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  • RECIPE | Vegan Thai Coconut Soup

    RECIPE | Vegan Thai Coconut Soup

    Health food blogger Sophie Gordon brings us this warming recipe to brighten up the dreariest of January days, using creamy coconut yogurt as the star of the dairy, gluten and soya free dish.

    vegan soup ideas
    CREDIT: Independent Media News

    Ingredients.

    1 medium sized butternut squash BUY
    3 carrots BUY
    1 leek BUY
    2 small garlic cloves BUY
    Small knob of ginger – grated finely BUY
    1 tsp dried lemon grass  BUY
    2 tsp ground coriander BUY
    2 tsp ground cumin BUY
    2 tsp ground turmeric BUY
    1 tsp cayenne pepper BUY
    Handful of fresh coriander BUY
    Chilli flakes BUY
    2L vegetable stock (roughly) BUY
    350g The Coconut Collaborative yogurt BUY
    ¼ – ½ lime – juiced BUY
    Salt and pepper to taste

     

    Method.

    1. Pre heat your oven to around 190°c. Slice your butternut squash in half (length ways), de-seed and then place flat onto a baking sheet; insides down. Put into the oven and roast for around 35-40 minutes.

    2. Put your rice on as rice takes a little longer to cook; follow packet instructions for correct water to rice ratio.

    3. Chop up your leeks and carrots. Sauté in some water with the garlic and ginger until a little softer. Add the ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, lemon grass and chilli. Continue to fry, adding a little more water if it starts to dry up.

    4. Once this is fragrant and the carrots and leeks soft, add in your vegetable stock. Bring to the boil then allow to simmer for around 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper to taste.

    5. Once your squash is done, remove from the oven and let it cool for a few moments. Scoop out the insides. They should be very soft so will easily come away from the skin.

    6. Put into the pot with the stock and mix. Bring back to the boil and then add a squeeze of lime and the fresh coriander, season to taste.

    7. Using a hand held blender, blitz your soup until thick and creamy. Add the coconut yoghurt and stir well.

    8. To serve, ladle a good serving of the soup into a bowl, adding rice if desired. Top with some fresh coriander and any other seasonings.

    *You could also add another dollop of coconut yoghurt on at the end to make it extra creamy

  • American Boy Scouts to allow trans kids

    Trans children will now be permitted to join the Boy Scouts of America.

    Boy Scouts of America
    CREDIT: ©-smontgom65-Depositphotos

    Transgender children who identify as male will now be able to join the Boy Scouts of America, thanks to a policy change, which does not require the child to have male registered on their birth certificates. The organisation, founded in 1910 only allowed children that had “male” written on their birth certificates to join the organisation. The new policy has an immediate start after the group found that the approach of determining the eligibility of entry via a person’s gender was “sufficient”.

    In a statement The Boy Scouts of America said,

    “For more than 100 years, the Boy Scouts of America, along with schools, youth sports and other youth organizations, have ultimately deferred to the information on an individual’s birth certificate to determine eligibility for our single-gender programs.

    “However, that approach is no longer sufficient as communities and state laws are interpreting gender identity differently, and these laws vary widely from state to state.”

    Children in the UK are not subject to a gender policy and are welcome to join the organisation regardless of their identity.

     

  • COMMENT | Everyone in the World is Bent: Just how gay is The Italian Job

    COMMENT | Everyone in the World is Bent: Just how gay is The Italian Job

    There are things you remember from your childhood. Some help makes you who you are while others still bemuse you some 30 plus years later.

    I’m referring to films our parents made us watch. At a young age and very much below the recommended age of 15, my father sat me down to watch Quadrophenia 1979.

    I understood some of it, didn’t really think twice about the sex scene between Phil Daniels and Leslie Ash in an alleyway. I did, however, question why the film ended as it did in what I thought was suicide with the moped going over the edge of Beachy Head with nobody on it.

    And then there was that film that subjected me to gay culture. No, I am not talking about Dorothy and her woodland cruising chums, I am talking about the 1969 film called The Italian Job. The film with the ultimate cliffhanger.

