Search results for: “ ”
-
Men Now Able To Remove Historic Convictions For Consensual Sex
Stonewall publishes guide to help men clear their names.
-
A Man Made Home By The Man Who Made Homes Grand
Kevin McCloud has carved a reputation for being a critical voice in architecture, famously describing a potential failure of a grand design only to climax by revealing the magnificence of the final scheme.
-
COLUMN | Corrupting Influences
It’s a common misconception among lots of my straight friends that homophobic bigotry is almost non-existent in modern society and that people are generally pretty tolerant.
I’m sure they’d be shocked to read that a peer who sat in the House of Lords has branded this website as displaying an “aggressive type of behaviour”, being a “perverse pressure group” and having a “corrupting influence on susceptible and vulnerable young people.” Bigotry clearly stalks the corridors of power and is pretty poorly informed.
Personally, I wouldn’t call myself perverse or corrupting. I’m certainly not aggressive either; assertive, maybe. I can stand my ground. I work hard in the public sector, pay my taxes and keep a clean house. I even subscribe to the Radio Times, listen to Radio 4 and like walking in the Peak District. I’m thoroughly wholesome, mostly. Just because the gender of the person I sleep next to and have sex with is the same as my own, it doesn’t make me a degenerate. I don’t go around spewing venom and hatred either. That, to me, is the hallmark of an aggressive bad influence. Hatred aimed against whole groups of people is a true evil.
As a younger gay man, the corrupting influences which affected me adversely did not originate from the gay community. They came from the mouths of bigots and zealots. I was continually told by teachers, the government of the day and by religious groups that I was sick and depraved and an abomination. This didn’t make me feel warm inside. The eighties were nasty in many ways, not just because of the bad clothes. The positive influences on me were gay celebrities, gay literature and gay films, which showed me that actually they were all wrong and being gay did not equate being the spawn of Satan. It was just something I was born being.
If only the internet had been around then. I feel heartened that young gay men and women can now access internet forums and sites like this to help them learn that the way they were born is not a crime and doesn’t make them wrong or bad.
The city where I live hit the news in February of this year when three men were jailed for homophobic hate crimes. It was a case that made me feel physically sick. This was a test case using the newly amended laws from 2010. The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, which came into force in 2010, made it an offence to stir up hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation. These three men chose to distribute leaflets in the street and through letter boxes which were intended to insult and abuse gay men and to stir up hatred against them. The leaflets called for the death penalty for homosexuality and suggested we either turn straight, burn in hell or face execution. Thankfully these dangerous bigots were jailed for their actions. I know I would have been disconcerted and felt threatened to receive one of these leaflets.
You only have to keep a faint eye on the news to see that bigotry is still big business and hate crimes exist in many forms and at all levels of society across the globe. I know who I think are the real bad influences here and I have just one thing to say: Bigots, bugger off.
-
All Change For Louis’ Groups
All change for Louis’s Groups at Judges Houses!
Triple J and Times Red added to Louis’s category while Rough Copy leave the competition. George Shelley added to Triple J and new name for band.
On last week’s show (23 September), the acts going through to Judges Houses were revealed and the Judges were told which category they’ll be mentoring in a phone call from Simon Cowell.
Gary Barlow is looking after the Over 28s, Nicole Scherzinger the Boys, Tulisa the Girls and Louis Walsh the Groups.
Since Bootcamp was filmed in Liverpool, group of three, Rough Copy have left the competition and Louis Walsh has added two groups to the category – so he takes seven acts to Judges Houses while the other Judges have six!
Louis Walsh says:
“When Rough Copy left, I found it difficult to choose between two groups to fill their place. In the end I invited boyband Triple J to come to Judges Houses, but still felt that as I’d lost such a strong group in Rough Copy that I wanted to make sure the category was the best it could possibly be.
“I asked Gary, Nicole and Tulisa if they minded if I took a seventh act. They were happy as they felt they’d got the right six acts for their Judges Houses trips so I asked Times Red to come along and they said yes.”
Louis also felt that Triple J would benefit by having a fourth member and he asked George Shelley (who left the competition at Bootcamp) if he’d like to join JJ, Josh and Jaymi in the band.
