Leveson Report: Fail

"There is disturbing and intrusive reporting of transgender and intersex issues by parts of the press' and that some newspapers treat trans people as though they are 'deserving of parody'. “it is clear that there is a marked tendency in a section of the press to fail to treat members of the transgender and intersex communities with sufficient dignity and respect… parts of the tabloid press continue to seek to ‘out’ transgender people notwithstanding its prohibition in the Editors’ Code...
 
"There has been a significant tendency within the press which leads to the publication of prejudicial or pejorative references to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or physical or mental illness or disability... That failure has, in the main, been limited to a section of the press and may well stem from an undue focus on seeking to reflect the views (even if unsuccessfully) of a particular readership."

From the Leveson Report. 
Hear hear.

Fagburn: Me Me Me!

Fagburn has been very depressed these last few weeks.
I know! Boo hoo hoo.
Squish squish *sad face* etc.
Some people say they are "depressed", but for some of us depression means we can't literally function and just want to die.
I'm not asking for sympathy - well, I am - I'm just trying to explain why this blog may have been a lot of random half-hearted bitter and/or boring balls of late.
Sorry.
Obviously everything would be better if we lived in a communist paradise where Tom Daley would let me kiss and cuddle him. 
But I understand my utopia may not be ever realised.
This is - clearly - the modern world's greatest tragedy, but we must somehow try to go on. 
I've been helped by some people's kind words, especially by my friends, some on FOF and here - and of course - my mum, and by listening to The Fall and Go-Kart Mozart.
I hope to be back to abnormal and posting endless crap about gay crap soon.
Thank you for your patience.

x

Leveson Inquiry: On Conclusion

Still trying to digest this*, but I've always thought the wisest words to the Leveson Inquiry were said by Ian Hislop.

"I do think that statutory regulation is not required. Most of the heinous crimes that came up and have made such a splash in front of this inquiry have already been illegal.
"Contempt of court is illegal, phone-tapping is illegal, policemen taking money is illegal. All of these things don't need a code, we already have laws for them.
"The fact that these laws were not rigorously enforced is again due to the failure of the police, the interaction of the police and News International - and let's be honest about this, the fact that our politicians have been very, very involved in ways that I think are not sensible with senior News International people."

After writing this blog about gay men and the media for two years, it's clear the main problem now with how the LGBT community is written about is how trans people are written about - it seems fine to set them up as figures of fear and ridicule, and regularly invade their privacy.
And as Hislop might point out, there are already laws against outing someone as trans.
So why not get newspapers to stick to them?
I want a free press, the problem is, as the Leveson Inquiry showed, we have a cruel and cavalier media seeing how much they can get away with.

* I'm not planning on reading the actual thing, obvs, it's 1.5m words, so don't write in.

Update: Christopher Jefferies - who was outed as a murder suspect to the media by police, and then smeared and libelled by the press, after he was arrested on suspicion of the murder of Jo Yates - has written an open letter about Leveson's findings; "There is a world of difference between statute that sets up an independent regulator and one that sought to regulate content, which no one is suggesting despite what the newspapers say."

Louis Walsh: False

I've rewritten this as I thought my initial post was making light of a serious story, and an awful flaunting of journalistic standards.
(Though regular viewers may think Fagburn has a habit of making crap gags about terrible things).
As I've said before, I think several papers took a rather perverse delight in running this story as it was an underhand way of outing Louis Walsh.  
I'm glad this was the outcome.
But would anyone else have got the same amount of damages if they weren't a millionaire on the tellybox?

My Old School: Change

This was sent last Wednesday - about Stonewall's ask to ask your old school about anti-gay bullying but got lost in the ether - so just got a re-send.
Made me cry about how much has changed...

PS As ever, click to enlarge.

This Is Croydon: This Is England

UKIP'S candidate for the Croydon North by-election says gay people should not be allowed to adopt.
Winston McKenzie said placing children with gay or lesbian couples was "unhealthy" after retweeting an article written by a National Front supporter who claimed there was "no such thing as homophobia".
The author wrote that...
"As a National Front type, I fly the Union Flag outside my house and will fly it at half mast, or not at all, if homosexual marriage becomes law," he added.
The message re-tweeted by Mr McKenzie included a link to the article and attacked Labour's Steve Reed and Respect's Lee Jasper for supporting gay marriage. It ended with the message "Vote NF".

Croydon Advertiser.

Ironically UKIP chose a black candidate to try and show they're not just a bunch of blazered saloon bar bigots.
Also note Mr McKenzie is rather flamboyant and is both a former hairdresser and boxer.
He is also possibly the only person to have tried to stand for just about every major UK political party from Labour through the Lib Dems to the Tories - and is clearly as mad as a box of lorries, and whose political principles are like those of the late Marx (Groucho); "If you don't like them, I have others."
Oh, and the tit was also on X Factor.


PS Here's Ukip's recent "Now I'm not a bigot but..." statement on gay marriage.


Update: The Labour candidate, Steve Reed, a gayer, won with a "whopping" 65%.

Associated Press: An End To Homophobia

The Associated Press has nixed "homophobia," "ethnic cleansing," and a number of other terms from its Style Book in recent months.
The online Style Book now says that "-phobia," "an irrational, uncontrollable fear, often a form of mental illness" should not be used "in political or social contexts," including "homophobia" and "Islamophobia." It also calls "ethnic cleansing" a "euphemism," and says the AP "does not use 'ethnic cleansing' on its own. It must be enclosed in quotes, attributed and explained."

Politico.com.

