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  • Pride In London: “We will not tolerate Islamophobia”

    A complaint has been lodged with the organisers of Pride In London over “Allah is gay” placards were allegedly displayed by members of a walking group in this year’s parade. Organisers of pride have issued a statement saying they will not tolerate Islamophobia.

    Muslim leaders in London have lodged a complaint with Pride In London after members of the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain CEMB took part in this year’s parade. The group allegedly held up placards with slogans such as “F*** Islamic homophobia”, “East London Mosque incites murder of LGBTs”, and “Throw ISIS off the roof”.

    Speaking to the Evening Standard Salman Farsi from the East London Mosque said that a complaint had been made.

    “We’ve raised a complaint with the co-chairs of the event that the group was inciting hatred against Muslims, and in particular [in relation] to our good name, based on absolutely groundless reasons.

    “Our track record for challenging homophobia in East London is quite well known. For us to see such a mainstream event that is supposed to celebrate tolerance and love used as a hate platform was really quite shocking.

    “Our religion doesn’t promote hatred or homophobia. Yes, there might be theological topics dealing with homosexuality in Islam, but that’s clearly very separate from promoting hatred and homophobia.”

    A spokesperson for Pride In London said,

    “If anyone taking part in our parade makes someone feel ostracised, discriminated against or humiliated, then they are undermining and breaking the very principles on which we exist. Our code of conduct is very clear on this matter.

    “All volunteers, staff and parade groups agree that Pride celebrates diversity and will not tolerate any discrimination of any kind.

    “While our parade has always been a home to protest, which often means conflicting points of view, Pride must always be a movement of acceptance, diversity and unity. We will not tolerate Islamophobia.”

    CEMB Spokesperson, Maryam Namazie said in a blog post on the CEMB website,

    “…the very reason CEMB was at Pride was to combat hate and to highlight the 13 states under Islamic rule that kill gay men (14 if we include Daesh-held territories). We included placards on the East London mosque to bring attention to the fact that there are mosques here in Britain that promote the death penalty for homosexuality and apostasy.

    As ex-Muslims, we are at risk from hate preachers that speak at some mosques and universities; our  gay members are at an increased risk.

    The East London Mosque has a long history of hosting hate preachers who incite against blasphemers, apostates and homosexuals so we felt naming and shaming them was very apt.

     

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Boys in the Buff, Stockwell Playhouse, London

    ★★★★| Boys in the Buff

    REVIEW | Boys in the Buff, Stockwell Playhouse, London

    If you want an entertaining, fun, sexy and scandalous night at the theatre, then Boys in the Buff is the show for you.

    It’s a show that objectifies the male body, and a musical bacchanalia full of fabulous song and dance by a crew who don’t take the show, or themselves, too seriously – they’re having fun and they let the audience in on all the fun as well.

    Natalie Harman as Diana is the hostess with the mostest – our compere for the evening. However, she, unfortunately, tells the boys what they can, and cannot do, and that means she demands that they don’t take their clothes off too soon in the show:(! But before they do the dirty and exciting deed, we are treated to song after song of camp musical numbers in a show that packs a lot into its 90 minutes runtime.

    Energetic and handsome William Frazer as Dan belts it out in the cute number “I Can Fly,” while the gang of men gets physical in “The Gym.” Shaun Riddick as Richard practically brings the house down in “My Foreskin and Me” and the hot and sexy and muscly Adam O’Shea gets to strut his stuff (along with his buff body) throughout the show which will have you screaming for more. And finally, there’s Phil (Julian Quijano), who soon finds the confidence to strip off for the audience.

    It’s all done in a style that creates a cosy Chicago-style like cabaret show in a venue that’s perfect for its content – the Stockwell Playhouse (AKA Lost Theatre). Boys in the Buff is a musical revue with lots of skin on show that’s The Full Monty but with lots of laughs and thankfully some Monty.

    Boys in the Buff is playing at the Lost Theatre until July 29th

  • Apprentice star just got engaged to his boyfriend

    Congrats! Apprentice star Sanjay Sood-Smith just got engaged to his boyfriend

    Sanjay Sood-Smith went on holiday with a boyfriend but came back with a husband to be!

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BWmnVsnFqSH/?taken-by=sanjaysoodsmith

    The question was popped whilst the pair were on holiday in Santorini, an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) south-east of Greece‘s mainland.

    Sanjay, who starred in season 10 of the BBC’s Apprentice in 2014, took to social media to say that he felt like he was the “happiest boy in the world”.

     

     

  • Liam Hemsworth tiny shorts, Zachary’s chest and a fake tanned Orlando Bloom

    It’s been an exciting week on Instagram…

    Here’s what some of the hotties of Instagram were doing this week.

