Gay Youth Discussion

Jack Frew killed by friend

2012-01-19T17:45:00.000-08:00

I was watching the news last night and seen something that shocked me, back in May 2010, 16 year old Jack Frew was stabbed and killed in the neck and body by a boy called Craig Roy but despite admitting to stabbing Jack Frew Mr Roy denies murder. I fail to understand how someone can admit stabbing a person yet deny their murder. After committing the attack Mr Roy phoned his partner Christopher Hannah who went to the scene and found Craig Roy covered in blood with a knife in his hand. The first thing Mr Hannah done when arriving at the scene was to check that Mr Roy was alright before going over to Jack Frew to find him lying on the ground covered in his own blood. Mr Hannah said he then tried to take Jack's Frew's pulse and realised that he had passed away.

At this point Mr Hannah claims he "freaked out" for about five minutes before calling the police and an ambulance as well as Mr Roy's mother as he felt he needed an adult. Earlier on in the trial Mr Hannah told the court that Jack Frew was also homosexual and said that they all used to meet up with friends at the skate park in East Kilbride.

I was horrified when I seen this, partly because this took place in Scotland which is where I live and this was the first I had heard of it two years after it actually happened. Okay East Kilbride is about a three and a half hour drive from where I live but I struggle to believe I never heard of this before. However I was mostly horrified by the loss of such a young guy described by his head teacher as "A committed and conscientious young man on the brink of a bright future".

Any loss of life is tragic but for such a young man with his whole life ahead of him to have been killed in this manner is truly upsetting. My heart goes out to all of his friends and family and I really hope that Mr Roy is brought to justice.

Below I have provided some links to youtube videos that I think are worth watching, starting with news clips then moving onto video's of him and his friends having a laugh that are nice to see but it really shows you just how nice and well loved by his friends this young man was and how tragic the events of May 2010 where.

STV News Story 1

STV News Story 2

Jack Frew CatWalk

Jack and Friends dance

World Record Attempt

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T08:04:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all my readers and thank you for reading my blog, if it wasn't for you there would be no point in me continuing with it.

So have a very merry christmas.

Don't Stand for Homophobic Bullying

2011-12-20T19:33:00.000-08:00

I was recently browsing forums on queerattitude, when I seen one about this video. It's an Irish video about standing up against homophobic bullying. It is a really good video that is very moving. In my opinion the more people that see this the better. I love how at the end they all stand up at the end holding hands showing support for their LGBT classmates.

Gay Teens, What we go through...

2011-12-17T18:53:00.000-08:00

I was just brwosing youtube as I regularly do and I came across this video, I watched it a couple of times and have to admit I was upset by it. There are a lot of people on youtube commenting saying that it is a fake but I don't think it is. However as a lot of people have said even if it is a fake then fair play to the boy for being so convincing and for the message that his video has put across.

This video got to me as everything that he is describing that he is going through was exactly what I went through when I was younger. Now i'm out to a large majority of the people I know and I am much happier, I will admit there have been a few things getting to me recently but it's nothing compared to what I and millions of others went through and continue to go through as gay teens struggling to come to terms with there sexuality.

People going through this need someone to talk to so if you are going through this please speak to someone, if you don't want to speak to someone you know then speak to people on gay forums such as www.queerattitude.com or www.gayteenforum.org or you can always email me at gyd@live.co.uk

If you know someone who you think is going through this then please be there for them.

Thank You

Malawi to review anti-gay laws due to "Public Opinion"

2011-12-08T18:14:00.000-08:00

The justice minister of Malawi has added the countries anti-gay laws to a list of legislation he wants reviewed because the rules may not reflect "Public Opinion".

He said "In view of the sentiments from the general public and in response to public opinion regarding certain laws, the government wishes to announce to the Malawi nation that it is submitting the relevant laws and provisions of laws to the Law Commission for review."

This decision to review the laws came after key aid announcements by the UK and the US.

The UK government announced last month that aid would be redirected away from countries who do not protect citizens human rights and the US said that they would start taking LGBT rights into account when making aid decisions.

This is the reason Malawi is to look into it's laws.

Let me know what you think about this either by email at GYD@live.co.uk or commenting here

Homophobes

2011-12-06T16:37:00.000-08:00

I was at work the other night behind the bar talking to another member of staff and all of a sudden I heard a guy shout "That's discusting" I looked around to see who was saying that and what he was speaking about.

I couldn't see anything so I asked the guy what was discusting as I thought there was something wrong in my pub that I would have to sort, but no it was nothing like that the guy just said "Those two guys just kissed" my immediate response was "Oh is that all" but then this guy just turned to me and said "Fucking poofs, I hate fucking poofs"

The other member of staff and I just looked at each other and grinned and then for some reason I just burst out laughing as I had no idea what else to do. I then left that bar and headed to the other bar to get away from the guy.

What would you guys do in this situation, how would you have handled it? let me know either by commenting or emailing me at GYD@live.co.uk

New Blood Donation Rules in the UK

2011-11-28T16:36:00.000-08:00

Okay so the good news is, the lifetime ban on gay or bisexual men has been lifted. However if you have had sex with another man in the last 12 months then you cant donate blood.

Although I do have to agree this is a majour improvement on the previous life ban it is still flawed, it isn't likely that you will find many perfectly healthy gay men who have not had sex in the last 12 months so effectivly we are still banned.

Please let me know your thoughts on this subject by commenting or emailing me at gyd@live.co.uk

Thank You

Judas Kiss

2011-11-25T12:59:00.000-08:00

I recently watched a film called Judas Kiss for my other blog www.gifr.blogspot.com which I use to give my say on gay interest films. I'm not going to give the full review but if you want to see it you can visit the blog. This film is basically about a guy who goes to judge a competition for film school, he gets very confused when he comes across a student with the same name he used to go by when he was at that school who is also entering the same film he entered 15 years ago when he was at that school. It turns out this boy is a younger him and this is his oppertunity to change events of his past and create a better future for himself.

