Gay London clubs bars sex: map, calendar/diary, reviews, news from DISCODAMAGED

TEL AVIV MAN BEGS ISRAELI GOVT: NO WAR TILL AFTER MADONNA'S BEEN PLEASE

Great story in Pink News: "An Israeli man has created a Facebook page calling on his government to hold off on a potential war with Iran until Madonna has completed her pre-Pride gig in Tel Aviv. Kobi Zvili’s page urges the government to remember the gay icon’s dates, saying: “Netanyahu, No! no to war with Iran, untill Madonna’s tour visit to israel in may 29th.”

Read the full article on Pink News here...

THREE IDIOTS CONVICTED IN LANDMARK GAY HATE CASE. FIRST TIME EVER!

Three men have been convicted and jailed (two 15 month and one two year sentence) in the first prosecution for stirring up hatred on the  grounds of sexual orientation.  The Crown Prosecution Services says "A landmark case has today seen three men convicted of stirring up hatred against the gay community by distributing leaflets calling for the death of homosexuals. The case, at Derby Crown Court, is the first of its kind in British legal history..."

Elsewhere, PinkNews reports that "A street preacher has appeared in court in Somerset on charges of verbally abusing a gay couple. Michael Overd, 47, from Creech St Michael in Somerset, allegedly told Craig Manning and Craig Nichol that they were “evil” and would “burn in hell”. He got off with it as he says he was just "reading from the Bible".

"Continue reading" and get the CPS' take on today's landrmark case...

VIDEO: TORY SAYS: RELATIVELY FEW LONDONERS USE LONDON (PUBLIC) TRANSPORT

From the London Assembly member that said social housing was for "riff raff", comes a startling query: "Isn't it true that relatively few Londoners use London (public) transport?"  Based on this belief, he reckon's it's better everybody saves £3.10 on council tax than the tube gets £250m it needs or fares will go up even more. Buses and everything esle aside, there are over one billion tube journeys a year - more tube facts here.  

TORIES SAY NO TO TURING PARDON

The government has rejected calls for computer pioneer Alan Turing to be granted an official pardon for convictions for homosexuality dating back to the 1950s, the BBC reports. 

POLICE: WAITROSE WOULD DAMAGE CLAPHAM

Whilst we're on the subject of planning applications, it seems Waitrose is also of concern to London's finest.  The Met are objecting to Clapham getting a Waitrose as it could have a "detrimental effect on the area" as it'll sell alcohol, according to these planning papers. 

The only trouble we've ever seen in a Waitrose was two Jewish grandmother's in Finchley Road branch fighting over a discounted chicken at closing time. However, we're sure there's seedy side to Waitrose the Met are aware of  - they are opening in Vauxhall after all...

 

AREA'S LICENSE TO BE REVIEWED. CLUB NIGHT MUSICAL CHAIRS EXPECTED

Lambeth Council's to review the licence of Area due to a police report alleging there's a "blatant supply of drugs". The licensing sub committee (not that kind of sub - think  a kaleidoscope of sleazy local incompetent councillors serving local party politics and grandstanding) meets next Tuesday 14 February at 7pm.

It follows Fire going through the same process resulting in a six week temporary closure.  We imagine lots of club nights shuffling around whilst wrists are slaps, promises made and so on and so forth.

We hear that most Vauxhall venues have seen some kind of police action lately.

The council papers are here...

PASSENGER GOES OVERBOARD ON ATLANTIS GAY CRUISE

CCTV footage has revealed that a gay man who went missing on an Atlantis cruise fell from his balcony into the sea.  Atlantis cruises are huge week long parties and it's feared the man may have been the worse for wear....  The search for the man is on-going.

More here...

FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT... GAY PARIS

If you feared clubbing in Paris was as happening and welcoming as well your stereotypical Parisian, you'd be right.  Over to our man in Paris who writes:

On Saturday 21 January the French police raided Paris' brand new gay venue and it would appear that they have forced the club to close its backroom.  Well anyway for the Pagano night on the 21st January and also for the Beyond visit last Saturday the backroom was most definitely closed.

I hope of course that they can get it opened again but it just goes to show that Paris, whilst only 2 hours away from London, is in terms of its policing of the gay community, in the stone age.

"Continue reading" for more...

NEW! KUDOS GETS BLITZED FOR A NEW ERA

If you f*cked up that New Year New You bag of nonsense good news - you can do New Year, New Bar Club!  Yip, the old Kudos in Charing Cross has finally been put out of its mind and turned into Blitz Bar.  

