Rev Richard Coles confirmed the death of his civil partner, Rev. David Coles.
The Strictly Come Dancing star Rev Richard Coles has confirmed that his civil partner, Rev. David Coles has died.
Although the star didn’t disclose what caused his partner’s passing, he did confirm that he had been “ill for while”.
The couple, who are both priests lived to together in Northamptonshire.
Taking to Twitter the broadcaster wrote, “I’m very sorry to say that @RevDavidColes has died. He had been ill for a while. Thanks to the brilliant teams who looked after him at @KettGeneral
“Funeral details to follow.
“The Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended”.
“99.99999% loveliness, but some say that D is in hell”
The support for Rev Coles has been overwhelmingly supportive according to the priest.
He tweeted that he had received “99.99999% loveliness” from people however he revealed he had been subjected to abuse from a “small but lively” group of Christians who had told him that his departed partner was now “in hell”.
Gabon has joined dozens of other African countries in making same-sex sexual relationships illegal.
Gay sex is now reportedly illegal in the African, predominately Christian country of Gabon. Being found guilty could see you landed with a six-month jail sentence and a fine of 5 million CFA francs (£6,400) reports The Independent.
According to the report the ban was introduced in July 2019. The minister of justice has apparently declined to comment on the ban.
Gabon joins 32 other countries on the continent which criminalises sex between men.
Silence from World Leaders
The news has had relatively little pick up in the international press and world leaders have remained largely silent in condemning Gabon’s government on criminalising gay people.
A tweet sent by All Together which used a picture of Labour MP Diane Abbott was branded racist and sexist by some followers, which the group itself said was “ludicrous”.
The All Together group, which boasts around 4000 members, has been blasted by Twitter users after it shared a photo of Diane Abbott purportedly wearing two left shoes.
The photo which many users are now claiming is a photoshopped, fake picture.
All Together tweeted a well-circulated picture of the MP’s feet, asking if any of its followers had “pulled a Diane Abbott” after watching an all-night election special.
However, users and followers were quick to tell the group to delete the tweet branding the tweet “unfunny” and adding to the mountain of racist and sexist abuse that the North London MP deals with on social media.
Come on, you’re better than this. I’m not exactly Diane Abbott’s biggest fan, far from it, but let’s not lower ourselves to mocking her. She gets a hell of a lot of vile abuse so let’s not add to it. We’re better than that.
THEGAYUK.com reached out to All Together for comment, who said that the reaction against their tweet was an “overraction” and that the post was meant to be “light-hearted”.
It also said that the “accusations of amplifying racial bullying of Dianne are ludicrous” before reaffirming that the political stance of the group is “apolitical”.
“Poor taste, maybe? An overreaction. Definitely. A light hearted post, turned sour and twisted by others. The accusations of amplifying racial bullying of Dianne are ludicrous.
“The language used by others to validate their distaste is what should be studied. The page is apolitical, it always has been.
“If you’re that sensitive today over a post regarding a woman who put 2 left shoes on, put your phone down”.
Bookmakers are now sharing the odds of when Jeremy Corbyn is expected to step down as Labour leader following the loss of over 45 seats in the 2019 General Election.
Betfair Exchange is giving 4/7 odds that Jeremy Corbyn will step down in December, 11/5 in Jan-March 17/2 by April – June and 12/1 that he’ll stay in place until July.
They are also taking bets on who will become the next Labour leader.
Betfair Exchange spokesperson, Sam Rosbottom said that if the result was “anything to go by then it is set to be an incredibly disappointing night for the Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn, who is now odds-on at 4/7 to step down as leader before the end of the month.”
“The early front runner to take over from Corbyn is Keir Starmer at 13/8, while Rebecca Long-Bailey is 5/1 and Angela Rayner is 8/1 to become the next leader of the Labour party.”
“After a disastrous night for Jeremy Corbyn and an equally disappointing night for the leader of the Lib Dems, Jo Swinson, who lost her seat, punters are already clear with who they think will step up as leaders.
“Corbyn has already explained that he won’t be leading the Labour party at the next election, and overnight Kier Starmer shot into the 13/8 odds-on favourite to become their new leader.
“One of the big casualties of the evening was Jo Swinson, the Lib Dem leader, who lost her seat in East Dunbartonshire. The early favourite to take over from her as leader is Ed Davey at odds of 8/13, while Layla Moran is closely behind him in the betting at 8/11.
“Now that the Prime Minister has a majority, focus will turn on how and when he will ‘Get Brexit Done’, with punters heavily backing a Meaningful Vote to pass in 2019 overnight into 2/5, but now those odds have drifted out to 6/4, suggesting bettors now aren’t as confident that Johnson will get his deal passed by the end of the year.”
Who won the election?
