THEGAYUK

Category: News

  • Vile thug has homophobic rant at Street Performer in Nottingham

    A street performer known as Disco Bunny has shared footage of him being abused on the streets.

    A performer known as Disco Bunny (Pablo Woodward) was entertaining the crowds in Nottingham city centre when he was set upon by a man in the crowd who took offence to Disco Bunny’s look. The man then proceeded to homophobically abuse the performer and at one point called Woodward a “f**king nonce”.

    The unnamed man repeatedly asked Disco Bunny who he was sexually attracted to in front of a gathering crowd. When Disco Bunny refused to answer the man’s question the thug launched into a foul-mouthed six-minute rant in which he using the words “nonce” and “batty man”. He also said that he didn’t trust the performer with his six-year-old little boy. During the tirade, the man grew more and more agitated and at one point took off his t-shirt.

    Disco Bunny, who travels up and down the country to entertain people in city centres, uploaded the footage on to his Facebook page where it has been viewed over 350,000 times and has been shared nearly 2,500 times.

    The man’s rant drew a shocked crowd who jumped in to defend the performer. At one point two people hold up the rainbow flag behind the street performer. Speaking about his supports Woodward said, “I thank the public for their support and for their respect of my work and each other – and for their restrained behaviour. I bear no grudge.”

    Police in Nottingham have begun an investigation after a hate incident was reported, Police said, “We have spoken to the victim, a 39-year-old man, and are aware that a video of the incident, in which homophobic abuse is shouted, has been shared online and this will be investigated as part of the enquiry,” a statement read.

    “Anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information that could help the enquiry is urged to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 729 of 1 April 2019.”

  • UK’s government updates advice for LGBT travellers to Brunei

    UK’s government updates advice for LGBT travellers to Brunei

    The UK government has updated its travel advice for its LGBT citizens planning to take a trip to Brunei following on from the introduction of the death penalty for homosexual acts.

    1966666 / Pixabay

    The UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FOC) has updated its travel advice to LGBT+ people planning to travel to Brunei – after legislation recently changed in the nation, which affects LGBT+ people.

    Brunei has now adopted a law which allows for the death penalty, death by stoning, to be used on men who are found having same-sex sexual relations with each other.

    The UK Government’s advice warns travellers, “Homosexual activity is illegal” and warns travellers to “find out about the local laws and customs of the country and area you’re visiting.

    “In some countries, homosexuality and/or homosexual relations are illegal and can be subject to severe penalties”.

    The office also suggest, “invest in a good guide book – many specialise in advice to LGBT travellers”

    Not all laws or punishments will affect non-Muslims in the region.

    The adoption of sharia-based laws in the Muslim majority country means that Muslims found guilty of engaging in gay sex will be stoned to death, those who are not Muslim may receive lengthy prison sentences. The law also means that anyone found guilty of committing adultery or trying to denounce Islam or insulting the Prophet Muhammad will also be dealt with the death penalty.

    Those found guilty of theft will have their hands amputated. Not all laws or punishments will affect non-Muslims in the region.

    Homosexuality is already illegal in Brunei and is one of 35 of 53 nations of the Commonwealth in which homosexuality is illegal. It is the second of those nations to make the “crime” punishable by death.

     

     

  • Major travel company boycotts Royal Brunei Airlines

    Major travel company boycotts Royal Brunei Airlines

    A major travel company has said it will no longer offer flights from the Brunei owned airline.

    gay travel tips

    STA Travel has said it is to stop offering its customers flights from the Brunei-backed airline, Royal Brunei Airlines. The move to boycott the airline has come on the back of the decision of the nation’s government to use the death penalty to punish sex between gay and bisexual men.

    From last week gay and bisexual men who are caught having sexual relations will be stoned to death in a brutal shake-up of the nation’s laws. The new punishment which has its basis in sharia law also allows for stoning for those caught committing adultery and apostasy.

    Embed from Getty Images

    The travel company has also offered refunds for anyone who has already bought tickets to travel on the Airline.

    The airline, which is a small player in terms of airline size enjoys codeshares with 10 other airlines including KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Thai Airlines.

