A shocking freedom of information request has revealed that 28 crimes against gay and bisexual men in Manchester were related to the dating app, Grindr.
Fourteen of those crimes resulted in rape or sexual offences against the victim. Theft, non-sexual violence and drug trafficking were also reported.
The news comes after a series of high-profile murders in 2016 including,
The serial killer Stephen Port, who used Grindr and other gay dating apps to lure his victims, all young men under the age of 25, to his home before drugging and killing them.
John Leech, who will now lead a campaign to get dating apps to display safety notices. Speaking about Grindr and Tinder he said,
“It is completely unacceptable that neither of the two leading dating apps display safety alerts or notices at any point from download to real life use, not even anything as simple as meeting somewhere public and letting a friend know where you’re going.
“Something as serious as rape has an enormous and life-shattering impact on so many lives, from the victim to their friends, family and co-workers.
“Tinder and Grindr should not be let off the hook over such a serious and shocking lapse in care to their users.
“They must introduce safety alerts immediately and dramatically increase the safety of users, and they must do it now.”
Pop star Lily Allen used the word “fags” on Twitter and now knows not to do it again (unless of course, she isn’t paying attention)
British singer, Lily Allen used the word “fags” on Twitter and got a response, trouble was it probably wasn’t the one that she was hoping for. Her Tweet, “Fags Hate Trump” did not go down well, it’s fair to say.
It was all to do with promoting her new song, a cover of Rufus Wainwright’s “Going To A Town,” which is, apparently a protest song against President Trump.
In the video that accompanies the song, placards with the slogan “Fags Hate Trump” are seen. A fact which was pointed out by long-time gay rights activist Peter Tatchell.
How To Be Heard was due to be published by TED Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster in March 2018. Speaking to Buzzfeed News, Roxane said that she asked her agent, Maria Massie to “pull the project” last week saying that she couldn’t in “good conscience” let them publish the book, whilst they also had the rights to Milo’s book.
She said she was putting her “money where her mouth is”.
“I kept thinking about how egregious it is to give someone like Milo a platform for his blunt, inelegant hate and provocation. I just couldn’t bring myself to turn the book in. My editor emailed me last week and I kept staring at that email in my inbox and finally over the weekend I asked my agent to pull the book.”
Simon & Schuster’s CEO claimed that Milo’s book would not contain hate speech.
The man was deluged by responses. In fact, he got over 6152 comments.
So what were some of the most surprising responses?
Considering my ridiculously sensitive gag reflex I wouldn’t mind a smaller one now and then.
I’m a gay guy and I actually prefer smaller penises. I’m a top for one thing, so maybe that skews my preference. I feel like I can give more pleasure to a guy with a smaller penis simply because I can get a hold of more of it at a time. More fun to play with maybe? I’d much rather be with someone who is less than say, 5-6″ (average). The massive ones you see in porn, no thanks.
Don’t worry about dick sizes. I’ve been with 8 guys and ventured to a bath-house once (no, didn’t get with all 8 guys there!). Most guys do NOT have anything to be proud of. Porn dicks are the equivalent of a model’s weight to females: very few actually “have the goods” yet everyone worries about it.
Bottom/vers here. There is a definite “golden zone” in terms of length/girth. Too small and you don’t feel anything, too big and it hurts like hell. That isn’t really a “getting used to it” thing, either – unless you specifically go out to train yourself to take big dicks or fists (which I haven’t, because you run a real risk of prolapse) there’s a hard limit at around 9-10″ where it hits the top of your colon and around 2.5″ diameter where it hits your pubic bone (I think. Something hard, anyway.)
The first guy I dated was smaller than average, but it was no big deal. A guy I went on a couple dates with a few years ago had what may be considered a micro penis …When erect he couldn’t get a condom on it because it just rolled back off and there was no actual penetration despite the effort. It made me extremely uncomfortable and because I’d never experienced anything like it, I panicked and broke up with him not long after. I realize that he couldn’t help it, but I had only had sex with one guy before him and it kind of freaked me out. Looking at it now, I feel bad for the guy, but he’s engaged to somebody so it obviously didn’t hurt him too much.
