EILE Magazine – Issue 11 (April 2014) by EILE Magazine

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Magazine Issue 11 – April 2014

Independently…

Wayne Flanagan Tobin

Imogen

Stephen Donnan NI politics

Cindy Gomez We Love Who We Love! Inside:

Liv Monaghan Bird’n’Bass

Film Reviews | Sport | L-Beach | California Dispatch

EILE Magazine | Who’s Who

Contributors Scott De Buitléir Scott is the creator of EILE Magazine and is a writer and broadcaster from Dublin. He also hosts The Cosmo, RTÉ’s LGBT radio show, every Wednesday at 10pm. Mark Graham Mark is from Port Laoise and is a graduate of English from University College Dublin, who has produced several fashion shows for charity. Shane Heneghan Shane is originally from Headford in County Mayo, but is now based in Brussels. He has worked with various EU organisations and is interested in EU politics. Dr. Shay Keating Shay has his clinic at the Harold’s Cross Surgery in south Dublin and is a specialist in Genitourinary Medicine at St. James’ Hospital, Dublin. Nathan Kelly Nathan is a freelance sports journalist and student based in Dublin. Dermie O’Sullivan Dermie is a chef from County Cork who whips up delicious recipes. You can find more on his blog, gasmarkseven.com Lisa Reynolds Originally from County Meath, Lisa is a fashion industry student living in Bray, County Wicklow. Gareth Russell Gareth is a native of Belfast and studied History at the University of Oxford. He is author of the Popular book series, and is also a playwright. Rick Watts Based in Los Angeles, Rick is an LGBT activist, This Way Out NewsWrap volunteer and Overnight Productions Board Member. Frances Winston Frances Winston is EILE’s resident film buff, and has contributed to many publications such as The Irish Independent and Irish Tatler.

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EILE Magazine | Welcome

Highlights April 2014 Cindy Gomez – P.6

Volume 1, Issue 11

We chat with LGBT-ally Cindy, about her new single, We Love Who We Love

Editor-in-Chief: Scott De Buitléir Features Editor: MKB

Wayne Flanagan Tobin – P.10 Interview with the openly-gay, independent candidate running for election for Dublin City Council

Stephen Donnan – P.34 We head to Belfast to chat about LGBT rights in Northern Ireland, and why Stephen wants to be a Councillor for Castlereagh

California Dispatch – P.26 Rick Watts talks about HIV and the importance of doing something for others

Gareth Russell – P.46

Writers: MKB, Mark Graham, Shane Heneghan, Shay Keating, Nathan Kelly, Dermie O’Sullivan, Lisa Reynolds, Gareth Russell, Rick Watts, Frances Winston NB: All images in this publication are either under Creative Commons licence, or used with permission. Any queries can be made via eile.ie/contact Special Thanks to MKB for all her hard work, dedication and support. Web: http://eile.ie Contact: eilemagazine@outlook.com Twitter: @EileMagazine Facebook: http://fb.com/eilemagazine Note: All opinions expressed in this issue are the writers’ own.

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Gareth channels his ‘Popular’ character, Imogen, and her unique views on life! (BZ &VSPQFBO 5PVSJTN "TTPDJBUJPO

…and much more! EILE Magazine 3

EILE Magazine | Editor’s Letter

Contents 6-

Cindy Gomez

LGBT News Round-Up

10 -

Wayne Flanagan Tobin

14 -

L-Beach Festival

16 -

Liv Monaghan

20 - Anthony Starble 24 -

Book: Cloud Atlas

26 - California Dispatch 30 -

Menswear

32 -

Column: Imogen

34 -

Stephen Donnan

46 -

Film Reviews

48 -

Dublin Devils

52 -

Cooking with Dermie

58 -

Act Up Paris

60 -

Sexual Health

Welcome to EILE! Welcome to the April ’14 issue of EILE Magazine. This month, in the lead-up to the local elections taking place in Ireland both north and south, we chat to two openly gay candidates; independent candidate, Wayne Flanagan Tobin in Dublin, and Stephen Donnan of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. We find out about what they think their home cities – Dublin and Belfast respectively – need most, and what they want to do to help. We also find out if LGBT politicians are becoming more accepted into politics on this fair isle. In Los Angeles, Rick Watts gives a moving insight into living with HIV, but also into the effect a good deed can have on people. Meanwhile, Dr Shay Keating explains what being ‘undetectable’ means for HIV-positive people. Also, we notice the LGBT Travel season heating up, with a look at what you can expect from the women-only L-Beach Festival in Germany and gay-friendly Hotel SOHO in Barcelona. Of course, we also have the sections our regular readers will quickly recognise; music interviews and features, film reviews, food recipes, health articles, witty columns and much more. It really is a packed issue, and I hope you enjoy it.

Until next time!

Scott De Buitléir

Founder/Editor, EILE Magazine

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Events | News Various | Uganda Voices

Various Voices 2014 LGBT Choral Festival Comes to Dublin Over 80 choirs will be travelling to Dublin this June to take part in Various Voices, an international gay choral festival that takes place every four years in a European city. This year, Dublin will host the festival, which runs June 13-16 at Dublin City University and The Helix. An average of 2,500 singers will come from as far away as Australia and New Zealand, to join Irish LGBT choirs and enjoy four days of concerts and various workshops in celebrating this festival. Over the four day festival visiting choirs will also perform at a range of free public concerts in Dublin city centre, including City Hall and Meeting House Square. In association with Marriage Equality, the acclaimed New York City Gay Men’s Chorus and Glória DLGC will host the ‘Big Gay Sing’ at the

Bord Gáis Energy Theatre on Sunday, June 15. Tickets are available to purchase at http:// bordgaisenergytheatre.ie. Dublin’s Lord Mayor, Cllr. Oisín Quinn, said: “I am delighted to welcome the Various Voices Choirs to Dublin for the 2014 Festival. Dubliners and visitors to the city will have an opportunity during the 4-day festival in June to attend a good variety of concerts. The City is proud to host this wonderfully vibrant festival with performers from almost every corner of the world.”

community organisation, will bring the world to Dublin for four days of music, song and craic. Some of the world’s most innovative and entertaining choirs will be travelling from across Europe, North America, and Australasia. With 80 visiting choirs Various Voices Dublin 2014 will be the largest international LGBT event ever held in Ireland.” Various Voices Dublin 2014 is proudly supported by Dublin City Council, Fáilte Ireland, Dublin Tourism, Rory O’Neill and Senator David Norris.

Ian Doyle, director of this year’s Various Voices Festival, and longstanding member of Glória, said: “We are incredibly honoured and proud to be a part of Various Voices Dublin 2014. Through four years of hard work, Gloria Dublin’s Lesbian and Gay Choir, a voluntary

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Cindy Gomez Raised in suburban Toronto, Cindy Gomez is a singer/songwriter of Colombian and Belgian descent, who performs a mix of electropop, urban and rock music. 6 EILE Magazine

Her first big break came when Dave Stewart (previously Eurythmics) appeared on US chat show Larry King Live, alongside Ringo Starr, and the call went out for a backup singer. Gomez flew down from Canada on short notice, and impressed Stewart right away.

“She needed no rehearsal at all,” Stewart said. Cindy went on to become the first artist to make her debut in a mobile game, ‘Dance Fabulous’ on N-Gage by Nokia, through collaboration between the Finnish handset manufacturer and Interscope

Feature | Cindy Gomez Records in late spring of 2009. The game included a dancing avatar of Cindy, and five of her songs.

that his story – or rather, his story told by his mother – went public with an article in Huffington Post.

Also in 2009, Gomez went on a European tour to promote the Dance Fabulous video game. She appeared in Vienna for LifeBall, Europe’s largest AIDS-related charity event, where she performed a new song at the opening ceremony. This was a song that she and Stewart had co-written, and donated, called “I Bring You Love,” performed before a live audience of 70,000, and which was also broadcast live throughout Europe.

“Ryan’s story, though very tragic,” Cindy explains, “is a reminder that in order to truly love, we must not place conditions or judgments on what we deem to be ‘other’.

Recently, Cindy released a new single titled We Love Who We Love, which was inspired by a gay teenager who came out to his Christian parents. They believed that homosexuality was a sin, and encouraged him to try reparative therapy. It was not until Ryan Robertson lost his life due to drug abuse

While it might sound idealistic, Cindy’s efforts to get that message of compassion across to her fans makes her part of a musical zeitgeist. Many musicians in recent years have showed their support for LGBT rights and equality, from Macklemore and Lady Gaga to openly-gay musicians such as Steve Grand, Cheyenne Jackson, Drake Jensen and others previously featured in EILE. Can music really play a role, however, in shaping or commenting on society? Cindy certainly thinks so. “Music is a great tool for

sharing our stories, and it most certainly can help shape society, as music is vibration, which is energy, so it has the power to heal many hearts. Everyone so far has enjoyed ‘We Love Who We Love’ for the underlying message of unconditional love that it has.” Cindy has certainlly used music to share stories, as she can sing in eight languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian, Latin, Hindi, Cantonese and Mandarin, so doing things a little differently is what Cindy is all about.

Cindy Gomez’s new single, We Love Who We Love, is available to download now from iTunes: Click here.

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News | Round-Up

LGBT Monthly News Roun Largest Moscow Gay Club ‘Central Station’ To Close

the country, a lot has been passed through: the attack of the local prosecutor’s office, and burning my car down , and the fight against the raiders… It was one of the most interesting experiences of my work in the best club in its [market] segment The artbitration court in Moscow has now ordered the club to end its lease, and close.

(eile.ie / March 19) Central Station, in business since the late 90s, and known as the largest gay club in Russia, is to close, having been attacked on numerous occasions over the last six months. These attacks included the roof being dismantled by a crowd, poisonous gas being released, and shots being fired at the door of the club.

Politician Proposes ‘Anti-Pantigate’ Legislation

Éireann that would change the Broadcasting Act to prevent litigious-minded groups and individuals from shutting down public debate. The Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2014 removes any reference to the term “offence” from Section 39 of the Broadcasting Act, as a result, Broadcasters would no longer have to ensure that nothing that could be termed offensive is broadcast. “I do not believe that people should be censored for saying offensive things” said Donnelly, “whether that offence is reasonably caused or not. The legislation in its current form gags free speech, harms public debate and means broadcasters can be bullied by the litigious and thinskinned.” “The simple change that I’m suggesting is the removal of the term offence from our legislation. This change would fix one of the biggest flaws in the current legislation and send a strong signal to broadcasters, minority groups and those they offend that Ireland values free speech.”

The former owner and CEO of the club, Andrei Lischinsky, has also stated that the police had not responded to his complaints about attacks on the club, and his own car being set alight. According to Queer Russia, Lischinsky stated when he resigned: I am resigning from my job as CEO of the Central Station club on February 1, 2014. Tired of fighting with the “windmills”. It has been 3 years of unforgettable work in the biggest gay club in 8 EILE Magazine

(eile.ie / March 5) Stephen Donnelly, an Independent TD for Wicklow and East Carlow, has introduced legislation earlier today in Dáil

eile.ie

News | Round-Up

nd-Up Ulrike Lunacek MEP Receives Award for European LGBT

Emphasising the importance of the road map Ms Lunacek remarked that “It’s so important that the European Parliament has made it clear that homophobia does not have a place in Europe.” – Shane Heneghan

Divergent Star Shailene Woodley ‘Open’ to Dating a Woman (eile.ie / March 28) At the annual MEP awards recently in Brussels, Austrian Green MEP, Ulrike Lunacek, won the ‘Outstanding Contribution’ award for her work on the LGBT road map earlier this year. Ms Lunacek, who was unable to attend the ceremony due to a prior engagement in Vienna, made her acceptance via a prerecorded video. In the short clip, Ms Lunacek speaks of her struggle to get the road map passed, and the unprecedented level of opposition it encountered from conservative groups across Europe.

(eile.ie / March 8) Shailene Woodley, the actress and star of sci-fi film Divergent, recently revealed in an interview that she falls in love based on who people are, and not based on their gender.

“She won’t elaborate on her love life. The best she offers is a vague assessment of romance or friendship (I’m not sure which). “I fall in love with human beings based on who they are, not based on what they do or what sex they are,” [Woodley] says. Meanwhile, Woodley has been linked with actor Miles Teller, star of That Awkward Moment and also with a key role in Divergent. During the same interview, Teller is said to confuse matters even more when he comments on his relationship with Woodley; “I would say we have like a sibling relationship,” he jokes, “but with moments of sexual tension”. Although Shailene Woodley would be relatively unknown here in Europe, many film critics are praising the young actress’ work, comparing her to the likes of Jennifer Lawrence. Divergent was released in Ireland on April 4.

