Entertainment

A new website that promises to revolutionise the way gay people travel on cruise holidays has been launched by gay travel specialist Martin Owens.

The new site has been established purely for lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender travellers, and offers the choice of being able to travel on most cruise lines at exclusive prices and with additional benefits - like on board credit, exclusive cocktail parties, and free gifts such as champagne and canapés.

Read more: All New Gay Cruises

Rockstar Games have unveiled The Ballad of Gay Tony, the latest slice of downloadable content for the award-winning computer game Grand Theft Auto IV.

The official Rockstar Games site describes the game as placing the player into the role of Luis Lopez, a “part-time hoodlum and full-time assistant to nightclub impresario Tony Prince (a.k.a. Gay Tony).”

The Ballad of Gay Tony is still some months away and very little known about its core content, the underlying  controversy that seems to follow Rockstar from game to game could grow progressively more pungent as the detail get revelaed.

XBox 360 players will be able to download the episode using XBox Live or purchase it as a DVD disc that will also contain the first GTA IV episode, "The Lost and the Damned,".

EastEnders is to feature a Muslim man embarking upon a gay affair.

Syed Masood, played by Marc Elliott, will fall for openly gay man Christian Clarke (played by John Partridge) and the pair will get it on with an on-screen kiss. The storyline will feature in June.

"I think EastEnders would be doing the programme a disservice if they didn't give a voice to various communities," Elliot told the BBC Asian Network. "I think that's really important because I think London is a very ethnically diverse multicultural place, and EastEnders has a job to reflect that in the storylines it gives people and the characters they have on board."

His character, who joined the cast recently, has been trying to make amends with his family.

 

Read more: Gay Muslim Storyline for Eastenders

HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust is joining forces with other local HIV organisations to remind visitors to Birmingham Pride (23 – 24 May) not to put their sexual health at risk by getting carried away with the party mood.

Staff and volunteers from THT’s centres in Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton, along with organisations AB Plus and Freshwinds, will ride a float in Saturday’s Carnival Parade, promoting the safer sex message and handing out condoms to the crowds lining the parade route. They will also run a stall at the event, where festival-goers can pick up free condoms, along with important advice and information, including where to get tested if they have put themselves at risk.

Ben Watson, Centre Manager for THT in Birmingham, said: “Gay men are one of the groups most affected by HIV in the UK, and – after every Pride festival – we do see a rise in calls to our helpline THT Direct from men who are worried they have put themselves at risk of HIV and STIs. Birmingham Pride is a great event with a real festival atmosphere, and we would encourage people to enjoy themselves; just don’t forget your condoms!”

Barber’s Buzz, a male grooming salon in Portman Village near Marble Arch, is helping customers confront the credit crunch head on. They can have a haircut and then decide what to pay and whether they offer a penny, a pound or a hundred pounds, owner David Grey promises all customers will get the same treatment.

Barber’s Buzz, at 21 Seymour Place, London W1 (just a 5-minute walk from Marble Arch), is a more than just a barber’s shop. It’s a man’s fantasy world, with leather seats and a personal TV screen at each station with a choice of over 50 channels. Guys are offered a variety of drinks from beer to wine to relax while they get their hair cut.

Read more: Because You're Worth It - Barbers Makes Unusual Offer