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Stephen Fry and Doctor Christian blast NHS England on PrEP decision
Celebrities and activists have condemned this week’s announcement from NHS England that it will not fund PrEP, a pill that is almost 100% effective in preventing HIV.
Stephen Fry led the movement of celebrities rallying for PrEP to be made available to those at risk of HIV.
Stephen, a patron of Terrence Higgins Trust, said:
“I have been a supporter of HIV charities for 35 years and seen remarkable medical and social breakthroughs in treating infection and stigma. But I never imagined I would be alive to see the day when a pill was created that could actually prevent HIV.
“It is remarkable and thrilling to witness so tremendous an achievement, but deeply frustrating in equal measure to discover that our national health service has pointedly refused to provide it to people at significant risk of infection from HIV.
“Surely this must be challenged: if not in the name of humanity then in the name of economy and plain common sense.”
His sentiments were echoed by Dr Christian Jessen, an ambassador for National HIV Testing Week, who said,
“I was shocked and saddened to see NHS England’s refusal to fund PrEP, following months of campaigning by HIV organisations and activists.
“As a doctor, this makes no sense to me. There should be no ‘controversy’ – this is a drug that works, it will halt HIV, and it is cost-effective. Condom use has prevented tens of thousands of HIV infections and remains a cornerstone of HIV prevention, but it’s not enough on its own. PrEP could have been the last piece of the puzzle.”
Christian Jessen (C) Monty McKinnen The UK now has the worst HIV epidemic of any large country in western Europe, having overtaken Spain, France and Portugal. Every day, seven men who have sex with men get HIV.
The HIV sector has been united in its outrage following NHS England’s announcement on Tuesday. In an unprecedented move, the UK’s HIV charities and organisations have now joined forces and announced they will march together at London Pride on 25th June for the first time in Pride history, under the banner of #United4PrEP.
In a letter to The Times, the coalition of over 20 HIV organisations called the decision “a dark day for the NHS.”
The letter was signed by National AIDS Trust, Terrence Higgins Trust, Gay Men Fighting AIDS, British HIV Association and many more.
They said,“Our Government seems to have no idea who is responsible for funding the drug that could help end the HIV epidemic, with departments passing the buck and no-one taking charge. The broader implications of that chaos should worry everyone.”
Rather than making PrEP available to high-risk groups, the NHS has agreed to provide PrEP to just 500 gay and bisexual men.
“The tokenistic offer to provide PrEP to 500 gay men over two years is arbitrary and inadequate,” continued the letter in the Times.
“It won’t scratch the surface when 2,500 gay men get HIV each year, let alone other groups such as trans women and black Africans.”
Other celebrities joining the outcry have included Coronation Street actor Charlie Condou, who said:
“Anything that can stop people getting HIV can only be a good thing, and that’s why I was so disappointed that the NHS has refused to fund PrEP. Despite what lots of people think, HIV hasn’t gone away. It’s an incurable health condition affecting thousands of people – and I believe that if there’s a way of stopping it in its tracks, our health service should be grabbing that opportunity, not letting it go to waste.
“I understand it costs money to provide PrEP, but in the long term, it will be cheaper for the NHS to prevent at-risk people from getting HIV than to fund a lifetime of treatment for them.”
Sir Elton John has previously voiced his support for PrEP. Writing in the New York Times in 2014, he said,
“Many view the drug Truvada — often used in pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP — as a miracle drug that will end AIDS. I share in this excitement, and have great hope for PrEP — and praise for leaders who advocate its wider use.”
The Prime Minister David Cameron has publicly spoken out about the benefits of PrEP, saying,
“There’s no doubt there is a rising rate of [HIV] infection. These treatments can help and make a difference.”
Now HIV activists and organisations are calling on him to show leadership and see this game-changing drug provided to those most at risk.
This article was written by Terrence Higgins Trust but was edited to meet THEGAYUK’s style guide.
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Britain’s Largest LGBT Domestic Violence Charity Closes
Broken Rainbow, Britain’s largest charity for the survivors and victims of Domestic Abuse has ceased trading.
Britain’s largest charity for LGBT survivors and victims of domestic violence, Broken Rainbow is to close after failing to keep financially viable.
The charity had released a number of funding warnings in 2015 and again in 2016 – blaming the Government’s silence in confirming whether the charity would be funded for another year.
The charity did receive funding for 2015 and 2016 but a charity insider blamed “major mismanagement” for the issues.
Communications to its chief executive, Jo Harvey Barringer by THEGAYUK went unanswered in early 2016.
