AUG 2020
CONTENTS
GSCENE magazine D www.gscene.com T @gscene F GScene.Brighton PUBLISHER Gscene Magazine CIC EDITORIAL info@gscene.com ADS+ARTWORK design@gscene.com
EDITORIAL TEAM Jaq Bayles, Rory Finn, Graham Robson ARTS EDITOR Michael Hootman SUB EDITOR Graham Robson DESIGN Michèle Allardyce COVER STARS Gscene Pride covers
PRIDE 2010 PRIDE 2009
FRONT COVER CONTRIBUTORS Simon Adams, Jo Bourne, Nick Boston, Brian Butler, Billie Gold, Richard Jeneway, Craig Hanlon-Smith, Samuel Hall, Frances Hubbard, Laurie Lavender, Alf Le Flohic, Enzo Marra, Eric Page, Emma Rylands, Gay Socrates, Michael Steinhage, Glenn Stevens, Netty Wendt, Roger Wheeler, Kate Wildblood
PHOTOGRAPHERS Creag Aaro, Steven Chantrey, Chris Jepson, Nick Ford, Michael Hootman, Frances Hubbard, Jack Lynn, Neil Masey, Simon Pepper
FEATURES 16 TRANS PRIDE ONLINE
PRIDE 2008
PRIDE 2006
Graham Robson chats to Sarah Savage about the highlights of Trans Pride © GSCENE 2020 All work appearing in Gscene Ltd is copyright. It is to be assumed that the copyright for material rests with the magazine unless otherwise stated on the page concerned. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in an electronic or other retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior knowledge and consent of the publishers. The appearance of any person or any organisation in Gscene is not to be construed as an implication of the sexual orientation or political persuasion of such persons or organisations.
18 BREXIT IS COMING... Cat Walker asks is it time to leave the UK?
19 MOVING TO BRIGHTON Fabio Dragotta and his partner sought gay sanctuary in Britain
20 WE ARE FABULOSO! Jaq Bayles talks to Paul Kemp about Pride’s three-day online festival
22 THE GAY DAY BEFORE PRIDE Alf Le Flohic looks back at the founding years of Brighton’s gay movement
23 GLF - SO MUCH MORE THAN ‘SO-GAY’
3 News
ARTS 48 52 53 53 56
Arts News Classical Notes All That Jazz Arts Matters Page’s Pages
Craig Hanlon-Smith charts the history of the original gay activists
REGULARS
24 30 YEARS OF QUEER
46 60 61 62 63 63 64 64 65 65 66
Maibh Shiels asks Allsorts worker Reuben Davidson: how far have we come?
25 REVOLUTION AND EVOLUTION Jaq Bayles takes a look back over Prides past
26 MEMORIES OF BRIGHTON PRIDE People share their memories and photos of Prides past and present
40 LGBTQ+ VENUES Which of our LGBTQ+ venues are returning and what do they have planned?
51 OSKA BITES - LOVE BITES Oska Bright Film Festival celebrates Pride with some short films that explore the intersection of queerness and disability
54 BEARING WITNESS MICKLOS PRIDE 2001
NEWS
Artist Josef Cabey talks about his work and its heightened importance in today’s political climate
58 THE SCOOP ON THE SCOOP Cat Walker reveals the trials and tribulations of getting her debut novel published this year
Turn Back the Pages Shopping Craig’s Thoughts MindOut Wall’s Words Gay Socrates Golden Hour Stuff & Things Village MCC Laurie’s Allotment Scene It, Done It
INFORMATION 66 Classifieds 67 Services Directory 68 Advertisers’ Map
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THE LEDWARD CENTRE, LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL CENTRE
BRIGHTON PRIDE SOAPBOX - CHANGING OUR LGBTQ+ FUTURES WITH PASSION
KAMARI ROMEO
JAMES LEDWARD
Community help is needed with an exciting new LGBTQ+ community project in the heart of Brighton & Hove
) Gscene and Brighton & Hove Pride have together arranged a series of talks on Zoom for the week leading up to Brighton & Hove Pride Weekend, with keynote speakers Peter Tatchell, Sam Hall, and Kamari Romeo. The talks will also be livestreamed on the Gscene Facebook: www.facebook.com/Gscene.Brighton/ and available on YouTube within a few days. Each talk will be followed by the opportunity for you to join in the discussion, and to ask questions.
KAMARI ROMEO “The space will be known as The Ledward Centre, LGBTQ+ Community & Cultural Centre.
The benefits of an LGBTQ+ Community Centre were first mooted in the Count Me In Too report ten years ago. James, along with Chris Gull, chair of the Brighton Rainbow Fund, started looking in earnest for suitable premises four years ago, and at last it looks as though the perfect place has been found.
“They say ‘It takes a village’ but now that we have almost certainly secured the premises, ‘it’s going to take a community’ to realise the project. It really will be all hands to the deck, and we’re now asking everybody who would like to be involved in this exciting venture to let us know what they can offer, as volunteers where possible, both in creating it and then being part of the team.
CHRIS GULL
Subject to contracts being signed and necessary change- of-use permissions granted, those premises are in Jubilee Street, right next door to Jubilee Library.
PETER TATCHELL
) After years of searching and negotiating, one of the late James Ledward’s dreams looks about to come true.
) Black trans actor, poet and activist A Guide To Intersectional Activism A practical guide to anti-racism with the focus on black women, black LGBTQ+ and black disabled 7.30pm, Tuesday, July 28, 2020 D To register (free) go to https://bit.ly/3fHWi9L
“Moving on we will need trustees for the Community Interest Company that we’ve formed, a working party to include those who can help in planning, project managing, architects, designers, project managers, accountants, fundraisers, builders, shopfitters, and volunteers who can bring time, energy and life experience to move this all forward.
PETER TATCHELL
) Veteran LGBTQ+ rights campaigner and activist Queer Liberation: Why LGBTQ+ Equality Is Not Enough The need to transform society rather than just seek equal rights within the flawed hetero-dominated status quo 7.30pm, Wednesday, July 29, 2020 D To register (free) go to https://bit.ly/32whtYT
“If you can help, please complete this short form at: https://bit.ly/3eRHGnd and we’ll get in touch with you.
DR SAM HALL
Chris Gull said: “As time has gone on the potential of what this new centre could contain has grown. We are envisioning a community café, LGBTQ+ bookshop, exhibition foyer, studio theatre, meeting room/cinema, classrooms, office for Gscene, community radio station... so it’s grown from a community centre to be more.
JUBILEE LIBRARY
“Please put the word around.”
DR SAM HALL
) GP, trans rights campaigner and Gscene contributor Gender: A Tool Of Oppression 7.30pm, Thursday, July 30, 2020 D To register (free) go to https://bit.ly/3jnvXQD
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RADIOREVERB FUNDRAISER: PRIDE ON AIR 2020
BITTER SOUR PRESENTS: CULT - A MAGICAL PRIDE
) RadioReverb, ‘The Sound of Your City’, is set to celebrate Brighton & Hove Pride with Pride on Air 2020 on Saturday, August 1 from 8am on 97.2FM, DAB+ or via www.radioreverb.com. Bringing together Brighton's diverse and inspirational LGBTQ+ community, this full day of programmes is dedicated to all things Pride and all money raised on the day will be split between RadioReverb and the Brighton Rainbow Fund, which gives grants to local LGBTQ+/HIV organisations that deliver effective frontline services to LGBTQ+ people in the city.
SAPPHHIC VOICES LEANNE MCKENZIE &KATIE LAMBERT
Broadcast on co-host Count Addiction's Facebook fan page @CountAddiction, join some of the country's top alt performers for an immersive, magical Pride show, including: co-host Cherry Fakewell and special guests Zorana Dawn, Melanin Monroe, Mandrake, Roxie
Cleopatra, Vlad Von Kitsch, Oedipussi Rex, Paul Aleksandr and Rose Gould. Cherry Fakewell, says: “It’s the future and being queer and LGBTQ+ has been outlawed. We’ve all been driven underground and the ONLY way to conquer the bad is to delve into the spells of the occult. Come my pretties, for this is one ritual you won’t want to miss.” F For more info, visit: www.facebook.com/events/293175 058401621/
ALFIE ORDINARY’S COLOURING BOOK performers, including Dolly Rocket, Miss Jason and Davina Sparkle. It will be available for free (Alfie is suggesting you make a donation to The Brighton Rainbow Fund) as a digital download for you to colour in on your device or print at home.
ALFIE ORDINARY
From 8am on Saturday, August 1 till 2am on the morning of Sunday, August 2, RadioReverb will be highlighting LGBTQ+ voices and stories with a mix of music and speech from RadioReverb's broadcasting talent, including: • Sapphist Inspiration: poetry, skits, monologues and recordings of Sapphic women from history by the Sapphic Voices team; • Producer of HIV Hour, Josh Sharp, joins forces with the Brighton Bear Weekend for a series of interviews and mini-mixes from DJs Rob C, Neil Borrett and Josh himself; • Interviews with leading LGBTQ+ organisations with RadioReverb director and host of the Politics Show, Geoffrey Bowden; • Ear Candy with a look at the virtual drag show CULT: A Magical Pride; • Music to soundtrack your day from English Disco Lovers, and live programmes from Ears Wide Open and Slipstreem Worldwide Beats; • More programmes TBC.
) Grab your wands and your spell books for Bitter Sour Presents: CULT - A Magical Pride on Facebook on Saturday, August 1 from 8pm, free but Paypal donations encouraged on the night.
) To help you celebrate Brighton & Hove Pride from home this year and raise money for The Brighton Rainbow Fund, local Drag Prince Alfie Ordinary and illustrator Phoebe Kirk have put together a colouring book featuring a selection of Brighton's most fabulous drag
Chris Gull, chair of Brighton Rainbow Fund, said: “Wow! How brilliant that RadioReverb is raising funds for us to distribute to local LGBTQ+ and HIV projects as grants to ensure that their work can continue. This is a tough year for all charities and organisations, and we’re so grateful to all the RadioReverb listeners for your generosity. We promise that every penny will be spent.”
The Brighton Rainbow Fund gives grants to local LGBTQ+/HIV groups that deliver effective frontline services to LGBTQ+ people in the city. D To download your book, visit: www.alfieordinary.com D For more info and to donate, visit: www.rainbow-fund.org
Ben Noble, a director at RadioReverb, added: “RadioReverb has always had close connections with the city's LGBTQ+ community as part of our mission to give a platform to under-represented voices. Sadly, the lockdown this year is likely to mean a substantial drop in funding for the Brighton Rainbow Fund, which distributes grants to local LGBTQ+ charities and community groups. This fundraiser is our way of giving support back to the community, amplifying their stories as we showcase some of our talented LGBTQ+ presenters.” ) RadioReverb: Pride on Air 2020, Saturday, August 1 from 8am, 97.2FM, DAB+ or at www.radioreverb.com D For more info on the Brighton Rainbow Fund, visit: www.rainbow-fund.org
DAVINA SPARKLE
CHRIS GULL
HIV HOUR, JOSH SHARP
Members of the community have the chance to appear on air by sending voice recordings of their Pride stories. Some questions to get you started: What does Pride mean to you? How are you celebrating Pride this year? What is your favourite memory of Pride? For the chance to be broadcast to Brighton & Hove, simply record yourself on WhatsApp or any voice recording app and email it to office@radioreverb.com before Thursday, July 30 with the subject line PRIDE STORIES. No swearing please!
DOLLY ROCKET
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) Miss Jason, a patron of Isle of Wight Pride (IW Pride) made a special visit to the island last month to announce next year’s Isle of Wight Pride will take place on Saturday, July 17, 2021, and will once again be supported by Hovertravel.
The trustees said: “We’re disappointed we can’t be out and about celebrating IW Pride with the LGBTQ+ and Island community. So, we are delighted and welcome the news that Hovertravel has agreed to continue its support and to partner us in 2021.
While this year’s Isle of Wight Pride was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, organisers are inviting the community to post on its Facebook page (@IWPride) their memories from previous prides on the Island or tell them what Isle of Wight Pride means to them and dress up for the occasion. Five lucky posts will each receive a pair of VIP tickets for next year’s IW Pride, including a VIP Hovertravel Pride Experience.
“It means we can move forward with plans for next year, which subject to diaries will feature Cheryl Hole, one of the first contestants on RuPaul's Drag Race UK who was booked to appear this year.
ANDREW LOGAN
MISS JASON REVEALS DATE OF ISLE OF WIGHT PRIDE 2021
RAINBOW HEART RAISES £2,000 FOR MINDOUT ) Andrew Logan, British sculptor and creator of Alternative Miss World, raised £2,000 for LGBTQ+ mental health charity MindOut last month by auctioning off a wearable Rainbow Heart piece that he sculpted after being inspired by the rainbow symbols we have seen showing thanks to key workers during the coronavirus pandemic, and that are also an emblem of Pride. Andrew Logan said: “I’m so pleased that my Rainbow Heart project has helped to raise over £2,000 for MindOut. Donations came from all over the world and totalled twice the original target. I’m thrilled to bits to provide support to help LGBTQ+ people experiencing mental health problems and hope this money will help provide the vital support that MindOut charity provides.”
“We also hope to brighten the day with shared memories and alternative ways to celebrate today on Facebook”
BELINDA WRIGHT
D For more info, visit: www.iwpride.org
Donations were made over 12 days on his JustGiving page and concluded with a raffle draw, where one donator’s name was chosen to win the unique Rainbow Heart as a prize. The lucky winner was Belinda Wright from Battersea, who said: “It’s gorgeous and I completely love it. I have always admired Andrew’s work and am so thrilled to own this unique work of art.” MindOut works to improve the mental health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ communities and to make mental health a community concern. Lucy Kamper, business development manager at MindOut, said: “It's a difficult time for fundraising and every penny will help LGBTQ+ people experiencing mental health distress to get the vital support they need to prevent suicide, reduce loneliness and helps us challenge stigma.”
MISS JASON
D For more info on MindOut, visit: www.mindout.org.uk D For more info on Andrew Logan, visit: www.andrewlogan.com
SONG TO RAISE FUNDS FOR MINDOUT
DAVINA SPARKLEE
) Davina Sparkle, who kept folk entertained during lockdown with her regular online show broadcast from
Sparkle Towers, has revealed she raised a total of £300 for the Brighton Rainbow Fund, which gives grants to local LGBTQ+/HIV groups that deliver effective frontline services to LGBTQ+ people in the city. Davina says: “Because of you, I‘ve been able to raise a total of £300 for the Brighton Rainbow Fund! Online shows are very different from having a live audience but I hope that they have bought you some camp and fun.” D For more info, visit: www.rainbow-fund.org
TY & KATHERINE PIC BY MAX ELLIS
DAVINA SPARKLE RAISES £300 IN TOTAL FOR BRIGHTON RAINBOW FUND
) Ty Jeffries, aka Miss Hope Springs, has teamed up with powerhouse dance music diva Katherine Ellis to perform the song A Little Bit Of Hope. 100% of all proceeds from downloads of the song will be donated to MindOut as its services have been impacted significantly by the current pandemic. Ty and Katherine recorded the track virtually in lockdown and have filmed a socially distanced video. Katherine sang the song as part of Brighton & Hove Pride’s first ever digital event and Ty Jeffries, who also wrote the song, accompanied her on keyboards. The video can also be seen on Youtube and MindOut’s website and the charity is fundraising as part of a JustGiving campaign. D To donate, visit: www.justgiving.com/campaign/MindOutPride2020 Y To view the video, visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qec5QphsUu4&feature=youtu.be
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ALLSORTS OF COMING OUT
SURVIVORS’ NETWORK RECEIVES EMERGENCY FUNDING BOOST ) Katy Bourne, Sussex Police & Crime commissioner (PCC), successfully secured £700,000 of emergency funding for Sussex after the government announced a package of £20m to support victims and survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence.
Ryan Gingell, Allsorts’ Brighton & Hove project manager and writer/collator of the resource, said: “In today’s world, there are many ‘out’ LGB+ children, young people and adults. However, most of us are still living in and growing up in communities where the norm is to be straight/heterosexual. We know that the reality for many people will be very different to the assumptions that are made about them so the young people of Allsorts Youth Project wanted to come together and share their stories, ideas and tops tips about what sexual orientation and coming out means to them.” With 45% of LGBTQ+ students having been bullied at school for being LGBTQ+, and 52% having reported to regularly hear homophobic language at school (Stonewall School Report, 2017), it is clear that though society has come a long way, there is still much work to be done in changing the hearts, minds and attitudes towards LGB+ people, and in reassuring LGB+ young people that they are not alone. Allsorts’ new resource also provides a wide array of coming out stories from young people through to staff members. One Allsorts youth president says: “If I had one piece of advice to give my younger self, it would be to not be scared; it’s okay to take your time with coming out and if it changes over time that's totally okay and you are 100% valid!” D To read or download Allsorts of Coming Out alongside Allsorts’ various resources for LGBTU+ children and young people, visit www.allsortsyouth.org.uk/resources/toolkits-booklets-guides D For more info on Allsorts, visit: www.allsortsyouth.org.uk If you’re aged 5-25, LGBTU+ and need support, email youth@allsortsyouth.org.uk
MINDOUT FREE MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING FOR LGBTQ+ VOLUNTARY SECTOR WORKERS Wednesday, August 5, 10am–12pm: Mental Health 101 with trainer Chris Barker. This workshop is an introduction to mental health for LGBTQ+ workers and volunteers with no formal experience in the mental health field. Learning outcomes include: greater understanding of LGBTQ mental health; increased knowledge and skills in responding to mental health needs; compare ‘recovery’ and ‘medical’ models of care; and practice using recovery focused language. Thursday, August 13, 3-5pm: Mindfulness Practices for Self-Care with trainer Josetta Malcolm. In this interactive workshop you will explore what self-care is, why we need it and how we can use it to support mental, emotional and physical health. Explore the importance of self-care to balance work and life. Learning outcomes include: learning a range of techniques to increase our self-care, which will allow us to look after our mental health and wellbeing; creating a simple plan for embedding these practices into our daily lives to bolster our wellbeing for the future.
JOSETTA MALCOLM
CHRIS BARKER
) MindOut, the LGBTQ+ mental health charity, is running free mental health training workshops for LGBTQ+ voluntary sector workers during August.
The sessions are open to anyone working or volunteering in the LGBTQ+ voluntary community and social enterprise sector. There are 20 places per workshop. Individuals can book on to a course (first and second choice). If you have to cancel let them know in advance so the space can be offered to another person. D To book onto a course, email: e.streeter@nhs.net D For more info, visit: http://ow.ly/dG8T50AuNCb D For more info on MindOut, visit: www.mindout.org.uk
Survivors’ Network, which supports survivors of sexual violence and abuse in Sussex, was one of 21 local support services to receive a grant. The charity was awarded £30,718.77 to deliver vital services for survivors in Sussex, supporting them through potentially increased trauma during lockdown. The funding also facilitates a safer return to delivery of services, and supports existing services that have been stretched during the pandemic. Jay Breslaw, who accepted the grant award on behalf of Survivors’ Network, said; “We’re delighted to have been awarded this grant from the PCC. With this generous funding we will be able to increase the safety of our service provision and better support survivors all across Sussex.”
JAY BRESLAW
RYAN GINGELL
) Allsorts Youth Project has released a new Coming Out resource, written by and for young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual+ (LGB+) or unsure of their sexual orientation.
Commending Survivors’ Network on its successful bid, PCC Bourne said: “Many of our local support services have struggled financially through lockdown, having to rapidly adapt their services to ensure help remains
PCC KATY BOURNE
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available for those in need. We’re already seeing more people coming forward for help and, as lockdown restrictions loosen further, we must be prepared for an even greater influx. “Survivors’ Network is a wonderful example of many organisations in Sussex working hard to ensure that victims do not suffer in silence during this pandemic and beyond. This money will help them to recoup and expand their valuable services so they can continue to provide vital support to our most vulnerable.” If you have been a victim of crime you can find details of help and support on the Safe Space Sussex website: www.safespacesussex.org.uk If you have experienced sexual violence at any point in your life, or are supporting someone who is a survivor, Survivors’ Network can support you through counselling, ISVA support and their twice-weekly Helpline. D To find out more about their work, visit: www.survivorsnetwork.org.uk, email info@survivorsnetwork.org.uk N or call 01273 203380.
RIDE WITH PRIDE ) Pride Out, an inclusive LGBTQ+ cycling group which welcomes all ethnicities, gender identities, sexualities, ages and abilities, has launched a branch in London and South East England and is inviting you to join its Facebook group to chat with other rainbow riders and share pictures and selfies of your social distancing bike rides. Richard Hearne, chair of Pride Out, said: “We recognise that LGBTQ+ cycling has been underrepresented in the UK for far too long. Since launching an LGBTQ+ inclusive and friendly cycling group in the North West in 2019, we’ve been overwhelmed by the response of cyclists and encouragement from large organisations including Stonewall, Cycling and British Cycling;
this has included cyclists from all over the country asking if we put on rides in their region. This got me thinking about whether we could put on bike rides in London and the South East. In the coming months, after lockdown, we hope to organise some trial group rides to see what demand is like. Don’t forget to tell your friends about this group if they like to cycle or you think they may like to start – there’s no better time.” D To get involved, visit www.facebook.com/groups/prideout southeast/ D For more info, email: hello@prideout.co.uk
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BHCC LAUNCH FUND FOR BAME COMMUNITY GROUPS
JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF BGMC ) The wait is over. Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus (BGMC) recorded its first video from home last month – an uplifting version of Just Can’t Get Enough, performed to bring some joy and fun to living rooms during the coronavirus pandemic. BGMC said: “We asked our members what they just couldn't get enough of during the
lockdown. Whether it was the company of their pets, teddy bears, or erm... toiletries?! Really hope you enjoy it as much as we did making it and if you do, please share.” Y To see the video, visit: https://youtu.be/yn_yVD_DVsU D For more info, visit: www.brightongmc.org
) LGBT Switchboard will once again be hosting a Grief Meets – Exploring Grief Through Creative Writing workshop over Zoom with guest Dinos Aristidou bringing some new material to enable participants to explore their grief on Monday, August 3 from 6.30pm.
DINOS ARISTIDOU
EXPLORE GRIEF THROUGH CREATIVE WRITING WITH SWITCHBOARD
After the success of the previous workshop, Switchboard is offering another opportunity for anyone LGBTQ+ to explore experiences of grief and loss through writing. In the workshop, you will take part in a variety of creative writing exercises and reflective activities to unlock inspiration and provide different perspectives on your experiences.
at Mayflower Theatre, Southampton 2017-18 and has written for the Nuffield, Southampton, Contact in Manchester and two commissions for Forest Forge Theatre Company. His work on reflection, self-care and compassion, brings together his ‘Art of Kindness’ research and projects at the Bethlem Royal hospital, with international schools worldwide and No previous writing experience with Community Union. He is required. Participants who wish to may currently writer and artistic director of share any writing they produce but this the New Writing South Hear Us Out is not required or expected. project, a celebration based in the Here’s what participants said about the South East of older LGBTQ+ real life stories and creativity. last workshop in June: “I found the session powerful and healing.” “Thank you for the wonderful workshop. I really got a lot from it.” “Dinos is a sensitive and intuitive facilitator who created a safe and D To join the workshop, email Jackie: confidential space for me to share my grief.encounters@switchboard.org.uk feelings.” You will be sent the ZOOM link prior to Dinos Aristidou has written and directed for the stage in the UK and overseas. He was writer-in-residence
the workshop. D For more info on LGBT Switchboard, visit: www.switchboard.org.uk
CILLR CARMEN APPICH
) A fund for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community groups in Brighton & Hove was launched last month by Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC). The Engagement Fund, part of the BHCC’s Communities Fund, which supports local community groups, voluntary organisations and not-for-profit social enterprise, will support projects that improve the wellbeing of BAME residents and promote fairness. A total of £25,000 is currently available and groups can apply for grants of up to £2,000 to help with running costs and activities. Cllr Carmen Appich, chair of BHCC’s Tourism, Equalities, Communities & Culture Committee, said: “This funding is specifically aimed at improving wellbeing and promoting fairness for BAME communities in the city as part of our work to tackle inequality. Coronavirus has had a disproportionate impact on BAME residents and shone a light on the inequalities endured by BAME residents. Our city is super-diverse, and I want to make sure that our BAME community groups have access to funding they need. As well as having a specific funding stream dedicated to BAME groups, using feedback from community and voluntary sector partners, officers have reviewed the application process to make it as accessible as possible.” The fund is open to organisations which: • Are BAME led and/or have a predominantly BAME membership • Have an annual income of £20,000 or less • Aim to improve wellbeing, build cohesion or promote fairness The deadline for application is Friday, September 11, 2020. Support and advice will be available to help groups interested in applying for a grant. D To apply, visit: www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/life-events-andcommunities/community-and-voluntary-sector-support/communities-fund
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WWW.GSCENE.COM INTERNATIONAL GAY RUGBY SAYS WORLD RUGBY DRAFT OF REVISED GUIDELINES FOR TRANSGENDER ATHLETES IS FLAWED ) International Gay Rugby (IGR) has directly addressed the transgender and non-binary rugby-playing community with the message ‘You will always be welcome to play rugby’, following reports that ongoing work to update World Rugby guidelines would exclude transgender women from the game.
Following a meeting of stakeholders from across the sporting world in February 2020, attended by IGR, a first draft of revised guidelines for transgender athletes in rugby has been circulated to National Unions for feedback. This draft was supposed to remain confidential, however it was leaked to a news outlet by an unknown source. IGR has stated proposed guidelines, if implemented, would introduce significant barriers to entry for transgender athletes when compared to the current policy adopted in 2019. The change, it says, is based on studies of transgender people who have athletic training that is not specific to rugby experience. The proposal does state that World Rugby is willing to fund extra research in this area. IGR goes on to say that in general, the proposal seeks to implement an irrational standard without suitable research. These guidelines, geared towards elite rugby players, will, according to IGR, significantly affect amateur rugby players, who comprise the overwhelming majority of rugby participants in the world.
KARL AINSCOUGH-GATES
The proposal also contains commitments to work towards an ‘open’ category of mixed-gender rugby union. IGR has stated it is firmly opposed to any measures based on a 'fundamentally flawed' Separate but Equal principle that would exclude transgender athletes from playing contact rugby. IGR has stated it will continue to actively work to keep transgender athletes’ boots on the pitch. Karl Ainscough-Gates, chair of IGR, said: “It’s very surprising to see the restrictive turn that this review of the guidelines has taken, especially with the lack of research that has been conducted. Rugby has always been a sporting role model for diversity and inclusion. We will be working with World Rugby to uphold those commitments and ensure that rugby remains a welcoming and open environment to transgender athletes. “To anyone transgender or non-binary who is doubting whether rugby is a sport for them after reading these reports, our message is very clear - Come and play rugby with us! You will always be welcome in IGR.” IGR is calling on World Rugby to immediately repudiate and disavow the proposed change in policy, which it states goes against the principles of the 2018 agreement – an agreement that was brought about after an inclusive planning process involving Megan Anyadwe and Verity Carl Smith who represented IGR. IGR also calls on World Rugby to recommit itself to the existing agreement and to move forward with IGR as full partners. D For more info on IGR, visit https://igrugby.org
BAN CONVERSION THERAPY CAMPAIGN
) Ban Conversion Therapy, a campaign founded by Harry Hitchens and Matthew Hyndman to bring public attention to the issue of conversion therapy in the UK and ensure a comprehensive ban which fully protects the LGBTQ+ community, sent a letter to Liz Truss MP, minister for women & equalities, last month urging for a ban of conversion therapy in the UK. The letter, which was signed by a number of public figures, musicians, MPs and religious leaders, including Tim Sigsworth, CEO of Albert Kennedy Trust; Sir Nick Partridge, HIV activist; and Susie Green, CEO of Mermaids, said: “Theresa May, as prime minister, vowed to eradicate this
‘abhorrent’ practice in 2018 and since then the British public has been waiting expectantly, not least the LGBTQ+ community… Let’s end it now. Let’s finish what was pledged two years ago and ban conversion therapy for all LGBTQ+ and gender diverse people, of all ages – until you do, torture will continue to take place on British soil.” D To see full letter and signatories, visit: www.banconversiontherapy.com/the -letter Ban Conversion Therapy works closely with the nation’s leading LGBTQ+ charities and human rights organisations to deploy campaigning activities which urge governments into effective action.
D For more information, visit www.banconversiontherapy.com, email info@banct.org or follow on Twitter @banctorg
RAINBOW HONOURS PRIDE POWER LIST 2020 Jake Graf, writer, director, actor, trans advocate.
) Rainbow Honours has published the Pride Power List 2020, which celebrates people who do everything in their power to make LGBTQ+ life that little bit brighter. This year’s list comprises publicly nominated LGBTQ+ individuals who’ve made a difference over the past 12 months through campaigning, speaking at international events or writing for publications across the globe. Top of the Pride Power List 2020 is Ben Hunte, who was appointed the BBC’s first ever LGBTQ+ correspondent in 2019, marking a watershed moment for reportage on sexuality and gender. Also making the list: Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, co-founder of UK Black Pride; Mzz Kimberly, trans singer and actress; Nancy Kelley, chief executive of Stonewall; Ian Green, chief executive of THT; Holly Greenberry, founder and cochair of Intersex UK; Natasha Walker, co-chair of LGBT Switchboard; and Hannah Graf, the highest-ranking transgender officer who became the Army’s Transgender Representative as part of the Army LGBT Forum, and
Rainbow Honours says: “The Pride Power List is the definitive guide to those in the LGBTQ+ community and our allies who are dedicated to working towards true LGBTQ+ equality and inclusion. Although the United Kingdom enjoys some of the most progressive equality legislation on the planet, workplace equality, equal marriage and the right to adopt children – while important – have not been able to wipe out homophobia. “Homophobic and transphobic hate crimes are on the rise; Twitter is often a cesspool of gay hatred and parents are openly objecting to their children being taught that not all relationships involve one man and one woman. That’s why the Pride Power List is more important today than ever.” D For more info and to see the full list, visit www.pridepowerlist.com
HANNAH & JAKE GRAF
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MATTHEW HYNDMAN & HARRY HITCHENS
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WWW.GSCENE.COM LIB DEMS TABLE BILL FOR ‘X’ GENDER OPTION ON PASSPORTS
This change would bring the UK into line with other countries such as Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Denmark, Germany, India, Netherlands and New Zealand that already include non-binary gender options on passports, as well as 18 US states that allow residents to mark gender ‘X’ on their driving licence.
