THEGAYUK

Category: News

  • Double Murder Suspect May Have Met Gay Victims On Social App

    A man who is suspected of killing two gay men in Seattle may have met them on a social app.

    According to documents released by the courts, Brown may have used a social app to meet with the two men, and that there are no signs of robbery or drugs as a motive. Police say that Ahmed Said, may have been targeted because he was a gay man with a Muslim sounding name.

    ‘It is evident that the murders were premeditated and unprovoked and part of a common scheme or plan,” Senior Deputy Prosecutor Wyman Yip wrote in the charging documents. ‘The evidence from the crime scene, Said’s vehicle, and the autopsies suggest that the victims were essentially executed.’

    The victims had been enjoying an evening at R Place, a popular gay nightclub on Capitol Hill. According to his friends, Ahmed Said told them that he was meeting a “friend” outside the club.

    Brown could potentially face the death penalty if convicted of the double homicide. A Judge in Ocean County has issued a $500,000 arrest warrant for Brown.

    The gay community has been warned by Police Chiefs to be careful when meeting new people on apps such as Grindr or Jack’d.

    Ali Muhammad Brown, 30, was charged with two counts of aggravated first-degree murder. Two gay men were his victims. Ahmed Said 27, and Dwone Anderson-Young, 23 were shot in the head on the 1st of June near the home of one of the victims.

    Brown is currently on the run and police are hunting him in New Jersey following a cafe robbery and attempted car-jacking. Brown has been described as an ‘American-born Muslim extremist.’

  • Burger King Feels The Wrath Of Homophobic Customers

    Burger King Feels The Wrath Of Homophobic Customers

    After Burger King announced that they would sell the Proud Whopper yesterday hundreds of customers have taken to the companies Facebook book to complain.

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  • Burger King Sells Gay Pride Burger

    At last a whopper we can be proud of.

    Burger King has unveiled a special burger for Pride season, The Proud Whopper.
    The Burger comes packed in a rainbow wrapper, with the inscription ‘We are all the same inside.’

    The Proud Whopper will be sold on Thursday at one Burger King on Market Street in San Francisco, which was at the heart of SF’s Pride and Parade last weekend. A downtown Burger King was selling the Proud Whopper during the weekend as distributed 50,000 brightly coloured rainbow Burger King Crowns.

    Burger King is the first US-based fast-food chain to take such a bold stance on LGBT Equality.

  • Liberty Counsel: Some Homosexuality Caused By Abuse Of A Paedophile

    The founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel says that many gay people develop unwanted attractions because of childhood abuse.

    A ‘Gay Cure’ ban will stand in California after the Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to a law that bans conversion therapy. The therapy is aimed at trying to change the sexuality of gay people under the age of 18. However the court ruled that banning this kind of therapy did not violate free speech rights and that it had an interest in banning treatments it considered harmful.

    A non-profit Christian legal aid group, Liberty Counsel, which had petitioned the Supreme court to take the hearing argued that there was no scientific basis to say that gay cure therapy was harmful.

    Many religious groups still argue that homosexuality is not a natural part of humanity and that a person can change their orientation with therapy. Liberty Counsel also spends its time and resources on fighting against same-sex marriage, civil unions and adoption by the LGBT community.

    ‘I am deeply saddened for the families we represent and for the thousands of children that our professional clients counsel, many of whom developed these unwanted attractions because of abuse of a pedophile. The minors we represent do not want to act on same-sex attractions, nor do they want to engage in such behavior.

    ‘They are greatly benefiting from this counseling. Their grades have gone up, their self-esteem has improved, and their relationships at home are much improved,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel.

    ‘These children have been victimized twice – first by the likes of Jerry Sandusky, and second by legislators and judges who have essentially barged into their private therapy rooms and told them that they must pursue their unwanted and dangerous same-sex sexual attractions and behavior,” said Staver.

