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  • Wentworth Miller comes out as gay

    Actor and screenwriter, Wentworth Miller, best known for his role in hit US drama series Prison Break has come out as a gay man in support of the LGBT community in Russia.

    CREDIT: Depositphotos

    The actor posted an open letter on the GLADD website to the St Petersburg Film Festival organisers saying he was declining the invitation to be the guest of honour because “The situation [in Russia] is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly”.

    The letter not only further highlights the current issues in Russia faced by the LBGT community, but also serves as a massive boost to them by sending them a clear and strong message of support.

    GLAAD spokesperson Wilson Cruz added “As people from across the globe continue to speak out against Russia’s horrific law, more celebrities and corporations should follow his courageous lead in openly condemning Russia’s anti-LGBT law.”

    Wentworth Miller’s full letter reads:

    August 21, 2013

    Re: St. Petersburg International Film Festival / “Guest of Honor” Invitation

    Dear Ms. Averbakh:

    Thank you for your kind invitation. As someone who has enjoyed visiting Russia in the past and can also claim a degree of Russian ancestry, it would make me happy to say yes.

    However, as a gay man, I must decline.

    I am deeply troubled by the current attitude toward and treatment of gay men and women by the Russian government. The situation is in no way acceptable, and I cannot in good conscience participate in a celebratory occasion hosted by a country where people like myself are being systematically denied their basic right to live and love openly.

    Perhaps, when and if circumstances improve, I’ll be free to make a different choice.

    Until then.

    Wentworth Miller

    Member, HRC

    Member, GLAAD

    Member, The ManKind Project

  • OPINION | Outrage and Fear: The Return of ‘Section 28’

    By now most of us will be aware of the news that some schools in the UK have Section 28 style policies regarding sex education. While it’s not a complete return to the dark days of the actual Section 28, it is a worrying discovery and one that concerns me enormously.

    I was at school from 1989 until 2002. That was the period in which Section 28 was in force, eventually being repealed in 2003. While the law banned the promotion of homosexuality, it actually did more than that and had damaging consequences for gay youth. I was one of them.

    I went to a Catholic school so there was no sex education of any kind, but there was very much a culture of homophobic bullying. Whether someone was gay or simply perceived to be, their life would be made hell and the teachers would turn a blind eye to it. I was one of those kids perceived to be gay.

    I came out to friends when I was 15, but I was never out to anyone at school. In primary school I was racially bullied for having a dark skinned Mum and a white Dad, but as we all moved on to secondary school and it was more noticeable that my only friends were girls, the bullying soon became homophobic.

    Daily taunts about my perceived sexuality became the norm. The teachers could see and hear what was happening but never once intervened. In particular I remember a school trip to Devon. During the week long trip it was absolute hell. I had to share a room with several boys in my class and put up with their name calling. On the bus home it all came to a head.

    The other lads began singing homophobic songs at me. The song ‘YMCA’ was changed to ‘why is he gay’, and the dance track ‘Til I Come’ by ATB (gives you an indication of how long ago it was) was changed to ‘Til I Bum’. It seems quite silly and I laugh about it now, but at the time it hurt and did a lot of psychological damage. The teachers on the bus could hear what was going on. I asked them to tell the other boys to leave me alone. The teachers ignored me. I had to put up with the taunting for four hours and had no escape.

    Another occasion was when I had an altercation with a boy in my year. It was Monday morning and I had spent the weekend with my then friend. Alone on a Saturday night, we became intimate. On return to school on Monday morning I was greeted with hostility from him. I was called a “f**king poof” and he kicked me. My response was to punch him, so that is what I did. I’m not proud of how I responded, but I couldn’t take the bullying any more.

    The teacher had been out of the class when the incident occurred but soon found out about it. I was summoned to the Head of Year’s office to be reprimanded. I explained what had happened (not the intimacy leading up to what happened, but the fact I was called a homophobic name and kicked first). The Head of Year told me that he did not want to hear about that and then suspended me for being violent. I appealed to him but it fell on deaf ears. I was ordered to leave school immediately.

