THEGAYUK

Tag: Anti-Gay

Read the latest news and analysis of anti-gay crime and policy in the UK and abroad. Browse THEGAYUK’s entire archive on news about anti-gay behaviours in the UK and abroad.

  • Kuwait plans medical test to ensure no gay people enter the country

    Kuwait Public Health Department has announced plans to conduct ‘medical screening’ tests to “detect” gay people entering the anti-gay region.

    IBTimes.co.uk is reporting that the director of public health in Kuwait, Yousouf Mindkar said that ‘routine clinical screening of expatriates coming into the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) will include tests to identify LGBT people who will then be banned from entering the country.’

    ‘Health centres conduct the routine medical check to assess the health of the expatriates when they come into the GCC countries,’ he told local daily Al Rai.

    ‘However, we will take stricter measures that will help us detect gays who will be then barred from entering Kuwait or any of the GCC member states.’

    Homosexuality is illegal in the region with a potential punishment of 10 years in prison for anyone engaging in homosexual behaviour.

    Details have not emerged on what form these tests may take, however numerous commenting members on Queerty have said that the Kuwait government have used rectal tests to determine whether a person has had receptive anal sex.

    ‘And one of their “tests” for homosexuality involves a rectal exam to reveal whether or not you’ve had penetrative anal sex.’ wrote Kenover on the site.

  • World’s largest pasta firm, Barilla, in hot water “won’t include gays in our ads”

    World’s largest pasta firm, Barilla, in hot water “won’t include gays in our ads”

    Barilla, one of the world’s largest pasta makers is facing a boycott today after its Chairman, Guido Barilla, said it would never use a gay couple in any of its adverts.

    Barilla, the world's biggest pasta manufacturer
    ©-jovannig-Depositphotos

    The company which was founded in 1827 and reportedly made €3.9b in revenues in 2010 has come under fire today after its chairman Guido Barilla, gave an interview to La Zanzara Radio24.

    He was answering a question regarding the lack of gay families in the company’s advertising. He suggested that gay couples would never been used saying,

    ‘ Our family is a traditional family,’ he added that he,

    ‘wouldn’t do an ad with a homosexual family not because I disrespect gays – they have their right to do whatever they want without disturbing others – but because I don’t think like them and I think that the family we try to address is anyway a classic family’.

    Barilla then went on to suggest that if gay people didn’t like the company’s value, they could ‘eat another brand’.

    The BBC are reporting that the gay rights group Equality Italia have called Barilla’s comments ‘offensive provocation’ adding,

    ‘We accept the invitation from the Barilla owner to not eat his pasta’.

    To read the full translation click here

    Aurelio Mancuso of Equality Italia urged for a boycott of the company’s pasta, sauces and other snacks.

    On Thursday the company’s press department released a statement called: ‘Guido Barilla’s Clarification on gays’.

    The statement reads,

    ‘With reference to remarks made yesterday to an Italian radio program, I apologize if my words have generated controversy or misunderstanding, or if they hurt someone’s sensitivity’.

    ‘Boycott Barilla’ became a trending topic around the world yesterday as thousands of users took to Twitter to complain about Barilla’s comments.

    One Twitter user wrote @RonGunzburger wrote,

    ‘Count me in for the #boycottbarilla! Lots of pasta brands out there. I don’t need to buy from an anti-gay bigot.’

    None of the UK’s big four supermarket’s stock Barilla’s pasta.

  • Texan Gay Man Badly Beaten After App Hook Up

    A 24 year-old man from Springtown, Texas has ended up in hospital after a hook up on the MeetMe app went terribly wrong.

    Arron Keahey was beaten and brutalised by an 18-year-old suspect, after meeting up with him an hour after the two men struck up conversation on the MeetMe app.

    Keahey said to ABC News8 reporter Steve Stoler that he was ‘ambushed almost immediately’ after his arrival at the 18-year-old’s address saying,

    ‘He started getting all frustrated and talking all angrily,” Keahey said. “I don’t remember anything after that.’

    Police in North Texas are currently investigating the attack after Brice Johnson called 911 to say that he had ‘found Keahey outside his house in the trunk of a car.’

    The police later arrested and charged Johnson with aggravated assault, causing serious bodily injury and are treating it as a ‘possible hate crime,’ however as the victim doesn’t remember the attack and Johnson is also saying that he remembers very little about the incident.

    Keahey has broken facial bones, nerve damage and has lost some teeth. He will require corrective cosmetic surgery for his injuries.

     

    A spokesperson for the MeetMe app has said,

    ‘Safety is MeetMe’s top priority. To ensure that our 1 million daily users have a safe and enjoyable experience online, we employ a variety of human and technological filters that include real-time review of every image posted to the site and a zero-tolerance policy for interactions that violate our terms of service.

    ‘As this tragic incident illustrates, offline meetings can carry significant risk – which is why MeetMe prominently displays safety messages to every user of our mobile apps and logged-in users of our website see reminders at the bottom every screen about the dangers of meeting people they don’t know.

    ‘In addition, MeetMe created and operates the website www.socialsafety.org as a resource to help users and their families stay safe online and links to it from throughout MeetMe’s website and app.’

