THEGAYUK

Tag: CoronaVirus

The latest news and updates on the Covid-19 pandemic and the LGBT+ community. Stay updated with the latest news and updates about Coronavirus with THEGAYUK.

  • Steve Grand just worked out in nothing but a jockstrap

    Steve Grand just worked out in nothing but a jockstrap

    Steve Grand knows how to serve. Consistently.

    The singer recently showed off his lockdown work out routine on his Instagram stories using nothing but some soda water bottles – and, of course, that all-important piece of gym equipment, the jockstrap.

    As we’re all in lockdown right now, and all gym and fitness spaces have been shuttered by governments in order to “flatten the curve” of the spread of COVID-19, millions of us are trying to work out how to keep fit, especially as in some countries access to outside space has now been severely restricted.

    Steve Grand, the singer turned underwear and swimwear designer has thought up a genius way to keep fit – and you don’t need anything but some bottles of liquid.

    Practising safe social distancing, Steve appeared to be alone in his home as he worked out in front of his fans, doing multiple bicep curls with the bottles of soda water.

    The star said, “are you guys ready we’re doing some quarantine soda water arm curls for biceps today… and yes I’m in my charcoal grand axis jockstrap… that I designed”.

    Ever thoughtful, Steve placed a mirror perfectly behind him so that his viewers could get a sneaky peak at his ass…ets.

    Want to shop for Steve Grand’s jockstraps click here.

  • J Lo’s hairstylist has tips on how you can do your own hair at home

    J Lo’s hairstylist has tips on how you can do your own hair at home

    Lockdown means you can’t get your hair done right now, but Chris Appleton has some basic, easy to follow instructions on how to do your hair during the quarantine.

    He’s most famous for being a celebrity hairstylist for the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian, but Chris Appleton has shared some tips on how to do your own hair (or at least get a partner or housemate to do it for you) at home, during the current COVID-19 lockdown.

    If you’re not quite ready for a Joe Exotic style mullet, you might want to take the tips offered by Chris in an Instagram post he recently published. There are only a few steps to recreate that freshly barbered look – according to the stylist.

    He starts the video saying that you’ll need four items for the perfect trim.

    1. Scissors
    2. Clippers
    3. Sectioning clips
    4. Comb.

    He starts off by explaining that you’ll need to section off the hair, so you know what is going to be short and what parts are going to be long. Sectioning the hair also helps you keep focused on one part of the head at a time.

    He also suggests that you use a razor number length that is a bit longer than you’re used to. He suggests a number 4 to begin with because it will leave you a little longer to play with – just in case things go wrong.

    Chris then suggests that you start in front of the ear with the razor in an upward motion towards the top of your head while moving slowly towards the back of the hair. Once you’ve done one side, you’ll be ready to start on the other side of your head.

    Once you’re finished with that you’ll need to start grading the hair to the top part.

    It gets a little bit more complex, but you do this with your scissors and you start from the back and move forward to the front.

    Give the video a watch here.

  • Tiger King’s Joe Exotic is quarantined over Coronavirus concerns

    Tiger King’s Joe Exotic is quarantined over Coronavirus concerns

    Joe Exotic, the star of the Netflix hit Tiger King has been quarantined over concerns about COVID-19.

    As the world enters lockdown over the spread of the coronavirus, inmates in the world’s prison system also find themselves doubly locked down and isolated.

    The move to further lock down Joe apparently came after his move to the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth.

    On the 31st of March, his Twitter feed suddenly came alive after two years of being dormant. The account, which is still unverified, but it is the username featured in the Netflix documentary series, a Tweet read,

    “Joe is still in quarantine due to COVID 19 with his move to the Fort Worth FMC. More to come on that front. In the meantime, Joe is overwhelmed with appreciation and the love from all his supporters”.

    https://twitter.com/joe_exotic/status/1245020053147471874

    A further tweet sent on the 1st of April, a Tweet confirmed,

    “Joe is still in quarantine. Pray for everyone who has this illness and that you all recover soon. Pray for all the souls we have lost in the world due to this. Joe sends his love and thanks. He will soon be back to answer you all soon”.

    https://twitter.com/joe_exotic/status/1245445116720041986

    Then yesterday, word came that Joe was due to be released from quarantine in just two days. A Tweet read, “Can’t wait to see all the tweets. Thanks for all the love and support. #FreeJoeExotic”

    https://twitter.com/joe_exotic/status/1247562321133780994

    Tiger King, Murder, Mayhem and Madness is now streaming on Netflix.

