THEGAYUK

Category: News

  • Plug pulled on Galliano master class

    Parsons, the New School for Design announced that it has cancelled a number of discussions to be held by openly gay designer John Galliano.

    The school received a number of complaints with regards to Galliano after it announced that the designer would be teaching a master class and was even sent a petition against the classes which amassed over 2000 signatures.

    The Gibraltar-born designer, once considered one of the most talented names in fashion is making a comeback after he was fired by Dior in 2011 for allegedly making anti-Semitic remarks on camera in a Parisian cafe.

    Galliano, 52, cited an addiction to drugs and alcohol as the cause for his out of control behaviour and that he was determined to make amends.

    In a statement released to the press, Deborah Kirschner, a spokeswoman for the school, said,

    “We could not reach consensus with Mr. Galliano on the conditions of this conversation, and the program could not move forward.”

    The New York Times is reporting that a source close to the school said that the classes were cancelled because, ‘the size and the makeup of the audience that had been debated between the school and the designer. An agreement between them had never been finalized.’

  • ‘Geoff And His Two Dads’ Book Aims To Help It Gets Better Project

    ‘Geoff And His Two Dads’ Book Aims To Help It Gets Better Project

    In what is believed to be the first of its kind, Wompi Studios have released their first Book App.

    (more…)

  • Homophobic assault appeal cancellled by British Transport Police

    British Transport Police (BTP) officers investigating a homophobic-related assault in Lancashire have cancelled their appeal for assistance.

    Officers have called off an appeal for information issued on the 7th May 2013, after three women were subjected to a homophobic attack on a train between Blackpool North and Preston.

    The BTP released an image of a man who they wanted to question with regards to the matter, who has now come forward and will be spoken to officers about the incident.

     

    PC Tony Greenwood said:

    “The men became extremely offensive and hurled homophobic abuse at the women before spraying them with a bottle of shaken-up lemonade.

    “As the offensive behaviour got more extreme one of the men became violent and knocked a 21-year-old woman to the floor before further assaulting her.

    “As a result the woman suffered bruising and swelling to her face, head and arms and has suffered from partial memory loss since the incident.”

    PC Greenwood added:

    “This was a particularly nasty and vicious assault which all began with unwarranted and totally unacceptable homophobic abuse.

    “Everyone has the right to travel in a safe environment free from abuse and violence. Sadly some people seem intent on causing trouble and we will use all tools at our disposal to bring them to justice.”

    After the man came forward, PC Greenwood thanked the media and public for their assistance saying,

    “I’d like to thank the media and the public for their assistance in this matter. As a direct result of the appeal we now have a number of leads to follow.”

  • Delaware Becomes 11th State To Legalise Gay Marriage

    Eleven states of fifty in the US now recognise same sex marriages, after Delaware’s state Senate approved the gay marriage bill 12-9 after a 3 hour debate.

    Just a week after Rhode Island passed a law recognising same sex marriage, Delaware has become the 11th state in the US to legally recognise gay marriage.

    However the bill, which comes into force on the 1st July, doesn’t offer same-sex couples any more rights or laws than they already have under civil unions.

    The state began recognising same-sex civil unions just under a year ago, the new bill is more of a symbolic win for the state’s many lesbian and gay people.

    The new law doesn’t force religious establishments to perform same-sex marriages that conflict with their beliefs, but under an existing law enforced in Delaware is a ban on business owners discriminating based on sexual orientation.

    According to The Republic.com Minnesota is next on the list of states to legalise gay marriage, the mid west state, is poised to make the new law, after a Democratic speaker of the state house said, ‘that a gay marriage bill endorsed by the governor and likely to pass in the state Senate also now has enough backing in his chamber. The House will vote on the measure Thursday, and if it passes, the Democratic-led Senate could vote on it as soon as Saturday.’

  • Stonewall raises £65,000 to tackle anti-gay bullying

    Stonewall, Britain’s largest lesbian, gay and bisexual charity, raised £65,000 in 10k Equality Walk through Brighton.

    Over 800 Stonewall supporters took to the streets of Brighton for the charity’s tenth annual Equality Walk on Sunday. The annual fundraiser – supported by American Express and Square Peg Media – made over £65,000. Stonewall will use the funds to support its new DVD film for primary schools, FREE, which will help strengthen the charity’s campaign against homophobic bullying.