CHRISTINE JARDINE
In 2016, parliament’s cross-party Women & Equalities Committee said that “the UK must follow Australia’s lead in introducing an option to record gender as ‘X’ on a passport.” However, the government refused to implement that recommendation. In March, the Court of Appeal ruled that the Home Office’s refusal to introduce an ‘X’ gender option is not unlawful. Christine Jardine said: “There are hundreds of thousands of people in the UK who do not identify as exclusively male or female, but the Conservative government still refuses to give them
the dignity of recognising their identities. Introducing an ‘X’ gender option on passports is a relatively small change that would make a big difference to so many people’s lives. I find it utterly incomprehensible that this Conservative government still refuses to follow the example of so many other countries and make this change. “Liberal Democrats will always stand up for the rights and dignity of trans, intersex and non-binary people. We must combat the hostility and discrimination that prevents too many people from living freely and fulfilling their potential.” Nancy Kelley, chief executive of Stonewall, added: ‘It’s vital that nonbinary people are able to have their gender recognised on official documents, including passports. Travelling abroad can present many challenges for nonbinary people, and trans communities more widely, who can face intrusive questions and difficulties at passport control. That’s why we urge the government to include an ‘X’ category on passports, so non-binary people can have documents that reflect who they are.’
NANCY KELLY
) Ahead of International NonBinary People’s Day on Tuesday, July 14, Liberal Democrat equalities spokesperson Christine Jardine presented a Private Members’ Bill in the House of Commons to require the Government to introduce an ‘X’ gender option on passports. Jardine’s Nongender-specific Passports Bill, supported by Stonewall, would “require the secretary of state to make non-gender-specific passports available to non-gendered, non-binary and other people who do not identify as, or exclusively as, male or female.”
D For more info on Stonewall, visit: www.stonewall.org.uk
INTERMEDIA UK WRITES OPEN LETTER TO PM SUPPORTING TRANS COMMUNITY ) InterMedia UK, an LGBTQ+ network group for people working across all areas of the media spectrum, which aims to support a more LGBTQ+ inclusive media industry, has written an open letter to prime minister Boris Johnson to express its support of the trans community following reports that the government intends to strip back planned reforms to the Gender Recognition Act (GRA). With some of the UK’s biggest media companies involved, include Disney, Discovery, NBC Universal, Endemol Shine UK, Financial Times and more, the open letter is an opportunity for the media industry to express its support for and safeguard the rights of trans employees and colleagues, and also an opportunity to enact active allyship. The letter: Dear Prime Minister, We, as a collective of organisations from the media and entertainment industry, are writing to express our support of the trans community. As it stands, the UK is a global leader in LGBTQ+ equality – and the government has been right to work closely with businesses to advance equality on the world stage. We all strive to be trans-inclusive organisations and believe that a diverse workforce, including trans employees, offers greater business success. With this in mind, we would be opposed to any policy or legislation changes that impact the trans community negatively. Trans people have always been able to use single-sex facilities that match their gender, and the Equality Act 2010 codified this. Additionally, it has been widely reported that the 2018 public consultation on GRA reform shows up to 70% of respondents agreed that it was appropriate to remove additional barriers to trans people being able to identify and live authentically. Failing to honour the government’s commitment to implement the consultation findings, and even increasing restrictions on trans people’s ability to live authentically, benefits no one. It would mean changes to working environments that would make it hard for trans and non-binary people to focus on their work, preventing them from being able to travel safely, and inhibiting them from operating in society. We hope that we can continue to be part of discussion about the future of trans equality in the UK, working together to make progress for the trans community and ensure our businesses maintain the diverse perspectives
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WWW.GSCENE.COM FIRST SAME-SEX COUPLE TO MARRY IN NORTHERN IRELAND CRITICISE FAILURE TO DELIVER FULL MARRIAGE EQUALITY
PARIS LGBTQ+ & ALLIES MARCH FOR EQUALITY AND JUSTICE Lives Matter and chanted “Everybody hates the police”.
) Sharni and Robyn Edwards-Peoples, the first same-sex couple to legally marry in Northern Ireland, have criticised the region’s secretary of state, Brandon Lewis MP, for the delay in allowing same-sex weddings in churches and conversion of existing civil partnerships to marriages. The couple issued a call for urgent action by the secretary of state, on the one-year anniversary of the House of Commons’ vote to extend same-sex marriage to Northern Ireland, which passed an amendment from Conor McGinn MP on Thursday, July 9, 2019. Same-sex civil marriage became legal in Northern Ireland on Monday, January 13, 2020, and the first wedding took place on February 11 when Sharni Edwards and Robyn Peoples married in Carrickfergus. However, couples who wish to have a religious ceremony as part of their wedding, or who wish to convert their civil partnership to a marriage, are still not able to do so – the only part of the UK or Ireland where this is the case. Campaigners are calling on the secretary of state to lay new regulations in parliament and introduce these changes as a matter of urgency. Weddings in Northern Ireland can take place indoors from Friday, July 10, the Stormont Executive has agreed.
) Three-thousand LGBTQ+ people and allies marched though Paris last month calling for equal rights and racial justice. The march took place a week after the original date for Paris Pride 2020, which like many other Prides around the world has been postponed due to Covid-19.
ROBYN PEOPLES AND SHARNI EDWARDS
A diverse crowd marched behind a banner which declared “Our pride is political”. A number of marchers carried banners in support of Black
Emma Vallée-Guillard said the rally took place in response to calls made by several groups and that it was important to mark the event. “Pride, in the beginning, was a riot,” she said, referencing the Stonewall riot in New York in 1969. This year marks the 51st anniversary of that first Pride gathering. Giovanna Rincon, director of Acceptess-T, which defends transgender people, said: “The danger of rolling back our fundamental rights is very present and the epidemic has revealed multiple factors of exclusion, discrimination and violence.”
PIC CAP
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Paris Pride 2020, organised by Inter-LGBT, is now scheduled for Saturday, November 7, 2020.
HULLABALOO QUIRE RAISE £2,458 FOR WATER AID
Sharni Edwards-Peoples, said: “We loved having our big day back in February surrounded by the people we love. It was a dream day for us and we want everyone to have the same chance to enjoy that feeling. But, by not laying the necessary regulations at parliament, the secretary of state is stopping many couples from being able to plan their own big day.” Robyn Edwards-Peoples, said: “As we emerge from lockdown, and with weddings now permitted, there will be a lot of couples hoping to have long-awaited wedding days. But same-sex couples like us, who want to have a religious ceremony or who want to convert their civil partnership, can’t even plan a date for their weddings at the moment.” Under government plans, same-sex couples in Northern Ireland should be able to get married in a religious ceremony where the church or other faith groups wish to offer such weddings, but no church would be compelled to offer same-sex weddings. Similar arrangements are already in place in the rest of the UK and Ireland. There are more than 1,200 same-sex couples in Northern Ireland who currently have civil partnerships. Plans should allow same-sex couples with an existing civil partnership to convert this to a marriage through a simple administrative process. Patrick Corrigan, Northern Ireland director of Amnesty International, part of the Love Equality campaign for marriage equality, added: “A year on from the historic vote by the House of Commons to extend same-sex marriage to Northern Ireland, the government needs to stop this inexplicable hold-up and end the uncertainty and inequality for hundreds of couples. We urge the secretary of state to use the remaining two weeks before summer recess to lay the necessary regulations in parliament.” The Love Equality campaign for equal civil marriage in Northern Ireland is led by the Rainbow Project, Here NI, Amnesty International, Irish Congress of Trade Unions, Cara-Friend, and NUS-USI. D For more info on the Love Equality campaign, visit: www.loveequalityni.org
Paul Diello, Dorothy Oger, Rosie Bergonzi, Adrienne Thomas, Michael James Parker, Katrina Quinn, Bela Emerson, Dryadic, Chris & Moussa Sylla, Gil Savage, Liz Walker and Terry McDonnell.
) It’s not been an easy term for Hullabaloo Community Quire since lockdown, but under the guidance of creative captain Kirsty Martin, the choir produced an online cabaret show last month that has attracted over 700 views and helped to raise £2,458 (and counting) for Water Aid.
Hullabaloo Community Quire said: “It was a wickedly watery night with choir members singing from in their bathtubs and under umbrellas, poetry readings in rivers, dancers drenching their garden, visits to the seaside and swimming pools and loads more.”
Live Stream!, which premiered on Thursday, July 16, took the place of what would have been the second Sing for Water, which is an annual singing event where choirs across the country Hullabaloo is now busy planning for its help to raise money for Water Aid. autumn term, which begins on Monday, September 14, 7–8.45pm. Hullabaloo made two brand new choral Everyone who loves to sing is welcome videos, its first in fact, for the event. to join. There are no auditions and all The choir performed a Sing for Water songs are taught by ear. favourite, Singing in the Rain, and dedicated the Simple Minds 1980s Y To watch the show, visit: classic Don’t You Forget About Me www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiaO2 to members of the choir still in WpMDrI&feature=youtu.be isolation. D To donate to Water Aid, visit: Hullabaloo was joined by poets, www.justgiving.com/fundraising/hul musicians, singer-songwriters, labalooquire-livestream percussionists and dancers, including D For more details, visit: Robb Johnson, 3 Bucket Jones, www.hullabalooquire.org
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UK’S FIRST SILVER PRIDE Craig Burton, organiser and FoD founder, said: “Older LGBTQ+ people are twice as likely to be living alone, and six times more likely to suffer from mental health issues, often related to loneliness and isolation. We strongly believe inter-generational friendships and events like Silver ) The UK’s first Silver Pride took Pride are vital to help tackle these place on Saturday, July 25 and problems. Lockdown has exacerbated Sunday, July 26 to celebrate older the issues of isolation and loneliness, LGBTQ+ people and help tackle but we’re determined to make sure loneliness and isolation. Famous faces the older generations have a reason in the virtual event included Miriam to celebrate and socialise online. Margoyles, Carol Vorderman, Divina de Campo, The Sundaes, Berlinda Scandal & Michelle Eagleton, aerial dancer Aerial Mel, Gaydio's Jessie Brooke, BBC’s Owain Wyn Evans and Olly Woodcock, vocal group The Sunday Boys, actor David Bedella, fashion designer Ben de Lisi, Britain's Got Talent's Rob King, music artist and Channel 4 presenter Jsky and TV Vet Dr Paul Manktelow. The event also featured drag make-up, mental health “2020 marks 50 years since the first masterclasses, live DJ sets and Pride march; it’s important we performances from choirs, musicians, remember the sacrifices the older dancers and storytellers. LGBTQ+ community made for us. They took to the streets to campaign and fight for our rights, and paved the way to enjoy life as we do today. Hosting an online celebration for them is the least we can do. Silver Pride is all about championing inclusion and celebrating and connecting with our older communities. It’s a celebration of LGBTQ+ history, our freedom of expression and recognition of the Money raised will help event organiser battles the older community faced for Friends of Dorothy (FoD), a social us – and the battles they continue to enterprise with groups in Leeds and face.” Manchester, provide valuable D www.friendsofdorothy.org.uk lifelines for the older LGBTQ+ T Follow @ friends_dorothy community.
FEATURE
HAIR REPLACEMENT BY OLLIES THE BARBERS If you’re suffering from hair loss, Ollies the Barbers in Hailsham, a drive of only 30 minutes or so from Brighton, offers the expertise, care and attention to improve your self-esteem with the NEU Hair 4 Men Hair Replacement Systems. Ian Meacher, who has been a barber for more than 25 years, tells Gscene how it works and the great results you can expect. At Ollies, we have a team of three barbers - me, Connor Neal and Donna Smith. NEU Hair 4 Men is an innovative, non-surgical hair replacement system made with 100% human hair and guaranteed to give you a younger and fresher look. For more info, visit www.neuhair4men.co.uk At Ollies, we’re here to help and look after you through the entire process. We offer a FREE consultation, where my fully trained wife Liz Hibbard will discuss your requirements, your lifestyle, as this will determine the type of base you will need, the process and the costs involved. If you want to proceed, we will colour match your hair and do a glue patch test.
After your consultation we’ll see you again you in a week’s time when the transformation begins… We’ll cut your hair into the style you want - a picture may help - and then we explain how to look after your hair system and give you a booklet with top tips and more info. Every four weeks you’ll need maintenance. Here we remove your hair system, wash and clean it and exfoliate your scalp and cleanse, clipper the hair that has grown and reapply your system and recut. If you look after your hair system, it can last up to six months.
NEU Hair 4 Men normally costs £795 but we are offering it for just £595 For more info, give us a call on 01323 842026 or pop into Ollies the Barbers, 26 High St, Hailsham, BN27 1BJ F Ollies the Barbers
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WWW.GSCENE.COM Andrew Lumsden, 78, said: “We insist on gathering in plain sight every year because for 2,000 years we were told to be invisible. This is the 50th calendar year in which we’ve walked the walk in London. We who were there in 1971 and 1972 walk now on behalf of our contemporaries who are too unwell, locked-down or far away, to join us. Many have already gone to LGBTQ+ heaven. And we walk in honour of the young who are fighting in every country around the world. We think of LGBTQ+ people in Hong Kong, Poland, Chechnya, Brazil and Indonesia, who seek the dignities that ought not be denied to anyone.” Stuart Feather, 80, said: “Gay Liberation was the cosmic big bang beneath heterosexual and gay society with its call to come out – be visible – break the taboo. From revolutionary chaos emerged two driving issues: misogyny and feminism. And two questions: what does it mean to be lesbian or gay, and how do we liberate ourselves? Based on the English revolution and the Quaker idea that ‘my word is my bond’, LGBTQ+ liberation will be the work of generations before there is general acceptance that without harm to others, my sexuality, my chosen gender, is my bond with society and no-one’s business but my own.”
GAY LIBERATION FRONT CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF PRIDE Twelve of the last surviving activists from the London Gay Liberation Front (GLF), 1970-74, some in their 70s and 80s, marched in London on Saturday, June 27 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of GLF and to reclaim Pride with political demands. ) This year’s Pride in London parade on Saturday, June 27 had been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic but GLF veterans marched anyway, on the same day, along the same route, that the official Pride parade was due to follow. The march was coordinated by Peter Tatchell who was an activist in GLF, which was formed in 1970 and ignited the modern LGBTQ+ protest movement in the UK. The veterans and 40 supporters each wore face masks and observed social distancing. They began outside the BBC and followed the planned official Pride route down Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus and Haymarket to Trafalgar Square, where there were speeches from GLF veterans. Putting politics back into Pride, the five demands of the GLF Pride march were: 1. End UK detention and deportation of LGBTQ+ asylum seekers; 2. Let people define their own gender, not doctors or the state; 3. Mandatory LGBTQ+ education in every school; 4. Religion! Hands off women’s and LGBTQ+ bodies; 5. Solidarity with Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ people of colour worldwide. The GLF march coordinator, Peter Tatchell, 68, was one of about 40 people who helped organise the UK’s first Pride march in London in 1972. He has attended every Pride in London parade since then. This was his 49th.
Some of the GLF veterans on the march commented: Ted Brown, 70, said: “GLF stemmed out of Stonewall 1969, which was a riot that took place after centuries of oppression against LGBTQ+ people. We proved that the authorities will not listen unless we fight back, make a noise and cause a disturbance, as Black Lives Matter is doing now.” Nettie Pollard, 70, said: “Fifty years ago, the GLF said come out, change ourselves and revolutionise the world. Joining with other oppressed groups is the only way to work towards real change. Rights can so easily be taken away again. Liberation must mean freedom, including sexual freedom, for everyone. At Pride 2020, GLF still believes in revolution.”
John Lloyd, 67, said: “From the outset, GLF had an internationalist perspective. In 1973, Peter and myself represented GLF at the World Youth Festival in communist East Berlin, which was attended by over 100,000 young people from all over the world. We spoke out for gay liberation and staged LGBTQ+ protests. Despite being attacked by members of our own British delegation, our interventions for the first time put LGBTQ+ rights on the agenda of the left, social democratic, liberal and trade union movements in the UK and other countries.” Peter Tatchell, 68, said: “GLF did not seek equal rights within a flawed, unjust status quo. It campaigned for the transformation of society to end straight supremacism and stood in solidarity with all other oppressed people. A similar agenda of radical social change is needed now, as the UK faces the threats of Covid-19, economic meltdown, institutional racism, climate destruction and the demonisation of trans people. We support Black Lives Matter and the just demands of black communities and black LGBTQ+ people, like we did in the early 1970s.” The march expressed its solidarity with LGBTQ+ people in the UK and worldwide. Oppression for none. Liberation for all. D Photos © ChrisJepson.com
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CO-FOUNDER AND COO OF COLLAZON – ‘GRAHAM’ Presented by Amanda Patterson – Business Research Support Officer, City Business Library What does equality mean to you? Have you ever felt out of place, overlooked or demeaned because of something about you? Does your workplace have a diversity policy? Is it in place to make a difference or as a box-ticking exercise? What can you do about it? Graham spent many years working in a corporate environment in leadership positions, often being asked to support diversity policies, drive strategy for equality and undertake employee engagement surveys – not for true equality or diversity, but to develop a positive image for the brand. Graham asked himself: “Is this really the point of diversity? No!” He thought, “a resounding no!” “Everyone supported diversity on the surface,” says Graham, “but when working within the business I didn’t see non-LGBTQ+ live and breathe diversity, many of the board members were male, straight and caucasian – so I questioned where is the diversity and how do I truly fit into this organisation? Board members and other leadership would be reluctant to spend money on investing in LGBTQ+ initiatives, they would only want to support Pride so they could include the rainbow in their company banner and drive their business and their brand. The LGBTQ+ community deserves more.” Graham set up his business, Collazon, to match global opportunities to freelancers, with true equality at its centre. “Collazon’s ethos and passion is committed to creating a practical, simple, fair and effective services trading platform across a global community, with a specific focus on diversity,” Graham says of his business. “The future of work is changing; we really need to listen to people as to how and where they want to work, how work can
enrich their personal goals and how it can support their ambitions.” “Collazon lives and breathes diversity. As an LGBTQ+ founder myself I know that until companies have representatives from all diversity groups in their leadership, they will never be able to bring true equality into their workforce.” Employees are more likely to work for an organisation that has a robust LGBTQ+ strategy at the heart of its business. Consumers and employees have more information at their fingertips about the brands that they want to work for, meaning that, more often than not, a strong potential employee could find out more about the culture of the business before starting a new job. For Graham, starting a business as an LGBTQ+ founder required help. “A lot of positive change has happened throughout recent decades, but there is more to come. You have a unique opportunity as an LGBTQ+ founder to support this change and reach out to LGBTQ+ mentors. Help is always there if you need it, and hopefully one day you can help another young LGBTQ+ founder in an even more diverse world.” “If you’re a freelancer looking to work in a positive environment, Collazon can quickly match you to projects, start-ups and companies. For start-ups, Collazon can match you to dedicated, diverse experts.” Collazon is designed to manage and ensure a mutually beneficial relationship. Find out more about us on: Website: www.collazon.com Email: graham@collazon.com. Linked In: www.linkedin.com/company/collazon/
Starting your own business? The City Business Library (CBL) can connect you to resources, networks and events to help you. Whether you are looking for a dedicated business advisor to help you write your own diversity strategy into your business plan, network with other founders or research diverse businesses, we can hook you up. Learn more on the CBL website. There are business one-to-ones, market research resources, seminars, networking and events. Make positive change in the world, one business as a time. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/CBL
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MORE TO ME THAN HIV ) More to Me than HIV is a project that aims to break down the stigma that has historically been attached to this virus. Glenn Stevens, one of the project coordinators, talks about the stigma that stops many people from being open about their HIV status. When I saw my piece in last month’s Gscene to promote the More to Me Than HIV project, I was extremely proud, but a small part of me was filled with anxiety; but why should I feel this way? I’ve been on effective antiretroviral therapy since the early 1990s, but having lived through the period before there was any treatment, watching friends die of Aids, or from the toxicity of early medication AZT, those memories of uncertainty can still creep in and unnerve. With this in mind, I can imagine that for the group of people who HIV hasn’t had a significant impact on their lives, when they hear the words HIV or Aids they will recall the time when the only information out there was Aids = Death, which was only compounded by the tabloid press who went above and beyond in spreading misinformation about how HIV could be transmitted. Perhaps because HIV is not part of their lives, this is their recall on what HIV is still about. It is this misunderstanding that perpetuates HIV stigma and one that needs to be stamped out with re-education.
THT, NAT & PREPSTER RESPOND TO BUDGET CUT TO PREP IN ENGLAND ) The Department of Health (DoH) told local authorities in England last month that the budget for rolling out HIV prevention pill PrEP has been cut by £5m, which follows the announcement in March that PrEP access would be uncapped in England from April of this year. Since then, the rollout of PrEP in England has been delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Local authorities are now able to proceed, but the budget committed by the DoH has been cut from £16m to £11m for PrEP provision until end of March 2021. This significant cut to the budget will impact on the delivery of equitable access to PrEP and will hamper efforts to fulfil the government’s commitment to ending HIV by 2030.
The one thing that stops many people from being open about their HIV status is the stigma, stigma that comes from outdated ideas about what HIV is and how it can be passed on. Let me make this perfectly clear, people living with an HIV+ diagnosis who are on an effective antiretroviral therapy cannot pass the virus on, put simply: Undetectable = Untransmittable. People living with HIV, and on effective treatment, can expect to get older and get on with living their lives. Not that living with HIV doesn’t have a whole set of challenges, but having an HIV diagnosis should not be the defining thing about us, we are so much more than those three little letters and that is what is at the core of this project. We understand that to speak openly about our HIV+ status may be an uncomfortable step to make, but it’s through this project we feel we can break down the stigma associated with HIV by showing that we aren’t ashamed of our status, it’s something we live with but that isn’t a label that defines who we are. Through this photo project we will show that we are: determined, resilient, funny and capable, we are chefs, beauticians, builders, mothers, fathers, grandparents, artists, listeners, musicians, carers, writers, and so the list goes on. So for those living with HIV, we ask you to show us who you are beyond your HIV status; check out the website, upload three photos, one portrait of yourself and two photos that show another part of what makes you, you, along with three, positive descriptive words. Together we can combat HIV+ stigma and resign it to the history books where it belongs. For more info, visit: http://moretomethanhiv.life or email info@moretomethanhiv.life Follow: T F I moretomethanhiv
CLARE PROJECT SUPPORTS PILOT OF TRANS HEALTH HUB ) The Clare Project, the transgender support and social group, has announced it is supporting the pilot of a new Trans Health Hub on Tuesdays from 11.30am–2.30pm at Brighton Health & Wellbeing Centre (BHWC). The Trans Health Hub’s aim is to improve access to healthcare and support for trans, non-binary, intersex and gender-variant (TNBI) people aged 16+. The Trans Health Hub will be free, confidential and you don’t need to be registered with BHWC. The Clare Project says: ‘We’re delighted to support the pilot of a new Trans Health Hub in Brighton – more details to TBA, but please get in touch with enquiries.’ D For more info about the Trans Health Hub, email: info@clareproject.org.uk D For more info on the Clare Project, visit www.clareproject.org.uk
In response to the announcement, HIV organisations Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), National AIDS Trust (NAT) and PrEPster released a joint statement: “We welcome the DoH’s work to begin the roll out of uncapped access to PrEP
in England but this significant cut to the PrEP budget for local authorities is hugely concerning. Sexual health services are already on their knees and slashing the budget by almost a third will undoubtedly limit local authorities’ ability to deliver PrEP to those who need it. The health secretary promised proper PrEP access as part of the commitment to end HIV transmissions within the next decade but is now rolling back on what was promised. “England’s sexual health services are already overstretched and under-funded, which is why proper resourcing for the delivery of PrEP is crucial to its success. While those currently accessing PrEP are unlikely to be affected the roll out is supposed to ensure significantly more people can benefit from it for HIV prevention over the coming months. This cut to the first year’s budget before that’s even started means PrEP will not be fully utilised. “PrEP is highly effective at stopping HIV and extremely cost effective when compared with a lifetime of HIV treatment. It’s disappointing that we’re once again fighting for its potential to be maximised in England.” For more info, visit: D www.tht.org.uk D www.nat.org.uk D https://prepster.info
HEALTHWATCH BRIGHTON & HOVE REPORT ) Healthwatch Brighton & Hove, a local consumer champion for health and social care, has launched its Annual Report for 2019-2020, which details activities before and during the coronavirus pandemic as well as usual activities and main projects, and describes how some projects were suspended and then rapidly changed to respond to the Covid-19 challenge. David Liley, CEO of Healthwatch Brighton & Hove, said: “The selfsacrifice and dedication of care staff, NHS employees, volunteers and key workers has been an inspiration. We want to say thank you and keep safe to all those brave people. During this year and through the virus period we’ve remained fully active; our board, volunteers and staff have continued with a full programme of work. We’ve remained financially stable and our staff team has been strengthened.
“We face the challenges of the year to come with an optimistic attitude, and hopes for better times.” The NHS and social care are 'open for business' but with massive challenges: growing waiting lists with many services compromised for years ahead; 40% of care homes in the city report Covid-19 outbreaks; patients per GP in Brighton remain very high; telephone, text, online and video consultations with GPs and hospital doctors set to rise and become routine. Most people welcome the added convenience, with high patient satisfaction ratings; emotional support and mental health services likely to face massive demand following Covid-19.
D To see the full Annual Report, visit: https://tinyurl.com/Healthwatch2020
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POSITIVE TIMES WITH THE LUNCH POSITIVE TEAM ) Since lockdown in late March, Lunch Positive has provided a range of essential frontline services to people with HIV. These have included regular delivery of cooked food and groceries together with telephone and online befriending. The charity has supported over 100 people every week, with over 6,000 meals prepared and delivered so far! Since April volunteers have given over 3,000 hours of their time towards this community response, and these services will continue until at least the end of the year.
As the year has progressed and measures for social gatherings have evolved, Lunch Positive now plans to reopen its doors, expected to happen in late August. The HIV lunch club will reopen as a café style drop-in for people with HIV, with increased space over two floors at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church. This will incorporate special measures and arrangements for being Covid-secure, including table service. In addition to this safe and supportive socialising at the Friday Lunch Club, Lunch Positive will also be developing a range of new social activities. These will incorporate special arrangements for gathering and social distancing, whilst still bringing people together in a friendly and supportive environment. Activities will include film club evenings, outdoor events and picnics, and a return of the popular supper gatherings. But it doesn’t end there! As part of this Positive Times project funded by National Lottery, Lunch Positive will also introduce a much needed new HIV buddying project. This will help people with HIV connect and support each other in practical ways, especially important in these changing and often challenging times. There is a call-out to everyone who has previously used Lunch Positive or who might be newly interested. The team at Lunch Positive are available to talk on the phone, video and email. They are ready to answer questions on how things will work, and to support people to come along or get involved, especially important after so many months of people having reduced social contact and limited social opportunities. The volunteering programme is also open to everyone, and is now actively recruiting. Volunteering at Lunch Positive is all about helpfulness and community, with a wide range of roles, lots of support and being part of a welcoming and friendly team! Please get in touch if you would like to know more about Lunch Positive’s plans, are interested in coming along or getting involved, or if you would like advice, help and support in attending the Covid-secure venue. We’re here and ready to help however we can! D For more info on Lunch Positive, visit: www.lunchpositive.org D or email: friends@lunchpositive.org N or call 07846 464384 F or follow: www.facebook.com/lunchclubfriends/
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO 100s OF PEOPLE THIS YEAR ........................................................ ) ) ) ) )
Wide range of roles Various days and shifts available No experience necessary – full training given Travel expenses paid Great team to work with!
For info about different volunteering roles email volunteer@lunchpositive.org or call 07846
464384
For more info, to sign-up for updates, and to access support visit www.lunchpositive.org
KAT KAI KOL-KES
Online, Saturday, July 18, 2020 ) Trans Pride Brighton (TPB) has been
sowing the seeds of change in Brighton, Hove and beyond since 2013. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s TPB was cancelled but, not to be deterred, the organisers put together TPB Online on Saturday, July 18, which was supported by Clare Project, the transgender support and social group, and celebrated trans voices and rights with a contribution from TPB cofounder Fox Fisher, footage from past TPBs and an outstanding line-up of TNBI performers streaming with pride and solidarity. Sarah Savage, TPB trustee, said: “Our volunteers are delighted with the success of TPB Online. I’m so proud of all the work they put in and how they adapted as a team to deal with and overcome the challenges of the last couple of months. I’d like to thank all those who supported our live stream, especially those who re-hosted, shared and commented. Big shout-out to Jamie Raynes, the team from his YouTube channel, JammiDodger and the wholesome community that sprung up during the event.”
Rainbow Chorus (RC), Brighton & Hove’s fully inclusive LGBTQ+ choir, opened the event with a heart-warming video concert created by RC, RC+ and MD Aneesa Chaudhry, featuring a special musical message to the trans community along with highlights from concerts from the last few years. Ed Borgars from RC said: “We’ve always been proud to support TPB every year, either by singing on the main stage or by our members taking part in the march. This year we welcomed the opportunity to help TPB put on an online version of their usual Trans Pride stage show by making a compilation video of past performances, with personal contributions from many of our members.” D www.rainbowchorus.org.uk Other performers included: River’s Rodents & Reptiles, Prince of Persia, Laura Dale, Mud Howard, Dee Chanelle & The In-Laws. Bek Haynes, Proteon Sol, Bee & The Jackrabbit, Yvy DeLuca, Tilly Carter & The Home Counties, Kat Kai Kes-Kol, The Mollusc Dimension and Chloe Wing Art & Music.
