You can't beat an old fashioned high camp bitch and Tallulah Bankhead was one of the wildest, most original and best.

by Chris Bridges | 18th May 2013

She's sadly mostly forgotten nowadays. How can you not love a crazed bisexual woman who slept with hundreds of people, smoked 100 cigarettes a day (and even employed an assistant to wake her on the hour in the night with a lit cigarette at the ready) and drank bourbon and gin like it was water? She was also renowned for her great wit. I've quoted a few examples below.

"If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner."

"It's the good girls who keep diaries; the bad girls never have the time."

"My heart is as pure as the driven slush."

"They used to photograph Shirley Temple through gauze. They should photograph me through linoleum."

"Cocaine isn't habit forming. I should know, I've been using it for years."

"I've tried several varieties of sex. The conventional position makes me claustrophobic and the others give me either stiff neck or lockjaw."

"I was raped in our driveway when I was eleven. You know darling, it was a terrible experience because we had all that gravel."

Her last coherent words reportedly were "Codeine... bourbon."

Tallulah went to Midnight Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City one Christmas Eve. Tallulah was already hideously drunk, so when the Bishop proceeded down the aisle in his finest vestments swinging a censer full of burning incense, through very bleary eyes, Tallulah took one look at him and shouted "Darling, your dress is divine, but your purse is on fire!!"

How’s that for an iconic wit?

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The official running order has been confirmed by the producers of Eurovision 2013.

by Newsdesk | 18th May 2013

France will kick off the marathon music competition, hosted in Sweden, which sees 26 participant nations from across Europe competing to win Eurovision 2013.

The United Kingdom is placed at number 15, just over halfway through the proceedings.

Last year the UK's entry Engelbert Humperdinck performed first - and came 25th in the competition. He sang 'Love Will Set You Free'.

Running Order

France

Lithuania

Moldova

Finland

Spain

Belgium

Estonia

Belarus

Malta

Russia

Germany

Armenia

The Netherlands

Romania

United Kingdom

Sweden

Hungary

Denmark

Iceland

Azerbaijan

Greece

Ukraine

Italy

Norway

Georgia

Ireland

Yesterday the petitioning and human rights website, AllOut.org was encouraging people to sign a petition to empower Eurovision broadcasters, European Broadcasting Union (EBU) not to censor a woman on woman kiss during Finland's song 'Marry Me' after alleged fears that Turkish broadcaster TRT pulled the transmission of Eurovision because of the kiss.

The show starts tonight on BBC 1 at 8:00PM, TheGayUK have designed a scorecard, which you can download for free at www.eurovision.thegayuk.com

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Turkish national broadcaster TRT has cancelled transmission of Eurovision tomorrow night following reports that it cancelled the broadcast because of the gay kiss between to two women in Finland's entry - 'Marry Me'

by Newsdesk | 17th May 2013

According to All Out, 'Turkey has just banned the show from being broadcast and now the press reports that there is pressure on Eurovision to cancel the kiss before Saturday's final. Eurovision organisers are worried other Eastern European countries might ban the contest too.'

The Eurovision final is due to be broadcast on Saturday night (18th May 2013).

The organisers face a choice: will they stand up for a Eurovision that is about unity, creativity and fun – or will they give in to pressure from countries who discriminate against gay and lesbian people?

If tens of thousands of us sign it could be reported in newspaper articles today and tomorrow, showing Eurovision organisers that there's a public outcry demanding they keep the kiss.

Sign the ALLOUT petition now

www.allout.org/eurovision

The petition has over 13,000 signatures.

When an interviewer asked how Finland's Siegfrids thought viewers in countries such as Belaruse and Azerbaijan might react to her performance she said: ”I think that everybody should have the right to do that. It’s no big deal, it’s not big deal to me. It’s a show, and it’s about love and love is beautiful in any form.”

Pinknews are reporting:

The TRT station claimed that the cancellation of the broadcast was due to low ratings, but last year a quarter of Turkish households tuned in to watch.