On George joining the group, Louis adds:
“George loved the idea and as the boys knew him from Bootcamp they were really happy for him to join them. The group then came up with a new name and they are now called Union J.”
Union J say:
“We couldn’t believe it when we got the call about going to Judges Houses and of course we jumped at the chance. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. We’re so happy to be a four piece too. The group feels so right together, it feels like we’ve been together for years!”
Times Red say:
“We are beyond excited about having a second chance. We have nothing to lose so we’re going all out to impress in Vegas.”
-
Full XFactor Line Up Details For Judges’ Houses
On this weekend’s The X Factor on ITV1, Gary will be Lord of the Manor at a stately home in the rolling English countryside to meet the Overs; Nicole is at a luxury resort in Dubai with the Boys; Tulisa is on the Caribbean island of St Lucia to greet the Girls; while Louis is in the city that dubs itself the ‘entertainment capital of the world’ – Las Vegas with the Groups.
-
FILM REVIEW: Shelter
Thwarted by his family circumstance and finding it hard to find his place in a small industrial Californian town, heartthrob Zach (Trevor Wright) is a trapped, talented artist.
Stymied by his situation; a selfish and homophobic sister, a loveless relationship with his girlfriend and a father who is next to useless. With Art College and a new life calling him, Zach finds himself suffocated by his life with a hopeless acceptance. However things begin to change when Shaun (Brad Rowe), Zach’s best friend’s brother returns to town. Life begins to click into place when a drunken night together shows Zach a new reality. One that offers a life unlimited.
As the relationship develops between the two would-be lovers, the reality of his new secret life mounts pressure on his daily existence. Zach is torn between the release of who he wants to be and the pressures of his real life. Zach has become a surrogate father to his sister’s five-year-old son, the adorable Cody (Jackson Wurth) in-between his shifts flipping burgers. His small town, wrong side of the tracks existence and expectations battle directly with the possibilities that lay ahead with Shaun, Art College and escaping from his humbler beginnings.
What makes Shelter a wholly charming film to watch is its warmth and honesty. Its tentative steps and its revealing of Zach’s new potential is stunning. You know where you are with Shelter and you know where you’re going and clichés aside, it’s a magnificent film for many reasons. It’s a hazy, sweet, Gaussian, Californian coming out story. Filmed with a sensitivity that’s not often found in queer cinema. The sex scenes aren’t graphic, but leave enough to the imagination. It’s everything you wish your vanilla first time with a man might be. Its lack of reference to the gay scene or to gay culture makes it a film that can be enjoyed by most audiences, who appreciate a good romance. Filled with instamatic – esque shots of the Californian shoreline, crashing waves mix well with a thoughtful and provocative soundtrack.
The camera does linger on Trevor Wright and he deserves the attention. Acting with an introspective knowing, Wright leads the story through and along with Brad Rowe gives great screen. Their chemistry is undeniable, their potential promising. It is an entirely shameful that Wright hasn’t garnered more film success because he is a riveting actor to behold.
Shelter never fails to deliver what you’d expect from a coming out story, perhaps a little less complicated than real life situations, but definitely a film I’d revisit.
Perfect if you like: Rainbows, Hollister and Hollywood endings.
Dreadful if you like: Slings, fisting and earthy dramas.
-
XTina To Release Lotus In November
“What A Girl Wants’ singer Xtina is back with a top notch song ‘Your Body’ and a brand new album Lotus.
-
Nominations For Stonewall 2012 Awards
Today Stonewall announces the shortlists for its seventh Awards ceremony to be held on 1 November 2012 at the V&A in London.
The Awards are one of the most glamorous events in Stonewall’s fundraising calendar. They celebrate those who have made a positive impact on the lives of lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Britain in the last year.