  • Matt Lucas is releasing his hilarious song for FeedNHS

    “Wash your hands, stay indoors, thank you baked potato. Only go to grocery stores, thank you baked potato”

    Matt Lucas is about to release his song, ‘Thank You Baked Potato” with all proceeds going to FeedNHS.

    The song, originally performed by Matt on Shooting Stars, has been rewritten to include key messages about how to avoid spreading and catching COVID-19, urging people to stay at home amid the coronavirus outbreak. It will be released across all digital platforms this Friday.

    Matt shared the new version of the song to his Twitter account last week, garnering over 3 million views in just a few days and creating a huge talking point across the country.

    The video was captioned “A VERY important message” and includes the lyrics: “Wash your hands, stay indoors, thank you baked potato. Only go to grocery stores, thank you baked potato”.

    Matt says, “The Baked Potato Song was something I sung on Shooting Stars 20 years ago and in an idle moment on Tuesday night I rewrote the lyrics and updated them. Baked Potato is always giving good advice and the new advice in the new version of the song is about washing your hands, staying indoors and only going to grocery stores. I urge everyone to go out and buy the single this week and raise vital money for the FeedNHS campaign.”

    FeedNHS is an initiative set up by food chain LEON alongside Matt, actor Damien Lewis and his actress wife Helen McCroy to raise £1 million and get 6,000 meals a day into London hospitals for critical care staff. The campaign will then hopefully roll out across the nation to feed the NHS, with the aim that everyone will get one hot meal a day. 

    https://slinky.to/ThankYouBakedPotato

    The initiative is in partnership with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and UCLH Healthcare NHS Trust. It is a not for profit movement to deliver food to our heroic workers and already Wasabi, Tortilla, Peach Pubs, Rosa Thai, Hop, Pizza Pilgrims, Franco Manca, Farmer J, Tossed, Haché, Abokado, Dishoom and Nusa Kitchen have joined.

    Some of our heroes are already working 20-hour shifts and these hours will only get longer as the crisis worsens. With cafes and eateries all shut there is a real need to get healthy hot food to the hospitals.

    A JustGiving page for FeedNHS has been set up and you can donate here

  • If you’re on PrEP medication can you just stop taking it?

    If you’re on PrEP medication can you just stop taking it?

    If you’re on PrEP but you’ve decided that you’re no longer hooking up with other guys during the COVID-19 lockdown, we answer whether it is safe to just stop taking the meds.

    It’s official, well actually doctor’s orders, you really shouldn’t be having sex with anyone new to you and outside of your current living arrangement during the coronavirus outbreak.

    The medical director of Terrence Higgins Trust, Doctor Michael Brady, warned yesterday that people have to stop hooking up during the Government-mandated Covid-19 lockdown.

    But if you’re currently on a course of PrEP medication and you’ve decided to heed his words, is it safe to just stop taking them?

    Can you just stop taking PrEP?

    According to THT, many people will be choosing not to take PrEP during lockdown, which is okay, providing you don’t have a specific need like you’re having sex with a partner who has a detectable viral load.

    Guidance from THT states, if you’re a gay / bi cis-male “it’s safe to stop taking PrEP as long as you stop after two full days after you last had sex”.

    If you’re a trans woman, a cis-female, trans man or someone who identifies as non-binary it is advised you wait until seven full days, after you last had sex, before stopping PrEP.

    How can I start on PrEP again?

    Is it safe to just stop taking PrEP medication?

    According to THT advice, “When you’re ready to re-start PrEP, cis gay and bisexual men can re-start with a double dose taken two to 24 hours before sex. For everyone else, you need to re-start with a daily dose for seven days before having sex again”.

    Of course, if you’re concerned about your medication and want further guidance, you should speak to your GP or sexual health advisors.

    Need a HIV at home test?

    Where can I get a free HIV test from?

    The Saving Lives charity has given the readers of THEGAYUK.com a free offer – when you use GAYUK20 you can get an HIV Self Test sent to your home. Just click here to order your HIV Self Test Kit today.

  • Doctor warns: Stop hooking up during Covid-19 lockdown

    Doctor warns: Stop hooking up during Covid-19 lockdown

    The medical director at the UK’s leading HIV charity, Terrence Higgins Trust has said people need to stop hooking up during the COVID-19 lockdown.