This may sound very mean but I hope they’re not “waiting for marriage” to have sex. Having a dick that small is something both partners need to be comfortable with to make it work.
My first guyI was with had a very large penis. So large I could not enjoy sex, it hurt to bad. The next guy was average and sex was good. The next guy was so small, I am grateful he could not see my face when I pulled it out. I was actually disgusted at that moment. But it turned out he knew how to use it! Two years together and not once did I give that tiny dick a second thought. I am now married and my husband is a perfect size.
Gay guy here. Prefer 3-4 inches. Anything upwards of 6 inches hurts my ass and I hate it more than anything else. Also, I don’t see the point of choking on a dick. It’s not fun, you cough and mucus comes out of your nose while you’re trying to look sexy sucking a dick. So yeah, small penises ftw.
I think the size you have is perfect. Mine is about 5.5 and my partner is the same as yours. (gay obviously) I like it because it’s not intimidating, I can get it all in my mouth, and he really knows how to work it. I honestly don’t like big penises. They’re scary and painful.
In summary, he said,
“I came to the conclusion I had before even posting, 1. Whether or not your penis is too big or too small, it’s dependent on your partner. 2. Size matters to a very minimal extent, what really matters is how you perform and make up for it. 3. There is still faith in humanity.
“Thank you for being so open and sharing your personal stories”.
She may have appeared on QVC, but really – Melania Trump a gay icon?
CREDIT: By Marc Nozell from Merrimack, New Hampshire, USA, edited by User:Calliopejen1 (File:Melania Knauss-Trump.jpg) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsThe Trumps only entered the White House less than a week ago (fact checked) and already people are wondering whether President Trump’s wife and now the first lady of the USA, Melania Trump could be a gay icon.
Now some people on Twitter are questioning whether she could become an official gay icon. Bearing in mind that we set our standards at Bette Midler and Cher… we’re not sure Melania will ever get there.
Well, as far as we can tell absolutely nothing. She has pledged to fight bullying during her time as First Lady, but fell short in mentioning whether that would include LGBT+ youth.
★★★★★ | Brasserie Zedel – perhaps the best restaurant in London?
Steps away from Piccadilly Circus is one of the most beautiful, elegant and affordable restaurants in London. It’s Brasserie Zedel.
If you walked by the entrance to the restaurant you would have no idea that beyond the front door, and down several flights of steps, is a grand Parisian brasserie, with vaulted high ceilings, marble columns, Beaux Arts/Art Deco decor with dozens and dozens of tables to accommodate you for either lunch or dinner. But not only will you find a restaurant, this huge cavernous complex also houses a cabaret lounge (Crazy Coqs) and the elegant Bar Américain. And if that’s not enough, there’s the ZL Café upstairs which is sneakily and actually the entrance to the entire complex.
The restaurant serves traditional French food at amazingly very affordable prices. In what is perhaps the best dinner deal in London, they offer, for a mere £12.75, a three-course Prixe Fixe meal which includes Carottes Rapées, Steak Haché with Frites, and a Café Gourmand or a Tarte aux Fruits. It’s a very delicious and satisfying meal. Or, you can splash out a bit more by trying their Plats de Jour – Plates of the day (£14.25 each), ranging from Poulet au Curry on Mondays to Cassoulet de Toulouse on Wednesday. Highly recommended, however, is the Boeuf Bourguignon, a delicious and tender beef braised in a red wine sauce with a helping of mash potato – it’s absolutely divine (£12.50). Other meat dishes include a whole roast free range french chicken for two (£14.75 each) – I’ve seen it and it’s huge. Other meat dishes include smoked belly of pork (£14.00) or a massive Rib Eye Steak (£25.75). If fish is your thing, Zedel will deliver. Deep fried whiting, trout, and seabass, among others, are all on offer, and all under the friendly price of £17.75. Side dishes (entrées) are all in abundance – with cheeses, onion soup, endive salad, steak tartare and fish soup and more to allow you to start the evening with a nibble. And to end the evening you can pick from cheese dishes to a Tarte au Citron, a Chocolate Souffle, to my favourite – champagne poured over mandarine sorbet – an absolute steal at £5.50. And the drinks list has top notch wines, biéres and cidres and champagnes to complement any and all the main courses.
