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  • CABERET THEATRE | Sven Ratzke

    CABERET THEATRE | Sven Ratzke

    BOWIE_BEAU BLITZKREIG! Lady Sasha savours the ravishing reinterpretations of Bowie’s Classics by Sven Ratzke, the Male cabaret doyenne supreme!  ★★★★★

    Zedel Brasserie, Piccadilly Circus Tube. 5 stars!

    Who needs tribute toss-pots lazily hi-jacking the star-power of dead pop princes? Not me, but way too many clueless clowns – AKA the brain-dead, general public – are gluttons for the non-stop, shameless, and – more often than not – shockingly poor acts of fawning, musical necrophilia called tribute shows.

    But – in a most bitter and ludicrous irony – the worst purveyors of tribute tripe are, most often, the original singers of modern standards themselves. Frankly, there are few spectacles on planet earth more pitiable than some pathetic ghost of a former star grasping at – and spectacularly missing – their totally extinct charisma.

    The worst offender? Arguably, Minelli, petulantly petrified in a lifestyle amber of raging mommy issues, cheesy pastiches of faux-decadence, deadbeat drama-queening and flaccid, grand-folly flings with chancers and confidence trickster train-wrecks. If nothing else, Liza’s a textbook lesson on how not to idolise your musical muse, which, quite disastrously, was her mom; who the f*ck needed a raging reincarnation of Judy’s manias, especially heightened by a seemingly obligatory, 1970s celebrity coke culture?

    Mercifully, some tribute acts have both style and dignity. Meet Sven Ratzke, a name inexplicably underexposed to UK audiences, but an interpreter of Bowie – and other, equally strange and maverick talents – par excellence. And why does Sven’s artistry tower far above bland, Bowie-by-numbers clones like the thoroughly glib and unengaging Dusty Limits? In a word, panache; Sven both respects Bowie’s repertoire and treats it with the semantic intimacy it deserves, making many of Bowie’s finest songs – Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide or Heroes, for example – riveting disclosures and confessionals, not flayed symphonies of raw, spiritual anguish.

    And the effect of Sven’s approach? More exhilarating than a full-body blow-job; quite effortlessly, he captures the instantaneous magic sparked – and as quickly extinguished – by a chance, sexually-explicit whisper from a random street doorway. Never been hit on that way? How sad; in the darkened, midnight pavilions of Rue Saint-Denis, Paris’s immemorial hive of prostitution, a husky female sigh inviting instant intimacy sank an immediate fish-hook in my suddenly thrilled male flesh.

    And similarly, at Zedel – the perfect, faux-Art Deco setting for radical retromania – Sven’s radiantly seductive aura turns massed, gay male heads from the get-go. All zip-up, double-breasted, violet gabardine jumpsuit and Cuban-heeled, turquoise-glitter knee boots, he’s a textbook Aryan uber-jugen. And there are very few performers – straight, gay or magically in-between – who could convincingly rock a frosted, Farrah Fawcett-Majors feather-cut, but Sven simply transcends time-capsule retro-chic, his storming charisma making his sartorial choices seem intriguingly timeless and non-specific.

    It’s a heady, visual ambiguity he also brings to his singing, especially his hauntingly beautiful take on Where Are We Now, but Sven’s no one-note Bowie copyist; rather, he’s a startlingly inventive, improvisational raconteur who skewers reckless hecklers – like one obtuse, British jerkenstein at Zedel – with a word.

    In a seamless, utterly immersive framing narrative, Sven shares riveting memories of his magical, aural seduction on first hearing Bowie, and punctuates the songs with luscious anecdotes of Cold War Berlin diva Romy Haag, Bowie’s transsexual muse. Enchantingly, he’s bashfully modest regarding his own, very considerable songwriting chops – his song ‘The Torch’ brilliantly recreates the glamour of lost Berlin – and, like every truly exceptional talent, closes his short show leaving the audience simply pleading for more!

    Sadly – for his new mountain of instantly converted fans – Sven’s not back at Zedel or the UK until November, but we’d recommend booking ASAP – Sven is one world-class talent on the cusp of global adoration!

  • Theatre Review | Kinky Boots – National Tour

    ★★★★☆ | Kinky Boots, National Tour

    When his late father’s shoe factory is on the brink of closing down, Charlie readies himself to shut down the business; but a chance encounter with Lola, a drag queen, changes his fortunes, as he realises that the factory needs to continue making men’s shoes, but by doing so, needs to exchange brogues for high heels, and make a range of quality shoes for drag artists. But how will the new venture go down with the workers in Northampton?

    Kinky Boots is one of those shows whose reputation precedes it, and for its inaugural UK Tour, it does itself proud. For a touring production, Kinky Boots is a big show which oozes west end quality in its presentation and is slick, polished and professional; the set is superb, with its factory paraphilia littering the stage and the live orchestra only adds to the atmosphere.  Putting aside the rather flimsy plot, the show is all about the big production numbers, especially the gymnastic qualities of Everybody Say Yeah at the closing of Act 1, and the glamorous finale Raise You Up.

    From his explosive entrance in Land of Lola to a tender, powerful delivery of Hold Me In Your Heart, Kayi Ushe is absolutely delicious as Lola, stealing the show as he easily transitions from cracking camptastic cabaret to moments of tender vulnerability, standing head and shoulders above the cast. The rest of the cast are perfectly serviceable, but to be fair to them, it’s hard to compete with such a dominant stage presence.

    Based on a true story, and with songs by Cindi Lauper, Kinky Boots is packed full of colour, glamour, sequins and high energy musical numbers; and provides for an uplifting, smile-inducing, feel-good piece of theatre which effortlessly entertains and proves to be tremendous fun

    Kinky Boots is at Sheffield Theatres until 22nd July 2019, before continuing on its national tour.

