THEGAYUK

Tag: Homophobia

The latest news about homophobia across the UK and the globe.

  • COLUMN | Homophobic banter is still prevalent at work, even in 2017

    In the last couple of weeks, I have given up my job. I have arthritis in my feet, ankles and knees – the condition has impacted on my ability to work for years.

    As a publican, I ran a rough pub. I was ‘out’ with my sexuality, and it was commonly accepted I could deal with troublemakers, having a smart mouth and if that failed, ‘a brick in my handbag mentality’ to wade in and split up fights. I was known for standing. I never sat when the premises was open, so no one saw the vulnerability of me not being able to stand again or the difficulty I had in walking after a short rest.

    Unfortunately, like so many other publicans I lost my premises because of the economy and the cultural changes brought about by social media, among other factors.

    I had a 6-month stint stacking shelves on the night shift in a supermarket until the knees gave in. I was never ‘out’ with anyone I worked with at the supermarket. It was a small group with a cross-section of ages.

    “The workplace banter was focused on sex and sexuality, the derogatory aspect of which were gay remarks”

    While working there I observed the cleaners. The GP had told me to stay active. The cleaners either pushed around or sat on cleaning machines. When shopping I always took a trolley, it concealed my disability and made the perfect walking aid.

    I applied for and got a job managing the cleaning in a supermarket. The machines are motorised, so both an aid to walking and effortless to use. The surface of a store is even underfoot and level; the best combination for me to walk on. It is underpaid and antisocial hours, sometimes with split shifts. Again I never disclosed my sexuality. In this setting it mattered less as I discovered in society, I was less than who I was and more of what I do. In six months of employment, some of the staff neither spoke to me or acknowledged my existence.

    The area manager responsible for maintaining the standard by auditing the cleaning routines was supportive of my health as was the person I worked with on most days. Even with their support, it became too much for me. I had a lot of absences.

    The commute to work was around 30 minutes in duration. I left my home at 4.30am six days per week. A couple of Thursdays ago I fell on the way to my car in the morning. Fortunately, I was between two vehicles and did not end up on the ground. Twisting my right knee on the way down caused it to swell and the arthritis in it to flare up.

    Now I find myself filling in forms and making applications for alternative work, where I will not have to stand so much. I feel I come with an amount of ‘baggage.’ I am disclosing the disability as it has an impact on what I can do and there is legislation in favour of employing someone with a disability.

    Sexuality – Now that’s a different question. I will never deny who I am, but that does not mean I have to pro-actively promote it either. On applications to large national companies and local authorities, I disclose my sexuality. They have policies in place and training about diversity. On applications to smaller employers, I don’t.

    I shouldn’t feel my sexuality is a barrier to getting a job, but I am a realist and know that is not the truth. I used to stand up for who I am, a sort of ‘I am who I am’ mindset, but lately I just seem to have lost my ‘homo mojo.’

  • Police search after ‘homophobic attack’ on train near Havant

    Officers have launched an investigation following an incident where two men were assaulted in a homophobic attack.

    Police search after 'homophobic attack' on train near Havant

    The incident happened on board a train service at between Havant and Pulborough at 8.34pm on 22 September.

    Two men boarded the service at Havant railway station, a short time into the journey two women board the service.

    They were on board the service for around 20 minutes before leaving to get up to leave the service at Pulborough station.

    One of the women then threw a glass jar which she was drinking from at the two men, brushing the head of one of them.

    The same girl was also making homophobic remarks to the two men relating to their sexuality.

    On arriving at the station, the two women got off the train, and as they did the same woman who had been using offensive language walked past the window where the two men were sat and spat at the window.

    The women left the station while the two men stayed on the service.

    Officers would now like to speak to the two women in the CCTV image as they believe they may have information that could help with the investigation.

    Anyone with any information should contact British Transport Police on 08004 0 50 40 or text 61016 citing reference 656 of 22/09.

  • Two teenagers arrested following reports of homophobic attack on London train

    Following an appeal for information in relation to a homophobic assault, two teenage boys have been identified and arrested.

    The British Transport Police confirmed that two people they wished to speak to in connection with an alleged homophobic assault on the Jubilee line have been arrested.

