Gscene November 2012

NOV 2012

CONTENTS

GSCENE magazine www.gscene.com @gscene GScene.Brighton

GEMS CANDLELIT DINNER

EDITORIAL TEAM James Ledward, Graham Robson ARTS EDITOR Michael Hootman SUB-EDITOR Graham Robson DESIGN Michèle Allardyce

STUDENT FRESHERS WEEK PUB CRAWL

FRONT COVER MODEL/MUA/OUTFIT Marnie Scarlet http://twitter.com/MarnieScarlet PHOTOGRAPHY Jo Blackened www.facebook.com/altercarnated

LETTERS & NEWS

CONTRIBUTORS AJ, Jaq Bayles, Jo Bourne, Nick Boston, Suchi Chatterjee, Nick Douglas, Craig Hanlon Smith, Adam Highway, Neil Masey, Enzo Marra, Andrew Modd, Rick Moore, Netty, Charles Nyereyegona, Carl Oprey, Kate O’Riordan, Eric Page, Marcus Patrick, Steph Scott, Del Sharp, Keith Sharpe, Gay Socrates, Brian Stacey, Glen Stevens, Craig Storrie, Duncan Stewart, Mick Sykes, Jordan Thomas, Vron, Roger Wheeler, Mike Wall, Morham White, Kate Wildblood

6 Letters To The Editor 8 News BULLDOG

ARTS 54 56 58 59

Michael Hootman, Chris Jepson www.chrisjepson.com, Sarah Haddow, James Ledward, Jack Lynn, Sam Milford www.realbrighton.com 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.

Arts News Art Matters Classical Notes Film Reviews

REGULARS

FEATURES 20 POSITIVE, FIT & HEALTHY Blake Anthony Willows on life after a positive HIV diagnosis

22 LUNCH POSITIVE Gary Pargeter explains why World AIDS Day matters

24 TRANS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE Eric Page speaks to local trans activists about November 25

25 THE RAINBOW FUND Gscene talks to Paul Elgood, Chair of The Rainbow Fund

26 BELGRADE PRIDE 2012 Green MEP Keith Taylor keeps diary of his visit to Belgrade Pride

27 OVER THE RAINBOW IN ICELAND James Ledward previews the Rainbow Reykjavik winter festival WILD FRUIT RED PARTY SAT DEC 1

SCENE LISTINGS 32 Brighton Listings 50 Solent & Bournemouth Listings

PHOTOGRAPHERS

© GSCENE 2012

DAVINA SPARKLE BAR 56

PUBLISHED BY Peter Storrow TEL 01273 722457 EDITORIAL info@gscene.com ADS+ARTWORK design@gscene.com

28 THE DAY I FOUND I COULDN’T WALK Dick James tells Gscene how Bariatric Surgery saved his life

30 53 53 60 62 65 65 66 67 67 68 69 69 70 71 71 72 73

Charlie’s Kitchen Dance Music DJ profile: Peter Castle Geek Scene Shopping Homely Homily Vron’s Voice Craig’s Thoughts Netty’s World Queerying Queenie Changing Attitude Young People’s Voice Suchi’s World Charlie Says Duncan’s Domain Trans Matters MindOut BSSN

57 RUPERT EVERETT

INFORMATION

James Ledward chats with the star of ‘The Judas Kiss’

74 Advertisers’ Map 76 & 78 Classifieds 77 Services Directory

64 THE MAN WHO... ....wanked his way to Greece - a monthly serial by Carl Oprey

6 GSCENE

SEND LETTERS TO: GSCENE, 111 WESTERN ROAD, HOVE, BN3 1DD OR EMAIL TO: INFO@GSCENE.COM

SWITCHBOARD ARE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU Dear Mr Jones and Mr Johnson, I read with horror about the horrendous attack that you suffered 2 years ago. I imagine the affects of this have been extremely damaging to you both - not just physically but emotionally too. Often it can be helpful for people who have experienced trauma like this to talk about it with an objective professional and so I wanted to let you know - or remind you if you already know about us - of the support our volunteers at LGBT Switchboard could give you - either via our telephone help-line, or our face-to-face low-cost counselling service.

Unfortunately we do have a waiting list for counselling of a few months - but if you think counselling would help do please contact me on 01273 234009. Our volunteers on the help-line can be contacted on 01273 204050 5-9pm weekdays and 5-7pm weekends.

I admire your strength and tenacity in doing all you can to make sure your attacker was brought to justice as this must have been a long and painful process.

I hope you are both recovering and I wish you all the best.

Natalie Woods, Services and Development Manager, Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard

I would like to express my thanks to those who helped in the preparation and delivery of the Anti-Hate Crime Vigil on Saturday, October 20.

Public events are notoriously difficult to organise and you never really get the opportunity to thank all of those who help you.

Despite the weather we had a great turn out. The event ran to time with speeches finishing just before 8pm in time for us to take a minute’s silence and undertake the candle lit vigil along with LGBT communities nationwide.

It was great to see people staying behind afterwards chatting and swapping stories while having a cup of tea at the THT Outreach van.

Special appreciation to those that volunteered their help on the day: the guys from the THT Outreach service; David Holland and Stuart Salisbury for helping set up; Danny Jackson and Will Norton for running the guest speakers’ reception and keeping everyone happy with their muffins; Pagoda Security and the police for ensuring the zombies kept their distance; Dean and Alan for allowing us to use Vavavoom as a safe space during the day; 'Little' David Pollard for flyering daily; Eric Page for his friendly advice and assistance in printing the posters and to Chris Cooke for making sure that they were on show in the village.

A big thank you to Chris Marshall

MAYOR BILL RANDALL

I was appalled to read the story about the two gay men viciously attacked in last month’s Gscene and the bungling efforts of the police to get the case into court.

Does this type of case usually take two years to bring before a judge and jury? I was even more appalled to hear different people in the community tell me during the month, that the case was not prosecuted as a Hate Crime because the police did not think it was a homophobic attack. My understanding is that a homophobic incident is one in which the victim believes they have been subject of a homophobic attack. Is it not the role of the police to uphold justice and not act as judge and jury? I listened to one of the victims on BBC Radio Sussex and he quite clearly said that he believed he was the victim of a homophobic incident because the language used by the attacker when beating him was, in the view of the victim, clearly homophobic. If these cases that are identified by the victims as homophobic are not recorded as such, how will we ever have an accurate set of Hate Crime statistics?