Overall, at the time of publication, the Conservatives, led by Boris Johnson won the most seats, meaning that Boris Johnson will become the UK’s next Prime Minister. They have won a majority with 364 seats. The Labour party has 203 seats, losing 59 seats.
In Scotland, the SNP added another 13 seats meaning that it now has 48 MPs in Parliament.
Liberal Democrats failed to make any headway, losing one seat and now has just 11 MPs sitting in the House of Commons.
Who will win the race to 10 Downing Street – will Boris keep his premiership or can Corbyn or even Swinson knock him from the top spot? CREDIT: TheGayUK/Jake Hook
With just days before our 3rd General Election in 4 years just around the corner, THEGAYUK.com undertook a flash poll to find out whether its readers had made a decision on who they were going to vote on the 12th December.
THEGAYUK.com asked its readers a binary question of whether they were decided or undecided on who to vote for.
In total, nearly 400 people took part in the survey, at the time of publication.
One quarter are still undecided
In a previous poll, about which way they were planning to vote, THEGAYUK’s readership said that Labour, led by Jeremy Corbyn, was their first choice with 38 per cent of the vote but was closely followed by the Liberal Democrats, headed by Jo Swinson.
The Conservatives, with the incumbent Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, managed to grab hold of 15 per cent of the vote, while “other” which would you include parties such as the Greens, UKIP, The Independent Group For Change, Brexit Party, Plaid Cymru.
However, there is just under one-quarter of people who are still undecided on who to vote for.
At the time of publication, 23 per cent they were undecided, seventy-seven said they had made up their minds.
One commentator, Jay, summed up their feelings by saying, “You look at the conservatives how many lies they have told and with the leader they have got with Boris Johnson is embarrassing. And you have Labour with the likes of Diane Abbott and a leader like Jeremy Corbyn. You have the Lib Dems who look like competition winners. I don’t know who to vote for.”
A lone robber is thought to have stolen nearly £1400 worth of donations after a break-in at a LGBT+ venue in Manchester.
Owners of the Eagle Bar in Manchester have released CCTV images of a person they believe has broken into their premises stealing nearly £1400 of money that was donated by its patrons for World AIDS Day.
According to their report, a man broke in at 7:30 AM on the 3rd December, using the fire exit. Using a crowbar, they allege that he entered the offices where he emptied the donation buckets and stole the safe.
“He stole from you”
The bar owners wrote,
“He not only stole from us, but he also stole from you. These were YOUR donations, YOUR hard-earned money. He stole from all of our generous performers who gave their time and he also stole from The LGBT Foundation and The George House Trust – not caring about the good that this money would do for the people who need it most.
“We’re relieved that none of our team were on the premises at the time of this incident and can confirm that everyone here is safe and well.
The bar also added that all transactions that were done by contactless were safe and sound.
Reward from a customer
A customer has put up a reward for anyone who can identify the man. The bar’s owners wrote,
“One of our very loyal and generous customers has put up a reward of £2000, paid to anyone who provides information to the police leading to this person’s arrest and conviction.
“They’ve stated that, in their own words:- “I would love to prove to this person that his arrest is worth more than what he stole.”
“Manchester is a beautiful city, with great residents. But we can make it even better by sending a clear message from our communities and handing people like this over to the authorities so that they can be dealt with appropriately.
Donation still made
The bar will still make a donation today, topping up the money that was stolen. In a statement, they said,
“Cash in the buckets totalled £1398.25. In respect of this, Eagle will today make a donation of £2K to the Manchester World AIDS Day Partnership to cover this theft with a donation of our own on top.
Having a supportive family environment makes school-age LGB (lesbian, gay and bi) children in the UK significantly less likely to be victims of bullying, according to new research by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU).
The researchers used data on LBG men and women with an average age of 37, and examined their experiences of when they were in school and later in life, in the workplace.
The study, published in the International Journal of Manpower, found that gay and bisexual men had been 31% less likely to be frequently bullied at school if they were from a supportive family background. For lesbian or bisexual women, the figure was 25.6%.
However, family support counted for less in the workplace, where family support was associated with a 12.5% reduction in frequent bullying towards gay or bisexual men. For lesbian or bisexual women, the reduction was only 4.6%.
Nick Drydakis, Professor in Economics at ARU, said: “If an LGB child has received support from their parents which has positively impacted on their self-esteem and self-worth, this pattern might have influence how adult LGB people prevent, avoid or deal with victimisation.
“Parents who have supported their children during difficult times might have taught them the appropriate attitudes and approaches to address homophobia as well as its adverse effects.
“If, for LGB children, family support results in building their sense of identity, self-esteem and control, we might suggest that all these psychological states during the school-age period might positively impact on psychological traits in adulthood.
