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Category: News

  • Parents of man detained in Dubai over touching a man’s hip, speak out of their worry for him

    The parents of Jamie Harron, the Scotsman arrested in Dubai for accidentally touching another man’s hip while trying to avoid bumping into him in a crowded bar, have spoken out. They tell of their fears for Jamie, and how the pressure has affected their close family.

    Jamie’s father Graham, a caterer, and his mother Patricia are beside themselves with worry. Patricia cannot sleep. “I’m up all night worrying about what is going to happen to Jamie in court on Sunday,” she says. “There’s no chance of sleep.”

    Jamie was in Dubai, with a friend, on a two-day stopover from Afghanistan, where he worked as an electrician.

    Jamie, says he was trying to ensure that a drink he was holding did not spill on himself or others. He touched the other man’s hip in order to avoid an impact.

    He was arrested for public indecency and his passport was seized but authorities. In fighting his case, Jamie has spent in excess of £30,000 in legal fees. He has spent all of his savings and spent £12,000 on credit cards.

    Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained In Dubai, the NGO representing Jamie and his family is in constant communication with the worried couple.

    Graham stresses that he is very grateful for all the support from the press and the people of the UK.

    He says, “Patricia and I have not been able to relax for a moment. We never dreamed we would have to face something like this. I wanted him to tell his story to the press but he really did not think it would be necessary. We can’t believe that this nightmare has gone on for three months. Jamie is a good boy. He has never been a problem and never in trouble. We are a very close family and it is killing us to think of him spending even 3 nights in jail, let alone 3 years.”

    The Embassy is doing nothing

    Graham continues, “The UK embassy has not done anything to help and seem to think it is absolutely fine for British nationals to be abused in this way. People have to stop visiting that country. Since Jamie was arrested, I have researched and found that this is more common than any of us think. It is unacceptable the FCO actually promotes the UAE to British tourists.”

    “We are so worried about what may happen tomorrow at the hearing. We have been told to expect he will be taken into custody. We feel helpless.”

    “Questions need to be answered as to why there is no advice about these incidents on the UK FCO website,” Graham insists, “and where are the embassy staff who should be offering emotional and practical support to both Jamie in the UAE and his family back home in Stirling?”

    Graham and Patricia spoke of their family’s finances which are now in tatters, Jamie has been forced to pay over £10,000 for a solicitor and run up huge credit card debts which he is going to have trouble repaying, now that he has lost his job. Loving parents Graham and Patricia have also stretched their own finances to breaking point to help their son.

    Horrible dream

    Jamie adds, “the whole thing is like a horrible dream and I just don’t know when it is going to end. I thought it would be over by now but it feels like it will never be. I am lucky I have friends to stay with but this has broken me, financially and emotionally. I am in debt because of the legal fees and won’t even be able to afford to appeal the case if it doesn’t go in my favour”.

    Radha Stirling adds in a statement, “Jamie’s local MP, Stephen Kerr, contacted me today to ask whether he should intervene and we have requested he do so. This case has been brought to the attention of the UAE government who we hope will intervene and stop the injustice. More and more British nationals have written Dubai off as a possible holiday destination in light of several recent high profile arrests and we are inundated with more stories of legal abuse. We are hoping to work with the UAE government to make improvements to make the country safer for tourists, expats and investors.

    We are all anxiously awaiting to see whether Jamie is jailed tomorrow for previously not turning up to a court hearing that neither he, nor his lawyer, were advised of”.

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  • Vegas victim who saw his boyfriend die in front of him pays heartbreaking tribute to him

    The boyfriend of a man who was killed in the horrific Las Vegas shooting massacre speaks about how he held him as he laying dying from his injury.

    Bobby Eardley, survived the US’s worst ever gun massacre last Sunday, only to see his boyfriend of four years die in front of him. As thousands of bullets whipped through the 20,000 strong audience at a country music festival, one of them struck Cameron Robinson, just 28, in the neck, eventually killing him. Bobby also sustained a shrapnel back injury.

    Bobby speaking with Anderson Cooper about the tragedy that unfolded in front of his eyes in Las Vegas.

    CNN’s Anderson Cooper spoke to Bobby about the attack and paid tribute to the amazing person that he was,

    I just can not say enough amazing things about that man. He’s such an example to everyone he came into contact with in his life….

    When I came out four years ago I didn’t know how it was all going to go with my family…it took someone as special as Cameron to be able to open eyes for everyone and just learn love and acceptance. I’m so grateful to him for that and for the example that he was for me and my family and my kids.”

