THEGAYUK

Tag: UK

  • Is ghosting on Grindr very common?

    Is ghosting on Grindr very common?

    CREDIT: Ryazan / BIGSTOCK

    If that hot guy you hooked up with isn’t getting back to you, chances are you’ve been ghosted.

    First of all, what does being ghosted mean?

    The process of being ghosted means that a person that you’ve gotten to know well, perhaps over the course of a few weeks or months, suddenly and inexplicably disappears.

    They cease all communications with you.

    They don’t even seem to have checked their messages.

    Does ghosting only happen online?

    Does ghosting only happen online?
    Mimzy / Pixabay

    You can be ghosted in a real-life relationship and in an online relationship. basically they’ve turned into a ghost.

    Now sometimes there could be a very good reason why they’ve become ghosts and some may even have a legitimate reason for the disappearing act – perhaps, maybe they actually did die! There’s no way of knowing whether they did, particularly if your relationship was solely online via a private app like Grindr.

    They could have also been banned from using apps or social media for breaking rules and community guidelines, such as Facebook’s notorious crackdown on sex talk between consenting adults.

    And perhaps they already had a partner who found out about the affairs and has ground their partner’s phone into a fine dust – unfortunately, you’ll probably never know.

    So how often does ghosting happen on dating apps?

    We ran a quick poll on our social media and it turns out is very very common. Around 83% who answered the poll said that being ghosted “happened a lot” and that it happened to them in the past.

    So to answer the question, yes, ghosting does happen a lot of dating ups.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Afterglow, London

    THEATRE REVIEW | Afterglow, London

    ★★★★ | Afterglow, Waterloo East Theatre, London

    An extramarital relationship takes its toll on two men expecting a baby in the return of the sexy play Afterglow.

    After a sell-out run at the Southwark Playhouse which ended just a few months ago, Afterglow returns to the cosy Waterloo East theatre, with a new cast, and 15 minutes shorter. Does this make the show better than the previous production? Yes it does.

    The problem with the previous production was the time-consuming moments when the actors would re-arrange the furniture for the scene changes – all a bit tedious and it took away from the sexually charged energy of the show.

    What we have now is a cast who are just as sexy, but with a show that is tighter and sexier, while we are still treated to those delicious and sexy scenes where the actors are totally naked (in the bed, in the shower, practically all over the stage)!

    The plot, if you buy a ticket for that, involves Josh (Adi Chugh), Alex (Peter Mcpherson) and Darius (Benjamin Aluwihare). Josh and Alex have been together a long time and have decided to have a baby via surrogate. But their relationship is an open one – they participate in three ways and allow each other to have fun with other guys. But when Darius enters their bedroom he and Josh click right away, and start to see each other, with Alex’s approval, and they eventually start to fall in love. But with the baby coming very soon (Josh and Alex cheekily change the name of their unborn baby weekly to peaches, lemon and cauliflower), and with Alex starting to get worried about Josh and Darius spending more time together, can Alex and Josh endure this big bump in their relationship?

    The actors are all very sexy and are all good in their respective roles, especially Aluwihare who brings a bit of naivety to his role. It’s a very good production, and at 75 minutes it’s not a big investment in your time – and it’s in a cosy and warm theatre where you might be tempted too to take your clothes off.

    Book now here

  • “Terrifying” homophobic assault leaves a man in Manchester hospitalised

    “Terrifying” homophobic assault leaves a man in Manchester hospitalised

    Police in Manchester have released an image of a man they wish to question in connection to an alleged homophobic hate crime on the outskirts of Manchester earlier in October.

    According to police reports, a man in his 20s was attacked by another man in what they are calling “an unprovoked attack”

    The assault, the police say, took place close to the entrance of Clayton Vale Park on Ten Acres Lane on Sunday 6 October 2019 just after mid-day at 12:30 PM

    The victim, who has not yet been named, was left with serious facial injuries and needed medical treatment.

    Do you know this man?

    (C) GMP / SUPPLIED

    READ NEXT PAGE 2/2

  • There’s a big gay rally happening tomorrow to try and get a people’s vote on BREXIT

    There’s a big gay rally happening tomorrow to try and get a people’s vote on BREXIT

    The march is to take place tomorrow in London.

    On the 19th October, there will be a march against a no-deal Brexit, as organisers of the LGBT+ for People’s Vote believe that the Brexit plans currently offered by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, “poses risks to the LGBT+ community”. The LGBT+ for PV rally is in conjunction with the People’s Vote campaign.

    A spokesperson for the LGBT+ for PV said, “LGBT+ people need to join the march because LGBT+ people are one of the communities that will be most impacted by Boris’ Brexit.

