Julian is on his way home with his Nana when he spots some mermaids, or at least he thinks they’re mermaids. Just a mere glimpse of these joyous women and Julian’s imagination transforms him into a dazzling mermaid. At home, he puts on some make-up, styles his hair, and fashions himself a long mermaid tail. But what will Nana think when she sees him?
Julian is a Mermaid celebrates self-confidence and diversity in a plethora of ways, from gender stereotypes, to family dynamics and body types. Bursting with individuality and acceptance, Jessica Love has created a picture book glowing with so much beauty and wonder, it’ll mesmerise all those who read it.
Jessica Love is an illustrator and Broadway actress. She has a BA in studio art from the University of California, as well as a graduate degree from Juilliard. Julian Is A Mermaid is her first picture book. Find her online @jesslovedraws.
“I have no problem dressing up, I actually enjoy it. However, I worry that by dressing up as a huge gay icon on Pride as a straight male could be found offensive by the gay community.”
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Is it a sort of gay culture appropriation thing?
Honestly doll, don’t fret. Pride, in our humble opinion, is a day when you can be whoever you want to be. Just as long as you’re respectful to the whole meaning and purpose of pride.
This incredibly considerate straight-identifying man in the UK took time to write into a gay Reddit to find out whether the gay community would find it offensive if he dresses up as the late, great Freddie Mercury at Brighton pride.
He writes,
“To start this off, a friend of mine has been trying to convince me to go to Pride (in Brighton (UK) where I live) as Freddie Mercury for about 3/4 years now. It all started when I jokingly left my moustache when shaving and he said I was a spitting image of Mercury, minus the teeth.”
Fair enough go already… He continues
“I have no problem dressing up, I actually enjoy it.
Uh Huh… go on…
“However, I worry that by dressing up as a huge gay icon on Pride as a straight male could be found offensive by the gay community. I would never want to offend anyone in the gay community, and I have friends that are gay and I’d especially not want to offend them given my closeness to them. Would any of you find it offensive for a straight guy to dress up as Freddie Mercury at Pride?
“Thanks in advance”
So polite.
So what do you think? One responder on the forum wrote, “I don’t think it would be offensive, but I do think that Pride is a time for queer people to celebrate who they are and for allies to participate as a spectator. I would ask and have asked my allies attending to not dress up. Just my opinion, but i wouldn’t be offended if I saw you”.
Let’s not forget Rami Malek is playing Freddie Mercury in an upcoming biopic of the band Queen.
“Our support for same-sex couples to marry reflects Barnardo’s core belief that every person is different but equal and everyone’s unique worth should be recognised.”
Barnardo’s NI is throwing its support behind the campaign for civil marriage equality in Northern Ireland. It is the first children’s charity in Northern Ireland to publicly voice its support.
Barnardo’s is making the announcement to coincide with Belfast Pride’s Coming Out for Change Campaign.
As a UK-wide organisation Barnardo’s has in the past supported marriage equality campaigns in other areas of the UK and in the Republic of Ireland.
Director Barnardo’s NI Lynda Wilson said, “We work with many children, young people and families who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. Many of our workforce and volunteers as a reflection of society also identify as LGBTQ and we do not discriminate.”
“We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and believe marriage equality is an extension of that. As a children’s charity we want the children and families we support as well as our staff and volunteers to know that we will stand up for them and support them. We believe marriage equality should be a right for all regardless of sexual orientation.”
“Our support for same sex couples to marry reflects Barnardo’s core belief that every person is different but equal and everyone’s unique worth should be recognised. We work and live in a diverse and multi-cultural environment which Barnardo’s embraces and promotes.”
“Marriage equality legislation has been passed in the rest of the UK, the Republic of Ireland, across western Europe, the USA and Australia and we hope that Northern Ireland will soon follow, giving same sex couples the right and freedom to marry if they so wish.”
Marriage and Northern Ireland
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Gay marriage continues to be a contentious issue in Northern Ireland for its politicians, particularly the DUP. Despite same-sex marriage being legal in England, Wales and Scotland, Northern Ireland is the only nation within the UK that doesn’t allow its gay and lesbian couples to get married. Instead, gay couples are only permitted to have Civil Partnerships, which are legally different to marriages.
There is an old saying in theatre that “the show must go on” and nowhere is that old adage put more to the test than in The Play That Goes Wrong, a comedy of errors which collates every actor’s worst nightmare and throws them at the cast who are determined to carry on regardless.