I sort of agree with this, though words change their meaning, and homophobia is rarely used now to mean a literal fear of homosexuals.
I much prefer anti-gay.
Preferably followed by the word "asshole".
AP farm out stories to all newspapers.
You have to pay to view the AP Style Guide, so I can't verify this.
But I learn from the splendid copy-writer's blog, A Capital Idea, The AP Stylebook updated its gay entry in 2006.

The new guideline:

gay Used to describe men and women attracted to the same sex, though lesbian is the more common term for women. Preferred over homosexual except in clinical contexts or references to sexual activity.

Include sexual orientation only when it is pertinent to a story, and avoid references to "sexual preference" or to a gay or alternative "lifestyle."

Here is how the entry used to read:

gay Acceptable as popular synonym for both male and female homosexuals (n. and adj.), although it is generally associated with males, while lesbian is the more common term for female homosexuals. Avoid references to gay, homosexual or alternative "lifestyle."

Could someone tell the Daily Telegraph?
Oh, and no-one uses "gay" or "gays" as a noun unless they're homophobic or an idiot. 

Gay Marriage Polls: Are They Balls? Agree/Disagree

I return once again, with a heavy heart, to the issue of gay marriage. There is more rather one-eyed polling by the campaign against gay marriage, dutifully reported the Telegraph. The way polling commissioned by the lobby opposed to gay marriage is reported by the newspapers and those commissioning it is almost a masterclass in poor interpretation of polls.
Firstly we have the problems of polls conducting using agree/disagree statements, which risk bias in the direction of the statement asked (which I have written about at length here) and often give contradictory answers if properly balanced with statements in the other direction. For example, in this poll 62% of people agreed with the statement “marriage should continue to be definied as a life-long exclusive commitment between a man and a woman”. The campaign against gay marriage have consistently focused on this question and interpreted this as meaning that 62% of people are opposed to gay marriage. However, the same poll found people agreeing by 44% to 38% that “legalising gay marriage is important because maintaining the distinction between civil partnerships and marriage worsens public attitudes towards gay people”. One could just as easily cherry pick that question from the poll and claim that more people support than oppose gay marriage...

Now we have that hoary old chestnut of a poll showing people want a referendum on gay marriage. As previously discussed, if asked in an opinion poll people want a referendum on almost everything – unsurprisingly, given that questions on referendums basically boil down to “would you like to have a say on this or should it be left to the hated politicians to decide”. It doesn’t mean there is some huge untapped demand for a referendum on that particular issue, people support a referendum on anything you ask about (the one exception I have managed to track down was a MORI poll back in 2001 that found people did not want a referendum on abolishing the monarchy)
Why do I keep coming back to this? I think its mostly the consistently credulous and one-sided reporting of polls on gay marriage in some sections of the press. Readers of some newspapers could be forgiven for thinking that the polling showed that the public were opposed to gay marriage, when any fair minded look at the broad range of polling on the issue would show that the balance of opinion is broadly positive towards it.

YouGov's Anthony Wells writing on his blog, UK Polling Report.

Well, worth reading in full for a demolition job on those misleading ComRes polls for Coalition 4 Marriage that are always bigged up in the Daily Telegraph.

Hot Chip: Don't Deny Your Heart

"Extraordinary tackle!"
Note this is computer-animated, as gay footballer players could not exist in real life.

The Times: Scotland

Odd that this should appear in The Times' Scottish edition.
The Times has been pro-gay marriage - and Scottish folk are famously more so.
64% of Scottish folk agree this would be okay and need not lead to the end of Western civilisation according to a recent Mori poll.

PS I'm still unwell and am just writing short notes at the moment, please bear/bare with me.
But self deluding closeted anti-gay bigots do fuck me off.

Gareth Thomas: Zzzzz...

At last!
Britain's two most boring gay men meet!
Yowsah yowsah yowsah!

Andrew Pierce: As A Gay Man...

Meet your gay uncle Tom... Andrew Pierce.
I can't confirm this figure, mainly as I can't be arsed, but is anyone surprised that a lot of Tory MPs are antediluvian anti-gay bigots?

Marriage: Demanding The Impossible

Oh, Ben!
What a silly thing to say.

Fagburn: Apology Accepted

Fagburn is unwell, but will be back when he feels less mental.

Good day.

x

William Burroughs: Naked Lunch

"The title means exactly what the words say: naked lunch, a frozen moment when everyone sees what is on the end of every fork."

The Onion: 8-Year-Old Palestinian Boy Pleasantly Surprised He Hasn't Been Killed Yet

GAZA CITY—As civilian casualties continue to mount amid the escalating conflict along the Gaza Strip, 8-year-old Palestinian boy Walid Suleiman expressed both joy and astonishment Monday that he has yet to be killed in an Israeli military attack. 
“Boy, I thought I’d be dead by this past Saturday for sure, but amazingly enough, here I am,” said Suleiman, adding that he is “pleased, but pretty shocked” not to be among the estimated 100 Palestinians left dead by widespread Israeli airstrikes in the region over the past six days. 
“I’d have bet you anything that by today they’d have already dug my corpse out from underneath a giant pile of rubble and buried me alongside the rest of my family. Guess I won the lottery, eh?” 
At press time, incoming Israeli aircraft could be heard swiftly approaching as Suleiman limped back to his home.

The Onion.

For those among you taking notes, I think the body count's now 100 to 3.
Hurrah for Zionism!

Matthew Mitcham: Crystal Myths

AUSTRALIAN 10-metre platform diver Matt Mitcham says he battled a methamphetamine addiction in 2011 that almost derailed his career and his life, but the 2008 Beijing gold medallist will be free to compete on future Australian Olympic teams. 
In a book to be released on Monday, ``Twists and Turns,'' Mitcham reveals his battle with low self-esteem, anxiety and depression, panic attacks and repeated self-harm as a teenager, which helped begin his dependence on crystal meth... 

