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  • TV’s Paul O’Grady to lead Russia protest in London

    TV star Paul O’Grady is to lead Russia Protest In London tonight.

    Tonight’s protest will be at Downing Street from 6PM

    Travel Stikes Threatens Success Of Protest

    Keep up-to-date with TheGayUK

    The protest has been organised by the international LGBT pressure group, All Out, and the Peter Tatchell Foundation.

    In London protesters are expected to gather near downing street from 6:00PM. the events have been created by mass petitioning site AllOut.org. Organisers are asking attendees to wear red.

    ‘Our protest is urging the British and Russian governments, and the International Olympic Committee, to uphold Principle 6 of the Olympic Charter, which prohibits discrimination. We are also calling on Olympic corporate sponsors – such as Coca Cola, McDonalds and Visa – to speak out against Russia’s anti-gay law and homophobic violence. So far, they have failed to do so,’
    noted protest co-organiser and speaker, Peter Tatchell, Director of the human rights organisation, the Peter Tatchell Foundation.

    For travel updates go to our Gay Protest Travel Update page

    TheGayUK will be Live Blogging from 6:00PM tonight

  • The real cost of sponsoring the Sochi Winter Olympics

    THEGAYUK asked readers about their thoughts on Olympic Corporate Sponsors – the results quite damaging for any brands who don’t speak out.

    With one of biggest mass organised world-wide protests being organised for today (5th Feb 2014) THEGAYUK unveils it’s readers’ survey about what gay people think about the brands that are sponsoring the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

    We asked a representative sample (162) of THEGAYUK readers their thoughts on the commercial supporters of this year’s Winter Olympics.

    A whopping 76% of the people who were questioned knew at least one of the Olympic Sponsors.

    When asked whether they’d boycott the brands involved 60% said that they would consider banning a brand from their house.

    Nearly half of those questioned had already boycotted a brand with a Russian connection (44%)

    75% agreed that sponsorship of the Sochi Winter Olympic games damaged a company’s LGBT friendly credentials.

    AT&T were the first brand that actively condemn the current situation that LGBT people face in Russia – and although it’s not an official overall Olympics’ sponsor, it does sponsor the US Olympic team.

  • Channel 4 Dispatches To Air ‘Gay Hunt’ Documentary Tonight

    Channel 4 Dispatches To Air ‘Gay Hunt’ Documentary Tonight

    Channel 4 will broadcast a special Dispatches programme tonight about the abuse gay people suffer in Russia.

    CREDIT: Channel 4
    CREDIT: Channel 4
    A shocking documentary by the Dispatches team will be aired tonight by Channel 4 called ‘Hunted’ the documentary draws focus to the cruelty that many LGBT Russians face in their day-to-day life.

    In Russia it is claimed that only 1% of gay people dare to live openly because of the homophobic attacks on the gay community.

    Last year there are a number of attacks and even murders attributed to homophobia suffered by gay people.

    The show is on at 10PM on Channel 4.

  • The world’s first protest beer against anti-gay Russia

    In a rather cool move BrewDog have unveiled the world’s first protest beer, by satirising Russia’s Anti-Gay Law.

    * Beer carries a picture of the Russian premier
    * 50% of the profits will be donated directly to charities that represent the opressed around the world.
    * BrewDog has sent the president a case of the limited edition beer

    The Scottish Craft Brewery, BrewDog has launched their new beer Hello My Name Is Vladimir – designed as a beer ‘not for gays’ which carries a picture of the Russian president on the front.

    The beer is the world’s first ‘protest beer’ – which aims to support the LGBT community by ‘undermining the potential of the Winter Olympics to deflect attention from Russia’s recent law banning ‘homosexual propaganda’.’

    James Watt, BrewDog co-founder commented:

    “We sincerely hope that when Vladimir Putin is tired from a busy day riding horses with his top off, grappling with burly men on the Judo mat or fishing in his Speedos, he reclines on a velvet chaise longue and has one of his handsome helpers wet his whistle with a glass of Hello My Name is Vladimir.”

    “As Hello My Name is Vladimir is clearly marked ‘not for gays’ we should bypass the legislation introduced by Putin outlawing supposed ‘homosexual propaganda’, so Vlad shouldn’t have an issue with it. He might even invite us to ride bareback with him in the Siberian mountains.”

    “It’s been our mission at BrewDog to upend the status quo in whatever form it occurs. Whether it’s the stranglehold the mega brewers have had on beer production in Europe over the last 50 years, or in the case of Russia, the sick legislation that discriminates against millions of its citizens. Our core beliefs of freedom, integrity and passion drive all our actions. Since we started in 2007, we’ve always striven to strike fear at the heart of the gatekeepers and establishment, the launch of Hello My Name is Vladimir is simply a continuation of that tradition.”

