YouTube Lesbian Sensation CHRISSY CHAMBERS Needs Your Help To End Revenge Porn

As you may be aware of by now, YouTube star Chrissy Chambers (of BriaAndChrissy fame) has started a petition to end revenge porn, after becoming the victim of it recently.

Head over to Petition.org to sign Chrissy's petition or click HERE if it's easier for you. The petition only needs around 5,000 more signatures to reach the 150,000 signature goal, so please click the link to make a real difference.

Here are a few touching words from Chrissy herself, which help explain what she's been through.

Have you ever seen an embarrassing photo of yourself? You know the type, a notification pops up on Facebook and the picture you see makes you cringe. Now imagine getting a notification that includes your name, but this time when you open it up you see something criminal, something you can’t unsee, and sadly something everyone else can look at too. This time, you see yourself naked and unconscious. 

My name is Chrissy Chambers. Some of you probably know me from the YouTube channel BriaAndChrissy that I run with my girlfriend Bria, but even those of you have been following my life and work for years don’t know this story. 

When I was 18 years old, I started a long-distance relationship with a man who was 6 years older than me. As you might expect, soon enough the relationship grew strained and we broke up. I still cannot believe what happened next. 

Before the relationship ended, and without my knowledge or consent, my ex filmed himself having sex with me, and when we broke up he posted them online and they were shared to over 30 pornography sites. 

It wasn’t until two years after they were posted, when a link to one of those videos was emailed to me, that I found out they existed or even that this sexual encounter had taken place. 

When I first saw them I felt like I’d been stripped of my dignity. Each one included my full name, and my ex had included text calling me a slut and a horrible role model. By the time I found them, they had been viewed tens of thousands of times. Life as I had known it ended. It was like I had been hit in the chest and couldn’t catch my breath.It only got worse when I found out that there was nothing I could do to get them taken down. There are currently no federal laws in the United States that criminalize “revenge porn,” meaning sexually explicit photos or videos posted online without consent. 

How is it possible that this practice is legal? How can there be no consequences for the perpetrators who commit such horrific acts? How would you feel if this happened to you, or your sister, or your best friend? 

My ex posted those videos for revenge, plain and simple. He wanted to hurt me, and to tarnish my reputation. But he won’t succeed. 

I am standing up to fight back, not just for me, but for the tens of thousands of other women (and men) who have been put in this same situation with no way to defend themselves. With the help of our lawyers at the firm McAllister Olivarius, we are bringing the first ever civil lawsuit against revenge pornography in the UK. 

The reality is that what happened to me was a form of sexual assault, and it should be treated that way by the law. No one should be able to get away with posting explicit photos or videos of another person without their consent, or profiting off running a website that hosts that content. 

A bill that would criminalize “revenge porn” in the United States is currently being written by multiple members of Congress, but it will take a lot of public support in order to convince them to push it through. Please stand with me and call on Congress to end this horrific practice once and for all. 

I do not want anyone else to ever have to go through what I did, and with your help we can make that happen.

Don't forget to sign the petition today: https://www.change.org/p/protect-victims-end-revenge-porn-now  

UK Lesbian Festival L FEST Line Up Revealed

The UK’s only lesbian music, arts & comedy festival has raised the bar this year. They have their fantastic ethos of offering a platform for many unsigned and inspiring artists and they have 22 new acts coming this year and of course they have also added a few well known faces to the line up for 2015, slap bang in the middle of the festival season.

One of the headliners actually appeared on the L Fest stage in 2012 as one of the up and coming unsigned artists. Three years later, she has over a million social media followers and her X Factor audition where she sang her own song ‘Last Night’ has had over 32 million views. Lucy Spraggan is back at L Fest 2015!

It doesn’t stop there as there is a huge diverse line up. From O’Hooley & Tidow, recently nominated 'Best Duo' at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, to the all-girl Indie punk band The Tuts who supported Kate Nash on her UK tour. There’s the curly haired cute blonde Holloway, who you may know as half of MK1 from X factor. There’s certainly something for every music taste ranging from the acoustic sessions with Beth Prior, hip-hop with Ajah UK, Electronic sounds from Brain Rain and Afro-Latin percussion from the duet Ladies of Midnight Blue and not forgetting festival favourites Greymatter and the charity single group The L Project.

But L Fest is much more than just a music festival and has a fantastic Arts line up too. There is the DIVA Sex Academy hosted by Jane Czyzselska, London's award winning LGBT literary salon, Polari, Up Close & Personal with Indie Authors, Author Manda Scott with Woman Warriors and Planet London will be hosting a ‘LBQ Visibility in the Media’ Discussion Panel including Alicya Eyo and Kathy Caton. There’s many performance pieces from the 1940s Brighton duo All the nice girls, to Offside; a narrative of Women’s Football over the years. And of course not forgetting one woman shows Kerry Leigh wants to marry her brother and How to manifest a woman!

