Category: News
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Two Men Injured In Halloween Homophobic Attack In London
Officers in Kingston Borough are appealing for witnesses and information following a homophobic attack on two men in Surbiton in the early hours of Saturday morning, 1 November.
Police were called at around 01:20hrs that day to reports of males fighting outside the KFC restaurant in Brighton Road, Surbiton.
Officers attended and found a 21-year-old man [victim1] suffering a head injury.
London Ambulance Service attended and the man was taken to a hospital. He has since been discharged.
A second man with the victim, aged 18 [victim2], was also suffering minor facial injuries.
The Community Safety Unit on Kingston Borough is investigating and is treating the attack as a homophobic hate crime.
At this early stage, it is understood both victims were walking along Victoria Road and as they passed a group of two men and three women outside the YMCA they were subjected to homophobic abuse from one of the two men.
The two victims walked away but when they reached the zebra crossing nearby the two men [suspects 1 and 2] approached them and ‘victim 2’ was punched.
‘Victim1’ intervened to protect ‘Victim2’ and the suspects then assaulted him.
‘Victim1′ ended up on the floor where the suspects kicked and stamped on him.
Passersby intervened to stop the attack and the suspects both ran off along Victoria Road.
A search of the area by officers did not locate anyone matching the suspects’ descriptions.
‘Suspect1’ has been described as: a white man, aged in his late twenties, with fair hair that was shaven, a muscular build, short in height, and wearing a pink tutu.
‘Suspect2’ has been described as; a white man, also aged in his late twenties, with brown short hair, and also wearing a pink tutu.
A 26-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident.
He was arrested on Tuesday, 4 November for grievous bodily harm and common assault and remains at a west London police station.
Enquiries continue regarding the identity of the second suspect.
Trainee Detective Constable Ann-Marie Hodgkiss, the officer in the case, said: “This was a violent and unprovoked hate crime and I am appealing for anyone with any information about the incident to contact me.
“The two suspects were distinctively dressed, probably due to Halloween, and I would urge anyone who recognises their description and who may know who they are to contact me and help us trace them.”
Any witnesses or anyone with any information are asked to call the Community Safety Unit at Kingston Police Station on 0208 721 5858 or via 101, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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Man Has Strap-On Surgically Removed After It Got Stuck
A man in Greece has had to undergo surgery after his girlfriend’s strap-on got stuck up his anus.
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Two Gay Men In Horrific Anti-Gay Attack On Manchester Tram
Two gay men were assaulted on a Manchester Tram in the early hours of Saturday morning (1st November) leaving one unconscious.
Jean-Claude Manseau and Jake Heaton were singing songs from the hit musical Wicked when the pair were subjected to verbal abuse by an another passenger.
When Manseau and Heaton got off at Piccadilly Gardens the homophobic passenger called over a group of 15 others and according to the victims proceeded to attack them physically.
Manseau was knocked unconscious and sustained head injuries while Heaton was punched to the back of the head.
Speaking to Manchester Evening News, Manseau said, ‘It has destroyed every bit of confidence I have. It will be a while before I go anywhere on my own. I don’t know when I’ll feel safe to go into Manchester again.
‘They split my forehead, my lip, broke my nose. My eyes are black and swollen. My ribs are painful, I can’t move much. My face is going to be scarred for life. That has upset me.’
Heaton went on to say, ‘It was terrifying. They crowded around us and it probably only last a few seconds but it felt like a lifetime. It’s completely shocking. Nowadays you think people are mostly accepting of people’s sexuality, especially in a big city like Manchester.
‘We did nothing to provoke it. We were just having a laugh and a sing on the tram. It was definitely homophobic. Throughout it all, they were hurling abuse at us. I don’t feel safe now. You feel like you can’t be who you actually are when there are people like this walking the streets.’
Anyone with information, please call the police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
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Architecture Competition To Build Tolerance In Russia
Russia is not exactly known for its understanding nature.
In June 2013 President Putin signed into law a bill that banned the “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations to minors.” This law has since been the basis for taking away the fundamental rights of Russia’s gay citizens including banning gay pride parades, fines for gay rights groups (they’re accused of acting as a foreign agent), and denial of registration to non-government organisations.
As a result, violent attacks on gay people or “suspect gays” are becoming commonplace in Putin’s backwards thinking country. The vagueness of the term propaganda has helped Putin write the laws to suit his own ideas of how Russians should behave. The law is even in place for foreign visitors and is accompanied with a fine, detention and deportation.
So you can’t hold your boyfriend’s hand in public but Putin’s fine with invading neighbouring countries.
Anybody picking up on a problem with this logic? And with Belarus planning to follow Russia’s example the future seams bleak for the LGBT community in Eastern Europe.