Woodley, who is being hailed as a rising star, has set off some media speculation on whether or not the young actress is bisexual, since she gave an interview to The Hollywood Reporter, where she remains unclear on her love life. As reporter Tatiana Siegel writes:

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Interview | Wayne Flanagan Tobin

Wayne’s World At 27 years old, Wayne Flanagan Tobin is impressively strong, resilient and passionate, and has already achieved enough to be proud of. In his cozy studio apartment – a converted room of a Georgian building in south Dublin – paper cuttings serve as a reminder to him of his past achievements, improving mental health support services across County Wicklow. Now, his sights are set on local politics in the capital, with his campaign already in full swing. This is not Wayne’s first time running for election, however, as his political life started around the age of twelve. Campaigning

for mental health and suicide awareness would normally be surprising causes for a child to take interest in, but this was understandable, as Wayne lost his father to suicide when he was only seven years old. In fact, Wayne tells me that his father’s twentieth anniversary will take place that coming weekend, and it becomes clear that Wayne’s father has just as much influence on him today as when he was alive. From the age of twelve, Wayne became involved with local politics, volunteering with Deirdre de Búrca, who was then with the Green Party. He stayed with the Greens until just before the Party went into coalition with Fianna Fáil, having become disillusioned with party politics. “I suppose, like all young people,” Wayne

Wayne with Senator David Norris 10 EILE Magazine

explains, “I wanted to see change happen a bit quicker.” It was when he ran for local election in 2009, however, aged

Susan Bevan, Vincent Salafia, Wayne and Paul Leahy at Wayne’s Campaign Launch

20, that he first experienced homophobia. Out of some 300 election posters that were put up around Bray, only 50 remained intact by election day; the rest had been marked with homophobic slurs and symbols. While he didn’t win, Wayne was happy with the result, however, although his body language hints that it’s an experience he feels he learned from, but it’s one he doesn’t want to repeat.

Interview | Wayne Flanagan Tobin Regardless, Wayne’s experiences have influenced the personal side of his politics. I remark that I want to find out who ‘Wayne the politician’ and ‘Wayne the guy’ both are. The more we speak, the more I find that they are one and the same. His own work outside of politics, as Special Needs Assistant, is further testament to Wayne’s caring side, but can that translate well into hardline politics? So far, it seems to be a great advantage for him. His canvassing is being received well by all he meets, he says, and many are glad to see a non-party candidate standing for election. He is optimistic in his vision for what he can do in public life, but realistic too. If he doesn’t win one of the constituency’s

eight seats, lobbying remains a strong option. One of his big goals, if elected, is to put “as much of [his] salary into a Youth Information Centre” as possible, to provide details on employment, mental health and emigration. He intends for such a centre to be independent from government bodies, so as not to be directly influenced by them. The idea is a novel one, although the practicalities of it remain open

to question. Accountability is a major ideal of the young candidate, and he raises valid points about politicians travelling abroad on taxpayers’ money, with few visible results upon their return. As we spoke, the Taoiseach was on a visit to the United States for the annual White House visit for St. Patrick’s Day. “Why aren’t we bringing them here instead,” Wayne suggests, “if this is supposed to be helping Ireland?” While the Irish are known for their hospitality, bringing ‘everyone’ to our shores might not be entirely feasible, either. Still, Wayne emphasises the point that for the amount of money at the government’s disposal, few visible results come from it. Although he doesn’t like the term ‘coming out’ (for reasons he finds difficult to put into words) it was clear from his experiences in 2009 that he needed to be open about his sexuality during this election campaign – without making a massive issue out of it. When he was invited to be interviewed for the Council Matters radio programme on Dublin City FM, he knew the piece would be recorded on camera for YouTube. He saw this as his chance to come out publicly. Wayne brought a coffee mug – rainbow coloured with ‘Nobody knows I’m gay’ on it – into the radio studio for his interview with presenter Michael FitzGerald. The presenter picked up on Wayne’s subtle approach, mentioning it during the interview. “Well, they do now!” FitzGerald joked, and Wayne added that the present was a gift from a constituent ahead of his election campaign.

He’s reluctant at first to explain why he brought the mug with him into the studio, but eventually comes clean about why it was his catalyst. To him, bringing the mug into the studio was a humorous and simple way to raise the issue. In the radio interview, Wayne doesn’t directly confirm that he is gay, but merely acknowledges the presenter’s reference to the mug, and moves on with the conversation. He is one of a new breed of openly-LGBT candidates in Ireland, and this shows how much Ireland has changed. While his sexuality is clearly only one aspect of what shapes Wayne, he is in no way a single-issue candidate. Equality is certainly an issue, but he doesn’t favour LGBT rights over human rights by any means. Instead, he includes them, and that inclusivity is characteristic of Wayne’s style in politics. If experiences shape a person’s character, then Wayne has managed to take some tragic circumstances and turn them around. He has come out of them as a strong individual, who, if elected, would certainly do his community very proud indeed.

Wayne Flanagan Tobin EILE Magazine 11

News | Idaho

‘Add The Words’

Protest at Idaho’s State Legislature Add The Words is the group responsible for protesting at Idaho’s State Legislature, in an attempt to ensure that LGBT people are included in the anti-discrimination laws which at present protect Idaho’s citizens.

the LGBT community in the existing law for some years.

“sexual orientation” and “gender identity”.

According to the Add The Words website, the group wish to amend the existing Human Rights Act in Idaho, and wish to include the words gender identity and sexual orientation:

The 2014 legislative session will be the 8th session that similar groups has worked toward this goal. Every legislative session we have been denied a hearing where we can share our stories of discrimination and to move closer to passing the IHRA amendment.

The protest took place this week when hundreds of people took to the capitol building to register dissatisfaction with Republican legislators, who say they will not look at an amendment to include

ATW focuses on amending the existing Idaho Human Rights Act (IHRA) to include workplace, housing, public accomodation, transportation, and education rights based on

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Add the Words, Idaho (ATW) is a non-profit, all volunteer organization that has been in place since 2010.

The group also state that over 80% of Idaho citizens agree that no one should be fired from their jobs because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. (eile.ie / 20 March)

Travel | Spain

Hotel SOHO

Barcelona Hotel SOHO Barcelona’s modernity, striking design, central location and excellent service has attracted an exclusive and discerning gay clientele, and word of mouth has turned it into a reference for this collective. This hotel, belonging to the NN Hotels group, has never had to adopt the gay-friendly label, a trend that has prevailed in hotels for over a decade, to indicate its openness to a homosexual clientele. The hotel is located very near Avenida María Cristina, where the Pride Barcelona festival is held, this year taking place from 19 to 29 June and involving more than 30 associations and companies in the LGBT community. Pride Barcelona already has five editions under its belt, and has consolidated itself as a key event in Southern Europe, attracting visitors from all over the continent. The SOHO offers tasteful interior design combined with architecture at its purest. The hotel’s name is derived from its two defining characteristics: SOFT and HOT. Visitors will see

these characteristics constantly reflected in the hotel’s design, style and originality, which is a perfect fusion of retro and modern elements. Another distinctive feature is the work of well-known visual artist, Fran Aleuset, in the form of a set of methacrylate panels which represent different parts of the human body and create an aesthetic that is sure to impress. To enjoy a passionate stay, the hotel proposes, for all kinds of couples, a special pack called Soft&Hot. The pack includes, among other features, a stay in a room with sensual lighting, breakfast for two, and a bottle of cava.

SOHO Barcelona is located in one of the city’s most emblematic neighbourhoods, the Eixample, just 10 minutes from the famous Ramblas and Plaza Catalunya. All its rooms – last home automation system integrated – are different from each other, all in a colour palette including indigo, green, orange or maroon. In its interior, a courtyard and a gardened zone is hidden, as well as the terrace located on the rooftop, where we can find the swimming pool and the solarium zone. This is a place where the visitor is able to enjoy a privileged view of Barcelona’s Gran Via street. All LGBT clients can be assured of a pleasant stay and a warm welcome at the Soho Hotel Barcelona.

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Tourism | L-Beach Festival

L-Beach: Europe’s Largest Women-Only Festival On May 8, the idyllic vacation resort Weissenhäuser Strand will transform once again into the biggest women-only party in Germany. Every year, L-BEACH lures about 4000 revellers to the Baltic Sea. True to the L-BEACH motto “Music, Girls, Fun and Holidays”, the festival offers numerous concerts by notable live acts, sets by international DJs, parties, sophisticated readings and interesting workshops on four days in a row. For the past five years the beach spectacle has been 14 EILE Magazine

riding a wave of success: L-BEACH has been selling out each year from the very beginning, and for 2014 most of the tickets are already gone. In a minimum amount of time, Europe’s biggest indoor festival for women has gained an international status, comparable to such festivals as Dinah Shore and Michfest. About 15 percent of LBEACH fans come from abroad. “We are absolutely overwhelmed by the popularity of our festival”,

says organiser Claudia Kiesel from Hamburg. “In order to continue and expand the success of L-BEACH, we will once again be presenting our visitors with an incredibly impressive programme.” Numerous concerts and DJ sets The best known music act at this year’s anniversary LBEACH is 2raumwohnung with lead singer Inga Humpe. The pop duo joins the list of notable past acts, such as the 80s icon Kim Wilde, US singer Sophie B. Hawkins, the electropop act MIA., as well as the British

Tourism | L-Beach Festival

band Kosheen. Also part of the line up in 2014: the Swedish indie band The Sounds as well as LAING, and Sookee from Berlin plus many more. This year’s DJ selection of about 20 DJs is yet again top-class and international: Krystalroxx from England (resident DJ for Taio Cruz in Europe), Luxury (Pacha Club Ibiza) and Whitney Day from the US, who has made a name for herself in New York as a producer and party organiser. Stars of the lesbian community As every year, a star from The L Word, a US series that revolves around the lifestyle of a lesbian clique, will be present: Janina Gavankar, who played the role of “Papi”, will present her film

Who’s afraid of Vagina Wolf at the L-BEACH festival. One of the stage highlights: the gigs of lesbian casting show stars such as Lucy Diakovska (Popstars, Ex-No Angels), Judith van Hel (The Voice of Germany), Steffi List, and other candidates from European TV formats.

with such delights as readings from well-known authors and a programme of short films presented in cooperation with the International Queer Film Festival Hamburg.

Multifaceted fringe events

For more information on L-BEACH, visit www.l-beach.com

The fun factor will be provided with a song contest, and other activities Once again, Shirin Valentine such as speed dating, a (Ex-Viva-face, musician and drag king workshop and producer) will be our host on courses in standard and line the big stage. dancing.

L-BEACH also offers extensive possibilities for sport and recreation – for instance, wakeboarding, yoga and zumba lessons, archery and much more. The cultural programme additionally comes packed

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Liv Monaghan: Interview | Liv Monaghan

Bird‘n’Bass

Scott De Buitléir chats with Liv about her latest musical project

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Interview | Liv Monaghan

Irishwoman Liv Monaghan has been previously featured in EILE Magazine for her talents in fashion design, but now she has announced the release of her new EP, Bird’n’Bass. Liv will officially launch the EP on April 10 at Cafe Universel Jazz Club in Paris, but we caught up with her ahead of the big night to chat about her musical side: EILE: How do you manage balancing your music and fashion careers? Do they ever come together? LM: Well, I don’t see a divide, really. The two are very much intertwined for me. I am a creative person, happiest working on my own projects. The two jobs happened at the same time, here in Paris - actually in a mad attempt to make ends meet by artistic means! I was singing in clubs at night and sourcing beautiful vintage pieces to sell online by day (perhaps not as glam as it sounds). I don’t see myself as someone who works in the fashion industry - I worked in theatre and film as a costume designer, and that gave way into trying to do something

where I had more artistic control Good” by Amy Winehouse, who - and that was Alto Figaro. They had passed just a few months come together most organically previous, I was singing my heart when I’m developing my own out because I was also hoping to stage costumes, or when I get get hired afterwards to sing at the the opportunity to style other club, and it worked. They liked it. musicians, and also, really, when Imagine, Amy Winehouse in an I’m inspired by a band or an uptight jazz cafe, and it was just artist (I conducted a what they wanted - a bit I started to series of interviews, of madness. I bring that really listen with stylish men to the city! properly to and for Alto Figaro try to learn most of whom were EILE: Who were your from the great musicians). I’m own musical influences? jazzers like instinctively drawn to Monk, Vaughn, LM: I grew up in the honesty in both Fitzgerald and a classical musical forms of wordless Holiday here. communication. background - I remember distinctly EILE: Paris is that all music which renowned for jazz; did the city slipped outside the classical influence your musical style, or is genres was forbidden. That wasn’t it what brought you to the city? so cool. But what was very cool was the constant presence of a LM: Paris is classic, vintage and piano in the house. I’m sure I a little nostalgic, and yes, that has was banging notes on that piano certainly moulded what I do here. before I was talking, and my In many ways, the city and my parents encouraged my siblings stint in New York has taught me and me to take lessons. I also everything I know about singing. I studied flute and classical singing met superb musicians here, I was a little later too. so fortunate to get to work with virtuoso players. I grew up playing, listening to and really loving Chopin, Beethoven, I started to really listen properly Mozart, Brahms, Schubert and to and try to learn from the Bach... Ignoring the ban on all great jazzers like Monk, Vaughn, things post 1900, I listened to Fitzgerald and Holiday here. It’s anything and everything - the as simple as that. I think there’s obvious ones - the Beatles, Beach an Irish and Anglo element which Boys, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, I bring to performances too Counting Crows, Blur, Leonard - which Parisians find intriguing. Cohen... On the jazz side I was I remember when I first moved mad about Ella Fitzgerald and over, I went to a jam session and Louis Armstong. I also liked a performed “You know I’m no bit of Marilyn Monroe - she’s a

