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  • Christian dating site just used this iconic Drag Race queen for their adverts – and she didn’t know

    Christian Dating site, ChristianMingle.com just used a famous DragRace star…

    Christian dating site just used this iconic Drag Race queen and she's not happy

    US TV favourite, Kelly Mantle has found herself the star of an online advertising campaign and she had no idea. The dating site, which is primarily targetted at US Christians and boasts that it’s “responsible for more Christian marriages than all other dating sites”, used a stock photo of the TV star, to which she said, “Umm why is ChristianMingle.com using a pic of me in their promo ads??”

    Kelly Mantle appeared in the sixth series of RuPaul’s Drag Race, however, she was an already known TV star before the show having starred in The New Normal, Mike & Molly and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

    ChristianMingle.com is owned by Spark Networks, a dating conglomerate, which owns a number of brands including JDate, BlackSingles, College Love and Adventist Singles.

    THEGAYUK.com reached out to ChristianMingle.com for comment.

     

  • Man who survived Manchester bombing was caught up in Barcelona terrorist attack

    A man who survived the terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena earlier this year, has escaped the devasting attack in Barcelona with his boyfriend.

    Chris Pawley, 30 and his partner, Corey Lorde – survived the terrorist attack in Barcelona which has killed at least 13 and injured dozens more. The couple arrived at the scene just moments after a white van ploughed through the popular tourist area.

    The pair had been visiting Barcelona for the annual Circuit Festival, one of the world’s biggest gay festivals.

    The event manager, who lives in Manchester City centre also uploaded footage of the aftermath of the terrorist attack on his Facebook account.

    Taking to social media the Manchester resident said,

    “Can’t believe we are in the same place as another terrorist attack! Hope everyone is ok in Barcelona!”

    “Just to let everyone know me and Corey are ok, gettin a lot of messages. It’s crazy here, the shops have put all there shutters down and the army is out but hope everyone is ok who’s been injured!”

    Mr Pawley was also caught up in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack which killed 22 people. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, he said that he had walked past Martyn Hett just moments before the suicide bomber detonated his explosives.

    The Circuit Festival issued a statement via social media, saying that the party would not continue in “respect and solidarity with the victims”.

  • Michael Barrymore entitled to “substantial” payout from police over wrongful arrest

    Michael Barrymore’s legal battle against Essex police has resulted in the entertainer set to get a substantial payout for the wrongful arrest over the death of a man in his home in 2001.

    A High Court judge has ruled that the Michael Barrymore was entitled to “more than nominal” damages over the manner in which he was treated by the police.

    The star was detained in 2007 over the death of a man at his home in 2001.

    Stuart Lubbock, 31 was found dead at the star’s Essex home in March 2001. In June 2001 Police arrested Barrymore, his partner and another man in connection to Lubbock’s death but no charges were brought forward. The same three men were arrested again in 2007 but the case was dropped again after three months. No one was charged.

    Essex Police has admitted the arrest was unlawful and that the arresting officer did not have reasonable grounds to suspect that Mr Barrymore was guilty.

    In 2009 the IPCC found multiple failings with the original police investigation.

    Mr Barrymore’s legal team, who brought the action under Mr Barrymore’s real name, Michael Ciaran Parker, argued that the entertainer suffered “devastating” damage to his reputation following on from the investigation. There are some suggestions that the value of the payout could be over £2.4 million.

    Mr Barrymore’s lawyer  Hugh Tomlinson QC said,

    “This arrest was made without any proper evidential foundation.

    “However, the fact that it had happened, and the worldwide publicity it received, destroyed the claimant’s career.”

  • COMMENT | What about straight victims of homophobia?

    Why is it so often the case that the struggle for equality can feel like one step forward and three back?

    In the UK, equalities minister Justine Greening has announced plans to allow trans people to change their gender more easily, with less intrusive medical assessments, as part of a welcome shake up of equalities legislation. It’ll also be easier for gay men to give blood. This is good news, and updates to the Gender Recognition Act have to be welcomed.

