It seems as though Piers Morgan has been triggered by a pride flag-covered train, after calling it a “virtue signal”.
Transport company, Avanti West Coast, recently unveiled a train covered in a Pride flag (one that includes the trans and black and brown stripes) and were asking for Twitter users to come up with a name for what they’ve dubbed the ‘Pride train’.
Piers Morgan responded with “THE VIRTUE-SIGNALLING EXPRESS’, which started a massive Twitter backlash against the train’s design, with Morgan’s fans piling on criticism of the train company.
One user, wrote, “We don’t want a bloody rainbow train or rainbow police cars – It just makes more people turn against the idea of Pride when they see money wasted on this virtue signalling. Can we be clear, WE did not ask for this, we are being used for publicity.”
While another added, “I’m gay and this makes me cringe”.
One user questioned the motives of the train company for unveiling the flag, saying,
“Piers is not being anti-LGBT here or begrudging the community of their train or validity of PRIDE, but questioning the motives of a commercial enterprise…..so let’s keep our heads on eh? This is branding!!! We should be questioning their motives. Better spent on our charities.”
Some users said that they approved of the train’s colourings. One user wrote, “I think it’s fantastic, it’s nice to smile & see a bit of colour in what has been a terrible year”.
What should they call the pride train?
There have already been many serious naming suggestions for the pride train, from Marsha (to celebrate the LGBT+ icon Marsha P Johnson, who would have been 75 this year) to Alan Turing, the scientist whose widely credited for bringing a swifter end to World World II with his code-breaker. But one of our favourites from @yagsieoj is LIL, which stands for Love Is Love.
Searches for gay saunas have skyrocketed on THEGAYUK, as gay, bi and curious men search to find out if bathhouses have reopened as lockdown in many business sectors eases.
Here we find out which saunas in London have reopened and what services they are currently providing.
Pleasuredrome
Pleasuredrome is not yet opened but is planning to open in August. Once it has reopened the management have laid out some new safety policies. In a statement they said,
“Pleasuredrome Spa remains committed to protecting all our friends and so we have also introduced state of the art measures such as airport-style temperature checks on entry, smart-sensor showers, ozone room disinfection, upgraded ventilation systems as well as an unceasing sanitisation and disinfection regime within the venue.”
Chariots
Is currently closed and they have not updated their Facebook page since March.
Sailors Sauna
On the 25th June Sailors Sauna in London announced that it was still closed, but will be providing updates on when it may be reopening.
Sweatbox Soho
Sweatbox Soho has now reopened and is open 24 hours a day. In a statement to THEGAYUK, they said,
“We have now reopened and are back open 24 hours a day. Someone will get back to you shortly but in the mean time take a look at our website for pricing and further information”
When it comes to anal sex, lube is always best and usually, just like bottles of booze at a party – the more the merrier. You really shouldn’t try the Brokeback Mountain spit and shove. You’re likely to hurt yourself and cause damage to your anus or rectum.
You really can’t go wrong with using lubes and there are so many types, brands and bases to try. Some are best if you’re going bareback (that’s sex without a condom) whilst other work best if you’re rubbering up. Some are even recommended for fisting… but maybe that’s a different article altogether.
So what’s the best lube for the job?
Lubes for sex with a condom?
If you’re going for a standard, rubbered up sesh, then a silicone or water-based lube is the best. We recommend lubes like the Liquid Silk or the specially designed anal lube from Lubido. These work best with condom usage. You can also use them in bareback sex as well. Water-based lubes are the easiest to wash and wipe off and don’t stain the bedsheets.
A note to the wise, when using condoms, you may want to use a little more lube than you think you should. It can feel a little drier than without a condom and you should never use oil-based lubes for condom play – it could destroy the integrity of the johnny.
Also never lube up your penis before putting on a condom. The condom is really likely to slip off if you do this. Only lube up the outside of the condom.
Silicon-based lubes tend to last longer than water-based, but not as long as petroleum-based lubes. They are also a little stickier than water-based ones.
What’s the best lube for bareback sex?
For bareback sex you can use water, silicone, oil or petroleum-based lubes. Oil or petroleum-based lubes are more likely to stain your sheets with oil marks, however.
We absolutely recommend ID Millennium for bareback sex. It last longer and a little goes a long way.
More buttery or oily lubes are better for other types of ass play – like fisting. Brands such as Crisco are famous in the gay community for their lubricating abilities.