The policeman on the radio programme responding for Sussex Police said he was going to review the case. I hope you publish his findings in full.

Joan Simons, Hove

ANTI-HATE CRIME VIGIL

ANTI-HATE CRIME VIGIL

WHEN IS A HATE CRIME A HATE CRIME?

CLLR ANNE MEADOWS

at Charles Street for the loan of the microphone and to Karl at Moshi Moshi and Claire at Morrisons for making sure our guests were all fed and watered.

Thank you to Danny Dwyer and all of the individuals and groups who helped promote the event through their social networking sites.

Finally sincere thanks to all of the guest speakers for committing their valuable time to the event. Saturday was a great example of what the community can achieve when it works together. I realise many of the attendees both speaking and observing took time out from work or social events in order to attend.

Thank you, you really made a difference. Having spoken to some attendees after the event I was pleased to hear that they felt empowered and most importantly supported, no longer alone. This made every minute and every wet pair of socks and pants worth it!

If you are affected by any form of hate crime please report your experience to the police AND the local press. Never give up! If you do not receive the assistance you require tell us your story using our Facebook Group: Brighton & Hove Community Safety Forum. You are not alone! Together we can make positive changes!

For more information about the LGBT Community Safety Forum view our website: www.lgbtsafety-forum-brighton.com Kind regards, Billie Lewis, Vice Chair LGBT Community Safety Forum

DO YOU WANT ME TO BUY TICKETS OR NOT? Can you advise me on something please? Brighton Dome; are they deliberately trying to put people off buying tickets?

The other day I tried to book a couple of tickets online to support the Comedy Festival.

Apart from the ticket price I was charged £1 for administration; then came a second charge £1.75 to pick up the tickets.

Why am I being charged this? I am not booking through an agent, I am booking direct to them via their computer that does all the administration; or does the computer have an hourly rate of pay? Then I have to pay £1.75 for the privilege of picking the tickets up! So I didn’t bother.

Surely the ticket price should be covering all these costs?

I could go to the booking office where they are employing several people to sell tickets and not be charged for picking them up or administration costs, but I doubt if I’ll get round to doing that.

My other bugbear, have you tried to buy a single ticket online for the end of a row seat? You can’t.

Interestingly, I have been to see several things at the Dome to half empty houses.

Maybe you can shed some light on what is going on? Do they want bums on seats or are they hoping to run down this community venue so it closes?

Yours sincerely, Stephen Ashby, Hove

RORY SMITH

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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ELECTION FOR POLICE & CRIME COMMISSIONERS

LIB DEMS CALL FOR STONEWALL CALLS PUBLIC CONTROL ON POLICE CRIME OF PRIVATE POLICE COMMISSIONER

CANDIDATES AT LGBT HUSTINGS

The Queen's Hotel was packed last month for the LGBT Community Safety Forum public meeting. The quarterly public meeting became a hustings event for Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) candidates standing at the elections in November. Five candidates attended: Katy Bourne (Conservative), Godfrey Daniel (Labour), Tony Armstrong (UKIP), Ian Chisnall (Independent) and Matt Taylor (Independent). The Liberal Democrats did not announce their candidate Cllr David Rogers till the day after the hustings..

Members of the Racial Harrasssment Forum were in attendance as guests of the LGBT Safety Forum, as was Bob Dale from BBC Sussex Radio, who conducted interviews throughout the evening.

Chris Cooke, Chair of the LGBT Safety Forum, said: “It was an enjoyable evening with lively exchanges between the candidates and an informed audience asking a wide range of pertinent questions. I'm delighted we had a good turnout. These are important elections for the county and Brighton & Hove in particular. It’s important that the LGBT community has a loud voice in these discussions.” Matt Taylor the Independent candidate has withdrawn from the race since the hustings.

The elections for Police & Crime Commissioner take place on November 15.

MEN NOW ABLE TO ERASE HISTORIC CONVICTIONS FOR CONSENSUAL GAY SEX

From last month, men with historic convictions for consensual gay sex can apply to have them disregarded, as the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 comes into force. Stonewall lobbied to achieve cross-party support for amendments to Part 4 of the Act to increase the number of historic offences that can now be disregarded. Under the new Act men who were convicted of gross indecency or consensual gay sex that is no longer illegal can apply to have their convictions disregarded. The Act also includes amendments, secured by Stonewall, which will enable gay and bisexual men maliciously convicted of ‘loitering with intent’ under Section 4 of the Vagrancy Act 1824 to have those convictions removed from their criminal record too.

Ben Summerskill, Stonewall Chief Executive, said: “From today thousands of men who’ve been burdened with homophobic convictions can clear their names, and Stonewall stands ready to help them. We never forget that the equality we enjoy today came too late for many. By correcting these historic injustices we can start to bring closure to a very sad period of this country’s history.”

Stonewall’s step-by-step guide to deleting historic convictions is available at: www.stonewall.org.uk/oldconvictions or from Stonewall’s Information Service on 08000 50 20 20.

Brighton & Hove Lib Dems called for private police staff to be subject to the jurisdiction of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) at their Brighton Conference.

Brian Stone, Chair of Brighton and Hove Lib Dems, told delegates about the case of Brighton resident Gary Reynolds, who in 2008 ended up in a coma after being arrested and detained in police custody under the care of a private police company. He was found to have brain damage and developed paralysis on one side. Brian said: “Despite the IPCC finding that the combined actions and inactions of the private staff to have contributed to a failure of care for Gary, they had no jurisdiction to do anything about it . The officers were just given words of advice, and the custody sergeant was allowed to retire.”

Lib Dem conference voted in favour of the motion.

NEW CAMPAIGN FROM LIB DEMS

The Liberal Democrats in Brighton &Hove have launched a new campaign called Hands Off My Rights in defence of the 1998 Human Rights Act. Brian Stone, chair of Brighton & Hove Lib Dems, said: “The forces of conservatism in this country have had a number of successes of late as they seek fight back on social reform.”

“We’re concerned that after the defeat of Fair Votes and House of Lords reform, the attention will now be on scrapping this important bit of legislation."

Over the next few months the campaign intends to talk to various represented communities in Brighton and Hove to tell them why this legislation has been so important for them and why it is in their interests to protect it. http://handsoffmyrights.wordpr ess.com

CANDIDATES TO TACKLE HATE CRIME

Stonewall, the LGB equality charity, has launched a campaign calling on candidates for Police & Crime Commissioner posts across England and Wales to promise to tackle anti-gay hate crimes.

