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Magazine V 5 Issue 10 - July/Aug 2018
No Small Children
Flipping The Script AJ Gibson
The West Coast Feed Inside:
Dublin Fringe House of Oscar Wilde
Travel | Film | Fashion |Health | News
EILE Magazine | Who’s Who
Contributors
M. Butler M. Butler is a writer and editor, with a keen interest in human rights, and has studied philosophy and psychology Scott De Buitléir Scott is founder and Editor-at-Large of EILE Magazine. He is also an author and poet from Dublin but now based in Cork Lisa Reynolds Originally from Co. Meath, Lisa is a fashion industry student, now living in Bray, Co Wicklow, with a great interest in media and celebrity Brian Rochford Brian has studied health, exercise, and nutrition, with a special interest in controlling pain in rheumatism and arthritis Brian Rochford also writes on fashion column this month Frances Winston Frances Winston is EILE’s resident film buff, and has contributed to many other publications, such as The Irish Independent and Irish Tatler
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EILE Magazine | Welcome
Highlights July/August 2018 Flipping The Script - P.20 New book by gay author and celebrity, AJ Gibson, about how to turn life’s downs into ups, and change your perspective on a bad situation
Theatre - Pps.46-56 Dublin Fringe and Dublin Theatre Festival are coming up again, and Cork theatre is featured so have a look at some of the goods on offer, including Assisted Solo, Rough Magic and I/Thou (dance)
Health - P.32 Brian Rochford writes on the benefits of any exercise regime for future health
Music - Pps. 6,10,and 14 Our musical guests this issue are LAbased No Small Children, The West Coast Feed and OCNSide
Fashion - P.16, and Book Review - P22
Volume 5, Issue 10 Editor-at-Large: Scott De Buitléir Editor: MKB Contributors: M. Butler, Scott De Buitléir, MKB, Lisa Reynolds, Brian Rochford, Frances Winston Photographers:La Famos, Spencer Findlay, Astor Morgan, Robert Walker NB: All images in this publication are either under Creative Commons licence, or used with permission. Image credits, where necessary, are printed on the corresponding page(s) or photo(s). Any queries can be made to hello@eile.ie Special Thanks to MKB for all her hard work, dedication and support. Web: http://eile.ie Contact: hello@eile.ie Twitter: @EILEMagazine Facebook: http://fb.com/eilemagazine Note: All opinions expressed in this issue are the writers’ own.
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Brian Rochford writes about fashion for the changeable weather, and Lisa Reynolds writes about Fabulous Baby X (BZ &VSPQFBO 5PVSJTN "TTPDJBUJPO
…plus film reviews, news, travel, and much more! EILE Magazine
EILE Magazine | Editor’s Letter
Contents 6-
No Small Children
10 -
The West Coast Feed
14 -
OCNSide
16 -
Men’s Fashion
20 -
Flipping The Script
22 -
Fabulous Baby X
24 -
A Deal With Universe
26 -
House of Oscar Wilde
28 -
Sam Sparro
32 -
Health
34 -
Travel USA
36 -
Travel Far East
38 -
Frances on Film
46 -
Jimmy’s Hall Review
50 -
Dublin Fringe
52 -
Assisted Solo
54 -
I/Thou - Dance
56 -
Rough Magic
60 -
Club GASS G Pride
plus World LGBT News, Views, Arts, Entertainment etc
EILE July/August 2018 Edition! Welcome to the July/August 2018 issue of EILE Magazine In this edition of EILE Magazine, our music section features some great bands, with LA based No Small Children, The West Coast Feed, and OCNSide. Frances Winston gives her very witty take on current films, especially The Meg, and we bring you New York and the Far East in our Travel section. Lisa Reynolds writes about Sam Sparro and Baby X, and Brian Rochford writes on health and also on men’s fashion. We have theatre news from Dublin Fringe, Dublin Theatre Festival, Liz Roche, Assisted Solo, Rough Magic, and Frances reviews Jimmy’s Hall at the Abbey. We feature trans documentary A Deal With The Universe, and an exhibition called The House of Oscar Wilde. We also bring news of a new book by gay author and celebrity, AJ Gibson, called Flipping The Script, a humourous look at those down times, and changing your perspective. With lots more news, views and entertainment, we hope you enjoy this July/ August 2018 edition of EILE Magazine!
Scott De Buitléir Founder / Editor-at-Large
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See our film reviews by Frances Winston
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No Small Children “Three school teachers walk into a bar, onto the stage, plug in instruments and then melt your face”. True. And this has to be one of the most unusual band line-ups ever. This month, EILE catches up with alt/rock LA-based all-girl band, (or as they call themselves, a band) No Small Children. No Small Children have just released their latest single, I’m So Concerned, from their fourth album, What Do The Kids Say? The punk-rock style band, made up of, wait for it, three elementary school-teachers, formed in 2012, after deciding it was a good idea (as you do) while on playground duty, and comprises guitarist and singer, Lisa Pimentel, drummer, Nicola Berlinsky, and bass player and singer, Joanie Pimentel. Their latest single, I’m So Concerned, is very much like a protest song. About the single the band says: “As three school teachers, this song is very close to our hearts. We hope that with music, we can spread love and understanding”. The video shows school-kids looking bored and uninterested while at their desks, and the track’s edgy lyrics are sung over an almost orchestral instrumental - an earworm that stays with you long after you’ve finished listening, and you may feel compelled to play it again! Elementary school-teachers by day, guitarist and singer, Lisa Pimentel and drummer, Nicola Berlinsky, decided to start the band while covering recess duty. A short three months later they had an EP, many gigs behind them, and an east coast tour booked. Then in October 2013, Joanie Pimentel, bass player and singer, was added to the line-up. All three were also teaching at the same school, which meant that lunch breaks became band-meetings, after-school meant rehearsals, and they toured during holidays. In 2017, No Small Children released their single, Radio, produced by the legendary, Bob Marlette (Rob Zombie, Black Sabbath, Filter, and more), and the track has been featured on The World Famous KROQ, Los Angeles, Rock Band Rivals video game. The band’s
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remake of the classic Ghostbusters theme-song can be heard in the new 2016 Ghostbusters movie. Additionally, RCA Records officially released the song as a single. No Small Children also performed at the Unity Ball in Washington DC, following the Women’s March on Washington, January 21st, 2017, and were interviewed on NPR’s Weekend Edition aired January 1st, 2017. NSC are known for their energetic, inyour-face live shows. Glamorous clothes and their self-assured command of the stage complete the picture, and may leave the audience a little hoarse at the end of the night, but also with a warm fuzzy feeling. The band say they love being on the road, and if they ever decide to perform on this side of the pond, you could do worse than grab some tickets, drag along some friends, and have a great night out!
-MKB
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To catch up with No Small Children, visit: www.facebook.com/ NoSmallChildren twitter.com/NoSmallChildren itunes.apple.com/us/artist/nosmall-children/591046676 soundcloud.com/no-smallchildren-htif http://nosmallchildren.com/ Main Photos: Astor Morgan
Image: Robert Walker
Image: Astor Morgan
Image: Fb
EILE Magazine
The West C In our music section this edition, EILE is delighted to feature Seattle, WA-based band, The West Coast Feed, who have recently released their new single, the vibrant and energetic You Belong To Me. Citing influences from the legacies of Memphis, Muscle Shoals and New Orleans, the band, comprising eight members, generates a retro but modern rock/soul experience, reminiscent of 50s/60s rock ‘n’ roll sounds. The ‘in the pocket’ rhythm section, three-man horn section, electric guitars, and violin, create a resonant, jumping instrumental for the powerful voice of charismatic front man, Jesse Butterworth. As I’ve said in our daily, the band would put you in mind visually of UK SKA band, Madness, with the lead singer looking a lot like Suggs!. An earworm and a foot-tapping extravaganza, the track is a must-listen, and all the more reason to when you realise that proceeds from the track release show
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Coast Feed are going to a charity near to Jesse’s heart. You Belong to Me, written and produced by Jesse, is a truly personal track for the band. This single explores his journey of adoption, and the bond between a parent and child. “This song is about the process that my wife and I went through to adopt our daughter, Harper, from Ethiopia,” says Jesse. “It was a three-year process with lots of paperwork and two trips over to Africa for court dates, but all of that work paid off when we were able to bring her home to be part of our family forever.” The track was engineered by Matt Woll, and mixed by Aaron Sternke. Philanthropic support is a central theme to The West Coast Feed’s mission, as they have partnered with two non-profit organizations, charity:water and All God’s Children International. All God’s Children is the agency who helped Jesse and his wife adopt their daughter. To show their thanks,
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the band is donating proceeds from their CD release show to the non-profit who helped their family become whole. Since the band’s formation one short year ago, The West Coast Feed has filled clubs and theaters by word of mouth, drawing audiences to an experience of sound and sensation that makes sitting still impossible. With their highly anticipated self-titled full-length debut, founding member/guitarist and accomplished recording engineer, Matt Woll, polishes the sweat, grit and energy of the band into a sonic studio shimmer. Jesse Butterworth’s résumé includes fronting an award winning, label-signed band with a #1 radio hit, on their way to the proverbial big time. But in the middle of a sold-out show in Los Angeles, Jesse’s flying leap off the drum riser resulted in a compound leg fracture, and the sudden end of a dream. He compares the experience to dropping off a cliff and a total loss of momentum. But after relocating to Seattle he met a kindred musical spirit in Matt Woll, and the two friends formed The West Coast Feed. “We called up the best players that we knew,” and over a two-month period there would be a new member each week, expanding exponentially from two members to their
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current eight-man lineup. As the music began to take shape, the band felt more and more freedom to play what they love, instead of copying the sound of the latest trend. Says Matt Woll: “I’ve been in signed bands, but instead of trying to prove something to some invisible somebody we’re having a blast making music we love. And the best part is that people seem to really love it, which is a bonus.” Jesse says that he wrote one of the standout songs on the band’s release, the redemptive Not Giving In, at the lowest point in his life. Now that darkness has lifted. With The West Coast Feed, Jesse has rediscovered the power of creating music that moves audiences for all of the right reasons. “Giving back is the ethos of the band and is at the heart of what we do,” he avows. “It’s not about ‘Let’s get famous or get signed to a label.’ It’s us doing what we love, and making a difference in the process.” You Belong to Me is the first single off The West Coast Feed’s self-titled debut album. You can stream or download the track now on digital music platforms worldwide. The West Coast Feed will continue to tour and release more music throughout the year.
Band members are: Vocals Jesse Butterworth, electric guitar Matt Woll, violin DJ Park, bass Tim Oas, drums Chad Elrod, sax Matt Simmons, trumpet Matt Collins, trombone Phil Dean
Main photos: Spencer Findlay
Maybe we’ll see them on this side of the pond soon, fingers crossed!
-MKB You can catch up with The West Coast Feed at: www.facebook.com/ thewestcoastfeed http://www. thewestcoastfeed.com/ twitter.com/ TWCFofficial
Image: Facebook
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OCNSIde Taking Me Over is the latest single from Pop/Rock/Soul Californian band, OCNSIDE (David Dennis and Tony Aguiar) and one that brings good feelings and Summer haze with it. The upbeat feel-good track will leave you feeling all is right with the world, “I still believe me and you are never gonna end” and when the pared back verse goes into the full sound upbeat chorus, you already want to sing along with it! In the swelteringly hot summer of 2017, David Dennis and Tony Aguiar locked themselves in a room in Van Nuys, California, at the famed Sound City Studios. They had taken a few years off from music following the breakup of LA’s beloved band, Voxhaul Broadcast, an indie pop outfit from Silver Lake, LA. The two had been in and out of bands all through middle and high school. Their former band had toured extensively for years, and like any band, found both success and failure. Afterwards, they took time to reflect and understand what meant the most to them. A random connection via their former manager, Steven Melrose, found them with an opportunity to work out of the same studio that fostered hits by Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Nirvana, and countless others. By the end of the summer, they left Sound City with around 25 tracks, and a completely new sound from everything they had done previously. It is music that comprises elements of pop, soul, vintage R&B, gospel, and rock, with a positive and independent spirit. They are called OcnSide, and reside in Highland Park, California.
