THEGAYUK

Tag: UK

  • Welsh Lib Dems Call For End To Gay Blood Ban

    Marking National Blood Week, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on the Welsh Government to work with the UK Government to end the ban on gay and bisexual men giving blood.

    Currently, UK Government guidelines prevent gay and bisexual men from donating blood if they have had sex with another male within the preceding twelve months. Proponents of the ban argue that gay and bisexual men are more likely than any other group to contract HIV, but figures for 2012 show that more people contract HIV through heterosexual sex than homosexual sex.

    Welsh Lib Dem AM Peter Black raised the issue in the Welsh Assembly earlier today. The Welsh Minister for Government Business agreed to ask the Minister for Health and Social Services to look at the matter further.

    Peter Black AM, the Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Equalities Minister, said,

    “National Blood Week has brought to our attention that the blood service needs 204,000 extra donors to meet demand. Given this huge demand for blood donors, I completely fail to understand why the ban on men who have sex with men giving blood is still in place.

    “This ban not only turns away thousands of willing and healthy potential donors, but it also serves to reinforce negative stereotypes about gay and bisexual men. Straight people get HIV too, and all donated blood is tested for HIV and other diseases before being transfused for precisely that reason.

    “The sooner this unfair and discriminatory ban is lifted, the sooner our blood services can benefit from a greater supply of donated blood and more lives can be saved.”

  • University Awarded £50,000 To See Whether Calling Toilets “Gents” Or “Ladies” Is Discriminatory

    A research team from Sheffield Hallam University have been awarded nearly £50,000 to discover whether the terms “Gentlemen” “Ladies” and “Men’s Toilets” are accessible.

    The award from the Arts and Humanities Research Council is to fund research on the way public toilets are designed, ” in an effort to assess if they are fit for purpose for the UK’s diverse 21st Century society.”

    Led by Sheffield Hallam University’s Dr Jenny Slater, the Around The Toilet project is looking at the lack of adequate or accessible toilet provision for disabled and transgender people, amid fears that definitions such as “Gentlemen” “Ladies” and “Men’s Toilets” are out-dated and discriminatory.

    Dr Slater, from Sheffield Hallam University’s new Sheffield Institute of Education, will lead a project team including the University of Leeds, University of Sheffield, Action for Transgender Health, Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People (GMCDP) and Queer Of The Unknown Arts Collective on the nine-month project.

    She said,

    “Toilets may seem a frivolous subject but they are at the heart of important discussions about how we understand our own identities. The starting point for us is to explore how disabled people and those identifying as trans, gender-queer or non-binary are treated in modern society.

    “As well as issues around toilet closures we have much anecdotal evidence that suggests there is a lack of suitable facilities for our diverse population.

    “This project will also consider issues of race, ethnicity, age, religion, faith and homelessness through reflective storytelling, creative arts and performance.”

    Along with the announcement of their research, Dr Slater has also encouraged members of the public to post their experiences of toilets in Sheffield and beyond.

  • Pride London bans UKIP LGBT from March

    London’s pride event has banned UKIP’s LGBT group from marching in the parade over “safety fears”

    Pride London’s committee has rejected UKIP Pride’s application to march in the world famous parade.

    The board of Pride London released a statement that said,

    “For this year we have reached the decision that UKIP’s application to join the Pride in London Parade, 27th June 2015, will be turned down.

    “This decision has been made after careful consultation in order to protect participants and ensure the event passes off safely and in the right spirit, it has not been made on a political basis.

    “We appreciate many in our community have strongly held views about UKIP, their policies and comments, but is undeniable that there are LGBT+ members of UKIP, including their MEP for Scotland, and it is important to remember that Pride in London aims to be an inclusive event.

    “However, of paramount concern to us is the experience of all participants at Pride, most especially the position we would be putting our volunteer stewards in.”

    A petition for the ban of UKIP LGBT had reached just 2383 supporters.

    UKIP LGBT decried the ban saying it was “a sad day for diversity and freedom.”

  • COMMENT | Is Pride In London Right To Ban UKIP? Either Allow All Political Parties Or Ban Them All

    I pose this question because over the past few days there has been a lot of debate around London Pride’s decision to allow UKIP to be involved in their parade, before then backtracking and banning UKIP from being a part of the festival.

