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  • Christian B&B Owners Can Turn Away Gay Couples Legally

    Christian B&B owners who turned away gay customers, can now legally turn away homosexual couples.

    Peter and Hazelmary Bull were subject to an international media storm when they refused to let civilly partnered Martyn Hall and Steven Preddy share a room at their B&B, the Chymorvah Hotel, in Marazion in 2008, citing their religious beliefs as a reason for their decision.

    Mr Hall and Mr Preddy successfully sued the hotel owners for £3600 in 2011, in a landmark case which found that Mr. & Mrs. Bull had discriminated against the gay couple, on the grounds of sexual orientation under the Equalities Act.

    The hotel couple took their case to the Court of Appeal, where it was dismissed and are now waiting to have it heard in England’s highest court, the Supreme Court.

    The Independent now reports that the Chymorvah Hotel has been turned in to a respite care centre for Christians and will be run as a ‘not-for-profit’ organisation which means anyone staying under the Bull’s roof will have to abide by their rules, as long as those rules are set out in the company’s articles.

    Mrs Bull, 69, told the Daily Mail:

    “We are not fanatics. We have often been portrayed as being bigoted.

    “I am not homophobic. I have no problem with them – I have always thought of them as people and enjoy their company. It is just that we thought it would be wrong for here.

    “All we wanted was to be able to support marriage, to say no here.

    “This (the result of the trial) is the men’s human rights and they come into a collision with our human rights.”

    Mr Hall and Mr Preddy said:

    “The judge has confirmed what we already know – our civil partnership has the same status in law as a marriage between a man and a woman, and that, regardless of each person’s religious beliefs, no one is above the law.”

    Following the Hearing’s conclusion the Chymorvah found difficulties in attracting guests and was stripped of its Visit England status because of its policies and was not featured in many tourist guides.

    On the hotel’s website, customers are given a special note before booking a double bed which reads: ‘Here at Chymorvah we have few rules, but please note that as Christians we have a deep regard for marriage(being the union of one man to one woman for life to the exclusion of all others).
    Therefore, although we extend to all a warm welcome to our home, our double bedded accommodation is not available to unmarried couples. Thank you’

  • NEWS: Transgender Teacher Lucy Meadows Found Dead

    A transgender teacher who started the new year as Miss Meadows at her school, St. Mary Magdalen’s C or E Primary School in Accrington, has been found dead at her home.

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  • There’s an app that shows you where gay bashings have taken place

    There’s an App for everything these days and now there’s one to highlight where a gay person has been beaten called, Bashing.

    After a series of what is commonly known as ‘queer bashing’ happened in 2011, the Belgium LGBT movement decided it was time to act.

    Described by the app developers as ‘for (the) gay community, supported by Outrage! and developed by FAMOUS’ the app is available for free, to download from the Google Android Market Place and the iTunes store and has already had over 1,000 downloads since it was launched last year.

    According to the app there are over 250 reports of ‘bashings’ in Brussels with 53 reports of abuse from the Grand-Place de Bruxelles Grote Market Van Brusselalone.

    The developers say, ‘One of the biggest issues with homophobia is that very little statistic information exists. With this app a user can easily and quickly indicate where he was assaulted and describe what just happened.’
    Download now from Google or Apple
    https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=be.famous.bashing&feature=also_installed#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEwNCwiYmUuZmFtb3VzLmJhc2hpbmciXQhttps://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/bashing/id484868875?mt=8

  • Somalian Teen Allegedly Stoned To Death For Being Gay

    An eighteen year old gay man was allegedly stoned to death as a punishment for homosexual acts, a gay Muslim group as said, in a horrifying story that was originally published by Identity Kenya.

    According to Somali Gay Community, Mohamed Ali Basshi was buried in a hole up to his chest while rocks were hurled at him by members of Al Qaeda linked group Al Shabaab on Friday, March 15, in Barawe, about 50 miles from the capital, Mogadishu.

    The group have published these pictures via its Facebook group from the alleged stoning. (Warning Pictures are graphic.)

    The pictures could not be independently verified by identity Kenya for authenticity.

    The pictures come with the following statement: ‘Mohamed Ali Baashi ,18 years old gay boy, was buried in a hole up to his chest and then pelted with rocks by fighters from the rebel ALQAEDA Link group…

    ‘In a scene straight out of the Dark Ages, this Somali young man accused of Sodomy was stoned to death by Islamic thugs while horrified villagers were forced to watch.’