    On the other side of the Atlantic, our American friends have taken a few steps back, after President Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military, proving that pointless and nasty political tokenism is alive and well in the west. In-keeping with Trump’s consistency as a president thus far, the legislation is poorly thought-through, with no obvious route to implementation. Hopefully, it will be quickly struck down.We can’t afford to be sanguine about gay rights in the UK, and although most of us agree there is still some way to go, there are areas of disagreement over what to prioritise in moving towards equality. Because of my own experiences, one area I am passionate about is addressing the reality that homophobia affects more than just gay people. Bear with me on this if it’s not something you’ve previously considered. It’s great and right that we can report homophobic abuse to the police and have it taken very seriously (speaking from experience), but the story doesn’t begin and end there. Homophobia isn’t self-contained.

    “…My parents received an ultimatum from one of my siblings:

    boycott the wedding and disown me,

    or have their grandchildren removed from their lives.

    When my husband and I announced our engagement and intention to marry, my parents received an ultimatum from one of my siblings: boycott the wedding and disown me, or have their grandchildren removed from their lives. My parents attended my wedding and are no longer a part of those grandchildren’s lives. Yet my father’s thriving business was taken over by his homophobic child, and their wedding and a deposit for their first home was lovingly paid for out of my parents’ pockets. Prior to my husband and me tying the knot, my parents played a full and active role in that child’s life, and even more so once the grandchildren arrived, who adored their grandparents.

    At first, they tried mediation. Their requests were ignored. They were so desperate to be reunited with their grandchildren that they used their life savings and pursued their last legal option, taking their case to the family courts. There, they found that the organisation Cafcass (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) doesn’t take matters like homophobia into account in assessing what is best for children. As long as children are being looked after at home, then matters like their parents’ homophobic views and actions hold no weight. Similarly, grandparents have few, if any, access rights to their grandchildren. Most cases like this are as a result of acrimonious divorce, and grandparents on one side or the other invariably lose. Ultimately, in this instance, the judge repeatedly commented that she considered it a profoundly sad case and was aware of the gross injustice my parents were fighting, but was powerless even under these circumstances, with homophobic motivations on the other side, to grant my parents direct access, offering indirect access instead.

    Believe it or not, the consolation prize was a better outcome than my parents had been briefed to expect. A different judge may have dismissed it outright.

    Parents get to decide who can and cannot see their children, and bring them up in a homophobic household if they wish.

    One major concern here though: what if a child in such a household is gay? There is a reason suicide rates in gay people is higher than average, and family hostility almost always plays a major part in such tragic cases.

    It is clear to me that my parents are the victims of homophobia which has, in their old age, destroyed their happiness. They have reached the end of the road and now have to accept the outcome. This strikes me as a grievous wrong, and I hope many readers feel the same.

    So what of the indirect victims of homophobia? I would be interested to hear others’ views, especially if anyone has known a remotely comparable situation. Whilst the homophobia my husband and I have suffered from within my family has been hurtful, it has been easy, painless and for the best to simply sever contact with the sources.

    My parents’ suffering goes on. They are the real victims of homophobia here, not me.

    For fear of further reprisals, the author wishes to remain anonymous, but please post your comments below.

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • Pride In London needs to be more bi-focused report finds

    The Pride In London(PIL) advisory board has made a recommendation that London’s pride should focus more on bisexual people, including making the next pride’s theme Bisexuality.

    A report from the PIL’s Independent Community Advisory Board has suggested that future prides need to focus on the bisexual, BAME and other marginalised groups.

    The report made several recommendations that PIL needed to ingrate BAME (Black Asian and minority ethnic) LGBT+ people in all areas of pride, not just at UK Black Pride – which is a separate event that takes place on the Sunday after the main event on the Saturday.

