THEGAYUK

Category: News

  • Top UK Judge Calls For Conscience Clause For Christians With Anti-Gay Beliefs

    A Judge who originally threw out the Christian B&B couples’ attempts to overturn a ruling that said they could not discriminate against gay couples has had a rethink and dropped all legal costs.

    Supreme Court deputy president Baroness Hale has ordered that all legal costs faced by Peter and Hazelmary Bull be dropped, after the couple’s final attempt at an appeal was thrown out of court, in a highly unusual move, which could save the hoteliers thousands of pounds.

    According to the Bristol Post Baroness Hale has called for ‘a re-think on gay and religious rights more than six months after she refused hoteliers Peter and Hazelmary Bull’s final appeal.’ The B&B owners had made several attempts to have the ruling overturned.

    Mr and Mrs Ball turned away gay couple Martyn Hall and Steven Preddy in 2008, citing religious beliefs for the reason why the two men couldn’t share a room. Mr Hall and Mr Preddy then took the Bulls to court in a high-profile court case, which the civilly partnered couple won. The Bulls were ordered to pay £3600 in damages to Mr Hall and Mr Preddy.

    Baroness Hale said that she may have been wrong in condemning the couple and that the law should work on a “conscience clause” for Christians in cases like the Bulls.

    In 2013, Baroness Hale was named as the fourth most powerful woman in the UK in BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour 100 Power List.

    On the Hotel’s website the Bulls state,

    ‘Here at Chymorvah we have few rules, but please note that as Christians we have a deep regard for marriage (being the union of one man to one woman for life to the exclusion of all others).

    ‘Therefore, although we extend to all a warm welcome to our home, our double bedded accommodation is not available to unmarried couples. Thank you.’

  • Show That Explores Animal Sexuality Accused Of Gay Bestiality Propaganda

    A show which compares human sexuality and that of animals has been accused of being ‘Gay Bestiality Propaganda’

    The petition, which was created by George Gilbert, has been signed by over 1000 people who are against a play that is currently showing at The Kings Head theatre in London.

    The show aims to compare human’s sexuality with that of animals.

    The opening statement of the petition reads, ‘As the name of the play ‘Sex with animals’ suggests, it is absolutely horrifying and disgusting that the play of this name has been staged in the name of exploration of animal sexuality. By signing this petition we oppose abuse and sexual exploitation of animals suggested by this play which is already implied in the name of the play. We also oppose all propaganda suggesting or encouraging abuse and sexual exploitation of animals by this play, otherwise termed as bestiality or zoophilia.’

    Gilbert is asking petitioners to agree with the following statement: ‘Therefore this group of men with homosexual and bestiality tendencies needs to be identified and along with dramaturg, producer, director, and all the creative cast should be publicly challenged and hold accountable for:

    1. Staging a play with potential for suggesting animal abuse – bestiality propaganda (Direct/indirect message is there, if some others entirely subliminal.)
    2. Thematic consequences of the play.
    3. Getting credits and blame for what the play does and does not.
    4. The name of the play which may distorts the nature of the play, if this is the case.
    5. Rationality of the play and expected implications in a viewer’s life. (Provide a scientific evidence on which the play is based).
    Further we are asking all responsible for the play to:
    6. Present shared belief on abuse and sexual exploitation of the animals – from dramaturg, producer and playwright of the play especially, to all the creative cast.
    7. Publicly clarify their own sexual preferences since they appear to advocate what seems to be ‘sex with animals’ – gay bestiality propaganda
    Lastly, we are calling on launching an investigation into whether any animals in their personal care are in danger of abuse or sexual exploitation.’

  • Sexual health charity releases video urging condom use

    HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust has launched a short video clip for gay and bisexual men, outlining the risks of recent infection – the initial period after HIV is contracted, when a person is super-infectious but won’t yet know they have the virus – and urging men to use condoms with new or casual partners.