The Australian (and all gay media).

Now, far be it from me to accuse Matthew Mitcham of making this up just cause she's got a book to sell, but it does seem odd that his "addiction" to crystal never showed up in any of the random and frequent drug tests professional athletes have to undergo. 
Still, if I was a minor celebrity gayer, and was trying to make my rather dull, bourgeois and vanilla life sound interesting I'd probably make up a story about how "I battled a Tina addiction", too.
Like what that Rufus "My In-No-Way-Made-Up Drugs Hell" Wainwright did...

Anti-Bullying Week: Dear Mr Fenton...

It is Anti-Bullying Week.

Stonewall are asking people to write to the headteacher of their old school and ask what measures they are taking to challenge homophobic behaviour.

There is a letter template and stuff here.

I felt a bit emotional adding; "As a gay man who is an ex-pupil..."

I'll let you know what Mr Fenton tells me...

PS That is my school above there, pictured unrecently. The windows never closed in that towerblock, but it made a change from being taught in Portakabins. Thank you, Mrs Thatcher!

Goya: The Third Of May

Mail On Sunday: From The Message Boards

"gay marriage" ? NOT IN MY NAME ! ! The Silent Majority will remember your Treachery, at next Election - THE VOICE OF REASON, NEWCASTLE

If he and Cameron think their support for gay marriage will win them the next General Election, this confirms to me that they are totally incompetent ^ entirely unfit for purpose. - Hugo Furst, England

I will never vote conservative again if they change the law regarding marriage between a man & woman. - Richie, Warrington

Just a few of the common sense articles. Our elected leaders should knuckle down to running the country and stop wasting time on such minority issues. I married twice had 2 daughters then 4 sons. All are married & have families of their own. They have their in-laws & friends. & not a homosexual in sight. The 98%. - John Vivatrex, Fort Erie, United Kingdom

Okay... I think this has got that whole gay marriage debate thing sorted out once and for all.

Next!

PS These were posted after an anti-gay marriage piece by Amanda Platell so vacuous I won't even dignify it with a critique. 

"gay marriage" ? NOT IN MY NAME ! ! The Silent Majority will remember your Treachery, at next Election - THE VOICE OF REASON , NEWCASTLE, 17/1 1If he and Cameron think their support for gay marriage will win them the next General Election, this confirms to me that they are totally incompetent ^ entirely unfit for purpose. - Hugo Furst,England,17/11 So the focus is on winning the next election, not running the country out of bankruptcy. Is there not a better person who could do his job? - Colin, Coningsby, UK, 17/11 I will never vote conservative again if they change the law regarding marriage between a man & woman. - Richie, Warrington, 17/11 Just a few of the common sense articles. Our elected leaders should knuckle down to running the country and stop wasting time on such minority issues. I married twice had 2 daughters then 4 sons. All are married & have families of their own. They have their in-laws & friends. & not a homosexual in sight. The 98%.

- John Vivatrex , Fort Erie, United Kingdom, 18/11/2012 01:06

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2234249/George-fraud-gay-marriage.html#ixzz2CbKkHF3k
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Union J: There's Always One

X FACTOR heart-throb Jaymi Hensley has revealed Louis Walsh encouraged him to come out. The Union J singer sought advice from his mentor on the show, who has managed top bands Boyzone and Westlife, about making his decision.

And speaking exclusively to The Sun last night, Jaymi said: “I spoke to Louis about this and he said, ‘put it this way, both of my big boybands had a gay member in them.’ So he said it fits the formula quite well!
“Every boyband has got to have a gay one! And Louis just said ‘do it’.”
And Jaymi is delighted he did, admitting: “I’m gay and I’ve never been happier!”

“I came on to the show not wanting to be judged for my personal life.
“But people have caught wind of it and I just wanted to set the record straight. It is not a big thing for me — I came out when I was 14 to my family and friends and never had one piece of negativity.
“It is a brave move. There could be negative people, but they are just sad and stuck 20 years ago.
“I hope the reaction will hopefully be, ‘OK, we kind of knew, but well done on coming out’.
“I don’t want people to think I have hidden this to gain votes because I am so proud of who I am. I hope people respect me for being honest.”

The Sun Sunday. 

The Sun and the Sun Sunday's predecessor, The News Of The World, are notorious for effectively blackmailing young gay celebs into coming out, but clearly this has not happened here, and Jaymi just decided last night to tell all to the all-new and totally different "this leopard is now striped" Sun Sunday on a whim.
Obvs.

Top Jaymi Tru Popfax!

1. He spelz his name in a really annoying ditzy young queen way.

2. His boyfriend is a hairdresser!

3. The kid has dreams - big dreams. “I want to be able to go to gay clubs and be pictured with [Katie Price] and her gay friends.”

“I want to be able to go to gay clubs and be pictured with her and her gay friends. I want to have fun with my life.”

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/x_factor/4650601/Every-boyband-needs-a-gay-one-and-Im-Union-Js.html#ixzz2CZCFy0er 

X FACTOR heart-throb Jaymi Hensley has revealed Louis Walsh encouraged him to come out.

The Union J singer sought advice from his mentor on the show, who has managed top bands Boyzone and Westlife, about making his decision.
And speaking exclusively to The Sun last night, Jaymi said: “I spoke to Louis about this and he said, ‘put it this way, both of my big boybands had a gay member in them.’ So he said it fits the formula quite well!
“Every boyband has got to have a gay one! And Louis just said ‘do it’.”
And Jaymi is delighted he did, admitting: “I’m gay and I’ve never been happier!”


Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/x_factor/4650601/Every-boyband-needs-a-gay-one-and-Im-Union-Js.html#ixzz2CZAJyBaG

Tom Daley: At Last... It's The Daley Ghetto Slut Drop!

Well, if that's not worth £5 of your English money, I don't know what is.
You can watch the Team GB video in full here (Warning: Contains some posh people doing 'Gangnam Style', which may make you realise Madame Mao was right all along).
I bet our Tom was really pissed off he didn't get to join in the Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) dance, though.

• You can donate to Children In Need here. Thanks to Ben and EMF.

Chomsky: On Israel's War On Gaza

The incursion and bombardment of Gaza is not about destroying Hamas. It is not about stopping rocket fire into Israel, it is not about achieving peace.

The Israeli decision to rain death and destruction on Gaza, to use lethal weapons of the modern battlefield on a largely defenseless civilian population, is the final phase in a decades-long campaign to ethnically-cleanse Palestinians.

Israel uses sophisticated attack jets and naval vessels to bomb densely-crowded refugee camps, schools, apartment blocks, mosques, and slums to attack a population that has no air force, no air defense, no navy, no heavy weapons, no artillery units, no mechanized armor, no command in control, no army… and calls it a war. It is not a war, it is murder.

When Israelis in the occupied territories now claim that they have to defend themselves, they are defending themselves in the sense that any military occupier has to defend itself against the population they are crushing. You can't defend yourself when you're militarily occupying someone else's land. That's not defense. Call it what you like, it's not defense.

Noam Chomsky.
   
• Who is doing the killing in Gaza? - Joint statement signed by Chomsky.
 Video interview with Amy Goodman about Chomsky's recent visit to the Gaza Strip.
“You’re cross-dressers! You’re the Gay Pride March, that’s what you are!” - Israeli war supporters attack Tel Aviv peace demo.
For more on Israel/Palestine and the current attack on Gaza see Znet.

But remember, if Israel launches a genocidal invasion of Gaza soon, they must be forgiven anything and everything because Tel Aviv has a really nice gay beach.

Daily Mail: The Filth & The Fury

Given the current climate you'd think a BBC DJ would want to keep his head down.

‘Like a lot of youngsters she wants to know everything she can about the celebs she follows. She stumbled across this comment on Twitter and was very shocked. She showed it to her father who passed it to me.’
Mr Sherwood, a male nurse, added: ‘He’s supposed to be a role model for kids but using this sort of language is surely inappropriate’.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2234229/Parents-Facebook-bid-drive-DJ-BBC-Fury-crude-remarks-Radio-1-presenter-Nick-Grimshaw.html#ixzz2CTlreuoP
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

‘Like a lot of youngsters she wants to know everything she can about the celebs she follows. She stumbled across this comment on Twitter and was very shocked. She showed it to her father who passed it to me.’
Mr Sherwood, a male nurse, added: ‘He’s supposed to be a role model for kids but using this sort of language is surely inappropriate’.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2234229/Parents-Facebook-bid-drive-DJ-BBC-Fury-crude-remarks-Radio-1-presenter-Nick-Grimshaw.html#ixzz2CTlreuoP
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on FacebookGiven the current climate you’d think a BBC DJ would want to keep his head down.Given the current climate you’d think a BBC DJ would want to keep his head down.Given the current climate you’d think a BBC DJ would want to keep his head down.

Not so Radio 1’s Nick Grimshaw, the station’s latest breakfast show presenter.

Grimshaw, 28, has been in the job for barely a few weeks but he has already caused outrage with a series of foul-mouthed comments on his Twitter account. As a result, parents have set up an online petition claiming he is a poor role model for younger fans.

In one recent tweet to his 680,000 followers, the presenter wrote: ‘Guess what I want for Breakfast? A TOTAL MINDF***.’ The Facebook group – Get Grimmy off the Radio by Xmas – now has more than 700 members.

Campaigner Richard Sherwood, 28, who has been a Radio 1 listener all his life said: ‘This particular comment was brought to my attention by a friend’s 13-year-old daughter who was until recently a fan of Nick Grimshaw.

"Like a lot of youngsters she wants to know everything she can about the celebs she follows. She stumbled across this comment on Twitter and was very shocked. She showed it to her father who passed it to me.’

Mr Sherwood, a male nurse, added: ‘He’s supposed to be a role model for kids but using this sort of language is surely inappropriate’.

In one recent tweet to his 680,000 followers, the presenter wrote: ‘Guess what I want for Breakfast? A TOTAL MINDF***.’ The Facebook group – Get Grimmy off the Radio by Xmas – now has more than 700 members.
Campaigner Richard Sherwood, 28, who has been a Radio 1 listener all his life said: ‘This particular comment was brought to my attention by a friend’s 13-year-old daughter who was until recently a fan of Nick Grimshaw.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2234229/Parents-Facebook-bid-drive-DJ-BBC-Fury-crude-remarks-Radio-1-presenter-Nick-Grimshaw.html#ixzz2CTlY1DPW
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

A gay man employed by the BBC has annoyed someone by something he 's done using social media - yup, it's Daily Mail Gold!

But who is this "campaigner" Richard Sherwood?
He seems somewhat strangely obsessed with our Nick.
Oh, and helpful of the Mail to point out Richard is a "male nurse".
Thanks for that.