    Forget all that crap about Colin and Barry in Eastenders sharing a kiss or Brookside‘s first lesbian kiss for that matter. That was in the 80s. The Italian Job was a rich celluloid dream of gayness and camp with a car chase at the end. And all just two years after homosexuality had been legalised.

    Embed from Getty Images

    In my eyes, Michael Caine is a love. He has been in some dreadful films that I class as camp classics such as The Swarm 1978 and The Hand 1981. Michael Caine, however, is a gent and it was his portrayal as Charlie Croker that made me take note. He was a man at ease with his sexuality and with others around him. In the film’s first 15 minutes or so you knew about his sexuality as Lorna laid on a spread of woman like a running buffet for him to plough through.

    Throughout the film he rubbed shoulders with all kinds of those queer sorts your grandmother would warn you about. Come with me as we take a look.

    You can’t forget Camp Freddie. The pastel pink suited crook in his frilly shirts and a notion for filing his nails. Freddie was also full of marvellous one-liners delivered as only a queen could do so.

    Embed from Getty Images

    And who was Freddie’s boss? Mr Bridger played by Noël Coward. Coward is acting royalty in itself. A crook behind bars still pulling the strings and stealing every scene he was in. I often mumble the line “Last night Mr governor somebody broke (rolling the R’s) into my toilet” and then went on to moan about how his motions that evening had been ruined. Again rolling the R’s.

    Mr Bridger also had a liking for her Majesty the Queen. Having her pictures all over the cell walls like a teenager has Beatles posters. Speaking of queens, Simon Dee’s one of only two appearances in a film can’t go unnoticed. Unlike the previous two actors mentioned, Dee himself is straight. His conviction as tailor Adrian was above and beyond brilliant that you questioned if he was indeed gay in real life. Pursed lipped and disgusted at Croker’s shirts. His line delivery was genius.

    Professor Peach played by Benny Hill is another character rich in campness. He has a childlike quality for the matron and the larger lady. The facial expressions are comical.

    http://gty.im/52180652

    Even the garage manager played by John Clive who fleeced Croker into paying an exaggerated amount of money for car parking was a little bit bent. Now be that as a dodgy crook or not, again it’s the visuals that make you think he’s a bit of a queen.

    While not being that gay or overly camp, two other characters from the film stand out. Both also for their previous acting roles. Admittedly the films I have discovered them both in has been discovered many years later.

    The first is Rossano Brazzi’s portrayal of Rodger Beckerman. His cameo appearance during the opening credits is iconic and memorable for many reasons. His suave sophistication oozed on screen even if it was for just moments. Ultimately it was probably somewhat overshadowed by the destruction of the Lamborghini Miura he was driving. Rossano is also remembered for his part in the musical South Pacific (1958) as Emile De Becque opposite Mitzi Gaynor. You can’t get more camp than that film.

    Embed from Getty Images

    The handsomely rugged Raf Vallone presented himself as Altabani, head of the Mafia. Being ferried around in a Fiat Dino coupe was enough for me to cheer the Mafia on.

    I digress a little however he too had a grace about him as he swanned around on screen. His delivery to Caine on the Alps after they had destroyed the two Jaguars and the “pretty car” Aston was both menacing, cutting and a little camp with a nibble on the arm of his glasses. The look he gave when his mansion was plunged into darkness was cinematic gold. He is a beautiful man.

    Raf Vallone is also remembered for a previous role as Eddie Carbone in View from a Bridge (1962). He gave a full on the lips kiss to Rodolpho played by fellow actor Jean Sorel. It wasn’t quite in the guy-on-guy action you’d wish for but Eddie attempting to bring out Rodolpho as a latent homosexual. Quite a visual for 1962 America to take in.

    Embed from Getty Images

    And now to the female stars of which there were three. American actress Margaret Blye played dippy Lorna. Looking through Blye’s film credits on www.imds.com sadly she never really had anything I remember.