Laughing Cows comedy always finish the festival with a huge audience and this year will be no exception as Bethany Black, (Cucumber) and a firm lesbian funny favourite, Zoe Lyons (Mock of the Week) take to the stage.

Even if it rains you’re covered – literally as the Big Top is back! The cinema sponsored and programmed this year by Planet London, will be showing some great films from cinema hit Pride, to Crazy Bitches with the official UK launch of their DVD. Film Director Jane Clarke will be there all the way from the USA for Q&A’s after the showing. Actress and Director Alicya Eyo, (Emmerdale & Bad Girls), will also be part of a Q&A to talk about her part as director in the new short, Brace.

Worried that tiny tents and mud isn't your thing? It’s not theirs either. They have yurts for hire, toilets are clean, the showers are hot, and there’s even a place to straighten your hair and apply your lipstick so you can look hot for the whole weekend!

Not convinced yet? Check out the website here www.lfest.co.uk for the full line up and get your tickets now at £99 including three nights camping and everything above and more! You can even pay £50 now and £50 later. See you in July in a field full of lesbians!

Where and When?

July 17-20th 2015 at Uttoxeter racecourse, Staffordshire. (We didn’t know where it was either, but it’s 5 minutes from Alton Towers and there is a train station on their actual festival site so it’s only 2 hours from the big cities: London or Manchester, Birmingham or Leeds).

The Greatest Gay Moments of 2013

What a year it's been.

There was a bunch of amazing stuff that happened for the LGBTQ community in 2013 that it's hard to keep track of it all. Here are just a few of our favourite gay moments from last year.

Tammy Baldwin Becomes the USA's First Openly Gay Senator

If politics isn't your thing, you may have missed this. But we all know that being gay in the most powerful country in the world is still (unfortunately) often seen as a taboo.

This year, Baldwin made history by becoming the first openly gay senator (for her home state of Wisconsin) - such a monumental achievement for our community.

The United Kingdom Legalizes Gay Marriage.

You probably didn't miss this one, but we all know gay marriage should have come sooner in the Land Of Hope and Glory. Hell yeah, the Brits!

The above image was actually taken from a super anti-gay website, which is why I've chosen to use it here: because they definitely did not create this image for good... But look how great it is! The Queen is officially a supporter, get over it.

Gay marriage will begin starting March this year - and I am so excited and proud to be going to my Aunt's wedding to her girlfriend! Bring on the festivities.

Rhode Island, Delaware, Minnesota, Hawaii, Illinois and New Mexico Get Gay Married.

That's right, the USA also finally got a move on with their legalization of same-sex marriage.

6 more states (please correct me if I'm wrong here!) legalized same-sex marriage, proving that the USA really is becoming the land of freedom and equality once and for all.

Here's to hoping that this will only continue in 2014 - it looks like Utah could be next!

2013 Gave Us Some Great Gay TV.

There are most definitely too many great gay TV moments to mention in this post.

However, some of the best gay on-screen happenings in 2013 came from the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black, in which we see Taylor Schilling and Laura Prepon (above) makin' out and doin' the nasty to no end.

BBC America's Orphan Black also gave us the ever-talented Tatiana Maslany who, whilst playing an army of other characters, brought us the delightfully nerdy queer Cosima.

On top of that, shows such as Grey's Anatomy (ABC), Lost Girl (Showcase Canada/SyFy) and Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family) continue to wow us with their portrayal of strong, female gays. And we just can't get enough!

Jodie Foster Comes Out... Officially.

Though homosexuals and heterosexuals alike could have probably told you this years ago, way back in January one of the greatest actresses of her time came out of the closet in an elaborate way: while collecting her award at the Golden Globes.

It's always great when celebs tell the world they are proud of who they are, but even better when they are as high profile as the lovely Jodie. Who do you reckon will come out next in 2014?

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Of course there have been many more amazing moments for the LGBTQ community in 2013, but what was your favourite?

What did we miss? Let us know what you thought about 2013 in the comments!

London UK To Host 2014 Winter Pride!

London, UK: The first ever Winter Pride UK is coming to London’s Tobacco Dock!

Immerse yourself in the party atmosphere as LGBT London comes together for the first-ever Winter Pride UK on 8th February 2014. Created for the LGBT community, and made possible with sponsorship from Smirnoff, Winter Pride UK is an exciting new venture from the creators of the hugely successful MINT Network, which will bring together the biggest LGBT club brands and international DJs to create a party like no other. The perfect antidote to the rain and bad weather, Winter Pride UK’s ‘inside pride’ at London’s Tobacco Dock has space for over 3,000 people throughout the night.

The vast, vaulted warehouse in east London will hold a winter paradise which is #yoursforthemaking. Popstarz, One Love, Work, MINT, Exilio, Bear Necessity, East Bloc - east London's coolest late night gay club, and media sponsor, Gaydio – the LGBT radio, g3 magazine, Out In The City magazine and Gaydar are just some of the iconic names involved so far.

