THEGAYUK

Tag: Homophobia

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

  • COMMENT: #NoToArmani – Yet Another Person Telling Gays What To Do

    What is it about super-rich fashion mavens who have been more than happy to take our pink pounds (and dollars) to fuel their luxurious lifestyles to then turn around and trot out their rather obnoxious homophobic opinions?

    First there was Dolce & Gabbana who riled up Sir Elton John and most of the gay community when they publicly decried gay parenting, and now it’s the turn of billionaire 80-year-old Giorgio Armani to bite the hand that feeds him with his totally unacceptable comments.

    Armani told The Sunday Times Magazine:

    “A homosexual man is a man 100 per cent. He does not need to dress homosexual.

    “When homosexuality is exhibited to the extreme – to say: ‘Ah, you know I’m homosexual,’ – that has nothing to do with me. A man has to be a man.”

     

    Really Giorgio? I guess we cannot stop these men who profit from a homosexual sensibility making these public announcements to the media to drum up some publicity for themselves BUT we can stop buying any of his clothing.

    I say #notoarmani.

    Despite never admitting to being gay Armani told Vanity Fair in 2000,

    “I have had women in my life. And sometimes men,” he said at the time. “But you know very well that to do this work one must have a free mind.”

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • Gay Bar Sent “Anthrax” Letter In The Post

    A gay bar in Iowa was sent a letter that purported to contain the lethal disease Anthrax.

    A bar in Des Monies called The Blazing Saddle was sent a homophobia letter, which contained a powder, which the sender reported was anthrax.

    The powder was revealed to be foot powder, however, the threat was taken very seriously by local law enforcement. A local man, Eric Reece Wiethorn, 49, has since been arrested for posting the letter and has been charged with first-degree harassment.

    The letter reads:

    “It’s time for all the faggots and dykes to die on Capital Pride night!

    “Your secret enemies are going to blow up your destination for going to hell tonight, and were going to eat roast faggot the following morning.

    “This is your punishment for sinning against God, and hopefully you’ll die from the anthrax on this letter!”

    Speaking to the Des Moines Register, co-owner of The Blazing Saddle said,

    “I opened the mail up thinking it was a thank you letter, it turned out to be a hate letter.

    “[It said] faggot this, faggot that… and a white powder popped out, so I thought ‘call the police now’, because you don’t know.

    “We were locked down until hazmat came and examined it, it turned out to be talcum powder.

    “It’s very childish, very hateful, and I though this city had grown up more than that.”

    He added: “We get hate mail like this every once in a while but never powder.”

    There have been a number of attacks using Anthrax in the past, one of the most notorious was the 2001 Anthrax attacks which targeted news media offices and two US Senators.

  • £2 Million Awards Announced From Homophobic Bullying Fund

    Funds awarded to projects to train school staff and provide support for pupils affected by homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying.

    Stonewall awarded nearly half million pounds of the £2million total.

    Minister for Women and Equalities Jo Swinson, said, “It’s good news that schools are making progress on homophobic bullying

    Today eight organisations will be told they are to get a share of £2 million to help prevent and eradicate homophobic, biphobic and transphobic (HBT) bullying. The funding was announced by Jo Swinson, Minister for Women and Equalities, and Secretary of State for Education, Nicky Morgan, in October 2014.

    Homophobic bullying in schools is decreasing: 55 percent of lesbian, gay and bisexual young people surveyed for Stonewall’s 2012 School Report said they had experienced homophobic bullying, down from 65 percent in 2009.

    However further action is still needed. Metro’s Youth Chances Survey 2014 found that more than half of gay young people had experienced either discrimination or harassment. In a report from Stonewall, last year 86 percent of secondary school teachers and 45 percent of primary school teachers said pupils at their school had experienced homophobic bullying. Most (89 per cent for secondary schools and 70 per cent for primary) had heard homophobic language used. Teachers say they lack the knowledge and confidence to tackle HBT bullying effectively. These projects will help to build that confidence by providing training and resources for school staff.

    Minister for Women and Equalities, Jo Swinson, said, “It’s good news that schools are making progress on homophobic bullying, but it must be eradicated entirely. The trauma of being bullied at school can stay with you for life, and it is absolutely unacceptable that those who may be gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender are being targeted. Teachers need specialist support and training to help them stamp out homophobic bullying, which is why we have funded these excellent projects which are designed to tackle this issue head on.”