    The two 16-year-old boys were arrested on suspicion of assault (5/12) and are currently in custody.

    Investigators had been asking for the public’s help in identifying two people they’d wanted to speak to in connection with a violent incident on a Jubilee line train between West Ham and North Greenwich.

    The incident happened on 21 October at around 11.10pm, when the alleged offenders boarded the train at West Ham and verbally abusing the victim and his friends, using homophobic language.

    CREDIT: R~P~M / Flickr

    When they were challenged about their language, they purportedly became violent.

    British Transport Police reported,

    “The first offender then pulled the victim from his seat into a headlock, strangling him.

    “The second offender took the victim’s phone and verbally abused him again, also making threats to stab him.

    “They demanded the victim apologise for being gay which eventually the victim did as he was struggling to breathe. They then let him go and handed back his phone and a fight ensued between the victim’s friends and the offenders.

    “One of the victim’s friends, a 25-year-old woman, was punched and pushed to the ground. She sustained bruising.

    “The original victim did not sustain any injuries”.

    The two then disembarked the train at North Greenwich, leaving the victims on the train.

    In a statement, the BTP said, “Hate crime will not be tolerated by British Transport Police. We believe that everyone has the right to travel safety. We won’t tolerate behaviour where someone is targeted because they are perceived to be different, or made to feel uncomfortable on their journey”.

    You can text the British Transport Police on 61016 to report non-emergency incidents.

  • Teenager “strangled” and forced to “apologise for being gay” on London Train

    A 19-year-old victim of homophobic abuse was allegedly held in a stranglehold and forced to apologise for being gay on a London tube.

    Investigators are asking for the public’s help in identifying two men they’d like to speak to in connection with a violent incident on a Jubilee line train between West Ham and North Greenwich.

    The incident happened on 21 October at around 11.10pm, when the alleged offenders boarded the train at West Ham and verbally abusing the victim and his friends, using homophobic language.

    They were challenged about their language, which is when the incident purportedly became violent.

    British Transport Police report,

    “The first offender then pulled the victim from his seat into a headlock, strangling him.

    “The second offender took the victim’s phone and verbally abused him again, also making threats to stab him.

    “They demanded the victim apologise for being gay which eventually the victim did as he was struggling to breathe. They then let him go and handed back his phone and a fight ensued between the victim’s friends and the offenders.

    “One of the victim’s friends, a 25-year-old woman, was punched and pushed to the ground. She sustained bruising.

    “The original victim did not sustain any injuries”.

    The two men then disembarked the train at North Greenwich, leaving the victims on the train.

    Officers would like to speak to the people shown in the images as they may have information which could help the investigation.

    If you recognise them, please call BTP on 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016, quoting reference number 273 of 1/12.

    In a statement the BTP said, “Hate crime will not be tolerated by British Transport Police. We believe that everyone has the right to travel safety. We won’t tolerate behaviour where someone is targeted because they are perceived to be different, or made to feel uncomfortable on their journey”.

    You can text the British Transport Police on 61016 to report non-emergency incidents.

  • Stormzy apologises for “foul and offensive” tweets

    Hip-hop artist, Stormzy has Tweeted an apology for “foul and offensive” things written on his Twitter timeline.

    Stormzy has issued a full and complete apology for some of the tweets sent on his Twitter, dating back to 2011. In a statement, he wrote that the messages sent from his account were “unacceptable and disgusting”. He also said sorry and that he regretted sending the messages.

    The star, who has achieved a number 1 album in the UK charts, wrote,”The homophobic language I used was, embarrassingly, a part of my vocabulary when I was younger and ignorance made me feel comfortable to use them whilst not understanding the hate and the ramifications they carry.”

    THEGAYUK’s editor and chief Jake Hook said, “Stormzy’s apology is by far one of the most sincere apologies I’ve ever seen from a celebrity when they’ve been confronted with their past actions. It’s heartening to see that someone as important as Stormzy is can acknowledge the pain and upset that homophobia can inflict on members of the LGBTQ+ community and can offer a heartfelt apology so eloquently – and all within 24 hours.

    “If the last couple of months has taught us anything it’s that it’s an opportunity for people to start going over their own timelines and checking for comments that are just offensive and removing them. We have a whole dictionary of words to use. We don’t need to resort to homophobia, racism, sexism, ableism in order to get our points across.”

