THEGAYUK

Category: News

  • Internet Trolls May Face Up To Two Years In Prison

    Internet trolls who target people with abusive or offensive material online will face up to 2 years in prison.

    Internet trolls who target people with abusive or offensive material online will face up to two years in prison and the police will have more time to investigate cases as part of the government’s commitment to protecting victims of crime.

    In the past a number of high profile celebrities such as Rylan Clark, Duncan James, Boy George and Joe McElderry have all suffered at the hands of online trolls.

    The government is changing the law to increase the maximum sentence for the offence of sending certain items with the intent to cause distress or anxiety. This will mean more serious offences can be dealt with in the Crown Court and there will not be a time limit for police and Crown Prosecution Service to bring a prosecution.

    THREE YEARS TO BRING PROSECUTIONS

    Alongside this, the government is also changing the law to allow up to 3 years, as opposed to 6 months as previously, to bring prosecutions against people for using the internet, social media or mobile phones to send menacing messages.

    Justice Minister Chris Grayling said,

    “The sending of abusive messages or material online can cause absolute misery for victims and we need to make sure that people who commit these awful crimes are properly punished.

    “We already have offences in place to deal with this appalling behaviour, but we’ve toughened up the law to make sure these crimes can be properly investigated and those who commit the most serious offences face a longer prison sentence.”

    Changes to the law will be made through the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill, currently going through Parliament. This comes on top of a raft of government measures to support victims. Next year, victims’ rights to tell the court how their crime has affected them will be set out in statute; a new nationwide Victims’ Information Service will be set up to ensure better information and support; and millions of pounds will be invested in improving the court experience.

    Crucially, we will also develop plans to require advocates to undergo specialist training before taking part in sexual abuse or rape trials, which will make going to court easier and less distressing for victims. All vulnerable victims and witnesses will also be given greater opportunity to give evidence away from the court building, and we will work towards rolling out pre-trial cross examination for child victims nationally, subject to the evaluation of on-going pilots.

    The government also provides £4.4 million annually to fund rape support centres and has met its commitment to open 15 new support facilities across the country since 2010.

  • BUTT IS IT ART? Tree is Erected In Paris

    Diana Vreeland the ‘Anna Wintour’ of the 1940’s –1960’s once very archly declared ‘the best thing about London is Paris!’.

    Art lovers would definitely agree with her this week as the French Capital hosts the 40th Edition of The International Contemporary Art Fair (FIAC) which after Art Basel is THE leading exhibition in the World. Based in the Palais Grand and in venues all over the city and for several days it becomes the meeting place between artists, collectors, gallerists, curators, museum directors and stars from the world of international contemporary art.

    We know that Ms Vreeland would thoroughly approve of such a stylish gathering, but we are a little unsure of what she would have thought of American artist Paul McCarthy’s piece called ‘ Tree’ an 80ft inflatable sculpture ‘erected’ in the heart of the Place de Vendome.

    It kind of reminds us of something BUTT we are not quite sure what!

  • SEX TOY Christmas Tree Destroyed By Vandals

    Vandals have destroyed an art installation by Paul McCarthy.

    An art installation which was criticised for looking like a butt plug has been destroyed over night by vandals. The art was erected in Place Vendome, which is near the centre of Paris. Protesters who said the tree looked like a sex toy had decried it, saying it was a waste of tax payer’s money.

    The 80ft inflatable piece simply called ‘Tree’ was popped overnight. It had caused a lot of upset amongst anti-gay groups because it looks like a giant butt plug.

    Police in Paris said, ‘Individuals have severed the cables that hold the sculpture in place, taking advantage of a momentary lack of a security guard,

    ‘Investigations are ongoing.’

    The Mayor of Paris condemned the attack and the French Culture Minister Fleur Pellerin said that the vandalism was ‘an attack on creative freedom’.

  • Nude Priests In Homoerotic Orthodox Calendar

    Orthodox Calendar is the title of wall calendars and videos first published in 2012, featuring nude and semi-nude photographs of members of the Orthodox Church. The calendar is the brainchild of a group composed mostly of Orthodox eastern Europeans of the former communist region. The primary goal was to create the very first organised global effort against homophobia in the Orthodox Region. At the same time, the calendar takes an ironic approach to the Orthodox Church itself, which in recent years has been embroiled in artist repression, questionable behaviour and homophobia.