    The organisations awarded funding are:

    Anne Frank Trust (£104,894) – to run workshops and educate young people about prejudice and the impact of the Holocaust on lesbian, gay and bisexual people.

    Barnardo’s (£263,218) – to provide face-to-face support for victims of HBT bullying and training for staff with a focus on cultural issues in schools in Leeds and Wakefield.

    Diversity Role Models with Brook (£277,722) – to develop and deliver training on tackling HBT bullying to 10,000 teachers and staff in 400 schools.

    EACH (£189,304) – to deliver a training and resource programme in schools across Avon and Somerset.

    Educate and Celebrate (£214,048) – to train staff in 60 schools, giving them confidence and strategies to address HBT language and bullying and promote inclusiveness throughout the school environment and the curriculum.

    National Children’s Bureau (£128,754)– to train 1,500 teachers on tackling homophobia, biphobia and transphobia through PSHE.

    Show Racism the Red Card (£119,557)– to hold workshops with 2,000 young people at football clubs around England, train 200 teachers and run a film competition for young people on tackling HBT bullying.

    Stonewall (£465,594) – to extend and share its ‘train the trainer’ course with 60 partner organisations, enabling them to run the programme with schools in their local communities and giving them the skills to tackle HBT bullying.

    Marcel Varney, Assistant Director for Barnardo’s, said, “At Barnardo’s, we hear about HBT bullying from the young people we work with across the organisation. We know that the bullying of a young person because of their sexuality can be incredibly damaging and can impact dramatically on a young person’s ability to succeed at school.

    “This commitment from the government will enable us to reach hundreds of young people to alert them to the impact of HBT bullying. It‘s a big step towards stamping out HBT bullying. We aim to improve the visibility of LGBT lives in the school environment and ensure that young people are supported regardless of culture or religion.”

  • Dad Tells Son His Coming Out Is “Worse Than Death”

    We’ve heard quite a few successful stories when it comes to coming out in recent years, but this painful message exchange from a father to his 15-year-old son shows the struggles some people still face when coming out to family and friends.

    Shocking Facebook messenger messages from a father to his gay son have emerged on social media after he said that his coming out “was worse than death”.

    Tyler from Vancouver in Canada posted the homophobic and abusive messages he received from his father on his Tumblr page. The messages were a result of Tyler coming out on Facebook post.

    “We took care of you since you were a baby. We loved you, took care of you when you’re sick. Lost many days and nights in all your fifteen years. Now [sic] this is what we get in return, shame and embarrassment…Take out your post from the social media. You embarrass me… I’m going to puke.

    “if only you didn’t reject God and His teachings in your life you could have been strong enough to stay from evil and scums that surrounds you.

    “stay away

    “Take out your post from the social media. You embarrass me from all the people I knew. I’m going to puke. Whatever you do it reflects on me. People will ridicule me,insul;t me and I might turn out to be a criminal. I have enough of all this bullsh**

    “You are trying to ruin me. This is worst [sic] that death

    “You f****K,!!!”

    However Tyler is hoping for a positive outcome soon, speaking to HuffPost he said,”I’m upset with what my dad said, but I don’t hate him,

    “I’m hoping there’s still the possibility that he could change, even it takes while. Maybe he could accept me, because that’s all I want… I just want him to be there for me.”

  • “We Do Not Like Gays Living Here” Vile Welcome Note To Gay Couple

    A gay couple that have recently moved to a small town in Yorkshire, England, were shocked to find this most unwelcoming note from a neighbour.

    A note that a gay couple reportedly received when they moved to a village near York has surfaced on Twitter and Facebook. The letter contained outrageous homophobic terms such as backstabbers and s*** stabbers.

    The person who wrote the note was quite adamant that the couple would cause trouble for the neighbourhood saying, “This is a respectable village. We do not like gays living here, we do not want a load of gays coming and going day and night.

    We have heard about the partys (sic) you have, and the young lads you having stayed the night.

    “You only have young lads for one thing.

    “You [are] a pair of s*** stabbers,

    “You pair of dirty b*****ds,

    “We will have you run out of the village.