When? They say  "Soho’s newest gay/mixed bar officially opens on Friday 3rd February 2012 at 9pm-3am.  This new trendy bar will feature club nights with some of the scene’s best known hosts and the worlds best DJs. DJs on the roster include Paul Heron,  KevinFunkt(Berlin)  Brent Nicholls, Doug Silva, Norbert M, Sharon O Love, Jamie Hammond, Zach Burns & Alessandro Londra plus guests. Minty's hosting too so worth a look and combined with Brent whose podcasts we're addicted to, it looks like a potential runner folks:)

"Continue reading" for the line-up...

24/7 GYM CULTURE

Interesting article in the Guardian hereabout the booming 24-hour gyms popping up everywhere. The article features The Gym at Vauxhall's St George Wharf - very popular with London's gay men looking to get club fit. 

Weird things about The Gym in Vauxhall:it's the only gym we've ever seen people pop out for frequent cigarette breaks.  An instructor also told us that some folks often take G to exercise which they don't encourage.  It's rammed most hours with long queues to get in and out at peak times. It's also popular with folks just out of Brixton prison, according to a policeman we know. If you go and find it too busy, they're opening another in Stockwell.

SMILE, YOU'RE ON VAUXHALL TELLY!

Do you think people are watching you? Well, you're right - they are! After lots of crime and the whole "night-time economy" thing Vauxhall's Area Crime Reduction Officer has got some cash and installed a CCTV camera. It's on a lampost on the traffic island opposite the RVT and can see all around. 

Continue reading for the official statement which also explains what to do if something happens to you and you need the footage.

GRINDR HACKED. ARE YOUR DANGLY BITS EXPOSED?

A mate in Sydney tells us that Grindr has been hacked by a Sydney hacker exposing lots of users "personal" information including pictures. A quick Google and it appears to be true.

“Continue reading” to find out what’s happened to the app that knows a lot about you…

WAR ON DRUGS GETTING REAL?

After Sir Richard Branson said we should end the war on drugs yesterday, new sentencing guidance came out today. Is the farce over?  Nope, but it could be showing signs of seeing some sense albeit due to the prisons being unable to take in any more people.

"Continue reading" for quotes from the usual suspects...

APPLE'S LIVING HELL. THINK DIFFERENT? NO, JUST TRY THINKING...

Seems iPhones are mandatory these days and we happily shrugged off claims that the factories they came from are living hells. Now it seems they are, even if they are the best of a bad bunch. 

MAN CONVICTED OF QRUSHR ATTEMPTED MURDER

A Nigerian student has been convicted of trying to murder a guy he met through Qrushr. Pink News reports Clifford David, a 21 year old IT student stabbed 42-year-old teacher Chris Telford with a kitchen knife, before bludgeoning him with a hammer and biting him on the forehead.

"Continue reading" for the details...

 

PETER TATCHELL: REPEAL SECTION 5

I bet you've never even heard of it as they don't do news in nightclubs you pathetic drug whore. Where have you been?  Grindr'g every waking horny moment? Us too! We hadn't a clue what Tatchell was on about either but we've read it and suggest you do too - turn sound alerts on tho...

BACK AFTER A REST. GREAT STORY FOR YOU...

We've had a little rest since New Year running a few stories here and there. We're upping the ante now so if you haven't sent us your listings please do. We're aware of a problem with our Facebook page that we're also working to fix - the screwed up a migration.

Need a laugh?  Apparently on New Year's eve a Black Widow terrorist was making her way to Red Square in Moscow.  it was snowing and she had enough explosives wired to a mobile phone and strapped to her to kill hundreds of people in the packed square. Fortunately for revellers, she got a HAPPY NEW YEAR! text from her network that triggered the bomb killing her and only her.  FYO, you're meant to leave the phone turned off until the last minute.   Full story here...

FIRST HOMOPHOBIC HATE CRIME PROSECUTION

The Daily Telegraph’s report on gay hate crimes in Derby. It sounds remarkably similar to what happened in the East End here – that being a bunch of dickheads used their religion to make themselves feel important,  get cheap threat thrills and make themselves feel better about that being a total failure/ dickhead thing.

The big news isn't that dickheads are everywhere but that it's the first prosecution of its kind since hate laws were updated to include homophobia. Yay!

"Continue reading" to find out what the plebs got caught doing and now face time for...

TATCHELL: SEXUALITY IS INFLUENCED BY CULTURE, NOT JUST BIOLOGY

Heresy! Peter Tatchell's kindly allowing us to republish an article he wrote for the Huffington Post - quite a gay drama queen name for a news website isn't it?! It's really fascinating stuff so "continue reading" if your brain has recovered sufficiently from New Year.

TERRY MARSH'S FUNERAL

Quick reminder: Terry's funeral is at 11.45am on Tuesday Hardwood Park in Stevenage.