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First openly gay British rabbi dies

Britain’s first openly gay rabbi, Rabbi Lionel Blue has died.

Rabbi Lionel Blue, Britain’s first openly gay rabbi, has died at the age of 86. The rabbi was a regular speaker on the BBC’s Thought For The Day on Radio 4. He came out as gay officially in 1981 in a book he wrote called Godly And Gay. He had been open about his sexuality since the 1960s.

According to the BBC, the Mr Blue was ordained in 1960 after reading History and Semitics at University. He was made an OBE for his “services to broadcasting”.

He was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was aged 57, he was also diagnosed as having Parkinson’s Disease.

His death was announced via his Facebook page,

A statement from a representative from the liberal London synagogue, Beit Klal Yisrael, wrote,

“Lionel was a wonderful and inspirational man, who spoke with such wisdom and humour and whose words reached out far beyond the Jewish community.

“He was a friend and mentor to many and his courage in coming out as gay in the 1970s paved the way for many other Jews, including many Rabbis.

“We will not see his like again. May his memory be for a blessing.”

19th December 2016
9 things every gay man needs in his bedside drawer

What’s in your bedside drawer? Is it full of random stuff? You know, the kind of stuff that you just don’t know what to do with? Clear it all out and make sure you have these 9 essential items in your nightstand.

CREDIT: CC0 Public Domain / Pixabay / Unsplash

Condoms

There’s no point in having your condoms in the bathroom in a completely separate room from where all the action is happening. Make sure your condoms are right in grabbing distance. Even better so that you don’t ruin the flow of your night put them under your pillow. Also, don’t forget to stock some non-latex condoms. Some guys may have a negative reaction to latex.

Even if you’re in a long-term relationship and don’t use condoms anymore, it’s always good to have some in stock if you both decide to have a third/fourth or fifth round. Make sure any rubbers you have are still in date.

Lube

And don’t just have one type of lube. Have a variety. As they say, variety is the spice of life. Depending on what you’re doing you might need different lubes. If you’re using condoms make sure you’re using silicone or water-based lubes, if you’re going bare you might prefer a more oil-based or buttery lube. If toys are your thing you should use water-based lubes.

The gay man’s Kama Sutra

Want to up your bedroom game? Get this book to give you ideas and some insightful tips on new positions. Wow your partner with some new moves with the gay man’s Kuma Sutra.

Breath mint

Worried about morning breath? There’s nothing worse than breath can peel the wallpaper off from fifty feet. Pack some mints in your bedside drawers. Then pop one in first thing if you’re planning for a morning bonk.

Pad and pen

Ever wake up in the mid of the night with the world’s most amazing idea and completely forget it by the morning? Keeping a pen and pad by your bed is key to collecting all those midnight memories. Also if you’re not sure you’ll remember the name of the person you’ve just gone to bed with you can always jot it down!

Glasses

If you need glasses keep a set by your bed, especially if you like reading or watching TV last thing at night. Also, comes in very handy if you need to get up in the middle of the night to pee.

Some toys

Sex toys deserve to be placed near to where the action is going to take place. That way you can seamlessly integrate them into your sex life.

Come rag

Yep. When the business is done, don’t go searching high and low, have a rag on hand to clear up all the mess. Also can be great to have a cloth or scrap of material to place used toys or condoms on ready to clear up in the morning.

Bio-Oil

I know this a random choice, but it’s a perfect night oil for your face. Wake with softer more youthful skin. This is a grooming product I absolutely swear by.

19th December 2016
2016 A Year In Review

2016 has been a year that will go down in history as one of the most seismic of all time. From the election of Donald Trump to the UK voting to leave the EU, from the Pulse nightclub massacre to the continued persecution of gay men by ISIS.

There have been many stories that have and will continue to impact the gay community for decades to come. Here’s are just some of the top stories from the past 12 months.

January

David Bowie dies. The year starts with the unexpected death of David Bowie. 2016 would go down as one of the most shocking years for celebrity deaths.

Milo Yiannopoulos is unverified by Twitter. The controversial right-wing commentator is unverified by Twitter. He would later be kicked off the platform altogether in a move many praised but other criticised Twitter for kerbing freedom of speech.

