THEGAYUK

Tag: Barack Obama

The latest LGBT+ news and views about the 44th President of the United States of America. During his presidency Mr Obama was the first president to federally provide marriage rights for gay men and women across the USA.

  • Obama leads touching tribute to Edith Windsor

    Obama Leads Tributes to Edith Windsor

    Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton led tributes following the death of LGBT rights campaigner Edith Windsor, 88, whose lawsuit led to the federal recognition of equal rights for same-sex couples. “America’s long journey towards equality has been guided by countless small acts of persistence, and fuelled by the stubborn willingness of quiet heroes to… (more…)

  • Obama’s anti-racist tweet is the most liked ever

    President Obama’s anti-racism tweet is now the most liked ever. Surpassing the tweet that Ariana Grande sent after the attack at her concert.

    A tweet by President Obama has become the world’s most liked tweet, surpassing the one sent by American pop star Ariana Grande directly after the terrorist attack that rocked her Manchester concert, killing 22 people.

    Obama’s tweet which is a quote from the late South African leader, Nelson Mandela,  was sent just after the violent far-right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

    The tweet read, “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion…

    “People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love…”

    “…For love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” – Nelson Mandela

    So far, the initial tweet has been liked more than 4.2 million times and Retweeted over 1.5 million times. Twitter confirmed that Obama’s moving message is also the fifth most retweeted post of all time.

    He followed the tweet with two more heartfelt messages

     

  • Michelle Visage points out the HUGE difference between Obama’s Big day and Trumps

    As inaugurations go, President Trump’s wasn’t the smallest in history, but as Michelle Visage has pointed out it certainly was no match for President Obama’s in 2009.

    CREDIT: Whitehouse Photographer

    Hundreds of millions tuned in to watch the inauguration of Donald Trump, however, the turn out to watch the event live in Washington DC was well below that of Obama’s 2009 swearing in.  Michelle Visage was quick to share a shocking image showing the poor turn out, where huge areas of land outside the Capitol Building in Washington DC stand empty.

    In 2009 Obama’s inauguration set a new record for attendees, although there is no official count. It was considered that over 1.8 million people turned up to watch the event. Donald Trump was unable to match the 44th President’s numbers or approval rating at the time of their respective inaugurations. Obama’s was 68 per cent. Trump’s is 37 per cent.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BPgZuFfgtf2/?taken-by=michellevisage&hl=en

    According to Washington DC’s own transport system passenger numbers were well down.

    They tweeted that as of 11 AM on Trump’s inauguration 193,000 trips had been made compared with 513,000 on Obama’s inauguration in 2009. Even Obama’s second term swearing in had over 317,000 trips made.

    Within hours of Trump becoming the 45th President, there was panic amongst some in the American LGBT community as the Whitehouse’s official website scrubbed it’s LGBT page, leaving users with just an empty white screen.

     

  • Trump, Thatcher even Putin are some of the UK’s favourite Politicians

    Trump, Thatcher even Putin are some of the UK’s favourite Politicians

    A study of 2000 Brits has revealed that the UK has a bit of a love affair with some very conservative politicians, including Thatcher, Trump, Putin and Palin.

    Margaret Thatcher
    By work provided by Chris Collins of the Margaret Thatcher Foundation – Margaret Thatcher Foundation, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5185418

    The research conducted by CamRate, found that Brits found Margaret Thatcher to be the most popular female politician followed by Theresa May. The Scottish first minister, Nicola Sturgeon was voted in third place, while Germany’s Angela Merkel came fourth. Angela Merkel is against same-sex marriage equality, having already outlined that she regards marriage as “marriage is the coexistence between a man and a woman”.

    Margaret Thatcher, who died in 2013, led the Conservatives from 1979 to 1990 and was instrumental in enforcing Section 28 in schools.

    Worryingly Brits seemed to love Republican Sarah Palin (9), whose stance on LGBT rights is horrifying. Former PM hopeful Andrea Leadsom, Priti Patel, and Nicky Morgan also appear in the top 20 all of whom have a less than perfect score when it comes to gay equality votes.

    Brits also voted Vladamir Putin in 14th place ahead of Nick Clegg (15) and Tony Blair (16). Tony Blair’s government played a key part in the introduction of Civil Partnerships for gay people in 2004.

    It wasn’t all bad news from an LGBT perspective when it came to nation’s favourite politicians, Barack Obama won the vote, with UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn taking second and third place.

    CREDIT: By Michael Vadon [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsUS President-Elect Donald Trump came fourth, ahead of ex-UK Prime Minister David Cameron.