    A rebel judge announced that Baashi, along with an accused murderer, had confessed to their crimes but the murderer received a more lenient punishment. According to the judge, “the one that kill some’one [sic] will be shot because homosexuality is more punishable in Islam.”

    The African country of Somalia is one of over 76 countries where Homosexuality is illegal and is punishable by up to three years in prison.

  • FILM REVIEW | Keep The Lights On

    ★★★★ | Keep The Lights On

    Keep the Lights On is a powerfully charged plot following two men from New York City, Erik (Thure Lindhardt) and Paul (Zachary Booth), through an emotional wave of events.

    Their initial casual sex encounter forms a beautiful relationship which is explosive, climatic and heart-warming, creating a dichotomy of emotive highs and agonising lows. These fundamental parallels are significant, questioning how one can think they know someone, but at the same time know so little about their drive and purpose. But what are the implications of having casual sex with a stranger?

    The movie is set across a period of time, as the storyline gradually increases in momentum. The main couple are easy to relate to, joyfully expressing those heart warming feelings of being in the early stages of a relationship – the closeness, the ecstasy, the contentment. But along with the greatness of any relationship comes the sadness. The film explores the difficulties and strains of alcohol and drug abuse, but how much can a partner support and guide before they can take no more?

    The film work is a mature and honest investigation into a couples intimate bond. It doesn’t try to make a point of this being a gay relationship, which is usually my biggest criticism. It is simply a love story full of anguish and confusion like any other. With poignant shots throughout the movie and set to a stunning soundtrack, it has to be placed right at the top of the must see movie category.

  • Jarrod Scott Goes Nude For Vogue

    Now we all like a little bit of photographed totty, well Vogue Hommes International’s latest issue will be showing a lot of totty – namely that of Australian born model Jarrod Scott.

     

    Queerty reports that the hot 22-year-old has already booked gigs with Givenchy, H&M, Zara and Bjorn Borg underwear.

    You can see the uncensored image here. (not work safe) Swish.
    The photographer for the shoot was Sølve Sundsbø

  • COMMENT | Does The “Gay Community” Really Exist?

    I’m going to get straight to the point here and say NO! I do not believe that there is such a thing as a gay community these days. I know that some will disagree with me here and say that there’s absolutely a gay community, but I disagree.

    I think that these days there’s some confusion between a community and a group or clique. It’s my opinion that we now find ourselves in groups or cliques, with little essence of the community spirit that has existed in the past. I say this because the first image that popped into my head when thinking about the ‘gay community’ was one of the commercial scene. Although the scene is a small part of gay culture, it’s the most visible and I imagine it’s what most people would think about when discussing the gay community.

    Although I indulge in the scene now and again, in general, I think it’s quite an unhealthy place and can be absolutely vile at times. I don’t believe that there’s any sense of community on the scene. It’s always come across as an extremely shallow place. Well to me anyway.

    In the town where I live there are many gay people who typically fit into two groups.

    The first is the guys who have all had sex with each other, then fall out and bitch about each other before making up and having sex again. Then they fall out and the cycle continues. They would probably see themselves as a gay community but I see it as more a circle of filth and drama.

    The second group of gay guys in my town is very much a clique. It’s the very definition of a clique. The group is very exclusive and you will only be welcomed into their circle if you meet the standards that they have. It’s a materialistic clique that focuses on who has what, who has the biggest and best garden, and who has the best designer clothes. At their monthly Sunday lunches they all try to outdo each other and put on a more grand and expensive lunch than the previous host. This clique was once disgusted because someone who was sitting near them was wearing a shirt from Tesco. If it ain’t Dolce they don’t wanna know. One of the clique also openly said “these people are boring me” when friends of mine were trying to get acquainted with them. That kind of thing really annoys me and the word I would use to describe that way of living is ‘bollocks’. There’s no community there either. It’s just falseness and pretence.

    The sense of community in gay culture may not be completely lost. There are pockets of communities working to make life better for gay people. Sadly, in my opinion, they are a minority. What I am finding more prevalent is solidarity between gay people and their allies. An example of this is a pride event that I am trying to set up at the moment.