    Through their unconventional and bold images, Orthodox Calendar’s creative team seeks to counteract the negative and outdated influences of most of the Orthodox Church leadership. While recognizing that change might not come quickly to the official Orthodox Church position, Orthodox Calendar nonetheless believes that at least it can encourage people to reflect and realise that there is an urgent need for an update in values as part of the modern society.

    Through their unconventional and bold images, Orthodox Calendar’s creative team seeks to counteract the negative and outdated influences of most of the Orthodox Church leadership. While recognizing that change might not come quickly to the official Orthodox Church position, Orthodox Calendar nonetheless believes that at least it can encourage people to reflect and realise that there is an urgent need for an update in values as part of the modern society.

    The first series in 2013, called “For freedom of speech, unity and tolerance” tells the individual story of 12 intensely masculine young men and their guests representing different parts of Eastern Europe. All are open-minded and believe that it is important to be perceived as individuals committed to diversity and acceptance against homophobia who reject contempt and violence. Disrespect for gay human beings weakens thousands of children and adolescents, promotes risk-taking, and increases vulnerability to HIV and those steeped in silence, shame and secrecy.

    The second series in 2014, called “LOVE IS LOVE – ORTHODOX OR NOT!” pays tribute to gay marriage. It’s the story of young gay couples from Eastern Europe sharing a common dream of one day being able to wed their beloved at the altar of their local Orthodox chapel.

    The third series (#OC2015) called “S.A.L.I.G.I.A (Superbia, Avaritia, Luxuria, Invidia, Gula, Ira, Acedia)” pays tribute to social tolerance. The story takes place on the right bank of the Moskva River south of Moscow, where some priests believe that same-sex unions are NOT a sign of the coming apocalypse, contrary to what Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill may claim. These priests set out, in a humorous way, to remind the world that homosexuality is NOT one of the 7 deadly sins and in fact that Jesus Christ never even referred to homosexuality as a sin!

     

    Yet in the words of many in the Orthodox hierarchy, LGBT people have suddenly become the worst kind of sinners – an omen of the impending end of the world. What about wrath, avarice, sloth, pride, lust, envy and gluttony?

     

    Starting today, anyone can discover #OC2015 wall calendar pictures by simply ordering on-line from Amazon or directly from their store at www.orthodox-calendar.com/shop. The price for the classic wall calendar is €18.99 and the explicit version is €34,95. The “Making Of” DVD is priced at €16,99. Check out the Orthodox Calendar on Facebook:www.facebook.com/CalendarOrtodoxAVA and Twitter: @OrthodoxCalenda

     

  • First British Muslim Drag Queen Has Eurovision Hopes

    Britain’s first Muslim drag queen Asifa Lahore releases her self-penned debut single ‘You And I’.

    According to the UK’s first Muslim Drag Queen Asifa Lahore, what differentiates this project from her other songs is that for the first time, she releases original material with a strong focus on thoughtful contemporary lyrics and stunning vocals.

    ‘You may have seen me trying to discuss the topic of faith and sexual identity on the BBC Three show ‘Free Speech’ earlier this year, and subsequently in the press. Since then I have appearing on BBC World News with leading Bollywood actress Celina Jaitly and an array of British Asian community channels talking openly about LGBT issues.

    ‘I have also spent the summer recording an EP in the UK, America and Sweden.’ says Ms. Lahore

    The first single from the EP is ‘You And I’ has been submitted as a potential Eurovision entry for the United Kingdom after the success of Conchita Wurst at the Eurovision in May 2014.

  • HIV Exhibit Opens At The Museum Of Liverpool

    On Friday 10 October, a new multi-media display Now + then: Three Decades of HIV in Merseyside will open at the Museum of Liverpool. The display forms part of the 2014 Homotopia festival.

    Now + then uncovers how local people and communities have responded to the challenges of HIV from the 1980s to the present day. The display will include a new powerful short film, interviews, photography and objects, all exploring people’s own remarkable stories and experiences.