    Here are the top 20 male politicians

    1.    Barack Obama
    2.    Boris Johnson
    3.    Jeremy Corbyn
    4.    Donald Trump
    5.    David Cameron
    6.    Sadiq Khan
    7.    Bernie Sanders
    8.    Bill Clinton
    9.    Gordon Brown
    10. Alex Salmond
    11. Andy Burnham
    12. Ian Duncan Smith
    13. Ed Miliband
    14. Vladimir Putin
    15. Nick Clegg
    16. Tony Blair
    17. Chuka Umunna
    18. Mitt Romney
    19. Paul Ryan
    20. Zac Goldsmith
    And the top 20 female politicians.

    1.    Margaret Thatcher
    2.    Theresa May
    3.     Nicola Sturgeon
    4.    Angela Merkel
    5.    Caroline Lucas
    6.    Hilary Clinton
    7.    Ruth Davidson
    8.    Harriet Harman
    9. Sarah Palin
    10. Mhairi Black
    11. Angela Eagle
    12. Priti Patel
    13. Andrea Leadsom
    14. Diane Abbott
    15. Justine Greening
    16. Natalie Bennett
    17. Theresa Villers
    18. Nicky Morgan
    19. Amber Rudd
    20. Elizabeth Truss

     

    Interestingly, those who were polled preferred their male candidates to be of a Liberal persuasion, with 12 politicians affiliated with liberal or left-wing parties, to eight who are either Republican or Conservative. Voters showed that they preferred the exact opposite with female politicians, with 12 being of a right-wing or Conservative ideology, with eight being part of liberal or left-wing parties.

  • “We Think Gay People Should Be Stoned Or Hanged Because They Are Destructive”

    The man behind the cancelled 5000 naked anti-gay protest who were aiming to meet Barrack Obama on a trip to Kenya has told audioBoom news that gay men should be stoned or hanged because they are “destructive to the environment.”

    A shocking interview has emerged of Victor Kidaha, the leader of an anti-gay political party that planned to hold a naked protest in front of President Obama to show their disgust at his pro-LGBT stance.

    In the interview Kidaha is asked why he is planning his naked protest in front of President Obama to which he answers:
    “It’s to protect African family values.To show President Obama there is a difference between a man and a woman.
    “The point we are trying to make is there is a difference between a man and a woman. We are saying respect our culture, africa we don’t accept same sex relationships. We don’t allow homosexuality that is not in African culture that is why couples can only marry when they are man and wife.”
    When asked if discriminating against gay people was contradictory to family values he repied:
    “We are not doing this from a religious perspective. It’s environmental conservation. We are conserving the environment. We see gays as destructive to the environment. We are saying they are negative value to africa. As Africans we are here to protect our countries and culture.
    “We don’t think gay people should be banned, we think they should be stoned. They should be stoned to death.”

  • SAME-SEX MARRIAGE Legal Across The US

    BREAKING: SCOTUS legalises gay marriage nationwide.

    Justices at the Supreme Court Of The United States have voted 5-4 in favour of legalising gay marriage across all states in the US, remarking that there was no legitimate reason to deny same-sex couples the right to marry.

    The ruling is the biggest civil rights movement in over 50 years. The vote equalises the law in all states, including the 14 in which same-sex marriage was still blocked.

    Writing about marriage, Justice Anthony Kennedy said,

    “No union is more profound than marriage for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family,”

    The news has caused #SCOTUS, #LOVEWINS US Supreme Court and Congratulations America to trend worldwide on Twitter.

    President Obama declared the ruling as a “Big Step” in the march towards equality, adding, “Gay and lesbian couples now have the right to marry, just like anyone else. #LoveWins”

  • President Obama’s Proclamation for Gay Pride Month

    President Obama has released a Presidential Proclamation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, which starts on June 1st. It reads as follows:

    From the moment our Nation first came together to declare the fundamental truth that all men are created equal, courageous and dedicated patriots have fought to refine our founding promise and broaden democracy’s reach. Over the course of more than two centuries of striving and sacrifice, our country has expanded civil rights and enshrined equal protections into our Constitution. Through struggle and setback, we see a common trajectory toward a more free and just society. But we are also reminded that we are not truly equal until every person is afforded the same rights and opportunities — that when one of us experiences discrimination, it affects all of us — and that our journey is not complete until our lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law.