  • FILM REVIEW | Rocketman

    FILM REVIEW | Rocketman

    ★★★★ | ROCKETMAN

    Taron Egerton as Elton John in Rocketman from Paramount Pictures.

    The story of Elton John, Is it a musical definitely, is it a biopic partly is it sanitised? No damn way – 25 years of his life from 17-42 years-old, warts and all with added chems and gay relationships.

    Nutshell – Not really a chronological life story nor with chronological music but a celebration of our favourite ivory tickler with the many up’s and just as many down’s. The songs are not sung by Elton but by Taron and the cast which makes it a bit more interesting than the straight Queen lip-syncing in Bo Rhap for example. We get his early none fame days, his breakthrough worldwide and all the drugs, rock n roll and gay sex you could want largely featuring the long relationship with Manager John Reid plus his straight marriage. The story goes up until he finally checks in to rehab in the early ’90s and gets clean for life so no Lion King, David Furnish, Billy Elliott, Princess Di or AIDS campaigning.

    Running Time – 121 Minutes – Cert 15.

    The Gay UK Factor – The costumes, the endless music with many songs turned into ready for the stage musical versions and not skimping on his voyage of sexual discovery including gay kissing so a huge gay appeal indeed. The legendary two bare man ass sex scene has not made the final cut though fingers crossed for the extended or outtake DVDs for fans of Egerton and Madden’s asses. Maybe just as well as the kissing and hugging are enough to get the movie banned in some backward thinking countries alone. Taron Egerton is one great looking guy for anyone’s wank bank and he is fully supported here by the lush Richard Madden and a Jamie Bell looking much hotter than we have ever seen before. A new gay icon has arrived and it is Billy Elliott himself all grown up and as masculine and f**kable as a striking coal miner.

    Cast – Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas-Howard, Gemma Jones, Stephen Graham fresh from a good throat slitting in Line Of Duty and even unbelievably a low key Keith lemon himself.

    Key Player – A three-way split between the director Dexter Fletcher fresh from his three week stint saving the Oscar sponge Bohemian Rhapsody and doing a better job here. Taron is sensational and he has a great singing voice and most importantly he does his own thing than rather doing an impersonation which was Elton’s request. Finally of course Sir Elton himself whose endless superb songbook could fill four movies and some. There are many favourites here but just as many missing and it truly helps the movie fly by surely demanding repeated viewings.

    Budget – $40 Million – Yet this has already made six figures and is heading for 200K fast. Maybe it won’t make the 800K that the Queen film made last year (and this is the better film) but it is a bona fide hit and Taron’s stock has gone up as fast as Elton’s greatest hits sales have. So get ready for the George Michael film, the Bon Jovi biopic, the Steps & Vengaboys films, How the Weather Girls became big, the biopic of Shakin Stevens and the Chesney Hawks story probably all being green lit as we speak.

    Best Bit – 0.44 mins; When Elt makes his big American breakthrough at the Troubadour club in LA, the singer, band and the entire audience all levitate to ‘Crocodile Rock’ as someone’s star goes stratospheric in one short night and things will never quite be the same again along the ‘Yellow Brick Road’.

    Worst Bit – 1.39 mins; There is nothing that out of step here but ‘Bennie And The Jets’ as a live performance is the weakest link in a very strong chain… maybe because we don’t really like that song in Europe (A number 1 in the US though). ‘Border Song’ goes nowhere but not helped by coming after an incredible version of ‘I want Love’ and do we really need ‘Tiny Dancer’ again when there are so many other hits that could jump straight in (Although frustratingly it’s lyric fits the movie like a glove).

    Little Secret – Over the years in development James McAvoy, Daniel Ratcliffe and Tom Hardy were to play Elton, the singer himself was originally very keen on Justin Trousersnake until he met Taron Egerton. Besides there filming together in the Kingsman sequel Taron also did a lengthy version of ‘I’m Still standing’ in the hit cartoon animal film ‘Sing’ as a giant Gorilla! The film suggests that Elton Hercules John took his first name from a band mate and the last name from John Lennon, in fact, it was inspired by the other sixties singer Long John Baldry… He took the name Hercules from Steptoe And Son’s rag and bone cart horse.

    Further Viewing – Bohemian Rhapsody, A Star Is Born, The Greatest Showman, Mamma Mia’s 1 & 2, Moulin Rouge, Mary Poppins Returns (with a few more ‘fks’ here’), Les Mis, Walk the Line and all Elton’s movie appearances from Pinball Wizard in Tommy through to him co-starring with a certain sexy as fk suited and booted Taron Egerton in Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

    Any Good – Yes, if you are not an Elton fan (what’s wrong with you!) and YESSSS if you like the John Lewis ad botherer from Pinner like a true gay music aficionado. This is great fun and it flies by as you count the hits off and wait in anticipation for ‘Your Song’ the title track or ‘I’m Still Standing’. You will learn a lot about the great man and really enjoy his and Bernie’s company for two happy hours.

    There could even be a sequel in our view there are enough quality tunes that is for sure. In the meanwhile let’s have the soundtrack, the sing-a-long cinema and DVD version and most importantly the hit stage show as this is ready to go with or without Ben Elton’s interference. Of course we all have fave Elton John tracks that we would love to have seen included ours would be ‘Lucy in The Sky With Diamonds’, ‘Sacrifice’ and ‘Nikita’ but there are 25 hits to be going on with here including a brand new song over the end credits which is as good as anything he has done.

    A great night out at the movies with what feels like an old friend – kudos to all involved.

    FOUR STARS

     

    In Cinemas now

  • 6 cool ideas for Father’s Day

    6 cool ideas for Father’s Day

    Whether he’s a Clean Shaven Chap, Dapper Dad, Craft Beer Aficionado (we tried to make his trips to the local sound classy) or a Fair Weathered Fella. Here at The Gay UK, we’ve got you covered with everything you need for Father’s Day.

    image4you / Pixabay

    With just under a week to go, you better get shopping fellas!