So how do you apply lube?
A lube launcher can really help you get lube exactly where you need it.
Well, there’s two schools of thought.
As a bottom or the receptive partner you can take control of the lube situation, by maybe putting some lube on your own butthole before you begin, perhaps as you’re getting ready. Use your fingers to get some lube right up inside you. Or you can use a lube launcher, which puts the lube right where you need it!
During the action, you can cover your partner’s dick (condomed or without) with lube as you blow him or jerk him off.
Or if you’re the topper, you can maybe play with your partner’s ass during foreplay and use your fingers to fully lubricate the area. Either way, you’re going to want to make sure that you use enough – and don’t worry about stopping the action if you feel like you need more.
Remember more is more in these situations and it’s best to try a variety of lubes to see which works best for you.
In 2018 it was reported that Netflix had signed up Ryan for a five-year $300 million creative contract to create shows for the entertainment giant. The Politician is the first of his shows for the platform to go live.
We discover what shows he currently has on the streaming platform.
The Politician
THE POLITICIAN
Ryan Murphy and his long-time creative partner, Brad Falchuck have a number of shows on Netflix, the most recent of which is the critically acclaimed and fan-loved ThePolitician starring, Goop‘s Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Platt. There are eight episodes of the show for you to enjoy charting the rise, stumbles and rise again of Payton to become President, of the school’s Student Body. Also stars Ryan’s go to camp vamp, Jessica Lange. Series 2 of the show has now been released.
Glee
Next up is Glee. The juggernaut show from the late noughties that follows the lives of school kids of William McKinley High School and their neverending goal of reaching the talent finals with their Glee club. Glee was the third major series that Ryan worked on after Nip/Tuck and Popular, but arguably his most profitable yet. The soundtracks to the show alone have broken all records – including ones held by the Beatles.
American Horror Story
Up next is American Horror Story, the epic show that just won’t quit. Netflix carries 8 seasons of the cult show including our personal favourites, ‘Murder House’, ‘Asylum’ and ‘Freak Show’. Look out for the new series, ‘1984’. In these shows, the core cast, including Jessica Lange, Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, Kathy Bates and Angela Bassett get to stretch their acting legs in a variety of characters.
Circus Of Books
Circus of Books (C) NETFLIX
A documentary film, about a straight couple and their family who opened a gay book store to make money out of the LGBT+ market in West Hollywood. The film is made by the couple’s own daughter.
Pose
Hailed by viewers as incredible (the show has a Rotten Tomatoes scored in the high 90s), Pose is a show set in New York at around the time of the LGBT+ ballroom culture (see Paris Is Burning). Netflix has just season one available to stream, but there is another already out and a third has been ordered.
The People V O.J. Simpson
Engross yourself in the details of the O.J. Simpson murder trial that rocked the United States in the mid-1990s. Ryan and his team meticulously recreate the drama and feel of the story that threatened to derail Los Angeles’s frail race relations and legal system. The level of detail is never as claustrophobic as the inside of that infamous courtroom.
The Assassination of Gianni Versace
The next in the instalment of American Crime Story, The Assassination of Gianni Versace follows the story of one of America’s most notorious gay serial killers, Andrew Cunanan, whose murder spree ended in the death of Gianni Versace in 1997. Utterly captivating. Again Ryan and his team manage to squeeze detail after detail of the gruesome story into a must-see show.
Eat Pray Love
A film this time, rather than a series. Starring one of Hollywood’s most enduring leading actors, Julia Roberts, Eat Pray Love sees Liz reshaping her life after divorce. Based on a true story, this film is sentimental and romantic.
Hollywood
HOLLYWOOD
Hollywood has an all-star lineup and follows the hopes and dreams of young actors who come to tinsel town to find their fame and fortune. Partly based on fact, and real people and the realities they faced (homophobia, racism and sexism) and the part total fantasy, which ultimately ruins the season.
More than fifty years after Mart Crowley’s play became an unexpected smash hit for putting gay men’s lives centre stage with honesty and humour, THE BOYS IN THE BAND returns to the screen in a new adaptation that reunites acclaimed director Joe Mantello with the all-star cast of the Tony-winning, 2018 Broadway production. In 1968 New York City – when being gay was still considered to be best kept behind closed doors – a group of friends gather for a raucous birthday party hosted by Michael (Jim Parsons), a screenwriter who spends and drinks too much, in honour of the sharp-dressed and sharp-tongued Harold (Zachary Quinto). Other partygoers include Donald (Matt Bomer), Michael’s former flame, now mired in self-analysis; Larry (Andrew Rannells), a randy commercial artist living with Hank (Tuc Watkins), a school teacher who has just left his wife; Bernard (Michael Benjamin Washington), a librarian tiptoeing around fraught codes of friendship alongside Emory (Robin de Jesús), a decorator who never holds back; and a guileless hustler (Charlie Carver), hired to be Harold’s gift for the night.