-M. Butler To listen to the track on Spotify, or to buy it on iTunes or Amazon, go to: https://fanlink.to/OcnSide twitter.com/ocnsidemusic soundcloud.com/ocnside www.facebook.com/ocnsidemusic
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Represent
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Changeable Weather Fashion
Brian Rochford tells us how to remain fashionable in the oncoming colder weather The sun may be in hiding, and there may not be lot to get excited about this Autumn, but you can get excited about the new looks trending this season. You can start by wearing those styles that instantly make you look more fashionable and sophisticated. Men’s fashion and trends change less than women’s from one season to the next, but you will see some new styles in men’s jeans emerging this Autumn, with a lot of upgrade in fit, finishes, and colour (including pink). You may have seen distressed jeans more on women than men in the past, but it’s time to balance the books. These jeans can look good on men too, and look like becoming a trend this season. Leisure wear is still trending for AW2018 as we head into the colder weather, because most of us still want clothes that are stylish and warm, yet easy-to-wear. Also trending for Autumn 2018 is the perennial trench coat - in different colours, styles and with different buttons to ring the changes. Denim jackets are still in vogue, as they are so versatile, and can be easily styled with a range of accessories to look cool and always in fashion.
versace
The camel jacket is still a great way to keep warm and smart, and can be worn with jeans for a relaxed look, or styled with slacks or suits for a more sophisticated image.
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There is still a large variety of puffer (puffa) jackets for style and warmth this Autumn, and also new on the scene is an extended long-lined hoodie, which can be a substitute for the trench coat if you are into street style. Don’t forget the all-important sweater or cardigan this Autumn. With a wide variety of styles, colours, and textures available, and with so many ways to layer them, you can keep warm, stylish, and looking cool, as we make the transition from now into the long dark days of Winter.
Y/Project
lanvin
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“Leisure wear is still trending for AW 2018�
represent
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New Book by gay author AJ Gibson
Flipping the Script: Bouncing Back From Life’s Rock Bottom Moments - AJ Gibson A humourous but helpful and uplifting new book is being released September 15. The book is called Flipping the Script: Bouncing Back From Life’s Rock Bottom Moments, and is written by out and proud gay man, AJ Gibson, speaker, perspective expert, social influencer, celebrity TV host, and author. In the book, AJ writes about how to turn bad situations around, know that you’re not alone, and hopes to make you feel empowered by seeing that everybody goes through life’s ups and downs, including very successful people.
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‘Life is complicated and messy, but every now and then life gives you a syndicated talk show on a major network – and then fires you for being “all icing and no cake.” Then it sends your born-again Christian sister to take you out to lunch on your birthday, only to tell you she suddenly believes you can pray the gay away, and that you should’ve used your time on the show you were just fired from to do more for Christ. Then, because there’s always another ‘then’, you receive a tax bill from Uncle Sam that almost sends you out your tenth floor bathroom window…literally. Luckily, AJ Gibson chose to step back from that open window and share his struggles, rather than succumb to them, because, well…not today Satan! He knows what it’s like when life feels like a never-ending roller
coaster, and in his self-help book, Flipping the Script, he doesn’t sugar coat the truth. After all, this isn’t Hollywood, errr…anymore’. Flipping the Script is AJ’s love letter to the LGBTQ community. In Flipping the Script, AJ reveals his journey through a series of personal roadblocks and rock-bottom moments - moments that we all can relate to. Through it all, AJ has developed a gift for shifting his perspective, turning difficult situations around, and persevering despite failure. In this book, AJ shares tips in the form of ‘Script Rewrites’ at the end of each chapter that will inspire the reader to discover their true purpose. He shows you how to shift your perspective, and to find the beauty not only in life’s high points, but more importantly, in life’s rock
AJ Gibson
bottom moments. AJ’s journey from a closeted gay boy from Ohio to that guy people kinda, sorta recognize from TV and Hollywood’s biggest red carpets seems glossy, but the truth is anything but. In Flipping the Script, AJ shows how his life has been a series of personal roadblocks and rock-bottom moments. Every time he thinks he’s in the clear, he finds a new way to crash and burn. Let’s just say insecurity was once a pretty close friend of his, so he knows what you feel like whenever you find yourself scrolling social media comparing yourself to others. Really, he does. Luckily, he’s a pretty smart guy and moderately witty, always finding his way out of life’s rock bottom moments – and he believes that you can too! AJ says you’d be hard-pressed to find a person who has achieved success without problems – especially in the LGBTQ community. As a proud gay man working in the entertainment capital of the world, AJ’s personal and professional stories should leave you feeling empowered and a little less defeated. He hopes that Flipping the Script will give you the strength to overcome your own personal
roadblocks, and live the life you were created to live. In this book, AJ shares tips and tricks in the form of ‘Script Rewrites’ at the end of each chapter, which should help you persevere and, he hopes, should help you find your true purpose. The true stories in Flipping the Script will make you laugh, and encourage you to keep fighting for happiness throughout life’s hardships! Flipping the Script has debuted as a #1 Amazon new release amongst all LGBTQ autobiographies in the first four hours of its presale. The book is due out on September 15, but you can pre-order at: www.amazon.com/FlippingScript-Bouncing-Bottom-Moments/ dp/1633538303 -MKB
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Book & Film Review
X: A Fabulous Child’s Story By Lois Gould (and animated short film, Baby X) Reviews By Lisa Reynolds X: A Fabulous Child’s Story is a wonderful short story by Lois Gould. It first appeared in Ms magazine in 1972, and by 1978 it had been made into an illustrated children’s book. It tells the story of a young X, and their parents, Ms. And Mr. Jones, and the family’s gender-free journey of child-rearing. It is a beautiful story, which is at times sad, with all the prejudice and ignorance X faces, but is a lovely tale of love, acceptance, and respect - a very thought-provoking piece that was clearly written well before its time. There is also much wit in the story, and a wonderful satire of tired old social rules and attitudes. It shows the struggles X and their parents face with relatives, when buying toys and clothes, and in school, especially with the Parents Association. Needless to say, X’s parents need to consult their Instruction Manual many times! It is sad to see how the other children in school initially aren’t so nice and welcoming to X. But it also shows how these children, at their impressionable ages, are very much influenced by their parents’ view of the world - that everyone is a boy or a girl. And ultimately, it is lovely to see how they all grow to like X for being who they are, and how gender is only part of you, and something you shouldn’t be defined by. I love the closeness of X and their parents. They are super parents, who put the happiness of their child before the happiness of society. I think that’s how parents should be, and it’s certainly not how all the parents are in this story. I came across this short story via a YouTube short film based on Gould’s piece. The short is called Baby X, and is directed by founder and owner of the film’s digital media company, Brendan Bradley. Animated by Tristan Zammit, with original music by Elon Arbiture, the short film lasts just
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Still from the animated short film, Baby X
over eleven minutes, and in a concise way brings Gould’s story to life. Sound Mixing is by Kristian Hayden, and Sound Recording is by Erik Scott Smith. Together the team create a very moving, thought-provoking, and witty piece, and stay very true to the original text. The film is voiced by many people, including Bradley, Scott Smith, Hayden, as well as Kirsten Vangsness, Marisha Ray, Tara Platt, Matthew Mercer, Yuri Lowenthal, Sara Fletcher, Hunter Davis, and Ashley Clements, and they all do an excellent job of recreating the story.
Cover of the book about Baby X by Lois Gould
To read X: A Fabulous Child’s Story by Lois Gould, go to: https://web.bend.k12.or.us/jeremy. rubenstein/Mr._Rubensteins_Language_ Arts_Page/Senior_English_files/PDF%20X. pdf And to watch Baby X the short animated film, go to: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=oyYn9izT9gc
A heartwarming tale. A must-read and a mustwatch. Excellent.
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Trans pregnancy documentary
A Deal with the Universe -
Breaking taboos and showing family life in all its diversity, this film follows the journey through pregnancy of one trans man, Jason, and his partner, Tracey Groundbreaking trans pregnancy documentary, A DEAL WITH THE UNIVERSE, screened at the 30th Anniversary of Galway Film Fleadh on Friday 13th July. It had launched as the centrepiece film at BFI Flare: London LGBTQ+ Film Festival, in a three-night sell-out run, where they got a standing ovation, and was produced by BFI’s Vision award-winning producer, Loran Dunn, who is also a 2017 Screen Daily Star of Tomorrow. This is British director and transman Jason Barker’s autobiographical debut feature, made entirely from personal archive and home video diaries. The film follows the incredible story of how he came to give birth to his son, charting over 15 years of his and his partner Tracey’s life. Amid the Gender Act reform, with Ireland moving towards a more progressive and inclusive society, this unique personal story of a transman’s journey towards parenthood captures the mood of both the political and societal landscapes, currently being reformed to recognise the challenges LGBTQ+ people face. A Deal With The Universe offers an intimate insight into gender identity and parenthood for trans people, showing an extraordinarily honest look at the challenges and triumphs one
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couple faces as their journey takes several very unexpected turns. The documentary offers a new perspective on trans stories we may have heard before, focusing on life after transition. “It’s so important to document queer history” said Director Jason, who has also had short films featured at festivals like Berlinale and Tampere. “I’d like audiences to take away a greater understanding that gender and identity are not always clear cut, that trans people are not victims, and can demonstrate resilience and humour in our lives”. Producer, Loran Dunn added: “We [couldn’t] wait to show an Irish audience this incredible story. It’s a film that marks a milestone in LGBT filmmaking, but above all else, it’s a love story. Galway Film Festival not only has a local impact in Ireland, but an international reach, which [was] the perfect platform for Jason’s incredible story.” Loran, who started Manchester-based Delaval Film in 2014, is known for focusing on diversity and telling unheard stories. The company was recently listed as one of the Top 50 Most creative Companies in England.
“I’d like audiences to take away a greater understanding that gender and identity are not always clear cut.........” A standing ovation at BFI Flare
A Deal With The Universe (90 mins) screened on Friday 13th July, at the Pálás Cinema, as part of the Galway Film Fleadh. For more information, go to: http://www. adealwiththeuniverse.com/ @adealwiththeuniverse https://www.facebook.com/ ADEALWITHTHEUNIVERSE/ You can watch a trailer of the film at: https://www.facebook.com/ ADEALWITHTHEUNIVERSE/ videos/220568188797821/
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Exhibition: The House of Oscar Wilde (as imagined by Arthur Cravan) The House of Oscar Wilde (as imagined by Arthur Cravan) 30th August - 6th September Showing at Trinity Oscar Wilde Centre for Irish Writing, Dublin Multimedia installation, beginning 30th of August (live performance and opening at 6pm) to the 6th of September, with live performances on the 4th and 5th of September, followed by a closing film screening and discussion on the 7th of September The project is curated by Vladimir Dotsenko (Trinity College Dublin). This exhibition is a tribute to Arthur Cravan, born in 1887, Lausanne, Switzerland, who disappeared on a sailboat in 1918 off the coast of Salina Cruz, Mexico - a poet, a pugilist, an iconic figure for the Dada movement, and, last but not least, Oscar Wilde’s nephew. This project is a multimedia installation The House of Oscar Wilde (as imagined by Arthur Cravan) inspired by writings of Oscar Wilde’s wife’s nephew, Arthur Cravan (an iconic figure in 1910s) about Wilde’s house in London. The Irish writer was much more than a distant family member to Cravan, not merely the uncle he never met - he became a role model, a figure whose steps he needed to
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follow. The hunt of the ghost of Oscar Wilde later became a fundamental part of Cravan’s own work. The House of Oscar Wilde is a multimedia project, including a mise en scène based on Cravan’s writings about Wilde, live performances, and even a film screening. The writings that served as inspiration for this work were published in 1917, in the 4th issue of the New York avant-garde magazine, The Soil, which was almost entirely dedicated to Wilde; it contains a number of “documents never published before”, including a piece about Wilde’s house in London, attributed by Cravan to his father. This text includes an extremely precise description, illustrated by two sketches, indicating the location of each piece of furniture, painting, and decorative objects in the writer’s house. Since there are not enough documents or photographs that allow us to recreate the space, and the objects that surrounded Wilde’s daily existence, Cravan’s texts, despite being a work of fiction, constitute an artefact of first importance, offering us, the readers, a starting point for imagining it. Materialising things that Cravan once imagined is already a fitting artistic concept to mark the centenary of his disappearance. As an added bonus, the exhibition takes place in House 21 in Westland Row, where Oscar Wilde was born. More than merely highlighting this lesser-known Dublin landmark, the fact that this Dublin location
Tel Aviv, Mexico City and Amsterdam. The exhibition is showing at Trinity Oscar Wilde Centre for Irish Writing, from the 30th of August (live performance and opening at 6pm) to the 6th of September, with live performances on the 4th and 5th of September, followed by a closing film screening and discussion on the 7th of September.