    For the Clean Shaven Chap

    If your old man prefers to be all clean shaven and squeaky clean, then you can’t really go wrong with Bulldog’s Original Bamboo Razor (£8.00). Like their skincare products, this razor is a no-fuss and high-quality product. Ensuring your old man has that clean-shaven feeling, that he knows and loves all year round.

    Best of all, it’s great for the environment! With recycled packaging, un-chromed blades and a bamboo handle. It’s a gift you can feel great about giving. Pair it with their Original Shave Oil and an extra pack of their Original Steel Blades, if he’s been extra good this year. Nice and easy way to make Dad more eco-conscious!

    Available at: bulldogskincare.com

    For the Dapper Dad

    He may be getting older but he’s still a bit of a style icon, well at least to his mates down the pub. If your dad is more dapper than naff in the style department, we recommend getting him a staple with a difference. In come Happy Socks, the sock and underwear brand, that you’ve just got to love. We personally recommend one of the Father’s Day Gift boxes. Our personal favourite though is definitely the one below. At £29.95, we think it sums up our childhoods perfectly. Dad trying to teach us to play sports (he didn’t realise we were watching football for the boys), telling us off for doing what we personally thought was totally acceptable and showing him love. Make sure to grab these quick though, they’re selling out fast!

    Available at: happysocks.com

    For the Craft Beer Aficionado

    This is definitely one for the majority of our dads. The man who frequents his local and figures himself, a bit of a craft beer aficionado. Well, luckily Gosnells are on hand once again, to help push him in the right direction. Forget your IPA pops, it’s time to try the mead! Now all of their meads, are pretty much incredible but for this Father’s Day, we recommend getting him the Hopped Mead (£12.50) to try. Citrus, honey and hops, help create a new dimension to this London favourite and will surely make him a Mead Maestro in no time. Plus it’ll be easier for him to explain to his friends down the local after!

    Available at: gosnells.co.uk

    For the Fair Weathered Fella

    Now it’s safe to say dad has been through a lot in his life and he is becoming a bit of a fair weathered fella. So what better gift to give, than his youth back? Well at least in terms of his skin. Skincare for the older gentleman is a bit different, as our skincare needs change with age but the principles are the same. A good cleansing, treatment and moisturising routine, will undoubtedly knock years off his appearance in a matter of months. Now we’re not promising to work miracles here but if your dad is anything like mine, his skincare routine before involved bar soap and water. So we can’t do anything but improve it here.

    To make everything as simple as possible, we recommend The Ordinary for this one. Start with their Squalene Cleanser (£5.50) to gently cleanse the face, hit his skin up in the evening with their Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane (£11.90) to reduce signs of ageing without irritation and then lock all that goodness in with their Natural Moisturising Factors + HA (£4.90). Simple and he will be thanking you for years to come!

    Available at: theordinary.com

  • Botswana decriminalises gay sex

    Botswana decriminalises gay sex

    The High Court in Botswana strikes down discriminatory laws which effectively outlawed homosexuality.

    nancydowd / Pixabay

    Today’s High Court decision in Botswana to strike down antiquated laws criminalising consensual same-sex sexual conduct is a huge win for the human rights of LGBT people in the southern African country and beyond, says the Human Dignity Trust (HDT).

    In a broad and forward-thinking reading of the Botswana Constitution, the three-judge bench unanimously ruled that the criminalising laws were discriminatory against LGBT people and breached their rights to privacy, dignity and liberty.

    Embed from Getty Images

    “We heartily congratulate the Botswanan and southern African LGBT human rights defenders and lawyers who have worked tirelessly on this pivotal case. LGBT people in Botswana have had their constitutional rights confirmed today and can now be more hopeful of a future free from discrimination, harassment and violence,” said Téa Braun, Director of HDT.

    “This judgment, which comes less than three weeks after a deeply regressive decision on the same issue from the Kenya High Court, is legally sound, ground-breaking and courageous, and is a ray of hope for all those LGBT Africans looking to their legal systems for justice and fair treatment,” she added.

    Sections 164, 165 and 167 of Botswana’s British colonial-era Penal Code outlawed ‘carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature,’ attempts to commit carnal knowledge and acts of ‘gross indecency’ respectively. Those convicted under these laws faced jail sentences of up to seven years. Section 167 was updated in 1998 to apply to same-sex acts between women as well as men.

    A court case from 2003, in which it was argued that these sections of the Penal Code were unconstitutional, was dismissed by the Court of Appeal, so today’s victory is especially welcome as it aligns Botswana’s criminal domestic laws with both the country’s 1966 Constitution and international human rights law, says HDT.

    Botswana has shown increasing tolerance towards LGBT people in recent years.

    In 2016, the Court of Appeal sent a strong and progressive signal that LGBT people have the same human rights as everyone else in the country, whilst in 2018 the President said they are, ‘Just like other citizens (…) and deserve to have their rights protected.’

    The victory at the High Court today was notable given the generally hostile climate towards the human rights of LGBT people across Africa. Of the continent’s 53 countries, 32 continue to criminalise homosexuality.

  • GAY TRAVEL | Showing Pride in P-Town

    GAY TRAVEL | Showing Pride in P-Town

    MarkMartins / Pixabay

    By Joey Amato

    By now, most of you know I march to the beat of my own drummer, so when I decided to visit a summertime destination in the winter, people weren’t surprised. Cape Cod is known for attracting throngs of LGBTQ beach and party goers to its northmost tip, Provincetown. Having never been to P-Town, the locals found it surprising that I would visit during the winter when the town’s population is a fraction of what it is during the summer.