‘Like a lot of youngsters she wants to know everything she can about the celebs she follows. She stumbled across this comment on Twitter and was very shocked. She showed it to her father who passed it to me.’
Mr Sherwood, a male nurse, added: ‘He’s supposed to be a role model for kids but using this sort of language is surely inappropriate’.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2234229/Parents-Facebook-bid-drive-DJ-BBC-Fury-crude-remarks-Radio-1-presenter-Nick-Grimshaw.html#ixzz2CTlreuoP
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

In one recent tweet to his 680,000 followers, the presenter wrote: ‘Guess what I want for Breakfast? A TOTAL MINDF***.’ The Facebook group – Get Grimmy off the Radio by Xmas – now has more than 700 members.
Campaigner Richard Sherwood, 28, who has been a Radio 1 listener all his life said: ‘This particular comment was brought to my attention by a friend’s 13-year-old daughter who was until recently a fan of Nick Grimshaw.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2234229/Parents-Facebook-bid-drive-DJ-BBC-Fury-crude-remarks-Radio-1-presenter-Nick-Grimshaw.html#ixzz2CTlY1DPW
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

James Bond: The Spy Who Mark Loves

Divorced parent Sundays were now marked by 007 pursuits. James Bond posters covered my bedroom and for the first time Dad thought I was interested in a hot-blooded male pursuit. There had been an inkling that the young Smurfette's non-rugby and non-blokey leanings might signpost a non-heterosexual future. Correctly. But my adolescent closet was papered shut with posters of Special Agent 007 and assorted Bond girl legs and thighs. A gay Catholic boy and 007 are not natural bedfellows...

Mark O'Connell writing in The Guardian today.
Mark is the author of Catching Bullets - about growing up as a (gay) James Bond fan.
Though I've never been interested in 007, I find gay mens' obsessions - both the ones that we share and these more idiosyncratic ones - endlessly fascinating. 
He tweets about Bond and his (much-praised) book here. 
And here's a recent interview with Out magazine that discusses ver gay stuff.
By a nice piece of synchronicity/serendipity, Catching Bullets has been published at the time of a tiny storm in a martini glass about James Bond's sexuality in Skyfall and beyond.
Obviously, you couldn't have a British secret agent who's gay - the very idea's preposterous!

Louis Walsh: Trial By Tabloid

"People knew it was untrue, but they still put it on the front page. They tried to ruin me. They are just vile people. Nasty people. The funny thing is they have an anti-bullying campaign in the Irish Sun at the moment. It's the most ironic thing.
"You know the real story. It ruined me. I'll never get over it, I'll be quite honest with you. I'm wary of everyone now, of everything I say, everyone I meet, always looking over my shoulder – I was never like this before. It was the worst thing that happened to me. All I have in this business is my name, and I would have lost everything. People would have said there's no smoke without fire."

Louis Walsh interviewed by Simon Hattenstone for The Guardian, talking about being accused of molesting a man in a toilet last year.
Yet another false allegation of sexual assault made against a public figure.
Walsh is currently suing The Irish Sun.
Hattenstone also asked the question no-one ever does.

Walsh is open about everything but his private life. It's not that he's uptight about it, there's just something rather old-fashioned about him. I ask if he's gay. Ach, who cares, he says. "My sexuality is irrelevant. Next question."

Though several tabloids appeared to give the "gay sex attack claims" story so much prominence as it was an underhand way of outing Louis Walsh.
You may also want to compare and contrast the tabloids' current outrage over "trial by Twitter", with this example of trial by tabloids.

Hollywood Nailz: Something For The Weekend

Episode 1 of Hollywood Nailz, brought to you by Brande Bytheway and Seth Bogart of Hunx and Hunx And His Punx fame.
Tis hilarious and brilliant homo oddness.
Enjoy!

John Waters: How To Go To The Movies

John Waters in a Kickstarter video raising money for San Francisco's Roxie Theater cinema (and apparent slut pit).

"I get a kick out of the Roxie! And if you don't, I oughta kick your ass!
"On a slow night, if few people are there, you can masturbate in the theater.
"Or better yet, have sex with a fellow ticket-buyer on a really good night there.
"And afterwards, you can have a drink in one of the many alarming bars in this neighborhood.
"The Roxie is what movie-going is all about.
"If you don't give them money, you're an asshole, plain and simple."

Via AfterElton.

Bradley Manning: An Open Letter

Last week, PFC Bradley Manning offered to accept responsibility for releasing classified documents as an act of conscience – not as charged by the US military. As people who have worked for decades against the increased militarization of societies and for international cooperation to end war, we have been deeply dismayed by his treatment. The military under the Obama administration has displayed a desire to over-prosecute whistleblowing with life-in-prison charges including espionage and "aiding the enemy", a disturbing decision which is no doubt intended to set an example.

We have dedicated our lives to working for peace because we have seen many faces of armed conflict and violence, and we understand that no matter the cause of war, civilians always bear the brunt of the cost. With today's advanced military technology and the continued ability of business and political elites to filter what information is made public, there exists a great barrier to many citizens being fully aware of the realities and consequences of conflicts in which their country is engaged.

Responsible governance requires fully informed citizens who can question their leadership. For those citizens worldwide who do not have direct, intimate knowledge of war, yet are still affected by rising international tensions and failing economies, WikiLeaks releases attributed to Bradley Manning have provided unparalleled access to important facts.

Revealing covert crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and corporations' pervasive influence in governance, this window into the realities of modern international relations has changed the world for the better. While some of these documents may demonstrate how much work lies ahead in terms of securing international peace and justice, they also highlight the potential of the internet as a forum for citizens to participate more directly in civic discussion and creative government accountability projects.