    With many LGBT people feeling that UKIP should not be part of Pride events due to many of their representatives holding homophobic, biphobic and transphobic views, I can see why London Pride have backtracked. However, my personal view is that London Pride should not have banned UKIP.

    In my opinion, UKIP should be allowed to march.

    For the past three years, I have organised the Warwickshire Pride festival, which takes place in Leamington Spa each summer. Among the 75+ stalls that attend the festival, there are usually a number of political parties represented. Labour have a stall each year, my Conservative MP typically gives a speech and sticks around to enjoy the day, and other parties get involved in some form too.

    This year I received a stall application from UKIP. Along with the application was a passionate email from a representative of UKIP’s local branch, who said that although he is not LGBT himself, he supports equality and had contacted UKIP’s LGBT network to ask them to join him in supporting Warwickshire Pride. The representative acknowledged that not all people would be pleased about UKIP having a presence at a Pride event due to the reputation that the party has, but demonstrated that the local branch is willing to engage positively with the LGBT community.

    At first, I thought there’s no way that I could allow UKIP to have a presence at Warwickshire Pride. As an individual, I am wholly opposed to what UKIP stand for. I believe that the homophobic and racist comments that some of their representatives have made are abhorrent. However, once I calmed down a bit I began to consider that if I allow other political parties to have a presence at the festival, it’s not fair of me to ban UKIP. That would be discrimination, which is not in the spirit of Pride, and I would also be allowing my personal views to affect my professionalism. Therefore I decided to allow UKIP to book a stall.

    I also took the issue to my board of trustees, who agreed that we cannot discriminate against a political party because we don’t like their views. It was decided that we either allow all political parties who want to join in with the Pride celebrations to do so or ban them all.

    The fact that UKIP is making an effort to become involved with a Pride festival shows that they’re not all bad people. In every political party, there are positive and negative representatives. Just look at how many Conservative MPs were against marriage equality and other LGBT equality laws. Yet there doesn’t seem to be any protest against the Conservatives having a presence at Pride events.

    Ultimately Pride is about representing all LGBT people and the entirety of our culture. I am mindful that there are LGBT people who support UKIP, despite how the party is perceived. When I began organising Warwickshire Pride I was keen to create something for everyone to enjoy, and as much as I may not like it on a personal level, that does include allowing UKIP to come along and join the celebrations.

     

    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.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | That Is All You Need To Know

    ★★★ That Is All You Need To Know | In a day and age where you can share every aspect of your life at the touch of a social media button, the concept of an entire workforce keeping ‘what they did in the war’ a secret for 30 years is one which may be difficult to comprehend. But for the workforce of Bletchley Park, where the government brought together some of the greatest minds of the time together to gather war time intelligence, that is exactly what they had to do.

    (more…)

  • EXCLUSIVE: Brian Paddick Backs Tim Farron For Lib Dem Party Leader

    Britain’s highest profile out Liberal Democrat member, Lord Brian Paddick has officially backed MP Tim Farron in the race for party leader.

    • Tim Farron “100% Behind LGBTI Rights”
    • Both Tim Farron and Norman Lamb have been nominated, now the party’s 61,000 members will decide who will be leader
    • Brian Paddick confident in Farron’s grassroots approach to politics

    Liberal Democrat peer Brian Paddick has revealed exclusively to the THEGAYUK that he is officially backing ex-Lib Dem party chairman Tim Farron, for leader, after it was revealed that both Tim Farron and Norman Lamb were successful in their nomination for the role that will undoubtedly be a tough struggle to rebuild the Liberal Democrats after a shattering defeat in the General Election.

    The contest for the party’s leadership was sparked by the resignation of Nick Clegg last month after the party lost 49 seats.

    Brian Paddick who was elevated to the House of Lords in 2013, has thrown his weight behind the Westmorland and Lonsdale MP, by championing his leadership and campaigning skills, which have enlivened grassroots activists and the Lib Dem membership.

    “I have to be honest here and say that I didn’t think I would ever come to say this, being a supporter of Nick Clegg when he was leader, and bearing in mind on a couple occasions Tim Farron didn’t make some particularly helpful interventions, but I am supporting Tim Farron for leader of the Liberal Democrats, because I think he is exactly the person that the party needs when you consider the position that the party is in at the moment.

