All the latest breaking news on race relations in the LGBT+ community. Browse The THEGAYUK’s complete collection of features and commentary on race relations in the LGBT+ community.
Gay icon, Bette Midler has apologised and deleted a tweet in which she used the “n-word”.
CREDIT: S Buckley | Depositphotos.com
Bette Midler has apologised after calling women “the n-word of the world”, in a politically charged tweet following a “too brief investigation of allegations against Kavanaugh”.
Ms Midler is well-known for her shrewd observations on women’s and human rights and uses Twitter as her forum.
In a tweet in which she criticised the “too brief” investigation into Brett Kavanaugh, Midler likened the treatment of women to enslaved African Americans. According to HuffPost, the ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ singer had written,
“Women are the n-word of the world, raped, beaten, enslaved married off, worked like dumb animals; denied education and inheritance; enduring the pain and danger of childbirth and life IN SILENCE for THOUSANDS of years They are the most disrespected creatures on earth.”
In an apology, Midler wrote,
“The too brief investigation of allegations against Kavanaugh infuriated me. Angrily I tweeted w/o thinking my choice of words would be enraging to black women who doubly suffer, both by being women and by being black,
The too brief investigation of allegations against Kavanaugh infuriated me. Angrily I tweeted w/o thinking my choice of words would be enraging to black women who doubly suffer, both by being women and by being black. I am an ally and stand with you; always have. And I apologize.
What about Ageism, HIV stigma and effeminism, users ask…
CREDIT: Ryazan / BIGSTOCK
Banning racism is on the agenda at Grindr and many of the gay hook up apps, but users are keen to point out that Grindr is failing on other discriminatory language including ageism, HIV stigma and anti-effeminate sentiments.
Recently Grindr announced a new policy, dubbed Kindr, which looks to rid the platform of all types of discrimination, however, users point out that aside from racism there is a whole heap of discrimination that goes seemingly unchecked via people’s profiles.
Grindr says it will now moderate language on users’ profiles, saying they’d rather “hear about what you’re into, not what you aren’t”. Some, however, are concerned that the announcement seemingly only touches on racism. However, the editor of Into, Grindr’s online magazine, has said that the new policy will take into consideration any discriminatory language.
Zach Stafford said, “So, I am seeing some confusion around #Kindr and wanted to clear one big thing up: Discriminatory language like ‘no fats, no femmes, no Asians’ is officially considered discriminatory and will now be banned on Grindr”.
Hi hi,
So, I am seeing some confusion around #Kindr and wanted to clear one big thing up:
Discriminatory language like ‘no fats, no femmes, no Asians’ is officially considered discriminatory and will now be banned on Grindr.
Julian is on his way home with his Nana when he spots some mermaids, or at least he thinks they’re mermaids. Just a mere glimpse of these joyous women and Julian’s imagination transforms him into a dazzling mermaid. At home, he puts on some make-up, styles his hair, and fashions himself a long mermaid tail. But what will Nana think when she sees him?
Julian is a Mermaid celebrates self-confidence and diversity in a plethora of ways, from gender stereotypes, to family dynamics and body types. Bursting with individuality and acceptance, Jessica Love has created a picture book glowing with so much beauty and wonder, it’ll mesmerise all those who read it.
Jessica Love is an illustrator and Broadway actress. She has a BA in studio art from the University of California, as well as a graduate degree from Juilliard. Julian Is A Mermaid is her first picture book. Find her online @jesslovedraws.
“A breeding ground that perpetuates racism against gay Asian Men”
A man is planning to sue the gay dating app, Grindr, for racial discrimination and is looking for co-plaintiffs across the US’s fifty states so that he can bring a class action.
In a statement released on social media, Sinakhone Keodara, the CEO and founder of the Asian Entertainment Television company says that Grindr allows “white gay men to write in their profiles ‘no Asians’, ‘not interested in Asians’: or ‘I don’t find Asians attractive’,” which he says, leads to people feeling “offended, humiliated, degraded and dehumanised” by the app.
Keodara says that anyone who is considering joining him must be a paying customer.
In 2018, Grindr became fully owned by the Chinese gaming firm, Kunlun Tech Co.