In 2014 the charity relocated to Manchester.
The closure is the second LGBT+ charity shuttered in 2016. In January mental health charity PACE closed.
Buzzfeed were the first to break the news that the charity was to close.
Some of the services offered by Broken Rainbow to victims and survivors of domestic violence will be transferred to Galop.
The National LGBT Domestic Violence Helpline will remain available on 0300 999 5428 or 0800 9995428.
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Theatre Review | Dancing In The Streets – Sheffield Theatres & National Tour
★★★ | Dancing In The Streets
Mowtown magic lives on in this musical revue, pulling together the classic artists, the timeless songs and the sound which defined a generation with an unmistakable musical legacy. Featuring songs from The Temptations, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Lionel Richie and Stevie Wonder; seven singers and a live band bring to life the golden days of Tamla records.
Photo Courtesy of The Flying Music Company Ltd.Musical revues can often come across as slightly polished cruise ship cabaret and their success rests primarily on their subject matter rather than the way in which they are put together. Production wise, one would be hard pressed to find very much to sing about with this show, with nothing more than a static set made up of a handful of podiums for the backing band, three posters of legendary artists, an average lighting set up and a collection of microphone stands. The costumes are functional but nothing spectacular and overall, the whole show remained on a plateau in terms of pace and presentation. There is no narrative, just a relentless set list to carry the show over its two hour running time.
But it is that set list which really scores the points for this production, with songs including “Superstitious”, “Stop In The Name Of Love”, “Baby Love”, “Reach Out, I’ll Be There”, “My Girl”, “Dancing in the Streets”, “The Tracks Of My Tears”, “Get Ready”, “River Deep Mountain High” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, the show certainly crams in the classics. Performed by a five piece band, three female singers and four male singers, the vocals were perfectly functional, with all of the singers taking turns to step into the limelight, and each of them finding their niche with a particular song or two. But where the show succeeds is in getting the audience involved. From the outset, audience members were encouraged to dance, clap, sing and shout throughout the proceedings, and the audience certainly took advantage, barely sitting down for the majority of the show and quite literally packing out the aisles in the theatre as they danced.
When you compare this show to others similar revues, such as Thriller Live which has the hits coupled with some slickly choreographed routines, Dancing in the Streets is lacking in spectacle and, quite honestly, is visually rather bland. But what it lacks in spectacle, it makes up for in energy and atmosphere.
So put on your dancing shoes; and provided you go and see this show for the music and the party atmosphere, and not for the production values, then you are highly likely to have an enjoyable night.
Dancing In The Streets is currently on tour throughout the UK until 19th June 2016. For details, see http://www.flyingmusic.com/our-shows/dancing-in-the-streets/ .The production was viewed at Sheffield Theatres (www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk) who have announced their new season, including Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Annie Get Your Gun, The Shawshank Redemption and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.
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Is that Colton Haynes naked on Instagram
Colton Haynes has just gotten very very cheeky indeed.
The TV star Colton Haynes has been styling out a platinum blonde look recently and sent his fans into a meltdown after uploading a picture of what looked like him having his arse buffed by none other than fashion god father Tom Ford.
But wait all is not what it seems.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BF7AsHcDTI0/?taken-by=coltonlhaynes&hl=en
Fans went into overdrive after the picture was uploaded, but it turns out the shoot was actually from another decade altogether and nothing to do with the TV star, who recently came out as gay, at all.
Those clever bods over at Queerty did some digging and found that the picture is actually from a 2005 fashion series shot by photographer Steven Klein and starring Tom Ford. The shoot was called, Valley of the Dolls – very cheeky indeed. Raising our hopes and then dashing them so expertly.
Shame…
But then Colton has uploaded a few other nice piccys to quench the thirst. So there is that.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGMhKvZDTCf/?taken-by=coltonlhaynes&hl=en
Enjoy!
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OP ED: Pride needs to keep hold of its roots
It’s Saturday 28th May 2016 and I’m at Birmingham Pride. I attend each year and always have a great time. However, I cannot help but have mixed feelings about it too. Something sits very uncomfortably with me, despite the fact that I have a good time.
Before I continue, I must first congratulate Birmingham Pride for successfully running a festival of such magnitude. It’s not an easy task, but year after year the organisers do an amazing job of it and for that they must be praised.
As a fellow Pride organiser, the last thing I want to do is criticise another Pride event, as I know how difficult it is to put everything together. However, there is an aspect of Pride that worries me. That is the fact that the spirit of Pride seems to be getting lost along the way.