Questioning authority, as a soldier, is not easy. But it can, at times, be honorable. Words attributed to Bradley Manning reveal that he went through a profound moral struggle between the time he enlisted and when he became a whistleblower. Through his experience in Iraq, witnessing suffering of innocent civilians and soldiers alike, he became disturbed by top-level policy that undervalued human life. Like other courageous whistleblowers, he was driven foremost by a desire to reveal the truth.

PFC Bradley Manning said in chat logs attributed to him that he hoped the releases would bring "debates, discussions and reform", and condemned the ways in which the "first world exploits the third." Much of the world regards PFC Manning as a hero for these efforts toward peace and transparency, and he has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize as a result. Much as when high-ranking officials in the United States and Britain misled the public in 2003 by saying there was an imminent need to invade Iraq to stop them from using weapons of mass destruction, however, the world's most powerful elites have again insulted international opinion and the intelligence of many citizens by withholding facts regarding Bradley Manning and WikiLeaks.

The military prosecution has not presented evidence that, by releasing secret documents, PFC Manning injured anyone, and they have asserted in court that the charge of "aiding the enemy through indirect means" does not require them to. Nor have they denied that his motivations were conscientious; they have simply argued they are irrelevant. In ignoring this context, and recommending a much more severe punishment for Bradley Manning than is given to US soldiers guilty of murdering civilians, military leadership is sending a chilling warning to other soldiers who would feel compelled by conscience to reveal misdeeds. It is our belief that leaders who use fear to govern, rather than sharing wisdom born from facts, cannot be just.

We Nobel Peace Prize laureates condemn the persecution Bradley Manning has suffered, including imprisonment in conditions declared "cruel, inhuman and degrading" by the United Nations, and call upon US citizens to stand up in support of this whistleblower who defended their democratic rights. In the conflict in Iraq alone, more than 110,000 people have died since 2003, millions have been displaced, and nearly 4,500 American soldiers have been killed. If someone needs to be held accountable for endangering Americans and civilians, let's first take the time to examine the evidence regarding high-level crimes already committed, and what lessons can be learned.

If Bradley Manning released the documents attributed to him, we should express to him our gratitude for his efforts toward accountability in government, informed democracy and peace.

An open letter sent to The Guardian and other media internationally, signed by Desmond Tutu, Mairead Corrigan-Maguire and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel.

• Bradley Manning Support Network

Days Of Our Lives: For Consummate Relationships Sake!

Two gayers did sex on America's leading daytime soap, Days Of Our Lives, yesterday.
Quite a big deal, I understand.

Here's how Queerty reported it...

And here's the ever-woeful Gay Star News take on it.

GSN - the only gay news site written by nuns!

Daily Mail: Christian Unmartyred

Obviously the Daily Mail is over the many moons of Jupiter about this.
I've always suspected there was a back story here that we didn't hear, but, yes, it was a daft decision and I'm glad it's been overturned.
The judge was right to conclude; “I cannot envisage how his moderate expression of his particular views about gay marriage in church, on his personal Facebook wall at a weekend out of working hours, could sensibly lead any reasonable reader to think the worst of the Trust for having employed him as a manager.
“The frank but lawful expression of religious or political views may frequently cause a degree of upset, and even offence, to those with deeply held contrary views, even where none is intended by the speaker.
“This is a necessary price to be paid for freedom of speech.”
Even loopy Christian bigots should be allowed to post their mad, medieval and mean-spirited views on Facebook without fear of reprisals from their bosses.

Update: Saturday's Mail followed this story up with a gushing interview with Adrian Smith - 'Vindicated - But Ruined' - conducted by their in-house gay Uncle Tom, Andrew Pierce! 

PS Whenever I see someone quote the line; "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it," I just want to smash their face in.

Stonewall: Off The Buses

"I just thought it was disgusting. I would never say: "I’m not getting on your bus because you believe in God and I don’t.
"He’s a bus driver — he’s going to come across all sorts of people. Does he seriously think he has never had a gay person on his bus?"

Rebecca Neill, quoted in the Daily Mail. 

Rebecca was left stranded in Rotherham when a driver refused to board a bus because it had one of Stonewall's 'Some People are Gay. Get Over It!" posters on one side.

"Once the driver had let us on the bus, he was meant to be swapping with another driver, but when his replacement wouldn’t get on they just left us there while they had an argument outside,' she said.
"There were quite a few passengers arguing with him and several drivers as well. Someone was shouting at him: 'You can’t do that, it’s disgusting.'
'Then another driver got on and explained what was going on. He apologised and said that the poster wasn’t acceptable to this Christian, but that he didn’t agree with what the guy was doing."

Rebecca missed her connecting tram at Sheffield's Meadowhall shopping centre.

Rebecca had already missed a connecting tram at Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2233849/Passengers-left-stranded-bus-driver-refuses-board-gay-rights-advert-side.html#ixzz2CNy3Xjob
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Faceboog."