More information is available at: https://www.facebook.com/ houseofoscarwilde/
serves as the space for an exhibition reimagining Wilde’s house in London creates a beautiful resonance with the celebrated installation in Hugh Lane Gallery, where Francis Bacon’s London studio is re-created. This project embodies a collective effort of many people around the world, including craftswomen in Mexico, an artist from Colombia, a translator from the US, a writer from the Netherlands, and an Irish actress. The artist who conceived this project specialises in anonymous ephemeral art events. Previous locations where his artistic actions took place include Barcelona, Naples,
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Album Review
Sam Sparrow by Sam Sparro Retro Album Review By Lisa Reynolds
This month I take you back to 2008, and Sam Sparro’s self-titled album. The album is a jam-packed gem of dance and electronic music, mixed with some soul, funk, jazz, and R&B, and has tracks that take influence from both modern music and past decades. It’s a really gorgeously crafted album that sounds as new, progressive, and fresh today as it did when it was released, so it’s timeless really. Sparro has this distinctive, wonderful, husky vocal, which sounds amazing on each of the 14 tracks on this album. He is most definitely a very underrated artist who has so much creativity, and I absolutely love the album. It’s very hard for me to pick a favourite track. I think they possibly all are my favourites, depending on the day I’m listening to them. Too Many Questions is the opening track, and was the third song released from this album, and the follow-up single to the track which follows, Black & Gold. This song is very catchy. It has a great funk feel to it, and it builds throughout. It has this dissonance about it. Very well put together. There’s a great flow between the different sections that doesn’t seem forced. Black & Gold follows. This song was a really big hit for Sparro back in 2008. Anyone old enough to remember, that - ahem - includes me, will
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remember that this was one of those songs you heard everywhere at the time. The song is about Sparro’s spirituality, and he has said in the past that it is about how he wants to believe there is something out there bigger than himself. It was number five in Ireland, number two in the UK, and number four in Sparro’s native Australia. A catchy, very fresh, earworm of a song, with poetic lyrics and a gorgeously haunting and husky vocal by Sparro, which works brilliantly. Perfection. Next up is 21st Century Life, featuring the Sweet & Sour Horns. This track was also a single at the time for Sparro. It was the fourth single from the album. It’s a very fast-paced song about the fast pace, confusion, and chaos in modern society. I always felt the briskness of the song was a metaphor for all the hustle and bustle of modern life - so well-crafted but it sounds so effortless. It’s a very easy song to dance to. From the fast-paced 21st Century Life, we come next to a slower track called Sick. It has a very memorable chorus: “It’s a sick, sick world/ I’ll be your medicine/ So come and take me, take me/ I’ll make you feel better.” The way the music weaves together in this song is quite understated compared to other tracks, but works very well with Sparro’s vocal and the lyrics. Waiting For Time is the next track. Sparro’s vocal is very story-telling on this track. There’s a lot of pictures painted of the various scenes
Sam Sparrow Image: Twitter
and emotions. Then it breaks into a faster section in the middle, where Sparro’s vocal goes at a million miles an hour, which is kind of cool. Recycle It! comes next, a short and intriguing track. You don’t hear many tracks like it. It’s perfectly all over the place, and I kind of liked it. It’s like a brief burst of energy. It is followed by Cottonmouth, which again features the Sweet & Sour Horns. This was the first single released from the album. It was released in 2007, whereas the other four singles from this album were released in 2008. There’s a slow leisurely feel to this track, and it has a bit of a jazzy/soul sound in parts of it. I liked it, a very
well-flowing, cohesive song. The music video is also not what you’d expect for this track, but it works. Hot Mess continues the next section of the album. It is a very uptempo song, full of sass and narrative. The chorus is very catchy, but to be honest, most of the song is. It’s endlessly playable. Very much a perfect song for a night club playlist. Pocket follows. This was Sparro’s fifth single. The chorus gives some sage advice: “Keep your friends close and your enemies in your pocket”. It’s a song about life in general, and is very well put together. Gorgeously understated,
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repetitive music accompanies Sparro’s vocal. Cut Me Loose is the next track. It’s a bit in the style of Hot Mess, so if you like one of them more than likely you’ll like the other. It starts with talking as if in a club atmosphere, and then breaks into music with a great beat. The chorus is super-catchy. It’s one of those songs you could really let your hair down to. A great song to dance to. From Cut Me Loose, we go to a very different type of song with Sally. This is quite a deep song about a very heavy subject-matter, which Sparro sings with great sensitivity, emotion, truth, and disgust. The song is incredibly well-put-together, and has a very storytelling feel to it, as Sparro recounts Sally’s past, and how they have come to be where they are in life now. Clingwrap comes next. It’s definitely a very fresh, different sound than a lot of songs you hear. There are a few squeaky elements in it, which are interesting. It’s essentially about a boyfriend/ex-boyfriend (or soon to be in any case) who is very clingy and possessive. There are great and very quick changes of music in this track, which adds to the overall composition, and the chorus is catchy: “You must have thought I was your snack ‘cos you’re sticking to me like clingwrap” - quirky and well-put-together. Closing the album is Can’t Stop This, followed by the hidden track Still Hungry. Can’t Stop This is a funky song and a great dance track. There’s brilliant variation in the music, and Sparro’s vocal is as always faultless and on-point. The hidden track, Still Hungry, has a beautiful jazz, classic feel to it. Very piano-based, Sparro’s vocal sounds straight out of the 1930s or 1940s. It’s beautiful, and a wonderful ending to the album. A brilliant album. A must-listen. Sam Sparro by Sam Sparro is available to listen to on Spotify and YouTube.
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Health
Healthy Exercise Habits Brian Rochford on the need for general exercise and a healthy diet plan for a healthier future It may sound obvious, but our bodies were made to MOVE and to keep moving. So if you want to be healthy, get active and start exercising! Exercise has many benefits. It assists in slowing down the ageing process, tones the muscles, and can make you look better. It is essential for positive fitness, and the better health of your body, and your mental and emotional states. Exercising regularly can reduce the risk of heart problems, diabetes, and many other harmful health issues. Not exercising keeps the muscles weak, flabby, and out condition. Without regular exercise, your reflexes can become slow, and your lungs will not work as efficiently as they should. Your joints will suffer, and even become weak and stiff over time. Daily exercise can also go a long way towards helping you to lose weight. It may be hard at first to get into the habit of regular exercise, but if you try a little every day you will soon get into a routine, and it will become easier as you form a new habit, and we all know that we are creatures of habit. As little as 10 to 15 minutes a day is an easy, achievable goal, and you will feel the benefits, and this will, in turn, encourage you to do more. It usually takes about 60 to 90 days to develop a new habit, so be patient and persistent and you will get there. Start with exercise you enjoy. A short walk every day around the block will not cost you anything, and will help your body and mind greatly. Your local library has so many books on different kinds of exercise programmes and disciplines. Remember that most of what you need to get healthy and stay healthy is free. So get started and keep on going. Today is all about eating healthily. More and more products are coming on the market because people want good food. So it’s never been easier to pick up a healthy snack or meal. You don’t have to stop eating all the foods that you like, but you do have to start giving your body the rich
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Image: cisl.edu
nutritious foods and fuel that it needs to keep healthy, and survive in the polluted environment that we now live in.
you to manage your weight and stay in good shape.
Eating a healthy diet, full of essential Eating healthily can go a long way to help in nutrients, vitamins and minerals, can help the fight against cardiovascular disease, and reduce the risk of so many modern-day cancer. Remember that you do have a choice, diseases, like diabetes, stroke, cancer, heart and taking simple steps in the right direction failure and high or low blood pressure. If you can make all the difference. can make small diet and exercise changes every day, you will improve your physical, Keep it simple by adding more vegetables and mental, and emotional health, and ensure a fruit to your daily diet on a regular basis. Over future healthier you. time you will feel the benefit of more minerals and vitamins, in terms of your overall health and energy. These foods have a tendency to have fewer calories, and as a result, help
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Travel
Multi-centre holidays Thinking of heading Stateside but can’t decide on which spot to choose? That’s the beauty of a multi-centre holiday! Make the most of your time off by combining two - or more! - of the USA’s incredible array of destinations. There’s so much to see and do there’s no need to limit yourself to only one location? Combine a cosmopolitan city break in Boston
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with a relaxing Rhode Island beach stay, pair the laid back vibes of a seaside destination with the bright lights of America’s playground or travel from east to west, mixing the best of both. West Coast Want to really take in the West Coast? Start in San Francisco, the tech centre of the world, where old and new meet. Travelling by car or guided tour, witness the incredible views of Yosemite Valley, or Lake Tahoe and explore the splendid Squaw Valley by foot or by bike and
kayak through Emerald Bay. Then head down to the City of Angels and home of the stars Los Angeles, stopping to take a selfie with the iconic Hollywood sign and, of course, your favourite star on Hollywood Boulevard. Finish off with hitting the strip in Las Vegas, where not only can you try your hand at blackjack but also take in world-renowned shows and enjoy top class accommodation. East Coast Add a little East Coast action to your itinerary by swapping out Las Vegas for the Big Apple. Take your tour across country and bathe in the lights of Times Square and Broadway, soak up the culture in Greenwich Village and shop ‘til you drop on 5th Avenue and the exclusive Upper West Side. Music Destinations Passionate about music? Visit two cities synonymous with American music; Memphis, the home of The King of Rock ‘n Roll - Elvis Presley, and Nashville, spiritual home of country music fans and performers across the globe. You’ll fly first to Memphis where your music inspired American adventure will begin. Of course, no trip there is complete without a visit to Graceland, where you can explore the personal side of Elvis Presley on an interactive tour of Graceland Mansion. Nashville is another must-visit for music fans. Visit Opryland, the home of the world-famous country music show, the Grand Ole Opry, where you are guaranteed a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience . American Holidays have a wide variety of multi-centre holidays with great deals for whenever you choose to travel. You can be sure they’ll create something special just for you. San Fran, Los Angeles and Las Vegas Spend 3 nights in the 3* Hotel Vertigo, San Francisco, 2 nights at the 3* The Garland Hotel, LA and 6 nights at the 3* Excalibur Hotel, Las Vegas from only €945pp.