    My first stop on my Cape Cod journey was the town of Hyannis, located about mid-way up the cape. On the suggestion of a friend of mine, I booked a stay at the Sea Street Inn, a lovely 5-bedroom bed and breakfast located just blocks from the ocean and minutes away from the historic Kennedy Compound.

    The Sea Street Inn is not your typical B&B. Upon arrival, I was greeted by the proprietor Adrian and offered a lobster roll as a ‘welcome to the Cape’ gift. The property was designed by Adrian and his wife Xenia in 2018 and features a beautiful art gallery, sitting area and dining solarium where guests can enjoy breakfast or their morning coffee. Adrian is a classically trained French chef who studied under Jean-Georges Vongerichten, so the Sea Street Inn offers a dinner menu that rivals any 4-star restaurant. I had the opportunity to sample some of the best food in recent memory including a delectable smoked trout and brie dish in addition to a crab BLT.

    A short drive from the Sea Street Inn is the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum, a multimedia exhibit designed to highlight the days JFK spent on Cape Cod relaxing with family, entertaining world leaders and sailing on the ocean, one of his favourite hobbies.

    The Museum’s exhibits feature videos and photographs spanning the years 1934 to 1963. In addition to photography, an orientation video narrated by Walter Cronkite depicts the President’s experiences on the Cape.

    I decided to take an afternoon adventure to Nantucket on the high-speed ferry, which whisks you to the oasis in about an hour. Even in the winter, Nantucket is gorgeous. With limited time to explore the island, I wasted no time and headed straight to the Whaling Museum to view their Festival of Trees exhibition which transforms the museum into a festive winter wonderland for the entire month of December. The highlight of the museum is the Whale Hunt Gallery which explores all aspects of the demanding and dangerous trade of 18th-century whaling. Although I am against this trade, it was an important part of the area’s history. The centrepiece of the gallery is the skeleton of a 46-foot male sperm whale, which died on Siasconset beach on January 1, 1998.

    Nantucket is filled with wonderful boutiques and family-owned restaurants. I asked around and almost everyone on the island recommended I try the Lola Burger at Lola 41. It was probably the most expensive hamburger I have ever ordered at $22, but the perfectly cooked burger was served with Cabot Cheddar Cheese, a red onion compote, and foie sauce. One of my favourite things to do is pair a burger with a nice glass of Pinot Noir. It was the perfect way to end my journey before heading back to the mainland.

    About halfway between Hyannis and P-Town is The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, a small museum which also serves as a nature education centre which is worth visiting if you have some time to spare on your way up the cape. The museum offers guests a variety of programs, classes, lectures, panel discussions, and interactive exhibits that reveal the many facets of Cape Cod’s natural wonders.

    Driving into Provincetown for the first time was magical. I felt like I was exploring a small island town filled with narrow cobblestone streets, dozens of art galleries, quaint restaurants and of course LGBTQ establishments. The more time I spent in P-Town, the more I began to realise why people are in love with this destination. You feel like you’re in a gay oasis a million miles away from the rest of society and free to do whatever you want, without judgement. Even the straight community that visits the town is accepting of LGBTQ people and everyone is extremely welcoming and friendly.

    One of my first stops in P-Town was the Provincetown Art Association & Museum, a collective gallery exhibiting the works of local artists, many of whom identify as LGBTQ. One half of the space is dedicated to museum calibre works while the other half serves as a gallery space where people have the opportunity to purchase local art.

    There are many lodging options in P-Town, but I decided to stay at Land’s End Inn for its location at the tip of the peninsula. My room, which was called the Library Room, offered unobstructed views of both the sunrise and sunset and is located just a few minutes from Herring Cove Beach. Antique lovers will be in heaven at Land’s End Inn. Its décor is more traditional than I usually enjoy but lends nicely to the property’s rich history. In addition to complimentary breakfast, the Inn also offers a daily wine reception where you can mingle with other hotel guests.

    Surprisingly, 2018 was the first time Provincetown held a gay pride festival. I guess when the town is gay all the time, people didn’t find the need for one. This year’s festival is scheduled for May 31 through June 2. Last year’s festival featured a rainbow laser instillation, a disco dance party and a pride sashay/stroll.

    Bear Week will take place this July and is an annual gathering of…bears. It’s one of the largest and busiest theme weeks in Provincetown, attracting tens of thousands of men and hosting dozens of parties and shows. Another fun event is P-Town’s annual Carnival, which will take place on August 15-25 and celebrates the towns LGBTQ culture.

    To get the best view of the town, climb to the top of Pilgrim Monument which was constructed to honour the Pilgrims’ first landing in Provincetown. President Theodore Roosevelt laid the cornerstone in 1907 and the 252-foot tower was completed in 1910.

    The only thing I didn’t like about Provincetown was the cost of food. An inexpensive dinner can easily run about $30. I tried finding a few less expensive places to dine and stumbled upon Canteen. Try their homemade clam chowder, you won’t be disappointed. If you want something sweet, head to Purple Feather Café and indulge in one of their special desserts or famous white hot chocolate.

    During my stay, the gay bars were a bit slow, but this is something that I expected. Visiting in the winter helped me navigate the town easier than during the summer months and when I return, I’ll feel like a local. If you aren’t into crowds but still want to get a feel for the town, I would recommend visiting during shoulder season… May or October. Otherwise, be prepared for one non-stop party if you decide to visit this summer. I know I’ll be back!

    Enjoy the Journey!

     

  • COMMENT | The Pain of Pride Month

    COMMENT | The Pain of Pride Month

    This year is an important year for our LGBTQ+ community. It’s fifty years since the Stonewall riots this Pride Month, so this should be a June to celebrate more than ever.