The charity has launched a straightforward website explaining what the new Commissioners mean for lesbian, gay and bisexual people, and encouraging gay people to vote in the elections on November 15.

Voters can download e-postcards to call on candidates to say what the will do to tackle hate crime.

Police & Crime Commissioners will have extensive powers to set local policing priorities. Stonewall research shows antigay hate crime remains a serious problem in every police force area in Britain, with one in eight gay people saying they’ve experienced a hate crime or incident.

Seven in ten gay people say they didn’t report incidents, a third of whom didn’t think the police would take them seriously.

Stonewall works closely with police forces across Britain to help them work more effectively for all people in their communities, and will engage with newly elected Commissioners to make sure they understand and respond to gay people’s concerns.

BEN SUMMERSKILL

Elections will be held on November 15 to choose a Police & Crime Commissioner who will replace the Police Authority currently in charge of Sussex Police. PCCs, will be responsible for setting priorities for their police force, hiring the chief constable and most importantly overseeing the police budget. Nominations for candidates have now officially closed and the candidates for Sussex are: Tony Armstrong (UKIP), Katy Bourne (Conservative), Ian Chisnall (Independent), Godfrey Daniel (Labour), David Rogers (Liberal Democrat).

To find out more about the candidates view: www.gscene.com

BRIAN STONE

8

Ben Summerskill, Stonewall Chief Executive, said: “Too often gay people are subjected to violence or public humiliation just because of the way they were born, and too often they worry the police won’t do anything about it. No citizen should feel unprotected in the face of harassment or intimidation. It’s absolutely essential that gay people engage with Police & Crime Commissioners and have their say on 15 November.”

Stonewall’s information about Police & Crime Commissioner elections is available at: www.stonewall.org.uk/policeelections

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DAVID ROGERS

GODFREY DANIEL

KATY BOURNE

Ian Chisnall, Independent candidate for the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner post, feels that this poll vindicates his decision to stand in the election. With over 20 years’ work experience across Sussex, both with individuals, businesses and voluntary sector organisations, Chisnall also claims he is more familiar with the whole of Sussex, both rural and urban, than the other candidates. He said: “The comments and correspondence I’ve received since deciding to stand as an independent candidate for PCC in February are exactly as this poll suggests. The electors of Sussex do not want Sussex Police to be controlled by political party structures, hidden away behind closed doors.

“If elected I will ensure that I continue to meet with residents and work with them to help reduce crime and improve community safety. And I strongly believe that this can best be done without a political bias and by being completely impartial and independent”.

Katy Bourne, the Conservative candidate for PCC, said: “The role of PCC requires the Commissioner to make political decisions like setting the strategic priorities for the police and the council tax precept amongst other things. The PCC will replace the current Police Authority (a political group of 17 Councillors) who, up to now, have been holding the police to account. I am standing as a Conservative because I have nothing to hide and voters can be confident that I will make the right decisions to cut bureaucracy and waste and put more money into frontline policing so that we can all be Safer in Sussex.”

Godfrey Daniel, the Labour candidate for PCC, added: “The bottom line is that you should vote for the best person with the right experience, competence and capability to be the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner. At least those supported by political parties are open about the values they believe - which is more than you can say for many of the independents. If an Evangelical Christian is standing, presumably financially supported by churches, then surely that does not make that person ‘independent’.

People should have the right to know who the backers are for all candidates as they seek to raise the £5,000 deposit! If elected I will perform my role as impartially as I carry out my role as a lay magistrate, and indeed will take an oath to that effect. I will do what is in the best interest of the people of Sussex.”

David Rogers, the Lib Dem candidate for PCC, said: "The YouGov survey identified that understanding local communities and being willing to support them is important. That approach has been fundamental to my work as an elected Liberal and Lib Dem for more than 35 years in Sussex, starting in Brighton but also living in both West and East Sussex over that time. It is important to understand that whoever is elected as PCC will have to pledge not to interfere in a political manner with police operational work, but setting strategies and making local tax decisions require local democratic accountability."

At the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham last month, Home Secretary, Theresa May MP unveiled new plans to toughen-up community sentences and give victims a choice over the punishment of criminals.

Under the new Community Remedy, victims of antisocial behaviour and lowlevel crime will be given the right to choose a Community Payback punishment for the perpetrator of their crime.

New Police & Crime Commissioners, to be elected on November 15, will provide a list of punishment options so that the victims of crime can choose an appropriate punishment for perpetrators sentenced to an out-of-court community punishment.

Simon Kirby, MP for Kemptown & Peacehaven welcomed the news, saying: “For too long the victims of anti-social behaviour have felt ignored and their concerns have not been taken seriously enough. So-called low-level crime can cause misery to victims but they often feel let down.

“With the Community Remedy, victims of antisocial behaviour will be put first and will have the chance to choose the punishment which the offender receives.

“The punishment could be restorative or punitive, carried out nearby or as far away as possible but all the punishments will have one thing in common: they will be chosen by the victim.”

The Rainbow Fund is to consider grant applications in November, following the grands deadline which closed in October.

The process is overseen by the Sussex Community Foundation who assess the applications and finalise the eligible applications for consideration by the independent panel, chaired by Paul Elgood.

The Rainbow Fund makes grants available to LGBT and HIV/AIDS organisations in Brighton and Hove providing front line services to the LGBT community.

PAUL ELGOOD

IAN CHISNALL

A YouGov survey reveals a significant majority of people in the South East want the new Police & Crime Commissioners (PCC) to be independent of party politics, while almost half felt an understanding of local communities would be important.

The poll asked voters across the UK a number of questions including: • To what extent if at all do you approve or disapprove of candidates for local police commissioners being supported by a political party? Of those questioned in the South East, 66% disapprove or strongly disapprove and only 13% approve or strongly approve of political involvement.

• What factors would be most important in the choice of candidate? 48% of those asked felt that an understanding of local community needs or a willingness to support local communities to reduce crime would be most important.

RAINBOW FUND TO CONSIDER GRANT APPLICATIONS

LOCAL MP SAYS, “TIME TO PUT VICTIMS IN CHARGE”

SIMON KIRBY MP

MAJORITY OF VOTERS OPPOSE PARTY POLITICAL POLICE COMMISSIONERS

Paul Elgood, chair of the Rainbow Fund, said: “This is our largest ever grants round and so the community will start to see the benefit of the charitable giving during the summer both directly to the Rainbow Fund and through the £1 per ticket sold from Pride.

