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Italian designer Stefano Gabbana, one half of the iconic Dolce & Gabbana brand, said Sunday that he was tired of being labelled by his sexuality. “I don’t want to be called gay, because I’m simply a man… full stop,” the 55-year-old said in an interview with Italy’s Corriere della Sera daily. (more…)
Here’s 10 thing you probably didn’t know about Harry.
1) Harry Reid, Is He Gay? Despite receiving praise from the gay community on how he portrays Ben Mitchell in EastEnders, Harry Reid is straight in real life. Although it doesn’t look like he has a partner at the moment. He has spoken out that gay actors should be able to play straight roles and vice versa. Speaking about the issue of playing gay characters he said,
“I’ve had some great feedback from the gay community about how I play Ben.
“I’m a straight guy playing a gay role. There is no reason why it can’t work the other way around.
2) Old Blue Eyes: He has blue eyes and stands at 5 foot 10 inches.
3) Fruity? On his spotlight page, (it’s like a huge CV book for actors in the UK) Harry’s voice for voiceover work is described as “fruity”.
4) Educated: He studied at Arts University of Bournemouth and achieved a BA Honours in Acting in 2013.
5) Early Success: A short time after leaving uni Harry landed the role of Ben Mitchell on one of the most popular soaps in Britain. It was his first major role.
6) 90’s Boy: He was born in June, 1992
7) Footy Mad: He’s an avid football fan and supports Arsenal.
8) Ben’s Miserable To Play: He has said that playing Ben Mitchell has made him miserable causing him to suffer headaches. Harry revealed on Good Morning Britain:
“Ben is a very deep character. He has so many layers. He drains me. I come out of work with a headache because I spend the whole day being grumpy and miserable.
“There is a complex element to him, which makes him exciting to play.”
9) Gay Champion: Harry hit out at homophobes after his gay kisses on the soap revealing that he was “upset” when numerous users on Twitter shared their outrage at the man on man action. He shared a picture of Ronnie Kray and said,
“I only want to ask one question. Would you of called Ronnie Kray disgusting? #whatwouldronniesay [sic].
“Note: I’m not biting, it just needed pointing out;)”
10) Nude? Are we ever likely to see Harry naked? Unlikely but he hasn’t ruled out stripping off if the part he was playing required it for the role…
ALSO READ: 10 things you probably didn’t know about Ant and Dec
ALSO READ: 12 things you didn’t know about EastEnder’s Jonathan Partridge
*She doesn’t really care
Dear Aunty,
Since writing to you last Christmas for advice, about meeting my boyfriend’s parents for the first time, I find myself in an even more desperate situation and in need of your help again.
Last December 25th I was sat around my boyfriend’s parents’ table about to start our turkey dinner when, what I thought was my bf’s hand stroking my inner thigh, turned out to be his dad’s hand.
Last December 25th I was sat around my boyfriend’s parents’ table about to start our turkey dinner when, what I thought was my bf’s hand stroking my inner thigh, turned out to be his dad’s hand. I was startled and didn’t know what to do, so I picked up my phone pretending I had a call and made an excuse to leave straight away. I didn’t say anything to my boyfriend as I didn’t want to upset him. This year we’ve been invited back again… Should I tell my boyfriend about what happened last year, or should I make excuses and avoid going?
Thanks, Gary – Hull
Dearest Gary,
I’m sorry to hear you have a “problem”. Now, I say “problem” like this as I’m actually struggling to find what the “problem” is with having someone show you some unexpected attention. I’ve always found it a compliment. When I was a young glamorous star, at an Old Victorian Theatre, I always found XXXXXX XXXXX would often make me feel XXXXXX XXXXXX whilst sucking on a XXXX and his lemon sherbets.
Of course, I was glad, as it was a great opportunity to meet the others who’d come over from Hollywood that night. There was XXXXXXX, XXXX, XXXXXXX, oh and XXXXX. What a night that was. There was XXXXXX everywhere!
So, what am I trying to say? As a young chap, you should be grabbing all experiences in life. Sit, eat be merry and let the games commence. After all, no-one plays Scrabble anymore. It’s all Happy Families and you never know, your boyfriend may well be a seasoned game player and just trying to bring you into the festivities. Cheers, you lucky thing.