    “The voting records and views towards the LGBT+ community from Johnson and his cabinet give no reassurance that Brexit will protect the LGBT+ community.

    “That’s why it’s important to support a People’s Vote and make your voice heard tomorrow.” Lauren Pemberton-Nelson, Campaign Manager, LGBT+ for a People’s Vote. 

    Tomorrow from 10:30 AM

    The LGBT+ rally, which will set off from in front of the Bomber Command Memorial in London, 10:30 AM, is due to take place just 12 days before Brexit is set to happen.

    According to the group around 72 percent of LGBT+ people back a people’s vote.

    THEGAYUK‘s own research from 2016 revealed that 82 per cent of its readers believed the UK to be better off remaining in the EU.

  • The UK’s porn block has been cancelled

    ©-lofilolo-Depositphotos

    The government’s plan to block porn UK users who hadn’t signed up to an age verifying database has been scrapped.

    According to the Digital Secretary, Nicky Morgan, the controversial policy will not be commencing.

    The confirmation comes after the policy had been blocked a number of times.

    The original policy would have required users to register on porn sites with official documents such as a driver’s license, passport or an age verification card.

    The policy had raised concerned by privacy activists who warned that any database that contained personal information or that tracked people’s browsing online could be hacked or used by the government to track people’s most private moments.

    Advocates of the policy said that it would protect children from accessing porn online.

    In a written statement to parliament, Morgan said that the government would heighten its focus on its new “online harms” regulation to address issues caused by minors accessing porn sites.

    She wrote, “The government’s commitment to protecting children online is unwavering. Adult content is too easily accessed online and more needs to be done to protect children from harm”.

  • More and more young people think that being LGBT+ is “immoral”

    More and more young people think that being LGBT+ is “immoral”

    (C) BIGSTOCK

    If you think that future generations of people might be the answer to the inequalities faced by the LGBT+ community, statistics from Galop‘s latest research is sober reading.

    According to Galop, the UK’s leading charity against violence towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, found that 1 in four people aged 18-24 said that being LGBT+ was “immoral or against their beliefs”.

    That statistic becomes more concerning when you consider that, 41 per cent of the age group said that they strongly agreed (12%), agreed (16%) or were ambivalent (13%) with the idea gay or trans went against their beliefs or that being LGBT+ was in some way immoral.

    Just over half of the respondents aged 18 to 24, said that they disagreed with the statement “Being LGBT+ is immoral or against my beliefs”.

    What about the next age group up?

    Valencia
    CREDIT: TheGayUK

    The age group 25 to 35 didn’t fair much better with 40 per cent saying that strongly agreed (9%), agreed (12%) or were ambivalent (19%) with the idea that being LGBT+ was against their belief.

    This is in stark contrast to the widely quoted statistic from a YouGov survey that found 49 per cent of 18 to 24 year olds, when asked to plot their sexuality on a scale said that they were not 100 per cent heterosexual.

    Nik Noone, Galop’s Chief Executive said, Recorded anti-LGBT+ hate crime has doubled in the last three years. This is reflected in the escalating scale, severity and complexity of hate crime cases we are supporting at Galop. 

    Our ambition is that this report gives insight into the scale of prejudice still faced by our community. More importantly, we hope its findings and recommendations will act as a springboard for action. 

  • One in 10 people in the UK think that gay people can be cured

    One in 10 people in the UK think that gay people can be cured

    jossuetrejo_oficial / Pixabay

    Startling findings reveal that 10 per cent of the UK’s population think that gay cures could work on LGBT+ people.

    Despite many people understanding that LGBT+ are born that way, around 1 in 10 people in the UK, still think that homosexuality or being transgender can be cured according to findings recorded by Galop, the UK’s largest anti-violence charity for LGBT+ people.

    This is coupled with the horrifying revelation that around 20 per cent of people (one in five) said that being LGBT+ was immoral or went against their beliefs.

    The findings were analysed from a representative sample of just over 1,600 people.

    Does conversion therapy actually work?

    There are a number of therapists and organisations in the UK and in the USA that make the claim that conversion therapy can help LGB people to become heterosexual. However, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, there is no evidence that such change is possible.

    Does gay conversion therapy actually work?

    Nick Antjoule, Galop’s Head of Hate Crime Services said, At Galop we’ve seen a stark increase in the severity and scale of anti-LGBT violence and abuse over the past few years. This appears to be a symptom of emergent anti-LGBT attitudes and social division across society. The fact that anti-LGBT hate crime figures are rising so much faster than race, faith and disability hate crime should be a wake-up call for policy makers. We urge action now to address this problem before it escalates further. 
     
    Our research shows the journey toward LGBT+ equality is far from over. Despite most people in this UK poll voicing support for LGBT+ people; a significant proportion still think we are dangerous, immoral or that we can be ‘cured’. 

