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COMMENT | Are Gay Dads Being Left Out In The Cold?
We now have same-sex marriage; a long fought fight to gain the same rights as straight couples and although the law has changed to reflect this, have attitudes actually changed on the ground?
I am a gay father of a 10-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy. Whilst I have to say I have not experienced a vast amount of homophobia with the children myself and my partner, there is still a distinct difference being made.
Book a family ticket at the theatre, a theme park, or any other venue where this is an offering and I can almost guarantee they will expect Mum, Dad and 2.4 children. When you turn up as two Dads with the children there is still an audible gasp of horror that we have the bare-faced cheek to call ourselves “a family”.
Families nowadays come in all shapes and sizes and having gay parents is just another variation on the theme.
I have certainly experienced the palpable disgust at two men daring to take children to the theatre and expand their cultural horizons.
Try taking the children to the park, people still look disapprovingly at the fact there are two men daring to love children and are bringing them up to be respectful, accepting and tolerant individuals, imagine that?
People are generally not vocal in the presence of the children but I have experienced the shooing of other children away from mine, as if having gay parents may be catching. In fact I wish it was, my children are fully aware of what it means to be gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgender. They are not judgemental in anyway and realise every person regardless of their sexual orientation has the right to love another. There are no prejudices in this household. Honesty is the best policy as children are able to fathom a lot more than we tend to give them credit for and look at things with a far more simplistic logic that us as adults seem to have lost.
Although strides have been made in the acceptance of gay couples, I still feel there is a long way to go for gay parents. Two dads, two kids, two dogs, we are just a family – We can’t all be Elton and David but surely we can all be accepted.
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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Jennifer Hudson Celebrates Marriage Equality
We always love us some Jennifer Hudson but even more so today after catching sight of her new music video called “I Still Love You.”
It is a heartwarming celebration of marriage equality which opens with a young gay man calling his father and getting only his answering machine.
He’s calling to remind him that today is his wedding day, and he’s marrying a man. But will he show up? In the father’s home, we see memorabilia from his military service and reminders of his son’s all-American upbringing.
Meanwhile, the young man, played by Brandon Crowder, gets ready for the big day with his fiancee, sharing snuggles and writing love messages on shower doors.
At the end, the video concludes with a caption that reads, “Jennifer Hudson, W Hotels [where the video was filmed] and the Human Rights Campaign ask you to join your fellow Americans in support of marriage equality.”
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Family Guy “Outed” Bruce Jenner 6 Years Ago
Video of an episode of TV’s Family Guy that first aired in 2009 and had outed Bruce Jenner as a woman is circulating this week.
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EXCLUSIVE: Brian Paddick Backs Tim Farron For Lib Dem Party Leader
Britain’s highest profile out Liberal Democrat member, Lord Brian Paddick has officially backed MP Tim Farron in the race for party leader.
• Tim Farron “100% Behind LGBTI Rights”
• Both Tim Farron and Norman Lamb have been nominated, now the party’s 61,000 members will decide who will be leader
• Brian Paddick confident in Farron’s grassroots approach to politicsLiberal Democrat peer Brian Paddick has revealed exclusively to the THEGAYUK that he is officially backing ex-Lib Dem party chairman Tim Farron, for leader, after it was revealed that both Tim Farron and Norman Lamb were successful in their nomination for the role that will undoubtedly be a tough struggle to rebuild the Liberal Democrats after a shattering defeat in the General Election.
The contest for the party’s leadership was sparked by the resignation of Nick Clegg last month after the party lost 49 seats.
Brian Paddick who was elevated to the House of Lords in 2013, has thrown his weight behind the Westmorland and Lonsdale MP, by championing his leadership and campaigning skills, which have enlivened grassroots activists and the Lib Dem membership.
“I have to be honest here and say that I didn’t think I would ever come to say this, being a supporter of Nick Clegg when he was leader, and bearing in mind on a couple occasions Tim Farron didn’t make some particularly helpful interventions, but I am supporting Tim Farron for leader of the Liberal Democrats, because I think he is exactly the person that the party needs when you consider the position that the party is in at the moment.
“Tim Farron has shown himself in being a master of connecting with activists and with ordinary members; he did a fantastic job as President of the party.
“He developed links with all parts of the country, got to know people in practically every corner of the UK, coupled with the fact that he’s very enthusiastic and has loads of energy.
“If we had been in a different situation and maintained the numbers of MPs that we had, then maybe it would be a different story, but I believe Tim Farron is the leader the Liberal Democrats need at this time.”
“We’ve got to build the party from the ground up and there’s one thing that Tim Farron is excellent at, and that is ground level politics.”
