THEGAYUK

Category: News

  • Roger Stone Suspended From Twitter After Reporter Rants

    The Stone Zone has been taken off Twitter. Incendiary Republican adviser Roger Stone has been suspended from the social network — and might be gone for good — after unleashing foul-mouthed insults … (more…)

  • Did you know it’s illegal to dance in most of NYC’s Bars?

    Legal ballet to end New York prohibition on dancing

    Due to licensing this article must be read on our website

    Dancing is technically illegal in thousands of bars, clubs and restaurants in the city that never sleeps, but New York campaigners are finally in sight of getting the law overturned. The “cabaret law,” passed in 1926, requires public spaces that sell food and drink to acquire near impossible-to-obtain permits to authorize dancing indoors. (more…)

  • Investigation begins after alleged hate crime against transgender woman in Cumbria

    Police in Cumbria are investigating an alleged hate crime against a transgender woman on a bus.

    Investigators have released a CCTV still of a person they would like to speak to in connection with alleged verbal abuse hurled at a woman at a bus stop in Barrow in Furness, Cumbria.

    According to a statement from the police at around 6:20 PM on Saturday 23 September 2017 a 43-year-old woman from Barrow was sat at a bus stop when she was approached by a man who has been verbally abusive towards her.

    The man officers would like to speak with is described as a white, aged in his 60s and around 5ft 6ins tall. He is of medium build with balding hair to the back of his scalp.

    At the time of the incident, he was wearing a white shirt and grey or brown trousers.

    It is believed that the man has got onto a bus heading towards Holbeck.

    Police are appealing for witnesses to this incident and anyone who may be able to identify the man pictured to come forward.

    Email: 101@cumbria.police.uk
    Call:  PC Josh Jones on 101
    Or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111

  • ‘Serious fears’ missing Russian pop star killed in Chechnya

    Serious fears have been raised that a Russian pop star has been killed in Chechnya’s crackdown on homosexuality.

    Due to licensing this article must be read on our website.

    A leading Russian human rights group said it had “serious fears” Friday that a gay pop star may have been killed in Chechnya as part of a crackdown on the homosexual community. Chechen Zelimkhan Bakayev, 26, went missing in August when he left his home in Moscow to visit the capital Grozny to attend his sister’s wedding. (more…)

  • Massive changes at Gay Times as both Editor and Deputy Editor “step down”

    And replaced by the previous marketing manager, Josh Rivers.

    Massive changes are afoot at the UK’s oldest gay magazine Gay Times. Both the Editor and Deputy Editor have been replaced by newbie editor, Josh Rivers, who was previously the magazine’s marketing manager. He is also the co-founder of Series Q, a network for mentorship, support and empowering LGBT entrepreneurs.

    The magazine is due to be relaunched for its next issue with a complete overhaul – which will see an “a shift in content to build a relevant journal that will inspire the modern man”.  A statement from Gay Times also notes that Josh us the ” first gay man of colour to lead a major UK gay publication”.

    The shake-up follows on from the magazine’s purchase by the new owner, James Frost, from Millivres Prowler.

    This is the second time that Gay Times has rebranded in as many years. The first came in 2015 when the magazine changed its name from GT to Gay Times.

    Speaking about the forthcoming changes the company’s CEO, Mr Frost said, “Since we met in 2016, I’ve been very impressed with Josh’s passion, enthusiasm and dedication to serving the LGBT+ community. It’s Josh’s consistently inclusive and expansive view of our community, and his fresh ideas and enthusiasm that make him the perfect person to lead Gay Times. I am thrilled he’s accepted the challenge; we share the belief that contemporary men are looking for something more from LGBT+ media, and together with the team at Visual Talent, we are going to deliver exactly that!”

    Taking to Twitter, Darren Scott, tweeted the cover of his final issue, saying, “A true labour of love, this is my 107th and final issue of Gay Times”.

    Ryan Butcher added, “Hello yes hi quick announcement but after four years and 50 issues I have decided to step away from Gay Times and Gay Media in general”.

    Taking to Twitter, the new editor of Gay Times, Josh wrote,

  • The gay side of Nightmare On Elm Street explored in brand new movie

    Launching soon… Nightmare On Elm Street 2 is getting its own documentary from those who starred in it.

    We’ve already said that Nightmare On Elm Street 1 & 2 were pretty gay, but now, Scream, Queen: My Nightmare On Elm Street goes behind the scenes to explore the gay subtext of that incredibly homoerotic film. Mark Patton, who starred in the film discusses how his career following the release of the film, didn’t pan out how he had planned. Mark’s career was in the ascension, with three movies under his belt and then it was gone. In the trailer, he says he said, “‘Thank you Jesus you gave me everything I asked for’ and then the next day it all went to hell”.

