October 4th Justin Fashanu
Who’s today’s black LGBT+ icon? It’s Justin Fashanu. Justin was the first professional footballer to be openly gay.
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Football Homophobes convicted after shouting abuse at a match
Four men have been convicted of a Public Order Act offence after an investigation by the Metropolitan Police and slapped with a £200 fine and are banned from attending future football matches.
The men were found to have shouted homophobic comments and actions at a West Ham Match in early 2020.
Police investigated reports of several men shouting homophobic comments or making homophobic actions towards visiting supporters at the West Ham v Brighton & Hove Albion game on 1 February 2020.
Two men were arrested during the fixture at the London Stadium on the day of the game.
Thomas Hill, 25 of Slough and Samuel Marshall, 21 of Hornchurch appeared on 3 September at Thames Magistrates’ Court. They pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 5 of the Public Order Act and were each fined £200 plus costs.
The investigation continued and two other men were summonsed.
On 30 September at Thames Magistrates’ Court, Damian Critten, 24, of Rainham and Jack Wood, 25 of London both pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 5 of the Public Order Act. They were each fined £120 and given three-year football banning orders.
Chief Inspector Chris Green of Met Operations said, “This investigation and these convictions show that we will not tolerate homophobic behaviour or hate crime at football matches and more broadly in our city.
“If you have information about people committing these type of despicable offences, please share that information with police. These offenders may happen to support the same football team as you, but they do not deserve your support.”
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH | LGBT+ Icons: Lady Phyll
October 3rd Lady Phyll
Today’s black LGBT+ icon is an absolute pioneering powerhouse. It’s Lady Phyll from UK Black Pride. She is a force to be reckoned with and has increased visibility for queer, trans and intersex people of colour (QTIPOC) in the UK and beyond.
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Sainsbury’s has told bigots that they can shop elsewhere
Sainsbury‘s has a long history of speaking out on social issues, including and during Pride season, but for Black History Month, it’s gone a step further, by telling anyone who doesn’t support their inclusive approach can “shop elsewhere”.
The retail giant has swapped out its Pride logo and replaced it with an equally colourful logo for Black History Month. Black History Month runs in the UK for the whole of October. In the US and around the globe October is actually LGBT+ History Month.
Posting on social media, Sainsbury’s wrote a thread to communicate how inclusive and diverse they are aiming to be as a company, saying,
“We are proud to celebrate Black History Month together with our Black colleagues, customers and communities and we ill not tolerate racism.
“We proudly represent and serve our diverse society and anyone who does not want to shop with an inclusive retailer is welcome to shop elsewhere.”
Of course, the thread attracted a wide range of comments. Many people took issue with the tone of the retailer’s message, with one writing “How bloody rude! As a long time customer and a loyal customer, I find your tone extremely offensive”
Another added, “You have just lost my custom”
Another moaned, “Many thanks for the offensive tweet. I will certainly take your advice and shop elsewhere in future. I would also recommend anyone who like their personal freedoms and does not wish to be preached at by some jumped up shopkeeper to do the same. Bye Bye Sainsbury.”
Others asked when “white history month” was. An argument which is often heard when talking about the importance of the pride movement.
“Anyone offended by this post clearly harbours racist views”
However many people praised Sainsbury’s stance with one confirmed their devotion to the retailer saying “I shop at Sainsbury’s anyway but this just confirms my choice.”
Writer, speaker and Young Women’s Trust ambassador, Toni Tone said, “So happy to see Sainsbury’s speaking up for what’s right. Anyone offended by this post clearly harbours racist views.”
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G-A-Y Owner blasts ‘senseless, no logic’ 10 PM curfew
The owner of one of the UK’s largest LGBT+ bar and club brands, G-A-Y, has blasted the government over its introduction of the 10 PM curfew, which sees most hospitality venues forced to close at the same time, across the country, in order to curb new cases of Coronavirus.
Jeremy Joseph took to social media to say that the government’s decision to force all bars and restaurants to close at 10 PM was poorly thought out as it forced thousands of customers on to the streets of cities across the UK at the exact same time, just when the government has been stressing how important it is for people to socially distance themselves.
He wrote, “On 24th September, the Government imposed a poorly thought 10 pm curfew on the hospitality industry. The curfew makes no sense, as we’ve seen it pushes people out into the streets in large numbers at the same time & packs them into public transport.”