When asked if Tim Farron had the right showmanship for leadership and whether in future Leaders’ debates he would turn people on, Brian laughs and says,
“He’s not my type to be honest, but he is a very effective communicator.”
Tim Farron has attracted some criticism after he abstained from voting on same-sex marriage. He also voted to delay passage of the same-sex marriage bill, arguing that more time was needed to analyse the impact on religious groups.
Speaking about Farron’s record on voting Paddick remarked,
“Tim Farron has come under a lot of criticism from people who either deliberately or simply misread Tim’s position when it came to votes in the House of Commons on equal marriage,
“He did ask for a change in the timetable to allow more discussion over complex issues around people who have honestly held beliefs who are currently employed as registrars, for example, who would feel very uncomfortable because it conflicts with their faith to conduct an equal marriage ceremony. He felt not enough time had been allowed in the parliamentary time belt to discuss those issues.
“He has made it absolutely clear subsequently, he was specifically asked by a group of Christians, if there was a equal marriage repeal act or bill to reverse the decision he would absolutely not support that in any way shape or form.
“As the Liberal Democrats’ gayest highest profile member I am absolutely confident that I can vote for Tim Farron and that he is absolutely 100% behind LGBTI rights.”
The Liberal Democrats’ 61,000 members will now be able to cast their vote for the person they’d like to see as leader. Ballot papers will be sent on the 24th June, with results announced on the 16th July.
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Gay Running Group In Birmingham Awarded £2000 From Pride Fund
The Birmingham Swifts, the city’s LGBT running group, has been awarded nearly £2000 from the Birmingham Pride Trust Fund to build upon the club’s successes. The money will go towards increasing visibility of the Swifts and improving the quality of running sessions on offer for the LGBT community of Birmingham.
Members of the group, which has only existed for just over a year, were able to proudly wear new running tops during last month’s Birmingham Pride Parade, but the club will now be able to own group kit for individuals who may not be able to afford to purchase their own. Alongside the clothing, the club will have a flag to act as a focal point at races and events, and new publicity materials to attract prospective members.
The Swifts will also be able to put on extra sessions to complement the existing offering, by training members as leaders and a coach. This includes more Starting Out sessions, which are based upon the popular couch to 5k programme, and a training plan for the Great Birmingham Run.
Tommy Hill, chair of the Swifts, said:
“It’s fantastic that Birmingham Pride have chosen to support the Birmingham Swifts. Together we are promoting health and physical exercise for the LGBT community, and showcasing running within Birmingham.
“We know there are many barriers for LGBT people when it comes to taking part in sport, such as cost, the fear of homophobia and the belief they will not be good enough. The Swifts are determined to remove these barriers by being an encouraging and supportive group where everyone is welcome, no matter what their ability.
“After enjoying a successful Birmingham Pride, the Swifts are now looking towards the half marathon in October. Thanks to this funding, we’ll be able to put together a training plan for the race and have a striking visual presence on the day.” -
Three Men Accused Of Being Gay Executed In Iraq By ISIS
Hundreds of people gathered below a tall building in Iraq to watch ISIL fighters reportedly execute three men accused of being gay, shocking pictures reveal.
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INTERVIEW | Mark Christopher: Making Studio 54 Gayer
Not many filmmakers are as lucky as writer/director Mark Christopher who managed to fulfil a long cherished dream when he got to finally make a Director’s Cut of one of his movies seventeen years after the original was released.
Christopher’s love letter to the New York disco scene in the late 70s about the infamous Studio 54 is a vibrant wonderful movie told from the viewpoint of some of impressionable young employees who were the heart and soul of the place.
For a few short years in the late 1970s this was the Club in Manhattan where all the celebrities hung out and partied whilst all the desperate would-bes were kept outside behind the velvet ropes begging Steve Rubell, the very creepy co-owner and ringmaster, to be let in.
Their efforts were all in vain as you had to have either a certain look or a gorgeous body for him to relent and admit you in to mingle with the stars.
Shane a rather gormless New Jersey boy who was as cute as hell was in the latter group. This is his story, which starts off when Rubell tells him to remove his shirt and after he strips to his waist he’s invited into more than just the Club, and he stayed until the party ended.
A very youthful and then unknown Ryan Phillippe puts in an unforgettable performance as the young innocent who got swept away in a drug and sex-fuelled world in an era that defined the whole disco explosion. Nightlife would never be the same, and Christopher’s new cut restores all the boldness and sheer vitality of what went down then in what will now become a new gay cult classic. I defy anyone to find anything hotter than watching Phillippe and Breckin Mayer, his best friend in real life, locking lips together.