    Embed from Getty Images

    Lelia Goldoni, on the other hand, had a very small part in the film and was there to just deliver film and plans from her now deceased husband Mr Beckerman. It could be that Italian accent of hers or that she was going to bed a balls empty Croker who can say, she did again like many in the film present larger than life and become remembered for it.

    Embed from Getty Images

    This brings us to the last woman and an icon who anyone old enough from 1937 to 1988 will remember. Irene Handl played Benny Hill’s sister Miss Peach. You may remember her as granny in Metal Mickey. And if that doesn’t help then there are over 180 other things she had been in.

    Watching her on screen she was quite camp. Her delivery on time and to the point. Again her lines were memorable with a love for cats and hatred of green fly she could well be a lesbian. An ageing lady known as a Miss. This was 60’s England after all. She also had a maid called Annette who would make any lesbian today scared.

    All this good gayness to come out of a film that predated so many and yet it doesn’t so much as get a mention that watching it will turn you into a massive queen, make you into a dyke or other such names we get called.

    And why?

    I don’t know is the answer. Perhaps because it is just really well put together and has an ensemble of actors who outweighed the bigots then and today. Or that its campness was missed for hi-jinks and feel good factor. Sort of what gays are known for today.

     

    BUY THE ITALIAN JOB on Amazon

     

    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.

  • Witnesses suggest that Big Brother stars’ attack was not homophobic

    Witnesses suggest that Big Brother stars’ attack was not homophobic

    Witnesses to the Big Brother stars’ “homophobic attack” have claimed it was not homophobically motivated.

    Channel 5

    Ryan was left with facial injuries after the alleged assault, which took place in Dublin’s city centre. Ryan has shared pictures of his injuries on social media.

    • Claims that the assault was homophobic refuted.

    • An anonymous man says a racist taunt was hurled at Hughie Maughan and all men involved were gay.

    • Ryan showed off his facial injuries on social media.

    Earlier this week, Big Brother stars Ryan Ruckledge and Hughie Maughan said they had been involved in a homophobic attack leaving Ryan with facial injuries and Hughie having to fend off four alleged attackers. The attack came after Ryan and Hughie, who are engaged to be married, were refused entry to a club in Dublin’s city centre.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BP2T7fYhXe7/?taken-by=ryanruckledge

     

    Witnesses are now suggesting that the attack was not homophobically motivated and that the row that broke out with a group of gay men who had exited the club moments before Ryan and Hughie were refused entry.

    CREDIT: Channel 5

    HAPPIER TIMES: The loved pair, who are due to get married, met each other in the Big Brother house in the summer of 2016.

    The Irish Sun reports that one witness who wished to stay anonymous said, “This attack was not homophobic because everyone involved in the fight was gay.”

    The source did say that there was racist taunt hurled at Hughie, who was called a “‘pikey tinker”.

    THEGAYUK approached Ryan to find out whether the incident was reported to the police.

    Read the full story at The Irish Sun

  • ANSWERS | What does LGBT stand for?

    If you’ve seen the letters LGBT and wonder what they mean we’ve got the answer for you.

    What does LGBT stand for?

    LGBT is the standard initialism for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community, there are often other letters added to it, including Q (Queer or Questioning) and I (Intersex). It was first grouped in this way during the 1990s.

    Sometimes the letters are rearranged to have the G first, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender. Some places, mainly in the USA, this initialism is more widely used. However, since the ’90s LGBT has become the standardised way of referring to the community after some activists decided that the “gay community” did not accurately reflect everybody who was in it. Q which stands for Questioning or Queer was added in 1996, although is not always used.

    ALSO READ: What does the F in LGBTQIF stand for?

    There has been much debate on whether more letters should be added, such as Q and I and A (Asexual). Some have suggested that trans and intersex should be grouped together under their own banner as they are gender-related and not sexuality related as LGB are. Although you can get LGB trans and intersex people. Q (Queer) is also problematic for some, as it doesn’t describe a sexuality more an ideology.

