Latest news with #Switchboard
Spectator
6 days ago
- General
- Spectator
Get your Pride month ‘Kevin the Carrot', while stocks last
Please consider this a sort of public service announcement. I mention it because sadly, you may have been unaware of what a special month this is at the supermarket Aldi. You still have time to buy a 'Kevin the Carrot' toy from Aldi for £3.99. Kevin is on sale all year round, of course – but in June, for a limited period, you can buy him dressed in the rainbow Pride colours, to celebrate Pride month. You can also buy a rainbow Pride beach towel to show your support. Better still, a proportion of the profits raised by the gloriously aware fictitious carrot will be donated to the pro-trans charity Switchboard. While Aldi is to be commended in its support for Pride and Switchboard, it seems to me a shame that following the supreme court ruling Aldi did not take the opportunity to portray Kevin as a trans-vegetable, perhaps by stapling on to his carrot body the, say, interior leaves of a globe artichoke. But never mind. One can be too critical. This purulent rubbish is still going on.
Scottish Sun
10-05-2025
- General
- Scottish Sun
I'm lesbian and don't want to lose my wife – but I can't seem to stop cheating on her with men
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DEAR DEIDRE: MY wonderful wife and I are lesbians and have been happily married for nine years. So why am I constantly cheating on her, with men? We're both in our forties and our own sex life is great. We know each other's bodies and responses so we are always mutually satisfied in bed. It's loving and romantic, and afterwards we cuddle up and fall asleep wrapped in each other's arms. So I don't understand why, every few months, I place an ad on a no-strings hook-up site and take myself off to cheat on her with men. Sex with men is different to sex with my wife. It's urgent and thrilling. I choose positions where I don't have to look them in the eye. The rougher and more impersonal the sex, the better, and the more I enjoy it. These men don't respect me, they often talk to me in a disparaging way, and I enjoy it, at the time. I agree with them when they call me 'dirty', or 'disgusting'. I let them use me like a sex toy. But afterwards I feel a wave of guilt, even while I'm getting dressed. I rush out of the room and call my wife, telling her how much I love her. I usually stop on my way home to buy her flowers or a little gift. When I see her, I fall into her arms, terrified that she'll find out and dump me. But after a few weeks, the feelings begin building up again. And then I find myself scrolling through the site for my next fix. Dear Deidre: Spotting the signs your partner is cheating I've never had a relationship with a man, and I don't think I want one, but I can't seem to stop this desire. Tell me what to do. I can't lose my wife — she's my soulmate. DEIDRE SAYS: You're asking me for tough love so here it is – if you carry on, you will probably lose your wife. It's only a matter of time before she finds out and I don't predict that she'll be loving and understanding about so many acts of infidelity. Just because you're cheating on her with men, not other women, it's still cheating. And putting morality aside, what you are doing is dangerous. You're putting your wife's sexual health at risk, as well as your own. I urge you to read my support pack called Can't Be Faithful? I also recommend that you talk about your sexuality to people who will listen without judgment – such as Switchboard ( 0300 330 0630). They can also put you in touch with local counselling, support groups and social networks. Get in touch with Deidre Every problem gets a personal reply, usually within 24 hours weekdays. Send an email to deardeidre@ You can also send a private message on the DearDeidreOfficial Facebook page. DAUGHTER FOUND MY IPAD PORN DEAR DEIDRE: WHEN my daughter borrowed my iPad she discovered I'd been watching porn. She immediately told my fiancée (her soon-to-be stepmother). I'm due to get married this summer but now I'm terrified the wedding will be cancelled. I'm 64, my daughter is 20. This will be my second marriage. My fiancée is 47 and the love of my life. I don't know what I'd do without her. The worst part is that the woman in the porn video looked very similar to my first wife – the same colouring and the same hairstyle. My fiancée has always been jealous of the years I spent with my first wife – even though many of them were unhappy – and she suspects I'm still harbouring feelings. I'm not. It was just the first video I happened