PROTEON SOL
GRAY FROM CLARE PROJECT
SARAH SAVAGE AND FILIP CANHA; LAURA DALE ON SCREEN
PRINCE OF PERSIA
ST LUCIFER
MUD HOWARD
TILLY CARTER & THE HOME COUNTIES RAINBOW CHORUS
TRANS PRIDE BRIGHTON & HOVE
River’s Rodents and Reptiles, animal handler, said: “It was lovely to have the opportunity to entertain and educate everyone with Coco the Tortoise and Myrtle the Guinea Pig. I've really missed going out doing animal handling sessions. Thank you for including River's Rodents and Reptiles in TPB.” F @riversrodentsandreptiles Chloe Wing Art & Music, artist and singer/ songwriter, said: “I was so happy to be a part of something so compassionate and diverse. TPB this year was such a lovely and loving show that was supportive, nurturing and human, which is exactly what we really need right now to portray, voice out and express.” D www.chloewing.com Dee Chanelle & The In-Laws, pop/dance/funk band, said: “It’s an honour to be part of TPB Online. The community have much to celebrate now more than ever as trans visibility has increased though the media and social networking with positive and supportive response. There’s still a lot of work to be done and together we can make the world a fair and safe place for the trans community. Here's looking forward to next year's TPB, bigger and better than ever!” F @deeandtheinlaws The Spirits, punky/fusion duo, said: “It's been a highlight for us over the past few years to get the opportunity to play at TPB. The experience of taking part online is very different to being on
SJ FROM SWITCHBOARD BEK HAYNES
YVY DELUCA - BOLLYWITCH
THE SPIRITS
THE MOLLUSC DIMENSION
CHLOE WING
RIVER’S RODENTS AND REPTILES
BEE AND JACKRABBIT
DEE CHANELLE & THE IN-LAWS
GSCENE 17
stage in Brunswick Square. Less nerve-racking but still awe-inspiring to see all of the power and beauty in our diverse community. There was such an eclectic mix of artists showing how truly varied and diverse we all are. “It's been an increasingly difficult period for trans people in the UK since Trans Pride last year. Attacks and ignorance in the media on a daily basis. To celebrate how truly beautiful, unique and powerful we all are, I think these are the things that keep us moving forward during the difficult times.” D www.thespirits.uk The Mollusc Dimension, absurdist musical storyteller, said: “As an East-Asian QTPOC, it was truly a precious privilege be given space to share stories with TPB Online. Queer, trans and intersex people have always been around, but until we decolonise education and minds and hearts are raised to be open, visibility is a survival tool and an act of love.” D www.themolluscdimension.com Robin from alt-folk duo Bee & Jack Rabbit, said: “TPB has always been an opportunity for trans people and our allies to be together, to hold space for each other, to remember those we’ve lost all while showcasing the passion and talent our community has, and so it made sense to move TPB Online – transphobia didn’t stop for coronavirus!” F @Beeandjackrabbit
PLEASE DONATE ) TPB is now able to take quick and easy
donations by text message to cover the cost of appearance fees for performers and enable the annual event to bounce back in 2021. To donate £2, text TRANSPRIDE to 70085. If you’re able to donate more (max of £20), text TRANSPRIDE (space), and then the amount - 5, 10 etc – to 70085. In addition to this, TPB has launched a fundraiser through Givey, the fundraising platform for small charities and local communities which takes no fee, meaning 100% of your donation goes to the cause. Sarah Savage, added: “This year we’re fundraising to cover the cost of appearance fees for our lovely performers and to make sure we bounce back in 2021. TPB is a totally
grassroots, non-commercial community event run entirely by unpaid volunteers. We depend on donations, grants and community contributions to secure the infrastructure we need for TPB to happen each year. Please spread the word, and donate if you can, to support us in our mission to make TPB the event our community deserves.” When you make a donation via Givey, the charity receives 100% and it’s completely secure. They never share your email address with third parties except the charity you donate to. D To donate via Givey, visit: www.givey.com/transpridebrightononline
MORE INFO
D www.transpridebrighton.org, F @TransPrideBrighton T @TPrideBrighton
18 GSCENE experienced a lot of anxiety around who would be eligible and what paperwork was necessary. Would it be binding? The Windrush Scandal was evoked. We applied online and after a few nailbiting minutes got it with no bother, but the journey had taken its toll and it’s still not clear that this is the end of it all. Does settled status confer on you the same rights as a UK citizen?
BREXIT IS COMING... IS IT TIME TO LEAVE THE UK? Novelist and research consultant Cat Walker has a Czech wife with whom she has a son. She opens up on her fears about what Brexit might mean for her family “All UK citizens have the right to be treated fairly and equally regardless of their gender, race, age, religion, sexual preferences, political persuasion or any disability that they may have. UK citizens must respect the rights of their fellow citizens even if they find their way of life objectionable or offensive.” Life as a UK Citizen, aboutimmigration.co.uk ) In the middle of the coronavirus pandemic,
Brexit seems a world away - something in the past that has now faded into insignificance. But the truth is that in a few short months, on December 31, 2020, we will, finally, exit Europe. What will this mean for the many thousands of European citizens who have made lives here in the UK? Right now, my family is trying to negotiate travelling to the Czech Republic this summer so that our little boy can visit his Grandmother, who he hasn’t seen for eight months. We’re driving to minimise the risks of contact with others, which means travelling through France and Germany on our way to Czech. And that means added bureaucracy. We already faced the prospect of increased scrutiny because we are a lesbian couple, and obviously our son is not biologically related to both of us. So we always have to travel with his birth certificate and our marriage certificate, and usually end up having to explaining “whose child he is”. Once we were stopped in an airport and told that “only his mother” could go with him to the passport desk. We are both his mothers, we replied, which one of us did they want? My son bears my surname but was born of my wife, so which one counts more as his ‘mother’? Eventually the guy realised what a plonker he was being and let us all through.
I digress. Besides the birth and marriage certificates, this time we also need to carry attestation forms for each country and potentially get coronavirus tests. And you can bet it will be one form for me, a UK citizen, and another for my wife, a Czech citizen. Imagine then what it’s going to be like when we actually Brexit? Will I have to go to a different queue to my wife when we travel abroad? Who will my son (UK passport) have to go with? We’re desperate to get him a Czech passport so that he can have dual nationality and thus legally run amok between the two queues as is his toddler wont.
Both myself and my wife noticed the changes in society after the Brexit vote. We’re bringing our son up to be bilingual, Czech and English, and we both found ourselves feeling more selfconscious about speaking to him in Czech in public. We heard about incidents of violence on public transport in London. The guy fixing a new window in our house told us that he thought being bilingual was ‘great’ but that people should speak in English in front of Englishspeaking people because otherwise they’d think they were talking about them behind their backs. Since lockdown we’ve hardly been out, but is all this anti-‘foreigner’ sentiment going to ramp up again once society restarts in Covid 2.0 mode? The powerful ‘You clap for me now’ poem and video, and the #BlackLivesMatter protests have probably polarised people’s opinions even more. And it’s obviously not just xenophobia that’s been ramped up, but racism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, religious intolerance and other right-wing, nationalist tendencies. It’s basically stirred up ancient tribal feelings of hating the ‘other’ – people who are ‘not like us’.
“It’s obviously not just xenophobia that’s been ramped up, but racism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, religious intolerance and other Why doesn’t your wife just get UK citizenship and make everything easier, you ask? Why right-wing, nationalist should she? I retort. Citizenship means taking a language test and a ‘UK life’ test of the most tendencies” obscure historical, political, geographical and sporting facts you’ve never heard of; being assessed to be of ‘good character’; and paying nearly £1,500 for the privilege. Just for ‘fun’ I did a portion of the test this morning and got 71% - that’s a fail. Compare and contrast this with many Brits’ woeful knowledge of both their own country and the rest of the world. I mean a LOT of people think that Czechoslovakia still exists, when in fact the Czech Republic and Slovakia gained independence in 1993. When the whole Brexit thing first blew up, all my wife’s Czech and Slovakian friends living in the UK were panicking that they needed to get citizenship or some form of leave to remain. There was a lot of anxiety and checking Google daily for updates. Eventually the government brought in the new ‘settled status’ scheme at a cost of £65. There was uproar. The government did a U-turn under public pressure and made it free. Still, people
I worry about our future as a European rainbow family. I know that living in Brighton means we often don’t experience the kind of prejudice others face in less cosmopolitan areas of the country. We live in a lovely kind of protective bubble. But what if that bubble bursts? I don’t want us to have to live somewhere where we feel uncomfortable walking down the street being ourselves – not being able to hold hands and speak whichever language we want to. My wife and her Czech and Slovakian friends have started to talk about moving ‘back home’ after being here all of their adult lives. If we did this for more than five years my wife could lose her settled status and not be allowed to come back and live here. The thought of being forced to move abroad fills me with a huge sadness and makes me feel that my country, the United Kingdom, has truly failed to live up to its promises of providing a safe place to call home for all.
GSCENE 19 After years of sacrifices we could finally get married. When we registered our notice, we couldn’t believe how easy and smooth it could be. In Italy they would have laughed in our faces or made us feel uncomfortable about it. We realised how things should work everywhere, making that choice free of worries or discriminations.
CAN MOVING TO BRIGHTON CHANGE YOUR LIFE? Italian-born Fabio Dragotta and his partner sought gay sanctuary in Britain, and found a life they could barely have imagined in Brighton ) Sometimes a boarding-pass is just a piece
of paper, other times it turns into the golden ticket to a new life. Until four years ago I led a secret life that I thought would remain so forever. Being homosexual in Italy, given I’m from the south and belong to a Catholic family, was a daily challenge. In such a background, people’s prejudice feels like a mark on your skin; being true about yourself might result in denigration or, worse, violence; not to mention the persistent concern of losing your job, friends and family. At the time, living in the UK’s gay capital with a husband would have seemed impossible to me. Italy wasn’t open to gay marriage, it’s not totally yet. In a discriminatory society, even accepting myself was a step that required courage. When you’re not fully aware about your sexuality, having no one to relate with is like walking blindly down an unknown road. Feeling like an alien, the grim thought of taking that weight off my shoulders often paid me a visit. How could I go on with my life with that sword of Damocles always hanging over my head? So I put on a mask and followed the pack, to please a father with old-fashioned visions about manliness and a family that based their concept of homosexuality on the stereotypes seen on TV. I spent years hoping that things would change, raising a protective shield, leaving no room for people to see who I really was. University became not only a means of personal enrichment, but an opportunity to
While planning our wedding, the most difficult task was convincing some family members to put aside their religious beliefs and participate in our special day. Facing my father was one of the hardest things for me, especially since we never communicated much. Firm on his convictions, he didn’t approve my “choice of life”, but agreed to come. My in-laws, instead, refused the whole idea of our union, adding another wound to my partner’s heart. It was very depressing to discover after 12 years that they still didn’t accept us as a couple. That time we faced the battle with the right arsenal. A whole troop was by our side: our friends and my family, who proved to be very supportive. My husband-to-be found another family to count on. When they joined us in England to celebrate our wedding, seeing them so involved demonstrated to me the love they felt for us. This experience somehow opened up my father’s horizons, who couldn’t help being moved when we read our vows. Also our nephews and nieces, aliens to our reality, learnt to know it and understand it.
discover myself and get out of the den where I was hiding. I met people with whom I could express myself freely and my shield slowly crumbled, leaving its traces, like scars, but allowing others to finally know the real me. When I met my hubby, he came from a harsh environment. His parents made him feel wrong about himself for years, trying to ‘fix’ him through psychological aid and religious brainwashing. Through Prides, protests and family confrontations, we fought to be recognised as a couple and obtain the rights we claimed; but only when we decided to venture abroad, Italy began to see the dawn of a change. Bristol became our new challenge. Even if homosexuality was more easily accepted there, the stigma we carried from the past never left us. We had residues of that angst, as if we still couldn’t be completely honest about ourselves. Settling in a country so different from ours wasn’t easy, and Brexit only undermined our confidence in the future. We feared losing everything we had achieved. On the verge of surrendering, we decided to move to Brighton. Here we perceived a totally different aura; a city that was welcoming, alive, open-minded. It turned out to be the best decision we ever made.
Some time ago, my niece wrote about LGBTQ+ love in a school paper, and for me that’s like leaving a mark, a legacy that can help them grow in the acceptance of what’s different from their world. It’s like laying a brick in the construction of a new generation that will be more open to dialogue and diversity of all kinds. If I could go back, I wouldn’t change a thing. Buying that golden ticket before, I would have probably missed a lot. It’s been a difficult path, but it made me who I am. I’m proud of what I gained and I fought tooth and nail for it. Sometimes it seems like a never ending war, but it’s in the battle that you discover the warrior inside yourself.
“Settling in a country so different from ours wasn’t easy, and Brexit only undermined our confidence in the future. We feared losing everything we’d achieved”
20 GSCENE trans activists to discuss the specific challenges faced by some of the LGBTQ+ community. “Everyone we spoke to was really receptive to the idea and all appreciated how important Pride is to the mental health of the LGBTQ+ community. Of course, some couldn’t make it due to other commitments or the restriction of geography, but nobody came back with an outright ‘no’.”
WE ARE FABULOSO!
PAUL KEMP
Brighton & Hove Pride’s 30th anniversary should have been the biggest and best parade and party the city has ever seen, with headliners Mariah Carey and the Pussycat Dolls lined up alongside a host of local and international entertainers. The main stage was to be backed by a variety of dance and performance tents – but we all know what happened next. Undeterred, the small Pride team put their heads together and started working on a virtual event to ensure they could still attempt to raise much-needed funds for LGBTQ+ communities and include those communities in the celebrations. Pride managing director Paul Kemp talks about putting the event together and the Pride team’s hopes for the three-day digital festival. ) At what point did you decide to create a
virtual event? “Once the pandemic started to take hold it quickly became clear that our usual model for the Pride celebrations wouldn’t be viable, but we felt it important that there was a festival of some kind. From surveys we have conducted, for many people Pride is the only time of the year when they can mix and meet with other LGBTQ+ people and feel part of a community. Obviously a virtual event isn’t the same as participating in a colourful parade or hanging out in the park with mates, soaking up the sun and watching amazing LGBTQ+ artists, but we hope it will still provide the contact and support that many isolated and marginalised communities need and crave.” Who was involved in the planning process? “We have a very small core team and at the moment most are on furlough, so we’re working with a few key freelancers and some of our contractors, who have really got behind supporting the digital festival. We must really thank all the contributors and performers who supported us and really hope that the public
get behind and support this vital fundraising event for the Brighton Rainbow Fund.” How did you adapt your offices for filming? “Brighton is known for throwing spectacular events and we knew immediately that we had to live up to that expectation for our virtual events too, so rather than rolling out ‘kitchen cabaret’ we transformed our main office space into a studio and invited artists in to record. “It’s all done within the current social distancing guidelines and we’re really happy with the quality of the footage and variety of artists, activists and politicians who have given up their time to come in.” What acts will be appearing? “We Are FABULOSO! will live stream over three days, with a warm-up show in the evening of Friday, July 31 followed by the main event for five hours on Saturday, August 1 and a highlights show on Sunday, August 2. We also have a number of warm-up events and house parties to get people in the mood. “We’ve recorded some amazing performances from LGBTQ+ artists who usually appear on the Legends Cabaret Stage, the Cocoa Butter Club’s BAME Stage and in QueerTown, and have been trawling our extensive archive for exclusive, never-before-seen footage from the main stage. We have also received some amazing video messages and performances from across the globe, including Billy Porter, Todrick Hall and more. “We did an initial broad reach-out for artists at the beginning but obviously, due to the travel restrictions, could only really shoot UKbased acts in our studio. We’re tremendously thankful that many of our international friends have either sent footage or given us permission to show exclusive clips of their Pride performances. “We’ve also recorded some great segments with local politicians talking about what Pride means to them, a hilarious game show hosted by Lola Lasagne and interviews with BAME and
How did you decide on the lead presenters? “We were very keen to use presenters who already have a connection with Brighton & Hove Pride and Zoe Lyons has been a great supporter for many years. Stephen Bailey is an amazing LGBTQ+ comedian and we have been trying to get to work with him for ages so this was the ideal opportunity to create the perfect dream team. Kathy Caton has also been a fantastic supporter of Pride and the whole LGBTQ+ community in Brighton & Hove, and with her broadcasting experience at the BBC and Radio Reverb was an obvious choice.” How are you involving the community? “It’s certainly been more challenging to reach far and wide within our community, but thankfully we’ve had an amazing response from our local LGBTQ+ performers to take part. As well as interviews and performances, we’re planning a virtual parade and have reached out to all the community groups who participate in the parade to participate or to send messages of support. All those charities and community groups who would usually have lit up our streets with fabulous floats and outfits can still take part in and highlight the amazing diverse heart of Brighton & Hove.”
AFTER THE EVENT The Pride office is currently not fully operating and our small team of three are managing the cancellation of Pride and the delivery of digital Pride 2020. We aren’t currently in a position to start planning for Pride 2021 until later in the year when hopefully we’ll know more about how Pride 2021 might look. I’m also mindful that at this time there’s a lot of uncertainty around what ‘the new normal’ may look like as we come out the other side of this pandemic. I’m of course aware of and acknowledge recent and continuing developments, and the emerging political environment, and we’ll continue to listen to local community feedback as well as reviewing and acknowledging the issues taking place here in the UK and around the world as we pick up our planning for 2021. Pride will commit to having more face-to-face engagement as we progress with planning Pride 2021 as and when it is safe to do so, or continue to use virtual platforms to facilitate these sessions, and give proper consideration and the attention required to address these very important issues and hopefully have a better understanding of any positive actions that can be taken forward.
GSCENE 21
BRIGHTON & HOVE PRIDE DIGITAL FESTIVAL – ONLINE FRIDAY, JULY 31 • SATURDAY, AUG 1 • SUNDAY, AUG 2 Subscribe Now: www.youtube.com/PrideTVNetwork Brighton & Hove Pride has announced the full schedule for the weekend’s online event, sending out “a massive thank you to all the artists who have given us permission to screen some amazing never-seen archive footage from the Brighton & Hove Pride main stage or submitted new content to stream”.
Y Free to view. Subscribe here: www.youtube.com/PrideTVNetwork
FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2020 WARM UP SHOW, 7–10pm ) 7-8pm: Hosts Stephen Bailey & Zoe
Lyons present from the PrideTV Network studio in Brighton with Alfie Ordinary, Kathy Caton, Peter Kyle MP, Caroline Lucas MP, Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP, Nova Twins, Rosie Jones, Joy Crookes, Andrea Walker, Alice Denny, Crystal Rasmussan, Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Cllr Alan Robins, and more.
) 11pm: After parties: Brüt, Polyglamorous,
LOLA LASAGNE
Nile Rodgers & Chic, Years & Years, Jess Glynne, Billy Porter, Todrick Hall, Pabllo Vittar, House Gospel Choir, Bright Light Bright Light, Björn Again, and loads more have come on board to help Pride support its fundraising for the Brighton Rainbow Fund.
Dulcie Danger & King K and Jean Paul Gaultier presents Fat Tony. ) 6-7pm: Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim),
Pabllo Vittar, Bryan Chambers, Drag Juice gameshow, Lola Lasagne, Son of a Tutu, Rose Garden, Mary Mac, Spice, Alfie Ordinary, Kara Van Park and Sophie Cook. Kathy Caton, Peter Kyle MP, Caroline Lucas MP, Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP, MXMToon, the Cocoa Butter Club, Jordan Charles and Sadie Sinner. ) 8-9pm: Mzz Kimberly, Chrissy Darling,
) 9-10pm: Drag Juice gameshow Part 2,
L Devine, DJ Affy, Layton Williams, The Prancing Elites and Billy Porter.
Fickle Friends, Lascel Wood, Dolly Rocket, The Powder Room, Chiyo, Lola Lasagne and more
) 7-8pm: Dave The Bear, Peter Tatchell,
) 9-10pm: Years & Years (2017), Todrick
) 10-11pm: Bright Light Bright Light,
ALICE DENNY
Nile Rodgers & CHIC and more.
Gaultier presents Fat Tony
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1 THE MAIN EVENT, 5–11pm ) 5-6pm: Hosts Stephen Bailey & Zoe
Lyons present from the PrideTV Network studio in Brighton, featuring: A Virtual Pride Community Parade with archive parade footage, Katherine Ellis, Dame Amy and Kate Wildblood.
) 8-9pm: Hosts Stephen Bailey & Zoe Lyons
present from the PrideTV Network studio in Brighton with Katherine Ellis, Ty Jeffries, Kathy Caton, Fox Fisher, Sarah Savage, Alice Denny, Heather Peace, Lucy Spraggan, Paul Diello, Hannah Brackenbury, Alfie Ordinary, Joe Black, Miss Disney, Miss Hope Springs, Davina Sparkle.
Hall, House Gospel Choir, Björn Again and Jess Glynne.
) Warm-up party 8-10pm: Jean Paul
SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2020 THE SUNDAY SESSION, 8–11pm
) 10-11pm: The Powder Room and The Glory.
Full content plus extras will be available to view after the show. Y www.youtube.com/PrideTVNetwork
1972 GAY DAY COURTESY OF BISHOPSGATE INSTITUTE, LONDON
22 GSCENE
THE GAY DAY BEFORE PRIDE Alf Le Flohic looks back at the founding years of Brighton’s gay movement ) On a windy afternoon in October 1972, a
small group of people gathered between the piers on Brighton seafront. There were roughly 20 of them with an assortment of banners, badges and a great deal of courage. This was the Sussex Gay Liberation Front (SGLF) and they were there to make a point. Mark Rowlands, one of the founding members, remembers “we followed King’s Road along to the Palace Pier and round into the Old Steine. We did our best to make our presence felt. “Give us G”, someone yelled. “Give us an A. Give us a Y. What does that spell?” “GAY”, we tried to roar. “And what is Gay?” “Good!””
“It was the beginning of a whole notion that you could be lesbian or gay and not be ashamed” SGLF started life in January 1971, comprised of students and staff at the University of Sussex, along with lesbians and gay men from the town. Co-founder Simon Watney remembers "The idea that one is Glad to be Gay may sound terribly naïve today, but it was the beginning of a whole notion that you could be lesbian or gay and not be ashamed, and stand up for yourself. It gave people confidence." The GLF wanted “to bring homosexuals together in a different atmosphere, away from the ghetto, away from isolation, to bring an
end to their treatment as psychiatric cases, to reject all we have been told to feel about ourselves. We want only one thing – that the love of a homosexual should be treated on the same basis as the love of a heterosexual, so that all people in our society can realise their full potential”. The 1972 Gay Day (pictured) specifically campaigned for an equal age of consent. At that time it was 21 and came with a host of conditions: only in private accommodation (not hotels), no one else be present in the building (even in a different room). The march was originally intended to move down Western Road into the main shopping area but, at the last minute, officials re-routed it for fear that “the gays’ banners might cause a breach of the peace.” (Gay News) “On Brighton’s Lower Esplanade a gang of eight or nine youths began jeering and a scuffle broke out. Police intervened, but no arrests were made.” (Argus) Not to be deterred, the SGLF decided to organise a bigger event for the following year. London had had its first Gay Pride march on July 1, 1972, the nearest Saturday to the anniversary of the Stonewall riots on June 28, 1969, so it made sense for Brighton to follow suit. Brighton’s Gay Pride in 1973 was a whole weekend of events, starting with a disco at the Stanford Arms (now The Joker) on Friday, July 6, the regular meeting place for the SGLF. That was followed by a midnight wedding between John Roman Baker and Graham Wilkinson on the beach.
Allowing for what was probably a late night, Saturday began with a “Gay Pride March starting from Norfolk Square, Western Road at 2.30pm. We shall march down to the seafront and along to the fish market opposite the Ship Hotel, distributing leaflets as we go.” (SGLF newsletter) That was to be followed by another disco (obviously), which was held at the Royal Albion Hotel, with tickets costing 50p each. Sunday was a gay picnic back on the beach to the west of the Palace Pier. According to Gay News the dance at the Royal Albion was “highly successful”, attracting 200 people, and the SGLF were “undeterred by Brighton Council’s rather pathetic refusal to allow them to hold dances on corporation property”. SGLF member Bob Apps booked venues for SGLF and even managed to arrange a couple of dances in the Royal Pavilion dining room, with the kitchen becoming a bar for the evening. Fellow member Doug Coupe said: “Bob was a very brave man and overcame many difficult confrontations, not least in his dealings with local authority representatives who at that time did not conceal their disapproval of gay people.“ Unfortunately the turnout for Gay Pride had been disappointing as SGLF spokesman Graham Philips told Gay News: “many homosexuals in ‘responsible jobs’ steered clear of the demo march for fear of being publicly identified and perhaps sacked as a result.” On a side note, that very thing happened to Doug Coupe. He was a teacher in the local area, but after being outed he had “a very difficult time, for years”, until he left the job. Graham Phillips told Gay News that nevertheless “the march was one more step towards getting homosexuality accepted.” So when you celebrate Pride, think about the people that came before you, before me, who had the guts to stand up for who they were, when violence and abuse were frequently the consequences, they did it anyway.
GSCENE 23
THE GLF - SO MUCH MORE THAN ‘SO-GAY’ Craig Hanlon-Smith charts the history of the original gay activists
PETER TATCHELL PIC BY CHRIS JEPSON
a basement at the London School of Economics on October 13, 1970, and initially comprised 19 people. Meetings continued in secret as the authorities of the day saw the movement in the same way they examine underground terrorist cells today. Often meetings were arranged with short notice and in venues including market warehouses in the dead of night to avoid detection. To think of a network of individuals communicating without any form of contemporary means to begin their revolution is as secretive and daring as it is inspiring. But their manifesto is often mistaken as a statement on gay rights when it was so much more. Peter Tatchell defines those early writings as a “pioneering, farsighted agenda for both social and personal transformation”. Quite the promise.
The manifesto was not defined or developed from an intellectual perspective, or from an equality agenda prescribed by government departments, nor did the early GLF have the support of corporate sponsored charities championing what we now call (among other definitions) the LGBTQ+ community or agenda. It was created by grassroots activism quite literally underground and driven by the belief in the betterment of life for queer people. Queer was an adjective developed in mainstream society as a slur, the GLF took hold of it and turned the idea of being queer into a powerful changemaker. While the GLF was calling for an end to heterosexist discrimination, equal rights was not the focus. Peter Tatchell: “Equality was a far too limiting agenda. It went beyond mere equal rights; seeing society as fundamentally unjust and seeking to change it, to end the oppression of queers – and straights.” How many hard-won ‘equal-rights’ now feel empty and without the promised sparkle of
satisfaction? Equality is itself an intellectually described construct that in many ways cannot and perhaps should not be achieved. Betterment and equality aren’t the same thing. The GLF also understood that it couldn’t do this alone and aligned with other liberation movements, those of women, black people, the Irish, who were vilified on these shores in 1970 and for many years after, but they also championed working-class freedom. Readers may be familiar with the film Pride, which champions the LGBTQ+ movement’s support of the 1980s miners’ strike, culminating with the miners marching in Pride London in 1985 in solidarity with us. The GLF of course went much further. While critical of working-class misogyny and the queer suppression from the left of politics through what came to be known as homophobia, the GLF saw itself as playing a major role in the freedom of all people through anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist movements. While some of these agendas are in discussion and protest today, the massmarketing of Anarchy and Extinction Rebellion T-shirts on the high street plays to a token political agenda embracing a feeling of activism, while embracing the fabric of capitalism and feeding its belly. The GLF was never for sale.
Today the phrase ‘toxic masculinity’ is bandied about across social media, including by some who then display the very behaviours they claim to protest, it is sure to find its way on to a T-shirt near you very soon. The direction the GLF took was to see straight male hegemony as the oppressor, yes of queers, but also of women and that the sisterhood of women was critical to the movement. Addressing the issue of traditional gender roles, the GLF manifesto states: “By our very existence as gay people, we challenge these [gender] roles. It can easily be seen that homosexuals don’t fit into the stereotypes of masculine and feminine and this is one of the main reasons why we become the object of suspicion, since everyone is taught that these and only these two roles are appropriate… popular morality, art, literature and sport all reinforce these stereotypes. In other words, this society is a sexist society in which one’s biological sex determines almost all of what one does and how one does it; a situation in which men are privileged, and women are mere adjuncts of men and objects for their use, both sexually and otherwise.”
Most importantly, the grassroots movement of those early days in the 1970s argued that queer people needed allies, most notably women, and embraced the feminism movement.
We often think of the gender debate, which is very much alive across our contemporary social media channels, but that has become about a self-definition. Non-binary is itself a defining label and can be bought at a discount clothing retailer in our online and high street stores. Token politics but feeding the belly.
From the GLF manifesto: “As we cannot carry out this revolutionary change alone, and as the abolition of gender roles is also a necessary condition of women’s liberation, we will work to form a strategic alliance with the women’s liberation movement, aiming to develop our ideas and our practice in close inter-relation. In order to build this alliance,
On the date of the London Pride march in July this year, some of the original activists from 1970 marched through London, their politics raw and as clear as when they first painted their placards 50 years ago. Together, and in solidarity and without a sponsor in sight. In the name of the liberation and emancipation of all people. We thank them. GLF DEMO LONDON 1971
) The Gay Liberation Front (GLF) first met in
the brothers in gay liberation will have to be prepared to sacrifice that degree of male chauvinism and male privilege that they still all possess.”
24 GSCENE less prejudice than the rest of the UK, too, which is just another thing to be proud of. Reuben isn’t the only one to attest to this either – the Stonewall School Report of 2017 highlighted how the south east had the lowest percentage of LGBTQ+ pupils being bullied in schools, with almost 20% fewer being bullied than in some other parts of the UK.
HOW FAR HAVE WE REALLY COME IN 30 YEARS OF QUEER? 2020 marks 30 years of Brighton & Hove Pride. Maibh Shiels, a student of Journalism at the University of Sussex, asks how much progress has been made in the city in that time ) While the Pride flag flies in Brighton,
things weren’t always as bright as they now seem, and still may not be. As we celebrate what Brighton & Hove Pride is calling 30 Years Of Queer, it’s time to revisit the past, see how far we’ve come, and establish how far we still have to go. While Brighton is now a city full of pride, that doesn’t mean it is entirely free from prejudice – rainbows aren’t all sunshine and no rain. Brighton & Hove Pride’s 2020 event, and its 30th anniversary celebrations, have had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but the 30-year anniversary will still be celebrated next year. I spoke to Reuben Davidson, a worker at the LGBTQ+ youth support group Allsorts, to see if the progress made in those 30 years was worth celebrating. Reuben feels that “we still have a way to go”. Allsorts has been fighting homophobia, biphobia and transphobia (HBT) for 20 of these 30 Years of Queer, and it hasn’t all been Pride celebrations and festivals. Reuben was honest with me about the challenges that both the organisation and he personally have faced: “I’ve experienced quite a lot of transphobia and homophobia. There [are] still problems with HBT in Brighton & Hove, and across the country, and across the world.” There is no denying that HBT is an ongoing problem in Brighton, and the UK generally, and perhaps even a growing one, with instances of hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation and gender identity steadily increasing year on year in the eight years preceding 2019. Reuben spoke to the challenges caused by the surge in extremist views over the past few years, particularly the growing hostility towards immigrants, admitting: “Extremist views are spilling out to [affect] other minority groups as well [as towards immigrants]. Providing political platforms to
people with extremist views towards other minority groups also impacts the LGBTQ+ community negatively.” Since the vote on Brexit in 2016, there has been a further rise in hate crime toward those who are LGBTQ+, showing that HBT is not a problem that is going away, but in fact worsening. So, how much have the 30 Years Of Queer really done for queer people? They have allowed people to come out and be proud. While the statistics show a rise in the number of hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people, they also show a rise in the number of people who identify as LGBTQ+, which might explain which the crime statistics are on the increase. Reuben himself acknowledges: “Being out and proud will always incite a response. Pride, as an event, can incite quite strong responses from people who normally wouldn’t have an opinion about the LGBTQ+ community.” It’s clear that in the 30 Years Of Queer and in the many years before, people such as Reuben fought for LGBTQ+ rights, and the community hasn’t only grown stronger, but much bigger, with people feeling comfortable to identify themselves as part of it. While that may not always evoke positive responses, there is a whole community and many support groups, including Allsorts, that are there for those who face HBT and in Brighton, at least, that much makes a huge difference. I asked Reuben how he thought we compared to the rest of the UK, and he admits we differed somewhat. “In Brighton there’s less likely to be overt HBT such as physical attacks – I think that’s less likely because of the culture of the city being quite inclusive of LGBTQ+ on the whole... I think microaggression is still certainly an issue.” So, while it’s clear Brighton isn’t yet completely free from prejudice, there’s no doubting it does have pride, and has had for 30 years now. It seemingly has more pride and
The statistics speak for themselves, but Reuben says even in the south east Brighton stands out as being more inclusive than other areas. As to be expected with Allsorts being a youth support group, Reuben has intimate knowledge of the experience of LGBTQ+ students, and tells me: “The experience of young people at school [in West Sussex] highly differs to the experience of young people in Brighton schools. I think it’s always a mixed experience of coming out [but] largely, young people in Brighton have a more positive experience of coming out than the young people of West Sussex do, but obviously that always depends on the young people themselves, and also their identity, and their friend group and their year group.” However, he suggests that might have something to do with Brighton being a city: “Cities generally have a more progressive atmosphere [whereas] rural areas might struggle more with HBT. West Sussex and East Sussex are large counties which are very rural, and the atmosphere feels different in those places.” Either way, the south east, and Brighton especially, is embracing and accepting the LGBTQ+ community more than anywhere else in the UK. While HBT is still existent in the UK, it is less prevalent in Brighton.
