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Tag: UK

  • There’s going to be an Act Of Remembrance for the 20th anniversary of the Admiral Duncan bombing

    Pride in London joins 17-24-30 NationalHCAW to mark 20 years since Admiral Duncan bombing

    • On 30th April 1999 a nail bomb attack at the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho killed three people and wounded 79
    • Soho attack followed two other nail bombings in Brixton on 17th April and Brick Lane on 24th April as part of a homophobic, racist terror campaign
    • Soho Act of Remembrance marking the 20th anniversary of the attacks will take place at 5pm on Tuesday 30th April outside the Admiral Duncan

    Pride in London is joining anti-hate charity 17-24-30 NationalHCAW (National Hate Crime Awareness Week) this Tuesday (30th April) to mark the 20th anniversary of the London nail bombings and remember those killed during the attacks: Nik Moore, Andrea Dykes and John Light.

    On 30th April 1999, three people were killed and 79 injured when a nail bomb was detonated at the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho, the heart of London’s gay community. At the time the pub and the street outside were particularly crowded because the evening was the start of the early May Bank Holiday weekend. Four of the survivors had to have limbs amputated.

    An Act of Remembrance marking 20 years since the attacks is planned for Tuesday evening, starting outside the Admiral Duncan and then moving round to St Anne’s Gardens on Wardour Street. The latter part will feature speeches from: Rev Simon Buckley, St Anne’s Church; Mark Healey, Founder 17-24-30 NationalHCAW and Cllr Ian Adams, Westminster Council – as well as three poems read by Trudy Howson, LGBT Poet Laureate; Terry Morely, Nik Moore’s aunt and Natalie Patterson, Andrea Dyke’s sister, and performances by the London Gay Men’s Chorus, the Pink Singers and Diversity Choir.

    Embed from Getty Images

    The bombing in Soho followed two connected attacks in other parts of the capital: Brixton on 17th April and Brick Lane on 24th April. Though there were no fatalities, 61 people were injured by the blasts. These attacks were racially-motivated and targeted the black community in south London and the Bangladeshi Muslim community in the East End. Smaller acts of remembrance took place in both locations on the respective dates as part of 17-24-30 NationalHCAW’s April Acts of Remembrance.

    Mark Healey, Founder of 17-24-30 NationalHCAW, said, “It’s hugely important that our communities come together to mark the anniversaries of these horrendous events. We have a duty to remember those we lost, to show our ongoing support to those affected by these attacks, and most importantly to educate the next generation to make sure these kinds of attacks never happen again.

    “We’re good at dealing with the immediate aftermath of these kinds of attacks but more needs to be done to deal with their longer-term impact on our communities. Some of the survivors and the families affected by these attacks are still suffering and need more support. I hope our April Acts of Remembrance inspire people to get involved, to build stronger links between all our communities and ensure there is no place for hate amongst us.”

    The Soho Act of Remembrance will take place at 5pm on Tuesday 30th April outside the Admiral Duncan on Old Compton Street, Soho. So the organisers can gauge how many people will attend, please register here if you plan to join the act of remembrance.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Little Death Club, Underbelly Southbank, London

    THEATRE REVIEW | Little Death Club, Underbelly Southbank, London

    ★★★★★ | Little Death Club, London

    The best type of shows at the theatre have always been the ones that give you a bit of everything; comedy, singing, live music, and perhaps throwing in some death-defying performances, drag, and gratuitous nudity is always welcome. Little Death Club gives us this and more!

    Playing until Sunday June 23rd, 2019, Little Death Club has literally something for everyone (the straights, the gays and all the in betweens).

    Compered by the sexy and slutty Bernie Dieter, she guides us through the all too short (one hour) show and introduces the acts, but she is an act unto herself. She sarcastically delivers with a Berlin/Rocky Horror sluttiness style, all with a bang, and involving some lucky male audiences members whom she involves in a bit of mischievous. But then immediately the acts come out fast and furious. The lithe and built body of the ever so graceful Beau Sargent who wows the crowd, scantily clad of course, as he does acrobatics and does bends and turns where the audience can see every line on his body; to the amazing Fancy Chance who hangs and spins by her hair – literally – and then decides she doesn’t need to wear any clothes – and does the spinning again – in the nude.

