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  • INTERVIEW | David Thorpe, Do I Sound Gay?

    Is there such a thing as a “gay voice”? Why do some people “sound gay” but not others? Why are gay voices a mainstay of pop culture, but also a trigger for anti-gay harassment? You have probably asked yourself some of these questions in the past but American journalist David Thorpe finding himself single again in his mid-forties went one step further when he thought that his ‘gay voice’ was maybe the root of all his problems. He set out to seek some answers and along the way made this rather tender and touching incisive film about his journey which is also wonderfully hilarious and something that all gay men can relate too. On a recent trip to London for the European Premiere of the movie at BFI Flare Festival, we sat down with him and talked (in our very gay voices) about what he discovered.

    (more…)

  • Union J: Jaymi Hensley “Something In Our Water”

    Union J: Jaymi Hensley “Something In Our Water”

    Jaymi Hensley has joked that there must be something in Union J’s water as his bandmate George Shelley comes out.

    Taking to Twitter the out singer Jaymi Hensley has said how proud he is of his bandmate George Shelley after he addressed the speculation surrounding his sexuality.

    In his video George said,

    “I’ve had girlfriends that I’ve loved, in amazing periods of my life, but I’ve also had boyfriends.

    “I want you to know that whether I decide to be with a girl next or be with a guy next it’s because I love them.

    Jaymi asked the band’s fans to support George and show the same love that he was extended when he came out, before joking that there must be something in the waters.

     

  • George Shelley Comes Out But Calls Gay, Bi Label “Old Fashioned”

    Jungle King and Union J singer Has Come Out, but refuses to label himself as gay or bisexual.

    Taking to his YouTube channel Union J singer George Shelley has addressed speculation about his sexuality saying that he has had girlfriends and boyfriends and that labelling sexuality was “old fashioned”.

    22-year-old Shelley is most notable for his appearance in the ninth series of the X Factor as part of the boyband Union J and then his appearance in the latest series of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, where he came runner up to Geordie Shore’s Vicky Pattison.

    In his video the singer said that he didn’t want to put a label on his sexuality, but he no longer wanted to live scared.

    The smiley star said,

    “I’ve been on a personal journey and I want you to be part of that journey from now on. I want to start 2016 with a clean slate. I don’t feel that I should hide anything. I went into the jungle and it gave me a lot of time to reflect on what’s important to me – and it’s important to me that I can be myself and I don’t feel I should hide on me.

    “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.”

    He went on to clarify,

    “I’ve had girlfriends that I’ve loved, in amazing periods of my life, but I’ve also had boyfriends.”

    “I want you to know that whether I decide to be with a girl next or be with a guy next it’s because I love them.

    George is not the only member of Union J to have come out. Jaymi Hensley came out in 2009.

     

  • RECIPE | Brussels Brunch

    Prep 5 mins | Cook 30 mins | Serves 2

    It’s a little bit bubble and squeaky. It’s a little bit hashy. It’s even a little bit hair of the dog. But it’s definitely got the cure factor. Whether your shrouded in a hangover darkness you can’t seem to shake or if you just want a bloody good brunch with the boys- this is yours.

     

    The sprouts supply a fantastic amount of vitamin K to help your achy bones, and vitamin C / copper to give your immune system a kick in the right direction. On top of that, one medium potato on average will contain 20% of your recommended intake of vitamin C & copper, along with 31% B6, which helps the liver detox. Chorizo’s B-12 and thiamine will also pick up our energy levels for the day ahead.

     

    BRUSSEL SPROUTS – Around 155g of sprouts will supply you with the following of your recommended daily intake; 243% vitamin K (great for bones), 128% vitamin C, 23% folate, 16% vitamin B6, 16% fibre, 14% copper (good for immune system). To name a few. Glucosinolates are a plenty in sprouts, and it’s this that activates detoxification of carcinogens in the body. (SOURCE: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=10 ).

