REVIEW: Forge & Co – Shoreditch, London

Forge & Co holds a prominent place on London’s Shoreditch High Street.

A large, modern, stylish open space with an impressive bar and a combination of tables and couches.

This is the kind of place that offers something for whatever time of day you’re passing – from breakfast, through lunch, dinner, and into late night cocktails. There’s even a long work-table which seemed to be filled with the local freelancing office-less community.

I was dodging the rain on a wintry Thursday morning and so called in for breakfast. It was perfect. Friendly, professional service, good coffee, excellent wifi, and a plate of poached eggs that set me up nicely for the day ahead.

There’s a lot to love about Shoreditch, and Forge & Co is definitely one of the highlights.

Read more from Gareth Johnson

Read more restaurant reviews

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Gareth Johnson

www.gaystarnews.com/article/review-forge-co-shoreditch-london/

Judge Allegedly Swapped Sex, Spankings With Men For Lighter Sentences

Joseph Boeckmann, an Arkansas judge, has been accused of engaging in sex with young white male offenders in exchange for drastically reduced sentences.

The district judge in Cross County now faces an ethics complaint, which claims he gave preferential treatment to a number of defendants who completed “work” at his residence — which almost always involved performing sexual favors.

According to the ethics complaint, Boeckman made offenders perform “substituionary sentences,” asking them to “contact him to present their ‘trash pick up’ requirements at either his office or his home.”

“My staff has gone through thousands of pages of documents, court records, checks,” said Davis Sachar, executive director of the Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission. “That will be part of the case.”

He mentioned “there are still some determinations to be made.”

Boeckmann also allegedly had child pornography on his computer.

He apparently paid one defendant to let him take nude photographs of him over a five-year period.

Allegedly, he also had sexual relations with a young defendant who shacked up at Boeckmann’s home.

The judge allegedly showered the man with gifts — he bought him cars, the complaint suggests, and even a boat — and he would regularly pay his families’ rent and utility bills.

He’d spank the defendant regularly for sexual pleasure, or “as for punishment to A.A. for his criminal conduct,” the complaint reads. “A.A. received money for this conduct if the spankings were sought for Boeckmann’s pleasure.”

Arkansasonline.com reports that Boeckmann can’t be removed from office, despite the severity of the accusations.

The judge has yet to comment on any of the allegations, and has 30 days to respond to the complaint.

Read the complaint in its entirety below.

H/t: LGBTQ Nation

Jeremy Kinser

feedproxy.google.com/~r/queerty2/~3/hGYw8UVNOnk/judge-allegedly-swapped-sex-spankings-with-men-for-lighter-sentences-20151119

Getting Intimate With Nathan Fillion

After a series of unsuccessful TV shows, the world finally discovered the wonder of Nathan Fillion when he starred as Captain Malcolm Reynolds in the cult hit series Firefly. Then came the Firefly movie, Serenity, and a memorable cinematic turn as a love-struck, unfaithful doctor in Waitress. Currently, Fillion has a starring role in the enduring crime drama/comedy Castle. The Canadian-born actor, as reknown for his tweets (3.37 million followers!) as his acting, recently reunited with Firefly costar Alan Tudyk for the super-popular webseries Con Man, in which the guys send up their own geeky path to fame (oh, and for the gay gamers out there, Fillion also provides the voice of Edward Buck in the latest Halo game). Fillion turned his legendary charm on us to talk to us about his expansive work.

The Advocate: Hi, Nathan. Tell me about Con Man; how much input did you have into your character, which seems mostly based on the real you?
Fillion: I would love to take full credit, but this is a thing that Alan Tudyk has been thinking about for years and just finally put it together, and the way in which Alan writes, he really leaves no stone unturned. You can certainly add a little tidbit here or there for dimension, but you have a fully fleshed-out character by the time Alan hands you the script. So, I wish I could take more credit, but Alan will probably read this, and then I’ll hear about it for sure.

Is the show indeed based on real experiences?
It’s a heightened reality, for sure, but it’s merely a parody of what we think a super successful celebrity would be like. And at the same time, there is a kernel of truth in it. The fact that Wray Nerely and Jack Moore never get to see each other except on Facetime. That’s not very far from the truth. I’ve been working on a network television show for eight years. I rarely get a chance to see my friends. We keep very odd hours here on a show, and it’s hard to nail down time just to see your friends for months at a time. 