    We’re only nine days in but we’ve already had many disgusting stories in the headlines where LGBTQ+ people have been targeted and hurt because of their sexuality or gender identity. We have had companies hiding behind rainbow branding, actively damage our community. At the time of writing, it’s the 9th of June and I have a handful of examples of high profile stories. This doesn’t count the small, unreported moments – the couples holding hands who get glared at, the LGBTQ+ people who are told by strangers (and even people they know) that “being gay isn’t normal,” and the ignorant, uneducated comments faced by LGBTQ+ people every single day.

    The main concern this Pride Month is that every single company seems to take on our rainbow flag in an attempt to “be cool,” but they don’t seem to think about what it actually means. The rainbow is more than just a flag. It flies as a visual representation of the beauty and diversity of our collective community/family. We wear it as a badge of honour in memory and respect of those who fought for us and paved the way for our equality. Now it is cheapened by this mass adoption every June by companies who tend to only bring it out for a few weeks a year and then forget it ever happened. If companies can’t respect our community or contribute to us in any way then they don’t deserve the right to use it to drive their own corporate gain.

    This year we have had the Home Office using the rainbow colours all over their social media while trying to deport Ken Macharia. Ken has lived here in the UK for a decade after escaping from Kenya where homosexuality is illegal and he could have been imprisoned (by law) or beaten or even murdered by anyone who took umbrage to him living his truth.

    Ken had been detained and threatened with deportation last November when it was ruled that he could live his life openly in Kenya despite the dangerous possibilities that actually faced him back there. He was allowed to go but was summoned to the Home Office on Thursday 6th June where he, once again, faced deportation. Thankfully, Ken was allowed to stay in the UK but he still isn’t completely safe and could still face deportation again at a later date.

    Youtube has been another company that have hurt LGBTQ+ people during a recent ongoing saga with Carlos Maza and Stephen Crowder. Maza is a writer for Vox, a left-wing news site while Crowder is an inflammatory, right-wing YouTuber who hosts “Louder with Crowder” on the video platform with an audience of millions.

    The story unfolded when Maza posted a thread on Twitter, exposing the abuse he had been facing from Crowder who had consistently called him vile names and made outrageous accusations about him for being gay and Latino for years. Maza rightfully called for YouTube to acknowledge the abuse and to do something about Crowder.

     

    YouTube wrote back a few days later with:

    “Our teams spent the last few days conducting an in-depth review of the videos flagged to us and while we found the language that was clearly hurtful, the videos as posted don’t violate our policies.”

    This decision sparked outrage and soon after, YouTube decided to reverse their position again and demonetise Crowder with a statement saying:

    “Update on our continued review. We have suspended this channel’s monetization. We came to this decision because a pattern of egregious actions has harmed the broader community and is against out Youtube Partner Program Policies.”

    Shockingly, it appears that Youtube may have been planning this for a while and Crowder’s demonetisation might not have even been anything to do with Maza’s tweets. Instead, with the announcement crossing over with the timing of this very public drama, Maza has ended up facing all the backlash and is suffering, even more, hate and harassment. Whatever YouTube’s reasoning – whether it was pre-determined or because of Maza and the backlash, their handling of events have made things much worse. Even high profile people like Grandpa Munster ahem I mean, Ted Cruz, have got involved: You can read more about this interesting take on events here.

    https://twitter.com/munroebergdorf/status/997060069480165376

    Most recently the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) had launched a campaign with trans-activist Munroe Bergdorf. On Wednesday 5th June, Bergdorf spoke out about her excitement to help play a part in an important role:

    “The wellbeing and empowerment of LGBTQIA+ identifying children is something that I have been passionate about throughout my career as an activist. I’m excited to have the opportunity to let more kinds know that they are not along in how they feel. There are people who care, people who can help and people who have been through the same things as you, so PLEASE don’t suffer in silence.”

    https://twitter.com/MunroeBergdorf/status/1136337166387355648

    However, soon after she spoke out about her involvement, anti-trans activists, including a Times journalist and other Twitter users became involved, accusing Bergdorf of being “dangerous,” a “porn model,” and they threatened to cancel their direct debits to the charity if they allowed their association with her to continue.

    Bergdorf replied that she has “never shot porn in [her] life,” and saying that “demonising those who do, isn’t okay either.” She had posed for Playboy in 2018 but the shoot was actually very tasteful and the images captured were strong, beautiful and empowering for Bergdorf who also spoke about her experiences as a trans woman in the accompanying article. Not a single one of those photos could be considered pornographic; in fact, they were more akin to the edgy fashion modelling one would expect from a fashion magazine.

    Despite this, the NSPCC has dropped Bergdorf’s campaign and turned their backs on her saying,

    “Munroe Bergdorf has supported the most recent phase of Childline’s campaign which aims to support children with LGBTQ+ concerns. Munroe has been referred to as a Childline Ambassador. At no point has she been an ambassador for the charity. She will have no ongoing relationship with Childline or the NSPCC. The NSPCC does not support, endorse of authorise any personal statements made by any celebrities who contribute to campaigns.”

    This sends a cold and dangerous message to the people this campaign is meant to help. By leaving Bergdorf behind and refusing to acknowledge her is cruel. How can LGBTQ+ children trust a charity who might treat them so nonchalantly? This is a cruel betrayal of not only Bergdorf but of the entire LGBTQ+ community. Especially the trans community who currently suffer the same kind of hatred through misinformation and lack of education that the gay community faced in the 80s. I spoke about this before in a previous article. You can read more about it here:

    The most heartbreaking part of this is that it comes at the same time Childline, which works closely with the NSPCC, confirmed that over the last twelve months they have dealt with over 6,000 counselling sessions with children and young people about LGBTQ+ issues.
    Birmingham Live revealed that almost 800 calls were made to the Birmingham branch of Childline and some children have even been told to “kill themselves” because of their sexuality. These are some of the loneliest, most desperate and vulnerable children and they are being failed.