“There is a robust two stage process, and I should be clear that it is possible that not all organisations will be successful as it is a competitive process. We have to ensure that the money donated has the greatest social impact for the community and that occasionally means that hard decisions need to be made. I wish all applicant organisations the best of luck. We will report outcomes later in the year and the Sussex Community Foundation in will in touch with each applicant in advance of that.

"We have also benefitted from a restricted donation from Pride from the profits of this year’s event, which we will be considering the best way to use to create stability for Pride as a community event.

“It is vital for the community that the event is put on a sustainable and long term footing. Interested parties have begun discussions with us as to how this might be achieved for 2013 and the panel will also consider requests for this in November."

The Rainbow Fund is entirely made-up of volunteers, with no staff salaries or premises costs to fund ahead of frontline community services.

For more information about the Rainbow Fund, view: http://rainbowfund.co.uk

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June Brown, EastEnders actress, has agreed to be Brighton Gay Men's Chorus new patron. In her letter of acceptance to the Chairman of Brighton Gay Men's Chorus, June, who is well known as Dot Branning in EastEnders, wrote: “I am very supportive of the charitable work the chorus is involved with, and may I take the opportunity to wish the best to your members with their most conscientious endeavours moving forward.”

Adam Betteridge, a trustee for the chorus, said: “We’re very excited that June has recognised the important work that Brighton Gay Men's Chorus carries out in our community and agreed to become our patron. We believe that June's support will help bring public attention to our charitable activities and objectives at a much wider level, and we are most appreciative of her very kind support.”

Brighton Gay Men's Chorus, is a registered charity and has various charitable objectives which include promoting and advancing the education of gay and gay-friendly men in choral music, raising awareness of the issues affecting the LGBT community, the promotion of equality and diversity, and also providing support to other charitable causes. In the last year alone they raised over £10,000 for charitable causes including the Sussex Beacon, Brighton LGBT Switchboard and Shine Theatre Trust.

Brighton Gay Men's Chorus will again be raising funds for the Sussex Beacon with their next Christmas show at the Brighton Dome called Pull A Cracker: A Christmas Crescendo on Saturday December 15 at 7.30pm.

The chorus will also be helping raise monies for the Rainbow Fund as part of We All Live Together: A Concert for World AIDS Day taking place at 7.30pm on Saturday December 1 at St Mary’s Church, St James’ St, Kemptown.

For more information regarding Brighton Gay Men's Chorus, including how to join and and how to buy tickets to their shows, visit their website at: www.brightongmc.org

PAUL RAWORTH

Do you need a reason to get fit and at the same time raise money for LGBT Switchboard?

If you wish to set yourself the challenge of running in the 2013 Brighton Marathon, Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard want to hear from you. Contact Natalie Woods (Services & Development Manager) on 01273 234009 or email: brighton.manager@switchboar d.org.uk Switchboard operates an evening telephone help-line service (from 5pm daily) offering information and support to people and a face-to-face counselling service.

Help-line: 01273 204050 www.switchboard.org.uk/

BEAR PATROL RAISE £8,491.83 FOR THE SUSSEX BEACON

Fifteen members of Bear-Patrol, the social network group for bears and their friends completed a Skydive to raise funds for The Sussex Beacon on Sunday July 15, 2012. Danny Dwyer and members of Bear-Patrol jumped at the Army Parachute Association, Airfield Camp, Netheravon in Wiltshire and the final total they raised for the Beacon is an amazing £8,491.83. The jump was completed in the memory of Paul Raworth.

DRAG WITH NO NAME & ANDY

JUNE BROWN

JUNE BROWN AGREES TO BE BRIGHTON GAY MEN'S CHORUS PATRON

SEX, LIES & VIDEOTAPES AT THE QUEENS ARMS

The Queens Arms on George Street bring their 20th birthday celebrations to a climax on Wednesday, November 14 with Sex, Lies & Videotapes. Hosted by Drag With No Name, the evening will present many happy memories and personalities from the Queens Arms’ colourful past over the last 20 years. With a format sitting somewhere between a Comedy Roast and This Is Your Life, Drag With No Name will chat to landlord Andy Feest and introduce special guests that are part of the Queens Arms’ rich history.

Expect plenty of laughter and some tears too.

Also mark your diary for the Queens Arms’ contribution to World AIDS Day with their annual fundraiser featuring many top local cabaret stars on Wednesday, November 28 at 9pm.

AMBASSADORS NEEDED FOR HANKIE QUILT PROJECT

The Hankie Quilt Project was founded in Brighton & Hove earlier this year, exactly 25 years after the AIDS Names Quilt was first seen in San Francisco. It was carried through the streets of the city for the first time at this year’s Brighton & Hove Pride Parade.

Because of the impact the project has made, organisers have decided to keep going and expand their reach throughout the UK. The project are now recruiting volunteers to be Ambassadors for the Hankie Quilt Project throughout the UK, to increase support and awareness and to join them in helping the quilt grow.

Ambassadors will be representatives of The Hankie Quilt Project and oversee workshops, events and promotional campaigns in their own local area and become part of the Hankie Quilt team. If you think you have the time and talents to become an Ambassador email: thehankiequilt@live.co.uk with your details and a short description of what you could bring to the project.

The Hankie Quilt will next be seen on display at the Sussex Beacon 20th Anniversary Gala Dinner and they will soon be announcing an exciting weekend of events to coincide with World AIDS Day 2012.

LGBT SWITCHBOARD NEED A NEW TREASURER

Do you have an accountancy background and would like to use your skills to help a local LGBT charity? Switchboard's treasurer is due to resign in April 2013 and the charity is looking for the right person to succeed him. They need someone with the right financial skills for the role of treasurer as well as having a belief in the ethos and values of the charity, an understanding of equalities and diversity issues, and able to work with the trustees to lead the charity into the next stage of its development.

Applications from people who identify as trans are particularly welcome as trans people are currently under-represented on the board. To find out more contact Natalie Woods (Services & Development Manager) on 01273 234009; email: brighton.manager@switchboard.org.uk or view: www.switchboard.org.uk

GSCENE 11

RUSSELL PAUL BRYCELAND 3.5.1966 - 25.9.2012

M Russell died on the beach in Pattaya, Thailand on September 25 from a heart attack. Medics tried to revive him but he died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

Russell was born in Norwich in 1966 and grew up in Scotland. He eventually settled in Brighton, where 12 years ago he met his partner Mikey. They were smitten and Mikey moved from London to live in Brighton with Russell. They shared each others lives for most of the last 12 years along with their two Border Collie dogs George and Dan, who Russell adored.

