THEGAYUK

Tag: UK

  • 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.

  • Ivan Massow Out Of The Mayoral Race In Favour Of Tory Insiders

    Despite being a favourite with the public, openly gay Ivan Massow has failed to make the Tory party’s candidate shortlist for the London Mayoral race in 2016.

    Ivan Massow who created the first company to offer insurance policies and financial services to gay people in the 1990s, when many companies weren’t ensuring gay people or were offering crippling premiums, has lost his campaign to become London’s mayor in 2016 after the Conservative party snubbed him in favour of an MP, an MEP a London Assembly member and the Deputy Mayor.

    The Conservatives also snubbed ex-footballer, Sol Campbell who is also a party outsider. The shortlist also snubbed women in favour of an all male line up.

    Last week the Brighton-born mayoral hopeful, Massow, 47, released a video campaign in which he was asking Londoners to invite him to stay over for the night in order for him to get a hands-on look at what were high priority issues for Londoners in 2015/16.

    Despite being the Head of Policy for London for the Conservative Party in the 1990s and having been asked to be a London Mayoral candidate for the party in that same period, his sudden resignation in a protest against the homophobic and antiquated Section 28 made front page news at the time, which made him unpopular with some Tory leaders.

    Taking to his Twitter account last night Ivan said:

    “Just heard by text that I didn’t make it onto the list. Really want to thank everyone who’s supported me and my team. It was quite a journey.”

  • INTERVIEW: DAVID TAYLOR: Say Hello To The New Balans

    Have you seen the new Balans? Well, it’s not strictly called Balans anymore. We delve into the world of Balans Soho Society and why it’s all change at London’s most famous gay eatery.

    For those in the know, Balans Soho Society is a stalwart fixture on the Soho scene. Every king, queen and fairy has walked through its doors to be waited on by some of the most beautiful people in the business, to lap up its gloriously transitory environment and to be served the best salmon on toast at 5AM in the morning after a heavy night of Heaven. We speak with the owner, DAVID TAYLOR to see what’s new, what’s changing and if the hot waiters will still be a permanent fixture.

    JH: When Balans began life, Soho was at its heart and, in particular, the gay community. Is this the new guise of Balans and will the gay community play an important role or still be considered an important consumer?

    DT: Nothing will change and we will be as gay friendly as ever. Our simple mission and instruction (as it has always been) is to indulge and enjoy oneself in the company of fellow bon vivants. We are a café, a restaurant, a bar and definitely a place where rules are made to be broken – a place to go when you feel like doing things you probably shouldn’t.

    Balans has always acted as a refuge for outsiders: minorities, eccentrics, bohemians, dreamers… people drawn together by a shared conviction that normal rules don’t apply to them and this could never be more relevant than to the gay community.

    Nothing communicates what Balans Soho Society now stands for quite like the design of its façades and interiors, curated by the outrageous Simon Costin (who first made his name creating fashion shows for Alexander McQueen and now his work can be seen at The Met in New York and London’s V&A). Every detail is specifically designed to start conversations such as the genius illustrations detailed on the cutlery and plates of the eye symbolising awareness, tolerance and inclusiveness whilst the key logo represents freedom where a world of pleasure opens up…

    We even have match boxes cleverly give some serving suggestions ‘For whatever sparks you up’ which capture the heart, soul and spirit of Soho.

    JH: Many famous faces have passed through the doors of Balans. Who has been your favourite and who do you want to see come in for a slap up nosh?

    DT: We’ve entertained everyone from ageing rock stars to the likes of Barbara Windsor and Gok Wan who actually worked for us as a waiter.

    We’ve also enjoyed the camp company of Dale Winton when he was looking for work as a young man (and when he made it) as well as Davina McCall and all the reality show and soap actors. Two of my favourites of all time would be Amy Winehouse and Adele. This week we had drag queen and gay rights activist, Panti Bliss coming in to eat before her show.

    Since opening the restaurant in the early 90s we’ve probably had most of the great and good pass through at some point but we’ve never made it our business to broadcast this as we want people to feel safe and relaxed without the glare from the outside world. The lock logo featured on the new Balans Soho Society branding symbolises just this – in other words – what happens in Balans Soho Society stays in Balans Soho Society.

    JH: Tell us why this rebrand is important?

    DT: When we opened the Soho restaurant in 1993 we shocked and thrilled many. The first design was described in the press as “a launderette on acid”. We were the first openly gay friendly venue on Old Compton St and, in fact, in London. There were many known gay pubs and one or two restaurants but they were all hid away or behind dark shop fronts. We literally opened the doors with a sliding full height glass shop front and the party spilt onto the street. The Village, Yard etc. quickly followed. Having bought out my partner from the English Balans, I’m now more determined than ever to bring back some sparkle and excitement to the restaurants and invite the outsiders in.

    JH: What is the key to being a successful restaurateur?

    DT: Masochistic tendencies of course.

    JH: What’s your favourite cocktail on the menu?

    DT: Having had more than my allotted share for this lifetime I am no longer allowed to drink them BUT, if I did, it would have to be the Pornstar Martini – although we are proud to present the Ode To Madame Jo Jo on our new cocktail menu.

