THEGAYUK

Tag: UK

  • These gay sex and lifestyle shops have reopened in England

    These gay sex and lifestyle shops have reopened in England

    Following advice from the government, numerous gay shops have reopened their doors, following on from the COVID-19 lockdown that has forced the majority of the UK’s “non-essential” retail shops to close.

    Stores in Scotland will remain closed for the foreseeable future as Scotland’s government have yet to announce a date for lockdown easement. Stores in Wales and Northern Ireland could start to reopen from Friday.

    Prowler which has five stores across England tweeted that its stores in Soho, Bournemouth, Bristol and Brighton had all reopened.

    Clonezone also tweeted that it had reopened all four of its branches including the flagship store on Old Compton Street, in Soho and showed how their shop layout had changed to become COVID Secure.

    It also warned that only seven customers would be allowed into the store at anyone time.

    Fetch also in London tweeted that it had opened its doors and asked its customers to remember to sanitise their hands on the way into the store.

    Stores in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland remain under lockdown until their respective governments start to loosen restrictions.

    Are gay Saunas and Bars opened?

    The rest of the LGBT+ scene remains shuttered until at least the 4th of July in England. Gay bars, saunas and hotels will have to remain close until lockdown restrictions are eased.

  • Parish council in Derbyshire voted against flying rainbow flags – “dangerous precedent”

    Parish council in Derbyshire voted against flying rainbow flags – “dangerous precedent”

    A parish council has voted against flying any rainbow flags during Pride Month in two villages in Derbyshire. Councillors say that it would create a “dangerous precedent”

    We’re now officially in pride month. Towns and cities around the UK are flying their rainbow flags in solidarity with their LGBT+ citizens.

    However two villages in Derbyshire will not be flying the flags after the majority of parish councillors voted against them being displayed.

    According to DerbyshireLive, councillors from Ockbrook and Borrowash parish council decided against flying rainbow flags. When asked why a statement said there was a “fear” that flying the iconic symbols would set a “dangerous precedent”.

    “Seemingly gives the appearance that one part of our community is being made more special”

    The unnamed councillor is quoted as saying: “The parish council is of the opinion that it is totally wrong to politicise this issue by the flying of a flag which seemingly gives the appearance that one part of our community is being made more special than all the others. This simply cannot be right.

    “Some councillors fear that a dangerous precedent could be set by flying this flag which could be seen as divisive when we have spent many years working to bring our communities together.”

    It is unclear which councillor made the statement and DerbyshireLive have apparently reached out to ascertain who made the statement.

    Towns not raising the flag

    In 2016, Warwick District Council had come under criticism after refusing to fly the rainbow flag during Warwickshire Pride, a petition was launched with many who signed,  describing their disappointment with the council’s original decision.

    However the decision was overturned a month after mounting pressure from the organisers of Warwickshire Pride.

  • Gay Dating | What is a bear?

    Gay Dating | What is a bear?

    Decoding the bear – if you see “Bear” in someone’s dating or Grindr profile, here is what it means.

    Bears are guys who are generally thicker and hairier – a bit like a bear. There’s a whole community and they even have their own flag, which you may see during pride season.

    Bears are generally a subset of the gay community and tend to be older guys, younger bears to be are called cubs.

    The bear community is widely thought to have begun in 1970’s San Francisco, USA. The term bear was popularised by Richard Bulger. Bulger and his partner of the time, Chris Nelson created what was thought to be the first-ever magazine catering to Bears and their admires called Bear Magazine.

    What is the bear flag?

    The flag, which is made of seven stripes ranging from Brown, orange to Black and Grey was designed by Craig Byrnes who created this flag in 1995.

    There is a debate as to how a bear and the community is defined as a whole, while some suggest that bears are the epitome of masculinity and ruggedness and the rejection of effeminacy, there are many who feel that bear culture is very inclusive and rejects the stereotypical views of mainstream gay culture, which historically always vaulted for a more “twinky” or muscly aesthetic.

    Whats the difference between a bear and an otter?

    Otters, who are also a subset of the gay/bi community tend to be slimmer but still hairy.

    Unlike bears, otters do not have a name for younger guys.

    Dating Apps for bears

    As with most communities under the LGBT+ umbrella there are quite a few dating and hook up apps for bears, cubs and their admirers.

    Growlr and Scruff are probably the most famous. THEGAYUK also has a bear chat group, which is free to check out.

    Check out more gay dating terms.