    Their suggestion is:

    “Full involvement and integration of BAME LGBT+ people into Pride in London is essential to achieve a cohesive and inclusive event, and recommends that the best way to achieve this is to support and resource UK Black Pride, and ensure that BAME LGBT+ people are represented not just at Pride in the Park, but on all stages and in all Pride events”.

    The report also suggested that more marginalised groups, should be given “pride of place” at the parade. The report also suggested that PIL should follow the example of Tel Aviv Pride, where the theme for the year was bisexuality.

    The report reads,

    “Pride in London should follow the example of Tel Aviv Pride this year, by making bi people the central focus of the Pride Parade in 2018 or 2019, which would require full engagement of bi people and groups in both planning and execution. Going forward, it may be appropriate that each year, one of the more marginalised sections of London’s LGBT communities – for example, BAME, bi, trans, and intersex people – should, on rotation, be given pride of the place in the Parade”.

    This year’s theme for Pride In London was Love Happens Here.

    The board’s Chair, Adrian Hyyrylainen-Trett said,

    “After each Pride in London, the Independent Community Advisory Board sit down to discuss if this year’s event has achieved its objectives. When I took over as Chair in February 2016, I made diversity and intersectionality my priority.

    “We have asked members of LGBT+ communities, both individuals and respected third party organisations, to give us their view in writing so we have evidence and documentation to back up our assertions.

    “For every criticism in the report, and there are many, we have suggested a reasonable and practical  solution, and where we think further transparency and openness is required, we have asked to see those conversations brought to the CAB well in advance of any decision.

    “We also felt that there has been significant disquiet across the LGBT+ communities, around Pride’s corporate nature, lack of inclusion, bad handling of sensitive intersectionality issues and it felt that we needed to live up to the expectations of the role and that is providing a frank but honest report on the experiences not only from CAB members but also opinions across our communities.”

    THEGAYUK reached out to Pride In London for comment.

     

     

  • Spotify has removed tracks from known White Supremacists

    Music giant Spotify has removed music from artists known as white supremacists.

    In a statement, a spokeswoman for the world’s biggest streaming service explained that “illegal content or material that favours hatred or incites violence against race, religion, sexuality or the like is not tolerated by us.”

    BRAVO.

    The removal comes on the back of a post by  Digital Music News titled “I Just Found 37 White Supremacist Hate Bands on Spotify.”

    “Spotify takes immediate action to remove any such material as soon as it has been brought to our attention,

    “We are glad to have been alerted to this content — and have already removed many of the bands identified today, whilst urgently reviewing the remainder.” Per Billboard, Spotify is “also reviewing the possibility of blocking this type of content from future music recommendations.”

     

  • THE UNDATEABLE GAY | Goes To India

    PART ONE

    I remember exactly where I was when my best friend, Tullene phoned me and told me she wanted me to accompany her to India. I was happily minding my own business outside M&S in Barnes, the quiet leafy suburb of London. Well, it was quiet until I got this phone call. I mean, I screamed in shock. India has never been on my travel map wish list.

    My instant answer was no. I’d heard horror stories about the dreaded Delhi belly. And as an IBS sufferer, I didn’t quite think this was the ideal holiday destination for one who already has a weak stomach constitution. And secondly, being gay in India is illegal so that thought made me sh*t my little gay IBS pants.

    But as everyone who knows me would say, I am spontaneous and like to grab life by the balls (pun intended). I gave Tullene a very big yes answer. You only live once. I should go, even at the risk of getting the shits and being arrested for being a sausage smuggler.

    And I am quite partial to an Indian. And I’m not just talking about a curry.

    As we boarded our Virgin Dreamliner (only the best darlings), I checked I had all my drug supplies. My friends often call me a pharmacy. I have a pill for every occasion or eventuality. I checked each one off. Paracetamol. Pepto Bismol. Immodium. Mosquito repellent. Multibionta. Dioralyte. Anti-sickness pills. Lucozade.

    Our Dreamliner touched down and my stomach was turning quicker than a washing machine’s spin cycle. It was my first trip abroad where I was genuinely nervous. We stepped outside the airport doors and we breathed in the air. And soon wished we hadn’t. The air down a sewer would have been fresher.