     

    BEER – Beer has small amounts of protein, fibre and B-vitamins. But what is going to work alongside the sprouts and the Vitamin K, is the silicon within the beer. Silicon is a compound to help maintain strong bones. Phosphorus and Magnesium are also in beer which are renowned for their healthy bone and teeth properties. (SOURCE: http://blog.cookingchanneltv.com/2013/09/23/health-benefits-of-beer/ )

     

    CHORIZO – One serving of chorizo contains 0.6mg of vitamin B1 (thiamine), which helps us convert our food into energy. Another great energy boosting benefit of chorizo is it’s 2mg per serving of vitamin B-12. The daily recommended intake only being 2.4mg. Chorizo is not only delicious but will certainly help us get the getup and go feeling much needed if you’re choosing to cook this on a hangover. (SOURCE: http://www.livestrong.com/article/466148-what-are-the-benefits-of-chorizo/ )

     

    Ingredients.

    ½ link chorizo, skin removed and sliced into rounds or wedges

    150ml beer

    240g trimmed sprouts (packet of), bottoms removed & halved

    2 potatoes, peeled and cubed

    2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

    2 shallots, finely chopped

    2 sage leaves (optional), finely shredded

    2 eggs

     

    Method.

    1. Get 2 pans of boiling water on the go and par-boil the potatoes for 10 minutes. Drain & set aside.
    2. In the other pan blanch the sprouts for 3 minutes, then drain and refresh by running under a cold tap. Set aside.
    3. Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of oil in a large, deep frying pan over a medium to high heat. Cook the chorizo chunks for 5 minutes.
    4. Add the shallots and cook with the chorizo for a couple of minutes.
    5. Add the garlic and the sprouts and cook for 7-8 minutes. Stirring only occasionally. You want to get some crispy, charred bits on the sprouts. Don’t worry if it’s looking very dry as we will add beer in a bit. If the ingredients are starting to burn too quickly then reduce your heat.
    6. Add the potatoes to the pan with a bit of black pepper. Stir to combine and cook for a couple more minutes.
    7. Add the beer (and sage, if using) and let it bubble out undisturbed for a minute, then stir and have a go at any parts stuck to the bottom of the pan.
    8. You want all the beer to be absorbed before serving, and then let it continue to cook to get a bit of crisp on the potatoes. You can either fry an egg however you’re used to cooking eggs or you can follow my method which guarantees no broken yolks!

     

    Eggs Tip!

    Pre-heat your grill to high. Heat a dash of oil in a frying pan over a high heat, crack your eggs is so you cook the underneath of the egg, then shove the pan under the grill to cook the eggs on top. Once the egg looks pearly and cooked remove from the grill and use a spatula to pop on top of your chorizo hash on plates. A few drops of hot sauce if you like it spicy and you’re ready to gorge.

  • RENTERS: What Are Your Rights Part 2

    This is the second in a series of articles dealing with the rights of LGBT renters.

    In our first article we dealt with new laws preventing retaliatory eviction. We touched on complaints to a landlord, but when can you complain – what are your rights?

     

    The right to live in a safe property

    This is the big one. Your landlord has obligations to ensure that any gas appliances are checked annually by a GasSafe qualified engineer – they have to obtain a certificate and, if they don’t provide this to you when you ask, alarm bells should ring. Speaking of alarms, landlords are also legally required to have smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms installed in all rented premises. If they fail to do any of these things they are committing a criminal offence and can be prosecuted.

     

    A landlord is also required to ensure that a property is fit for human habitation at the start of the tenancy, and they have to make sure that the house or flat you are in is not “prejudicial to health”. This means that, if your bedroom is damp and causing you breathing problems, you could be entitled to compensation from the landlord. You could also be entitled to compensation if there are problems with the structure of the building, or with the electrics, gas or water.

     

    So what should you do if the roof is leaking, mould is growing up the walls and there is no hot water? Complain to the landlord (or managing agent) as soon as a problem arises. If there is no response, speak to a housing officer at your local council about the steps you can go through to rectify the problem. And make sure you record everything. Photograph any mould (phone cameras usually record the date of any photographs). Keep all correspondence from the council. Communicate by email with your landlord: this means both you and your landlord (and, if necessary, a judge) will be able to see who said what and when.