    At that point I was devastated. I had already begun harming myself because I could not take the homophobic bullying and that situation tipped me over the edge. From my perspective the teachers were letting it happen. They knew exactly what was being said and done, yet did nothing to stop it. It was the same for other gay kids at my school. They were also taunted and bullied in front of teachers, but got away with it.

    I’ve opened up about my experiences because I want to show what damage Section 28 style regulations can do to gay youth. They have the potential to cause lasting psychological problems and that it why I am so outraged. But not only am I outraged; I am also fearful. I worry about today’s gay youth having to go through the same experiences that I and other gay people went through during the period of Section 28. It wasn’t just about sex education; it shaped the whole culture of the school. History cannot be allowed to repeat itself.

    I currently run an LGBTQ youth support charity. One of the things I am trying to do is engage in dialogue with local schools to find out exactly what they do to challenge homophobia and work with them on improving that. Most schools now have anti-bullying policies that include challenging homophobia, but the cynic in me sees those policies as being a facade rather than something that is actually implemented. Engaging with local schools has proven to be incredibly difficult, with most not responding to my letters or returning my telephone calls. However, the one school that did get back to me was the school that I went to.

    I had been particularly strong in my letter to them, detailing my experiences and wanting to know what they were doing now to challenge homophobia. It appeared to do the trick and I was invited into the school to speak to the Head Teacher.

    I took along one of my volunteers who also went to the same school. That person is a trans male coming towards the end of the transition process. Together we spoke about our experiences and outlined what we feel the school must do to prevent today’s youth going through the same experience. The school welcomed the suggestions and have promised to work with me on some anti-homophobia/transphobia initiatives. Whether it happens is another thing, but it has been a positive step. The school seem to genuinely want to improve the way they deal with homophobia and now have a ‘respect’ day where sexuality and gender identity is discussed just as openly as race, religion and disability.

    In another positive twist, I bumped into one of my former teachers at an awards ceremony last year and received an apology from her for not intervening when I was being bullied. She specifically blamed Section 28 and said that her “hands were tied”. I accepted the apology as I believed it to be sincere. And yes I did cry a little bit.

    It appears clear what needs to be done regarding these Section 28 style policies. There needs to be intervention from the local education authorities and Ofsted to get clarification of exactly what the policies mean. Also as a society we need to be vocal and say that this is not something we will stand for; that we will not allow another generation of gay youth to be persecuted.

    But to end on a positive note, I am aware of one school in Warwickshire that has an openly trans pupil who is now living as a female and is allowed to use the female changing rooms and toilets. That pupil has not been bullied and is one of the most popular and loved people at the school. The teachers have worked with the pupil’s family on helping that person live openly as a female and begin the process of transitioning. So although we only tend to hear the horror stories and negatives, let’s also keep in mind that in general things really are getting better.

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, it’s management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • OPINION | Why gay men will never be happy with their bodies (or will they?)

    How many of us are never completely happy with our bodies? There’s a clouded grey area between what I wish I looked like and how good I can realistically look. This is probably the same for gay men, straight men, straight women and even lesbians alike. As with all factors of our lives, there’s always the strive for better or more.

    After working in gyms and health clubs for the better part of three years I’ve found that even the hunkiest of personal trainers will have body envy over someone else. You’ll hear, I wish I had that guys chest, calves, abs, lats, etc all the time even when their physiques are pretty spectacular to start with.

    The difference with us gays and our self-image is that we have a constant point of referral to how good we look everytime we lust after a hottie (which if you’re like me is about every 10 minutes). Whenever a scrumptious looking man walks past with his guns out, half of us thinks we wanna hit that and the other half thinks we oughtta hit the gym in order to look like that.

    Another terrible moment of body image fear is when you get to disrobe with another hottie and staring back at you is a fun house mirror image of what you really hoped you’d look like by now. And even if the guy standing naked in front of you looks like Alcide the werewolf from True Blood; all you’re thinking about is how on your best day you’re more like Sam Merlott. If you’re not a True Blood fan then Google those characters and you’ll see what I mean; I recommend adding the word ‘naked’ or ‘topless’ afterwards in order to get a true representation of what I’m talking about.

