THEGAYUK

Tag: UK

  • COMMENT | Why Jeremy Corbyn is the best option for LGBT Brits

    Over the weekend, a video quietly dropped on YouTube in which revellers at this summer’s London Pride explained why they are backing Jeremy Corbyn for the next Labour leader:

    “He supported gay rights before anyone else supported us,” one young man explains, pointing out that Corbyn has “never voted against gay rights.”

     

    He’s right. Corbyn has voted against every anti-LGBT bill and for every advance in LGBT equality since he entered parliament in 1983, making him the only candidate who both opposed Section 28 and supported equal marriage. That’s an impressive ally, which is one reason why prominent LGBT activists from Lesbian and Gays Support the Miners’ Mike Jackson to the Guardian columnist Owen Jones have publicly backed Corbyn’s campaign.

    Like them, I’m proud to support Jeremy Corbyn for Labour Leader. And like them, my support is for reasons far beyond up-and-down votes for our equality. Mr Corbyn unequivocally opposes austerity, which is much more than can be said for his opponents, none of whom walked through division to oppose the Tory Welfare Bill, a chainsaw massacre of the welfare state and public services which leaves the most vulnerable in British society out in the lurch.

    At first blush, this may seem inconsequential to our community; equality and austerity, you shrug, are separate issues. Two studies conducted over the last three years, though, suggest otherwise. In 2013, UNISON—the public sector trade union—commissioned a study on how austerity has effected the LGBT community. The findings were startling: not only did LGBT people face “greater financial hardships from redundancies, real term pay cuts and changes to benefit rules,” but that austerity had led to “greater feelings of marginalisation and invisibility as specialist LGBT services and support disappeared.” Last year, the Trade Unions Congress, in their own commissioned report, found that LGBT volunteer and charity services were especially hurt by cuts in public spending, with “their already more than averagely impacted service users… particularly vulnerable.”

    Among the most vulnerable are LGBT youth experiencing homelessness. The UNISON study found that cuts to housing benefits, especially amongst the young, were especially difficult on young LGBT people “as they may find it difficult to find a safe and comfortable shared accommodation with flatmates accepting of their sexuality or gender identity.” The Albert Kennedy Trust, a charity which supports LGBT youth experiencing homelessness, earlier this year found that nearly a quarter of homeless British youth identify as LGBT. When the Guardian cited this study in its expose on homelessness amongst LGBT young people back in May, the government hadn’t yet slashed housing benefits for those under 21 and denied under-25s the minimum wage. This is disastrous for young LGBT people who have been kicked out of their homes by homophobic or transphobic parents and may find it difficult to find supportive flatmates, let alone a way to make rent.

    This is but one way austerity has negatively impacted our community. LGBT people are more likely to suffer suicidal ideations and mental health issues, largely due to homophobia and transphobia, than their peers, making cuts to mental health services particularly concerning to our community; even before the Tories had a majority, austerity measures had cut £253 million from the NHS’ Mental Health Trusts. And zero hour contracts have been notoriously bad for our community, especially; the UNISON study reports a trans woman who could no longer afford her transition because she made less on a zero hour contract.

    Which is why Corbyn, with his pledge to end austerity and bring about a more equitable society, is so appealing to so many, especially young people, at a time when youth unemployment is at its highest since the 1990s and LGBT people still face so much discrimination in employment. Corbyn has a vision that resonates, not just with those on the lower rungs of the social ladder, but with those at the top, as well. He is in every respect the peoples’, including LGBT peoples’, candidate.

    This may seem somewhat shocking considering last week I referred to him as having “all the electability and relevance of a Womble.” And my concerns about his abilities as a leader, not just of the Labour Party but of the country, remain. The same can be said, however, for his comeptitors. Not a single one of these candidates inspires confidence. Owen Jones can see Mr Corbyn as a future prime minister. I’m, from a purely strategic point, not sold yet, if only because he is an unproven leader with unproven results. Mr Corbyn has never sat on the front bench, let alone been in government. How he manages to wrangle the Blairites and Brownites within the party is of utmost concern. (But with grand pronouncements from Liz Kendall about refusing to serve in his shadow cabinet and dire predictions from Tony Blair, if the party splinters, it likely won’t be Mr Corbyn holding the sledgehammer.)

    Still, I have more faith in him than in Yvette Cooper, Liz Kendall, or Andy Burnham. They expected to trample over him, and in all fairness, Mr Corbyn didn’t enter this contest expecting to win. Yet here we are, with the MP from Islington North—a 30+ year backbencher—leading by double digits. Which, when you consider the mood of the British public, shouldn’t surprise any of us.

