X Factor winner James Arthur has confirmed he is no longer signed to Simon Cowell’s record label, following multiple rows over homophobic lyrics.

It was first reported in April that following homophobia rows, SyCo had “lost patience” with the X Factor winner, and quietly dropped him less than two years after he won the competition.

Arthur attracted criticism from comedian Matt Lucas last year, for referring to another singer as a ‘f***ing queer’ during a rap battle.

The controversy re-opened two months ago over track ‘Follow The Leader’, which contains the lyrics: “Look at what you do to me / I’m crying over stupid s*** / you’re such a f***ing homophobe / wish I’d never let you in / to think that I was thinking maybe I should let you live / I’m gonna blow up your family like I’m a terrorist.”

At the time he had claimed he was “still with” the label, saying that claims he was fired were a “media circus”.

However, yesterday evening he took to Twitter to confirm the rumours, writing: “Just to clear things up – I am no longer with Syco. I would like to thank all at the label for making a great record with me.”

Just to clear things up – I am no longer with Syco. I would like to thank all at the label for making a great record with me.

— James Arthur (@JamesArthur23) June 11, 2014

Today, following media coverage he tweeted the word “Toxic”, but it was unclear to what he was referring.

Toxic — James Arthur (@JamesArthur23) June 12, 2014

Last month, Amanda Holden suggested Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst should become an X Factor judge.

The post UK: James Arthur dropped by Simon Cowell record label after homophobic lyrics row appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

The auction of a special rainbow-coloured PlayStation 4 has raised thousands for a Swedish gay rights charity, after it sold for more than ten times its U.S. retail price.

Retailer Webhallen placed the unique “Sony GayStation 4” on auction at the end of July, to coincide with the 2014 Stockholm Gay Pride week.

The name is taken from a phrase initially used as a derogatory term against PlayStation users by those who favoured other rival systems. The console was marketed with the hashtag #ThisIsForTheGaymers.

Webhallen said that to “a lot of youths, gaming is a helping hand to escape from abuse or worse in the real world”, and that, as “gamers in our hearts and souls”, Webhallen want “everyone to be a part of the world’s fastest growing hobby”.

28 bidders took part in the online auction, with only two users, Pumpkaboo and DanneSkön, remaining after the 20,000 kr mark. The auction was eventually won by Pumpkaboo.

The winning bid of 28,300 Swedish kroner is the equivalent of over £2400 or US $4100. A standard issue (black) PlayStation 4 retails for closer to £350 or $400.

All of the proceeds from this auction will now be given to RSFL Newcomers network, a branch of the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Rights which aims to help LGBTQ refugees and migrants.

The post Sweden: Auction of rainbow ‘GayStation 4’ console raises thousands for LGBT charity appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

The cover for the American DVD release of Pride has removed all mention of homosexuality.

The film, about a group of gay and lesbian activists who rallied in support of striking miners in the 1980s, was released in the UK to acclaim last year.

However, the US DVD cover makes a number of shocking changes, entirely removing homosexuality from the story.

Firstly, the film’s synopsis has been changed to state the film is about “a group of London-based activists”, removing a mention to sexuality.

The synopsis states: “PRIDE is inspired by an extrodinary true story. It’s the summer of 1984 and much of blue-collar Great Britain is on strike.

“For one tiny Welsh village, the strike brings unexpected visitors – a group of London-based activists who decide to raise money to support strikers’ families and want to make their donations in person.

The text appears to be an edited version of the film’s original synopsis providing more context to American audiences while failing to mention homosexuality.

The orignal synopsis said: “PRIDE is inspired by an extraordinary true story.

“It’s the summer of 1984, Margaret Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers is on strike, prompting a London-based group of gay and lesbian activists to raise money to support the strikers’ families.

“Initially rebuffed by the Union, the group identifies a tiny mining village in Wales and sets off to make their donation in person…”

PinkNews has also discovered that a picture on the back cover has been digitally altered from a widely-circulated promotional image – removing a sign stating ‘Lesbians & Gays Support the Miners’.

