THEGAYUK

Tag: UK

  • 6 Weird Things: Gay Lingerie, Gary Barlow Naked, Jeremy Corbyn, Belinda Carlisle

    We love searching through the analytics to see what brought people to THEGAYUK, here are the 6 weirdest searches – from Gay Lingerie to Gay Foxes to Jeremy Corbyn, that brought people to our website last week.

    Gay Lingerie. Yes, apparently it’s a thing, although we’re not convinced that it’s specifically gay… more like male lingerie… We ran a story about it back in May.

    Gary Barlow Naked. Some people want to find naked pictures of Gary Barlow – and we’re not judging them for that.

    Fox gay animals. Yes it’s not just humans who have sexuality… Animals do to… You won’t believe which is the gayest!

    Belinda Carlisle Plastic Surgery. We spoke with Ms. Carlisle about her beauty regime and she swears that her youthful good looks are down, purely to, clean living.

    Gay one night stand tips. Oh we have those One Night Stand tips for you… Just remember to be safe!

    How LGBT is Jeremy Corbyn… Funny you should ask, we listed how pro-LGBT all the labour leader candidates were here.

  • Former MP Who Voted “Consistently” Against Pro-LGBT Laws Dies, Aged 83

    Ex-Tory MP, Teresa Gorman, who voted against major pro-LGBT laws between 1998 and 2000 has died at the age of 83.

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  • Andrew Hayden Smith To Get Soaked For Hot Fellas

    Banana and Cucumber star Andrew Hayden Smith is playing a DJ set tonight at Ku bar to celebrate the launch of a calendar of gay men getting soaked in aid of charity, Prostate Cancer UK.

    Speaking to TheGayUK, Andrew said,

    “It’s for a great cause. I was happy to lend my support and go down and spin some tunes for them and there’s going to be some hot fellas as well – so that’s always good!”

    Clonezone and Soho based KU Bar have joined forces for a charity evening of surprises, cocktails and guest DJ’s to present the launch of Project SOAKED, brain child of photographer Mark Lister.

    Project SOAKED is a visual venture from the award-winning photographer showcasing striking portraits within a calendar and hard back photo book of men amidst a downpour of water. Lister launched the project to raise awareness of Prostate Cancer with proceeds going to Prostate Cancer UK.

    “It’s important to us to support Project Soaked and assist Mark in his efforts to raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK” said Clonezone’s Marketing Manager Topher Taylor. “We’ve found as a company that a surprisingly low-number of men know the basic facts of Prostate Cancer, including not knowing how to examine themselves for symptoms. We are excited to build a long-term relationship with Project Soaked, with 100% of proceeds from the calendar going directly to the cause”.

    The event will take place at KU Bar’s award winning gay bar on 30 Lisle Street, WC2H 7BA in the centre of vibrant London’s Soho tonight from 8PM.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Musical

    With just the right balance of charm, smarm and quintessential Englishness, Michael Praed plays Lawrence Jameson, a con man who spends his time in the French Riviera swindling money from the rich women using his good looks, his faithful partner in crime, Andre (Mark Benton) and a tired old story about him being the Prince of a revolution-torn country.

    His unchallenged reign as king of the swindlers comes to an end with the arrival of Freddy Benson (Noel Sullivan), an uncouth, inexperienced and rough around the edges con man hoping to make his fortune. Lawrence agrees to take Freddy under his wing, but their initial prosperous partnership falters when they enter into a bet to see who can swindle $50,000 from a young lady first, leading to an increasing rivalry between the two.

    Utilising a versatile, art deco influenced set which ably adapted to define a large number of specific locations, this production contained a set of decent, toe tapping and comfortingly familiar sounding songs, with snappy lyrics and lively presentation. The opening number, “Give Them What They Want” set the tone nicely, and the cowboy inspired ensemble piece “Oklahoma?” was a delightfully flamboyant, camp and fun number with its tongue planted firmly in its cheek, proving to be a highlight of the show.

    The show blended both a witty script packed with one liners and a lot of physical comedy; providing a number of genuine laugh out loud moments. The three leads were well cast, with Praed really impressing with his natural performance, Benton being as reliable as ever as the comedy sidekick, and Noel Sullivan putting in an unexpectedly impressive and confident turn.

    What I did like about this show was that the set, presentation, tone, structure and even the musical numbers were steeped in the traditional elements of the classic musicals, giving the whole thing a feel of familiarity, but the characterisations went over and above the usual musical fayre, the story was more in depth and the departure from the usual “will they/won’t they” love story made a pleasant change. My only real criticism was that the second act couldn’t quite match the pace of the first act, and was more uneven in the spacing of its musical numbers, leading to the latter act feeling a little stretched out, particularly as the show drew to a close. Cutting ten minutes out of the second act would have made all the difference.

    It was with some slight apprehension that I approached Dirty Rotten Scoundrels – a musical based on a fairly mediocre late 1980’s film which I never particularly liked; a lengthy running time and a handful of unfamiliar songs. But one of the things I love about theatre is its constant ability to surprise, and this production was no exception.