During his years in Brighton, Russell ran some notable licensed premises including The Barley Mow in Kemptown, The Volunteer in Lewes and the Crown & Anchor at Preston Park.

None of Russell’s friends knew much about his background. He had a different story for everyone and that is how we should all remember him, by the story he personally told us. That was the story Russell wanted you to know.

Russell was a great supporter of the charity Thais for Life who raise money for the Ban Jin Jai orphanage in Pattaya. Along with Brighton entertainers David Raven, Jason Sutton, Collin Day, Davina Sparkle and Barry Nelson, Russell helped raise money for the 86 children at the orphanage, to pay for their school fees, school uniforms, beds, a tumble dryer and an industrial washing machine to wash and dry the children's clothes which are wet most of the time from the humidity.

When he left Brighton in September to go to Pattaya his suitcase was 30 kilos overweight, bearing gifts for the kids and prizes for the raffles at the fundraisers he would be attending to benefit the children from the orphanage while he was on holiday. He supported the charity both privately and through fundraising events both here and in Pattaya and was very proud of the difference the help given by a small group of people in Brighton made to the lives of so many children in Pattaya at the orphanage.

The day before he left to go to Thailand I took Russell to Prowler in St James' Street to beg, steal and borrow from Victor some rather attractive G Strings and skimpy speedos which would be auctioned at a charity event in Pattaya. When he got to Bangkok his luggage was searched by customs who wanted to know what this rather portly gentleman was going to do with 20 pairs of skimpy speedo briefs and G Strings, all with their price tags still on. The customs officer clearly wanted a pair of the more revealing speedos so Russell went straight into his "I can do you a deal mode". He texted me saying he bargained hard for 5 minutes, agreed the price and then gave the customs officer a pair of shocking pink speedos free of charge as a gesture of goodwill. Russell lived for the deal. If there wasn't a chase involved in making a deal he would lose interest. The chase gave Russell immense satisfaction.

Russell's generosity was legendary. He was generous to a fault. He was tough and drove a hard bargain but was always fair. If he liked you, you could have no better friend. If you crossed him, he let you know and you never crossed him again.

Russell was very old school; discreet about his lifestyle but also very proud of who he was and of Mikey and the dogs.

Russell was a friend to many on the gay scene in Brighton and had been for many years. If you needed his help he rarely said no. If he could not help you he always knew someone who could. Russell's friendship was unconditional and his passing will leave a gap in many lives.

Finally I would like to thank everyone who made it possible to bring Russell's body back home to where he belongs.

James Ledward

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LGBT SWITCHBOARD APPOINTS NEW TRUSTEES

BOUNDARY CHANGES TO AFFECT BRIGHTON CONSTITUENCIES

M Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard have appointed four new trustees to the board in the last couple of months. Cathy King, Maria Antoniou, Laurence Crossan and Gemma Scotcher are all delighted to be joining the 37 year old local LGBT charity and are looking forward to steering the charity into the next stage of its development.

They bring a wide range of knowledge, experience and qualities covering HR, Equalities and Diversity, management, public affairs, fundraising, marketing and experience of the community and voluntary sector.

LGBT Switchboard is still seeking a Treasurer to succeed the current treasurer when he retires his position in April 2013. If you are interested in discussing this role or other volunteer opportunities please contact in the first instance Natalie Woods (Services & Development Manager) on 01273 234009.

TOM FRENCH

M The Equality Network, the Scottish equality charity, are calling on all their opponents to apologise for comparing supporters of same-sex marriage to "fascists". Gordon Wilson, former SNP leader and Scotland for Marriage representative, called the Scottish Government plans to introduce equal marriage rights for same-sex couples as a “a step towards fascism”.

Lord Carey, former Archbishop of Canterbury, has also been widely criticised for comparing same-sex marriage supporters to Nazis persecuting Jews in a speech to a rally against same-sex marriage at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham. He said: “Remember the Jews in Nazi Germany. What started against them was when they were called names. And that was the first stage towards that totalitarian state. We have to resist them.”

The Equality Network say that the comparisons are particularly offensive given that tens of thousands of LGBT people were persecuted, tortured and murdered by the fascist regimes of the 20th Century.

Tom French, Policy Coordinator for the Equality Network, said: “The opponents of LGBT equality have sunk to a new low by comparing equal marriage supporters to fascists and Nazis. The fascist regimes of the 20th Century persecuted, tortured and murdered LGBT people. In contrast, the Scottish Government are promoting equality and religious freedom for all. No religious body will be required to conduct same-sex marriages, but those that want to will now have the freedom to do so. This is a fair compromise that is supported by over two-thirds of people in Scotland. We call on Gordon Wilson and Lord Carey to withdraw these offensive comparisons, which are an insult to all those that have actually fought fascism.”

The most recent polls indicate that a clear majority of people in Scotland support the Scottish Government's plans to allow same-sex couples to marry, whilst giving religious bodies the right to choose whether or not they conduct same-sex marriages. The Scottish Government announced in September that it would bring forward legislation to allow same-sex couples to marry. Under the plans no religious body will be required to conduct same-sex marriages, but those that do want to will be able to. Religious and humanist bodies that actively want the right to conduct same-sex marriages include the United Reformed Church, the Quakers, the Unitarians, Liberal Judaism, Reform Judaism, and the Humanist Society Scotland amongst others.

SIMON KIRBY MP

LORD CAREY

SCOTTISH CHARITY CALLS FOR OPPONENTS OF GAY MARRIAGE IN SCOTLAND TO APOLOGISE FOR “FASCISTS” COMMENT

M The Boundary Commission for England & Wales have announced their revised proposals for the redrawing of constituency boundaries in Parliamentary elections. The changes have been made after an eight week consultation on initial proposals that were made in September 2011. Amongst the changes affecting the South East will be the creation of a new Brighton East and Seahaven constituency, which will cover the coastal area from Queens Park to Seaford.

The new constituency presently held by Simon Kirby, MP incorporates large parts of the current Brighton Kemptown seat, with the addition of Newhaven and Seaford, and the loss of Moulsecoomb and Bevendean to the constituency of Brighton Pavilion currently held

by Caroline Lucas, MP. Mr Kirby said: “I believe that the House of Commons should be smaller, the cost of politics should be reduced and constituencies should be of an equal size. That is why I strongly support the government’s commitment to boundary reform, which will achieve all of these aims. I welcome the Boundary Commission’s most recent proposal for a Brighton East and Seahaven constituency. There are clear social and economic ties between the areas incorporated.