    As Vice reported last month, Mr Corbyn’s positions on a whole host of issues—from renationalising the railways and utility companies to dismantling Britain’s nuclear arsenal—are more in step with public opinion than any of the other three contenders. And as I wrote in my post-mortem after Ed Miliband’s throttling in the general election, Labour lost because they didn’t run far enough to the left. In these regards, he is just the candidate Labour needs to reclaim Number 10 in 2020.

    And that’s what is most important to the LGBT community. We need to roll back austerity in order to protect the most vulnerable amongst us. We need a champion who has been on our side his entire political career. We need someone with clarity of vision and purity of heart.

    That man is Jeremy Corbyn.

    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.

  • New Bar And Restaurant To Open In Manchester Gay Village

    New bar and restaurant is due to open in Manchester’s gay village in August.

    A new bar and restaurant is due to open in Manchester and will create around 50 jobs, the Manchester Evening News has reported. MCR42 hopes to follow on from the success of its sister site, Tea 42, in the Northern Quarter.

    The new establishment will be spread over two floors will take the place of Mongolian Grill on Chorlton Street. A drinks lounge will occupy the ground floor, whilst diners will enjoy food on the second.

    Will Hannah, co-founder of Tea 42 and MCR42 said: “MCR42 is an extension of Tea 42.

    “In that respect, what we’re retaining is an extremely high quality of delicious and creative dishes, coupled with a stunning backdrop that is still welcoming and relaxed.

    “But we’re also putting a little twist on it. We will continue to offer a large gluten free and vegetarian menu.

    “We are absolutely thrilled to be moving into the area – a cultural hub rich with entertainment, music and heritage.

  • WATCH: Horrific Glass Attack In Manchester Gay Village

    Police are looking to question two men in connection with a vicious attack in Manchester’s gay village, which left one man with a cut to his head.

    Police in Manchester have released CCTV footage taken from inside the New Union pub on Princess Street in the centre of Manchester’s gay village. The chilling footage, shot on the 7th June 2015, shows two men brawling with a man who was struck in the head with a glass. The victim, a 43-year-old male, was left with a cut to the head.

    A second man then threw a chair towards the victim before being ejected from the pub. Police have now issued CCTV footage of the incident.

     

    The main offender is described as being white, in his 30s, of a medium build, with short dark hair and a bear. He was wearing a light coloured jacket and a light coloured T-shirt with a CND logo on the front, and dark trousers.

    The man who threw the chair was white, in his 30s, of a stocky build, with a shaved head and wearing a light-coloured hoody with the logo EAZ on the front.

    Detective Constable Sean Downey said: “The victim suffered a cut to his head as a result of being attacked, and in some ways is fortunate the injuries were not more severe.

    “The offender could have had no control over where the shards of glass went and we could have been dealing with a very grave injury. That we aren’t is pure luck, so we are treating this very seriously and we need to find the offender.

    “We have issued CCTV footage and I would urge anyone who recognises the man in the images to call us.

    “Alternatively, if you were in the pub that night and witnessed what happened, or you suspect who may be responsible, then please call us.”

    Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

  • ANSWERS | Is Cottaging Legal In The UK

    Cottaging is a British slang term for man on man sexual contact in the public toilets. It is not legal in the UK to have sexual contact in a public rest room or toilet.

    Is Cottaging Legal In The UK
    markusspiske / Pixabay

    https://www.thegayuk.com/tag/Cottaging/Cottaging is a term which can be traced back to Victorian times when “cottage” referred to a small house or public house. Cottaging is illegal in the United Kingdom under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, and applies to both heterosexual and homosexual acts.

    The Sexual Offences Act 2003 doesn’t say however that sex in a public place is illegal. Cruising grounds and cottaging are two different spaces. Cruising grounds are defined as open spaces, where men can hook up with men, or straight couples can meet for sex (often referred to as dogging), as long as no members of the public can see you.

    What you should do if you are arrested

    You risk being arrested if reported by a member of the public. If this happens you have the right to legal advice from an on-duty solicitor at the police station. If convicted you could be sentenced to 6 months in prison and /or a fine.

    A caution or conviction will result in a criminal record for a sexual offence which you will have to disclose in any criminal record checks.

    For your safety we suggest you look at our full guide on safety before you set out

  • Rapist Used Full Body Weight To Rape Male Student In Hotel

    A man has been jailed for six years for raping a student he lured to a non-existent job interview.