Price includes: Return flights ex. Dublin, 11 nights’ accommodation as stated, all internal flights, taxes and charges. Based on two adults sharing. Travel: March 2019 Ref No: 2007645275 Memphis and Nashville Spend 3 nights in the 3* Crowne Plaza Hotel Memphis and 3 nights at the 3* Holiday Inn Memphis-Downtown from only €1,129pp. Price includes: Return flights ex. Dublin, 6 nights’ accommodation as stated, taxes and charges. Based on two adults sharing. Travel: November 2018 Ref No: 1576279 New York and Los Angeles Spend 3 nights in The New Yorker Hotel and 3 nights at the Best Western Plus Gateway Hotel LA from only €820pp. Price includes: Return flights ex. Dublin, 6 nights’ accommodation as stated, internal flight to LA, taxes and charges. Based on two adults sharing. Travel: February 2019 Ref No: 2007645287 Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York Spend 4 nights in the 3* Quality Inn Near Hollywood Walk of Fame, 4 nights at the 3* Excalibur Hotel Las Vegas and 3 nights at the 4* Fitzpatrick Grand Central Hotel from only €1,335pp. Price includes: Return flights ex. Dublin, 11 nights’ accommodation as stated, taxes and charges. Based on two adults sharing. Travel: January 2019 Ref No: 1576624 Call American Holidays to book on 01 673 3804 or drop into their office at 18- 19 Duke Street - just off Grafton Street - where the expert staff will help you plan your holiday of a lifetime. For more information visit www. americanholidays.com.
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Travel
Explore the fantastic Far East Be captivated by the Far East with spectacular luxury, allinclusive and multi-centre tailormade offers from Hayes & Jarvis Ireland. With such an array of locations on offer, it’s easy to combine multiple countries in one trip when visiting the Far East. Hop from Bangkok to Cambodia and anywhere inbetween to see more of this beautiful corner of the earth. Thailand Holidays to Thailand offer an adventure that’s all about contrast. Don’t just settle for one location: experience more with some island hopping, with each island offering a brand new experience and unique sights; from Koh Samui for stunning temples and rainforest to Koh Tao for lazy days on palmfringed beaches. Top tip: The beautiful Thai island of Phuket offers all kinds of incredible water activities. You can check out the marine wildlife with some diving, explore some of the smaller islands offshore such as Racha Island or just laze on the beach and top up your tan. Vietnam From bustling cities to sleepy shores; Vietnam boasts fascinating history, diverse culture and delightful cuisine. Throughout the country the landscape offers complete contrast; from the unspoilt beaches in Danang, Mui Ne and Phu Quoc, to the authentic stilt-houses and floating markets on the Mekong Delta. 36 EILE Magazine
Top tip: Check out the Cu Chi Tunnels - an intrinsic network of underground tunnels and jungle booby traps that reveal the fascinating guerrilla tactics used during the Vietnam War. Cambodia Guaranteed to charm you, Cambodia offers incredible temples, beautiful beaches and the friendliest of locals whose stories will touch and whose infectious optimism will leave you humbled. Top tip: Of course, no trip to Cambodia is complete without a visit to the aweinspiring temple of Angkor Wat. To experience it at it’s best pack a picnic breakfast and arrive before dawn. Watching the sun rise over the towers is a truly breath-taking sight. Singapore East meets West in this cosmopolitan city state with a melting pot of cultures and traditions; the perfect place for a fascinating city break. From the authentic, cultural districts of Chinatown and Little India to Orchard Road’s shopping opportunities and Clarke Quay’s restaurants, you’re offered a completely new view everywhere you turn. Top tip: A trip to Singapore wouldn’t be complete without a famous Singapore Sling cocktail at Raffles Hotel, a true city icon and luxurious oasis. Right now Hayes & Jarvis Ireland are also offering free stopovers as well as other wonderful extras, to a selection of incredible destinations worldwide, meaning you can
tick twice as much off your travel bucket list. Whichever Far Eastern destination you choose, you’re guaranteed a trip of a lifetime - with a tailor-made trip from Hayes & Jarvis Ireland to suit your every need. Bangkok & Koh Samui Spend 2 nights at the 4* Century Park Hotel, Bangkok and 7 nights in the 5* Melati Beach Resort and Spa, Koh Samui from only €1,499pp. Price includes: Return flights ex. Dublin with British Airways, flight from Bangkok to Koh Samui, FREE stopover in Bangkok, 9 nights’ accommodation on a B&B basis including a 10% discount in Koh Samui, taxes and charges. Travel: September 2018 Singapore and Bali Spend 3 nights at the 5* Pan Pacific Singapore followed by 7 nights at the 5* The Laguna - A Luxury Collection Resort and Spa Bali from only €1,939pp. Price includes: Return flights ex. Dublin, 10 nights’ accommodation on a B&B basis, transfers, taxes and charges. Travel: October 2018
Bangkok, Phuket & Koh Samui Spend 4 nights at the 5* Anatara Bangkok Riverside Resort, 5 nights in the 5* Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa and 5 nights at the 4* Pavilion Samui Villas & Resort from only €2,459pp. Price includes: Return flights ex. Dublin, 14 nights’ accommodation as stated, transfers, taxes and charges. Travel: September 2018 Did you know that Hayes & Jarvis Ireland is a sister company of American Holidays? Though the brand is new to the Irish market, the team have been providing Irish holiday makers with tailor made trips of a lifetime for over 15 years. For more information visit www. hayesandjarvis.ie to be truly inspired or call into the Hayes & Jarvis office just off Grafton Street - 18- 19 Duke Street, Dublin 2 - where the expert staff will help you create your dream holiday.
Classic Vietnam and Cambodia Take a small group escorted tour through Vietnam and Cambodia from only €2,799pp. Highlights include: Hanoi Halong Bay Hue Hoi An Ho Chi Minh City Phnom Penh Siem Reap Price includes: Return flights ex. Dublin, 10 nights’ accommodation with private facilities, air-conditioned transfers, domestic flights and meals as per the itinerary, local English speaking guide, entrance fees, taxes and charges. Travel: October 2018 EILE Magazine 37
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Frances Winston on Movies Frances Winston’s very witty review of this giant shark movie starring Jason Statham Directed by: Jon Turteltaub – Starring: Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Winston Chao, Cliff Curtis A gigantic prehistoric shark called the Megalodon (or Meg for short) turns out not to be as extinct as was thought, and terrorises a research expedition, who are forced to call in a hard-man rescuediver to save the day. No, it’s not the plot of a SyFy channel movie, or a Shark Week spin-off. It is instead this Summer’s aquatic creaturefeature. The Meg sees Statham make use of his championship swimming and diving background (it’s a thing – look it up) playing the aforementioned rescue-diver. As is the norm in these films, he has hung up his rescue gear following a trauma from a previous job that went wrong, but is coaxed out of retirement for this job. Realising that, despite the scientific magnitude of the discovery, the Meg must be destroyed, the crew very
wisely take to the open seas – or as the sharks call it the canteen – to attempt to take out the 75-foot carnivore. But let’s face it, if something that you thought was extinct for 2 million years is still alive, it’s probably going to prove a formidable foe. Not as formidable as Statham obviously, who jumps into the sea to shoot it with a GPS tracker. As you do. I mean swimming with sharks – especially gigantic prehistoric ones – is a hoot. And clearly nearly becoming sushi for the shark once isn’t enough for him, as he gets up close and personal with the beastie on several more occasions, before we reach the conclusion. If that all sounds a bit silly, it’s because it is. In fact, it’s borderline ludicrous at times, and has one of the cheesiest scripts committed to screen so far this year. In fact, if it wasn’t for the presence of Statham et al, it would probably indeed have been a SyFy special. But that doesn’t matter, because it’s actually great fun. I found myself enjoying The Meg in spite of myself. There is a lot of humour in the script, alongside the cringe-worthy moments (and there are plenty). The effects aren’t ground-breaking, but
they do work, and this does what it says on the tin. It’s the modern equivalent of the 1950s B-movies. The Meg doesn’t want awards or plaudits, it just wants to help the audience escape for a few hours. I can’t really break this down critically, because it’s not that kind of movie. But it’s also not what you’d expect. The Meg is quite the romp, and has plenty of moments that will make you gasp, even though you will probably see them coming. The Meg definitely isn’t Jaws, but if you like your sea-creature on the more prehistoric side, and your action-heroes on the rough and ready side, then you’ll enjoy this. I can’t see it spawning any sequels, but it should entertain most cinema-goers. A word of advice though – try and see The Meg in 3D to get the full benefit of some of the shark scenes. In Cinemas Now!
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Frances Winston on Movies continued...
Directed by: Marc Forster – Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Jim Cummings, Brad Garrett A grown-up and stressed-out Christopher Robin is revisited by his childhood friend, Winnie the Pooh, and returns to Hundred Acre Wood to reignite his imagination, and rediscover the joy and whimsy he had as a child. This is the basic premise of this movie. Taking a much loved character, and placing them in a grown-up reality, is a gamble. Despite being critically acclaimed, Steven Speilberg’s Hook didn’t do the expected business at the box office, and it can often be hard for an audience to juxtapose the middle-aged version of the characters they love with the younger ones they grew up with. Here it falls to Ewan McGregor to portray the older Christopher, who, after boarding school, got married, fought in World War II, and eventually ended up working for a luggage company. It’s when he has been faced with the difficult task of costcutting at work, that Pooh reenters his life. This isn’t on a par with the
beloved A.A. Milne stories, nor with the animated offerings previously served up by Disney. The liveaction Pooh loses some of his cuteness, and at times barely resembles the beloved honeyeating creature. McGregor gamely plays along, and gives a great performance, but the story itself is incredibly moralistic. They are trying to charm children, and shame parents who work too much, while also trying to reawaken the imaginative child in the adult audience. It never really seems quite sure which audience it is aimed at – grownups or LOs – and as a result it drags a lot.
ending and stereotyped characters do it a disservice. There are some lovely moments between McGregor and Pooh, and the other Hundred Acre Wood characters (Tigger, Eyeore et al) are good fun. But this is not as clever as it thinks, and at times, it is so saccharine it is cloying. There will be certain people who will absolutely love this, but for me it was just OK.
In Cinemas Now!
There is also a lot going on, making it difficult to focus on the crux of the story. Indeed, I would imagine some of the younger audience members would find all the business banter in the luggage factory rather tedious and confusing. The premise is very sweet, and there are some nice moments – particularly when McGregor gets to let his hair down, and play like a child in Hundred Acre Wood. But overall, this is bogged down by the weight of its good intentions. It has enough humour to engage an audience, and will definitely evoke some feelings of nostalgia, but a predictable
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Frances Winston on Movies continued...
Directed by: Antoine Fuqua – Starring: Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo As much as I love Denzel Washington (love might be an understatement!), I was surprised when he was cast in the big-screen version of classic 80s TV show, The Equalizer. I just never really saw him in a role like that. However, he did a fine job filling the shoes of the late Edward Woodward, so it is hardly surprising that a sequel has now landed. Robert McCall (Washington) is still dispensing his own brand of vigilante justice to help those in need by night, while living a quiet nondescript life by day. He has taken a teenager in his building under his wing, and is working as a Lyft driver. However, when his former mother-in-law, Susan (Leo) is killed while investigating an apparent murder-suicide in Brussels, Robert has no choice but to investigate what really happened to her, and bring her killer to justice, even if they happen to be someone close to home. Antoine Fuqua helms again, and you would think that reuniting the dream team would yield some gritty results. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always prove to be the case here. The pacing feels much slower than the first movie, and there are a lot of sub-plots and loose ends to keep track of. For example, we never learn the reason for the staged murder-suicide in Brussels, meaning that it seems inconsequential, and you don’t really care about it. It seems like a plot point that has been shoehorned in. Washington is of course brilliant. I don’t think he could give a bad performance if he tried. And when he is given moments of brilliance in the script, he takes them and runs with them. However, Fuqua seems to want to take his time with this, and everything seems to happen so slowly that you often lose interest before the payoff. Throughout the film, we are made aware that a hurricane is coming, and lo and behold, the final big set-piece takes place during the storm. Unfortunately, Fuqua really, really, wants us to hear the intensity of the storm, which leads to some rather dodgy sound-mixing. I completely get what he was trying to do, but it just doesn’t work here. It looks great, and Denzel more than has the action-chops to pull it off. But the noise of the sea and wind is very distracting, and even detracts somewhat from the scene, as you can’t always hear the dialogue properly. If you liked the first one, this is essentially more of the same, just not executed as succinctly. It doesn’t live up to its promise, and is somewhat disappointing overall. It is basically a standard vigilante thriller, but could have been so much more. If you lower your expectations somewhat, you will find this entertaining, but if you expect the bar to be as high as the first one, you will find this a let-down.