“Family acceptance seems to be crucial to ensure that LGB children develop a healthy sense of self while family rejection of LGB children can negatively affect their identity and well-being.”
The study is the first of its kind to examine whether family support during school age can have long-term positive effects on LGB people’s future workplace experiences.
A new campaign by GMFA is aiming to educate us all about U Equals U, which simply means that if a person who has HIV, has an undetectable viral load cannot pass the virus on to you.
The campaign, for FS Magazine, features 17 prominent and up-and-coming activists, focuses on the simple message that anyone living with HIV and on effective treatment cannot sexually pass on HIV. The common term for this is U=U, which means undetectable = untransmittable.
Ian Howley, Chief Executive of LGBT HERO, the parent organisation of GMFA said,
“It’s been a known fact for several years now that people living with HIV, who are undetectable, cannot pass on the virus to their partners through sex. While this information has been liberating for gay and bisexual men, we are not seeing a big shift in attitudes towards people living with HIV. What we are seeing is a community who understands what being HIV and undetectable means, but there is a lack of trust either in the science behind the U=U movement or they do not trust what people are telling them. This is why we have brought prominent and up-and-coming activists, who are living with HIV, to tell everyone in our community that any fears they may have is just wasted energy. These men who are living with HIV are standing proud and telling you, you cannot get HIV from them.
Ian adds,
“This campaign is not just about sharing what U=U means but also to focus on the stigma people receive. In a recent issue of FS, we surveyed over 600 men living with HIV. 92% said they have experienced some sort of stigma, with 72% saying they received stigma on apps and social media from other gay and bisexual men. This is not acceptable and we should be better than this. We know that newly diagnosed men are far more likely to experience mental health issues based on becoming positive, with some taking their own lives. This is why the U=U movement and our The Undetectables campaign is so important. We’re putting the power back in the hands of those who pose no health risk within our community. That’s empowering.”
Marc Thompson of Prepster
The campaign also features prominent activists including, Greg Owen co-founder of iwantprepnow, Matthew Hodson – Chief Executive of NAM, Marc Thompson of Prepster and several up-and-coming activists, including Ameet Shah, who told us why he took part.
“I was unable to meet anyone for a date or hook-up because I felt unclean”
Ameet spoke about his reaction when he first learned he had become undetectable, “It was a celebration and relief, and almost hard to believe because of old information and attitudes to HIV. I believe we all carry internal phobias in many ways for many things because of our conditioned upbringings in society, as well as general external attitudes of people. For months after my initial diagnosis, I was unable to meet anyone for a date or hook-up because I felt unclean or not good enough. Talking to my consultant was such a relief for me and it changed the way I felt and behaved by empowering me again.” He adds, “I also think that it’s important more faces from minorities need to step out and be part of awareness projects for both LGBT and HIV populations.”
HIV Stigma is getting better
Another up-and-coming activist, Nicky Deboo, 29, tells us whether he thinks HIV stigma in society is getting better and talks about his own internal struggles: “Unfortunately HIV stigma is still very much alive, and I fear it lives deep inside of me and many others who are in my position.
“I’m lucky, I’ve only experienced the stigma first hand on two occasions. I’m also lucky that I’ve got so many supportive people around me. I worry more so for the newly diagnosed, the young guy, or the newly out guy, who maybe hasn’t built his community yet.
“What will happen if he finally builds up the courage to tell someone about his status, and they turn him away and call him names. I can’t bear the idea of these guys having no one to turn to.”
It’s OK to ask questions
Prominent activist and co-founder of iwantprepnow Greg Owen, explains how he deals with HIV stigma: “I try to be kind because not everyone is in the same place and it’s a journey for everyone. I allow people to ask questions. I also welcome people to challenge me if it respectful. I keep reverting to the holy grail of everything: evidence.”
“Empowering men with all the ways to prevent HIV and STIs”
In relation to some of the negative comments the U=U movement has seen, Ian says, “I’ve heard over and over again that by stating U=U we are telling people they should have unprotected sex. This is simply not true. At GMFA we always recommend a combination approach of Condoms, PrEP and regular testing as the best way to prevent transmitting HIV and STIs. But it’s about empowering men with all the ways to prevent HIV and STIs and allowing them to make the best choice for themselves. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to HIV prevention. This campaign and the U=U movement is about highlighting the fact that you cannot get HIV from people who are undetectable. Our ‘The Undetectables’ campaign is powerful force in the bid to stop HIV stigma and to end HIV once and for all.”
Three teenage boys have pleaded guilty to Public Order Act and other offences following a police investigation into a homophobic incident on the N31 bus route.
The three suspects, aged between 15 and 16 years, appeared at Highbury Magistrates’ Court today (Thursday, 28 November) following a hate crime incident against two females on the N31 bus in the early hours of Thursday, 30 May.