     

    Watch the interview here:

    Speaking about the attack, Bobby revealed that after Cameron was shot, he held his boyfriend in his arms and talked to him until they were hauled into the back of a truck and taken to a hospital. Two strangers performed CPR on Cameron. Unfortunately, it was too late to save him.

    He said,

    “I just wanted to make sure that he knew that he wasn’t alone in those moments and I held him and talked to him the whole time and I know he wasn’t the only victim and I know that so many other people are going through exactly what I’m going through and my heart goes out to every single one of them and I just want to make sure that the heroes of the situation are also noticed.”

     

  • Man arrested in Dubai for touching another man’s hip

    A man is facing financial ruin after being arrested and detained in Dubai following a misunderstanding.

    A Scottish man has been arrested and detained in Dubai after falling foul of Dubai’s strict public decency laws. According to DetainedInDubai.org, Jamie Harron was arrested after touching the hip of another man in a crowded bar.

    Jamie was in Dubai, with a friend, on a two-day stopover from Afghanistan, where he works as an electrician.

    Jamie, originally from Stirling in Central Scotland, says he was trying to ensure that a drink he was holding did not spill on himself or others. He touched the other man’s hip in order to avoid an impact.

    He was arrested for public indecency and his passport was seized but authorities. In fighting his case, Jamie has spent in excess of £30,000 in legal fees. He has spent all of his savings and spent £12,000 on credit cards.

    A misunderstanding that has cost him the earth

    According to DetainedInDubai, after Jamie had purchased his drink in at the Rock Bottom Bar in Dubai, he noticed a Jordanian man who was looking over at him from the edge of the dance floor in a confrontational manner.

    In order to get to the other side of the bar, Jamie had to pass the man and in doing so, placed his hand on the right-hand side of the man’s hip top to ensure that when passing they didn’t bump and spill drinks in a move familiar to most UK patrons of crowded pubs. There was no intention to upset the man in any way. The man said nothing and didn’t show any reaction.

    Jamie and his friend relaxed for another 20-30 minutes chatting when suddenly, the police appeared outside the bar. The man went out to meet them, and he began animatedly talking with them, pointing at Jamie. Jamie got up and went to see what the problem was.

    The man, his friends and the police were all speaking in Arabic. The accuser occasionally shouting in English, “he’s been drinking, and he touched me improperly, I will get you deported, do you know who I am?”

    The police asked Jamie to apologise which he gladly did to the man. The man was not mollified and urged the police to arrest Jamie; Jamie was arrested and in and out of jail for the next 8 days with no idea of the charge. He was held in the Al Barsha prison, where he was allegedly prohibited to wash or brush his teeth.

    It was only after a meeting with a  prosecutor that Jamie learned that charges against him were twofold, drinking alcohol and “public Indecency.” Jamie denies this latter charge vehemently, restating that his only intention was to avoid spilling a drink.

    Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained In Dubai, the British based NGO who is leading the campaign to help Jamie, released the following statement: “I have spoken to Jamie today who is under immense pressure and stress. He was expecting to appear in court this Sunday, the 6th of October but the court moved the date without telling him or his lawyer. This led to a sentence of 30 days imprisonment for failing to present himself at the hearing”.

    Jamie said in a phone call to Stirling “Of course if I had known there was a change in the court date, I would have been there. I have been waiting for months to appear and now it looks as though I will be arrested when I go to the hearing on Sunday. It is completely unfair and I can’t understand how I can be sentenced for failing to appear when I was not even informed of the hearing”.

    Vulnerable tourists

    Ms Stirling continued, “Jamie has been advised by his lawyer that he is at high risk of being jailed for a duration of up to three years. It is quite outrageous that he has been held in the country for so long already. This is another example of how vulnerable tourists are to arrest and detention in Dubai and at how drawn out and disorganised legal proceedings are.

    “We have received a wave of new cases of British nationals detained in Dubai and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office need to increase travel warnings to citizens intending to visit or live in the country. If Jamie is sentenced to prison, he faces human rights violations and torture. The English High Court has ruled against extradition to the UAE based on the ‘very real risk of unfair trials and torture’ but the UK government has refused to increase warnings, largely due to their financial and diplomatic ties with the UAE”.

    Tourists who consume alcohol at licensed venues can still be arrested for having alcohol in their system; Most tourists are not aware of this fact. A number of British nationals have been caught out by this contradictory application of the law.

    Both Jamie and his family are anxious for him to be back home in Stirling, Scotland as soon as possible.

    27-year-old Jamie has been held in the UAE since the 15th of July 2017.

