Legal Threat

    A bakery in Denver, Colorado, is facing legal action after refusing to make a cake with ‘God Hates Gays’ on it.

    The Denver bakery that refused to inscribe a hateful and homophobic message is facing legal action after a man only known as Mr. Jack, decided that the bakery was not taking his civil liberties seriously.

    Speaking to a Denver news agency, Marjorie said: “After I read it, I was like ’No way, we’re not doing this. This is just very discriminatory and hateful. We never refuse service. We did feel that it was not right for us to write hateful words or pictures against human beings.”

    She did however offer to make the cake and sell the icing separately so Mr. Jack could inscribe the cake in any way he preferred. However this did not appease the customer, who could refer the case to the Colorado Civil Rights Commission if the Department of Regulatory Agencies think he has a case.

    Marjorie said,: “It’s unfair that he’s accusing me of discriminating when I think he was the one that is discriminating.”

    Last year a bakery in Northern Ireland, UK refused to make a gay marriage cake. The Christian run Ashers Baking Co. in Northern Ireland refused to make a pro-gay marriage cake, which featured a slogan “Support Gay Marriage – Queer Space Born 1998” with a picture of Sesame Street characters Ernie and Bert, because it says it clashed with the ethos of their company, saying, ‘We thought that this order was at odds with our beliefs, certainly was in contradiction with what the Bible teaches.’

  • McDonald’s Staff Member Who Stopped Gay Kiss Will Never Work For Them Again

    A member of staff who stopped a kiss between two men has been sacked and the company say he will never work for them again.

    Speaking to the BBC’s Newsbeat, a spokesperson for the restaurant in Leicester said, “Discrimination of this nature is wholly unacceptable and not, in any way, tolerated by McDonald’s”.

    Matthew Dummigan, 23, was giving another man a “peck on the lips” when he was told to stop what he was doing by a member of staff, a bouncer employed by the chain. Dummigan asked the staff member, whether it would be okay if the kiss had been between a man and woman, “yes” was the bouncer’s reply. However Dummigan didn’t want the man to lose his job, despite the distress and upset the incident had cause, rather he go on equality and diversity training instead. He said, “The main thing I want from this is for the bouncer to be back at work after taking in some training about diversity and equality,”

    Last year a lesbian couple in London were told that they should move away from each other as to not cause offence to other diners after they shown affection towards each other.

  • For Those Times You Are Bored In Your Dorm

    You know those nights, when you’re bored and Grindr is throwing up nothing but duds… Take inspiration from these students.

    (more…)

  • Horrific Pictures Show Men Thrown To Their Deaths For Being Gay

    New shocking pictures have emerged showing the reported execution of two gay men in Iraq, having been found guilty of being gay.

    Two men are seen being thrown off the tower, one by one, both with their hands tied behind their backs with cable ties, with their eyes covered. Before the men are thrown off the tower, one of the fighters reads from a list he declares the men guilty of homosexual acts. The men are then thrown over by two Islamic State fighters, who wear black hoods. Below a baying crowd can be seen watching the terrifying execution of the two men.

    As one man falls to his death, another man in red can be seen below, after being pushed.

    In December, a man was thrown off a building to his death having been accused of being gay.

    The pictures, which purport to show ISIS executing two men, were found guilty of being gay in Iraq. The two were thrown from a tower in Nineveh, Iraq, in the latest way of horrifying executives by ISIS. Nineveh is an ancient northern city on the eastern bank if the Tigris river.

    It is, however, legal to have same-sex sexual activity in Iraq, however many LGBT people suffer from discrimination, abuse and honour killings. According to the BBC, since the withdrawal of the US from Iraq physical violence and sexual attacks on LGBTs has increased.

  • UK Government Committed To Ending Domestic Violent Crime

    The government is keen to end domestic violence (DV), says a spokesperson for the Home Office, as the future of Broken Rainbow, the UK’s largest DV charity for LGBTs, hangs in the balance.

    Speaking to THEGAYUK Wendy Wilde, the Service Delivery Manager for Broken Rainbow said, “For our funding not to be renewed or replaced will result in the helpline being closed down.

    “We’ve supported over five thousand people this year and if we were to close there are very few other services for them to go to and not one that offers national support in the way we do.”

    When pushed for comment the Home Office issued a statement saying, “Domestic violence and abuse is an appalling crime that this government is committed to ending.

    “The government recognises the important role that the Broken Rainbow helpline plays in supporting LGBT victims of domestic violence and abuse, which is why we have provided the helpline with funding of £120,000 in the last financial year.

    “Decisions on ongoing funding for 2015/16 are being carefully considered and will be announced shortly.”

    In May last year it emerged that members of the LGBT community are more than twice as likely to have
    experienced domestic abuse in the past year compared to those in heterosexual relationships, and almost half of victims say that they didn’t know where to turn for support. When questioned, 45 per cent of LGBT respondents from the 2013 ROAR study on domestic violence and abuse said that they didn’t seek help for fear that they wouldn’t be taken seriously.