The original image is below:

Now you see it, now you don’t:

The DVD was released by Sony Pictures and CBS Films on December 23. Pride is released on DVD in the UK in March.

The post US: DVD cover for ‘Pride’ removes all references to homosexuality appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

CBS Films has said it will look into why all reference to homosexuality was removed from the American DVD release of Pride.

The film, about a group of gay and lesbian activists who rallied in support of striking miners in the 1980s, was released in the UK to acclaim last year.

However, the US DVD cover makes a number of shocking changes, removing all reference to sexuality.

The film’s synopsis is changed from mentioning “a London-based group of gay and lesbian activists” to “a group of London-based activists”.

PinkNews also discovered that a picture on the back cover has been digitally altered from a widely-circulated promotional image – removing a sign stating ‘Lesbians & Gays Support the Miners’.

CBS Films – which released the DVD alongside Sony Pictures – told PinkNews that it is “looking into” the release – and points out its own website carries the original synopsis, which does reference sexuality.

The company said: “We’re looking into this now and our page for the film remains the same as it has for months: https://cbsfilms.com/pride/”

The film company later tweeted a review of Pride making its content clear, writing: “‘Pride,’ a film about gay and lesbian support for striking Welsh miners in the ’80s, resonates today”
The back cover is below:

And the original promotional image:

The synopsis states: “PRIDE is inspired by an extrodinary true story. It’s the summer of 1984 and much of blue-collar Great Britain is on strike.

“For one tiny Welsh village, the strike brings unexpected visitors – a group of London-based activists who decide to raise money to support strikers’ families and want to make their donations in person.

The text appears to be an edited version of the film’s original synopsis providing more context to American audiences while failing to mention homosexuality.

The orignal synopsis said: “PRIDE is inspired by an extraordinary true story.

“It’s the summer of 1984, Margaret Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers is on strike, prompting a London-based group of gay and lesbian activists to raise money to support the strikers’ families.

“Initially rebuffed by the Union, the group identifies a tiny mining village in Wales and sets off to make their donation in person…”

The DVD was released by Sony Pictures and CBS Films on December 23. Pride is released on DVD in the UK in March.

The post CBS Films ‘looking into’ why homosexuality was removed from ‘Pride’ DVD cover appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

Leaked emails from Sony have revealed that Spider-Man is not allowed to be black or gay.

The emails were from Marvel, who own the Spider-Man character, to Sony Pictures who made the most recent blockbuster Spider-Man films – stipulating the terms of the franchise.

Revealed by Gawker, the list of “mandatory character traits” that Peter Parker and alter ago Spider-Man must adhere to include being male, white and heterosexual.

The guidelines state that any other character who is not Peter Parker who takes on the Spider-Man alter ego must also be straight – “unless Marvel has portrayed that alter ego as homosexual”.

Spider-Man is also not allowed to smoke, sell or take drugs, use bad language, or have sex before the age of 16.

The guidelines were sent out in 2011, just after the comics introduced Mike Morales, a black and Latino teenager, as the latest character to take on the Spider-Man role.

In 2013, most recent Spider-Man actor Andrew Garfield said he would love to play a gay or bisexual Spider-Man, but then backtracked on the idea and said it was “just not going to work“.

Spider-Man creator Stan Lee also dismissed the idea of a bisexual Spider-Man saying “He’s becoming bisexual? Really? Who have you been talking to?

“I figure one sex is enough for anybody.”

The post Spider-Man can’t be gay or black! appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

Legendary comic book creator Stan Lee has spoken out to defend Marvel – after leaked documents revealed all film versions of superhero Spider-Man are contractually banned from having gay storylines.

It was revealed earlier this month via a document leaked from Sony Pictures, which has produced five Spider-Man films since 2002, that a contract with rights-owners Marvel bans the character from being gay.