    Overall, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels proved to be remarkably fun, coming across as an odd hybrid of Hairspray, The Producers, Top Hat and High Society. Far better than the film on which it is based, it transpired to be a show which I enjoyed it far more than I ever thought I would.

    Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is currently at Sheffield Lyceum until the 29th August 2015 (www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk) before continuing on its national tour until 28th November 2015. For details, see the official website at www.scoundrelsontour.com

  • Gay Rugby World Cup documentary SCRUM to open Iris 2015

    Organisers of the Iris Prize Festival have confirmed that the Cardiff based LGBT film festival has adopted a rugby theme for their opening night to coincide with the Rugby World Cup. Supported by the Welsh Rugby Union, who allowed the festival team to film their cinema advert at the Millennium Stadium, the 2015 festival will open with the rugby documentary Scrum.

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  • Political Pride, An Alternative Pride In Manchester This Bank Holiday

    Since it began in 1995, Manchester Pride has grown into the UK’s largest pride event. The four days of the August Bank Holiday weekend sees teams of thousands descend on the city to party and watch performances from the likes of Texas and Danni Minogue.

    But with a tagline of Taking Pride Back To Its Roots, just a short walk from Manchester’s famous Gay Village, this year a team of volunteers are running a free two day event for the LGBT community called Political Pride. It’s designed to be an alternative to the commercial, mainstream weekend programme taking place around Canal Street.

    Catherine O’Donnell, one of the organisers of Political Pride explains where the idea came from.

    “It was originally conceived by LGBT Youth North West. They have a lot of young people who take part on their float in the parade every year but after it’s finished there is nowhere for them to go as they’re under 18”

    “So this is an alternative space for them or people who don’t want to drink or those who want to think about what Pride was originally’’

    With a weekend of events including international film screenings by Queer Story Showcase, spoken word performances, workshops and discussions, activism is very much at the heart of Political Pride.

    ‘’One of our events is a panel discussion called Where Do We Go From Here? For example, after same sex marriage, there are still problems with that legislation especially for the trans community. So we are thinking about what are the next things to fight, not just in the UK but globally as well. There is still obviously a lot of homophobia”

    “We want to connect historical events to what’s happening today and inspire for the future.”

    Amongst all the serious discussion, the organisers are also keen to stress that there is much fun to be had at their weekend of events, especially bearing in mind that with Manchester Pride taking place around the bars and clubs of Canal Street, they’re programme is very much created with young families in mind.

    “There is a picnic in the park. And we have an indoor space too so if it rains it doesn’t matter!

    And there will be a lot of arts and crafts. We’re going to be doing some banner and badge making, thinking about the political side of art and how it can be used to make protest materials.

    Plus great news for fans of Great British Bake Off. Political Pride is presenting an opportunity to show off your skills. With a twist.

    Catherine O’Donnell explains,

    “On Sunday we have a cake competition. There will be prizes for the best tasting cake but also for the best political slogan. It will be very competitive. Make Cake Not War!!!”

    With support from Proud 2 B Parents, LGBT Youth North West and Manchester Metropolitan University, the overtly activism focused side of Political Pride will certainly not be to everybody’s taste. But on a weekend when the gay community are at its most visible in the city, an opportunity to hear different voices and perspectives can only be a positive step.

    Political Pride takes place in venues in Manchester City Centre on 29th and 30th August.

    More details can be found on their website http://politicalpride.weebly.com

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Clinic, Kings Head Theatre

    What happens when you go to a clinic? Well, if you’ve been taking drugs and having lots of unsafe sex, then you might be more likely be HIV+. The new play “The Clinic” explores this scenario, and so much more.

    Not so much a play but more of a health education lesson, “The Clinic” is produced by David Stuart, the Lead Substance Use Advisor at 56 Dean Street (a London sexual health clinic based in the heart of Soho), and written by Patrick Cash (writer for QX Magazine).

    We are introduced to characters that we may recognize and identify with, portrayed by a cast of London scenesters. DJ Stewart Who plays a sexual health advisor at the clinic; he used to be a drug addicted party animal but now he dispenses HIV advice and results to men much younger than him.

    Then there’s the wealthy businessman (Matthew Hodson) who enjoys sex with young men and thinks that he can buy them his love and affection. He’s also in HIV denial.

    Zacharian Fletcher is the confused young man, an extreme party boy who likes to go clubbing and take drugs, not necessarily in that order. He’s also into chillouts (orgies). And he’s got HIV. He meets (via Grinder) Damien Killen’s character, a young respectable guy who seems to have a good head on his shoulders, is handsome with a good body, who came to London only to somehow become HIV+. He feels like he’s no longer desired but now damaged.

    Then there’s Shirley (Pretty Miss Cairo). She runs a Vauxhall beauty clinic which acts as a sanctuary for the drugged out boys when the clubs close.

    These characters may not be real people, but they are composites of characters that Cash met and interviewed after 56 Dean Street commissioned him to write this play. He interviewed not just the people who work at the clinic but some of the patients as well.