Having lived in this area for most of my life I know Newhaven and Seaford very well, and it would be an honour for me to represent this fantastic constituency. There will be a vote on Parliamentary Boundaries in due course and I will be urging all MPs to support these very sensible proposals that will save taxpayers money and create a fairer system. I am sure that my Conservative colleagues and our Lib Dem partners will be keen to keep the promise that they made on this issue in the Coalition Agreement. In the meantime I will of course continue to work hard to represent the people of Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven to the very best of my ability.”

RAINBOW CHORUS SEEKS NEW SINGERS

M The Rainbow Chorus, the South's only LGBT Choir are recruiting new singers for their coming season of concerts. The choir sing pop, jazz, classical and everything in between.

They are a non-auditioning chorus and a very friendly bunch of people.

They meet every Monday evening at St George's Church in Kemptown between 7.30–9.30pm with an optional pub trip afterwards.

One member of the choir said: “Singing with the Rainbow Chorus is the perfect way to meet new people – I even met my wife here!” membership@rainbowchorus.org.uk For more information about the choir, view: www.rainbowchorus.org.uk/

TAGS RAISE £795 FOR CHILDREN'S HOSPICE

M Peter Saggs, social secretary of The Arun Gay Society (TAGS) presented a cheque for £795.05 to Denise Thorton of Chestnut Tree House Children's Hospice near Arundel last month.

This was made possible by fundraising and special events held throughout the last year by members of TAGS. The money will be used towards the neo natal care service unit at Chestnut Tree House. Every year Chestnut Tree House helps hundreds of families face the overwhelming difficulties of caring for a life – limited child.

They provide care and support in the hospice as well as the families own homes and through fantastic activities with the fun and friendship team.

For more information about TAGS view: www.tagsonline.org.uk/ For more information about The Chestnut Tree House, view: www.tagsonline.org.uk

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ED CONNELL

M The government has published the findings of the Culture, Media & Sport select committee into racism in football. A section of the report deals with issues surrounding homophobia. The report says: “Evidence is now emerging that homophobia may now be a bigger problem in football than other forms of discrimination. Recent research found that 25% of fans think that football is homophobic while 10% think that football is racist. About 14% of recent match attendees also reported hearing homophobic abuse.

“Stonewall recognised that ‘progress has been made by government and football authorities in recognising homophobia as an issue, but too little practical action has been taken to address it’. It called for a high-profile campaign specifically focused on challenging homophobic attitudes and behaviour directed at fans, players and managers.

“As well as raising the profile of the issue, the football authorities and individual clubs should be required actively to address homophobic incidents as well as to offer support to players, staff and managers.”

The Gay Football Supporters Network (GFSN) has welcomed the government's interest in the issue of homophobia in football but want much more done to combat it. The GFSN continue to lobby the government and each national FA across the UK to encourage them to create a national high-profile, linked up campaign against homophobia in football. So far they don't think any campaign has been given enough resources or political backing to make a significant impact on the issues.

Ed Connell, the GFSN's Campaign Officer, says: “Whilst much progress has been made over the last twenty years in tackling racism in football, the government's report shows that despite many campaigns there is still much to be done. It would therefore be naive to believe that the problem of homophobia will easily be eradicated from the game. We welcome this report which recommends that the football authorities should provide clear reporting systems for any form of prejudice as well as promoting equality and diversity whenever possible. View the report at: www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmcumeds/89/89 02.htm

LONDON BIDS FOR GAY GAMES IN 2018

M A team of volunteers drawn from Londonʼs LGBT sports clubs have come together to lead the bidding process for London to host the Gay Games in 2018.

London joins four other candidate cities, Amsterdam, Limerick, Orlando and Paris in a bid to host the tenth Gay Games. The Gay Games are held every four years and comprise of a week long sports, culture and human rights festival. Over 12,000 people from 70 nations participate in up to 30 sports, dance, music and arts festival, making it the largest sports and cultural event in the world, in terms of participation. Like the London Marathon, the Gay Games are open to all who register, regardless of sexual orientation, age, ability or the level at which they compete.

Londonʼs LGBT sports clubs have kick started the fundraising process by providing the initial funds required but more support is needed from individuals, businesses and community groups.

This fundraising campaign is called 100Out. You can help to bring the Gay Games to London in 2018 by: 1. Following the 100Out campaign on Twitter 2. Donating £100 via the 100Out Website Everyone can get involved in the Gay Games bid, whether your skills are in communication, fundraising or helping plan the delivery of your sport.

For more information, view: www.london2018.info/

BRIGHTON HALF MARATHON 2013 SELLS OUT IN RECORD TIME

M The Brighton Half Marathon, which takes place on Sunday, February 17, 2013, has sold out with all 10,500 places now allocated. The only way runners can now enter the iconic race is through one of the associated charities, which include The Sussex Beacon, WaterAid, Rise, Macmillan, Teenage Cancer Trust, Rockinghorse, Shelter, Brighton Housing Trust and Family Helpline. For details on charity places, view: www.brightonhalfmarathon.com /charities

Paul Bond, Event Manager, said: “We are pleased, that in what has been a record year for sport in general, the Brighton Half Marathon has had an incredibly successful year too with a sell out in record time. Limited charities places are still available but we would urge anyone who hasn’t signed up yet to get in touch with their chosen charity as soon as possible in order to secure their place.”

The organisers have also seen an increased number of people wanting to get involved through volunteering, details on how to apply for one of the many volunteer roles can be found in the Volunteers Section of the website.

The Brighton Half Marathon, now in its 23rd year, is not only one of the longest established and most popular seafront road race events in the UK but also the first major half marathon of the new year, perfectly suited as a warm-up for all the spring marathons.

For more details, view: www.brightonhalfmarathon.com For further details about the race join the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/BrightonH alfMarathon or follow on Twitter: @BrightonHalf

WORLD’S ONLY LGBT FOOTBALL LEAGUE CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY

M Last month, the GFSN National League, the league hosted by the Gay Football Supporters’ Network celebrated it tenth anniversary with a series of league games across the country. The league, which is the world’s only national league catering for the LGBT community started in 2002, with just four teams: Yorkshire Terriers FC, Leicester Wildecats FC, Leftfooters FC (based in London) and the first champions, Bristol Panthers FC. Each of these teams still plays in the league which now consists of sixteen teams playing in three divisions.