    The 1:30 clip ‘Ben and Will’, which can be viewed at www.tht.org.uk/BenandWill, has been released as part of It Starts With Me, the flagship campaign from Terrence Higgins Trust and HIV Prevention England (HPE). It demonstrates how men who have recently contracted HIV are often unaware of their status, and – if they have contracted HIV within the last six weeks or so – will have such a high level of the virus in their body, they will be more infectious than at any point afterwards. Among gay men, as many as eight out of ten HIV transmissions are passed on by a partner who doesn’t know he has it.

    Cary James, Head of Health Improvement at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “Too many guys are deciding not to use a condom because they believe they or their partner are HIV-negative. It’s called serosorting, but really it should be called seroguessing. If either guy has had unprotected sex since his last negative result, he could not only have picked up HIV but now be super-infectious. As tests often won’t detect HIV during these first few weeks either, it’s really important men protect themselves by continuing to use condoms.”

    In the UK, one in five gay and bisexual men with HIV remain undiagnosed, meaning there are currently more than 7,000 men in the UK’s gay community who have HIV but don’t know it. It Starts With Me focuses on a combination approach of condoms, testing and treatment to halt the spread of infection among the gay community. Using condoms and lube when having anal sex significantly reduces the risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, being passed on.
    HIV Prevention England is a partnership of community organisations headed by Terrence Higgins Trust and funded by the Department of Health to carry out national HIV prevention work in England among communities at an increased risk of infection.

    Gay and bisexual men are invited to sign up to It Starts With Me by visiting www.startswithme.org.uk . They can also join the conversation on social media at www.facebook.com/startswithme

  • Gay porn star, Cameron Fox dies aged 36

    Falcon Studios have announced that US porn actor Cameron Fox has died.

    At the age of 36, Cameron Fox (real name Shane Eugene) performed in close to 50 adult films. Falcon took to Twitter to announce the news writing, ‘RIP Cameron Fox.’

    Fox started in the industry at the age of 22 in 1999. He was originally from Tulsa, Texas.

    His personal quote according to IMDB was ‘It’s good to be able to do things with other fellas and get great cash. I didn’t have to go to school to learn how to bring lust on the screen. It’s all a matter of doing it, ’cause I choose to.’

    The cause of death has not yet been released.

  • Gay Men At Greatest Risk Of Sexually Transmitted Infections

    A shocking new report from Public Health England (PHE) shows that gay men and young adults are most at risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections.

    There were 446,253 sexually transmitted infections (STIs) diagnosed in England in 2013, according to new Public Health England (PHE) data out today – close to the number diagnosed in 2012 (448,775 cases).

    Chlamydia was the most common STI, making up 47% of all diagnoses (208,755), while gonorrhoea diagnoses saw a large rise, up 15% from 2012 to 2013 (29,291).

    Among heterosexuals diagnosed in genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics in 2013, young people (15-24 years) experienced the highest STI rates – 63% of chlamydia cases (56,034), 54% of genital warts (36,312), 42% of genital herpes (12,450) and 56% of gonorrhoea (8,122).

    Gay men were also disproportionately affected, accounting for 81% of syphilis (2,393) and 63% of gonorrhoea (13,570) cases in male GUM clinic attendees. Gonorrhoea diagnoses rose 26% in this group, nearly double the national rate, which is of particular concern as harder to treat gonorrhoea strains emerge.

    Dr Catherine Lowndes, consultant scientist in PHE’s STI surveillance team, said: ‘Sustained efforts to encourage people to regularly get checked for STIs means we are now finding and treating more infections – which is good news. Nevertheless these data show too many people are still getting STIs each year, especially young adults and gay men.

    ‘Investment in promoting good sexual health awareness, contraception and condom use, and STI testing is vital, as is ongoing investment in easy to access sexual health services that meet the needs of local populations. Not only will this help bring down STI rates but abortion rates and under 18 conceptions as well.’