     

  • Anglican Church penalises Scottish arm over gay marriage

    The Anglican Church on Tuesday disciplined its Scottish branch for deciding to allow same-sex couples to get married in its churches. The Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC) voted in June to change its law on marriage, removing the reference to it being between a man and a woman. As a result the first gay wedding in a… (more…)

  • Victim of Las Vegas shooting was shot in front of his boyfriend

    A man, who attended the Las Vegas country music concert with his boyfriend, has been confirmed as one of the people killed in America’s deadliest shootings.

    Cameron Robison (right) was killed in the Las Vegas shooting on Sunday. His boyfriend, Bobby (left) was injured during the massacre.

    28-year-old Cameron Robinson was killed, when shooter, Stephen Paddock opened fire on thousands of concertgoers in Las Vegas, from his room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel, on Sunday. Cameron was attending the concert with his boyfriend, Bobby Eardley.

    The Las Vegas Journal reports that he was shot fatally through the neck. His sister, Meghan Ervin said that the couple were together at the music festival.

    The attack, which has claimed the lives of at least 59 people, and injuring over 500 people, is the deadliest mass shooting in America, overtaking the Pulse Massacre in 2016.

    His boyfriend, Bobby, was injured during the sustained gun attack and was reportedly hit by shrapnel as he fled the massacre.

    Cameron worked in Las Vegas as a legal records specialist but was a resident of Utah.

    A tribute to Cameron said that he was “an amazing friend, son, brother, uncle, cousin, coworker and boyfriend” and was “full of life and love and so much passion”.

    Bobby and Cameron together in happier times. Cameron was shot through the neck and died from his injuries. Bobby sustained a lower back injury from shrapnel according to reports.

    A Funding page has been set up to help cover the costs of his funeral and Bobby’s medical expenses. The fund was asking for $15,000, but as it stands, over $17,000 has been donated.

    A statement on the page describes Cameron as someone who

    “…loved to cook, entertain, run marathons, travel, go camping, boating, and the outdoors in general and above all surround himself with those he loved and others. He is an amazing example to all and brought so much light to those he came in contact with. He accomplished so much in such a short time and touched the lives of so many. Between his love to cook and amazing dance moves there was always good times. He was such a caring, giving and loving man. Cameron, you will be greatly missed. We love you so much!

     

  • Just 15% of the world has marriage equality for gay people

    There’s still away to go.

    The number of people who have marriage in their country has now topped 1.1 billion people, but that’s just 15 percent of the total population of the world. Indeed there are over 70 countries in which homosexuality is still illegal.

    A new analysis undertaken by Melbourne-based LGBT rights activist, Tony Pitman, has revealed that just over 1.1 billion people now live in countries with marriage equality. This figure represents 15 percent of the entire world population and is expected to rise over coming months as Taiwan and several other countries join the list.

    “I first started doing these calculations in mid-2013,” said Tony. “Back then, the number was 600 million. Today’s it’s 1.1 billion. That’s an increase of half a billion people in just four years. Never before has the world seen a positive social change of such speed and magnitude. It’s extraordinary! And it’s definitely something to keep in mind during the current debate here in Australia.”

    Australia is in the middle of a two-month postal survey on whether to introduce marriage equality or not, a process that’s been marred by a series of overwrought scare campaigns from the “No” side.

    Optimistic for change

    However, despite the ugliness of the debate, Tony is optimistic. “I think these numbers give heart to everyone who’s concerned about achieving equality in Australia,” he commented. “They show that the debate here is part of an unstoppable movement that’s sweeping the world. There’s no doubt that marriage equality is inevitable in Australia. It’s just a question of when, not if.”

    “It’s clear that a win for the “No” vote would only serve to delay equality by a couple of years at the most,” added Tony. “All those hundreds of millions of dollars will have been spent just to buy a little more time for an unjust law. It’s an obscene waste of time, money and resources.”

    “The truth is that when a same-sex couple gets married, their happiness is increased, and no one else is affected in any way. It’s a simple reform that brings only positive outcomes. That’s the reason why it’s spreading around the world so rapidly. It’s a win for everyone. And it will eventually be a win for Australia too.”

  • Germany celebrates first gay marriages


    Due to licensing this article must be read on our website

    Germany celebrates its first gay marriages Sunday as same-sex unions become legal after decades of struggle, but campaigners say the battle for equal rights isn’t over yet. Wedding bells will ring out in Berlin, Hamburg, Hanover and other German cities where local authorities will exceptionally open their doors on a Sunday to allow gay couple to… (more…)

  • Six prides are bidding to host UK Pride 2018

    As the LGBT+ Pride season draws to a close in the UK, six Pride organisations have thrown their hat into the ring to host UK Pride in 2018.