    Sebastian Szerer, a hotel housekeeper who was convicted of rape at the Old Bailey yesterday has been sentenced to jail for 6-years. The victim was lured in July 2012, to the four star hotel, which over-looks Buckingham Palace for a job interview, one that Sebastian Szerer, 39, had made up after talking with the victim on gay dating app Jack’d.

    The court heard, after the “formal” part of the interview, Szerer showed the unidentified student the Queen Suite to show off where celebrities stayed whilst booked in at the hotel and suggested that the student try the bed to see how comfortable it was. The court heard that Szerer then advanced upon the student, who fell back onto the bed. Szerer pinned the student down and forced the terrified 24-year-old into oral sex. The court heard how he used his full body weight to hold the man down.

    During the trial the student told the court that he was “distraught, shaken up, absolutely petrified.”

    The victim kept the brutal attack secret for a year. He only eventually contacted Victim Support after Szerer re-contacted him on social media with the chilling message, “Hello stranger.”

    Szerer, who had worked for Red Carnation Hotels, the company, which owns Rubens, for six years, according to his Linkedin, was, found guilty of one count of rape yesterday at the Old Bailey in London and will be sentenced today.

    Investigating officer, Detective Inspector Lee Davison, of Sexual Offences Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said: “Szerer abused his position as Head House Keeper.

    “He purposely lured the victim to the hotel on the pretext of a job interview that didn’t exist. He then raped him. Thankfully he has been found guilty and I praise the victim today for his decision to report this rape to the police.

    “The Metropolitan Police’s Sexual Offences Exploitation & Child Abuse Command will pursue all such offenders to bring them to justice and I would encourage anyone who has suffered at the hand of another to report the matter in the knowledge that they will be believed and supported.”

     

    Szerer has been jailed for 6 years.

     

    If you have been affected by this report and need to talk with somebody, please contact: MPower on 0808 808 4321 or Survivors UK

     

  • Hotel Worker Convicted For Raping Man Attending Job Interview

    Sebastian Szerer, 39 was convicted of one count of rape today, Wednesday, 29 July, following a trial at the Old Bailey.

    The court heard that Szerer raped the 25-year-old man at the Rubens Hotel, Buckingham Palace Road, Westminster, on 15 April, 2012, when he went there for the interview for a job which did not exist.

    He conducted the interview and then showed the victim around the hotel.

    The court heard he then took him the Queen’s Suite at the hotel. Szerer then locked the room and proceeded to rape the victim.

    The victim kept the assault secret for a year until Szerer sent him a message on a social networking site stating “hello stranger”.

    It was this message prompted the victim to attend Victim Support and tell them about the rape.

    They then encouraged him to contact the police.

    On 23 April, 2013, Szerer was arrested and subsequently charged.

    Investigating officer, Detective Inspector Lee Davison, of Sexual Offences Exploitation and Child Abuse Command, said:

    “Szerer abused his position as Head House Keeper.

    “He purposely lured the victim to the hotel on the pretext of a job interview that didn’t exist. He then raped him. Thankfully he has been found guilty and I praise the victim today for his decision to report this rape to the police.

    “The Metropolitan Police’s Sexual Offences Exploitation & Child Abuse Command will pursue all such offenders to bring them to justice and I would encourage anyone who has suffered at the hand of another to report the matter in the knowledge that they will be believed and supported.”

    Szerer will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Thursday, 30 July.

  • THEGAYUK supports The Freedom To Donate Blood Campaign

    TheGayUK’s editor has come out in support of a movement to change the laws surrounding blood donations from HIV-negative gay men in the UK.

    Speaking to Freedom to Donate, Jake Hook, THEGAYUK’s Editor in Chief offered a bold statement to back the campaign.

    He said,

    “TheGayUK is firmly committed to supporting the rights of gay, bisexual men who want to donate blood. Refusing blood from gay men, at a time where blood stocks are at crisis point, is not only deeply offensive, but also sends a damaging message that gay and bisexual men are poisonous, damaged and are not equal both societally and legally.”

    Also supporting the campaign, the GMFA’s Chief Executive, Matthew Hodson said,

    “We need a sensible policy on blood donations, which can ensure a safe supply for much needed transfusions, without risk or prejudice.”

    As it stands, the law in the UK bans gay and bisexual men from donating blood if they have had sex with another man within 12-months.

  • Elaine Paige Makes History With Live On-Air Gay Marriage Proposal

    Musical theatre superstar Elaine Paige has made history on her BBC Radio 2 programme as she read out a marriage proposal from Pieter to his boyfriend Keith.