    ‘The minors we represent do not want to act on same-sex attractions,’he said, ‘nor do they want to engage in such behavior. They are greatly benefiting from this counseling.’

    Mr Staver also suggested that the fight for gay convertion therapy was far from over saying,’I can assure you the battle over change therapy is far from over. We will be back.’

  • Harvey Milk speechwriter and and author Frank M Robinson dies, 87

    Frank M Robinson, who was a renowned science fiction and thriller writer has died at the age of 87 today.

    Born in 1926, Frank M. Robinson moved to San Franciso in the 1970s where he became a a speechwriter for Harvey Milk. He also had a small role in the film Milk.

    He was the author of 16 books, 3 of which were made into films, The Power, The Glass Inferno (made into The Towering Inferno) and The Gold Crew.

    Dustin Lance Black paid tribute to the author saying, ‘This morning FRANK M. ROBINSON left this world. He was Milk’s speech writer, an acclaimed sci-fi author and was like a father to me. To say the earth feels made of quicksand lately makes it sound too solid. Frank, I’ll miss your thunderous laughter, your protective love and your razor sharp writer’s mind. #HarveyMilk’

    A note on Frank’s website notes meeting Dustin Lance Black and the making of Milk saying, ‘An amazing experience. They had a guy picked out to play me–met him later on–and then Sean Penn, Gus van Sant (director), and Lance Black (screenwriter–smart, talented, a workhorse and friendly) came over to the house and Penn interviewed me for an hour and a half about Harvey (I used to be Harvey’s speechwriter). Afterward, took them all to dinner at an upscale Burmese restaurant on Castro. Sean had to leave early and I entertained Gus and Lance with tales about Rogue and Playboy. Naturally they were fascinated (translation: bored stiff).’

  • Facebook Announces Custom Gender Options To UK Users

    Today – following a successful launch in the US earlier this year – Facebook has announced a new custom gender option to help people better express their own identity on Facebook.

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  • The Commonwealth Condemned at Pride In London parade

    African LGBT activists will march alongside the Peter Tatchell Foundation near the head of the annual Pride London parade this Saturday, 28 June, to protest against the persecution of LGBT people in 80 per cent of the 53 Commonwealth member states – many of them African nations.

    We are calling on 42 Commonwealth countries to repeal their criminalisation of same-sex relationships and to protect their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) citizens against discrimination and hate crime – in accordance with the principles of the Commonwealth Charter,’ said Peter Tatchell, Director of the human rights organisation, the Peter Tatchell Foundation.

    ‘We are urging the organisers of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July to require every competing nation to sign a pledge to not discriminate in the selection of athletes for their national team. Article 7 of the Commonwealth Games Federation constitution prohibits all discrimination. But it is widely believed that most Commonwealth nations would refuse to select a LGBT athlete,’ he said.

    Peter Tatchell has written to the Chief Executive of Glasgow 2014, David Grevemberg, asking him to ensure that all countries participating in the Commonwealth Games sign a non-discrimination pledge.

    Peter Tatchell helped organise Britain’s first Gay Pride march, which took place in London in 1972. He has attended every Pride London parade since then.

    ‘Forty-two of the 53 Commonwealth member states criminalise homosexuality, with seven of them stipulating life imprisonment and two of them – Pakistan and Nigeria – having the death penalty under Sharia law in some regions,’ noted Mr Tatchell.

    Marching in a joint contingent with the Peter Tatchell Foundation on Saturday will be African activists from Uganda, Nigeria and other African nations – including the African LGBTI Out and Proud Diamond Group and Nigerian LGBTIs in the Diaspora Against Anti-Same-Sex Laws.

    On Saturday, we are meeting at 12.30pm at the corner of Baker Street and Wigmore Street W1 (opposite Portman Square).
    The Pride London parade leaves at 1pm sharp.