    Located in The People’s Republic gallery, the display highlights an important chapter in Merseyside’s history of activism. Merseyside’s communities were among the first nationally to respond to the 1980s crisis of ‘AIDS’. Liverpool’s pioneering drug harm reduction and needle exchange schemes became internationally renowned as the Mersey Model.

    Kay Jones, Curator of Community History at National Museums Liverpool said: “It has been incredibly rewarding to work closely with Sahir House to help reveal this untold part of our history. We hope that the display will educate and raise awareness of HIV, which could affect anyone in our local community”.

    Andrew has been living with HIV for 30 years and lost many people to late stage HIV, previously known as ‘AIDS’. He said: “Back in the 80s if you didn’t see someone for a few weeks you would assume the worst. I remember funerals happening every week. Although much has changed since then, the film included in the display shows the impact that an HIV diagnosis can have on a person’s life whether it was 30 years ago, 30 months or 30 days.”

    Now + then was created by Sahir House – Merseyside and North Cheshire’s HIV charity – in collaboration with Soft Octopus Design Studio and Thinking Film, as part of the Museum of Liverpool’s partnership programme Our City, Our Stories. The display is the culmination of a wider two-year project, funded by the Heritage Lottery.

    The idea for the project came from service users and volunteers at Sahir House who felt it was important to record people’s own stories about HIV and Merseyside before they were lost forever.

    In 2012 the Museum of Liverpool hosted a community meeting to develop ideas for the project. Following this Sahir House successfully bid for £76,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Since the first community meeting, the Museum of Liverpool has provided a base for Now + then public events.

    Early supporters of the project were Liverpool Archives and the North West Sound Archive, as the oral testimonies and archive materials collected during the project will form two new nationally significant archive collections.

  • Charlie King Comes Out As Gay Live On Morning Television

    Charlie King Comes Out As Gay Live On Morning Television

    Former TOWIE hottie Charlie King has come out as gay live on Morning TV.

    (more…)

  • Campaign Of Homosexual Equality Celebrates 50 years

    Unveiling of plaque to Commemorate 50 years since the founding of The Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) at Church House, Deansgate, Manchester.

    Tuesday 7th October 2014 sees the 50th anniversary of the first meeting of The Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) a democratic voluntary organisation, founded in 1964 as the North Western Committee for Homosexual Law Reform (NWHLRC) in Manchester.

    The plague will be unveiled by Lord Mayor, Representatives of Church House/Diocese of Manchester, in the company of invited guests including representatives of CHE, The Lesbian & Gay Foundation and invited local LGBT community members at 2pm.

    The Lesbian & Gay Foundation (The LGF) are organising a tribute and celebration in honour of the 50th anniversary of the birth of the modern in lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) rights movement through recognising the formation of The North West Homosexual Law Reform Committee and later The Campaign for Homosexual Equality.

    The charity has worked with The Diocese of Manchester to unveil a special commemorative plaque at Church House on Deansgate in the city centre to mark the very first meetings of NWHLRC/CHE on October 7th 1964. This will take place in the early afternoon and is also supported by Manchester City Council. The plaque unveiling will be followed by an afternoon tea in the presence of The Lord Mayor of Manchester at Manchester Town Hall.

    Later on in the evening on 7th October, The LGF’s annual Homo Heroes Awards ceremony will be held at a city centre hotel in Manchester to mark the 50th Anniversary of CHE. The awards, supported by Barclays, are now in their fourth year and provide an opportunity to celebrate those people that have made a difference to the lives of people in LGBT communities.
    Paul Martin OBE, Chief Executive of The Lesbian & Gay Foundation, said: “Many people know a little about LGBT history from the decriminalisation of male homosexuality in 1967 but there is a story that goes back much further and one that Manchester and the North West played a key part in. The men and women behind CHE have made huge steps forward in fighting for LGBT rights for over half a century and we are delighted that representatives from CHE, who still have an important voice in campaigning for equality and respect for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people, will be attending the commemorations of this historic date in the LGBT calendar.”