Borrowing heavily from The Mousetrap, The Play That Goes Wrong is a scattergun comedy set around the fictitious Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, who is performing The Murder at Haversham Manor, a murder mystery set in the roaring twenties. Despite the best endeavours of the cast, nothing quite goes right for them, as scenery collapses, actors are knocked unconscious, props break and unprepared understudies stand in.
With a varied blend of visual gags, slapstick, farce, wordplay, one-liners, missed cues and a rather more animated corpse than one would expect, the gags come thick and fast; some hitting the bullseye and others missing the target; but the whole thing is so fast-paced, that there is always another gag heading your way imminently. Garnering some genuine laugh out loud moments, the show has a sensible one hour forty minute runtime meaning that even if a few of the gags begin to outstay their welcome, the show does not.
Whilst there is plenty of fun to be found and a lot of chuckles, guffaws and belly-laughs to be had, the ending of the show descends into a rather shouty and chaotic handful of closing scenes which, unfortunately, slightly takes the edge off of what has come before. But that said, the cast is delightful, in particular, Kazeem Tosin Amore; and there is some excellent split second comedic timing and plenty of physical dexterity on offer as the fictional cast try desperately to keep their faces straight, their upper lips stiff and prevent the performance collapsing into a catastrophe.
The Play That Goes Wrong is currently at Sheffield Theatres until the 4th August 2018 before continuing on its national tour.
The Cheesecake Factory allegedly served Milo Yiannopoulos this dish – that doesn’t look like it’s supposed to look like.
Controversial journalist and speaker, Milo Yiannopoulos shared a photo of food that was served to him in a restaurant in South Miami. The item, which is supposed to be topped with melted white cheddar cheese, looked as though it had actually been spat or ejaculated in. He commented the photo “I was just served this”. He tagged the photo from The Cheesecake Factory in South Miami.
The item he was served was supposed to be the Grilled Steak Tacos served with black beans and melted white cheddar cheese, according to the Cheesecake Factory.
The post has been “liked” nearly 13,400 times and attracted thousands of comments. One commenter wrote that Milo should report the outlet to the authorities as it is a felony to tamper with someone’s food. Other users have pushed for Milo to sue the food outlet.
I was just served this.
A post shared by MILO (@milo.yiannopoulos) on
Another user, savannahskyebruner, who works in the restaurant industry wrote, “As a full time food handler in the restaurant industry, I take pride in my work. Regardless of who I serve, it’s business as usual and always remains professional. This is absolutely vile and that/those employee(s) responsible should be fired”.
The Cheesecake Factory replied on Instagram saying “Thanks for dining at The Cheesecake Factory. We’re so pleased to hear from our manager that you enjoyed your Grilled Steak Tacos served with black beans and melted white cheddar cheese. Please DM us if you need anything else.”.
THEGAYUK.com has reached out to The Cheesecake Factory for comment.
Ferry operator, DFDS is flying the Rainbow Flag to celebrate Pride taking place in Holland this week.
Dated: 29/07/2018 The Pride rainbow flag being flown on board the DFDS King Seaways in North Shields, North Tyneside
In support of Gay Pride celebrations taking place in Holland this week, award-winning ferry operator DFDS joined in with festivities by flying the rainbow flag on its sailing from Newcastle to Amsterdam, yesterday afternoon.
Coinciding with the first weekend of Amsterdam’s Gay Pride, the flag which is measured at 5ft by 3ft was yesterday flown on the ferry operator’s King Seaways ship as it departed Newcastle for Amsterdam.
Princess Seaways mirrored celebrations on its sailing from Amsterdam to Newcastle and both flags will remain in place throughout the week, during which Amsterdam’s Gay Pride will continue until Sunday 5 August.
Tuen-Wim Leene, Newcastle-Amsterdam Route Director said: “Flying the rainbow flag is our way of showing support for the LGBTQ communities both in Amsterdam and of course here in the UK.
“With the peak summer travel season kicking off this weekend, we felt this was the perfect opportunity to encourage our passengers visiting Amsterdam, to join us in wishing those celebrating, a very happy Pride!”
DFDS operates daily sailings between Newcastle-Amsterdam from £72 per person each way for a car and two people, including an en suite cabin.
Dated: 29/07/2018 The Pride rainbow flag being flown on board the DFDS King Seaways in North Shields, North Tyneside by Kim Justesen F&B BL (left) and Captain Flemmimg Langballe (right)
During the crossing, passengers can enjoy new film screenings in one of the two on board cinemas, explore the extensive shopping facilities, relax in one of the four bars and enjoy live entertainment in the evenings. Children can enjoy the Kids Club and for older children there’s a games room.
DFDS recently refreshed its dining options on the route, with two new restaurants to choose from, including the Explorer’s Kitchen for international cuisine and the North Sea Bistro for à-la-carte fine dining and sommelier-trained waiters to help pick the perfect wine to accompany any meal.