When the Pride movement began, Pride was a protest. People marched for their rights and what they believed in. Now that LGBT people have almost full equality in law, I can’t help feeling that the true meaning of Pride is being lost, despite parades and marches still being a part of such events.
I’m sure we are all aware that the larger Prides are now commercial machines that do not fully represent LGBT people or the spirit of the Pride movement. An example of this can be seen when looking at main stage performance line-ups. I only attended Birmingham Pride on the Saturday, but to my knowledge there was only one LGBT performer on the main stage that day. The rest were heterosexual and cisgender. It lacked the kind of representation that LGBT people deserve at a Pride festival.
It appears to be increasingly common these days for Pride festivals to book lots of straight acts to appear on their main stages. Having looked at several Pride line-ups, I’ve wondered where the LGBT representation is. Recently, somebody was protesting on Twitter that a certain Pride didn’t have any LGBT acts booked. I don’t know if that’s actually the case or not, but the lack of LGBT performers at LGBT Pride events is a worrying trend.
At Warwickshire Pride, 90% of this year’s main stage line-up is LGBT. It’s a percentage that we strive to increase or at least maintain each year in order for the festival to truly represent the people it primarily caters for.
That’s not to say that Warwickshire Pride is leading where others should follow. Far from it, in fact. It’s entirely up to the organisers of each Pride event to book the acts they want, move in the direction that they view as being best, and to respond to the wishes or needs of the community that they represent. At Warwickshire Pride, we pride ourselves on being a little bit different to other Prides and a lot of that comes from the feedback that local LGBT people provide. Yes, we have some fabulous elements such as Angie Brown and Wagner from the X Factor performing last year, but ultimately we try to create something in the spirit of the original Pride movement.
Perhaps it’s the activist in me. Every part of my being is about furthering the rights of LGBT people, both legally and socially. I believe that Pride is absolutely a protest, but do acknowledge that it’s a celebration too. There is nothing wrong with celebrating. However, I also feel that as a Pride movement we are in danger of losing touch with our roots.
What I’d like to see is more Prides having actual LGBT performers on their main stages, not just confined to cabaret tents. I’d also like to see more protesting and highlighting of social issues that our communities face. Finally, I’d like to see Prides being more inclusive. There are four letters in the acronym LGBT and it’s important that the B & T are remembered and included. This is something that the smaller, grassroots Pride events do very well, but it’s time that the larger Prides stepped up and truly represented their communities once more.
Follow Daniel Browne on Twitter
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.
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Russell Tovey is encouraging you to vote
Star of TV and film Russell Tovey is encouraging his fans to register for the EU vote.
The Looking star Russell Tovey is encouraging his fans to register to vote in the forthcoming EU referendum. Wearing a ‘No man is an island, no country by itself’ t-shirt, Tovey reminded his fans that they have until the 7th June to register to vote.
Russell’s message comes off the news that a vast number of Brits have still not yet registered to vote in the EU referendum on the 23rd June.
It is thought that over 10 per cent of London’s population (900,000) have not yet registered to vote.
Have you registered and which way do you plan on voting?
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RESTAURANT REVIEW | Suvlaki Restaurant Review (London)
“Just a light lunch”, is what we said to each other a few minutes before ordering Suvlaki’s Exuberance menu (£34), which for 2 people consists of two skewers, two mini wraps, four sides, & Greek burgers stuffed with feta. A tempting selection of meaty varieties to choose from to go in your skewers or wraps, including free-range pork sourced from Essex, and wild boar sausage from Greece.
I simply cannot ignore a boar when it’s on the menu, so a skewer we had of this, which whilst the flavour was really lovely, rich and warmly spiced, I was put off by its tough encasing that reminded me of Frankfurter. For my friend however, the boar sausage was her favourite thing on the platter.
Now, I kinda wish I hadn’t taken one for team vegetarian by ordering both a skewer and a mini wrap containing the mediterranean style veg. In both, the vegetables were undercooked, whilst the meat we had throughout was perfectly cooked.
If you’re cooking on a Robata (charcoal style grill- which, by the way, Suvlaki carefully source the charcoal of, to ensure a chemical free and responsibly sourced experience), you’re gonna have to give me some char! The vegetables were barely warm and were oily as they hadn’t been given long enough on the grill. The Chios island mastelo cheese chunks that came on the vegetarian skewer were humongous with a flavour very much like a slightly salty halloumi, but with a softer pillowy texture, and a suspicion of something sweet from their honey mustard glaze.
