52 Scene
ARTS CORNER
HYDES’ HOPES
Is My Rabbit A Lesbian?
Chipping away
) Gaydio duo Chris & Emma are back for a new comedy podcast, Is My Rabbit A Lesbian?. You may remember them for the Breakfast Show - they were and in many ways still are the voices of gay breakfasts.
) I have to wonder how different the last 40 years would have been if HIV had broken out among the general population instead of some of the most marginalised groups. How many lives could have been saved if the kind of resources thrown at Covid over the last 18 months had been thrown at HIV in the same way? I am so glad that we have effective treatments, that PrEP continues to make a real difference in people’s lives, and that there may well be an effective vaccine on the horizon. However, it’s been 40 years since HIV was first documented (1981), whereas in the case of Covid we had an effective vaccine that had been tested and approved within a year.
WITH ALEX KLINEBERG
CHRIS & EMMA
Chris & Emma always had real chemistry together, and that’s something you can’t fake in broadcasting (as some GB News presenters have painfully discovered). Their stint on Gaydio ended in 2018 when Chris moved to New York to be closer to his husband. Manchester is quite far
BY MICHAEL HYDES
away from New York, after all.
Of course, I’m grateful that Covid is less a threat now than it was a year ago. Although, as I write this, people are still being hospitalised and still dying, albeit in reduced numbers. It isn’t over yet. But then HIV isn’t an illness of the past either.
Although Chris & Emma are now separated by the Atlantic they are coming together in the podcast world, with a little help from their old ‘Producer Ellen’.
“How many lives could have been saved if the kind of resources thrown at Covid over the last 18 months had been thrown at HIV in the same way?”
In a joint statement, they gave a flavour of what to expect: “Every episode they each share a bonkers story that has somehow made the news - one from the UK, one from the USA. Each story raises a question which they endeavour to answer - such as ‘Should I do hot yoga in my bathroom?’, ‘How far would you go for Greggs sausage roll?’ and maybe even… ‘Is my rabbit a lesbian?’. You can expect life-changing philosophical debate (sort of), embarrassing admissions, plenty of LGBT+ life affirming stories and lots of laughs.”
In the UK there are presently just over 105,000 people living with HIV and receiving treatments. Around two-thirds are male, and around a third female, and a small number non-binary. In general, infection isn’t through those who know they are infected and receiving treatment, but through those who are infected but are unaware of their HIV status. You can see why testing is as crucial now as it ever has been.
Chris said: “After waking up with each other for eight years (steady now, only on the Gaydio Breakfast Show!) We are absolutely thrilled to be back together for our new podcast all about lesbian rabbits. Expect some fascinating stories, laughs and a lot of heart. Basically it’s the two of us completely oversharing. We can now finally tell the stories we weren’t allowed to tell on air. And there are lots. We can’t wait for you to join us!” Emma added: “I thought I’d got rid of him – but no! Now he sends me a Zoom link every couple of weeks to talk about lesbian rabbits. I jest. I am THRILLED to be back with my radio husband. In the last year or so we’ve all suffered our own annus horribilis – and the one thing that’s kept me going is the joy and laughter that good friends like Chris and producer Ellen have brought me. So; no highfalutin aims, I just hope this podcast does one of the most important things – puts a well deserved smile on your face and a big old laugh in your belly.” The podcast market is now a very crowded field. There are podcasts on arguably every topic known to man. That being said, a good podcast works when the presenters have chemistry, and that’s why Chris & Emma’s podcast is likely to be a hit. Have a listen and decide for yourself whether Chris really did meet Madonna on the Madame X tour. D You can listen to the podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/ podcast/is-my-rabbit-a-lesbian/id1580399619
There are some amazing groups in Brighton offering support. The Lawson Unit and the Sussex Beacon both offer medical support. Lunch Positive, Terrence Higgins Trust and Peer Action all offer peer support. My church, the Village MCC, offers positive and affirming spiritual support. The Martin Fisher Foundation (Brighton & Hove) continues to work hard to lower transmission rates, the goal being zero transmission. Five years ago, the goal they set out was to ensure that 90% of people living with HIV in Brighton & Hove would be aware of their status, that 90% of people be on treatment, and that 90% of people with HIV on treatment be unable to pass the infection on to others due to untraceable levels of virus in the blood stream. More info: www.themartinfisherfoundation. org. By the end of 2020 they had surpassed expectations and now 94% of people living with HIV in Brighton & Hove know their status, of whom 99% are on effective treatment, 99% of whom are unable to pass the infection on to others due to untraceable levels of virus in their blood stream - great work! And wouldn’t it be wonderful if the government rolled out such a scheme nationwide? The reality is that we still face prejudice and fear 40 years on. By no means at the level it once was, but it is still there. Homophobia and misogyny continue to wreak havoc in society, and although things are changing, the attitudes around HIV are a symptom of an even deeper problem that we continue to chip away at. Oh, for a world without HIV transmission. It is possible. We can do it! And in Brighton & Hove I believe that we will. But whether the will exists to tackle the problem worldwide; well, the jury is still out on that one. D More info on the Village MCC: www.thevillagemcc.org