Rebecca had already missed a connecting tram at Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2233849/Passengers-left-stranded-bus-driver-refuses-board-gay-rights-advert-side.html#ixzz2CNy3Xjob
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Faceboo

Rebecca had already missed a connecting tram at Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2233849/Passengers-left-stranded-bus-driver-refuses-board-gay-rights-advert-side.html#ixzz2CNy3Xjob
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

the 5.25pm service at Rotherham and had just taken her seat when the commotion began.
'Once the driver had let us on the bus, he was meant to be swapping with another driver, but when his replacement wouldn’t get on they just left us there while they had an argument outside,' she said.
'There were quite a few passengers arguing with him and several drivers as well. Someone was shouting at him: "You can’t do that, it’s disgusting."
'Then another driver got on and explained what was going on. He apologised and said that the poster wasn’t acceptable to this Christian, but that he didn’t agree with what the guy was doing.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2233849/Passengers-left-stranded-bus-driver-refuses-board-gay-rights-advert-side.html#ixzz2CNx5PcO9
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

the 5.25pm service at Rotherham and had just taken her seat when the commotion began.
'Once the driver had let us on the bus, he was meant to be swapping with another driver, but when his replacement wouldn’t get on they just left us there while they had an argument outside,' she said.
'There were quite a few passengers arguing with him and several drivers as well. Someone was shouting at him: "You can’t do that, it’s disgusting."
'Then another driver got on and explained what was going on. He apologised and said that the poster wasn’t acceptable to this Christian, but that he didn’t agree with what the guy was doing.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2233849/Passengers-left-stranded-bus-driver-refuses-board-gay-rights-advert-side.html#ixzz2CNx5PcO9
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Once the driver had let us on the bus, he was meant to be swapping with another driver, but when his replacement wouldn’t get on they just left us there while they had an argument outside,' she said.
'There were quite a few passengers arguing with him and several drivers as well. Someone was shouting at him: "You can’t do that, it’s disgusting."
'Then another driver got on and explained what was going on. He apologised and said that the poster wasn’t acceptable to this Christian, but that he didn’t agree with what the guy was doing.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2233849/Passengers-left-stranded-bus-driver-refuses-board-gay-rights-advert-side.html#ixzz2CNwvh3XJ
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Once the driver had let us on the bus, he was meant to be swapping with another driver, but when his replacement wouldn’t get on they just left us there while they had an argument outside,' she said.
'There were quite a few passengers arguing with him and several drivers as well. Someone was shouting at him: "You can’t do that, it’s disgusting."
'Then another driver got on and explained what was going on. He apologised and said that the poster wasn’t acceptable to this Christian, but that he didn’t agree with what the guy was doing.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2233849/Passengers-left-stranded-bus-driver-refuses-board-gay-rights-advert-side.html#ixzz2CNwvh3XJ
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Endymion: The Foolish Moon

Endymion was an indolent young shepherd of exceptional beauty.
As he lay sleeping on Mount Latmos, the moon goddess Selene was enchanted by his graceful appearance and instantly fell in love with him.
When the Olympian gods discovered her secret, Zeus offered Endymion perpetual youth on the condition that he remain asleep forever.
Eternally young, forever beautiful, and adored by the foolish moon above, Endymion sleeps on.

•  Our Tom is doing the eagerly anticipated Daley Ghetto Slut Drop on Children In Need this evening. Please give generously etc.

Sesame Street: Elmo "Uncomfortable Working With Gay Puppeteer"

NEW YORK—While stressing that he “in no way discriminates against or dislikes homosexuals,” Sesame Street star Elmo admitted to reporters Wednesday that he is “no longer comfortable” working with his now openly gay puppeteer, Kevin Clash. “While Elmo respects Mr. Clash’s decision to come out as a gay man, it does make Elmo somewhat uneasy,” said the 26-year-old furry puppet, adding that Clash’s sexuality “conflicts with [his] personal and religious beliefs.” “Elmo simply does not agree with the gay lifestyle, and given the unique puppet-puppeteer relationship, Elmo believes that having daily physical contact with Mr. Clash as part of Elmo’s employment is now inappropriate.” At press time, Elmo had submitted an official request to the Sesame Workshop to be transferred to a different puppeteer.

The Onion. 

Fagburn TV: Pitch For New Series

Dear Sky/Channel 4/BBC/Interweb TV Bigwigs,

I have an idea for a groundbreaking new television series.
It is about a gay couple who don't want sodding children.
Maybe we could do a tie-in column in one of the Sunday newspapers?

I await your reply,

Fagburn.

• The video above is a trailer for The Vessel, a British online TV "comedy series" - you can watch episodes here. Though I wouldn't recommend it, it's fucking abysmal.

Uganda: An Open Letter From Ugandan LGBT Coalition

Dear partners, friends and colleagues,

We thank you for all the support you have a accorded the Coalition since the tabling of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in 2009, and we look forward to your continued collaboration in the struggle to see this bill dismissed once and for all.
In response to the recent claims made by the Hon Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament that she would see the Anti-Homosexuality Bill passed before this year comes to a close, we urge you to adhere to the following Action Alert Guidelines and to always seek clarification where there is a difference of opinion on tactics or where there is confusion or need for further information...

We urge that you do NOT: 

1. DO NOT Put out any public press statements on the Bill for now. But you can express your opinion if asked about the Bill. However this opinion must be candid and practical without being ‘insulting’. 

2.  DO NOT Make strong public statements threatening to cut aid or in support of such threats in response to the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, as this can lead to scape-goating of the LGBTI community as well as Human Rights Defenders working with LGBTI rights and whip up sentiments for the Bill. 

Please note; We would like Ugandans to take charge of this campaign for now.

Uganda LGBT Coalition.

Got that?
Westerners calls to cut aid etc could actually do real harm.
And you'd just be giving the bigots more ammunition to maintain the pretense they're resisting Western "decadence" and neo-colonialism. 

Radio Soulwax: Dave

Lovely.
Reminded me why I love Dame David.
And why I love Soulwax.

x

PS Positively gripping interview I did with the lovely David from Soulwax in 2005 posted below.
"This record makes Erasure seem like Oasis - it oozes gayness..."