They will be sentenced on Monday, 23 December.
[A] a 16-year-old boy pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods (namely a phone) and two offences contrary to section 5 of the public order act.
[B] a 16-year-old boy pleaded guilty to a section 4a of the public order act offence (namely an aggravated hate crime). A Newton hearing will take place tomorrow (Friday, 29 November) for [B].
[D] a 15-year-old boy pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods (namely a bank card) and two offences contrary to section 4a of the public order act (namely an aggravated hate crime).
The investigating officer, Detective Constable Darren Barlow, from the Met’s Roads and Transport Command (RTPC), said:
“No one should ever be victimised because of their sexuality and I hope that this result brings some form of closure to both victims and they can put this ordeal behind them.
Detective Superintendent Andy Cox, from the Met’s Roads and Transport Command, said:
“Any Hate Crime on London’s transport network, or anywhere else in London, will absolutely not be tolerated. The Met’s RTPC officers will always fully investigate crimes that are committed on the bus network and we would urge anyone who has been a victim of crime to contact us.
“The transport network in London is, and remains, extremely safe and occurrences of this nature are few-and-far between.”
Mandy McGregor, Head of Transport Policing and Community Safety at TfL, said:
“This sickening incident was utterly unacceptable. Homophobic abuse is a hate crime and won’t be tolerated on our network. All of our customers have the right to travel without fear of verbal or physical abuse.
“We hope this case reminds all of our customers that they should accept everyone for who they are and they have absolutely no right to abuse them.”
At approximately 0230hrs on Thursday, 30 May, two women, both aged in their 20s, boarded the bus in West Hampstead.
As they sat on the top deck, they were approached by a group of males who began to make lewd and homophobic comments and gestures to them.
A fight ensued which left both victims with wounds to their faces after being punched several times by the suspects and a phone and bag were stolen.
Officers and London’s Ambulance Service (LAS) attended and both females were taken to hospital for treatment to facial injuries.
Officers from the Met’s Roads and Transport Command identified the suspects and arrested four men, aged between 15-17 on Friday, 7 June, on suspicion of robbery and aggravated GBH. They were taken to separate London police stations for questioning.
A fifth male, 16-years-old, was arrested on Saturday, 8 June on suspicion of robbery and aggravated GBH. All five were bailed to a date in early-July.
On Thursday, 25 July, four males [A, B, C and D] where charged. They appeared at Highbury Corner Youth Court on Wednesday, 21 August and were bailed until today.
At court today, charges were dropped against [C].
Detective Superintendent Waheed Khan, the Met’s lead for Hate Crime, concluded:
“London is such a diverse and tolerant city and I know that the public were rightly outraged that something of this nature could take place in our city.
“Hate crime affects people from all walks of life, and impacts on communities across London. The Met does not tolerate any form of discrimination, and is committed to working with partners, including MOPAC, to robustly tackle hate crime.
“We would urge hate crime victims who have not spoken to police to come forward and tell us about incidents so they can be fully investigated.”
This video of a couple of guys who make a wedding proposal to each other has gone viral and viewed over 17.6 million times, and it might just be the most romantic thing we’ve ever seen.
In the video, one guy kisses his boyfriend before kneeling, with a ring box in hand, to ask if he wanted to get married.
With a look of shock on his face, the boyfriend put his hand to his mouth before walking away and crouching down before pulling out his own ring box out of his bag.
The onlooking crowd begins to cheer as the two embrace and kiss.
A young man was assaulted in a homophobic attack on the streets of Salford, Manchester, police have said and now they are looking for a group of young people in connection with the incident.
A man, in his 20s, was walking along Lower Broughton Road near the junction with Clarence Street at around 5.15 pm on Saturday 23 November 2019 when he was subjected to homophobic abuse and hit by a plastic bottle.
He stopped to challenge a group of around six people and, as he walked away, was punched from behind causing him to fall to the ground.
He was then subjected to further abuse and at least two people are believed to have continued attacking him while he was on the ground.
Motorist Hero
The offenders ran away when a passing motorist stopped to help.
The victim required hospital treatment for face and arm injuries and has since been discharged.
Two of the men are described as being white, around 19-years-old and dressed in black sportswear. One is described as having ginger hair and the other blonde curly hair. There were two girls in the group, one is described as wearing a red winter coat.
Officers are appealing for eyewitnesses and the public’s help to identify those responsible.
Detective Constable Derek Nellany of GMP’s Salford Division said:
“This was a hate crime and serious assault.
“We know there was at least one motorist who stopped and we are appealing for any others who saw what happened to contact us.
“We are determined to find those responsible and bring them to justice as we strongly condemn this behaviour.”
Anyone with any information about the assault should contact police on 0161 856 5251 quoting incident number 2496 of Saturday 23 November 2019.