    In a statement to THEGAYUK, STA travel said,

    “We’re proud of our open and diverse culture and we expect our partners to demonstrate the same. We do not support in any way the laws being introduced in Brunei (including on Brunei-registered aircraft and vessels). Because of this, we have stopped selling Royal Brunei Airlines flights.

    “Anybody who bought Royal Brunei Airlines tickets through STA Travel and who no longer wants to use them can claim a refund, and we will help those customers to make alternative travel arrangements.

    “We’ve taken this stance to add our voice to the calls on Brunei to reverse this change in the law and in support of LGBTQI people everywhere.

  • Celebrations as Queer Beer “Proud” turns One

    Celebrations as Queer Beer “Proud” turns One

    The UK’s first “queer beer” today turns one year old, celebrating 20,000 sales and £4000 raised for LGBT+ charities.

    The craft beer, brewed with “proper Yorkshire water” in Harrogate is an LGBT+ startup based in London whose aim it is to “revolutionise the way the LGBT+ community is supported”.

    The beer, or their “LGBTQIPA” as they are calling it works in partnership with three leading LGBT+ charities, the Terrence Higgins Trust, Diversity Role Models and the LGBT Foundation, with a direct contribution of 20p from each sale going to these charities. PROUD also support community projects, sports groups and LGBTQ professional networks throughout the UK.

    In their first year of trading, PROUD has already partnered with over 100 businesses and venues including the award winning LGBT+ theatre, Above the Stag; the musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre and entertainment, bar and restaurant venues across London and the UK.

    Ethan Spibey, Co-Founder of PROUD said, “I’ll be honest, My Dad was less than impressed when I said I was going to spend the money I’d saved for a house deposit on starting a beer company. But frankly, we were fed up with seeing brands simply slap a rainbow flag on something for one month of the year and pretend they cared about our community and the challenges we face. PROUD has been built with our charities and our community in its heart and soul. Beer is beer, and it’s a tasty beer, but we believe beer can change the world and be a platform for our sparkling LGBTQ+ community, it’s what makes us a queer beer.”

  • The Dorchester Collection closes its social media due to “abuse”

    The Dorchester Collection closes its social media due to “abuse”

    The Dorchester Collection of hotels has closed its social media accounts after being targetted with abuse from online users.

    The Dorchester Collection has closed its social media pages after members of its social media team were targetted with abuse following on from the Sultan of Brunei’s decision to enact a law that would see gay people who engaged in sexual activity with each other stoned to death.

    The Dorchester Collection is ultimately owned by the Sultan of Brunei.

    Taking to Facebook to explain their decision to close their pages, a statement read,

    “Dorchester Collection is an inclusive and diverse company and does not tolerate any form of discrimination.

    “Although we believe in open and transparent communication, we have reluctantly deactivated our hotel social pages due to the personal abuse directed at our employees for whom we have a duty of care.

    “Our corporate social media pages remain in place. Dorchester Collection’s Code emphasises equality, respect and integrity in all areas of our operation and strongly values people and cultural diversity amongst our guests and employees.”

     

     

  • Protests to take place outside Sultan of Brunei’s Dorchester Hotel

    Protests to take place outside Sultan of Brunei’s Dorchester Hotel

    A demonstration is due to take place outside The Dorchester Hotel in London in protest to the death penalty for gay sex in Brunei.

     

    A demonstration is to take place outside the Sultan of Brunei owned Dorchester Hotel in London this Saturday, 6th April 2019. The protest comes as Brunei enacts a law which will see men who have sex with other men face the death penalty by stoning.

    Embed from Getty Images

    The demonstration has been created by Benali Hamdache, a Green Party candidate for the London Assembly.

    Explaining why the demonstrating was going ahead on the official Facebook page, Hamdache wrote, “Brunei has announced that gay sex and adultery will be punishable by death. The Sultan of Brunei is one of the richest men in the world and is personally responsible for this hideous law.

    “He is also the owner of The Dorchester Hotel. Join our demonstration to make it clear that everyone should be boycotting his hotels”.

    The punishment of stoning to death, which has its basis in sharia law will target Muslim LGBT+ people in the region. The law will so see death penalties for those who commit adultery and rape. Those who are caught stealing will have their hands amputated. There will be fines or other punishments for those who miss prayers on a Friday.