    Myra Dubios provides laughter and glamour to the proceedings, while disgruntled Josh Glanc tells why he is not a happy mine. But the show ends with a bang by the amazing Kitty Bang Bang, who eats fire and spits it out – so don’t get too close to her. This and more is showcased to a very happy audience at the Underbelly in the Southbank. You get a lot of bang for your buck, and you’ll want to go back and see it again (I will). The Spiegeltent, which has been home to many many cabaret and burlesque shows, might have found it’s best one yet. It’s excellent, breath-taking, hilarious, sexy, and with a bar attached to quench your thirst. What more could you ask for in a night at the theatre? It sure beats watching Dame Maggie Smith delivering a 100 minute monologue that’s for sure.

    Little Death Club plays at the Underbelly Festival Southbank until 23rd June 2019, click here for more details

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Tumulus, Soho Theatre, London

    THEATRE REVIEW | Tumulus, Soho Theatre, London

    ★★★★ | Tumulus, London

    (C) Darren Bell

    There’s a mound in Hampstead Heath where dead bodies of gay men are being found. It’s a tumulus (a mound), and the story behind the tumulus is disturbingly and jarringly portrayed and performed in a show of the same name at The Soho Theatre.

    It’s a life of drugs, sex, parties, and unfortunately murder in this production where gay men PnP (Party and Play – code words for drugs with sex). But in particular one gay man, Anthony, who works at the British Museum as a curator (a fantastic Ciaran Owens), through phone apps (we know which ones), finds himself in this world of chemicals and sex.

    In this world he encounters men around his age (Ian Hallard) and much younger men (Harry Lister Smith), who are also like him – living a life where there are no bounds and no boundaries. But gay men are winding up dead in Hampstead Heath, and Anthony might have just stumbled on the idea that there is a serial killer of gay men out there. All this happens in an explosive one hour of theatre that will awaken your senses and your mind.

    Tumulus is a show that is taut, tight, but never loses it’s edge, thanks to sharp writing by Christopher Adams and direction by Matt Steinberg. It’s got a great cast, especially Owens as the lead character.

    He takes us on this journey with him, in our face and right up our arses.

    Tumulus plays at the Soho Theatre until 4th May 2019

  • Theatre Review | Rough Crossing – National Tour

    ★★☆☆☆ | Rough Crossing

    As a theatre company board a cruise ship to cross the Atlantic to New York for the premier of their new piece, it’s not just the waters that become choppy. Following the overhearing of an ill-timed romantic interlude between his two leads, Hungarian playwright Turai tries to keep his upcoming production on track, by re-writing parts of his script to cover up for their indiscretion. But with only four and a half days to rewrite and rehearse the play, it is all hands on deck to keep things afloat.

    Turai is played with an air of camp sophistication by John Partridge (EastEnders) and bounces nicely off Matthew Cottle (Spooks) as his downtrodden writing partner; whilst rising star Charlie Stemp outshines them both with a confident portrayal of the cabin boy, Dvornichek.

    Despite an impressive and lavish art deco set, sadly, the play holds little else in terms of appeal. The script is neither witty nor amusing, eliciting only the briefest isolated pockets of laughter (primarily from the same audience member); whilst the direction is lacklustre at best and inexplicably tacks on a wholly misplaced musical number at the end of each act. The whole thing doesn’t really know quite where to put itself – it is not quite sophisticated comedy, not quite farce, not quite “Carry On” and not quite musical comedy. Sadly, unlike the fictional ship, the whole story seems to go absolutely nowhere.

    Tom Stoppard’s play is a wordy affair with a rapidly delivered script which is awash with very gentile and outdated comedy and a smattering of physical slapstick thrown in; and fans of Stoppard’s work will no doubt relish the opportunity of seeing one of his lesser revived pieces performed in a professional, touring production.

    Despite a few issues with diction at times, the production is competently presented, but ultimately the show itself never really sets sail and ends up casting the audience member’s interest adrift.

    Rough Crossing is currently at the Sheffield Lyceum until 27th April 2019 before continuing on its national tour.

  • Ann Widdecombe has joined the Brexit Party

    Ann Widdecombe has joined the Brexit Party

    Ann Widdecombe, one of the UK’s most anti-equality politicians, has joined the Brexit Party.

    One of the UK’s most conservative politicians, Ann Widdecombe has joined the brand new Brexit Party, which is headed up by former UKIP leader Nigel Farage. The party was formed ahead of the forthcoming European elections, in which the UK will vote in.

    During her time in office as the MP for Maidstone and The Weald, Ann Widdecombe voted against every piece of pro-LGBT+ or equalising legislation for the gay community in the UK.