    Doctor Michael Brady, the medical director at THT has warned that people need to stop meeting for sex and look for other ways to “find sexual pleasure in other ways”.

    In a post published on the THT website, the Doctor said,

    “I’ve never been an advocate of promoting abstinence, but this message is not about protecting your sexual health: it’s about protecting your general health and those around you from a virus that can be deadly. This is extraordinary and unprecedented advice for us to be giving out, but these are extraordinary and unprecedented times.”

    Lockdown and Hooking Up

    (C) BIGSTOCK

    Earlier this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlined new, stricter rules about leaving our homes during the Covid-19 outbreak. These were:

    • Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (where this absolutely cannot be done from home)
    • Stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people
    • Wash your hands as soon as you get home

    With the country under stricter rules surrounding lockdown, Dr Brady says we shouldn’t be having sex with anyone outside our current households.

    He added,

    “This advice means that, unless you have sex with someone within your household, it’s important to find sexual pleasure in other ways. Despite the situation with COVID-19, we need to remember that sex is an important part of life, but right now we have to find other ways to achieve sexual pleasure and satisfaction.

    He continued,

    “It’s only natural that we look to sex for pleasure, to relieve stress and anxiety or simply to pass the time – whether that’s with a regular partner or using hook-up apps. But our ‘new normal’ is that we have to find ways to do this while sticking to the advice to stay at home. This isn’t just to protect ourselves against the coronavirus but also to protect the most vulnerable in our society.

    “You are your safest sexual partner”

    Dr Brady finished up by adding that during this time, that instead of seeking sexual contact with other people, take we take matters in our own hands.

    He said,

    “I never thought I’d say this but the reality is that, for the time being, you are your safest sexual partner. It’s time to stay at home, stop close contact with people outside our household and to be creative about how we manage our sex lives”.

  • This flower company just gave away all of its remaining stock to NHS workers, before LOCKDOWN

    This flower company just gave away all of its remaining stock to NHS workers, before LOCKDOWN

    Florist gives away tens of thousands of flowers, which otherwise would have had to be burned as the country goes into lockdown

    A luxury florist in London has delivered some 500 posy bouquets to NHS staff at six hospitals, including St. Thomas’s, Chelsea and Westminster, and Lambeth Hospital, as a thank you for all the hard work during the Coronavirus outbreak.

    Wildabout’s team have created these signature posies to bring a moment of joy to our invaluable NHS employees, it has also meant that they have been able to prevent tonnes of flowers being burnt at local farms across Holland.

    The managing director, Leanne Roberts-Hewitt said,

    “As our industry comes to a standstill for the foreseeable future and we close our doors, we wanted to make sure we spread some joy through these difficult times to our amazing NHS workers … And nothing does that better than flowers!! 

    “It has been heartbreaking watching the huge amount of flowers in Holland being burnt due to the quick reduction in supply;  so we have been working with our Dutch supplier and the growers to put these flowers to good use. 

    “We have a huge selection of flowers including 50,000 stems of Roses, 20,000 Tulips and 5,000 hydrangeas, that we are proud to have saved to be used for such an incredible cause. We hope they shine some light during the most incredibly difficult circumstances.” 

  • 5 Ways to Make Working From Home Easier

    5 Ways to Make Working From Home Easier

    Not everyone can work from home and for those who are on the frontline of the current public health crisis; you have my thanks and my respect. But for those who have to work from home, whether they are social distancing, self-isolating here are a few things which can help to make it a little easier. Here are THEGAYUK’s top 5 tips for getting through the working week.

    Give Your Day Structure.

    It’s great to roll out of bed at one minute to nine and pick up the computer to log on and start work, but don’t be tempted to fall into that trap, otherwise, work-life and home life will simply merge into one. Get some structure in your day. Get up at your usual time, undertake your usual morning routine, have a shower and, most importantly, get dressed. As tempting as it is to slouch on your sofa all day in your PJ’s or underpants if you get dressed, it adds structure to your day and helps you to differentiate between your work life and home life.   

    NEXT PAGE

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  • Viewers in shock as YouTuber undertakes “Coronavirus Challenge” by licking the toilet rim in a public restroom

    Viewers in shock as YouTuber undertakes “Coronavirus Challenge” by licking the toilet rim in a public restroom

    People are in shock after a YouTuber uploads a video of him licking the rim of a public toilet.

