Tag: UK

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UK Prime Minister “Deeply Regrets” History Of Anti-LGBT Laws

Wow.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May, speaking at a week-long summit meeting of the Commonwealth, a 53-country network of mostly former colonies, said she regrets the anti-LGBT laws enacted years ago and called for their reform.

“I am all too aware that these laws were often put in place by my own country. They were wrong then and they are wrong now,” May said.

“As the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister I deeply regret both the fact that such laws were introduced and the legacy of discrimination, violence and even death that persists today.”

Currently, 37 of the 53 member nations of the Commonwealth outlaw same-sex relations.

Last week, out UK diver Tom Daley addressed the issue at the Commonwealth Games in Australia after winning the 10K meter synchronized diving event with his partner Dan Goodfellow.

Watch May’s comments below.

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UK Radio Host James O’Brien Decimates Anti-LGBT Caller With One Question

Radio host James O’Brien

Discussing homosexuality and religion on his LBC radio show in the UK, host James O’Brien shut down a “Christian” caller named Daniel with just one question.

“What did Jesus say in the Bible about homosexuality?”

From Attitude:

Scrabbling for an answer, Daniel begins: “Well, in 1 Corinthians…”

But O’Brien cuts in to point out that the First Corinthians is “a letter written by someone who never met Jesus.”

He adds: “1 Corinthians is a letter that St Paul wrote. What did Jesus say, on the record, in the Bible about homosexuality?”

As Daniel struggles to answer, O’Brien keeps on coming.

“It’s a simple question. What did he say? You can say nothing, because that’s the true answer, or you can carry on blustering,” he says.

In all, O’Brien asks Daniel what Jesus said about homosexuality an incredible 27 times.

He tells the befuddled caller: “Listen, you have a great day. May God go with you. You can’t answer the question about Jesus… which is kind of the point. Which leads me to conclude what you’re really terrified of Daniel is something that’s going on inside of you.”

Check O’Brien’s expert handling of the situation below:

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Donald Trump Retweets Fascist, Far-Right UK Hate Group

Donald Trump throws another curve ball

Earlier today, Donald Trump retweeted three anti-Islamic videos posted by Jayda Fransen, a leader of Britain First. The group is so heinous they are banned from mosques in England and Wales.

Fransen was convicted of religiously aggravated harassment in November 2016 after abusing a woman wearing a hijab.

In addition to “amplifying” the voice of a fascist group, the videos Trump retweeted have been called into question as to the veracity of the content.

One of the videos, showing a “Muslim migrant” assailant beating the Dutch boy is in fact neither a migrant or a Muslim.

So, you understand what a bone-headed move this was, yes?

Folks in the UK were so upset the office of Prime Minister Theresa May issued a statement saying Trump was “wrong” to retweet material from a group that promotes “hateful narratives.”

“British people overwhelmingly reject the prejudiced rhetoric of the far-right which is the antithesis of the values that this country represents: decency tolerance and respect,” said the statement.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told the media it didn’t matter if the videos he retweeted were real or not.

“Whether it’s a real video, the threat is real and that is what the president is talking about,” Sanders told reporters.

Folks in the Twitterverse were duly confounded:

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UK Commercial Draws Fire For Including 2 Gay Dads In Ad Spot

A commercial spot for UK based McCain frozen potatoes has conservatives up in arms for including a momentary shot of two dads with their real-life 19-month-old son.

Seriously.

From the ad text:

“Or maybe it’s dad who tucks you up? Dad? Daddy? Two daddies?… Families come in all shapes and sizes, but it’s meal times that make a family.”

Sounds warm and fuzzy, no?

But angry comments were directed at the gay dads from the spot, Lee and Mat Samuels-Camozzi. The men were called pedophiles and accused of denying their child a mother.

Sharing that they’ve received dozens of hateful comments, Lee says, “We are shocked this kind of attitude exists in the 21st century. We’re proud of our little family and we have nothing to be ashamed of.”

Lee and Mat aren’t the only ones being attacked, though. There are apparently equal opportunity haters on the job here. The spot drew additional ire for including mixed-race families.

Watch the lovely and very inclusive ad below.

(tipped by TRR reader Chad)

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UK Eases Rules On Blood Donations By Gay & Bisexual Men

(image via Flickr)

Restrictions on blood donations by gay men in the United Kingdom have been eased again.

In 1981, the government placed an outright ban on all blood donations by gay men as a response to the AIDS epidemic.

That policy was relaxed to allow gay men to donate blood IF they practiced sexual abstinence for 12 months.

Now, gay and bisexual men will be able to donate if they refrain from having sex for three months.

The changes in policy are directly related to the improved testing which detects HIV, syphilis or hepatitis.

Here in the U.S., gay and bisexual men have been able to donate blood since 2015 if they abstain from sex for a year. Prior to 2015, there was an outright ban in place since 1992.

(source)

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UK Prime Minister Theresa May Celebrates London Pride

UK Prime Minister Theresa May issued a video message supporting London for sending out a “proud and positive message to the world” as London Pride takes place this weekend.

May underscored the UK’s pledge to support LGBT rights in other countries, and to take a stand against hate crime at home.

“Around the world, cruel and discriminatory laws still exist – some of them directly based on the very laws which were repealed in this country 50 years ago. So, the UK has a responsibility to stand up for our values and to promote the rights of LGBT Plus people internationally.”

“We must stamp out homophobic bullying in schools, and and drive down homophobic and transphobic hate crimes.”

“So as London once again sends a proud and positive message to the world, I wish everyone a fantastic Pride.”

Now that’s leadership.

Additionally, Parliament was lit up with rainbow lights in honor of London Pride last night.

You’ll recall that President Trump broke an 8 year tradition of the White House issuing a proclamation acknowledging June as Pride Month in the U.S.

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Trump Postpones UK Visit In Fear Of Large-Scale Protests

President Trump has postponed his state visit to Britain telling Prime Minister Theresa May in a phone call he is choosing to wait until the British public supports such a visit.

Via The Guardian:

The US president said he did not want to come if there were large-scale protests and his remarks in effect put the visit on hold for some time.

The call was made in recent weeks, according to a Downing Street adviser who was in the room. The statement surprised May, according to those present.

The conversation in part explains why there has been little public discussion about a visit.

May invited Trump to Britain seven days after his inauguration when she became the first foreign leader to visit him in the White House. She told a joint press conference she had extended an invitation from the Queen to Trump and his wife Melania to make a state visit later in the year and was “delighted that the president has accepted that invitation”.

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UK Citizens Petitions Parliament To Bar Donald Trump From Country

Over 200,000 UK citizens have petitioned Parliament asking MPs to debate barring Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump from entering their country over his proposed policy of barring Muslims from the United States:

A petition calling for Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump to be barred from entering UK has gathered more than 200,000 names, so MPs will have to consider debating the issue.

The petition went on Parliament’s e-petition website on Tuesday. It was posted in response to Mr Trump’s call for a temporary halt on Muslims entering the United States.

Chancellor George Osborne criticised Mr Trump’s comments but rejected calls for him to be banned from the UK. Any petition with more than 100,000 signatures is automatically considered for debate in Parliament.

But remember – if he’s elected president (oh my sides…) we’ll be “respected” around the world.

Riiiiiight.