    Zachary Quinto had some time off and sunned himself

    Marcus Collins was channeling some major blueness

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BWVhyKwA4-y/?taken-by=marcuscollinsuk

    One of the Hemsworth brothers showed off some teenie tiny shorts

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BWWqfSklAkJ/?taken-by=liamhemsworth

    Cristano Ronaldo held his jewels in place

    Orlando Bloom got a tan, complete with tan lines

    Aaron Frew got soapy

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BTzW55LAcSS/?taken-by=aaronfrew

    Pierre Fitch reminds us he has a bubble butt

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BWad5ACAV78/?taken-by=pierrefitch

    Derrick Gordon was nipple ring-less

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BWf-_TKFyv1/

    Kit Williamson was SPECtacular

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BWkvS7kFrPJ/?taken-by=kitwilliamson

     

    Olly Murs got pumped

     

  • 6 things we learned this week: Landlords, gender neutrality and Thomas Dekker coming out as gay

    From the cost of running a gay bar in London to gender neutral tube announcements, we’ve learned quite a lot this week.

    TV Star Thomas Dekker came out gay… Welcome to the family!

    Many of us were shocked to learn that Jeremy Joseph, owner of the G-A-Y venues is having his rent upped to nearly three-quarters of a million a year for G-A-Y Late. Could huge rent increases be the reason for London’s declining LGBT+ spaces?

    Peter Tatchell asked if homophobia was holding back Pride in London?

    A gay man who has been battling cancer got the shock of his life at pride when friends and family took over the video screens to send their love and support

    Adam Rickitt proved he still has the perkiest butt in the business.

    The news that Transport for London is going to get rid of “Ladies and Gentlemen” in its public announcements was met with mixed response and it has to be said, it was mainly negative.

     

  • TRAVEL | As a gay man where should I stopover on the way to Australia?

    TRAVEL | As a gay man where should I stopover on the way to Australia?

    This week a reader is looking to book a ticket to Australia but wants to ensure that the layover is in a gay-friendly destination.

    Dear Travel Team

    I’m in the process of booking a flight to Australia and I wanted to know where I should stop over. Many airlines offer a stop over in Abu Dhabi or Qatar or other Arab nations and I realise that homosexuality is legal in many of these countries. I was wondering which airlines offer the safest places to stop over for LGBT+ people

    John,

    Where is safe for gay people to stopover on a flight to Australia

    Hello John,

    Travelling to Australia is a long process and requires at least one layover on the way. There are two ways in which airlines traverse the planet to get to Australia – either westwards over North America, which involves a stopover in Los Angeles in the US or Vancouver in Canada. The other way is eastwards where there are many more layover options. However in many of these countries, as an openly gay man, you may face legal issues.

    Homosexuality is still illegal in many destinations in the Middle East, including Abu Dabi, Dubai and Qatar, which are all incredibly popular pit stops for the airlines. Some airlines also use Singapore or Malaysia where homosexuality is also illegal.

    So we would recommend looking at a stopover destination which is gay-friendly or where at least homosexuality isn’t illegal. Luckily there are loads of choices in the USA, Philippines, Japan, Canada and China. As an extra benefit, many of these countries have airlines operating the UK/Australia route which has the least expensive flights.

    Here are some of the places in which airlines stop where homosexuality is illegal:

    Air France stops in Abu Dhabi.

    Alitalia stops in Abu Dhabi.

    British Airways stops in Singapore.

    Emirates stops in Dubai.

    Etihad Airways stops in Abu Dhabi.

    Malaysia Airlines stops in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

    Qatar Airlines stops in Hamad Intl. Doha.

    Qantas stops in Dubai.

    Singapore Airlines stops in Singapore.

    Virgin Austrailia stops in Abu Dhabi.

    Virgin Atlantic stops in Singapore.

    Airlines which fly to Austraila using stopovers in countries which are gay-friendly or where it is not legal to be gay.

    Air China stops in Capital Intl in China.

    All Nippon Airways stops in Haneda Japan.

    Air Canada stops in Canada (Vancouver).

    American Airlines stops in Los Angeles, USA.

    Asiana Airlines stops in Seoul in South Korea.

    Cathay Pacific stops in Hong Kong.

    China Eastern Airlines stops in Shanghai, China.

    China Southern Airlines stops in Baiyun Intl in China.

    KLM stops in Guangzhou, China.

    Lufthansa stops in Los Angeles, USA.

    Thai Airways International stops in Suvarnabhumi Intl, Thailand.

    Philippines Airlines stops in Manila, Philippines.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Yank!, Charing Cross Theatre, London

    ★★★| Yank!

    THEATRE REVIEW | Yank!, Charing Cross Theatre, London

    A gay fictional World War II love story that tells some of its story via musical numbers is now playing at the Charing Cross Theatre.