across. My fiancée's libido isn't as strong as mine these days, possibly due to perimenopause. I don't mind, but I occasionally use porn by myself to stop me coming across as a sex pest. I hadn't logged out of the porn site when my daughter borrowed the iPad. It was still paused on the last video I had watched. Instead of coming to me, my daughter immediately told my fiancée. They were both revolted and now neither of them is talking to me. I'm sleeping in the spare room, and I don't even know if our wedding will be going ahead. Please help. DEIDRE SAYS: I'm receiving more and more letters from men struggling with porn-related problems. Please read my support pack Pornography Worry, which explains why it can become such an issue. It's understandable that your daughter was shocked by her discovery, but this is a private issue between you and your partner. It's understandable that your daughter was shocked by her discovery, but this is a private issue between you and your partner. I know emotions are running high, but this doesn't have to mean the end of a happy relationship. I can't predict the future, but I don't see why, with work, time, honesty and openness, you can't get through this. Couples counselling might be the best way to start, so you should read my support pack How Counselling Can Help, which explains what it is like and how to access it. You can also get help at porn addiction clinic The Laurel Centre ( 0207 965 7302) which runs an online workshop where addicts can learn how to rebuild trust with their partners. I understand you might not be a porn addict, but the workshop could help you rebuild your relationship. FEARS FOR SON DEAR DEIDRE: I THINK my teenage son has autism but I'm struggling to get him support. He's 14 and his main issue is anxiety. He struggles to leave the house so getting him to school every day is a battle. He seems worried about everything. He started secondary school with a group of friends he'd had since reception class. Most have now drifted away because my son never wants to do anything with them. He wants to stay in his room, gaming. We're on the CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) waiting list. Is there anything else I can do? DEIDRE SAYS: Anxiety is common in people on the autistic spectrum. To help your son, create a predictable daily routine you can both follow, and make sure his school knows that you're seeking a diagnosis so that they can help support him in the classroom. Find additional help via the National Autistic Society ( and the NHS-run resource site called SEX-HELP CLINIC DEAR DEIDRE: I'M so scared of my sexual secret being revealed that I've become trapped in a loveless relationship. I'm 57, my partner is 59 and we've been together for six years. We live together in his tiny house, miles from my family and friends. We met online and, at first, he seemed romantic and passionate. I fell head over heels. That's probably why I agreed to a threesome when he brought it up after just two months of dating. I wanted to show him that, even though I'm middle-aged and overweight, I could still be sexy. The threesome was awkward and embarrassing. He knew the other woman but I didn't and they basically had sex in front of me while I lay there alone. When he asked me to move in with him I agreed – even though it meant leaving behind everyone I knew, and even my cat. I gave up my job and got a new one near his house but it pays far less. We go halves on bills but never seem to have money left for dates or holidays. He goes away with friends and I'm never invited. He's always badgering me to have another threesome, but I always refuse. Now he says if we can't have a threesome, he doesn't want sex at all. He never calls me pretty, never says he loves me, never touches me. The only reason I'm still here is that I worry he'll tell everyone about the threesome if I leave. I'm scared everyone would laugh and I'll be humiliated. The fear keeps me trapped. DEIDRE SAYS: This relationship sounds abusive. Your partner is unaffectionate, withholds compliments and tries to make you have non-consensual group sex. If he's not actually emotionally abusing you, he is extremely controlling. Read my support pack, Abusive Partner, to help you see this situation more clearly and find out what your options are. You miss your friends, family and your cat and you sound, understandably, very lonely. Start planning for your future. Begin saving up money and look for a job back home. That will make you feel more confident about leaving. Also, talk to your family about this situation so they can support you.