  • Gay Dating | What does BB stand for?

    Barebacking is anal sex without the use of condoms. It has become more and more common on dating and hookups for guys to ask for BB sex, as the availability of anti-HIV medications has risen.

    You may see “Negative on PreP” on a person’s profile to indicate that they are potentially up for condomless sex.

    The rise of BB could also be linked to the rise in bareback porn being filmed by studios.

    After the rise of AIDs and HIV in the gay community during the 80s and 90s condomed sex was advocated by community leaders and health professionals as a way to combat the spread of HIV.

    In recent years, however, with the availability of PrEP for “at-risk” communities, condom use is no longer seen, by some, as entirely necessary, particularly in the fight of ending new HIV infections.

    Previously BB sex was seen as extremely risky, however, due to the invention and availability of PrEP, bareback sex is safer from becoming infected with HIV, however, BB sex can lead to other sexually transmitted diseases, such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis.

    Check out more gay dating terms.

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  • Gay Dating | What does BDSM stand for?

    Simply put, BDSM is an acronym for Bondage, Discipline, Sadism and Masochism.

    There are many forms of BDSM and they run a spectrum from light power play, like blindfolds and furry handcuffs to rough abuse – including genital abuse like CBT (cock and ball torture).

    Usually, a person takes up a preferred role, dominant or subservient, masochist or sadist, although of course, you’ll get people who like to switch, between the many roles.

    The dom is usually the person doling out the punishment or pain, while the sub is the receiver.

    According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the first known use of BDSM was in 1991.

    So what is Bondage, Discipline, Sadism and Masochism?

    What does BDSM mean?

    Bondage is where the tying up of your partner with roles, cables, cable ties, scarves or actual chains. The idea is to restrict your partner’s movement. Again this could be on the lighter side, with just bounding someone’s hands to a full-body restriction suit, made from rubber.

    Discipline could be corporal punishment like hits and spanks, but it could be verbal discipline as well.

    Sadism is where someone is turned on by cruelty or humiliation inflicted upon another.

    Masochism is the opposite of sadism. It’s where you are turned on by subjected to physical pain or humiliation.

    BDSM in the gay community is not uncommon, with many guys trying out one form or another within relationships or other hookups. Many enjoy power play and enjoy the taking of dom or sub-roles, just as their heterosexual counterparts do.

    Many people associate leather wear like harnesses and hogtie with the likes of homoerotic imagery like Tom of Finland or the activities of the annual Folsom street fair in San Francisco.

    It is important to distinguish between consensual BDSM activities between consenting adults and those who are being abused or coerced against their wills.

    Although BDSM does involve abuse, it is welcomed by the recipient, whereas sexual abuse isn’t.

    Check out more gay dating terms.

  • Has Sir Keir Starmer always supported LGBT+ rights?

    Has Sir Keir Starmer always supported LGBT+ rights?

    We looked into Keir Starmer’s voting record on gay and LGBT+ issues to see how LGBT friendly he is.

    Since entering the House of Commons as an MP for Holborn and St Pancras in 2015, Starmer has consistently voted pro-gay in laws relating to equality, although it has to be noted that he has very few opportunities to vote in matters concerning the rights of LGBT+ people in the UK – as there haven’t been many LGBT+ bills debated in parliament.

    Overall Keir has voted on 1 issue relating to the LGBT community. On that major piece of legislation, Keir Starmer voted in favour or positively for equality.

    In 2019 he voted to allow same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland.

    Embed from Getty Images

    “Full solidarity” with the LGBT+ community

    In Feb 2020, before he became the Labour leader, he tweeted that he fully supported the LGBT Labour group saying that he stood in “full solidarity” with Labour’s LGBT+ members.

    He added that he would “defend LGBT+ rights and protections, and campaign with you for the changes rightly prioritised”.

    Overall in the opinion of THEGAYUK.com editorial team, Keir Starmer, politically has been an ally to LGBT+ people.

  • Boris Johnson thanks the LGBT community for “inspirational work”

    Boris Johnson thanks the LGBT community for “inspirational work”

    On the 1st June, the start of Pride Month, the UK’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson took to his official Twitter account to speak directly to the LGBT+ community.

    In the Tweet Johnson wrote that that he was thankful for the “inspirational work in fighting tirelessly to overcome the prejudices many face”

    He added, that the contributions by the community had “helped shape a better future for people in the UK and around the world”

    However, many users on Twitter were not pleased for Johnson’s thanks. Many took the opportunity to remind the Prime Minister of the various controversial things that he has written about the gay community over the years.