    Across our Nation, tremendous progress has been won by determined individuals who stood up, spoke out, and shared their stories. Earlier this year, because of my landmark Executive Order on LGBT workplace discrimination, protections for Federal contractors went into effect, guarding against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The Federal Government is now leading by example, ensuring that our employees and contractors are judged by the quality of their work, not by who they love. And I will keep calling on the Congress to pass legislation so that all Americans are covered by these protections, no matter where they work.

    In communities throughout the country, barriers that limit the potential of LGBT Americans have been torn down, but too many individuals continue to encounter discrimination and unfair treatment. My Administration supports efforts to ban the use of conversion therapy for minors because the overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrates that it can cause substantial harm. We understand the unique challenges faced by sexual and gender minorities — especially transgender and gender non-conforming individuals — and are taking steps to address them. And we recognize that families come in many shapes and sizes. Whether biological, foster, or adoptive, family acceptance is an important protective factor against suicide and harm for LGBTQ youth, and mental health experts have created resources to support family communication and involvement.

    For countless young people, it is not enough to simply say it gets better; we must take action too. We continue to address bullying and harassment in our classrooms, ensuring every student has a nurturing environment in which to learn and grow. Across the Federal Government, we are working every day to unlock the opportunities all LGBT individuals deserve and the resources and care they need. Too many LGBTQ youth face homelessness and too many older individuals struggle to find welcoming and affordable housing; that is why my Administration is striving to ensure they have equal access to safe and supportive housing throughout life. We are updating our National HIV/AIDS Strategy to better address the disproportionate burden HIV has on communities of gay and bisexual men and transgender women. We continue to extend family and spousal benefits to legally married same-sex couples. And because we know LGBT rights are human rights, we are championing protections and support for LGBT persons around the world.

    All people deserve to live with dignity and respect, free from fear and violence, and protected against discrimination, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation. During Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, we celebrate the proud legacy LGBT individuals have woven into the fabric of our Nation, we honor those who have fought to perfect our Union, and we continue our work to build a society where every child grows up knowing that their country supports them, is proud of them, and has a place for them exactly as they are.

    NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2015 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people.

    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth.

  • President Obama Supports Ban On Conversion Therapy For Minors

    In a groundbreaking statement issued from The White House last night President Obama responded to a ‘We the People’ petition urging the government to Enact ‘Leelah’s Law to Ban All LGBTQ Conversion Therapy’ after it had reached more than 120,000 signatures.

    The President is quoted “Tonight, somewhere in America, a young person, let’s say a young man, will struggle to fall to sleep, wrestling alone with a secret he’s held as long as he can remember. Soon, perhaps, he will decide it’s time to let that secret out. What happens next depends on him, his family, as well as his friends and his teachers and his community. But it also depends on us — on the kind of society we engender, the kind of future we build.”

     

    His White House Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett added,

    “We share your concern about its potentially devastating effects on the lives of transgender as well as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and queer youth…As part of our dedication to protecting America’s youth, this Administration supports efforts to ban the use of conversion therapy for minors…This Administration believes that young people should be valued for who they are, no matter what they look like, where they’re from, the gender with which they identify, or who they love.”

    Leelah Alcorn was a 17-year-old transgender youth, who stunned her friends and a vast Internet audience in December when she threw herself in front of a tractor-trailer after writing in an online suicide note that religious therapists had tried to convert her back to being a boy.

    In an interview with the New York Times, Ms. Jarrett said Mr. Obama had been moved by the story of Ms. Alcorn’s suicide. But she said the problem went far beyond Ms. Alcorn.

    “It was tragic, but I will tell you, unfortunately, she has a lot of company,” Ms. Jarrett said. “It’s not the story of one young person. It is the story of countless young people who have been subjected to this.

    It also marks another step forward for the President too whose ideas about gay marriage had “evolved”. But he now supports same-sex marriage and has sought greater equality of treatment for gay men and lesbians in the government and the private work force. In his first term, he pushed the Pentagon to end the notorious ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ policy that had kept gay service members from serving openly.

  • Obama warns Uganda against anti-gay law

    The US President, Barack Obama has warned Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni that an anti-gay law could complicate relationships that tie the two nations together.

    The new law proposes that anyone engaging in homosexual acts could face life imprisonment and that anyone who does not report the crime would also fall foul of the law. Even talking about homosexuality without condemning would be a crime under the new bill.

    For the first time the new bill also covers lesbian relationships.

    Obama, who previously called the law ‘odious’ has once again hit out, saying that if the new law was approved that the relationships between the two countries would be ‘complicated’. The US is of Uganda’s biggest aid donors.