“The UK may still have a problem with HBT, but Brighton is fighting it, and fighting for the LGBTQ+ community, and has been for over 30 years” Brighton is certainly proud, and even though the event has been postponed there is no doubting that whenever Pride does happen it will be one for the history books, with cabaret tents, queer theatre, dance tents, spoken word, and much more, including performances from a host of queer artists who span the 30 years of Brighton & Hove Pride’s existence. There is undoubtedly much to celebrate. The UK may still have a problem with HBT, but Brighton is fighting it, and fighting for the LGBTQ+ community, and has been for over 30 years now. As Reuben puts it: “We’re dedicated, committed to tackling HBT, and I think the city as a whole is receptive of that.” Brighton has definitely come far in our 30 Years of Queer, and if that’s not a reason to be proud, I don’t know what is. ) For more info, visit: www.allsortsyouth.org.uk
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REVOLUTION AND EVOLUTION
Jaq Bayles takes a look back over Prides past
In 2004 Pride gained charitable status with an aim to educate on issues affecting LGBTQ+ people and to make grants available to voluntary and charitable groups, and at that time higherprofile performers joined the roster of local and LGBTQ+ performers, but money problems dogged the event. The entry fee to the park was introduced in 2011 but in 2012 the organisation went bust and new management took over.
FATBOY SLIM BY CHRIS JEPSON
be misremembering, but they were certainly a far cry from the glitz, glamour, sparkle, shine and corporate backing of more recent festivals, the last of which attracted an estimated 300,000 people to Pride events around the city.
) We've come a long way, as we’re reminded
in the lyrics of Praise You by Fatboy Slim, who made his Pride debut at the Wild Fruit Dance Tent in 2012 on Preston Park. Yet there still remains a long way to go, even 30 years after Brighton Area Action Against Section 28 took to the streets to protest the banning of councils and schools from “promoting the teaching of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship”. Introduced under Margaret Thatcher’s government in 1988, Section 28 didn’t end in the UK until 2003, but the Brighton protests were the foundation for the Pride we know today, if a very different animal back then.
As Alf Le Flohic pointed out five years ago in Pride 25 – The History of Brighton Pride: “Pride in 1991 was very homemade but very ambitious with a festival of events around town over the May bank holiday, ending in a Pink Picnic in Preston Park.” The event was back at Preston Park the following year, but in 1993 it ended with a Pink Picnic in Queen’s Park and in 1994 and 1995 migrated to The Level. I always think of The Level gatherings as just featuring a drag queen on the back of a flatbed lorry and two dykes with a trestle table – I may, of course,
Since 1997 Pride has been held on the first weekend of August, but the original May date was set to allow Pride to coincide with the Brighton Festival, and the 1991 event included an Alternative Miss Brighton show hosted by Lily Savage and Simon Fanshawe in Brighton Station car park. The change in date didn’t guarantee any better weather – there have been occasions when a relentless deluge has attacked the day, delighting those who suggest the sun only shines on the righteous but failing to dampen the spirits of festival-goers.
Over the years Pride has diversified in line with the communities it represents, and following the entry into the parade in 2001 of a group of self-identified trans people in an open top bus, the T was added to LGB, making the event specifically inclusive of Brighton’s growing trans community in all Pride in Brighton & Hove publications, press releases and websites. Of course, many still miss the Gay – or any other defining word or acronym – prefacing Pride, but that word alone has come to be synonymous with LGBTQ+ communities the world over.
From there Pride has grown and flourished, with a broadening out of performance spaces reflecting the diversity of the communities throughout Brighton and the event becoming a major highlight of the city’s year. Personally I miss the days when the park was more lightly populated, making it easy to alternate swiftly between Women's Tent and Main Stage with the certain knowledge of bumping into familiar faces at every turn, but evolution has to happen. Pride attracts thousands of tourists to the city, contributing massively to the economic health of Brighton & Hove and raising to date more than £920,000, supporting hundreds of community organisations with grants through the Brighton Rainbow Fund, Pride Social Impact Fund and Pride Cultural Development Fund. It may not be here in body this year but its spirit lives on and the online event has worked hard to involve community groups and provide entertainment for all. However you celebrate your Pride in 2020, keep safe and remember why it exists. Brighton may be celebrated for its inclusivity but it is far from being representative of much of the rest of England, let alone the world. We’ve come a long, long way, but we haven’t yet arrived.
MORE INFO
D Alf Le Flohic: Pride 25 – The History of Brighton Pride www.brighton-pride.org/historyof-brighton-pride/ D www.gscene.com/news/putting-the-t-inlgb-at-brighton-pride-2002/ D www.pride-events.co.uk/brighton-pridehistory/
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JOHN MOORE BLAGSS CHAIR
) What are your plans for Pride 2020?
“A quieter Pride, meeting up with friends for a few drinks.” When was your first Pride? “The colours, the vibrancy of the parade and everyone happy, feeling safe to be ‘just be themselves’.” Favourite Pride memory? “Marching through the city in the parade as part of BLAGSS in 2016, for the first time. The response from the crowd was amazing.”
) What were your plans for Pride 2020?
“We had a new theme planned, bringing costumes inspired by kids’ games. ‘Samba is a game everybody wins’ – board games, family games, etc. We were hoping to bring a closer link to young LGBTQ+ boys and girls and their families’ perceptions of normal children’s activities to all in the LGBTQ+ community.” When was your first Pride? “We’ve joined the Parade for over five years, but 2018 was a very special year for us as it
Favourite Pride memory? “2018 was also the year Camila Prins, who made history as the first transgender Queen of the Drums in Brazil's carnival, joined us at the Pride Parade. We have unforgettable moments throughout the weekend but the Saturday Parade was perfect.”
BLAGSS
BELEZA SCHOOL OF SAMBA
was the first year we paraded as an official samba school. Since then our baptism in Rio Carnival happened and we felt truly blessed. We paraded with the theme Brighton Royalty & Samba Royalty, supporting our LGBTQ+ community.”
Why is Pride in 2020 so important? “It is important to celebrate Pride, the biggest event in our city, and to continue to be at the forefront of gay rights in the UK and demonstrating this to the world where many are not as fortunate as us.”
What are your plans for Pride weekend? “To share and enjoy digital Pride together, remembering some of our previous parades, like last year when we brought the Greeks and Aphrodite to the Pride Parade.”
What does the future hold? “Some BLAGSS sports have been able to restart and the rest are keen to restart as soon as they are allowed. As well as sport our members miss the social interaction with friends.”
What does the future hold for your group? “We don't know. At the moment we’re just working hard with a plan that will firstly guarantee we survive these challenges and protect all of our members. We are very positive about the future.”
LEE NELSON
equality and many people around the world face persecution for being LGBTQ+.”
) What are your plans for Pride 2020?
What does the future hold? “To introduce as many people as possible to the joy of playing steelpan. We’ll certainly continue to perform at Pride as it’s one of our performance highlights of the year. ”
SUSSEX STEEL CREATIVE DIRECTOR “We hope to start rehearsing again soon and will be brushing up on our Pride tunes and playing them for fun.” When was your first Pride? “Our first Pride was in 2015 and we performed on the Brighton & Hove Albion FC float. We loved it so much that we’ve performed on our own float ever since.” Favourite Pride memory? “It has to be spectators singing and dancing along to our music. It’s an amazing feeling.” Why is Pride in 2020 so important? “There’s still some way to go in the UK for true
SUSSEX STEEL
BELEZA SCHOOL OF SAMBA
Why is Pride in 2020 so important? “There's still so much to do and we still need to support the amazing charities and community groups that help change our world for the better and save lives throughout the year.”
SUSSEX STEEL
LEANDRO BELEZA
) What have you planned for Pride 2020?
“Pride has kicked off early at Actually GMC with a fun LGBTQ+ themed quiz night via Zoom and some filming preparations as we are excited to join the virtual We Are FABULOSO! Pride parade. “In normal circumstances, of course, we would be in final rehearsals about now for our annual Pride concerts. Actually Fabulous, our 15th anniversary concerts, have been postponed to 2021. We will still be meeting to rehearse weekly but in these challenging times we equally spend time together socially online for the welfare of our members and that of our wider Actually family.” When was your first Pride? “Our members all have different experiences of their first Pride. Luca, Jack and Chiddy have recounted stories of more recent Pride party celebrations, while Bill was there at the first: “My first Pride was in London and we travelled from Liverpool in 1972 and slept on the floor of Euston Station until the Tubes started. We joined the first ever Pride parade from Embankment. We were the Liverpool representatives of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE), and we were so proud to march with the guys from all over the world along with UK to make a statement to the government. The police moved us away from Downing Street and Parliament Square. The unity of us all, straight and gay, men and women, was a thrill to be part of. We were all so grateful to be part of it and have the world watching us, and a bit shocked by the bold, positive attitude of us all. The news reported on the telly, a concern about what our families would think; the chant was ‘We're Proud to Be Gay!’ - a very new word, very different from the words that were used in the past.” What’s your favourite Pride memory? “There are so many Pride memories for
FRANCISCO GUILLEN
BRIGHTON GAY MEN’S CHORUS ) “I love Pride and dressing up. I always try to
“The sweetest memory - one of our Pride concerts was halted for a marriage proposal (thankfully the answer was yes); and the funniest - the boys performed an ABBA medley, complete with Miss Jason taking to the stage dressed as Agnetha.” What are your plans for Pride weekend? “There will no doubt be socially distanced merriment supporting our re-emerging LGBTQ+ bar scene, or for those now cautiously exiting Covid shielding, perhaps a takeaway pint from our friends at the Southern Belle, to raise an alfresco toast to friends no longer with us this year.” Why is Pride in 2020 so important? “Pride encourages us to reflect on the history of struggle and the lives of our LGBTQ+ siblings who were at the forefront of the civil rights movement, both in the US and the UK. This experience of otherness is why the Black Lives Matter movement resonates with us. In acknowledging that racism exists within the LGBTQ+ community, and understanding that otherness is intersectional, we hope to make Actually an even more welcoming place.” What does the future hold for Actually GMC? “More of the same. Our rehearsals and socials will remain virtual until it is safe for all our members to meet – but we simply cannot wait to sing together again. Plans are afoot already for our Christmas programme, which is always a highlight of the year for audiences and members alike and we will announce more details later in the year.” Fancy joining us? New members always welcome! Drop us a line on social media F T @ActuallyGMC For more info, visit: D www.actuallygmc.org/home
get to the Ford tent and have my picture taken. It’s become a ritual. But most of all singing on the Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus float. I’ll miss it this year. So next year let’s make it bigger! x”
FRANCISCO GUILLEN
ACTUALLY GAY MEN’S CHORUS
Actually, it is impossible to pick a favourite. From the honour of taking our debut album performance to the main stage, to being surprise guests of Dave Lynn and singing Hava Nagila in four-part harmony.
SIMENON HONORÉ GLF VETERAN
) “As a GLF veteran, the explosive excitement of
SIMENON HONORÉ
CHRIS TIPPETT
FRANCISCO GUILLEN
ACTUALLY GAY MENS’ CHORUS
GSCENE 27
Gay Pride in the early 1970s is my enduring memory. We were breaking new ground, often in the face of opposition not only from the establishment but from others in the LGBTQ community who were afraid we were "upsetting the apple cart", which indeed we were. GLF were like the 'shock troops' who punched a hole in the consensus that we could be 'tolerated' as long as we were 'discreet'. Changes in the law came later. The first barrier to break was a psychological one and that, I think, was GLF's historical contribution to our movement. That is my Pride.”
RAINBOW CHORUS
CHRIS GULL & JOHN SAIES
28 GSCENE
CAROLINE PEARCE
loves to do the most, and that is to sing together.
CHRIS GULL
) What are your plans for Pride 2020?
“The Rainbow Chorus is run by committee, a small group of volunteers who throughout these hard times have managed, along with the musical team, to organise weekly virtual rehearsals, monthly RC+ sessions, part-funded by the Brighton Rainbow Fund, and coordinate a Friday night virtual pub, the Rainbows Return, where members can log on to chat or join in a virtual pub quiz. The Rainbow Chorus feels it’s more important than ever to keep going and be there for all its members, some of whom are very isolated. I’d personally like to say a big thank you to them all and I look forward to a time when we can all meet up and sing again and, of course, start to plan the float for next year’s Pride.”
) “I remember many Prides – London,
RAINBOW CHORUS
“Even though the official events of Pride 2020 have been cancelled, I still feel it’s really important to mark the date. So this year I’ll be meeting, at a safe distance of course, with some friends in a Brighton park to wave flags, sing and have a picnic.” When was your first Pride? “My first Brighton Pride was in 1996 and it soon became a must in my diary. I was eventually able to move here six years ago and that’s when I joined the Rainbow Chorus. They have a float in the parade every year and I’ve loved being involved in the creative process and being on the float.” What’s your favourite Pride memory? “My first Pride was in London in 1989. I had watched previous Pride marches from the sidelines but never felt brave enough to take part, but when Section 28 became law I was galvanised into action to stand up, stand out and protest. With a few friends we made banners and took to the streets. It was truly one of the most liberating days of my life.
D www.rainbowchorus.org.uk
“My best memories of Pride are feeling able to hold my girlfriend’s hand in public for a whole day, the empowerment of being with other LGBTQ+ people en masse, the colours, the fun and the laughter. “ Why is Pride in 2020 so important? “Pride is just as important today as always. We must remain visible – to be seen and keep being seen. The hard-fought equalities that have been achieved over the years can so easily be taken away and for me it’s more important than ever to be seen as a trans ally. The LGBTQ+ fight is not over as no one is equal until we’re all equal.” What does the future hold for the Chorus? “At the time of writing it’s hard not being able to do the thing that the Rainbow Chorus
LAURA JANE STEPHENS SOCIALLY ORGANIC
) “Brighton & Hove Pride is like my
Christmas, it embodies all I love about living in our beautiful city. The Pride parade is my favourite event of the year. I love street photography, capturing the beauty of the moments and seeing the same faces with their ever-more awesome outfits as the years go by. The city comes to life with a pulse of its own.”
THE BRIGHTON RAINBOW FUND Brighton, Berlin... Section 28 marches to picnics in the park. This is one that I have photographic evidence for, and is from about 1994 I think. I was chair of a charity called Brighton Cares, which was basically a hardship fund for people affected by Aids/HIV. “Our logo was a heart, with a Brighton Pavilion Dome on top of it. My partner Gary designed the logo, and then designed and made this version to be worn. John Saies volunteered to walk the route wearing the logo, while I carried the bucket to collect along the way. This looks like Preston Street, maybe St James’ Street, or London Road... and seems deserted... I don’t know why.”
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GSCENE READERS MIKE QUINN ) “I love the shot of a couple of friends
DREW B ) “Last year was my second time at Brighton &
Hove Pride but it was the first time me and my husband attended a Pride event as a married couple and it meant a lot to us. Not only did we celebrate our first Pride as husband and husband, but it was also the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, a pivotal moment which led to us being able to be married to each other.”
GARY HUNT-FRENCH ) “Me, my husband, sister and sister-in-law,
GARY HUNT-FRENCH
having a brilliant Pride 2019.”
LYNN DUNCAN ) “Our straight mate at her first Brighton & LYNN DUNCAN
Hove Pride last year.”
DREW B
leaving Bar Broadway at the end of Pride - it had been such a good day, everyone was happy and it was great to catch up with some faces I hadn't seen for a while. I just thought this pic kinda summed up the end of the weekend as the sun was setting, the streets were clearing and everyone was going home happy.“
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SHARON MUNNINGS POLYGLAMOROUS PRIDE PARTY PICS BY JACK ALFIE
BRIGHTON HOUSING TRUST (BHT) ) “Being part of the Pride community parade gives BHT staff,
BRIGHTON HOUSING TRUST
supporters, clients and tenants the pleasure of connecting with the community in an incredible way and to openly and proudly pledge our commitment to reducing stigma and celebrating diversity in its many forms. We absolutely love seeing the reaction of the crowd and the happiness, colour and energy which drives the whole day. As our 2019 open-top bus banner says, we are Proud to be BHT, and either as allies and/or proud members of the LGBTQ+ community, we stand in unwavering solidarity with LGBTQ+ people in the UK and around the world.”
POLYGLAMOROUS PRIDE 2019 ROBBY DEE PHOTOGRAPHER ) “Proud memory backstage capturing Lola Lasagne, his hard work that
LOLA LASAGNE PIC ROBBY DEE
goes into organising and hosting the Cabaret tent in Preston Park. Another year coming to an end.”
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) What are you bringing to Pride 2020?
“My section of the televised Pride show We Are FABULOSO! is called Queer Town, which is also the name of the bespoke area and stage I’ve curated and hosted in the park for the previous two years. I’ve hand-picked some fantastic local cabaret and musical artists from the LGBTQ+ community, who are all extremely talented at what they do, including Alfie Ordinary, Miss Disney, Joe Black and Hannah Brackenbury. I also brought a couple of my own band members and performed a short set of my original material.” How was the filming and was it difficult to perform without a big audience? “I loved it. I’ve done quite a bit of local TV work so am quite used to filming without an audience. The set that the Pride team have created for We Are FABULOSO! is just wonderful and it’s the first thing I’ve done out of the house since lockdown, so it was extra special.” When was your first Pride? “My first Pride was in the early 2000s when I first moved to Brighton and I’ve been back every year since. I remember just being completely wowed by the acceptance, the freedom, the confidence, the beauty. I came from Worthing, which at the time had
OSARO & MR GREENBEARD
QUEER TOWN HOST
Apart from tuning into Virtual Pride, what are your plans for Pride weekend? “I’m definitely going to get a few friends together to sit in the garden (at a social distance of course) and watch the show over a few drinks and celebrate together in our sparkliest outfits.” Why is Pride in 2020 so important? “Pride is even more important in 2020 as there are so many people out there who aren’t in great home situations, who may be living with unsupportive parents or family members, possibly subjected to physical violence as well as emotional abuse, and they haven’t been able to escape or get as much outside support due to lockdown. Virtual Pride is a reminder to those people that they aren’t alone, that there is support out there and they are part of a community. I think it’s wonderful that Brighton & Hove Pride has put this show together and I’m so honoured to be part of it.” D www.pauldiello.com F /pauldiellomusic T /pdiello
KATHY MURRAY GSCENE READER
) “I was on the Gscene cover with a man
with an amazing headdress. I was attending Pride with friends who lived in Brighton. My brother, known locally as Pink Peter, lived there until he died a few months earlier. That Pride was so meaningful to me.”
OSARO SINGER ) “Since 2006 Brighton & Hove Pride has been an
integral part of my life. My relationship with and perspective of Pride has changed over the years depending on my involvement. My first Pride was watching/clubbing/partying, the atmosphere was electric and at last I felt at home celebrating with a larger community. I’ve marched, performed on floats (once one broke down, we had to be pushed off the main route on to a side street... Well… we carried on regardless and started our own street party). I’ve helped to manage and perform in tents (Calabash) in Preston Park, sang in clubs, at a fashion show as well as the Official Pride Street Party on numerous occasions. I achieved one of my ambitions to perform on the main stage while my music videos showed on the large screens. I often look back with a smile and ask myself: ‘Did this really happen?’ STAGE 2012
PAUL DIELLO
Favourite Pride memory? “There are so many. Performing on the main stage in 2014 was definitely a highlight. Running the Queer Town stage in Preston Park since 2018 has been a fantastic experience, working closely with the Pride team has been a dream job, they really are a wonderful bunch and I have such admiration for what they bring to this city every year.”
OSARO PERFORMING ON THE MAIN
PAUL DIELLO
no scene and you certainly didn’t want to be walking down the street wearing anything that would bring attention to you as a young gay boy (although I often did, and paid a price for it), so seeing everyone being themselves at Pride for the first time was a real moment for me.”
“Pride has enabled me to understand my identity. As a person of colour I didn’t have any role models, so if I in some way can inspire others to believe in themselves then that’s my job well done. On a visit to Birmingham I was thanked by three young people who said that they enjoyed my music and performances at Brighton & Hove Pride. It was a humbling experience for me to see how my presence lifted their spirits. “I respect the ethos of Brighton & Hove Pride, helping to raise the global struggle of our extended family. When I went Istanbul I decided to go to the only openly gay bar in the city. The staff recognised me from online LGBTQ+ press and thanked me for visiting. We sat and talked about our experiences of being gay. and they told me they received death threats purely for being openly gay and for working in an openly gay environment. Naturally I hugged them and said that they weren’t alone and had my love, support and respect. At this point their eyes welled up with tears. “Living in Brighton I feel very privileged and will endeavour to work towards equality, not only here but on a global scale whenever I get the opportunity. Long may we march with PRIDE.” #Pride #Diversity #Acceptance #Equality #Representation
32 GSCENE
RAINBOW FAMILIES ) What are your plans for Pride 2020?
Favourite Pride memory? “All the kids and adults loved the bus at Pride last year. It saved little legs. It meant the adults could relax; we didn’t have to carry everything that a child needs for the parade route. The kids absolutely loved throwing sweets from the open top bus and squirting people with water pistols from the top.” Why is Pride in 2020 so important? “Rainbow Families has been around as long as people have, and Pride and visibility are important every year. It’s important for the world to see that families are special and full of love, no matter what kind they are.” What does the future hold? “Rainbow Families is all about providing a social network for our families to grow up in, allowing parents and children to meet and play with families like theirs. Post-lockdown we will be back to arranging events where families can connect and build friendships through activities for all age ranges, soft play, socials, camping and activities for older kids, like water sports at Hove Lagoon and dry slope skiing at Knockhatch.”
cooking vats of food for the Lunch Positive where a few hundred people marched Pride community café; and taking photos through town with their banners and ended for Gscene so there would be at least some with a Pink Picnic in Preston Park (1991 & representation of the lesbians. 1992), in Queens Park (1993), and The “In 1995, when I was Level (1994 & 1995). putting on queer club “Over the years since 1991 I’ve enjoyed night Housewife’s taking part in Pride in one way or another: Choice with Queen Jo designing Pride party flyers and Pride and Kate Wildblood, we programmes; drumming with XiXi at took part in the Pride Shameless Hussies; DJing at Pride parties march dragged up as with Queen Jo, Kate, Affy Wajid, Fiona and ‘glamorous’ housewives. Bettina, for Wild Fruit, Housewife’s Choice, Dressed in a bright pink full-length evening Room 101, Sophie’s Girlfriend and dress, Gloria Swansn style pink turban and Calabash; DJing and drumming in Preston silver slingbacks, I pushed my hostess Park at the Calabash tent with Affy, Pushy trolley from the Peace Statue to The Level, C and Geoffrey Williams; drumming with unfortunately losing a wheel somewhere Flo, Al Start, Invisible Plane and Clarkie in along Western Road… At the end of the day the Women’s Performance tent when it was I cursed and grimmaced all the way back to run by Al Start, Nicky Mitchell and the late Hove, on my own, feet rubbed raw and Sheila McWattie; playing with Brighton barely in control of the now three wheeled School of Samba and with Barulho for the trolly. Even by Brighton standards I must B&HCC LGBT Workers’ Forum in the parade; have looked a right sight!”
ROOM 101 PRIDE PARTY
“The 2014 event was such a success we worked with the Pride team to make the 2015 Pride even more family friendly and we walked the full parade and joined the fun in the family tent. We have marched every year since then and in 2019 had our first Rainbow Families Pride Bus, which the kids loved to bits.”
) “My first Brighton Prides were the ones
AL START BAND 2008
RAINBOW FAMILIES
When was your first Pride? “In 2014 Rainbow Families joined the Disco-themed Pride parade for the first time in many years. We elected to walk half the parade length with our children and buggies. The Pride parade team helped us leave the parade on London Road where we peeled off for a picnic at The Level.
GSCENE DESIGNER
FLO 2001
“This year, we will be watching and enjoying Virtual Pride. Some of our children’s schools have been celebrating Pride Month. It’s Pride every day in our world.”
MICHELE ALLARDYCE
CLARKIE @ WOMEN’S PERFORMANCE TENT 2006
“Rainbow Families has always had a place at Pride. Families of all kinds come out to celebrate. Although the park hasn’t always been child friendly, for the past few years there has been a family area and this has been greatly enjoyed by all families.
GSCENE 33
Tell us about BrightonGMC’s first Pride... “One of our three shows a year is produced during Pride, and we take part in the Community Parade with unique musical arrangements and choreography updated each year. We also have a stall in the Pride Park, giving out information on the virtues of singing, why it's good to sing in a group and, even better, why it's good to sing with BrightonGMC. We formed in January 2005, and that year we had our first concert during Pride week and took part in our first parade with our Brokeback Mountain inspired float. Who doesn't like dressing up as a cowboy? It was great fun but what took us by surprise was the outpouring of love from those in the streets. We got nothing but pure joy and love.”
DRAG WITH NO NAME LEGENDS CABARET TENT 2014 BY CHRIS JEPSON
Favourite Pride memory? “We put lots of pride and effort into our floats and one year, in particular, Chorus co-founder
SOUND OF MUSIC FLOAT PRIDE 2007
) What are your plans for Pride 2020? “This year we wanted to create a big joyous show, which carried a message and hopefully educated audiences about the experiences of LGBTQ+ lives. It would have reflected on the various aspects of coming out, with personal stories from our members. We have collected some amazingly touching, funny and heartwarming stories that we were so excited to share with our friends and fans, but in light of the current situation we've decided to postpone the show till next year.”
Silvio Grasso, with two other members, decided it was time to enter a bigger float for that year’s Pride theme, The Musicals. After all, if we were going to represent The Sound Of Music, we wanted to make Julie Andrews proud. The lorry they hired was massive, taller than a double-decker bus. It took enormous effort from all our members to decorate its two tiers, but it was worth it. That year we won Best Community Float again, but also the organisers had to introduce a height limit so now we make up for it with energy, colours and outrageous costumes.”
What are your plans for Pride weekend? “We’re very excited to watch We Are FABULOSO; there will be a few social-distanced watchparties to get involved in. We’re expecting several members to watch in what they would have worn on our famously outrageous floats. And, if past years are anything to go by, we’re talking extravagant and unapologetically gorgeous glitter-filled outfits! Pride is a vital fundraiser for the Brighton Rainbow Fund and Pride Social Impact Fund. We hope people will still donate generously as funds will help support local charities, projects and community
MISS JASON PRIDE STRRET PARTY 2014
BRIGHTON GAY MEN’S CHORUS
Why is Pride in 2020 so important? “The first Pride marches were organised in 1970 in the US and Pride began in our city with a gay demonstration in October 1972 and a full Pride march in July 1973. Pride is as important today as it was then. It's essential to remind people that there are still countries where people can be legally imprisoned, oppressed, and, in some cases, killed for who they love. Falling in love isn’t a choice; it's a human right that everyone should be able to experience, without fear of stigma or their lives. Every year the question arises: should Pride be a party/celebration or should it be a political movement? We think it should be both. At Pride we celebrate our equality and achievements, and we're also reminded to be vigilant. To make sure the rights that were fought for are safeguarded, and never taken away.” What does the future hold? “We adapted very quickly to the pandemic and developed the Virtual BrightonGMC, which includes our regular Tuesday rehearsal, with smaller break room for different voice parts, online training module, and Zoom social activities (this is when the gin and wine come out). Our chorus director, Joe Paxton, and his music team, which includes music director and accompanist Tim Nail and assistant music director Jack Simmonds, devised three 12-week training modules on Vocal Training and Music Theory for beginners and advanced levels. Of course, we couldn't help having a little fun and we named them: 'Vocal Technique For Divas: What Every Little Madonna Needs To Know', 'Bushy Bears Advanced Music Theory' and 'Basic B*tches Learn Their Pitches', however there’s nothing 'basic' about our members. This year we would have celebrated our 15th Anniversary which would have culminated in a fantastic show at the Brighton Dome. Although we still don't know what this year holds for community choirs like ours, we’re busy planning new exciting adventures for the Chorus, including establishing a Chorus Ensemble to engage with more events and producing a youth LGBTQ+ schools engagement project in Brighton & Hove. So, our plans have only been postponed, and maybe next year we will call the year-long celebration Sweet Sixteen!” D www.brightongmc.org F @brightongmc
PHIL STARR & MAISIE TROLLETTE PRIDE 2002 PIC CHRIS JEPSON
BGMC PRIDE 2019 PIC SIMON PEPPER
groups that will need support more than ever in the current climate.”
34 GSCENE
MICHAEL HYDES
VILLAGE MCC PASTOR
NIGEL NASH
ANDREW RAMAGE
church is and how real, lived faith is fully inclusive, loving and supportive. I hope we MCC BRIGHTON PASTOR have, over the years, helped people to see ) “For me, Pride has always been the biggest the true face of Christianity, not the twisted event of the year in Brighton & Hove. It’s version all too often portrayed by people something MCC Brighton looks forward to, with phobic viewpoints. plans for and thoroughly enjoys. The church has been attending Pride every year since “One of the reasons that Pride 2020 is so 2002, including the year we had a giant pink important, maybe even more important than vicar on the float, which was way before my previous years, is this bringing together of time. When I became the pastor of MCC the huge diversity we have here in Brighton Brighton I began looking at Pride, and in & Hove. Now more than ever this message is particular the parade, differently. It became needed, with tensions at breaking point, an opportunity to highlight the importance people feeling isolated, restrictions on of inclusion and embracing diversity. everything and people being suspicious of or even hostile towards those they see as “MCC Brighton works with the street community of Brighton & Hove, so we invited different to them. “The Pride message of inclusivity and the beauty of diversity is vital. I’ve always believed that we’re all uniquely beautiful creations and it’s the variety of creation that gives it beauty and strength. We each have something to offer the world, something that is uniquely US and that should be not only welcomed but celebrated and embraced. That’s why Pride 2020 needs to happen and has a particularly important role to play in the current crisis. MCC Brighton is taking part One of my favourite memories of Pride was the lady dressed as a dominatrix who stepped in the video messages as part of Pride 2020 because people need to hear that being their out of the crowd to spank me during the true selves is not only welcome but is also a parade. There I was, clergy collar and all, being lightly paddled by a woman in leather powerful message to those who want the girdle and stockings, must have been quite a world to conform to their view of how things should be. Diversity is a beautiful thing, sight. which gives the world its colour. “Although the parade is, for many of us, the “During Pride weekend, MCC Brighton will be highlight of Pride weekend, we also have a holding a Pride Sunday worship service at stall in the park and at other Pride events. The Level. We do all our services outdoors This has allowed us to have many great making them accessible to everyone, with no conversations with people about faith and exceptions. Community, Inclusivity, Diversity, sexuality. It allows us to reach out to those a world-changing trinity.” who have been hurt by churches in the past and give them a whole new view of what D www.mccbrighton.org.uk
) What are your plans for Pride 2020?