    The word is also offensive to many in the community.

    ALSO READ: What does the I in LGBTQI stand for?

    Sexuality has often been defined as homosexual (same-sex attraction), bisexual (both-sex attraction), heterosexual (opposite-sex attraction) and Asexual (no sexual attraction).

    Some people in the community find the term clunky and unworkable and a new initialism has been suggested GSM which stands for Gender and Sexual Minorities or GSD Gender and Sexual Diversity.

    In THEGAYUK editorially we use LGBT+ as described in our style guide to encompass a spectrum of other sexualities and gender identities.

    Do you think you can add more to this article? Please add your expansion in the comment section below.

  • The Best Places for Gay Travel 2017

    The Best Places for Gay Travel 2017

    Planning a gay vacay this year but not sure where to go? While there are a lot of amazing destinations for gay travel, there are a few spots that are extra special when it comes to welcoming LGBTQ travellers, and some that have naturally become gay hotspots because of their fabulousness.

    gay travel gay hotel

    Hipster, designer and gay travel blogger extraordinaire Adam Groffman put together a list of some of the Best Places for Gay Travel in 2016 on his Travels of Adam site that he has kindly shared with THEGAYUK. Read on to get your inspiration for amazing gay travels for 2017.

    Here’s the thing about gay travel—you can pretty much do it anywhere. If you’re gay and you travel, guess what!? You’re gay travelling 😉

    But, still… there are some places which are just so much more welcoming, more friendly and more fun for gay travellers. Some travel companies make concerted efforts to court LGBTQ travellers, while others just naturally become hotspots thanks to their location, their creed or their clientele. Finding gay places when travelling can sometimes be a challenge—a lot of it depends on word of mouth (whether that arrives to you from friends, friends of friends, or through a gay dating app). But then there are also a handful of gay websites which make finding gay places easier. Probably the biggest international directory of gay cities is, predictably, GayCities.com. Their mix of user-generated content, stories, photos essays and events is all-encompassing.

    Each year, GayCities.com puts out a survey of the best gay cities, places, hotels and other travel things. It’s a fun survey where you can vote for your favourite gay places (I’m always voting for Berlin, hoping that it will win!).

    THE BEST PLACES FOR GAY TRAVEL 2016 MY PICKS!

    Best Gay City
    BERLIN

    As my adopted home, Berlin makes it to the top of every one of my lists—it’s great for foodies, for budget travellers, for luxury travellers, for sex tourism, for hipsters and for film fanatics. The other options on GayCities’ list of best cities are decent, but honestly: Berlin has a bit of something for everyone. New York City and Chicago are probably at the top of my list for best USA gay destinations, but with early closing times for the nightlife, it’s hard to really top Berlin.

    Best Foodie Paradise
    CHICAGO

    Chicago, nestled in the middle of America, is one of America’s most surprising cities. Unlike NYC and LA on either coast, Chicago sits right there in the middle, with the best of both worlds but its own distinct identity. When I last visited Chicago, I quite literally ate all the food—from fried pickles and pancakes to hipster donuts and BIG brunches. If ever there was a city designed for foodies, it is Chicago.

    Best Up-and-Coming City
    STOCKHOLM

    I think there are a lot of rising stars among the most gay-friendly cities. I’m currently writing this from Texas, where some of the Texan cities are surprisingly gay and—actually!—cool. But, in Europe, Stockholm’s pull makes it one of the coolest places to visit today. Stockholm doesn’t usually make it immediately on most USA tourists’ first-time trips to Europe, but with new budget airline connections, it’s only going to get more cool.

    Best Capital of Culture
    NEW YORK CITY

    New York City is an absolutely overwhelming city—it’s no wonder that it’s one of the world’s most popular cities. There are millions of things to see and do in NYC, from world-class museums, historic buildings and shopping—so much shopping! This year, the U.S. National Park Service even recognized the historic gay bar, the Stonewall Inn, as a historic monument. And don’t even get me started on Broadway—so much of the great theater and musicals originate here. Creativity and culture are bursting out of every pothole in this amazing city.