    Baroness Barker who came out in 2013 said, “Broken Rainbow has a great record of helping the most vulnerable members of our community to escape and avoid domestic violence. The value of Broken Rainbow’s work is immense, not least the amount of harm which it prevents. Fundraising for such a difficult subject is tough, but I hope that resources can be found to keep this uniquely effective service going.”

    If you are affected by the issues raised in this article please phone Broken Rainbow on: 0300 999 5428 or visit their website http://www.brokenrainbow.org.uk

  • MP CAROLINE LUCAS: Closing Gay Domestic Violence Helpline Would Be Perverse

    Speaking out against the potential closure of the UK’s Domestic Violence charity for LGBT people, Broken Rainbow, MP Caroline Lucas said it would be “perverse”.

    Leading Domestic Abuse charity for the LGBT Charity Broken Rainbow has announced that it could face closure after the Home Office failed to provide evidence that it would fund the charity for another year.

    The news comes as a raft of other mainline LGBT charities and services face devastating cuts, including Terrence Higgins Trust, GMFA and the London And Lesbian Gay Switchboard.

    Speaking out about the current funding crisis, Caroline Lucas MP told THEGAYUK, “If Broken Rainbow is forced to close its services as a result of Government cuts, it will mean the loss of a unique service which has made a real difference to the lives of tens of thousands of people. To see it close just at the time when its services are under greatest demand would be perverse and counterproductive, putting more people at risk, and undermining the excellent work it has done to date. I urge the Government to think again.”

    Speaking to THEGAYUK Wendy Wilde, the Service Delivery Manager for Broken Rainbow said, “For our funding not to be renewed or replaced will result in the helpline being closed down.

    “We’ve supported over five thousand people this year and if we were to close there are very few other services for them to go to and not one that offers national support in the way we do.”

    A Home Office spokesperson said, “Domestic violence and abuse is an appalling crime that this government is committed to ending.
    “The government recognises the important role that the Broken Rainbow helpline plays in supporting LGBT victims of domestic violence and abuse, which is why we have provided the helpline with funding of £120,000 in the last financial year.
    “Decisions on ongoing funding for 2015/16 are being carefully considered and will be announced shortly.”

    If you want to know more about Broken Rainbow you can visit their website www.brokenrainbow.org.uk Broken Rainbow depends on donations and goodwill of its supporters.

    Donations can be made via their website and even the smallest amount can make a difference to someone whose life is at risk.

  • Nikon Knows The Importance Of Connecting With The Gay Community

    The Nikon Camera Corporation has shot a new commercial for its “I Am Generation Image,” campaign featuring an African/American married gay couple Kordale and Kaleb Lewis and their three children, whose morning routine selfie they posted to Instagram went viral overnight last year.

    The morning routine selfie, showing the two fathers styling their two daughters’ hair, garnered thousands of favourites, likes and comments; both positive and negative. Many of the negative comments they received were both homophobic and racist in nature.

    In Nikon’s video, the two fathers explain the background story behind the selfie, and they confidently address the negative comments they received and express what they hope for their children going into the future. This is unquestionably one big happy family as this heartwarming video clearly shows.

  • Gay Domestic Violence Charity Faces Closure After Government Fails To Confirm Funds

    An LGBT Charity aimed at supporting those who have suffered Domestic Violence (DV) has announced that it could face closure after no confirmation from the Home Office whether funding will be extended for another year.

    Broken Rainbow, the UK’s largest charity supporting men and women who have experience domestic violence is facing having its helpline closed after failing to obtain clarification on whether the home office will extend its funding for another year. The charity was set up in 2004 and last year supported over 5000 victims of violence from their partners.

    The news comes as a raft of other mainline LGBT charities and services face devastating cuts, including Terrence Higgins Trust, GMFA and the London And Lesbian Gay Switchboard.

    “For our funding not to be renewed or replaced will result in the helpline being closed down.” reported Wendy Wilde, the Service Delivery Manager “we’ve supported over five thousand people this year and if we were to close there are very few other services for them to go to and not one that offers national support in the way we do.”

    The charity, which has helped countless of people, says that the current funding only pays for one helpline worker at a time – and callers are often met with an engaged tone. The service is comparatively expensive, because the nature of the service, however its benefits have been felt far and wide – having worked closely with the producers and writers of EastEnders during their same-sex domestic violence storyline in 2014.

    In May last year it emerged that members of the LGBT community are more than twice as likely to have experienced domestic abuse in the past year compared to those in heterosexual relationships, and almost half of victims say that they didn’t know where to turn for support.