Metro
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
'I'm doing this for The Vivienne - I want to make something right'
Close friends of The Vivienne are set to honour her by running the London Marathon on Sunday, April 27. Drag Race UK star Kitty Scott-Claus and G-A-Y owner Jeremy Joseph are taking on the challenge and keeping The Vivienne's memory alive by raising funds for four charities, one of which was particularly close to her heart. The Vivienne, whose real name was James Lee Williams, died on January 5 at the age of 32. The LGBTQ+ community was left reeling from the tragedy, with heartbroken tributes pouring in from fans and friends. Now, Jeremy and Kitty are running the London Marathon in aid of The Vivienne, raising money for Liverpudlian charity Sahir House, which The Viv advocated for, as well as London Friend: Antidote, Pancreatic Cancer UK and the national LGTBQIA+ support line Switchboard. Ahead of Sunday's event, the pair spoke to Metro about why it means so much to them to be doing it in aid of her, with Jeremy explaining how he wants to 'make something right' after The Vivienne's death. Having agreed to join Jeremy on what would be his 15th London Marathon, Kitty explained they began training in January, shortly before the untimely death of The Vivienne. She said: 'It came to January when we started doing the long-distance, actual marathon training, when we were deciding who we were going to run for, that's when we had the untimely passing of The Vivienne, and it felt like it was just such a natural thing to choose the charity that Viv has supported and championed, Sahir House, and to do this in Viv's honour to run for a charity that she believed in is incredible. It felt like a no-brainer.' Jeremy quipped that every year while running the first few dreaded miles he vows he'd never do it again, questioning why he's put himself back in the same position, but by the end is ready to take on next year's challenge, and this year feels particularly poignant. The pair are running for the G-A-Y foundation, hoping to raise a total of £50,000 to split equally between the four charities. Revealing how he felt after The Vivienne's death, and echoing Kitty's comments that it was a 'no-brainer' to do it in her honour, Jeremy shared: 'You feel so useless when you lose someone, but it just felt like I want to do something, I want to make something right. 'There's no sense in losing someone so early on in their lives, nothing made sense at the time and this made sense. 'It felt completely right… it was about keeping The Vivienne's memory alive. It was about running for her.' He added that he had once asked The Vivienne to run the London Marathon with him after her stint on Dancing On Ice, but she turned down the offer. 'It would have been a dream to have done it with her but it just felt completely right, Sahir House means so much to The Vivienne, London Friend Antidote is all about helping people with addiction and Switchboard is a helpline available for everybody across the country and it's so important to have that,' he said. 'And it's great because we're still talking about her right now, and that's the most important thing.' Jeremy gave the proposition to Kitty during last year's Marathon on Rainbow Row, the 21st mile which represents the LGBTQ+ community, which he calls the 'highlight of the whole London Marathon'. If The Vivienne knew what they were doing now, in aid of her, Kitty laughed that she'd think they were 'crazy'. 'She'd go, 'Girl you're crazy!' She'd literally be like, 'I would never do it!'' she said. Jeremy added: 'She'd go mad, and I'd be going, 'But I want to do it with you,' and she'll go, 'Yeah maybe I'll do it next year,' and then she won't pick up the phone to me!' Kitty continued: 'She's the biggest supporter and the biggest cheerleader for all of us, she would be so, so proud and she'd love that her name is still out there, she'd be like, 'Yes come on'.' The Vivienne's family and friends aren't alone in supporting Kitty and Jeremy for the marathon, and while they're keeping her memory alive through sharing stories of to the two runners during their training, The Viv's legacy is continuing through the work she did for Sahir House. 'Sahir House has been reaching out a lot as well, they're so happy that we're doing it, they keep posting, they keep sharing, they keep sending comments, so it's really amazing to have their support, and it's good to be able to at a time where a lot of the smaller charities are being put to the wayside,' Jeremy said. 'It is a lot harder now to raise money in a cost of living crisis, and the smaller charities are the ones that are losing out the most, so to be able to raise the profile of a smaller charity at the moment is so amazing. 'That's something The Viv has done, a lot of people outside Liverpool would not know about Sahir House, but now thanks to The Viv, people now across the country will know about it.' Not only is there a cost of living crisis, but the nation has been impacted from the UK Supreme Court ruling unanimously infavour of the legal challenge brought by For Women Scotland stating the definitions of 'sex' and 'woman' in Equality Act 2010 refer to 'biological sex'. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video While transpeople are still protected from discrimination under the same law, transwomen with gender certificates could now be barred from single-sex areas. When asked about the importance of raising awareness for their charities now more than ever, Kitty shared: 'I think especially with LGBT Switchboard, now more than ever it shows how important it is to have a service like that ready for everybody, especially after the dreadful news [of the ruling], which breaks my heart and literally feels like we're in a dystopian universe. 'It's like, how is this real life? We're in 2025, what the actual bloody hell is going on? But the fact that there are services like that out there, and are so fantastic in what they do and so here for people, the fact that we can shine a light on them makes it all the more worthwhile.' Jeremy added: 'It's shocking to think that our Prime Minister used to be a human rights lawyer, and look at where we are today, we're moving backwards, and I think this now shows the importance of LGBT charities, LGBT venues, LGBT people speaking out.' Citing the importance of charities like Switchboard after his own experience using them, he continued: 'If you think about the younger generation now who thought that they were coming into a world where they could actually be who they are, and now they're being taken backwards, they need people to talk to, they need people's support, they need to know that they have human rights. 