    Embed from Getty Images

    During the late 90s and early 00s, Johnson was a columnist for The Telegraph and The Spectator. He used his platform to write several comments about marriage between gay men and teaching same-sex relationships in the classroom.

    He also used his platform to say he was a supporter of the very damaging Margaret Thatcher policy, Section 28.

    Since 2001 and in the time in which Johnson has been an MP there have been 16 votes in which he was eligible to vote. Of that 16, he voted positively in three, negatively in 1 and abstained from voting in the rest.

    Lord Michael Cashman responded to the Tweet saying, “We had to fight to overcome you and people in your party. And there are still some there like Liz Truss. To name one from many.”

    https://twitter.com/mcashmanCBE/status/1267582160342523906

    His Tweet which has been liked 4.9K times and retweeted 509 has been ratio’d with over 1.4K comments, the majority of which were negative.

  • New Coronavirus legislations bans sex in your own home

    New Coronavirus legislations bans sex in your own home

    Buried deep within the new set of regulations due to come into force today is a new section which bans “any social interaction” (including sex) with another person not from your household inside your own home.

    New legislation to be brought forward by Prime Minister Boris Johnson has gone further than any other government in history to ban social interactions between people in their own homes, even if you are already in a committed long-term partnership – but don’t live together.

    (C) BIGSTOCK

    The new legislation which comes under the new Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations 2020 bill has been gutted of many of its original elements but has had a few new details added which curtails your freedom to social interactions with whomever you’d choose in your own home.

    A new section consists of the wording which reads, “No person may participate in a gathering which takes place in a public or private place indoors, and consists of two or more persons”, effectively outlawing sexual interactions between people who don’t live together.

    “Sex between two (or more) people in a private place who do not live in the same household… is illegal”

    Adam Wagner, a Human Rights Barrister took to Twitter yesterday to outline the new rules, saying,

    “I can’t believe I’m about to tweet this. From tomorrow sex between two (or more) people in a private place who do not live in the same household is a “gathering” between 2 or more people and is therefore illegal.”

    Changes

    Couples who don’t live together will have to continue to socially distance from each other.
    (C) BIGSTOCK

    Previously the laws for the new health act, (for England) did not include references to gatherings in private homes.

    From today (1st June) people in England will be able to do the following things:

    • spend time outdoors, including private gardens and other outdoor spaces, in groups of up to six people from different households, following social distancing guidelines
    • visit car showrooms and outdoor markets
    • in line with the arrangements made by your school, send your child to school or nursery if they are in early years, reception, year 1 or year 6, if you could not before
    • if you are an elite athlete as defined by this guidance, train and compete using the specified gyms, pools and sports facilities you need – which will, in the coming weeks, we hope enable others to watch live sport on TV

    No Debate on laws

    Wagner said that it was “so frustrating” that the regulations weren’t being put to parliament for debate.

    He added, “It’s madness. These are huge changes and they affect every single person in England, and there are loads of potentially unclear and difficult bits.

    “Why so reluctant to engage debate?”

  • Are there any gay bars in Islington?

    Are there any gay bars in Islington?

    Once upon a time, Islington was North London’s hub of queer activity. There were several gay bars, but over the years, like so many parts of London, the number of LGBT+ spaces has dwindled.

    Are there any gay bars left in Islington?

    Unfortunately, the likes of The Green, Bar Fushion, The Duke Of Wellington and King Edward IV have all long gone. Many of these places were open until the middle of the 2000s, but as with many LGBT+ spaces across London and the UK, in general, all have now closed.

    Time was when you could bar hop between several bars on Upper Street and the Essex Road. Some of the bars had seating outside so you could sit, drink and watch the world go by.

    There were many LGBT+ spaces in Islington, but sadly they’ve pretty much all closed. Many, like The Green and Bar Fushion, since the turn of this century. Just a couple of places remain, Central Station and The King’s Head.

    The spot where The Green was… now a cafe.
    Green, Islington, N1

    The King’s Head and its world-famous pub theatre both have a long history of being LGBT+ Friendly and the theatre part of the pub is known to have produced and staged many gay and queer shows over the years.

    Central Station, which is in the Kings Cross area is a well-established haunt for lovers of karaoke and the traditional gay bar experience. It also has a number of themed nights.