In Cinemas Now!
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Frances Winston on Movies continued...
Directed by: Peyton Reed – Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Peña, Walton Goggins, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Tip ‘T.I.’ Harris, David Dastmalchian, Hannah John-Kamen, Abby Ryder Fortson, Randall Park, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Douglas Ant-Man was one of those movies that could have gone either way. As one of the lesserknown superheroes in the Marvelverse, and starring Paul Rudd, who is more known for his comedy turns than actionhero chops, fans really weren’t sure what to expect, but it turned out to be a fun movie and a huge hit. This bodes well for the sequel, which comes three years after the original. Rudd reprised his role as AntMan in Captain America: Civil War, but this is the first time we really get to see Lilly in action as The Wasp.
are trying to open a tunnel to the Quantum Realm, as they believe that Hope’s mother, Janet (Pfeiffer) – the original Wasp – is trapped there. Unfortunately, their miniature lab is stolen by a quantumly unstable woman, Ava/Ghost (John-Kamen) and they realise that they need Scott’s help to get it back and make contact with Janet. With his ankle-tracker safely attached to a giant ant in order to give the illusion that he is still at home, a reluctant Scott must try and help the duo, before the FBI arrive to officially release him, or risk having his sentence extended. Ant-Man & The Wasp is like the light to the Avengers’ shade. It’s fluffier than the usual Marvel offerings, with lots of humour, but not at the expense of some kick-ass action scenes. Rudd and Lilly have a fantastic chemistry, and their scenes work best when they don’t try too hard. Unfortunately, it sometimes feels like Lilly has been given and action sequence, simply to up the gender quota, rather than move the story forward.
In terms of the timeline, it takes place after the events of Civil War, and sees Scott/AntMan nearing the end of his house-arrest, following his actions in that movie.
All of the other cast are used well, and have their own moments to shine. There is no window-dressing here, and Reed has assembled a fine team of actors, all of whom can carry a film in their own right.
Meanwhile, Hope/Wasp and her father, Hank (Douglas)
This film is far more confident
that the first one. It is as if it has found its feet, and now knows where it’s going. The plot is a bit complicated, and there are numerous subplots, but you will manage to keep on top of them all, and the story never suffers because of the tangents. Visually it looks great, with some very impressive scenes of Rudd and Lilly’s transformation into their teeny tiny alter egos. The visualeffects are fabulous – but this is something you expect from a Marvel movie at this stage. It’s also refreshing to watch a Marvel movie that isn’t directly tied to another MCU offering. Although it references events of Civil War,Ant-Man & The Wasp works as a standalone flick. Ant-Man & The Wasp is a hard movie to dislike, even if you are not a fan of the comic-book genre. It is complete froth, but it is exceedingly charming, and has bags of personality. The two-hour run time may be a bit excessive, but the humour carries it through. Proof that super hero movies don’t have to be super heavy, Ant-Man & The Wasp is bubblegum for the eyes, but it definitely entertains.
In Cinemas Now!
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Theatre Review:
Jimmy’s Hall At The Abbey Theatre, Dublin
Frances Winston reviews Jimmy’s Hall, running at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, until September 8th Times: Mon – Sat 7.30pm, Sat Matinees 2pm Running time: 2 hours and 20 minutes including 20 minute interval Tickets: €13-€45 / conc. €13-€30 I had never heard the story of Jimmy Gralton – the only Irish man ever to be deported from his own country i.e. independent Ireland – until the Ken Loach film, Jimmy’s Hall, hit cinemas. I was amazed that he wasn’t someone we were being told about in history class in school. His story is fascinating, and also extremely unjust, as he fell victim to church and state who did not like his freethinking ideas. His crime – he built a hall where the local community could come together to dance and learn, and discuss politics and other contentious topics. That may not sound bad by today’s standards, but when you consider the stranglehold the church had on the state at the time, it was quite scandalous. The very idea that young women would wear short-sleeved dresses, and dance with abandon in the same room as men was shocking. This is the second run on the Abbey Stage for this show, which received rave reviews last time, and within minutes of entering the theatre it’s not hard to see why. Borrowing a conceit from
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Once the Musical, the cast are already on the stage playing popular songs (the trad-esque version of Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark is truly wonderful). This ensures that the audience are already in a party mood before the show actually begins. Since Loach’s film came out, Mickey D himself unveiled a statue to Jimmy, and at the beginning of the show we hear the speech he made, and are shown a picture of the real Jimmy Gralton, which, in a poignant touch, sits on the stage throughout. I couldn’t help but wonder what Jimmy would have made of all this! As the story progresses, from time to time there are asides explaining the Ireland of the era. It’s frightening to see that despite all the progress we’ve made, many things still haven’t changed. Particularly ironic is the footage of the Eucharistic Congress, and the local’s opposition to what it stood for. It could nearly be a scene about the forthcoming visit by the Pope. Although you know how this ends, you find yourself rooting for Jimmy – a man hugely wronged by the country of his birth. If you have any doubt of the strain it took on him, you only have to look at his picture on the stage. He is only in his 50s in it, but has the look of a man much older. Stage adaptations of movies don’t always work, but here, the restrictions of a stage-setting help to enhance the storytelling. By focusing all the attention on the hall, it helps heighten the sense of oppression that people were feeling at the time. The hall itself is wonderfully constructed, with musical instruments hidden throughout it, so that the cast can spontaneously break into song and dance. All the music is played and
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performed live, and there are some wonderful numbers and arrangements. The majority of the cast play an instrument, and all sing at some point, giving a real authentic community-hall feel to it. The script has both humour and pathos, and some beautiful interactions among the cast. The actors seem to revel in the dialogue, and their timing is spot-on. There is not one single bad performance here, and although it is called Jimmy’s Hall, it is a truly ensemble piece. This is a magnificent production, and should definitely be on everyone’s must-see list. It is well-written, well-paced, and educational, and most importantly, it is extremely entertaining. It will take you on an emotional roller-coaster ride. It will leave you wanting to know more about Jimmy, and the people involved, and you’ll be affected by it for days after you see it. A word of advice though – the ‘hall’ set is built on a lift, so avoid sitting in the first few rows or too far to the side of the theatre, as you will literally have to sit with your neck craned to see properly. They are offering front-row seats for €13, but trust me, spend the extra and get a seat where you can truly appreciate the fabulousness of this show. For more information, and to book tickets, go to: https://www.abbeytheatre.ie/whats-on/ jimmys-hall/
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Cast Molly: Catherine Bell Jimmy: Richard Clements Sean: Muiris Crowley Doherty: Aindrias de Staic Mossy: Alan Devally Tommy: Brian Gilligan Father Sheridan: Bosco Hogan Oonagh: Lisa Lambe Brendan: Andrew Linnie Marie: Sarah Madigan Tess: Ruth McGill Alice: Bríd Ní Neachtain O’Keefe: Donal O’Kelly
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Dublin Fringe Festival 2018 – September 8 to 23! Dublin Fringe Festival returns this year for another two week city take-over, with 16 days of brand new shows from dreamers and doers, wordsmiths and radicals, crafters and grafters, pirates and bad bitches, September 8th to 23rd. Dublin Fringe Festival has announced its 24th edition, as the festival gears up for yet another magnificent city take-over this September, introducing the hottest new talent across 23 venues – from a vintage bus travelling around the Phoenix Park to City Hall; from Stephen’s Green to outside the GPO; inside your earphones and on the heads of iconic Dublin statues. The festival prides itself on making and creating spaces for artists throughout our city, while the many Fringe partners, along with makers and doers, together champion their ideas, making the impossible possible. Dublin Fringe is Ireland’s largest multidisciplinary arts festival, and home to the bold and brave showcasing brand new ideas for the first time. This year the festival will run for 16 days and nights, stage an impressive 80 productions, 554 performances, with 55 world premieres. Fringe introduces the hottest new talent, and connects artists with audiences. As a
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year-round organisation, it sources and develops talent – for example, artists like Alison Spittle, Rusangano Family, and the hit play Dublin Oldschool, which has been made into a movie, in cinemas now – and it all started at Dublin Fringe. Ruth McGowan, Dublin Fringe Festival’s new artistic director says: ”This programme is pulsing with energy, adventure and joy. It’s a festival of firsts – each of the 80 events are brand new and happening in Dublin for the very first time at Fringe. We’re introducing the essential voices you need to hear from – I can’t wait for you to meet them.” This year’s edition is as ambitious as ever, and Fringe is making sure the right person has the biggest microphone to tell their story. The 2018 festival programme has eight chapters to get stuck into. These include: Parties, Club Nights & Gigs: Dublin afterdark demands your attention. Throbbing dancefloors and hot gigs to send you home starry-eyed. Fringe is championing Club Culture as an essential part of the cultural fabric of our city Inventors & Mavericks: Works that defy categorisation: live art, dance, theatre, music and genre-bending performance 13 Good Plays: New writing from playwrights you need to know
A LINE OF O’KANE – DEIRDRE O’KANE at the Dublin Fringe Festival
Punchlines: Uproarious stand-up, improv and musical comedy that will leave you begging for more Young Radicals: Five cool shows for those on the right side of adulthood, as our Fringe for Young Audiences strand returns for a second time in association with Collapsing Horse
Want a big night out? A great adventure? The freshest new art? You’ll find it all at Fringe. DUBLIN FRINGE FESTIVAL 2018 runs city-wide from September 8 – 23. All 2018 Fringe events are now on sale at
Sharpened Senses: Tune in and reach out with intimate sound art, live art, and visual art
fringefest.com or 1850 FRINGE (1850 374 643) from August 29.
Bodies in Time: Feats of dance, circus, performance and physical theatre
Facebook – https://www.facebook. com/dublinfringefestival
Show up, See it first. Watch as Fringe transforms Dublin’s map into stages and performances that will make you stop in your tracks.