    Mark, who is now openly gay, wasn’t at the time of the film. The film was the third major picture of his career and was his last until the reboot, Freddy Vs Jason, in 2003, where he was included in archive footage. Mark had smaller roles in various other projects but ultimately gave up on his acting career after being offered a role in a CBS show.

    Watch below the scene in which Jesse, played by Mark says that Freddy Kruger is “inside him”. Yep 🙂

  • Today is Intersex Awareness Day

    Every 26th October it’s Intersex Awareness Day.

    Every year, Intersex Awareness Day strives to inform and educate people about intersex people, their human rights issues and the discriminations they face in daily life, including the decision for many to “normalise” their own sex in their own time and if they want to.

    Many find the decision to determine their own sex is taken away from them at birth when parents and doctors make the determination upon the discovery that they are intersex. These surgeries can often lead to infertility, pain and mental suffering.

    What is Intersex?

    According to Intersexday.org, intersex people are “born with sex characteristics that don’t meet medical and social norms for female or male bodies”.

    It is thought that up to 1.7 percent of babies are intersex. Some are born with an obvious intersex traits, whilst in others, it is not apparent until they reach puberty. Some may never exhibit the variations in their chromosomes.

    What’s it like to be Intersex?

    The first Intersex Awareness Day

    The very first Intersex Awareness Day took part in 1996 when a public demo took place in North America. They marched to highlight their right to choose which sex they should be and not doctors. They also wanted to highlight the fact that intersex people do not need to be “fixed” or “normalised”.

    Need resources?

    InterAct
    IntersexDay.Org

  • Labour suspends MP after homophobic comments

    The Labour party has suspended Jared O’Mara, pending an investigation over alleged homophobic and misogynistic comments.

    Labour suspends MP after homophobic comments

    Following on from revelations over MP Jared O’Mara’s forum messages posted over a decade ago, which were misogynistic and homophobic, the Labour party have taken action to suspend the newly elected MP for Sheffield Hallam.

    The MP unseated the former Lib Dem leader, Nick Clegg in this year’s general election.

    Mr O’Hara had issued an apology over his misogyny but failed to mention anything about his homophobia which included a message sent from an account which was allegedly his, in which he said he’d thought it would be funny if jazz singer Jamie Cullum was “sodomised” to death with his own piano.

    The minister had been serving on the Women’s and Equality committee but he resigned shortly after the messages surfaced.

    Speaking to BBC News the shadow chancellor John McDonnell said,  “There will be a full investigation by the Labour Party and then, as a result of that, a final decision will be made about his future.

    “New information has come to light, so quite rightly the Labour Party has acted swiftly. He’s been suspended, the whip has been withdrawn.”

    Transphobia

    Following on from the forum messages,  a former partner of the O’Mara, Sophie Evans, 25,  alleged he was abusive and transphobic. They dated seven months ago.

    Ms Evan alleges that O’Mara used sexist language and “transphobic slurs”

    Speaking to Daily Politics she said,

    “There were some transphobic slurs in there . . . he called me an ugly b*tch,”

    “I just thought ‘Wow, he’s not a very nice man’ and just forgot about it.

    “He never apologised to me or my friends that were involved. He has called us liars in the press, he has been on radio and called us liars.

    “I just find it very, very hard to believe that he has changed.”

    Mr O’Mara “categorically denies”the allegations.

  • MP Jared O’Mara quits equality role amidst homophobic and misogynist row

    Disgraced Labour MP, Jared O’Mara has resigned his post on the women’s and equality committee following the revelations of anti-gay and misogynist comments made on forums back in the early 2000s.

    The MP, who unseated Nick Clegg in the last General Election, is said to have used numerous anti-gay slurs on the Morrissey Solo website forum and Drowned In Sound. Terms such as “fudge packers” and driving “up the Marmite motorway” to describe gay people were used and a message was written that said gay people were “bitter and resentful about being homosexual”.

    Some of the messages date back to 2002.

    A message, which apparently used his email address was published which expressed a wish for jazz singer Jamie Cullum to be “sodomised” to death, the message read, “It would be no great loss to the music world if he was sodomised with his own piano and subsequently died of a sore arse. In fact, it would be quite funny.”

    Taking to Twitter, O’Mara issued an apology, saying he was “ashamed” of the comments that he made online and said that he was wrong to make them. He also apologised for the unacceptable language. However, he only apologised for the comments made about women and not the homophobic comments.

    His statement in full:

    “I am deeply ashamed of the comments I made online, which have emerged today. I was wrong to make them; I understand why they are offensive and sincerely apologise for my use of such unacceptable language. I made the comments as a young man, at a particularly difficult time in my life, but that is no excuse. Misogyny is a deep problem in our society. Since making those comments 15 years ago, I have learned about inequalities of power and how violent language perpetuates them. I continue to strive to be a better man and work where I can to confront misogyny, which is why I’m so proud to sit on the Women and Equalities Select Committee. I will continue to engage with, and crucially learn from, feminist and other equalities groups so as an MP I can do whatever I can to tackle misogyny.”