    However there are a few gay listings for Islington, from charities to groups.

    Do you have memories or photos to share with our readers? Use the comments below to let us know – or visit the Lost LGBT Scene project to upload a story or memory of your favourite place.

  • Lockdown an “opportunity to end new HIV infections altogether”

    Lockdown an “opportunity to end new HIV infections altogether”

    If you’ve not been hooking up with other guys during the COVID-19 lockdown and have had no sex with other people since March, now could be the perfect time to get yourself tested for HIV, says, HIV expert Matthew Hodson.

    Taking to social media, Matthew, who is the Executive Director of AIDSMAP, told his followers, that if they hadn’t had sex for five weeks or more, that they could be confident that an HIV test result would be highly accurate, adding that the lockdown has created an opportunity to “root out undiagnosed HIV”.

    Many people have adhered to Government guidelines about self-isolating.

    In a current poll (it is live and subject to change) we asked our readers whether they had abstained from sex with people outside their own homes. The vast majority of people (around 66 per cent) who answered said that they had.

    Only around five per cent said that their behaviour had not changed since the beginning of lockdown at the end of March.

    [totalpoll id=”118500″]

    New HIV Infections to sink faster than before and an opportunity to end HIV altogether

    CREDIT: © rbhavana Depositphotos

    Speaking in a video, Matthew said, “lockdown means far fewer people are having sex, meaning that far fewer people will have just acquired HIV. This is crucial because people are at their most infectious when they’ve just got.

    He went on to say that they were “already anticipating that the number of new infections will go down even faster than before”.

    He added that we have the “opportunity to end new HIV infections altogether”

    The idea is if everyone tests now and receives their HIV status by the time lockdown ends, that anyone who has newly acquired HIV can be on treatment. When people are “virtual suppressed” (UEqualsU) HIV cannot be passed on to anyone else.

    Need an at-home HIV test?

    The charity Saving Lives is offering readers of THEGAYUK a free at-home HIV Testing Kit.

    You can order a FREE at-home HIV test kit from Saving Lives if you use the promo code: GAYUK20.

    Want to know what an at-home HIV test is like? Read our review here.

    Sexual Health is still open

    Although it may seem that many health services might be running at a reduced capacity or you’re unable to physically attend NHS services, but Doctor Naomi Sutton took to social media recently to remind us all that you can still get sexual health advice and, if necessary, access medications and testing if you need them.

    She wrote,

    “The #NHS is still open! Please seek medical advice if you need it.

    “Sexual health services are operating phone consultations, posting contraception, screening tests and medication when needed and seeing patients face to face where necessary”

    https://twitter.com/DrNaomiSutton/status/1255483728366796801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1255483728366796801%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegayuk.com%2Fyes-you-can-still-access-sexual-health-services-during-the-lockdown%2F

  • Man attacked in “vicious and unprovoked” homophobic attack in London

    Man attacked in “vicious and unprovoked” homophobic attack in London

    The attack happened near Piccadilly Circus, in London, on the 3rd March at 2.15 AM according to a police report.

    The victim, a man in his mid-thirties was walking towards Picadilly Circus Tube station to see if it was closed, he asked three men nearby if they knew if the station was open or not. The men then shouted homophobic abuse at the victim.

    The three men, all in their early 20s, are said to have then approached the victim and pushed him into the road. Once the victim was on the floor the group proceeded to assault him, according to a police statement.

    The victim managed to run across the road towards the Hard Rock Café. The three men followed him and attacked him for a second time.

    The group then left the scene in the direction of Shaftesbury Avenue.

    The victim was taken to hospital and later released. He sustained bruising as a result of the attack.

    Police are looking for men of a Middle Eastern appearance in their early 20s

    The three men are all thought to be in their early 20s and maybe of Middle Eastern appearance. One of the men was wearing a distinctive light wash denim jacket with a white trim on the collar.

    “Unprovoked and vicious assault”

    Investigating officer, Detective Constable John McNally, said, “This was a completely unprovoked and vicious assault on the victim, seemingly motivated by homophobia. Though thankfully not seriously injured, the victim has understandably been left very shaken by the incident. 

    “The Met takes a zero tolerance approach to homophobic crime; it is absolutely unacceptable that anyone should feel intimidated to go about their daily lives due to their sexual orientation.”

    Three men – all aged 21 years old – have been arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm. All have since been released under investigation.

    If you have any information about this incident please call 101 quoting CAD 575/03March or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.