Category: News

What date is Manchester Pride in 2021?

The dates for Manchester Pride have been announced by the organisers and it’s in its normal date slot at the end of August 2021.

In keeping with tradition, Manchester Pride has announced that it is returning to the streets of Manchester on the 27th-30th August 2021, after it was forced to cancel its events in 2020, due to COVID-19.

Dates for Manchester Pride 2021

The charity is planning to hold its flagship Manchester Pride Festival, in partnership with Virgin Atlantic, in its regular spot in the city’s calendar from Friday 27 August until Monday 30 August.

On 22nd February the UK Prime Minister outlined England’s roadmap out of lockdown, offering hope that live events will return this summer. But with the pandemic always front of mind, the team which works year-round to organise the four-day festival, has indicated that it has alternative exciting plans which can be activated if the proposed dates for the roadmap out of lockdown change.

The four day event, which brings thousands of people to the city centre each year, is set to return for another weekend of campaigning, celebrating and fundraising for LGBTQ+ life, featuring activism, equality, youth and family, arts and culture, community and partying!

The team behind the festival is working towards the delivery of a programme that includes all of the traditional elements expected by visitors with some tweaks and allowances for the new restrictions as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic.

The biggest difference will be a reduced capacity MCR Pride Live, which in response to audience feedback will be held at a smaller venue to ensure that the event is accessible, safe and viable.

With the safety and comfort of festival-goers, artists, stakeholders, artists and the Manchester Pride team the event’s capacity will be reduced by 50%. The venue for the event will be revealed later on this year.

© kevers Depositphotos

Manchester Pride 2021 will be made up of:

THE GAY VILLAGE PARTY, 27 – 30 August 2021

MCR PRIDE LIVE, 28 – 29 August 2021

MANCHESTER PRIDE PARADE, 28 August 2021

THE CANDLELIT VIGIL, 30 August 2021

SUPERBIA WEEKEND, 28 – 29 August 2021

HUMAN RIGHTS FORUM, 29 August 2021

YOUTH PRIDE MCR, 29 August 2021

FAMILY PRIDE MCR, 28 August 2021+ MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED

Mark Fletcher, CEO of Manchester Pride, said; “Manchester Pride is proud to part of a global Pride movement that celebrates advancements in equality and challenges discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ people. As both a charity and organisers one of the UK’s largest Pride festivals, we had to fight for our survival throughout 2020.

“Having to postpone the Manchester Pride Festival in 2020 was necessary but extremely hard for myself and the team and I am so pleased that we are able to plan for an event in 2021. Naturally there is some uncertainty over what will happen in the coming months but we have to plan now in order to be able to deliver a festival of this scale.

“We are confident that by reducing the capacity of MCR Pride Live we can deliver the event, as long as the government’s plans for vaccinations and reopening of events and hospitality remain on track. With the health and safety of everyone involved our key priority, we remain cautiously optimistic and have plans in place to respond to a number of potential scenarios.

“Whatever happens Manchester Pride will deliver a celebration of LGBTQ+ life in Greater Manchester this August and we will do everything we can to make it a Covid safe, live, in-person event across the city. If this just isn’t possible then we will host an alternative, innovative, world-class celebration that incorporates socially distanced events and digital elements to ensure that LGBTQ+ people in Greater Manchester can come together to celebrate and ensure that our campaign for greater LGBTQ+ equality continues at this vital time.”

Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic commented; “We’re delighted that the Manchester Pride Festival is back for 2021 uniting people to celebrate LGBTQ+ culture. It’s been a difficult year for everyone and we look forward to working with Mark and the team to bring this much-loved festival safely back to the heart of Manchester.”

“Virgin Atlantic has long been staunch supporters of LGBTQ+ rights and we strongly believe in making our business as inclusive and welcoming as possible. Although we haven’t been flying as many passengers as we’d like over the last year, we certainly haven’t been sitting still. We are working with Open for Business to show the economic impact that anti-LGBTQ+ laws have on countries around the world and how these laws restrict tourism and limit growth. In a post-Covid world, as travel and tourism recovers, it’s more important than ever for destinations to be open and welcoming to everyone.