    “Tim Farron has shown himself in being a master of connecting with activists and with ordinary members; he did a fantastic job as President of the party.

    “He developed links with all parts of the country, got to know people in practically every corner of the UK, coupled with the fact that he’s very enthusiastic and has loads of energy.

    “If we had been in a different situation and maintained the numbers of MPs that we had, then maybe it would be a different story, but I believe Tim Farron is the leader the Liberal Democrats need at this time.”

    “We’ve got to build the party from the ground up and there’s one thing that Tim Farron is excellent at, and that is ground level politics.”

    When asked if Tim Farron had the right showmanship for leadership and whether in future Leaders’ debates he would turn people on, Brian laughs and says,

    “He’s not my type to be honest, but he is a very effective communicator.”

    Tim Farron has attracted some criticism after he abstained from voting on same-sex marriage. He also voted to delay passage of the same-sex marriage bill, arguing that more time was needed to analyse the impact on religious groups.

    Speaking about Farron’s record on voting Paddick remarked,

    “Tim Farron has come under a lot of criticism from people who either deliberately or simply misread Tim’s position when it came to votes in the House of Commons on equal marriage,

    “He did ask for a change in the timetable to allow more discussion over complex issues around people who have honestly held beliefs who are currently employed as registrars, for example, who would feel very uncomfortable because it conflicts with their faith to conduct an equal marriage ceremony. He felt not enough time had been allowed in the parliamentary time belt to discuss those issues.

    “He has made it absolutely clear subsequently, he was specifically asked by a group of Christians, if there was a equal marriage repeal act or bill to reverse the decision he would absolutely not support that in any way shape or form.

    “As the Liberal Democrats’ gayest highest profile member I am absolutely confident that I can vote for Tim Farron and that he is absolutely 100% behind LGBTI rights.”

    The Liberal Democrats’ 61,000 members will now be able to cast their vote for the person they’d like to see as leader. Ballot papers will be sent on the 24th June, with results announced on the 16th July.

  • Gay Running Group In Birmingham Awarded £2000 From Pride Fund

    The Birmingham Swifts, the city’s LGBT running group, has been awarded nearly £2000 from the Birmingham Pride Trust Fund to build upon the club’s successes. The money will go towards increasing visibility of the Swifts and improving the quality of running sessions on offer for the LGBT community of Birmingham.

    Members of the group, which has only existed for just over a year, were able to proudly wear new running tops during last month’s Birmingham Pride Parade, but the club will now be able to own group kit for individuals who may not be able to afford to purchase their own. Alongside the clothing, the club will have a flag to act as a focal point at races and events, and new publicity materials to attract prospective members.

    The Swifts will also be able to put on extra sessions to complement the existing offering, by training members as leaders and a coach. This includes more Starting Out sessions, which are based upon the popular couch to 5k programme, and a training plan for the Great Birmingham Run.

    Tommy Hill, chair of the Swifts, said:

    “It’s fantastic that Birmingham Pride have chosen to support the Birmingham Swifts. Together we are promoting health and physical exercise for the LGBT community, and showcasing running within Birmingham.

    “We know there are many barriers for LGBT people when it comes to taking part in sport, such as cost, the fear of homophobia and the belief they will not be good enough. The Swifts are determined to remove these barriers by being an encouraging and supportive group where everyone is welcome, no matter what their ability.
    “After enjoying a successful Birmingham Pride, the Swifts are now looking towards the half marathon in October. Thanks to this funding, we’ll be able to put together a training plan for the race and have a striking visual presence on the day.”

  • Lord Cashman Lends Support To Play Which Tackles Sexual Abuse And Cover Ups

    The cast of a new play called At Ease will be joined by Lord Michael Cashman, on Friday 5 June, during rehearsals to lend his support to the play which tackles the issues surrounding historic sexual abuse and cover-ups.

    Victims of historical physical and sexual army abuse are given a voice in a new play in rehearsal in Birmingham.

    Lord Cashman appears as a character in the play.