The dating app OKCupid recently analysed sexual racism among 1m of its male site users. The company found that compared to black, Asian or minority ethnic users, white users got more messages. White users were also found to be less likely to reply or match with users of a different race to themselves, and more likely to question interracial marriage.
Recent research from Australia also found that 15% of gay men on the dating app Grindr included sexual racism on their profiles. This was more likely to be the case if the profile user was white, and if the user held broader racist views.
I noticed it especially when I started using the apps. The apps are great, you can be as specific as you want and really filter down to find what you are looking for. There are also a number of different apps to cater for specific gay communities and labels. They are also a great way of realising how picky you can be when it comes to what you want. A lot of people are open-minded and others are very upfront with their requirements.
After getting past my initial bombardment of unsolicited photos, I started looking through profiles until I found someone I was interested in. He looked great and the start of his profile was funny. But that’s when I saw it. He specifically stated he didn’t want Asians, wanted the guy to be smooth and wanted him to be slim. All of the things I am not in other words. I was hurt in some way from reading this, but quickly shrugged it off and said to myself that the views of one person shouldn’t make me feel bad. I moved on to the next guy, whose profile was blank, and messaged him. He replied that he wasn’t looking for Asians as well. I took this in one of two ways. He was genuinely not looking for Asians, or using it as an excuse to end the conversation early. Again I shrugged it off, I can’t change my ethnicity so why bother myself with people who are being prejudiced against me. I did find a lot of people who were interested and we had some conversation that either led to something or didn’t. Such is the nature of the apps I found.
But it got me thinking, is it prejudice or racism. I mean we all have our types, myself included, but I don’t feel the need to implicitly tell people that I don’t want a specific skin colour. I am open-minded, and my main criterion is someone with kind eyes. It sounds funny, but I am drawn to eyes and how they can convey a lot about people. I understand that these guys who put their requirements are doing so to ward off any unwanted attention, and to help them find what they are looking for faster. But is that really the case? I tested this out and put my requirements based on my current mood, and I found a handful of matches. When I saw these select few it made me realise that I didn’t particularly feel drawn to any of them. I went back to my more open requirements and felt instantly better. But that is just how I am, these people who don’t want fats, femmes or Asians know what they want, and that is their choice. It would be easy for me to judge them, but then again should they not be allowed to seek what they want?
One interaction that really threw me off was when a guy messaged me saying he doesn’t usually go for Asians, but I would be an exception. That is when I genuinely got angry at the comment he made. It implied that I am acceptable even though I am Asian, and that he deems me worthy of his attention. I rightly put him down for that comment and ended the conversation there. He blocked me, which was to be expected, but had he not I would have blocked him and his pointed views out of my life anyway. Other interactions have had people ask me where I was born, as they don’t want people who weren’t born in the UK or don’t speak English without an accent. Again, I have no time for these people. They are trying to cover up their prejudice towards immigrants by making it out that they are just having a normal conversation.
This isn’t to say I haven’t found people from the apps, as I have had a number of dates. What it is saying is that people shouldn’t feel bad if they find prejudice within the apps. They should ask themselves if they would want to be with someone like that, and if they do then that is fine. But you never know what you might find when you venture out of your preferences. I know I have been surprised and learned more about myself when I have ventured out. So for any profile out there that states ‘no Asians,’ I’m sorry but you are missing out. We are amazing.
“The lack of visibility of men from black, Asian and other ethnic minority communities in sexual health promotion has been well documented”
The campaign was created, at a “grass-roots” level by BAME men for BAME men.
A poster campaign has been launched by leading sexual health charity GMFA to encourage BAME (black and minority ethnic) gay men to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases more regularly. It is also hoped that the campaign will increase the representation of the LGBT+ black and Asian community.
The first set of posters have been released and they will be displayed in south London specifically: Brixton, Streatham, Kennington and Waterloo.
Increasing Representation
The charity revealed that the campaign was developed by “BAME gay and bisexual men for BAME gay and bisexual men” and it aims to increase testing among BAME gay and bisexual men but also to increase representation of BAME gay and bisexual men in public health campaigns.