As mentioned above, there is also the Crazy Coqs cabaret room, offering top notch talent in the world of cabaret and beyond. Previous performers have included Brian Batt, Steven Brinberg (the world’s most famous Barbra Streisand impersonator), to actress Sally Kellerman and Julian Clary. Coming up is an, even more, star and talent-studded lineup including the comedy cabaret of Coqs favourite Miss Hope Springs, X-Factor winner Matt Cardle, restaurant Critic Grace Dent, drag queen extraordinaire La Voix, and the House of Q, an all new night of cabaret, burlesque, music, mime and more. Have a look at the website as there are a lot more upcoming acts and so the programme really needs to be looked at and studied.
For more about the program and the restaurant, please go here:
https://www.brasseriezedel.com
I recently celebrated my third Christmas and New Year’s Eve without alcohol and it got me thinking about the money I’ve saved since giving up drinking alcohol.
I didn’t give up drinking because of money but it certainly hasn’t hurt my bank balance after I discovered that I’ve saved over £12,000 since giving up the alcohol.
I became a non-drinker in the summer of 2014 after a working out that alcohol was doing nothing for my mental health. After suffering a series of extraordinary panic attackers, leading me to some of the darkest moments of my life, I wondered if drinking had anything to do with it. It turns out that it did.
Over two years later, my anxiety is manageable and rarely keeps me up at night. It’s the biggest gift I’ve ever given to myself.
So apart from the biggest gift, what else has no alcohol given me?
Well, I’ve not spent over £12,000 on alcohol. So how did I come to this staggering number?
Here’s how: I eat out probably twice a week, and have a glass or two of wine – let’s say £6 per glass (they were always large) that’s £12 per meal twice a week – that’s £24, also ready I’m £1,248 better off.
Then there was the at home drinking, yep, I think I could easily sink 5 bottles of wine a week. So let’s get those priced up at £6 per bottle that’s £30 per week – that’s £1,560 per year and I’m already at £2,888 per year. That’s not considering birthdays, Christmases, New years and holidays where much more would be consumed.
So where the rest of the money?
How much do you spend on a night out? If I went out one night a week (who goes out just once!) there’s no doubt that I’d spend at least £70 on drinks in an evening (London prices). So let’s add that up… that’s a whopping £3640 per year… and don’t forget the cabs homes, at least £360 per year and the dirty kebab, which I’d probably have 20 times a year – £130. This element of my evening just no longer exists. I drive instead of public transport and cabs and because I’m not drunk I don’t crave the dirty kebab.
Now not spending at least £6448 per year on alcohol. So what am I drinking instead, well some soft drinks when I’m out, which cost a third of the price and I don’t drink nearly many of those as I did glasses of wine, you actually can’t.
So what am I drinking instead? Well some soft drinks when I’m out, which cost a third of the price and I don’t drink nearly many of those as I did glasses of wine, you actually can’t.
At home, I drink water – with a squeeze of lemon. The cost of which is pennies per week.
Then: Glasses of wine with meal £6 x 4 = £24 x 52 weeks = £1248 Now: £1.50 x 4 x 52 = £312 Then: Bottles of wine a week £6 x 5 = £30 x 52 weeks = £1560 Now: Basically free, unless I have soft drinks which never exceeds £10 per week. Let’s say £520 per year. Then: Drinks on a night out £70 x 52 = £3640 Now: £20 x 52 =£1040 Then: Cabs from a night out: £30 x 12 (at least) = £360 Now: Nothing Then: Dirty Kebabs: £5 x 26 = £130 Now: Nothing Total: £6938 per year take away the differences: £5,066
Over 28 months that’s £11,820.
How did I give up? Well, I owe it to this book: Allen Carr’s No More Hangovers, which took me a morning to read. The best £4.99 I’ve ever spent.
Bruno Tonioli isn’t the only quick stepping rapid rumba dancer to come from Italy. In 1972 a motoring equivalent named the Alfasud was unleashed to the motoring world.