The 10 PM curfew, which was introduced on the 24th September, has added immense pressure to an already vulnerable sector, which, this year, has had to largely remain closed or trade with ever-increasing restrictions, making it near impossible for many venues to continue to trade. Last week, one LGBT+ bar in Cardiff said it would be closed indefinitely, while there have been reports of permanent closures in other parts of the UK.
‘Hospitality is the government’s scapegoat’
Free-Photos / Pixabay Joseph said that he felt that the hospitality sector had been made into a “scapegoat” and added that there was no sense or logic to the curfew.
He added, “Like so many other bars, pubs & restaurants, G-A-Y has done everything it can to make our venues Covid safe. The Government is forcing us to close Covid safe venues with no justification. It makes no sense!
“The hospitality industry is being made a scapegoat. There is no sense or logic to this curfew & no publicly available scientific data that supports the curfew.
“Today, G-A-Y has taken the first step to challenging the government and to stand-up to Matt Hancock and Boris Johnson.”
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TODAY IN GAY | Priest comes out as gay and is fired immediately by the Vatican
Monsignor Krzystof Charamsa, who was 43 at the time, was fired by Vatican officials after coming out as gay and as having a partner. He had been a priest who worked in the Vatican’s doctrinal arm since 2003. He announced his sexuality in an interview with the Italian paper Corriere della Sera.
Charamsa held a press conference with his Spanish partner to announce his partnership and sexuality. Answering on why the Vatican decided to remove Charamsa from his post said that its decision was nothing to do with his coming out, but that giving an interview and planning a news conference was “grave and irresponsible”.
Speaking about the Church’s views on homosexuality and how the Church treats gay people he said their views were “inhuman”
Speaking about his treatment Charamsa said, “It’s time for the Church to open its eyes about gay Catholics and to understand that the solution it proposes to them – total abstinence from a life of love – is inhuman.”
In a statement about Charamsa’s announcement, the Vatican said,
“Msgr. Charamsa will certainly be unable to continue to carry out his previous work in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Pontifical universities, while the other aspects of his situation shall remain the competence of his diocesan Ordinary [local bishop].”
For all gay priests
Embed from Getty ImagesCharamsa “dedicated” his coming out to all gay priests, adding, “I wish them happiness even if I know that most of them will not have the courage to make the gesture I have made today.”
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TODAY IN GAY | Germany celebrates its first same-sex weddings
Bodo Mende, 60, and partner Karl Kreile, 59 tied the knot in south Berlin on the first day where gay marriages were allowed. The law was changed just three months before the first weddings took place.
Same-sex marriage became legal in Germany after Chancellor Angela Merkel changed her stance on the issue, before that, gay couple were only permitted to be civilly partnered.
In 2015 Angela Merkel revealed her thoughts on same-sex marriage in an interview posted on YouTube. While she said she supported LGBT equality, it stopped at civil partnerships.
By extending existing law to gay couples, they would automatically gain the same tax advantages and adoption rights as their straight counterparts.
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How many men did Jeffrey Dalmer kill?
The film, My Friend Dahmer focuses on a year before he committed his first murder. That of Steven Hicks in 1978. Steven Hicks was killed after accepting a lift from Dahmer. He was killed by being bludgeoned by a dumbbell and then strangled. Dahmer then dismembered and crushed Hicks’ remains and scattered them in the woodlands near his home.
It is thought that Dahmer killed 17 young men between 1978 and 1991. They were aged between 14 and 32 years old. Their names are:
Steven Hicks 18, Steven Tuomi 25, James Doxtator 14, Ricard Guerrero 22, Anthony Sears 24, Raymond Smith 32, Edward Smith 27, Ernest Miller 22, David Thomas 22, Curtis Straughter 17, Errol Lindsey 19, Tony Hughes 31, Konerak Sinthasomphone 14, Matt Turner 20, Jeremiah Weinberger 23, Oliver Lacy 24, Joseph Bradehoft 25.
Twelve of his 17 known victims were murdered in his North 25th Street home in Wisconsin. Three of the victims were killed in his grandmother’s house and his first and second victims were slain in his childhood home.
He was given 16 life terms for his crimes. However, he only served a few years of his sentence.
Was Jeffrey Dahmer gay?
Yes, Jeffrey Dahmer identified as gay during his teenage years. However, did not come out to his parents. He is also known to have committed sex offences against underage males and indecent exposure.