     


    THEGAYUK.com reached out to O’Mara for clarification on his homophobic messages.

  • Vile homophobia from newbie Labour MP Jared O’Mara

    Forum messages allegedly made by the new Labour MP for Sheffield Hallam, Jarod O’Mara have surfaced.

    An MP who sits on the Women’s and Equality Committee has had past homophobic and sexist forum comments allegedly written by him over a decade ago, unearthed by the political website, Guido Fawkes. 

    The MP, who unseated Nick Clegg in the last General Election, is said to have used numerous anti-gay slurs on the Morrissey Solo website forum and Drowned In Sound. Terms such as “fudge packers” and driving “up the marmite motorway” to describe gay people were used and a message was written that said gay people were “bitter and resentful about being homosexual”.

    Some of the messages date back to 2002.

    A message, which apparently used his email address was published which expressed a wish for jazz singer Jamie Cullum to be “sodomised” to death, the message read, “It would be no great loss to the music world if he was sodomised with his own piano and subsequently died of a sore arse. In fact, it would be quite funny.”

    In other messages Guido Fawkes reveals that published messages included:

    “Just cos he writes about gayness and gay issues, doesn’t mean he drives up the Marmite motorway, or for that matter, allows someone else to drive up his…

    “You do mean ‘took it up the ass’ figuratively don’t you?… I just think that this story is much more poignantly romantic than fudge packing Jake or anyone else in a casual manner and I don’t want such a lovely vista to be spoilt.

    “I find it funny how some homosexuals think they have the monopoly on being subject to abuse, they should try being Ginger…”

    “To those of you that are bitter and resentful about being homosexual, maybe you need to take a bit of pride in your gayness, it’s not something to be ashamed of.”

    The account that O’Mara used the same email address he used on another forum website Drowned In Sound.

    Taking to Twitter, O’Mara issued an apology, saying he was “ashamed” of the comments that he made online and said that he was wrong to make them. He also apologised for the unacceptable language. However, he only apologised for the comments made about women and not the homophobic comments.

    His statement in full:

    “I am deeply ashamed of the comments I made online, which have emerged today. I was wrong to make them; I understand why they are offensive and sincerely apologise for my use of such unacceptable language. I made the comments as a young man, at a particularly difficult time in my life, but that is no excuse. Misogyny is a deep problem in our society. Since making those comments 15 years ago, I have learned about inequalities of power and how violent language perpetuates them. I continue to strive to be a better man and work where I can to confront misogyny, which is why I’m so proud to sit on the Women and Equalities Select Committee. I will continue to engage with, and crucially learn from, feminist and other equalities groups so as an MP I can do whatever I can to tackle misogyny.”

     


    THEGAYUK.com reached out to O’Mara for clarification on his homophobic messages.

    MP Stephen Doughty, the co-chair of the LGBT PLP said,

    “The comments are obviously totally unacceptable. As one of the Co-Chairs of the LGBT PLP, I raised my deep concerns directly in person with Jared this after and have received a frank apology”.

  • Man who touched other man’s hip in Dubai has been freed by the Ruler of Dubai

    The Scotsman who was jailed yesterday for breaking Dubai’s strictly indecency laws has been freed by Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum.

    Jamie Harron has been freed from his Dubai jail, after the country’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum made a special order. The cases against him have been dismissed amidst an international backlash against the country.

    Speaking on behalf of Mr Harron, Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, said today,

    “We wish to express our deepest gratitude to Sheikh Mohammed for his personal intervention in this case, and for exonerating Jamie at long last. It has now been established that the allegations against Jamie were entirely unwarranted, defamatory, and meritless; to such an extent that the Ruler of the country found it necessary to step in and correct the wrongful action of the Public Prosecutor and to quash the judgment of the court. This was a courageous and honourable decision on the part of Sheikh Mohammed, and while it highlights the urgent need for judicial reform in the country, it is also a hopeful sign that the UAE’s leadership possesses the will and vision to pursue such reforms in the future,

    “When Jamie was called this morning by the police he was told that the case had been dismissed, and that he should come in to collect his passport”, Stirling explained. “He was understandably nervous; as similar calls from the police in other cases were merely tactics to lure individuals into police custody. But when Jamie arrived at the police station, his passport was returned, and he was told that he was free to go. The charges were dropped, the sentence annulled, and he faces no order for deportation.

    “This came by direct order from Sheikh Mohammed.”

    Mr Harron is expected to bring a civil case against his accuser. After being arrested and detained in Dubai, he had spent over £30,000 on legal fees and lost his job in the process.

    His legal representation said that they believe that Mr Harron, would bring civil proceedings against his accusers and the company he works for. Detained In Dubai, said that the allegations against him “have been definitively proven false and slanderous, and have caused him tremendous suffering and financial loss”.