Roger Walker-Dack caught up with a very happy Mark Christopher after the movie had opened to rave reviews at the prestigious Berlin Film Festival, and just before the movie had its UK premiere at the BFI Flare Festival in London.
RWD: So why Studio 54, and where did the story come from?
MC: I had been there in the 1980s when it had been resurrected after it had closed when its colourful owner Steve Rubell had been jailed for tax avoidance. Paul Schrader, the writer of Raging Bull & Taxi Driver, was my professor at Columbia when I was in Graduate school. and he introduced me to a lot of the people who were involved in the heydey of 54 which was 1977 to 1979. I started meeting everyone, one by one and interviewed everybody that I could. Whether they were the entertainers, but more especially the bartenders, cloak-check girls and the busboys because as you know that is what the story is really all about.RWD: You were a real newbie director at the time so how did you get a big studio to give you the green-light?
MC: Well I wrote the script, that took a total of five years, and they liked it. I had made some short films at school that were well received and that Miramax liked very much, and they said that they wanted me to direct. So that part was unusually kind of easy.RWD: Ryan Philippe went from acting on a TV Daytime Soap and then leapfrogged to be your star. Why and how did that happen?
MC: The producers and I wanted to discover a kid as this part called out for it, so once we had cast Salma Hayek, Mike Myers, & Neve Campbell then I was allowed to get my discovery. The movie took a year to cast so when I first auditioned him he was a real teenager, but by the time the process ended and he came back for his second audition after doing the movie, I Know What You Did Last Summer he was a young man, and we all loved him.RWD: Did the fact that he was playing an openly gay character on Days of Our Lives make a difference to you?
MC: I actually had no idea at the time he was even playing that as he only told me later. I think his character was the first openly gay teenage character on a daytime soap on US TV.RWD: Several of your actors were then on the cusp of stardom so is that why the original movie was made more mainstream?
MC: When I cast everyone they were all very promising and the only real established stars then were Mike Myers and Neve Campbell then. As we were shooting they were all becoming more and more well known which was exciting for everybody.RWD: How did you get all those major celebrities like Michael York, Cindy Crawford, Morgan Freeman etc. to do those walk-on parts as themselves?
MC: Once Mike Myers signed on (and by the way he reached out to us to play what was one of his first dramatic roles) the movie became THE project in town to do. We became a hot subject, and so all these stars were practically lining up to join in.RWD: Who was your favourite one?
MC: Lauren Hutton was wonderful, although she, in fact, had a couple of lines too, and I loved working with her. I also loved hanging out with Sheryl Crow in her limo on the set because she was so non-disco and so cool. Another person who had a very small part was Mark Ruffalo as Rico who is Shane’s best friend from his New Jersey days. This was one of his very first movie roles ever.RWD: What are the best parts that you got to restore in this Director’s Cut?
MC: Well the story. It really is a love triangle between the characters played by Ryan, Salma & Breckin and it was so very important to me to restore that story. Secondly, restoring the look of the film that we had shot to be very dark. Shooting a film on film negative in a dark club is very hard to light. My DP (Director of Photography) Alexander Gruszynski did a marvellous job as we worked very hard on figuring out how to light it in a way that I experience a nightclub, which is very dark with flashes of light. I have never really seen a film that has done that to this day and the when the movie came out in 1998, unfortunately, they put a lot of light into it and it did not look like the movie that I had shot. Now we are back to the original look of the movie, which I think is gorgeous and makes me very happy.RWD: Do you know if Ryan, or Mike Myers or any of the others have seen your Director’s Cut, and if so what their reaction is?
MC: All the actors are very excited and very supportive. Neve Campbell came out to Guadalajara for the screening at the Festival there, which was quite wonderful.RWD: What are you proudest about this movie now?
MC: Just the fact that it exists and is out there and that Miramax are supporting it. It truly is like a dream come true for me.RWD: Looking back on that period in time, what memories does it bring back to you personally?
MC: The whole concept of the film is that it is about the worker bees who were the backbone of this fabulous nightclub, so it brings back two things. Firstly reminds me of when I was waiting tables and serving people and all the craziness around that. The other thing it brings back is remembering how very exciting it all was. Even though I wasn’t in NY at the time in the disco era, even in Chicago where I was living I remember how every week an incredible new song would come out and that they all became immediate classics. It was a very exciting wild time and I loved it all. If we can just draw you back into that world for an hour and forty minutes with this movie, I would be totally thrilled.It was, after all, this one iconic Club that really gave birth to what all clubs are like now, and which is the main reason why that this subject of Studio 54 will live forever.
RWD: There is one line in the movie that had me in hysterics and I have to know if someone really said to you personally “it ain’t the size of the ship, it’s the motion of the ocean”?