    Regular Radio 2 listener Keith, was on air with Elaine Paige when she read out a moving letter from his partner Pieter. The letter was about “what love is.”

    At the end of the letter Pieter popped on the line and proposed to him a first for Elaine’s programme on BBC Radio 2.

    A spokesperson for the show said,

    “Elaine was, as I’m sure many of the listeners were, almost in tears. It was beautiful. Pieter then came on the line and popped the question to his long time love.”

    The proposal which left Keith in shock was immediately accepted with Keith saying it was a “brilliant surprise” and “out of the blue”.

    The on air proposal was met with support from many Twitter users congratulating Keith and Pieter on their new engagement.

  • How Gay Friendly Are The Labour Leadership Contenders?

    As the Labour party prepares to vote on its next leader, we look at the four candidates to see what their gay-friendly credentials are like.

    Andy Burnham
    Burnham has been an MP since 2001, in that time he has good voting record on LGBT+ issues, except Votes on adoption in May 2002, for which he was absent, because of the birth of one of his children and in 2008 he voted for bills which put forward: ‘fertility treatment requires father and mother’ and ‘fertility treatment requires male role model’. Explaining his voting he said to Pinknews in 2010: “Everyone should be able to draw on a father figure and a mother figure. That isn’t to say I don’t support IVF for lesbian couples.”

    Jeremy Corbyn
    Corbyn has been an MP since 1983. He has consistently voted positively for LGBT+ laws and policies. However in 2003 he was absent for the vote on Local Government Bill — Maintain prohibition on promotion of homosexuality (Section 28), he was absent for a vote on Relationships (Civil Registration) and a vote on Adoption and Children Bill (Programme) — Consideration and Third Reading

    Liz Kendall
    A relative newcomer as an MP for the Labour party. Kendall has voted positively for LGBT+ rights since 2010. The same-sex marriage bill is the one major piece of law making she has voted on – for which she voted positively.

    Yvette Cooper
    Cooper has voted positively on every piece of legislation affecting the LGBT community in her time as an MP. She was absent in 2001 for a vote on Relationships (Civil Registration), she was also absent for a vote on Civil Partnerships Bill [Lords] — Third Reading.

  • COMMENT | Why Is This Labour Leadership Race So Boring?

    Can I just say what we’re all thinking? Watching this Labour leadership contest is about as exciting as watching various shades of red paint dry.

    I’m sat here trying to come up with an interesting, fresh angle on this election, but I’m about two (okay, five) drinks in and all I can muster is:

    “Liz Kendall isn’t all that bad,”
    “Jeremy Corbyn reminds me of my grandpa,”
    “Yvette Cooper is also standing,” and
    “Andy Burnham has pretty eyes.”

    It’s a far cry from 2008, when Barack Obama galvanised the US Democratic Party with a sense of hope and a promise of a better tomorrow. Though I championed Hillary Clinton in that year’s primary, I remember watching his acceptance speech at that year’s convention with a sense of awe and genuine excitement.Even the 2010 Labour leadership contest seemed to offer some sense of renewal. There was, of course, the brothers Miliband, fighting to take the party in different directions. And Diane Abbott, that stalwart London socialist who provided a breath of fresh air—an actual leftist! A woman, and Black!—that is sorely lacking this go round.

    That’s the problem. Cooper and Burnham, both either tarnished or bolstered by their roles in in the last Labour government, depending on who you ask, are stuck quietly in the middle, mostly ignored and largely forgotten. Kendall and Corbyn would both have you believe that a bitter civil war is raging, with the soul of the Labour Party at stake. Each is positing themselves and their opponent as the devil and angel on your shoulder.

    But Kendall isn’t David Miliband, and Corbyn isn’t Diane Abbott. Both lack the charisma, the gravitas, and the star quality of their 2010 counterparts. And when the majority of Labour MPs can’t even bring themselves to vote against Tory austerity, you have to wonder what the whole point of the party is. If Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition can’t even be counted on to do a bit of opposing, it might make people question whether they’re worth voting for at all.

    The LGBT community certainly seems to be asking itself this question. In a YouGov poll conducted back in March, the Tories were in a dead heat with Labour when it came to LGBT vote share. Meanwhile, the Greens were increasing their support amongst our community, with The Guardian reporting a 16% increase in support from 2010 to 2015.