    There has been plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that gay men also struggle with a significant degree of self-hatred. Whether your childhood and coming out was dramatic or a breeze there would have been a point when you hated the strange feelings you were starting to recognise as being gay. This means that by definition gay men are less likely to be happy with ourselves and so will influence ever aspect of our lives from who we date, who we spend time with and the work that we do. In other words sleeping with uggos in order to get validation (tell me you haven’t done it), working out every day of the week and denying yourself carbs in an effort to look perfect. Self-hatred on any scale makes us more susceptible to having an external-identity; meaning that we place more emphasis on how others see us rather than how we see ourselves.

    Research has show that, not surprisingly, gay men and straight women have the most negative body images and that straight men and lesbians are the most comfortable with their bodies. However, unlike straight women who have a good chance of finding someone who loves them even though they don’t look like a movie star (because straight men are less focused on body image), gay men will often have a difficult time finding someone who isn’t overly-focused on body image and therefore help them overcome body dysmorphic beliefs. How many times have you dismissed someone for being a little chubby or you’ve been dismissed because you’re not a grade-A gym hottie? It’s par for the course in the gay dating world for hotties to only date equally hot men; thus making the stereotype even harder to break.

    When I started travelling I wasn’t able to be in a regular gym routine and didn’t eat healthy, ok fine I probably didn’t need to have chocolate biscuits for breakfast but I figured in for a penny in for a pound… and man did the pounds pile on. I managed to gain a stone in a month and had no one to blame but… everyone else in the world! Man boobs aside the 6 months I spent in Dubai did give me the chance to focus on something other than how much I weighed. There was nothing I could do about it, with no money for a gym membership, no room to properly exercise, not even the possibility to go out for a walk in the 45 degree heat, I just had to learn to love my fat. It was incredibly frustrating but at the same time it was very freeing. How long have you been harbouring weight loss/gain goals? How many years have you spent deeming your life not a complete success because you didn’t have a six-pack? How many years will it be until you finally realise that a six-pack won’t bring you happiness, it will only bring you hunger?

    Personally I found great comfort in Hugh Jackman … not in that way… although I wouldn’t say no. Hugh was one of the first body transformations that I’d read about for men training for a role. And while the man looks fantastic (go on, Google him, say it’s research and enjoy) his training regime and diet is insane. It highlights that what Hollywoods shows us is most definitely art, not real life. While it is possible to train hard and look like Wolverine it involves waking up at 4:30am to eat salmon so that you have enough protein in your diet, training for several hours everyday, eating 6,000 calories as day of miserable food and getting paid to do it rather than paying to do it. It’s his job; he wouldn’t do it if he didn’t have to and couldn’t get the results without someone to do it for him.

    So give yourself a break and learn to love your fat.

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • David Beckham in his underwear… AGAIN

    Another fashion season, another Beckham topless shoot. Not that we’re complaining of course…

    Retired footballer turned underpant clothes-horse Beckham has just completed another underwear shoot for his new range of undies at fashion giant H&M.

    Looking fit and tone Beckham’s new range is out 22nd August 2013

  • FEATURE: Is Naked The New Black?

    Has anyone noticed the recent proliferation of naked clubs taking place in London?

    Almost any night of the week you can find naked goings on. We have Stripped at the Vault, Buff at the Backstreet, Butt Naked at Central Station, and, of course, SBN at the Hoist. In addition to these, Nudity, a monthly feature at the Union in Vauxhall, is becoming more and more popular, and is especially busy when they have their regular foam parties. These days, if you go to Hard On, there will be a huge number of completely naked guys (more by the end of the evening of course), so what does this mean for the fetish scene? Is it just that naked is so much cheaper than all that leather and rubber?