This film made me think, if you could change your past what would you change and why? I probably wouldn't have dropped out of college because now i'm wanting to go back and do the course I dropped out of. Let me know what you think by emailing GYD@live.co.uk

If you want to see the film you can buy it from my store, just click the appropriate link on the left hand side of the page, depending on what country you come from US (Region 1 dvd's), UK (Region 2 dvd's)

Brandon McInerney Admits to Murder

2011-11-22T14:32:00.000-08:00

Brandon McInerney has pleaded guilty to the second degree murder of his classmate Larry King and faces 21 years in prison.

When McInerney was 14 he shot King in the back of the head during a lesson. McInerney had previously admitted killing King but denied that it was murder. He had said that King who was 15, who self-identified as gay and wore feminine clothing had teased and provoked him.

A mistrial was declared when the jurors failed to reach a decision. In a retrial he admitted to second degree murder, voluntary manslaughter and use of a firearm.

McInerney will now serve 11 years for manslaughter and a further 10 years for for the use of a firearm and will not serve any time for murder as part of a plea deal.

Greg King, Larry King's father said he understood the plea deal. He said "I don't think that 21 year sentence is justice for my son, but I understand the reality of that was facing the DA, of trying to convict a defendant who was 14 when he committed the murder.

McInerney will face the full 21 year sentence and won't be let out early for good behaviour as part of the plea deal..

Evil Ex Post on queerattitude

2011-11-19T16:54:00.000-08:00

I have just put a new post on queerattitude.com forum about my ex that I mentioned the other day. The post is:

Okay so my ex boyfriend has been a bit of an arse to me. He keeps randomly texting me out of the blue saying things deliberately to piss me off. When we broke up he showed up at my work with another guy for a meal. I lost it and overdosed and ended up in A&E and I am now on antidepressants because of the whole situation. I am fine now probably because of the antidepressants but he keeps texting stupid things to me.

For example yesterday I got a text saying he regretted ever going out with me, I replied "oh well, dont care" to which he responded "Ha aint that why you tried killing yourself" I got nasty and said a few things that I knew would annoy him, he then proceded to take the piss out of me because i'm on antidepressants before finishing his conversation with "Can't be arsed with c***s like you, shame ya didn't kill yourself" then sending another text straight after saying "no one cares ha"

I'm a little confused, what the hell am I supposed to do about this, I mean when he starts it I enjoy giving just as much abuse back to him but overall I would rather he just pissed off and left me alone.

What would you do in this situation?

Let me know what you would do either by commenting on this post here, emailing me at GYD@live.co.uk or by going to the post at queerattitude and leaving a comment there. I would really like to know.

Thank you

Lady Gaga tops poll

2011-11-18T15:44:00.000-08:00

Lady Gaga has topped the poll's in Stonewalls survey asking what celebrity has done the most to tackle homophobic bullying. Lady Gaga is a favourite with the LGBT community. Her most recent album was designed to push boundaries and the single that the album was named after "Born This Way" was named and the new gay anthem by Sir Elton John when it first came out.

This comes after Lady Gaga announced that she is to launch the "Born This Way" foundation which she is launching with her mother to focus on issues such as anti bullying.

Let me know your views on this or let me know if there are any other issues you would like me to mention on here by emailing GYD@live.co.uk

Anti Bullying Week 2011

2011-11-15T04:51:00.000-08:00

We are currently in the middle of anti-bullying week, it is running from the 14th to the 18th of November. This years theme is "Stop and Think - Words can Hurt"

Apparently children in schools suffer from homophobic bullying regardless of sexual orientation and eight in ten secondary school teachers and two in five primary school teachers report hearing other insulting homophobic remarks such as ‘poof’, ‘dyke’, ‘queer’ and ‘faggot’.

Stonewall needs as many people as possible to get involved and try to raise funds to tackle this problem. To find out how you can get involved or to find out more about this visit www.stonewall.org.uk

Can't live with them, Cant live without them

2011-11-14T13:34:00.000-08:00

So as I mentioned before, I recently split up with my boyfriend. For some reason however we stayed friends and it just didn't work, we were constantly arguing and I ended up being put onto anti depressants because of him. He stopped speaking to me which was good, I was much happier and then out of the blue he started texting me again trying to piss me off and it worked but what he didnt expect was for me to start giving just as much abuse back, he didn't like this and picked on the one thing he knew would upset me. He decided to remind me that people do want him and nobody wants me. This upset me even more as I had asked a close friend earlier on that day if he would like to go out with me and he rejected me.

So you see, I don't know what to do i'm 22 living in a small town in north east Scotland where there isn't alot of people anyway and I am lonely and really want a boyfriend, I want someone to hug and love but I cant be arsed with guys if they are going to be like this.

This is me looking to you guys for advice now, please let me know what you think either by commenting or emailing me at GYD@live.co.uk

Update on me

2011-10-02T05:13:00.001-07:00

Ok guys so I have been gone a while and feel I should tell you why.

I have changed jobs and I am now a supervisor in the busiest pub in town which is fun at times the only downside is trying to count all the tills at 3am.

I also met someone then split up and I tried to do some pretty stupid things that I shouldn't have. Now I'm looking for a 3 bedroom house with my ex and a friend.

So what have you guys been upto, email me at GYD@live.co.uk and let me know

Milk

2011-05-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

Tonight I watched Milk, it's bad to say but until I watched the film I had never heard of Harvey Milk.

Harvey Milk was an American politician who became the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. After about the age of 40 he started to participate in politics and gay activism.

Milk moved to San Francisco in 1972 during a migration of gay men to the Castro District. He took advantage of the growing political power of the neighbourhood to promote his interests.

He ran for office three times unsuccessfully, however his campaigns gained him increasing popularity, and he won a seat as a city supervisor in 1977. Milk only served 11 months in office but was responsible for passing a gay rights ordinance for the city. On the 27th of November 1978 Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by Dan White. Dan White was another city supervisor who had resigned but wished to return to his previous position.

Mayor Moscone initially agreed to allow Dan White to return to his former position, however after more consideration and intervention from other supervisors including Milk the mayor decided to appoint someone else to the district. Half an hour before the mayor was due to be in a press conference to announce Dan White's replacement White entered city hall through a basement window and headed to the mayor's office. Witnesses heard shouting between White and mayor Moscone then they heard gun shots.

White then headed to his former office, on the way he asked Milk to step in, Milk was then shot 5 times including twice in the head at close range.