    At the centre of this highly unusual play is the correspondence between one-time Household Cavalryman, Alex Rees who was sentenced to life imprisonment for attempted murder, and Michael (Lord) Cashman, who was an intended target. Rees writes he was brutally tortured and raped while in the army in the 1970s. Rees, who died in 2002, identifies adults involved in the bullying and in the parties in which abuse took place. He also identifies army personnel involved in cover-ups. Rees is, at last, given an opportunity to put his story to the public via his extraordinary correspondence.

    The bond between Rees and Cashman, a life-long campaigner for LGBT rights, is both strange and poignant.

    In an attempt to right some wrongs, while contributing to the present debate around historical abuse by giving voice to Rees and others, theatre company DD Arts Birmingham is piloting its new play, AT EASE, from June 17, raising these issues, together with other contemporaneous accounts.

    Pilot performances 17-20 June: Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham. 0121 200 0946.

  • Countdown To Naked Fest Is On

    Following the success of last year’s event, Naked Fest 2015 returns this year and promises plenty of fun and activities in the glorious countryside – all naked, of course. Naked Fest 2015 takes place from Friday 10th – Sunday 12th July at Abbott’s Farm in Norfolk, a naturist campsite where you can enjoy the freedom of being naked with other Naked Mates. (more…)

  • UK ranks 23rd Happiest Place in the World to be Gay

    In a survey published this week by the Dutch gay dating and community site Planet Romeo the UK ranked 23rd in their Gay Happiness Index.

    The company collaborated with the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz in Germany to carry out an online survey of 115,000 gay men around the world.

    The survey itself combined rankings on public opinion, public behavior and life satisfaction to provide a worldwide ranking on gay happiness, with Iceland topping the list and Uganda at number 127 being confirmed as the worst country in the world to be gay.

    In fact there are no real surprises at the bottom of the poll as to which other countries that make up the worst ten i.e. Kazakhstan, Ghana, Cameroon, Iran, Nigeria, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Ethiopia and Sudan.

    The real puzzlers are at the other end of scale: whilst we pipped the USA (26th), South Africa rather shockingly beat us by coming in at 22nd.

    Ireland was placed below us at no 25th but as the survey was conducted before all the euphoria of last week’s historic poll, they are bound to me moving upward soon.

    The top ten were:
    Iceland
    Norway
    Denmark
    Sweden
    Uruguay
    Canada
    Israel
    Netherlands
    Switzerland
    Luxembourg

  • Club Owner Outs “Third” Of Staff To Prove Business Is Not Bigoted

    A gay couple in Cardiff have claimed that they were thrown out of the DC nightclub after security staff saw them kissing. In response, the club’s owner Richard Jackson outs a third of his staff in the national press in an attempt to show that bigots do not run the venue.

    Oliver Brown, 21, and Hugh Squire have reported that they were subjected to homophobic remarks by bouncers and accuse the nightclub management of throwing them out after they were spotted kissing at the establishment during an office party in December.

    According to the Daily Mail, the club faces closure following the claims by the couple.

    Oliver Brown, a student at Cardiff Metropolitan University, said:

    “I believe we have been targeted because we are gay.

    “If the bouncer had said he was kicking us out because we were fighting I wouldn’t have a problem with that.

    “But he saw us kissing so it was clear that was his problem, it wasn’t anything we had done.”

    In response to the claims and according to the DM the owner Richard Jackson said about a third of his staff are lesbian and gay and refuted the allegations. He said the club’s gay manager warned the couple about their rowdy behaviour.

    He said:

    “I can assure you all they were asked to leave due to rowdy behaviour. They were asked to leave because they were either spraying drinks into the staff.

    “When security came over and asked them to leave that’s when they started hugging and kissing and saying, ‘Oh, you’re only throwing us out because we’re gay’,

    “My gay staff and friends are furious about this”

    “We operate a zero-tolerance attitude towards any kind of discrimination.

    “It wasn’t too long ago that Tom Daley and his partner came in with many of my gay friends – to say we are homophobic is a lie.”

    Jake Hook editor of THEGAYUK remarked:

    “Outing staff to prove whether a company operates a zero tolerance on discrimination not an appropriate way of showing acceptance for LGBT customers. Employee’s personal and private lives should never be traded as means to elicit good will. Staff sexuality should have no bearing on whether motives of removal were homophobic or bigoted and does not prove any policy.”