Ian Howley, Chief Executive of HERO – Health Equality and Rights Organisation, the parent organisation of GMFA, explains, “Over the last few years, HERO has been working closely with the BAME LGBT+ community. One of the issues that kept on coming up was the lack of representation, especially in mass media health promotion campaigns. At HERO we listened and acted on this feedback. What people see is completely developed by BAME gay and bisexual men for BAME gay and bisexual men. From the concept, to the models, to the design, all parts of this campaign came from a grassroots level.”
Lack of Visibility
Marc Thompson, Co-Editor of BlackoutUK who worked as an advisor on the campaign, explains, “Most health professionals don’t like to admit it, but reflecting diverse audiences can be challenging for them. It’s difficult, especially if you don’t come from those communities or understand how to reach us effectively. The lack of visibility of men from black, Asian and other ethnic minority communities in sexual health promotion has been well documented as having an impact on BAME men’s sexual health and risk-taking, which ultimately plays a role in the disproportionate rates of HIV infection in this population.
“This is why the Me. Him. Us. campaign is so important. It was created by BAME gay and bisexual men for BAME gay and bisexual men. This campaign speaks to us. The imagery is beautiful and it shows black men being loving, caring and compassionate with each other. It reflects the community as it really is. It’s what we need and it’s the work we deserve in our community. The work should represent us.
“Although this campaign will increase testing and awareness around testing which is the aim, it will do something much more important. young men from the diverse range of Black, Asian and other minority ethnic communities and young black gay men in particular, will see themselves represented in a mass media sexual health campaign. We hope the campaign will inspire more young black gay men get tested, take care of themselves and their partner and will engage with the work we do in our communities to improve the health of all of us.”
One of bus stop posters featuring a same-sex couple which will be cropping up in South London.
“I do not feel accurately represented”
Phil Samba, one of the stars of the campaign and key to the development of Me. Him. Us. explains why he wanted to get involved, “As a black gay man, I personally do not feel accurately represented at all in media or the gay community. There is already a small amount of positive black male role models that steer away from stereotypes and there are even less ones that are gay. Black gay men are atrociously misrepresented as either being aggressive and hypersexual. When I was younger I never saw anyone who was like me on TV or heard anyone on the radio who was like me either and I think honest visibility and representation is so important for young black boys to feel comfortable in their sexuality however they see fit.”
Ian Howley adds, “Although this campaign is focused on representation, it also has an important message. Black and minority gay and bisexual men are more likely to be diagnosed with HIV and at a later stage too. It’s important that we increase the need for frequent testing for HIV and STIs for black gay and bisexual men. At HERO we recommend that all sexually active men are tested for HIV every six months. Early diagnosis of HIV infection enables better treatment for you and reduces the risk of transmitting the infection to others.
“I’m proud that HERO is in a position to develop this work in partnership with BAME people. It’s important that BAME people have a platform to create personal and social change in our community. Although this campaign will run for at least three months, this is just the beginning. HERO will continue to work closely with BAME LGBT+ people to build on this work, develop it further and help make a positive change in our community.”
The Me. Him. Us. website will have information on HIV, types of HIV testing and where to get tested, as well as stories from black gay and bisexual voices.
In a tweet, Katie Hopkins has declared that she believes there will be an uprising against white people in Western Europe.
Katie Hopkins, who once described a wish to become a “gay icon” has declared that a white genocide is on its way to Western Europe and that white people will have to live in gated communties and behind walls. And she believes it will happen in “our lifetimes”.
The controversial, former columnist for The Sunand the Daily Mail, failed TV talk show host, non-winning Apprentice contestant, former radio presenter for LBC has recently travelled to South Africa to record and document attacks and murders of white South African farmers for Rebel Media – a far-right media organisation.
Using South Africa as an example, she wrote “The slaughter of minority whites in South Africa will be repeated in Western Europe. In OUR lifetime, whites will be forced behind walls, in gated communities in the countries we used to call home”
She finished her tweet with the hashtags: #MinorityWhiteRights and #MAGA (which stands for Make America Great Again – despite Katie Hopkins living in the UK a country, which is not America, and where white people are not in the minority.