    National guidance recommends local services routinely offer chlamydia screening to young adults but only 15% of young men and 35% of young women were tested in 2013. Wide variation across the country were seen in rates of chlamydia testing and diagnoses – with only around 1/3 of local authorities reaching the recommended chlamydia screening outcome (2,300 diagnoses per 100,000 young adults per year).

    Dr Lowndes, PHE, continued: ‘Chlamydia can have serious consequences, including infertility, if it’s not treated. These data show we need to do more to encourage young adults to ask for testing every year when they attend health services.

    ‘Local areas can look at embedding screening into a variety of settings to make it as easy as possible for this group to get tested. Offering a young adult a chlamydia test opens the door to conversations about other important aspects of good sexual health, such as contraception and condom use.’

    Individuals can significantly reduce their risk of catching or passing on an STI by consistently and correctly using condoms until all partners have had a sexual health screen, by reducing the number of sexual partners, and by avoiding overlapping sexual relationships.

    If in one of the highest risk groups, getting screened regularly will lead to early identification and treatment, as these infections are frequently asymptomatic:
    · Sexually active under 25-year-olds should be screened for chlamydia every year, and on change of sexual partner
    · Gay and bisexual men should have an HIV/STI screen at least annually or every three months if having unprotected sex with new or casual partners
    · Black African men and women should also have an HIV test and a regular HIV/STI screen if having unprotected sex with new or casual partners.

    Cary James, Head of Health Improvement at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: ‘These figures show we now have more gay men testing more regularly, and that’s a good thing. However, it’s not the whole picture. Too many men are taking risks with their sexual health, more often than not because they believe they share a HIV status with their partner. Even if they’re right – which many of them aren’t – eliminating HIV risk does not make you immune to other STIs. The sharp increase in rates of both gonorrhoea and syphilis is concerning, especially in the context of emerging drug-resistant strains of gonorrhoea.

    ‘Part of the problem is that the current approach to sex education in schools is leaving gay and bisexual men out in the cold. Gay men will continue to be disproportionately affected by sexual ill health until we have a proper programme of sex and relationships education in all schools, that is fit for the 21st century and covers all types of relationship. Taught properly, sex and relationships education has been shown to delay sexual activity, reduce the number of sexual partners, and increase the use of condoms. Having that bedrock in place is a vital step to give gay and bisexual men the confidence as adults to make healthy decisions about sex.’

  • Londoners Set To Star Alongside Pride In London Celebs

    Londoners to star alongside celebrities supporting Pride in London’s #FreedomTo multi-channel ad campaign

    With just two weeks to go until the main Pride in London event celebrating the LGBT+ community, the event organisers can today unveil a celebrity-backed evolving campaign in which Londoners will be invited to become part of the marketing to promote this year’s #FreedomTo theme.

    The 2014 Pride in London Parade will take place on Saturday the 28th June. This year’s theme is #FreedomTo, which is all about celebrities and members of the public alike communicating what Pride means to them.

    In a first for Pride, members of the public could see themselves being used in the promotional activity in the run-up to the Pride in London parade. Handling the user generated content and display element of the campaign is digital out of home agency Enigma – www.enigmacode.co.uk – whose founder, Andrew Newman, helped to devise a commercial strategy for Pride in London.

    Celebrities including Sir Ian McKellan, Kylie Minogue, Graham Norton, Sir Elton John and Ben Cohen have already backed the campaign. Of the 150+ messages already submitted, examples include:
    Sir Ian McKellan: “#FreedomTo be who you are and what you would like to be”
    Graham Norton: “#FreedomTo be camp!”

    Funmi Iyanda: “#FreedomTo support equality without fear and harassment”
    To get involved, members of the public are asked to write their own personal #FreedomTo messages on a large piece of paper. By sharing this photo on Facebook or Twitter using the #FreedomTo hashtag, the Pride team will pick it up. Submissions that catch the eye of the team will be invited you to a photoshoot. More information can be found here: www.prideinlondon.org/freedomto.