The Judas Kiss: The Resurrection

I missed this revival of The Judas Kiss, David Hare's play about the fall of Oscar Wilde
Oh Cadogan, oh Naples, oh Bosie.
It was widely derided when it opened in 1998, and for me, far more off-puttingly, this time round it starred Rupert Everett.
Oh dear.
But apparently it was - surprisingly - very, very good.
Oh well...

Private Eye: Watching You

The Eye took a momentary, cursory glance around the internet last week, and in around three minutes discovered the following claims about Phillip Schofield, presenter of ITV's This Morning.
Among other things it is claimed that he is "gay but does not admit it and hides it behind a marriage and 2 kids", had been seen kissing Jason Donvan by "a guy who worked in the entertainment industry in the 80s", is having sex with his sister-in-law, goes dogging, has a superinjunction, is getting divorced and is the subject of "a thick file full of dirt" at The Sun, although the newspaper "aren't using it for whatever reason."
None of this is true. But surely we should have an inquiry into the claims anyway?

Private Eye.

The new issue has - as ever - got much excellent stuff on this and the avalanche of nonsense and hypocrisy it unleashed.

Update: ITV disciplines This Morning, Ofcom to investigate. 

One Direction: Holy Twinks!

It's probably not a big surprise that there are gay men who lust after the guys in One Direction (who are all the ages of 18 to 20), but openly gay Bravo TV executive Andy Cohen, 44, may have gone too far by calling One Direction "a room of twinks." "Twinks" is gay slang for young, boyish-looking gay men, usually between the ages of 16 to 24, who are used as sex objects by older gay men. Because of the meaning behind the word, many young gay men find it offensive to be called a "twink." Cohen made the remark on live TV on November 13, 2012, while he was being interviewed in a celebrity gossip segment on NBC's Today... 

In his Today interview, Cohen described accidentally seeing One Direction in the Today green room: "This morning, I went into the normal green room that we typically go into. I barged in, there are all these people in front of us. Oh, it's all the leftover One Direction fans. I barged right into a room of twinks: One Direction! Security was not exactly too tight, with all due respect. I barged right in. It was crazy!"

In case he didn't make it clear enough that he sees One Direction as gay, Cohen tweeted on November 12, 2012, minutes before his "Today" interview: "No joke just walked right into One Direction greenroom!! The blond dude was shirtless #HolyTwink."

US website examiner.com via Towleroad - who notes wryly it's clearly a slow news day. It was soon picked up everywhere.

Does calling someone a twink mean you think they're gay? 

Probably not the best example, but the Bel Ami boys are twinks and, according to legend, most of them are straight.

It's a look, not a status.

Whatever it's a compliment, surely?

PS Cohen later tweeted; "Misused word earlier — I just meant they’re cute. #1D"

Update: Liked this - 'In defense of the word "twink"' Gay.net

Gaydar: A Gay Face For Radio

Radio 4's ever fascinating All In The Mind had a thing about gaydar tonight.
No, not the popular "gay dating site" (snigger), but the supposed ability to tell if someone's gay just by looking at them.
Some boffins are doing research on this at Queen Mary (double snigger) University of London.
And before you write in, "they are hoping that their research will challenge stereotypes and prejudice by increasing awareness of how quickly, and often inaccurately, people classify each other."
(They suggest homophobes may be more attuned to seeing such "signs"). 
You may see there was ever such a slight flaw in doing something on the radio that revolves around looking at peoples' faces and facial movements, but hey-ho.

• Here's more about the QMU project - and details about how you can take part.

Priest In Paedo Scandal: Yes, Yet Another One

Let's just hope this doesn't lead to a witch hunt against elderly clergymen.

"Humor": Gay Men Will Marry Your Girlfriends

This video has gone viral!
As ever when you read that online it's code for I'm posting it way after everybody else.
Some gayers have said it's not funny as it's based on stereotypes.
Lighten up gay dudes, that's the point.

Marriage: The Other Boy George Says...

It is astonishing that Mr Romney won the election among men by a clear-cut margin of 7 per cent; but it was Mr Obama’s 11 per cent lead among women that won it for the President, even though many of those that voted Democrat thought Mr Romney would manage the economy better. President Obama’s high-profile endorsement of equal marriage for gay couples also enthused younger voters. But polls found that a majority of all Americans supported him on the issue and voted for it in all four states that held ballots.

I should declare my personal position on these social issues: I wouldn’t change the current abortion laws and I strongly support gay marriage on principle. Of course in Britain these issues are ones of individual conscience and free votes, but I am proud to be part of a Government that will introduce a Bill to allow gay marriage. It is worth reflecting that in Britain, as in America, a clear majority of the public support gay marriage, and an even bigger majority of women support it. That majority support is just as high in the North as it is the South, and it is equally high among all socio-economic groups.

Successful political parties reflect the modern societies they aspire to lead. As Margaret Thatcher said in the first sentence of her introduction to the 1979 Conservative Election manifesto: “The heart of politics is not political theory, it is people and how they want to live their lives. 

George Osborne writing in The Times. 

Almost certainly the first time anyone has invoked Margaret Thatcher to support gay marriage.
Although this article is presented as being "In praise of Obama", it's more about how the Conservatives should learn from Romney's defeat.
Though unbelievably cynical, it's a victory of sorts that homophobia is now a vote-loser.
Further, when a senior politician goes public in support of or against a policy that's "controversial" within their own party, it's often a covert attack on a colleague.
Just putting that thought out there...

Update: Predictably critical - and lie-packed - editorial in the serial gay marriage-bashing Telegraph.

Thought For The Day: Grayson Perry

“I led with my secret, as a way to shelve it."

Grayson Perry tells the Telegraph why he came out as a transvestite.