    Younger people hold more negative views about LGBT+ people rather than the older generation.

    Antijoule continued, “It offers a sobering reminder that progress achieved in recent decades can easily be reversed.

    “Young people polled tended to hold more negative views toward LGBT+ people than other age groups. This alarming finding warns of a generational pivot ahead and a bumpy road for those of us committed to challenging anti-LGBT violence and abuse. 

  • Is Drag Race UK Baga Chipz a Conservative?

    Is Drag Race UK Baga Chipz a Conservative?

    People are wondering if one of Drag Race UK‘s stars is a Conservative!

    We’re three weeks and we’re starting to see in our analytics, here at TGUK central what people are wondering about the Drag Queens of Drag Race UK and one of the most highly asked questions is whether Baga Chipz – one of the competition’s favourites to win, is a Conservative. If you’re in the US, the Conservatives are like a Republican Lite. Think a centre-right party without the guns.

    Recently Baga Chipz, was forced to defend a pro-Conservative op-ed she wrote for a magazine back in 2017, during the General Election.

    In the piece, she wrote, that former Prime Minister Theresa May had “proved to be a capable politician, always on the ball and never at risk of having a ‘Diane Abbott’ moment”.

    The piece was unearthed by fans of the show, some of whom were quick to condemn Chipz as a “Tory Queen”.

    However, Baga Chipz was quick to confirm that she was actually a “life-long labour supporter” but wrote the piece because she wasn’t a fan of Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

    She pointed out his “record on antisemitism, his support for the IRA and homophobic terror groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, his support for brutal dictatorships in Venezuela and Cuba”.

    In the piece, titled “Why Vote Conservative” for scene magazine Boyz, she wrote,

    “As a member of the LGBTQI community, I often get asked about Theresa May’s voting record on gay rights, and I understand the concerns,

    “But just as Hillary Clinton changed her stance, so has Mrs May. Not only has she voted for every LGBT reform in parliament in the last decade but she was instrumental in pushing marriage equality.”

    “I am not a Tory”

    Defending her 2017 stance, Chipz took to Twitter to write,  “I am not a Tory. I’m actually a lifelong labour supporter. I supported Theresa May in the last election as I’m not a fan of Jeremy Corbyn.. was 4 years ago hun.. one is allowed to change ones views.

    — Baga Chipz MBE (@ChipShopBird) August 21, 2019

    How does Theresa May’s Voting Record on LGBT+ issues stand?

    Although more recently Theresa May’s voting record has leaned to pro-LGBT+ rights here past actions saw her vote in favour of Section 28,  in a GAYUK analysis May only achieved a 29.6% LGBT+ friendly rating. We noted, “Ms May is what we’d call an evolved Minister on LGBT+ and gay rights. Prior to 2004 she systematically voted against the rights of gay people in the UK. Then we see a 180-degree change in her voting pattern, although she did have a blip in 2007 when she failed to vote on the Discrimination on the grounds of sexuality law. Since the beginning of this decade, she has voted positively for the LGBT+ community.”

    Embed from Getty Images

    Chipz has now said that she’d vote Liberal Democrat.

    So no, she isn’t a Conservative, but a Lib Demmer – a party that is pro-EU and has a great track record when it comes to LGBT+ rights.

  • Daily Mail readers are doing their nut in after it reports that people who abuse trans people might get SIX months in Prison.

    Daily Mail readers are doing their nut in after it reports that people who abuse trans people might get SIX months in Prison.

    jraffin / Pixabay

    Sure as shit smells, Daily Mail readers can’t quite believe that hate crimes against LGBT+ people should be punished with a ‘harsher” prison sentence.

    Hello and welcome to Britain 2019. The Daily Mail has reported that judges in the UK now have the power to hand out “harsher sentences” for those found guilty of hate crimes against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

    That “harsher” sentence actually equates to SIX months (note the capital letters). Which a tiny proportion of those who commit an actual offence will actually receive. And remember six months, will never, in reality, be six months – more like three.

    It’s worth remembering most hate crimes do not get reported in the first place and the majority of those that are reported DO NOT end up in prosecution or a trial.

    Just 8 per cent of reports actually go to trial.

    PublicDomainPictures / Pixabay

    The new sentencing policy is set against the news that hate crimes reports against trans people have risen by 37 per cent to 2333 reports while crimes reported against lesbian, gay and bisexual people has risen by 25 per cent to 14,500 reported crimes.

    The Daily Mail decided to frame the news with a title that read,”Now trans and gay hate crime will mean SIX months in jail after judges are ordered to crack down with harsher sentence” and then used domestic burglaries as a benchmark to drive a point that the sentences are longer – for crimes against the person rather than property. Surely that’s what it should be?