I have more than a soft spot for the Alfasud. If I am ever asked what car would be top in my fantasy garage of 5, an Alfasud is there. My second car was an Alfasud Ti. It was a three-month love affair that financially ruined a then 17-year-old Stuart.
There were three main prototypes presented. The first before Rudolf had joined only made it to the drawing stage. The second called the Tipo 103 was deemed too expensive to produce. This was a front wheel drive with a 900cc 4 cylinder twin cam engine in a three-box four-door saloon style body. The third incarnation was the Alfasud as we know it today.
(C) STUART M BIRD
Thankfully for Rudolf Hruska, Alfa Romeo had some unused facilities in a southern region of Italy in Pomigliano d’Arco. This is where the Sud or South in Italian comes into the name. The Alfasud is also the reason why ‘Milano’ was removed from the Alfa Romeo badge because now their cars were not only built in Milan.
The Alfasud was a major departure for the Milanese company. For a start, it was to be front wheel drive. Secondly, it was to use a totally new engine in design. In some ways, it did have twin cams but that isn’t totally true. The 4 cylinder boxer engine had one cam per two cylinders so was still classed as a single cam. I still like to think of it as a twin cam. Having worked previously for Porsche and Volkswagen it was no surprise that Rudolf would opt for a flat four designed engine. The layout allowed for a low centre of gravity and a low bonnet line. This really becomes evident when you drive one.
The body design was entrusted to Giorgetto Giugiaro of Ital design. This forward-thinking designer designed some of the most iconic cars ever to grace the roads and some that he would rather forget about. In the presence of this man don’t ever mention the Morris Ital.
In just five years the Pomigliano d’Arco factory was up and running giving much-needed employment to the southern inhabitants of Italy.
Sadly it didn’t all go to plan and industrial problems with an inexperienced workforce meant the Alfasud never made it the success it could and should have been. Strikes and poor workmanship were two key areas of failure. But you’d not think about these when you think Alfasud. What comes to mind is rust. And rust they did, even in areas where you wouldn’t expect it to. These rusted within two years of building.
Now forgetting that the Alfasud dissolved quicker than an Alka-seltzer, the car was a phenomenon.
(C) STUART M BIRD
Launched with a little single carburettor 1186cc engine, the 63bhp engine thrived like no other engine for revs. The raspy sound was intoxicating. And this intoxication quickly led to criticisms from the press for MORE power.
The handling at the time was legendary and for about a decade after launch, it was still the car other manufacturers tried to emulate. Alfa Romeo was quick to silence the critics with spoilers, sports style wheels, quad headlights, a rev counter and 5-speed gearbox which were all added to a two-door body and the Ti was born.
Then there were more problems. Supply and demand could not be met. This thwarted further development of the two-door shell being available in the lower spec models and the estate version ever making an impact outside of Italy. The much-needed hatchback-style body was delayed and finally arrived in 1981. However, the pretty ‘Sprint’ did make it, adding sporting sex appeal in a coupe style body with a hatchback boot.
Still, people wanted, even MORE, power. The Alfasud would end its 12-year production run with a 1490cc engine, twin carburettors and 105bhp in the Ti Green Clover Leaf.
The car used for this review belongs to Stefan. A lifelong fan of the Alfasud having had several over the years and a family who also had a love for the little Alfa Romeo. This is his 1982 series 3 1.3 SC with just 36,000 miles on the clock. Low mileage it might have but that hadn’t stopped the ravages of time taking hold. It has been subjected to a full body restoration prior to purchase. Since Stefan purchased the car he has nursed it through a full engine rebuild and sorting out the mechanical side of things while also removing the drama button from the dashboard. The car has had its problems. He says “Now not only does it look great, but runs just like the Alfasud should, smooth torquey flat four engine with that wonderful music to your ears raspy exhaust note.”
Stefan entrusted me with the keys. It has been 24 years since I last drove an Alfasud. It all came back to me very quickly. The heater fan switch on the end of the column stalk is a stroke of genius. The narrow footwell not so. The peddles were still as close together as I remembered. The low-slung engine allows for a low bonnet line. Il had forgotten that. It’s quite startling at first.
