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  • YouTube plans to unverify users, LGBT+ creators feel disproportionately affected

    YouTube plans to unverify users, LGBT+ creators feel disproportionately affected

    YouTube has upset many in the YouTube community after it sent an email explaining it was going to unverify thousands of creators.

    Many in the LGBT+ YouTube creators’ community feel angry and disproportionally affected after the platform said it would unverify already approved accounts during October. This comes on top on many complaining about having their content, particularly more adult in nature, being demonetised.

    The move according to YouTube will make the platform “more consistent” for users and creators.

    YouTube laid out its criteria for verification saying that verified users must

    • have a large audience and community on YouTube
    • Be widely recognised outside of YouTube and have a strong online presence
    • Have a channel that could be confused with another channel on YouTube.

    Many who have taken to Twitter to complain that they had received an email from YouTube have millions of subscribers and feel that they are well-known outside the YouTube community.

    Feels like undervaluing hardworking individuals”

    User, Amp Somers who is a sex educator and co-host of the YouTube channel @watts the safe word which has over 198,000 subscribers explained why the changes were bad news for creators, writing,

    We worked hard to get to where our channel is, and I know other creators who work even harder getting this same treatment. This feels like undervaluing hardworking individuals and making sure celebrities and large corporations get preference on the platform. And that bothers me.

    “Let’s be clear, verification doesn’t really mean much on YouTube functionally, but it’s a huge slap in the face to creators who’ve spent years trying to be validated by a platform. It’s just poor taste and disrespectful to the community”.

    Creator Matthew Lush, who runs the GayGod channel, informed his fans on Twitter that he had recieved an email from YouTube, saying, “Holy shit I got the email from YouTube saying I’m no longer going to be verified. Well there goes 13yrs down the drain…”https://twitter.com/MatthewLush/status/1174767392167088128

    THEGAYUK.com reached out to YouTube for comment on whether the LGBT+ creator’s community was being disproportionally affected, which they did not answer, instead pointing us towards a generic blog post.

  • Warwickshire politician says LGBT people “in unnatural waters”

    Warwickshire politician says LGBT people “in unnatural waters”

    A Warwickshire politician has been called out over a Facebook post in which he refers to queer people as those “who chose fish in unnatural waters”

    The Chair of Claverdon Parish Council, in Warwickshire Cllr has been called out by Warwickshire Pride after an alleged Facebook post in which he said that queer is a word for people “who fish in unnatural waters”.

    The comment was made after Lawton asked the question, “On the LGBT thing, there is a Q on the end now. What does it stand for?”

    In a reply, the elected official wrote, “I am losing the plot here. I thought queer was an offensive term for those who chose to fish in unnatural waters”.

    The word “queer” is used advisedly within the LGBT+ community as many, particularly gay and bi men find the term deeply offensive.

    Warwickshire Pride released a statement condemning the councillor saying,

    “Cllr Lawton’s comments are very disappointing, particularly as he is a public figure and an elected representative of the community. Homophobic comments such as his are incredibly damaging and show how far there is to go until all LGBT+ people can live openly and freely as who they are, without having to put up with hate speech and discrimination.

    “We work year-round with LGBT+ people, supporting and empowering them to be who they are. We also deliver LGBT+ awareness training to organisations and people who are not LGBT+ because anti-LGBT+ views and behaviours are still prevalent. As Cllr Lawton’s comment shows, there are still people who think that being LGBT+ is unnatural.

    “We would welcome an opportunity to engage with Cllr Lawton to explain in person why his comments are deeply offensive and hopefully enlighten him. In the meantime, Cllr Lawton should be utterly ashamed of the language he has used. It is not becoming of someone in his position. We hope to see a meaningful apology from him and a commitment to becoming more LGBT+ aware.

    “We will be raising a complaint with Claverdon Parish Council and also reporting his comment to Warwickshire’s Hate Crime Partnership as a hate incident.

    “Hate is never acceptable and in this case, we hope to engage and educate.”

    The post was published on Lawton’s personal Facebook page and not in an official capacity – which was spotted by a local resident, Jon Abbott according to The Leamington Spa Courier.