    Admittedly the majority of naked nights are in cruise bars, which are primarily sex clubs, but what is interesting is that the naked scene seems to be taking over from the fetish scene. Guy Irwin, the owner of the Hoist, one of London’s most foremost leather and fetish bars was at one time adamant that he would never do a naked night, but, as interest in the fetish scene started dwindling, he felt he had little choice but to give it a try. Originally just on a Sunday afternoon, SBN (Stark Bollock Naked) became so popular that he now also holds the event in the larger of his two arches on a Saturday night, traditionally his busiest night, and since he made the switch from leather to naked, the club has been packed again. I asked Guy why he thinks naked is now so popular, and he cites numerous reasons, amongst which is the fact that the scene is less underground than it once was. Gay men are less ashamed of who they are, and consequently less ashamed of the sex they have. That they are having anonymous sex in public places, albeit licenced ones, may have much to do with issues of self-esteem on the gay scene, but I’m not sure it has a bearing on why people would choose to do it naked rather than wearing leather, uniform or rubber.

    Naked certainly makes economic sense. Investment in leather and rubber is pretty expensive and out of the pockets of many younger guys, particularly those who are still students. No clothes at all certainly takes the worry out of what to wear on a night out. Now even the last bastion of fetishwear clubs, The Backstreet, which once had a very strict dress code, has bowed to pressure and holds three naked events a week.

    These clubs, along with Stripped at the Vault and Butt Naked at Central Station are primarily sex clubs, whereas Nudity, which is held once a month at Union in Vauxhall is slightly different. David Jaxx, who runs Nudity, first went into the naked club scene when he co-promoted Starkers, a mixed naked party night, which originally opened in the East End. I remember going myself back in 2004, when it took place in a pub near Columbia Road. Though the club stated it was a club for adults of all genders and sexual persuasions, there was no doubt the majority of the clientele were men, and the majority of them gay or bisexual. Evidently, men enjoy stripping off more than women do. There was a certain amount of sex at the club, though Starkers marketed itself primarily as a social event and not a sex club, and indeed, compared to what you see at most of the other clubs mentioned above, what did go on was mostly just a bit of mild flirting. David’s co-promoter, Jamie, was intent on promoting the club to a straight audience, but with straight attendance falling off, and rarely any women there, David decided to part company with Jamie and start up his own club for men only, and that club became Nudity. Where Starkers eventually fizzled out, Nudity is still going strong, regularly attracting 200-350 naked party goers each month.

    Nudity markets itself primarily as a naked dance and social event, where you can have sex if you want, not primarily a sex club. Though there is a lot of sex going on, you’d be surprised to find how many people enjoy dancing and socialising naked too. It’s a really fun night and seems to be becoming more and more popular, attracting a wide range of attitude free guys of all ages and body types. Nudity also holds occasional theme nights, such as naked oil wrestling and naked beach parties, and the foam parties, held just four times a year, are hugely popular, attracting the biggest crowd of all. The next one is on the afternoon of August Bank Holiday Monday. Try it. It’s a lot of fun. Just don’t wear your best trainers.

    But what does all this mean for the fetish scene in general? Hard On, which always had a very strict dress code has now opened that up to include sports gear, though the rules here are still fairly strict and are limited to footie gear, baseball, wrestling outfits, jockstraps, rugby or any full sports outfit, trainers only being allowed with the appropriate sports kit. Naked is also allowed, as long as you are wearing boots, and I’ve noticed over the years how many more people are now choosing to go naked at Hard On. Oddly, or maybe not, there are a lot more naked party goers towards the end of the evening than there are at the beginning. Full fetish wear now seems to be reserved for occasional events like the once yearly Hotwired, co-promoted by Hard On and Rut, and for special events like London Fetish Week and Folsom Europe in Berlin.