Twitter– @dublinfringe / #dublinfringe Instagram– @dublinfringefest
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Assisted Solo – Philip Connaughton’s New Show at Dublin Fringe Festival Assisted Solo – a new, multilayered, personal dance piece by Company Philip Connaughton at the Dublin Fringe Festival from 7 to 15 September 2018, with a performance at the Everyman, Cork, on 22 September, 2018 Company Philip Connaughton presents ASSISTED SOLO In partnership with Project Arts Centre Dublin and in association with The Everyman Theatre Cork Three performers dance their memories and hopes in this raw allegory of life. It’s about people using whatever they can to make their own perfect dance. It’s not always clear who’s assisting who. Assisted Solo is a new, multi-layered, personal dance piece by acclaimed choreographerperformer, Philip Connaughton, his long-time collaborator, Lucia Kickham, and French punk dance artist, Magali Caillet-Gajan. The show will debut at Dublin Fringe Festival from 7 until 15 September, with a performance at The Everyman, Cork on 22 September 2018. This funny and touching work will explore Philip’s relationship with his mother, as she 52 EILE Magazine
experiences advanced dementia, whilst also celebrating the roles we, as a society, play in ‘assisting’ each other through life. The artists will be joined on stage with a intimate present-day film of Philip’s mother, Madeleine, shot by Luca Truffarelli, which will play throughout the piece, as each artist assists each other in their own dance. Madeleine’s loving presence within the dance-piece will make us question how we, as a society, deal with the ageing body, whilst also celebrating the final days of her ‘solo’. A newly-released trailer is available to view and downland here. Philip Connaughton, founder of the Company says: “The dynamics of my relationship with my mother have greatly changed over the last few years, as I have become one of her carers, whilst she lives with dementia. Our evolved bond has really opened my eyes into seeing how we, as a society, address our older generations and the illness. As dancer I am well versed in supporting my fellow dancers in our movements – with Assisted Solo, I want to explore and highlight how important it is that we all support each other to live our best ‘solo’”. Choreographer and performer, Philip Connaughton, has toured his work extensively throughout Ireland and France, and performed at international venues including MOMA, New York. Recent dance
Image: Luca Truffarelli
credits include the Extraterrestrial Events, Whack!! and award-winning Tardigrade. He has also worked in theatre and opera, including Cork Opera House’s sell-out production of Annie, Der Vampyr for Cork’s Midsummer Festival, The Gate Theatre’s production of The Threepenny Opera for Dublin Theatre Festival, and Noel Coward’s The Vortex – also at The Gate. He was Choreographer/Associate Director on Faust at The Everyman, and in 2015, he also choreographed The Bloody Irish for PBS TV, America, and I’m Your Man for THISISPOPBABY for the Dublin Theatre Festival. Magali Caillet-Gajan is a highly acclaimed French artist, having performed for over 20 years with various contemporary dance companies. She worked with Phillipe Decouflé on the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the 1992 Olympic Winter Games at Albertville, and has also worked with other artists, such as Christophe Salengro, Boris Charmatz, Odile Duboc, Mathilde Monnier and Les Carnets Bagouet.
Lucia is a Dublin-based dance artist. Having trained in The Netherlands, she has worked with many internationally acclaimed choreographers, including Dutch company, TRASH, Liz Roche Company, John Jasperse and Maria Nilsson Waller. Lucia has performed in Dublin Dance Festival, Belfast Theatre Festival, Edinburgh Fringe, and toured throughout the UK, Sweden and The Netherlands. She has received the Dance Ireland Mentored Residency Award, was the recipient of the 2015 Tyrone Guthrie/Firkin Crane residency award, and most recently received the 2018 Hatch Award from Dance Ireland. Her first full-length work On.Pulse. premiered in March 2017, supported by the Arts Council. • TICKETS ON SALE FRINGEFEST.COM AND EVERYMANCORK.COM
philipconnaughton.com Vimeo // Facebook // Twitter // #AssistedSolo
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Liz Roche Company – new contemporary dance work for Cork Opera House Sept 7 & 8 Liz Roche Company presents I/THOU at the Cork Opera House, 7 & 8 September, 2018 Liz Roche Company presents a major new contemporary dance work for the Cork Opera House stage in collaboration with celebrated Cork composer Linda Buckley. I/THOU is a major new dance work from Liz Roche Company, responding to the work of the iconic visual artist Brian O’Doherty. Emerging out of artistic dialogues between Brian O’Doherty and Liz Roche, this new dance show will draw upon the complex notations and symbolism in O’Doherty’s landmark work One Here Now – The Ogham Cycle – large scale wall murals, first painted in 1996 at the Sirius Gallery in Ireland’s iconic harbour town of Cobh. Liz Roche’s latest dance and music production re-works these paintings into dynamic choreographic patterns and stories that explore notions of physical identity, language, history and landscape, running at Cork Opera House for two shows only on September 7 & 8. Co-produced by Cork Opera House and Liz Roche Company, and in partnership with Sirius Arts Centre, I/THOU is a dance of connection in the disconnected world we live in. Reflecting on O’Doherty’s work, and also upon his working process, Roche has found common threads with her own choreographic process, and is crafting a new dance piece with her hallmark richness and complexity. She commented:
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“The creation of I/THOU has proven to be artistically enriching from day one. Emerging from the rich and layered textures and emotions of One Here Now is a surprisingly physical and rigorous movement quality that touches into heightened and dynamic energies that I had not originally expected to find. The heart of the work feels intensely human and complex, and yet, there is a serene logic emerging at every turn”. For this production, Roche has brought together an extraordinary team of creative collaborators and dancers, including a newly-commissioned score from renowned Cork composer, Linda Buckley, that will be performed live by three singers and a cellist. This work is co-commissioned by Sirius Arts Centre and Cork Opera House, and is the recipient of a significant Making Great Art Work/Open Call award from the Arts Council of Ireland. Liz Roche Company is company-inresidence with Dublin Dance Festival 2017–19, and Civic Theatre Tallaght, also 2017–19. DANCERS – Sarah Cerneaux, Miguel do Vale, Gloria Ros Abellana, Ailish Maher, Jack Webb & Kevin Coquelard. MUSICIANS – Robbie Blake, Suzanne Savage, Vivienne Hassell, Ilse de Ziah (cello). CREATIVE TEAM: Choreography by Liz Roche Music Composition by Linda Buckley
Set and Costume by Joe Vanek Lighting Design by Stephen Dodd Musical Director John O’Brien Times, Dates, and Venue: CORK OPERA HOUSE, Emmet Place, Cork City Opens Friday, 7 September | 8.00pm | €15/€12 Runs until Saturday, 8 September | 8.00pm | €15/€12 Box Office – Tel:021 427 0022 / corkoperahouse.ie *Approximate duration of show – 60
Minutes FURTHER INFO at: https://www. lizrochecompany.com FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook. com/lizrochecompany TWITTER: @LizRocheCompany
A Co-production with Cork Opera House & Liz Roche Company Commissioned by Cork Opera House in partnership with Sirius Arts Centre Supported by the Arts Council Open Call Award 2018
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Rough Magic premieres a brand new stage adaptation by Arthur Riordan of James Joyce’s first novel, for the Dublin Theatre Festival 2018. The play premieres at the Pavilion Theatre, Dun Laoghaire, from 26th September to 7th October 2018, and tours to 8 venues nationwide until November 3 (listing below). Rough Magic will present the world premiere of James Joyce’s seminal novel, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, in Arthur Riordan’s vibrant new stage adaptation, brought to life by a dynamic, new, creative ensemble of actors and designers, under Ronan Phelan’s direction. The play will premiere at Dublin Theatre Festival this September, before embarking on a nationwide tour until November 3 (FULL TOUR INFO at roughmagic.ie ). The play focuses on the spiritual rebellion of Stephen Dedalus, and his restless search for artistic self-expression. Rough Magic’s ensemble cast will take us on a thrilling theatrical odyssey around Ireland, from Galway to Waterford, and from Letterkenny to Tralee, towards the liberation of the soul and its rejection of faith and fatherland. The central role of Stephen Dedalus will be played by multiple members of the ensemble, both male and female.
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Written in the crucible of the political and artistic explosion of the early twentieth century, this is essentially the story of Joyce, Ireland’s great re-inventor of the English language. “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man plays with the notion of identity in all its complexity and mutability; national identity, personal identity, authorial identity. In this fast moving, mercurial production, these myriad identities are pulled apart, drawn together, reflected and refracted in a dizzying interpretation of Joyce’s first novel.”- Arthur Riordan A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST ENSEMBLE CAST: Martha Breen / Amy Conroy / Peter Corboy / Aoibhéann McCann / Karen McCartney / Paul Mescal / Conor O’Riordan / Kieran Roche CREATIVE TEAM: Director: Ronan Phelan Stage Adaptation: Arthur Riordan Lighting Design: Sarah Jane Shiels Set & Costume Design: Katie Davenport Sound Design & Composition: Denis Clohessy TOUR VENUES: PAVILION THEATRE, Dun Laoghaire
Dublin Theatre Festival: Rough Magic premieres A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN 26 Sep - 7 Oct Previews: Wednesday 26 & Thursday 27 September | 8.00pm | €22 Opens: Friday 28 September – Sunday 7 October | 8.00pm | €27/€24
Box Office – Tel: 074 912 0777 / angrianan.com
Matinees: Saturday 29 September & Saturday 6 October | 2.30pm | €22
Box Office – Tel: 051 874 402 / theatreroyal.ie
Box Office – Tel: 01 231 2929 / paviliontheatre.ie DUNAMAISE ARTS CENTRE, Portlaoise Tuesday 9 & 10 October | 8.00pm | €21 / €18 Box Office – Tel: 057 866 3355 / dunamaise.ie AN GRIANÁN THEATRE, Letterkenny Friday 12 & Saturday 13 October | 8.00pm | €20 / €15 Box Office – Tel: 074 912 0777 / angrianan.com BACKSTAGE THEATRE, Longford Tuesday 16 & Wednesday 17 October | 8.00pm | €18 / €16
THEATRE ROYAL, Waterford Friday 19 & Sunday 20 October | 8.00pm | €21 / €18
EVERYMAN THEATRE, Cork Tuesday 22 – Thursday 24 October | 8.00pm | €27 / €25 Box Office – Tel: 021 450 1673 / everymancork.com GLÓR THEATRE, Ennis, Co Clare Saturday 27 October | 8.00pm | €18 / €16 Box Office – Tel: 065 684 3103 / glor.ie TOWN HALL THEATRE, Galway Tuesday 30 & Wednesday 31 October | 8.00pm | €22 / €20 Box Office – Tel: 091 569 777 / tht.ie
Friday 2 & Saturday 3 November | 8.00pm | €21 / €19 Box Office – Tel: 066 712 3055 / siamsatire.com FURTHER INFO at: http://www. roughmagic.ie FACEBOOK: https://www. facebook.com/RoughMagi cTheatreCompany/ TWITTER: @ RoughMagicIRL Dublin Theatre Festival runs from 27 September to 14 October, and features a tantalising selection of brand new work, including fresh versions of classic plays and adventurous international productions, created by renowned artists, as well as emerging voices, and aimed at children, young people and adults. DTF is a festival for Dublin, a communal celebration of theatre from Ireland and across the world, and everyone is invited to be part of it. www. dublintheatrefestival.com
SIAMSA TÍRE, Tralee EILE Magazine 57
Design: Anthony Zagariko, exclusively for EILE Magazine
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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. EILE Magazine 59
Club GASS at Galway Pride! Looks like the members of Club GASS, Galway’s LGBT club held at the Róisín Dubh in Dominick Street, had a great time at Galway Pride. The Pride Parade started at 1.30pm on Saturday at City Hall, and the Club GASS Pride Party, hosted by Miss Kiki St Clair and including Paul Ryder and Davina Devine, was held on Saturday from 3pm. Just have a look at some of the Club GASS photos taken on Galway Pride day below and following pages!
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Mayor of Galway, Niall Mac Nelis, and Miss Kiki St Clair
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The Róisín Dubh, Dominick Street, Galway, where the very successful Club GASS, Galway’s LGBT+ 62 EILE Magazine
Miss Tammy Wanit on board the Club Gass float
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Information and support for women who need someone to talk to
DLL – Phone: (01) 872 9911 (Callback facility available) 64 EILE Magazine
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Gay Pride parade in central Istanbul, Turkey, July 1, 2018 - Image: REUTERS/ Osman Orsal
Turkey criticised for boycott of Eurovision over LGBT performers Turkey’s boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest for including gay and transgender performers, such as bearded Austrian drag queen Conchita Wurst, was criticised on Thursday as an attempt to “erase the LGBT community” in the country. Turkish Radio and Television (TRT) head, Ibrahim Eren, said Turkey was unlikely to take part again next year because the spectacle features LGBT singers. The country has not participated in the longest-running international annual TV music competition since 2012.