ISIS executes 15-year-old boy. He was murdered for an alleged affair with an ISIS officer. The officer was spared the death sentence.

Actor Charlie Carver comes out as gay. He came out via a moving Instagram post.

MP David Mundell comes out as gay. The Government got its first openly gay serving minister.

February

British LGBT Awards gets a bashing on Twitter. The motives behind the awards were questioned by some after a number of “strange” choices for nominees were revealed including YouTuber Zoella, and Zayn for being allies.

George Shelley comes out but didn’t want to be labelled as gay or bisexual.

Dustin Lance Black and Sam Smith get into a Twitter spat after texting with Tom Daley.

Marcus Feehily admits hiding his sexuality was like a “big secret” during his time in Westlife.

March

Olly Murs says he’s a bit gay and gets slammed by Neil Armin from Clean Bandits.

The owner of AXM dies. Haydn Pope died after a battle with Cancer. He was 49.

James Franco opens up about his sexuality and says he’s gay up to a point.

Tony Warren, writer of Coronation Street dies he was aged 79 and one of the UK’s most visible and openly gay TV writers.

April

The world is rocked by the deaths of Prince, Victoria Wood, David Gest and Denise Robertson .

John Barrowman accidentally flashes his husband’s penis, the internet explodes in wonder.

Sam Smith and Harry Styles on the UK’s rich list.

May

David Walliams criticised for “acting gay” during his judging of Britain’s Got Talent.

Prince Harry tweaks a man’s nipple – breaks the internet.

London gets a new Mayor and the gay community questions if he’s gay-friendly.

Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that gay people can be changed with outrageous and creepy Disney-like animation.

ISIS throw gay man to death claiming it was to “cleanse his sins”.

TV Star Colton Haynes comes out as gay, all pretty casual to be honest.

June

UK votes to leave EU. The world is shocked by the result. Hate crimes rocket after the results.

Anti-gay rights MPs stand for Tory leadership after David Cameron resigns as PM.

49 clubbers are massacred at a gay club in Orlando the worst single gun attack on American soil.

London stands still in the memory of those murdered and wounded in Orlando attack at Pride in London. A video message from David Cameron was booed and jeered at the Pride.

Cliff Richard says he’ll take his sexuality to the grave in a rather candid interview.

July

An attack in Manchester’s gay village shocks the community and leaves a man on life support.

Marriage proposal on Big Brother makes UK TV history.

Town council refuses to fly Rainbow Flag for pride.

Prince Harry gets HIV test live on social media.

August

Four men executed by ISIS for being gay.

Homophobic killer murders a man, moments after sex when he was most vulnerable.

September

Alexis Arquette dies.

Gay Royal… The first member of the extended Royal Family comes out as gay.

Jehovah’s Witnesses distribute leaflets telling gay people to control their urges.

October

Bratavio makes it into the X Factor and gets vile homophobic backlash on Twitter.

Simon Cowell slammed for asking if Rylan likes the “backdoor”.

Clothing retailer gets a taste of reality after “real men” advert goes viral for all the wrong reasons.

Pete Burns dies, 57.

November

Donald Trump elected as President of the USA. The homophobic language on social media soars in the days before and after the US election.

The month of celebrity nude leaks including Ben Cohen, Sam Callahan, Shayne Ward, Joel Dommett, Jake Quickenden.

Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t confirm or deny the rumours that he’s gay after seemingly coming out in an argument.

People worry for the mental health of songwriter and producer for RuPaul’s Drag Race, Lucian Piane.

Milo Yiannopoulous is slayed by the internet after appearing on Channel 4 news.

People get very het up over a question on the Loose Women Facebook page.

Saara Aalto announces her engagement to her girlfriend.

Serial killer Stephen Port found guilty of the murders of four men he met via gay dating apps.

December

People think that Matt Terry and Freddy Parker are an item.

Shaving your pubes could leave you susceptible to getting an STI.

Man accused of being gay executed in Aleppo.

PC Gordon Semple’s murderer, Stefano Brizzi sentenced to life for his murder.

18th December 2016
Oxford student union denies “Ze” pronoun story

A statement released by the Oxford University students’ union has denied it instructed students to use “ze” pronouns.