    “This is a warning so get this house up for sale and push off back where you came from, you are not welcome here.
    “S*** stabbers.”

    It is unclear whether the police have been informed, however, The Mirror states that the police are believed to be investigating the note.

    The York Pride facebook page wrote, “Why are pride events important in 2015? Read this letter received by someone right here in North Yorkshire to see what views still exist in 2015!”

  • Mother Jailed For Allegedly Punching “Feminine And Gay” Son

    A mother in Memphis, USA, has been charged by police after allegedly assaulting her son because he is too feminine.

    • Mother allegedly punched her son for being too “feminine and gay”
    • Was jailed on a $1000 bond

    Jacqueline Alexander in Memphis was charged by police for domestic assault against her son, resulting in a jail time on a $1000 bond. According to police she punched her son ay 11PM on Tuesday. Police say her son was lying in bed when she accused him of “being too feminine and gay.”

    Will Batts, who runs the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Center said to WMC Action News, “It’s shocking every time it happens, but it’s not new to us at the centre,

    “We hear a lot of stories about people who are assaulted by family members. Young people who are kicked out of their houses when they come out to a parent.”

    The boy’s name or age has not be released.

  • Over Half of Gay People Feel Uncomfortable Kissing In Public

    A new survey has revealed that 54% of gay people in a relationship would feel uncomfortable kissing their partner in public.

    • Over half of LGBT people questioned feared kissing their partner in public
      UK’s first Valentine’s Kiss In happened in London on the steps of Eros
    • Over 1000 people responded to a survey conducted by Pride In London, which asked participants whether they’d be completely comfortable kissing a same-sex partner in public.

    Over half (54%) said that they would not be comfortable at all, and even though 46% said they would be, only one third of that group had never had any issues with homophobic responses in the past. Of those who said that they felt uncomfortable nearly 90% said that they feared negative attention that might arise from their PDA.

    To combat this, Britain’s very first Valentine’s Day public ‘kiss-in’ took place on the steps of the Eros statue, Piccadilly Circus, launching the campaign for the freedom to kiss in public – whatever your sexuality.

    The event officially marks the launch of the ‘Heroes’ theme for Pride in London’s 2015 parade, which takes place in central London on June 27th. Members and spectators of the parade will be encouraged to celebrate the LGBT’s heroes that have championed – or continue to champion equality and our freedom to be ourselves.

    Since going live in January, the ‘#FreedomTo kiss’ campaign has encouraged thousands of people across the capital and the country to kiss their loved one in public, take a photo and post it on social media, tagging #FreedomTo kiss.

  • Labour vows: No More Homophobia. Ever

    With under 100 days till the general election, Labour have outlined plans to end Homophobia and anti-gay bullying in schools across the country.

    Labour will today publish its plan to eradicate homophobic bullying in every classroom, playground and dinner hall. The plan has the backing of Stonewall, campaigner and actor, Charlie Condou as well as other leading rights campaigners.

    Tristram Hunt MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, will announce the plan at Little Ilford School in London. Under the plan, Labour will:

    – Ensure that all new teachers are trained to tackle homophobic bullying;
    – Provide support for those teachers already in the system to receive training to tackle homophobic bullying;
    – Make age appropriate sex and relationships education compulsory in all schools;
    – Promote mental health services for young people living with the consequences of homophobic bullying;
    – Provide a national best practice ‘toolkit’ to equip schools with the resources to tackle HBT bullying.

    The announcement follows a Taskforce set up by Mr Hunt to consult and make recommendations on new measures to tackle homophobic bullying in schools and beyond. Mr Hunt will make the announcement on a visit to Little Ilford School at the beginning of LGBT History Month.

    Mr Hunt will say that schools have a duty to show a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to homophobic bullying:

    “The presence of homophobic bullying in our classrooms, playgrounds and dinner halls is deeply troubling, and it is very real. The use of homophobic language and other forms of homophobic bullying is damaging the life chances of so many young people. It has a daily effect that limits learning, and causes people long term damage. There is no place for it in our society – and never should it be ignored in our schools. Schools have a duty to show a zero tolerance approach to the use of homophobic language and bullying.”