Dianne Feinstein heard the shots and called the police, after she identified both bodies she announced to the press what had happened.

UN Gay Rights Resolution

2011-03-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

85 countries have signed the UN gay rights resolution to bring an end to laws against gay sex and also to stop homophobic attacks.

The resolution is asking states to "take steps to end acts of violence, criminal sanctions and related human rights violations committed against individuals because of their sexual orientation or gender identity".

US president Barack Obama's administration released a statement praising the resolution and calling on the UN to do more to tackle homophobia around the world.

Aswell as that Hilary Clinton also released a statement saying "Today 85 countries from every religion of the world joined together in a historic moment to state clearly that human rights apply to everyone, no matter who they are or whom they love. Countries around the world participated, including many that had never supported such efforts, and we hope that even more countries will step up."

Depression

2011-03-22T17:57:00.000-07:00

It is completely normal to feel upset or down occasionally, however depression is an illness that is much more serious, it can last years and can cause emotional and physical symptoms. Some symptoms of depression are

you can’t sleep or you sleep too much
you can’t concentrate or find that previously easy tasks are now difficult
you feel hopeless and helpless
you can’t control your negative thoughts, no matter how much you try
you have lost your appetite or you can’t stop eating
you are much more irritable and short-tempered than usual
you have thoughts that life is not worth living
Constant sadness
low self esteem
reduced sex drive

When I was a little younger, just a couple of years ago growing up as a gay teenager I suffered from depression, most of the memories I have tried to block out but I hated myself I had countless suicidal thoughts but thankfully I didn't have the confidence to actually go through with them, but my life totally changed during my depression, I left the family home to share a flat with my cousin but the living arrangements there annoyed me so I moved out again into a house of my own. I left college and took a full time position at one of my places of work but then a couple of months later I got annoyed with that job too so four years after starting there as a part timer I left and took a full time position at my other job in a pub, I tried deliberately to change my whole life just to try and create a life that I might actually enjoy I was inches away from moving away from my home town all together as I started trying to find away to run away and completely start over.

Thankfully things got better, I still work in the same pub and I actually sort of enjoy my life now. So if you are going through this then please don't do anything stupid I promise it does get better.

If you are suffering from depression I would suggest going to a doctor as there are treatments available.

Changes to Ban on Gay Men Giving Blood Expected

2011-03-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

The Government are expected to reveal changes to the law that stops gay and bisexual men being able to donate blood.

At the moment any man who has ever had sex with another man even with the use of condoms is prohibited from giving blood yet a straight guy can go and have unprotected sex with as many woman as they want everyday and still go and give blood.

According to health minister Anne Milton the issue was currently under consideration. So hopefully very shortly the ban could be lifted.

Born This Way

2011-03-10T15:55:00.000-08:00

I have found a new obsession, I'm now obsessed with Glee and Lady Gaga's new single born this way but more than that I am obsessed with a youtube video of Manchester gay village lip syncing to the song. It's an amazing song and going by that video Manchester gay village looks so much fun, plus the dark haired boy that is in the video the most is stunning (In my opinion) although I'm not to sure about the thing in his nose but his eyes are really nice :).

I have a week off the week after next I think I may need to go for a trip to Manchester. Who wants to come with me? haha

Lady Gaga ended an exclusivity deal with US retail giant Target. This deal would have meant that Target were selling her new album "Born this way" exclusively in their stores however due to the retail giant donating to political causes that are linked to anti-gay views Lady Gaga pulled out of the deal in order to remain "true to her audience"

I'n Glee news, Glee has been criticised for using the song "Do You Wanna Touch Me" in it's most recent episode shown in the US as convicted paedophile Gary Glitter co-wrote the song. There are now plans to cut the scene from Glee before it is shown in the UK. Now in my opinion this is just a song why are people so concerned about Glee using it. I could understand people getting angry if they had him starring in the episode or something but just using a song surely shouldn't be a problem.

Let me know your views by emailing GYD@live.co.uk

And just for you here is the video to born this way that I mentioned

Dare

2011-03-02T16:53:00.000-08:00

Dare is a new film out by paccadillo pictures, it's gay interest and I haven't got a clue what I thought about it. I had heard good reviews about it so I decided to order it. It arrived a few days ago so I sat and watched it. When the film was on I was really enjoying it but then when it finished I was a little underwhelmed like I wanted to know more. I wanted to see what happens next. If you have seen the film please get in touch and let me know what you thought.

I also went to the cinema last week to see I am number 4 it's not gay interest but it was a really good film. It stars Alex Pettyfer as John/number 4, Dianna Agron from Glee as Sarah. It is full of action and excitement and also hey Alex Pettyfer it gorgeous. I get the feeling there is going to be a sequel to this which I cant wait to see but I really want to go and see this film again. I would recommend this film to all of you guys.

Get in touch with me by commenting or send me an email to GYD@live.co.uk

In love with a straight guy

2011-02-18T17:19:00.000-08:00

The gay guys curse, I think we all know it when you fall in love with a straight guy you can never have. This happened to me, I fell head over heels in love with my straight best mate. I used to go to the pub with him and would just be sat there looking at him wanting to make a move, thankfully I never have.

We stopped meeting up for a while due to many things like work and family commitments there was about a month or two where we didn't see each other, when we did meet up again I realised all my feelings had disappeared and they stayed away for a good while. Then one night when we were a bit drunk in the pub he decided to experiment and see what it would be like to kiss another guy so he kissed me, then repeatedly through the night kept kissing me and I made the mistake of not stopping him. Before I knew all my feelings for him had come flooding back so I decided maybe another short break from seeing each other may be a good idea.

We met up again tonight for the first time in a while and my feelings weren't gone. However he managed to piss me off enough that I think they may be gone now haha.

He often comes out with gay jokes or whatever and I have to admit it's just one or two and some of then are quite funny. Tonight however he kept coming up with all these jokes and he kept outing me to strangers, one girl turned round to him at some point and said that we must be good friends because if one of her friends had done that to her she would be furious, I think I muttered under my breath at this point that I was furious.

I ended up cutting the night short and coming home to watch TV.

Please let me know, have people done this to you? If so how did you feel? how did you react?