    “I now completely understand how my comment has quite rightly been met with such disgust and anger”

    The councillor did issue a full apology to Mr Abbott saying, “An apology. I am of course deeply sorry that you, our mutual friends and acquaintances and others have, quite rightly, been so offended by my crass and completely thoughtless comment on my facebook page last Sunday evening.

    “I have taken some time to consider how best to apologise to you personally and more widely in open forum and have been fortunate to be offered advice from mutual friends in this respect. It was never my intention to cause offence but I now, completely and fully, understand how my comment has quite rightly been met with such disgust and anger.

    “I will not in any way attempt to justify the wording used as I realise that there is no justification whatsoever for the comment made which has, quite naturally, caused you and many others to demonstrate considerable outrage. I have now realised and fully accept that what I thought was an innocuous quote, was the most stupid of actions. This cannot be undone and I will have to live with the shame of this lifelong slur of my having an association with a negative attitude to the LBGTQ community which will hurt as, in my heart, I hold no such feelings.

    “I do not really know how much more I can do to atone for my deplorable and unthinking behaviour but hope that you and others that I have offended will accept this apology in the sincerity that it is given and rest assured that it is a personal lesson learnt in how I should conduct my behaviour going forward. Best regards. Simon D H Lawton”.

  • Mark Ronson has come out as sapiosexual

    Mark Ronson has come out as sapiosexual

    Superstar music producer has come out as a sapiosexual.

    The chart-topping Mark Ronson has come out as a sapiosexual on today’s Good Morning Britain. The show’s host, Ben Shepherd and Kate Garraway congratulated the “Uptown Funk” hitmaker for his decision to be “out and proud”.

    Mark told the show’s producers that he identified as a sapiosexual then during his interview he was asked if he was “identifying as a man who likes intellect?”

    Speaking about his identity, Ronson said, “I didn’t know that there was a word for it. We were all arguing backstage in the dressing room with a couple of your producers. And yes, I feel like I am identifying as sapiosexual”.

    The producer recently split from his wife Joséphine de La Baume.

    What is a sapiosexual?

    According to gender and sexuality support charity, My Umbrella, a sapiosexual is a “person who finds intelligence sexually attractive or arousing”. Meaning that your intelligence is a turn on over physical attributes.

     

  • Guys with cervixes, don’t forget to book yourself for a smear test

    Guys with cervixes, don’t forget to book yourself for a smear test

    900 of those people don’t survive. It’s time to #EndSmearFear.

    Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust is partnering with Twitter to launch the #EndSmearFear campaign.

    #EndSmearFear encourages users to feel comfortable discussing topics such as vaginas, cervixes and smear tests on the platform, including sharing tips, support and information on the test.

    Conversation around smear tests, vaginas and sexual health on Twitter have risen 50% since 2017,  demonstrating that people are feeling more comfortable discussing these issues than ever before, but much more can still be done.

    More than 3,200 women, trans men and non-binary people with cervixes are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year in the UK and nearly 900 don’t survive.  As well as this, attendance of smear tests (despite being the most effective protection against the disease) is falling.

    One in three young women and people with cervixes are not choosing to take the test when invited.

    Smear tests can be difficult due to a range of different, and often complex, factors. This can include embarrassment, fear and not understanding what the test is for. According to the LGBT Foundation, 17.8% of LGB women have not been to their smear test with lots of myths and stigma that needs to be overcome.

    The #EndSmearFear campaign, which has already received lots of support from celebrities and politicians, aims to normalise chat about smear tests, cervixes and vaginas on the social media platform through a light-hearted search for the best emoji for female genitalia.

    https://twitter.com/Robinbequiet/status/1173563946487488512

    One Twitter user said, “The idea of getting a smear as a Trans man triggered my dysphoria to the point I almost didn’t go. But the nurse was respectful, understood the challenges, and was kind. #EndSmearFear”

    Celebs backing the campaign include Louise Redknapp, Scarlett Moffatt, Charlotte Crosby, Chloe Delevingne, Vicky Pattinson, Chloe Sims and lots more.

    Kate Sanger, Head of Communications at Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust said: “We want to help reduce some of the fear and uncertainty around smear tests and have seen first-hand the power of social media in doing this. We’re pleased to be working with Twitter to see smear tests, cervixes and vaginas talked about as normally as using an emoji. By encouraging positive conversations we hope more people will feel comfortable asking questions, know where to find support and feel able to book a test if they choose to do so.”