    “Government cuts on dv services have a huge part to play.” explains Jo Harvey Barringer, Broken Rainbow’s Managing Director “our service is comparatively expensive to run as our calls can take a long time due to us offering case work rather than simply a signposting service. Currently almost as many calls meet an engaged tone as a helpline worker because we only have enough funding for one person to answer calls at any time. Often callers are disclosing their abuse for the first time and the reality is that there is often nowhere to signpost people to. Decisions like the one to close the men’s refuge by Hammersmith & Fulham are a prime example.

    “The money is just not there to support the demand. Statutory organisations who do work within the Home Offence definition of domestic abuse which is: “any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.

    “The abuse can encompass, but is not limited to psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional” have their focus (and rightly so) on the demand from women and girls but that means they cannot stretch what they have to offer further support to other marginalised groups within society and often services have no provision at all for anyone who is outside their frame of reference.”

    Broken Rainbow, in recognition of the huge demand, particularly in direct services, is looking to extend its front line service provision within the next few months. Initially focusing in the North West of the country with an IDVA service and is also about to launch an LGBT legal assistance programme. “However the success of these is based on the existence of the helpline and we are just not in a position to guarantee that right now” said Ms Wilde.

    Speaking about the funding crisis, Caroline Lucas MP said, “If Broken Rainbow is forced to close its services as a result of Government cuts, it will mean the loss of a unique service which has made a real difference to the lives of tens of thousands of people. To see it close just at the time when its services are under greatest demand would be perverse and counterproductive, putting more people at risk, and undermining the excellent work it has done to date. I urge the Government to think again.”

    Baroness Barker added, “Broken Rainbow has a great record of helping the most vulnerable members of our community to escape and avoid domestic violence. The value of Broken Rainbow’s work is immense, not least the amount of harm which it prevents. Fundraising for such a difficult subject is tough, but I hope that resources can be found to keep this uniquely effective service going.”

    If you want to know more about Broken Rainbow you can visit their website www.brokenrainbow.org.uk Broken Rainbow depends on donations and goodwill of its supporters.

    Donations can be made via their website and even the smallest amount can make a difference to someone whose life is at risk.

  • SEVENTY PERCENT Of Gay Americans Live With Marriage Equality

    A Federal Judge on Monday declared South Dakota’s same-sex marriage ban ‘unconstitutional’ paving the way for this to become the 37th US State that will allow gay marriage.

    Or will it make it the 38th? With so many Court rulings popping up almost weekly these days it’s hard to keep track of the actual number of States where same-sex marriage is legal. With the US Supreme Court so far still refusing to step in again to re-visit the whole federal Constitutional Issue, it has been left to each of the 50 States to resolve the matter for themselves. Many of them, like Florida the nation’s 3rd most populated State, put up a fierce and often dirty fight by Officials and its Far Right ‘Christian’ Supporters, but to no avail in the end.

    It is estimated that 70% of gay people in the US now live in States where same-sex marriage is illegal, and it is no longer a question of IF they remaining 13 (or 14?) States will catch up, but just a matter of when. However, these last few are the country’s most conservative/republican ones and getting their laws changed will not be easy.

    The USA is hoping to beat its neighbour Mexico to become the 20th Country in the world where same-sex marriage is totally legal.

    The first 19 are Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland, Argentina, Denmark, France, Brazil, Uruguay, New Zealand, Britain, Luxembourg and Finland)

  • Trans Drivers Blamed For Russian Road Accident Hike

    Officials in Russia are planning to ban transgender and transsexual drivers from owning or qualifying for a driving license, in a move to lower Russia’s death rate on the road.

    In a truly bizarre move, Russian officials have made an announcement that they are to tighten restrictions on who can apply or qualify for a driver’s license. Those who are likely to be banned are those they claim have ‘metal disorders’ which the government has listed transsexual and transgender men and women. Also banned will be those with gambling addictions and those who compulsively steal.

    Also listed as disorders, those with Fetishism, exhibitionism and voyeurism. The move has been made because the government is worried about too many road accidents. The decree was signed on the 29th December by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

    Human Rights lawyers and activists have decried the move, but the Professional Drivers Union has supported the move. Alexander Kotov, the union’s leader told the BBC, “We have too many deaths on the road, and I believe toughening medical requirements for applicants is fully justified,”

    He did say that the requirements should not be so strict for non-professional drivers.

    According to available statistics, in 2012, 28,000 road fatalities were recorded in Russia, around 55 per 100,000 vehicles. The USA reported 36,166 in the same period, 13.5 per 100,000 whilst the UK reported 2,175 deaths, 6.2 per 100,000 vehicles.

    In countries where homosexuality is illegal such as Zimbabwe, Yemen and Uganda, death rates are 212, 587.6, and 1518.1 per 100,000 vehicles respectively.

    The move is an extension of Russia’s already restrictive campaign against LGBT people. In 2013 the Russia government infamously enacted the anti-gay law, which forbids the promotion of homosexuality to anyone under the age of 18.