  • Nearly 20 homophobic Tweets found on Stormzy’s Twitter timeline

    Nearly 20 homophobic tweets have been found on the Hip Hop artist, Stormzy’s twitter account.

    The tweets, some of which date back to 2011 use homophobic slurs, like “no homo” and “faggot” to blast critics on his social media account. At least one was aimed at an actor for dancing on an advert.

    Tweets sent from the MOBO-award winning artist’s account used insults like “faggot” and “gay” as a pejorative term.

    The tweets were sent from his account before he achieved chart success in 2017 and before he was named on the BBC Influential Sound of 2015 list. The artist has had a number 1 album in the UK, selling at least 100,000 records – achieving a Gold disk.

    At least 19 tweets were found using homophobic language. The tweets, which were dated between 2011 and 2014 have now all, seemingly, been deleted.

    STORMZY/TWITTER

    Tweets sent from his official account suggested that men who use straighteners or curling tongs are “fags” whilst another tweet blasted an actor in a Lucozade advert as a “big faggot” for dancing.

    The tweets, discovered by PinkNews have now been deleted, but we managed to find some of them before they were pulled from Twitter.

     

    Another Tweet suggests that being gay was a slur and asked his critics whether they were gay. Another message questioned whether being mature was also “gay”.

    STORMZY/TWITTER
    STORMZY/TWITTER

    STORMZY/TWITTER
    STORMZY/TWITTER

    Stormzy is the latest high profile person with homophobic content discovered on their social media feeds. Last week Josh Rivers, the former editor of Gay Times was fired after a series of offensive tweets were discovered in his timeline. This week I’m A Celebrity Star, Jack Maynard was forced to leave the jungle to confront and defend tweets sent from his Twitter account.

    Last month new Labour MP, Jared O’Mara was suspended after homophobic messages were found on forums.

    THEGAYUK.com reached out to Stormzy’s record label, Warner / ADA for comment.

  • Amir Khan blasted with homophobic comments after failing Jungle task

    In his Jungle trial, boxing champ, Amir Khan, shouted those infamous words “I’m a celebrity get me out of here”.

    Amir Khan blasted with homophobic comments after failing Jungle task

    It didn’t take long for the homophobes on social media to start hurling slurs at the boxer.

    Amir Khan is the first celebrity to utter the phrase, “I’m a celebrity get me out of here,” in a long time after facing his darkest fears, snakes.

    In the task, which was broadcast on last night’s episode, he had to put his hand into a number of holes filled with crabs, creepy crawlies and snakes. After minutes of trying and failing to even get his hand into any of the holes, he plunged his arm into one, only to pull out a live snake, proving too much for the star. Moments later he yelled those infamous words.

    Some fans of the show, however, equated his failure to being gay and hurled homophobic slurs, such as “faggot”, “batty” and “queer” at the 30-year-old boxer.

    Anti-gay trolls

    After panicking during his I’m A Celeb trial, Boxing Champ, Amir Khan uttered those infamous words – and the task was over. Fans, however, were not impressed.

    Some tweeters used “gay” in a pejorative way,

    Whilst others couldn’t help but call him a “faggot”

    Others opted to call Amir, “queer”

    Bravery has nothing to do with sexuality.

    Jake Hook, Editor of THEGAYUK.com said, “It’s truly disappointing that in 2017 people on social media still equate being gay with being fearful, weak or somehow inferior. This kind of bullying and trolling just further embeds the notion that being LGBT+ is less than and weak and it has to stop. Some of the bravest, most powerful people in the world are members of the LGBT+ community – some of whom have faced worse than snakes in a pit. Bravery has nothing to do with sexuality.

    “Amir Khan’s inability to complete a task has nothing to do with his sexuality – but more to do with the fact that he’s scared of snakes.”

    I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here continues tonight on ITV 1

  • Jack Maynard in homophobic and racist Tweet shame

    He’s only just gone into the jungle, but Jack Maynard’s time on the show, I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here could be cut short after racist and homophobic tweets were found on his Twitter account.