XXXX = (Edited for legal reasons)
Aunts
Aunty is an unlicensed, unqualified, drunken lush, who wants to hear from you, and you shouldn’t take any of her advice… Ever.
Officially home for Christmas! ?????
ain’t no happy holidays shit in my house MERRY CHRISTMAS MOTHERFUCKERS
Our Xmas decor is almost done!!! So beautiful
My browser crashed and I deleted all of my passwords and all of my history. So much porn lost to posterity. I doubt I have the wank-power to recover all the links again.
I have arthritis in my knees. Would have thought it should have struck the right wrist years ago and only a matter of time before my jaw starts clicking! If only I had insured against repetitive strain injury as a teenage rent boy.
Oh yes; back to my concentration. It is shot; which is more than can be said for me. That’s the problem – I need to ‘tug the junk to de-spunk’ and then normal service will be resumed.
The clues were there all of the time. I have Recon and Fabguys open beeping with a constant stream of messages that herald the arrival of another fetish scene or dick-pic. Alongside me, on the table, my phone is demanding my attention as I get notification sounds from Grindr.
OMG! That image has to have been photo-shopped. No, he really can go down that far on a traffic cone. Why would you do that? What chance would my tiny todger have to make an impression? Why did I open the 2nd image? Once the traffic cone is removed he has a bum hole like a chewed Orange, an old golf bag or a Wizards sleeve. That didn’t help at all, just left me with a flaccid member.
“Once the traffic cone is removed he has a bum hole like a chewed Orange, an old golf bag or a Wizards sleeve”.
Please, Headmaster put me out of my misery. I see you think I deserve a spanking. Well, of course, it might help, but we usually save those sorts of treats for a Sunday afternoon when the neighbour goes out for her afternoon walk. You know how the swish of the cane and my yelping in pain sets her miniature poodle off.
Ninety-nine change hands and; better mop that up with a tissue or two.
Now, where was I? Understanding thermonuclear gigawatt converters and their use in a DeLorean or Tardis for beginners…
Police say a man and his husband were homophobically attacked and told they were “not welcome”, just weeks before another violent attack on a gay man in the Walthamstow area of London.
The second attack in early November left a 31-year-old victim with a black eye, cuts and bruises.
In the first incident, the married couple were approached by a man who asked them if he could take a picture of them, and then asked if they were gay. When the couple started to walk away, the suspect then grabbed hold of the victim and said “you are not welcome” and grappled with him.
The victim was then pulled away by his husband before they walked away and called the police. The victim was not injured in this incident.
In the second incident on Saturday, 4 November, the victim, a 31-year-old man, was walking along Hoe Street, E17 with two friends.
They were approached by three men who were unknown to them. One of them punched the victim in the face and shouted homophobic abuse at him. The punch caused the victim to fall to the floor, and the attacker made off.
The victim suffered a black eye and cuts and bruises – he did not require hospital treatment
The victims, who were both left extremely shaken after the incidents, provided detailed descriptions of the attacker from which the two e-fits were produced.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan police said, “Based on these descriptions and the locations where the assaults happened, officers have not ruled out the possibility that the attacks may well have been carried out by the same man.
“Any witnesses or anyone with any information is asked to call Waltham Forest police on 101 or contact via Twitter @MetCC.
“To give information anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org”.
Dalston is a hive of Kabob shops, loud bars and clubs, and lots and lots of Turkish supermarkets. But a bit further north in Stoke Newington is a place that stands out on Stoke Newington High Street just down the road from the local Wetherspoons – it’s Victory Mansion.
Victory Mansion is both a restaurant and a bar and is doing things a bit different, delicious and decadent, than most, if not all, of the places on this side of town.
Victory Mansion, named after a mansion block that used to be on this site, is a restaurant/bar that intertwines its food and drinks with literature to create an amazing and memorable experience.