    Katy Minshall, Head of Public Policy at Twitter UK said, “With a third of women aged 25-29 not attending the test, we want people to feel safe and supported when talking about smear tests on Twitter. Emojis are a core part of Twitter conversation and we want to break down some of the uncertainty and fear about smear tests, and talking about them, with this simple, light-hearted campaign.”

    Anyone with a cervix is eligible for a smear test aged 25 to 49 every three years and aged 50 to 64 every 5 years. The #EndSmearFear campaign is live from 16 September 2019.

    Please see here for more information: https://www.jostrust.org.uk/endsmearfear

  • Journalist told Gareth Thomas’ parents about his HIV status

    Journalist told Gareth Thomas’ parents about his HIV status

    Rugby champ reveals a journalist told his parents about his HIV status.

    Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas has criticised the journalist who revealed his HIV diagnosis to his parents before he had told them, in an emotional interview on BBC Radio 5 Live this morning.

    Speaking to Nicky Campbell on 5 Live Breakfast the former Welsh captain shares his anger that he was not able to break the news to them himself.

    “They love me, they love me whatever,” he says. “But you know I can never have that moment back to sit down with them and be able to explain to them why their son is going to be OK and is going to be able to live through this and live a normal, healthy life.

    “Because that person came and took that moment away from me. My parents will say that they’re  fine because that’s my parents.  But I can’t really tell you how they felt because I can’ t imagine how they felt.”

    Embed from Getty Images

    He says that he resents the intrusion into his personal life, and regrets not being able to reassure them about his diagnosis:

    “Can you imagine somebody coming to your door, can you imagine someone coming to your door and saying something so personal and so intrusive to you about the thing and the person that you would love and protect through anything?  Can you imagine how that would feel?  I can’t, I can’t so I can’t really tell you.

    “But what I can tell you is that I’ve got the best parents on the planet because to this day they stand by me and they believe in me and they believe in what I’m doing now.”

    Gareth was speaking ahead of a documentary Gareth Thomas: HIV and Me on BBC One tonight.

    Listen to Nicky Campbell’s full interview with Gareth Thomas on today’s BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast on BBC Sounds:

  • 10 annoying questions people ask about gay weddings (and equally annoying ways to answer them)

    Which one is the bride?

    gay men getting married
    CREDIT: dolgachov bigstock

    Now don’t get me wrong, I know a lot of folks are innocently curious. But when you’re trying to plan your big day, which to you just feels like any other big day out there, the often repetitive questions from enquiring minds can become just a trifle irritating.

    And by the way, I haven’t made any of these up – I was asked all of them at least once in the run up to my wedding.

    And by the way again, I know number 9 isn’t a question, but it felt worthy of inclusion.

    1. So which of you is like the bride?

    via GIPHY

    Neither, sorry to disappoint your hetero-normative ideals but that’s sort of the point of the whole thing.

    1. Will you both wear suits?

    via GIPHY

    Nah, he’s got a suit and I’ve dug out my fancy dress costume of a bag of chips from last Halloween to wear.

    1. How are you going to walk down the aisle?

    via GIPHY

    One foot in front of the other, presumably. Or maybe we’ll do the conga. Or the cha-cha slide. Everybody clap your hands!

    1. What will you do about names?

    via GIPHY

    Use them.

    1. Are you going to have a hen do, or a stag do? Or do you call it a hag do?

    via GIPHY

    What I’m going to have, my dear, is a piss up. You may call it what you like.

    1. I’ve got a friend, he’s gay, and he got married. At his wedding he *insert tedious wedding activity here*. Are you going to do that?

    via GIPHY

    Yes, yes – I think I saw him at the club meetings, he told me all about it. Now don’t get me wrong, I do love the idea of a bucking-bronco in the shape of a glittery aubergine, but it’s not quite the direction we’re going to go in.

    1. Are you having a bridesmaid? Or a best man?

    via GIPHY

    Neither. I’m having a cat, wrapped in taffeta with a cherry bakewell tied to the top of its head.