    The YouTuber, Jack Maynard has come under fire after a series of homophobic and racist tweets were discovered on his Twitter timeline. The tweets included the use of the “n-word”, which he used to describe a friend and “faggots” which he used as a slur.

    He also used the term “retard” as an insult towards people.

    The tweets, which were uncovered by The Sun,  date back up to six years. He was a teenager at the time of publishing these tweets.

    The 22-year-old YouTube star has over a million subscribers on the video platform and has hundreds of thousands of fans on Twitter and Instagram, he has 700,000 and 600,000 followers on each respective social media site. Before becoming a YouTuber he worked as a personal trainer.

    In the unearthed tweets he mocked gay men and called friends the racist “n-word” term repeatedly. He also poked fun at people with facial disfigurements.

    “Faggots”, Retards and “N-Words”

    In a post dated February 2013 he replied to one critic saying,  “hahaha shutup you f****t… By the way who hit you with a shovel?”

    In one tweet, posted online in June 2011, he wrote, “At alices with my n****s!”

    He also repeatedly calls people “retards”.

    “Ashamed”

    A spokesperson for the YouTuber said, “Jack is ashamed of what he said in these tweets, many of which were deleted a long time ago and were sent in response to a neighbour who was bullying him. Jack was a lot younger when he posted them in 2012 but realises that age is no defence. He would never use that language now and realises that, as someone who was bullied himself, this kind of retaliatory, inflammatory, insulting language is completely unacceptable.”

    An ITV spokesperson issued a statement which said, “Jack has issued a full apology and has deleted the tweets that he sent.”

    THEGAYUK.com reached out to ITV for comment.

    Last week, a former editor, Josh Rivers, of Gay Times Magazine was fired after just 20 days in office, after an investigation by Buzzfeed into Rivers’ Twitter account. Dozens of racist, homophobic, fat-shaming and antisemitic tweets were found. The bosses at Gay Times briefly suspended and then fired Rivers, in a move which was widely praised by critics.

    • This story has been updated with Jack’s full statement.

  • Labour suspends MP after homophobic comments

    The Labour party has suspended Jared O’Mara, pending an investigation over alleged homophobic and misogynistic comments.

    Labour suspends MP after homophobic comments

    Following on from revelations over MP Jared O’Mara’s forum messages posted over a decade ago, which were misogynistic and homophobic, the Labour party have taken action to suspend the newly elected MP for Sheffield Hallam.

    The MP unseated the former Lib Dem leader, Nick Clegg in this year’s general election.

    Mr O’Hara had issued an apology over his misogyny but failed to mention anything about his homophobia which included a message sent from an account which was allegedly his, in which he said he’d thought it would be funny if jazz singer Jamie Cullum was “sodomised” to death with his own piano.

    The minister had been serving on the Women’s and Equality committee but he resigned shortly after the messages surfaced.

    Speaking to BBC News the shadow chancellor John McDonnell said,  “There will be a full investigation by the Labour Party and then, as a result of that, a final decision will be made about his future.

    “New information has come to light, so quite rightly the Labour Party has acted swiftly. He’s been suspended, the whip has been withdrawn.”

    Transphobia

    Following on from the forum messages,  a former partner of the O’Mara, Sophie Evans, 25,  alleged he was abusive and transphobic. They dated seven months ago.

    Ms Evan alleges that O’Mara used sexist language and “transphobic slurs”

    Speaking to Daily Politics she said,

    “There were some transphobic slurs in there . . . he called me an ugly b*tch,”

    “I just thought ‘Wow, he’s not a very nice man’ and just forgot about it.

    “He never apologised to me or my friends that were involved. He has called us liars in the press, he has been on radio and called us liars.

    “I just find it very, very hard to believe that he has changed.”

    Mr O’Mara “categorically denies”the allegations.

  • MP Jared O’Mara quits equality role amidst homophobic and misogynist row

    Disgraced Labour MP, Jared O’Mara has resigned his post on the women’s and equality committee following the revelations of anti-gay and misogynist comments made on forums back in the early 2000s.

    The MP, who unseated Nick Clegg in the last General Election, is said to have used numerous anti-gay slurs on the Morrissey Solo website forum and Drowned In Sound. Terms such as “fudge packers” and driving “up the Marmite motorway” to describe gay people were used and a message was written that said gay people were “bitter and resentful about being homosexual”.