HMMD.org is therefore challenging architecture enthusiasts to envision a way to promote tolerance within Russia with their latest architecture competition. ‘Designing for Tolerance’ challenges designers from around the globe to propose a temporary pavilion for the education of social, political and religious tolerance, to be erected in Russia’s Red Square, Moscow.
Entrants are challenged with conceiving a new pavilion that can be incorporated into educational spaces, with lecture and workshop rooms as well as exhibition spaces. Participants are also urged to consider other recreational and public spaces to support these educational programs.
The competition offers a US$3,000 first prize (2nd prize is US$ 1500 and 3rd prize US$ 500), will be judged by an esteemed panel of judges and is a chance for architecture enthusiasts to not only win some cash and acclaim, but promote a real movement for tolerance in the world’s largest country.
Entrants can be from any country, from any background and with any level of experience. What’s important is a passion for architecture and a desire to evoke some real change in some of the less-enlightened countries of the world.
Build a more tolerant Russia, or at least sketch out the plans to it.
Visit hmmd.org or email hello@hmmd.org for more information or to register. -
Singapore Rules To Keep Anti-Gay Laws In Place
A challenge to the law that criminalises homosexuality has today been dismissed by Singapore’s highest court, meaning that it’s still a crime to be gay in the country.
Lim Meng Suang and Kenneth Chee Mun-Leon, a gay couple brought a case against Section 377A of the Penal Code in 2012, arguing that the provision, which outlaws gay sex, infringed on their rights. After initial losses at the High Court of Singapore, Mr Suang and Mr Mun-Leon appealed, and their case was heard along with fellow appellant Mr Tan Eng Hong in July 2014.
Private same-sex sexual activity between adults has been illegal in Singapore since 1938, with the Penal Code that the British exported.
NOTHING WE CAN DO.
In the written ruling, handed down today, the judges said, ‘While we understand the deeply-held personal feelings of the appellants, there is nothing that this court can do to assist them. Their remedy lies, if at all, in the legislative sphere.’Jonathan Cooper, Chief Executive of the London-based Human Dignity Trust, which provided technical legal assistance to support the challenge, said, ‘This decision means that every gay man living in Singapore remains an unapprehended criminal.
‘And the criminalisation of homosexuality does not only affect men. The culture of shame and homophobia it fosters forms a shadow of oppression over Singapore’s entire lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community.
‘The decision of the Court of Appeal to maintain the country’s anti-gay law – a poisonous remnant of British colonial rule – is a great disappointment, if not a surprise.
‘The Singaporean Constitution does not protect basic rights such as privacy and dignity and is therefore very limited in comparison to other Commonwealth countries we work in, which show more promise for legal challenges.
‘There is nowhere to go from the Singaporean Court of Appeal, meaning that this judgment is final. We must now look to the Singaporean Government, where strong leadership and progressive legislative change is required to pave the only path forward for LGBTI people.
‘The Singaporean Government must see, as the international business community will, that archaic homophobic laws frankly have no place in a modern hub of global finance and commerce.’
‘The stakes are high for multinational companies with a presence in Singapore, whose gay employees are currently at risk of prosecution simply for being who they are.
‘Employers with a commitment to equality and diversity face a difficult dilemma.’
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Find Out How Your Tax Is Spent
From Monday 3 November over 24 million people will start receiving their first Annual Tax Summary from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which breaks down exactly how their tax is spent by the Exchequer.
8 million taxpayers who complete self-assessment returns will be able to access their tax summary online, while the 16 million PAYE taxpayers who received a tax coding notice from HMRC for 2013 to 2014 will receive their summary in the post over the next seven weeks.
The summaries were first announced by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne at Budget 2012 in a move to make tax more transparent and easier to understand. They will set out how much tax and National Insurance each person paid in the previous year and how it contributed to public expenditure.
Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said: ‘I promised that taxpayers would know much more about how much direct tax they pay and how that money is spent.
‘Now we’re delivering on that promise by giving 24m taxpayers a new personal tax summary.
‘It is a revolution in transparency and it will show how hardworking taxpayers have to pay for what governments spend.’
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MONEY: The Real Cost Of Leaving Equipment On StandbyAt Budget 2012 the Chancellor announced that around 20 million taxpayers would receive a tax summary detailing how their 2013 to 2014 tax year income tax and National Insurance contributions have been calculated.
In April this year the Chancellor announced that 4 million more people than previously announced would receive the summary. The additional people are PAYE taxpayers who have had recent contact from HMRC setting out their tax calculation for an earlier tax year. These might be people with more complicated or changing circumstances such as a new job.
There are 29.9 million income taxpayers in the UK. Any taxpayer who does not receive a tax summary can use HMRC’s tax calculator to estimate their tax bill and see how it contributes to public spending. The app can be downloaded free of charge from the Apple app store or Google Play by searching ‘HMRC tax calculator’.