Continued…

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Interview | Liv Monaghan totally underestimated vocalist in my opinion. My teens were spent in the Bakery Nightclub in Cork, listening to the sweet soul, funk, hip hop and r’n’b sounds of DJ Stevie G.That’s an eclectic mix, but each sound has an important place! EILE: What are the plans from here? Will you be returning to Ireland soon for any gigs? LM: As the song goes, “J’ai deux amours - mon pays et Paris”... but I’m actually shunning both, and continuing the adventure by heading to London soon. I love to play in Ireland and do get the opportunity to play there from time to time. I will be performing at some festivals this year, (details will be available on my website soon - www.livmonaghanmusic. com) But at the moment, I’m really looking forward to further developing my creative projects in London, to meeting new people and growing form the lessons and experiences I’ve had in the city of light. And to revert to the opening question - strive more towards that ideal and successful marriage between my two loves - fashion and music. I’m also doing an interactive walking tour of Paris spanning my musical journey called ‘In my shoes’ which is being directed and produced by @outurbanartsboy.. It will be active soon. From what we know of Liv so far, she probably won’t stop there! For more about her EP, Bird’n’Bass, visit livmonaghan. bandcamp.com

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Art | Padraig McCaul

Don’t Miss: Padraig McCaul Art Exhibition @ Dún Laoghaire Art Gallery Irish artist Padraig McCaul launched his new exhibition, titled ‘Family Album’, earlier this week at the Dún Laoghaire Art Centre, which is on display until the 19th of this month. Based on themes of family and the home, McCaul’s paintings are oil-based on canvas, showing family portraits with both rural and urban backgrounds in Ireland, namely Achill Island – where McCaul is based – and Dublin. One of the artworks

is ‘On Sandymount Strand’, featuring a semi-abstract family looking across to Poolbeg and Dublin Port. The exhibition was opened by Frances Fitzgerald TD, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. These beautiful paintings can be seen in the Dún Laoghaire Art Gallery (Georges Street Upper) until April 19. For more information, visit padraigmccaul. com.

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Music | Anthony Starble

Anthony Starble Releases New EP: We Need To Be Loved

The mesmerizing and captivating vocal and lyrical abilities of singer-songwriter, Anthony Starble, have returned in a top-notch performance on his latest EP, We Need to Be Loved, now available on iTunes. Earlier this year, the classically trained and exceedingly gifted artist released his single and music video, Oh Father, which ripped through the Internet, making it a viral sensation in the LGBT community. Produced by Jon Sosin and Anthony Starble, We Need To Be Loved is a collection of songs about the desire for attentiveness and what it means to accept the important role that love plays in our lives. The first single from the EP, Oh Father sees Anthony pouring his emotions into the ballad, urging his father to accept him for who he is. Complementing the profound lyricism, the music video is set within the boxing world, and demonstrates the struggle of a son seeking acceptance for being gay from his rigid father. Continuing the expressive roller-coaster on his latest EP, Anthony again exhibits his innate ability to glut your heart with humble raw emotion. Tackling the taboo topics of everyday life and lost love, Our Love is Lonely starts with a melodic piano introduction for his lover with sharp lyrics that ring, “I loved you more than the day before, but what’s it all for if I am still lonely”. The title track examines the basic concept of love, and having someone to pick you up when life gets hard. Speaking about the EP, Anthony says, “it starts with the reflective, yet ultimately optimistic We Need To Be Loved, then journeys to the pleading and emotional. Ending the collection is Our Love is Lonely, which is as reflective as We Need To Be Loved, yet highlights our dependence on attachment to people we care about and outlines the acceptance of all the hardships and loneliness that come into play as part of the whole emotional experience”. Keep up to date with Anthony’s journey by visiting www.facebook.com/anthonystarble. Purchase the collection of heartrending ballads from We Need to Be Loved now on iTunes. 20 EILE Magazine

Business | Homophobia

New Research Finds 30% of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Employees Have Been Harassed at Work Research launching today finds 30% of lesbian, gay and bisexual employees were harassed at work and over 10% quit a job because of discrimination, according to Working it Out, GLEN’s Diversity Champions report. Supported by EY, and authored by researchers at Trinity College Dublin, this research, breaks new ground by understanding the workplace experiences of 590 full-time lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) employees in Ireland. Respondents spoke of the stress caused by having to conceal their sexual orientation at work, with new employees being twice as likely to not disclose their sexual orientation as longer standing employees. Speaking ahead of the launch set to take place at EY’s office on Harcourt Street, today, Davin Roche, Director at Diversity Champions, commented: “While this research shows the challenges faced by many lesbian, gay and bisexual employees, it also clearly shows why it makes good business sense to address these issues. Good employers know that people perform best when they can be themselves”. Mike McKerr, Managing Partner at EY said: “Businesses have

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evolved their thinking about diversity over the last number of years. It’s no longer simply about levelling the playing field and providing equal opportunities. Truly diverse companies recognise, celebrate, and embrace difference. We believe this creates stronger businesses and competitive advantage in attracting and retaining LGBT professionals, critical for better innovation and business performance. “ Working It Out found that employers who demonstrated a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion had an advantage in attracting LGB candidates. 2 out of 3 people surveyed were open about their sexual orientation at work and 90% of these reported no negative impact on their relationships with colleagues. The research found that employees who were out at work were more committed to their employer than employees who were not out. The report was authored by Brian McIntyre and Dr Elizabeth Nixon, Assistant Professor in Psychology, Trinity, based on their own original research. “The report explores the lived experience of 590 Irish LGB employees regarding their decisions to disclose or not to

disclose their sexual orientation at work, and their experiences in the Irish workplace. It also provides valuable insight into how companies can drive improved business performance by fully engaging their lesbian, gay and bisexual employees.” commented co-author Brian McIntyre a recent postgraduate from the School of Psychology, Trinity. Diversity Champions is Ireland’s leading network for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) inclusive employers. Diversity Champions supports companies improve business performance through supporting LGBT equality and diversity in their organisations. Catherine Vaughan, Head of EY’s EYGLES LGBT employee network concluded: “As part of EY’s ongoing commitment to raising the bar on LGBT equality in the workplace, we work closely with GLEN’s Diversity Champions programme to identify best practice and opportunities for improvement. The team at GLEN have helped us keep up the momentum by supporting the development of an annual action plan which has proved invaluable in allowing us to measure our success in this field.” (eile.ie / 4 March)

Youth | BeLonG To

BeLonG To Launches Stand Up! Campaign 2014 RTÉ presenter Miriam O’Callaghan showed her support at the launch of Stand Up! Awareness Week against homophobic and transphobic bullying in Ireland. The fifth annual Stand Up! Awareness Week is organised by BeLonG To, Ireland’s national organisation for LGBT young people. For the week of March 10th 14thth, BeLonG To has provided vital educational materials to all post primary schools and youth services in the country, as well as organising training events for teachers and youth workers in how to support LGBT young people and tackle bullying. Research funded by the Department of Education and Skills and carried out by Dublin City University found that 79% of teachers were aware of homophobic bullying in their schools. Education is the key to ending this. BeLonG To is working with schools and the education system to raise awareness of LGBT identity and to stop homophobia.

In 2010, BeLonG To provided 700 Stand Up! Awareness Week educational packs to youth services in the country. This number has increased every year since, with more than 2,240 being distributed for 2014. The packs include information on homophobic and transphobic bullying for teachers and youth workers, educational DVDs, a discussion guide, lesson plans, posters and other promotional material. Events are also taking place to promote the initiative in youth centres around the country. David Carroll, Executive Director of BeLonG To, said: “…In 2014, we simply cannot allow any young person to be harassed for who they are, and the success and growth of Stand Up! over the last five years has shown how eager young people across Ireland are to show their support to their LGBT friends. 2014’s campaign further strengthens this message of solidarity, and many isolated or vulnerable LGBT young people will hear important messages of affirmation and support in regard to their sexual orientation or gender identity, in many cases for the first time.”

Speaking prior to yesterday’s launch, Ruairí Quinn T.D., Minister for Education and Skills said: “No-one should have to experience homophobic bullying, especially not young people. I urge all young people to Stand Up! to such bullies. Critically, I believe that young people who see homophobic bullying occurring, the by-standers, should also be empowered to intervene and show that they will not tolerate seeing their peers bullied just because of their sexuality.” Dr. Carol-Anne O’Brien, BeLonG To Director of Advocacy said, “Research shows that, unfortunately, homophobic and transphobic bullying are widespread in Irish schools. Stand Up! tackles bullying by bringing a positive message of friendship to all students across Ireland. Stand Up! also tells LGBT young people that they are not alone, and they do not have to suffer or witness homophobic or transphobic bullying in their schools.” For more information on the Stand Up!, visit www.belongto. org. (eile.ie / 6 March)

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Review | Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas: Clouds Above the Rest Lisa Reynolds reviews the novel Cloud Atlas with mixed reactions

The novel Cloud Atlas (2004) by British author David Mitchell, is an outstanding read, that moves from genre to genre, in a 529-page epic. Mashing together romance, drama, sci-fi, comedy, thriller, mystery and adventure, it is an amazing journey, filled with interesting and complex characters. Mitchell has a great talent for writing very human characters and getting to the heart of who they are, making us want to know more about them as the story progresses. The book includes six stories that range from the South Pacific in the nineteenth century, to a future which is postapocalyptic. Each of the stories

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is told from the point of view of the protagonist, or through their observations. Each also includes an element, such as a movie or a document, which has appeared in a previous story, and links people from era to era, in all settings. My personal favourite is Letters from Zedelghem, which tells the story of Robert Frobisher and Rufus Sixsmith. The young couple is played in the 2012 movie version brilliantly by Ben Whishaw (Frobisher) and James Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arcy (Sixsmith). The story is set in Zedelghem, near Bruges in Belgium, in 1931. It is told through letters, from composer Robert Frobisher, to his boyfriend Rufus Sixsmith, who is back in Cambridge, and is beautifully romantic and heartbreaking. Frobisher is an

ambitious, witty and interesting character, who is quite a risktaker and brash, in contrast to the equally interesting, but reserved, loyal, and gentle Sixsmith. This contrast in their personalities is what draws them together, and adds to why they love each other. As time moves on, we see the older Sixsmith in the story Half-Lives: The First Luisa Rey Mystery, where the title character, journalist Luisa Rey, is the protagonist. This story is set in 1975 in the fictional city of Buenas Yerbas in California. She meets Sixsmith in an elevator. Afterwards, Sixsmith believes he can trust Rey, and confides his concerns that the Seaboard HYDRA nuclear power plant is not as safe as it is advertised as being.

Review | Cloud Atlas

Other stories I particularly liked were The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish, and An Orison of Sonmi~451. The comedy piece is provided by The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish. It is set in present day Britain, where Timothy Cavendish is a vanity publisher. He looks to his brother for financial aid, after he is confronted by the brothers of his gangster client, who is in prison for killing a critic who criticised him. Tired of him constantly asking for money, and knowing secretly that he has had an affair with his wife, Jocasta, Cavendish’s brother tricks him into signing himself into a nursing home, making him believe that it is a hotel he is signing himself into. The comedy comes as he tries to escape from the home by himself, and then plots with his newfound friends in the home to escape.

protagonist Zachry, whose people are farmers and live in the valley. A Prescient woman, named Meronym, comes from overseas to stay with the villagers. She is very interested in their technology and culture, but Zachry soon becomes suspicious of her motives.

He mentions his chronic Ailment to Goose, who diagnoses it as a fatal parasite, and begins to treat him. Autua hides himself in Ewing’s cabin because he could see that he was compassionate. The two become friends, and Ewing helps Autua to get a job on the ship to pay for his passage.

The latter is set in 1850 in the Chatham Islands, and follows protagonist Adam Ewing during the California Gold Rush. Ewing witnesses a Moriori slave being flogged by a Maori man. While he is being punished, the Moriori slave, whose name is Autua, sees that there is compassion in Ewing’s eyes, and he smiles. Ewing also befriends Dr. Goose.

