THEGAYUK

Category: News

  • Fifty percent Government cuts will devastate HIV prevention programme

    It was revealed today that the Government is considering to dramatically reduce its funding for HIV prevention schemes by up to 50%.

    The government has come under fire this evening after HIV charities revealed that it was planning to cut HIV prevention schemes, which it has funded since 1996, by 50%, from April 2015, despite a rise in new infections amongst gay and bisexual men. The announcement has been called by campaigners and HIV charities alike as ‘devastating’.

    Both the National AIDS Trust and the Terrance Higgins Trust have decried the move, calling it ‘staggering’ and HIV prevention is at a ‘serious risk of going backwards’.

    Funding will be halved for the year commencing April 2015 and there is as yet no commitment to fund further years of the programme.

    Deborah Gold, Chief Executive of NAT, says:
    “This decision is simply staggering. HIV transmission shows no signs of decline, with the highest number of diagnoses among gay and bisexual men ever last year. Public knowledge of HIV is far too low, and myths about HIV are on the increase. We are at serious risk of going backwards on HIV if national-level investment is not made in HIV prevention. We urge the Government to think again.”

    The current programme, HIV Prevention England (HPE), is coordinated by Terrence Higgins Trust and is focused on the needs of gay  and bisexual men and black African men and women.

    The £1.2million allocated for 2015/16 is equivalent to less than £1 for each person targeted by the programme.

    Dr Rosemary Gillespie, Chief Executive at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “This is not the right time for the Government to pare back spending on HIV prevention. In recent years, we have made good progress in driving down rates of undiagnosed and late-diagnosed HIV. However, tens of thousands of people with HIV across England are still undiagnosed and at increased risk of passing the virus on unwittingly. We have not yet reached the tipping point in our fight against the epidemic, and halving government spending on HIV prevention now would be a regressive step that risks undermining the headway we have made.”

    This decision is in direct contradiction to Simon Stevens’ NHS Five Year Forward View, released in October and welcomed by all main political parties, in which he said:

    “…the future health of millions of children, the sustainability of the NHS, and the economic prosperity of Britain all now depend on a radical upgrade in prevention and public health. Twelve years ago Derek Wanless’ health review warned that unless the country took prevention seriously we would be faced with a sharply rising burden of avoidable illness. That warning has not been heeded – and the NHS is on the hook for the consequences”.

    NAT’s activist network are working to defend the national HIV prevention funding. Please encourage your readers to get involved and join the campaign here: http://act.lifewithhiv.org.uk/lobby/HPE

    A spokesman for the DoH said that negotiations for an extension on their 3-year contract with Terrence Higgins Trust for HIV Preventions, which ends in 2015, were on-going.

  • UKIP Member Who Called Gay Men Poofters Has Resigned

    THEGAYUK  has learnt that Kerry Smith, who had hoped to let his comments about gay men and a Chinese woman ‘blow over” has resigned.

    This morning The Mail On Sunday revealed recordings on which UKIP Parliamentary candidate Kerry Smith is heard calling gay men “f**king disgusting old poofters” has now resigned an Al Jazeera journalist, Sunny Hundal, has tweeted.

    Nigel Farage, leader of UKIP had refused to sack Smith over the phone calls, while the MoS claims that a “well-placed” UKIP insider noted:

    “Kerry wants to make a full apology and is hoping it all blows over.”

    At one point in the recording released by MoS he is heard talking about former UKIP Youth chairman, Olly Neville saying,

    “Olly Neville – the sun shines out of his rear end. He’s now setting up BLT UKIP on Facebook.

    “What the old poofter groups call themselves. I just call it a BLT like the sandwiches. It’s them letters BLT with a Q on the end, bacon, lettuce and tomato.

    “It’s got our logo done with a rainbow. F**king loopy. That’s been approved by the NEC. That’s f**king disgusting.”

  • UKIP Parliamentary Candidate In Homophobic Recorded Rant

    The Mail On Sunday has released a recording of Kerry Smith, a senior UKIP member, making seriously offensive remarks about gay, lesbian, bi and trans people.

    Kerry Smith, a UKIP parliamentary candidate has been caught in a recording calling gay men “Poofers” and a likening the LGBT acronym to a BLT sandwich, “with a Q on the end.” Smith is the party’s PPC in South Basildon and East Thurrock. The recordings of his phone calls have been released by The Mail On Sunday.