    In a video, YouTuber, “Larz”, who is well-known for his outrageous and sometimes self-harming videos, walks into a public toilet and licks the rim of a toilet and calling it the “Coronavirus Challenge”

    The video, which was uploaded to Twitter on the 21st March has been viewed over 4.3 million times and attracted thousands of negative comments, including people questioning why he hadn’t been arrested.

    WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW

    https://twitter.com/GAYSHAWNMENDES/status/1241192396282646529

    Viewers were dismayed at the video, blasting the entertainer as “nasty” and called from him to delete the tweet.

    Users also branded him a “bad example”. The video also unleashed a wave of homophobic responses to the video.

    Hours after the video was uploaded, it appears that Larz has been hospitalised. He revealed in the short video clip, which at the time of publishing has been viewed just over 90K times, from a hospital bed that he had tested positive for the virus known as Covid-19, which is currently sweeping the planet.

    Speaking in the video he tells his fans that he’s “pretty doped up from his meds”.

    https://twitter.com/GAYSHAWNMENDES/status/1241875381088661506

  • HIV and Covid-19 | I’m feeling really isolated – what can I do?

    HIV and Covid-19 | I’m feeling really isolated – what can I do?

    During this time, isolation can be just as scary as any other part of the Covid-19 outbreak particularly if you’re LGBT+.

    We asked leading HIV Awareness advocate Philip Baldwin what you can do to keep your spirits up.

    “I have noticed a lot of people on social media complaining that they feel isolated.

    “These are strange times. Many LGBTQ people felt isolated even before Covid-19. Unfortunately most of the charities I would usually recommend have reduced services, such as peer support, because of Covid-19.

    I know that a number of them are still operating helplines and if you are struggling then I encourage you to reach out to someone. I recommend looking at the Terrence Higgins Trust website and also that of the LGBT Foundation. Personally, I am working from home, catching up on Netflix, Amazon Prime and BBC iPlayer.

    “I recommend phoning friends and/or speaking to them via Skype or FaceTime. Interactions do not have to take place face-to-face and we are lucky to benefit from modern technology.”

    THEGAYUK.com has also created a page full of helpful resources, articles and helplines. Click here to visit.

  • So why are people bulk and panic buying? An expert in human behaviour explains

    So why are people bulk and panic buying? An expert in human behaviour explains

    We’ve all seen the pictures of empty shelves at supermarkets from people buying more than they need – but why are people bulk buying?

    The reason we are panic buying due to the imminent threat of COVID-19 is that the brain’s survival mode overrides any rational decision making, says Dr Ali Fenwick, an expert in human behaviour at Nyenrode Business University.

    According to Dr Fenwick there are four major reasons why we bulk buy:

    1) Survival mode


    When we are put in an uncertain or threatening situation, our more primitive part of the brain takes over. We fall back on survival mode, suppressing or distorting rational decision-making, which in the case of grocery shopping leads to bulk buying.

    We are buying to ‘survive’. Although the government promises there will be no disruption to the food supply, we don’t know this for sure as most of us have not been in a similar situation before. So, we rather buy more food than we normally would.

    2) The Scarcity Effect

    (C)THEGAYUK

    When products become scarce, people perceive them as more valuable. We are more willing to go out and buy, and even pay more, for scare products. Scarcity drives buying behaviours, even for products we might not actually want. Which explains why we buy more food than we need to have or why so many people are currently on the run for toilet paper.

    3) Herd Behaviour


    Although you might not bulk buy yourself, the fact other people around you are, creates an immediate urge for you to do the same. In uncertain situations, we tend to follow what other people do or say, especially people similar like us. So, if your friend, family member, or colleague is bulk buying you feel you should do the same.

    4) Sense of control

    The global pandemic is a cause for a lot of uncertainty in the world and has resulted in many countries closing their borders and imposing self-isolation. These external constraints create an internal need to exert personal control as a way to feel safe. Being able to buy things provides us with a sense of control over our surroundings, which also leads to us buying more than we need to have.

    According to Dr Fenwick,
    “In summary, bulk buying is caused by various psychological and environmental cues which throw rational-thinking out of the window. When in survival mode, we let mainly our emotions drive decisions and are more susceptible to social influences. So, we will rush out and buy more because we believe others are doing the same”.