“Our group walks with the banner Christians At Pride. Because visibility to us is important, including a good mix of clergy and congregations, it’s difficult for us to virtually portray this, except in using pics of last year. We’ll still celebrate and proclaim our message of a fully inclusive church. The Christians at Pride banner is sent from Pride to Pride around the country. Linking with other Prides is very moving and important. Centrally organised by One Body One Faith.”
LESBIAN & GAY CHRISTIANS, PRIDE 2007
members of that community to join us in the parade. The parade became our focus as it allowed us to raise awareness of the work we do, to give people an opportunity they’ve never had before and to demonstrate that community means everyone. Each year we made small, handheld placards with positive messages on – one of my favourites was one with pictures of two babies, from our congregation, saying Made with Love.
ONE BODY ONE FAITH
When was your first Pride? “About 15 years ago, and then our banner was ‘Lesbian & Gay Christians & Your Friends, Praying for an Inclusive Church’. My memory is the reaction of a small number of church leaders, who weren’t in favour of our participation in the parade. I also remember protest groups along the route, and the police having to cordon off a small group of religious protesters for their own protection. We remained confident in our inclusive message, that LGBTQ+ people are all welcome in our churches.” Favourite Pride memory? “My favourite is being with some young people who were attending Pride for the first time, and felt able to walk with and carry our Christians at Pride
MAURICE PARRY HANKIE QUILT MAURICE PARRY PRIDE 2012
HANKIE QUILT
HANKIE QUILT PRIDE 2012 BY CHRIS JEPSON
BILL PUDDICOMBE SUSSEX BEACON
) What are your plans for Pride 2020?
“We’ve been discussing with partners how we can run some appropriate activities on Pride weekend. Both our shops will be open on the Saturday and may run promotions with other venues nearby. Our Pride windows are always a strong feature of the weekend. We are just preparing our entry for the Virtual Parade. I know that we are all looking for ways to preserve the spirit of the occasion, even if some of the events are not happening.” When was your first Pride? “I am new to Brighton and my first Pride was in 2018. A group of us walked the parade route with banners. The weather was perfect, and I most remember the amazing energy from the crowds lining the streets. It was the overwhelming sense of being part of something important and special.” Favourite Pride memory? “On last year’s parade, our group were just reaching the turn from Queen’s Road into North Road, when I spotted two guys from Christchurch, New Zealand, who I hadn’t seen in about 25 years. It was great to see them again. People from all over come to the best Pride celebration in the world.”
banner. It was clearly a very important step for them and very moving to be walking with people joining us for the first time. Very inspiring and emotional ” What are your plans for Pride weekend? “We will watch the virtual Pride and encourage all our members to positively reference it in their churches and communities, so the message is not lost, despite current circumstances.” Why is Pride in 2020 so important? “Even though we’re not able to physically meet, our message of inclusion is needed as much as ever this year. These are politically challenging times across the world, so the full inclusion of all LGBTQ+ people is so important and vital a message, when our rights and freedoms can still be challenged. We must never take the progress we’ve made for granted.”
What are your plans for Pride weekend? “I’ll wait and see where the Beacon has
Why is Pride in 2020 so important? “2020 has been a year full of shocks and seismic changes. Pride is such a big part of Brighton’s year and I know that Brightonians always find a way to make it a special day. It’s a time to warmly celebrate our city as the home of LGBTQ+ people as a significant and influential community.” What does the future hold? “The Sussex Beacon has been working throughout the Covid-19 period. Our hospital has provided care to people living with HIV, as well as some patients who we admitted for a period to make room in acute wards. “We’ve been building on our strengths in recent years. We’ve been making some major improvements to the building and expanding the range of services we provide. We’re happy to see the Brighton Half Marathon launch on July 13, as we run the event and it’s another big occasion in Brighton’s calendar. “We’ll be here to provide support and care for people facing the challenges of living with HIV for as long as we are needed.” D www.sussexbeacon.org.uk
VINCE LAWS POET, ARTIST, PERFORMER, CAMPAIGNER
BTTC
What does the future hold? “We’re hosting a monthly Sexuality, Gender & Faith Group to discuss all aspects of these issues. We’re also linking up with members of other faiths, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, to show our solidarity with LGBTQ people of all faiths.” D For more info, email nigelnash@me.com D www.onebodyonefaith.org.uk
activities and events and go along to those in person or virtually. I’d hope to spend time catching up with friends and trying to find some of that Pride spirit and joy, even without the big event at Preston Park.”
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TONY FARAWAY SECAMB
) “Highlight of the year for
THT 2017
THT CARRY ON WITH BARBARA WINDSOR2005
THT 2015
SECAMB
Pride in SECAmb - the ambulance service’s LGBTQ+ network.”
MARC TWEED
TERRENCE HIGGINS TRUST (THT) CENTRE MANAGER ) “Brighton & Hove Pride is one of the highlights of our year and we’re
still determined to mark this important occasion for the LGBTQ+ community here in the city. Lockdown has been a really isolating and tough time for many of us, so staying connected and supporting one another really matters. For Pride 2020, I’m proud that THT will be taking part in the virtual We Are FABULOSO Pride parade. We've recorded a special video that celebrates the huge progress made in the fight against HIV: people living with HIV and on effective treatment can’t pass it on. “We’ve also produced a short film about trans sexual health, which was screened on Trans Pride and is available on our YouTube channel. Trans people in Brighton & Hove have the right to feel safe and supported and it's important we all do our bit, particularly as this year's celebrations come at a time of reports that the UK government is considering rolling back its commitment to trans rights, including proposals that trans people be excluded from 'single-sex spaces’. This is despite the existing protections in the Equalities Act. “We’ve also produced a set of videos focusing on health and wellbeing for the LGBTQ+ BAME community in the city, which will be available via our local social media channels. “Over the weekend, we’ll be out and about around open spaces in Kemptown, offering any information and support people might need. While the streets of Brighton might feel a little different during this year’s Pride, there’s still lots happening and many reasons to feel proud.”
TANYA LEVINE GSCENE READER
F @THTBrighton and F @THTBABME I Insta: @babmebrighton Y Youtube: https://bit.ly/THTBTNvideo
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DAVINA SPARKLE DRAG ARTISTE
“MindOut service users join us on the bus – many would be unable to attend or take part in Pride due to issues of accessibility or mental health. One year a service user in their 70s came along, they’d never been to Pride before as they were unable to cope with the crowds and the noise and thought that because of their age they’d be MINDOUT SERVICE MANAGER unwelcome. Being supported to attend the ) When was your first Pride? parade really did mean the world to them, “My first Pride was in Brockwell Park, London. they felt included and part of a community As a 19-year-old gay man my experiences of and they told me that it was the happiest homophobia and heterosexism seriously they’d ever felt about being gay. I think this affected my self-esteem and self-worth, to is probably my favourite Pride memory.” the point of crisis. I felt very alone, I was very alone - I actually hated myself. I What are your plans for Pride weekend? remember joining the march and feeling “The online festival looks exciting, so I overwhelmed emotionally; happy, proud, imagine a mix of this and celebrating with a powerful, safe... feelings very alien to me at few special people in my life.” the time. By the time I reached the park I Why is Pride in 2020 so important? cried. I think I cried because I had a sense “Lockdown has been so very difficult for of confidence never felt before and I didn’t many LGBTQ+ people, especially those of us want it to end, I didn’t want to go back to living with mental health concerns. Pride hating myself or feeling unsafe, I wanted to 2020 will be an opportunity to come stay proud. together virtually as a community and to “The sense of belonging for me is incredibly feel a little less isolated and a bit more important, as is spending the time with connected. Increased mental health issues people I care about and love. It makes me during the pandemic are such a concern, and thoughtful and reflective and gives me Pride for MindOut is an opportunity to licence to have fun, celebrate my gay life promote our services and to let people know and, most importantly, scream, shout and that we are here if they need our help or protest for LGBTQ human rights and equality.” support.”
LOLA LASAGNE & DAVINA SPARKLE
Our presence helps to reduce mental stigma and raise awareness and promotes LGBTQ+ mental health as a community concern.
DAVE LYNN & DAVINA SPARKLE @ QUEENS ARMS PRIDE STREET PARTY
“We adapted fast to lockdown, developing new services and support interventions, which we have been able to deliver remotely. Our future aim is to build on the success of running services remotely and to continue to run these and other remote services once things return to normal – whatever that may look like.”
BEAR PATROL PRIDE 2014 PIC CHRIS JEPSON
D www.mindout.org.uk WILD FRUIT PRIDE 2007 PIC REAL BRIGHTON
MINDOUT BUS PRIDE 2010
What does the future hold? “We aren’t going anywhere – we’re well established and confident in what we do and there’s need for our services, now more than ever. However, it’s fair to say that we’re a bit worried from a financial point of view. As a charity we still rely heavily on the generosity of people in the community and the support of the Brighton Rainbow Fund, which helps to fund some of our key suicide prevention services, counselling and group work. Favourite Pride memory? “I often work at Pride now – it’s important for MindOut to have a presence in the parade and in the park. There’s so much love and support for our bus in the parade, people do really cheer when they see us, many engage with us on the day and talk to us about their or a loved one’s mental health and many people make contact after Pride, telling us how important it was to see us on the day.
DYKES ON BIKES PRIDE 2002 PIC CHRIS JEPSON
DAVINA SPARKLE PRIDE 2017
JASON SAW
38 GSCENE
GSCENE READERS
BTTC PRIDE 2018
JB CLAPHAM
) What are your plans for Pride 2020?
“We will celebrate LGBTQ+ rights at BTTC and online for Pride 2020. We can't wait to be back bigger and stronger in 2021.” When was your first Pride? “BTTC first took part in the parade in 2018. I just remember the feeling of love throughout the city as we marched through a sea of 300,000 people cheering us on.”
What does the future hold? “We want to do more table tennis with more people and celebrate the diversity of our members. We have a really successful relationship with BLAGSS and we’re planning to set up sessions with Allsorts. So, watch this space.”
LUNCH POSITIVE COMMUNITY CAFÉ 2016
has been a Community Café at Preston Park. Every year over 30 volunteers have given hundreds of hours to prepare and stage the café, working hard - some volunteering for 16-hour days. It’s always been a huge amount of fun, great to be together celebrating and also doing something meaningful for our community, and has raised thousands of pounds to support people with HIV!” D www.lunchpositive.org
JAMIE HEWARD
) “Since 2011, Lunch Positive’s involvement at Pride
LUNCH POSITIVE COMMUNITY CAFÉ 2016
LUNCH POSITIVE SERVICE MANAGER
JAMIE HEWARD
LUNCH POSITIVE COMMUNITY CAFÉ 2014
GARY PARGETER
LUNCH POSITIVE COMMUNITY CAFÉ 2010
MIKE COOKSON-TAYLOR
D www.brightontabletennisclub.com
LUNCH POSITIVE COMMUNITY CAFÉ 2018
Favourite Pride memory? “BTTC player Leo smashing ping pong balls out of his wheelchair into the crowd on
Why is Pride in 2020 so important? “People need to feel love and connection, particularly after the past few months of disconnect.” JB CLAPHAM
BRIGHTON TABLE TENNIS CLUB FOUNDER & DIRECTOR
London Road in 2018 and everyone absolutely loving it. We had so much fun, it was absolutely incredible.”
MIKE COOKSON-TAYLOR
TIM HOLTAM
GSCENE READERS
DAWN DRAPER ) What are your plans for Pride 2020?
“Switchboard had planned to have an open-top bus in the parade as we our celebrating our 45th anniversary, but we are busy planning how we join the Virtual Pride event as it is important that we still continue to celebrate everything LGBTQ.”
SWITCHBOARD PRIDE 2005
STEPHEN STEVENS
What are your plans for Pride weekend? “Myself and a few friends are organising our own little Pride celebration – what this will be we do not know yet.”
SWITCHBOARD
Why is Pride in 2020 so important? “It is a time to come together to celebrate our identities, culture and the progress we have made as a LGBTQ+ community. It is also a time when we can highlight what still needs to be changed
STEPHEN STEVENS ) “The man came out the crowds... everyone gasped...
I thought ‘here we go, married at last’. It was a friend (married straight) from Plymouth to surprise me. At the end of the Pride parade, champagne for Hannah and me.”
SWITCHBOARD PRIDE 2009
When was your first Pride? “My first ever Pride was in 1985 in Kennington Park, London I think. I will never forget the feeling like you had taken over London and how great it felt to be in the majority. “
and challenged, especially as homophobia and transphobia have not gone away.”
Favourite Pride memory? “Joined the march on a beautiful sunny day when the Pride event was held on the Southbank in 1987 (I do miss the sense of it being a protest march), then ended the afternoon listening to k.d. lang as we had never heard of her before.“
RICHARD FACER
What does the future hold? “Switchboard is 45 years old this year and still going from strength to strength, though very different from the befriending service it started out as. We will continue to work to understand and respond to the needs of all LGBTQ+ communities through listening, informing and developing services we offer.”
) “Gutted that we can’t Pride with everyone this year.
Here’s last year’s pictures unicorn day. Best memory of the day Grace Jones passing us in the shoulders of the security guard and saying ‘I love it’ when she saw our outfits.” Richard Facer from Bournemouth with husband Paul and fag hags Lucy and Helen.
D www.switchboard.org.uk
RICHARD FACER DJ PUSHY C CALABASH 2010 PIC NEIL MASEY
CALABASH 2008
CALABASH 2009 NEIL MASEY
CALABASH MICKLOS & AFFY GO BANG CALABASH 2010 PIC NEIL MASEY
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AMSTERDAM
BAR 7 CRAWLEY
AMSTERDAM
AFFINITY BAR
AMSTERDAM
AFFINITY BAR
AMSTERDAM
AFFINITY BAR
GSCENE OUT & ABOUT
AUGUST 2020 We’ve all missed our LGBTQ+ venues, which have been closed since March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Last month most of them returned, bringing the heart back to LGBTQ+ Brighton, Portsmouth, Southampton and Crawley, so here’s a round-up of what you can expect and what they have planned to adhere to government guidelines. Information is correct at the time of going to press. Gscene cannot be held responsible for any changes or alterations.
AFFINITY BAR
AMSTERDAM
) Affinity is open from rom 12pm–12am every day
E 11-12 Marine Parade, Brighton, BN2 1TL N Tel: 01273 670976 F @ amsterdambarbrighton
E 129 St James’ Street, Brighton BN2 1TH N Tel: 01273 567935 F @ AffinityGayBar D www.affinitygaybar.com
with the same great atmosphere, fabulous attentive staff and delightful drinks. To keep you safe, it has made lots of changes, including Covid-19 safe areas for you and you and your friends to enjoy. Bookings advised via Facebook on Friday and Saturday. Affinity Bar team says: “Whether you’re on your own or in a group with other households, we have the perfect space for you. Our wonderful bar staff are on hand serving you great drinks, shots and cocktails so there is lots to enjoy.”
BAR & KITCHEN
) Currently has space for walk-ins but will be busier
later in the day with reservations. The Amsterdam crew says: “Please bear with us while we get used to all the government guidelines. The safety of our customers and staff is paramount – but if you’re unsure about anything please ask us. This is all new for us – and as with other businesses, we may make a few mistakes until we get used to it. Your understanding is appreciated.” View the full guidelines and download and print a track and trace form at: www.amsterdambrighton.com
BAR BROADWAY
CAMELFORD ARMS
BAR BROADWAY
CAMELFORD ARMS
BAR BROADWAY
CAMELFORD ARMS
CAMELFORD ARMS
BAR BROADWAY
GSCENE 41
BAR BROADWAY
BEDFORD TAVERN
) The heart of LGBTQ+ Crawley is back. You
) Bar open. Tables and reupholstered stools have been
) Not open yet so check Facebook for updates. In
can now visit the Lounge Bar, where there is table service only. The Bar 7 team says: “Yessss, we're back bitches! We have had a little makeover, we have deep cleaned and we are Covid compliant. We can't open the nightclub and will struggle with the limited space in the Lounge, so we need your support.”
repositioned, and a yellow brick road has been added to help you all follow the new social distancing guidelines. Before you visit, check the new ‘appless app’ (just need browser) to make your visit effortless while remaining safe. The app allows you to book a table, pre-order and pay for drinks from the table, contact members of staff, virtually queue for the toilet and call a taxi. The Broadway Jukebox will be added soon for convenience. The Bar Broadway team says: “We can’t wait to have you back to listen to the lullabies of Broadway.”
the meantime, check the Facebook page for madcap online events. Adam and Team Bedford say: “We’re desperate to get our Bedford family back together in our beloved Beddy, but we have a duty of care to our fabulous staff and customers. Implementing social distancing within such an intimate venue will be challenging. We will update you with any changes. We wish all the best to our fantastic local venues that did reopen on July 4 and we hope to be able to join you soon. Lots of love.”
BAR 7
CRAWLEY
E 7 Pegler Way, Crawley, RH11 7AG D www.bar7crawley.co.uk F @ Bar7Crawley
E 10 Steine Street, Brighton BN2 1TE N Tel: 01273 609777 F @ barbroadwayuk D www.barbroadwayuk.co.uk
E 30 Western Street, Brighton BN1 2PG N Tel: 01273 739495 F @ BedfordTavernBrighton
CHARLES STREET TAP
GROSVENOR BAR
GROSVENOR BAR
CHARLES STREET TAP
CHARLES STREET TAP
GROSVENOR BAR
CHARLES STREET TAP
GROSVENOR BAR
42 GSCENE
BULLDOG
ALL NEW
E 31 St James's Street, Brighton BN2 1RF N Tel: 01273 696996 F @ BulldogBrighton ) Not open yet so check Facebook for updates.
Sam Pink and the team say: “July 4 was the second anniversary of when we took over and created the All New Bulldog Brighton and we would have loved to celebrate with you all… But, with the thoughts of the safety of our staff and customers, we’ve decided to hold back until the risks are lower and we can open up safely and welcome you all back in true All New Bulldog style… We will announce our reopening date ASAP. All our love, Sam Pink and the All New Bulldog Brighton team x”
CAMELFORD ARMS
E 30-31 Camelford Street, Brighton BN2 1TQ N Tel: 01273 622386 F @ TheCamelfordArms I @ camelfordarms D email camelfordarms@hotmail.com D www.camelford-arms.co.uk ) Now open for drinks and food from 12–8pm, and
award-winning Sunday roasts at 12pm. Bookings not necessary but recommended, especially if eating. Also back is Ben’s Quiz on Thursday at 8pm. Email to book a table or send a message on Facebook or Instagram. Take advantage of the government’s Eat Out To Help Out scheme in Aug with 50% off food (up to £10 off food and non-alc drinks) every Mon, Tue and Wed. The Camelford crew says: “We really look forward to seeing you all again. xx”
CHARLES STREET TAP
E 8 Marine Parade, Brighton BN2 1TA N Tel: 01273 624091 F @ CharlesStreetTap D www.craft-pubs.co.uk/charlesstreettapbrighton ) Open for drinks and food with a new menu of small
plates, pizzas, burgers, mains, sub sandwiches, sides and desserts. See full menu at: https://bit.ly/TPK-MENU. Order direct to your table via app: https://bit.ly/MyPubApple, http://bit.ly/MyPub-Android. We Love Quiz on Thursday at 8pm is free, with prizes on the night and national cash prize up to £1,500. Visit www.welovequiz.co.uk for details. Booking in advance essential. Charles Street team says: “We’re ready to welcome you back, but some things have changed, we’ve introduced a few measures to make sure you can sip safely.” For details, visit https://bit.ly/welcome-back-TPK
MARINE TAVERN
LEGENDS LEGENDS
MARINE TAVERN
MARINE TAVERN
LEGENDS
MARINE TAVERN
LEGENDS
GSCENE 43
THE EDGE
FALLEN ANGEL
posted an update on Faceboo: “As a nightclub, we must wait till we’re instructed to open and we’ll continue to monitor the situation and assess the services we can provide as the rules change. We look forward to welcoming you all back, when it’s safe to do so. Please support each other as much as you can, and as safely as you can. Stay tuned to our FB, Twitter and Insta for updates and things to keep you smiling. For now, Stay Kind and Stay Fabulous, with love from everyone at The Edge.”
say: “Check FB and Insta for updates. In the meantime, here’s to wishin’, hopin', thinkin', prayin', plannin' and dreamin’ to see you all very soon... Lots of love.”
E Compton Walk, Southampton, SO14 0BH N Tel: 023 8036 6163 F I @ EdgeBoxSoton ) Not yet open, but The Edge team has
E 24 Grafton Street, Brighton BN2 1AQ F @ FallenAngelBrighton I @ fallen_angel_brighton/ ) Will reopen, but not sure when. Fallen Angel team
GROSVENOR BAR
E 16 Western Street, Brighton BN1 2PG N Tel: 01273 438587 F @ www.thegrosvenorbar.co.uk ) Open daily from 1–11pm with Drag Bingo every
Thur. The Grosvenor team says: “It’s like coming back from a holiday and climbing into your own bed. We’ve got new drapes on stage. Who do we want to see first?”
HAMPSHIRE BOULEVARD E Hampshire Terrace, Portsmouth PO1 2QN N Tel: 023 9229 7509 F @ HBnightclub D www.hbnightclub.co.uk
) The refurbished bar and covered terrace is open with
table service (max 8 people): Sun 5pm–1am, Wed & Thur 7pm–1am, Fri 7pm–3am, Sat 3pm–3am. HB is only offering table service and won’t be operating as a nightclub with space to dance. Book a table for Cherry’s Bingo with cash prizes, every Thursday at 7pm. The Sunday Social Cabaret will have top acts in the newlook garden at 5.30pm. The HB team says: “There will be drag acts, music and everything a houseparty doesn’t offer on stage in our new-look garden. We’ve measures in place to keep both you and our staff safe. Check FB for announcements. We can’t wait to see you.”
QUEENS ARMS
REVENGE
REGENCY TAVERN
QUEENS ARMS
QUEENS ARMS
REGENCY TAVERN
QUEENS ARMS
REGENCY TAVERN
44 GSCENE
LEGENDS BAR & CLUB
E 31-34 Marine Parade, Brighton BN2 1TR N Tel: 01273 624462 F @ LegendsBrighton D www.legendsbrighton.com
MARINE TAVERN
E 13 Broad Street, Brighton BN2 1TJ F @ marinetavernbrighton ) The bar is now open daily from 12pm–1am.
) The bar and terrace are open till very late and
food is served till 5pm. Frank's fantastic roasts, including a tasty vegetarian special, are back on Sunday from 12.30-4pm. Call in advance to book your table. The hotel is open and taking bookings via the website or Facebook by clicking Book Now. When you visit on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 5pm, you’ll be guided to your table by the maître d', who is none other than Jason Sutton aka Miss Jason. Jason says: “Can’t wait to see you all at Legends. Bit of a soft thing to say but being there at the weekend felt like coming home. Big love MJ x.”
THE RAILWAY CLUB
E 4 Belmont, Dyke Road, Brighton BN1 3TF N Tel: 01273 328682 F @Railway-Club-Brighton-129870610360892 ) Open from 5–10pm on Mon–Fri, (closed Sat &
Sun). The Railway Club team says: “We’re very pleased to announce we’re open. All of the measures we’ve implemented are for everyone’s safety and protection. Revised opening times until further notice.” To see measures being taken, visit the Facebook page.
REGENCY TAVERN
E 32/34 Russell Square, Brighton BN1 2EF N Tel: 01273 325652 F @ trtbrighton D www.regencytavern.co.uk ) Open from 12pm for food, drinks and entertainment
on the big screens. There’s a one-way entrance and exit which the Regency asks everyone to adhere to. There are limited tables so call or message on FB to reserve a table for up to six people. Sunday Roasts served 126pm. Louie, Simon, Leah and the Regency Tavern team say; “We have screens on the bar and between tables to protect you and our staff. We’ll take your order at your table and ask you to pay by contactless or card. If you bring your four-legged friends, we ask that they stay on the lead. Our priority is our customers and we’ll do everything we can to keep you safe. Lots of love. x.”
LE VILLAGE
REVENGE
LE VILLAGE
VELVET JACKS
LE VILLAGE
VELVET JACKS
LE VILLAGE
VELVET JACKS
GSCENE 45
REVENGE BAR & CLUB
SUBLINE
LE VILLAGE
) Revenge Bar is open: Mon–Thur 12pm–2am,
) Hopes to reopen at the end of Aug, check FB for
) Now open with full cocktail menu, a stunning
updates. Owner Steve is giving the club a new look and a new name! Floors are being levelled, fixtures removed, and the space is being filled with seating. When the club reopens, it will offer table service.
beer garden and drag hosts at the weekend. New food menu and themed nights will be launching soon, check Facebook for more info. Call to book a table for drinks.
VELVET JACKS
ZONE BRIGHTON
) Now open for table service, or take drink outside,
) No definite date yet but aiming for late July or
E 32-34 Old Steine, Brighton BN1 1EL N Tel: 01273 606064 F @ RevengeBrighton D www.revenge.co.uk
Fri 12pm–4am, Sat 11am–5am, Sun 11am–3am with table service (no advance bookings), takeaway service and drag hosts; Lydia L'Scabies, Daphne, Tayris Mongardi & Rob From Finance. See Facebook for guidelines and updates. Bar Revenge says: “We can't wait to welcome you back and give you a socially distanced air kiss.” ) Revenge Club isn’t open yet but the Powder
Room is planning ahead: Crystal Methyd (Nov 13), Cheryl Hole & Blu Hydrangea (Dec 18), Gigi Goode (Jan 23) and Miss Vanjie & Silky Nutmeg Ganache (Mar 27).
E 129 St James's Street, Brighton BN2 1TH D www.sublinebrighton.co.uk F @ sublinebrighton
E 50-52 Norfolk Square, Brighton BN1 2PA N Tel: 07720 661290 F @velvetjacksbrighton
but no drinking at the bar. Jackie says: “Please stay one metre apart, even when you’re tipsy. And be nice. It's all we have right now.”
E 2/3 High Street, Brighton BN2 1RP N Tel: 01273 676075 F @ thevillagekemptown
E 33 St James's Street, Brighton BN2 1RF F @ www.zonebrighton.co.uk
early August as a fair bit needs doing before it can safely reopen.
46 GSCENE
TURN BACK THE PAGES Gscene has been published every month for over 27 years, and is a rich chronicle of the history of our LGBTQ+ communities, in and around Brighton & Hove. Chris Gull raids the archives… commissioning power through to local GPs, has the potential to marginalise services for those most in need, especially in the LGBTQ+ community, and puts in danger organisations that rely on ‘health funding’ to survive. Everyone will be in the same boat, not just LGBTQ+ organisations. We fought hard to create these services and we must fight hard to ensure they survive in the short term while national government attempts to bring the economy back on track.“
The Rainbow Fund
AUGUST 2010...
) Five months into the Conservative/Liberal
Democrat coalition government, and two years from the global financial meltdown (aka the banking crisis), James Ledward had some news. Regular readers of our look back to 2010 will know that Pride that year was... contentious.
Funding Cuts “Pride has not been the only negative cloud on the LGBTQ+ horizon in Brighton & Hove these last few months. The full impact of government cuts on statutory bodies who fund our local LGBTQ+ organisations is starting to filter through and the long-term future of these organisations could be in question. “We’ve spent years building a support network of LGBTQ+ organisations providing frontline services to young, old, and sick LGBTQ+ people. These organisations are seen nationally as champions in their respective fields, but none of them are safe from the cuts that are now starting to happen. “Allsorts Youth Project, MindOut, Spectrum, the LGBT Community Forum and Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard are all ‘LGBTQ+ specific’ organisations that depend heavily on grant funding from Brighton & Hove City Council and the Department of Health through the present Primary Care Trusts (PCTs). “The decision of the Tory/Lib Dem coalition Government to scrap the PCTs (even though there was nothing about this in either of their manifestos), devolving much of their
“For many years I’ve thought it was important that we centralise our community fundraising in case of such a funding crisis happening. For most of the last year I’ve supported the development of the Rainbow Fund. This is a completely independent fund, managed by the Sussex Community Foundation, an experienced grant giver in Sussex, to make funds available to LGBTQ+ specific and HIV organisations who provide frontline services to LGBTQ+ people. The Rainbow Fund at Sussex Community Foundation is a charitable fund for the benefit of the LGBTQ+ community in Brighton & Hove and maintains the Brighton & Hove Aids Memorial. “After successfully signing off the fundraising for the Aids Memorial, the Sussex Community Foundation kindly agreed to convert the Aids Memorial Fund into a more general fund to enable the Community to raise money for our LGBTQ+ Voluntary Sector and HIV/Aids organisations, especially those who struggle to
get grants from statutory funders at present. The fund is administered by the Sussex Community Foundation. In the next few weeks a panel of LGBTQ+ people will be announced to oversee the grant giving process. “Just five years ago fundraising from our LGBTQ+ businesses in Brighton & Hove in a single year for local LGBTQ+ and HIV organisations topped £100,000. Last year I found it difficult to track £15,000 raised by the local LGBTQ+ business community for our LGBTQ+ and HIV voluntary sector. Many businesses are still fundraising, but for anything other than LGBTQ+ and HIV organisations. Privately, businesses are saying to me that they’re happy to fundraise but want to know that the money they raise is safe and not going on overheads. “The one thing I can guarantee all local businesses is that the Sussex Community Foundation is a reputable charity with an established record of grant giving. The Rainbow Fund will have an independent grant giving panel of LGBTQ+ people who will set the criteria for the grants and also recommend what grants are given. Members of the grants panel will consist of local professional LGBTQ+ people equipped with wide ranging skills and experience in the LGBTQ+ and HIV voluntary sector. “The Rainbow Fund is entirely independent of any LGBTQ+ business or voluntary sector interest and grant applications will be decided solely on the basis of merit and meeting the grants criteria, which is set by the independent grants committee. Most importantly, the Rainbow Fund has no overheads or wages, just paying the Sussex Community Foundation a small commission for their help. “Now there is around £20,000 in the fund and the first grants round will be in October this year. To secure the future of our LGBTQ+ organisations this fund needs to grow quickly.“
UPDATE: So The Brighton Rainbow Fund is ten years old. James’ vision has borne fruit. Thanks not only to local businesses and individual donors, but also to community fundraising events such as Pride, Bear Patrol, and Brighton Bear Weekend. The amounts raised have increased year on year, and once they reached £100,000 a year there was an amicable parting from the Sussex Community Foundation since they too recognised that the 10% service fee constituted a significant amount of money that could be going to frontline services. In 2013 a Community Interest Company was set up, again with minimal overheads, and in 2019 the Rainbow Fund achieved charitable status. (There was an existing charity called the Rainbow Fund, so the name was changed to the Brighton Rainbow Fund).