    Used to be that Labour was the natural home of our community. However, the Labour Party is no longer the only sanctuary for queer and trans Brits, as it was in the 1980s and 1990s. The Conservatives have softened their rhetoric, if not their voting record, on LGBT issues. Prime Minister David Cameron and Equalities Minister Nicky Morgan both champion equality, even if the former couldn’t convince his backbenchers (including the latter) to vote for same-sex marriage. On the opposite end of the political spectrum, many LGBT voters are flocking to the SNP and Green Party.

    This would seem to give credence to the civil war scenario Corbyn and Kendall present. After all, it does appear that, at least in terms of LGBT voters, the party is bleeding support on both ends of the political spectrum. And while all four candidates are touting themselves as champions of LGBT equality, with Burnham and Kendall having given exclusive and in-depth interviews to PinkNews, not one candidate seems to be capturing the hearts and minds of LGBT Labour.

    Our community seems mildly disinterested, but genuinely divided, if the rainbow avatars supporting Kendall, Cooper, and Corbyn on my Facebook feed are any indication. I’ve seen people come out in favour of all three candidates, but only because they have to support somebody. Not a single one of them seems to have the kind of zealous acolytes of Obama in 2008 or the Milibands in 2010.

    Anecdotally, at least, the only candidate not receiving ringing LGBT endorsements seems to be Burnham, whose record on LGBT rights is often described as tepid, at best. He missed a vote on gay adoptions in 2002, which he contends was due to paternity leave, and as Benjamin Butterworth wrote last month at the New Statesman, he twice voted for amendments which would require lesbians receiving IVF to name a father figure, despite the fact that in a lesbian relationship there really isn’t one.

    A look at their voting records—which you can see here —shows that all four candidates are at least marginally progressive on LGBT rights, though all four have offered more platitudes than policy at improving our lot in life. And not a single one of them appears to be galvanizing the support of LGBT Labour voters. This may be why LGBT Labour has said it won’t endorse any candidate.

    Of course, that may also be for strategic and political moves—the group has to work with whomever is elected leader, after all—but I can’t help but wonder if it’s not because they’re all so dreadfully dull, too. Of the four candidates, only Corbyn, who barely garnered enough parliamentary nominations to even make the ballot and who the Parliamentary Labour Party is now scrambling to defeat, seems to be generating any sort of real excitement among the party base.

    I use the word “excitement” loosely, because even those of us supporting Corbyn (which I do, and which you can read more about next week) do so with the most tepid of enthusiasm. He’s no Mhairi Black, with rousing rhetoric and fresh-faced tenacity. But he’s at least offering hope, which can’t be said for the others. While Kendall, Cooper, and Burnham keep talking about what Labour did wrong, about why it lost, and about lessons to be learnt. It’s an important conversation to have, but it’s also incredibly demoralising to a base which desperately needs inspiration and, dare I say, leadership.

    Corbyn offers a bit of that, but questions as to his electability remain, and are certainly worth asking. It’s not just down to his socialist pedigree, either. Jeremy Corbyn is a fine left wing MP, but he’s about as exciting and relevant as Leon Jackson’s latest album. Don’t know who or what I’m talking about? Yeah, exactly.

    Which basically sums up this leadership contest. The one candidate many of us can be passionate about has all the electability and relevance of a Womble, two of them (Cooper and Burnham) are like rocks at Stonehenge—around forever, thick as stone, and mired in the past—while Liz Kendall is basically your mum or dad criticising every choice you’ve ever made.

    None of which inspires confidence in the base, and none of which brings out the passions of supporters. This contest is proving to be as long and drawn out as an EastEnders anniversary plot: annoying, trite, and done before. We can only hope that, despite our lowered expectations, it has a payoff nobody saw coming.

     

    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.

  • Ivan Massows vows that his work is not yet done

    Ivan Massow may have been snubbed by the Conservative Party as a candidate for the London Mayoral Race 2016, but does he have independent ideas?

    Ivan Massow was seemingly snubbed by the Conservatives in favour of Tory insiders, however, that hasn’t dampened Massow’s hopes of being London Mayor. In a response to a Tweet asking him if he’d run as an independent candidate for London’s Mayor in 2016, the finance expert, responded, “I feel my work here isn’t yet done!”

    Massow along with, Sol Campbell and Philippa Roe were all sidelined in favour of Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith, Deputy Mayor for policing and crime Stephen Greenhalgh, leader of the Conservative Party in the London Assembly Stephen Boff and MEP Syed Kamall.

    He also replied to another well-wisher, who encouraged the Brighton-born Massow not to give up, by simply replying: “I Won’t.”

    If Massow decides to run as an independent he will be joining Siobhan Benita and Rosalind Readhead.