The contract states: “Mandatory Spider-Man Character Traits. Spider-Man (whether Peter Parker or an alternative Spider-Man character) must always strictly conform to the following ‘Mandatory Character Traits’.”

In addition to being male, not smoking, and not taking drugs, Spider-Man must be “not a homosexual (unless Marvel has portrayed that alter ego as homosexual)”.

Of Peter Parker, who is the only Spider-Man variant to have been portrayed so far in film, the mandatory traits include: “He is Caucasian and heterosexual”.

In the comic universe, Peter Parker is just one of the people to take up the Spider-Man mantle. In recent years, Marvel introduced an alternate universe Spider-Man, Miles Morales, who is of African-American and Hispanic descent.

However, the contract appears to ban any character who takes on the Spider-Man identity from being gay – and not just Peter Parker.

Speaking to Newsarama, Spider-Man’s original creator Stan Lee said he would disagree with any gay or black Spider-Man.

He said: “I wouldn’t mind, if Peter Parker had originally been black, a Latino, an Indian or anything else, that he stay that way. But we originally made him white. I don’t see any reason to change that.

“I think the world has a place for gay superheroes, certainly, but again, I don’t see any reason to change the sexual proclivities of a character once they’ve already been established.

He continued: “I have no problem with creating new, homosexual superheroes… it has nothing to do with being anti-gay, or anti-black, or anti-Latino, or anything like that.

“Latino characters should stay Latino. The Black Panther should certainly not be Swiss.

“I just see no reason to change that which has already been established when it’s so easy to add new characters. I say create new characters the way you want to. Hell, I’ll do it myself.”

The post Stan Lee: Spider-Man should never be gay appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

The actor has said that he cannot wait to see a more sexually diverse version of the web slinging superhero.

Andrew Garfield has said in a recent interview that he doesn’t “give a shit about the sexual preference” of Spider-Man.

“I’m excited to get to the point where we don’t have to have this conversation,” he said, “where we can have a pansexual Spider-Man.”

“The richness of the world we’re in, the diversity of the world we’re in; you look at the animal kingdom and you see it reflected,” he told Mic.

“You look all over,” he continued. “What are we so scared of? Why are we so, ‘No, it has to be this way, a man and a woman.’ Why is that even a conversation?”

His comments come after leaked emails from film studio Sony revealed that the infamous comic book character is not allowed to be black or gay.

The emails were from Marvel – who own the Spider-Man character – to Sony Pictures, who made the most recent blockbuster Spider-Man films – stipulating the terms of the franchise.

The list of “mandatory character traits” that Peter Parker and alter ago Spider-Man must adhere to include being male, white and heterosexual.

The guidelines state that any other character who is not Peter Parker who takes on the Spider-Man alter ego must also be straight – “unless Marvel has portrayed that alter ego as homosexual”.

Spider-Man is also not allowed to smoke, sell or take drugs, use bad language, or have sex before the age of 16.

However, Garfield could not disagree more – arguing that the beauty of the character is that you cannot see what is under the suit – and so cannot judge the person wearing it.

“The beauty about Spider-Man, for me, is that he’s covered head to toe,” he said.

“That’s why everyone thinks it could be them in that suit. You don’t see skin color. You don’t see sexual orientation.

“You don’t see how old the person is, gender, the whole thing. I celebrate that. Anyone can be a hero in their own lives.”

This isn’t the first time the actor has championed a rethink of the character’s sexuality – in 2013, Garfield said he would love to play a gay or bisexual Spider-Man, but then backtracked on the idea and said it was “just not going to work“.

Spider-Man creator Stan Lee also dismissed the idea of a bisexual Spider-Man saying “He’s becoming bisexual? Really? Who have you been talking to?

“I figure one sex is enough for anybody.”

The post Andrew Garfield calls for a pansexual Spider-Man appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

The singer claims she was offered her “freedom” in exchange for apologising and withdrawing accusations of sex abuse against Dr Luke.