    BrewDog is trying to mount a global social media pressure on Putin whilst the Sochi Winter Olympics are on, using the hastag #NotForGays

    The beer will be available for £2.89 a bottle in all BrewDog bars and brewdog.com from 9:30AM today.

  • Joe McElderry wins The Jump

    After a mountain of physically demanding winter sports, Joe McElderry has lifted the gold in Channel 4’s The Jump.

    With the Russian winter Olympics upon us it seemed a fitting time for C4 to throw celebrities into the world of winter sports. Joe McElderry competed against other celebrities such as Sinitta and Steve Redgrave to come out on top.

    It seems these ‘mock’ Olympians were having a lot more fun together with Sinnitta tweeting: ‘@DonalMacIntyre one of my happiest moments- you,me + @joemcelderry91. Flying down the mountain laughing + screaming like kids!’

    Though like all competitive sports there are always some knocks as Joe McElderry tweeted: ‘Now its time to take my bruised legs up to the jump’, but despite the pain he still managed to win the show, ‘Wow wow wow what a night!!! Buzzzing!!!!!!!’

  • MUST WATCH | Russia’s Gay Hunting Season

    MUST WATCH | Russia’s Gay Hunting Season

    If you do nothing else this Wednesday, sit yourself down in front of Channel 4’s Dispatches documentary “Hunted”.

    CREDIT: Channel 4
    CREDIT: Channel 4

    This deeply disturbing programme, directed by Ben Steele and reported by Liz MacKean, shows us a bleak picture of a Russia, where gay people are literally hunted down like animals, subjected to humiliating and painful abuse.

    Though homosexuality has been legal in Russia for twenty years, it has never been accepted. The recent Russian law banning propaganda of non-traditional sexual attitudes to minors, has only served to make worse anti-gay feeling, which is so deeply entrenched in Russian society, it is hard to know how to challenge it. Strengthened by the views of the powerful Russian Orthodox Church and those in power, vigilante groups carry out their crimes in full view, knowing that the police will do nothing to intervene.

    This brilliant film offers no easy solutions, but in talking to the leaders of these groups it exposes the problem at the very heart of Russia, “ the worst place to be gay in Europe”, where homophobia is normal and a contrary view, even if you are straight, is likely to get you in trouble.

    Not to be missed, “Hunted” airs at 10pm on Channel 4.

    http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/videos/all/hunted

  • BOOK REVIEW | Denial Deceit Discovery

    ★★★★★ | Denial Deceit Discovery

    A brutally honest book based on a real persons struggle to come to terms with his sexuality through his open and emotional journey.

    Denial, Deceit, Discovery is a superb first novel by J.James. A truly amazing story of Jack, a young catholic man, and his struggle coming to terms with his sexuality and finding the strength and courage to be true to himself regardless of the consequences.

    At first glance I found the first few chapters quite graphic as the author details his sexual explorations, in fact Amazon have it listed under ‘erotica’. Whilst there are some pretty explicit scenes of gay sex, after reading the whole book, I realised that apart from being erotic, it was instead a brutally truthful account of a lot of rather intense soul-searching.

    The book is split into three sections of his journey, characterising the three chapters Denial, Deceit and Discovery. Based on true events, that are essentially autobiographical, this reads in the style of a personal memoir. The writing is so extremely honest that you often wonder which parts were from the author’s imagination and which were from his own life.

    Anyone will be able to relate to parts of the story regardless of sexuality and even if the book in its entirety doesn’t completely resonate with you, it provides plenty of food for thought. Highly recommended, compelling and easy to read, the content will make you blush, laugh and cry. After completing the book I wanted to carry on reading what happened next of this brave man’s journey on his pursuit for happiness.

  • Joe McElderry in The Jump finals

    Well done that lad, Joe McElderry – he’s a bit of winner him… And tonight he goes head to head Donal MacIntyre to be crowned the best Jumper (not knitted)

    With two more celebrities pulling out because of injuries just former X Factor Winner Joe McElderry and investigative journalist Donal MacIntyre will complete in tonight’s final episode of The Jump on Channel 4.

    Joe McElderry entered the competion last week after Henry Conway was eliminated because of an injury to his wrist.

    Last night viewers watched as Anthea Turner and Ritchie Neville leave the competition. After failing to achieve a long enough Jump Turner said:

    ‘It was my best jump, fabulous. I’m finishing it on a personal best. My highlight has got to be The Jump and facing all those fears.’