    1. Do you still have someone give you away?

    via GIPHY

    Good grief no, I’m far too expensive. I’m being bought, thank you very much.

    1. At least you don’t have to worry about getting unexpectedly pregnant on your wedding night!

    via GIPHY

    No, that’s true – just the knowledge that there’s still a large chunk of the world who would happily see me executed for being who I am is worry enough. Thank you for giving me some perspective.

    And then afterwards to finish off:

    1. Did you know that was the first gay wedding I’ve ever been to? It was much more fun than a normal wedding!

    via GIPHY

    Yes, I agree. It really knocked spots off of that boring one I went to last year, with all the shabby-chic birdcages, hilari-not speeches and tawdry wedding tat … oh wait, that was yours wasn’t it?

  • COMMENT | You need to start paying for your porn

    Here in the UK, we take a lot of content for granted. It’s not our fault, most of us have been brought up on a diet of free, advert-free, tv, radio and news, thanks to the BBC. But we have to change this.

    CREDIT: ©-lofilolo-Depositphotos

    As one wise puppet once said, “The internet is for porn” and he was right, it’s everywhere. It’s all over social media and there are millions of sites across the web, devoted to one of the nation’s favourite pastimes. Porn. But what is keeping this industry afloat?

    There was a time when if you wanted to look at nude people doing it, (and you weren’t able to tune into Eurotrash on Channel 4) you’d have to buy a magazine, then there was the birth of the VHS and then the DVD, which revolutionised the industry and made it very successful, but like the music and magazine industry, porn’s physical products have been supplanted by the digital revolution. An entity that has turned all our passions, from music to film into bytes that no one has really managed to monetise successfully, when compared to the physical product world.

    Getting access to porn is ridiculously easy and for the most part free to view and for most of us is as easy as logging on to social media.

    There are plenty of free sites that offer HD videos of people going at it – and that’s great but when the end user isn’t paying for it, what happens to the creators of the content we enjoy?

    People need to be paid for their performances. Editors need to be paid for their art, the photographers, the directors and all the people involved need to earn their living – and if that happens to be inside the porn industry, we should be supporting that.

    For something that is pretty much in all our lives is it too much to ask that you set aside £10 a month for a subscription of your favourite studio or even star on their own OnlyFans channel?

  • REVIEWED | Queeriosity Manchester

    REVIEWED | Queeriosity Manchester

    ★★★★ | There’s a new show in town and it’s queer and curious.

    I was excited to go along to a brand new cabaret in Manchester on Saturday night, Queeriosity. It’s going to be held weekly every Saturday at Void/Kiki in Canal Street, Manchester and what’s even better is it’s free entry.

     

    It was the first show on Saturday 14th of September, and I must say I was suitably impressed by what was on offer. I was lucky enough to speak to creator of the show Donna Trump to ask what inspired her to bring this new show to Manchester and she told me “Yes it’s something new and different but you know, it’s something not to be missed. I want to unearth the world of cabaret as it’s known in Manchester. Give everyone a taste of something different. We have great cabaret in Manchester already existing and I just want to show people another wonderful side of it too” and show it they did.

    There’s going to be rotating cast and guest performers so each show will be something new and different, with new performances every week with at least 4 performers every week. And if week one is anything to go by, these performers will give it their all to entertain people. All the artists on stage gave it 110% and I could tell all of them really enjoyed what they were doing. But it really wasn’t a standard drag queen show. There was spoken word comedy lipsync, high energy burlesque style and a drag king lipsynching to Hercules songs. I laughed, I cheered and I came away very happy. I have very high hopes that this show will be something amazing. What seems to set this aside is that this is a passion project of Donna and the artists involved and one feels that having a new show like this could certainly help revive the scene in Canal Street. The other great thing is that people are utterly free to come as they feel comfortable. I saw, drag kings and queens, genderfluid people, pups, and every other kind of LGBTQ+ & ally person there and no one gave two hoots as long as you were having a good time. It felt like a very welcoming and safe environment to just kick back and enjoy.