    Media owner Exterion Media has become a campaign partner, contributing more than half a million pounds worth of support. This commitment means the multi-channel campaign featuring the personal #FreedomTo messages and sponsors’ logos will be prominent across London’s bus and tube network, reaching millions of Londoners in the event build-up every single day.
    This video introduces the #FreedomTo campaign: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_fiQefoSL8

    The media campaign will evolve over the course of the two weeks leading up to Pride day. The first week will include a call to action asking members of the public to submit their own personal #FreedomTo messages. The people behind the best entries will then be filmed and included in animated panel adverts alongside the supporting celebrities.
    The second week – Pride Week (Commences Monday 23rd June) – the panels will also show highlights of supportive Pride parties, galas and live events – all of which are detailed here: http://prideinlondon.org/plan/whats-on/. This content will all be filmed by attendees themselves using filmmaking app Seenit, and in a user generated content first, the footage will then be edited by Enigma to be shown on the Exterion screens.

    On Pride Day itself, the tube ads will change to say ‘Happy Pride’, including geo-specific information about how to travel to the Pride event from that station.

    A media relationship has been struck with TV channel London Live, which will see the channel take the user generated content to create community profile films to be serialised during Pride Week.

    Andrew Newman, co-founder of Enigma had the following to say, ‘We’re delighted this campaign has attracted the imagination of celebrities and members of the public alike, bringing people together for a common cause. Not only can you support Pride as before, you can now be a part of the campaign around it!

    ‘As Pride requires commercial support to be held, we needed to strike a balance to ensure that our diverse community was represented, while giving real value to sponsors and brands. We feel the #FreedomTo campaign achieves that and is something we can all be proud of.’

  • Iconic Lesbian Night To Close Again

    Iconic lesbian night in London, Lounge is to close its doors once again.

    Organisers of the Lounge event at Voltaire have issued a statement saying that the evening will no longer run after the 4th July 2014.

    They said, ‘We had hoped to come back in the autumn after a break but unfortunately, it’s not viable to run a monthly night. We’ve had a ball getting to see Loungers old and new come through the doors of our fabulous venue, Voltaire. Thank you to those who supported us.

    ‘We may well look into running something on a less frequent basis, but in the meantime let’s focus on making Friday 4th July the best Lounge ever.’

    The rebirth of Lounge was announced in December 2013,

  • Green Party Calls For The End To Blood Discrimination

    As the law stands in many parts of the UK, gay and bisexual men and MSMs (men who have sex with men) are forbidden from donating blood if they’ve been in a sexual relationship within the last 12 months.

    Green councillors on Brighton & Hove City Council are calling for an end to the bar against gay and bisexual men donating blood within 12 months of sexual activity.

    In 2011 a lifetime ban on donating blood by gay and bisexual men was lifted in most of the UK (except Northern Ireland); however any man who has had sex with another man within the last year is not permitted to donate blood.

    To coincide with World Blood Donor Day (14th June), Green councillors announced they were tabling a motion at the next city council meeting (17th July) urging the Government to change the rules.

    The time it takes for tests to show whether someone is infected with HIV and most other serious blood-borne infections is now three months and for Hepatitis C is six months so infection is detectable much earlier than 12 months.

    Green Councillor Alexandra Phillips, proposer of the motion, said: “We welcome the 2011 change lifting the lifetime ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood but it doesn’t go far enough to end discrimination and help the supply of safe blood.

    ‘The current rules are still discriminatory and are not backed by logical analysis of risk. Good science would support a six month window before donating blood after a possible risk, for all donors, on the basis that tests for HIV and Hepatitis C can detect infection within that time. The health service desperately needs safe blood donations, but this discrimination bars perfectly healthy men from helping to save lives.

    ‘It is possible to have a safe donor system based on the prevention of harm yet which does not discriminate. Anyone wanting to donate blood should be asked the same basic questions irrespective of their sexual orientation. It is unethical to prevent a whole group of healthy people from donating blood when a blood donation might save a life.