    Some of the messages date back to 2002.

    A message, which apparently used his email address was published which expressed a wish for jazz singer Jamie Cullum to be “sodomised” to death, the message read, “It would be no great loss to the music world if he was sodomised with his own piano and subsequently died of a sore arse. In fact, it would be quite funny.”

    Taking to Twitter, O’Mara issued an apology, saying he was “ashamed” of the comments that he made online and said that he was wrong to make them. He also apologised for the unacceptable language. However, he only apologised for the comments made about women and not the homophobic comments.

    His statement in full:

    “I am deeply ashamed of the comments I made online, which have emerged today. I was wrong to make them; I understand why they are offensive and sincerely apologise for my use of such unacceptable language. I made the comments as a young man, at a particularly difficult time in my life, but that is no excuse. Misogyny is a deep problem in our society. Since making those comments 15 years ago, I have learned about inequalities of power and how violent language perpetuates them. I continue to strive to be a better man and work where I can to confront misogyny, which is why I’m so proud to sit on the Women and Equalities Select Committee. I will continue to engage with, and crucially learn from, feminist and other equalities groups so as an MP I can do whatever I can to tackle misogyny.”

     


    THEGAYUK.com reached out to O’Mara for clarification on his homophobic messages.

  • Vile homophobia from newbie Labour MP Jared O’Mara

    Forum messages allegedly made by the new Labour MP for Sheffield Hallam, Jarod O’Mara have surfaced.

    An MP who sits on the Women’s and Equality Committee has had past homophobic and sexist forum comments allegedly written by him over a decade ago, unearthed by the political website, Guido Fawkes. 

    The MP, who unseated Nick Clegg in the last General Election, is said to have used numerous anti-gay slurs on the Morrissey Solo website forum and Drowned In Sound. Terms such as “fudge packers” and driving “up the marmite motorway” to describe gay people were used and a message was written that said gay people were “bitter and resentful about being homosexual”.

    Some of the messages date back to 2002.

    A message, which apparently used his email address was published which expressed a wish for jazz singer Jamie Cullum to be “sodomised” to death, the message read, “It would be no great loss to the music world if he was sodomised with his own piano and subsequently died of a sore arse. In fact, it would be quite funny.”

    In other messages Guido Fawkes reveals that published messages included:

    “Just cos he writes about gayness and gay issues, doesn’t mean he drives up the Marmite motorway, or for that matter, allows someone else to drive up his…

    “You do mean ‘took it up the ass’ figuratively don’t you?… I just think that this story is much more poignantly romantic than fudge packing Jake or anyone else in a casual manner and I don’t want such a lovely vista to be spoilt.

    “I find it funny how some homosexuals think they have the monopoly on being subject to abuse, they should try being Ginger…”

    “To those of you that are bitter and resentful about being homosexual, maybe you need to take a bit of pride in your gayness, it’s not something to be ashamed of.”

    The account that O’Mara used the same email address he used on another forum website Drowned In Sound.

    Taking to Twitter, O’Mara issued an apology, saying he was “ashamed” of the comments that he made online and said that he was wrong to make them. He also apologised for the unacceptable language. However, he only apologised for the comments made about women and not the homophobic comments.

    His statement in full:

    “I am deeply ashamed of the comments I made online, which have emerged today. I was wrong to make them; I understand why they are offensive and sincerely apologise for my use of such unacceptable language. I made the comments as a young man, at a particularly difficult time in my life, but that is no excuse. Misogyny is a deep problem in our society. Since making those comments 15 years ago, I have learned about inequalities of power and how violent language perpetuates them. I continue to strive to be a better man and work where I can to confront misogyny, which is why I’m so proud to sit on the Women and Equalities Select Committee. I will continue to engage with, and crucially learn from, feminist and other equalities groups so as an MP I can do whatever I can to tackle misogyny.”

     


    THEGAYUK.com reached out to O’Mara for clarification on his homophobic messages.

    MP Stephen Doughty, the co-chair of the LGBT PLP said,

    “The comments are obviously totally unacceptable. As one of the Co-Chairs of the LGBT PLP, I raised my deep concerns directly in person with Jared this after and have received a frank apology”.