The star of the wraps was the actual pita itself, which Suvlaki sources directly from a friend in Athens. Good portion size, warm, soft and chewy in the best kind of way. All of this, girthing something like the silky soft strands of tangy pulled pork we had, made a corker of a combo.
The greek and lentil salads were very well put together, lightly dressed and really fresh. The beetroot and walnut dip was also tasty to dip a bit o’ pita into. But let me just gush for a moment over the plump, moist meat in the Greek burgers made from pork, lamb, and beef. Beautiful seasoning and spicing using classic garlic and onion, and if you’re not seduced by the first mouthful, then the mouthful where you find the oozy middle of melted feta will have you!
Suvlaki’s chocolate biscuit cake (£5) does exactly what it says on the tin and provides you with an intense and rich chocolate hit, served with a subtly flavoured coffee ice cream. Definitely one for chocolate lovers.
If you are a fan of ice cream and gelato, then definitely try their Kaimaki (£4), a buffalo milk Mastiha ice cream which was simply epic. The hint of mint that’s in there tickles on your tongue, and compliments the creaminess to bring about a masterful dessert of flavour and simplicity.
The tables on the left hand side as you walk in to the restaurant, are not very practical, so opt for the right hand side of the restaurant (the side with comfy seating). Both our forks falling off the table due to over crowding of plates.
However, dining in the restaurant is not the only way to enjoy Suvlaki, they offer a take away service, and delivery via Deliveroo (Check Suvlaki website for details). We were served by Richard, a lovely looking French chap who didn’t let us want or need for anything, despite having a busy lunchtime restaurant, and appearing to be the only waiting staff on duty.
Whilst you’ll definitely be sorted for beers to choose from with their selection of Greek microbrewery beverages, those that prefer an extensive wine list may not get on with the limited menu.
Souvlaki is often served as a type of fast food in Greece, it’s simple, tasty, and cooked well. Suvlaki of Bateman Street, London, channels this entirely.
REVIEWED BY : @Lohanjordan
ADDRESS: 21 Bateman St, Soho, London, W1D 3AL
TELEPHONE: 0207 287 6638
PRICE: £££ (explained)
STAR: *** (explained)
TIPPING POLICY / RESERVATIONS / ORDER ONLINE : www.suvlaki.co.uk
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Do you want to sit on Trump’s Face?
Betcha didn’t think we’d be asking that question of you, but there you have it.
CREDIT: Slut.co.ukA clothing company called Slut have just launched their new line of swimwear for men and it features Donald Trump‘s face – in fact it features nothing but Trump. Trump’s face is literally all over it. So that means you can now sit on Trump’s face…
Enjoy.
CREDIT: Slut.co.uk
The trunks are retailing at £29.99 and the supplier says that the aim was to create the world’s most offensive swimwear…
“Our quest to make the most offensive surfwear known to man, just went up to a whole new level…”
Recently icon Cher blasted Donald Trump by likening the Republican presidential hopeful to Hitler and questioned his service to his country after details about his deferments during the Vietnam war was made public.
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Animals Are Gay Too
Some salmon are gay and some bison are bi.
The Center for Biological Diversity has released a video which shows that it’s not just the human race who have sexual diversity. The short clip features a quick list of animals that are known to have same-sex relationships such as bears, whales, elephants and wolves.
The video has been viewed over 16,000 times and 460 likes.
Scientists have found that homosexuality exists in over 1500 species in the world.
In 2014 THEGAYUK was involved in saving Benji the gay bull in Ireland, who faced the slaughter-house after he refused to mate with females.
THEGAYUK created a crowdfunder campaign which received international recognition – with donations that helped relocate Benji to an animal sanctuary in England.
We’ve also got a list of the top 10 gayest animals on the planet right here.
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New Big Brother house looks like the set of Going Live
New pictures have been released of the Big Brother house – and it’s a bit of blast from the past.
Remember Going Live on Saturday mornings? Well if you don’t it basically looked like the new Big Brother house decoration.
Channel 5 released the pictures of the house, which features bright neon colours in all the main living spaces.
And Star Trek fans will be kept happy with the bedroom and kitchen area – it looks very futuristic.
The house’s bathroom also features an indoor lawn and hanging plants from the ceiling.
Outside in the garden the lawn has been made smaller – and the decking features some bright streaks of colour. There’s also a double pool.
The kitchen area looks like something out of Deep Space Nine.
The new series of Big Brother starts on Channel 5 on 7th June.
CREDIT: Slut.co.uk