    Peter Tatchell, Patron of The Lesbian & Gay Foundation, LGBTI and human rights campaigner, said: “The North West Homosexual Law Reform Committee was Britain’s first grassroots gay rights organisation. Led by openly gay people such as Allan Horsfall, it organised one of the early gay law reform public meetings in the UK. Held in Manchester on 7 October 1964, it urged the decriminalisation of homosexuality. We celebrate the 50th anniversary of this meeting and salute the pioneers of the NWHLRC. They trailblazed for LGBTI freedom. We remember and honour them – with pride.”
    Ross Burgess, representing CHE’s national Executive Committee, said: “This country has seen enormous changes since CHE’s foundation in 1964, when all sex between men was still illegal. CHE is proud to have played a great part in those changes, both by campaigning for law reform, and by organising a nationwide network of local groups that touched the lives of thousands of lesbian and gay people. We are greatly honoured by this recognition in Manchester, where it all started, and our only regret is that so many of the early pioneers, such as Allan Horsfall and Ray Gosling, are no longer here to celebrate with us.”

    The Rt Revd David Walker, Bishop of Manchester, said: “Fifty years ago, sexual activity between adult males was still a criminal offence in England. The attitudes of the wider population to same sex relationships were gleaned from court cases and comedians, spiced up by innuendo and accusation, and fuelled by fear. Half a century on, most of us are informed in our views by our friends, work colleagues and close family members who are able to be open about their sexual identities. That we are in such a better place is a tribute to those who were here in October 1964. This plaque is a modest recognition of that fact and of the debt we owe.”

    Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor Sue Cooley, said: “Manchester has a long and illustrious history of fighting for inclusion, representation and equality for all members of our diverse society, a fact that we should all be proud of. The Campaign for Homosexual Equality is one of the oldest gay rights organisations in the UK and on their 50th anniversary it is only fitting that a plaque is unveiled to create a permanent reminder of everything they achieved. Attitudes have dramatically changed since the 1960’s, when the CHE was founded, but there is still work to be done in fighting discrimination and I hope people find inspiration in the work of organisations like CHE.”

  • Gay Men Buck Downward HIV Infection Trend

    New figures from Public Health England (PHE) show that gay men are bucking the downward trend for new HIV infections.

    Yesterday PHE released its 2013 HIV statistics, showing new HIV diagnoses amongst gay men have slightly increased, whilst new diagnoses overall are declining.

    Shockingly the new statistics show that, in the past ten year new diagnoses amongst gay and bisexual men aged 15-24 have almost doubled, as well as new diagnoses amongst the over 50s have almost doubled. This worry for the over 50 was mentioned by Doctor Christian Jessen in his interview with TheGayUK in 2012.

    The latest PHE figures come after a recent campaign by a coalition of LGBT organisations which called on political leaders to improve sex and relationships education in schools. These figures highlight the urgent need to make LGBT-inclusive Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) statutory in all schools.

    Yusef Azad, director of policy and campaigns at (NAT) National AIDS Trust, said: ‘The Public Health England statistics for 2013 show a continuing high rate of new MSM HIV diagnoses in the UK – about nine gay and bisexual men are being told they have HIV every day. This reflects undiminished and significant levels of HIV transmission in our society amongst gay men.’

    LESS GAY MEN DIAGNOSED LATE
    However more positively, less gay men are being diagnosed late (within four years of infection). Yusef Azad, director of policy and campaigns at (NAT) National AIDS Trust, said: ‘There continues to be an encouraging decline in the proportion of gay men diagnosed with HIV late – from 43% in 2004 to 31% in 2013. Being diagnosed late, which usually means you have had HIV for at least four years, can have a serious impact on your health, potentially leading to a shorter life expectancy, worse health outcomes and in some cases death soon after diagnosis.’

    ONE IN TWENTY
    According to the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) around 100,000 people in the UK were living with HIV in 2013, which means 1 in 665. In gay and bisexual men THT estimates this figure jumps to one in twenty. It could even be as high as one in twelve in highly populated cities such as London.

    Dates for the National HIV Testing Week were announced last month. The week will run from the 22nd to the 30th of November.

    If you’re worried about sexual health visit our online sexual health microsite for some easy tips and to ask our experts questions on sexual health.

  • Poison Warning For Mushroom Pickers After Dozens Fall Ill

    Every year dozens of people all over the UK have to seek medical advice after picking and eating wild mushrooms which then make them ill.