    In the recordings, he also is heard to refer to a Chinese woman as ‘ a Chinky’.

    At one point in the recording, he is heard talking about former UKIP Youth chairman, Olly Neville saying,

    “Olly Neville – the sun shines out of his rear end. He’s now setting up BLT UKIP on Facebook.

    “What the old poofter groups call themselves. I just call it a BLT like the sandwiches. It’s them letters BLT with a Q on the end, bacon, lettuce and tomato.

    “It’s got our logo done with a rainbow. F**king loopy. That’s been approved by the NEC. That’s f**king disgusting.”

    Olly Neville came under fire by the party’s leadership in 2013, when he said he endorsed same-sex marriages. Mr Neville claimed UKIP was “on the wrong side of history” on gay marriage and proceeded to publicise on Twitter emails that were to sent him by party leaders.

    A statement released by UKIP on behalf of Smith said:

    “I wish to issue a wholehearted and unreserved apology to those who I have offended within the party and anyone else.

    “With regards to the leadership and management of the party I was completely wrong and my comments were fuelled by frustrations.

    “At the time of this recording, I was considering my resignation due to major management changes which I have since discovered I completely misread and misunderstood.

    “For the record, I was also on a strong morphine-based prescription medication for a back injury.”

    Nigel Farage, leader of UKIP has refused to sack Smith over the phone calls, while the MoS claims that a “well-placed” UKIP insider said:

    “Kerry wants to make a full apology and is hoping it all blows over.”

    TheGayUK approached UKIP’s LGBT society for comment.

  • Seventeen Thousand People Sign Petition For Dehumanising Emily Brothers

    Yesterday THEGAYUK reported that Rod Liddle from one of the UK’s most popular papers, The Sun, had written an article which questioned how MP hopeful Emily Brothers’ would know her gender because of her blindness, which has now attracted over 17,000 supporters on an online petition to apologise for dehumanising her.

    The article published by The Sun (10th Dec), asks how Emily Brothers could possibly know she was in the wrong sex if she was blind, saying:

    “Thing is though… being blind, how she did know she was the wrong sex?”

    An online petition via Change.org has been arranged with over 17,000 people signing it in the first 24 hours, echoing a similar petition for Lucy Meadows in early 2013, after Daily Mail writer, Richard Littlejohn monstered the trans teacher. Two petitions against Littlejohn garnered over 250,000 supporters asking for the sacking or resignation of Littlejohn.

    The organisers of the petition are demanding that David Dinsmore, the editor of The Sun itself apologises to Emily Brothers.

    When the petition had hit over 15,000 signatures, Rowan Davis, organiser of the petition said,

    “Thank you so much to everyone that has signed this so far, if any of you would like to complain directly to IPSO, the independent newspaper regulator, you can do so here”.

    Mark Healey from the 17-24-30 campaign, which aims to highlight hate crimes in the UK, has called on readers to make a formal complaint to the regulatory body IPSO, after calling the piece an “unacceptable piece of journalism.”

    Recently the leader of the labour party Ed Milliband said he was ‘so proud’ that his party had selected a transgender parliamentary candidate to stand in May’s general election.

    Last year there were more than 268 reported murders of trans men and woman across the globe.

    THEGAYUK has reached out to IPSO for comment on the complaints received.

  • The Sun Comes Under Fire For Questioning Trans MP Hopeful On Gender

    The UK’s biggest daily newspaper has come under fire after it published an article on transgender labour MP hopeful Emily Brothers, who is blind.

    The article published by The Sun (10th Dec), asks how Emily Brothers could possibly know she was in the wrong sex if she was blind, saying:

    “Thing is though… being blind, how did know she was the wrong sex?”

    Mark Healey from the 17-24-30 campaign, which aims to highlight hate crimes in the UK, has called on readers to make a formal complaint to the regulatory body IPSO, after calling the piece an “unacceptable piece of journalism.”

    Recently the leader of the labour party Ed Milliband said he was ‘so proud’ that his party had selected a transgender parliamentary candidate to stand in May’s general election.

    Brothers will contest the seat of Sutton and Cheam and is quoted as saying she wanted to be a ‘positive role model’.

    In a recent interview with PinkNews, she said,

    “In an ideal world I wouldn’t be speaking out about my past because it’s very private; however I recognise that as a politician the key thing is trust.

    “I don’t want to be somebody who has notoriety as having a transgender background, but I also believe it’s an experience that has value to it, that I can be a positive role model.”