An Oxford University student representative has denied that the university requires people to use the “ze” pronoun after The Times reported that a leaflet was distributed to students suggesting that they should look to use non-gendered pronouns.

A statement released by Jo Gregory-Brough stated that the information published was incorrect and that a leaflet had not been produced implying that all students must use “ze”.

Gregory-Brough said,

“As far as we’re aware, the information which has been published is incorrect. We have not produced a leaflet implying that all students must use ‘ze’ pronouns to refer to others, or indeed to themselves.”

However, the statement does suggest that there are other resources that are used by student leaders and welfare representatives, which,

“…alongside other information and tips, reminds individuals of the importance of not assuming the pronouns of their peers while also aiming to normalise stating pronouns in introductions.”

Jo Gregory-Brough outlined support for the trans community at the university by stating,

“We would also like to clearly state that we would never tell anyone to use ‘ze’ pronouns instead of ‘he’ or ‘she’ if ‘he’ or ‘she’ is the pronoun someone wishes to use. That would be misgendering and would likely have the biggest impact on individuals (ie, some trans students) who may already be struggling to get people to use ‘he’ or ‘she’ for them. It would be totally counterproductive.

Some critics have slammed the practice of adding pronouns to an introduction as a form of outing and forcing people to acknowledge their gender or sexual identity before they are ready to do so or enforcing a label upon themselves which may not feel comfortable.

The use of pronoun confirmation is “standard practice” according to Gregory-Brough who said it was “disappointing” that the media storm surrounding the story beset the union’s efforts to “ensure our trans students feel welcome within the Oxford community.”

18th December 2016
Can you find the hidden shopping voucher?

Finding ways to save money isn’t always easy – but it’s even trickier in the newest brainteaser to leave the internet scratching its head.

Half of Brits admit they will be counting the pennies this Christmas – with a quarter relying on voucher websites to make their money go further.

WANT TO SEE THE ANSWER? Click here

In this puzzle by voucher marketplace, Zeek.me, there’s a discount voucher hidden among the baubles and tinsel in this Christmas tree – can you find it?

A spokesman for Zeek.me, which allows users to buy and sell gift cards and vouchers at a discounted rate, said,

“We all know how difficult it is to make your money go further at this time of year but we reckon this puzzle is no walk in the park either.”

The average Brit will spend £438 this Christmas according to research commissioned by the voucher marketplace.

The poll of 2,000 UK adults found an average of £185 of our overall spend will go on gifts, while £99 will go on socialising and £39 will be spent on booze.

To make their money go further over the holidays, a third of respondents said they will cut back on dining out and one in ten said they have stopped having their daily coffee on the way to work.

A fifth of people admit they are planning to re-gift presents this year and 19 percent bought many of their gifts during the January sales earlier this year.

Daniel Zelkind, CEO of Zeek.me, said,

“A quarter of Brits feel Christmas is more expensive than ever.

“Luckily there are easier ways to save money and we have thousands of discounted vouchers selling at between five and 25 percent below their market value.

“These can be used against some of our biggest festive purchases, from Christmas decorations to food, delivering savings that can help at a time when every penny counts.”

Find Zeek on the web at www.zeek.me or download the free app from the App Store and Google play.

17th December 2016
The 31 gayest Christmas songs… ever

We’ve searched high and low for the campest Christmas songs…

So here you go, 31 songs from LGBT artists, allies and icons provide you with the perfect soundtrack for a truly camp Christmas. So there’s newcomer Saara Aalto, a bit of Kylie and some RuPaul to make up the perfect soundtrack.

Playlist:
All I Want For Christmas – Mariah Carey
Last Christmas – Wham!
At Christmas – Kylie
One More Sleep – Leona Lewis
Merry Christmas, Mary – RuPaul
My Only Wish (This Year) -Britney
Baby It’s Christmas – Bananaramma
Heartbeat – Steps
2 Become 1 – Spice Girls
Mistletoe and Wine – Cliff Richard
All Alone On Christmas – Darlene Love
Once Upon A Christmas Song – Peter Kay
Santa Baby – Eartha Kitt
Showbiz Christmas – Mr Showbiz
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Bette Midler
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer – Dolly Parton
Baby, It’s Cold Out – Glee Cast
Do They Know It’s Christmas? Band Aid
Merry Christmas – Bette Midler
Guiding You – FourNurses
Step Into Christmas – Elton John
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) – Mariah Carey
Dear Santa – Girls’ Generation
Christmas Tree – Lady Gaga
Santa Baby – Madonna
Underneath The Tree – Kelly Clarkson
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Sam Smith
Let It Go – Idina Menzel
Sleigh Ride – Clay Aiken
O Holy Night – Saara Aalto
Christmas Conga – Cyndi Lauper