     

    The right to have your deposit protected in a government-approved scheme

    For a few years now, tenants have enjoyed the security of deposit protection schemes. This means that a landlord must, within 30 days of payment, send you a certificate proving that they have protected all of your deposit. They must also provide you with a booklet issued by the scheme which explains how the deposit protection scheme works. From early 2016, there will be a requirement for the landlord also to provide you with guidance on renting more generally. A failure to do any of this will mean that they cannot serve you with a non-fault eviction notice (“also called a section 21 notice”). Note that we will deal with eviction notices in the next article. If the landlord doesn’t protect your deposit, you will also be entitled to compensation and a court order that the landlord either protects the deposit or returns it to you immediately.

     

    The right for any managing agent to be licensed

    Since October last year, all managing agents are required to be part of a government-approved regulation scheme. If they are not, they can be fined by the local council. All the major agents are members, but if you are renting through a smaller agency that is going to manage the property, don’t be afraid to ask for proof.

     

    In addition, in many metropolitan boroughs, all landlords of residential premises must be licensed. Check the web page of your local council to see if this applies to your area. If you’re lucky enough to live in the land of song, compulsory registration of all landlords of Welsh homes was introduced on 23 November this year. It also looks very likely that, under a proposed new law, rogue landlords may be banned from renting out residential property at all. This is all good news for tenants.

     

    Summary

    There is a raft of law protecting you as a tenant. Usually, if you are a good tenant and a problem arises with your home, a polite request that it be rectified is enough to solve it. But if you feel like your landlord is out of order or he/she is just ignoring you, the chances are that there is a legal mechanism to force him or her to sort things out. If this happens, speak to the citizens’ advice bureau, Shelter (a charity) or get legal advice.

     

    David Peachey is a barrister at Enterprise Chambers. Charles Irvine is a barrister at 1 Gray’s Inn Square Chambers. They both undertake cases in property, probate and co-ownership. This article is for general information only and you should contact a property specialist if you require advice about your individual circumstances.

  • Squares Above The Rest: The Box, Seven Dials

    The London gay scene, much like Wayne Rooney’s hairline, has fluctuated, mutated and diminished since the millennium. A plethora of happening gay drinking holes and night clubs have appeared, done a stint – then poof! Disappeared.

    One bar that stood out, due to her lengthy sentence and touch of the David Bowie’s – her unique edge – is The Box.

    The Box bar was perched on the edge of Covent Garden’s Seven Dials, a good distance away from tempting forbidden fruit trees and tricker-ous serpents of Soho. Faraway enough you didn’t end up attempting a Grey-Goose-infused suspended pirouette on the pole, attached to the plinth in the Shadow Lounge in the wee hours on a school night – we’ve all been there.

    The Box had abundant fundamentals, she was an ever-changing art gallery – local and other UK based artists would cake the walls with their creative wares. She was a relaxed café during the day, somewhere you could pop by for a decaf skinny mocha, Bloody Mary or a cold-as-Sarah-Palin’s-love-organ pint of Stella – even a spot luncheon with chums, or indeed on your Jack, and without feeling as though you were sporting last season’s spring/summer.

    At around 6pm the after-work-dollies would flock into bitch about their colleagues, moan about their boyf’s or simply lift spirits from a hard day’s vaporising from behind the Lancôme counter at Selfridges, or boast about a successful pick-up at the gym.

    During the summer said swarm would spill out on to Monmouth street thus making Seven Dials and its lagoon-life your canvas.

    Thursdays to Saturdays at around 9pm the tables in the centre on the bar were whisked away, the tunes were pumped up and The Box became the first anchor-drop of the night for the beefy-singlet donors, disco-bears and glitter-ball-swinging brigade.

    The Box didn’t fit the stereotypical gay bar box – she was squares above the rest.

    For moi and my compadres from 2000 up until The Box closed in 2009, she was the Rovers Return of our lives.

  • What would Ken Look Like With A Dad Bod Or As A Twink?