Though all of the stories are wellwritten, some are more enjoyable to read than others, with the major themes of death and rebirth running through all the narratives. Each can be read as a stand-alone story, or as chapters in an overall epic. Whichever you choose, you’re sure to enjoy the read!

The 2012 film adaptation of ‘Cloud Atlas’

An Orison of Sonmi~451 is set in Nea So Copros, which is a dystopian futuristic state that is revealed to be in Korea as the story progresses. It is told through an interview between Sonmi~451 and an ‘archivist’ who is recording her story. Sonmi~451 is a genetically engineered fabricant. She falls in love with Hae-Joo, who is one of her mentors. It is a beautifully played out romance. Stories I found not so enjoyable were Sloosha’s Crossin’ an’ Ev’rythin’ After, and The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing. The former is set in a postapocalyptic society on the Big Island of Hawaii. It follows the

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California Dispatch

Californi

Not Just An

Rick Watts on living with HIV and the importance of doing something for others She calls out to the man on the street “Sir, can you help me? It’s cold and I’ve nowhere to sleep, Is there somewhere you can tell me?” He walks on, doesn’t look back He pretends he can’t hear her Starts to whistle as he crosses the street Seems embarrassed to be there - from “Another Day in Paradise” by Phil Collins “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Last December, I observed my 30th anniversary. For most folks, being together for 30 years with no end in sight would be something to celebrate…unless the “long-term companion” is HIV. Now, to be sure, I am grateful to still be here all these years later—especially when, for several of those years, I didn’t think I would live to see 40, particularly after being diagnosed with full-blown AIDS in early 1996, complete with Kaposi’s Sarcoma, high viral load and a Tcell count of 170. After more than a few sleepless nights, I made my peace with my then-approaching demise. While I hadn’t yet arrived at Death’s door, I was on my way up the front steps. According to one doctor, then, I had “about 18-

30 months.” The other guys in my HIV support group had their own share of health concerns. (We lost one member to AIDS just a couple weeks after I joined, and I remember wondering if that was my fate). But we did indeed support and encourage each other; gleaning hope from any news of a medical advance, sharing photocopied articles about clinical trials of these new drugs called “protease inhibitors” that we hoped might come in time to save us; to give us a second chance at life—something so many of our friends did not get before the plague was made manageable. For a while, we even dared hope for a cure; only to

California Dispatch

ia Dispatch:

nother Day

later come to realize that is one day we still might not live to see. But at least we would live perhaps to see old age, with…with… someone at our side? Yes, I am glad to be alive, however complicated by expensive drugs and side-effects life has become. But I am thankful to have gotten that second chance, however much I have had to alter my pre-Poz plans. Will alone could not overcome the chemotherapyinduced side-effects that caused me to wash out of law school. And two HIV-associated Avascular Necrosis-induced hip replacements, and the asyet unexplained (and perhaps unrelated) loss of functional sight in one eye, cost me both my jobs, and landed me on crutches for the better part of two years. But, yes, thank God, I’m here, and thanks be to God, AIDS Project Los Angeles, and good friends who held my hand through bankruptcy, the loss of two apartments, and the byzantine process of qualifying for disability benefits. Yes, I am mindful of the tens of millions this epidemic felled, on a scale not seen since the Great Plague and World War II. But having been HIV positive, essentially my entire adult life, has left its share of scars in my psyche. As anyone who is positive can attest, disclosure to friends, family, and prospective love interests is a little like learning to

come out all over again; the same old fear of rejection; of that first date becoming the last one—and wondering if we will ever find someone to love and be loved by. But we simply must disclose—and get used to it! It’s okay to fear being rejected—even if that means being alone. No relationship is worth having if it’s built on a lie, or upon lack of sufficient respect and care for the other person’s welfare. But living with this damnable bug, and all it has wrought in my life, has also taught me some lessons. In addition to forcing me to be honest with myself and others about myself— “warts and all”—I’m a lot less judgmental of others regardless of their station in life. That, in turn, has led me to some pretty fulfilling nonpaying volunteer work—and as a bonus, it’s led me to meet many new friends, whom I would never have otherwise had the opportunity to know. Among those groups is the Stonewall Democratic Club— an organization within the Democratic Party which, through its members’ involvement at all political levels, was indispensible in making full LGBT equality an integral part of the party’s platform. This led eventually to President Obama’s “evolution”

on marriage equality, and eventually in part to last year’s Supreme Court decision, striking down federal and state laws here in the USA that contravene that principle. But Stonewall’s members have been fierce advocates for other social justice issues as well, including poverty, homelessness, education, and immigration reform to name a few. In 2011, at the State Convention in Sacramento, with CNN blaring in the background while I was showering in my hotel room, the news anchor was interviewing emergency relief workers in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where a horrible tornado had just leveled the city. As the Red Cross representative appealed for donations of toiletries for the shelters, I got an idea: With Stonewall’s support, while everyone else was at a luncheon, I scrounged up some boxes and posterboard, printed some pictures of the tornado’s destructive aftermath, and put together a donation box that I manned for the remainder of the convention. I collected hundreds upon hundreds of the little soaps, shampoos, toothbrushes and so forth that hotels routinely give out to guests (and which all-toooften are discarded). One delegate whose daughter happened to go to college in Tuscaloosa even offered to pay for the shipping. EILE Magazine 27

California Dispatch

In the three years since, my little home-made booth has collected several thousand dollars worth of those things, which we’ve donated to two battered women and children’s shelters, PATH (LA’s largest homeless service provider) and the LA Gay and Lesbian Center’s homeless youth services. Said one of the LAGLC’s representatives: “We always need those things! Unless you’re homeless, you don’t realize just how much you appreciate the ability to wash your face, your hair and brush your teeth!” It’s been said that, “hope is the song the bird sings before the dawn.” I’m now 54 (I joke that actually I’m 32—when you average in the age of my most recent artificial hip!) and I’m still single (sigh!)…but still “hoping” too! But the amazing thing is this: I have hope. Recently, I was invited to a monthly potluck supper organized by a new and growing HIVpositive social group here in West Hollywood, called the Thrive Tribe. As I was preparing BBQ chicken to take to the event, I remembered that, shortly, I will again enter my 3-1/2 day Easter week water-and-electrolyte-only “Fasting to Feed.” Unlike a stereotypical fast however, mine isn’t simply an exercise in masochism…because I still prepare each and every one of the ten meals I will skip—but then give them out to the homeless. This helps me rationalize my hunger thus: “Because I shall not eat, ten others will be able to.” In the three years since, I’ve also

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gotten friends to join me—some for a day; some making or buying a meal for a hungry person, some not skipping any meals, but each person donating the cost of a meal to one of the local charities or food banks in the area. And last year, this simple act resulted in some sixty-ish homeless persons being fed. It dawned on me that the next monthly potluck will probably fall during my fast. So, when I contacted the Thrive Tribe organizer and told him about how easy and appreciated the collection of toiletries for charities was, he was so taken with the idea, he immediately suggested adding it as a means for the members to “pay it forward” to those less fortunate. And I am thrilled!

count. To borrow from another Phil Collins song: “This is the world we live in. And these are the hands we’re given. Use them and let’s start trying…to make it a place worth living in.”

I know it’s not going to end homelessness or poverty. But perhaps—perhaps—to someone on the receiving end, it will be just what (s)he needs in that moment, to find the hope to get them through to another day, when things will begin to get better.

-Rick Watts is an LGBT activist, This Way Out NewsWrap volunteer and board member of Overnight Productions. He is based in Los Angeles.

The Jewish philosopher Maimonides said, “Save one person, and you save the world.” I don’t know about saving the world, but if each of us, drawing on the second chances that we each have been given at some time in our life by someone, we—and that includes YOU—can be that hope. And you know what? YOU’LL draw hope from that yourself! So whether it’s Martin Luther King Day, Easter, Passover, or just…today…make it not “just another day.” Make it

Martin Luther King said “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: “What are YOU doing for others?’” So—right now—before you finish reading this and move on to the next thing, promise yourself that you are going to donate to your local homeless shelter, or food bank, because you read this. You’ll be glad you did. And so will the person receiving what you have given.

Rick Watts, pictured above with U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

Quality LGBT News and Features – Produced from Los Angeles Available via podcast on our website (thiswayout.org) or on iTunes, and on 200+ Radio Stations Worldwide!

thiswayout.org | Twitter: @TWORadio Overnight Productions (Inc.)/”This Way Out” Post Office Box 1065 Los Angeles, CA 90078 U.S.A.

Menswear | Mark Graham

SPlT the Difference… Mark Graham looks at polka patterns for men This year, spots have been seen at all the global fashion weeks, in collections as diverse as Burberry Prorsum, Acne, Marni, Canali and Kris Van Assche. Polka dots are timeless prints that go through peaks and troughs on the men’s catwalks, falling in and out of vogue when the mood takes designers and brands. The great thing about polka dots is that there are as many variations as there are dots. From large filled circles to tiny pin-dot motifs, there isn’t one defining look – which means we can all put our own individual stamp on the trend. This is also a print that hasn’t been ‘owned’ by any particular brand or label – unlike, say, zig-zag stripes (Missoni) or small floral prints (Liberty) – so from high street to designer, they work on any budget. This year’s democratic print of choice, you might say. As far as the high fashion designers went, Christopher Bailey at Burberry Prorsum returned to a favourite muse, David Hockney, in a collection full of bold hues and contrasting patterns, most notably large, colourful, polka dots. This is the artistic side of the trend, delivering colour and interest in equal measure - a balanced dot to background ratio. At the other end of the spectrum, Kris Van Assche and Canali stuck to neutral

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tones, with many pieces featuring tightly packed circles. This more structured, geometric approach is perfect for those who want the pattern but not the colour, more dot than background. These days, you will occasionally come across suits with micro-dot patterning; Jigsaw is stocking a couple this season. The print is usually in a jacquard (embroidered into the fabric) and extremely subtle. This understated approach helps add depth and structure to lighter, warmer weather items. I would never advise wearing head-totoe polka dots, but if these suits appeal to you, look for one in navy and keep the cut slim and sharp. However, the easiest way to wear polka dots is to decide which half you’re going to apply them to, top or bottom, and then team with complementary colours or neutrals. Accessories are the pieces where, traditionally, polka dots have resided in menswear. Be it ties, scarves, pocket squares or socks, they add a laissez-faire attitude to any look. The polka dot neck-tie is a timeless classic, that is available in every conceivable variation and colour. Go for something with a matte finish, no shiny versions, and look for shantung silk or wool construction. Stick to traditional masculine colourways of navy, maroon and chocolate brown with white dots, and you can’t go wrong. Drakes and Reiss

have some lovely ties in stock this season. Spotted socks are a youthful and quirky option that will inject a touch of personality into any ensemble. Welsh brand Corgi make some of the best polka dot socks on the market, but they can be found anywhere on the high street, from Topman and River Island to Zara and Reiss. Opt for a contrasting colour combination and have some fun with your outfits. SS14′s polka dot trend can be as individual as you are, with a limitless choice of patterns, colours and scales. Think of it like the DPI – dots per inch – of a computer screen or a Lichtenstein cartoon painting - the higher the DPI, the smaller the dots. The dots can be uniform and perfectly spaced or random and haphazard, like a human Dalmatian. There’s something very approachable and likeable about a guy in polka dots. If you’re still not convinced, try a pair of swimming shorts on holiday, or start with a simple t-shirt. For those of you worried about resembling a male Minnie Mouse, remember, polka dots are as masculine as you are.

Burberry Prorsum SS14, Canali SS14

Menswear Menswear | Mark | Knitwear Graham

2: All Saints AW13, Burton AW13

1: Matalan AW13, Next AW13

David Mayer Naman SS14, TI for Man SS13 Boomerang SS14, TI for Man SS14

3: H&M 2012, Jack Wills AW13

4: Office AW13, Drykorn AW13

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Humour | Imogen

Gareth Russell’s Imogen returns with some very ‘wise’ words…!