    JH: The gay scene in Soho seems diminishing by the day. What’s going on? High rates and rents, difficult trading economy or less gay people out on the scene?

    DT: In the early 1990s there was no social media, Grindr or Scruff and so the only way to meet was to go out but now the dynamics of ‘socialising’ have changed. I also believe that whereas before there were only a few areas with a collection of gay venues, now there are many places in London where one can go out, especially in the East of London, and so the gay scene has become more dispersed.

    JH: Which celebrity chef would you give a job to in the Balans’ kitchens?

    DT: Skye Gyngell.

    JH: Will there continue to be a bevvy of gorgeous waiters at Balans Soho?

    DT: Is the Queen Madonna?

    Kensington High Street has also just relaunched (187 Kensington High Street, London W8 6SH)

     

  • UPDATE: BBC News Now Reports On Norwich Pride Despite Being On Its Doorstep

    UPDATE: BBC News have now run a story on the Pride and its parade.

    In a move many in Norwich’s LGBT+ community will question, the BBC News had failed to report on Norwich Pride, despite being on the doorstep of the Norwich BBC headquarters.

    BBC News have now run a story on its website about the pride parade.

    With offices overlooking the main pride area, questions are being asked why the BBC failed to report on Norwich’s pride event yesterday, which drew large numbers of people into the city’s centre yesterday.

    The BBC News website failed to report on the pride event, which featured original members of the Lesbian And Gays Support The Miners group, who featured in the blockbuster hit Pride in 2014. It appears that the only story reported in Norfolk yesterday was, “Beach rocks moved to protect cliffs”.

    ITV’s news team did report on the Pride and its parade.

    BBC Radio Norfolk did, however, have Norwich Pride’s chairman Nick O’Brien on to talk about the pride parade and the Pride was featured in the tea time TV bulletin, yesterday evening.

    THEGAYUK reached out to BBC England news team to ask why the Pride celebrations were ignored.

  • Free Pride U-Turn On Drag Ban

    The organisers of Free Pride have made a U-turn on its policy to ban non-trans drag queens at its pride event in Glasgow

    A controversial pride event which made international headlines when it banned non-trans Drag Queens from performing at its pride event has u-turned after being slammed by social media users, celebrities, drag queens and other pride organisers.

    In a statement released the unnamed organisers said:

    “Sadly, this attracted not just fair criticism, but also an immense amount of harassing, abusive behaviour. This harassment took the form of rather nasty insults and threats which were aimed at free pride organisers.

    “The original decision was made because many trans members of Free Pride have had negative experiences with drag acts veering towards racism, misogyny and transphobia; the lack of contact with the drag community contributed.

    “We made a mistake, and we apologise.”

    The organisers, which haven’t yet made public whether the organisation is a charity, a CIC (community interest company) or how it is managed added:

    “We hope to learn from this in order to foster the kind of community we want to see. We believe there is a greater need for dialogue within, and indeed between the trans and drag communities. We look forward to creating spaces where these dialogues take place with mutual compassion and respect.”

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Oklahoma! National Tour

    ★★★ | Oklahoma! National Tour

    Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical, Oklahoma!, is revived in this touring production, bringing with it a plethora of muscly armed cowboys, giggling girls and barn dances aplenty.

    Oklahoma is one of the classic American musicals, featuring songs including “Oh What a Beautiful Mornin’”; “People Will Say We’re In Love” and the title song, “Oklahoma”. The tale is a familiar one, of will they/won’t they love, a jealous potential suitor and a host of colourful supporting characters, all set against the backdrop of the turn of the century Old West.

    The show itself remains the fairly easy going and generally pleasant experience that it has always been, where the whimsical plot and jolly songs require no effort on behalf of the audience. It’s a fairly typical musical of the era, and this version remains fairly simplistic in its presentation. Ashley Day, as the lead cowboy, Curly, has the right balance of looks, charisma and natural singing ability to carry off the part, and Simon Anthony does an equally good job as Will Parker. Standing out from the crowd was Gary Wilmot, as Ali Hakim, the pedlar, remaining, as ever, the consummate professional and looking like he genuinely hasn’t aged a day. The remaining cast generally were in fine voice, but the female characters were hampered by ultra-thick American accents and a far too high pitched and squeaky tone.

    But where the production was let down was in its rather straight forward presentation. The majority of the (95 minute) first act took place on a static stage with only one key set change, which led to a set which was not as visually stimulating or dynamic enough as it could have been. Added to this was the fact that it was genuinely difficult to hear what was being said or sung which made the play harder work then it should have been. The direction was generally functional rather than dazzling and the choreography came across as slightly clunky at times. Those issues aside, the cast’s enthusiasm was undeniable, the performances were polished and the whole thing did pick up in the second act, finishing with a rather rousing chorus of “Oklahoma” and a standing ovation from the audience.