“It’s an exciting time for us and as travel restrictions relax, we look forward to welcoming people back on board Virgin Atlantic, flying them safely from Manchester to their favourite destinations including Orlando, Barbados, New York, Los Angeles, Islamabad (where homosexuality is illegal) and Atlanta.”

Tickets for all events, from Superbia Weekend to Youth Pride MCR, will be released over the coming months. For those who bought tickets for the events due to take place in 2020 tickets were automatically rolled over to 2021. Should the event be cancelled or rescheduled, all tickets will be automatically rolled over to 2022. Anyone who does not wish to roll forward their ticket will have the option for a refund of the face value of the ticket.

For more information about the festival visit www.manchesterpride.com.

26th February 2021
What date is Pride In London 2021?

The dates for Pride In London have been announced by the organisers and it’s in a completely new month. Normally Pride In London takes place in the middle of the summer around the end of June or the beginning of July.

However, Pride In London 2021 will take place in early September, to help create a lengthy gap between when the government hopes large scale events can start again, on the 21st June and its own event, the biggest Pride Parade in the UK.

New date for Pride In London 2021

Today Pride In London confirmed that the new date for London’s very own pride would be the 11th September 2021.

Following the UK Government’s recently announced timetable for easing of lockdown restrictions, Pride in London – the UK’s largest Pride event – will be returning to the capital on the weekend of 11th September 2021.

Michael Salter-Church MBE and Alison Camps, Co-Chairs of Pride in London, said, “We’re delighted to announce that Pride in London will take place on the weekend of the 11th September. Now we have the roadmap from the Government, we’re working closely with the Mayor’s office, Westminster City Council and other key bodies in London to finalise what our plans will look like. We’ll be announcing further details of the event, including what format it will take and how to participate or volunteer, in due course. We will continue to monitor and adhere to the necessary health guidance.

“Naturally we can’t wait to bring all of our wonderful communities together again and stand with them to champion LGBT+ rights across the capital and beyond. In addition to the plans for September, we’re working on a way to appropriately mark Pride’s traditional anniversary in the summer.

“In the meantime, our communities have their final chance today to complete our short consultation survey and let us know what they’d like to see from Pride in London this year.”

26th February 2021
Our top stories of 2020

A year in review.

2020 what a year it’s been. There’s just over a week left of 2020, possibly one of the grimmest years in recent history for the LGBT+ community. Whilst all communities have been hard hit by the pandemic, the LGBT+ community have lost so much, including their identity (the pride flag and the World AIDS Day Red Ribbon were both co-opted by the mainstream media for other COVID projects), their spaces (numerous businesses were shuttered because of the economic fallout) and their pride events (all of mainland UK prides were cancelled) and their ability to meet each other in safe spaces.

Here are the top 10 stories we ran on THEGAYUK.

It’s fair to say that our readers were somewhat interested in how the world of gay bathhouses would work in a COVID era with at least 3 of the top ten stories answering questions about the industry.

10. Andrew Christian has released a gender-neutral “boy bra”

9. Tyler Oakley sends fans into a meltdown

8. No a gay man did not give birth to baby from his anus

7. Adult star Johnny Rapid says retirement because of COVID-19 was a joke

6. This gay sauna outlines how things might work after lockdown eases

5. Here’s how you can simulate anal sex, when you’re ot ready to bottom

4. When will gay bathhouses and saunas reopen in the UK

3. Daily Express slammed for publishing “Vile” column

2. This new Pride Flag aims to be the most inclusive ever

1. Are there gay saunas open during the COVID-19 lockdown

23rd December 2020
FILM REVIEW | Funny Boy

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Set in 1970’s and 1980’s Sri Lanka, and adapted from Shyam Selvadurai’s critically acclaimed novel of the same name, Funny Boy is a coming-of-age film of a young boys exploration of his identity and set against the backdrop of 1980’s Sri Lankan Civil War.