The full shortlists:
Broadcast of the Year – supported by London Women’s Clinic
A Civil Arrangement (BBC4)
Britain’s Got Talent (ITV1)
Long Lost Family (ITV1)
One Born Every Minute (C4)
All Star Mr & Mrs (ITV1)
Entertainer of the Year
Evan Rachel Wood
Frank Ocean
Marcus Collins
Sue Perkins
Tom Wilkinson (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel)
Journalist of the Year
Hugo Rifkind (The Times)
Owen Jones (The Independent)
Paul Burston (Time Out)
Sarah Garrett (g3 Magazine)
Lucy Mangan (The Guardian)
Politician of the Year
Iain Stewart MP
Lynne Featherstone MP & Lord Henley
Cllr Nick Forbes
Nicola Sturgeon MSP
Ruth Davidson MSP
Publication of the Year
Attitude
DC Comics
London Evening Standard
Gay Star News
Tatler
Sports Award of the Year – supported by Barclays
Claire Harvey
Carl Hester
Lee Pearson CBE
Outdoor Lads
Rugby Football League
Writer of the Year – Supported by Coutts
Jackie Kay (Reality, Reality)
Jeanette Winterson (Why Be Happy When You Could be Normal?)
Madeline Miller (The Song of Achilles)
Patrick Gale (A Perfectly Good Man)
V G Lee (Always You, Edina)
The seventh annual Stonewall Awards ceremony takes place on Thursday 1 November at the V&A in London. Tickets are £155 plus VAT. To book your ticket visit www.stonewall.org.uk/awards or call 020 7593 1875.
-
Stonewall Shortlist For 2012 Awards
Sue Perkins, Britain’s Got Talent, DC Comics and three from Team GB shortlisted for Stonewall 2012 Awards.
Evan Rachel Wood, Marcus Collins and Alison Steadman drama also shortlisted
Today Stonewall announces the shortlists for its seventh Awards ceremony to be held on 1 November 2012 at the V&A in London. The Awards are one of the most glamorous events in Stonewall’s fundraising calendar. They celebrate those who have made a positive impact on the lives of lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Britain in the last year.
Hip hop star Frank Ocean and comedian and broadcaster Sue Perkins are nominated for ‘Entertainer of the Year’, while Team GB athletes Claire Harvey, Carl Hester and Lee Pearson make the ‘Sports Awards’ shortlist. ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent and Alison Steadman’s BBC Four drama A Civil Arrangement are among the nominees battling it out for ‘Broadcast of the Year’. And the London Evening Standard, gay news website Gay Star News and Attitude magazine are three of those competing for ‘Publication of the Year’.
‘Journalist of the Year’ nominees include Hugo Rifkind from The Times, the Independent columnist Owen Jones, Guardian Weekend’s Lucy Mangan and Time Out’s Paul Burston. Jackie Kay, Jeanette Winterson, and V G Lee are among the ‘Writer of the Year’ nominees for Reality, Reality, Why Be Happy When You Could be Normal? and Always You, Edina.
Nominees for ‘Politician of the Year’ include Iain Stewart MP, Lynne Featherstone MP and Nicola Sturgeon MSP.
Winners from these categories will be chosen by a celebrity judging panel comprising broadcaster Alice Arnold, Channel 4 News Culture Editor Matthew Cain, former England rugby star Ben Cohen, author Val McDermid and UK Black Pride Managing Director Phyll Opoku-Gyimah.
Thousands of Stonewall supporters across Britain are currently voting for three other categories – ‘Stonewall Community Group’, ‘Hero of the Year’ and ‘Bigot of the Year’. ‘Hero of the Year’ nominees include Jessie J for proudly reaffirming time and again that she is bisexual.
Ben Summerskill, Stonewall Chief Executive, said: ‘This year’s Stonewall Award nominees include Olympic and Paralympic heroes, regional, national and industry publications, popular TV shows and popular lesbian, gay, bisexual and straight entertainers. The diversity of those nominated for an award demonstrates how gay equality is firmly embedded in 21st-century British life. That’s a real cause for celebration.’
The seventh annual Stonewall Awards ceremony takes place on Thursday 1 November at the V&A in London. Tickets are £155 plus VAT. To book your ticket visit www.stonewall.org.uk/awards or call 020 7593 1875.
-
INTERVIEW: Fab 3: AJ Gibson, Kari Gibson and Ryan Allen Carrillo
UK TV Channel WATCH acquired the rights to Expedition Impossible, a brand new reality series by ABC.