    The demonstration will take place outside the Dorchester hotel in London from 2 PM until 4 PM.

     

     

     

  • Brunei to start stoning to death as punishment for homosexuality from today

    Brunei to start stoning to death as punishment for homosexuality from today

    The Kingdom of Brunei’s anti-gay punishment will come into effect today, meaning anyone found guilty of engaging a raft of behaviours including homosexuality will be stoned to death.

    1966666 / Pixabay

    Brunei‘s stoning death penalty is to be implemented today despite a massive international backlash. The adoption of sharia-based laws means that anyone found guilty of engaging in gay sex will be stoned to death. The law also means that anyone found guilty of committing adultery or trying to denounce Islam or insulting the Prophet Muhammad will also be dealt with the death penalty.

    Those found guilty of theft will have their hands amputated.

    Not all laws or punishments will affect non-Muslims in the region.

    Homosexuality is already illegal in Brunei and is one of 35 of 53 nations of the Commonwealth in which homosexuality is illegal. It is the second of those nations to make the “crime” punishable by death.

    What has the UK said it will do?

    In 2018 the UK’s government launched an LGBT+ action plan, in which it said it wanted to deal with issues faced by the LGBT community across the Commonwealth. Part of the plan specifically mentioned the Commonwealth. The government has offered support to Commonwealth countries wishing to reform discriminatory legislation. There is a £5.6 million programme, to be delivered through civil society organisations and will advance the legal equality and rights of all Commonwealth citizens, regardless of gender, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity. However, critics say that £5.6 million is a minuscule amount of money to split between the nations that could consider decriminalising homosexuality.

    The government also stated it would, “work through UK embassies, high commissions and through international organisations, including the United Nations, European institution and the Commonwealth, to protect and promote LGBT rights and to address laws discriminating against LGBT people”.

    Theresa May: anti-gay laws are “were wrong then, and they are wrong now”.

    In April 2018, the UK’s Prime Minister, Theresa May said that anti-gay laws in the Commonwealth “were wrong then, and they are wrong now”.

    In a speech to the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Ms May said, “I am all too aware that these laws were often put in place by my own country. They were wrong then, and they are wrong now

    “As the UK’s prime minister, I deeply regret both the fact that such laws were introduced, and the legacy of discrimination, violence and even death that persists today,” she added.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • A man has been charged over Grindr stabbing and robberies

    A man has been charged over Grindr stabbing and robberies

    Police in Manchester say that a 21-year-old man has been charged with robbery, possession of a knife and the stabbing of a man in his 20s after planning a meet on Grindr.

    geralt / Pixabay

    David Aroge (17/09/1997) of Holden Drive, Swinton has been charged with three counts of robbery, three counts of possession of a bladed article and one count of section 18 assault.

    He has been remanded into custody to appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court today, Friday 29 March 2019.

    At around 7 pm on Monday 25 March 2019, a man in his 50s was threatened in his own home in Irlam o’ th’ Height and around an hour later on Bury Old Road in Prestwich, a man in his 40s was threatened and held at knifepoint.

    On Tuesday 26 March 2019, a man in his 20s was threatened and stabbed repeatedly in his car on Bolton Road in Pendlebury.

  • People are calling on the Commonwealth to intervene on Brunei’s gay sex death penalty

    People are calling on the Commonwealth to intervene on Brunei’s gay sex death penalty

    As Brunei confirms it is to start using the death penalty for those found guilty of gay sex, people are calling on the Commonwealth to intervene.

    Brunei has confirmed that it is to use the death penalty for those found engaging in same-sex relationships and adultery from early April 2019. The kingdom has stated that it will use stoning to death as punishment for those found breaking sharia law.

    Brunei is currently part of the Commonwealth and people are asking it to intervene or make a statement condemning the horrific move by Brunei’s government.

    However, the head of the Commonwealth is her Majesty, the Queen, who has to remain politically neutral, so having her speak out against Brunei’s inhumane policy might be a non-starter.

    As it stands homosexuality is actually illegal in 35 of the 53 nations that make up the Commonwealth. There are two nations which currently have the death penalty for same-sex relationships between men. Northern Nigeria and Brunei. There are some countries which have a maximum of life in prison, these include, Bangladesh, Barbados, Guyana, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Uganda.