'And it's so important now that we are all there for them, literally by speaking out and being there and being seen. 'This is why Rainbow Row on the London Marathon is so important, for example. The fact that the BBC will be filming there, the fact that it's going to be so many people from across the world, 50,000 people will be running through Rainbow Row. 'We can get a message of support across to everybody to let them know that we are equal, we are human, and we are going to fight. So this is so important right now, more than ever.' He went on: 'I think the thing is, it's shocking because if we're not careful, in three years' time, what is happening in America is going to get even worse here if we allow Reform to grow and do what's going on in America, and it's already happening by the court case. 'We need to be here, we need to be visible, and we need to be fighting. And if anyone asks why we need Pride right now, this is the exact reason.' Running in aid of The Vivienne is pushing even more motivation behind the pair, despite battling the weather through training and warnings of toenails falling off and nipples chafing. When asked how important it is that they're keeping her legacy alive in this way, Jeremy said: 'It's absolutely everything. The Viv was everything, She was there for me, we were there for each other during Covid, we worked together. 'She was just the most amazing person and when you lose a friend, that's what you want to do. 'You feel a guilt when you lose someone, and you feel a guilt when life just carries on and I think that was the hardest thing… you feel guilty because you're carrying on, so now this is so important.' 'She needs to be a part of our lives forever and she achieved so much, and people should never forget that, and as friends, that's our responsibility to keep her memory alive.' Kitty added: 'I think she was just the biggest cheerleader for especially the Drag Race UK girls. She was like the older sister to all of us. 'It was like, no matter what we were going through, you could turn to The Viv for advice, you could ask her opinion, you could do whatever. She was always there. She was always an ear to listen to whatever you were going through, and she was just the best.' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Recalling her incredible list of achievements in bringing Drag into mainstream TV and even taking on America, Jeremy added: 'Her memory needs to be carried on, we should never forget. 'Everybody who does something now helps the next generation of Queens coming forward and so she'll never be forgotten. 'She is, and will always be, our first UK Drag Race winner. She is the first winner. That is history.' For the first time, Kitty is going to be stopping during the marathon at Rainbow Row, and performing a version of Heather Small's Proud before continuing with their run. She and Jeremy will be joined by several Drag Queens performing and hosting there, with fans urged to share their support for the LGBTQ+ community and honour The Vivienne. More Trending Training for the marathon has personally helped them both deal with their grief after The Vivienne's death, with Kitty recalling how their first run together felt like 'a weight had been lifted' to be able to 'escape' the real world for hours. Thinking of how proud The Vivienne would be as they get to the end of the London Marathon, Kitty said: 'She'd be there cracking open the prosecco.' But Jeremy laughed, replying: 'No she wouldn't! It would be in the morning, she'd be in bed! She'll message me from bed going, 'Oh well done girl! I'm just getting up now!'' View More » You can sponsor Kitty and Jeremy here. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Map shows London Marathon route map and road closures for 2025 MORE: Dad of Southport victim running London marathon says he'd run '50 miles for my girl' MORE: London Marathon 2025 forecast: What will the weather be like for the big race?
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
J.K. Rowling's nasty reaction to learning asexuals exist has the internet roasting
J.K. Rowling is taking a brief pause from attacking trans people to take a swing at asexuals, and the memes making fun of her for it have already been pouring in. April 6 was International Asexuality Day — a day intended to simply draw awareness to what asexuality is. But apparently that was too much for the likes of Rowling, who saw an opportunity to punch down and snatched it right up. "Happy International Fake Oppression Day to everyone who wants complete strangers to know they don't fancy a shag," she wrote on X, sharing an infographic from Switchboard, an LGBTQ+ support line. — (@) As many pointed out, the infographic in question in no way suggested oppression or divisiveness; it simply shared what asexuality is. Why Rowling felt the need to complain about this to her 14.3 million followers, we'll never really know. But her entire brand has become crusading against trans people, so it isn't really a surprise that she's decided to expand that circle to other members of the LGBTQ+ community on a whim. — (@) She also took the time to respond to commenters that agreed with her, deploying whataboutisms and sarcasm as if any of that proves her point. In one of her responses, Rowling appeared to suggest asexuals couldn't know if they're gay or straight, which further demonstrated her own deep lack of understanding of asexuality. — (@) Despite so blatantly being the exact type of person who needs an infographic about asexuality shoved in her face, Rowling continues to Rowling. And people continue to call her out on her unnecessary spitefulness in the most amusing ways. — (@) "the mold telling jk rowling it's time to go after asexuals now for some reason" — (@) "Us asexuals literally just minding our business. Jk Rowling: AND YOU KNOW WHAT F*CK Y'ALL TOO" — (@) "Jk Rowling when minorities exist" — (@) "Jkr when she finds out asexual people can fall in love" — (@) "the irony of me posting this and jkr tweeting nonsense about us asexuals from her mould shed..... anyways ASEXUALS ARE COOL AND WE EXIST IF U GAF" — (@) "Anyone who's not a cishet: [exists] JKR:" — (@) "The Mould telling jkr to attack an innocent group of people" — (@) "Ace people: I don't like sex. JK Rowling, for some fucking reason:" — (@) "JK Rowling killing the black mold in her house (it can reproduce asexually)" — (@) "Renowned children's author and rare mould cultivator Joan K Rowling does not understand the concept of Romantic Love."