    It’s a bare bones production, played in the very warm King’s Head Theatre in Angel (take a bottle of water with you, and a hand fan). And the cast should be admired for taking part in this play. It’s difficult at times to hear some of the dialogue (Stewart Who seems to be muttering his words while Fletcher is so soft-spoken I could hardly hear him at all), but Hodson (who is perfect as the villian), Miss Cairo and Killeen more than make up for the play’s faults.

    And as you enter the theatre before the play starts, you are given a glossary of terms referred to in the play. There were several words in the glossary that I had never heard of before, so I did learn something new by going to see the play ‘The Clinic.’

    It’s a perfect setting for a gay play, a place where we’ve all been to.

    ‘The Clinic’ is now playing at the Kings Head Theatre in London until August 29th.

    To buy tickets, please click here:

     

  • Gay Football Team Makes A Bid For Joey Barton

    Oh those cheeky chappies at East End Phoenix Football Club have asked Premiership footballer Joey Barton if he wants to transfer to their team.

    Tweeting the star footballer, lads from the East End Phoenix Football Club said that as part of the transfer package, Joey Barton, 32, could enjoy free pints at the Old Ship each Sunday and that he wouldn’t need to wash out his gym bag.

    Club Chairman, and stand-in goalkeeper Niall Dumigan, said he was “cautiously optimistic” of a quick response from Barton’s representatives

    Dumigan added:

    “I think we have tabled a very fair offer under the circumstances. The lads hate having to wash the kit every week, and there’s always a fight over who will end up with it.

    “Joey has a lot of fans at East End Phoenix ever since he bravely stood up against homophobia in football three years ago. He’s probably the most high-profile straight ally we have in the sport, so I think he’d fit in well with the squad.”

    Joey Barton is well known for his stance on equality and his fight to give homophobia in football the boot. He won Ally Of The Year in 2014.The East End Phoenix football club, a Sunday league, was set up in 2008 and has an open door policy, but probably not the depth of wallet needed have Barton play for them.

  • Naked Shopping Is Coming Your Way

    Fancy doing some naked shopping… Come on you know you want too, well the good people behind naked mates have organised a naked shopping experience.

    Naked Mates, the online community for men who enjoy being naked with other men, is offering its members the opportunity to enjoy a unique naked shopping event. Teaming up with Expectations, London’s largest and most popular store for leather and rubber gear, the night promises to be a unique experience for anyone who likes the idea of browsing the aisles wearing nothing at all.

    The event takes place on Thursday 10th September between 7 pm and 9 pm. The event is open to all Naked Mates members, all you have to do is join up (if you aren’t already a member) and register in the Events section of the site. If shopping with all your naked mates wasn’t enough, the store is offering all Naked Mates members 15% off all sales on the night.

    Mark Routeledge, founder of www.nakedmates.co.uk, comments,

    “Naked Mates biggest strength is its community and the events which they arrange. A lot of emphases is placed on meeting your “naked mates” in the real world and not just chatting online. At any one time there are up to 100 events posted on the site and each of can be attended by upwards of 70 members. These events cover everything from parties, naked swimming and even naked holidays!!

    “With this is mind, we are delighted to be able to team up with Expectations and offer this unique experience to our members, we hope that this is just the first of many Naked Mates branded events that we can offer to our members.”

  • A27 To Remain Closed After Shoreham Air Disaster

    The Highways Agency have confirmed that the A27 at Shoreham will be closed for a number of days after the weekend’s tragedy.

    Although the Hawker Hunter aircraft has been removed, the road surface is in need of repair due to the extreme heat of the fire that started on impact.

     

    Drivers are advised to avoid the area however diversions are in place. With traffic between Worthing and Brighton forced onto alternative routes, I would advise leaving plenty of time for your journey. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those involved.

    For more information please see the below link;

    https://www.gov.uk/government/news/a27-closed-near-shoreham

    by Alan Taylor-Jones

  • Anti-Gay Leaflets Distributed To Households In Margate Before Kent Pride

    Leaflets which urge householders not to support gay pride in Margate have been distributed through the letterboxes of Kent homes just days before the annual pride.

    The homophobic leaflet, which was delivered through the letterboxes of hundreds of homes in Margate urges residents to stay away from the pride parade and that Margate will never be MarGAYte.

    Margate’s pride parade returns this year on the 29th August. The parade will start at 11am from the Lido car park.

    The leaflet also seemingly links homosexuality with paedophilia as it calls for residents to “save yourself and your children”

     

    The highly offensive note has been derided by the local community with volunteer pride co-ordinator Tony Butcher telling the KentOnline.co.uk,

    “This is a horrendous act and these people are inciting a riot.

    “The comments are absurd, we are people who like other people of the same sex and to suggest we are paedophiles is absolutely ridiculous.”

     

    This is not the first time a pride event has been targeted by a malicious maildrop in 2014 households in Brighton received an anti-gay flyer and in November 2014 residents in Ely, Cambridgeshire also received a homophobic note through the door.