    A petition has been launched calling on Paul Scully MP, UK trade envoy to Brunei and Richard Graham MP, UK trade envoy to ASEAN (of which Brunei is a member) to publicly condemn these barbaric laws to make a stand against the barbaric punishment.

    https://twitter.com/NathWrites/status/1111326539860332544

    https://twitter.com/Light_Yagami128/status/1111280111972745216

     

  • Here are the 21 MPs who voted against adding LGBT+ inclusive relationship education for schools

    Here are the 21 MPs who voted against adding LGBT+ inclusive relationship education for schools

    There are 21 MPs who voted against adding LGBT+ relationship education in schools.

    MPs recently, overwhelmingly voted on new guidance that would mean that British schools would have to provide compulsory relationship and sex education that includes LGBT+ relationships for all children in state schools. It’s the first time the guidance has been updated since 2000.

    There were 21 MPs who voted against the measure. Of the 21 MPs, who voted against introducing LGBT+ relationship inclusivity 12 were Conservative, 7 were DUP, 1 Labour and 1 Independent.

    The 12 Tory MPs are: Bob Blackman (Harrow East), Charlie Elphicke (Dover), Sir Christopher Chope (Christchurch), Sir Edward Leigh (Gainsborough), James Gray (North Wiltshire), Julian Lewis (New Forest East) Matthew Offord (Hendon), Marcus Fysh (Yeovil), Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes), Philip Davies (Shipley), Philip Hollobone (Kettering) and Ranil Jayawardena (North East Hampshire).

    All 10 of these MPs also voted against gay marriage in 2013. Some, who have been in office long enough also voted in favour of Section 28 back in 1988, including, Chope and Leigh.

    The 7 DUP MPs were Gavin Robinson (Belfast East), Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry), Sir Jeffrey Donaldson (Lagan Valley), Jim Shannon (Strangford), Nigel Dodds (Belfast North), Paul Girvan (South Antrim), and Sammy Wilson (East Antrim).

    The Labour MP was John Spellar (Warley).

    The independent MP was Fiona Onasanya, who was formerly a Labour MP but was expelled from the party after she served a prison sentence for perverting the course of justice, in January.

     

  • Brunei introduces stoning to death for being gay

    Brunei introduces stoning to death for being gay

    Brunei is to introduce stoning to death as a punishment for homosexual acts and adultery from April.

    1966666 / Pixabay

    Homosexuality and adultery could land you a death sentence, via stoning, in Brunei, if you’re found guilty from April. Homosexuality has been illegal in the kingdom since British colonial rule.

    Instead of lengthy jail sentences for those found guilty of a raft of crimes, including homosexuality and adultery, Brunei will be handing out a death sentence. The new punishment of death by stoning, is set to become policy from the 3rd of April.

    The nation is set to introduce the horrific punishment as part of the implementation of sharia law and will apply to sodomy, adultery and rape. The law will only apply to the kingdom’s Muslim population which makes up around two-thirds of the demographic.

    Alcohol is banned in Brunei and there are punishments for having children outside of marriage. There is also a fine for missing pray on a Friday.

    Brunei is just one of 13 countries where being gay or being guilty of homosexual acts can still land you a death penalty.

    “Vicious”

    Amnesty Internation have called the punishment “vicious” and called upon Brunei to “immediately halt” its plans to introduce stoning.

    Rachel Chhoa-Howard, Amnesty International’s Brunei Researcher, said, “Brunei must immediately halt its plans to implement these vicious punishments and revise its Penal Code in compliance with its human rights obligations.

    “The international community must urgently condemn Brunei’s move to put these cruel penalties into practice.

    “Some of the potential ‘offences’ should not even be deemed crimes at all, including consensual sex between adults of the same gender.”

    What does Sharia Law say

    Sharia law is Islam’s legal system, derived from the Koran –

    • Informs every aspect of Muslims’ lives
    • Islamic jurists issue formal guidance through fatwas or religious edicts
    • Sharia law includes provisions for capital and corporal punishment but modern scholars say getting to that stage can be difficult
    • Marriage is treated as a contract in Islam
      From The BBC