“You can’t park your yacht in the Lagan!” As everybody knows, this Saint Patrick’s Day was a hugely important day, on which the Ulster Schools’ Cup Final was fought between a school at the top of the Malone Road (the flashy cars, manicures and Louboutins kind of money) and a school in the heartlands of North Down (the wax jackets, yacht clubs and gin-and-tonic kind of money). 32 EILE Magazine

The former’s postcode is the scrumptious BT9, the other’s is BT18. As we all flocked to the stands at Ravenhill rugby stadium, I could hear cries of “BT18: twice as good as BT9”. While another young chap (quite good looking, fantastic sunnies) screamed in the general direction of the Malone Roaders, “You can’t park your yacht in the Lagan!” And another looked over at the BT9ers and whispered the most searing insult I have ever heard:

“Lottery winners!.” Was this the kind of world Martin Luther King was fighting for? Such hate-speak! As I was getting carried away in the euphoria of the rugby match itself, and uttering such technically non-ladylike things as “Step on his face!” “Finish him!” “Crush them!” “This is Sparta!” etc., it suddenly occurred to me that this was exactly what the Communists wanted. Or Catriona

EU Humour | Discrimination | Imogen

Ruane, who I’m pretty sure is a Communist. Yes? No? Anyhoo, here we all were, hissing at each other, chanting, jeering and booing. The who’s who of the Tatler crowd were making fun of each other, and rooting for each other to fail. But you know what? When I walked out into the car park afterwards, I couldn’t tell who was from Malone or who was from North Down; there was no difference – there was just a forest of BMWs, Mercedes, land rovers, range rovers, and cute compact personalised minis for the aspiring recently-passedher-test BT9/BT18 lady socialite. And you know, when I looked at that sea of range rovers, it suddenly occurred to me: we are all people! We all have the same needs (dinner reservations) and the same hopes (that someone will finally open a club in Belfast that will actually stick to its dress code). We shouldn’t be hissing at each other – we should be air kissing! People, we live in an age when it is not okay to posh. Our banter is

oppressed by smicks and culchies. Gilets are mocked, dinner party seating plans are seen as pretentious, and puffer jackets are on their way back in. (Not necessarily related to my point, but seriously people, it’s an outfit piece that’s designed to make your top half disproportionately bigger to your smaller. That look only works on a martini glass). BUT!, the tide is turning. We have Dom and Steph on “Gogglebox” who are teaching the nation, one LOL at a time, that the well-spoken boozy banter merchants amongst us are not afraid anymore.

outstandingly good banter.

We have Kate Middleton, who has scientifically proven, with her luscious looks, impeccable wardrobe and creamily-deliciousother-worldly voice, that it’s okay to be immaculately groomed and just a little bit too rah. So, you know what, I applaud every single one of the chaps on the rugby pitch on Saint Patrick’s Day – you all played a magnificent game! And I would also like to congratulate everyone in the stands for being such an

Gareth Russell is author of the ‘Popular’ book series, of which Imogen is a regular voice of ‘reason’! Gareth is also a playwright and historian based in Belfast.

Finally, I would like to invite you to hunt out your wax jacket, backcomb the living s... out of your hair, make reservations in the city centre for a boozy brunch, and join me in signing up to my new civil rights organisation: “Posh Pride”. We’re the last civil rights frontier, people, and you know that the fundraisers are going to be immaculately wellorganised and themed. See you for cocktails at the Merchant and stay beau.

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Interview | Stephen Donnan

In conversation with

Stephen Donnan Allianceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s openly-gay candidate for NIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Castlereagh & Lisburn District Council 25-year-old Stephen Donnan is from Dundonald in east Belfast, and has been involved in politics from a young age. This year, he has thrown his hat into the election ring in a bid to represent East Castlereagh at the newly-formed Castlereagh & Lisburn District Council. EILE had a chat with the young Belfast man to find out more. 34 EILE Magazine

EILE: What is it that has moved you to step forward to be a candidate in these elections? SD: There are a lot of issues that LGBT people face when it comes to politics, and one of the biggest ones is visibility. I think as an openly gay man in Northern Ireland, it is impossible to avoid being involved in the political process at some level, as being LGBT in our society is a political

statement in and of itself. It is only when more openly gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual people begin to put themselves forward for election, and become involved in shaping policy for political parties, that we will be able to influence decisions and shape how our community is treated by local Government. That is why I have put my name forward for Castlereagh East.

Interview | Stephen Donnan EILE: As Convenor of the Alliance Party’s LGBT Group, equality is clearly close to your heart. What needs to change in Northern Ireland to ensure LGBT rights? SD: Embracing diversity and striving for equality are two values that my parents drilled into me as a child, and that I have always carried with me, especially into my political career. In terms of what needs to change, there is no one single thing that needs to happen, but in fact a plethora of issues and approaches we must tackle. For instance, there is a growing acceptance of gay people in NI, however our political landscape is still dominated by conservative religious elements who aren’t friendly to us at all. We still cannot get married, gay and bisexual men cannot donate blood, and resources for rural, disabled, elderly and transgender peopel within our community are massively underfunded and ignored. If we are to move forward, then churches and Government need to start embracing the fact that gay people are a part of society, and not apart from society. EILE: The Alliance Party suffered criticism, after the party’s MLAs were not able to agree on a single stance on the last Marriage Equality motion in Stormont. What did you think of that news, and has the party moved on from its indecisiveness on marriage equality? SD: I would actually have to disagree with the first part of that question, and counter with the fact that our party supports same-sex marriage as a basic fundamental policy that has been agreed upon. Our MP Naomi Long has voted in favour of the Marriage (Same

Sex Couples) Bill last year in Westminster, and the majority of our MLAs have supported it. Yes it is disappointing that some of our MLAs are not supportive, however, as a liberal party and as a liberal myself I have to respect differences of opinion and belief. Being gay isn’t all I am, and I have worked with those MLAs on dozens of other issues where we see eye to eye. I have never been treated with anything less than respect, and LGBT people have represented and worked within the party right up to leadership level. Our current Party Chair is Cllr Andrew Muir who is also openly gay, and Mayor of North Down. Our local Government candidates understand and embrace this policy as settled, and I am confident that they will fight for LGBT people at Council level when elected. EILE: You were in Dublin with your fiancé during the Constitutional Convention’s vote on equal marriage, and celebrated the overwhelming support of the participants. Do you think the LGBT community in Northern Ireland has been ignored by the south, or is there enough cooperation?

less than a hundred miles away in a city that I feel at home in. I would be lying if I said there wasn’t a tinge of sadness on the train home to Belfast that we are not yet at the same place as the Republic of Ireland. However, you ask if the communities in both jurisdictions can work together more and my answer is yes. There is far too much insular and competitive thinking between individual organisations who could be working together more positively, never-mind crossborder cooperation. This fight is a common one, LGBT rights are non partisan. No political party owns this as their fight, despite what some may try to say. It is not linked to a certain nationality. It is a global one, and I believe that we need to have each other’s backs. EILE: LGBT rights are only one area that you (and hopefully, your voters) are supportive of. What else would you like to see

SD: I remember that day very fondly, indeed it marked a noticeable difference in my attitude to equal marriage. It made it real, it was next door, it was happening EILE Magazine 35

Interview | Stephen Donnan

happen or change locally and/ or across Northern Ireland? SD: I think there is a massive issue in that 16 years on from the Good Friday Agreement, the Government here still has no appetite for dealing with contentious issues such as the legacy of The Troubles, implementing integrated education, publishing the Race Relations or Sexual Orientation Strategy, or establishing the long awaited Education Skills Authority. Our economy is dented continually by the lack of investment, and the rising rate of unemployment is nothing to be proud of. We have sensitive and unique issues to deal with, however NI is a good place to live. Peace has maintained despite ongoing tribalist wrangling over flags and parades, we have hosted the G8 Summit, the World Police & Fire Games, the MTV Music Awards, Game of Thrones is filmed here, and we are due to host the Giro D’Italia this year. We have much to be proud of, but we have a very long way to go. It is my intention to roll up my sleeves and help deal with these issues, and keep Northern Ireland as somewhere where people want to stay and not leave, and build on the small successes that we have gained. We thank Stephen for taking the time to speak with us, despite a busy campaign underway! Stephen is Convenor of the Alliance Party’s LGBT Group, as well as a writer and blogger, who has contributed in the past to EILE. We wish him all the best! For more information, visit alliance.org 36 EILE Magazine

Sexualities and Irish Society: A Reader Orpen Press has announced the publication of Sexualities and Irish Society: A Reader – the first comprehensive examination of its kind in Ireland. It is edited by Máire Leane and Elizabeth Kiely. The book, divided into eight sections, explores a wide range of topics relating to the construction and maintenance of sexualities. It looks at the history of, and legal situation for, sexual minorities in Ireland, covering such themes as lesbian and gay parenting and visibility, normative heterosexuality in Irish schools, coming out as a lesbian in Ireland, expressing the sexualities of people with mental and physical disabilities, and much more.

The book closes with a very relevant analysis of commericalised and commodified sexualities, i.e. ‘raunch’ culture and prostitution. This groundbreaking collection of research and analysis includes many facets of sexualities as they exist in Ireland, both historically and in the contemporary world. Sexualities and Irish Society: A Reader is a vital and timely record of how sexualities are formed, imposed or discarded and includes upto-the-minute research from around the country. It is available from bookshops nationwide and at www.orpenpress.com, priced at €25.00.

Media | Trans* Issues

Irish Transgender Community Unhappy With New Sit-Com Trans* Character The trans* community in Ireland has criticised a new sitcom’s portrayal of a transgender character, who is subjected to ridicule in the first episode. The new programme, produced by WAKA Productions in association with Baby Cow Productions, airs on RTÉ Television, and is called The Centre. It features a character named Nuala, who is meant to be a 40 year-old ”preop transsexual” working at the Centre. Her role and interaction with other characters in the new series, however, have not been received well by Ireland’s transgender community, who have branded the treatment of the trans* character as “a throwback to the dark ages of television”. Broden Giambrone, Director of TENI, has described The Centre‘s character of Nuala as the typical ‘man in a dress’ caricature, something that the trans* community are all too used to seeing on their screens. “Her appearance and identity,” Giambrone says, “are fair game to the other characters on the show and their comments and quips re-enforce every stereotype that exists for trans people in this country. … [T]here are references made to her surgical status, her hormone levels, body hair and adam’s apple.” “At no point is the audience

laughing with Nuala,” Giambrone added, “they are laughing at her.” Such criticisms are echoed by Irish trans* activist and writer, Deirdre O’Byrne, who wrote last week about the controversy: “Many of us spend decades in pain and confusion in the closet. Much of the confusion can come from a misunderstanding of what the outside of the closet is about. The gay man who believes he cannot be gay because he isn’t camp. The lesbian woman who believes she cannot be lesbian because she likes dresses and lipstick. And the transgender woman who believes she cannot be transgender because she is instinctively turned off by body hair and by caricatures of femininity. The LGB community have, by and large, successfully fought off caricatures of sexuality. Such caricatures are now largely confined to those with a homophobic agenda. The trans community is still massively subject to caricatures of gender identity, even in mainstream society and media. This needs to change, and change it will. History has a harsh eye to throw over this comedy.” Having received at least 24 complaints about the programme, RTÉ released a statement last week to the media, which defended the new comedy. In

the statement published in TheJournal.ie, Bill Malone, Channel Controller for RTÉ Two, states that the character of Nuala is accepted by her co-workers, and that the source of Nuala’s ridicule on the show stems from a character named Amanda, who is meant to embody “all that is wrong with society”: “The Centre is a comedy full of exaggerated characters. Nualla [sic] is a Transgendered character accepted unreservedly by her co-workers and those who use ‘The Centre’, and while comical, is actually a positive LGBT character. The attacks on Nualla come from one source – the repulsive Amanda Menton, who represents all that is wrong with society. In effect, the exaggerated cartoon character of Amanda Menton is an equal opportunities offender – she insults ALL, she is sexist, ageist, fattest, elitist, bigoted etc. LGBT characters should not be treated differently.” Many within the LGBT community, however, disagree that the trans character is a positive one, and, according to Ms O’Byrne, a protest about the show is scheduled to take place later this evening. (eile.ie / March 31) EILE Magazine 37

UK | Older LGBT

Survey Reveals Plight of LGBT Elderly in UK Care Homes

Despite changes in social attitudes, many older LGBT people feel unable to disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity to staff according to a new survey of care home staff. But though two-thirds of care home staff say not even one resident has disclosed their sexual [orientation] 82% report they would not feel embarrassed to discuss elderly lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans issues. Most care home staff, according to the report, say, “we, don’t actually have any.” The survey, carried out by researchers at The Universities of Nottingham and Manchester who canvassed the views of 189 care home staff in England, revealed much individual goodwill towards elderly LGBT residents. However, according to the researchers, Dr Kathryn Almack, from Nottingham University, 38 EILE Magazine

and Dr Paul Simpson, from The University of Manchester, care homes could be doing much more to address the distinct needs of LGBT residents. Dr Simpson said: “Most respondents reported: ‘We don’t have any LGBT people at the moment’ but that can’t be true”. “We’re not critical of care homes, as attitudes appear positive, but we do feel many may simply not be able to recognize people who are LGBT. That, unintentionally, is likely to force residents back into the closet and deny a lifetime of experience.” One solution, say the researchers, is to monitor care home residents’ sexual and gender identities. However, 43% of respondents said they were ‘unsure’ about whether this was done, and only fewer than one in ten respondents (9%) said their care home made LGBT-specific literature available, while only 8% said that their home had any contact with LGBT organizations.