It’s an awkward one, but how clean are your towels? Have you ever held them up to the light to see exactly how clean they are? If they’re white, you might be surprised to see a yellowy splodge if you’ve ever used it to mop up cum.
It’s pretty standard that after your man mayo explosion to reach for a towel or maybe a piece of clothing to clean up that spillage. However, if you don’t wash the item properly it will leave a nasty off-white stain, which is particularly easy to spot on white clothes or towels.
You might be tempted to stick the item on a hot wash and pile in the washing powder, but actually that’s the wrong thing to do.
The best way to deal with semen, which is essentially a protein stain, is to wash at a low temperature, even just the cold wash, which is also great for using less electricity! If you want to make sure that your whites stay perfectly white, you could also add a capful of bleach.
Hot water is just going to bake that stain in. Same if you also iron the item. Actually that the same for most of your bodies secretions, including sweat and blood, until the stain has completely gone, keep heat away.
You can use washing powder, ones that work best are ones that have enzymes in them (like bio) – although watch out because some people can have a skin reaction on biological washing powder.
We’re creating an online memory board for some of London’s lost venues. Since the turn of the century, London’s gay scene has lost over 100 venues.
We’d love for you to help us grow this historical archive of London’s lost gay scene. If you’ve got photos or memories of any of the venues you’d like to share please use the comment section below and we’ll add them right here.
Chariots Streatham
Was closed in 2017 to make way for a new development in the area.
Do you know more about this venue, or have photos? Add them at the bottom of the page in the comment section.
Help us deliver unique, usable and reliable journalism that supports the gay, bisexual and curious community of the United Kingdom. Can you help protect LGBT+ media? Publishers like us have come under severe threat by the likes of Google and Facebook. The problem is that advertisers are choosing to put their money with them, rather than with niche publishers like us. Our goal is to eliminate banner ads altogether on site and we can do that if you could pledge us a tiny amount each month.
We’re asking our readers to pledge just £1 per month, more if you’re feeling swanky. You can stop payment at any time.
It’s quick and easy to sign up and you’ll only have to do it once.
We’re creating an online memory board for some of London’s lost venues. Since the turn of the century, London’s gay scene has lost over 100 venues.
We’d love for you to help us grow this historical archive of London’s lost gay scene. If you’ve got photos or memories of any of the venues you’d like to share please use the comment section below and we’ll add them right here.
Chariots Streatham
Just weeks after Chariots announced it was closing its Shoreditch brand, it closed Chariots Streatham without notice. Read about the closure here.
Do you know more about this venue, or have photos? Add them at the bottom of the page in the comment section.
Help us deliver unique, usable and reliable journalism that supports the gay, bisexual and curious community of the United Kingdom. Can you help protect LGBT+ media? Publishers like us have come under severe threat by the likes of Google and Facebook. The problem is that advertisers are choosing to put their money with them, rather than with niche publishers like us. Our goal is to eliminate banner ads altogether on site and we can do that if you could pledge us a tiny amount each month.
We’re asking our readers to pledge just £1 per month, more if you’re feeling swanky. You can stop payment at any time.
It’s quick and easy to sign up and you’ll only have to do it once.
We’re creating an online memory board for some of London’s lost venues. Since the turn of the century, London’s gay scene has lost over 100 venues.
We’d love for you to help us grow this historical archive of London’s lost gay scene. If you’ve got photos or memories of any of the venues you’d like to share please use the comment section below and we’ll add them right here.
Chariots Shoreditch
It was London’s largest sauna but was demolished in 2016 to make way for a new development. Read about the closure here
Do you know more about this venue, or have photos? Add them at the bottom of the page in the comment section.
Help us deliver unique, usable and reliable journalism that supports the gay, bisexual and curious community of the United Kingdom. Can you help protect LGBT+ media? Publishers like us have come under severe threat by the likes of Google and Facebook. The problem is that advertisers are choosing to put their money with them, rather than with niche publishers like us. Our goal is to eliminate banner ads altogether on site and we can do that if you could pledge us a tiny amount each month.