    As we waited for our taxi, a man picked up our luggage. Oh, how friendly. Helping us like this. He put them on top of the taxi for us and our driver strapped them to the roof. With a piece of rope that I could have used as dental floss. I took a deep breath (forgetting about the lack of fresh air) and prayed our luggage would make it.

    Now, for anyone who’s not ventured to India. Let me give you some advice. Don’t be fooled by these lovely men who help you with your luggage. Because as I went to shut the taxi door, the fake porter grabbed the door and start demanding money. I tell you, it’s lucky I’ve built up the muscles in my wrists over the years. As it meant, I won the battle of the taxi door, managed to pull it shut and told the driver to pedal it!

    Does anyone else love the taxi drive from the airport to your hotel? I love the opportunity to take in the sights. Little did we realise the driving standards and speed of India. It’s impossible to take in the sights. I’m telling you now, people swerve in and out of traffic, beeping their horns. Tullene and I held on for dear life and the only sight I managed to take in was Tullene’s armpit.

    I’d never been so happy to see a red traffic light in my life, as it meant we had a little respite from the lunacy of the roads. That was until a Hijra woman stuck her hand through the taxi window, begging for money.

    Anyone who knows me and Tullene will know our habit of laughing when we get nervous or scared. Which was exactly our reaction to this predicament. Obviously, she thought we were mocking her and reached for my spiky hair which she managed to grip. Well, that sure stopped us laughing…

    TO BE CONTINUED…

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • Gay men just aren’t using condoms… new research finds

    New research by GMFA has shown that the majority of gay men asked didn’t use condoms the last time they had sex.

    Gay men just aren't using condoms... new research finds

    A new report from GMFA has revealed that gay and bisexual men aren’t using condoms when they have sex. Sixty-five percent of those surveyed said that they didn’t use a condom the last time they had anal sex. Eight percent who had bareback sex were on PrEP.

    “The results of the survey has shown that sex is complicated and there is no one size fits all safer sex strategy,” says Ian Howley, Chief Executive of GMFA. “First we need to define what is risky sex in this day and age.”

    “Safer sex in 2017 is more complicated than it was twenty years ago when your only options were condoms or abstinence as a way to protect yourself from HIV and STIs. The advancement of treatment, the fact that gay men who are on HIV treatment and have an undetectable viral load so can’t pass on HIV, added to the increased number of gay men who are taking PrEP, means that gone are the days when sexual health education was just about telling people to use condoms. We now must do more to increase gay men’s knowledge about all the options open to them.”

    “Of course condoms still play an important role in preventing other STIs and should still be a major part of a safer sex strategy, however, it’s not a one size fits all approach anymore. We need to meet gay men where they are in their lives. We need to keep on pushing the message that there is more than one safer sex strategy. We need to increase people’s knowledge about PEP, PrEP and what HIV-undetectable actually means in the real world.”

    Just what is “risky sex” in 2017?

    PrEP and successful HIV treatment has changed the landscape of what it means to have ‘risky’ sex, particularly when it comes to HIV. FS surveyed 523 gay and bi men and asked them about the last time they had sex, what type of sex it was, when they were last tested and what risky sex means to them.

    They discovered,

    • 65% of respondents said that they didn’t use condoms the last time they had anal sex.
    • 32% of those respondents said it was bareback but they knew the other guy was HIV-negative
    • 14% of them said it was bareback but one or both were HIV-undetectable
    • 11% said it was bareback but didn’t think about or worry about the risk.
    • 8% said it was bareback but one or both were on PrEP.
    • 27% of total respondents consider themselves to have a risky sex life

    Ian Howley goes on to say,

    “We at GMFA recommend the following. If you are someone who is comfortable using condoms then keep on doing that. It’s the best strategy that helps prevent HIV and STIs. If you are someone who is HIV-negative and has condomless sex then we would recommend that you get yourself on PrEP. It won’t stop STIs but it’s been proven to stop people becoming HIV-positive. Also check out PEP. It can help if you’ve put yourself at risk.