Kathryn Almack said: “It was common to hear the phrase: ‘I/we treat everyone the same’. While well-intentioned, ironically this reinforces, rather than prevents or tackles inequality.” “Encouraging an LGBT-friendly atmosphere needs to be higher on the agenda. All residents should have the option and opportunity to disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity but never feel forced to disclose information.” The researchers say that staff training on LGBT issues is a big part of the answer to the problem, as nearly four-fifths (78%) of respondents said they had never been provided with any LGBT training in their current workplace. Dr Almack added: “The goodwill of individual staff needs converting into a collective resource and translating into strategically informed practice.” (eile.ie / March 26)

NI | Older LGBT

‘See me, hear me, know me’ Supporting Northern Ireland’s Older LGBT Community Yesterday, the ‘See me, Hear me, Know me’ guidelines were launched in Northern Ireland, with the aim of supporting the needs of older LGBT people in nursing, residential, and day care settings and those who live at home and receive domiciliary care. Northern Ireland has the fastestgrowing older population in the United Kingdom, and this number is expected to increase every year. Older people who identify as LGBT are generally likely to have a greater need for health and social care services compared with their heterosexual peers, according to Age NI, the Belfast-based agency which supports older people in Northern Ireland. Overall, older LGBT people are two and half times more likely to live alone, twice as likely to be single and four and half times more likely to have no children to call on in times of need. The Public Health Agency

(PHA), in partnership with Age NI, The Rainbow Project, Here NI, Unison, RQIA and the Independent Health and Care Providers have worked together to develop the ‘See me, Hear me, Know me’ guidelines. Speaking at the launch, Dr Carolyn Harper, Director of Public Health at the PHA, said: “Addressing the health and social wellbeing inequalities experienced by older people who identify as LGB&/T is a key priority area for the PHA. ‘See me, hear me, know me’ is a practical guide to help those involved in the development and delivery of care to better understand the needs of older people who identify as LGBT and respond to those needs in a range of care settings. The guidelines are a practical tool which we hope will help all staff strive to improve the delivery of person centred care for older LGBT people in Northern Ireland.” Duane Farrell, Strategy Director

(Policy & Engagement) with Age NI, attended the launch at Antrim Civic Centre. He said: “Getting care right must be a priority for our society as we all age. Research indicates that older people who are [LGBT] will rely disproportionately on formal care services to have their needs met. However, evidence also indicates that there is a low degree of experience among service providers about best practice when providing care to older LGBT people. […] The launch of these guidelines today offers service providers and care staff the tools with which to make that vision a reality.” The guidelines will be disseminated to all registered nursing, day care, residential and domiciliary care providers across Northern Ireland. They are also available to download from publichealthagency.hscni.net/ publications (eile.ie / March 28) EILE Magazine 39

Sweden | Ugandan Aid

Sweden: Aid Suspended To Uganda After Anti-gay Legislation The government in Sweden made the decision to suspend aid to Uganda, following Uganda’s introduction of antigay legislation, saying Swedish aid is “not unconditional”, according to Minister Hillevi Engström. Ms Engström is Minister for International Development Cooperation since September 2013, and a member of the Moderate Party. The government statement, published by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on 5th March, reads: In response to the anti-gay legislation adopted by Uganda last week, the Government is now choosing to suspend aid to the Ugandan government sector. “The Government reaffirms its strong condemnation of Uganda’s 40 EILE Magazine

legislation, which violates the human rights of LGBT people. Swedish aid is not unconditional. The Government is therefore now choosing to suspend governmentto-government payments still due under our current strategy for Uganda, with the exception of research cooperation,” says Minister for International Development Cooperation Hillevi Engström. Aid to the government sector will also be reconsidered in the process of drawing up a new strategy for Swedish development assistance to Uganda. “It is important to send a clear signal to the Government of Uganda that we condemn the new Act and that their actions have consequences. At the same time, we intend to support and improve the situation of LGBT people in Uganda by providing Swedish assistance through other channels,” says Ms Engström.

The current strategy for Uganda applies during 2014. The Government is working on the new strategy with a view to adopting it within the next few months. In a previous government statement published on 25th February last, the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs had already warned that it was considering this action, and said that it was keeping in close contact with LGBT groups in Uganda, in order to strengthen the rights of the LGBT community there. – MKB, March 12, eile.ie

UK | Marriage Equality

Joy as Lesbian & Gay Couples Able to Marry in England & Wales Starting just after midnight last night, lesbian and gay couples are now able to marry in England and Wales. The Westminster parliament passed the legislation last July that came into effect today, Saturday, March 29. The Scottish Parliament passed marriage legislation in February which will come into effect in autumn 2014. Northern Ireland, however, does not yet have civil marriage legislation for lesbian and gay couples. “This first day of marriage is a joyous and exciting time for lesbian and gay couples in England and Wales, and we offer our congratulations to all who will marry today” said Kieran Rose, Chair of Ireland’s Gay & Lesbian

Equality Network. “The advent of marriage is a further historic step,” Rose explained, “in the journey to full equality for lesbian and gay people in England and Wales and contributes significantly to the growing international momentum for equality. A very strong message of inclusion, value, respect and equality is being sent to people everywhere”. “Ireland has made extraordinary progress towards full equality for lesbian and gay people, with joyous celebrations of civil partnership all across the country and very strong and growing public support for marriage and equal Constitutional protection for lesbian and gay couples”.

Constitutional Convention and will hold a referendum on access to civil marriage for lesbian and gay couples in 2015. All Political parties in Ireland support equal access to civil marriage for lesbian and gay couples. “We firmly believe that the people of Ireland will continue their warm acceptance of lesbian and gay couples and their families and that a yes vote can be carried in the forthcoming referendum on access to civil marriage” concluded Rose. (eile.ie / March 29)

The Irish Government recently decided to accept the recommendation of the

EILE Magazine 41

USA | Frank Schaefer

Reverend Frank Schaefer preaching at the American University’s Chapel [Image: Facebook]

Act of Love: Film of UM Rev Frank Schaefer’s Support of LGBT Community [UPDATE: The producers for Rev. Schaefer’s documentary have achieved their Kickstarter campaign’s goal, and we can look forward to a documentary about his struggle called ‘Act of Love’] A kickstarter campaign is in train to fund a film documenting United Methodist Minister Frank Schaefer’s historic stance in continuing to support the LGBT community, even after being defrocked by his church for officiating at his gay son’s wedding. When asked at his church trial 42 EILE Magazine

to promise not to perform any more gay wedding ceremonies, he refused, feeling that the church rules were in error, and discriminated against the LGBT community within their own church. Reverend Schaefer has four children, three of whom are gay, and he feels that officiating at his gay son’s wedding was an ‘act of love’. Many within the United Methodist Church, both ministers and laiety, agree with Rev Schaefer, and he has been hugely supported by UM congregations around the US, who have engaged him to speak and preach. (EILE Magazine has previously covered Reverend Schaefer’s

ongoing story. You can follow the links by logging onto eile.ie). The film, if it receives enough contributions towards production costs, will be produced by Kate S. Logan. Contributions presently amount to just over $63,000, but must reach $75,000 by tomorrow afternoon (20th) in order to fund the project using the kickstarter site. For more information, or to contribute to the project, here is the kickstarter link, or go to the Stand With Frank facebook page here. MKB – (eile.ie / March 19)

Sport | Homophobia Event | West End Eurovision

West End Eurovision Returns to London This May After the success of West End Eurovision 2013, the Make A Difference (MAD) Trust have announced that their annual fundraiser, West End Eurovision, will return to the Dominion Theatre on May 22. West End Eurovision sees 10 casts from some of the biggest shows in the West End perform on the same stage for one night only; fiercely competing against each other for the coveted West End Eurovision trophy sponsored by Haagen Dazs. Each cast must fully stage, choreograph and costume their own version of a previous Eurovision Song

Contest entry and create their own video ident. As with the Eurovision Song Contest, the audience are asked to vote by SMS messaging for their favourite performance with all profits from the event go to the Make A Difference Trust, which provides practical HIV/AIDS support and prevention services across the UK and Southern Africa. 2013 title holders, Once, were the first show to sign up in the hope of defending their title, and have already been joined by a formidable line-up that includes Billy Elliott, Les Miserables, Mama Mia and Wicked.

Hosted once again by West End favourite Richard Gauntlett, with an appearance by an ex Eurovision entry which will be sure to have the audience rocking in the aisles, and the witty and often acerbic comments from the celebrity judging panel are guaranteed to have the audience roaring. Tickets for West End Eurovision are on sale now from ÂŁ25 (â&#x201A;Ź30) via Ticketmaster. For more information, visit madtrust.org.uk. (eile.ie / March 10)

EILE Magazine 43

LGBT | Joe Biden

Vice President Joe Biden: U.S. Will Be World Leader for LGBT Equality 44 EILE Magazine

LGBT | Joe Biden

In a passionate and frank speech, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has praised the LGBT Rights movement for the achievements made in the United States, while also acknowledging that many other countries look to the U.S. as an example of the progression of LGBT rights. Speaking to over 1,000 LGBT rights supporters at the Human Rights Campaign gala in Los Angeles, Vice President Joe Biden said last night the United States will be a “world leader” in the fight for LGBT equality. His speech comes on the heels of antiLGBT laws enacted in Russia, Nigeria and Uganda over the last year. Vice President Biden also issued an emphatic demand for Congress to pass ENDA. During his speech, Vice President Biden also praised the attendees of the Los Angeles gala, as well as other LGBT advocates, for the sacrifices made in order to highlight and fight against discrimination and homophobia: “Many of you paid a personal and a professional price, for stepping up and speaking out. But your tenacity, your integrity, and yes your physical courage, and your pride, bent the moral arch of this nation, and it’s finally moving in the right direction.” “The single most basic of all human rights is the right to decide who you love,” Vice President Biden also said in his remarks. Biden’s inspiring remarks in

support of global LGBT equality represent the latest step from a White House that has made fairness and dignity for LGBT people one of its top priorities, said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Vice President Biden made it clear that he will not be silent as LGBT people around the world are denied their human rights. As we celebrate new victories

“ The single most basic of all human rights is the right to decide who you love ” for equality here at home, we cannot look the other way as the governments of Russia, Nigeria, and Uganda put their LGBT citizens in the crosshairs. HRC is proud to stand with the Vice President because every person deserves their basic human rights, and no one should face execution,

imprisonment or violence because of who they are or who they love.” In the last year, three countries have approved legislation that put their LGBT citizens in the path of danger. These countries, Russia, Nigeria, and Uganda, outlawed public support for equality. Nigeria and Uganda have outlawed the work of LGBT advocacy organizations like HRC. In addition, Uganda made samesex relationships punishable with life imprisonment. After the anti-LGBT law was enacted in Nigeria in January, dozens of gay men were rounded up for arrest. And, in Uganda, as soon as their anti-LGBT law was enacted, a newspaper, the Red Pepper, began publishing photos of hundreds of LGBT people, marking them targets for violence, harassment, and arrest. In November 2013, HRC launched its Global Engagement Program. Its goal is fundamental fairness and equality for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. HRC is collaborating with dedicated advocates across the globe to support their movements’ objectives and grow the global equality movement. Meanwhile, the HRC is strengthening its government affairs work, advocating for a strong U.S. foreign policy that supports the human rights of all LGBT people. Watch Vice President Biden’s remarks at the HRC Los Angeles gala and read the transcript at www.hrc.org/biden. (eile.ie / March 23)

EILE Magazine 45

Reviews | Frances Winston

The Sea Directed by: Stephen Brown Starring: Ciarán Hinds, Rufus Sewell, Natascha McElhone, Sinéad Cusack, Bonnie Wright, Charlotte Rampling, Ruth Bradley, Karl Johnson as Blunden, Missy Keating Adapted from John Banville’s Booker Prize winning novel of the same name by the author himself, this film has been hugely anticipated by fans of the deeply moving tome (which I am fortunate enough to have a personalised signed copy of). The story in the book, told through the protagonist’s eyes, covers several decades, and deals with many complex issues, so transposing this to film was always going to be a tough job. The underlying story is a simple one. A man, Max (Hinds) returns to a seaside village where he used to spend his childhood, in order to recover from his wife’s (Cusack) death. While there, he recalls one particular summer that had a profound effect on his life, when he met a well-to-do family, who 46 EILE Magazine

were staying in the large house he has booked himself into. As he struggles with his loss, he is forced to confront many demons that have been festering within since he was a boy, and in doing so, perhaps find some peace. This is the kind of film where nothing appears to happen, but there are a multitude of complexities bubbling under the surface. Hinds gives a fantastic performance as the tortured Max, and the supporting cast are all excellent at conveying the inner turmoil in their world. Unfortunately, that is not enough to keep an audience fully engaged, and the gentle, often lethargic pace, and anticlimactic ending, do a real disservice to the source material. Visually it is beautiful, but after the umpteenth panoramic shot of lapping waves, you do find yourself wishing something would actually happen. While this is a character-driven piece, most of what happens to them is unspoken – like the obvious lingering problems in Max’s marriage prior to his wife’s diagnosis – and, as such, the

viewer often has to decipher the inner workings of people’s relationships, which becomes tedious after a while. The young Max’s tweenie romance with the wealthy Chloe (played by Missy Keating daughter of Ronan and Yvonne no less) loses a lot of its visceral impact here, and scenes of both drama and tragedy are viewed through rose coloured glasses. After viewing this, the first word that sprang to mind was inoffensive, and it seems appropriate. The strong performances always seem at odds with the visuals, which treat everything as if it is dreamlike no matter how ugly it is. I can see what they were trying to achieve – a kind of olde worlde, timeless, rural charm – but this loses a lot of the impact of the book because of it. However, it is a pleasant enough watch if you are in the mood for something slow and gentle. In cinemas April 18