Let me know either by commenting or emailing GYD@live.co.uk

Thank you

Sorry

2011-02-16T17:58:00.000-08:00

I want to apologise for my lack of posts recently. I have been having to do alot of hours at work and I have just been to tired to write anything when I get in from work. Today I have been off, so I slept until 3pm then watched Charlie St. Cloud which is a really sad film but I did enjoy it, it's not gay interest (unless you are interested in Zac Efron) so I will not put it in my store but I will put links to buy it from Amazon at the end of this post.

I think all the hours at work are killing me, I don't think I have ever had a day off before where I have stayed in and just wanted to sleep all day. I don't know what gay interest things to talk about just now but I will have something for Friday. If you know of anything that you think is worth mentioning then just email me at GYD@live.co.uk

Charlie St. Cloud (region 1)

Charlie St. Cloud (Region 2)

Glee

2011-02-07T08:39:00.000-08:00

I have never really seen what everyone else seems to see in glee, until now. I only ever watched one episode and didn't really think it was that good, but then recently seen another episode and I loved it, so I watched the next episode and I loved that too. So I went and bought the complete first season DVD and as much as I hate to admit it, I'm hooked. I enjoy singing along with all the songs and it's story lines are funny and touching at the same time and they deal with alot of sensitive topics.

Please give me your opinions of Glee either by commenting or emailing GYD@live.co.uk also if there is a particular topic you would like to see me talk about on this site just let me know.

I have added the complete first season of Glee to my Amazon store's if you would like to buy it, my stores have a few DVD's that I have watched and would recommend to you.

To get the DVD in UK(Region 2) click here

To get the DVD in US(Region 1) click here

Study shows homophobia can make you ill

2011-02-03T19:50:00.000-08:00

If you suffer from homophobic abuse a study has shown that you are more likely to become ill.

The study showed that people who had suffered from homophobic abuse had higher levels of cortisol in them. Cortisol is the stress hormone, cortisol disruption can cause higher blood pressure, lower immunity to infections and memory loss as well as other things.

It has also been linked to increased suicide attempts. I'm not saying that suffering from homophobic abuse is the only cause of higher cortisol levels because absolutely anything that causes stress will increase cortisol levels but for this blog we discuss homophobia.

Give me your opinion by emailing GYD@live.co.uk

Man says drugs turned him into a gay sex addict.

2011-02-01T09:16:00.000-08:00

Ok so I was looking at pinknews.co.uk today and i seen a story about a married man with kids who had to take drugs for parkinsons disease. He to claims these drugs turned him into gay sex addict. Apparently they also made him become addicted to exposing himself on the internet, cross-dressing and gambling.

He is now trying to sue the pharmaceutical company Glaxo for this.

Maybe i'm just evil but there is part of me that thinks this is quite funny. Let me know what you think by emailing GYD@live.co.uk

High School Senior Comes Out

2011-01-29T06:33:00.000-08:00

I have just seen thisvideo on youtube of a high school senior coming out to everyone in assembly. This was one of the bravest things I think I have ever seen.

Have a look

Grindr

2011-01-26T07:59:00.000-08:00

If you don't already know Grindr is an iPhone app for Gay, Bi or curious men. It uses GPS technology to find other Grindr users near you so you can speak arrange to meet up or whatever. I want to know your opinions on grindr if you have used it.

I have it on my phone and I regularly go onto it but I never really speak to anyone and if I do they are from miles away. I think it is more an app for large cities not small towns.

Let me know what you think, do you use it? does it work for you?

either comment or email GYD@live.co.uk

Another Gay Teen Death

2011-01-20T15:17:00.000-08:00

So another young gay guy has died, Lance Lundsten (age 18) has died. Now this time however it is very unclear what has happened, according to the police it looked like suicide, however his father has said that it was not suicide. Nobody has even said what the injury was.

Apparently Lance came out on his facebook profile and he had been bullied at school due to his sexual orientation.

His friends have created a facebook page called the Jefferson Anti-Bully Coalition.

Please let me know your opinions on this by emailing me at GYD@live.co.uk

Thank You

Sorry

2011-01-18T10:46:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't been here for a while, there are a few problems at work but i'm gonna try and do something with this soon.

JustUsBoys Pledge $10,000 to the Matthew Shepard Foundation

2011-01-10T07:47:00.000-08:00

OK so I have talked about the gay teen suicides a couple of times before but when I seen this news I had to write something about it.

Tyler Clementi who jumped off the George Washington bridge after his roommate allegedly secretly recorded Tyler having sex with another man , then broadcast it on the internet. Tyler wrote on the forum an justusboys.com for advice just hours before he killed himself.

Now JustUsBoys is seeking to raise funds and awareness for the Matthew Shepard Foundation. They are attempting to raise $10,000 for the Foundatuon, then they want to match those donations with a corporate donation of another $10,000.

If you don't already know Matthew Shepard was an openly gay 21 year old boy who was murdered in Laramie in Wyoming in October 1998. He was brutally beaten and tied to a fence and left to die. He was found 18 hours later but died a few days later in hospital surrounded by his family.

Matthews family then started up the Matthew Shepard Foundation to attempt to prevent hate crimes among other things.

For more information about the Matthew Shepard Foundation visit.
www.matthewshepard.org
and
www.matthewsplace.com

Also if you visit my amazon stores (<<< links on the left hand side) you can find a few things about Matthew Shepard for example, The Laramie Project DVD, The Matthew Shepard Story DVD (US only, not available in region 2) and The Meaning of Matthew, a book by Matthews mother Judy Shepard I recently finsihed reading this book and it was really upsetting and after reading it I honestly felt like I knew Matthew and also I think a percentage of the takings from the book go to the Foundation.

But please donate for this cause, let me assure you as soon as my wages go in on Friday I will be, to donate please visit www.justusboys.com/pledgedrive

The BBC

2011-01-09T18:23:00.000-08:00

Can I just start of by saying, the BBC are really not helping themselves. First of all they interviewed Stephen Green a gay execution supporter in relation to Elton John's Surrogate baby. My opinion on this is it was pretty stupid but they argued that this was to give an equal argument. So I think this has been blown totally out of proportion, but that's just my opinion.