    Columnist Rod Liddle has said that he sorry for “the poor joke”.

    In a statement released today, Mr Liddle said: “I wish Emily the very best and I’d definitely vote for her if I lived in Sutton and Cheam.

    “I am sorry for the poor joke!”

  • Clinic Gains Funds To Run Club Drug Clinic For London Boroughs

    Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) has been funded to run a Club Drug Clinic specifically for the London boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster.

    The CNWL Club Drug Clinic is a dedicated service for anyone who has developed problems with ‘club drugs’ including students, clubbers and a range of other users. In partnership with the Antidote/London Friend service, the CNWL Club Drug Clinic also provides a culturally competent specialist service for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transsexual) people.

    The clinic’s staff are addictions experts who specialise in problems associated with psychoactive drugs including GBL/GHB, Mephedrone, Ketamine, Methamphetamine, MDMA, legal highs and research chemicals.

    The multi-disciplinary team provides a range of evidence-based tailored treatment and recovery interventions including, medically assisted detoxification, psychological therapies, peer support, family work and assistance with employment.

    The clinic also offers a range of additional services including on-site sexual health screening including HIV and blood borne viruses, mental health assessment and referral and liaison and referral for physical health problems including ketamine-related bladder harm. The service is at the forefront of developing the research evidence.

    Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Owen Bowden-Jones, who established the clinic in 2010, said;

    “UK drug services have traditionally focused on heroin and crack cocaine addiction. Club drugs, such as Ketamine, Mephedrone, GBL and so called legal highs, present new challenges. These drugs are often used by people who don’t fit the traditional stereotype of a drug user. Instead, our clients tend to be working professionals in their 20s and 30s who started taking drugs socially in clubs or at University.

    “Despite the common reputation of club drugs as relatively harmless and recreational, the clinic has seen club drug use escalate and cause psychological, physical and social problems such as psychosis, dependence and relationship breakdown. These issues are similar to the problems we see with more traditional drugs.”

    For more information about the clinic, visit www.clubdrugclinic.com.

  • No One Is Born Gay: Says US Gay Cure Group On Billboard

    A US-based “gay cure” organisation, PFOX.org has bought ad space on a billboard in Virginia, which proclaims no one is born gay.

    Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays have bought billboard ad space in Richmond, VA, that say that gay people aren’t born that way.

    Writing on their website PFOX states,

    “Identical twins have the same genes or DNA. They are nurtured in equal prenatal conditions. If homosexuality is caused by genetics or prenatal conditions and one twin is gay, the co-twin should also be gay … because identical twins are always genetically identical, homosexuality cannot be genetically dictated. No-one is born gay.”

    According to their website, thousands of individuals have made the decision to leave ‘the homosexual life’ and can confirm that change is possible.

    So-called ‘gay cures’ have long been debunked by doctors and scientists. Last year Doctor Christian Jessen filmed a documentary for Channel 4, where he uncovered various treatments to ‘cure’ homosexuality. All of which he found to be useless, and with no scientific proof that they worked.

    Gay cure can range from reparative therapy to ‘shock’ treatments. In July a man who was ‘treated’ for homosexuality in the 1970s, talked to the BBC about his ordeal administered by the NHS and the damage it had done to his life. The 69-year-old said the treatment had made him feel that he was, ‘going to pass from this life without ever having a full relationship with a human being.’

    A statement from Jamie Machut, Vice President of Lamar Advertising Company, the owners of the billboard responded to criticism about allowing the advertisement saying,

    “There are no plans for billboard to come down,

    “Please keep in mind that the advertising is a message from PFOX and not Lamar Advertising Company. We support the First Amendment right of advertisers and believe that it is in the best interest of our company and the communities we serve to accept advertising copy openly.”

  • One Million Pounds Set Aside For Male Rape Support Services

    More than £1 million is being provided to specialist rape support organisations across England and Wales as part of the first ever fund to help male victims of rape and sexual violence.

    Approximately 75,000 men are victims of sexual assault or attempted assault a year according to data from 2012/13 while 9,000 men are victims of rape or attempted rape each year according to figures released in 2013, yet police figures show fewer than 3,000 offences of male rape or sexual assault were recorded in 2013/14.