    Mr Hunt will say that only by introducing new measures, will we rid the shadow of Section 28 that has been cast over our schools,

    “The legacy of Section 28 – a most pernicious piece of legislation – casts a shadow over our education system, both for those that are new to the schools workforce and for those who worked in schools whilst it was in operation. That is why repealing Section 28 alone, is not enough. We need new training for new and long-standing teachers, and others in the school workforce. Strategies for education, dealing with both prevention and resolution. And we need to act urgently to prevent the plight of homophobic bullying that is damaging the lives and life chances of thousands of pupils.”

    Charlie Condou, actor and campaigner, welcomes the announcement,

    “As a gay man, and as a parent, the tackling of homophobic bullying is obviously something that’s extremely important to me. School is where I want my kids to feel safe, to be nurtured and cared for when I’m not there. We’ve made so many advances for LGBT people over the last few years, but I truly believe that prejudice is learned behaviour and therefore we need to address LGBT issues at an early age. The word gay is still used as an insult in playgrounds across the country and the amount of young people still taking their own lives for being seen as different is quite distressing. I’m so glad that tackling homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying will be a priority for the next Labour government, as always, leaders in the struggle for LGBT equality”

    Stonewall, a charity that works on a cross-party basis, welcomes the announcement. Hannah Kibirige, Senior Education Officer at Stonewall, said,

    “Homophobic bullying and language are endemic in Britain’s schools, with a devastating impact on young people’s health, wellbeing and attainment. Through our work with more than 12,000 schools across the country, we know that teacher training is vital to tackling the problem. We have seen progress under this and the previous Government, but more still needs to be done. We welcome this commitment and will be calling on future governments to ensure that every teacher is equipped to tackle homophobic bullying and that every young person can reach their full potential.”

    The scale of the plight of homophobic bullying has been revealed in figures from Stonewall (published here today) that show of the current estimated 215,000 lesbian, gay and bisexual pupils in schools:

    · 52,000 will miss school in response to homophobic bullying;
    · 37,000 will change their future educational plans because of homophobic bullying;
    · The school work of 70,000 will suffer because of homophobic bullying.

    The figures show that whilst some schools, like Little Ilford School, are tackling with homophobic bullying, for thousands of other young people, the discrimination that they face is not being dealt with effectively.

  • Vile Homophobia Blasted At Johnny Weir On Super Bowl

    Openly gay former US skater and NBC sports commentator Johnny Weir suffers a tirade of homophobic abuse on Twitter as viewers vent about him hosting the pre-game Super Bowl show.

    Wearing a sparkly football themed costume, of blue rhinestones and matching face make up Johnny Weir, who retired from figure skating last year, certainly knows how to make a statement, however, his appearance has left many users of social media sending a torrent of homophobic abuse.

    Who in the hell is this queer bate with Tara Lapinski on NBC Super Bowl coverage?…

    — HutcH (@HutcHAmericanRN) February 1, 2015

    https://twitter.com/lturpin28/status/561965895447486464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.archive.thegayuk.com%2F_snippet%2Fblog%2F4009928388%2F9344501%2Fn2I3xoFtAc7ws4IZ3R7EIu7ArYw.html

    https://twitter.com/MyMindOnGeorgia/status/561978324986363904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.archive.thegayuk.com%2F_snippet%2Fblog%2F4009928388%2F9344501%2FMuNld5VXCXo9n0R3MRMHwd8tv7g.html

  • Vile Homophobia Blasted At Johnny Weir On Super Bowl

    Openly gay former US skater and NBC Sports commentator Johnny Weir suffers a tirade of homophobic abuse on Twitter as viewers vent about him hosting the pre-game Super Bowl show.

    Wearing a sparkly football themed costume, of blue rhinestones and matching face make up Johnny Weir who retired from figure skating last year, certainly knows how to make a statement, however, his appearance has left many users of social media sending a torrent of homophobic abuse.

    https://twitter.com/yonkersED/status/561952777325543424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

    https://twitter.com/ThreeSixRW/status/561965049729003521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

    https://twitter.com/MyMindOnGeorgia/status/561978324986363904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

    https://twitter.com/lturpin28/status/561965895447486464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

  • Sam Smith: Homophobia? Just Ignore It

    So how does Sam Smith deal with homophobia? He just ignores it.

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