    Tune into The Jump tonight at 9pm on Channel 4

  • It’s Raining Men Enters Into Official UK Single’s Chart

    The Weather Girl’s camp classic, It’s Raining Men has entered the charts at number 31 after a Facebook campaign.

    (more…)

  • BOOK REVIEW | How Are You Going To Get Out Of That One, Alan Ambrose, by David Moreton

    Ever seen a book review in 10 words or less? No? See Below?

    Like Carry On? Like farce? Love this!

    There! Never let it be said I didn’t rise to a challenge. But, to flesh it out a little (oooh, errr, Missus), this rib achingly funny book from David Moreton is like a gay romp through all those bawdy British comedies I grew up on. Saucy comments via Carry On – check. Rude jokes via On The Buses – check. Double entendres via Nearest & Dearest – check.

    Right up my street if you’ll forgive me! This book is a gem of a read, taking the reader on a journey as we follow our hero, Alan, through his growing pains, coming out, staying in, cottaging, trading favours for gifts, you name it – it reads like the kind of book Rupert Everett would like to write, but doesn’t.

    David has a talent for writing farce, creating situations that at once make you laugh out loud (not great on a Manchester bus at night) and also inwardly cringe (hoping to god it never happens to you). He describes sex in all its seedy reality, warts an all – as it were. These scenes are all too graphic and farcical, but feel as if they are based on real situations…..cottaging, not as its shown in glossy porn clips, but in all its piss stenched reality, gritty and dirty…..but always with a glint in the eye and a smirk on the chops!

    We read of Alan’s adventures as he moves from man to man, sometimes voluntarily, sometimes shoved/pushed/dumped, from continent to continent, villa to bedsit, Hollywood to Hove. And I feel better for it! We read as he gets involved in scrapes, schemes and porn…..

    At over 3,000 pages, this isn’t a light read – and I thank god its on e-reader, cant imagine the weight of it as a physical book but would imagine it’d give you a pretty good workout carrying it around!!

    You end up feeling like Alan is someone you want to know, want in your life, want to go get a drink with, never want to meet at a urinal, and always check your wallet is still there before he leaves…..fun, frank and farcical…..

    If you are looking for that book to read whilst warming your toes during the long winter nights….do yourself a favour. Ignore those sour-puss, just-sucked-a-lemon, up-yer-bum serious novels that always populate the “high brow” review pages and get this one. It’ll tickle your funny bone, it’ll make you smile, it’ll make you think, it’s the most fun you can have with your clothes on for under a fiver!

    Get your copy here

  • THEATRE REVIEW | How To Be Immortal, UK Tour

    ★★★★ | How To Be Immortal, UK Tour
    Three true tales intertwine in this intimate, bold and funny show about love, science, death and immortality.

    Henrietta Lacks died in West Virginia in 1951, but her cells are still alive today, dividing endlessly in laboratories, their every detail studied by scientists all over the world. It’s taken Deborah years to come to terms with her mother’s death. Now, suddenly, she’s got to deal with her immortality.

    Rosa and Mick are in love. She plays the cello, he plays the squeezebox –they sound great together. The trouble is that she’s pregnant and he’s about to die.

    If we didn’t have bodies would we live forever? Its 1950 and Doctor George Gey and his wife Margaret are about to make a mind-bending discovery using homemade apparatus and some calves liver puree. All they need is the right biopsy.

    Love, death and DNA intertwine in three twisted true tales about what we leave behind. There’s live music on cello, squeezebox and ukulele, 1950s science, nano-puppetry, animation and a song composed from human DNA coding. This is a moving production that is not easily shaken from the mind.

    For such a heavy subject matter, this is actually a very watchable and engaging play with plenty of humour. Writer, Kirsty Housley, manages to present a trio of fascinating stories with a deft touch, conveying both deep emotion and offering up a complex scientific theme, which is quite a feat. The technology worked well too with some breath taking back projections onto the versatile and clever set. The stories blend well together and the trio of talented actor/musicians give sterling performances in a variety of role.

    I was lucky enough to catch the show at the Albany at Deptford, a fantastic small theatre and arts venue which people outside of South London might not be in the know about. It’s well worth a visit and easily reached by public transport.

    The show is on tour until the end of March 2014 and you can catch it at various venues around the U.K.: http://www.pennydreadfultheatre.com/#!tour-dates/cxb5

    Check out The Albany at Deptford here: http://www.thealbany.org.uk/whatson

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