    “If you are living with HIV and undetectable then keep on taking your medication. HIV-positive men who are undetectable cannot pass on the virus to anyone. If you are living with HIV and are not undetectable yet then we suggest you still use condoms with HIV-negative men, unless they are on PrEP. And all sexually active men, whether HIV-negative or HIV-positive should have regular check-ups at a GUM clinic. We recommend once every six months or more often if you are having condomless sex. Gay men need to learn about the option open to them. It’s the only way we can finally stop HIV transmissions.”

  • Gay marriage blocked once again in Northern Ireland

    It seems our lesbian & gay family in Northern Ireland will have to wait even longer to enjoy same-sex marriage after Northern Ireland’s High Court ruled to keep the ban in place.

    Gay marriage blocked once again in Northern Ireland

    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.

    Two cases, specifically about Northern Ireland recognising same-sex marriage made outside the nation were rejected by the High Court. This means, even if a same-sex couple is married anywhere else in the UK, their marriage will not be valid in Northern Ireland.

    The two cases were heard together, due to the legal similarities. The first was known as Petition X, and was brought by a gay couple who were married in London in 2014. When they moved to Northern Ireland their marriage was changed to a Civil Partnership.

    The second case was brought by two couples in civil partnerships – Grainne Close and Shannon Sickles and Chris and Henry Flanagan-Kane. They contended the ban breaches their human rights.

    Both cases were rejected by Mr Justice O’Hara  who said the ban did not violate the rights of gay and lesbian couples. He added that it was for the nation’s politicians to decide social policy in Northern Ireland.

    Delivering the verdict the Judge said,

    “It is not at all difficult to understand how gay men and lesbians who have suffered discrimination, rejection and exclusion feel so strongly about the maintenance in Northern Ireland of the barrier to same sex marriage,

    “The judgement which I have to reach is not based on social policy but on the law.”

    The subject of same-sex marriage has been voted on five times by the Northern Ireland Assembly. Each time it was blocked by the DUP, the party Theresa May is relying on for her parliamentary majority after the General Election provided a slim majority for the Tories.

     

  • Perez overwhelmed by the support he’s received following emotional video fearing for his kids’ future

    Perez Hilton has said that he is “overwhelmed” by the support he’s received since his video of him crying for his kids’ future went viral.

    THEGAYUK.com was the first to bring the news that Perez Hilton was “sorry” and afraid for his children’s future because of who their father is – since then the Internet gossip as tweeted that the outpouring of support has been “really overwhelming”.

    In a heartbreaking video to his fans, celebrity gossip, Perez Hilton opened up about how he was recently let go from a “life changing” job opportunity by the powers that be, because of who he is and his past actions.

    Speaking candidly Perez spoke about how sometimes he feels he isn’t allowed to move from the person he once was – who gave celebs nasty nicknames and doodled inappropriate drawings on photos.

    Without revealing what the job was, Perez sobbed as he said sorry and then feared for his kids’ future because of who he is and what he used to represent.

     

     

     

  • Obama’s anti-racist tweet is the most liked ever

    President Obama’s anti-racism tweet is now the most liked ever. Surpassing the tweet that Ariana Grande sent after the attack at her concert.

    A tweet by President Obama has become the world’s most liked tweet, surpassing the one sent by American pop star Ariana Grande directly after the terrorist attack that rocked her Manchester concert, killing 22 people.

    Obama’s tweet which is a quote from the late South African leader, Nelson Mandela,  was sent just after the violent far-right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

    The tweet read, “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion…

    “People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love…”

    “…For love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” – Nelson Mandela

    So far, the initial tweet has been liked more than 4.2 million times and Retweeted over 1.5 million times. Twitter confirmed that Obama’s moving message is also the fifth most retweeted post of all time.

    He followed the tweet with two more heartfelt messages

     

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