     

    To watch the news report click here.

  • ‘AIDS Ring’ Video By Pat Robertson Reinstated by YouTube

    Stonewall Bigot Nominee Pat Robertson has lost his battle to have a controversial AIDS remark removed from YouTube.

    The 83 year-old televangelist has lost his fight with YouTube to have a comment he made about gay men spreading AIDS with a ring which could cut and infect those who shook hands with someone wearing the ring in San Francisco, removed after the Google owned service re-instated the video.

    Robertson claimed the gay community had also passed several ‘draconian laws’ which prohibited people from discussing this particular affliction.’

    The video’s copyright owner the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) initially had the video removed, stating copyright infringement but when the clip reemerged with Robertson’s outrageous remarks removed Right Wing Watch (RRW) wrote,

    ‘…The episode reveals the lengths CBN will go to hide and censor the statements made by its own leader,’

    The video has now been reinstated after RWW said that the clip fell under a fair use clause – and seemingly YouTube agrees.

    Last week Stonewall released a list of nominees for its 8th Annual Awards, Pat Robertson has been nominated for a Bigot Of The Year Award.

  • Police Appeal For Witnesses After Anti-Gay Attack On Piccadilly Line

    British Transport Police (BTP) are looking for witnesses after a man assaults two passengers and makes homophobic remarks.

    * Officers are appealing for witnesses to come forward after a man and woman were assaulted on the Tube.

    * The incident happened around 3pm on Monday, 8 July onboard an eastbound Piccadilly line train travelling between Hounslow East and Northfields London Underground (LU) stations.

    * News comes same day as BTP release data showing that homophobic attacks on the UK’s transport system have risen from 2011/12 to 2012/13

     

    PC Paul Franklin, the investigating officer, said: “Three men and a woman were standing on the platform at Hounslow East LU station when a man made homophobic remarks towards them.

    “The argument continued on the train and the woman was assaulted by the man.

    “A member of the public then intervened and he too was assaulted by the man. The altercation spilled out on to the platform at Northfields LU station and the victim left the station before police arrived.”

    PC Franklin added: “Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident and, at this stage, I am appealing for anyone who was at the station to come forward with information about what they saw.”

    A 27-year-old man from Hounslow has been arrested in connection with the incident and bailed pending further enquiries.

     

    9 Fold Increase in Homophobic Attacks

    BTP also revealed statistics that show recorded offences of homophobic crimes reported on the London Underground have risen 9 fold in the period 1st Oct 2011 – 31st January 2012 to 1st Oct 2012 – 31st January 2013.

    Anyone with information should contact British Transport Police on Freefone 0800 40 50 40, or text 61016, quoting reference B3/LUA of 12/08/13 or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

  • Gay wedding “bombed” on the Island of Haiti

    A British man and his partner have had their wedding attacked by an anti-gay mob in Haiti.

    The French news agency AFP is reporting that several people have been injured after a homophobic group hurled rocks and home-made bombs at the ceremony in Haiti’s capital Port-Au-Prince.
    The British man, who is identified as a Red Cross worker, is said to be unhurt.
    Speaking to TheGayUK a spokesperson for the BritishRedCross said they did have ‘comprehensive security rules’ to protect those people working and volunteering for the organisations.
    Two cars were set alight and numerous windows smashed at the residence were the ceremonies was said to have taken place.
    A local inspector, Patrick Rosarion told the AFP that intervention by the police prevented someone being killed by the mob.
    “This is a criminal act and homophobic,” said Charlot Jeudy, an official from Kouraj (Courage), a group that defends the rights of homosexuals in Haiti.
    “There is no justification for this kind of attack on people in a private residence. Hopefully the justice authorities will react to the perpetrators of this act.”
    Same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults in private has been legal since 1986. The age of consent is eighteen.

  • Two men robbed in ‘homophobic attack’ in Reading

    Two men in Reading have been beaten and robbed after a homophobic attack in local park by a gang of youths.

    The two men, who have not been named, were in Cintra Park in Whitley at 12:04am after spending the evening at a barbeque when they were set upon by a large gang of youths, who shouted abuse, kicked and punched them before robbing one of the men.

    PC Nick Hook of Reading Local CID, is calling for help from anyone who may have seen the attackers, who are described as youths aged 15-20, some of them are described as being stripped to the waist.

    One was a white male of slim build approximately five ft with short dark hair and wearing no top. Another was a white boy of slim build, aged about 15, and about five ft with short dark hair, wearing long trousers and no top. A third boy was white, of slim build aged about 16 with dark hair, wearing dark tracksuit trousers and a top.

    He said: “We are investigating the incident as a homophobic hate crime which has left the victims understandably shaken.

    “This incident is being treated extremely seriously. We will not tolerate hate crimes in our community and will be making every effort to track down and bring to justice those responsible.”

    Call the police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

  • Tensions Rise In The New York Gay Community After Alleged Attack On Subway

    Following the Supreme Court’s ruling on DOMA in the United States, the gay community in New York City were celebrating gay pride, when this alleged attack happened on a Subway.

    (more…)

  • Call for Boycott on Moscow World Championships

    A group called Boycott Moscow 2013 have called for the rejection of the 2013 World Championship in Athletics in Moscow.