16th December 2016
Austin Armacost just got hella nekkid and all is good

Everything is momentarily okay with the world. Austin Armacost just shared some really good nakedness.

Celebrity Big Brother star Austin Armacost just shared a rather naked picture and we’re able to breathe again.

Thank goodness.

It’s rather naughty so click here if you wanna see it (NSFW)

The reality star recently revealed in an article with website, guyslikeu that he was date raped in Chicago nearly 10-years-ago. He was so crippled by fear over his sexual health that he was unable to attend the GUM clinic to pick up his STI test results.

He lived in fear for 9 years.

Austin said,

“As a result of the unwanted assault, I was terrified of sex for years following that experience. It haunted me every day.
“It also contributed a large part to my drug and alcohol abuse in my twenties.”

Austin finally took the test recently and faced his fears. On finding out he was negative he said,

“I had lived my life scared of a disease that has been so monumentally stigmatised for so long, yet a five-minute test all those years ago could have helped me avoid the years of fear and panic I went through.”

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16th December 2016
Spice Girls Christmas hit re-imagined as a safe sex same-sex single

And this genius uses a condom as the drums.

So the 16th December marks 20 years since the iconic Spice Girls ballad “2 Become 1” became a Christmas number 1. Well, now musician K Anderson has re-imagined the song as a love song between two men and used a condom as the drums.

To celebrate this anniversary, singer-songwriter K Anderson has recorded an acoustic cover, changing the song’s lyrics to ‘boys and boys feel good together’.

The singer said,

“I always wanted to be in a girl band, and there is no finer than the Spice Girls! And, since one of the song’s messages is about the importance of safe sex, I thought it would be fun to use condoms as my percussion in the track (and they weren’t getting much use in my bedside drawer)”.

Amazing.

16th December 2016
FILM REVIEW | Uncle Howard

★★★★ | Uncle Howard

Howard Brookner was three days shy of 35 when he died of AIDS in 1989.

Who was Howard Brookner? He was an American film director and famous for his college thesis documentary on William S. Burroughs – the American novelist who was also a member of the beat generation. Brookner also wrote and directed the feature-length film Bloodhounds of Broadway – a period comedic ensemble that starred several big names including Matt Dillon, Jennifer Grey, Anita Morris, Julie Hagerty, Randy Quaid, and Madonna.

But Brookner was more than just a film director – he was also an uncle, an uncle to Aaron Brookner. And Aaron has made a film about his uncle in a moving documentary simply titled Uncle Howard.

Aaron, 35 years old, was inspired by his uncle to make movies. In the documentary we see home video footage of Howard hanging out with Aaron when he was a kid, with Howard parading Aaron around on his shoulders. These scenes are touching and sentimental because it sets the tone of the short relationship Aaron had with his uncle, an uncle who passed away when Aaron was only 8-years-old, an uncle who made such an impression on him that decades later Aaron would want to make a documentary about him. Aaron’s early memories of Uncle Howard included being on the set of Bloodhounds of Broadway, a film that turned out to be Howards only major studio film, and unfortunately, he passed away before its release.

Aaron wanted to seek out Howard’s original film footage for his Burroughs documentary, and found it in a place called The Bunker in lower Manhattan, the former home of Burroughs. There are scenes of Aaron watching the old tapes which are then inter-spliced with the actual film footage, which gives us, and Aaron, a glimpse of the early work of his uncle, an uncle with high doses of passion and talent. The old footage also includes glimpses of Allen Ginsberg and Andy Warhol, while both new and old footage shows Jim Jarmusch, with Howard in the 1980’s, and then with Aaron in the present day.