The first match was played on September 29, 2002 and saw the Leicester Wildecats beat the Yorkshire Terriers 5-1. The current champions are London Titans FC, who won back to back titles in 2011 and 2012.

The league is aimed at the LGBT community but is open to all, regardless of age, gender, ethnic background or sexual orientation. It focuses as much on the social aspect of the game as well as being played in a competitive spirit and seeks to provide a safe and tolerant environment for all to play. The League is also seen as a stepping stone for clubs to enter the mainstream FA leagues, with the London Titans FC and Saltire Thistle FC (Glasgow) both joining their local county FA and SFA leagues.

The Gay Football Supporters’ Network, which hosts the league, provides a social network for LGBT football supporters is actively involved in the campaign to tackle homophobia in football and celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2014.

Chris Basiurski, chair of the GFSN, said: “We are thrilled at having reached this important milestone. The GFSN National League was founded at a time when it was largely assumed that LGBT people were not interested or welcome in football and we are justifiably proud that we have helped to break this stereotype and provide a place for so many to enjoy the game. Over the years the GFSN National League has expanded from a handful of clubs to being a truly national league, unique in the world and we hope to continue to grow and provide a safe, tolerant and fun atmosphere for members of the LGBT community to enjoy the game we all love so much.”

For more information view: www.gfsnleague.co.uk

CHRIS BASIURSKI

GOVERNMENT REPORT IDENTIFIES HOMOPHOBIA IN FOOTBALL IS A BIGGER PROBLEM THAN RACISM

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Terrence Higgins Trust, HIV and sexual health charity will launch England’s first ever National HIV Testing Week during November. The week, which will run from November 23-30, is being co-ordinated through HIV Prevention England (HPE), a partnership of community organisations funded by the Department of Health to carry out national HIV prevention work in England among communities at an increased risk of infection. It forms the centre-piece of HPE’s autumn campaign Think HIV, which aims to encourage gay and bisexual men to test more regularly for the virus. To take part in the campaign, gay and bisexual men can visit www.thinkHIV.org.uk and complete a short survey about their sex life, to receive personalised advice about how regularly they should be testing for HIV. In the UK, gay men are one of the groups most disproportionately affected by HIV. However, one in four gay men with HIV currently remains undiagnosed and therefore at risk of serious health problems. Someone who is diagnosed late, after a point at which they should have started treatment, is nine times more likely to die within a year of receiving their diagnosis than someone who tests in good time. In addition, undiagnosed HIV is a key factor driving the epidemic among gay men, with the majority of onward transmission coming from men who are unaware that they have the infection.

Paul Ward, Deputy Chief Executive at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “National HIV Testing Week gives us a great opportunity to remind men of the importance of regular testing. THT recommends that sexually active gay and bi men test for HIV at least once a year, and more regularly if they have a high number of partners. However, at present less than a quarter of men take an annual test. If the gay community can drive that figure upwards by testing more often, we will see a reduction in undiagnosed HIV, which in turn will begin to put the brakes on the spread of infection.

“We believe it is within our grasp to halt the spread of HIV, but solving this lies just as much with the gay community as it does with the Government. That’s why we need the whole community, venues, gay businesses, and every one of us, to get behind this new initiative and turn a spotlight on HIV testing, not just during testing week but all year round.”

Think HIV will be promoted via adverts in gay media, posters in gay venues, and on bus adverts in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Luton. A number of regional organisations across England will also be commissioned through HPE to promote the campaign in their local communities.

National HIV Testing Week will run from Friday November 23-30, 2012. It is planned that the week will be an annual event. More info: http://www.tht.org.uk/our-charity/About-us/Our-work/EveryonePersona/National-HIV-testing-week

NEW FOOD & NUTRITION PROGRAMME FOR PEOPLE WITH HIV

Lunch Positive, the weekly lunch club for people with HIV, started a new grass roots programme last month to support people with food, nutrition and cookery skills.

Appetite for Life! will run over the course of the next twelve months and aims to provide advice, information, and to run sessions for people to learn practical cookery skills. It's intended to be informative and fun, and to benefit people who take part and the wider community.

People who take part will be able to become involved in deciding what the programme should include, and how it will develop for the future. The project is open to everyone with HIV. The first three short sessions are running this year, with more to follow in 2013.

More details can be found on the Lunch Positive website’s ‘What's Happening’ section www.lunchpositive.org or call 07846 464384.

NATIONAL HIV HELPLINE TO REMAIN OPEN, DESPITE LOSS OF FUNDING

PEER ACTION NEWS UPDATE

Peer Action, the peer led HIV group have a busy diary of events in November. On Sunday 4 they are running a trip to Bent Double at the Komedia, Gardiner Street, starting at 6.30pm. Tickets are reduced to £8.50 and can be purchased securely via Paypal on the Peer Action website www.peeraction.co.uk On Friday November 9, Mike hosts a film night. There will be a choice of films to watch: Tim Burton's Dark Shadows, Promethius or Polyester. A decision will be made on the night by those who attend as to which film will be screened. Check out the website for venue.

On Friday, November 16, join Martin Pel, the curator of the new exhibition about BIBA, the iconic 1960s fashion brand at the Brighton Museum for a personal tour at 3pm or 4pm.

Go to www.peeraction.co.uk and click on 'groups' then 'trips' to book which time tour you want.

Last month the Bedford Tavern staged another fundraising quiz for Peer Action which raised £100.

The Peer Action Yoga Classes at St Mary's Church are reverting back to being at 6pm every Tuesday night and the cost is now £3. There will be no class on November 6 as Dan the instructor is on holiday.

Finally on Saturday, January 5, 2013, Peer Action will be going to see the Rocky Horror Show at the 5.30pm matinee at the Theatre Royal. Tickets for good stalls seats are £26.50 and can be purchased securely via Paypal on the Peer Action website www.peeraction.co.uk or if you wish to pay a deposit of £10 to reserve your seat use the contact button on the webpage.

GENEVIEVE EDWARDS

PAUL WARD

THT ANNOUNCES ENGLAND’S FIRST NATIONAL HIV TESTING WEEK

THT Direct, a national telephone helpline ran by Terrence Higgins Trust, the HIV and sexual health charity, is to remain open although with reduced hours, following the loss of government funding.

Earlier this year, the government announced it would cease funding all specialist sexual health helplines, and instead began a tender process for a new, central public health helpline.