    Privately too more and more guys are enjoying partying naked, which is the raison d’etre behind the fairly new site http://www.nakedmates.co.uk. The owner of the site, Mark Routledge, having built up a circle of gaydar mates, who also enjoyed the naked lifestyle, had at one time organised naked parties and night walks via gaydar, but found the site wasn’t really geared up for multiple mail outs or any kind of social networking. Originally he started Nakedmates just as a way of keeping in touch with the contacts he’d made through gaydar, but word got round via social media sites like facebook, and it has evolved from a site of 150-200 members to its current 4000 members, even though the site has never been promoted in the gay press or elsewhere. The site is definitely community based and gives guys who enjoy being naked a platform to arrange naked meet ups, parties and events. Some of these are social, some sexual, some both, but all are very clear about what is on offer. Gay men often feel sidelined on other nudist sites like the now defunct Hangoutnude or truenudists, sites that try to maintain a strictly no sex attitude to social nudity. Nakedmates is more pragmatic, and takes into account that if you fill a room with naked gay and bisexual men, sex is bound to happen at some point, though often party hosts lay down rules which sets one room aside for sex, leaving others free for guests to mingle and socialise, just as at any clothed event.

    Personally, I love this new found freedom. I love being naked. I love being naked on the beach, at home and anywhere else it’s acceptable. The more places that open their doors to nudity, the better as far as I’m concerned, and it certainly saves me a fortune in leather. It seems naked really is the new black.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | House of Burlesque

    ★★★★ | House of Burlesque

    International burlesque sensation Tempest Rose’s House of Burlesque is an evening of comedy, circus, music, politics and, yes, several beautiful ladies wearing very little. Above all else though, it’s an evening of glamorous, decadent fun.

    The first thing to strike you as the introductory group dance starts is the sheer variety of shapes on view – not just wafer thin model types; these are real ladies with real ladies’ curves, and the evening is all the better for it.

    Tempest Rose has a natural warmth which suits her role as ring mistress perfectly. Her humour and quick wit, combined with a touch of sass and oodles of sex appeal, hold the audience in the palm of her perfectly manicured hands from the very moment she takes the stage. She has a voice as smooth as velvet and her rendition of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is one of the most beautiful covers I have heard.

    The first solo performance comes from Betsy Rose, who gives us a military themed routine, moving in perfect unison with the beat. This is a lady who knows her body and how to work it to both excite and entice her audience, striking just the right level of suggestion and sexuality.

    The wonderfully expressive Audacity Chutzpah slips from one persona to another with grace during a routine that is as comedic as it is political. As she charts the women’s rights movement through the decades, one cannot help but think that if all history lessons were like this, a lot more people would take note.

    Rapidly becoming a firm favourite of mine, the delightfully sensual Jolie Papillon performs a peacock routine that shows her off to her very best. This girl can move, and does so with a sensuality and provocative grace that is undeniably erotic. Also, as if purposefully, her peacock tail gives me the feathery fabulousness I so desperately crave, thereby restoring my gay credentials for a review in which I’m aware it sounds like they’re rapidly diminishing!

    Proving once and for all just how hot burlesque can be, Trixi Tassels enters in a black leather trenchcoat and demonstrates within seconds the command she holds over her audience. In a perfectly choreographed fire-based routine, the seams of her clothes simply melt away.

    Other excellent performances on the night come from Leonie Soprano (the vanishing showgirl), Jo Foley and Graeme Clint (comedic acrobatic trapeze duo) and Chloe Hannah Lloyd (hula hoops). All acts were ably assisted by the “Stage Kittens” Fille J’adore and Gracie Disgrace.

    Whatever your persuasion; whether you fancy men or women, both or neither, or any variation thereof, this is a deliciously decadent night that dazzles and delights all who attend.

     

    House of Burlesque returns to the London Wonderground on September 5 and 11. Tickets are £15.50 from www.londonwonderground.co.uk/houseofburlesque

  • INTERVIEW | Andrew Trott-Barn

    INTERVIEW | Andrew Trott-Barn

    What the world needs now is makeovers, sweet makeovers – ITV’s Daybreak teams Jane McDonald, she of Camp On High and celebrity hair stylist Andrew Trott-Barn to give Star Treatment.

    Andrew Trott-Barn

    Morning TV is about to get a little camper, yes I know what I just said, as openly gay celebrity hair stylist Andrew Trott-Barn and Jane McDonald unleash their Northern charms to the nation, whilst giving under-appreciated workers of the UK the Star Treatment. ATB has even fingered the locks of Vivienne Westwood no less…

    We caught up with the stylist to get the goss from the set.

