THEGAYUK

Tag: Scotland News

Get the latest LGBT+ Scotland news from THEGAYUK. Breaking news, features and interviews from the gay community in Scotland, UK

  • Hate crimes against gay people on the rise in Scotland

    Hate crimes against gay people on the rise in Scotland

    The Pride Flag flies outside the Scottish Parliament during the Opening of the fifth session of the Scottish Parliament. 02 July 2016. Pic – Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament

    The latest statistics from the Hate Crime In Scotland report show that charges in relation to homophobic hate crime increased by 5 per cent in the 2018/19 period compared to the year before.

    Meanwhile, transphobic crimes decreased by 23 per cent. Court proceedings were commenced in respect of 29 of the 40 charges.

    In the same period, homophobic hate crime charges increased by five per cent to over 1,100 reported crimes.

    In total, 40 charges of transphobic hate crime were reported to the Procurator Fiscal in Scotland in 2018/19. The previous period recorded 52 reports, this is a decrease of 23 per cent.

    In 2018 to 2019 hate crimes based on sexual orientation rose by five per cent according to a report on Hate Crime In Scotland. There were 1,176 charges reported in 2018-19. The numbers of crimes reported and charged have risen year on year since 2010, except in 2014/15.

    Since 2010 hate crimes against gay and bi people have increased by over 160 per cent.

    Homophobia the only hate crime to rise

    CREDIT: Yastremska-bigstock

    In contrast to religious, race and gender identity-based crime, hate crime based on sexual orientation is the only hate crime to steadily climb.

    Although race-based hate crimes are the most reported type of hate crime, the number of charges reported has decreased by 37% since a peak in 2011-12.

  • Hate crimes against transgender people decreased by 23 per cent in Scotland

    Hate crimes against transgender people decreased by 23 per cent in Scotland

    Transgender Flag

    The latest statistics from the Hate Crime In Scotland report show that charges in relation to transgender hate crime decreased by 16 per cent in the 2018/19 period compared to the year before.

    Court proceedings were commenced in respect of 29 of the 40 charges.

    In the same period, homophobic hate crime charges increased by five per cent.

    In total, 40 charges of transphobic hate crime were reported to the Procurator Fiscal in Scotland in 2018/19. The previous period recorded 52 reports, this is a decrease of 23 per cent.

    In contrast, crimes charged and reported on the basis of sexuality increased to over 1100 reported crimes.

    In 2018 to 2019 hate crimes based on sexual orientation rose by five per cent according to a report on Hate Crime In Scotland. There were 1,176 charges reported in 2018-19. The numbers of crimes reported and charged have risen year on year since 2010, except in 2014/15.

    Since 2010 hate crimes against gay and bi people have increased by over 160 per cent.

    Homophobia the only hate crime to rise

    CREDIT: Yastremska-bigstock

    In contrast to religious, race and gender identity-based crime, hate crime based on sexual orientation is the only hate crime to steadily climb.

    Although race-based hate crimes are the most reported type of hate crime, the number of charges reported has decreased by 37% since a peak in 2011-12.

  • Boyfriends holding hands, subjected to a horrifying homophobic ordeal in Glasgow

    Boyfriends holding hands, subjected to a horrifying homophobic ordeal in Glasgow

    Boyfriends were apparently subjected to 30 minutes of homophobic abuse from a stranger on the streets of Glasgow on Burns Night.

    Drew and his boyfriend were subjected to a horrifying homophobic ordeal on Burns night as they held hands in Glasgow, Scotland.

    Lawyer Drew McCusker, 29, took to Twitter to explain that he and his boyfriend were subjected to a “really sh*t homophobic incident in Glasgow’s southside” which included them being called “bent bastards” and “f**king poofs”.

    His tweet went viral within hours of his report.

    According to Drew, he and his partner were holding hands when he alleges that a man walking passed them called them “a pair of bent bastards”.

    When challenged, the man repeated what he had said, which is when a call was made to the police.

    According to Drew, he spent 26 minutes on the phone with police as the man, he said, called the couple “bent bastards” “bent c*nts” “fucking poofs” “pair of poofs” and stating that it was “not fucking right two men sleeping together”

    30 minutes of hate

    geralt / Pixabay

    The man’s outrage continued to spew for 30 minutes, apparently telling passersby what he thought of the two boyfriends. An experience Drew has called ” hugely upsetting” and “humiliating”.

    When the police arrived, the man was arrested and both Drew and his boyfriend gave separate statements.

    The entire ordeal left Drew crying and deeply upset.

    He said, “I don’t know if it was arrogance or hubris that made me think I wouldn’t be the victim of such an incident, or that it would upset me as much as it has.