    Read more: Cheap and Free Things To Do in NYC

    Best Airline
    AMERICAN AIRLINES

    As a Oneworld alliance member, American Airlines is at the top of my preferred airlines. (It also helps that I grew up flying in and out of DFW airport in Texas—their hub.) While some frequent fliers might find AA more stuffy and business-oriented than other airlines, it’s surprisingly cool for being—literally—the world’s largest airline! Their Instagram is a fun sneak peek into the company culture—and it always goes rainbow each LGBT pride month.

  • Court rules Jewish trans parent cannot see her children

    Court rules Jewish trans parent cannot see her children

    A British court has ruled that the children of a Jewish transgender woman may not see their parent due to the likelihood that they will be “marginalised or excluded by the ultra-Orthodox community”.

    Manchester Court
    CREDIT: Google Maps 2016

    The Independent reports that a transgender parent has had access to her children denied by a family court in Manchester. The ruling, the first of its kind, found that the children and the biological mother could be “marginalised or excluded by the ultra-Orthodox community”. The family is part of the ultra-orthodox Jewish Charedis.

    The trans parent, who is living as a woman is only allowed “indirect” contact to her children four times a year. The ruling comes despite Orthodox Jewish rabbis suggesting that Judaism should not punish transgender people in this way.

    Justice Jackson concluded that there was a “risk” that the mother and her children could be rejected by their community, if they had direct, “face to face contact with their father”. He express regret before his ruling saying, that the “father’s” application for contact would be refushed.

    He said,

    “I therefore conclude with real regret, knowing the pain that it must cause, that the father’s application for direct contact must be refused.”

    The Independent has the full story

  • 5 chat up lines you should NEVER use

    Some chat-up lines work and others really don’t. Here are 5 chat-up lines you should NEVER Use!

    CREDIT: ©-studiostoks-Depositphotos

    1. You have 206 bones in your body. Want one more?

    It’s crude and it’s not even clever.

    2. I’m calling the police because you stole my heart.

    Really cheesy, to the point of being cringeworthy.

    3. Are your pants a bit tight or are you just happy to see me?

    Confidence is good, but cockiness (no pun intended) is not. The not-so-subtle subtext implies you’re just after one thing, which you probably won’t get using this line.

    4. You know what would look good on you? Me.

    Nobody wants to go out with somebody who has a bigger ego than themselves. This line screams that they are egotistical.

    5. Do you come here often?

    This line is too ambiguous. Depending upon where you meet, this could have all sorts of subtext. I once had a guy say this to me in the waiting room of a sexual health clinic. I walked on by and thankfully never saw him again.

    My advice would be to avoid the one-liners altogether. Start the conversation with a simple ‘hi’ or ‘hey’ and stick to genuine compliments.

    What’s the worst chat-up line anybody has ever said to you? Leave a comment below or on our Facebook page to let us know.

  • 7 amazing foods for your liver

    Why You Should Love Your Liver This January, 7 Amazing Foods To Boost Your Liver Function

    Foods really good for the liver

    It’s the New Year, and of course, everyone is talking about detoxing. Bottles of wine stashed in the vegetable drawer of the fridge are being replaced with, well, vegetables! We are dusting off our blenders, and juicing anything green. But what does the term detoxing actually mean? And can we really reverse the effects of our festive indulgences with a dry January?!

    The good news is that our liver, the second largest organ (the first being the skin) and the detoxification hub of our bodies, is busy detoxifying all of the time. Even in December! The liver metabolises everything that we eat and are exposed to and detoxifies the entire body’s system from all ingested toxins.

    Over the festive period, it is likely that our liver has had to work a little harder than usual, having been overburdened with alcohol, sugar and processed foods not usually consumed in such vast quantities! But we can be motivated by the fact that the liver is amazingly regenerative, and through diet, there is a lot we can do to help it. This essentially is what we are aiming to do when we “detox”, and there are certain foods that have powerful liver-boosting effects.