    ‘”Now the council has responsibility for public health, we hope this motion will help reassure gay and bisexual men in our city that the council is set against such a discriminatory health policy and that the government should act.’

    Councillor Mike Jones, who is an NHS sexual health adviser and is seconding the motion, said: ‘It’s absolutely crucial that blood supplies are safe and there should be proper measures in place to deal with risky individuals – but these rules mean in practice the vast majority of healthy gay and bisexual men are prevented from donating blood.

    ‘The result is we cut the supply of safe blood to the NHS while high-risk heterosexual donors remain free to donate. The blood of a healthy gay man who is in a monogamous relationship and who has only had oral sex will not be used whereas a heterosexual man who has had multiple opposite-sex partners and who refuses to take safe sex precautions will not usually be questioned about his behaviour or have his blood excluded.’

    Mike added: ‘Given that only around 5% of healthy people actually donate blood, rather than discriminating against large sections of the population, it would be far better and fairer to treat donors on a case-by-case basis using precise questions so that those gay and bisexual men who are willing to give blood would answer questions that accurately identify their degree of risk, so we aren’t turning away people who could be saving lives.’

    The Department of Health’s Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissue and Organs partly justifies the ban on the higher incidence of Hepatitis B in gay and bisexual men than the rest of the population since this infection could remain undetectable for several months under current testing. However advocates of a non-discriminatory approach say this could be addressed by a targeted Hepatitis B vaccination programme among gay and bisexual men.

    Green councillors say health authorities should implement a ‘Safe Blood’ education campaign targeted at the men who have sex with men to ensure that no one donates blood if they are at risk of HIV and other blood-borne infections arising from unsafe sexual activity. This should be backed by a health promotion campaign for Hepatitis B vaccination within the gay and bisexual community.

  • New Charges For Street Access During Brighton Pride

    Brighton Pride today announced that access to the gay scene during the Pride weekend will ticketed.

    The Brighton Pride organisation announced today that they were excited to be trialling a new venture which will effectively make the seafront road, Marine Parade a ticketed area costing £5.00 for a 2-day wristband, £1 of which will be donated to The Rainbow Fund. The trial was green lit by Brighton and Hove council and the Police, for one year.

    The area between St. James’ Street and Marine Parade is currently home to over 29 bars, clubs and hotels, which are aimed at the gay community.

    Residents and people working within the Zone will receive free access wristbands and information is being circulated by letter and will be posted on a residents information page on the Pride website.

    Brighton Pride CIC, is already the UK’s most expensive one day prides costing £20, Manchester Pride is £22.00 for the weekend.

    In an email from Brighton Pride organisers said, ‘Two days of fabulous community celebrations in a safe and welcoming environment, the Pride Village Party will deliver a unique fundraising event that we can all enjoy. Safe in the company of proud others, working with local businesses, acknowledging the needs of local residents and happy in the knowledge that we are raising much needed funds for The Rainbow Fund and supporting local LGBTQ charities and organisations, the Pride Village Party is ready to complete your Brighton Pride weekend.

    ‘With so many of Brighton’s favourite local bars, venues and businesses supporting the Pride Village Party and The Rainbow Fund there will be plenty of choice of where to meet up with friends and raise a toast to your Pride weekend. Please support our local businesses that are directly supporting the Pride fundraising effort for the Rainbow Fund selling the pledge bands and Pride tickets.’

    You will need to purchase these tickets seperately as tickets for the Pride have been on sale since February.

    Launching the new charges have been rumoured as a solution to attempt to control and curb problematic drinking and anti-social behaviour during the Pride event. In May, GayStarNews reported that Councilor Geoffrey Bowden, who represents the St James’s Street area, said, ‘Over the years the Pride Street Party has become more and more problematic – especially for residents.