Arjie (Arush Nand) lives with his wealthy family in a beautiful home and very close to his large extended family. He doesn’t want to play soccer with the other boys, including his brother – he actually wants to dress up in colourful clothes and hang out with his cool aunt Rahda (Agam Darshi). But Arjie’s parents know he is different, but as Arjie gets older (played by Brandon Ingram), there is no denying that Arjie is gay. He even becomes best friends with, and then falls in love with a fellow male classmate. And when his family catches them in the act, they feel that Arjie has disgraced them, And it’s especially more daunting is that his boyfriend is Sinhalese, while Arjie and his family are Tamil. This is all set against instability and unrest in Sri Lanka, and at a time when homosexuality there was illegal (it still remains as an offence in the country’s books). Arjie suffers because of who he is and who he loves.

Funny Boy is such a lovely film. We would like for more films just like this, please.

Written by Deepa Mehta and Shyam Selvadurai, the film stars Brandon Ingram, Nimmi Harasgama, Agam Darshi, Ali Kazmi, Seema Biswas, and Arush Nand.

Funny Boy is Canada’s official entry for the 93rd Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category.

Now playing in the UK and Ireland also available on Netflix.

18th December 2020
OutdoorLads announces virtual Christmas get togethers

Though there are few festive gatherings to attend this year, OutdoorLads is keeping the party season alive by hosting its first-ever BIG Indoor Christmas Weekend and Christmas Day celebrations.

In a bid to keep gay, bisexual and trans men connected in spite of Covid-19 restrictions, the outdoor activities charity will be donning its best novelty jumpers for a fun-filled programme of online social events as part of its ongoing ‘#StayInMore’ campaign.

Taking place this weekend before Christmas (18th-20th December), the agenda of interactive activities features traditional favourites, in an OutdoorLads-style: from mulled wine making and bake-offs, board games and bingo, to pub quizzes and a DJ radio party. On the day itself (25th December), attendees can join the online get together to share the Christmas celebrations.

Liam Russell, Programme Manager at OutdoorLads, commented on the launch: “Bringing GBT men together to have some fun is at the heart of our ethos. Socialising and friendships are really important for health and wellbeing, particularly at this time of the year. Though we can’t all be together physically, we wanted to ensure that everyone has a fantastic Christmas, wherever they are.”

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, OutdoorLads ran a full calendar of volunteer-led activities for its members, including hiking, climbing, and cycling, along with social gatherings including its BIG spring and summer camping weekends. But owing to lockdowns and restrictions, the not-for-profit organisation has diversified to keep its members united, with its Christmas programme following almost a year of online ‘#StayInMore’ events.

Liam Russell continued: “This year has been a different year for everyone and we want to finish it on a high with everyone at OutdoorLads, as well as anyone who wants to join us for the festive fun. Looking to 2021, we anticipate we’ll continue running online activities and plans are being made to relaunch our outdoor events — watch this space!”

More information about the BIG Christmas Weekend and Christmas Day events can be found at Outdoorlads.com.

17th December 2020
Britain’s “most prolific” rapist will spend a further 10 years behind bars

Reynhard Sinaga who was jailed for 30 years for 159 counts of sexual offenses against 48 men will now spend an extra 10 years behind bars.

Today (Friday 11 December 2020) the Court of Appeal ruled that Reynhard Sinaga’s sentence of life imprisonment with a minimum of 30 years would be extended a further 10 years. This means that Sinaga, who was previously convicted of 159 counts of sexual offences against 48 different men, will serve a minimum of 40 years before being considered for release instead of his original sentence of 30 years. Today is a milestone and an extensive sentence – the longest sentence given in a rape case.

Is it thought that there could be many more victims of Sinaga’s assaults. Police have suggested that they believe there to be at least 206 victims, 60 of whom are currently unidentified.

Assistant Chief Constable Mabs Hussain said: “We welcome today’s ruling and are very pleased that Sinaga will be behind bars a further 10 years. From speaking to many of his victims, we know that many will be comforted by this outcome and feel that the extension reflects the heinous nature of the crimes committed.

“At the very heart of this case has always been the victims and supporting them through their horrific ordeal. The bravery that these men continue to show has been nothing short of incredible and we, alongside partners such as St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre and Survivors Manchester, will continue to offer as much support as possible to the victims and help them in every way we can.

“Since reporting restrictions were lifted in January 2020, a number of reports were made to our dedicated incident room from people who were concerned they may have been a victim of Sinaga. As a result of this, we have been able to identify a further 23 of Sinaga’s victims. Like many other victims, the majority of these men had been enjoying nights out in Manchester City Centre before being preyed on by Sinaga as they made their way home. We are continuing to offer these men our full support and help them in any way we can.

