Lord Michael Cashman has spoken out about the decision to give an MP a Knighthood and placed Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in his sights.
CREDIT” BBC
Taking to Twitter, Lord Cashman blasted Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on New Year’s Eve, over his nomination of an MP for a New Year’s honour. The MP in question has voted against LGBT equality at almost every vote.
Tweeting directly to Jeremy, the Lord and former actor, asked,
“Why @jeremycorbyn have you given knighthood to Lab MP who voted against repealing Section 28, against gay adoption & against equal marriage?”
The MP in question is David Crausby who is the Labour MP for Bolton North East. The MP has an abysmal voting record on matters involving gay rights. He has voted against equalities for gay people numerous times including laws pertaining to adoption, marriage and Section 28. He did vote to allow Civil Partnerships in 2004 and for the age of consent to be aligned with heterosexual partnerships in 1998.
He has been the MP for Bolton North East since the 1997 election.
When asked by social media users why Lord Cashman was blaming Jeremy Corbyn he answered that recommendations for Knighthoods came “from the leader’s office, signed off by the leader.”
After his Tweet Lord Cashman was accused of “weaponising LGBT+ issues” by one social media user who suggested that he was having a ” factional dig” at Corbyn.
The former EastEnder’s actor replied,
“Give me a break! Weaponising! Holding one’s party leader accountable for giving someone with an appalling LGBT voting record a knighthood.”
THEGAYUK.com is running its own New Years Recognition for those individuals and organisations which have made a positive impact on LGBT+ live in the UK. You can still vote, click here
You know the Disney film now watch Aladdin live on stage at the Prince Edward Theatre in the heart of London’s theatreland. The show runs for 2 hours and 30 minutes. It includes one interval.
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Travelling to America as a gay man you probably think New York, South Beach or San Francisco, well we recently had a little vagaytion to America’s Midwest and we uncovered some wonderful gems.
CREDIT: Jake Hook
View from the John Hancock centre. 96 floors up.
Springfield
CREDIT: Jake Hook
Springfield’s capitol building.
Springfield is the state capitol of Illinois and the political heartland of the state. Every street corner is bustling with political back channelling, clandestine meets and poll rigging… We may have just made that up, but we’re absolutely certain people were talking about The Good Wife. Politically speaking, Illinois is one of the epicentres of US politics, which boasts two Presidents who lived in the state, Abraham Lincoln and Barrack Obama.
CREDIT: Jake Hook
Rub the nose of Lincoln, it brings good luck
Whilst you’re there make sure you visit the Illinois State Capitol building (pictured above) and breath in that political air, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, the Oakridge Cemetery, where Abraham Lincoln’s tomb is located, (don’t forget to rub the nose of his statue, it’s supposed to be good luck) and be sure to grab yourself a hot dog on a stick at the Cosy Dog Drive in.
CREDIT: Jake Hook
You might be surprised to know that Springfield has its very own gay bar, Club Station House – a very friendly affair. On the night we stayed we sang Rick Astley karaoke – the locals had no idea who he was, but they clapped all the same.
CREDIT: Jake Hook
Stay at the gorgeous State House Inn, but here’s a tip – ask for an odd numbered room. They’re at the back of the hotel – and you shouldn’t be disturbed by the Juggernaut trains that slice through the city at 3 AM in the morning – horns blaring.
Chicago
CREDIT: Jake Hook
Obviously, no trip to America’s Midwest would be complete without a stay in Chicago. From an LGBT perspective, it’s got two incredibly friendly neighbourhoods – the more youth orientated Boystown and the slightly maturer Andersonville. Of course, there are many gay bars to visit and street festivals to try out, but one particularly sensational event to try, is the Andersonville Annual Midsoomarfest. If you go a stranger, I promise you won’t leave without making friends.
As with all major cities make sure you make time for a river cruise and perhaps catch something at the theatre – perhaps the Blueman group and avail yourself of some Chicago pie. It’s like nothing you’ve ever tried before.
Indianapolis
CREDIT: Jake Hook
Outside Illinois state, in the state of Indiana, you’ll want to try and visit the state’s capital city, Indianapolis, famous for amongst other things the Indy Car Race Track. If you’re around March through September make sure you catch one of the 16 races – and join over 300,000 spectators who revel in the high-octane Indy car racing. If you fancy something a little slower then try a Sedway riverside tour. Honestly, as you take a Sedway tour along the river, you’ll think you’re in a different time altogether – as it looks incredibly futuristic. It’s no secret that Indianapolis’s culinary scene is booming, ask any city-dweller the best place for eats, and they’ll gladly reel off a list of great places. For one of the most incredible meals, you need to dine out at St Elmo’s Steak House and try the Shrimp Cocktail.
Indianapolis is home to a number of gay bars and spaces and has one of the highest attended LGBT Prides in the US. If you’re looking for a spot of entertainment then a visit to the Talbott Street Nightclub is a must. They regularly host special events which often feature the gals from RuPaul’s Drag Race.
For more venues visit our guide page.
Galena
CREDIT: Jake Hook
If you’re a fan of the fly/drive holiday then you’ll want to check out the Great Lakes Facebook page, where you’ll get lots of ideas for glorious cities, friendly towns and exciting hot-spots to visit whilst you’re in the area. One such find is the ridiculously beautiful town of Galena. Around 3 hours west of Chicago, you’ll drive through miles and miles of farming land – the Midwest is known as the breadbasket of America – because of its wheat production and you’ll certainly see a lot of it.
The roads are easy, wide and once outside the city limits mainly free from traffic. You can forget the M6 or M25. Galena is a different world altogether and as you enter through the town’s giant floodgates (it sits on the Galena River which feeds into the almighty Mississippi River) you’ll be left wondering if you’ve actually stepped back in time.
Home to just under 3500 people, the town has an incredible friendly laid-back appeal. You must stay in one of the gorgeous, unique suites at the Jail Hill Inn – owned, operated and lovingly restored by the Inn Keeper, Matthew Carroll. Fill your boots at the wonderfully authentic Vinny Vanucchi‘s Italian restaurant. To really get your orientation in this quaint historic town buy a ticket for the Galena Trolleys – which depart from 10 AM until 9 PM. Your guide will take you on a whirlwind stop of this picture perfect town.
If you’ve a head for heights book yourself on to the Balloon flight experience – and see how beautiful the Midwest countryside is from the sky. As you float several thousand feet up let yourself drift with the wind – who knows where you’ll end up next.
Images speak a thousand words and they’re so important…
But you can get into some serious trouble if you don’t get images right. So here’s a lesson.
Your own images.
If you own the image (that means you took the picture with your own camera), by uploading it to our server you agree that THEGAYUK may use the image on its sites, including the App and via its social media. You also agree that the image can be used to promote your article.
The best places to find royalty-free images.
Pixabay
Pixabay offers beautiful images that do not need attribution. (but we always do, just in case)
Flickr
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Wikipedia
Another great resource for Creative Common Licensed pictures is Wikipedia – especially good if you’re wanting to get a current picture of a celebrity. Again please take note of the photographer’s name and include it in your submission. Credit must read: Photo Credit: Name Of Photographer, via Wikipedia
Other places to find images.
Getty Images
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Giphy
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Twitter
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Twitter or Instagram is a great resource to get pictures of celebrities – but only if said celebrity uploaded the picture themselves – and they own it. We do not host these images they must be embedded.
Promotional Images
With Theatre, Film or Music reviews, we are usually given a selection of images. Please send all of these to the editorial team for review. Please include any credits mentioned to you with regards to the images.
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It’s super easy to add a gif to your article. From the toolbox click this icon…
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