    The first UK Pride took place at Pride in Hull in July. The event saw a huge increase in attendee numbers, and visitors from across the UK. Licensed by the UK Pride Organisers Network (UKPON), UK Pride is the national equivalent of EuroPride and WorldPride.

    Exeter Pride, Folkestone Pride, Isle of Wight Pride, Liverpool Pride, Preston Pride, and Pride Cymru have all announced that they will bid for UK Pride 2018 at UKPON’s annual conference in Blackpool later this month.

    Co-Chair of UKPON, Andy Train, who is also Vice-Chair of Pride in Hull, said:

    “At Pride in Hull we were delighted to have the honour of hosting the first UK Pride earlier this year, and it’s a tribute to the impact it had on our Pride to see six Prides bidding for next year’s event. The Pride movement is growing across the UK and we had more than 20 brand new Prides this year. UK Pride helps to create a focal point for one Pride each year, to help increase visibility and awareness.”

    “UK Pride status is a unique opportunity and uplift for any Pride. I wish all six Prides all the very best of luck, and I can’t wait to see their bids,” said Mr Train, who is also the Regional Director for the UK for InterPride, the international Pride organisers association.

    All organisers of Pride events in the UK are entitled to be members of UKPON, and each Pride organisation has one vote at the Conference.

    Adam Rank, Chair of Exeter Pride said:

    “Exeter Pride hopes that winning UK Pride will help us to increase LGBTQ+ visibility not just on one day but all year. 2018 is our tenth anniversary year and the perfect time to consider how far we have come both as a movement and a city. We work closely with cultural partners and local businesses, and hope that becoming UK Pride will help us not only to celebrate diversity but also to honour the city that we are so proud of!”

    Chani Sanger, Organiser of Folkestone Pride said:

    “After being warned to not expect attendance of more than 100 people, over 800 came to support Folkestone’s first Pride.  Folkestone has one of the highest pro-rata LGBT+ populations in South East England, yet no real LGBT+ community.  Folkestone Pride has started to change that. UK Pride status would give us the platform to evoke real change in our diverse, creative and historic community. We are the only town applying but we have just as much to offer as a city!”

    Shayne Jackson, Youth Pride Committee Chair at Isle of Wight Pride said:

    “A year in which the MP called gay people ‘dangerous to society’, prominent homophobic columns appeared in the local press and a Councillor suggested banning homosexuals from public toilets, 2017 saw the inaugural Isle of Wight Pride, uniquely taking place on a beach with thousands turning out in support. UK Pride status will enable the Island to build on this success and create a major celebration of diversity and inclusivity, showing the rest of the UK what an amazing place it is.”

    Lucy Day, Chair of Liverpool Pride said:

    “2018 is a big year: ten years since Liverpool was European Capital of Culture and also ten years since local lad, Michael Causer was murdered in a homophobic attack, resulting in what is now Liverpool Pride. Whilst we have much to celebrate as a vibrant and diverse city, we still have to fight to tackle hate crime, ensuring attacks like the one on Michael, and so many others, never happen again in Liverpool, across the UK or around the world.”

    Lu Thomas, Chair of Pride Cymru said:

    “Pride Cymru is bidding to host UK Pride because we believe that we are best placed to highlight how the regions outside of London, Manchester, Brighton and Birmingham are able to unite the LGBT+ communities, whilst forging and strengthening the bonds that tie society together.  We firmly believe that we are stronger when reach out to those that are least represented and believe the great work done by regional Prides are overlooked and would benefit from wider UK recognition.”

    Each Pride will have just fifteen minutes to present their bid, and all are being invited to publish their bids online so that people can view them in advance.

    The winning Pride will be announced at approx 1500 on Sunday 22nd October, and will be livestreamed on Facebook.

    Last weekend, Thessaloniki Pride beat bids from Bergen Pride, The Belgian Pride and Hamburg Pride to host EuroPride 2020.

  • LGBT Films at Raindance Film Festival 2017

    The Raindance Film Festival has just wrapped up and, over the course 0f 10 days, showed a good selection of LGBT films, some of which are worth looking out for if they ever get released or available online.

    Anatomy of a Ballet Dancer: Marcelo Gomes (ABOVE)

    A documentary about the life and career of one of the ballet’s biggest stars, who has been with the American Ballet Theatre for 20 years. This film is not just for ballet fans as we get to see the inner workings of the mind of Gomes, who had talent at a very young age. This film also deals with how he overcame his parents’ divorce, as well as coming out of the closet in a big way on the cover of a magazine, and how he has become one of ballet’s biggest stars. The documentary shines a light on his relationship with his father, who for some reason does not want to go see Gomes dance on stage in his hometown of NYC. Gomes comes across as such a nice and down to earth guy, and it doesn’t hurt that he parades around in really really tight ballet clothes that leave nothing to the imagination.