The star – who came out as bisexual in 2013 – filed her lawsuit against the producer, real name Lukasz Gottwald, back in 2014.

She alleges “mental manipulation, emotional abuse and sexual assault” against the producer, and says he has refused to allow her to record new music.

“This is what happens behind closed doors. I will not take back the truth,” she wrote in a post on Instagram.

“So. I got offered my freedom if I were to lie.

“I would have to apologise publicly and say that I never got raped. I would rather let the truth ruin my career than lie for a monster ever again.”

However, a spokesman for Dr Luke – who has filed a countersuit against the singer, calling the claims malicious lies and “defamatory” – has dismissed the claims, according to E! News.

A statement said: “The only thing Kesha is not free to do is to continue to lie about Dr Luke through publicity stunts and outrageous smears, ignoring the fact that by her own free will she went to work and entered new contracts with Dr Luke years after this ‘incident’ supposedly happened.”

Kesha lost a recent preliminary court case regarding her release from the label with producer last month.

She fought back tears as she accepted a Human Rights Campaign award for her LGBT rights advocacy.

A number of protests have taken place outside Sony offices, with fans demanding the record label release the star from her contract.

The most recent demonstration saw around 40 fans gather outside the Sony building in New York City, which saw them project the hashtag #FreeKesha on the front of the building.

Fans chanted “Do the right thing”, “people over profits”, and held up signs reading: “Free Kesha now”.

The star has also found a lot of high profile support, as well as that of her fans, including from Kelly Clarkson, Lorde, Lady Gaga, Adele, Reese Witherspoon, JoJo and Ariana Grande.

Taylor Swift even donated $250,000, saying it was to help Kesha with “any of her financial needs during this trying time”.

The post Kesha was ‘offered freedom’ from record label in exchange for public apology appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

Director Paul Feig refuses to confirm if Kate McKinnon’s character is gay in recent “Ghostbusters” flim.

In a recent interview with The Daily Beast, “Ghostbusters” director Paul Feig says he has to “be coy” about the sexuality of Kate McKinnon’s character, Jillian Holtzmann.

Ms McKinnon is undeniably the breakout star in the recent remake of the cult classic, but it’s also hard to deny the sexual preference of her character Holtzmann – who openly flirts with Kristen Wiig’s Erin Gilbert throughout the film.

However, when asked to set the record straight, Mr Feig had no problem shaking off the question by saying, “I hate to be coy about it, but when you’re dealing with the studios and that kind of thing…”

While he didn’t go as far as deny the idea completely, the most the director could muster was a silent nod before adding, “If you know Kate at all she’s this kind of pansexual beast where it’s just like everybody who’s around her falls in love with her, and she’s so loving to everybody she’s around.

“I wanted to let that come out in this character. I wasn’t like, ‘And now you should wink at them.’ This is stuff that is coming out of Kate!

“That’s why you connect with those characters. They’re playing versions of themselves.”

Ms McKinnon is SNL’s first openly lesbian cast member but has yet to comment on her “Ghostbusters” character’s sexuality.

With the recent news that iconic Star Trek character Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu will come out as gay in the next installment of the franchise, it seems odd that Mr Feig is still letting Sony determine whether his female lead is a lesbian or not.

The post We may never know for sure if Kate McKinnon’s ‘Ghostbusters’ character is gay appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

Flatliners has gained cult status since it was first released in 1990, so a shiny new remake always felt inevitable.

Sony has taken a sideways approach, with the 2017 reboot of Flatliners technically being a sequel to the original.

It even features a returning Kiefer Sutherland, but the lead role is taken up by Ellen Page, as the new trailer released today confirms.

“I would like you to stop my heart, you give it one minute and then you bring me back…” Page’s character Courtney asks.

“What happens to us after we die?

“The only way to find out is to see for ourselves… we could document that experience.”

Sutherland returns as Dr Nelson Wright, and Page is also supported by Diego Luna, Nina Dobrev and James Norton.