Reviews | Frances Winston

Frances Winston on Movies Directed by: Richard Ayoade Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska, Wallace Shawn, Noah Taylor, Yasmin Paige, James Fox Jesse Eisenberg has become a bit of a geeky heart-throb in recent years, thanks to turns in movies such as The Social Network and the super stylish Now You See Me. Therefore his name on a poster is sure to guarantee bums on seats. However, this isn’t his usual fare. More arthouse than action, this indie flick deserves to be seen, but probably won’t be to everyone’s taste. Based on Dostoyevsky’s 1846 novella, The Double, which tells the tale of what happens when a government clerk meets his doppelganger, it is adapted here by director Ayoade and Avi Korine. They have set it in a timeless, nameless place that gives a sense of surrealism to proceedings, balancing nicely against some subtle but effective performances. Eisenberg plays Simon James, a shy, downtrodden Data Inputter in a company run by someone called The Colonel (Fox). Almost completely invisible to everyone

around him, he trudges through his mundane life, his only moments of joy being those he spends observing co-worker Hannah (Wasikowska) from afar. However, when his doppelganger, James Simon, begins working for the company, Simon realises that while he may look like him, his double’s outgoing personality is the polar opposite of his own, and he enlists the double’s help to get closer to Hannah.

but effective. Eisenberg does a great job creating two very different characters in Simon and James. You really want to see Simon triumph, and hope that James gets his come-uppance, and there is a touch of Jekyll and Hyde about his performance. He has a great chemistry with Wasikowska in both roles, and all of the cast embrace the surrealism of the movie’s world and run with it.

While this seems to be a good idea at first, it takes a turn for the worst when it turns out that everybody adores the loud, brash James, including Hannah. He leaves an indelible impression on anyone he encounters, and, as his popularity grows, Simon fades further and further into the background, until he becomes almost a ghost in his own life.

The soundtrack is just as whimsical as the setting and works beautifully, and on the whole the sound editing here is superb. The cinematography is also excellent, and helps engage the viewer in this unfamiliar world. There are plenty of star cameos. Paddy Considine has a hilarious role as the star of a sci-fi TV show beloved by Simon, and Ayoade’s IT Crowd co-star, Chris O’Dowd, has a great turn as a doctor to name just two.

This has elements of noir, fantasy and absurdism throughout. Its look is reminiscent of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis or Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times. Everything is familiar but unfamiliar, to the extent that when an immediately recognisable reference is made, it seems strangely out of place in this whimsical world. This setting works well with the story, which is simple

This is blackly comical, touching and engaging. It may not be high octane, but it is well paced and beautifully directed, and overall an excellent watch. If you stick with this it will leave you with a definite case of the warm and fuzzies. In cinemas now

The Double

EILE Magazine 47

No baptism of fire for Dublin Devils in the LFL

by Nathan Kelly

Ireland’s only gay football team made the jump to junior football this season, so what has the reaction been like on the pitch each Saturday morning in the Leinster Football League

NFL side. Others to have come out include Olympic diver Tom Daley, captain of England’s women’s national football side Casey Stoney, and on our own shores, former Cork hurler Conor Cusack.

The topic of homosexuality within sport is one that has been widely discussed in recent months. It is becoming more frequent that sports stars, past and present, are announcing they are gay.

In the aftermath of many of these announcements, what is often discussed is what the atmosphere in the five-star dressings room will be like with a gay player among the ranks, or what the reaction will be from the thousands of fans in the stadiums.

If we look at a couple of examples, former Aston Villa midfielder and German international Tomas Hitzlsperger made the announcement that he was gay in January of this year, after he had retired from the professional game. Even more recently, American college football player Michael Sam told the world he was gay, a couple of months before he could be drafted to an 48 EILE Magazine

However, this story is not about that, this is about the reaction at a local park on a Saturday or Sunday morning in Ireland, when an openly gay player or team turns up to play against a straight team, and with tens, rather than thousands, of people watching on the side-lines.

Well, the best way to find out what that reaction is like is by asking Ireland’s only gay football team – The Dublin Devils. Set up in 2005, the club joined one of Ireland’s junior leagues for the first time this season, as they registered a team in the Leinster Football League’s Saturday Premier division. Francis Fitzgibbon, player and media officer for the Devils, revealed that the reaction has been mostly positive so far this season. When asked if there have been any outstanding incidents, he replied: “Generally no, in all the time I’ve played I’ve probably witnessed one incident, and heard of one more before I started. If guys do say something, they would probably say it amongst themselves and wouldn’t say it

out loud, because the general feeling now is that it is an unacceptable thing to do. Even on the pitch, when we did have that one experience of a guy who was a bit mouthy, I think he called me a pussy or something, his own teammates came up to us afterwards and said he didn’t speak for all of them. I think now, there isn’t anybody who doesn’t know a gay person or have a gay family member, and it’s just become more acceptable.” This opinion was something echoed by Mark Breen, the Honorary Secretary of the LFL: “To date we have received no complaints from clubs or referees regarding any homophobic remarks. We certainly hope they (the Dublin Devils) would be treated no different to any other club under our umbrella. It’s a very positive move that a club has made the step up from 5-a-side to the full sided game, however I would not favour tagging them as a gay football club, we don’t refer to other clubs as straight, black or foreign football clubs, I think by doing that we would put them into what may look like a minority category. They are a football club that has gay players as part of its set-up, which I have no doubt is the case for a number of clubs. Every club

in football is proud of its roots or history and so should they be.” With NFL officials stating that Michael Sam’s announcement could affect his value as a player, the attitude of our own LFL is quite refreshing, with Breen adding: “Within the professional game LGBT seems to be a taboo subject or just simply ignored, wouldn’t it be great to show the professional game the way forward? The LFL’s aim is to provide football for all and equality through football, we don’t refer to people in the game as LGBT, black or any other, they are classed as players for whatever team they choose to play for. Racism, bullying or homophobia is not tolerated in everyday society so we certainly won’t tolerate it for 90 minutes on a football field.” With that stance in mind, you could wonder why the Dublin Devils, who were the victors of the IGLFA European Championships in 2011, waited eight years after their foundation to join junior football: “It was just getting the team up to shape”, said Fitzgibbon. “We had played various astro leagues before and we just felt the standard was getting better. New,

Sport | Dublin Devils

young players had joined who were up for a challenge and we thought we could do better in a grass league.”

With the amount of nonsporting activities the club gets up to (check their website www. dublindevilsfc.com/ to see for yourself), I put the question to Francis as to whether they were more of a social group or a competitive football club, to which he replied: “What we aim to do is provide a support network for people who are LGBT, but also to win football games, we’re not here to lose, it’s all about winning and developing a team as much as you can. We’ve about 60 members; the actual 11-a-side team has between16-20 players. So we have that team, we also have a 7-a-side squad who play in a more relaxed league and then we have people who are social players who turn up on Saturdays to the YMCA in Aungier Street for just a bit of exercise and a run-around. So the club is broken into levels.” The ease with which the Dublin Devils have made the transition into junior football is a great story, and both they and the LFL deserve praise. If it can be such a smooth process at this level, one may wonder why such a fuss is made in the professional game.

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USA | St Patrick’s Day

Guinness and Heineken Pull Sponsorship of NYC Paddy’s Day Parade Over LGBT Exclusion Two major sponsors of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City have announced that they have dropped their sponsorship of the event, due to ongoing discrimination against LGBT groups and organisations. Guinness made a statement yesterday, only a day before the major Irish-American parade in New York City, in which it announced the reasoning behind its decision to pull out of sponsoring the parade: Guinness has a strong history of supporting diversity and being an advocate for equality for all. We were hopeful that the policy of exclusion would be reversed for this year’s parade. As this has not come to pass, Guinness has withdrawn its participation.

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We will continue to work with community leaders to ensure that future parades have an inclusionary policy. Heineken has also pulled its sponsorship. According to Huffington Post, a representative for Heineken told CNBC last Friday: “We believe in equality for all. We are no longer a sponsor of Monday’s parade.” The decision for both major companies to have made this public protest of the parade’s LGBT discrimination has been warmly welcomed by the LGBT community in the U.S.. Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO and President of GLAAD, commended the announcement made by Guinness, showing that discrimination should never be celebrated:

“As a gay mom who has fond memories of the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade,” Ellis said, “it saddens me that I can’t give those same memories to my own kids because my family isn’t welcome. Hopefully, as parade organizers realize that anti-LGBT discrimination is not supported by sponsors, or many Irish New Yorkers, they’ll see that families like mine should be part of the celebration.” Meanwhile, the famous Stonewall Inn, which had planned to stop selling Guinness because of its sponsorship deal, confirmed that it would be serving Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day and in the future. A previously scheduled protest event at Stonewall was cancelled in light of the good news. (eile.ie / March 17)

Tasmania | Equal Marriage

Tasmania: Support Widens For Marriage Equality Among Liberals & Nationals A number of candidates from the Liberal and National Parties have followed the lead of Kyron Howell (Tasmanian Liberals) in declaring their support for Tasmania leading the way on marriage equality in Australia. The candidates include the Liberals’ Deborah De Williams, the Nationals’ Julian Edwards in Denison, and the Liberals’ Sarah Courtney and Leonie McNair in Bass. All have responded to an Australian Marriage Equality survey by declaring their unequivocal support for a state same-sex marriage law.

Australian Marriage Equality national director, Rodney Croome, said, “The dam has burst in the Liberal and National parties with more candidates declaring their support for marriage equality than ever before.” “This is a reminder that marriage equality is not a left or right issue but a human issue.” “Should the federal parliament again fail to pass marriage equality, I am hopeful the reform can move ahead at a state level regardless of who wins government on Saturday.”

The Liberal Party’s Jeremy Rockliff and Rene Kling declared support for marriage equality at a federal level but not in Tasmanian law, while Palmer United Party’s Chris Dobson declared personal support for a state law but said the people of his electorate should decide. The Nationals’ Ken Dorsey also announced his support for a state same-sex marriage law last week. For more information visit Australian Marriage Equality – MKB (eile.ie / March 14)

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Cooking with Dermie

Dermie’s Dishes Easter Simnel Cake Your Easter treat this month from Dermot O’Sullivan of Gas Mark Seven is an Easter Simnel Cake, one of those traditional recipes that never loses its flavour Dermie Says: There are so many recipes for Simnel Cake but the method I use includes an age old method my grandmother taught me which really does completely transform the cake. My grandmother’s tip was to soak the dry mixed fruits in whiskey overnight before making the cake. The end result completely enhances the flavour of the cake leaving more flavoursome, plumped up mixed fruits. The best thing of all about this cake is that you need to rest the cake in an airtight container to allow the cake to mature. This means you can have the cake ready days ahead of Easter Sunday. It really is a very simple cake to make and it looks absolutely sensational served as an afternoon tea treat on Easter Sunday. Enjoy every slice!

- 75g Glacé Cherries (quartered) - 75g Chopped Candied Peal - 450g Mixed Fruit (Sultanas, Raisins, Currants) - 150g Caster Sugar - 4 Organic Eggs (room temperature) - 1 Tsp Almond Essence - 200g Almond Marzipan The Topping: - 400g Almond Marzipan - 1 Organic Egg (lightly beaten for glazing) Method

Shopping List:

1. Soak the mixed fruits in the whiskey for at least four hours but preferably overnight (stir the mixture regularly for an even coating). Preheat the oven to 150°C / gas mark 2. Line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper and very lightly dust with flour. Discard any excess whiskey which may be left over in the bowl from soaking the fruits.