    On the show: The camp-o-metre was off the scale, To work, play and even sing the odd sing song together with Jane Mcdonald every day was amazing! She’s funny, hilarious and a little bit cheeky too. Every gay man’s dream!! Proper northern banter.

    Do we need star treatment? The show isn’t about flaws, It’s about making the best out of someone, giving them confidence, advice and making them Red-Carpet-Ready. Making them feel like a star for the day.

    Another ANTM? Don’t get me wrong some of the transformations do draw a comparison to ANTM.

    I’d never work again! Being a Celebrity hairdresser you get to know a lot of stories and gossip. It would be career suicide to share any of it!! Everyone has issues big or small, as long as you have friends and family around you who love you unconditionally that’s all that matters.

    I would love to: makeover/under Katie Price. Lose some of those extensions; I think she would look great with shorter hair.

    Andrew Trott-Barn

    My Husband, son and family mean the world to me, I wake up everyday and feel lucky to having such a great home life and family unit around me. All my close friends are just like my family, in fact they are my family too.

    I had a brain tumor removed almost 4 years ago. Going through something like that really makes you get your life in order and concentrate on the things that make you genuinely happy. Live life to the max!

    If you’re not happy then do something about it. Anything is possible if your put your mind to it. I’m busy with work, I’m a husband, a father, a brother and a best friend.

    ‘Your here for a good time, not a long time’..

    ‘Dance like nobody’s watching , sing like like nobody’s listening and f**k like your being filmed! Lol x

    I couldn’t live without my husband Michael (and our 4dogs). I always come home to smile and a waggy tail.

    Something people are always surprised (never actually) to learn is that I speak my mind at the most inappropriate times. If I have an opinion I just have to say it! Even if I’m wrong! #awkward #stubborn

    Andrew Trott-Barn

    Getting Poltical… Sochi Olympics, I think what is happening in Russia is just plain wrong. Being anti-gay isn’t going to help anyone, You can’t discuss, write or even talk about being gay or having gay issues. I think as a nation we should maybe stand up for what we believe, unfortunately if we were in Russia we wouldn’t even be having this interview!

     

    Follow Andrew Trott-Barn on Twitter

  • Perez Hilton Fears For His Life After Gaga Fans Wage War

    Online trolls have targeted celebrity blogger and openly-gay father of one, Perez Hilton after a feud with Lady Gaga storms Twitter.

    After an interesting turn of events and various allegations of sorts, Perez Hilton owner and founder of one of the world’s most popular gossip sites, PerezHilton.com has started retweeted threats made against him and his son.

    Angry Lady Gaga fans have taken to Twitter issuing death threats and using anti-gay language to berate the Hollywood blogger.

    Hilton took to twitter in the early hours, tweeting:

    ‘I can’t sleep. I am literally sick to my stomach. Not playing any f**king games here. I am afraid for my f**king safety and that of my son.’

    Lady Gaga took to twitter to accuse celebrity blogger Perez Hilton of stalking her, after a fan claimed that Hilton was at the singer’s apartment building in New York.

    The singer promptly tweeted: “STAY AWAY FROM ME + MY FAMILY YOU ARE SICK TRYING TO RENT AN APARTMENT IN MY BUILDING TO STALK ME. LEAVE ME ALONE!!!”

    The meat-wearing Mother of Monsters, then tweeted: “DO I NEED TO BE SHOT IT IN THE HEAD FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT HIM AND EVERYONE ELSE THAT HARASSES ME HAS GONE TOO FAR? IM A HUMAN BEING.”

    The tweet has since been deleted.

    Hilton responded to Gaga’s accusation by posted ‘A Statement On Lady GaGa’s Lies’ on his blog.