Also starring are Kiersey Clemons, Beay Mirchoff and Charlotte McKinney.

The film is directed Niels Arden Oplev from a script by Ben Ripley, and is released on September 28, 2017.

The original 1990 movie was directed by Joel Schumacher and starred Julia Roberts, William Baldwin, Oliver Platt and Kevin Bacon alongside Sutherland’s lead character.

Shooting for the sequel began in early July 2016 and finished two months later, going into post-production in October.

Watch the full trailer for the 2017 Flatliners sequel below:

Ellen Page came out in 2014 and has since been a vocal supporter of LGBT rights in her work and personal life.

She confronted a homophobic preacher on the streets of Washington DC on inauguration day having previously called on society to allow the LGBT community to “live freely, love freely and not be afraid” after the Orlando massacre.

Page was recently cast opposite Kate Mara in lesbian Romance drama Mercy and fronts Vice’s documentary series Gaycation.

The post Watch Ellen Page in the stunning trailer for the sequel to cult classic Flatliners appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

The biggest video game convention of the year featured a groundbreaking lesbian kiss, but viewers watching through a Disney channel stream of the event missed it.

E3 is an annual event where video game developers announce and show off tantalising hints of games to come in the next year.

During PlayStation’s press conference on Monday, fans were shown a clip of the upcoming game The Last of Us Part II, the hotly anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed The Last of Us.

Sony PlayStation shows off their new games at E3 (Christian Petersen/Getty)

Developed by Naughty Dog, the game itself is highly violent as the protagonist Ellie is forced to fight for survival in a post-apocalyptic wasteland against zombies and hostile forces.

However, one of the more tender moments of the upcoming game was involved in the broadcast, where Ellie is in a dance hall and is approached by a woman.

The pair grow closer during the trailer and eventually kiss in a tender and groundbreaking moment.

Ellie and Dina kiss during the clip (Sony PlayStation)

This year’s E3 was shown by the kid-focused channel Disney XD, which attempted to censor any violent content that occurred during the convention.

However, during the Disney channel stream, viewers were stunned to find the stream cut away shortly after the kiss began.

In the broadcast on Disney XD, the kiss between the characters cuts out within a few seconds, in contrast to the actual kiss that lasts approximately 10 seconds.

The post E3 featured a lesbian kiss — but not everyone was able to see it appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

LGBT+ allyship might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Sony, but the tech giant struck the perfect balance when commenting on Elliot Page’s pronouns.

On 1 December the Juno and Umbrella Academy star Elliot Page bravely came out as transgender by sharing a lengthy statement on all his social media channels.

“I feel incredibly lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life,” he said. “I can’t begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to express my authentic self.”

Sony was among the many who rushed to congratulate him on Twitter, commenting on his post with a heart emoji. “Nice to see you support her Sony!” said one fan, misgendering the actor.

The tech company took it upon themselves to correct the obvious error. “He,” they replied quickly, “or them.”

*him

— Sony (@Sony) December 1, 2020

or them

— Sony (@Sony) December 1, 2020

This no-fuss approach to pronouns is one preferred by many trans and non-binary people. The LGBT+ Resource Centre recommends people respond to slip ups by quickly apologising for their mistake, correcting themselves and moving on.

While respecting pronouns is the bare minimum that trans people should be able to expect from people around them, it’s encouraging to see the huge multinational conglomerate take an uncompromising stance on the matter.

Especially when that multinational conglomerate has previously had beef with Elliot Page.

The actor worked with Sony in 2012 for the Playstation game Beyond: Two Souls, but the professional relationship turned sour when it emerged that naked images of him were included in the WikiLeaks archive of leaked Sony emails.

Page hadn’t allowed game developers to scan his naked body, so they instead created a fully-rendered naked model of his character. Page explored legal action against Sony when he found out the images had been leaked, but the matter was resolved out of court – and it certainly seems the air has cleared now.