    His criticism of the anti-gay move was not limited to Uganda; he also noted the increase of harassment and violence against gay people in Russia and Nigeria.

    President Yoweri Museveni refused to approve the law initially, however the bill can still be passed with a two-thirds vote. However Yahoo is reporting that a spokesperson for the President said that the bill would be signed after local ‘scientific’ analysis. The team was asked to “study homosexuality and genetics in human beings.”

    The scientists found that;

    ‘There is no definitive gene responsible for homosexuality,

    ‘Homosexuality is not a disease but merely an abnormal behaviour which may be learned through experiences in life.’

    Last year a controversial law that was named ‘Kill the gays’ was halted, the law was amended and the death penalty was removed.

  • Landslide Result From THEGAYUK Readership Backing Barrack Obama

    As the Presidential race nears a close in the USA and America chooses a new leader, TheGayUK asked its readers where they’d place their votes.

    (more…)

  • Hot Hunks From 2000 – 2009

    Ah the decade that was the noughties maybe behind us now, as we step into an Olympic 2012 but the decade certainly had its fair share of boy hotness we take you on a little trip down memory lane for some boys you may remember and what they’re up to now!

    15 Phixx

    Embed from Getty Images

    First in our line up of hot dudes from the 2000s is the boyband Phixx, we can’t really choose one, but they were hot and they formed in 2003 as runners up from the UK talent show: PopStars The Rivals. Usually topless and sporting a rather vampiric look, long before Twilight was a twinkle, Phixx huffed and puffed their way through 4 top 20 singles in the UK before disbanding in 2006.

    14 Joshua Rafter.

    With bated breath the nation watched Josh enter the Big Brother house in 2001, back when people watched the ailing non-celebrity version of the show. Muscles entered the building first eventually followed by his rather cute face. There was a moment of ‘would they, wouldn’t they’ with the already impounded Brian Dowling, the eventual winner of the series, but alas it was not to be. The property guru took no time to get his pecs out and our summer was complete. Joshua can be found hocking homes for the LGBT community (and everyone else for that matter) on Old Compton Street and life has been kind to his face, as he’s still a stunner 11 years on.

    13 Jake Hook.

     

    We first saw Jake in his seriously hot and rather (for the time) edgy music video “Smooth” in 2003, it even had boy on boy snogging, which we thought was pretty noble! His single went to #32 in the Belgium Singles chart and he pretty much fell off the radar after a run of live tours with Phixx and Jamiela – that is until 2009 when he wrote and produced Coming Home a Double Platinum Smash Hit by The Soldiers. Since then he’s been steadily working in his studio has now produced and written for over 18 top 45 albums and singles.

    12 Kieron Richardson.

    Embed from Getty Images

    Openly gay actor from the hit British soap Hollyoaks. Richardson was inspired to come out by Joe McElderry (what an inspiration he is too) and he did so in a blaze of glory on This Morning in September 2010. Kieron has played the part of Ste Hay on the soap since 2006, after being briefly written out Ste has returned to our screens as a full-time character. Hurrah. You can listen to his sultry tones on the online radio station Gaydio.

    11 Mitch Hewer.

    Embed from Getty Images

    We nearly fainted when a Mitch skipped on to Skins in 2007. After Skins he went to star in ‘Never Forget’ a musical based on the songs of Take That. In 2008 Hewer provided a defining moment in his career when he got his kit off in Cosmopolitan magazine to bring attention to testicular cancer.

    10 O-TOWN.

    Embed from Getty Images

    Okay, this may turn into an orgy, but we just couldn’t decide on which boy to chose from this boy-band turned Man band. Take N-Sync add Backstreet Boys, slightly soil and wrap them in plastic looking costumes and you’ve got O-TOWN, why this band never succeeded the first time around I’ll never know. Their first single was called Liquid Dreams – how much more homoerotic do you want!

    9 Doctor Christian Jessen.

    Embed from Getty Images

    Have you seen this man’s body? No seriously. We almost fainted when Doctor Christian appeared topless in one of his eat good/get naked/stand in a hideously lit white box room programmes for channel 4. Christian is rarely off Channel 4’s airwaves now.

    8 Scott Maslen.

    He’s been voted as one of sexiest men on television. He is mostly notable from the long-running BBC soap Eastenders. Maslen is actually an east ender in real life, born in Woolwich in 1971. He originally signed up to be a marine, however, after an injury he became an ‘international’ male model. Yes, the link is very obvious to us too! However don’t get too excited lads, the man is a ladies man, married to his long term lady, after nine years together.