GSCENE 47
AUGUST 2010 As the world reacts and reflects on the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests, we look back ten years to this news piece.
BEYOND LABELS ) Big Up at GMFA presents Black & Gay in the
) Yes, The Amsterdam had a sauna in 2005
(is it still there?)
AUGUST 2005... A couple of news pieces from August 2005. ) Phil Starr taking possession of Starr’s Hotel
on New Steine. Phil was hugely popular on the Brighton and London scenes, and was thrilled to take up residence. Sadly, Phil died suddenly just a few months later. His funeral was epic and was followed at the beginning of 2006 by a large tribute show at The Dome. For those of us who remember him, this YouTube tribute will bring happy memories. For those who never saw Phil, this what all the fuss was about. Y https://youtu.be/CtywDuyitfY
UK: Rising Against the Challenges of Homophobia, Racism and HIV/AIDS, a free event in London that will feature a screening of the documentary film Beyond Labels in August at The Rich Mix, London. Directed by Jaime Sylla, the film explores the black gay male experience in London across the generations – from Gay Lib pioneer Ted Walker to the Oh WoW Boys, two young black gay men and modern-day YouTube stars. Produced by GMFA, the gay men’s health charity, Beyond Labels premiered at the 2010 London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. Jaime Sylla, the project manager for GMFA’s Big Up project, which creates sexual health interventions for black gay men in London, said: “In making the film, it became increasingly apparent that the lack of positive black gay role models can affect how black gay men see themselves and can limit their future aspirations. While there is still much to overcome, I hope that the experiences of those featured in ‘Beyond Labels’ will inspire others to thrive, shine and live happier, healthier lives.”
We’ll come back to those in future archive features.
The film looks into the life experiences of a group of men who have often been historically rendered invisible and stigmatised by the communities they belong to because of their sexuality and race. Focusing on the lives of black gay men of different ages, it explores how racism, homophobia, HIV, migration and other issues can directly impact the construction of a healthy identity. The screening will be followed by a discussion panel with some leading figures in the black gay community, a Q&A session with members of the audience and refreshments. The documentary is available to view on: Y YouTube: https://youtu.be/rireSSuEX8Q
48 GSCENE
PALLANT HOUSE GALLERY
LEONARD ROSOMAN, THE DRAG BALL NO. 2, 1967-8
) Pallant House Gallery in Chichester has acquired a series of paintings depicting the first gay kiss and drag ball in British theatre. The five works by British artist Leonard Rosoman R.A (1913-2012) have been acquired from the estate of the artist’s widow Roxanne Wruble Rosoman (1937-2018) through the Acceptance in Lieu Scheme.
LEONARD ROSOMAN, PORTRAIT WITH CANDELABRA
The five paintings, created as part of Rosoman’s A Patriot For Me series, are based on John Osborne’s controversial play of the same name, which was first performed at the Royal Court in 1965. While the play was initially banned by the Lord Chamberlain’s office for its homosexual content, a legal loophole was exploited which turned the theatre into a private club for the play’s duration. It would help pave the way for the 1968 Theatres Act, which abolished censorship of theatre. Simon Martin, Pallant House gallery director, said: “We are thrilled to acquire Leonard Rosoman’s A Patriot For Me paintings. Not only are they among his finest works, but they have a particular significance to LGBTQ+ history, to the history of British theatre and visual art, representing a time when Britain’s social and cultural history was on the cusp of a pivotal shift.” Rosoman attended the first performance of his friend Osborne’s exploration of gay life – inspired by the true story of the disgraced Austro-Hungarian army officer, Colonel Redl – returning every evening for a fortnight to create drawings by torchlight. Two years later these drawings would form the apsis of Rosoman’s series of 40 paintings and gouaches. Dominated by two major paintings on the play’s famous ‘drag ball’ scene, these large canvases show a bustling stage filled with cross-dressed men, a development of Rosoman’s interest in multi-figure composition. Edward Harley OBE, chairman of the Acceptance in Lieu Panel, added: “I am delighted that this series of paintings by Leonard Rosoman has been brought into a public collection through the Acceptance in Lieu scheme. These pictures represent some of the most important works from Rosoman’s career, based on John Osborne’s controversial A Patriot For Me, a play that broached the shift of sexual attitudes of the 1960s. I hope that this example will encourage others to use the scheme and continue to support our national collections.” D For info and reopening dates and times, visit: www.pallant.org.uk
) Gilbert & George, the perennial enfants terribles of the art world, have quit the prestigious Royal Academy of Art (RA) after the RA decided not to go ahead with an exhibition of their work. The duo had been led to believe an exhibition was planned and gave interviews in February mentioning a forthcoming show at the RA, the gallery of which is based in Piccadilly, London. Gilbert & George were the first duo in the RA’s 250 year history to be elected as academicians as a sole entity with one vote. “It is extraordinary that we’ve been able to risk extreme artwork for 40 years,” said Gilbert in February. “You have to be an outsider to do art, you can’t be normal.” An RA spokeswoman expressed regret that Gilbert & George were leaving the RA: “The RA is forced to make decisions about who to show and when. Not all academicians can have an exhibition.” The visual and conceptual artists always exhibit jointly and have provoked strong reactions to their work over the years. They first gained their reputation with a joint self portrait, George The C**t and Gilbert The S**t, in 1969. For a long time they sidestepped questions about their relationship but did have a civil partnership in 2008. George Passmore, 78, first met Gilbert Prousch, 76, in 1967 at St Martin’s School of Art in London. At the time Gilbert, originally from Italy, was married to a woman, the artist Patricia Stevens, with whom he had a son and daughter. As artists they reacted against approaches to sculpture then dominant at St Martin’s, which they believed were elitist and poor at communicating outside an art context. Their strategy was to make themselves into sculpture, so sacrificing their separate identities to art and turning the notion of creativity on its head. In 1986 they won the Turner Prize. Gilbert & George are represented by the White Cube Gallery in London, which has not commented on the departure from the RA. In 2018, Brighton Museum and Library hosted an exhibition of their work which explored themes including sex, faith and identity. I During lockdown Gilbert & George have been posting a weekly online diary: www.instagram.com/explore/tags/gilbertandgeorge/
ARTISTS’ OPEN HOUSES WINTER FESTIVAL ) Brighton & Hove’s Artists’ Open Houses (AOH) new extended Winter Festival will take place over the weekends from November 21 till December 13, 2020. Artist registration for the four-week festival is open from now up until Friday, August 28, and it will amalgamate the annual Christmas Festival in addition to showing work from many artists and makers who were scheduled to exhibit at the May 2020 festival, which was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Alongside the main AOH Festival will be a new Virtual Open
Houses strand, which will include virtual tours of artists’ houses and studios and online galleries. It will continue online from November 2020 until March 2021. Judy Stevens, festival director, said: “We’re delighted to announce a new four-week Winter AOH Festival after the necessity of cancelling the May Festival. Many AOH artists have found the lockdown period very fruitful, allowing time to explore new ideas and ways of working – many have produced really exciting and inspiring new work.” D For more info and to register, visit: www.aoh.org.uk or email info@aoh.org.uk
GILBERT & GEORGE, ARTIST ROOMS EXHIBITION, BTN MUSEUM
ARTS NEWS
GILBERT & GEORGE QUIT THE ROYAL ACADEMY
GSCENE 49
JARMAN AWARD Brian Butler looks at the shortlist for the 2020 Jarman film prize ) The Film London Jarman Award is a
prestigious annual prize which recognises and supports the most innovative UK-based artists working with moving image, and celebrates the spirit of experimentation, imagination and innovation in the work of emerging artist filmmakers. Launched in 2008 and inspired by visionary filmmaker Derek Jarman, the Jarman Award is unique within the industry in offering both financial assistance, worth £10,000, and the rare opportunity to produce a new moving image work.
The Award has a reputation for spotting rising stars of the UK art world. Previously shortlisted artists include Charlotte Prodger, Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Duncan Campbell, Monster Chetwynd, James Richards, Luke Fowler, Elizabeth Price and Laure Prouvost, all of whom went on to be shortlisted for or win the Turner Prize. The Film London Jarman Award is presented by Film London in association with Genesis Cinema and Whitechapel Gallery.
JENN NKRUMAH HUB TONES
) STAGE MOTHER, a new LGBTQ+ film, released
when cinemas reopen, will be the first UK film release to feature trans actress Mya Taylor since her award-winning debut in Tangerine (2015).
SANSOUR & LIND IN VITRO
ZIMMERMAN & ACKSON HERE FOR LIFE
STAGE MOTHER The first UK film release to feature trans actress Mya Taylor hits the big screen
QUINLAN & HASTINGS, IN MY ROOM
Afro-surrealism, Hollywood imbalances and LGBTQ+ history are all explored in the 13th edition by the six shortlisted nominees for the 2020 Derek Jarman film-making prize, which have just been unveiled. There’s also Arabic sci-fi, flying paint and a journey through the black techno scene.
Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London, said: “With the impact of Covid-19 being felt so deeply by artists and exhibitors, we are more proud than ever to present this year’s Jarman Award and help raise the profile of this important body of original work that questions the world around us.“
Jenn Nkiru looks at Afro-surrealism and electronic music in Rebirth Is Necessary, Hub Tones and Black to Techno, while Michelle Williams Gamaker uses the language of Tinseltown to look at racial imbalances. Hannah Quinlan and Rosie Hastings explore LGBTQ+ culture in In My Room, and Larissa Sansour combines her Palestinian background with sci-fi in In Vitro. Andrea Lula Zimmerman and Adrian Jackson look at working class communities on the margins in Here for Life. Project Artwork, an artist-led group that works with children, young people and adults, also features. The winner will be announced on November 24. In the weeks before you can view the shortlisted films on the Whitechapel Gallery website: www.whitechapelgallery.org and there will be a weekend of online screenings on November 14 and15.
MORE INFO D For more info: www.filmlondon.org.uk D For more info about Derek Jarman,
visit: www.jarman-film-book.com To watch trailers for some of the shortlisted films, visit: V Jenn Nkiru Hub Tones: www.vimeo.com/429240580 V Jenn Nkiru Black to Techno: www.vimeo.com/429240319 V Andrea Luka Zimmerman and Adrian Jackson, Here for Life: www.vimeo.com/428482510 V Hannah Quinlan and Rosie Hastings, In My Room: www.vimeo.com/428467717 V Larissa Sansour and Søren Lind, In Vitro: www.vimeo.com/428067360
The film tells the story of a conservative Texas mother (Jacki Weaver) who inherits her recently deceased son’s drag club in San Francisco and grows to understand his community while battling to save the venue he and his partner worked so hard for. In this raucous, racy new environment, she begins to open up and find new meaning for her life, even becoming a mother-figure to the club’s flamboyant performers… until a surprise visit threatens to upend her new life. Directed by Thom Fitzgerald (GLAAD Mediawinning The Hanging Garden, and The Event and 3 Needles tackling the Aids crisis), and starring drag icon Jackie Beat, Stage Mother hits cinemas on July 31 and everywhere On Demand on August 21.
50 GSCENE
PONYBOI The award-winning film created by and starring out intersex artist River Gallo makes cinema history
FROM DOWNTON TO EUROVISION
) Ponyboi is the world’s first narrative
film in history to be created by and starring an ‘out’ intersex artist. The film was run at 40 film festivals, including Tribeca Film Festival and won Grand Jury Prize of Best Short Film.
Dan Stevens loves versatile roles. By Paul Wright
Ponyboi was directed by GLAAD awardwinning filmmaker, actor and intersex activist River Gallo and CaribbeanAmerican filmmaker Sadé Clacken Joseph.
) Best known for his role as
RIVER GALLO PONYBOI
In 2019, Gallo received the Rising Star Award at the GLAAD Media Awards. They were named one of the Most Exciting Queer People to Follow by Out Magazine, and made Paper Magazine’s list of 100 People Taking Over 2019. They were also the cover star of 2019 Autumn/Winter issue UK Hunger Magazine shot by Rankin. Gallo recently co-starred in Love, Victor on Hulu, a spin-off of the film Love, Simon.
MORE INFO Y To watch Ponyboi, visit youtube channel
SADÉ CLACKEN JOSEPH
Omeleto TV: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELcdw8LbGpM Y To watch other Omeleto films, visit: www.youtube.com/channel/UCTMt7iMWa 7jy0fNXIktwyLA D www.ponyboithefilm.com T @ponyboi_film F PonyboiFilm I @ rivergallo It was executive produced by British actors Stephen Fry, Academy Award-winning actress Emma Thompson, and intersex executive producer Seven Graham. “As an intersex activist, I made Ponyboi out of a desire to empower people. I wanted to empower. I wanted to portray a beautiful intersex character, so that for the first time audiences would see themselves in our struggles and triumphs. I now believe more than ever stories from artists of colour and the LGBTQ+ community are vital to our culture.” Gallo, along with Joseph, are both CEOs and co-founders of multi-media production house Gaptoof Entertainment in Los Angeles, which focuses on intersectionality and creating inclusive spaces for POC, LGBTQ+, and womxn narratives.
Matthew Crawley in Downton Abbey, Dan Stevens continues to display his dramatic versatility in the upcoming Netflix comedy Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga. Starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams as Icelandic singers Lars and Sigrit who face ridicule for representing Iceland in the world’s most popular singing contest, Dan co-stars as their rival Alexander Lemtov, a singer from a Russian republic with an identity in flux. Dan said the research for the role opened his eyes to the perils faced by LGBTQ+ people in many territories. “It’s unbelievable that there are still countries that don’t acknowledge the existence of certain sexualities: it seems mad to me. There are artists in so many countries who can’t admit it [being LGBTQ+], because they’d be in danger. But the best thing about Eurovision is that it’s a haven and a celebration. It champions [LGBTQ+ rights]. He went on: ”Lemtov is from Chechnya. I looked up Kadyrov’s and Putin’s attitude to gay people, and we didn’t want to belittle that danger in any way. We wanted to get it right and hit the right notes. Noting the initial reaction to his character, Dan added “After some of the trailers, people wondered if a Russian villain wasn’t very progressive, but I think once people see the film they’ll realise that wasn’t the case.” In the film Lemtov is “the anti-hero. He’s an obstacle for Lars. Lars wants to be Lemtov and there’s tremendous jealousy and he worries he’s going to steal Sigrit. It was more interesting, though, that he wasn’t there to woo her. He has his issues with his identity and what he’s able to admit to.” 2020 is proving a busy year for the popular actor. As well as being a cover star for Attitude magazine, he has two more films due for release. This summer he stars in the horror/thriller The Rental, then in the autumn he stars alongside Judi Dench in a retelling of Noel Coward’s beloved Blithe Spirit. D Eurovision Song
Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga is available on Netflix
GSCENE 51
Oska Bright Film Festival, the world’s leading learning disability film festival produced by Carousel, takes its programme to the small screen with Oska Bites, regular programmes of award-winning short films from the 2019 festival.
ENID & VALERIE
To celebrate Brighton & Hove Pride, they present Love Bites on Thursday, August 6 at 7pm, live on Facebook and then on the Oska Bright website. Programmed by Matthew Hellett, who initiated the Queer Freedom LGBTQ+ strand of the festival, Love Bites is a pairing of films that explore the intersection of queerness and disability, followed by a love story in the most unlikely of circumstances.
The programme features screenings of Born To Dance With An Extra Chromosome, Enid & Valerie and Lost Ones. Matthew Hellett will talk about the Queer Freedom festival strand; appear in a Q&A with queer-femme film-maker and activist Mattie Kennedy; have a chat with Drag Syndrome, the world's first drag troop featuring drag queens and kings with Down's Syndrome; and give an introduction to Lost Ones, which won the Oska Bright 2019 Best International Film award.
DRAG SYNDROME
Born To Dance With An Extra Chromosome by Nikolay Nikolov is about Drag Syndrome, “superstars who have entirely changed the
conversation about Down’s Syndrome and drag, encouraging us all to embrace our inner diva.” Enid & Valerie by Matthew Kennedy and Vitoria Bastos is “a short venture into the dreams of lone spinster, Valerie, where she meets Enid (a witch). Could this be the start of an unlikely friendship?”
Matthew continues: “Mattie and me did a tour of ‘in conversation’ events talking about what it means to be queer learning-disabled filmmakers. The medium of film has helped me, it’s been a form of expression for who I am and what I represent. We’ve got to keep these conversations going, especially now in this Covid-19 situation. “You don’t hear enough stories about learningdisabled LGBTQ+ in the media, this is why we have to make our own stories, I’m proud of Queer Freedom and the impact that it has had.
Lost Ones by Maria Castillejo Carmen, Maëlle Grand Bossi and Elizabeth Silveiro, is about a “supermarket at the end of the day. While a few customers are finishing their groceries, a hooded intruder breaks into the store.” Matthew Hellett explains why the Queer Freedom LGBTQ+ strand of the festival is so important: “I had the idea for the Queer Freedom strand back in 2017. It opened up contacts for me including a creative partnership with Mattie Kennedy, an LGBTQ+ learning disabled filmmaker and writer from Glasgow.”
“This year I’m missing Brighton & Hove Pride big time! I hope these films can bring a bit of colour and passion into our lives and help us celebrate together, they are all about love and acceptance, loving each other, your friends your family and yourself.”
MORE INFO ) LOVE BITES is on Thursday, August 6, 7pm. F Tune in on Facebook /oskabright live D and on https://oskabright.org/oskabites
OSKA BRIGHT 2021 ) Oska Bright wants your films for the next
edition of Oska Bright Film Festival. The team are looking for bold, beautiful and brilliant stories from filmmakers from around the world. They welcome any genre and accept feature films and shorts under 20 minutes. D For more info, visit: www.oskabright.org MATTIE KENNEDY
chance to watch together live on Facebook, all the films featured in Oska Bites are made by, or feature in lead roles, people with learning disabilities, autism or Asperger’s. These are outstanding films that show often undiscovered talent and new voices.
LOST ONES
) Presented with additional content and the
MATTHEW HELLETT
LOVE BITES
Mattie Kennedy said: “Finding out about Oska Bright was how I discovered learning disability film, I immediately felt at home.”
Oska Bright Film Festival is produced by Carousel, an arts charity that helps learning disabled artists develop and manage their creative lives, true to their voice and vision, challenging expectations of what great art is and who can create it. D For more info, visit: www.carousel.org.uk
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CLASSICAL NOTES REVIEWS ) ADRIAN BRADBURY & OLIVER DAVIES Operatic Fantasies (Meridian CDE84659). Donizetti was a close neighbour and friend of the Piatti family, and the young Alfredo Piatti (1822-1901) was
ADRIAN BRADBURY
exposed to opera from an early age, so when he embarked on his solo cello career in his early 20s, he created Fantasies that drew on well-known operatic melodies to show off his virtuosic flair. In their second volume of these Operatic Fantasies, cellist Adrian Bradbury and pianist Oliver Davies give us four Fantasies based on Donizetti operas, as well as one from Verdi,
and one from operas by Michael William Balfe (1808-1870). In the Introduction Et Variations Sur Un Thème De Lucia Di Lammermoor, the theme is taken from the opera’s climactic dramatic final aria, and after an introduction of his own invention, Piatti takes us through increasingly virtuosic variations, always exploiting the anguish and grief of the original aria. Bradbury tackles the virtuosic demands with panache, and brings out that sense of anguish in plaintive tones. The Rondò sulla Favorita, from Donizetti’s La Favorite, and the Souvenir de L’Opera Linda Di Chamounix, are packed full of great melodies. In the days before recordings, these delightful showpieces would have delighted audiences and provided a great boost for popularising the great opera hits of the day. The Parafrasi sulla Barcarola del Marino Faliero takes the virtuosity to new heights with dazzling scale passages,
) CATALINA VICENS Organic Creatures (Counsouling Sounds SOUL0139). For Catalina Vicens’ latest recording, Organic Creatures, she takes us back to the organs of the 12th-14th centuries. This twodisc set includes music by Hildegard of Bingen, Pérotin, Dunstaple and Isaac, as well as many anonymous works. These are interspersed by compositions by Vicens herself, as well as contemporary composers including Ivan Moody and Olli Virtaperko. Heinrich Issac’s (c.1450-1517) stately Si Dormiero and Pérotin’s (fl.c.1200) twisting and turning Organum: Alleluia are delightful, but it is perhaps some of the anonymous works here that are the most intriguing, including the highly virtuosic and more substantial 14th century gem, Chominciamento Di Gioia which
CATALINA VICENS
BY NICK BOSTON
) GERARD McCHRYSTAL Solas (First Hand Records FHR93). Hearing familiar repertoire on an unexpected instrument can add something refreshing, so I was looking forward to exploring saxophonist Gerard McChrystal’s new collection, Solas (the Gaelic word for light). He is accompanied throughout by the organ, played
by Christian Wilson, and most of the repertoire is performed on the lesser heard (at least in a solo context) sopranino and soprano saxophones. They open with Sonata No. 1 by Leonardi Vinci (1690-1730), originally for flute, but here McChrystal’s high trumpety sopranino sax, with a bright and energetic flair. The Adagio from Haydn’s String Quartet No. 1 follows, with a reverent opening on the organ, followed by the melody ringing out on the rich soprano sax, and McChrystal’s tone here is touchingly warm. The Sonata No. 6 by Nicolas Chédeville (17051782) is a delightful Baroque miniature, originally for recorder,
and played here on the sopranino, again with that bright, trumpet-like sound. From there, we enter the world of Handel, and the glorious Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne (Eternal Source of Light Divine), originally for voice and trumpet, here a duet for sopranino and soprano sax (both played by McChrystal), creating a beautifully blended sound. There’s more
GERARD MCCHRYSTAL
forms the centrepiece of the first disc. Vicens’ own pieces complement the programme well, and her Creation (or the nation of creatures) is the most striking, with its vibrating harmonic clashes ringing harmonics and expeditions and ethereal whistling. Of the to the very limit of the top string. other contemporary pieces, Carson Bradbury’s technique is equally Cooman’s (b.1982) dancing Nova dazzling, yet however showy the Cantiga: Rondeau is very pyrotechnics get, he always returns effective, as is Olli Virtaperko’s to a simple, warm tone for the (b.1973) touching Lamento of lyrical melodies. We get five Ananias. Ivan Moody’s (b.1964) numbers from Verdi in the Inperaytriz De La Ciutat Joyosa is Rimembranze del Trovatore and an interesting enough here, the piano has a little more to improvisatory exploration, whereas do, sometimes ‘singing’ the aria Prach Boonidkulchok’s (b.1985) beneath the cello’s filigree strangely titled Squonk Diptych is decoration. The Capriccio sur des more inventive, and it’s second airs de Balfe finishes the disc, part Chacona, with its unraveling drawing on three joyously lyrical rhythms, knocks and squeaks is the arias from Balfe’s operas. In these piece that stretches the bounds of strange times, these beautiful the instrument most. I wouldn’t melodies, decorated with such necessarily recommend listening to virtuosic abandon and performed the two full discs back to back, so effortlessly, provide the perfect but this is an expertly performed balm. and conceived project, well worth exploration.
Handel, with the sensuous aria, Cara Sposa, Amante Cara, Dove Sei? from Rinaldo, and a Violin Sonata. The aria is given to the sopranino, which McChrystal makes sing with plaintive passion, while the soprano sax takes the Sonata, with McChrystal tastefully ornamenting Handel’s simple lines, particularly in the Adagio. There are two more contemporary works here. Green, From Darkness Into Light, by Barbara Thompson (b.1944) opens with gently lilting spread organ chords, before the soprano sax enters with a beautifully melismatic line souring over the top, twisting and turning. A Brief Story of Peter Abelard by James Whitbourn (b.1963) is a set of variations on a hymn tune, with more rhythmic energy and varied interplay between organ and soprano sax. The disc concludes with the arrival of the darker alto saxophone. Firstly, the Choral Phrygien by French composer Jehan Alain (1911-1940), a contemporary of Messiaen sadly lost at an early age in the Second World War. Dark and sombre, McChrystal’s alto sax here is mournful and full of soul, setting up the mood well for the final piece, Purcell’s When I Am Laid In Earth from Dido And Aeneas, to which the alto’s melancholic tone is beautifully suited. Overall, this is a great selection, and in particular, as a showcase for the higher members of the sax family, this is highly recommended.
MORE INFO For more reviews, comment and events, visit: N nicks-classicalnotes.blogspot.co.uk T @nickb86uk ) nbclassical@hotmail.co.uk
GSCENE 53
ALL THAT JAZZ
ART MATTERS
REVIEWS
MAKE YOUR MARK
) KAHIL EL’ZABAR ft DAVID MURRAY: Spirit Groove (Spiritmuse). Percussionist Kahil El’Zabar and saxophonist David Murray first recorded together in 1989, but why they haven’t worked together more often is a great mystery, given their personal chemistry, for they’re a perfect match. Throughout this excellent set, El’Zabar’s Afrocentric rhythms and spiritual grooves are highlighted by Murray’s soulful performances on both tenor and bass clarinet. Where El’Zabar sets the scene, Murray tells the story, setting out a strong narrative on each track. Bassist Emma Huff is a notable presence throughout, as is pianist Justin Dillard. El’Zabar’s vocals bring Gil Scott-Heron to mind, his loose approach to the lyrics working well against the shifting rhythmic accompaniment, but it is his percussion you come to hear, making much out of often limited resources. Few people get as much out of a kalimba or thumb piano as he does. He doesn’t so much push a rhythm forward as unroll it, letting it flow where it may. Which perfectly suits this set of uplifting soulful grooves and impassioned jazz, an ideal antidote for our troubled times.
With the galleries gradually beginning to open and welcome us in to be face to face with the artworks, the art world is making its first small steps to something that resembles their past use. I know you probably aren’t ready for such outside excursions yet, but they’ll be there for when you’re able to make that leap. The mass of internet-based exhibitions having kept us going so far, allowing us to experience beyond the realities of daily life.
BY S I M O N A DA M S
BY E N Z O M A R R A
Whether you’re an artist or someone who feels the need to experience how others react to the world via drawn, painted, photographed, videoed or other conjured up statements, the role of the arts to calm, inform, educate, challenge or delight you, has never been of so much relevance to our current generation of eager ears and eyes.
) DIASPORA MEETS AFRO HORN: A Music of the Spirit/Out of Sistas’ Place (Self-released). This clumsily titled set is actually the joyous product of Ahmed Abdullah, longtime trumpeter for the wondrous Sun Ra Arkestra (Sistas’ Place is the Brooklyn music venue where he has been musical director for some two decades). The mix of music is much what we would expect from an Arkestra stalwart, with an opening joyous romp in Accent, righteous musical poetry on Eternal Spiralling Spirit, and the ebullient Magwalandini by singer Miriam Makeba, a 9/8 South African township jive. Inevitably, the shadow of Ra looms large, with three Ra originals. The concluding Reminiscing allows everyone to have a good blow to end proceedings on a high. MP3 downloads and recording streams of this joyous set are available from all the usual outlets.
The action of creating something new and unexpected, a physical and mental experience which can help you process what’s happening, what has happened, how you see yourself in the world, each mark leading to the next and the next. The final statement a journey you ventured on that day from the confines of four walls or if you are fortunate, a garden expanse.
ENZO MARRA
) NAT KING COLE: The Complete Nelson Riddle Studio Sessions (Music Milestones). And to end in complete contrast, in 1950 the great jazz pianist and latterly popular singer, Nat King Cole, began working with the equally great arranger and orchestrator, Nelson Riddle, best known for his work with Frank Sinatra. The partnership lasted a decade, and is commemorated on this fine eightCD set. Some of the 216 songs here are famous – Unforgettable, Mona Lisa – others unknown, but they are all sumptuous and smooth, for Cole was the ultimate professional, never putting a foot wrong or singing a poor note, while Riddle always provided the perfect accompaniment. The gem, however, is hidden on CD4, where Cole just plays piano against a rhythm section and orchestral backing, a fine reminder that Cole was a great keyboard talent before he came a famous singer, the musical father of so many jazz pianists working today.
If you can dig out that discarded rather dusty watercolour box, those slightly rumpled sheets of paper, the remnants of acrylics you forgot about, just playing with them, discovering what they can do, what you want them to do, can fill hours with something that the pre-packaged screen fodder can not ever offer.
The actions of needing to exhibit them and have them wider seen, wider experienced, an urge you don't need to fall into if you are not overly bothered about such things. The mere action of interacting with materials, transforming them, leading them towards a different appearance, allowing yourself to become lost in your head, in the ways a brush stroke can be applied, in the ways colours will react to each other, are the true initial joys derived from even the most hesitant first attempt. Even if you’re unsure about what you’re doing or why you’re doing it, just doing it can be enough, can allow your mind to settle on something separate from the outside world, a place I’ve always felt the need to return to and allow myself to see what I can learn from each hint and clue that I’m given as I work away on paper or on canvas. If such simple drives and needs can aid me, I’m sure that a little bit of personal discovery will also help you through these unusual times.
ENZO MARRA
I’ve been fortunate to be able to keep myself occupied and mostly sane through the restraints of lockdown, painting and drawing the time and worries away. The activity of creating something, anything, whether it’s a masterpiece or a stepping stone to something greater, has comforted me as well as countless others.
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JOSEF CABEY
@online.persona - AUSTRALIA
BEARING WITNESS As a gay black man, Josef Cabey has always used his art to make sense of the world around him. He talks to Jaq Bayles about his work and its heightened importance in today’s political climate. He has “made artwork from the day dot” and as a teenager trying to get to grips with being gay he created a lot of work that hid his feelings in symbolism, but these days it’s more grounded in realism. “Now I do what I want.”
) Artist Josef Cabey found the relevance of
his body of work suddenly brought into sharp focus in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement. “The majority of my work is based on those things,” says the London-born Brighton resident. “When I’m creating art I make it for myself then think about how it might be perceived in the world. It’s selftherapeutic, trying to make sense of what’s going on around me as a black gay man. The fact I’m black and gay in itself puts me in a double minority, and I ask myself how I can reflect that in my work.”
His young life still influences his paintings and he points to Boy On The Pink Donkey as harking back to his childhood. He says: “It’s my Smalltown Boy painting, it’s about going off into the world. It’s one I sold and miss. It’s a favourite because it does speak very directly to my childhood and other people going on a journey once they have discovered their sexuality.” He also likes to pay tribute to black LGBTQ+ icons. “That’s an ongoing project,” he says. “As a young kid growing up with my sexuality and my creative self rapidly developing I felt different.” He is unashamedly “somewhat obsessed” with Grace Jones, saying that when he interviewed THEN THE BOY SAID GRACE
THE BOY ON THE PINK DONKEY
Josef, who studied graphic design and illustration, works mostly in acrylics and often incorporates text in his paintings, while referencing his childhood and black LGBTQ+ experience. He says his work has been described as “often quirky, decorative and highly colourful, but that often contains an undercurrent that disturbs the joke, pointing at deeper themes of race, class and sexuality”.
for art school half his interview was about art and the other half about his idol. “I saw Grace Jones and she was completely different to any black female performer out there. There were soul singers like Diana Ross and she rejected all that, she was playing with gender – she’s almost a work of art in herself. Her freakiness was inspiring a young man who was freaky himself. I collect Grace Jones.” Josef has recently been posting some of his previous work on Instagram “because it speaks to what’s going on now completely”. He adds: “I’m a black man in a white world and it speaks to this, the whole thing about racial profiling. I’ve experienced this in Brighton and on the gay scene. The weird thing is hearing people say ‘I had no idea it was like this’ – black people have always known it’s like this.” One series of paintings, The Witness Said, has proved particularly pertinent. Josef describes the series on his website as interrogating his own political and social identity within a particular place and time, that place being Brighton & Hove, that time being now. “The work takes real life instances and illustrates them in a manner that on the surface displays a level of humour but also makes a very serious point about racial bias and how black men are often negatively perceived when going about everyday pursuits in everyday human situations. Things that white people take for granted.