    The group has created the page in response to the anti-gay law that was passed by the Russian Government earlier this week, where 434 – 0 voted to pass the controversial bill that could see anyone marching in a pride or even talking about homosexuality to anyone under 18 receive hefty fines or even jail time.

    Scenes of violence erupted against 20 gay and pro-gay campaigners,, when a group of 200-strong anti-gay protesters physically abused, threw rotten eggs and chanted ‘Russia Not Sodom.’
    Photographer Ilya Varlamov captured the scenes, (view the pictures here) which included one of police standing on the neck, allegedly, of a pro-gay activist.

    One bystander purportedly heard an unidentified Duma official from the Communist Party approached and shook hands with a policeman, and reportedly said: “So are you guys ramping up the pressure on these faggots? Beat them up well! Cut their balls off!”
    In a statement on the official Facebook page the organisers wrote:

    ‘This TuesdayThe Russian Parliament, the Doma, Passed Two Fascist, Homophobic and anti LGBT Laws:

    1. “Banning Propaganda of Non-Traditional Sexual relations”

    2. “Offending Religious Feelings”
    This [sic] two laws make it practically illegal to be openly gay in Russia.

    We cannot remain silent while this horrible country receives postivies [sic] reviews during the 2013 Moscow Games. We must show Putin that LGBT Rights of Russian are not an “internal issue” that can be shadowed.
    WE MUST BOYCOTT MOSCOW 2013’

    AllOut.org have a petition for the Russian President, Putin. Nearly 125,000 people have already signed it.
    The petition asks:
    ‘TO PRESIDENT PUTIN, RUSSIAN POLITICIANS AND ALL WORLD LEADERS:

    We stand with citizens across Russia who are calling on their government to stop the crackdown against lesbian, gay, bi and trans people that is fuelling anti-gay violence.We urge leaders around the world and within Russia to work to eliminate all anti-gay laws and protect all citizens from violence and discrimination in Russia.’

    Sign it it here www.allout.org/en/actions/russia-attacks

  • “Cut their balls off” Russian anti-gay protesters ramp up pressure

    As the Russian lower house passes a law that could see anyone who ‘promotes homosexual propaganda’ to anyone under 18 face stiff fines or even jail sentences, 200 anti-gay protesters beat, threw bottles at and abused pro-gay activists.

    Disturbing images from Ilya Varlamov show to some extent the abuse that 20 pro-gay rights activists faced yesterday as Russia’s government voted 434-0 to install a new bill that could leave anyone promoting a homosexual lifestyle to anyone under the age of 18 with jail time or a hefty fine.

    Vocativ reports that at one point ‘an unidentified Duma official from the Communist Party approached and shook hands with a policeman, and reportedly said: “So are you guys ramping up the pressure on these faggots? Beat them up well! Cut their balls off!” ‘

    Violence towards gay and pro-gay rights activists has been ramped up in the past few months, with two murders and numerous attacks happening within a few weeks of each other.

    AllOut.org have a petition for the Russian President, Putin. Nearly 85,000 people have already signed it.

     

    The petition asks,

    ‘TO PRESIDENT PUTIN, RUSSIAN POLITICIANS AND ALL WORLD LEADERS:

    We stand with citizens across Russia who are calling on their government to stop the crackdown against lesbian, gay, bi and trans people that is fuelling anti-gay violence.

    We urge leaders around the world and within Russia to work to eliminate all anti-gay laws and protect all citizens from violence and discrimination in Russia.’

     

    Sign it it here www.allout.org/en/actions/russia-attacks

  • 18-Year-Old gay campaigner dies after “skinhead” attack in Paris

    18-Year-Old Gay Campaigner Dies After ‘Skinhead’ Attack In Paris.

    Clément Méric, an 18-year-old student and well known gay rights activist in Paris has died after he was was violently attacked by a group of three ‘far-right skinheads’, including one women near the Saint-Lazare train station on Wednesday evening.

     

    Four arrests have been made in connection to the attack including the individual suspected of delivering the final blow to Méric’s head in Wednesday’s attack.

    The Local also reports that at least one of the attackers wore knuckle-dusters according to initial reports.

    An eyewitness, named only as Aurelia, described to French journalists the horrendous scene she had witnessed.

    “I was out doing some shopping, when I found myself face to face with the attackers,” who she told reporters had shaved heads and wore leather jackets.

    “I saw the young man falling, and his head hitting a bollard. There was blood coming out of his ears and nose, and then he went into convulsions.”

    “He had a huge lump at the back of his head, and his face was covered in blood,” she added.

    Anti-gay crime has soared in the last few months, as France became the 14th nation to legalise same-sex marriages.

    In April a gay dancer, Raphaël Leclerc was beaten unconscious in Nice, and Wildred de Brujin was attacked in Paris. Also in the same month four people were detained by police on suspicion of carrying out an attack at a gay bar in the French city of Lille.

    Images have emerged of Méric marching against anti-gay violence on 17 April. The banner he held read: ‘Homophobia Kills’.

    Hundreds of people attended a vigil in Paris last night in memory of Méric