Did you see Alan during the filming of Con Man, or was it all remote?
No, no, I was there. In the scenes I’m in, Alan was there directing. And while Alan was directing, I was there hanging out for the first few days of the shoot just to show some support. Alan pretends like he needs people around him, but really he doesn’t. He had it handled, and it was very impressive. It was his first shot at directing something like this, and he really handled it very well. His crew plainly loved him. It was really neat to see, because he really appreciated his crew, and his crew really seemed to appreciate him. Boy, he really loved those people.

I’ve been a big fan of both of you since Firefly, and it’s really fun to see you back together again.
Aw, thanks for that. And you know, it’s funny too, because people say that and Alan and I are best buddies. We’ve been hanging out for the past 13 years, and when people say, “It’s nice to see you back together again,” we kinda snicker, because we’ve been hanging out all this time.

In the show, Wray deals with overzealous fans who feel an ownership over him. Is that something you go through?
Absolutely. And you know what? I completely understand it. I think about TV shows I really like: Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead. I feel a sense of ownership for those shows. [People say], “I gotta get home and watch MY shows.” We even speak about it in terms of ownership. So it is a strangeness that I actually relate to and understand. You’re spending time in people’s living rooms for however long that might be. An hour a week. Or if they’re gonna watch a movie, if they’re gonna binge watch your entire series, you’re in their living room. You’re a part of their home. They feel familiar.

Do you often get hit on by gay male fans?
I don’t get hit on often by any fans. A flirt now and again. But I have had some very nice compliments from gay male fans, yes.

And how do you feel about that?
A compliment is a compliment. I take ‘em where I can get ‘em, Robbie.

Which of your projects do you get recognized for the most?
It’s a tossup. Castle is certainly a big deal to my career and the recognition factor. But I’m not out in the world much to experience that, unless I go to sci/fi conventions, at which point it’s a tossup between Castle and Firefly. Firefly, having been canceled 13 years ago, is very strange in that it keeps getting more and more fans every year. Younger and younger people are coming up to me saying how much they love it, and I can’t believe it. I’m so grateful for that experience.

It’s definitely a cultural phenomenon. You have somewhat of a following among gays for your dreamboat role in Waitress.
Is that right?

Yeah, we love that movie! Can you tell me about deciding to do it?
You know, I thought it would be a very cute movie. I was really looking forward to the chance to be working with Keri Russell and Cheryl Hines. Jeremy [Sisto] I had known from before and hadn’t had a chance to work with him. I had no idea just how cute it was going to be. That movie works out really well. I always point out to people that they think it’s a pure and wonderful love story and I say, “Just a reminder: these are two married people, and they’re both having extramarital affairs, and you’re rooting for them.” That’s how sweet and cute, and really wonderfully, Adrienne Shelly handled that subject matter. It made it okay to the extent that we actually root for these people to cheat on their spouses.

Yes. And the ending of that was such an interesting choice. It’s a surprisingly feminist film. Thanks for making that one.
It was a pleasure.

Do you have a man crush?
Umm, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jeremy Renner, Bradley Cooper. Who else do I think is really great? Both of the Wilson brothers. Who else? There was somebody I was just watching the other day and they were amazing…

You led off with three Marvel actors, and I know you had a small part in Guardians of the Galaxy. Is that your run for superheroes, or–
Tom Hiddleston! Tom Hiddleston! That was the one! Did I mention him?

Another Marvel man. Do you have aspirations to play a superhero?
I think all the really great heroes have been taken. And they’ve really done some wonderful jobs with goofy heroes. When Ant-Man came out I thought, “this is really a lower-rung hero for comics.” That movie was spectacular. Boy, Paul Rudd? I like to think I’m a charming guy. That Paul Rudd makes me look like an idiot man-child, he’s so charming. It’s so neat to watch him. But I would certainly think that for every superhero out there, there’s gotta be at least 50 villains. I think I’d like to take a crack. All the heroes are out there. Give me a villain.

Is there anything that you’d like to say to your gay fans?
Say it loud, say it proud (laughs).

Robbie X Pierce

www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/2015/11/19/getting-intimate-nathan-fillion

Congress forms task force to address anti-trans violence

The Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus of the US House of Representatives has formed a Transgender Equality Task Force, which on Tuesday (17 November) held the first congressional forum on violence against transgender people.

The bipartisan committee is chaired by California state Representative Mike Honda, whose eight-year-old granddaughter is transgender.

As the proud grandpa of a transgender grandchild, I hope she can feel safe at school without fear of being bullied. pic.twitter.com/NDIfOdW9sk

— Rep. Mike Honda (@RepMikeHonda) February 18, 2015

‘It is our responsibility as leaders and public officials to ensure that all people are free from the fear of persecution, prejudice, or violence just for being who they are,’ he said.