    “I’m still hurt by the demeaning language he hurled at us. He looked at, talked to and treated me like I was shit on a shoe. It felt awful.

    “Today I feel confused about how to feel”

    Hate Crime is on the rise in Scotland.

    In 2018 to 2019 hate crimes based on sexual orientation rose by five per cent according to a report on Hate Crime In Scotland. There were 1,176 charges reported in 2018-19. The numbers of crimes reported and charged have risen year on year since 2010, except in 2014/15.

    Charges brought on crimes against transgender people actually dropped to 40 (2018/19) from 52 reports in the previous period (2017/2018).

    Arrested and charged

    According to Police Scotland, a 75-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection to the incident.

    They told THEGAYUK.com “Around 6:10 pm on Saturday, 25 January 2020, police received a report of a man being verbally abusive to two men in Queen’s Drive”.

  • Is gay marriage legal in the UK now?

    Is gay marriage legal in the UK now?

    The laws changed in the early twenty-teens to make gay marriage legal. However, the timetable was different for all parts of the UK.

    gay marriage became law in 2013
    CREDIT: © ivonnewierink Depositphotos

    Gay marriage or same-sex marriage has been legal in part of the UK since 2013 when the law was changed to allow partners of the same sex to marry. England and Wales were the first nations of the UK to permit same-sex marriage when the law changed in July 2013.  Royal Assent was given by the Queen on the 17th July 2013 for English and Welsh same-sex marriages. The first same-sex marriage in England took place on the 13 March 2014.

    In Scotland, the legislation took a little longer and gay marriage was given Royal Assent on 12th March with the first weddings taking place on 16th December 2014.

    Is gay marriage legal in all parts of the UK now?

    In Northern Ireland, same-sex marriage didn’t become law until only recently after a long contentious battle.

    Northern Ireland held out in make gay marriage legal
    The DUP held back LGBT+ rights in Northern Ireland vote against gay marriage every time it became before the courts to become law. In total, they voted against it five times. Eventually, it was made law in 2020.

    Northern Ireland made gay marriage legal in January 2020 after a long and drawn-out legal clash between activists, human rights lawyers and the DUP. There were numerous attempts, in fact, there were five attempts to make gay marriage legal in NI since 2012.

    The subject of same-sex marriage was voted on five times by the Northern Ireland Assembly. Each time it was blocked by the DUP.

    There are a lot of differences between civil partnerships and marriages. You can read about them here.

    Are you planning a wedding? Check out our gay wedding guide for the best services and planners.

  • 100 Copies of Scottish LGBT Poetry Book Donated to Schools

    100 Copies of Scottish LGBT Poetry Book Donated to Schools

    One hundred copies of Wain, a poetry book by Rachel Plummer, have been donated to schools across Scotland ahead of its publication this Thursday.

    Wain is a new collection of LGBT poems aimed at teenage readers, themed around retellings of Scottish folktales. In the wake of abusive messages received on social media, publisher the Emma Press created the option in their webshop for people to buy copies at a discount, to be donated directly to schools. The Emma Press are working with LGBT Youth Scotland to ensure each copy finds a good home.

    One customer included this message with their donation: ‘Thank you for adding the option to donate a copy to schools – it’s so important for everyone of every age to have the opportunity of representation in every area. This stand against the anti-trans hatred that is sadly gaining traction in Britain currently is much appreciated.’

    Wain is based on Scottish folklore; the collection contains many magical and mythological beings, such as selkies, kelpies, and the Loch Ness Monster. These characters all fit within the LGBT spectrum. Wain was commissioned by LGBT Youth Scotland, the largest youth and community-based organisation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Scotland. The cultural commission was funded by Creative Scotland.

    The book features enchanting full-colour watercolour illustrations by Helene Boppert, bringing the mythical creatures in the poems to life.

    The Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh is hosting a launch event for Wain on the 15th March. All ages are welcome, and tickets are free. The launch starts at 6 pm, and will feature a reading from Rachel Plummer, along with a Q&A.

  • John Barrowman is coming to Edinburgh on tour, here’s how you can see him

    John Barrowman is coming to Edinburgh on tour, here’s how you can see him

    I’m a Celebrity Star, John Barrowman will be stopping in Edinburgh on his “Fabulous” tour and you can grab your tickets now.

    John Barrowman will be taking his show to Edinburgh, Scotland this summer.

    Barrowman is a singer, actor, dancer, presenter, judge and author. Most recently, UK audiences delighted in supporting him as he made the final three in ITV’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here 2018.

    Speaking about the tour he said: “I can’t believe it’s been 30 years from my West End debut in Anything Goes to my Australian jungle adventures in I’m A Celebrity, and there’s been lots of fabulousness in between.