    ‘Uncontrolled access and irresponsible attitudes to alcohol have turned what should be a celebration into something of a headache and, for some, a nightmare.’

    The street party will run from 6pm on 2nd August through to 3rd August at 8:00PM. You can buy your wristbands here

  • LGBT Domestic Abuse Charity Welcomes Minister Commitment

    LGBT charity welcomes Welsh minister’s commitment to do more to improve LGBT domestic violence services.

    Broken Rainbow UK, the LGBT domestic violence charity, welcomes Lesley Griffiths, the Welsh Minister for Local Government commitment to introduce an LGBT-inclusive bill later this month to reform domestic abuse services.

    Responding to research into the barriers faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people in accessing domestic violence services, conducted on behalf of the Welsh Government and published last week Griffiths stated, ‘Regardless of their gender or sexuality, everyone should feel they can access free and confidential support if they are experiencing domestic abuse, harassment or sexual violence.
    ‘While the research published today identifies some examples of promising practice underway in Wales, there is more we and service providers can and must do tackle this crime and to promote the support services available to all victims.’

    Shannon Harvey, Senior Researcher at NatCen Social Research, referring to the research, explains how it, ‘demonstrates how a narrow focus on the needs of heterosexual, cisgender women can leave LGBT people feeling that these services aren’t appropriate for them.
    ‘These LGBT people’s experiences of abuse remind us that even while patriarchy may be an explanation for many women’s experiences of victimisation, if we accept that violence is about power and control, we must acknowledge that other dimensions of power and inequality can play a part too.’

    Jo Harvey Barringer, Managing Director (Interim), Broken Rainbow UK, echoed Shannon Harvey’s concerns for trans people experiencing domestic violence, ‘Despite legal protections in place for trans people this research suggests, in line with our own experiences of supporting callers to our helpline, that trans* women can still face difficulty in accessing women-only refuges.’
    Broken Rainbow UK was pleased to announce during their first ever awareness month this May that they are also removing barriers to accessing their own services for individuals that cannot afford to call their helpline, with the introduction of a parallel Freephone 0800 number sponsored by BNP Paribas.

    ‘We know that members of the trans community can often be amongst the poorest members of the LGBT communities with increased difficultly in gaining employment, so we believe our new 0800 number combined with our existing 0300 will ensure everyone needing support can reach us’, Wendy Wilde, Service Delivery Manager, Broken Rainbow UK.

  • Search For Homophobic Ammonia In Face Attacker Continues

    Three men were sprayed with a substance thought to be a highly concentrated ammonia, in an apparent anti-gay attack outside a club in Vauxhall, London.

    The Met police have released stills of a man they wish to question in connection with a violent attack on three men in Vauxhall in the early hours of Sunday, 8th June.

    The attack could leave one of the victims blind.

    Detectives issued CCTV stills of a man and two women they wished to trace after three men were sprayed with a substance, thought to be ammonia, in Vauxhall in the early hours of Sunday, 8 June. The two women have come forward. They have not been arrested.

    The man remains outstanding.

    Detectives have issued CCTV stills of a man and two women they wish to trace after three men were sprayed with a substance, thought to be ammonia, in the early hours of Sunday, 8 June.

    In the first incident, at approximately 0400hrs, the substance was sprayed at two men outside the Lightbox nightclub in South Lambeth Place, Vauxhall. This followed a verbal exchange between the two men and a group outside the venue.

    Following comments made during the exchange, this incident is being treated as a homophobic hate crime.

    A short time later, police were made aware of a third man who had also been sprayed in the face with a substance in the vicinity of the nightclub. No motive is known for this incident.

    All three men were treated at hospital; their injuries are not believed to be serious.

    Officers believe the same man was responsible for both incidents.

    Officers from Lambeth Community Safety Unit are investigating and ask anyone who recognises the man in the images, or has information about the incidents, to contact them on 0208 649 2176 or 07909 906 168.

    There has been no arrest at this stage. Enquiries are continuing.