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Arson Attack On Cinema During Gay Film Festival
Two days ago The Circle, the gay movie that is Switzerland’s official submission for a Best Foreign Picture Oscar Nomination, was being screened in Kiev’s iconic theatre Cinema Zhovten as part of on an LGBT Film Series.
Anti-LGBT protests and the burning of pride flags took place outside, but during the next screening the theatre was set on fire with over 100 people inside and it burned down to the ground. Remarkably no casualties were reported.
It’s a sobering reminder of the real strength of homophobia, and as the news spread on Facebook in Ukraine someone posted ‘it’s a country where street Nazis have become police officers, no-one will investigate a crime committed by the Far-Right. One hand washes the other.
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17-Year-Old Boy Raped By Two Men In Manchester Park, E-Fits Released
Manchester Police are calling for witnesses and information with regards to a brutal rape of a 17-year-old boy in a Salford Park in Manchester.
The 17-year-old unnamed victim was attacked by two men as he walked through Buille Hill Park, Eccles between 12:10 Am and 12:42AM on Wednesday 8th October.
The police have released e-fits in a fresh appeal for witnesses.
Police believe two men were standing at the gate of the Seedley Road entrance to the park and followed the boy along the path into the park. The victim then lost sight of the men and continued to walk further into the park, but a short time later the offenders approached him, one from the front and the other from behind, and raped him.
Since the attack the victim has been supported by specially trained officers and detectives have been carrying out a number of inquiries. The victim has now managed to give a detailed description of the offenders and officers have today released the E-Fits.
The men, both described as white, one in his late twenties and slim, the other in his thirties or forties and overweight, were both wearing shorts and hoodies with the hoods up. The slim male had blonde hair and was wearing glasses.
Detective Inspector Kenneth Blain said:
“This horrific incident left a boy traumatised and I’d like to reassure both him and the community that we are determined to catch those responsible.
“The victim has managed to provide enough details for us to put together the E-Fits, so I would now like people to have a look and tell us if they recognise either of the men.
“I would like to make a direct appeal to anyone who may have been walking near to where the incident took place to contact police immediately.”
Anyone with information should phone police on 0161 856 5360 quoting log number 61 of 8 October 2014 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
If you are affected by the issues raised in this article and would like to talk to someone please call LLGS on 0300 330 0630 or visit: http://www.llgs.org.uk
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Boy, 15, Gang Raped By Five Men In Kentucky
Five men have been arrested by police in Hopkinsville, Kentucky after the brutal rape of a 15-year-old boy, who has been left with a punctured colon.
The attack reportedly happened on the 12th October, at a house party. It was captured on video and shared by Snapchat.
Five men aged between 17 and 20 have been arrested by police in Kentucky. Police haven’t yet released any details about the assault, but they have announced that the attackers knew their victim.
The victim was in a critical condition and spent days in intensive care. He was treated at the Gateway Medical Center in Clarksville. He is making a full recovery at home.
Queerty reports that the attackers have been charged with sodomy, first degree; promoting a minor in a sex performance; use of a minor in a sex performance; distribution of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor. A $1million bond has been posted for one of the alleged attackers.
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London Gay Couple Told To Get Off Bus In Homophobic Rant
A gay couple from London have told the Evening Standard that they were told to stop kissing or get off the bus.
The couple who were travelling on the number 89 at around 10:30 PM near Blackheath have told that the bus driver had a homophobic rant after the pair shared a ‘peck’ on the lips.
Jack James, 23, and his boyfriend are reporting that the driver said, “Oi, you two don’t do that on my f**king bus or you can get off, I don’t want to watch that.”
The incident happened on the 8th August 2014.
According to the Standard, the pair didn’t realise that the driver was talking to them and asked for clarification. The driver reportedly replied, “Yes, it’s my bus it is my rules and I don’t want to watch that, it’s disgusting, get off the bus.”
Mr James, has also stated that the driver told them to ‘f**k off’ and that they weren’t real men. Mr. James has said that he is considering reporting the incident to the police.
Mr James said,
“We were chatting away when my partner gave me a peck on the lips. The bus driver shouted ‘Oi you two don’t do that on my f****** bus or you can get off, I don’t want to watch that’. When the bus stopped at our stop I walked up to the driver and politely asked the driver if he was talking to us. His reply was ‘Yes, it’s my bus, it is my rules and I don’t want to watch that, it’s disgusting, get off the bus’. Once we got off the bus we were fuming and I was shaking. The bus stopped again and he shouted and told us we were not real men and we should f*** off.”
Ken Davidson, TfL’s Head of Bus Operations, told the Standard,
“All customers have the right to use our services without fear of being abused and offensive behaviour is completely unacceptable. We would like to reassure Mr James that this matter is being taken very seriously and that a thorough investigation is being conducted by Go Ahead.”
In August the police appealed for witnesses to a homophobic attack on a London train, which happened between Charing Cross and Bexleyheath