    Edwin Sesange, Coordinator of the African LGBTI Out and Proud Diamond Group, said:
    ‘It is unfortunate that the Commonwealth has failed to implement its own charter on human rights, which the Secretary General has said includes rejection of discrimination against gay people and any other form of discrimination. The Commonwealth should show leadership by directly challenging homophobia and transphobia in its member states, in the same way that it eventually opposed apartheid in South Africa. The Commonwealth Secretariat says it opposes anti-gay persecution but it takes little action.’

    Yemisi Ilesanmi, Coordinator of Nigerian LGBTIs in the Diaspora Against Anti-Same-Sex Laws, added:
    ‘It is saddening that 80% of Commonwealth countries discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and inter-sex (LGBTI) people. In this age of democracy, every progressive nation should endeavour to protect the human rights of every citizen. No one is less of a human being because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Acknowledging and protecting LGBTI rights as human rights is a step forward for humanity. It is shameful that the Commonwealth of nations has not taken this important step. We continue to call on the Commonwealth to stand up for the rights of its LGBTI citizens. Every human deserves human rights. LGBTI rights are human rights.’

  • UK Charity centred Undertakes Projects To Unify Deaf LGBTs

    Today centred, London’s LGBTQ community development charity, launches two new projects: The four year project ‘Together – Equal – Different’, and a year long project with and for diverse Deaf LGBTQ people, called ‘Sign Up’.

    These projects will continue centred’s work to build diverse, creative, inclusive and connected LGBTQ communities in London, ultimately improving the well being of LGBTQ people and their family and friends.

    ‘Together – Equal – Different’ will provide an accessible events programme, including large scale events and more intimate ones, themed around arts and culture, heritage, social education and the environment; learning opportunities about equality, diversity, and inclusion; and a collaborative action research project exploring the impact of aspirational, celebratory community activities and spaces on LGBTQ experience.

    ‘Sign up’ will provide a series of workshops culminating in a major Deaf LGBTQ arts event in May 2015, bringing together creative talent from across the diverse Deaf LGBTQ community. The event will be Deaf led, with friends and family welcome to be a part of the day too.

    centred will recruit new volunteers, strengthen relationships with the diverse communities it works in and with, including Deaf communities and Black, Asian and ethnic minority LGBTQ communities, and exchange learning within other diverse communities of queer people, and their family and friends.

    ‘Together – Equal – Different’ is funded by The Big Lottery Fund’s Reaching Communities programme and ‘Sign up’ is funded by Awards for All.

    Participants in centred’s previous work have been integral to the development of ‘Together – Equal – Different’ and ‘Sign up’ and to the achievement of new funding. The generosity of feedback and the co-creation of new ideas are what enable centred to continue its work. A participant in centred’s Second Generation project shared ‘being a part of diverse spaces, where difference is placed at the centre of everything, has been challenging but in a good way. I have a much different view of the community now’. This is the community that centred will help to grow.

  • Gay couple attacked in London; one left unconscious by TEEN gang

    A gay couple in London were beaten by a number of teenagers in London, leaving one unconscious.

    According to the London Evening Standard, Walter Adrian, 23, and his partner, who has asked not to be named were approached by seven Bangladeshi teenagers who then assaulted the couple and called them anti-gay slurs, including ‘f*cking faggots’.

    The attack happened on Whitechapel Road, after leaving a friend’s party, on the 13th June, just before midnight.

    ‘We weren’t even holding hands or kissing or anything, but all the comments were based on us being gay.

    ‘One of them said “f**king faggots” so we wanted to try and leave and my partner pushed one of them but then they got physical.

    ‘They punched him and then there were six or seven of them just going at us while we were cornered against the wall.

    ‘They were saying, ‘this is our street, this is our area, get out of here’, just because they thought we were gay. It happens a lot round this area and East London.

    ‘We weren’t even acting gay and that’s what’s upsetting. Whether anyone is gay or not you just can’t feel safe. You’re scared of being attacked and afraid to go out by yourself.’

    Adrian was left unconscious, he has bruises to his head and stomach, while his partner had a swollen jaw.