Eurovision starts at 8:00PM on BBC 1

You can follow all of TheGayUK tweets at http://www.twitter.com/TheGayUK or using the Hastag #TGUKEurovision

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5 times LA Music Award winner Kris Searle is gearing up for the launch of his new single Veins this weekend with its debut outing being performed live at the iconic Viper Room on Sunset Boulevard.

By Graham Davies | 17th May 2013

Originally from Herne Bay in Kent, Kris has taken his electropop music and continued to excite both here in the UK and across the waves in the USA.

Kris is currently featured Grammy Member of the month, who state ‘his modern synthpop sound along with a Glam rock feel combines for an alluring and electrifying sound,’ comparing him to David Grey, Jewel and Depeche Mode. You can read the full Grammy Feature here: www.grammymuseum.org

Having twice been Grammy considered for Best Vocal Pop Collaboration and Best Short Form Video, which featured Darnell from Big Brother and that gay kiss scene from Warning Signs, Kris is hoping that Veins will be the single to scoop up this year.

If Sunset Boulevard is a bit out of reach this weekend, then fear not for you’ll be able to get your hands on a copy of Veins here in the UK. Just visit www.krissearle.com for download details.

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The Kill Bill star is to play Anita Bryant in a forthcoming film about the singer, who's anti-gay stance and campaigning led her to be one of the first people to be publicly 'Pied'.

by Newsdesk | 17th May 2013

Uma Thurman made the announcement about her forthcoming project in Cannes reported the Huffington Post.

'She will play the role of Anita Bryant, the singer and orange juice spokeswoman who, after allowing a gay screenwriter into her home, confronts her past and her politics which had included successfully campaigning to overturn a gay rights law in Florida.'

The film, called Anita, will be directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffery Friedman, who won Oscars for the Aids documentary, Stories From The Quilt and biography The Times Of Harvey Milk

In 1977 after a ordinance was passed prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in Florida, Bryant led a high profile campaign to repeal the ordinance, stating:

What these people really want, hidden behind obscure legal phrases, is the legal right to propose to our children that theirs is an acceptable alternate way of life. [...] I will lead such a crusade to stop it as this country has not seen before.

Bryant suffered a fall out from her political activism – hurting her business and entertainment careers.

In a 1980 Ladies Home Journal interview, following her divorce and in the aftermath of her anti-gay activism, Bryant commented on her anti-gay views and said, "I'm more inclined to say live and let live, just don't flaunt it or try to legalize it.

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Join in with Pride and IDAHO London on May 17th, 5pm in Trafalgar Square.

by Newsdesk | 17th May 2013

From 17:00PM - to 20:00 there will be an outdoor event in Trafalgar Square, London to mark IDAHO, the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia 2013.

Wendyl Harris from Pride in London said, “We are honoured to join the global community marking this important international event. Homosexuality remains a criminal offence in 76 countries around the world, and punishable by death in a further 8 countries, yet many of our LGBTQI friends oversees will be celebrating IDAHO and looking to London for inspiration. IDAHO’s theme this year is marriage equality which compliments this year’s Pride Parade on June 29th: Love (& Marriage).

To mark the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (17 May), ILGA-Europe launches its Rainbow Europe package reviewing the human rights situation and assessing what life is like for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people in Europe in 2013.

by Newsdesk | 16th May 2013

At the national level, we see that developments are at times taking completely opposite directions. Some countries are moving towards marriage equality, better protection mechanisms against discrimination and violence, ensuring easier and more humane procedures for legal gender recognition. However these advances are often accompanied by a social backlash, including increased violence. In other countries, the most worrying development is the introduction of more restrictive and discriminatory measures such as the laws banning ’homosexual propaganda’.

The UK managed to achieve 77% towards what the ILGA describes as 'Respect of human rights - full equality'

At the bottom of the list is Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia with just 8% and 7% respectfully.