    7 Michael Chad Murray.

    It was until 2005 that Michael Chad Murray came into general consciousness but it was Paris Hilton’s infamous film House of Wax that catapulted Michael into our hearts! Google Image search him and you’ll get to see why Michael’s star remains brightly lit – the enduring image is of a naked Michael with only a basketball between our lustful eyes and his modesty. Mostly recently Michael has been portraying the character Lucas Scott in the hit drama series One Tree Hill.

    6 Duncan James.

    Tousled dirty blonde hair, killer abs thing going on. James was in the decades arguably most successful boy band Blue, who reigned supreme from 2000-2004. After

    Tousled dirty blonde hair, killer abs thing going on. James was in the decades arguably most successful boy band Blue, who reigned supreme from 2000-2004. After Blue Split, James released Future Past his only solo work to date which reached a rather poorly 55 in the UK charts. James along with his Bluey cohorts had a little bit of a comeback with Eurovision with the song I AM which reached #16 in the UK Charts. In 2009 the sun-kissed king came out as bisexual to the now defunct News Of The World and then as gay in Feb 2014.

    5 Daniel Radcliffe.

    It’s almost wrong to put Dan on this list as he almost feels like our little brother. We’ve grown up with him since 2001 when Radcliff and his wizardly crew stormed the film scene with the Harry Potter franchise, but it wasn’t till he got his kit off for Equus that we actually saw that Mr Radcliffe has some serious sexy potential. Oh, the queens lined the street for a sneaky peak at Harry Wand! Daniel is one of the world youngest millionaires which is always giving someone a certain magmatism.

    It’s almost wrong to put Dan on this list as he almost feels like our little brother. We’ve grown up with him since 2001 when Radcliff and his wizardly crew stormed the film scene with the Harry Potter franchise, but it wasn’t till he got his kit off for Equus that we actually saw that Mr Radcliffe has some serious sexy potential. Oh, the queens lined the street for a sneaky peak at Harry Wand! Daniel is one of the world youngest millionaires which is always giving someone a certain magmatism.

    4 Justin Timberlake.

    So Mr Timberlake wasn’t strictly born of the decade that was 2000, but in 2001 a pert 22-year-old ex N-Syncer rocked our world with his debut solo album: Justified. The ups and downs of his relationship to Britney and his legendary topless shoot with Rolling Stone kept the gay boys Crying A River. Justin Timberlake is now a film star, with his role in Social Network really bringing his acting into the limelight. A Hollywood producer and even has his own line of Tequila as well as whole host of other business ventures!

    3 Barrack Obama. Now this name is what we like to call a game changer. Barrack bowled onto the world’s screens, radios and hearts in 2008 when he began his race to the presidency in the US. No child was left

    Now this name is what we like to call a game changer. Barrack bowled onto the world’s screens, radios and hearts in 2008 when he began his race to the presidency in the US. No child was left un-kissed, no photo opportunity was missed, including a topless shoot in a candid holiday shot, which quite frankly changed our minds about the hottest president since JFK. Houseflies everywhere went into hiding, whilst Obama was on the trail for the premiership. Barack ranks number three in our list of hotties from the noughties, never underestimate being the leader of one of the world’s most powerful countries.

    2 Randy Harrison. Oh, those pillow lips, the big puppy eyes and the floppy blonde mop and with a name like Randy how can anyone resist this openly gay actor from the American version of

    Oh, those pillow lips, the big puppy eyes and the floppy blonde mop and with a name like Randy how can anyone resist this openly gay actor from the American version of Queer As Folk. Playing the part that Charlie Hunnam took in the UK version, we get to see Harrison in a variety of eye-opening ways.

    1 ZAC EFRON.

     

    Oh Zac Zac Zac. When we first saw you we felt naughty stirrings which we thought we probably shouldn’t. However looking your most recent pictures we’ve come to the conclusion we were absolutely right. With a string of high grossing movies: Hairspray, 17 Again, and High School Musical. He was “The Hair” before Justin Bieber. In fact you never see the two in the same room at the same time. Just a suggestion but perhaps Justin is actually just the cut offs from Efron’s hair. It seems there is nothing this boy can’t do: Act, Sing and look good, move over Andrew Stone Zac is the real triple threat. Little might you know but Zac has had 8-charted songs in the UK and 10 the US! He’s reportedly worth a cool $10.8m. Step over Brad Pitt I think we’ve found our new Man for the decade.