    Zoe Lyons hosted this year’s walk and was joined for a picnic in the Royal Pavilion Gardens by hundreds of families and fundraising teams. MPs John Bercow, Caroline Lucas and Simon Kirby, and the Mayor of Brighton & Hove Bill Randall, also attended the 10k walk, which ended at sea-front bar Coalition. There Zoe congratulated the top fundraising team (PwC, who made nearly £2,700) and the best individual fundraiser, Jason Sloan, who made over £1,000 and won a weekend in Paris courtesy of American Express.

    Stonewall Head of Education Wes Streeting said:

    ‘We’re truly bowled over by how hard our 800 walkers worked to raise such a huge sum for our anti-bullying work. While we all enjoyed the sunshine, we always keep in mind the fact that over half of gay young people in Britain face a gloomy nightmare of homophobic bullying at school. Every penny raised this weekend will help us make sure those young people can look forward to better days.’

    Stonewall’s new DVD for primary schools, FREE, will help teachers tackle homophobia, which is one of the most common causes of bullying in primary schools. The film follows the success of the charity’s popular secondary school film FIT, which was distributed to every secondary school in Britain. Playwright Rikki Beadle-Blair produced FIT and has returned to work on Free, which is currently in production and will be released later this year. For more information about FREE visit www.stonewall.org.uk/free

  • Take a listen to Mariah’s new single Beautiful

    Mariah’s new single #Beautiful made its radio debut on US radio today – and is now available to download

    Mariah’s new duet with R&B star Miguel is now available to download in the UK and the US. Mariah’s last number 1 in the UK was in 2000 when she sang a duet with Westlife on ‘Against All Odds’.

    The glittered diva is reportedly working on a follow up album of her 2009 album Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel.

  • Westboro Church Protest Made Fabulous By Chris

    A man known only by the name Chris, picketed a picket organised by anti-gay church Westboro Baptist Church.

    A picket that was organised by the American church Westboro Baptist Church was made fabulous when a musician named Chris did this…

    The extremist church was protesting outside the Oklahoma City and Houston Rockets NBA playoff following Jason Collins’ decision to come out as gay last week (April 2013)

    The shirtless man, had a US flag draped across his shoulders and posed in front of the church’s demonstrators, and pictures of his solo crusade of fabulousness has made it on the front of many news sites across the world.

  • Iconic ‘Some People Are Gay’ Poster Gets The Star Trek Treatment

    Iconic ‘Some People Are Gay’ Poster Gets The Star Trek Treatment

    The UK’s biggest lesbian, gay and bisexual charity – Stonewall reveals iconic ‘Some People Are Gay, Get Over It’ Poster in Klingon.

    Stonewall
    Stonewall

    Boldly going where no slogan has gone before, Stonewall’s internationally renown ‘Get Over It!’ campaign has become intergalactic after the charity revealed two posters translating it into Klingon, to coincide with the UK release of Star Trek: Into Darkness.

    Stonewall Deputy Chief Executive Ruth Hunt said:

    ‘Klingons may be renowned for their determination to fall out with people but, as Spock would say, even gay Klingons should be able to live long and prosper.’

    The campaign, which hit the headlines last year after appearing on the sides of many buses across the country, has actually existed for 6 years. The simple text ‘Some People Are Gay, Get Over It!’ has been translated into 10 languages including: Russian, Chinese, Welsh and Hebrew, all of which are available online at www.stonewall.org.uk/international.

    The images are available for download from Stonewall’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/stonewalluk

  • RIP | Viva Forever to close in June

    West End Musical Viva Forever is set to close at the end of June

    In a statement from the producers of Viva Forever:

    Producer Judy Craymer announced that VIVA FOREVER! the new musical, inspired by the songs of the Spice Girls, has posted closing notice at the Piccadilly Theatre for 29 June, 2013. Anyone wanting to join in the fun is urged to book tickets now and get down to the Piccadilly Theatre in the next eight weeks for a fabulous, feel-good night out.

    In a press statement issued this morning, Ms CRAYMER, said

    “It is with a heavy heart that we’ve had to make this very difficult decision to post closing notices for this original show which is blessed with one of the most brilliant casts currently on the West End stage. We set out to create a contemporary story that truly reflects our time; to take a satirical look at the underbelly of a TV Talent show and the chaos that ensues for a mother, her daughter and their friends, a theatrical event to embrace all generations both on and off the stage. Testament to that achievement is the standing ovation at every performance from an audience of families and friends all enjoying a great night out. The show has evolved since we first opened and is now brighter, lighter and funnier, but despite the wonderful audiences and extremely positive feedback we just can’t make it work. I’m so proud of everyone involved in this production. VIVA FOREVER! may be taking it’s leave for now in the West End but the legacy of Spice Girls will never fade.”