Victory Mansion, first off, has an absolutely amazing cocktail menu that’s practically scientific in its design. There’s an amazing array of drinks, drinks that are named after characters in famous books. There’s the Holden Caulfield (Catcher in the Rye), a drink includes Aylesbury duck vodka, lillet rose, raspberry, apple and soda and the Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird) which has Wild turkey bourbon, plum sake, lychee, lime, chilli & peach bitters and ginger, among many others. We had a few of the others – one was the Patrick Bateman (American Psycho) which was a superbly delicious blend of Calle 23 tequila, banana and chocolate wine – it needs to be tasted to be believed! If you like it sweet, and who doesn’t, then please try the Henry Chinaski (the literary alter ego of Charles Bukowski) which was blended with Plantation pineapple rum, cognac, limoncello and pineapple sugar – it’s so sweet and so good. Victory Mansion’s cocktail menu is like a book, and I recommend you read it from cover and cover and sample as many as you can. It’s is an absolute standout menu.
But it’s not just the drinks where Victory Mansion is king, it’s their new Ta-Ko menu, introduced a month ago, that’s also a standout.
There are so so many choices of tacos (or as they would like to call them Ta-Ko) that you’ll be spoiled for choice. I highly recommend their Crispy Cauliflower, black bean & tamarind ragu with avocado and pepper mayo. It’s crunchy and is absolutely delicious. The charred sprouting broccoli & spring onion is also a standout – it sits in a nice dollop of salted duck egg relish for a creamy delight. Both the Nahm jim chicken and the Palm Sugar glazed beef short rib are deliciously filled – the chicken with pickles, crispy onions and mayo – and the short rib with pickled watermelon and blackberry sriracha, which were a burst of flavours in the mouth. All their Asian-inspired tacos are so good they really need to be tried. And while they are not Mexican-style (i.e. large) tacos, if you order several of them they will quickly fill you up. Each flavour comes with two tacos – so perfect for sharing for two so that you both are able to try each one. Other tacos that we didn’t get to try, but no doubt probably just as delicious as the ones we had include tacos with Blackened river trout, torched seabream, red pepper pork neck as well as one with fermented yellow bean leas, halloumi, sweet potato and mustard relish – it’s one I would definitely go back for. As a matter of fact, I would go back to Victory Mansion for pretty much the entire experience again. My dining companion and I enjoyed everything so so much, we want to go back again, and next time bring more friends. It’s just that kind of place, warm, hip but not trying to be, knowledgeable and very friendly staff, it just ticks all the boxes. Even the prices – those amazing cocktails previously mentioned go for between £8 to £10 each, and the Ta-Ko’s range in price from £3.50 to £4 and their absolute must sides (Asian cole slaw, charred corn, shredded beetroot, and MSG fries – basically Nori friend potatoes that are a must), all go for between £3 to £4 each. So there you go, all the above are reasons why you should go to Victory Mansion – what are you waiting for?
Victory Mansion does a 2 for 1 – 12 pm to 5 pm Saturday and Sunday Brunch where you get brunch Ta-Ko’s and £5 brunch cocktails.
There is also a basement that is perfect for private birthdays or dinner parties, for 30 – 70 guests.
18 Stoke Newington High Street
London N16 7PL
https://www.victorymansion.co.uk
Closed Mondays
Bar
Tuesday – Thursday
5 pm – 1 am
Friday
5 pm – 2 am
Saturday
Noon – 2 am
Restaurant
Tuesday – Friday
6 pm – 11 pm
Saturday and Sunday
12 pm – 5 pm
6 pm – 11 pm
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Fierce is an understatement as Mary Portas & Melanie Rickey’s son, Horatio posed for the camera, in a pair of incredible Robert Wun heels. Striking a pose that even Nioami Campbell would be proud of, Mary remarked, “When the 5 year old slips into your hot new boots by @robertwun and rocks it.”
Horatio who is just five, wore the boots which can retail at over £1000 and looked confident and well, let’s face it, sassy AF. He’s the son of retail consultant and TV presenter Mary Portas and her wife, Melanie.
Bravo!!
Two Conservative MPs have blasted a move by the NHS in Lancashire, in which a non-mandatory questionnaire was sent to year six pupils asking what they felt about their gender.
MP Tim Loughton, who was the Children’s Minister until 2012, blasted the questionnaire saying that questioning children’s thoughts on their own gender identity was “unsettling” and “deeply destabilising”.