MC: (Laughs) That’s a cliché. What I wrote was the response “Who told you that? your lover?” “No, his father!” (laughs).RWD: I laughed because it sounded so like you (laughs). Anyway, what’s next for you?
MC: I’m working on script for a drama for Warner Brothers called Berlin which is set in 1941. I also have a couple of other TV deals, because working in television is exciting for me now as that’s where I get to do dark character work that I have wanted to do my whole life. I am also looking at other feature scripts but haven’t found the right one yet. I still teach too at Columbia, Drexel and Carnegie Miller.RWD: Now I always finish my interviews with the same question. If there was a movie made of your life, who would play you?
That’s pretty obvious right?RWD: Well no, as I wouldn’t have asked if I knew.
MC: Wouldn’t it be Ryan Philippe? (laughs). Don’t tell Miramax, but I already have his entire wardrobe (Laughs).RWD: Ryan Philippe then or now?
MC: The younger version of me would be Ryan as he has already played me in this movie, and Denis Quaid would play the older version of me. Who would play me now? I guess Madonna!RWD: (Laughs) You always leave me speechless MC.
For news of future screenings and DVD release https://www.facebook.com/54Movie?fref=ts
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Lord Cashman Lends Support To Play Which Tackles Sexual Abuse And Cover Ups
The cast of a new play called At Ease will be joined by Lord Michael Cashman, on Friday 5 June, during rehearsals to lend his support to the play which tackles the issues surrounding historic sexual abuse and cover-ups.
Victims of historical physical and sexual army abuse are given a voice in a new play in rehearsal in Birmingham.
Lord Cashman appears as a character in the play.
At the centre of this highly unusual play is the correspondence between one-time Household Cavalryman, Alex Rees who was sentenced to life imprisonment for attempted murder, and Michael (Lord) Cashman, who was an intended target. Rees writes he was brutally tortured and raped while in the army in the 1970s. Rees, who died in 2002, identifies adults involved in the bullying and in the parties in which abuse took place. He also identifies army personnel involved in cover-ups. Rees is, at last, given an opportunity to put his story to the public via his extraordinary correspondence.
The bond between Rees and Cashman, a life-long campaigner for LGBT rights, is both strange and poignant.
In an attempt to right some wrongs, while contributing to the present debate around historical abuse by giving voice to Rees and others, theatre company DD Arts Birmingham is piloting its new play, AT EASE, from June 17, raising these issues, together with other contemporaneous accounts.
Pilot performances 17-20 June: Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham. 0121 200 0946.
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Countdown To Naked Fest Is On
Following the success of last year’s event, Naked Fest 2015 returns this year and promises plenty of fun and activities in the glorious countryside – all naked, of course. Naked Fest 2015 takes place from Friday 10th – Sunday 12th July at Abbott’s Farm in Norfolk, a naturist campsite where you can enjoy the freedom of being naked with other Naked Mates. (more…)
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FILM REVIEW | Kidnapping of Freddy Heineken
★★★ | Kidnapping of Freddy Heineken
This film is a true sleeper, it had a limited cinema release earlier this year but now gets a DVD release.
It tells the true story of the 1983 kidnapping of Freddy Heineken, the head of “that” brewing dynasty. It goes inside the gang responsible and shows their family links, how it escalated. It shows how these individuals went from owning a successful building company through to one of the worst recessions the world has seen that hit everyone, and finally to show how they planned and executed one of the biggest kidnappings in history.
It stars Jim Sturgess (21, Cloud Atlas), Sam Worthington (Avatar, Clash of the Titans), Ryan Kwanten (True Blood, Home & Away) and Mark van Eeuwen as the main components of the group who, after being turned down for loans to help them through this tough period, and having their only piece of real estate occupied by squatters and therefore open to long and expensive legal battles to free it up, turn to crime.
This film paints them all as dreamers, people who didn’t want to live in the real world, people who wanted their boats and mansions and cars back, people willing to do anything, ANYTHING to get their old lives back.
So, along comes the idea, after a successful bank job that will keep them afloat and food the new scheme.
The rest of history, and makes for a bloody good film. The back-story is intriguing, the plan ingenious and the rest of the film is gripping.
Anthony Hopkins puts in a great turn as Freddy, showing little concern for his own safety and having fun with his captors as the whole scheme unravels.
This film scored a terrible 27/100 on Rotten Tomatoes, but I enjoyed it. It is entertaining, the story is intriguing and the cast put in good performances. It is no frills, no major special effects, but this means it doesn’t detract from the actual story, which is, for me, how it should be – the story is centre stage.