We’re asking our readers to pledge just £1 per month, more if you’re feeling swanky. You can stop payment at any time.
It’s quick and easy to sign up and you’ll only have to do it once.
We’re creating an online memory board for some of London’s lost venues. Since the turn of the century, London’s gay scene has lost over 100 venues.
We’d love for you to help us grow this historical archive of London’s lost gay scene. If you’ve got photos or memories of any of the venues you’d like to share please use the comment section below and we’ll add them right here.
Steamworks Sauna
Sauna based in New Cross Closed 2014
Do you know more about this venue, or have photos? Add them at the bottom of the page in the comment section.
Help us deliver unique, usable and reliable journalism that supports the gay, bisexual and curious community of the United Kingdom. Can you help protect LGBT+ media? Publishers like us have come under severe threat by the likes of Google and Facebook. The problem is that advertisers are choosing to put their money with them, rather than with niche publishers like us. Our goal is to eliminate banner ads altogether on site and we can do that if you could pledge us a tiny amount each month.
We’re asking our readers to pledge just £1 per month, more if you’re feeling swanky. You can stop payment at any time.
It’s quick and easy to sign up and you’ll only have to do it once.
The streaming platform has announced a date for its new film, The Boys In The Band and yep, it’s another Ryan Murphy production for Netflix.
First look images
So what is The Boys In The Band all about?
More than fifty years after Mart Crowley’s play became an unexpected smash hit for putting gay men’s lives centre stage with honesty and humour, THE BOYS IN THE BAND returns to the screen in a new adaptation that reunites acclaimed director Joe Mantello with the all-star cast of the Tony-winning, 2018 Broadway production. In 1968 New York City – when being gay was still considered to be best kept behind closed doors – a group of friends gather for a raucous birthday party hosted by Michael (Jim Parsons), a screenwriter who spends and drinks too much, in honour of the sharp-dressed and sharp-tongued Harold (Zachary Quinto). Other partygoers include Donald (Matt Bomer), Michael’s former flame, now mired in self-analysis; Larry (Andrew Rannells), a randy commercial artist living with Hank (Tuc Watkins), a school teacher who has just left his wife; Bernard (Michael Benjamin Washington), a librarian tiptoeing around fraught codes of friendship alongside Emory (Robin de Jesús), a decorator who never holds back; and a guileless hustler (Charlie Carver), hired to be Harold’s gift for the night.
What begins as an evening of drinks and laughs gets upended when Alan (Brian Hutchison), Michael’s straight-laced college roommate, shows up unexpectedly and each man is challenged to confront long-buried truths that threaten the foundation of the group’s tight bond.
When is The Boys In The Band streaming on Netflix?
The Netflix film, produced by Ryan Murphy, reunites the entire cast of the Tony-winning Broadway revival. Premiering globally on Netflix on 30 September.
Marsha P Johnson was born in August 1945 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. She was also known as Malcomn Michaels Jr. Johnson and had six brothers and sisters.
Before “Marsha P Johnson” became the icon that we now know, Michael’s took the drag name, “Black Marsha”, before adopting Johnson as her surname. According to reports, the Johnson name was taken from the Howard Johnson’s restaurant on 42nd Street in NYC and the P standing for “pay it no mind”.
Johnson was found dead on the 6th of July 1992. She was 46-years-old at the time of her death.
Johnson was a drag performer and LGBT+ activist and usually used female pronouns for herself, but also referred to herself as “gay, as a transvestite or simply as a queen” She was a well-known character in the New York Greenwich district and is widely considered to be a key figure in the Stonewall Riots of June 1969.
She was heavily involved in the advocacy of AIDS patients and homeless LGBT+ folx.
In 1992 Ms Johnson went missing on the 4th July, two days later her body turned up in the Hudson River, New York. Police and an autopsy ruled her death a suicide, but friends and relatives believe that she would never end her own life.
The authorities, under pressure from the community, reclassified her death as “death to drowning from undetermined causes”.
In the David France documentary film, The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson, her death and its possible causes are discussed as large (available to stream on Netflix)
Was her death an accident, suicide or something more sinister? This is the question that activist and crime victim advocate Victoria Cruz from the New York Anti-Violence Project has set out to determine as she launches her own investigation into the death of one of New York‘s most prominent LGBT figures.