For more information or to book a crossing visit: www.dfds.co.uk
The quest for the beach body doesn’t need to stop once you actually get to the beach.
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Once you’ve worked your butt off to get trim and sexy(er) for your beach body holiday, it can be tempting to ditch your workout routine the second you clear customs. I’m on holiday, forget the diet.
And while I wholeheartedly support that (you’ve worked hard, you deserve a break), should you wish to keep up even a small part of your regime whilst away, there are a few things you should pack that can help you.
1. Trainers
Duh, I hear you say. But let’s cover the obvious one first. Don’t assume you can do a worthwhile workout in flip-flops, or barefoot. Take a good pair of gym shoes with you for your workouts that could even double up for those long walks around through the city or mountain hikes that you may or may not be inclined to do while away. Pack them in a shoe locker to protect the rest of your bag from dirt and workout odour.
2. Extra headphones
I don’t think anyone goes anywhere these days without headphones (well apart from my mother who likes to eavesdrop on the plane). But if you’re looking to workout while abroad, pack an extra set specifically for working out. That way you always have a backup and don’t have to get your travelling headphones sweaty when you’re working out.
A fitness tracker is a great idea in order to assuage any holiday laziness guilt by keeping track of just how active you are while away. If you’re on a city break or any kind of excursion you could be racking up the steps and burning calories you wouldn’t normally burn sitting at your desk.
I love my Fitbit Flex 2 as the battery lasts for days and it’s fairly inconspicuous, or if you want something a little more detailed you could grab a Ticwatch S for just £177.99 and download maps and walking tours directly to your watch. Two birds, one stone. Check out our full review of the TicWatch S.
4. Resistance bands
Image source: Amazon.co.uk
Resistance bands are the ultimate on-the-go training tool, extremely portable and endlessly versatile, you can keep up your strength and flexibility training wherever you are in the world.
5. Therapy balls
Image source: Amazon.co.uk
Giggle, balls. Joking aside, a good pair of balls could be a lifesaver on your next trip, even if you don’t plan of working out. A compact alternative to a foam roller, therapy balls can help release tight shoulders, sore feet, or anything else that aches. They nix tightness and keep our muscles feeling good wherever we go.
6. Packable yoga mat
Image source: Amazon.co.uk
These are great even if you have no intention of doing a single sun salutation. The simple act of laying out your mat creates a specific workout space in your hotel room, and the constant visual will remind you that you could spend a few minutes working out or stretching or planking.
The eKO SuperLite Travel Mat from Manduka is lightweight, has great grip, and is designed to be folded, not rolled.
Despite it being over 100 years since Titanic slipped under the waves, the fascination with the ship and those on board hasn’t faded, as evidenced by the packed house of this revival of Moury Yeston’s musical. The story of the ships maiden voyage and, ultimately, its demise is told through a wealth of characters from all classes of passengers and from the crew on board.
The set, all sheet metal and rivets, towers above the audience instilling in them the impression of the sheer scale of the ship whilst a simple two-tier stage evoked an image of the decks and worked effectively. But from the off, the cast were on top form, as the magnificent ensemble belted out the opening numbers with such gusto that it reverberated in the chest, like the sounds of the engines of the great ship itself.
And therein lays the strength of this production. Its cast was outstanding, and whether singing alone, in small groups or as an ensemble, the whole thing was beautifully sung and more akin to an opera than a musical. The three leads Philip Rham, Simon Green and Greg Castiglioni bounced off each other nicely as the Captain, owner and designer of the ship, and Niall Sheeny impressed as the stoker Fred Barrett. Whilst the direction was fairly minimal, the cast switched between their multiple roles seamlessly, spilling out into the aisles on occasions to engage the audience; whilst on a technical level, the lighting and sound design, the costumes and the balance between actors voices and orchestra were all absolutely spot on.
Sadly, an overly long runtime, a handful of similar-sounding songs and a few too many story threads anchored down the first act to an extent, but the second act picked up the pace as the race to abandon ship took hold.
What comes out of the production is an underlying theme of love between the characters, from the newlyweds to the eloping couple to the elderly husband and wife, and it is this which packs the emotional punch and brings the human cost of the tragedy sharply into focus.
RuPaul is probably now one of the most famous drag queens in the world, all thanks to the show RuPaul’s Drag Race.
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RuPaul Andre Charles‘ rise to fame has taken several decades and although the entertainer had an early brush with fame in the 90s, when he appeared in numerous films, had his own talk show and released his debut single and album, it wasn’t until the juggernaut reality show, RuPaul’s Drag Race that Ru’s star truly rose to astronomical levels of fame.