However the other day I was watching newsnight and I watched a guest speaker Carmen Callil as well as an Australian comedian talk about The Ashes. Carmen described the Australian cricket team as "grossly overweight and unfit" she then commented about their blond prickly died hair. The presenter Kirsty Wark said that perhaps that was their feminine side.

Carmen then said "No, it's not a femanine side, it's sort of a poofter side, isn't it", Kirsty then laughed and said "Oh my god Carmen. You may say that, I would never say that."

However at no point was their an apology. I understand that the comment wasn't made by any of the BBC staff, however the comment was made on a BBC program therefore I believe they should have apologised.

Please let me know what you think about this or any of my other posts or even let me know if you believe there is something I should be talking about by commenting or emailing me at

GYD@live.co.uk

Thank You

R.I.P Puppy

2011-01-08T18:46:00.000-08:00

This post has nothing to do with the general topic of this blog but I thought I would write it anyway.

Before I went to work this morning I got a text from my dad to tell me that the family dog had died. Although I knew this it obviously upset me but it never really hit me, if that makes any sense. I went to work had a bit of a laugh and whatever.

But all of a sudden just now it's just hit me like a ton of bricks, I think it was just old age, I cant figure out exactly how old she was but I do know she was older than my 9 year old brother which I suppose means she was pretty old for a dog.

R.I.P Josie
xxx

US Military & Social Networking

2011-01-04T19:33:00.000-08:00

Following the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell a facebook style social networking site for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual service members called 'Out Military' the author of the website John McKinnon said that anyone that does join up at the moment would be best not to use their full names.

In other news, a US Navy captain has been temporarily relieved of his duties after homophobic videos that he created to be viewed by crew members have been leaked. These sketches are said to include lesbian shower scenes, anti gay insults and simulated masturbation.

A veteran and executive director of of the service members legal defence network, called on the navy to investigate the video's.

It has also come out that actress Glenn Close appeared in one of these videos, Glenn unwittingly appeared near the end of the video holding a stuffed parrot during a montage to Peter Cetera's 'Glory of Love,' just after a close shot of condoms and lube.

In respose to this she issued this statement "I am distraught that my image has been used to perpetuate something that I abhor. The cynical, unauthorized use of my image in this video is deeply offensive and insulting, and was the result of a seemingly innocent request of me during a visit to the aircraft carrier over four years ago."

If you would like me to speak about any specific topic or if you would like to send me a post to put up then email me at GYD@live.co.uk

Thank you

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T17:00:00.001-08:00

I would just like to wish all my reader a happy new year. I hope it's a good one :)

Store

2010-12-28T11:08:00.000-08:00

I had a day off work today so I decided to create two stores where you can find any DVD's I have watched or books I have read and would recommend to others.

I created a store for the UK & US, the difference between them is just the region code on the DVD's.

US Store (Region 1)
United States, Canada, Bermuda & U.S Territories.

UK Store (Region 2)
Middle East, Egypt, Japan, South Aftrica, Swaziland, Lesotho, Greenland & Europe (except Russia, Ukrain & Belarus)

Take a look :)

Gay Teen Suicides Update

2010-12-25T12:32:00.000-08:00

I have talked about gay teen suicides before but I thought I would do an update about what is happening now.

Tyler Clementi (Age 18) from New Jersey jumped from the George Washington bridge and died after his roommate secretly filmed him having sex with another man then broadcast it online. Tyler's parents are said to have filed a notice to sue Rutgers University for failing to implement policies to prevent the invasion of privacy. A spokesman from the university said that they were sympathetic to the family but it was not responsible for Tyler's death.

Seth Walsh (Age 13) died 9 days after hanging himself from a tree in his garden, Seth's mother made a heartbreaking video in which she read out Seth's suicide note and she talked about him and his situation at school where not only fellow students bullied him but so did some of the teachers, and although other teachers knew about it including the vice principle they done nothing to help, they just didn't care (View Below). Now Federal Education Officers are investigating the suicide. Apparently the officers spent 2 days interviewing teachers, administrators and students.

If you are being bullied please don't harm yourself, remember people love you and although it may seem hard to believe now it will get better. If you need to call someone then there are helplines everywhere.

Call 08457 90 90 90 in the UK & Northern Ireland.

Call 1850 60 90 90 in the Republic of Ireland

Call the Trevor Project on 866488 - 7386 or visit www.thetrevorproject.org in the US

US Senate Vote to Repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell

2010-12-20T08:56:00.000-08:00

The US senate has voted 65 to 31 in favour of repealing the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy that bans LGBT people from serving openly in the US Military. The bill just needs to be passed to the US President Barack Obama to be signed into law.

Barack Obama said in a prepared statement "The Senate has taken an historic step toward ending a policy that undermines our national security while violationg the very ideals that our brave men and women in uniform risk their lives to defend. By ending 'don't ask, don't tell', no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay. And no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love. It is time to close this chapter in our history. It is time to recognise that sacrifice, valour and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed. It is time to allow gay and lesbian Americans to serve their country openly."

This policy was introduced in 1993 and since then more than 13,000 people have been forced to leave the US military under this policy. It will now come to an end after 60 days to allow the US defence department time to figure out the best way to introduce the new policy.

Click here to see the CBS News report.

It appears to me that with President Obama the US could become a much more gay friendly place, Please let me know your thoughts either by commenting or emailing me at GYD@live.co.uk

Thank You

Update On Reace Mcdonnell

2010-12-18T20:02:00.000-08:00

In my previous post I talked about Reace Mcdonnell the 19 year old MYP who was suspended after an "anonymous mother of a teenage boy" found explicit photographs of him on the internet.

In my previous post I did not mention what Andy Hamflett the chief executive of the UK youth parliament had said as I really did not like the way this comment was worded but while speaking to PinkNews Reace mentioned this comment so to give you the full picture here it is.

"Our Primary concern is for the safety of all the young people we work with and we are taking these allegations very seriously. The young person in question has been suspended whilst the matter is investigated."

When I first read this comment my first thought was that there primary concern is the safety of all the young people they work with, what exactly is so dangerous about him?