     

    There is a Light (Il Padre d’Italia)

    A beautifully written and told and acted story of gay man Paolo who, unusually, encounters a very pretty young pregnant woman – Mia – in a backroom gay sex bar. She’s presumably looking for her boyfriend who ditched her. Paolo befriends her and they leave together and embark on a road trip that turns into something a bit more. Luca Marinellil and Isabella Ragonese are a revelation in the leading roles, and the great soundtrack is an added bonus. Look for this film any way you can.

    Discreet

    Written and directed by Travis Mathews, who collaborated on Interior Leather Bar with James Franco, as well as a documentary series of gay men in several cities, brings us a film that is about a gay drifter Alex (Jonny Mars) who takes up residence in his supposed mute grandfather’s house. At the same time, he pursues a local young teenage boy and spends time at the local gay cinema with a muscular Italian man. Alex is also hypnotized by some sort of strange sex website run by an oriental woman that seems to help him drive his inner ego. It all makes for a very strange and uncomfortable movie with an awful narrative, a self-indulgent work on Mathews part. This one is a miss.

    The Joneses

    Jheri Jones is a fascinating woman, and in this excellent documentary we learn that Jheri is no ordinary woman, she used to be Jerry. But to her four male children, one of whom is gay and comes out in the documentary at the age of 37, Jheri is actually both mom and dad (their actual mother passed away years ago at the age of 59). Including Jheri’s two understanding grandchildren, The Joneses show how the family have accepted and embraced Jheri’s transition (which took place years ago). But it’s Jheri who is the star of this documentary- she fascinating, fun, fierce, and fabulous.

    The Misandrists
    Controversial film director Bruce LaBruce is, as always, in unusual form in this strange film about a school for girls and the powering teachers who lead them and who call themselves the Female Liberation Army. But all is not what it seems with the girls, some are hiding secrets, and one of them is hiding a male soldier in the basement dungeon. But it gets to be a bit too much when a penis is surgically cut off which leads to, at the very end, a lesbian orgy that leaves nothing to the imagination. It’s 90 minutes that’s a bit too much to take.

    Mist
    A Mexican film with English subtitles, it’s the story of a young pregnant woman, Martina, who escapes her life in Mexico City to go look for the father she never knew in Berlin. Of course while in Berlin she encounters all sorts of people, including a memorable drag queen played by the fabulous Dieter Rita Scholl. But Martina’s boyfriend comes looking for her in Berlin, and she’s got a strange habit of spontaneously stealing things. Mist is worth a watch for the performances.

    Apricot Groves
    Aram (Narbe Varten) has just flown back to Armenia from where he’s living in California to ask the parents of his girlfriend for her hand in marriage. He is squired around town by his confident and worldly brother Vartan (Pedram Ansari). But another purpose of Aram’s trip is for him to undergo surgery, and it’s this revelation at the end of the film (and a bit in the beginning) that makes “Apricot Groves” a real treasure.

    Boys for Sale
    Having never been to Tokyo, I didn’t realise that there was such a huge male escort scene there. In this well-done documentary, we get to meet several ‘urisen’ (male sex workers) in Tokyo’s Shinjuku 2-chome gay district, where they all talk to the camera about their lives and what led them to this type of work. It’s a fascinating film by director Itako and Executive Producer Ian Thomas Ash. It also includes very clever and compelling drawings of a sexual nature that depict the Urisen’s non-exciting sexual encounters. Try to find this documentary anyway you can.

    While not specifically LGBT, two other films at Raindance are recommended because of their great music stores. Trendy, about a man who moves to London from up north to escape a bad incident, is shot almost entirely in East London and many scenes take place in Berlin-style underground clubs. Afterparty is just what you’d expect. It takes place in a huge nightclub in Belgrade, focusing on one of the bartender’s quest to become famous, and where the music is just as fast and furious and thumping as the main character.

  • Russian activist urges EU to probe Chechnya gay abuses

    A Russian activist on Thursday urged the European Union to press the Russian Federation to investigate the alleged murder, torture and abuse of gay men in Chechnya.

    The head of the Russian LGBT Network, Igor Kochetkov, also urged the EU to conduct its own criminal probe into the alleged persecution of gays in Russia’s North Caucasus region.

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

    (more…)