    This is because some varieties which grow wild in the United Kingdom are poisonous and can make foragers ill when consumed: some types can even be fatal. Foragers should remember that the poisons in some of the most dangerous wild mushrooms are generally not destroyed by cooking.

    So far this year the Public Health England commissioned National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) has been consulted for advice on 84 cases, and with the foraging season now underway the medics are sounding their warnings once again. The NPIS is contacted by frontline medics who need expert assistance when dealing with poisonings.

    Dr John Thompson, Director of the NPIS unit in Cardiff, said, ‘As the weather starts to change many people will soon be heading out to the countryside to seek out wild food which can be a really fun thing to do.

    ‘But when it comes to wild mushrooms people really need to be aware of the very real potential dangers involved, it is always at this time of year that we see a noticeable increase in poisoning cases.

    ‘This is because while many mushrooms growing in the wild are tasty and safe to eat, it is not always easy to differentiate between toxic and non-toxic species even for people with experience in foraging.

    ‘That’s why we say that people should not eat mushrooms collected in the wild unless they are very familiar with the various types that grow in the UK and are sure that the mushrooms that they have collected are safe to eat.’

    In 2013 the NPIS was contacted about 237 times after people who had eaten mushrooms fell ill, and reports came to the service from every region of the UK.

    Many of those involved were children under 10 who had eaten mushrooms, but some enquiries were about adults who developed illness after consuming mushrooms that they had collected in the wild. Because of the risk of severe poisoning after accidental consumption of toxic mushrooms, the NPIS experts are warning foragers to take care when picking mushrooms and only to consume those that they know to be safe to eat.

    Dr John Harrison, Director of PHE’s Centre for Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards, which commissions NPIS, said, ‘ People heading outdoors this autumn, whether it’s to gather wild mushrooms or just to enjoy the great British countryside, should be aware of the dangers that mushrooms can pose. Correctly identifying the mushrooms that are safe to pick and eat is the key to ensuring that foraging is good fun and does not endanger health.’

  • First Trans and Gender Non-Conforming Swimming Group Opens In London

    Trans and Gender Non­Conforming Swimming Group (TAGS), after meeting with Lewisham council, have confirmed they have full private use of the training pool at the Glassmill Leisure Centre, Lewisham for a transgender safe swimming group.

    Facilities are accessible for individuals with disabilities and include a very discrete space with electric blinds on all windows to ensure privacy. There is a 20m Teaching pool with moving floor to alter depth. The Glassmill Centre also includes gender specific and gender neutral training facilities. Swimmers will have an hour and a half slot for changing and swimming. In additional, pool staff will be given training by TAGS to ensure that gender issues are covered and treated sensitively. There will be TAGS representatives to greet swimmers and take them to changing area. There are also accessible CCTV monitored parking at a very reasonable rate (£2 per hr) open until the centre closes and a cafe space to socialise. Parents of young people and carers are welcome to swim or spectate.

    TAGS is the only Trans Gender Non Conforming swimming group in London. This first swimming session is part of a three-month trial with Lewisham Council, so TAGS is seeking all interested swimmers to take the initiative to support the space by coming to the sessions. The cost will be £3.20 (lower for Lewisham residents) a session. The more swimmers at each session, the more TAGS can negotiate the cost down further.

    TAGS is organised by volunteers from the Gendered Intelligence Volunteer Society. Roberta Francis, the main volunteer, organised TAGS because she wanted to go to her local swimming group, but felt nervous. “I felt there was a big need for a swimming group in London to allow trans and gender non­conforming people the opportunity to have access to a safe space. Being able to swim is a basic right but for many trans people it can be really difficult because of how we are treated in the community as a whole,” Roberta said.

    Jay Stewart of Gendered Intelligence, said: “We know physical activity reduces mental distress. This is such a huge factor in trans people’s lives due to the pressures to conform to gender norms. I feel incredibly proud that this initiative has been led by some of our volunteers at Gendered Intelligence. The Gendered Intelligence Volunteer Scheme is all about strengthening the wider trans community and this is doing exactly that.”

    Anyone wishing to attend the TAGS swimming group can join their Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/269765326552514/ Or contact admin@genderedintelligence.co.uk for more information.