Reace commented in regards to the youth parliament "I suppose they thought they can't be seen to support me. They said this was a matter of 'child protection' but i'm 19. They were implying that I was somehow a danger to children."

He also said that the Plymouth Herald who had first published these rumours had contacted him, however the youth parliament had told him not to speak to them. He said "I get the feeling they were more concerned about looking after themselves than acting in my best interests. I don't think they will clear my name now because my term as deputy youth parliament member comes to an end in January."

Speaking to pink news Reace said that he believed someone was trying to damage his reputation, he also worried that these malicious rumours would damage his chances of getting into university. He said "All my positive work has been pushed down on google and this is now at the top. I'm really upset."

Apparently the youth parliament has contacted him to tell him they are treating this as a case of homophobic bullying against him.

But is it too little, too late?

Again please comment or email GYD@live.co.uk

Thank You

MYP Suspended Over Gay Porn Pictures

2010-12-16T17:59:00.000-08:00

A 19 year old openly gay member of the UK youth parliament, Reace McDonnell has been suspended after the mother of a gay teenage boy allegedly found pornographic pictures of him on a porn networking site.

The boys mother said "I am concerned as a mother for my child. He has recently 'come out' as gay and has been following the out youth in Plymouth. Reace McDonnell, who leads this group and is an apparent role model for teens in the LGBT community, is on the internet. My son has spoken to me about this internet site and thinks this is 'cool'"

Reace McDonnell posted on facebook saying "I would like to remind people NOT to believe everything you read in the papers. I think its really quite pathetic that you should intringe on my life like this, not only at this pivotal stage, but atall, considering im an adult. My statement is that the allegation is not based on fact and should be discredited and ignored by all who read it."

A close friend of Reace commented "It's sad that people seem to be so interested in Reace's private life when all the hard work he does representing young people in his public life should be more important. He's quite open about being gay and has regularly stood up to be counted on the important issues affecting LGBT young people like homophobic bullying. It's ironic that in spite of, or perhaps because of, his hard work he now seems to be the victim of nasty and upsetting rumours"

Now this is where I take Reace's side, I have not seen these images I couldn't possibly say whether they exist or not, however even IF they do exist then he is 19, legally he is an adult so he hasn't done anything illegal and it is entirely up to him what he does in his personal time it is not as if he was advertising these pictures to any of the young people the youth parliament work with.

So if these pornographic photo's do exist then he was keeping them away from his professional/public life so why the hell was he suspended he has done nothing wrong.

Plus just one thing I would like to know, why was the teenage boys mother looking through gay porn on the internet anyway?

I would really love to know people's views on this subject so please either comment or email your views to GYD@live.co.uk

Thank You.

My Coming Out Story

2010-12-10T11:38:00.000-08:00

My coming out story started some time before anyone actually found out, when I was very young I always had an idea that I liked guys and I always knew I was different but I never really thought anything of it. One night when I was about 17 I was lying in my bed looking through pictures of a particularly good looking male actor on the internet with my phone when all of a sudden it hit me, I realised I was gay I felt so scared I realised that for the rest of my life I was always going to like men, I started to panic thinking what is the rest of my life going to be like and eventually I managed to cry myself to sleep.

Since that night I started to isolate myself even more than I already was, I went through a lot of denial hoping that it was just a phase and that I would grow out of it. I eventually managed to accept myself for who I was but was not comfortable enough to tell anyone so I just kept it a secret.

One day at college when I was 18 I was sitting in the canteen with my small group of friends and one of them picked up my phone and started playing with it, all of a sudden you could just see his expression change then he looked at me and asked me if I was gay. At this point I seriously thought my heart was going to come flying right out of my chest it was beating that fast, my friend turned my phone to show me a picture of the same good looking male actor as before that I had now saved onto my phone. I thought for a moment but could not think of any reasonable excuses as to why that picture would be there so I just said yes. The rest of the day at college was so scary for me, all of my friends but one were very accepting, but I just kept thinking do they really mean what they are saying or are they just being nice. However one of my friends never said a word to me after he found out so after college I pulled him to the side and asked him what he thought, I explained that I was still the same person then asked if we were still friends, he said yes of course we are but I could see he was feeling very awkward so I said goodbye then went home. I hoped that over night he would think about it and possibly calm down a bit.

That night I went to work in my local fish & chip shop, I really hated the place but I was so happy that night that I totally forgot I hated it. I was singing along with the radio and I was jumping about like an idiot because I had this amazing sense of relief like a weight had been lifted from me. Of course in the middle of that night my big crush came in for some chips and I turned into a total idiot, I managed to knock a shelf off the wall and drop a pile of polystyrene trays into the fryer just in the time he was in.

The next day I sent my best friend a text telling her, I was too scared to tell her to her face but she replied telling me she respected me for telling her, when I did eventually see her at the weekend at my other work we talked about it a little and I told a few more friends.

That was pretty much it for a few months, I left the chippy and just focused on college and my weekend job. I started hating myself because I couldn't bring myself to tell my family so I moved out, I shared a flat really close to the college. I hoped this would allow me space to just be myself but then instead of going forward I just went back to denial, I started drinking every night till either I passed out or just gave up and went to bed in tears, thinking back I don't know why I kept drinking because it just made things worse. I managed to get a job in a pub of all places but I think this was best for me, I was kept busy between my 2 jobs and college but so I didn't think about my sexuality for a good few months but then the depression returned I started drinking again and stopped turning up to college, after a couple of weeks of not turning up I sent my lecturer an email explaining that due to personal problems I would not be going back to college, After about a month of just working my 2 part time jobs I decided to go full time in my weekend job. Not long after that I moved out of the flat and into a house by myself.

I was really happy here on the odd occasion I was at home I either sat at the computer, listened to music or watched TV. I really enjoyed my own company because I have always been a very isolated person anyway.

When I got to the age of 20 though I decided that I had had enough of working a full time job and a part time job so I left my full time job and went full time at the pub where I still work now. However doing this left me very short of money and I had to move back in with my mum which stressed me out again because I still hadn't told her.

However not long after moving in I arrived home from work late one Saturday night and found my mum sitting drinking. I joined her for a few drinks, then a few more before I knew it we were both really drunk. My mum asked me why I didn't have a girlfriend and I just paused so then she asked if I was gay so I said yes, the few days after that my mum told my sister and my step dad.