    What kind of message does it send when in the news we see our very existence as a daily hot topic for debate. We are bombarded with people digging their noses into every inch of our lives, deciding whether we’re “appropriate” enough to exist or not. We see the protests in Birmingham  over LGBTQ+ inclusive education and are told by strangers online that we are “mentally ill,” that “we are not normal,” and that we are “disgusting.”

    Despite the fact that relationship education is becoming mandatory by law, and an injunction taken out which restricted parents protesting outside the schools, they still continue just outside the restriction zone. The protests led by Shakeel Afsar, who doesn’t even have children at the school, have recently been endorsed by Roger Godsif – Labour’s MP for Birmingham Hall Green.

    The protests were also defended by Shabana Mahmood back when they first started in March.

    On 30th May, a lesbian couple was brutally attacked on a bus by a gang of young men – aged between 15-18 – all because they wouldn’t kiss for their entertainment. This attack wasn’t just a homophobia based hate crime. It was a misogynist hate crime too, just because the two women didn’t want to “entertain” the young men. It’s a horrendous, heartbreaking story. Luckily the women involved have remained resilient and refuse to back down and be scared. The heroines have spoken out and intend to continue to live proudly and visibly.

    But that wasn’t the only hate crime this week. On Saturday 8th June, a performance of Rotterdam was cancelled due to some of the actors being victims of a hate crime. Rotterdam is a play about a young lesbian who is about to come out to her family in an email but before she can send it, her girlfriend tells her that she identifies as a male and wants to start living as a man. It’s about how they begin to navigate their relationship and love for each other. It’s a wonderful, modern story that deserves to be told and clearly has reason to be heard.

    Sadly, we can’t hide from the fact that our community are the target of so much hatred in the current political climate in which this extreme right-wing attitude is legitimised and even fuelled by people like Donald Trump with his transgender military ban and the proposal of bills that mean it’s legal to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people in the workplace, etc.

    In the UK, Brexit Party member, Ann Widdecombe, stated that it’s entirely possible that maybe one-day science will cure homosexuality and Tory Leadership candidate, Esther McVey stuck up for the parent’s protesting against LGBTQ+ inclusive education by saying “parent’s know what’s best for their children.”

    The Brexit Party did unexpectedly well at the recent EU elections and McVey stands a good chance of becoming our next PM.

    What does this say about the future? Nothing positive. That’s what. All that we can take away from this is that on this fiftieth anniversary of Stonewall, we must all adopt some Stonewall spirit and keep fighting. It is an undeniably terrifying and uncertain time to be LGBTQ+ but we must be brave enough to remain visible and dignified. We must live honestly, love openly and not let them silence us.

  • CAR REVIEW | Volvo S60/V60 R-Design

    CAR REVIEW | Volvo S60/V60 R-Design

    ★★★★ | Volvo S60/V60 R-Design

    R-Designed Volvo. How do you want it?

    What Have We Got

    Hot on the wheels of the recent Volvo resurgence in their 60 series of cars, V60, V60 Cross Country, R-Design estates, comes the much-anticipated saloon version.

    THEGAYUK were invited to try both models in R-Design trim, and, depending on your motoring needs, both were clear winners. One more than the other.

    Driving

    The all 250hp petrol engine option (no diesel) mated to an 8 speed automatic, work well. The drive is linear and it feels very fluid in its forward motion. 350Nm of torque come from a lowly 1800 to 4800rpm. And this fits in nicely with where the gearbox will try to keep the engine running. Go beyond it, and the good news is, you’ll still enjoy it. There is very little engine cacophony.

    The ride is silent and all composed. It’s a touch hard but fitting for the R-Designs purpose as a sporting drivers car. I rather liked it. It felt muted to road surface discrepancies that blight our roads. However, the S60 trumps the V60 when it comes to handling. The 30kg lighter and yet stiffer shell feels it. Saloon shell makes the car feel somewhat more surefooted.

    You could argue that the rear suspension might have been altered to compensate for what the V60 could be used for and I wouldn’t disagree with you. As a drivers car, the V60 is good, the S60 is better.

     

    Inside

    I’ll be honest, I’m not a big fan of the R-Design set up. When you get to try the others in the 60 range, you discover that dark interiors are not what you want. Everyone does dark, so when you get behind the wheel of a V60 Inscription with blond leather and wood, it feels special and fresh.

    That said, it is not like you are sitting in a rat infested dungeons with hard chairs and little enjoyment. The R-Design gives you bespoke bucket style seats. There is very little to complain about in the ergonomics and comfort. And a good job too because when you want to get the R-Designs shifting, they really grip onto you like a leather strapped chair in a BDSM dungeon.

    Living with it

    Style over function or the other way round? It’s a difficult one for me to suggest for you. As style goes, both body shapes ooze elegance not seen on a Volvo before. It’s a head turner. 

    It all comes down to what you, as a driver, want. Practical and it’s the V60 with its 529 to 1441 litres off luggage space over the saloons 442 litres. Well composed with a touch more sporting to take on the likes of that pesky Audi that loses you down that twisty road, and it’s the S60. 

    Neither will disappoint. They are easy to live with and they will fit your needs with a touch of premium class.

    Fast driving and they both do well, with the S60 doing it so much better. So much so that it really feels quicker to and more responsive. And to top it off, the smaller cabin design of the saloon really makes those Bowers and Wilkins speakers come alive.

    The Verdict

    For what it does, and if you want your saloon and estate to have the sporty potential that you crave, then these are for you.

    As for me, I might have been swayed by the R-Design. I’m getting old but I’m feeling kinky and used. I’ve been abused by the R-Design and I can’t say I didn’t LOVE IT!