RuPaul, is a drag queen, which means (although not always) he is a biological male who wears women’s clothes for entertainment. RuPaul has often asserted that he only dresses as a woman when he’s getting paid.
So RuPaul is not a transgender or biological woman. RuPaul identifies as a man but has spoken about using both male and female pronouns. In Ru’s autobiography, the entertainer wrote, “You can call me he. You can call me she. You can call me Regis and Kathie Lee; I don’t care! Just as long as you call me.”
“You can call me he. You can call me she. You can call me Regis and Kathie Lee; I don’t care! Just as long as you call me.”
He has, in the past, caused controversy with the trans community and faced a backlash because of a statement in which he said that he “probably’ wouldn’t allow a contestant who had “really transitioned” to take part in Drag Race.
He later doubled down on his statement on Twitter by saying, “You can take performance-enhancing drugs and still be an athlete, just not in the Olympics.”
The comment was met with a backlash. RuPaul later apologised on Twitter saying, “Each morning I pray to set aside everything I THINK I know, so I may have an open mind and a new experience. I understand and regret the hurt I have caused. The trans community are heroes of our shared LGBTQ movement. You are my teachers.
“In the 10 years we’ve been casting Drag Race, the only thing we’ve ever screened for is charisma uniqueness nerve and talent. And that will never change.”
Is RuPaul married?
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Yes, RuPaul got married in 2017 to his long-term partner Georges LeBar. Until their marriage, the pair had been together for over 20 years. Georges is a rancher who has a 50-acre ranch estate in Wyoming and South Dakota.
Speaking about how they met RuPaul said, “I met Georges on the dance floor at Limelight in New York City, the disco,”
“He was on the dance floor dancing like a manic. I had to go over and say, ‘What are you going through?’”
“And it’s also because he’s actually 6’7”, so he’s taller than I am — so of course I had to notice him.”
Win four travel size bottles of Durex lube from THEGAYSHOP.
All you have to do to win these four bottles of lube from TheGayShop is Retweet and follow THEGAYSHOP on Twitter. The prize consists of 4 50mls bottles of lube from Durex: Warming / Saucy Strawberry / Cheeky Cherry and Feel.
Competition terms:
Entry is free and done by Retweeting this tweet. Then the entrant must also follow THEGAYSHOP Twitter account here.
The winner will be drawn on the 13th August at 13:00 PM.
The winner will be chosen at random from the Retweeters of the original tweet on THEGAYUK Twitter feed. The chosen Retweeter must also be a follower of THEGAYSHOP. Any entries not following THEGAYSHOP will be disqualified.
Entrants must be over the age of 18 to enter and living in the UK.
There is no cash alternative.
Winner will be notified by Twitter from the official THEGAYUK Twitter account.
The acting legend, Sir Ian McKellen who was featured in our Twitter Powerlist for actors, was asked by CNN what he thought of Donald Trump and his legacy of being a TV star. Well, McKellen didn’t hold back and showed, some incredible insight into the President’s controversial use of Twitter.
Taking aim at the 45th President of the USA, McKellen said, “He’s so illiterate. He displays his inadequacies every time he opens his mouth, I’m afraid. And every time he tweets… Dictators and leaders have taken advantage of the mass media ever since it was available to them. Whether it was the radio, advertising, and now television or film. And he’s the master of the television, you have to grant him that… It seems to me, as an outsider, that what he enjoys most in life is not power, but fame.”
In the wide-ranging interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, actor Sir Ian McKellen discussed his activism in the LGBT community, his views of President Trump and being named for a knighthood by Margaret Thatcher – one of her last acts as Prime Minister.
McKellen tells Amanpour how he recalls being in Paris watching Margaret Thatcher’s resignation, when he received a call from Downing Street asking if he would accept a knighthood. After saying he would “think about it”, McKellen tells CNN that Thatcher appeared just moments afterwards, making the offer virtually one of her last acts as leader of the country.
Having previously backed anti-gay legislation such as Section 28, McKellen tells CNN that the offer of a knighthood was a significant gesture: “The world actually was changing, and [Thatcher] could not control it.”
McKellen speaks to Amanpour about the importance of coming out, something he did live on radio at the age of 49 in response to a question on Section 28. Now McKellen tours schools and universities to discuss coming out, telling CNN about some of his experiences and the future of LGBT rights.
Ahead of potentially his final Shakespearean performances in the West End, McKellen addresses comparisons made between President Trump and Richard III, alongside Trump’s use of social media on the world stage.