    The whole show felt fresh and fun and everyone watching on Saturday really got into it, and seeing the reaction of Donna to the cheers she got at the end shows just how invested she is in this cabaret. I wish her all the luck in taking this forward and I cannot wait to see what she and the other performers come up with next

    So if you find yourself in Canal Street on a Saturday night, I would highly recommend a visit to see Queeriosity, the new curious cabaret.

    Social Media is linked below.

    Queeriosity

    Donna Trump

    Coco DeVille

    Cherry Valentine

    Christian Gay

    The Vicars Daughter

    Ellen DeGenerate

    Julie Noted

  • CAR REVIEW | Mercedes E220d convertible AMG line

    CAR REVIEW | Mercedes E220d convertible AMG line

    ★★★★★ | Mercedes E220d convertible AMG

    Mercedes are masters at creating luxurious and stylish convertibles. They have a long and distinguished history of making beautiful and timeless convertible cars.

    One of their latest is the E Class convertible. We were fortunate to have been given an E220d AMG line recently for a week of effortless and stylish cruising in the lap of luxury.

    Mercedes currently offer 3 convertible models. The C class, E Class and S class. The E Class sits right in the middle with a starting price of £45,960.

    Our test car was the E220 convertible diesel, which means it was powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine producing 194 hp and 400 Nm. 0-62 mph takes 7.7 seconds and the combined mpg is quoted as 57.7 mpg. I wouldn’t dispute this, it was great on fuel, particularly at motorway speeds. For the company car users, the E220d emits 126 g/km of CO2.

    A modern Mercedes is a very nice place to be and with ours being the AMG line with a few of the optional packages ticked; Premium package, parking package, driving assistance package, night package.

    It was very well equipped and particularly well appointed car. 

    Premium package includes; memory package (Memory package allows the driver’s seat, front passenger seat, steering column and exterior mirrors to all be electrically adjusted & stored), parking package (searches for a suitable parking space for you and then helps you with accurate parking) including 360° camera, comand online (media interface, widescreen 12.3-inch cockpit display and touchpad), multibeam led intelligent Light System (To ensure the best possible vision, the LED Intelligent Light System adapts automatically to the prevailing weather, light and driving conditions) and wireless charging. 


    We also had the benefit of the driving assistance package, including: active brake assist, active distance assist distronic, active speed limit assist, active lane keeping assist, evasive steering assist and pre-safe plus (initiates occupant protection measures if a rear-end collision is imminent).

    Our car was the AMG line and in addition to the AMG bodystyling had the night package, which included: 20-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels painted high-gloss black with high sheen finish, diamond radiator grille with integral, Mercedes‑Benz star and a single louvre and some high-gloss black exterior highlights. 


    A really neat feature of the E220d Cabriolet AMG line is the way the multi-layer acoustic fabric roof can be folded down on the move. It can be operated at speeds up to 31 mph and opened or 

    closed in just 20 seconds. It’s great if you’re in traffic and the weather takes a turn for the worst.

    Mercedes airscarf neck-level heating and aircap are standard on this car and another welcome feature for when the sun doesn’t have his hat on. 

    How does it drive? 

    There are a few engine options across the range; In the diesels the E220 that we had, had the 1,950cc, 4-cylinder diesel which produces 194hp/143kW. There’s also a 2,987cc, 6-cylinder diesel producing 340hp/250kW in the E400

    In petrol form there’s a 1,991cc, 4-cylinder petrol engine producing 245hp/180kW in the E300 or 299hp/220kW with EQ Boost of 14hp/10kW in the E350, and a 2,996cc, 6-cylinder petrol producing 367hp/270kW in the E450. If this doesn’t quench your thirst for power, there’s a 2,999cc, 6-cylinder petrol, 435hp/320kW with EQ Boost of 22hp/16kW in the AMG E53 4MATIC+.

    Our test car also had the the excellent 9G-TRONIC PLUS 9-speed automatic gearbox which was great, particularly when cruising and so smooth.

    Mercedes make beautiful cars with stunning interiors and this is no exception. Our AMG line car had a black artico leather/dinamica microfibre upholstery and black open-pore ash wood trim on dashboard and centre console. Brushed aluminium highlights and accents such as the air vent nozzles, door handles and seat controls.