    The Lowdown

    Car –  Volvo S60/V60 R-Design 

    Price (from) – S60 £37,935 / £40,210 (as tested)

    MPG – 35.3 – 39.8 / 34.0 – 39.7 (WLTP combined)

    Power – 250hp

    0-62mph –  6.5 / 6.7 seconds

    Top Speed –  145 mph

    Co2 – 155 / 157 (g/km)

  • 10 LGBT+ celebs who are totally sober and living their best life

    10 LGBT+ celebs who are totally sober and living their best life

    Not all celebrities need a drink to have a good time! In fact, many of them have sworn off the booze for good and are living their best lifes.

    Frankie Grande

    CREDIT: Channel 5/ Youtube

    US reality TV star Frankie Grande recently celebrated a year and a half sober. He took to Instagram to celebrate the amazing milestone and released a colourful artwork featuring a picture of him smiling and the words, “sexy, sassy and strong” added.

    He also took a moment to reach out to anyone who is struggling with depression or unmanageable or overwhelming feelings to offer the words of encouragment, that you don’t “have to drink and use over them…”

    Bradley Traynor

    If you’re outside the US, you might be more familar with Brad’s former alter ego, drag queen Wanda Wisdom, the first ever drag queen to host her own podcast. She made a big point at the start of every show to say that she was a “single, sober drag queen”. Nowadays, Brad is still sober, but works as a presenter on the radio, MyTalk 1071.

    RuPaul

    Speaking to THEGAYUK in 2014, RuPaul told us, “Well you know I’ve been sober for 14 years. I feel incredible. If you wanna lead a life on this planet there’s an evolution a story line, somethings get left behind. It’s like a rocket and a fuselage.

    “To launch a rocket into space you need to use the fuselage but at some point you leave Earth’s atmosphere and you don’t need that fuselage anymore and you realise its important to break it off, if you want to move further. My point is you have to be present enough to understand when it’s time to give certain things up, but you also need tools to know how to deal with being present, because sometimes being present is really f**ked up.

    “Sometimes you get really bored, sometimes you have a lot of pain, a lot of loneliness, but you need the tools to deal with that otherwise you’re gonna be in a lot of pain”

    Matthew Mitcham

    Matthew Mitcham
    CREDIT: Matthew Mitcham/Instagram

    The Aussie Olympian, Matthew Mitcham is sober and recently celebrated another year sober. He took to Instagram to say, “I also reached another recovery milestone, and I’ve never felt cleaner or serener”.

    Zachary Quinto

    (C) BIGSTOCK

    The actor Zachary Quinto has just celebrated 3 years of soberty on Instagram, writing, “III years sober today. i guess i wore the right jumper for the occasion. when i think about how far i’ve come and how much i’ve grown and how much more i love myself,” he wrote in the caption. “I’m really blown away. very far from perfect – but perfectly flawed. and working every day to honor and realize my full potential.

    “Three years ago i had lost a connection to gratitude almost entirely. today i am brimming with it. for this touchstone. for life’s abundance. for true friends. for support. for the sweet freedom of this journey. may it continue with compassion – curiosity – honesty and above all… LOVE.”

    Elton John

    © S Buckley Depositphotos

    Elton John‘s fight against drugs, drink and eating disorders started in 1990. The music legend was propelled to get sober 28 years ago in 1990 in the wake of seeing how the AIDS scourge inflicted itself on the community. The Fix quotes, “Within six months I became sober, and clean, and have been for the last (28) years.”

    Tyler The Creator

    Embed from Getty Images

    Tyler may rap about liquor and meds, but apparently he’s totally sober, he said, “Not to drugs, I never spark it.”

    Jake Hook

    Songwriter and editor of this very magazine Jake Hook has spoken about the benefits of being sober, including the monetary and well-being benefits. He became sober in the summer of 2014. Speaking about the night before coming sober he wrote, “…one night, when I was alone and I started to drink by myself and after the first half a bottle of Malibu, or whatever it was I was drinking, a thought popped into my head. ‘What am I doing and why am I doing this?’ I wasn’t happy and jolly, I wasn’t being the life and soul of any parties and I certainly wasn’t looking, feeling or acting the sexy beast that I know myself to be! Looking into the mirror, I saw how miserable I had actually become”.

    Kelly Osborne

    ©-s_bukley-Depositphotos

    Kelly Osbourne shared a passionate post on Instagram in August 2018 celebrating one year of restraint. She said, “This past year has been one of the hardest years of my life and I feel it’s time share that with you guys,

    “To cut a long story short things got really dark … The only way I knew how to function was to self medicate and go from project to project so I never had to focus on what was really going on with me.”

    Sia

    Embed from Getty Images

    In September 2018, the artist tweeted about being eight years without drink.

    “Eight years sober today,” she wrote on September 11, 2018. “I love you, keep going. You can do it.”

    During an appearance on The Late Late Show, the singer talked about her struggles. She said, “I was a singer already for like 10 or 11 years to mediocre success, and I was an alcoholic and a drug addict, and I sobered up and decided I didn’t want to be an artist any more,

    “I was starting to get a little bit famous and it was destabilizing in some ways…so I thought, ‘What doesn’t exist in pop music at the moment?’ and it was mystery.”

  • MOTORCYCLE REVIEW | Ducati Monster 797

    MOTORCYCLE REVIEW | Ducati Monster 797

    ★★★★ | Ducati Monster 797

    Ducati’s Monster has been credited as the genesis of the naked bike niche. The bike that started the street bike revolution.

    Ducati introduced the Monster in 1993, designed by Miguel Angel Galluzzi.

    Famed motorcycle designer, Glynn Kerr, described the Monster design as having “all it needs and no more.”

    With Monster sales eventually accounting for two-thirds or more of Ducati’s output, the bike became the company’s best selling and most profitable model line, essential to the company’s success.

    The Monster has gone down in folklore as the bike that saved Ducati. You simply can’t underestimate the significance of the Monster to Ducati.