    The Male Rape Support Fund was created by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to help tackle the taboo that surrounds male victims of sexual violence and encourage them to seek help. We also hope this will encourage more male victims to report the crime and bring their offender to justice. It will help increase male victims’ access to crucial information, myth busting and emotional support – either in person, or online if they find that more accessible.

    Twelve organisations have been successful in securing funding totalling more than £600,000 over 2 years to provide face-to-face support at centres across England and Wales, increasing the availability of advice and counselling for men who may not previously have been able to find help.

    A further £400,000 over 2 years will be given to Survivors UK to help them create the first national website and online support service specifically tailored to help men who have suffered rape or sexual abuse and ensure that no matter where they live they will be able to access help anonymously and at a time that suits them.

    Victims Minister Mike Penning said. “Latest estimates show that more than 1 in 10 victims of rape or attempted rape every year are men. Yet few come to forward to report it or seek help. I want to change that – it’s vital these victims are helped to cope and hopefully recover from what is a hugely traumatic crime.

    “Creating a fund specifically for male victims will encourage them to break the silence on a topic still seen as taboo, as well as help those organisations already doing excellent work to increase the availability of that support so any man can get help wherever he is in England or Wales.”

    The website will provide clear information specific to male victims, carers and professionals, and include statistics, a “myth-busting” section, short films discussing some of the issues and a series of animated client stories.

    A safe online community will also be created for men to talk about their experiences and recovery, as well as space for survivors to blog about their experiences and how they have coped. There will be a web-chat service to provide online emotional support, a text-chat service, access to phone counselling and signposting to national counselling services.

    The Male Rape Support Fund is part of MOJ’s campaign to Break the Silence around male rape and sexual violence, launched earlier this year. This was supported by Channel 4’s Hollyoaks which was the first British soap to feature the issue of male rape in a storyline.

    This fund sits alongside our funding for Female Rape Support services which were the subject of a coalition pledge. This commitment to creating 15 new female rape support centres was met this year – and more than £4 million has been provided each year to Female Rape Support Centres since 2010.

  • Man Thrown Off Building To His Death After IS Accuse Him Of Being Gay

    Sickening images have emerged from Iraq, of a man who was thrown off a building, to his death, after ISIS find the man guilty of being gay.

    Images released by Islamic State (IS) have shown a man plunging to his death after being accused of being gay, and found guilty by an Islamic Court, in Northern Iraq.The punishment for his crime was to be thrown off the tallest building in the town, following by stoning.

    The unnamed man, who is seen to be bound with his hands behind his back, is thrown off the roof of the building, whilst up to ten people overlook the operation. The Islamic court also ruled that the man should be stoned to death for his crime. The picture above shows the man surrounded by rocks and stones.

    The barbaric punishment was read out loud in the streets, by balaclava-clad IS fighters, in a town believed to be in Northern Iraq. The punishment read that he should thrown off the highest point in the city for being gay.

    The images appeared on the Internet just hours after a report which detailed the the abuse of CIA detainees was released by the US.

    It is not known if the man died immediately from his injuries.

  • Christian Pastor Tells Gay Man To Commit Suicide

    Government’s Job To Kill Gay People Says Christian Pastor

    A shocking anti-gay rant by Christian Pastor Logan Robertson, in which he states every single gay person should be put to death, has been reported in New Zealand.

    A Christian pastor from the WestCity Baptist Church in New Zealand was initially approached by author Jim Marjoram, who reached out to over 400 churches to interview for a book he is currently writing when he received a shocking response from Robertson that said, “We are not interested in your filthy lifestyle or book,”
    “I pray that you will commit suicide you filthy child molesting fag.”

    An openly gay journalist, Matt Mclean then approached the pastor for comment and was told by Robertson, that he would “never give an interview to a filthy faggot”.

    However, in an interview later in the day he further laid out his point of view on gay people saying they should be put to death and that Christians shouldn’t be the ones to put gay men to death, but it was the responsibility of the government.

    He went on to explain, “I think every single one of them should be put to death,
    “Christians shouldn’t be doing it, I’m not going to do it, it’s the government’s job to be doing it.”

    The national leader of the Baptist Churches of New Zealand, who said that the comments were appalling, has challenged his comments and the church’s alignment to the Baptist Church in New Zealand. They stated that WestCity was not part of its organisation.

  • Anti-Gay Pastor Jokes About AIDS Video Asking It To Go Viral

    An anti-gay pastor, Steven L Anderson asked his followers to make a video about AIDS go ‘viral’ on the 1st December.

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