Martin K.I. Christensen, Co-Chair of ILGA-Europe’s Executive Board, said:

“Our Rainbow Europe package clearly shows that full respect of LGBTI people’s human rights remains a long-term aspiration rather than a goal which will be reached in a near future. Not a single country in Europe fulfils 100% requirements of our Rainbow Map. In many countries, the fight is still for fundamental civil and political rights that most of us living in democratic societies take for granted. And it is particularly worrying that some of these countries are in the EU.”

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Peter Michael Marino is an actor, writer, director and comedian who is most famous for the West End flop Desperately Seeking Susan. Original from New York, he’s a self-proclaimed “angloholic” who can currently be seen at the Leicester Square Theatre performing his hilarious one-man show Desperately Seeking the Exit about the highs and (mostly) lows of writing a West End musical.

by Domenico Sansalone | 16th May 2013

We caught up with him to chat about everything from working with Debbie Harry (the highs!) to struggling with depression following the closure of his show.

GAY UK: So you’re a native New Yorker! Tell us about what it was like growing up in the Big Apple?

PMM: Hectic! But the good kind of hectic! I can’t imagine living anywhere else … except London, of course. Best thing about living in NYC is being exposed to so much theatre, art, music, culture, and style. It’s stimulating on a daily basis.

GAY UK: Did you always know you wanted to work in the theatre?

PMM: I did. But I didn’t know what I wanted to do in the theatre. I studied lighting design then set design, then directing, then acting … I just liked it all. I wound up doing a lot of acting, improvisation, cabaret and then voice over work for commercials and cartoons. Then I did STOMP for five years Off-Broadway and on tour in South America. But all along I was writing and doing writing coaching.

GAY UK: Do you prefer acting or directing?

PMM: Directing for sure. I think there is more opportunity for collaboration as a director since you are working with every member of the team. I admire actors, and somehow with EXIT I’ve wound up being an actor again; but the show has more of a stand-up/improvisation/storytelling feel than a typical one-man show.

GAY UK: I remember at the launch party for Desperately Seeking you gave a speech where you said you got the idea for the musical at the dentist office?

PMM: What? I don’t even remember that. The press launch was so overwhelming. I actually recreate how I came up with the idea in the first 3-minutes of EXIT … and it’s … well, I think you can say I was aided by an herb. (laughs)

GAY UK: I suppose you couldn’t really say that at a press launch! What was it like writing the show and putting it all together?

PMM: Writing a show is rewriting. It’s a collaborative effort to put on any show and somehow our team didn’t really find the best way to collaborate. Again, this is all in EXIT, but I enjoy writing and rewriting and seeing how the actors take the words and make them their own. One of the difficulties of writing SUSAN for a London audience were all the American cultural references - which for one reason or another, I had to either cut or change all the time. Weird since so many American shows work so well over here with very little change from the Broadway productions.

GAY UK: What was it like working with Debbie Harry?

PMM: She is enigmatic, smart, reliable and unbelievable.

GAY UK: Why did you choose to open the show in the West End instead of New York?

PMM: Not my choice. It just worked out that way since the original Tony Award-winning director insisted on opening it here. Then he left the show and by that point we had the Old Vic on board as co-producers. Blondie is huge over here and also it seems like London likes those jukebox musicals an awful lot. Oh, well. You live and learn, right?

GAY UK: Tell us about where you think things went wrong?

PMM: I could, but then I would be giving away my entire show! We are having a Q&A after the show on Sunday and members of the original cast of SUSAN will be there to fill everyone in on when they thought it all went wrong. We did one 2 weeks ago and it was fascinating to see they all had the same answer. Naturally, my answer is different since I saw what was going on behind the scenes. Crazy stuff – this theatre business.

GAY UK: If you could go back in time, would you do anything differently?

PMM: Everything. Do you know of a time machine I might hop on? I just topped up my Oyster Card.