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“First they banned Pride in 2015, then the film festival in Ankara and now Eurovision. It’s an attempt to erase the LGBT community within Turkey” “As a public broadcaster we cannot broadcast live at 9pm, when children are watching, an Austrian with a beard and a skirt, who claims not to have a gender and says ‘I am a man and a woman at the same time’,” Eren said. Turkey would return to the contest once this “confusion in mentality (is) corrected”, he said, according to a report by the state-run Anadolu news agency on Saturday. Eren’s comments provoked dismay among Turks living in Britain. “It’s a chain of events,” Musa Igrek, a London-based journalist, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “First they banned Pride in 2015, then the film festival in Ankara and now Eurovision. It’s an attempt to erase the LGBT community within Turkey.” Despite legalising gay sex in 1858 under the Ottoman Empire, modern-day Turkey restricts certain gay rights. Same-sex marriages are not recognised, for example, and lesbians do not have access to IVF.
protest at the gay pride ban. Eurovision has a long tradition of LGBT presenters and performers. In 1998, Dana International became the first transgender performer to win the contest. Wurst became a gay rights icon after winning the competition in 2014. She has since credited the show with being a “bubble of inclusivity and respect”. “The Eurovision Song Contest’s values are of universality and inclusivity, and our proud tradition of celebrating diversity through music,” said a spokesman for the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which produces the show. “TRT has made a huge contribution to the contest in the past, including hosting the event in Istanbul in 2004, and we would very much welcome them back should they decide to participate again,” the spokesman added. Bamidele Madamidola, Thomson Reuters Foundation (eile.ie 13 August 2018)
In July this year, Turkish riot police used tear gas and rubber bullets against activists who assembled in the capital, Istanbul, in
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Romania must give residency rights to same-sex spouses, court rules (Reuters) Romania must give residency rights to samesex spouses of European Union citizens, the socially conservative country’s top court ruled on Wednesday. The Constitutional Court’s landmark ruling comes after a six-year legal battle by Romanian citizen, Adrian Coman, whose American husband, Robert Claibourn Hamilton, was denied residency because gay marriage is illegal in Romania. The couple, who married in Brussels, took their case all the way to the Constitutional Court last year, which then referred it to the European Court of Justice (ECJ). In June, the ECJ ruled that European Union states which have not legalised gay marriage must still offer same-sex spouses residency rights equal to those of straight couples. “In the arguments of the ruling, the Court has applied the considerations mentioned by the ECJ,” the Romanian judges said in a statement. Romania does not recognise gay marriage conducted abroad, and is one of a handful of EU states that do not offer civil partnerships. Few politicians openly support same-sex unions in Romania, where the Orthodox Church wields significant influence. “We consider the court’s decision an important signal for the political class, which must look at the LGBT community carefully and approve a law that legalises civil partnerships soon, to recognise gay couples, both from Romania and abroad,” LGBT rights group, MozaiQ said. However, a group called Coalition for the Family gathered 3 million signatures in 2016 to hold a referendum to change the constitutional definition of marriage to a union strictly between a man and a woman, from the existing “spouses”.
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“We consider the court’s decision an important signal for the political class, which must look at the LGBT community carefully and approve a law that legalises civil partnerships soon, to recognise gay couples, both from Romania and abroad" The head of the ruling Social Democrats has said he hoped to organise the referendum this year, while also leaving open the possibility of civil partnerships. If passed, the referendum would effectively rule out the possibility of legalising same-sex marriage in the future. - Luiza Ilie (eile.ie 19 July 2018)
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UN General Assembly approves Chile’s Bachelet as human rights High Commissioner (Reuters) – The United Nations General Assembly approved on Friday the appointment of former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet as the world body’s new human rights chief. UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, announced the appointment of Bachelet on Wednesday. She will replace Jordan’s Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, who is stepping down at the end of the month after a four-year term in the Geneva-based job. Guterres said Bachelet will take office “at a time of grave consequence for human rights.” “Hatred and inequality are on the rise. Respect for international humanitarian and human rights law is on the decline. Space for civil society is shrinking. Press freedoms are under pressure,” he told reporters on Friday. Bachelet, who was tortured under the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, was the first woman to be president of Chile, one of the region’s most developed economies. A former pediatrician, Bachelet first served as president from 2006 to 2010, and was popular for her government’s welfare policies and steady economic growth during her tenure. Bachelet then led UN Women, which supports gender equality and the empowerment of women, between 2010 and 2013. She returned to Chile and served again as president from 2014 to March this year, pushing for a more radical tax-and-spend agenda, as well as for gay marriage and abortion rights in the socially conservative country.
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Chile’s former President Michelle Bachelet in Valparaiso, Chile March 11, 2018 – Image: REUTERS/ Ivan Alvarado/File Photo
Zeid told reporters in New York earlier this month he did not seek a second term because he did not believe key world powers, including the United States, China and Russia, would support him. Zeid has been strongly critical of some of US President Donald Trump’s policies, and his attacks on the media. US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said in a statement on Wednesday that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights can have a “strong voice” on critical issues.
failures rather than accept the status quo,” Haley said. The United States withdrew in June from the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council, which is separate from the High Commissioner for Human Rights office, but works closely with it, over what it called chronic bias against Israel and a lack of reform. -Michelle Nichols at the United Nations (eile.ie 13 August 2018)
“The UN has failed to adequately address major human rights crises in Iran, North Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and elsewhere, or stop its chronic, disproportionate obsession with Israel. It is up to Ms Bachelet to speak out against these
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UK - LGBT Homeless Face Mental Health Issues, Exploitation & Family Rejection LGBT individuals are 14 times more likely to be homeless than straight people, largely due to being ‘rejected and ejected’ from home
and hostels to support them.
Soon after coming out as gay to his family, 16-year-old Samuel slept over at a friend’s house one night and never returned home, preferring to live with drug dealers, under archways, and sofa-surfing than feel excluded at home.
As cities around the world grapple with ways to protect LGBT homeless, the Mayor of London agreed in June to fund an LGBT shelter and community space in the capital, which will also provide addiction and mental health services.
Almost a quarter of young, homeless people are LGBT, according to the Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT), which set up Britain’s first emergency safe house for young gay people. “(I felt) scared and lonely and really annoyed at myself because I had a home really,” said Samuel, who did not wish to use his full name, now aged 26 and working in IT. “Just after some time away, you build up going back so much in your head, it becomes too big a thing to face.” Campaigners say LGBT people make up a growing portion of Britain’s homeless population, and face specific threats, from sexual exploitation to mental health issues, highlighting the need for specialised shelters
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Homelessness has risen in England for more than six years, with 80,000 families in temporary accommodation, government data shows.
Samuel spent more than two years living precariously among the hidden homeless, where his safety was often down to luck, he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Other homeless young LGBT people told him they regularly had sex with strangers for a bed, money or sense of affirmation. “LGBT+ young people in general are vulnerable to older people since all of the usual gay places are for over 18s, and mostly just bars,” he said. “It puts people in a position where they can’t access any kind of acceptance without the undertone of drinking or sex.” Although Britain is one of a handful of countries where LGBT people have equal constitutional rights, discrimination and
abuse remain rife. Almost eight out of 10 homeless young LGBT people say coming out to their parents was the main reason they lost their homes, the Albert Kennedy Trust said. “There’s an assumption that when you come out these days you’ll be accepted by your family, that things have changed,” said Tim Sigsworth, the charity’s chief executive. “Actually, legislation has changed but social attitudes take longer to catch up.” LGBT individuals are 14 times more likely to be homeless than straight people, he said, largely due to being “rejected and ejected” from the family home.
problem, and may feel uncomfortable staying in religious buildings, homeless charities say. “There’s just not enough safe accommodation for LGBT people and we need to find a whole different range of solutions,” said Bob Green, head of Stonewall Housing, which provides housing and advice to LGBT people. “We need to be providing support for people so that they can make a success of their accommodation, people need more than a roof.” -Adela Suliman, Thomson Reuters Foundation (eile.ie 14 August 2018)
Homeless and stigmatised, young LGBT people risk being drawn into the drug-fuelled ‘chemsex’ party scene, trafficked or infected through unprotected sex with multiple partners, campaigners say. They are often too scared to go into mixed accommodation, where bullying can be a
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Costa Rica’s top court rules against ban on gay marriage Costa Rica’s top court has ruled that a ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, a decision seen as a win for gay rights activists and welcomed by the country’s new president. The Supreme Court gave lawmakers up to 18 months to legalise gay marriage, which has long been opposed by the Roman Catholic Church and evangelical groups in the Central American nation. President Carlos Alvarado, who came to power earlier this year on a pro-gay rights platform, has publicly advocated same-sex marriage, and vowed to implement the ruling. “Our commitment to full equality remains intact,” he tweeted on Thursday. “We will continue to boost actions that guarantee no person will face discrimination for their sexual orientation or gender identity.” The decision follows a judgment issued in January by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR), the top rights body of the Americas based in Costa Rica. It said its signatory member countries, including Costa Rica, must grant equal rights to same-sex couples, including the right to marry. “We know it’s going to be an 18-month struggle but the battle is already won,” Marco Castillo, a lawyer and head of the LBGT rights group, Diversity Movement, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “It’s going to end with an equal marriage in Costa Rica.” The change is likely to face stiff opposition from conservative and evangelical lawmakers in Costa Rica.
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Image: Lonely Planet
But Supreme Court judge, Fernando Castillo, told reporters after the ruling that the ban on gay marriage would automatically cease to exist, if parliament failed to change the law by the deadline. Many countries in mainly Catholic Latin America and the Caribbean ban same-sex marriage, but that is slowly changing. Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay have all dropped their opposition in recent years. “(To) those who are against this, we say live and let live,” said Castillo. “Many oppose for religious reasons, but the Bible says love your neighbo[u]r.” -Anastasia Moloney, Enrique Andres Pretel – Thomson Reuters Foundation (eile.ie 12 August 2018)
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US - Transgender candidates could make history in upcoming races (Reuters) – Transgender candidates, running for political office in unprecedented numbers in the United States this year, could make history in upcoming primary elections by securing Democratic Party nominations in races in three states. Kim Coco Iwamoto is up for the party’s nomination for lieutenant governor of Hawaii on Saturday. Christine Hallquist leads in fundraising among Democrats seeking the nomination for governor of Vermont on Tuesday, and Alexandra Chandler is among 10 Democrats running in Massachusetts’ 3rd Congressional District on September 4. Any of them would be the first openly transgender person to win a major party nomination for such an office in the United States. “I do recognize the historic importance,” Hallquist said in an interview.
“That said, people in Vermont are going to elect me for what I’m bringing to Vermont. Very few people are going to vote because I am transgender.” The elections come at a time of uncertainty for transgender rights, which expanded under the administration of Democratic President Barack Obama. They have been reversed under Republican President Donald Trump’s
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administration, a victory for religious conservatives who only recognize traditional gender roles. The Trump administration has sought to ban transgender people from serving in the military, revoked anti-discrimination protection for transgender people in employment, and rescinded guidelines directing public schools to allow transgender students to use the bathroom of their choice. This year, 43 transgender candidates have run for political office at all levels in the United States, most of them Democrats, but a few running as independents, for the Green Party or for nonpartisan offices, according to Logan Casey, a research associate at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Only four have won primaries so far, all at the statehouse level, and have a general election ahead. Sixteen have lost primary or general elections, and 23 have yet to face voters, Casey’s research shows. Transgender candidates are hoping to build on the breakthrough year of 2017, when at least 10 won office across the country at levels, ranging from state legislator to zoning board – the most ever recorded. “It was so thrilling. It felt that we had entered this moment as a community in entering political space,” said Raffi FreedmanGurspan, director of external relations of the political arm of the National Center for Transgender Equality.