- 150ml Irish Whiskey - 250g Plain White Flour - 175g Unsalted Country Butter (room temperature) - ½ Tsp Baking Powder - 1 Level Tsp Mixed Spice - Finely grated zest of 1 Orange

2. Sieve the flour, baking powder and the mixed spice into a bowl. Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the almond essence, gradually beat in the eggs one-by-one using an electric hand whisk, adding

(Serves 10)

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a teaspoon of flour with each addition to avoid the mixture from curdling. The mixture should be a soft dropping consistency (you may need to add in a tablespoon or two of milk to loosen the consistency). 3. Fold in the orange zest, cherries, candied peal and mixed fruits. Carefully spread half of the mixture in the tin before smoothing out the mixture with the back of a spoon. 4. Roll out 200g of the marzipan on a lightly floured marble surface using the 20cm loose circle of a similar sized cake tin as a guideline. Gently place the rolled marzipan on top of the mixture in the tin and gently smooth it out evenly with your fingertips. Cut any excess marzipan from around the outside to leave an even layer of marzipan with no double layers. 5. Spoon in the remainder of the mixture. Level the top and make a very slight indent in the centre of the cake. Bake for 2¼ to 2½ hours until golden brown. The cake is ready when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (inserted at an angle as there is a layer of marzipan

“…soak the dry mixed fruits in whiskey overnight before making the cake.”

Cooking with Dermie in the centre). Allow the cake to completely cool in the tin before removing to finish the surface of the cake. 6. For the surface; weigh eleven pieces of marzipan each weighing 20g and roll each piece into eleven rounds. Place the rounds on a piece of greaseproof paper on a plate and allow to chill in the fridge until needed. Next, dust your worktop lightly with icing sugar, roll out 200g of marzipan. Gently place over the cake, cutting the edges with a sharp fruit knife to form an even single layer of marzipan on the surface. 7. Score the top of the cake to make diamond shapes; brush the top of the cake evenly with egg wash and place ten rounds around the outside of the cake and one in

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the centre of the cake. Brush the tops of each round lightly with egg wash before placing on a heat resistant plate in the oven for 7-10mins. Keep a close eye on the cake for the final few minutes as it can turn from golden to black very quickly. (Alternatively, you may wish to place the cake under a low grill, or even use a blow torch but I find using the oven gives a far better, cleaner and even finish). 8. Store in an airtight cake tin for at least 3 days but ideally a week before serving. The weekend before Easter Sunday is an ideal time to bake this Simnel cake but it does keep for a month in an airtight cake tin. Notes: - If the idea of using whiskey does

not appeal to you, plump up the dried fruits use boiling water instead of whiskey and leave for an hour. Do plump up the dry mixed fruits otherwise your cake will become too dry. - A novel idea is to place the mixture into muffin tins to make little Simnel cupcakes with a round on top which is a fun way of getting the kids involved too. Photography: Jakub Walutek Photography Recipe & Styling: Dermot Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Sullivan (Dermie) of Gas Mark Seven [Photo courtesy of Dermot Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Sullivan]

USA | Politics

News | Stuart Milk

Stuart Milk Speaks At Trinity College Dublin and Honours Irish LGBT Activists Stuart Milk, the nephew of the gay rights icon Harvey Milk, was guest of honour at last night’s Inaugural Meeting of the Historical Society at Trinity College Dublin, where he took part in a panel discussion on The Future of the LGBT Community. Stuart Milk, who is co-founder of the Harvey Milk Foundation, awarded both Michael Barron of BeLonG To Youth Services, and Senator David Norris, with the Harvey Milk Medal of Honor, in recognition of the outstanding work carried out by both men for advance LGBT rights in Ireland. The speakers on the panel were Anna McCarthy (LGBT Noise), Louise Hannon (Trans Rights Advocate), Michael Barron (Co-Founder of BeLonG To), Fergus Finlay (Chief Executive,

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Barnardos) and Senator David Norris. Each of the speakers had a unique insight into, and opinion on, the future of the LGBT Community, both in Ireland and further afield. Anna McCarthy ‘respectfully disagreed’ with Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore’s statement that marriage equality was the great civil rights issue of our time, and instead suggested that it was part of a wider struggle for equality in Irish society. Fergus Finlay echoed the sentiments of Ms McCarthy, yet from a slightly different perspective, acknowledging the constant struggles for recognition and equality faced by Irish travellers, disabled people and many other minority groups in this country. Stuart Milk made some wonderful points about the current state of LGBT affairs for the community in Ireland, and back in the United States. In his speech, he acknowledged the “spots of great light” regarding rights, but also

“spots of dark” that are often overlooked, such as the high levels of LGBT homeless youth, which can make up to 30% of homeless youth in some U.S. cities, according to Milk. Senator David Norris praised the work carried out by Stuart Milk in the name of his uncle, through the Harvey Milk Foundation. He also recalled a poignant story about having just landed in New York, when he found out that Harvey had been killed on that tragic day in San Francisco. Senator Norris also said that it was wonderful to think that Harvey’s legacy of fighting for LGBT rights in San Francisco would have led his nephew – who is also gay – to be speaking to Irish students about the same rights and community today. For more information on the Harvey Milk Foundation, visit milkfoundation.org. (eile.ie / 22 March)

Shopping | Levi’s Dublin

Levi’s New Dublin Store The 160-square metre, two-floor store on Grafton Street has been designed around a central skylight feature, creating a spacious and light-filled environment, that combines the Levi’s® brand’s signature craftsmanship with the historical characteristics of the building. The design of the store is anchored in simplicity, and makes use of original exposed brick walls and natural materials, designed to age and evolve with their environment. As a testimony to the brand’s dedication and passion for craftsmanship, a tailor shop is located on the store’s mezzanine level offering consumers the choice of free leg length alterations on newly purchased products as well as tapering options.

The store’s ground floor houses the best in men’s styling, including some of the brand’s most iconic and essential clothing items, such as Levi’s® 501® jeans, skinny and tapered jeans, denim shirts and trucker jackets. The latest men’s Spring/Summer 2014 collection captures the spirit of Palm Springs, California, and 1960s resort-inspired leisure aesthetics, and features Bedford cords, madras shirts, Levi’s® Commuter™ series for the urban cyclist, and a capsule collaboration line with skate and surf artist Jim Phillips. The first floor is dedicated to women’s products, with a denim bar showcasing the best in women’s jeans, from fashion

must-haves like skinnies, highrise and Levi’s® 501® boyfriend style jeans and cut-off shorts, to the latest innovations like Levi’s® Revel™ jeans. Featuring patented liquid shaping technology that controls the fabric’s stretch in strategic areas – specifically your thighs and bum – Levi’s® Revel™ jeans give wearers the ultimate figure-hugging fit that lifts you in all the right places and defines your body. Other key items from the Spring/Summer 14 collection include pixilated summer dresses and lightweight chambray tops, a blue suede varsity jacket, and stand-out graphic print trousers and jacket.

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Feature | Act Up Paris

Céline Grillon discusses how Act Up Paris are trying to get the wider French community to see the bigger picture about HIV/AIDS While HIV treatment has made fantastic progress in recent years (see our article with Dr. Shay Keating on P.60) we can’t become complacent with the idea that HIV is still a major worldwide issue. HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns have had a long-standing tradition in the LGBT communities worldwide, but information can be difficult to spread across the wider community. France, like Ireland, is no different to this, as Céline Grillon, international advocacy officer with Act Up Paris, is able to testify. It is one of the reasons why she became involved with the organisation. While the group takes its name from Act Up, a HIV/AIDS advocacy organisation that was founded in New York in 1987, Grillon explains that the several ‘Act Up’ groups – in New York, Philidelphia, Paris and more recently, London – are not unified. In other words, while they share the same goals, they are not part of a single ‘Act Up’ organisation. “We share the same idea of empowerment,” Grillon explains; “we are a group of individuals united in anger and committed to [take] action to fight AIDS.” While initially confusing – it’s unusual to think of Act Up being separate groups using the same name – Act Up Paris is still 58 EILE Magazine

inspired by the first organisation of its kind in New York, applying the goals to fighting AIDS in France. What is meant, however, by ‘fighting’ AIDS? In the case of Act Up, the groups take inspiration from their name; the title is an acronym; AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power. Their way of fighting AIDS is to put pressure on governments to pay attention to the prevention of HIV in their country. For Act Up Paris, however, it has been a difficult task to engage with the French government, according to Grillon. “It’s not exactly the same issues and same situation as in the nineties,” Grillon explains regarding the challenges facing Act Up Paris, “but still today, it’s difficult to fight the stigma.” “It’s difficult to make progress towards the end of the epidemic, because as there are now treatments… now we are facing very new issues.” Grillon goes on to say that as HIV positive people are now living for longer, thanks to better treatment and awareness, but such new levels of health are creating confusing issues for the French pension system. If sickly HIV-positive were unable to work for a long period during the eighties or nineties, it’s possible that they would have little money

to live on today. With that in mind, how much are the French authorities listening to HIV/AIDS groups, such as Act Up Paris? According to Grillon, “they are not listening that much”, explaining that many politicians “are really not aware of what’s going on.” HIV is treated, Grillon explains, like a sickness, like many other chronic illnesses, but it’s not exactly the same.” Activists like Grillon are demanding that the French Government establishes a new national plan for HIV, but with public health funding having been cut in France recently, such plans are met with concern. “The only thing the Health Ministry said [is that] they will bring down taxes on condoms, they don’t even know if this measure will be effective.” Grillon worries that the government and other national authorities don’t see the bigger picture to this global issue. To donate to Act Up Paris’ new crowdfunding campaign, click here. (NB: link active from Monday, April 7)

Feature | Act Up Paris

EILE Magazine 59

Health | Dr Shay

Living With HIV And Its Treatment This month, Dr Shay Keating talks about effective HIV treatment, and answers the question: ‘if my virus is undetectable in the blood, can I pass the virus on?’ This year, 2014, marks the 30th anniversary of the discovery of the human immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) the infectious cause of what was known as the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or AIDS. In these thirty years, so much has been discovered about this virus, how it causes loss of immune function, how it is detected in the blood, how its blood levels are measured, and most importantly, how it is treated. We know that HIV attacks a cell in the immune system termed the ‘T-helper’ cell. With time and without appropriate clinical or pharmaceutical intervention, for the majority, the virus depletes the T-helper population, and immunodeficiency develops. The way we can monitor the health of the immune system is to do a laboratory test called the CD4 count, which gives us a good measure of the body’s immunity. In the late 1990s, the first antiHIV or anti-retroviral (ARV) then called AZT was licensed. Since then, over the last 2 decades, ARTs have become more tolerable to the patient, both from a toxicity or side effect point of view, and also from the number of pills taken daily, the pill burden. We now have co-formulated 60 EILE Magazine

medication, one tablet containing three or even four drugs, that can be taken once a day. This has revolutionised the medical care of HIV disease. Effectively, what we have now is a cohort of HIVpositive individuals, whose HIV disease is controlled on a simple one-pill-a-day regime. Who is offered treatment and when? With the exception of resourcepoor settings, anti HIV medicines are available where clinically indicated. In Europe, the clinical consensus is that when the CD4 count is greater than 350, the body’s immune function is healthy, and ART is not always indicated. There are a few exceptions. If a woman is HIV-positive and for herself, does not need to be on ARTs, if she becomes pregnant it is recommended that she start ART at the start of her second trimester, around week 12-14 of pregnancy. This is to prevent her unborn baby becoming infected. If a HIV-positive person’s partner, with whom they are having sex, is negative, in spite of the fact that he/she might have a high CD4 count, the positive partner might opt to go on medication to minimise transmission to the negative partner. Other scenarios that might

warrant ART prescription, in the face of a healthy immune system, might be where one is unwell from a HIV point of view, with a high amount of virus in the blood (viral load), where one is also infected with another virus, such as hepatitis B or C, or when one has other HIV-related illness, particularly a neurological one. Once on appropriate medications, clinicians like to see a drop in the viral load, ideally to undetectable levels, by at least 6 months. The question often asked of HIV specialists is,’ if my virus is undetectable in the blood, can I pass the virus on?’ In January 2008, ‎the ‘Swiss Statement’ was issued by the Swiss federal Commission on AIDS related Issues, an expert group of doctors and HIV researchers. They advised that if someone is on ART for a minimum amount of time, and has an undetectable amount of virus in the blood for at least 6 months, they are not infectious, even sexually. They added a caveat however, stating that this only held true if neither sexual partner had another, even undiagnosed, sexually transmitted disease. In this scenario, the genital fluids may be more infectious, and this may

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Dr Shay Keating Continued…

not be reflected in the blood viral load. With this information, caution regarding HIV spread must be observed, until we know more about this challenging topic.

Dr. James (Shay) N. Keating, BA Mod, MB, PhD. MRCP, Dip GUM, Dip Occ Med., has his clinic at the Harold’s Cross Surgery, Harolds Cross, Dublin 6W, and is a Specialist in Genitourinary Medicine, at St. James’s Hospital, Dublin. Contact stdclinic.ie Phone: 01497 0022 or +353 87 234 5551

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Singer/Designer Liv Monaghan

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