Associated Press
11-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Asanti and Atos Reinforce Partnership with Long Term Contract Extension
Scotland's Only Fully Diverse, Dual-Fed Powered Data Centre at Heart of Renewed Agreement to Benefit Public and Private Sector Customers LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, March 11, 2025 / / -- Atos, a Global Digital Service provider, and Asanti Datacentres Ltd, a leading UK data centre provider, announced today a long-term rolling extension of their strategic partnership, building on the initial 2022 agreement. This new agreement significantly increases Asanti's capacity within the Atos Livingston data centre, adding additional capacity to its UK footprint. The Livingston data centre is Scotland's only dual-fed power-supplied data centre, providing fully independent, diverse high-voltage supplies to all racks, including Transformer, Switchboard, and UPS systems. With the capability to achieve Tier III compliance and a low PUE, it offers a highly secure and energy-efficient environment for mission-critical IT services. 'This partnership ensures Asanti can continue to provide critical, resilient and reliable data centre infrastructure solutions,' commented Mike Astle, Head of Service and Delivery at Atos UK&I. 'With the growing demand for secure and high-performance IT environments, our Livingston facility is well-positioned to support Asanti in delivering cutting-edge solutions to the Scottish market customers. We are committed to providing the highest levels of availability and reliability, ensuring organisations can operate without disruption and with confidence in their digital future.' Stewart Laing, CEO of Asanti Data Centres Limited, added, 'This enhanced, long-term agreement with Atos not only reinforces our long-standing partnership but also unlocks exciting new business opportunities. The Atos Livingston data centre is Scotland's most resilient, secure and energy-efficient data centre, offering the only fully independent, diverse dual-fed power supply to all racks. Our partnership guarantees the highest level of power resilience for customers across both the public and private sectors, meeting the growing demand for scalable and secure colocation and cloud solutions.' The Atos Livingston data centre, paired with Asanti's Hamilton data centre, provides an ideal solution for local disaster recovery requirements. It creates a highly robust and geographically diverse solution for customers, particularly in finance and healthcare, as well as public sector organisations seeking enterprise-grade colocation-specific or hybrid cloud services solutions. This continued partnership underscores Atos and Asanti's shared commitment to providing best-in-class data centre solutions, reinforcing their ability to support digital transformation across the public and private sectors in Scotland and beyond.' About Asanti Data Centres Limited Asanti is a colocation data centre provider established by a management team experienced in designing, deploying, and managing data centres. Asanti operates six data centres across the UK, strategically selecting locations for optimal network coverage and power availability and enabling accessible disaster recovery options. These paired locations serve as excellent business-live and disaster recovery options for critical IT infrastructure. Each facility is supported by a 99.998% uptime SLA and powered by 100% certified green energy. With a strong commitment to innovation, Asanti ensures its secure data centres are optimised for performance, making them well-suited to host solutions for all market sectors. These facilities accommodate traditional IT infrastructure and hybrid cloud solutions to meet diverse business needs. Flexibility is a core aspect of Asanti's approach. It offers fixed-fee and pay-as-you-go (PAYG) commercial models for power and connectivity. This enables organisations to explore opportunities to reduce OPEX and achieve more predictable costs. Asanti Data Centres Limited is focused on delivering quality regional/edge data centre solutions for today's and tomorrow's businesses. About Atos Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with circa 82,000 employees and annual revenues of circa € 10 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 69 countries. A pioneer in decarbonisation services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonised digital for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea) and listed on Euronext Paris. Atos's purpose is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education, and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers, employees, and members of societies at large to live, work, and develop sustainably in a safe and secure information space. For further information, please contact: +44 (0)7947 755 911 Victoria Melville Melville Communications Limited