    “I’m thrilled to celebrate this amazing milestone with my FABULOUS tour. I’m looking forward to meeting fans and sharing some of my favourite moments with you all.”

    The tour opens at the Savoy Theatre in London’s West End on Sunday, June 16, but will be stopping off at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall on the 19th June and then will play the following dates:

    • Tues 18 June Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall
    • Weds 19 June Edinburgh, Usher Hall
    • Thurs 20 June Newcastle, City Hall
    • Sat 22 June Southend, Cliffs Pavilion
    • Mon 24 June Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall
    • Weds 26 June Norwich, The Theatre Royal
    • Thurs 27 June Brighton, Dome Concert Hall
    • Fri 28 June Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall
    • Sun 30 June Birmingham, Symphony Hall
    • Mon 1 July Salford, The Lowry (Lyric Theatre)
    • Tues 2 July Cardiff, St David’s Hall

    Tickets will be available to buy from the 23rd January, unless you are an O2 customer, or are elligble for presale tickets. For the Edinburgh date click here.

  • John Barrowman is coming to Glasgow on tour, here’s how you can see him

    John Barrowman is coming to Glasgow on tour, here’s how you can see him

    I’m a Celebrity Star, John Barrowman will be stopping in Glasgow on his “Fabulous” tour and you can grab your tickets now.

    John Barrowman will be taking his show to Glasgow, Scotland this summer.

    Barrowman is a singer, actor, dancer, presenter, judge and author. Most recently, UK audiences delighted in supporting him as he made the final three in ITV’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here 2018.

    Speaking about the tour he said: “I can’t believe it’s been 30 years from my West End debut in Anything Goes to my Australian jungle adventures in I’m A Celebrity, and there’s been lots of fabulousness in between.

    “I’m thrilled to celebrate this amazing milestone with my FABULOUS tour. I’m looking forward to meeting fans and sharing some of my favourite moments with you all.”

    The tour opens at the Savoy Theatre in London’s West End on Sunday, June 16, but will be stopping off at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall on the 18th June and then in Edinburgh on the 19th June 2019 and then will play the following dates:

    • Tues 18 June Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall
    • Weds 19 June Edinburgh, Usher Hall
    • Thurs 20 June Newcastle, City Hall
    • Sat 22 June Southend, Cliffs Pavilion
    • Mon 24 June Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall
    • Weds 26 June Norwich, The Theatre Royal
    • Thurs 27 June Brighton, Dome Concert Hall
    • Fri 28 June Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall
    • Sun 30 June Birmingham, Symphony Hall
    • Mon 1 July Salford, The Lowry (Lyric Theatre)
    • Tues 2 July Cardiff, St David’s Hall

    Tickets will be available to buy from the 23rd January, unless you are an O2 customer, or are elligble for presale tickets. For the Glasgow date click here.

  • What if all your favourite Christmas movies were Scottish?

    Well, thanks to BBC Scotland you can now get a glimpse of what your seasonal favourites would be like if they were Scottish.

    BBC Scotland just uploading a hilarious post on Twitter where they revoiced famous scenes from some of the world’s most enduring and favourite Christmas movies.

    Films like Home Alone, White Christmas and Nightmare Before Christmas were all redubbed with Scottish voices, using some very interesting Scottish words instead of the original scripts.

    In the reinvision version of Home Alone, Kevin is repeatedly called a “Dobber” which is a term for a dick according to Urban Dictionary. In the classic White Christmas the Bing Crosby and Vera-Ellen are redubbed to sing “I’m dreading it’s a shi*te Christmas”, instead of the original, “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas”.

    While Jack the Pumpkin King from Nightmare Before Christmas sang “I’m Pished, I’m Pished ah farted and it stunk” instead of “What’s this, what’s this!”

    Watch the clips below

     

  • RuPaul drag queens are coming to Glasgow and this is how you can see them

    RuPaul drag queens are coming to Glasgow and this is how you can see them

    Asia O’Hara, Detox, Eureka O’hara, Kameron Michaels, Kim Chi, Monét X Change, Naomi Smalls, Sharon Needles  Violet Chachki and Michelle Visage are all coming to Glasgow in 2019 here’s where you can get tickets.

    RuPaul’s Drag Race ‘Werq The World Tour’ is returning to Glasgow in 2019 with its biggest UK show ever. The tour which showcases some of the best stars from the hit TV series will play Glasgow’s SEC Armadillo on the 17th May 2019.

    BOOK TO SEE WERQ THE WORLD in Glasgow

    Produced by Voss Events, Drag Race producers World of Wonder and VH1, the all-new production follows a team of intergalactic queens including Aquaria, Asia O’Hara, Detox, Eureka O’Hara, Kameron Michaels, Kim Chi, Monét X Change, Naomi Smalls, Sharon Needles and Violet Chachki on their mission to the sun to save our solar system from a dark entity intent on harnessing its power.