Vermont Democratic Party gubernatorial primary candidate Christine Hallquist, a transgender woman, speaks with Ben Watts and Nate Jarvis while campaigning on Church Street in Burlington, Vermont, U.S., August 8, 2018 - Image: REUTERS/Caleb Kenna Danica Roem won her race for the Virginia House of Delegates last year, and Minneapolis elected two transgender people to the city council, Andrea Jenkins and Phillipe Cunningham. This year transgender activists are pinning their hopes on Hallquist, who has raised $132,000, more than double the $50,000 raised by her nearest Democratic competitor, James Ehlers. Both are part of a five-person field seeking to challenge incumbent Governor Phil Scott, the likely Republican nominee, in the November 6 general election. Hallquist enjoys name recognition as the former David Hallquist, the onetime chief executive of the Vermont Electric Cooperative, who publicly transitioned to a female identity while leading the power utility in 2015. Most transgender candidates are running
in liberal locations. But in the conservative state of Montana, Amelia Marquez won the Democratic nomination for a state House of Representatives district in the Billings area, and will run against Republican Rodney Garcia on November 6. The National Center for Transgender Equality is supporting some candidates through its Action Fund, which has endorsed Hallquist and Iwamoto, and will be issuing more endorsements. “We, of course, want them to win. But win or lose, it shows the community that we’re here,” Freedman-Gurspan said. “We’re going to be speaking out.” -Daniel Trotta (eile.ie 12 August 2018)
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US - Trans students – A test of identity for girls' schools (Reuters) – Secondary schools for girls across the United States are grappling with a difficult and increasingly common question: What is the best approach when a student or applicant no longer identifies as female or is going through a gender transition? As students who are openly transgender or non-binary have become more visible at girls schools in recent years, educators are re-defining policies on admission, retention and other issues. The challenge, experts say, is to create policies that support and respect students, while preserving the historic mission of these schools to educate and empower young women in exclusively female environments. But many schools have yet to clarify policies related to gender identity, and that could keep some students from being open about their gender expression, 78 EILE Magazine
said Joanne Glusman, president of the Main Line Youth Alliance, who works with adolescents who are LGBTQ.
Morales, 18, a gender nonconforming activist who recently graduated from the Ann Richards School For Girls in Austin.
“There are certainly kids who don’t feel safe or comfortable coming out in their single-sex school,” Glusman said.
Among the dozens of girls schools contacted by Reuters, several said they had already developed transgender policies, some said they are having early discussions or have created taskforces and a number of others have taken no action.
Studies have shown transgender youth are often bullied and are more at risk of depression, anxiety, and suicide, among other mental health concerns, than their non-trans peers. A study by the University of Minnesota published in the journal Pediatrics found that almost 3 percent of 9th through 12th graders identified as transgender or gender-nonconforming, a term used to describe those who don’t conform to traditional gender conventions. On that basis, hundreds if not thousands of trans and non-binary students likely attend the about 375 girls schools in the United States, though no precise count exists. “Middle school and high school, that’s when you really start learning more about yourself and growing,” said Ezra
Many schools said they decide on a case-by-case basis whether a non-binary or transgender student who no longer identifies as a girl will stay, either as a matter of policy or in anticipation of more specific guidelines. That approach is in keeping with recommendations from a National Coalition of Girls’ Schools taskforce that educators make such decisions on “an individual basis,” rather than codifying rigid policies. But making case-by-case decisions can present problems due to the conscious or unconscious biases of administrators, according to Davey Shlasko, founder of Think Again, which trains schools on issues such as trans
Image: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
inclusion. That raises questions about basic fairness and could put a school in legal jeopardy, he said. Several schools, including the prestigious Marlborough School in Los Angeles and Nightingale-Bamford on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, have policies considering any applicant who identifies as female, including those assigned male at birth.
dropping the tradition of students wearing white dresses at graduation, a practice that Burke described as “clearly gendered.” But there are some girls schools that have not developed policies despite having openly trans or nonbinary students.
When it comes to retaining transitioning students who are already enrolled, Nightingale is “very much taking the caseby-case position,” said Head of School Paul Burke.
The National Cathedral School, an Episcopal day school in Washington D.C., has no formal policy even though they’ve had students transition in the past. “We’re not there yet,” said Scott Butterworth, the school’s director of communications.
With enrolled students who identify as male or gendernonconforming, he said Nightingale prefers to have a dialogue to make sure the school is still the best environment for them.
Stoneleigh-Burnham in Massachusetts, Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart in Miami, and Kent Place in New Jersey, also have no formal transgender protocols, but say they are discussing the issue.
In recent years, Nightingale and other schools have made more trans-inclusive accommodations, such as
Brearley, an exclusive private New York day school, said in its gender diversity statement it would accept any female-
identifying applicant, and work with and support transitioning pupils, including accommodating their choice of name and pronoun. They will, however, continue to refer to students en masse as “girls” or “young women.” Marlborough adopted practices two years ago for those who no longer identify as female; it allows students in 12th grade to graduate, and treats 11th graders on a case-by-case basis, but younger students are asked to switch schools. The school concedes that its practices could very well change in the future, however, as its thinking about the issue evolves. “We’re never going to be static,” said Head of School, Priscilla Sands. “We’re never going to say: ‘That’s what we wrote in 2016 and that’s what it will be forever.’” -Tea Kvetenadze (eile.ie 19 August 2018) EILE Magazine 79
Study Finds Adults May Use Facebook to Fulfil Attachment Needs A study, carried out by researchers from the School of Psychology at NUI Galway, has found that adults, whose close relationships are characterised by high levels of insecurity, may use Facebook in problematic ways. This may be in an attempt to fulfil their attachment needs, especially if they have low self-esteem, or when they experience high levels of psychological distress such as anxiety, stress, or depression, according to the study, ‘An exploration of the link between adult attachment and problematic Facebook use’, published (10 August 2018) in the journal, BMC Psychology.
questionnaires, which measured depression, self-esteem, attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety along with aspects of the respondents’ specific Facebook use.
To be able to investigate possible associations between problematic Facebook use and difficulties with forming personal attachments, the authors asked over 700 adult Facebook users to complete a series of online
The study found that those people with high levels of attachment anxiety were more likely to engage in social comparison and impression management on Facebook, and were more likely to disclose personal information
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The researchers investigated possible links between attachment avoidance (avoiding intimacy and closeness in personal relationships); attachment anxiety (fearing rejection and being overly dependent in personal relationships); and problematic patterns of Facebook use (Facebook use that has been previously linked to low mood and low self-esteem), such as compulsively looking at others’ photos, over-sharing personal information and impression management (using photo filters to present a positive self-image).
on Facebook when in a heightened emotional state. In addition to this, these individuals were more likely to use the site intrusively, such that it impacted upon their sleep, work/study, and social relationships. The researchers also found that those people with high levels of attachment avoidance were more likely to engage in impression management on Facebook, and had a greater tendency to use the site intrusively, to the detriment of their offline social relationships. Dr Sally Flynn, lead author of the study carried out at NUI Galway, commented: “Our study is the first to apply attachment theory to better understand why people might engage with Facebook in problematic ways. Our findings suggest that Facebook may be used by some to fulfil fundamental attachment needs, especially for those with low selfesteem, who are experiencing psychological distress.” The authors suggest that in
Image: NUI Galway
individuals with high levels of attachment avoidance, impression management may allow them to keep connected to others, by creating a positive image of themselves, while concealing aspects of themselves which they fear may not be acceptable to others. In those with high levels of attachment anxiety, a desire for closeness and intimacy may conflict with a fear of rejection. The creation of an online identity that is likely to be accepted and liked by others, for example in the form of comments or ‘likes’ – may be one strategy aimed at alleviating these concerns. However, screen-based mediums may not be able to truly satisfy an individual’s fundamental attachment needs; while those high in attachment insecurity may derive some comfort and relief from using Facebook in these ways, these benefits may be short-lived. According to the authors it may be important for mental health professionals to take their clients’ social media habits into consideration, when working therapeutically with them. Dr Sally Flynn, explained:
when in a heightened emotional state may feel even worse if they are disappointed by the quantity and quality of the feedback that they receive from their online peers. With this knowledge, clinicians may explore patterns of Facebook use with clients, which may be helpful in providing appropriate support and adapting therapeutic interventions.” Dr Kiran Sarma, a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at NUI Galway who coauthored the paper, added: “It is important to stress that the research does not suggest that there is something damaging about Facebook or other social media services, but rather, some people network online in ways that could be considered maladaptive, increasing distress and vulnerability.” He also cautioned that while the findings resonate with a growing body of scientific evidence on problematic internet use, further research is needed in this important area. To read the full study in BMC Psychology, visit:
“Professionals involved in providing https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/ psychological and psychotherapeutic support articles/10.1186/s40359-018-0245-0 may need to consider that for some users, specific patterns of Facebook use may be (eile.ie 11 August 2018) maintaining or even exacerbating negative psychological outcomes, such as low mood and depression. For example, a person who disclosed their personal problems on Facebook EILE Magazine 81
Indonesia: Vice-Presidential Candidate Has Anti-Rights Record The decision by Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to select Ma’ruf Amin as his vice-presidential running mate in the 2019 presidential election, raises questions about Jokowi’s commitment to improve human rights protection for all Indonesians, according to Human Rights Watch. Amin, who has been the chairman of Indonesia’s Ulama Council (Majelis Ulama Indonesia, or MUI), and leader of the Nahdlatul Ulama since 2015, has played a pivotal role in fuelling worsening discrimination against the country’s religious and gender minorities. Over the past two decades at the MUI, Amin has helped draft, and has been a vocal supporter of, fatwas, or religious edict decrees, against the rights of religious minorities, as well as LGBT people. Although not legally binding, these have been used to legitimise increasingly antigay rhetoric by government officials against LGBT people. “Amin has been central to some of the most intolerant elements of Indonesian contemporary religious and political culture, so fear of the negative impact he could have on the rights and safety of religious and gender minorities is well founded,” said Phelim Kine, deputy director of Asia division at Human Rights Watch. Jokowi explained his decision to make Amin his running mate on the basis that “we complete each other, nationalistic and religious.” Jokowi has been the target of attacks by his opponents who accused him of pursuing liberal secularism, and of secretly being Christian, or the son of communist parents. Amin’s selection indicates an effort at least in part to rebut these attacks. Ma’ruf Amin has a well-documented history of intolerant views, including: In February 2016, the MUI called for the criminalization of LGBT activities. Amin personally justified this on the basis that “homosexuality, whether lesbian or gay, and sodomy is legally haram and a form of crime,” That has helped fuel dangerous
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Joko Widodo, Indonesia’s president, left, with Ma’ruf Amin, top Islamic cleric and vice presidential candidate – Image: hrw
levels of anti-LGBT discrimination and led to arbitrary and unlawful raids by police and militant Islamists on private LGBT gatherings. These abuses have effectively derailed public health outreach efforts to populations vulnerable to HIV infection. In March 2015, the MUI called for same-sex acts to be subject to punishments ranging from caning to the death penalty. It equates homosexuality with a curable disease with related sexual acts “that must be heavily punished.” Jokowi’s decision to make Amin his running mate will compound widespread public cynicism about his administration’s failure to deliver on electoral promises to address Indonesia’s pressing human rights problems. He has released some Papuan political prisoners and announced a vague plan to address decades of gross human rights violations, including the massacre of up to 1 million people in 1965-1966. However, Jokowi has largely ignored security force impunity for rights abuses, and violations of women’s rights and religious freedom. He has also embraced the use of the death penalty for convicted
drug-traffickers, and has spoken out only once, and in highly ambiguous terms, in defence of the country’s beleaguered LGBT population. During Indonesia’s May 2017 United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process, the Indonesian government rejected multiple recommendations by UN member states including those on issues related to the rights of LGBT people, the abusive blasphemy law, and the death penalty. An Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs official described the recommendations as “hard to accept” for reasons including the vague and undefined notion of “Indonesian conditions.” “Ma’ruf Amin has already shown he has no hesitation in putting vulnerable minorities at risk,” Kine said. “Jokowi will need to prove that he values his obligation to defend the rights and dignity of all the Indonesian people above pandering to extreme intolerance for short term political gain.” (eile.ie 15 August 2018)
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Information and support for women who need someone to talk to
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