‘We work to highlight the issues that transgender individuals face. In this day and age, hatred and prejudice based on one’s actual or perceived sexuality or gender identity.’

There have been 22 reported murders of transgender woman of color this year alone, up from 16 in 2014.

‘When I meet with the transgender community, they say: “Listen to us,”‘ said Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi.

‘That’s what this task force is set up to do: to listen, to learn, to be informed, to act upon the transgender experience.’

The post Congress forms task force to address anti-trans violence appeared first on Gay Star News.

Darren Wee

www.gaystarnews.com/article/congress-forms-task-force-to-address-anti-trans-violence/

Hong Kong authorities are refusing to count gay couples in its 2016 census

Officials in Hong Kong have decided to leave same-sex couples off next year’s census – arguing that some will be too afraid to disclose their relationship in front of family members and that no data is better than inaccurate data on the make up of Hong Kong’s population.

Hong Kong’s Census and Statistics Department (CSD) recorded that there were 7,495 people living in a same-sex household that were not blood relatives in 2011.

However in the 2016 census people will still only be able to record their relationship status as ‘never been married, [heterosexually] married, widowed, divorced or separated.’

CSD deputy commissioner Stephen Leung said the decision not to record same-sex relations was made in consultation with government departments and social welfare organizations.

Leung said census data had to be accurate if it was going to be useful in formulating government policy and the CSD believes most gay and lesbian couples would not disclose their relationship in front of relatives.

However LGBT group Rainbow of Hong Kong said the decision to not allow same-sex couples to record their relationships was a form of censorship which cuts that section of the community out of being able to take part in policy formation by the government.

Rainbow of Hong Kong spokesperson Yeung Chu-wing told Ejinsight that he personally knew of people who had tried to record their same-sex relationships during the last Hong Kong census in 2011 but were told they had submitted wrong information.

Chu-wing said that it was excluding same-sex couples from the census that will undermine its accuracy not asking them that question.

Hong Kong has been a self-governing special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China since it was handed back to China by the United Kingdom in 1997.

The post Hong Kong authorities are refusing to count gay couples in its 2016 census appeared first on Gay Star News.

Andrew Potts

www.gaystarnews.com/article/hong-kong-authorities-are-refusing-to-count-gay-couples-in-its-2016-census/

Company that hiked price of AIDS drug by 5,000% loses $14.6m in 3 months

Turing Pharmaceuticals has reported a $14.6 million net loss last quarter after hiking the price of a decades-old AIDS drug 5,000%.

CEO Martin Shkreli drew the scorn of the internet after he bought the rights to Daraprim and raised the price from $13.50 to $750 overnight.

Daraprim is used to treat the toxoplasma gondii parasite, which can cause seizures, blindness, and neurological damage in people with compromised immune systems.

After a fierce backlash, Shkreli said he would lower the price of the drug, but another company started selling the drug for $1 a pill.

We will be releasing our third quarter financial results in 2015 publicly. This is unprecedented for a private company.

— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) November 11, 2015

The company spent $7 million on drug research last quarter, which contributed to losses.

‘We are very excited about the potential for Turing’s pipeline of new drug candidates to help patients in need of better medications,’ Shkreli said in a statement.

The company also addressed the Daraprim controversy:

‘After consulting with patient advocacy groups and infectious disease doctors, Turing understands that toxoplasmosis patients are primarily concerned with timely access and minimal out-of-pocket costs.

‘We are committed to continuing the expansion of our distribution partnerships in order to facilitate optimal patient access. In addition to participation in federal and state programs with costs as low as 1 penny per pill, and patient savings programs under which patients’ out-of-pocket expenses do not exceed $10 per prescription, Turing contributes to Patient Services, Inc. (PSI), a longstanding independent charity that provides support for financially needy patients’ cost-sharing obligations for any toxoplasmosis therapies, consistent with PSI’s advisory opinion from the HHS Office of Inspector General.’

The post Company that hiked price of AIDS drug by 5,000% loses $14.6m in 3 months appeared first on Gay Star News.

Darren Wee

www.gaystarnews.com/article/company-that-hiked-price-of-aids-drug-by-5000-loses-14-6m-in-3-months/

Ark. Judge Accused of Inappropriate Behavior With Male Defendants

Cross County, Ark., Judge Joseph Boeckmann has some serious explaining to do after being accused of pressuring men to have sex with him in exchange for dismissals of charges or reductions in court fines and charges.

Boeckmann has 30 days to respond to the charges, announced Tuesday by the state’s Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission, and will be allowed a hearing on the matter, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports. It will be difficult to remove the judge — if the charges are indeed proved true — unless the state Supreme Court gets involved, as the commission does not have the authority to suspend him.