    Mission leader Michelle Visage guides the audience through the universe for a dynamic display of the wonders held by each planet and its regal sovereign.

    Tickets go on sale December 19 (pre-sale begins December 17), just in time for the holidays.

    “This is the biggest, most elaborate production we have ever created,” says an exuberant Brandon Voss, the show’s producer.

    “The music, sets, fashion, choreography and lighting are all a cosmic feast for the senses. Audiences will be in awe as their favourite queens come together on some incredible numbers.”

    “Werq the World is the official Drag Race tour for a reason,” continues Visage. “The show has always been a theatrical production of the highest calibre but in 2019, we’re stepping it up into the stratosphere. This show is going to leave fans gagging and I’m not afraid to say that my performance, in particular, will give you life.”

    Voss Events is a leading production company that consistently delivers superior entertainment programming. Past events have featured stars such as Lady Gaga and Cher.

    The queens will be coming to Belfast, Birmingham, Manchester, London, Glasgow and Sunderland.

    The WERQ THE WORLD TOUR will travel major cities in Europe, Asia, Australia, North and Latin America in 2019. To book tickets for the Glasgow date click here

     

  • How many gay people are there in Scotland?

    How many gay people are there in Scotland?

    The number of people who identify as lesbian, gay and bisexual in Scotland is a hotly debated subject, with no clear answer, but here will look at all the available stats.

    how many gay people are in scotland
    (C) BIGSTOCK

    There has long been a widely-held belief that around 10 per cent of the population is gay, lesbian or bisexual or who identify as non-heterosexual. This is probably the most accurate of all the figures – as more and more people feel comfortable to come out about their sexuality.

    ALSO: How many gay people are there in England?

    ALSO: How many gay people are there in Wales?

    ALSO: How many gay people are there in Northern Ireland?

    The most up-to-date statistics from healthcare company Euroclinix show that six per cent of people identify as homosexual while seven per cent of people identify as bisexual. This equates to 13 per cent of the population identifying as either gay, lesbian or bisexual. EuroClinix surveyed 2,000 people around the UK to find out more about the sex lives of Brits.

    The current population in Scotland is estimated to be 5.405 million people, which means that there are over 702,650 gay, lesbian or bisexual people in Scotland if you take that 13 per cent statistic.

    Other sources:

    The ONS (Office of National Statistics) says that in a survey of people in the United Kingdom it found that 1.5 per cent of people identified as LGB. This result was arrived at by extrapolation of data collected. However, these statistics were disputed for not being accurate or showing the full picture. By their estimations, this would mean that there are only 81,075 LGB people in Scotland.

    However, in 2005 the HM Treasury and the Department of Trade and Industry of the UK estimated that nearly 6 per cent of people were LGB after studying the economic impact of civil partnerships and same-sex marriages. By their estimations, this would mean that there are 324,300 LGB people in Scotland.

    In 2008 the Guardian newspaper reported that 8 per cent of the population were LGB in 2014 the same newspaper group conducted another survey and found that the figures were still consistent. By their estimations, this would mean that there are 432,400 LGB people in Scotland.

     

     

     

  • Man takes his own life following months of homophobic abuse

    A young Scottish man took his own life after months and months of homophobic bullying.

    Scott McIntosh was 28-years-old when he took his own life according to Scottish news site, Sunday Post. It alleges that Scott was targetted by an acquaintance, Kevin Edgar whom Scott knew from school. Edgar is said to have made a series of homophobic phone calls to Scott, after he came out as gay. Scott was a deep-sea diver from Aberdeen. He was also a father to a four-year-old boy.

    On Wednesday, the Glasgow Sheriff Court heard Edgar, 29,  admit to a charge of making an obscene phone call that related to Scott’s sexuality, the communication was said to be indecent, obscene or menacing character” and contained “homophobic remarks”.

    The anonymous calls and emails started 20 months before Scott finally killed himself.

    Edgar was originally charged under the Communications Act 2003 by making threatening phone calls and “electronic communications messages” over a four-month period.

    “took his life due to depression and anxiety”

    Scott died from suicide in Feb 2018, leaving behind his only son, Riley. In August his father, Doug McIntosh, told the Scottish Sun that his son, “took his own life due to depression and anxiety and that seems to be something a lot of young people go through these days.

    “It’s becoming a bit of an epidemic. But it’s a horrific thing for a family to go through”.

    Scott’s father is now raising money for Scott’s son, Riley. A JustGiving page has already raised £5,900. Doug McIntosh writes, “I started this campaign “For the Life of Riley” after losing my Son Scott in February 25th 2018 and want to keep positive to help my Grandson Riley in Scott’s memory.”