    Warwickshire is a quiet place and is lagging behind the rest of the country, but that is all set to change. I have started planning Warwickshire’s first gay pride event. The aim of Warwickshire Pride is to bring the community together to celebrate diversity. By community I mean the wider community; gay and straight people, and people of different races and religions, all coming together to celebrate diversity. All sorts of people from all walks of life are coming on board to help make this happen. It may be an LGBT pride but the straights are helping to make it happen too. There’s a real sense of community spirit with this process of putting on the event and that will be the purpose of occasion.

    I can’t see many of the gay people in my town being involved in the planning. There would be too much infighting and power games to get anything achieved. I think the same goes for gay guys on the commercial scene; there wouldn’t be a sense of community involved. It would be all about getting drunk, getting laid and making sure plenty of hot guys are there. The sense of community has definitely been lost over time. We’re no longer all in it together; we’re in it for ourselves.

    Except I’m not. I don’t really fit into any gay clique or any group in general. I’m an individual and it’s my individuality that I cherish so much. I am part of a community though. But it’s not a gay community; it something better than that – a community containing a diverse range of people that has spirit. I’d take that over a ‘gay community’ any day.

     

    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.

     

  • BOOK REVIEW | Fanny And Stella

    ★★★★★ | Fanny And Stella

    28th April 1870: The flamboyantly dressed Miss Fanny Park and Miss Stella Boulton are causing a stir in the Strand Theatre.

    All eyes are riveted upon the two young ladies as they look down on the stalls, calling out to, flirting with and ogling the fine gentlemen below. Moments later they are led away by the police. What followed was a huge scandal that shocked and titillated Victorian England in equal measure.

    Fanny and Stella – two very alluring ladies-about-town – were not ordinary young women. They were actually young men who liked to dress as women: Ernest Boulton and Frederick Park, a bank clerk and solicitor respectively, part-time actresses and part-time prostitutes. Stella was the most beautiful female impersonator of her day, Fanny her sturdier and plainer companion. When the Metropolitan Police launched a secret campaign to bring about their downfall, they were arrested and subjected to a sensational show trial in Westminster Hall and if found guilty, they faced life imprisonment.

    As the trial of ‘the Young Men in Women’s Clothes’ unfolded, Fanny and Stella’s extraordinary lives as wives and daughters, actresses and whores were revealed to an incredulous public. The revelations shocked a nation of Victorians as the seamy underbelly of a hypocritical society was exposed with a cast of prostitutes, brothel keepers and transvestites gaining prominence along with a bevy of respectable aristocrats, businessmen and ambassadors who were implicated in the scandal.

    McKenna has meticulously researched the subject of the two unfortunate young men for this informative but also entertaining and gripping book. The story is both titillating and amusing as the trial unfolds revealing the antics of the two young men and their consorts. The language used by the Victorians in describing homosexuality and various sexual practices is enough to make you choke with laughter on your Earl Grey and have you lurching towards your chaise longue as you frantically reach for your smelling salts.

    Ultimately, the story made me reel in horror too, not because of Fanny and Stella’s behaviour but more because of the way they were treated by society. Imagine being holed up in prison with the threat of life imprisonment, no face powder and having your anus examined repeatedly for signs of sodomy? I’m sure Danny La Rue never had to go through that.

    McKenna presents us with an account that is fast paced and informative but also hugely entertaining to read as the very human story of the two men unfolds in all its grisly detail. Whether you’re a history fanatic intrigued by Victorian double standards or not, this book is sure to amuse, shock and beguile you. Well worth a read.

     

    BUY IT FROM AMAZON

  • COMMENT | I’m Gay, I’m 47, And I’m Still Alive

    So, you’re sitting there, politely minding your own business when BOOM – you’re 47! Now what?

    One minute you’re partying like it’s 1999, then suddenly it’s sometime in the mid-2010s… and you’re worried about heart beats, not beats per minute. Nightclubs don’t hold the same attraction anymore, but Murder She Wrote can hold your attention for hours at a time. Life is less about Girls Aloud and more about The Golden Girls.

    This series of pieces is about growing up and growing old in today’s gay world. How do you plan to grow old? Gracefully or disgracefully? Do you want to be one of those people who gets to a certain age, and stops – holding back time with Botox, face lifts or clothes pegs at the back? Do you still intend to be shopping in Top Man at 70?