“I’m a black man in a white world and it speaks to this, the whole thing about racial profiling. I’ve experienced this in Brighton and on the gay scene. The weird thing is hearing people say ‘I had no idea it was like this’ – black people have always known it’s like this”
I'LL SHARE MY DREAMS AND MAKE YOU SEE
PRIDE - A DEEPER ASSUMPTION STAND
The artist, who was born and bred in multicultural Hackney, jokes that when he and his partner first moved to Brighton they would play “spot the black person and laugh about it. Then one weekend we spotted ten”. He acknowledges that things have changed a lot and he is a member of various black networks, including the black history group, although he still quite often finds he is the only black person at work (Brighton University library). His summer break plans, in line with those of most people, have been trashed by the pandemic. “This year has been a bit crap. I lost my mother at the beginning of the year. I had quite a lot of plans, including artistic ones, which came to a halt because I was going through grief. As part of that grieving process I planned lots of fab events for the summer, which also came to a halt because of Covid-19. “So I am going to use the time at home to continue my artwork, and I’m probably going to revamp my website to add in more explanatory things.” To the question of what keeps him awake at night Josef responds: “The situation now, the enormity of having a life that doesn’t matter. For the obvious people black lives do not matter, for many other people they don’t matter enough.
HERITAGE TOMATOES
In the painting Heritage Tomatoes the descriptor is as follows: “The man who is thought to be black was seen apparently shopping for heritage tomatoes in the Brighton branch of Waitrose. He was also said to be wearing a badge with a picture of Yoko Ono [another of Josef’s heroes].” Josef wanted the paintings to highlight the microaggressions that many people exhibit towards black people, black men in particular. “It’s all about fear. Fear of the other.”
“Bizarrely I’m hopeful because this is the first time in my lifetime that the issue has been to the fore. So many organisations and establishments, which haven’t been known for their diversity have been putting out statements and it’s going to be difficult to backtrack from that. Time and again we see black men being shot by police and the next meme or hashtag comes along then it’s all forgotten. This has caused such a backlash I hope it will change something.”
QUICK-FIRE QUESTIONS: Which artists do you most admire? “I was quite into surrealism and loved the work of Salvador Dali. I’m a huge fan of Titian, who painted huge, quite religious paintings. Also Matisse. Basquiat and Keith Haring. Betye Saar, Kerry James Marshall, Kara Walker, Kehinde Wiley, Pipilotti Rist. Yoko Ono I love – she’s so underrated in the shadow of John Lennon.” What are your favourite galleries? “MOMA (NYC), Stedelijk (Amsterdam) and Yerba Buena (San Francisco).” Has there been an arts movement you’d like to have been part of? “The Harlem Renaissance Arts (Richard Bruce Nugent/Augusta Savage/Langston Hughes/Zora Neale Hurston). I would like to have lived in the 297 House in Harlem in the 1920s when all these people came together and created the Harlem Renaissance. It was not a desireable time to be black.” How do you relax? “Because I am so completely passionate and nerdy about disco music, I enjoy conversing with DJs in the virtual world, as well as creating disco edits of favourite tracks to share online. I also love watching Schitt’s Creek, House of Flowers and RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Do you have a guilty pleasure? “I love Olivia Newton John – it’s more of a guilty secret.”
DANCING
The images contain printed descriptive text that exploits a style of language used in the media when reporting suspicious or criminal behaviour.”
MORE INFO Josef is exhibiting in the online Pride exhibition in August as part of SEAS (Socially Engaged Art Salon) D https://seasbrighton.com/ (details TBA) D www.josefcabeyart.com D www.etsy.com/uk/shop/MattysArtStudio
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PAGE’S PAGES BOOK REVIEWS BY ERIC PAGE
) DAN GLASS UNITED QUEERDOM (Zed Books). The Gay Liberation Front (GLF) ran an anarchic campaign that permanently changed the face of Britain. Inspired by the Stonewall uprisings, the GLF demanded 'Absolute Freedom For All' worldwide. Although many people believe queers are now free and should assimilate into a wider heteronormative world, Dan Glass shows that the fight is far from over. He has written for years about LGBTQ+ equality and his passionate strategic anger and focused pressure for change is the throbbing pulse of this book, keeping the narrative beat strong and driving this ship of queer hope foreword at ramming speed. It’s enjoyable to read a book about the ascent of queers that has such passion for real equality written into it. No dry reflection on how we got here, this book is a hefty thud of evidence thrown down into our laps. He reflects in an intersectional mirror and finds a lot of gay (white) men wanting. Using weaponised drag and an almost unbearable truth we peer through this dark Glass and see a possible future. He tells that we are part of a much larger chain of events, that things are still in progress, that hard-won rights need attention and to rise in solidity with our community is not only honourable but utterly necessary for our survival. United Queerdom grabs fistfuls of amazing stories from the past 50 years of LGBTQ+ rights and strife and waves them in your face, sometimes lacking a real focus but always getting the point across. Queer history IS protest, and this book uncovers the back-breaking, glamorous and raucous hard work of those who rebelled against injustice and became founders in the story of queer liberation. If you need to educate your friends a bit more about intersectional equality, this is the fun book to do it, effectively.
) PHIL STAMPER THE GRAVITY OF US (Bloomsbury). This YA romance novel is set in a world of high physics and astronomy and features a pilot/astronaut father in a high-profile NASA project. Our hero, Carl, is wrenched from his highly successful social media influencer life to one where he is expected to fit in, keep quiet and let the ‘adults’ in the room have all the control. His family literally get moved into a reality TV show following the progress of the astronauts and their Mars mission. This doesn’t quite go to plan. Carl can’t lose his social media habit and also falls for the son of another astronaut, Leon. The book explores how living in the full gaze of the internet impacts on mental health and also how much creative
energy, presentation and touched up fakery goes into presenting the ‘everyday life’ as content for the www.zedbooks.net/shop/book/united-queerdom/ ravenous appetite of reality TV or social media platforms. It also looks at where loyalty really lies ) LEWIS LANEY THE LITTLE and explores ethical ideas of social BOOK OF PRIDE (Dog 'n' Bone). investment in an honest way. It’s This little tome is a neat pocketan old-ways of doing things verses sized hardback which gives an disruptive and highly successful overview of Pride, and is split into new media narrative with a queer four chronological parts, Before love story thrown in. Although I Pride, First Pride, Pride Rises and found it an unconvincing romantic Keeping Pride Alive, with a handy narrative, quite what these two appendix at the end. Laney is young men have in common or careful to make sure that all when they work on their intimacy communities across our LGBTQ+ is never explored, it’s all a bit /QTIPoC are represented, given Insta-Love, but their unapologetic equal voice and credit, and there queerness is refreshing and the is a far-reaching synopsis of both curious mix of personality types queer history and the rites of Pride means these two young lovers and LGBTQ+ rights across the have to find ways to negotiate finish, forming a rainbow when world. With profiles of key frequently. They are happy though, the book is closed - superb protagonists, quotes and feel-good attention to camp detail and the and the promise of seeing fulfilling messaging, The Little Book of Pride book is filled with colourful happy relationships is an proves that size definitely doesn't important one for younger LGBTQ+ illustrations. Bringing a smile is matter by squeezing everything what this little book is all about, a readers. Stamper’s prose is you need to know about Pride into great gift for anyone missing Pride engaging and hops along at an 144 pages. There is also a interesting pace, but for a book and its infinite, affirming variety beautiful, glittery fore-edge foil with gravity in its title, there is this year.
very little intellectual mass or emotional weight to the narrative, but that doesn’t detract from what, at heart, is a sweet read. www.bloomsbury.com/us/thegravity-of-us-9781547600151/
) DAN WEBBER GENRE FLUID (Big White Shed). This neat book of poetry from comedian/poet Webber is a delight. These poems are unreliable; they seem to be fun, silly, throwaways, but then they grab at us, holding us tight, dragging us with them as they fall, deep, deep down. Webber’s prose can be unexpectedly exhilarating. The shock of the new, which turns out to be an old, old story we’ve all lived. These poems pick apart the relentless labels which are attached to the LGBTQ+ communities and also the ones we pick up and wrap ourselves in, nothing is spared Webber’s slightly left-field forensic examination of vanity and performances of man’ity. Exploring hook ups, internet dating, gay men’s insecurity, struggles with mental health and striving for wholesomeness, this is a small book with a wide remit. Webber pulls it off. I want my poetry to have some sense to it, an arc which gives the book a centre of gravity for the swirling twirling words to revolve around.
I’m fickle, demanding, distrustful. Webber sees through me, hears the soft clamouring for seduction and honesty, the almost suffocated murmurs for tenderness and serves us poem after poem with a muscular, relentlessly throbbing, blood pounding heart. He does that thing I adore in poems, the words come back, unbidden at ordinary times, blushing, prodding us to consciousness, those of us who only send kisses when we’re horny. www.bigwhiteshed.co.uk/copy-ofthere-are-no-photographs
GSCENE 57
AN EXPLORATION OF QUEER CULTURE AND ACTIVISM IN CHINA
ARTS BOOKS YOU BROUGHT YOUR OWN LIGHT ) YOU BROUGHT YOUR OWN LIGHT, a book of transgender portraiture showcasing the work of award-winning photographer Allie Crewe, is being published by Axis Projects Publishing. The book is produced by Alan J Ward and brings together 26 of Allie’s revealing transgender portraits, including the image of Grace, a doctor, which won the BJP Portrait of Britain 2019. A series of 12 of the portraits were initially exhibited in Manchester at an event sponsored by Sparkle, the national transgender charity, and this book now brings the portraits together, continuing Allie’s journey as a political artist exploring social issues of the day using photography to give a voice to those often denied power; becoming a campaigner by giving visibility to other people’s narratives.
WREN - CREDIT: ALLIE CREWE
JAIMIE - CREDIT; ALLIE CREWE
You Brought Your Own Light is the first published book of Allie’s work and has been created with the support of Arts Council England and includes words from friend and collaborator Olivia Fisher.
ALLIE CREWE
Allie’s new work includes a series of portraits to help change the narrative of domestic violence in conjunction with Safe Lives. She was also commissioned by the NHS for STILL I RISE, which celebrated Black History Month, and Unseen Community, a project commissioned by Proud 2b Parents exploring the LGBTQ+ parenting narrative. Allie Crewe says: “Stories of transformation fascinate me, especially when they are women’s stories. I love to photograph teenagers, trans women, women surviving illness or escaping violent marriages. It is not just the physical changes that draw me but how our internal, emotional lives change too. To take a person’s image is, in part, selfportrait. I am representing women, exploring their narratives and interweaving them with my own.” D To purchase a copy, visit: www.allie-crewe.uk/store D You can watch a film about Allie Crewe and how she works by visiting https://vimeo.com/431524286
) QUEER CHINA: LESBIAN AND GAY LITERATURE AND VISUAL CULTURE UNDER POSTSOCIALISM (Routledge) is a new analysis of queer culture in contemporary Chinese art and literature and how it is driving political and social activism, published by the pioneering University of Nottingham media studies scholar Dr Hongwei Bao. It’s an accessible book that examines the latest artistic and cultural production in China – from gay/comrade literature, to lesbian painting and girls’ love fan fiction, gay papercutting art, live theatre, digital films and experimental documentaries. The book reveals a vibrant picture of queer communities and cultures, from their inception in post-Mao China to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1997 and the ongoing campaign for legal recognition of same-sex relationships and LGBTQ+ rights. Queer China is the result of a decade-long multi-disciplinary research undertaken by Hongwei Bao. It breaks new ground and brings a non-Western perspective to the wide variety of artistic activity currently reflecting LGBTQ+ life in contemporary China. The book weaves together original, historical and archival research, analysis of texts, media and discourse, with extensive interviews and ethnography. Dr Bao said: “I’ve set out to de-Westernise queer theory and cultural studies of LGBTQ+ communities in China and East Asia more widely. I wanted to show how crucial a role the artistic culture of these communities plays in queer politics – the two aspects are to a large extent mutually dependent. I argue that political activism and social movements are not just about agitation, lobbying and mass mobilisation – community-based cultural and artistic production is just as integral to the political and legislative process. The literature and visual culture of Chinese LGBTQ+ communities can have a profound impact on wider popular culture, helping to disrupt rigid beliefs and traditional ways of thinking about all identities and their places in society.”
CHANGING MINDS ) CHANGING MINDS is a graphic novel-style educational tool to help tackle the harassment of women and girls as part of a unique zerotolerance strategy being pioneered throughout Nottinghamshire. It’s been created by language and criminology experts from the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University, with Nottingham-based graphic art company Dawn of the Unread, run by James Walker, and artist Kim Thompson. Changing Minds is the latest part of a package of educational resources commissioned as part of the Misogyny Hate Crime Report published in 2018. This research showed that 87% of people questioned believed it was a good idea to make misogyny a hate crime in Nottinghamshire. Changing Minds is available online as a free download: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/lipp/documents/misogyny-dotucomic-final.pdf
58 GSCENE published in 1974. “I really loved it because the guy was travelling with his son but it was also the experience of his philosophical journey. He had a mental illness, was battling his own inner demons and working those things out.” In The Scoop, published by Red Door Press, the main character, Casey Jones, “chucks in her job, contacts her old schoolfriend, Danny, and they plan a pilgrimage of sorts to find some real meaning in their lives. What she didn’t plan for was an extra passenger in the shape of Danny’s estranged 12-year-old son, Ari, who has problems of his own”. The story is described as an “intense rollercoaster ride through Europe and Asia’s most beautiful and dangerous places, allowing the history and culture they encounter to change the way they see the world, and each other”.
CAT WALKER WEARING PENGUIN SHIRT FROM GFW CLOTHING
Cat didn’t want the book to be “just a fun route, a jolly jaunt in an ice cream van,” and says: “It’s ended up being topical in a way I never thought it would be. The central premise is to be yourself, be a good person, find your identity. There’s a lot of stuff about accepting other people even when they are very different to ourselves, when you’re travelling through other countries looking at different histories. “The world is quite a small place in the sense that people are people and everyone has their own place in the world. There’s that bit in Desiderata [the 1920s prose poem by Max Ehrmann] about being a child of the universe – we all have a right to be here. A lot of the book’s message is around belonging.”
THE SCOOP ON THE SCOOP Cat Walker started her debut novel in 2006 and it was published this year. She reveals to Jaq Bayles the trials, tribulations and tenacity needed to complete such a project ) When the French poet, novelist and
dramatist Victor Hugo gave us the quote: “Perseverance, secret of all triumphs,” he could well have been talking about Brighton’s Cat Walker and her journey to becoming a published novelist. Cat’s novel, The Scoop, was published on March 26, just after the Covid-19 lockdown announcement – not the best timing for publicising anything, especially when the very outlets that would normally be its shop window were closed – but she actually started writing it in 2006. “I’d always wanted to write a novel but had never had the patience or inspiration,” says Cat, who is also remembered for writing Honeybees: The Musical - the world’s first lesbian field hockey musical. “I went travelling in 2006. I hesitate to say to it was to find myself because that’s the terrible middle-class cliché of taking a late gap year, but my job was going nowhere and my relationship was going nowhere.”
She started writing a ‘blog’ – “basically emails” – stories of things that happen to people when they are travelling alone, and some of her friends told her she should write a novel based on her adventures. “At first I thought I would just collate some emails,” she says, then adds wryly “but that was just wrong. So I started developing the characters I wanted to explore.” She felt inspired by Zen And The Art Oof Motorcycle Maintenance, the fictionalised autobiography of Robert M Pirsig, first
“The best case scenario is it becomes a proper bestseller, I sell the film rights and become a writer full-time. I’d like Phoebe Waller-Bridge to play the main character but she’s a bit too tall and quirky”
Cat wanted the book “to be the story that it was and the main character just happens to be gay and has a backstory”. Her heroine has felt outside of society, struggling with religious parents and her time coming out. “Anyone reading it would see that this a normal life experience for an LGBTQ+ person. As has come to the fore with Black Lives Matter, they go through life with a slight out-of-placeness. I wanted it to be about acceptance of self and others.” “One of the big messages is to follow your dreams and my big dream was to get it published. I was not expecting all the rejection letters, but then discovered that Zen had been rejected more than a hundred times. But as the letters mounted up I thought perhaps it needed editing,” she laughs. With trying to get the book published having been on her New Year’s Resolution list “for years and years” it seemed to be getting less likely.
GSCENE 59 But a couple of years before turning 50, she put her foot down. “I decided it’s been ridiculous and I needed to commit time to it or forget it. I basically rewrote, re-edited, crafted and tried to focus on sending it to small, local and independent publishers.” She came across Red Door Press in Sussex, whose “philosophy is to try to take on books that the industry would have published before it focused on bestsellers and the Richard & Judy Book Club”. Cat continues: “I had really decided that was it and then I’d either self-publish or forget the whole thing.”
PORTRAITS TO THE WALL Rose Collis announces the reprint of her groundbreaking first book about historic lesbian lives 1994 my reputation as an author - and, since 2012, as a stage artist who has performed in Australia and New Zealand has become greatly enhanced and I've received many inquiries about Portraits To The Wall from overseas.
One day about nine months ago she realised she hadn’t heard back from the publishers and gave them a nudge, only to be told they had already sent a request to see the full manuscript, which she had never received. So she duly sent it in then: “They invited me for a meeting at their offices in Haywards Heath and I hadn’t done any research about what I should be asking them – I spent the whole meeting just grinning at them.”
So what next, now she’s achieved the original dream? “The best case scenario is it becomes a proper bestseller, I sell the film rights and become a writer full-time. I’d like Phoebe WallerBridge to play the main character but she’s a bit too tall and quirky. If I had the time and opportunity I’d love to write another book but the fact I have a two-and-a-half-year-old and run my own business means I have zero spare time. The one thing I have achieved in lockdown is writing a 25-line poem.” “A wonderful tale of journeys, both geographical and emotional, that will keep you entertained at every turn... Cat Walker is a brilliant storyteller” Zoe Lyons
MORE INFO Cat Walker, The Scoop, Red Door Press D www.reddoorpress.co.uk/books/the-scoop/ I thescoopbycatwalker Cat’s Peregrine Nation, May 2020 has been included in the bestselling anthology Poems For A Pandemic: Voices From The Front Line Of A Global Epidemic (Harper Collins) raising money for NHS Charities Together. Her poetry has been included in Niederngasse, Poetic Voices, The Sidewalk’s Edge and Clean Sheets and she has a book of love poetry, Holding My Breath To Keep The Love Inside (Trafford Publishing). T @CatWalkerAuthor D www.catwalkerauthor.com
This new paperback edition includes the entire original text, and also features a new preface, plus reviews and new cover.
ROSE COLLIS
Top comic and Brighton resident Zoe Lyons gave the book an endorsement and all was looking good for that March 26 launch. Then, of course, came lockdown, with public bookshops having to close. A half-launch took place on Facebook but Cat wasn’t able to do any of the signings or public events that had been planned. But that hasn’t stopped the book flying off the shelves and Gscene’s Eric Page gave it a glowing review in our last issue.
“Plus, this year is the 80th anniversary of the death of Selma Lagerlóf and the 30th anniversary of the death of Eve Balfour two significant figures in their respective fields who deserve to be remembered and re-discovered.”
) To mark the 80th anniversary of the
death of Selma Lagerlöf, the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature, Seaford-based writer and performer Rose Collis is re-issuing her acclaimed first book, Portraits To The Wall: Historic Lesbian Lives Unveiled, as a pay on demand (POD) paperback.
Rose Collis is a nationally and internationally critically acclaimed author, playwright, historian, performer, producer, workshop leader and journalist. Her work spans five decades and includes full-length and short biographies, stage plays, social and cultural histories, journalism, short fiction, online content, exhibitions, lectures, apps, workshops, literary talks and educational tours.
First published in 1994, the book is an internationally acclaimed celebration of lesbian lives often concealed by history. It rediscovered the lives and loves, consorts and concerns, passions and politics of a diverse range of British and European women, including: composer Dame Ethel Smyth, who wrote the suffragette song, March Of The Women; Frances Power Cobbe, writer, suffragist, founder of the National Anti-Vivisection Society who went to school in Hove; Edy Craig, actress, writer, feminist and daughter of Ellen Terry, who established Smallhythe Place and the Barn Theatre; and Maureen Colquhoun, who was a member of Shoreham District Council, Adur District Council and West Sussex County Council, and was the first ‘out’ lesbian MP. Rose Collis says: “After getting the paperback rights back last year, I was hoping to re-issue it then for its 25th birthday, but ill-health prevented that, so it's a little overdue. “It's been out of print for more than 20 years and, since then, the interest in UK/European lesbian history has grown exponentially, although too much of it confined to the academic world for my liking. These are some of the points I address in my new preface. “Re-issuing it as a POD on Amazon worldwide is the perfect solution: since
MORE INFO D For more info about Rose, visit:
www.rosecollis.com D To buy Portraits To The Wall, (£9.99), visit: www.amazon.co.uk/Portraits-WallHistoric-LesbianUnveiled/dp/B08C9CYYL6/ref=sr_1_1?d child=1&keywords=rose+collis+portraits &qid=1593948980&s=books&sr=1-1
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SHOPPING WITH MICHAEL HOOTMAN
) Pride Diesel T-Shirt, £44; Pride Silicone Gentleman’s Enhancer, £21.95 (Prowler, 112-113 St James's Street, Brighton, 01273 603813)
) Ursula Earrings by Lou Taylor, £60 (Pussy, 3a Kensington Gardens, Brighton, 01273 604861) ) Terracotta Vase from £17.50 (Abode, 32 Kensington Gardens, Brighton, 01273 621116)
) Handblown Hourglass from £12 (Dowse, 27 Gloucester Road, Brighton)
) Flamingo Plate, £9.99 (England at Home, 22b Ship Street, Brighton, 01273 205544)
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KYLIE @ PRIDE 2019 PICS BY CHRIS JEPSON
see Chris Jepson’s photographs of the 50th anniversary march of the original GLF march in London this July. To see a small but energised group of people remembering why we were marching in the first place and holding placards proclaiming “we are the radical roots of Pride”. Now that deserves a ‘yassss queen’.
CRAIG’S THOUGHTS After the Fall: Bring Back the Pride. By Craig Hanlon-Smith @craigscontinuum
) In August 2019 I sat in my garden the Friday afternoon before Pride, and from across the railway lines that separate our house from Preston Park, I listened to Kylie Minogue soundcheck. We had a silly little dance around the garden as we prepared for friends to arrive for the weekend festivities and on the Saturday night thoroughly enjoyed the Kylie extravaganza. It wasn’t dissimilar to her Glastonbury show beamed into our living rooms some four weeks prior, but a good 30 minutes longer and with some occasional shout-outs to Brighton & Hove Pride. At least this pop princess knew where she was. There were also a couple of times during her performance as I looked at her face on the big screen that I felt she was grateful and understood that without the gays there would be no Kylie career in 2019, more than 30 years since her first appearance. My only disappointment was that it wasn’t Madonna, although to her credit she had performed the headliner set at the New York Pride on the pier, at the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, around the time Kylie was donning her wellies at Glasto. Kylie seemed grateful but there was nothing in the way of a politically charged air punch or crowd-pleasing acknowledgement of our respective journeys. And while Madonna in New York did the opposite and gave more political speech than song including her recognition at having been “embraced by Queer Nation”, most of those at the Pride Island event in NYC had paid thousands of dollars to be there. Just like the rich queens in Brighton who pay hundreds to enter Preston Park via the Manor Gardens. Here’s hoping you don’t trip up over a discarded bottle of Veuve Clicquot and choke on a pansy. I mean no discredit to these astonishing artists and supporters of our community.
However, LGBTQ+ Pride events with exclusive ticket categories and social tiering do not pay homage to our roots. They piss on them. Hundreds of thousands of dollars paid to these artists to grace us with their presence while our drag and cabaret performers are hoofing their wares up and down inside a tent for a couple of vodkas and a cheesy Wotsit. My highlight of Brighton & Hove Pride 2019 was Lola Lasagne introducing the Pride film from the main stage and using the opportunity to inform senior members of the Conservative Party that she would see them next Tuesday. Je ne sais pas pourquoi. Amen. And now this. The Covid-tastic cancellation of life as we knew it. Public concerts, festivals and of course large public events such as Pride all cancelled until further notice. Mariah’s rider nothing more than a few bullet points on her assistant’s iPhone. We’ll never know if her closing number on stage in a Preston Park August would have been that blasted Christmas song. But are these reasons to be sad? It isn’t a laughing matter that events and organisations employing thousands find themselves grinding to a halt and unable to meet their financial obligations, and while perhaps not for Pride Inc and those it employs, this is an opportunity for Pride as an ideal. It’s back to basics. I was overjoyed to
One year ago London felt chaotic at the annual Pride event which winds its way through the capital city. Yes it’s amazing that so many come to see the parade and take part in our ‘Pride’, but the runaway corporate juggernaut dominates and the only floats visible are those large enough and expensive enough to tower above the hundreds of thousands of somewhat disinterested revellers snorting laughing gas for kicks. One highlight for me in Brighton 2019 was to be asked to co-host the BBC Sussex commentary of the Pride parade. Armed with mic in hand, I spent two hours asking people what Pride meant to them and why they were here celebrating. In most cases it felt like an opportunity to reconnect with the people, the purpose and the pride. Only one reveller said he was only here to go to the park to watch Katy Perry. Perhaps he’s still waiting. In this spirit of paring back and reconnecting with our purpose, it’s a joy to see the online trailers for the Fabuloso event on Saturday August 1, the day the parade and park event would have taken place. Local artists, drag queens, comedians, singers, cabaret performers bringing a Brighton focused lineup to our annual celebrations, a welcome diversion from the online ‘upset’ and disappointment that Mariah is not GaGa. The not insignificant reduction of rainbow memorabilia across our (online) high street stores is a statement in itself. The shops are doing what they are supposed to, trying to make money. They just want to sell as much as possible to as many as possible and when the hoardes aren’t rocking up for an event-based weekend, there just isn’t the point. They don’t really give a hoot about your gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans or queer ass and neither does Mariah. Where’s the online freebie from a rainbowsoaked studio dressed in a Brighton & Hove Pride T-shirt just for the cause? And gay boys gay boys gay boys… Kylie wine? Stop it with the Instagram taste tests from your special Kylie-Wine-Presentation set. She just wants your pounds, she’s done with the pride. But we, are not. The best is yet to come.
“I mean no discredit to these astonishing artists and supporters of our community. However, LGBTQ+ Pride events with exclusive ticket categories and social tiering do not pay homage to our roots. They piss on them”
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“I moved to Brighton from London literally two days before my first Brighton & Hove Pride in 2017. My friends jumped at the chance to celebrate with me; a few from Ireland and a few from London. So I had FIVE people staying in my cramped studio apartment. We didn't care. I couldn't believe how much the whole city got involved with Pride, I remember feeling like the whole of Brighton had exploded with rainbow flags. I felt so elated at how much love and acceptance was on show, I really felt like I belonged here. Pride can be strange when I feel like I 'should' be feeling things I'm not always feeling, but I'm so incredibly grateful that I live in a part of our world where we can be free to be loud, out and proud!” “My funniest Pride memory with MindOut is the time I crawled right under the bus before the parade started, to tie up the banners. I just had my legs sticking out behind the bus (with silver heels, of course). A colleague came along and thought I'd been run over!” “Pride is a celebration of our fight. We’re here to radically love who we are and our community and share in our joy. However, it’s also a time to remember those who aren’t so lucky and need our support and solidarity. Now and always, Pride is a protest.”
MINDOUT The MindOut team have been reminiscing about Brighton Pride, what it means to us, how much we’ll miss being on the streets this year. Pride means so much to us personally and professionally, what follows is a flavour of that. ) “What I love about Brighton & Hove Pride is it caters for everyone. When I was younger I could be found downing Jägerbombs in the dance tents, misbehaving in Legends and eating pie and chips on St James’ St at 4am. Last year I did a yoga class in the fitness tent, listened to some poetry, donated to a guide dog charity and was home in bed before Kylie finished her set. Young or old, LGBTQ+ or ally, there’s something at Pride for everyone. Now I have two kids I miss being able to wander between the tents checking out the different performances, but I’ve discovered a different side to Pride. Being part of Brighton & Hove Rainbow Families has opened up a whole different world. I feel very lucky to be part of such a fun and supportive network of LGBTQ+ parents and we proudly march in the parade with our children every year. “My wife and I first took our daughter to Pride when she was three weeks old. It’s a shame our son who was born in March will miss his first Pride but we’ll dress him up in extra rainbows in 2021 to make up for it. It’s really important for the kids to grow up appreciating diversity; to know that LGBTQ+ families are celebrated. There’s something very lovely about thousands of people cheering our rainbow family.”
“A decade ago, at 15, I was a newly out bisexual. I was absolutely terrified of being at Pride, around so many other people that would empathise with my experience, but it was an incredible time. I remember watching the parade and being in awe at not being alone. I'm going to really miss seeing everyone at Pride this year, but can’t wait to be with you all again next summer.”
“I’ve been part of Pride celebrations in Brighton for more than 30 years. I’ve seen Pride change from a few hundred brave souls in the late 1980s and early 1990s to hundreds of thousands in prelockdown years. Pride is so important, as a protest and making visible the lives of all LGBTQ+ people. It’s a time to celebrate our communities, to create communities, to do our best to be as inclusive as we can. And that means inclusive of we who have experience of mental health issues. Pride gives us a platform to talk about mental health, to celebrate our survival, to help us to thrive, to get the word out that MindOut is here for us all.” “I’m always so proud of the MindOut bus at Pride. Its such a great way to show that people with mental health issues can take part, can be out, can be included and celebrated. I love it when people in the crowd cheer us on. I just want more people to feel it’s okay to say I have mental health problems and that its ok to ask for help.” MindOut will be celebrating, virtually, on Saturday, August 1. We will be on a digital bus, if not a real one with wheels!
MINDOUT INFO If you would like to talk about any mental health related issues in your life, at Pride or at any time, please do contact us. All of our services are offering online support and we’re starting a new telephone befriending project for people who’d rather not use digital services. All of our services are independent, impartial, non-judgemental and free (except for our affordable counselling service). You can see our website www.mindout.org.uk or phone us on 01273 234839 or email info@mindout.org.uk
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WALL’S WORDS
GAY WISDOM
AM I PROUD?