    In 2003 she voted to maintain Section 28 in schools and in 1998 she voted against the law to equalise the age of consent. Between 1998 and 2009 she was involved in 17 votes pertaining to LGBT+ rights – 13 of which she voted against and the other four she was absent from, according to theyworkforyou.com

    Ann Widdecombe’s career as an MP was ended in 2010.

    She also voted against the Equality Bill which promotes equality and various human rights.

    Nigel Farage described Widdecombe’s entry into the Brexit Party, as “great news”. He took to social media to say, “I welcome Ann Widdecombe as our lead candidate in the South West, the Brexit Party is a stronger alliance as a result. This is great news”.

     

  • Bobby Norris’ petition to criminalise homophobia online has reached over 100,000 signatures

    Bobby Norris’ petition to criminalise homophobia online has reached over 100,000 signatures

    Bobby Norris created a petition imploring politicians to make online homophobia a criminal offence, and it’s reached a whopping milestone.

    Bobby Norris from The Only Way Is Essex
    From Lime Productions

    TOWIE star Bobby Norris is celebrating after a petition he created, asking the UK’s government to make online homophobia a specific offence reached over 100,000 signatures.

    Taking to social media, Bobby wrote, “WOW!! Thank you so much to everyone who has signed and shared my petition. I can’t wait to get into Parliament now and get this debated”.

    As it stands the petition currently has over 114,000 signatures.

    In his original petition, Bobby wrote, that he was “devastated” by homophobic abused levelled at the LGBT+ community and wanted it to be debated in parliament.

    The Home Office responded at 10,000 signatures, saying “The Government recognises the harm that homophobic online messages can cause. We are working cross-Government to challenge inequality and make the UK’s online environment a safer place for everyone.”

    “The internet provides a wealth of opportunities for people globally. It is a platform for everyone to share experiences and creativity, and it encourages rich discussion. It has allowed people to create communities and interact in ways that were not previously possible. The Government recognises, however, that some people exploit these opportunities to spread harmful messages which would not be tolerated offline. Protecting people online is a top priority for Government.

    “In some cases, these behaviours may already constitute criminal offences, and the law does not differentiate between criminal offences committed on social media or elsewhere. We have robust legislation to deal with internet trolls, cyber-stalking and harassment, and perpetrators of grossly offensive, obscene or menacing behaviour, which may be relevant to some cases of LGBT abuse.

    “Hate crime legislation may already apply in online homophobic offences. Hate crimes include crimes demonstrating hostility on the grounds of an individual’s actual or perceived race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity, as well as stirring up hatred on the grounds of race, religion or sexual orientation.

    “The Government is taking significant steps to tackle hateful activity online:

    • We are funding a National Online Hate Crime Hub which uses specially trained police officers and staff to investigate reports.

    • We supported the European Commission Code of Conduct for Countering Illegal Hate Speech which has been signed by key companies including Facebook, YouTube, Microsoft, Twitter and Instagram. A key aim is to ensure that requests to remove content are reviewed in less than 24 hours, and content is removed if necessary.

    • We commissioned the Law Commission review of offensive online communications. The Law Commission has just begun a specific review of hate crime legislation.

    • More widely, a joint Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS)-Home Office White Paper will be published this year, setting out a range of legislative and non-legislative measures detailing how we will tackle online harms and set clear responsibilities for tech companies to keep UK citizens safe.

    The Government recognises that homophobic abuse can have potentially devastating impacts on victims and we are working to challenge inequality beyond a law enforcement approach alone. This broader approach also recognises that we need to ensure we strike the right balance between protecting citizens and protecting their rights to free expression. Everyone has the right to freedom of expression under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, however this is not an excuse to spread hatred. Article 10 is a qualified right, which means it is not absolute and it can be restricted for certain purposes.

    This approach includes a variety of actions. In July 2018, the Government Equalities Office (GEO) launched the National LGBT Survey to understand LGBT people’s experiences of accessing services. Over 108,000 people completed the survey. In response to the findings, GEO also launched an LGBT Action Plan setting out 75 commitments to improve outcomes for LGBT people. The Action Plan includes a £4.5 million fund to address inequality and support the delivery of commitments cross-sector.

    The LGBT Action Plan includes the following commitments to ensure LGBT people feel safe online beyond the actions listed above:

    • The Home Office is supporting the police to improve how they respond to hate crime and raise awareness of local support agencies for LGBT victims. The 2018 refresh of the Hate Crime Action Plan is supporting police training that is tailored to the needs of victims, such as those of homophobic, biphobic and transphobic hate crimes.