    Well within hours of the piece, written by Steve Doughty for The Daily Mail, there were numerous remarks in the infamous comment section of the website, most of which were decrying the news.

    “mac.attack” hailing from New Zealand, seemed concerned that a misconstrued joke could end up with us all on a slippery slope. God knows where, but we praise the liberal use of lube.

    “Quirkyandcute” seemed overly worried that police time would be wasted… because of reports that someone’s feelings were hurt.

    A “Chufton” was short but to the point, added, “complete nonsense” and “Speak for England” wrote “Gestapo Britain”… yes because punishing those who commit actual crimes will quickly lead to the rise of Hilter 2.

    SMH.

    There were the usual cries of “police state” and “madhouse”.

    Yes, people. Welcome to the UK in 2019.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Woman in Black – National Tour

    ★★★★ | The Woman in Black

    (C) PR SUPPLIED / FORTUNE

    Set in an old theatre in the late 1950s, a solicitor, Arthur Kipps, enlists the assistance of a young actor to tell his story. His tale revolves around a terrifying incident when he was younger, when he travelled to Eel Marsh House to settle the estate of a long-standing deceased client. Alone in his client’s mansion, he is plagued by the sound of a pony and trap, an unexplained banging noise and a door which appears to be locked from the inside. What secrets does the estate hold? And who is the woman in black he keeps seeing?

    This effective ghost story is beautifully crafted and uses simple techniques to create a very taught atmosphere. The lighting design, in particular, was incredibly well done – who would have thought that a dark stage with just a door highlighted would draw worried mumblings from those around you? The production slowly cranks up the tension, drawing you to the edge of your seat and then throwing you back into it with some effective jump scares.

    The narrative of the show remains faithful to the original novel, and the production avoids spoon-feeding you the story, leaving you to create your own horrors in your imagination. The set, staging and props were remarkably effective in their simplicity and created an atmosphere where you held your breath with the central character as he explored the darkness; and the way in which the audience is manipulated via the events unfolding on stage is testament to the quality of writing behind the show and the impressive performances of the two actors, Robert Goodale and Daniel Easton.

    The Woman In Black is well-crafted fireside ghost story which proves that there is more to what is unseen than what is seen. This show is a chilling pre-Halloween treat and a perfect way to spend a dark, stormy winter evening.

    The Woman In Black is currently at Sheffield Theatres until 12th October 2019 before continuing on its national tour and is also playing in the West End.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | tick, tick…BOOM, Penge

    THEATRE REVIEW | tick, tick…BOOM, Penge

    ★★★★ | tick, tick…BOOM, Penge

    Jonathan Larson, the genius behind Rent – perhaps one of the greatest musicals of all time – created a show about his struggle with getting a show produced before Rent – the show is ‘tick tick…BOOM’ – and it is now playing at the Bridge House Theatre in SE20 – Penge.

    Larson, who died sadly and unexpectedly of an aortic aneurysm in January, 1996 – a few weeks before Rent‘s world premiere – at the age of 35 – was very talented, and as the Writer, Composer and Lyricist of tick tick…BOOM his extreme talent was just starting to bloom when he died.

    But tick, tick…BOOM is actually what turns out to be a celebration of his life – telling the story of Jon (a very good Alex Lodge) getting ready to turn 30 and still waiting tables for a living but soon to workshop a show he has written called Superbia.

    He’s besotted with his girlfriend Susan (a good Georgie Ashford) and is not very jealous of his rich gay best friend Michael (James Hume), who seems to have it all but in all actuality does not. So tick, tick…BOOM takes us through the trials and tribulations of Jon’s struggle with the upcoming workshop, and his relationships with his girlfriend and best friend.

    Songs in this show, including ‘Therapy’ and the opening number ’30/90′ pre-tell the songwriting style of Larson and what was to come in the masterpiece that was Rent. If you, like me, are a fan of Rent and have never seen tick, tick….BOOM, it’s worth the journey to Penge to see this show (the theatre is conveniently located next to Penge East overground train station).

    If you’ve never seen Rent, then this show is also worth a watch as the story is relevant to pretty much all of us as we struggled to become successful in our first jobs. And the cast is all wonderful, and Lodge is just about perfect as Jon, with a glimmer of a sparkle in his eye that tells us the real Jon knew he had a gift.

    The show was first performed Off-Off-Broadway in September 1990 by Jonathan Larson in a workshop at the Second Stage Theatre under the title ‘Boho Days.’ It originally premiered in London with Neil Patrick Harris as Jon at the Menier Chocolate Factory and ran for three months.

    This production ends on October 27th, so book now.