The slaughter of minority whites in South Africa will be repeated in Western Europe. In OUR lifetime, whites will be forced behind walls, in gated communities in the countries we used to call home. #minoritywhiterights#MAGA
Currently in South Africa the white demographic equals about eight percent of the population. In the UK the non-white population counts for around 14 percent of the population, in France it is estimated to be around 22 percent (2009) and in Germany, it is estimated that the Germany-Afro community stands at 2 percent of the population.
The tweet was met with mixed reaction. Whilst some agreed with her premise, many responders were quick to slate Hopkins’ suggestion, giving Ms Hopkins a brief history lesson.
If I am not mistaken…..didn’t white Europeans invade Africa? Ditto USA, Australia etc etc. I mean we hardly have the moral high ground here…..do we?
In January Hopkins asked her followers the following question, “Why is there no heterosexual community? Or white community? Do you need to feel like a victim to belong? #transcommunity #lgbtcommunity #blackcommunity”.
Stonewall’s decision to boycott Pride In London has been slammed by one prominent BAME activist as not in the interest of ethnic minorities.
Yesterday, we reported that the UK’s largest LGBT+ charity, Stonewall, announced it was not going to march in this year’s parade, citing perceived issues with inclusivity and diversity. These are claims that Pride In London have strenuously denied.
One prominent activist has slammed the move, saying that it was “not the right move” for Stonewall to be making and that it is not in the interest of ethnic minority groups and called for all parties to “work together” for better representation.
Speaking to THEGAYUK.com, Edwin Sesange African LGBTI rights advocate said,
“The issue of racism and unfair representation of some communities in the LGBTI community is unacceptable and many organisations have been accused of the above in the past.
“Therefore I am not sure whether the boycott is the right move or in the best interest of ethnic minority groups.
“It is high time for all parties to work together towards a fairer representation.”
You might not consider yourself racist, but if you’ve ever uttered something along lines “I’m just not into black guys” you might be suffering some structural racism.
Just because we are a marginalised demographic, doesn’t mean we don’t also further marginalise other people within our own community.
Let us explain… or in fact let Dylan Marron explain something to you.
In a video posted on the MTV Decoded Facebook page, Marron spells out that perhaps your “preference” of not wanting to go out with an Asian/Black/Mixed race guy could be a product of structural racism – because, in the Western world, we’ve all been brought up to believe that white/blonde/blue-eyed/twink/hairless (etc etc etc) is the beauty standard.
He explains,
“We actually learn how to define what is attractive from those around us. And because we’re raised within a framework of Western beauty standards, society often characterises non-white features as ‘different’ or ‘unattractive.’”
And if you’re wondering if why this happens, he explains,
“This is where structural racism comes into play. Because preferences are actually shaped by learned values. When you’re judging a person based solely on their racial background, you’re acting on generalisations you’ve learned to associate with that person’s appearance or heritage. You can’t say it’s their personality because you shut them down before you even got to know them.”
A couple of women were threatened and physically assaulted according to cops, who launched an investigation to find a man they wish to speak to in connection with a homophobic and racist incident.
British Transport Police are on the hunt for a man they’d like to talk to in connection with what police are describing as a “sustained” and “frightening ordeal” on two women who boarded a train from London’s Kings Cross to Peterborough.
On the 9th December, two women boarded a train at 8.22 PM from Kings Cross in London heading towards Peterborough. According to a police report, a man started loudly saying racist and homophobic comments. The women interjected, and the man responded by assaulting one of them by pushing her on the shoulder and inappropriately touching the other.
He then threatened them both.
The man, who was wearing a bright blue top and described as bald and heavy set, alighted the train at Huntingdon.
Investigating officer PC, Christopher Marshall said, “This was a sustained and frightening ordeal for the two women, who did nothing to incite such violence.
“We will not stand for hate crime of any kind, and so if you have any information in relation to this offence, please contact us as soon as you can.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact BTP on 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016 with reference 590 of 9 December.
There have been a number of attacks on the UK’s transport network in the latter quarter of 2017.
In September a woman hurled homophobic abuse at two men on a train between Havant and Pulborough, with one of the victims suffering an injury after the women threw a glass jar at them.
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 Magazinewas 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.