    Read Hilton’s Statement below

    “My heart hurts that my former very good friend Lady GaGa, a person I used to call my ‘wifey’ and traveled [sic] the world with, is making very public and very untrue allegations about me on Twitter. While it is still too painful for me to go into detail about why I chose to no longer make her a part of my life, I will say that I am a critic and not a stalker. Any allegation that I am stalking her is utterly false, defamatory and now appear to be putting me in danger. I will continue to be a critic — in a way that is not mean or involves name-calling, and I will continue to have an opinion and talk about music and songs, like GaGa’s ‘Applause.’ As the suggestion that I pose a danger to GaGa is preposterous, if fans want to send a message of support to her, they should buy her music.”

  • NEWS: Perez Hilton Becomes Target Of Gaga Monsters

    Perez Hilton, the openly gay owner of one of the most successful online gossip sites, perezhilton.com has become a trending topic in the UK after Lady Gaga accused him of stalking her.

    • The Just Dance Singer’s latest single Applause has been released early due to a “leak”

    • Perez Hilton was reportedly in Lady Gaga’s apartment building looking at property.

    • Some of Lady Gaga’s outburst on Twitter has now been deleted.

    All is not right in celeb land after Lady Gaga took to Twitter to accuse celebrity blogger Perez Hilton of stalking her, after a fan claimed that Hilton was at the singer’s apartment building in New York.

    The singer promptly tweeted:

    “STAY AWAY FROM ME + MY FAMILY YOU ARE SICK TRYING TO RENT AN APARTMENT IN MY BUILDING TO STALK ME. LEAVE ME ALONE!!!”

    The meat-wearing Mother of Monsters, then tweeted:

    “DO I NEED TO BE SHOT IT IN THE HEAD FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT HIM AND EVERYONE ELSE THAT HARASSES ME HAS GONE TOO FAR? IM A HUMAN BEING.”

    The tweet has since been deleted.

     

    The celebrity feud appears to have started after Gaga claimed that Hilton had taunted her by sending her a picture showing Madonna pointing a gun at her head, whilst Gaga was confined to the wheelchair. Gaga had recently suffered a hip injury earlier in the year.

    Hilton responded to Gaga’s accusation by posted ‘A Statement On Lady GaGa’s Lies’ on his blog.

    Read Hilton’s Statement below:

     

    “My heart hurts that my former very good friend Lady GaGa, a person I used to call my ‘wifey’ and traveled [sic] the world with, is making very public and very untrue allegations about me on Twitter. While it is still too painful for me to go into detail about why I chose to no longer make her a part of my life, I will say that I am a critic and not a stalker. Any allegation that I am stalking her is utterly false, defamatory and now appear to be putting me in danger. I will continue to be a critic — in a way that is not mean or involves name-calling, and I will continue to have an opinion and talk about music and songs, like GaGa’s ‘Applause.’ As the suggestion that I pose a danger to GaGa is preposterous, if fans want to send a message of support to her, they should buy her music.”

    Some Gaga fans have taken to Twitter to issue death threats.

     

    One user @CsvargasPAUSE Tweeted:

    Your son is a devil.. like you!!! C’mon you both dead now! @Perezhilton

    Lady Gaga’s new single Applause entered the UK’s Official Singles Chart at No. 5.

     

    In February, Perez Hilton became a father.

  • Kiwi Same-Sex Couple Become First To Get Married At 30,000 Ft.

    Kiwi Same-Sex Couple Become First To Get Married At 30,000 Ft.

    Air New Zealand becomes first airline to host gay wedding at 30,000 Feet.

    New Zealand gay marriage

    • Couple Lynley Bendall and Ally Wankikau were first New Zealand same-sex couple to wed at 30,000 Feet

    • Actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson and partner Justin Mikita attended the wedding.

    • New Zealand was the 13th Nation to allow same-sex marriages.

    • Monday 19th August was the first day on which same-sex couple could marry in New Zealand.

    An Auckland-based couple has this morning made history celebrating the legalisation of same sex marriage in New Zealand by saying, ‘I do’ in the skies.

    Lynley Bendall and Ally Wanikau, who have been together almost 14 years, wed onboard a special Air New Zealand flight from Queenstown to Auckland.