    Top 7 foods to boost liver function

    1) Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and kale. These are all rich in sulphur-containing compounds, which help the liver to detoxify by boosting the production of high levels of detoxifying enzymes.

    2) Garlic is rich in sulphur-containing compounds, and in addition, contains selenium and allicin- two powerful nutrients that help protect the liver from toxic damage.

    3) Green tea is loaded with catechins, a type of antioxidant (compounds that help the body get rid of harmful free radicals) that have been shown in studies to promote liver function and prevent the accumulation of dangerous fat in the liver http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v26/n11/abs/0802141a.html.

    4) Turmeric, the key component is curcumin, a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that prevents the liver from damage and can help to regenerate new liver cells. Turmeric also helps to stimulate the production of bile, necessary for the breakdown and processing of fats and proteins from your food, and the removal of waste and toxins.

    5) Bitter greens, such as dandelion, chicory and rocket. The bitterness of these foods helps to stimulate bile flow. They are also high in chlorophyll which plays a role in cleansing the blood and ridding the body of ingested toxins.

    6) Beetroot is bursting with antioxidants and folic acid for detoxification. It also contains betaine, a compound which promotes the regeneration of liver cells.

    7) Avocados are rich in glutathione, the ultimate liver-boosting antioxidant which prevents damage to the liver and aids detoxification.

    It really cannot be emphasized enough; loving your liver is one of the most important things that you can do for your health this January.

  • Owen Jones calls for an “emergency protest” against Trump

    Owen Jones calls for an “emergency protest” against Trump

    Owen Jones has taken to social media to call for an “emergency protest” against President Trump’s ban on entry into the US for people from seven Muslim-majority countries around the world.

    Owen Jones
    CREDIT: By Miquel Garcia [CC BY 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
    Left-wing political activist and columnist for The Guardian, Owen Jones has called on his fans to join him in protesting President Trump‘s ban on entry to the US for people from seven Muslim-majority countries, which some on social media are calling #MuslimBan. Owen is also protesting against the British Prime Minister Theresa May and her “silence” with regards to the policy.

    Reaching out to his 525,000 fans on Twitter Owen called for an “Emergency protest against Trump’s and ‘s silence, this Monday”.

    He is urging supporters to gather outside 10 Downing Street from 6:00 PM. So far 10,000 people on Facebook have said that they are going.

    The controversial policy was announced by the Trump administration on Friday, 27th January. The 90-day ban applies to travellers who are citizens from seven countries including, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and Libya.

    The ban does not include travellers who have already got a green card.

    Nearly 500,000 people have signed a petition calling on the UK Government to prevent Donald Trump from making a state visit to the United Kingdom. The petition will be considered for debate in Parliament and will get an official response from the Government.

     

  • Big Brother stars assaulted in “homophobic attack”

    Big Brother stars assaulted in “homophobic attack”

    Big Brother stars Ryan Ruckledge and Hughie Maughan say they have been involved in a homophobic attack.

    Channel 5

    Big Brother star Ryan Ruckledge posted a picture of his bruised and cut eye after, what he says, was a homophobic attack in Dublin last night. He wrote that he was attacked after an award’s ceremony and thankfully his husband to be, Hughie, whom he meant on Big Brother last year “stuck up” for him after four men launched an assault on the couple.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BP2T7fYhXe7/?taken-by=ryanruckledge&hl=en

    The attack left the Ryan with facial injuries including a deep looking cut above his right eye. Hughie said that he had to fight four men resulting him being “beat up”.

    Taking to Instagram Ryan wrote,

    “Whe. [sic] You go to an awards ceremony with ya boyfriend and then end up getting attacked on a night out, people are horrible today I hope someone punches u”

    Informing his fans what had happened Hughie, wrote,

    “Can’t believe what happened last night, me and Ryan went to an awards in Dublin and ended up on a night out and a bunch of lads launched a homophobic attack on us .. I had to fight 4 guys getting beat up”

    THEGAYUK reached out find out whether the attack had been reported to the police.

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