And that is where I am at now.

Coming Out

2010-12-09T18:44:00.000-08:00

The best time to come out really depends on you. Some people come out at a really early age, however not everyone can do that.
It might be easier to come out to some friends first then they could support you. You might also prefer to wait until you are financially independent if you feel your parents won't take it well.

If you are struggling there are alot of people who can help and there is alot of advice out there, I watched alot of video's on youtube about coming out and I found this to be a good help.

According to the Cass' Identity Model there are 6 stages to coming out:

1. Identity Confusion
    This stage begins with your first awareness of gay thoughts, feelings or attractions. This stage often    includes denial.
2. Identity Comaprison
    In this stage you accept the possibility that you are gay.
3. Identity Tolerance
    In this stage you become more understanding that you are not the only one
4. Identity Acceptance
    This stage is where you realise that you will be ok.
5. Identity Pride
    This stage is where you begin to come out.
6. Identity Synthesis
    This last stage is where you integrate your sexual identiy with all other area's of yourself.

To read more about the cass' identity model click here

If you want to talk then email me at GYD@live.co.uk

I will upload my coming out story tomorrow

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

2010-12-06T07:07:00.000-08:00

The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy which bans openly gay soldiers in the US military may contribute towards the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STD's) according to Dr Kenneth Katz.

He claimed that soldiers could not be honest with medical staff about their sexual histories, he also said that this means that infections go undiagnosed so the service members and their partners go untreated.

Please let me know what you think, either by commenting or emailing GYD@live.co.uk
You can also email me any ideas would like me to talk about or even email me an entire post to upload if you wish.

Thank You

Representation of Homosexuality in the Media

2010-12-02T08:18:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys.

How do you guys think the media is representing homosexuality. Personally I think it's getting better but still has a bit to go. Many stereotypes that are still displayed in the media today are for example, Gay guys are apparently all very promiscuous, and many have solvent abuse issues and have trouble staying in a committed relationship. Another misconception is that gay guys are very effeminate however in the UK and possibly some other countries this is changing for example in Skins series 1 & 2 there was the gay character Maxxie Oliver played by the absolutely gorgeous Mitch Hewer he barely followed any stereotypes at all he was just one of the lads, another example of this is an Emerdale character Aaron Livesy played by Danny Miller he is not at all effeminate and he is a mechanic.

While doing a little research into this topic I came across a music video by Perez Hilton called the clap, while I did see the funny side to this video I also thought that it was exactly the kind of media attention that makes homosexuals look bad, I will embed this video at the bottom of this post.

What is it that causes bad representation, I believe that in many cases alot of the actors andscript writer's have no familiarity with gay people, they don't know any so they just make the character act according to the stereotype that other media programs have shown, obviously there are other reasons an I would love to hear your views so please comment or email: GYD@live.co.uk

Another thing I came accross was an interview with Darren Hayes from Savage Garden on his views about homosexuality in the media.

And here is the Perez Hilton video I mentioned

Tolerance

2010-11-29T17:00:00.000-08:00

In the UK there is a massive tolerance for gay people, however there are a few people who are intolerant and in some countries there are very low levels of tolerance.

When I was at college and I came out to my friends there was one friend in particular who wasn't very happy, he tried to be tolerant but couldn't help himself come out with homophobic comments and just generally acting weird around me. When I asked him what made him feel so uncomfortable towards gay people, he responded by saying it was the way he was brought up.

I really believe that it is the way he was brought up, his attitude towards gay people was just the same attitude he seen from his parents when he was growing up, however I have spoken to him recently and his attitude has changed, I was actually scared because to me he seemed to be a completely different person.

So what do you think causes intolerance and what are your experiences please let me know.

Please comment or email GYD@live.co.uk

Home

2010-11-28T07:42:00.000-08:00

What an adventure, the pub that I work in is usually a 5 minute drive away from home for me but on Friday I left work and an hour later I was still nowhere near home because of the snow. I ended up giving up and going to see a relative who lives near to my work, so I stayed with them on Friday night and intended to go home on Saturday but when I got into the car the was no way I could get it to move, so I left the car there and walked down to my work after going shopping for clean clothes for work, after work I went back to my relatives and stayed there again. Today I was sitting in the house with a cup of coffee staring at my car trying to figure out the bast way to get it out of the snow, I went and defrosted it then climbed in and started trying to slowly move but it just kept getting stuck, I lost my temper and slammed my foot down on the accelerator, after a bit of a struggle my car managed to power its way through (Which I wouldn't recommend doing because it can really damage the clutch and also so easily spin out of control and be very dangerous, i'm just very bad)

I can't believe how good it is to be home sitting in clothes that aren't for work and to be using the computer (oh how I have missed this).

Only one problem, i'm working again tonight and I really will cry if I cant get home again......

while I am at work I will try to figure out my next topic to discuss as I really haven't given it much thought the last couple of days, if you have any idea's of what you would like me to speak about please email me at GYD@live.co.uk

Sorry

2010-11-28T02:42:00.000-08:00

Due to the sudden snow fall I have been unable to get home so I'm sorry there have been no posts recently but without my computer all the Internet access I have is on my phone and it's not easy writing a post on this so I promise I will post again as soon as I am able to get home

Stereotypes

2010-11-25T15:27:00.000-08:00

There are many stereotypes surrounding the gay community for example, we like to dance or the sort of music we listen to.

In a few cases there are gay people who do fit the stereotype but there are also gay people who don't fit the stereotype. Why is it that everyone seems to think that if you are gay then you have to be the stereotype? and what is it that makes so many gay people actually fit certain aspects of the stereotype?

First of all I don't actually believe that being gay makes you like these things, being gay only makes you like members of the same sex, everything else, your personality and so on is just you.

However you may be influenced by other homosexuals that you know such as friends and family or homosexuals in the media most of whom do fit the stereotype.

Please let me know your thoughts on this subject either by commenting or emailing me at GYD@live.co.uk or comment on facebook.