HOW THE FEMININE GOT DRAGGED BACK INTO MY WAY OF BEING…
BY ROGER WHEELER
) The word pride is frequently on our lips, it’s worth examining the actual meaning of the word. We can all take pride in something we have achieved, our appearance or just how clever we are. This could be confused with conceit, egoism or even vanity. It can even describe a group of lions. In the context of August in Brighton it used to be Gay Pride, happy memories of Preston Park, a wonderful friendly party, and it was free! Times have changed, for many good reasons it started to cost money to attend the event and then the Gay name was dropped. We all heard the reasons for this unfortunate decision, but for Michael and I that heralded the start of the end of the event that we knew and loved. But let’s think about exactly what we (and by that I mean the LGBTQ+ community) have got to be proud of? Michael and I had many long and occasionally quite strong discussions on this subject with the wonderful James Ledward. He didn’t agree with us at all, but good friends can disagree, and we did. Our point was that we didn’t feel particularly proud of being gay, why should we, we just were. Mike was very proud of his exceptional professional rise in his career and the many awards he had earned. In my turn I was both proud of him and his achievements and my own contributions to our home and doing what I could to support him. Neither of us felt particularly proud of our sexuality, we felt that there is nothing to be proud of, it’s something we were born with. Today in this high-tech social media world, there is one good thing to be found in ‘Pride’: it has given many the courage to ‘come out’. Living as we do in the soft south east, we may not be aware that homophobia still exists, almost everywhere. Even in supposedly gay Brighton you run a risk, no matter how slight, if you hold your partner’s hand in some parts of town. So arguing against myself, Pride does have a place, if it helps just one frightened person tell everyone what they are and who they are then it’s a good thing.
“Pride does have a place, if it helps just one frightened person tell everyone what they are and who they are then it’s a good thing” We also used to enjoy the parade before it became so commercial with large international companies jumping literally on the band wagon to prove just how inclusive they were, which in reality they weren’t. Michael and I must both hold hands up and plead guilty to this charge of commercialisation. Seeing the need to help, we persuaded our respective employers to join in, take stands and enter the parade. In some ways the large national companies we worked for were forced to acknowledge their lack of inclusivity, something that they would never freely admit. So Pride exists and I wish it luck, it may not be for me, I am obviously well past my Pride date, but it gives a lot of pleasure to thousands of people, whether virtual or not. So am I proud? No not particularly. Don’t forget that the Amsterdam event is still called Gay Pride, but that’s a different story.
BY GAY SOCRATES
) Back in 1960, the working class world I was born into knew nothing beyond a very strictly regulated gender binary. I had a penis so I was a boy - Simples! But I was a girly boy. I wanted to be a mother and to become a housewife. It made me sad that these options weren’t open to me. I envied girls and their ability to attract sexy men. I wanted to wear make-up and once dusted my face with some foundation powder from a discarded compact of my mother’s. My dad noticed immediately, “Wash that muck off your face!” A few months later I patted a bit of talcum powder on my cheeks then forgot about it. Again my dad spotted it and with disgust said, “What have you done to your face? Wash it off and don’t let me ever see you do that kind of thing again!” So I was efficiently detected as a potential gender transgressor and rapidly knocked back into line. I quickly learned that some of my speech patterns, mannerisms and gestures could be identified by others as ‘girly’ and were therefore potentially dangerous signifiers of differentness. I felt this girlishness was somehow related to my secret attraction towards men and so for the sake of my social survival it needed to be eradicated from how I presented myself to the world. Thus began the extended performance of a macho-ish false self. The voice had to be lower and gruff with no squeals or screeches. Hands had to be anchored in pockets. The walk became a cocky lolling swagger with a man-spreading gait suggestive of a need to avoid scissoring an imaginary pair of big balls between my meaty thighs. I was pretty convincing to the point that I almost believed it myself! Even beyond the age of 20 when I came out as gay, the straightacting-ness was firmly ingrained and remained so until I met the Faeries.
“A part of me that had been frozen began to thaw out. This presentation of me wasn’t seen by the Faeries as disgusting but was celebrated and appreciated” Then, at the age of 49, at a Faerie Gathering, I put on a wig, a dress and some make-up. It was such a transformation that no-one seemed to recognise me. A part of me that had been frozen began to thaw out. This presentation of me wasn’t seen by the Faeries as disgusting but was celebrated and appreciated. What a relief it was to no longer be policing myself, to be allowing free rein to any whim or style of being without fear of reprimand. These days I’m unable to see myself as a conventional gay cis-male. To others I seem ‘cis’ so I tend to get pushed away from the trans end of the cis/trans spectrum. But I know there’s something odd about my gender so now it gets to be described as ‘ciss-ish’ (and - for the record - when it comes to pronouns, although I tend to be referred to as ‘he’, I do prefer to be seen in all my plurality as ‘they’!)
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GOLDEN HOUR BY BILLIE GOLD
STUFF & THINGS BY JON TAYLOR
LIFE IN FULL COLOUR
SMILE AND WAVE
) Pride this year has perhaps been one of the most pivotal moments of our collective history. When I attended my very first Pride, I was nowhere near out. I remember watching the parade go by with the arm of my then boyfriend around me, in awe of the colours and collective emotion that, at that time, belonged to a community that I did not, yet. And however much I felt like I was undercover at that time, looking at a community I knew I was a part of, I remember wondering how long it would take for me to be found out, and now I wish it was sooner.
) What can you say about Pride that hasn't been said already? Not much. However you choose to look at it, someone's looked at it like that already. Whether you see it as a political march or a fun time with your mates, or something in between the two, it's already been covered. Which leaves the personal experiences of Pride that could be potentially new and interesting. So, what are my experiences of Pride? Will they be new and interesting? Let's find out.
“I remember watching the parade go by with the arm of my then boyfriend around me, in awe of the colours and collective emotion that, at that time, belonged to a community that I did not, yet”
I've mainly been at Brighton & Hove Pride as part of Brighton Gay Men's Chorus (BGMC), where I've strutted my stuff on our floats in various colourful outfits. Ah, the floats! Put together by the same people every year and every year they ask for help from everyone else for construction and decoration of it, receive little assistance and then see the finished float packed with members on the day itself. 'Where were you lot when we were building this thing?' They ask... Ah, memories!
For some people, coming out came gradually, the “I’ve always known” type of responses to a young gay person revealing who they are making it not easy but loving. My coming out story was not like this. Years after I knew I was a lesbian, at a fairly late age of 27, my need for telling people who I was was violent and quick. It happened after a particularly bad relationship with a man, and breaking free of such a thing made it almost impossible to do it softly, as if screaming hanging out of a Brighton window that I’m gay would permanently shut the door to that type of pain for me, and in a way, doing it that way, it did. I fell in love at a wonderfully inappropriate moment, and I often wonder if this is how a lot of people discover their sexuality within themselves. It was that moment that I remember vividly, standing in the shower and realising that nothing about life would ever be the same, as if all the grey had washed off me and now I was living life in full colour. It made me think of the first parade I saw, and I knew if I was going to change my life and live authentically for myself, I would do it as loud as humanly possible. From that first Pride to the most recent, almost everything has changed. Last Pride I stood on a stage in front of 2,000 plus people, in the midst of a celebration of love and life that is mine to live too. From wishing I was part of the crowd, to eventually being a voice within them. Lesbian representation is still woefully underrepresented pretty much everywhere, and the way I figure it, if I can inspire just one young gay woman to start living her truth and celebrate herself, that’s Pride done right. Essentially we celebrate Pride all over the world not just to remember and continue the struggle for basic human rights, but to send a loud message to everyone who thinks it's not safe, or it's not the time to live authentically. Feathers and glitter is one thing, but the message that there is a family waiting for you at the other end of self realisation is what Pride means to me.
We've run out of fuel for the generator on the float a couple of times. That's fun! We play music on our floats that we 'sing' along to so a noisy generator is essential. When the music cuts out so does our 'performance'. The crowd do not like this. They usually yell 'SING!' at us a lot when this happens. You just want to melt into the floor when it does ‘cause there's nowt you can do about it. All you can do is smile and wave. There's usually discussions each year about whether the Parade (TM) is getting too commercialised with too many corporations taking part. 'Not enough local business and too much big business' is usually the complaint. To begin with, it's bloody expensive to put on a float so some can’t afford to do so. Also, if corporations decided not to take part, by gum we'd let them know how we felt about that wouldn't we? 'Why aren't (insert company name here) taking part in the Pride Parade this year? Where's your representation for your LGBTQ+ employees? Don't you care about gay rights?' and so on and so on. We complain that they take part and we'd complain if they didn't. To get a better balance between corporates and local colour, I suggest the following... At the start of the parade have two community floats, then one corporate. Follow this pattern ‘til there's just corporate left at the back. I think people would rather see groups like BGMC than Tesco so stack the deck in the local group’s favour. Done. I'm full of good ideas. I see the theme for the Parade next year is 'Rainbows'. Gosh! What an utterly original and never done before idea! Revolutionary! Must have taken hours to come up with that! No doubt our float will be packed with them and a fun time will be had. Will there be more help to build it? Will we run out of fuel again? Watch this space!
GSCENE 65
HYDES’ HOPES BY REV MICHAEL HYDES
LAURIE’S ALLOTMENT
HOW’S YOUR HEAD, HUN?
SOME BUMPER CROPS
) Have you been watching Michelle Visage and her home-based programme, How's Your Head, Hun? It's fun, and a bit of a tonic when everything seems so serious. And right now life feels pretty serious. Just a few months ago, when we went into lockdown, there was a moment of “I can't do this”, which quickly turned to “How do I do this?” We put together an online service, reached out to folk, ran errands, helped with shopping, and tried to support the community the best ways we could. And none of it has been easy. Some folk have been very poorly with lengthy hospital stays, others have struggled with mental health problems. And we've all lost loved ones.
) Hello to all you fellow horticulturalists! You never can tell what is going to happen, as much as we all like to try to second guess the weather - it always has something up its sleeve. This year, after a very dry spring, we’ve had wind and rain (albeit intermittent).
BY LAURIE LAVENDER
TOMATOES
ONIONS
VIGIL IN REMEMBRANCE OF JAMES FURLONG, JOE RITCHIE-BENNETT & DAVID WAILS
“How's your head, hun?” It's not good. At the beginning of the pandemic there was a bit of panic, but then coping took over and the reality of lockdown hit. It was easy to follow the rules because they were simple, and it was easy to spot those who were flaunting the rules and steer clear.
“How's your head, hun?” It's not good. I don't know about you, but I've had enough. I want everything to be 'normal again', except I also don't want things to go back to the way they were. I want a new normal. One without racism and denial. One without hate and fear. One without homophobia and transphobia. One that prizes equality and roots out inequality. One where a life is more important than an economic downturn. One where I can hug again. I dream about hugs.
“I want a new normal... One without hate and fear. One without homophobia and transphobia... One where I can hug again” What we need is more love in the world. (All you need is love). Even the smallest expression of love changes the world a little bit. And perhaps, if we want to change the world for the better, then only love is going to work. That's what the Kingdom of God is, it's love at work. The real self-sacrificing love that insists we treat others the way we want to be treated.Only Love can create a world without racism and denial. Only Love can create a world without hate and fear. Only Love can create a world without homophobia and transphobia. Only Love can create a world that prizes equality and roots out inequality. One where life is more important than economics. One where I can hug again. One where I feel proud to be a part of a society that cares - from its grassroots to the government in power. “How's your head, hun?” It's getting there. But it's going to need a lot more love in the world before it'll be right.
We’ve had a good crop of lettuce (various types), new chard is fresh and tasty (old chard is dug up and decomposing as we speak). Tomatoes are doing well having been en plein air since conception. New potatoes (Charlotte) are plentiful and tasty with butter and fresh mint, or as a potato salad, or roasted whole with a sprinkling of smoked paprika. I also tend to roast in sesame oil for a ‘nuttier’ flavour. Our fruits are bountiful as well, we’ve alpine strawberries on our muesli and the blackcurrants add piquancy to Tina Thyme’s rhubarb and ginger crumble. I never know if I prefer my crumble with cream, ice cream or custard, or all three (crème fraîche is the healthy option). There’s still time to cultivate spring onions, radishes and herbs for late summer salads.
LAURIE’S TOP TIPS
HERBS
And I was so busy I'd forgotten about homophobia, hate crime, and terrorism. But then in Reading three gay men were enjoying time in the park: David Wails, Joe Ritchie-Bennett and James Furlong, when they were stabbed to death in broad daylight. The police are calling it a terrorist incident, but I don't hear anyone on the news talking about hate crime. The Brighton & Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum held a vigil in Dorset Gardens to remember them and mourn our loss. Each of those beautiful men were victims of hate. I'm missing 'Pride' so much.
LETTUCE & POTATOES
Some crops are doing well and others decidedly less so. We’ve had bumper crops of broad beans, but to be honest my peas are pitiful. On the other hand my onions are mighty fine, which could be because I put them in at the tail end of last year rather than early this year. I’m already planning my next crop for September planting.
) August is really the last month for planting green manure, which you can then dig in in October/November before it flowers. Buckwheat is good for poor soil, crimson clover for light/sandy soil, white clover will suit most types, fenugreek for well-drained soil, and field beans for heavy soil. We buy ours from Kings Seeds, other providers are available. ) Keep feeding your tomatoes with Tomorite and Miracle Grow (doesn’t change it into wine!). Donald the Weed King (Queen?) is in charge while we’re away. Happy harvesting, Laurie Lavender. Pictures by Tina Thyme.
66 GSCENE
SCENE & DONE IT BY MICHAEL STEINHAGE
LOCKDOWN LIES ) So I’m trying to wrap my head around this here column, but life has been locked down so long, I can’t even remember what slacks are okay to wear when I pop to Tesco’s, as opposed to spending the whole day at home ‘cleaning’, or whether I have to sign into Netflix or Microsoft Office on a Wednesday morning, or in fact when even IS Wednesday.
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ELECTRICIANS / RENEWABLE TECH
LGBTQ CHURCH THE VILLAGE
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH
Rooted in and serving LGBTQ communities
We’re all corona-confused. And we’ve all become liars. Little liars. So let’s open up about those little lockdown lies, like “I’ve enjoyed home schooling the kids tremendously. Such precious time!” Said no gay parent ever. “Why do they still need to know SOH CAH TOA?”, or “They do long division completely different now, they’ve changed it all!”, or “Right. School’s out. Where is Mummy’s grown-up Ribena?”
Meeting at The Somerset Day Centre 62 St James St, Brighton BN2 1PR
Sundays at 6pm
Tel: 07476 667 353 • thevillagemcc.org
PROFESSIONAL
We won’t admit such thoughts to the others, even when they’re in the exact same boat. And how do you tell your partner, who’s fortunate enough to go to work three days a week, that you too have had a busy day? On Zoom calls all morning, and then a webinar in the afternoon. No, he doesn’t need to know about your two hour lunch sitting in the sun in Preston Park. Why make him jealous, he’s had a very busy day, key working for the nation. How do you tell everyone that yes, you have been drinking more certainly, but you’re totally committed to four sober days a week. Three minimum. Okay two. Whatever, why do they even need to know that you’ve cracked open the Sauvignon at 2pm today? They were out for a run, which you know because it’s been posted on Facebook. But… were they telling the truth? Doubt it, we’re probably square. Are there any clean wine glasses by the way? And don’t even get me started on the baking! Yes, we all got a bit excited that we had this extra time to make banana bread, and we shared our photos proudly, but the novelty is long gone. The smell of baking powder, oh it makes me sick! Home cooking? “Well we treat ourselves to a Deliveroo just now and then”. And then again and then some more.
WHILST EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ENSURE THE ACCURACY OF STATEMENTS IN THIS MAGAZINE WE CANNOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE VIEWS OF CONTRIBUTORS, ERRORS, OR OMMISIONS, OR FOR MATTERS ARISING FROM CLERICAL OR PRINTERS ERRORS, OR AN ADVERTISER NOT COMPLETING A CONTRACT
KEEPING YOU CONNECTED WITH LGBTQ+ BRIGHTON & HOVE SUSSEX AND BEYOND!
“Yes, we all got a bit excited that we had this extra time to make banana bread, and we shared our photos proudly, but the novelty is long gone” But hang on, I went off on a complete tangent! I’m sure I already wrote about the lockdown last time, In Apriljumay or roundabout then. Did I? Is it still July or already Halloween, what am I even doing when, by the time this issue hits your screens, all this will be old news. Wasn’t there something… oh yes, that’s it! It’s the yearly Pride issue and I was meant to write something inspiring about that! Accept my apologies. I have 50 words left, so have a beautiful Pride and make sure you do celebrate (safely), whether you just hang a little flag over the balcony or host a drag night on your driveway. I’ll be in the Park with a cooler, hoping the sun stays as out as I am!
VISIT: D www.gscene.com FOLLOW: F GScene.Brighton JOIN: F Gscene
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LGBTQ+ Communities Group
GSCENE 67
SERVICES DIRECTORY LGBT SERVICES
● MINDOUT Independent, impartial services run by and for LGBTQ people with experience of mental health issues. 24 hr confidential answerphone: 01273 234839 or email info@mindout.org.uk and out of hours online chat www.mindout.org.uk
● NAVIGATE
Drop-in for LGBT or unsure young people under 26 Tues 5.30–8.30pm 01273 721211 or email info@allsortsyouth.org.uk, www.allsortsyouth.org.uk
Social/peer support group for FTM, transmasculine & gender queer people, every 1st Wed 7-9pm & 3rd Sat of month 1-3pm at Space for Change, Windlesham Venue, BN1 3AH. https://navigatebrighton.wordpress.com/
● BRIGHTON & HOVE POLICE
● PEER ACTION
● ALLSORTS YOUTH PROJECT
Report all homophobic, biphobic or transphobic incidents to: 24/7 assistance call Police on 101 (emergencies 999) Report online at: www.sussex.police.uk LGBT team (not 24/7) email: LGBT@sussex.pnn.police.uk • LGBT Officer PC James Breeds: Tel: 101 ext 558168 James.breeds@sussex.pnn.police.uk
● BRIGHTON & HOVE LGBT SAFETY FORUM Independent LGBT forum working within the communities to address and improve safety and access issues in Brighton & Hove. For more info: 01273 675445 or admin@lgbt-help.com or www.lgbt-help.com
● BRIGHTON & HOVE LGBT SWITCHBOARD • LGBT Older Peoples' Project • LGBT Health Improvement and Engagement Project • LGBTQ Disabilities Project • Rainbow Café: support for LGBT+ people with Dementia • Volunteering opportunities 01273 234 009 Helpline hours: Wed & Thur, 7–9.30pm; trans-only webchat on Sun 3–5pm: call 01273 204 050 email info@switchboard.org.uk webchat switchboard.org.uk/helpline www.switchboard.org.uk/brighton
● BRIGHTON ONEBODYONEFAITH Formerly The Gay Christian Movement. Contact: Nigel Nash nigelnash@me.com www.onebodyonefaith.org.uk
● BRIGHTON WOMEN’S CENTRE Info, counselling, drop-in space, support groups 01273 698036 or visit www.womenscentre.org.uk
● LESBIAN & GAY AA 12-step self-help programme for alcohol addictions: Sun, 7.30pm, Chapel Royal, North St, Btn (side entrance). 01273 203 343 (general AA line)
● LGBT COCAINE ANONYMOUS Meeting every Tues 6.30-8pm, 6 Tilbury Pl, Brighton, BN2 0GY, CA isn’t allied with any outside organisation, and neither endorses or opposes any causes. Helpline 0800 6120225, www.cocaineanonymous.org.uk www.sussexcocaineanonymous.co.uk,
● LGBT NA GROUP Brighton-based LGBT (welcomes others) Narcotics Anonymous group every Tue 6.30–8pm, Millwood Centre, Nelson Row, Kingswood St. 0300 999 1212
● LGBT+ MEDITATION GROUP Meditation & discussion, every 2nd & 4th Thur, 5.30–7pm, Anahata Clinic, 119 Edward St, Brighton. 07789 861 367 or www.bodhitreebrighton.org.uk
● LUNCH POSITIVE Lunch club for people with HIV. Meet/make friends, find peer support in safe space. Every Fri, noon–2.30pm, Community Room, Dorset Gdns Methodist Church, Dorset Gdns, Brighton. Lunch £1.50. 07846 464 384 or www.lunchpositive.org
● MCC BRIGHTON Inclusive, affirming space where all are invited to come as they are to explore their spirituality without judgement. 01273 515572 or info@mccbrighton.org.uk www.mccbrighton.org.uk
Regular low cost yoga, therapies, swimming, meditation & social groups for people with HIV. contact@peeraction.net or www.peeraction.net
● RAINBOW FAMILIES Support group for lesbian and/or gay parents 07951 082013 or info@rainbowfamilies.org.uk www.rainbowfamilies.org.uk
● RAINBOW HUB Information, contact, help and guidance to services for LGBT+ communities in Brighton, Hove and Sussex at Rainbow Hub drop in LGBT+ one-stop shop: 93 St James Street, BN2 1TP, 01273 675445 or visit www.therainbowhubbrighton.com
● SOME PEOPLE Social/support group for LGB or questioning aged 14-19, Tue 5.30-7.30pm, Hastings. Call/text Cathrine Connelly 0797 3255076 or email somepeople@eastsussex.gov.uk
● TAGS – THE ARUN GAY SOCIETY Social Group welcome all inEast & West Sussex Areas. Call/Text 07539 513171 www.tagsonline.org.uk
● VICTIM SUPPORT Practical, emotional support for victims of crime 08453 899 528
● THE VILLAGE MCC Christian church serving the LGBTQ community. Sundays 6pm, Somerset Day Centre, Kemptown 07476 667353 www.thevillagemcc.org
HIV PREVENTION, CARE & TREATMENT SERVICES ● AVERT
Sussex HIV & AIDS info service 01403 210202 or email confidential@avert.org
● BRIGHTON & HOVE CAB HIV PROJECT Money, benefits, employment, housing, info, advocacy. Appointments: Tue-Thur 9am-4pm, Wed 9am-12.30pm Brighton & Hove Citizens Advice Bureau, Brighton Town Hall. 01273 733390 ext 520 or www.brightonhovecab.org.uk
● CLINIC M Free confidential testing & treatment for STIs including HIV, plus Hep A & B vaccinations. Claude Nicol Centre, Sussex County Hospital, on Weds from 5-8pm. 01273 664 721 or www.brightonsexualhealth.com
advice only (no assessments), Fri 10am-12pm & 1pm-3pm. • Gary Smith (LGBT* Support) 07884 476634 or email gsmith@pavilions.org.uk For more info visit weblink: pavilions.org.uk/services/treatment-recovery-options/
● SUSSEX BEACON 24 hour nursing & medical care, day care 01273 694222 or www.sussexbeacon.org.uk
● TERRENCE HIGGINS TRUST SERVICES For more info about these free services go to the THT office, 61 Ship St, Brighton, Mon–Fri, 10am–5pm 01273 764200 or info.brighton@tht.org.uk • Venue Outreach: info on HIV, sexual health, personal safety, safer drug/alcohol use, free condoms/lubricant for men who have sex with men • The Bushes Outreach Service @ Dukes Mound: advice, support, info on HIV & sexual health, and free condoms & lube • Netreach (online/mobile app outreach in Brighton & Hove): info/advice on HIV/sexual health/local services. THT Brighton Outreach workers online on Grindr, Scruff, & Squirt • Condom Male: discreet, confidential service posts free condoms/lube/sexual health info to men who have sex with men without access to East Sussex commercial gay scene • Positive Voices: volunteers who go to organisations to talk about personal experiences of living with HIV • Fastest (HIV testing): walk-in, (no appointment) rapid HIV testing service open to MSM (Men who have sex with Men). Anyone from the African communities, male and female sex workers and anyone who identifies as Trans or non-binary. We now offer rapid 15 minutes results for HIV/Syphilis: Mon 10am-8pm, Tues-Fri 10am-5pm, Thurs 10am-8pm (STI testing available) • Sauna Fastest at The Brighton Sauna (HIV testing): walk-in, (no appointment) rapid HIV testing service for men who have sex with men, results in 20 minutes: Wed: 6–8pm (STI testing available) • Face2Face: confidential info & advice on sexual health & HIV for men who have sex with men, up to 6 one hour appointments • Specialist Training: wide range of courses for groups/ individuals, specific courses to suit needs • Counselling: from qualified counsellors for up to 12 sessions for people living with/affected by HIV • What Next? Thurs eve, 6 week peer support group work programme for newly diagnosed HIV+ gay men • HIV Support Services: info, support & practical advice for people living with/affected by HIV • HIV Welfare Rights Advice: Find out about benefits or benefit changes. Advice line: Tue–Thur 1:302:30pm. 1-2-1 appts for advice & workshops on key benefits
● TERRENCE HIGGINS EASTBOURNE
• Web support & info on HIV, sexual health & local services via netreach and myhiv.org.uk • Free condom postal service contact Grace Coughlan on 07584086590 or grace.coughlan@tht.org.uk
● SEXUAL HEALTH WORTHING
● LAWSON UNIT
Free confidential tests & treatment for STIs inc HIV; Hep A & B vaccinations. Worthing based 0845 111345645
Medical advice, treatment for HIV+, specialist clinics, diet & welfare advice, drug trials. 01273 664 722
NATIONAL HELPLINES
● MARTIN FISHER FOUNDATION HIV Self testing kits via digital vending machines available from: The Brighton Sauna, Subline, Prowler, Marlborough Pub and The Rainbow Hub martinfisherfoundation.org
● SUBSTANCE MISUSE SERVICE Pavillions Partnership. Info, advice, appointments & referrals 01273 731 900. Drop-in: Richmond House, Richmond Rd, Brighton, Mon-Wed & Fri 10am-4pm, Thur 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-1pm; 9 The Drive, Hove 01273 680714 Mon & Wed 10am-12pm & 1pm-3pm, Tue & Thu 10am-4pm, info &
● NATIONAL LGBT DOMESTIC ABUSE HELPLINE at galop.org.uk and 0800 999 5428 ● SWITCHBOARD 0300 330 0630 ● POSITIVELINE (EDDIE SURMAN TRUST) Mon-Fri 11am-10pm, Sat & Sun 4-10pm 0800 1696806 ● MAINLINERS 02075 825226 ● NATIONAL AIDS HELPLINE 08005 67123 ● NATIONAL DRUGS HELPLINE 08007 76600 ● THT AIDS Treatment phoneline 08459 470047 ● THT direct 0845 1221200
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1 AFFINITY BAR 129 St James’s St, www.affinitygaybar.co.uk 2 AMSTERDAM BAR & KITCHEN 11-12 Marine Parade, 01273 688 826 www.amsterdambrighton.com 3 BAR BROADWAY 10 Steine Street, 01273 609777 www.barbroadway.co.uk 4 BEDFORD TAVERN 30 Western Street, 01273 739495 5 ALL NEW BULLDOG 31 St James’ St, 696996 #bulldogBTN 6 CAMELFORD ARMS 30-31 Camelford St, 01273 622386 www.camelford-arms.co.uk 7 CHARLES STREET TAP 8-9 Marine Parade, 01273 624091 www.charles-street.com 8 FALLEN ANGEL 24 Grafton St, 07949590001 9 GIU & SU CAFÉ & WINE BAR 2 Church St, BN11UJ F I /giuandsu/ www.giuandsu.com/ 10 GROSVENOR BAR 16 Western Street, 01273 438587 11 LEGENDS BAR 31-34 Marine Parade, 01273 624462 www.legendsbrighton.com 12 MARINE TAVERN 13 Broad St, 01273 681284 www.marinetavern.co.uk
14 PARIS HOUSE 21 Western Rod, 01273 724195 www.parishouse.com 15 QUEEN’S ARMS 7 George St, 01273 696873 www.theqabrighton.com 16 RAILWAY CLUB 4 Belmont, Dyke Rd, 01273 328682 17 REGENCY TAVERN 32-34 Russell Sq, 01273 325 652 18 SUBLINE 129 St James’s St, 01273 624100 www.sublinebrighton.co.uk 19 THREE JOLLY BUTCHERS 59 North Rd, 01273 608571 www.three-jolly-butchers.co.uk 20 VELVET JACKS 50 Norfolk Square, 07720 661290 http://tinyurl.com/VelvetJacks 21 LÉ VILLAGE 2-3 High Street, 01273 681634 22 ZONE 33 St James’s St, 01273 682249 www.zonebrighton.co.uk
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11 BASEMENT CLUB (below Legends) 31-34 Marine Parade, 01273 624462 www.legendsbrighton.com 7 ENVY (above Charles St Tap) 8-9 Marine Parade, 01273 624091 www.charles-street.com
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2 AMSTERDAM BAR & KITCHEN 11-12 Marine Parade, 01273 688 826 www.amsterdambrighton.com 6 CAMELFORD ARMS 30-31 Camelford St, 01273 622386 www.camelford-arms.co.uk 7 CHARLES STREET TAP 8-9 Marine Parade, 01273 624091 www.charles-street.com 23 CUP OF JOE 28 St George’s Rd, 01273 698873 www.cupofjoebrighton.co.uk 9 GIU & SU CAFÉ & WINE BAR 2 Church St, BN11UJ F I /giuandsu/ www.giuandsu.com/ 11 LEGENDS BAR 31-34 Marine Parade, 01273 624462 www.legendsbrighton.com 12 MARINE TAVERN 13 Broad St, 01273 681284 www.marinetavern.co.uk 24 NEW STEINE BISTRO 12a New Steine, 01273 681546 www.newsteinehotel.com
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26 HILTON BRIGHTON METROPOLE 1 Kings Rd, 01273 775 432 www.hilton.com 11 LEGENDS HOTEL 31-34 Marine Parade, 01273 624462 www.legendsbrighton.com 24 NEW STEINE HOTEL 10/11 New Steine, 01273 681546 www.newsteinehotel.com 27 QUEENS HOTEL 1/3 Kings Rd, 01273 321222 www.queenshotelbrighton.com
) HEALTH & BEAUTY
28 BARBER BLACKSHEEP 18 St Georges Rd, 01273 623408 wwww.barberblacksheep.com 29 DENTAL HEALTH SPA 14–15 Queens Rd, 01273 710831 www.dentalhealthspa.co.uk 30 VELVET TATTOO 50 Norfolk Square, 07720 661290 http://tinyurl.com/VelvetJacks
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34 BARBARY LANE 95 St George’s Rd, Kemptown 35 PROWLER 112 St James’ St, 01273 683680 36 SUSSEX BEACON Charity Shop 130 St James’s St, 01273 682992 37 SUSSEX BEACON Home Store 72-73 London Rd, 01273 680264 www.sussexbeacon.org.uk
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39 BRIGHTON WOMEN’S CENTRE 72 High St, 01273 698036 www.womenscentre.org.uk 40 LUNCH POSITIVE Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, Dorset Gardens, 07846 464384 www.lunchpositive.org 41 RAINBOW HUB 93 St James’s St, 01273 675445 www.therainbowhubbrighton.com