In the survey, pupils were asked if “feel the same inside” as the gender they were assigned a birth – and then asked whether they considered themselves a boy, girl or other options.
Loughton, according to TheyWorkForYou.com has a long history in voting against LGBT+ equality ranging back to 1998.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph about the survey, Loughton said,
“At a time when children are growing up and having to deal with all sorts of challenges of the modern world, now they are being asked to confront their gender, which for many will be unsettling.
“Forcing children to question whether they are the right gender so early on can be deeply destabilising.”
THEGAYUK.com reached out to Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust to asked whether the questionnaire in question was forced onto children. A spokesperson responded, “The questionnaire was given out to as part of the Universal School Health Needs programme to assess the health and wellbeing needs of children and young people. Questionnaires are provided at Reception / Year 1, Year 6 and Year 9, and are developed according to reflect the needs of children within these age ranges. Completion of this questionnaire is optional”.
Fellow Conservative MP, Jacob Rees Mogg also criticised the survey saying,
“It is quite intrusive – these are private matters in a family. The problem with this approach is not just with the question but with the intrusive survey that invades people’s privacy and assumes the state has a role in a matter that actually belongs within the family.
“These questions are not likely to be helpful. The child is too young – if they have these sorts of issues, the parents are the right ones to discuss it with, not a state survey.”
Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed to THEGAYUK.com that the gender question is under review for future surveys. In a statement they said,
“We are constantly reviewing how to capture sensitive information in relation to the needs of children and young people both through universal screening and more targeted approaches. All questions are in the process of being reviewed as we are moving towards a digital platform instead of the current paper based system.
“We are working with our commissioners, Lancashire County Council, to develop this and there is agreement that more consultation is needed on questions about gender and other sensitive health issues in the assessment.”
The Wizard of Oz needs very little introduction, and has been embraced by the gay community for many years – after all, with anything that is the source of the phrase “friend of Dorothy”, you can expect high camp and an iconic gay status.
The four main leads fill their characters with charm, in particular Max Parker as the Tinman, who brings a great singing voice and some nifty robotic steps to the stage. Andrew Langtree’s scarecrow is wonderfully reminiscent of a rag doll and Jonathan Broadbent’s Lion adds much of the comedic element. Gabrielle Brooks portrays Dorothy with innocence and wide-eyed wonder, although she did sometimes get a little lost amongst her more boisterous on stage travelling companions. But the real testament to her performance was her beautifully sung version of Over the Rainbow, with Brooks nailing the iconic moment with ease. Toto was portrayed by both a scene stealing puppy in Kansas and as a brilliantly performed puppet skilfully (and convincingly) operated by Rhiannon Wallace in Oz, helping to establish that the girl in gingham certainly wasn’t in Kansas anymore.
The production as a whole is beautifully done, in particular, Janet Bird’s set design is ingenious, and the transformation from Kansas to Oz is an unexpected delight. The stage is illuminated underfoot to form the yellow brick road, and everything from a large multi-purpose ensemble to puppetry to practical effects are used to great effect to bring the Land of Oz to life. Add to that a lighting design which is colourful, vivid and incredibly well thought out and some stunning costumes and you have a production which is a visual treat.
The majority of issues with the Wizard of Oz are primarily down to the book, rather than this production. The show itself takes a while to hit its stride, but then, so did the film; and once Dorothy starts to meet her travelling companions, the momentum starts to build, yielding to a much better second act. There were times when the show encroached into pantomime territory on occasions and the Wicked Witch was not particularly menacing, although this was more likely due to being toned down for a family audience rather than Catrin Aaron’s performance or ability. For a musical, the show is also relatively light on musical numbers, with only a handful of songs, but director Robert Hastie makes the most of them, especially in the rather jaunty opening to the second act.
With its high camp value and its snappy presentation, Sheffield Theatre’s production is light, airy and so colourful that rather than being taken over the rainbow, you are placed slap bang in the middle of it.
The Wizard of Oz plays at Sheffield Theatres until 20th January 2018, alongside their pantomime, Mother Goose playing until 7th January 2018 and their interactive production Rent Party until 23rd December 2017. Visit www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk for details and tickets.