    Overall, this was a fairly basic and incredibly safe production of a classic musical. I do feel it slightly missed the chance to be something much better than it is, but for a straight forward production and to enable the audience to hear those classic songs sung well, it is a pleasant enough evening at the theatre.
    Oklahoma! is playing at the Sheffield Lyceum until Saturday 1st August 2015 (see www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk for details and tickets); before rounding off its national tour at High Wycombe from the 4th to the 8th August 2015 (see www.wycombeswan.co.uk for details)

  • Anti-Drag Pride To Fund Event With Drag Film Fundraiser

    A pride event which has come under immense criticism for banning drag performers at its event is planning a fundraising film night by showing a film about a drag queen.

    UPDATE: Free Pride has now announced it has overturned their ban on drag performers.

    Glasgow based Free Pride, is hoping to run a fundraiser for it’s “anti-capitalist” pride by showing a film called Pay It No Mind: The Life And Times Of Marsha P Johnson, a drag queen who was instrumental in the Stonewall riots in 1969.

    However, the pride event has been condemned after announcing a policy banning “cis” drag performers at its event, in favour of allowing trans or non-binary drag acts to perform, a move which has commenters questioning the legality of the policy as it could breach the Equality Act 2010.

    The pride event has been scheduled on 22nd August in direct competition with Glasgow Pride. Writing in THEGAYUK, Warwickshire Pride founder Daniel Browne called the move “confrontational”.

    Gay right advocate Michelle Visage called the move to ban drag queen performers as “Bullsh*t”

    The fundraiser event, which is being advertised on Facebook is due to take part this Saturday.

    TheGayUK has reached out to Free Pride for comment.

  • RESTAURANT REVIEW | Metropolitan, Moreish Morsels At M Restaurant

    Hanging out with Hugos, Alistairs and Tarquins in the confines of the trader’s square mile doesn’t grab one immediately when choosing a venue for supper.

    (more…)

  • Ben Mitchell Gay Sex Scene On EastEnders Attracts 48 Complaints

    An implied gay sex scene could land the BBC in trouble with OfCom after 48 complaints were made to the regulatory body.

    A scene between the characters Ben Mitchell (Harry Reid) and Paul Coker saw the pair getting topless and kissing in front of an open coffin in a funeral parlour.

    Speaking to Digital Spy, a spokesperson for the BBC said,

    “The millions of regular ‘EastEnders’ fans who tune in each week know and expect dramatic storylines.

    “We are always mindful of our time slot in which we are shown and the scenes in question were implied and not explicit.”

    OfCom commented that it would access the complaints before deciding whether it needs to investigate or not.

  • COMMENT | Why Free Pride Glasgow are Offensive, Not Cis Drag Queens

    Over the past couple of years, I have been noticing a worrying pattern of behaviour amongst a number of LGBT people, who seemingly take offence to absolutely everything and cry outrage at the drop of a hat.

    Whether it’s being offended over the naming of a road, the use of the word queer, or the inclusion of UKIP in a Pride parade, I often feel much of this ‘outrage’ is unnecessary and rarely take offence to things myself. Sometimes we need to lighten up a bit and consider the bigger picture. However, on hearing the news that Free Pride Glasgow have banned cis drag performers, I am on the side of those who are outraged at the decision.

    I had not heard of Free Pride Glasgow until the news of their drag ban was posted all over Twitter. After doing a bit of research on the event, on one hand I admire what they’re about. I organise a Pride event myself and do my best to ensure it’s not a commercial event. It’s all about the community and I feel that Prides should be free events that are accessible to all. However, on the other hand, I feel that Free Pride Glasgow are a bit militant in their views and the way they are going about things. For starters, putting their event on the same day as the mainstream Glasgow Pride is a bit confrontational. Then, of course, we come to the decision to ban cis drag performers from being a part of Free Pride Glasgow.

    Drag Queens are a huge part of our history and culture. Without Drag Queens we wouldn’t have many of the freedoms we take for granted today. The Stonewall riots in the 60s were started by Drag Queens and for that reason we have much to thank them for. To ban cis drag performers is to ignore a large part of our culture. I genuinely feel that the organisers of Free Pride Glasgow should be ashamed of themselves. It doesn’t appear to be in the spirit of being ‘free’, nor in the spirit of Pride.

    Pride festivals need to be inclusive of all people, whether they be lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, cis, non-cis, straight, black, white, purple, orange or anything else. They should be open to anybody who wants to celebrate diversity and our rich LGBT culture, and that should extend to entertainers. Banning cis drag performers makes Free Pride Glasgow an exclusive event, not an inclusive one.

    A solution to this situation would be for Free Pride Glasgow to allow cis drag performers to be a part of their event, but to have them perform in a specific drag area like some other Pride events do. That way, those who are not offended by cis drag artists can see them perform, and those who are offended by cis drag artists don’t have to see them.

    There are clearly ways around this that would benefit everyone. However, Free Pride Glasgow are choosing to bow to pressure from one section of our community and alienate a whole other section in the process. The organisers are doing nothing to further our cause by taking this action. In fact, they are contributing to a divide in our community that I fear is growing at a time when we all need to be on the same side. For that, they should be ashamed of themselves.

    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.