The post Sony gracefully steps in to correct fan who couldn’t get to grips with Elliot Page’s new pronouns appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

A US law firm has filed a class action lawsuit against Sony Interactive Entertainment for alleged drift in its Playstation 5 (PS5) DualSense controllers.

The law firm Chimicles Schwartz Kriner and Donaldson-Smith LLP (CSK&D) claims that Sony were aware of the issue without disclosing it and says their conduct is “fraudulent, deceptive, unlawful, and unfair”, as reported in VGC and IGN.

The law firm previously brought the first class action lawsuit against Nintendo for Joy-Con drift in their Switch controllers.

The lawsuit reads: “Specifically, the DualSense controllers that are used to operate the PS5 contain a defect that results in characters or gameplay moving on the screen without user command or manual operation of the joystick (‘Drifting’ or the ‘Drift Defect’).

“Sony is – and at all relevant times has been – aware of the Drift Defect through online consumer complaints, complaints made by consumers directly to it, and through its own pre-release testing.”

Further, the lawsuit claims there are few options available for consumers to fix the problem, either through long wait times to call PlayStation’s customer service or paying to ship their controller to Sony to be fixed.

“There is no indication, however, that Sony has developed an actual fix for the drift problem; rather, it appears to simply perform some sort of minor refurbishment and send the DualSense controller back to consumers still defective and susceptible to manifestation of the Drift Defect in the future,” reads the lawsuit.

“Nor is there any indication that Sony is extending the warranty, compensating consumers for various past expenses or damages, or notifying consumers about their secret repair program.”

The lawsuit comes directly from Virginia-based plaintiff Lmarc Turner personally and on behalf of consumers experiencing the same problem. It seeks a jury trial and “monetary relief for damages suffered, declaratory relief, and public injunctive relief”, as well as an order for Sony to recall defective products or offer free replacements.

Turner’s personal complaint is backed up by social media comments, with multiple users complaining about drift within days of purchase. 

The PlayStation 5 console remains a hot commodity since its release in November 2020. Check out our guide to accessories and deals in the UK.

The post Class action lawsuit filed against Sony over PlayStation 5 DualSense controller drift appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.

Sony has invested a minority stake in Discord, the popular messaging platform used by gamers globally.

The news came in a blog post from Sony Interactive Entertainment President and CEO Jim Ryan.

PlayStation and Discord will see some form of connection from early next year on both consoles and mobile.

“At PlayStation, we’re constantly looking for new ways to enable players around the world to connect with one another, form new friendships and communities, and share fun experiences and lasting memories,” said Ryan in the blog post.

“It’s in this spirit that we’re excited to announce a new partnership with Discord, the communication service popularized by gamers and used by more than 140 million people every month around the world.”

The minority stake was made as part of Discord’s Series H round of investments.

“From our very first conversation with co-founders Jason Citron and Stan Vishnevskiy, I was inspired by their lifelong love for gaming and our teams’ shared passion to help bring friends and communities together in new ways,” said Ryan.

“Empowering players to create communities and enjoy shared gaming experiences is at the heart of what we do, so we are beyond excited to start this journey with one of the world’s most popular communication services.”

It’s unclear as to what the integration between Discord and PlayStation will look like.

Sony’s console already has a voice chat function, though this is solely for PlayStation gamers. Perhaps the full Discord app will be available on the console, used for cross-play chat with players on other platforms.

Just recently, rumours circulated that Microsoft had bid to purchase the platform for around $10 billion but the offer was reportedly declined.

Now, their main rival has swooped in.

Discord is a communication app that allows for both open and private communities of text and voice chat. Though it grew in popularity as a voice chat platform for gamers, the company has aimed to expand into a more general service.

It’s also used hugely by Twitch streamers to develop their communities outside of streaming – check out our guide to Discord here.

For more gaming news, follow Gaymeo on Facebook. You can also email us with any news or tips on Gaymeo@pinknews.co.uk

The post Sony announces new partnership with gaming platform Discord, raising hopes for improved cross-play appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.