    Ride and handling are superb as you would expect. The AMG line has AMG ride control sports suspension, based on air body control air suspension. The multi-chamber air suspension system with a sporty spring/damper set-up continuously adjusts damping to ensure excellent driving dynamics and a high level of ride comfort. 

    In combination with AMG dynamic select, three pre-set modes (Comfort, Sport and Sport+) are available to deliver a tailored driving experience. 

    In summary, the E220d convertible is a beautiful, stylish and very well engineered car. It’s great to drive, looks amazing and is a practical 4 seat car with the added bonus of being a stunning convertible when you want it to be.

    Prices for the E class convertible start at £45,960.00

  • Former X Factor winner compares HIV to smoking and obesity

    Former X Factor winner compares HIV to smoking and obesity

    A former winner of X Factor, Steve Brookstein has been slammed on Twitter after making comments on the “hypocrisy of gay men”, and calling HIV a “burden” on the NHS.

    Steve Brookstein has angered users on Twitter after a flurry of tweets about Gareth Thomas and his HIV status. He also took a swing at gay men, calling them hypocrites when talking about HIV.

    Gareth Thomas recently revealed that he was living with HIV, after being forced to reveal his status by blackmailers.

    Embed from Getty Images

    Taking to Twitter, the singer, who won the very first season of X Factor, wrote a series of Tweets aimed at Gareth Thomas and likening HIV to smoking and obesity.

    He wrote, “I don’t give a damn what he does in his private life that’s his business. I do however think we should treat HIV the same way we treat smoking, obesity and drinking. It is a public health issue. We need to help but also educate.

    He continued,  “The hypocrisy of gay men discussing HIV is astonishing. They don’t like HIV being compared to obesity or smoking. Yes it is unfortunate and treatable but so is obesity and smoking.”

    One follower replied, “I’d love to know if you know the circumstances under which Gareth actually contracted HIV? Was it a choice? Like putting food and fags in your mouth are? I highly f***ing doubt it.”

    Embed from Getty Images

    While another wrote, “Another added: “Its a disease you can get even while taking all precautions. Obesity and smoking are ppl failing to control themselves, over and over again. Hardly the same you moron.”

    Burden on the NHS

    However, in one tweet, he claimed that HIV was a “burden on the NHS” just like obesity, writing, “As yet I’ve not had one person make me even think about changing my mind. HIV is preventable, it is a burden on the NHS and people need educating. Just like Obesity. If you find that offensive that’s your problem. Bye.

    One user, DolanTalk offered to meet with Brookstein to educate him on HIV, offering “How about me meet and I educate you. Smoking and obesity are both related to addictions. Someone who is HIV+ isn’t that by choice. Honestly, I’m up for you educating you…”

    To which Brookstein replied,  “All preventable. Same as accidents in extreme sports. My point is that there are many things that are a burden to society. I’m not suggesting any should be stigmatised. Drunks in A&E on a Saturday night are a burden and need educating. HIV is also preventable”.

    “Hate from homosexuals”

    He also questioned why he was getting “hate” from gay men. Saying, “…I am getting hate from homosexuals for talking about it. Why is that?, The reason gay men are offended is because Gareth Thomas is gay. If I had made my comment about a straight man with HIV you people wouldn’t say a word.”

    The singer then published a bizzare poll in which he asked his followers, “Before any more homosexuals come to me all offended answer this: Which of the following is NOT preventable?, Obesity, Smoking, HIV or Death”

     

     

     

     

     

  • Adam Rickitt did his annual butt photo and it was glorious

    Adam Rickitt did his annual butt photo and it was glorious

    It’s become quite the annual wait, but it’s always worth it.

    Hunky Adam Rickitt has stunned fans with his annual naked / butt photo. We first reported on this in 2017 but 2019’s choice from the TV star and former singer has left many of his 52,000 fans on Instagram amazed.

    The star simply captioned the picture, “Yup that…#annualbuttshotday

    Fans were quick to note that the actor had seemed to recreate the famous nude scene by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Terminator films. One wrote, “Looks like you’re recreation [sic] that scene from The Terminator”

    While another pleaded with the former singer to recreate the video from the song that made him a pin up idol in the early ’00s, saying, “Think You Should Re Create Your I Breathe Again Video! Seriously!”

    See the photo (NSFW) CLICK HERE