Social Networking

2010-11-25T10:12:00.000-08:00

Gay Youth Discussion is now on facebook, another way you can get in touch and communicate with each other :D

Our Facebook Page

Our Bebo Page

I also recommend taking part in discussion on the forums at www.justusboys.com

or you can still email GYD@live.co.uk

Self Acceptance

2010-11-22T16:46:00.000-08:00

In many cases the hardest part of coming out is admitting it to yourself, I went through a prolonged state of denial trying desperately to convince myself it was just a phase and that I wasn't gay. My self acceptance came from the weirdest place ever.

When I was going through denial I used to go and stay in a hotel in Inverness about an hours drive away from where I live, the reason I done this was basically just to escape my life for a day, I would go shopping or go to the cinema, go out for dinner and then just relax in my hotel room and completely forget everything that was worrying me I would just do what I wanted and be who I wanted to be.

One night in my hotel room I was sitting surfing youtube video's, I started watching video's of "Gay Interest" many of the people I watched I hsve now subscribed to but thst night one video in particular stood out for me.

This video was called "Cure for Homosexuality" and it was upleoaded by "Theophi1us", basically this video ask's if you could cure homosexuality, if you could make yourself heterosexual, would you?

When watching this video I suddenly realised that being gay has made me the person I am my personality would almost definately be different if I was heterosexual. I realised I like who I am so if I had a choice to change my sexuality, I wouldn't.

Here is the video I am talking about:

Unfortunately he doesn't make video's anymore but have a look on youtube there are many more good video's. Another one of my favourites is Robmuch look him up

As normal, if you would like to get in touch with me you can email me at GYD@live.co.uk

Thank You

About Me

2010-11-21T17:07:00.000-08:00

I have noticed that when I started this blog I never introduced myself and I thought you might want to know a bit about the author of the blog, so here we go with some facts about me:

My name is Kyle
I am 21 years old
I work as a bar supervisor.
I really enjoy listening to loud music through the loudspeaker system when i'm in the pub alone, I think music has to be loud to really enjoy it.
My favourite music artist at the moment is Joe McElderry, I absolutely adore him haha
I come from a small town in the north east of Scotland
If i'm not working you can find me either driving my VW Golf or at home watching TV and surfing the internet.
I am ashamed to admit I am obsessed with vampire related TV and films like Twilight, The Vampire Diaries and I also own all the Buffy the vampire slayer and Angel DVD's.

If you want to know anymore just ask :D

If you want to get in touch with me you can email me at GYD@live.co.uk
Please also let me know if there is anything you would like to see mentioned on here aswell.

Thank You

Education

2010-11-20T08:47:00.000-08:00

Children in school are very impressionable so should homosexuality be taught in schools. There are many people out there who are prejudiced towards homosexuals but why?

I think the reason is because they don't know anything about it, they don't understand it, and they fear what they don't know.

If people were taught about it in schools it would no longer be unknown so hopefully it would significantly reduce the amount of people homophobic people.

Please tell me your thoughts

either comment or email me at GYD@live.co.uk

Gay Men and Blood Donation

2010-11-18T11:51:00.000-08:00

At the moment sexually active gay men are not allowed to give blood, the national blood service say this is due to the increased risk of HIV, however they also test ALL blood donations for HIV so why cant gay men give blood if it is going to be tested anyway.

This is due to the fact that there tests may not show the virus in the early stages but heterosexual's can also have the virus.

If you would like to know more about this subject then please visit the national blood service website.

Please comment or email me your views at GYD@live.co.uk

Gay Youth In America

2010-11-17T14:37:00.000-08:00

I have noticed there are a few Americans reading this blog so I thought I would write a post about gay youth in the united states.

I am from the UK, people in this country are very open minded and accepting of gay people, however as a gay teenager I went through denial, depression and anxiety. In the USA unfortunately not so many people are as open minded so imagine going through the internal pain while also having to deal with physical & verbal harassment at the same time.

This is something that Justin Aaberg (Age 15), Raymond Chase (Age 19), Tyler Clementi (Age 18), Asher Brown (Age 13), Billy Lucas (Age 15) & Seth Walsh (Age 13) know to well.

Unfortunately all these boys committed suicide because of this bullying, this is something that has to be stopped, Dan Savage has started the "It gets better project" to tell young LGBT youth like these guys that if they can get through it life will get better it won't always be as bad as it is at the moment.

Unfortunately suicide is a massive cause of death in the united states and gay youth are far more likely to attempt suicide.

If you are feeling alone and need someone to talk to then there are helplines all over the world to help, for example the Trevor Project in the USA.

I believe getting through this will make you a stronger and more confident person.
Please don't let the bully's get to you, be who you are, not who they want you to be.

If you need Someone to Talk to call the Trevor Project on 866488 - 7386 or visit www.thetrevorproject.org

Also please remember if you would like to speak to me then email me on GYD@live.co.uk or you can also email if there is any specific topic you want mentioned on this blog or leave a comment on any post

Thank you

A Wasted Youth

2010-11-13T19:40:00.000-08:00

There are many people who say a gay youth is a wasted youth, I hate to say it but I have to agree, while I was growing up most people my age were all hanging about with friends, I was sitting alone not speaking to anyone.

I spent my youth alone and miserable wishing I was normal, only recently did I realise there is nothing wrong with me.

Please let me know what you think, either by commenting or e-mail me at GYD@live.co.uk

Internet Troubles

2010-11-11T14:43:00.000-08:00

My internet has been down all day so I have just come into my work on my day off to use the internet. While my internet has been down I have spent my day watching dvd's and going through files on my computer.

Prayers for Bobby which has to be the most upsetting film i have ever seen, for those of you who haven't seen it, it is a true story about a boy who's family wouldn't accept him for being gay, eventually he jumps off a bridge and kills himself then you see the story of the mother (Mary Griffith) coming to terms with it. It took his death for her to realise that there was nothing wrong with him and she eventually became a massive gay rights campaigner. I really recommend the the film to anyone it is really sad but its a good film.

When I went through files on my computer I found photo's of my first and only ever boyfriend, I thought all feelings for him were gone but when I seen the photo's all my feelings came back again.

Please remember if you want to see anything in particular on here or if you want to write a post to be put on, or even if you just want to talk then email me at: GYD@hotmail.co.uk

Prayers for Bobby