Many of his victims were also gay, but not all. Most of his victims were found at gay bars. He would typically offer them money for a nude photoshoot. He would get them drunk or drugged before having sex. He would usually kill his victims by strangulation. However, he was known to drill holes in his victims and pour a liquid into the cavities, including boiling water and hydrochloric acid.
Is Jeffery Dahmer alive?
Jeffrey Dahmer was killed while serving his prison sentence for the murders of his 17 victims. He was beaten to death in 1994, just three years into his sentence. Christoper Scarver was also serving time for murder at the Columbia Correctional Institute when he killed Dahmer with severe head trauma.
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When is International Lesbian Day in 2020?
International Lesbian Day is an annual day to celebrate and bring visibility to lesbians in the LGBT+ community, it has been going since the 1990s. There is also the Lesbian Visibility Day, which has been observed since 2008.
In 2020 International Lesbian Day takes place on the 8th October 2020 and is mainly observed in Australia and New Zealand.
(C) BIGSTOCK / DEPOSITPHOTO International Lesbian Day was first observed in the 1990s and was created to ensure the visibility of the lesbian community.
What are the colours of the Lesbian Pride flag?
There are, in fact, two lesbian flags. One is known as the Labrys flag, which features a battle-axe on a dark purple background. The other is what is considered the standard lesbian flag which consists of six shades of red and pink colours and a white bar in the centre. Sometimes it has a lipstick mark in the corner denoting that the holder is a “lipstick lesbian”.
Can you buy lesbian jewellery or gifts?
Yes, there are many stores which have gifts which have the lesbian colours assigned to them. Check out the amazing lesbian gift and jewellery range from our partner site, The Pride Shop.
To find out other days in the LGBT+ calendar click here.
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FILM REVIEW | Blackbird – A four-star weeper
Susan Sarandon is amazing as Lily, a woman slowly losing her faculties and who has decided that at the end of a perfect weekend she will choose to die. The perfect weekend includes visits by her two daughters – Jennifer (an unrecognisable Kate Winslet) with husband Michael (Rainn Wilson) and their teenage son Jonathan (Anson Boon); dysfunctional Anna (Mia Wasikowska) and her female partner Chris (Bex Taylor Klaus). Also along for the ride is Lily’s best friend Elizabeth (Lindsey Duncan) as well as her loyal and handsome husband Paul (Sam Neill), who has always been by Lily’s side.
The family is not a perfect one – Jennifer has controlling issues while Anna has never been truthful and transparent about her life. Sure she’s in a same sex relationship but there’s been times where she’s fallen off everyone’s radar – but Lily is still proud of both of her strong daughters who she raised to be just like her. But as the clock ticks to the final moment we know is coming, there is some excellent family time around the house, including the emotional ‘Christmas Dinner’ they have which is Lilly’s last evening meal. There is also lots of tension when several unresolved issues are revealed.
‘Blackbird’ is hard to sit through – it’s very emotional and very real, but up until the end, when every truth has been told and every tear has been wept, Sarandon still holds the screen – and our attention. It’s one of her finest film performances.Blackbird is now on Digital Download & DVD
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Icon Dame Shirley Bassey set to release new single and last ever album
Listeners in the UK can tune into Radio 2 this Sunday to hear a brand new track from the legendary Dame Shirley Bassey.
The single, and title track from her next album “I Owe It All To You” was written by Don Black, who famously wrote another of Shirley’s mega smashes, “Diamonds Are Forever”.
Don Black will be playing the song on his very last show on Radio 2, at 11 PM.
Could this be the last ever studio album from Shirley Bassey?
It is assumed that this album will be Dame Shirley‘s, now 83, grand finale and one of her greatest pieces of work. As the title of the album would suggest, it’s a gift made with love for her fans to celebrate a lifetime of their support.
Speaking about the song, Don said, “I’ve had the phrase ‘I Owe It All To You’ floating around my head for some time. As soon as I heard that Shirley was making her final record a light came on! I then wrote it with her in mind knowing that she doesn’t just sing songs she lives them. She is a songwriter’s dream and one of the best story tellers of all time. The lyric tells of the contentment that can be found on stage and the uncertainty that comes when the curtain comes down.
Dame Shirley added, “Don has a gift of writing beautiful songs. This track feels instantly classic and the lyrics mirror exactly how I am feeling. It’s as if Don found a way into my mind! “I owe it all to you, you were always there; making my dreams take flight”. This song is for my fans”