    Writer Jennifer Saunders added:

    “It is disappointing the show is to close. I am particularly sad for the cast and crew that have worked so hard to produce a wonderful show.”

    The Spice Girls said

    “We want to thank the cast and all the fans for their support, and although Viva Forever won’t continue in the West End we are thrilled that the thousands of people who came to the show had as much fun as we did.”

    VIVA FOREVER! is a feel-good musical comedy with a book by Jennifer Saunders inspired by the music of the SPICE GIRLS. Charting the trials and tribulations of wannabe girlband Eternity, the musical tells an original story as it hurls the audience headfirst into the final rounds of TV talent show Starmaker, where a panel of fame vultures passes judgment on our wannabe heroines while desperately clinging to the limelight themselves.

    VIVA FOREVER! is directed by Paul Garrington and choreographed by Lynne Page. The production is designed by Peter McKintosh, with lighting design by Howard Harrison, sound design by Bobby Aitken and musical orchestration by Martin Koch.

    VIVA FOREVER! is produced by Judy Craymer in association with the Spice Girls, Simon Fuller and Universal Music.

    Tickets for VIVA FOREVER! are available until 29 June 2013

  • Gay Vices Survey Results

    This month we’ve been discussing Vices on TheGayUK and at the beginning of the month we invited readers to take a survey to reveal what the gay community vices were.

    In our snapshot survey, porn topped the list of vices of gay men of the United Kingdom, with 42.4% of those polled owning up to viewing porn at least a few times a week (30%), watching it on a daily basis (28%), and over a quarter admitting to watching the bad boy stuff a few times a day.
    Other vices topping the list were Drinking 34% Sex 32% and Smoking 19%.

    Only 1.7% of people revealed that gambling was their vice.

     

    In order (respondents could choose more than 1 vice):

    Porn 42.4%

    Drinking 33.9%

    Sex 32.2%

    Smoking 18.6%

    Chocolate 16.9%

    Working 15.3%

    Drugs 11.9%

    Shopping 11.9%

    Fast Food 10.2%

    Cruising 5.1%

    Adultery 3.4%

    Gambling 1.7%
    Just over half said that they would consider giving up their vice, with 50% of all respondents saying that their addiction wasn’t a problem for them.

    Is the gay community actively looking for help or booking into the Priory any day soon – don’t bet on it, only 13.6% said that they had sought any kind of professional help in dealing with their vice or addiction.

    59.3% of those questioned said that they had been addicted for over 10 years – and openly discussed their issues with their peers (66.1%)

    If you need to talk to someone with anything that concerns you call the London Lesbian And Gay Switchboard on 0300 330 0630 or visithttp://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Addictions/Pages/Introduction.aspx for more details.

  • Stolen Soho Bombing Victims’ Plaque Replaced

    Stolen Soho Bombing Victims’ Plaque Replaced

    The missing original plaque dedicated to the three victims of the Soho nail bomb attack in April 1999 has been replaced ahead of memorial event tomorrow evening.

     

    We reported yesterday that the plaque dedicated to the memory of Andrea Dykes, John Little and Nick Moore had gone missing from St. Anne’s Gardens in Soho, London ahead of the memorial event planned for the 30th April – which will be the 14th anniversary of the attack.

    The nail bomb, which went off on the 30th April 1999 in the Admiral Duncan was aimed at the gay community in Soho. It was the 3rd of three attacks planned and orchestrated by David Copeland who is currently serving six concurrent life sentences and in 2007 the High Court ruled that he must serve 50 years.

    A replacement plaque has been ordered and will be on display at tomorrow’s memorial event held in Soho.

    Cllr Ed Argar, Westminster City Council cabinet member for city management, said:

    “I find it appalling that anyone would steal the memorial plaque remembering those who died and were injured in the horrific Soho bombing of 1999.

    “We have moved swiftly to get a replacement memorial delivered and installed ahead of the 14th anniversary of the Soho bombings tomorrow (Tuesday 30th April), having been alerted to its removal, and we hope it will be in place later today.”

    The new plaque has cost £260, with half being paid by Westminster City Council and 17-24-30.org paying the other.

    The replacement plaque will be installed this afternoon and reads:

    Andrea Dykes D.O.B 30-11-1971

    John Light D.O.B 27-04-1967

    Nick Moore D.O.B 24-05-1967

    Deceased 30-04-1999 in the Admiral Duncan Bombing

    Goodness Is Stronger Than Evil