“As a result of further evidence coming to light, our investigators now believe that Sinaga committed sexual offences against 206 men. We are yet to identify around 60 of these men and would urge anyone who thinks they may have been a victim to please get in touch with us. If you don’t feel like you want to speak to police, specialist support services are widely available with organisations such as St Mary’s SARC and Survivors Manchester.

“I would like to say a huge thank you to all of those who have contributed. First, a thanks to our investigation team whom I am incredibly proud of and have had to endure watching the most sickening of video evidence, which was created by Sinaga himself. I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to our partners, including representatives from the NHS, health and support services, whose top priority has always – and will continue to be – the victims.

“We hope the work of the investigation team sends out a clear message that Greater Manchester Police is committed to investing time and resources into bringing those who carry out sex offences to justice. We also hope it demonstrates our firm commitment to working alongside specialised partner agencies in order to provide victims with any support they need. We will leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of justice.”

If you have been affected by this case or believe that you may have been a victim of Reynhard Sinaga, then please contact police or specialist support agencies using the contact details below.

All reports made to police will be fully investigated and Greater Manchester is nationally recognised as a model of good practice in terms of support services available to victims.

Information can be passed to police via the Major Incident Public Portal https://mipp.police.uk/operation/06GMP19V24-PO2 or by calling 101. The MIPP will also provide contact details for support agencies to anyone who accesses it.

For anyone who wishes to seek support but does not want to talk to police, St Mary’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre can continue to be reached on 0161 276 6515 and Survivors Manchester can be contacted on 0161 236 2182.

11th December 2020
Charity launches a forum for LGBT+ survivors of domestic abuse

Galop has launched a Domestic Abuse Survivor’s Forum as part of its National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline Service.

The Forum, which will go live on Thursday, December 10th, 2020, is a safe, anonymous, online space for LGBT+ people who have been affected by domestic abuse. The forum will allow users to share their experiences, support one another and receive information and support from the team at the National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline.

According to the charity the forum will introduce peer-to-peer support for its users.

Historically, domestic violence services have demonstrated how vital peer support spaces are for survivors of abuse. There are very few spaces where LGBT+ people can come together and share their experiences with abuse and receive support from those with the lived experience of being LGBT+. The LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Survivors Forum will provide this safe space for LGBT+ people to support one another.

How does the forum work and how are users kept safe?

The forum is accessible to all LGBT+ survivors of domestic abuse so that they can read valuable information about abuse even if they do not feel ready to register and post themselves. In order to keep every user of the forum anonymous, all posts are moderated before they are made visible on the forum. This includes checks for identifying information (which is then edited out), abusive or harmful behaviour, and on the welfare of the poster.

The helpline team moderators can see the e-mails of users, so we can reach out to anyone if we’re concerned about their welfare or their behaviour on the forum. Our central focus is ensuring the forum is always safe and supportive for everyone that uses it, and at every stage of design and development, the needs of domestic abuse survivors and their safety have been key.

If someone wants to register, they can click ‘Join’ at the top of the forum, enter some demographic information that helps us understand who is accessing the forum, and register with an e-mail address and username. This is then checked by the team to ensure they can’t be identified from the username. The user is then sent a confirmation link, which takes them to set their password. This means no user is ever e-mailed their login details.

We’d welcome all our partners and other agencies that work with LGBT+ and/or domestic abuse survivors to promote the forum to their clients and service users, or to other organisations who can share this with LGBT+ survivors of domestic abuse.

11th December 2020
There’s a candle on sale that apparently smells of man’s butt

Do you remember when Gwyenth Paltrow sold a candle that smelled of her vagina? It was, for some reason, an instant success and led to her goop site being swamped with customers wanting to get a whiff of a famous Vajayjay.

Now, however, someone has come up with another version and it’s called The Bussy Candle. Yes, for those who don’t know Bussy is a combination of the word boy and pussy or butthole and pussy.

The candle apparently smells an “unforgettable, slightly familiar, slightly novel scent” according to the makers of the candle, which retails for $29.00 on the website, a far cry away from Gwyenth’s $75 fragrance.