On the move, the steering was direct and nicely weighted. The assisted 4 disc brake system as powerful as ever. The inboard front discs allowing to eliminate unsprung weight during forceful braking. The ride and handling compromise still spot on in every way. The little 79bhp 1351cc engine was as fizzy as I remembered it with a rasp and pop from the exhaust that they became known for. It’s also smooth.
I could enthuse about the Alfasud until you fall asleep and even when you do I can still prattle on about them. So I’ll finish with a thanks to Stefan for letting me have a play and reigniting a long lost love affair.
With thanks to Gay classic car member Stefan for the loan of his car.
If you’re still watching and you’re still interested…
CREDIT: Channel 5
Following nominations on Sunday, only three Housemates survived nomination. The fate of the remaining eight lay in the hands of the public who voted to save Coleen, Jedward, Nicola, Jamie, Jessica, Kim and Stacy. Speidi received eternal nomination from James C so automatically face the public vote.
Tonight, Emma announced that the housemate with the fewest votes and therefore sixth to be evicted from the Celebrity Big Brother house is Stacy. Stacy said her goodbyes and left the house to a mixed reaction from the live audience.
On how it feels to be out, “I’m so happy, I wanted to go to the final but I get to see my babies.”
Stacy had a word for the producers of Celebrity Big Brother: “Thank you for bringing me on this show, overall I’m so grateful that they gave me this opportunity.”
On her arguments in the house: “I snap then feel really bad if I hurt someone’s feelings, I’m a fireball.”
On the new Housemates, “New people didn’t have a chance to really know me, they didn’t give me a real shot. I kind of went into animosity, it’s not their fault.”
On Kim putting her washing on the floor: “It wasn’t the actual (act), it was like lots of things, then boom! I always made sure I was considerate of my Housemates then Kim came in and was very selfish.”
Stacy’s general thoughts on Kim: “Is Kim senile, we did a task yesterday and Kim just never got it, she’s 75 years old now and I think she just doesn’t care?”
On who she thinks is the real Kim: “She’s watched the show over the years, she came in with preconceived ideas of what she has seen on telly, I feel like overall she is a good person.”
On figuring out the game and how to play it: “I had Nicola giving me tips and stuff, if I had (played properly) I would have made it to the final.”
On who is playing a the best game, “Speidi, they have a good game going on.”
Two men have been jailed for a homophobic attack that took place in Brighton last year.
CREDIT: Brighton Police
Gage Vye-Parminter, 18, of Breydon Walk, and Matthew Howes, 19, of Weald Drive, have both been jailed for five years for the homophobic attack on two men in Brighton. They admitted GHB and assault on two men in the city’s centre. They were ordered to pay a £170 victim surcharge.
The court heard that officers in a patrolling police car were flagged down by a passing taxi driver who told them two men had just been attacked in Kings Road, on the south pavement opposite the Queens Hotel.
Vye-Parminter and Howes were arrested at the scene and taken into custody for questioning. The victims said the pair were walking behind them along the seafront shouting homophobic comments at them. The 22-year-old, who now lives in Camberley, Surrey, said he then remembered being knocked to the floor and attacked before losing consciousness.
The attack was just one of the anti-gay attacks that rocked Brighton’s gay scene in 2016.
Detective constable Sarah Townsend said:
“This was a violent and unprovoked homophobic attack on two men who were singled out for their sexual orientation.
“This sentence sends out a clear signal that we will take a robust approach to those who target individuals based on their race, disability, gender identity, religion or sexual orientation.
“I hope this case will encourage other victims of hate crime to report such behaviour and violence to the police.”
So X Factor hottie Freddy Parker is, well, hot… but wait until you see his MUMMA…
Now we know where he got those good looks from! Freddy Parker just uploaded a cheeky shot of him and his mother enjoying each other’s company on holiday and well, Mumma Parker is smokin’ and it’s her birthday today!
Some fans were shocked with many asking who the woman was…. some even commented that they thought the woman in the picture was his girlfriend… Nope… That’s his Mum!
Freddy was recently holidaying in Barbados after he was eliminated from the X Factor, which saw his BFF Matt Terry win. The pair are now living together.