Each vault will hold entertainment, community or retail stalls, meaning you’ll never find yourself without something to do. We have a commitment to the long-term impact that Winter Pride UK will make on the wider community, which is why £1 from every ticket sale will go to the Terrence Higgins Trust and the proceeds of a raffle to Stonewall, while our community vault spaces are free to charitable organisations. Each year, we’ll report back how you helped the good causes you’ll be supporting by attending Winter Pride UK, so you’re actually doing good, while having the time of your life. We call that guilt-free fun. 

Kiera Ridge, Community Fundraising Manager at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “We’re thrilled that Winder Pride have chosen our charity to benefit from their inaugural event. This kind of community event is vital, not only for raising funds but also creating a great opportunity for the LGBT community to come together and celebrate. We couldn’t be more grateful for their support.”

In addition to the Winter Pride UK party, Adam and Steve, and Ellen and Eve will be regrowing the Garden of Eden The Winter Pride UK Awards, which will be hosted by celebrity, Jodie Harsh, and include a new Art Award, sponsored by Smirnoff Gold and targeted at both emerging and established artists with a cash prize of £1000 for the winner. Many famous faces appear across the awards, including Ian McKellen, Clare Balding, Gareth Thomas, Nicola Adams, Heather Peace, Angel Haze, Daniel Radcliffe and national treasure, Stephen Fry, who said, "I am thrilled to be nominated as LGBT Luminary of the Year for Winter Pride UK. Artistic and cultural events of this kind are so important for the well being of the LGBT community". 

Jamie Young, Smirnoff Brand Manager, said, “We have supported the LGBT community for many years and in many ways and are very excited to be headline sponsors of the first ever Winter Pride in Europe. We strive to establish and hold our strong relationships within the community and what better way to do this than to support such a fantastic event.” 

www.winterprideuk.com

Editorial: Candy Bar Soho Closes Its Doors - Where Do We Go From Here?

by Lauren W

If you’re a British lesbian, you’ll still be in mourning about the loss of the most famous lesbian bar in Great Britain, Candy Bar. Diva Magazine has called it the End of an Era! Aside from the obvious, this worries me for a multitude of reasons. But what worries me the most? Well, where else is there for us to go?

Read the entire article where it was first published (Pink Lobster Dating) by clicking HERE!

The UK Passes Same-Sex Marriage Bill

Today, I am so proud of my country.

I am based in Canada right now; a place where they don't care who you marry, as long as you both like hockey. AMIRIGHT?

Today, my country became a place where we don't care who you marry, as long as you both like tea and crumpets.

Okay, I'm playing on stereotypes here. (But it's true. Shush.)

At a time when only 11 countries (not including the UK) have national legal gay marriage, this is historic. Yes, the United States are one fifth of the way there, and Mexico and Brazil are following suit too, but the UK just became the 12th country to pass a same-sex marriage bill on a national scale. (Okay, not entirely true as Scotland are not included. But two of our four countries are 100% gay approved.)

Today in the House of Commons, there were intense debates on the issue. Some crazy religious people used the same old "Adam & Steve" argument, whilst others claimed they were "protecting marriage."

One MP claimed he was opposing the bill in an attempt to "protect the sanctity of marriage." Said MP has also been divorced and is now re-married. I wonder which marriage he was protecting the sanctity of?

Anyway, the best argument in my opinion came from Kate Green, an MP who represents Stretford and Urmston (a constituency within Greater Manchester).

Green - a straight, married woman dedicated to equal rights for all - used her wisdom to turn all of the opposing arguments face down. She was correct in saying that all of the opposing arguments are not valid. HELLS YEAH.

In the end, the commons voted and the bill was approved, 400-175. A huge majority!

We're still waiting to hear from the House of Lords (a.k.a. the Senate, for you North American folk), but chances are, they will not overturn the bill.

Fingers crossed!

Once again, I am so proud of my country today. Thank you all for being such awesome people.

Romeo and Julian?

It's been almost a week since this headline hit the newspapers (sorry for the late post!), but I'm sure some of you guys and girls in the US haven't heard about it...

Apparently, after a group of students from a mixed race and gender school in East London, it sparked a controversial argument about whether 'Romeo and Julian' (a play about tackling homophobia, based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet) should be allowed.

According to parents, they think it is ludicrous for 'such a literary masterpiece to be used as a basis for such a politically correct purpose'. Now, excuse me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't we be wanting to use well-known plays and books to put across today's issues so that the audience can relate to them?

Also, it was said that all parents want children to be learning 'Romeo and Juliet' and not 'Romeo and Julian'. Then tell me now why it is acceptable to teach children about suicide (which is not a part of every day human life - if you're emotionally stable, of course) but it is not acceptable to teach them about homosexuality (which is firmly a part of every day human life.)

Straight parents of the UK: the world is changing, get the f**k over it!

P.s. Sorry, gays, for posting such a gut-wrenching, vomit-worthy picture above. (Yes, I was deliberately trying to be heterophobic - which would cause absolute uproar if it were to be more mainstream. See how we feel hetties?)