    The leading ladies made their vows in front of friends and family, including their children Javarn (9), Maycee (7) and Mikaere (6), and Ally’s son Damon.

    The pair exchanged pounamu (New Zealand greenstone) in place of traditional wedding bands before being pronounced as officially wed in front of actor and marriage equality campaigner Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who recently married his long-term partner Justin Mikita.

    “It’s been an absolute pleasure to be able to celebrate this historic and joyous moment with Lynley and Ally. Marriage equality is something very dear to both Justin and me.”

    Following the in-flight ceremony a pop-up choir surprised the couple and their guests, performing the Maori love song Pokarekare Ana which was sung in the New Zealand Parliament following the legalisation of same sex marriage in April.

    Lynley says the couple has waited a long time to make their 13-year union official and she’s ecstatic to be able to call herself a newlywed.

    “To be married at 30,000 feet beneath strings of fairy lights with our children, friends and family as witnesses makes an already memorable day that much more special. It was surreal to have Jesse play a part in the ceremony too – we’re big fans of Modern Family!”

    Jesse and Justin gifted the couples’ children bow ties from their charity Tie The Knot which raises funds for the promotion of marriage equality.

    Air New Zealand Chief People Officer Lorraine Murphy says the onboard ceremony was an unforgettable way to mark the law change. “The atmosphere onboard was incredibly festive and the applause following the couple’s vows was heartfelt. It was a great celebration of New Zealand’s diversity.”

    The couple departs New Zealand tonight on an Air New Zealand service to Los Angeles for their honeymoon at a Palm Springs resort.

  • COLUMN | Cock Eyed

    I was talking to a friend the other day about cocks. It’s a perfect subject for polite conversation on a sunny Sunday over lattes and pastries. My friend and I have similar pedigrees and there was a cock related question I needed to chew over.

    In my thirties I had a period of being quite sociable and my friend remains very sociable too. When I say sociable, I mean the kind of conversations that involve you being naked and muttering just occasional words (e.g. ‘Harder!’ or ‘Yes, yes, yes’). I was newly single after a couple of lengthy relationships, it was all safer stuff and I wasn’t hurting anyone or not that I knew of, anyway. I suspect that there was the odd cuckolded wife or boyfriend tucked away here and there. It was all pretty harmless, very diverting and the only downside was that I had to change the bed sheets a lot and keep up with my depilation.

    After a few years of intermittent promiscuity, I gained a peculiar skill. I began to be able to predict what someone would look like naked. One look at a man fully clothed and I’d get an instant feel for what he’d look like once the layers were stripped away. Musculature, hairiness and penile length and complexion; you name it; I could guess it and was often proved right. It’s not a skill I could teach. I don’t suspect it’s a psychic thing either. Who knows what it stems from? Maybe it’s the nose shape, the hand size or most probably the fact that we often fall into set body types which match up with other features or characteristics. It was just borne of the fact that I was seeing an awful lot of men naked.

    Of course there were always exceptions and nasty or pleasant surprises can lurk in a man’s Calvins. I won’t go into some of the things that I saw but let’s just say that some of them still stick in my throat when I contemplate them.

    Miss Marple, the elderly spinster sleuth, had similar skills but hers tended towards knowledge of the criminal mind gained from studying the locals, rather than her knowledge of men’s undercarriages gained from a lot of time spent on her back. I like to think of myself as a kind of latter day Agatha Christie sleuth but with a whole different skill set.

    Interestingly, my friend has the same ability. He can guess a girth at 50 paces and is invariably not disappointed by what lies beneath the trouser. Maybe the two of us should take ourselves on a tour of Northern Working Men’s clubs with our novelty act. Just think of the furore we could cause on Britain’s Got talent. We’d certainly winkle out a few interesting winkles and definitely make the front pages of the gutter press.

    On second thoughts, I’ll stick to familiar territory. I have a long term partner now and my guess-the-weight-of-the-sausage skills are probably much less than they once were. I can’t go back to all that. My washer wouldn’t take all that bed linen.

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