    Earlier this week toy maker Mattel released their new range of diverse Barbies, which included a variety of body types, skin and eye colours and hair styles. Now someone has done the same for Ken and we love it.

    As soon as the new look Barbie was released social media users demanded to see a diverse range of Ken dolls and Lyst have manned up and stepped up to the plate to show what a diverse range of Ken dolls could look like.

    Lyst’s ‘Fashionisto’ Ken line-up includes Beach DadBod Ken, Bearded Hipster Ken, and Balding Ken, alongside black, Asian and petite Kens all designed by the incredible @jamiephillipstv

    To dress the new figures, the team at Lyst looked at the most popular fashion products purchased by men during the last year, taking into account sizing data for the global menswear market. The new Ken dolls reflect modern man’s real appearance, plus real fashion tastes.

    via GIPHY

     

    And if we’re not mistaken there’s even a Twink Ken… Just look at him with his bright pink vest top and his Malibu tan.

    Loooooves it.

  • Gemma Collins Evicted To Loudest Boos Of The Series

    Gemma Collins seems to be the “pantomime villain” of the 2016 CBB series after being greeted by loud boos and chants of “off off off” during her eviction interview.

    TOWIE star Gemma Collins is the seventh housemate to be evicted from the Celebrity Big Brother house. She was greeted with a wall of boos and chants of “off off off” during her eviction.

    Asked how she felt about being back in the real world, Gemma told Emma,

    “I’m gonna be in my shop tomorrow. I’m desperate to get back to work. I’ve had an amazing time, but I do feel there was other people in the house that were much better at the tasks than me, that deserve to go on to win the show. I’m not a task type of girl.”

    Emma asked Gemma about her reaction from the crowd. She told her,

    “I take it as a compliment. There’s always gonna be a pantomime villain somewhere. I know who I am as a person, honestly it doesn’t phase me one bit. It was my time to go.”

    Emma then goes on to ask how she really feels about going. Gemma said,

    “It was a massive thing to come in here. I didn’t walk out, I managed to stay for the four weeks. You know I learnt some things about myself in there. I am actually really happy with my life and the things that I’ve achieved so far. I just want to carry on and keep doing the things I’m good at like my clothes designing, my shop. I know who I am as a woman. Just don’t ever ask me to play a game again.”

    Emma questioned whether Gemma enjoys winding people up and Gemma told her,

    “I was on a reality show for nearly four years. For me, you see one hour of it. We live in there 24 hours with the same people and it’s kind of a bit boring. For me, I had to make my own mischief in there. No one can ever judge it until you’ve been in there.”

    Asked about the difference between Gemma and GC, Gemma said to Emma,

    “My special friends know Gemma and my family. That’s how I kind of like it to be honest. I’m not ready to totally give Gemma yet. That’s my bit of protection.”

    Emma asked Gemma who she wants to win and she told her,

    “I would love to see Tiffany or Scotty T win, and of course Danniella. You know, she’s come such a long way.”

     

    Celebrity Big Brother returns tomorrow at 9pm on Channel 5. Emma will be back on Friday at 9pm for the live final.

     

  • MP Chris Bryant: Young People Are Still Terrified To Express Their Sexuality.

    MP Chris Bryant Hailed the Diversity Role Model Charity As Unambiguously Brilliant, but warns there is still much to do to stop LGBT acceptance from going in the wrong direction.

    Out Labour MP Chris Bryant has, today, championed the Diversity Role Model (DRM) scheme, which sees volunteer LGBT spokespeople go into schools across the UK to talk about their experiences of growing up as gay, lesbian, bi or trans, as “Unambiguously Brilliant” and something to “jump up and shout about.”

    Speaking about how necessary the role of the charity plays, Byrant said, that although life in this country had changed towards LGBT people and perceptions surrounding LGBT issues had progressed, much “more work needed to be done” and there was cross party support for the project.

    Despite the progress that has been made to be more inclusive in Britain the MP warned,

    “There is a phenomenal amount of work still to do to protect the gains we’ve made. After all, the most liberal place in the 20th century in Europe was Germany in the late 20s and then it went in the wrong direction in the 1930s.