The writer Brad Gooch gives us a raw insight into his ten-year relationship with Howard, while discussing the loss of Howard and many friends during the height of the AIDS pandemic, scenes that are emotional, touching and sentimental. But what most pulls at the heartstrings is Aaron’s conversations with Howard’s mother, Elaine, who walks down memory lane with Aaron about the life of Howard and how he was taken from them at such a young age. Uncle Howard is a film with a personal touch, and Aaron has successfully delivered a fitting tribute to an uncle who died way too young.

I wish I had an Uncle Howard.

15th December 2016
10 male celebs who came out in 2016

Actors, politicians and even a royal have come out in 2016.

Here are 10 guys who came out during 2016.

Charlie Carver, January

Former Desperate Housewives turned Teen Wolf actor Charlie Carver came out via a social media post on Instagram.

MP David Mundell January

Britain celebrated its first openly gay cabinet minister David Mundell when he came out as gay in January.

George Shelley February

Union J cutie George Shelley addressed rumours about his sexuality by not wanting to label himself by saying,

“I’ve been reading a lot of speculation online as to whether I’m, straight, gay or bi. It’s all these labels and it’s a little bit old-fashioned and this is why I’m not going to label it myself, I’ve had girlfriends that I’ve loved, in amazing periods of my life, but I’ve also had boyfriends.”

Rayvon Owen February

Rayvon came out as part of social media post by Shane Bitney Crone who announced he was in a relationship with the American Idol star. The pair starred in Rayvon’s music video for “Can’t Fight It”.

Colton Haynes May

Colton casually came out in May after years of speculation over his sexuality. The Teen Wolf hunk Colton Haynes officially came out in an Entertainment Weekly interview in which he said he’s the happiest he’s ever been.

Ryan Beatty June

American singer Ryan Beatty came out as a “raging homosexual” in June. The popular 20-year-old singer came out in an instagram post saying, “Proud to be a raging homosexual. it’s taken 20 years of suffocating in the closet for me to become comfortable enough to say it, but now I can finally breathe. i did it!”

Robin Lord Taylor

Although he technically wasn’t in Gotham actor Robin took to social media to let his fans know he had been in a relationship with a man for five years.

Trey Pearson June

Christian Rock singer Trey Pearson came out as gay in a heartfelt letter to his fans in June. Trey revealed that coming out has lifted a weight and that he’s never felt such freedom.

Ollie Locke July

The British reality star Ollie Locke came out in July having previously identified as bisexual. He confirmed that he was gay after splitting with his girlfriend, Catherine Louise Radford.

Lord Ivar Mountbatten September

Lord Ivar Mountbatten, 53, became the first royal to come out as gay.

15th December 2016
Dillon St. Paul reveals how tense the Apprentice board room really is

Apprentice star Dillon St. Paul has revealed how tense the boardroom process actually is for the candidates.

(C) Boundless

Apprentice star Dillon St. Paul has revealed how tense it is in the boardroom. When asked if the Apprentice boardroom was a bit like a strict school room, the magazine art director revealed exclusively to THEGAYUK.com, “Yeah, totally. It’s a really tense atmosphere, and it’s really, really serious.”

And if it looks as though the process from waiting room to boardroom is seamless, Dillon revealed that the candidates are actually kept waiting in complete silence for ages to build the tension and possibly to psyche each other out before they’re allowed to enter the board room. He told us,

“The thing is, what people don’t realise is, you’re kind of outside for ages, and you’re waiting for a long time. I don’t know whether that’s so that you psyche each other out, or whether it’s to give you time to think.We’re kept in complete silence outside for quite a bit longer than you realise”.

So, once inside the boardroom and the candidate meet the 69-year-old billionaire Lord Sugar for the first time, what do they make of him?

“Every time he makes a joke, everybody laughs regardless of if it’s funny or not because it’s so tense in there,

“He’s quite a serious guy. He just likes straight up. I wouldn’t call him the most patient man in the world. He kind of wants you to get to the point quickly before you’ve even started a sentence. He likes things fast, he likes thing straight talking, and he doesn’t like anybody kind of beating around the bush. You will get called out for that pretty fast anyway, so you learn pretty quickly not to do that.”

The Apprentice continues tonight on BBC 1 9PM

15th December 2016