The makers add, “People often ask; “what does it smell like?” Well, it smells like Bussy, duh. But not just any Bussy, this is Bussy perfected, Bussy as it should be. Truly exquisite Bussy. So, no, it doesn’t smell “bad.” This is actually a scent you will enjoy.”

The question is would you really want the smell of butt (no matter how lovely it is) wafting around your home this Christmas, instead of a plugin Glade Pine and Spice Apple blend?

© Ongap | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

What do people think of the Bussy Candle?

Well, let’s see what the reviewers are saying…

Ian, who bought the candle recently said, “Even after a short burn, the sweet smell from the bussy candle lingers long in the air…it almost reminds me of when I had a boyfriend, except it smells even better than he did.”

While Hector added, “I thought I’d seen it all but here we are. It really is the perfect gift for the gay who as it all”

$2 from every candle sold goes to the Trevor Project.

10th December 2020
Lords have voted to ban Lord Maginnis over homophobic bullying claims

Lord Maginnis, an independent Ulster Unionist Peer, was found to have broken conduct rules by using homophobic language according to an investigation by the Lords Conduct Committee. The punishment is an 18-month suspension from The Lords, although that suspension could be increased if he fails to undertake a designated course of bespoke behaviour change training and coaching.

The Lords Conduct Committee, which made the investigation advised Lord Maginnis that he would need to take “behaviour training” or face an even longer suspension. Maginnis has refused to embark on the training, meaning that his suspension could run longer than a year and a half.

Maginnis has denied bullying and called the Lords Conduct Committee’s report “ridiculous” when it was published last week.

What did the investigation into Lord Maginnis find?
Embed from Getty Images
An inquiry into the Lord’s behaviour found that there were a series of complaints brought against Maginnis in early 2020.

First, there was a report from a parliamentary security officer, Christian Bombolo, who reported that the Maginnis was “verbally abusive” after he was requested to show his pass to enter the Palace of Westminster on 7 January.

Scottish National Party MP Hannah Bardell intervened and says that she was treated “rudely and aggressively”.

On 11 February, Lord Maginnis apparently became “agitated” during a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Armed Forces when not called upon to ask a question. He apparently addressed “rude remarks” to the meeting’s chair, Labour MP Luke Pollard.

The 82-year-old Lord then complained about Mr Pollard via email sent to a number of parliamentarians – including the APPG chair, Conservative MP James Gray. The email apparently contained a “homophobic subject line” allegedly, “Discrimination by Homos” and contained “remarks about Mr Pollard which centred on his sexual orientation and were homophobic”.

Lord Maginnis later discussed the incident with the media, using “disrespectful and derogatory” language about Mr Bombolo and “homophobic and derogatory” language about Ms Bardell.

Labour MP Toby Perkins asked Lord Maginnis what had happened, and claimed that the peer answered by being “homophobic, aggressive and disrespectful, including by making further homophobic remarks” about Mr Pollard and Ms Bardell, the inquiry found.

A few weeks later on 4 March, Lord Maginnis was embroiled in a “heated discussion” with Mr Gray at an APPG breakfast meeting after he was told he couldn’t attend due to his behaviour towards Mr Pollard.

Who is Lord Maginnis?

Lord Maginnis, was the Ulster Unionist MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone between 1983 and 2001. He had previously served in the Ulster Defence Regiment. He became a life peer in 2001.

9th December 2020
Meet the 12 guys who stripped off for a brand new calendar, celebrating body positivity in 2020

In what they’re dubbing positive masculinity, the tackle calendar aims to reshape the conversation about what it means to be a man in the two thousand twenties through photography.

12 guys from around the UK stripped off to show that all bodies are beautiful regardless of your age, size or skin tone.

The calendar is also launching a photo magazine in 2021 and will feature lots of guys in their homes, in the nude to challenge the notion of toxic masculinity and impossible body expectations that you might see in mainstream media.

The tackle calendar was shot over a period of 2 months (when lockdown restrictions eased) and featuring 12 men, of all ages, backgrounds and ethnicities from across the UK.