GAY UK: The cast were pros, I went to a show after it was announced that it was closing and I remember the chorus still giving it 110%. Have you worked with any of them since?

PMM: I wish. I would cast them all again if I could. We are all great friends and they have all become great friends with each other. They stay with me in NYC and I stay with them when I come here to London. We were so lucky to have such a talented and committed cast, crew and band. And they’ve all gone on to great roles since. Thrilled for them.

GAY UK: How did you cope with the show closing?

PMM: I went into a depression and barely left my flat in Manhattan for a year. It was very painful.

GAY UK: How did it affect your personal life?

PMM: I almost gave up on show biz completely and started to look into other fields to work in. But I was so depressed and humiliated and disappointed that I had a hard time seeing any light at the end of the tunnel. Luckily, there was a light and it all worked out well. Going through that experience made me a stronger person as well.

GAY UK: When did you get the idea to write a show about a failed show?

PMM: About 2 years ago I was reading the blog that I kept during the process. I made me laugh and I thought it would be fun to share the story for anyone who worked in the theatre. What happened with Desperately Seeking the Exit, was it touched and entertained people who aren’t even theatre people!

GAY UK: What was the process for putting together Desperately Seeking the Exit?

PMM: John Clancy (my director) and I got together a few times a week for a few months and went over my “script” and played around with it – keeping it technically very simple and also making the performance feel very stand-up-comedy. We’ve always wanted to work together. John has won multiple awards in Edinburgh and that was the goal with Desperately seeking the Exit. We thought we had a small, under-the-radar show, but then it just blew up and now here I am in London. The story has come full circle.

GAY UK: Audiences seem to love it (see The Gay UK review)! Where have you had the best audience?

PMM: The audiences in NYC are different from Edinburgh which are totally different from the crowds in Adelaide to the Leicester Square crowds. Even the Brighton crowds are different … and luckily the show is flexible enough to work with whatever kind of audience is there. A show for 10 is different than a show for 60 and I’ve had both!

GAY UK: Has Desperately Seeking the Exit led to other jobs?

PMM: It has led to other opportunities- and in this business, that’s pretty good. There is talk of a book and a possible TV thing. Don’t want to jinx anything. Do you have a job for me?!

GAY UK: What advice would you give to aspiring writers and producers?

PMM: Go with your gut. Be professional. Say what’s on your mind. Be respectful. Never give up.

GAY UK: What’s next for Peter?

PMM: Back to NYC where I am directing two more shows. Writing a new character-comedy show that I’m doing in NY in the fall. Creating a solo comedy festival of sorts and getting some rest before the show returns to Edinburgh this summer. I love that place. And what a great way to wrap it all up.

Catch Peter Michael Marino in Desperately Seeking the Exit at the Leicester Square Theatre until Monday 20th May. For tickets please visit (http://leicestersquaretheatre.ticketsolve.com/shows/873490457/events?TSLVq=89aa2184-526d-4c74-9c73-bc6eef5f6aa6&TSLVp=25798589-9f91-42bb-89e2-f49e4c9984ae&TSLVts=1368696175&TSLVc=ticketsolve&TSLVe=leicestersquare&TSLVrt=Safetynet&TSLVh=e75e43a4cdcc20cef8c40a2d02868c8b)

He will also be appearing at The Counting House in Edinburgh Fringe Festival from 2nd- 25th August. For tickets please visit (https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/desperately-seeking-the-exit-free-festival)

Details about the show can be found at www.SeekingTheExit.com

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With the theatrical release of the new Liberace film Behind The Candelabra just around the corner, we thought we'd take a closer look at the finery that is a near naked Matt Damon.

by Newsdesk | 16th May 2013

The film is out 7th June 2013 in the UK

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Goodness me, the heating has been turned on... Oh no wait it's just me seeing this picture!

by Newsdesk | 15th May 2013

In a hot new photoshoot with Now, the boys from man-band Blue strip off in a game of poker

ooo err

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