    The Monster 797 is the most accessible Ducati with a starting price of just £7,995. This is often considered the entry point to Ducati ownership, the Ferrari of motorcycles.

    Of all the motorcycles I’ve ridden, I’ve never ridden a Ducati. Often admired, always revered, but never had the opportunity to experience it for myself.

    On the way to collect the Monster 797 press bike, I felt the weight of expectation bearing down on me. I was on my way to one of the most illustrious and celebrated motorcycle manufacturers of all time, to collect arguably one of the most significant models in their long and distinguished history, a Monster.

    Thumbing the start button brings the 73 bhp and the 803 cc 90 degree (L) twin-engine to life. Ducati L twins have a very distinctive sound and feel. They sit somewhere between a smooth Japanese V twin like the SV650 and the irregular, lumpy idle of a Harley. The Ducati has an uneasy but alluring murmur.

    Our press bike only had 250 miles under its belt when I collected it, so mechanically was still very tight. 1st gear engaged with a clunk and my journey began with a ride into the sunny, Northamptonshire afternoon.

    Bars are wide which help the bike turn very well. Immediately you feel at home with the little Monster. It’s such a pretty motorcycle, elegant and muscular, with those wide bars, sculpted, flowing tank, exquisite trellis frame, graceful seat unit and curvaceous double-sided swingarm.

    I found myself looking for reflections at every opportunity, just to see the Monster from someone else’s eyes.

    The heart of the Monster 797 is the 90-degree twin cylinder, 803cc air-cooled engine, with 2 desmodromically actuated valves per cylinder.

    Electronic fuel injection delivers its elixir through 50mm throttle bodies.

    Front forks are 43mm Kayaba USD non-adjustable units, complemented by a rear Sachs monoshock, adjustable for preload and rebound.

    Tyres are Pirelli Diablo Rosso II and worked very well in all conditions.

    Overall I thought the bike was fairly softly sprung, with a bit of dive on the front end under initial braking. This isn’t entirely fair though as I’m a 47-year-old overweight guy, not exactly representative of the typical Monster 797 owner.

    Front brakes are 320mm semi-floating discs with radially mounted, 4 piston Brembo Monobloc callipers. ABS is standard of course.

    The rear brake is a 245 mm disc with single piston calliper. Brake feel is excellent and the front Brembo’s are superb.

    Instrumentation is basic. There is no gear position indicator or fuel gauge. I missed the fuel gauge but the gear position indicator is more of a luxury that we have come to expect, rather than a necessity. Having no fuel gauge, I opted to refuel every 100 miles. The fuel tank capacity is 16.5 litres and after 100 miles of spirit riding, the fuel light wasn’t ever on, I was just being cautious.

    I’ve covered around 1,000 miles on the Monster 797 on all kind of roads from motorways to A roads, from sprawling urban streets too narrow, winding country lanes and everything in between.

    There are bikes that are better suited to long motorway journeys, but it handled them with ease.

    Where the little Ducati did excel was everywhere else. Wide bars, a nimble and refined chassis and that torquey engine make it a great urban bike. Cutting through the city streets with ease, carving through the winding country lanes and revelling in the flowing A roads, and all with an abundance of character and style.

    My lasting memory of the Monster 797 is how easy it is to ride. This is a very friendly and familiar bike but with passion and vigour.

    The clutch is easy to use, it’s has a seat height of just 805mm, it looks fantastic and is an ownership experience that offers more than most. Placing the keys of a Ducati on the table feels special.

    The Monster 797 is also available for those with a restricted licence, as a version with 35 kW of regulated power.

     

  • RuPaul’s Drag Race Look Back At The Finals and “RuPaul” the show is coming!!

    RuPaul’s Drag Race Look Back At The Finals and “RuPaul” the show is coming!!

    It’s been a week since the Drag Race Finals and all that came with it and on Monday the RuPaul show will start.

    What happened at the finals and what can we expect from Ru? We’ll talk about all this here.

    Well let’s first say: what a fabulous final!! One of the best in a while.

    While some finals dragged on as we waited for the crowning, this one was filled to the brim:
    Each top four queen had their own moment to talk, do a sketch and share the stage with Ru.

    There was music (Christina and the Queens performing “Cover Girl”), Queens from the past, Vanjie!! And Ru seemingly living her best life joking and glowing. A joy.

    Another highlight was Michelle Visage who got her deserved moment to talk about Breast Implant Illness Awareness. Michelle is such a big part of this show she should have a section each year. It would be great if she could perform one of the songs she has been doing on the road with the Rugirls one day.

    Then on to the lip-syncs: Silky vs Brooke Lynn, Yvie vs A’Keria: the right result in both cases. It was sad to see Silky so scared and seemingly already giving up before it all started. Apparently she had been suffering from a social media hate campaign that tarnished her confidence. Very sad.

    The big finale: Yvie vs Brooke Lynn. One of those historic lip-syncs we’ll be talking about in years to come. While Yvie was absolutely shining, and was the deserved winner, Brooke Lynn would have won every other year. Her “Reveal” coat, her dancing: stunning. But Yvie was unbeatable she drew everyone’s attention in her mirrored dress and majestic poses. She seemed already a star and the audience lapped her up.

    As the winner Yvie of course quickly released some music and a video that was absolutely on brand Yvie style!!

     

    Now it’s been a whole week without Drag Race but not without RuPaul. Mama Ru has been doing the chat show rounds promoting the Rupaul show. Her new daily live show, that is more than just TV.
    Watch one interview here:

    We might also see Michelle Visage back soon in the UK as our tiny diva is rumored to be signing on for Strictly!!

    But before that don’t forget: Drag Race UK is coming soon!! New Queens, new styles new accents! Are you excited? I am!!

    We’ll leave you with Ru talking about LGBT rights and Donald Trump on the View this week, because … Well, because!!

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