Speaking about the new tackle project, which is an offshoot of the Naked Rugby Players, photographer and Art Director, Jake Hook said, “It was really important for us to keep pushing the message that every body is important, valid and beautiful and we want to celebrate normal bodies in media.

Media gives us “unrealistic ideals of what our bodies should look like”

“While representation of “ordinary” bodies is improving in the media, we are still bombarded with unrealistic ideals of what our bodies should look like, and it’s just not good for our mental health, self-esteem or well-being. There’s still a lot to do to ensure that we can all feel comfortable in our own skin. We think we’ve found some incredible guys, brave enough to strip off for us to prove, no matter your age, your size or your skin tone, your body is wonderful”.

A donation from each sale from the calendar will go to Balls To Cancer and is available from their website, and Amazon.

7th December 2020
Lord who likened gay marriage to bestiality faces 18-month suspension for homophobic bullying

Lord Maginnis who is an Independent Ulster Unionist, is facing suspension from the Lords after an inquiry found that he had bullied three MPs and one security guard, using anti-gay language.

The Lords Conducts Committee has recommended an 18-month suspension, which is one of the longest ever handed down and will come into effect if it is voted for by Lords on the 7th December.

An inquiry into the Lord’s behaviour found that there were a series of complaints brought against Lord Maginnis in early 2020.

First, there was a report from a parliamentary security officer, Christian Bombolo, who reported that the Maginnis was “verbally abusive” after he was requested to show his pass to enter the Palace of Westminster on 7 January.

Scottish National Party MP Hannah Bardell intervened and says that she was treated “rudely and aggressively”.
Embed from Getty Images
On 11 February, Lord Maginnis apparently became “agitated” during a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Armed Forces when not called upon to ask a question. He apparently addressed “rude remarks” to the meeting’s chair, Labour MP Luke Pollard.

The 82-year-old Lord then complained about Mr Pollard via email sent to a number of parliamentarians – including the APPG chair, Conservative MP James Gray. The email apparently contained a “homophobic subject line” allegedly, “Discrimination by Homos” and contained “remarks about Mr Pollard which centred on his sexual orientation and were homophobic”.

Lord Maginnis later discussed the incident with the media, using “disrespectful and derogatory” language about Mr Bombolo and “homophobic and derogatory” language about Ms Bardell.

Labour MP Toby Perkins asked Lord Maginnis what had happened, and claimed that the peer answered by being “homophobic, aggressive and disrespectful, including by making further homophobic remarks” about Mr Pollard and Ms Bardell, the inquiry found.

A few weeks later on 4 March, Lord Maginnis was embroiled in a “heated discussion” with Mr Gray at an APPG breakfast meeting after he was told he couldn’t attend due to his behaviour towards Mr Pollard.

In a normal workplace Lord Maginnis would be “shown the door”

Speaking about the potential 18-month ban, Ms Bardell said,

“I appreciate that an 18-month ban is a serious sanction and that Lord Maginnis’s return to the House of Lords will be dependent upon him undertaking ‘a designated course of bespoke behaviour change training and coaching’,” said the Livingston MP.

“However I consider it likely that if this had happened in any normal workplace in the UK and someone behaved in such a systematically abusive, bullying and homophobic way, which the report clearly states he has, they would be shown the door.”

The report said that the recommended suspension of 18-months, the longest ever dished out, should not finish until Maginnis has completed behaviour change training showing that he is “able to demonstrate a clear understanding of how his behaviour impacts on other people in the parliamentary community”.

Lord Maginnis has a history of unacceptable behaviour and comments towards LGBT+ people

In June 2012 the Ulster Unionist Party whip was withdrawn from Lord Maginnis by party leader Mike Nesbit over his anti-gay remarks, where Lord Maginnis likened gay marriage to bestiality on Northern Ireland’s Stephen Nolan Show. Lord Maginnis said that gay marriage was, ‘a rung on the ladder’ to ‘other deviant practices’ and ‘Will the next thing be that we legislate for some sort of bestiality?’

In 2012, Lord Maginnis was nominated by Stonewall for the Bigot Of The Year award and when approached by THEGAYUK for a comment he called the outlet an, “aggressive, perverse and corrupting influence on susceptible and vulnerable young people”.

4th December 2020