    What are your options as you grow older? What lovely surprises are in store for you? At what point do you end up with more hair growing in your ears than on your head?

    I find myself struggling with the ageing issues as I creep slowly towards the grave. In my head I’m no age at all – I can wear what I want, admire hairstyles and think I could carry that off, my music tastes are more Lana Del Ray than Englebert Humperdinck.

    However, I am finding myself more attracted to things I used to associate with my parents. I’ve joined the National Trust and love it. I can’t stand loud music in pubs any longer – I prefer being able to hold a conversation. I find Victor Meldrew to be more a role model than a comic figure – but still not a fashion icon (although I am loving his cardigans!)

    On the health side, I can’t eat and drink what I want anymore – without suffering the consequences. Everything goes straight to my waist and it is now expanding at a rate of knots, less middle aged spread, more late middle aged spread. Gym time has always been a mystery to me but I’ve come to realise that it has its place, just not in my life!I spend time pondering pension provisions, where my nearest Waitrose is and battling constant backache rather than clubbing, staying out all night, and ogling the tottie on display.

    What used to appeal has shifted somewhat – looking at gorgeous young men doesn’t appeal nearly as much as it used to. Being totally honest, I still look, but it feels wrong somehow when you’re old enough to be their dad! At what point do you stop? Regular viewers of my blog will know I haven’t reached that point just yet.

    When I was young, someone my age was considered old, and there seemed to be certain points in life where you, as an individual, aged and moved on. Middle-aged men weren’t fashionable, they wore lots of comfy beige from M&S. After middle age, you slipped slowly into old age and My grandparents dressed and acted like OAP’s were expected to – but today things are different.

    People seem to stay younger longer, not just in their appearance, but in their outlook on life too. People are grandparents in their 40’s these days, having had their children earlier in life – however, time marches on, changes take place and you can slow it down but it still happens.

    My hope is to pop on my specs, fasten my cardi against the chill and take a close look at the issues we face, seriously and humorously!

    If there is anything you’d like to me include or cover, let me know….

    Next time: incontinence, impotence and male pattern baldness – just kidding!

     

    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.

  • How And Why The USA Is A Viable Option For UK Intended Parents

    Following on from our last article on surrogacy, our fourth article is going to focus in more depth as to why the USA may be the most suitable option to consider, if surrogacy is the chosen method of parentage for you.

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  • THEATRE REVIEW | BalletBoyz: The Talent 2013

    ★★★★

    The BalletBoyz have been going from strength to strength since they were formed by Michael Nunn and Billy Trevitt in 2001 following their breakaway from the Royal Ballet. The original remit was to make ballet more accessible and to bring challenging new works to theatres where dance was rarely seen.

    The company have certainly more than achieved their original goal and the diversity of the audience and the overwhelming cheers and applause at the end of the evening certainly prove that their latest show is a popular hit.

    The company of ten young male dancers are from diverse backgrounds and have varying levels of experience and differing skill sets. There’s a boyish French dancer who looks like he’s stepped straight from a Euro twink porn film, a beefy French dancer who would fit in easily in a Triga DVD and an assorted company of hot British boys showing off their biceps, tattoos and toned physiques. One thing they all have in common is their hard abs and rippling musculature which is particularly evident in the first piece, ‘Serpent’, choreographed by Liam Scarlett. The company are all topless dressed in skin tight Lycra which reveals every taut curve and shows off their amazing buttocks to full effect.

    The dances? I almost forgot about those. I was too busy with lechery. The two contrasting pieces are both beautifully choreographed with the challenge of using only male dancers being met fully. ‘Serpent’ uses the dancers to full effect in a fluid display of masculinity, whilst ‘Fallen’ (choreographed by Russell Maliphant) is a more brutal and altogether harder piece which utilises their gymnastic skills, mixed in with ballet and contemporary dance moves. The lighting and music combine to showcase the two pieces and add to the atmosphere.

    The show is definitely very accessible and easy on the eye. The audience in Leicester seemed to be having a fantastic time, judging by the riotous applause at the end of the evening. Whether you love dance, are new to dance or just like to sit and watch a troupe of ten young showing off their buff torsos, the show is well worth checking out.

    The show continues from the 21st of March at The Cambridge Arts Theatre

    Check out the rest of the dates (and the dancers) here:http://www.balletboyz.com

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