    The attackers were described as 15-to-18 year old Bangladeshis who were wearing dark sports clothing.

    A Scotland Yard spokesman said: ‘We were called at 1.40am on June 13 to reports of an assault in Whitechapel Road. Investigations continue.’

    Last year anti-gay incidents were recorded in East London, where a number of men were arrested after harassing a ‘gay looking’ man.

  • Pedal For Pride Launches In Aid Of Stonewall And The Albert Kennedy Trust

    Charity challenge tour operator Global Adventure Challenges has launched the first ever Pedal For Pride, a tough 400 km cycle challenge across the state of California, which sets off in the majestic Yosemite national park, takes in spectacular lakes and mountain scenery and ends with a breathtaking finish over the Golden Gate Bridge in time for the 45th Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) Pride celebrations in San Francisco (27 & 28 June 2015).

    Participants will be motivated to do the challenge by raising money for their favourite charities. For ‘Pedal for Pride,’ Global Adventure Challenges has partnered with some of the UK’s leading LGBT charities including – Stonewall and the The Albert Kennedy Trust – but cyclists can raise funds for any other charity from cancer research to animal welfare.

    Peter Robinson, Director of Events and co-founder of Global Adventure Challenges said: ‘This is the first cycle challenge of its kind and there will be an incredible atmosphere throughout the whole of the challenge as each kilometre you ride will take you nearer to San Fran’s biggest party of the year. The days’ cycling will be long and tough, but well worth it to feel that incredible sense of achievement as you ride over the Golden Gate Bridge and then spend the whole weekend enjoying the celebrations as a reward for your hard work.’

    The challenge kicks off in the monumental Yosemite National Park with its massive peaks and towering forests and then rides around Turlock and Camanche Lakes on mountain roads. It then cuts a course along the Pacific Coast Road, high above the surf and takes in golden beaches and laid-back towns.

    To sign up, registration costs £399 plus £1800 for the self-funding option or a minimum sponsorship of £3600.
    For more details and to book call 01244 676 454 or visit www.globaladventurechallenges.com.

  • New gay club night to shake up Brighton’s night life

    ‘FOMO’ (Fear Of Missing Out) announced as Revenge’s new Thursday club night from July onwards.

    After leading the way for over seven years as Brighton’s Favourite Club Night (Golden Handbag Awards), Girls on Top is growing up and evolving into a weekend monthly special. In its place, Club Revenge – the South Coast’s biggest gay & lesbian club – welcome an exciting new weekly night that looks set to revolutionise clubbing on the scene; ‘FOMO’.
    FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) launches on Thursday 3rd July and aims to surpass the record-breaking success of Girls on Top with a refreshed DJ line-up, wild themed nights, new cheap drinks promos and massive giveaways.

    Steve Jones, Promoter of FOMO and Club Revenge: “We’re working really hard to create a night which consistently delivers week after week so that if people do decide to stay at home, they’re genuinely going to miss something special and suffer from FOMO! It’s all about creating that unique electric club atmosphere which you only get from the perfect combination of a great crowd and the right music, and that’s something we can guarantee at FOMO.”

    Musically, FOMO have hand-picked the UK’s finest DJs to ensure the soundtrack of the night delivers on its promise of “big beats, bad ass basslines and mashed up bangers”.

    Sam DMS is renowned across the country for his ingenious mash-ups that constantly keep people on their toes and ensure no two nights are the same. Missy B has headlined girls’ nights in every major city and continues to set dancefloors on fire with her high-energy style. Fifilicious has graced every major DJ booth in Brighton and beyond, as crowds continue to fall in love with her inventive, exciting mixes and infectious personality. And finally Trick, Revenge’s home grown talent whose cool twist on all things pop provide plenty of crowd-pleasing moments.

    Revenge are offering a range of drinks promotions, including bottles of Fosters and Tequila shots for £1.50 and a double vodka and mixer for just £3.