    • The National Crime Agency (NCA) will ensure LGBT people can access educational online safety interventions that are informed by their experiences. The NCA will develop effective and appropriate education interventions to ensure LGBT people can be full, equal and safe participants in online activity.

     

  • The government’s porn database to come online in July

    The government’s porn database to come online in July

    New rules mean that you will have to prove you are over the age of 18 – and be on a database, in order to view porn from mid-July.

    CREDIT: ©-lofilolo-Depositphotos

    Anyone who is watching porn via a British IP address will have to prove they’re of legal age to watch the content from mid-July. The new legislation has many critics concerned about privacy protection. The House of Commons passed the issue quietly on Monday, 17th December 2018.

    Users will need to, from 15th July 2019, register on porn sites with official documents such as a driver’s license, passport or an age verification card. One of the systems in place is called the AgeID system another is called AVSecure.

    The law means that you have to prove you are over the age of 18 before you can access porn sites in the UK and is part of the Digital Economy Act. The rules will apply to any website or platform which offers porn on a “commercial basis”.

    Sites that do not keep a database of its users and their ages maybe blocked to users in the UK.

    Advocates for the new rules hope that the measures will protect children from online porn.

    However, despite its intentions to protect children from accessing porn, the new law will not stop minors from being able to view unlawful content on social media.

    Porn Passes from the Newsagents

    igorovsyannykov / Pixabay

    Plans are being made to make “porn passes” available at local newsagents, which will allow people in the UK who want to watch porn to bypass inputting personal data which proves their age to various porn sites, according to The Independent. It is a way in which people can access porn anonymously once the new law comes into force.

    Buying a “porn pass” means that you will have to hand over personal information to your local newsagent, who will be able to issue you with an anonymous pass, which will allow you access to adult sites in the UK.

    Some of the activities banned by the Conservative government could overtly affect the porn consumption of gay men in the UK – including those who watch BDSM, rimming (facesitting) and fisting.

  • Victim of sexual assault left devastated by his attack

    Victim of sexual assault left devastated by his attack

    The vulnerable victim of a violent sexual assault says he has been left  ‘devastated’ by the attack.

    The victim was on a night out in Newcastle City Centre when he was subjected to the horrifying ordeal.

    He told police: “I have never been the most confident of people and this incident has really devastated me.

    “My self-confidence is really low and I am very anxious about being in public places with people I don’t know.

    “Even to this day I feel violated, traumatised and angry that this has happened to me.”

    His attacker Zain Osman, 25, of Gerald Street, Newcastle, admitted sexual assault after he approached the victim on a night out and put his hand down the man’s trousers.

    He then pushed the victim’s head towards his genitals.

    Last month Osman was jailed for 15 months at Newcastle Crown Court.

    “Extremely traumatised”

    During the 20 minute attack, Osman bit the victim on the back which resulted in him falling into a ditch where some road works were being carried out. The victim was left with multiple injuries and was extremely traumatised.

    The 26-year-old victim, who has lifelong anonymity, has been described by his family as ‘a trusting young lad who is unable to defend himself’. They have praised the police for getting justice for their ‘gentle giant’.

    They said: “He is so trusting of others, even when he doesn’t know people. It’s not in his nature to be nasty to anybody. He can’t really stick up for himself so how someone could take advantage of him is just incomprehensible.

    “The police have been so supportive from day one and when Osman was jailed, it was a huge relief for us all.”

    Detective Constable Ross Atkinson who led the case explains why protecting vulnerable people and seeking justice for this victim is exactly what police are here to do.

    Det Con Atkinson said, “The morality of Osman who tried to blame the culture of Newcastle to justify his actions is totally inexcusable. He targeted a vulnerable victim and sexually assaulted him. There is no one else to blame for that but himself.

    “The victim is such a lovely young man and this has utterly traumatised him. When he first came forward he was understandably extremely upset and shaken by what had happened.

    “I think there was an apprehension to report it at first thinking we may not believe what he was telling us, which of course was absolutely not the case – we will treat anyone who reports such offences with compassion and our specialist officers will carry out a thorough investigation.

    “My priority throughout this investigation was to really focus on the victim and support him in any way we could to ultimately get the justice he deserves.

    “Osman pleaded guilty to the offence due to the irrefutable evidence put before him. It gave the victim a sense of relief that he wouldn’t have to go through a trial and that he was believed.

    “I think the important message is that no one should be subject to such an assault in any circumstances.
    “It is our priority to protect victims like this brave young man and make sure we do all we can to raise awareness that help and support is available.”

    If you have been a victim of rape, sexual assault or exploitation, whether this is recent or historic, please come forward and contact police on 101, or 999 in an emergency.

