Gay UK News

Stonewalls Awards: Full Winners List Published

trevor@gayuknews.com (Trevor B) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:49:49 PST

The 4th Stonewall Awards, hosted by Gok Wan, were held London's V&A and attended by more than 400 people including celebrities, politicians, sportspeople and writers.

The event, sponsored by Barclays, celebrated those who have made a positive impact on the lives of lesbian, gay and bisexual people in 2009. 2009 winners are:

Hero of the Year - chosen by Stonewall thousands of supporters – Reverend Scott Rennie. The Church of Scotland’s first openly gay minister was inducted in July in the face of shrill opposition from some quarters yet backed by his own Aberdeen congregation.
Bigot of the Year – Father John Owen (voted by thousands of Stonewall supporters) and Jan Moir. Father John Owen claimed on BBC One’s The Big Questions that the majority of child abuse was carried out by gay men. Jan Moir became a late entrant to the award, following unprecedented requests from Stonewall supporters prompted by her Daily Mail piece on the death of Stephen Gately.
Broadcast of the Year – Corrective Rape in South Africa. Samira Ahmed’s special report from Johannesburg focused on a horrific phenomenon emerging in South Africa – the targeting of lesbians for ‘corrective rape’. The judges singled out the report as a ‘shocking piece of television, which cast a light on discrimination suffered by lesbians, all too often overlooked in the media.’
Entertainer of the Year – Boyzone. The Judges noted the huge influence that boy bands have on young people in particular. Stephen Gateley’s brave decision to come out was an important step and the band made pop history with their video featuring a same-sex couple a year ago.

Gay Collective Up & Running

trevor@gayuknews.com (Trevor B) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:08:19 PST

A new innovative website called the LGBT Collective has been launched that aims to promote the wide range of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans resources available across the South West peninsula.

The website address is www.lgbtcollective.org.uk and has a directory of groups and projects across the peninsula, an events diary and local LGBT news.

This brand new resource is the first of its kind in the country and has been funded by the Big Lottery Fund.

As well as being a key new website resource, the Collective is also a physical body of LGBT groups and projects who come together to discuss issues that matter for them and work on campaigns that highlight issues important to LGBT people and communities.

The launch of this site is our first campaign and aims to raise the profile of the many resources available and to get information to rurally isolated people across the peninsula.

Stars Come Out for Terrence Higgins Trust

jenny@gayuknews.com (Jenny P) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:44:57 PST

Over £90,000 was raised for HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust at last night’s Supper Club in central London.

High profile guests who supported the event included Heidi Range, Graham Norton, Cilla Black, Jacquetta Wheeler, Gail Porter, Jason Isaacs, Jodie Prenger and Pattie Boyd.

The now annual event saw over fifty chic dinner parties taking place simultaneously in the capital's best restaurants and private homes. After dinner, guests were chauffeur driven to a fabulous party at Cuban venue Floridita for a carnival of champagne and delicious cocktails from Sagatiba. Guests were also treated to exclusive performances by Alphabeat and DJ Danny Rampling.

Restaurants who took part in this year’s Supper Club include: Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley, Nobu, Scott’s, The Greenhouse, China Tang, and Galvin at Windows. All the restaurants involved in the Supper Club have donated their services free of charge to raise funds for THT.

Conference for Gay Armed Forces

editor@gayuknews.com (Tom Faull) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:56:41 PST

The fifth Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender Conference for HM Armed Forces will take place on Thursday 3 – Friday 4 December 09 in London.

The conference, which is open to all military personnel, and MOD Civil Servants by invitation, will focus this year on recruitment and retention. Attendance from the LGBT junior ranks/ratings is particularly encouraged.

The conference, organised this year by the Royal Navy, is entitled “Out and In – Recruiting and Retaining LGBT Personnel in the Armed Services” and will address how best practice in equality and diversity can improve operational capability through highly motivated and committed personnel from all walks of life.

The conference will combine policy updates and workshops to allow serving personnel and other attendees to debate LGBT issues with their E&D policy staffs and provide input to developing policy and practice. The conference will hear from best practice in recruitment and retention strategies, and have a chance to question key senior personnel in military human resources and service complaints.

International Queer Artists to light up Birmingham Skyline

trevor@gayuknews.com (Trevor B) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:40:38 PST

The work of 30 lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans artists from around the world will light up the Birmingham skyline in early November as part of the SHOUT festival.

The Birmingham Queer Open will take place from 3rd to 6th November 2009, with the work of selected artists projected onto prominent city centre buildings. This open submission event has drawn entries from around the globe and selected artists represent countries as diverse as Canada, USA, Russia, Israel and Italy.

Commenting on the Queer Open, Lisa Metherell, artistic director, states “We are really pleased to have had so many high quality entries both locally and from further afield. Watch the skies...”

The work will be projected onto the BIG PEG on the 3rd and 4th November between 5-9pm, The BIG PEG and Curzon Street Station on 5th November and finally on Wynner House, Bromsgrove Street on 6th November.

Teens Needed for Relationship Survey

trevor@gayuknews.com (Trevor B) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:55:11 PST

A group of Young Leaders from Terrence Higgins Trust are producing an information booklet on relationships and are looking for input from 13-19 year olds from across the country.

A brief survey is being posted online today at www.tht.org.uk/yoursay so teenagers can pass on their views.

The Young Leaders run a Terrence Higgins Trust project which enables 13-19 year olds to teach their peers about sex and relationships. They want the new booklet to be as useful as possible so are seeking input on everything from the topics covered and the design of the booklet to the name of the booklet and where it should be made available.

Young Leader Porsha Nunes-Brown said “Lessons in school might cover the biology of sex, but few people have been taught about relationships. This booklet is going to be for young people, by young people, so we want to hear what 13-19 year olds would like to see included. If you’re in this age group and would like to help just log on and have your say.”

America Removes HIV Ban on those Entering US

trevor@gayuknews.com (Trevor B) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:12:14 PST

The United States administration are to overturn the ban on foreign nationals with HIV entering the USA. The ban has been in place since 1987 and will be lifted early next year.

The ban meant everyone entering the US was required to state that they don’t have a communicable disease, alongside not being a terrorist, a Nazi or a criminal. The UK does not currently have entry restrictions on people living with HIV. Some British politicians have proposed them previously.

On Friday, President Obama announced the repeal of the travel ban, describing the 22-year-old policy as a "decision rooted in fear rather than fact.”

The UN Secretary General has congratulated President Obama on the move. Terrence Higgins Trust and others have campaigned for many years for the policy to be lifted.