On the bench since 2009, Boeckmann is accused of using his position to seek out “young Caucasian male litigants.” He would allegedly tell offenders to perform “substitutionary sentences” that involved chores at his home. Boeckmann is accused of photographing the men’s buttocks as well as soliciting some of them for sex and relationships. 

On top of all this, the judge has been accused of having child pornography on his computer — the state Cyber Crimes Unit is investigating.

Neal Broverman

www.advocate.com/crime/2015/11/18/ark-judge-accused-inappropriate-behavior-male-defendants

10 Reasons To Make Sex With Your Spouse A Daily Ritual

These days, everyone’s to-do list is a mile long. Trying to squeeze sex into an already tight schedule seems next-to-impossible sometimes.

But for married couples who get it on regularly, the payoff can be substantial. We recently asked a group of sexperts to tell us the benefits of having sex with your spouse on a near-daily basis. Read what they had to say below: 

1. It sparks your bedroom creativity. 

“Having sex every day can get you and your partner out of whatever sexual rut or routine you may have fallen into, and can spark more experimentation as well as more direct conversations about what works and what doesn’t,” psychologist and dating coach Samantha Rodman told The Huffington Post. “After all, you’re not going to want to do the exact same thing seven nights a week.” 

2. It’s a way for you to connect — just the two of you. 

“As our lives become increasingly busy (kids! career! Netflix binges!), it has become vital that my husband and I find ways to commune with one another,” marriage blogger Meg Conley said. “There are many ways to do this — reading together, holding hands on walks, date nights, intellectually stimulating conversations. I do have to say, though, there is something special, electric — transcendent even! — about the time we set aside for physical intimacy. It recharges us individually, and as a couple, in a way that no amount of reading Faulkner aloud to each other ever has.”

3. It’s a reminder that you’re lovers first. Everything else is secondary.

“Having a daily ritual of erotic connection — whether it be making out, telling each other your fantasies or having sex — will keep your life more fun and playful,” sex expert Danielle Harel told HuffPost. “It also creates a sense that you are adults on the same team as opposed to just being parents or business people or all of the other identities that can take over sometimes.” 

4. It can reinvigorate your marriage.

“You might be afraid that a regular, daily date for sex will mean that your love life isn’t spontaneous, or that it will lose its romantic edge,” Tammy Nelson, sex therapist and the author of Getting the Sex You Want, said. “On the contrary, daily sex can actually create more romance in your relationship. When you show up for one another every night, even when you don’t feel like it, when you are tired or there is something great on TV, it shows your partner that you are committed to your relationship and to your intimate life together.” 

5. Orgasms. Need we say more?

“Sign me up for that every day,” Conley said.

6. It gives you something to look forward to after a long day. 

“Sex can become a respite from the demands of work, kids and life in general,” Rodman told HuffPost. “If you know you’re going to have sex every day, you can look forward to it as a time when you know you can reconnect with your partner without anything else around to distract you.” 

7. And remember — there are lots of ways to get your freak on. 

“Making love as a daily ritual is a daily affirmation of your unique bond and ongoing romance,” professor of sociology and certified sexologist Pepper Schwartz said. “It doesn’t have to be full-blown, soup-to-nuts sex — kissing more than just hello or goodbye, or giving each other a sensual massage or teasing each other before you turn off the lights or while you are cleaning up for the night, fills each each day with pleasure and intimate connection. ” 

8. It’s an easy way to inject some fun back into your life. 

“I spend a lot of time doing the things I have to do — appointments, deadlines, chores, grocery shopping with angry toddlers,” Conley said. “Sex with my husband is something I GET to do. With the person I love most. Who loves me up ten pounds, down ten pounds, or whatever other ridiculous thing my crazy insecurities are messaging me about at any given time.” 

9. Variety is the spice of life. 

“There are different types of sex: emotional sex that is lovemaking, sex as a form of stress relief, sex that’s all about fantasy and creativity and sex that appeals to different sensual pathways like sight, sound, touch, taste and smell,” sex therapist and New York Times bestselling author Ian Kerner said. “Like the food pyramid, indulge in all of these ‘sex groups’ to have a nutritionally balanced sex life.”  

10. That sex-induced brain chemistry is some powerful stuff. 

“When we have sex with our partner we are releasing chemicals in our bodies that make us feel good like dopamine, testosterone, oxytocin and endorphins,” Nelson told HuffPost. “When they are released, a sense of well-being and even euphoria are created.”

Also on HuffPost: 

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