    To contact the 24/7 Crisis Helpline contact 03333448283 or find out more about our Sexual Assault Referral Centre by searching REACH SARC online.

     

    Victims can also contact Victims First Northumbria on 0800 011 3116 who will give independent advice and support.

  • Transport for London removes Brunei adverts

    Transport for London has removed adverts from Brunei across its network.

    Adverts which called Brunei an “Abode of Peace” have been removed from across the Transport for London network. The removal comes after numerous people complained about the advert’s messaging following on from Brunei’s decision to enact a law which introduces the death penalty for sex between men.

    Numerous travellers on the network implored TfL to removed the posters, with many saying that the slogan “an abode for peace” was not accurate, particularly for LGBT+ people in the region.

    A statement from TfL said that the advert when reviewed against their policy it is clear that “this is an issue of great public sensitively and controversy” and said that the poster would be removed from the network.

    It also said any future adverts would be “reviewed against the advertising policy, and information that has recently come to light would be considered in any decision”.

     

    Travel boycotts

    ©-anterovium-Depositphotos

    Set featured image

    At least one major travel firm has said it would no longer offer flights on the government-owned airline, Royal Brunei Airlines. STA Travel said, “We’re proud of our open and diverse culture and we expect our partners to demonstrate the same. We do not support in any way the laws being introduced in Brunei (including on Brunei-registered aircraft and vessels). Because of this, we have stopped selling Royal Brunei Airlines flights”.

  • London’s PrEP trial to be boosted by 60 per cent

     Places for London’s PrEP trial to be boosted by 60 per cent.

    PrEP pills
    (C) marcbruxel Depositphotos

    Today (Friday 12 April) London Councils has announced that an agreement has been reached to increase places on the PrEP trial by over 4,000 places.

    The news comes as over two-thirds of sites in London are now closed to gay and bisexual men. The boost still leaves the capital lagging behind many other parts of England which have agreed to double places on the trial.

    “Withholding access is simply not an option”

    Embed from Getty Images

    Debbie Laycock, Head of Policy at Terrence Higgins Trust, said, “Finally the stalemate on PrEP has been broken and some leadership is being shown. This is a welcome step in the right direction that will provide some relief to those in the capital who have been denied access to the trial. We welcome the acknowledgement by London Councils that PrEP must be available to everyone at high risk of HIV exposure and as such withholding access is simply not an option.

    “However this increase is still far short of the doubling of places we were promised by the Health Secretary Matt Hancock over 70 days ago and it won’t be long before we’re once again seeing gay and bisexual men being unable to access PrEP in the capital.

    “‘London continues to outstrip every other part of the UK in the number of new HIV diagnoses each year so it’s critical a sustainable solution for PrEP is found. Today’s news is progress but this remains a job only half complete as places must be doubled to address the high demand seen for PrEP. We need urgent leadership on this from NHS England, the Department for Health & Social Care and councils across the capital because no one at risk of HIV should be turned away.”

     

  • Dame Vera Baird’s support for LGBT+ communities recognised by award short-list

    Dame Vera Baird’s support for LGBT+ communities recognised by award short-list

    Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Dame Vera Baird’s long-standing support for the region’s LGBT+ community, has been recognised as she is named as an awards ceremony finalist.

    Celebrating the positive contributions made by individuals, organisations and groups, the LGBTQ North East Awards have named Dame Vera in the short-list to receive the ‘Ally of the Year’ accolade.

    Dame Vera is known as a vocal supporter of LGBT+ rights, championing inclusion and understanding for all.

    Her support has included providing funding to train advocates to engage with the police and the criminal justice system to raise awareness of LGBTQ issues. This has involved training officers on the impact of LGBT+ hate crime, and to help sign-post victims to support services.

    The OPCC continues to hold regular LGBT+ advisory sessions to hear the views of the LGBT+ communities on how Northumbria Police engages well with the community and where further improvements can be made.

    Commenting on her award nomination, Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Dame Vera Baird QC, said, “I’m delighted to have been shortlisted for this award. I’m proud to be considered, alongside other fantastic people, as a voice that represents our LGBTQ communities. Together, we’re bringing issues that matter to the forefront and pushing for positive change – I wish all nominees the best of luck.”

    Ryan Houston, Founder of Rainbow Foundation, said, “We are delighted to see Dame Vera make it to the final of this year’s Awards. This highlights her continued effort to support the LGBTQ community in the North East, as well as her continued dedication to support LGBTQ employees within the Police force.”