    In Yank!, Stu (Scott Hunter), also given the name ‘light loafers’ by his 89th squadron fellow soldiers, is an 18-year-old wet behind the ears soldier drafted for WW II. His fellow soldiers know that he is gay, hence the nickname, but they must also contend with trying to save their lives as battles loom ahead. It’s not too long before Stu and fellow soldier, the hot and sexy Mitch (Andy Coxon), get together. After a few side glances and more than a few cheeky conversations, they expectantly kiss when they’re forced to share a bunk bed (ah, it’s all of our fantasies!). But is Mitch really gay or is he caught up in the moment? Their sort of relationship takes a turn when Stu is offered a job writing for Yank Magazine (it might just as well be called Wank magazine). It’s a job Stu wants because it will take him away from fighting on the front lines and will hopefully one day help him to publish the diary he has written of his exploits as a soldier. Stu’s new position takes him all over but he begs his editor Artie (Chris Kiely) to go to Hawaii as this is where the 89th is fighting, and it’s of course where Mitch is. Stu can’t stop thinking about Mitch and they rekindle the romance they had, well now it’s more than a romance, it’s a full blown relationship as Mitch discusses them moving back to his hometown and living together. But it’s the evil Tennessee (Lee Dillon) who steals Stu’s diary and turns in into the authorities in a time when homosexuality was absolutely forbidden in the army. And things will not be the same for Stu and Mitch and the rest of the 89th- war, death, and jail rear it’s ugly head.

    Yank! is reminiscent of the war musicals of Rogers & Hammerstein (South Pacific) where romance, between a man and woman, was inter-spliced with memorable musical numbers. In Yank!, brothers David and Joseph Zellnik have created a gay WWII love story that pays homage to these 1940’s musicals and cleverly takes the name of their show from the WWII army publication Yank, the Army Weekly. Having opened up, appropriately, on gay pride weekend, Yank! is a celebration of gays in the military, but it does make a few missteps along the way. Hunter is fine as the scared soldier Stu, but I didn’t find him as charismatic as he should’ve been, while some of the staging and songs are a bit off, including a song about pin-up girls (“Betty”) that goes on way too long. Coxon shows that he’s the true stage actor among the cast – his acting and singing are excellent, while the rest of the supporting soldiers do the best they can do with what they have been given (a scene about gay telephone operators is a bit dreadful and really doesn’t need to be in the show). There is at times clever use of the stage, including during the battle and interrogation scenes, and Sarah-Louise Young is just about perfect in her various roles. Director James Baker just doesn’t get it exactly right in making this show a must see event. While it’s a show that is light on its feet and has a few snappy musical numbers, it’s not groundbreaking nor particularly excellent.

    Yank! is playing that the Charing Cross Theatre until the 19th August

     

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    Welcome to THEGAYUK’s Travel pages.

    For latest LGBT+ travel guides, hotel reviews and travellers’ tips look no further.

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    Welcome to THEGAYUK DVD review home page.

    Reviewing all the best in LGBT films available on DVD or Streaming.

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  • DVD REVIEW | Beautiful Something

    ★★★★ | BEAUTIFUL SOMETHING

    DVD REVIEW | Beautiful Something

    Four gay men, all with issues in their lives, experience a night of mystery and sex in the beautifully told Beautiful Something.

    Writer Brian (Brian Sheppard) is sexy and picks up guys in bars and on the street – but they love him and leave him. Then there’s Jim (Zack Ryan), a wannabe actor who doesn’t realise that the man he lives with really really loves him. And that man is Drew (Colman Domingo), a tortured and passionate artist who uses Jim as his muse and model. And then there’s Bob (John Lescault), a wealthy talent agent who is chauffeured around town picking up men but not necessarily for sex. It’s one night in Philadelphia, and these men’s lives intertwine in search of meaningful connections on a night when anything is possible.

    After a one night stand that for some reason goes horribly wrong, Brian goes for a walk and meets Jim, who’s just had a bust up with Drew. They are immediately attracted to each other and have sex in the house that Jim shares with Drew. Drew, meanwhile, is so involved in his artwork that he’s doesn’t realise that Brian and Jim are downstairs getting it on. But this is not enough for Jim, and after Brian leaves and not wanting to stay home, Jim goes for a walk and is picked up, and intrigued by, Bob. They share a meal only after Bob tells Jim that if he’s an actor he must get out of the car. So Jim lies to Bob and they have dinner and eventually go back to Bob’s palatial home. Meanwhile, Brian looks up an old flame and Drew wonders what is really going on in Jim’s head. All this drama takes place in one sublime night, with the sprinkling lights of Philadelphia providing a romantic and perfect backdrop to the movie.

    Beautiful Something beautifully explores the need for us gay men to seek out romance and adventure in the hopes of finding something, anything, meaningful. Director and writer Joseph Graham successfully captures a night these men, nor us, won’t forget.

    With excellent and realistic performances throughout, Beautiful Something, inspired by real-life experiences, will put a twinkle in your eye and the optimism of love in your heart.

    BUY NOW on Amazon | iTunes

     

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