    “So we have to protect the gains we’ve made, but there are still too many young people who leave school frightened to express their sexuality, terrified to tell their parents or their family or their best friends that they are gay or lesbian.”

    https://twitter.com/andy_woodfield/status/694543621740220416/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

    Diversity Role Models (DRM) was established in 2011 to tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in UK schools with the aim that all children and young people would be able to learn safely at school without fear of bullying.

    In its first three years, DRM reached over 13,000 young people in 78 schools and trained 136 volunteer role models.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | A Raisin in the Sun, Sheffield Theatres

    With the current controversy around the lack of diversity this year’s Academy Award nominees, it seems somewhat timely for Sheffield Theatres, Eclipse Theatre Company and Belgrade Theatre, Coventry to present “A Raisin In the Sun”, a landmark play in Black theatre and one which explores issues of racial politics and social attitudes through the eyes of the Young Family. ★★★

    Set in 1950’s Chicago, the family await the receipt of a cheque for $10,000, a life insurance payment from the patriarch’s recent death. Each of them harbours their own ideas about how the money can be used to transform the lives of all of them and release them from the crammed apartment they all share. The tensions in the family are exacerbated by Walter’s propensity to drink, Benetha’s desires to go into medicine (despite the duel disadvantage of her sex and skin colour) and the challenges of a family all trying to do right by each other.

    Ashley Zhangazha gives a very strong performance as Walter, bringing across the characters mixture of frustration, enthusiasm, desperation and ultimately his misguided attempts to better himself for his family’s benefit. There is a certain vulnerability within the character which draws the audiences sympathy and whilst his actions are questionable, his motives aren’t. Equally, Angela Wynter’s portrayal of Mama is just as accomplished; with her melodic intonation becoming somewhat mesmerising and softening the matriarchal figure.

    The director, Dawn Walton, steers the production with solid confidence and garners performances from her small cast which allow you to instantly warm to the family, despite their individual flaws, fantasies and motivations.

    The play looks at the issues of change on both a personal level and of the community at large. Written in 1959, Lorraine Hansberry’s script certainly reflects the mood of the time, leading to it being the first play written by a black woman to be produced on Broadway. The family comes across as a metaphor for the civil rights movement and social consciousness of a society on the cusp of change, with a mixture of methods and reasons for wanting to improve their situation for the better in the face of blatant challenge and prejudice.

    The theme of the play remains relevant – motivation, money and moving forward – and steadily builds towards an emotional denouement, despite a handful of somewhat intrusive scene changes and a slightly overlong scene between Beneatha and Joseph Asagai towards the end. The play is a straightforwardly presented production which allows the script and performances to speak for themselves.

    A Raisin In the Sun is currently at Sheffield Theatresuntil 13th February 2016. 0114 249 6000.

     

    by Paul Szabo | @IAmScubamonkey

  • Tim Farron: I Joined Liberals Because Of My Gay Friends

    Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has revealed that one of the reasons he joined the party was because of the way his gay and lesbian friends were being treated and bullied.

    Speaking to GQ, Tim Farron, leader of the Liberal Democrats revealed that one of the reasons he joined the party was because of the way he saw his gay and lesbian friends being treated.

    He said,

    One of the reasons I joined the liberals was because of lesbian and gay rights. Friends of mine were gay and I saw how they were treated and bullied. I want a society where people are valued for who they are.”

    Farron has repeatedly had his stance on gay relationships questioned after abstaining on the UK’s same-sex marriage vote in 2013.

    During a Channel 4 interview last year Farron was asked no less than 3 times if gay sex was a sin.

    In 2007 Tim Farron voted against the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations in 2007, a law which protects against discrimination based on sexual orientation in the provision of goods and services.

    When asked by GQ if gay sex was a sin, Farron answered,

    “I’m not a religious leader; I’m a political leader. I think that everybody is utterly equal. People should be free to love who they want and marry who they want. But I don’t go making theological pronouncements…

     

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