Despite this loss of funding and a challenging economic climate, THT has decided to invest its own charitable resources to keep THT Direct open for the foreseeable future.

From Monday, October 15, THT Direct will be open for calls on weekdays between 10am–8pm. Outside of those hours it will be closed, including at weekends. When the helpline is closed, callers will be directed to the information held on THT’s websites, including its award-winning myHIV site for people living with HIV: www.myhiv.org.uk The freephone number, 0808 802 1221 will remain the same.

Genevieve Edwards, Director of Fundraising, said: “With government budgets under continued pressure, the support of our donors has never been more important. Front-line services like THT Direct can make all the difference to someone in dire need, but its continuation now depends entirely on the funds our supporters raise, whether through individual donations, sponsored challenges or fundraising events. Later this year, on World AIDS Day, our staff and volunteers across the UK will be out there fundraising like never before; we urge you to get involved in whatever way you can.”

THT Direct is a free telephone helpline established in 2001. Its trained advisers provide emotional support to those worried about their sexual health, or who have concerns about living with HIV. They also help callers access local services across the UK, whether provided by THT or another organisation.

Topics covered include: • HIV testing, STI screening and accessing PEP • Benefits or housing • Problems at work or discrimination in any part of your life • Prosecutions for transmission of HIV • Reproduction, puberty and contraception.

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AMEX PRIDE DONATE £480 TO MINDOUT

The Amex Pride network donated £480 to Helen Jones, Project Director at MindOut, the proceeds from a pub quiz and raffle held to benefit the awardwinning mental health project.

LUNCH POSITIVE NEEDS TRUSTEES

Lunch Positive, the charity which provides a weekly lunch club for people with HIV, is looking for trustees to join its current team on the board. The trustee role is voluntary, and is essential to the success and sustainability of the charity.

Trustees are expected to contribute to overall governance, strategic planning, to undertake occasional projects and to bring areas of expertise to the board.

Lunch Positive has just entered its fourth year of supporting people with HIV and this is a great opportunity to be part of a successful and growing organisation.

To find out more or request a recruitment pack which gives full information on what the role involves email: trustees@lunchpositive.org

BRIGHTON BIDS TO BECOME THE UK'S FIRST 'SUICIDE-SAFER CITY'

My name is Chris Brown, and I’m one of the two Directors of Grassroots Suicide Prevention, a Brighton-based suicide prevention non-profit organisation. I’d like to tell you a little bit about what we do and why.

We’re a registered charity that’s been trading as a company since 2006, and we are experts in suicide prevention and mental health promotion. Our vision is that no one will contemplate suicide alone. There will be someone in every community with the skills and confidence to help prevent someone taking their own life.

Grassroots Suicide Prevention believe that: • Suicide is a community health problem.

• Anyone can think about suicide, and anyone can learn how to help.

• Suicide is a very preventable death.

Honest and direct talk about suicide is the key to its prevention. Grassroots teaches suicide prevention skills to community members and professionals working with vulnerable people. We also deliver training about mental health issues, self injury and recovery. For us, smashing down the stigma and taboo surrounding mental ill health and suicide is a huge part of our work.

Based in the South East of England, since 1997 we have trained over 3,500 people in suicide prevention and mental health. We have seats on several advisory committees in Brighton & Hove and have contributed to both local and national suicide prevention and self-harm strategies. We are proudly working towards making Brighton & Hove the UK's first Suicide-Safer City.

We will implement a plan that will help the city achieve certain milestones over a three year period and result in the city being awarded this internationallyrecognised designation. This is where you come in! We are looking for expressions of interest from local businesses, organisations and individuals who would like to take part in the leadership committee. To find out more, or to express an interest, email: chris@prevent-suicide.org.uk

A national strategy for tackling HIV in the UK, HIV – A Strategy For Success produced by the National AIDS Trust, has been launched at a reception in Parliament. It aims to build on the work of the previous national strategy, which expired in 2010, as well as addressing serious areas of concern which remain in the ongoing fight against HIV in the UK. Simon Kirby, MP for Kemptown & Peacehaven, has welcomed the new strategy. He said: “Whilst there are encouraging signs in the global effort to battle this disease, infection rates in the UK remain stubbornly high and 2010 saw the highest number of new diagnoses ever reported in a single year.

“There is a need for clear, strategic thinking in the fight against HIV following the expiration of the previous National Strategy two years ago. I welcome the work of the National AIDS Trust in putting together ‘HIV – A Strategy for Success’, which contains well thought out proposals and makes an extremely valuable contribution to the debate on this issue.

“I am hopeful that the NAT proposals will be well received by the Department for Health, and as Vice Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on HIV and AIDS I will certainly be doing what I can to highlight the report and make sure it has an impact.”

BI-VISIBILITY DAY

Photos from Bi-Visibility day at the Jubilee Library last month. The Bi Flag flew over council headquarters at Kings House, Hove for the first time

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LEE TRACEY & BRIAN RALFE

Last month, on October 10 at 11.20pm, the UK Government stood back and did nothing while Ola, a gay Nigerian asylum seeker, was forced onto a chartered flight back to Nigeria, a country he had fled years ago because he was gay. In some parts of Nigeria you can get up to 14 years in jail for being gay; in others, you can legally be stoned to death.

The British judge who heard Ola's asylum case, refused to believe he was gay, despite hearing evidence from his gay friends and a civil servant. It turns out there's no rule in the UK that sets a standard in deciding someone is gay. No matter how impartial a judge is, without this kind of guidance from the Home Office, prejudice or even just reliance on stereotypes can easily steer an asylum case like this into disaster. Other countries have issued guidance to their own courts.

Allout.org, the international lobbying website, wants the UK Home Office to do what they've promised in the past and lay out clear and fair guidelines on adjudicating asylum claims of LGBT people in the UK. They need to do this immediately, before there's another case like Ola's. Allout.org want 100,000 All Out members to demand that the UK Home Office issue these guidelines immediately so a Parliamentary debate can be triggered.

Your signatures will be delivered straight to Theresa May, the Home Secretary, who might ignore one man in a detention center but surely can't cover her ears to thousands of fair minded people in the country and a media outcry. Can she?

Last month, Allout.org’s members in the UK overflowed her voice-mail boxes, asking her to intervene and let Ola stay. She said nothing. Ola's own Member of Parliament reached out to the Home Office because it was so clear the peril he'd be in if he were sent back. Still nothing. His lawyers submitted appeals, pointing out other cases like Ola's where judges had decided an applicant had proven they were gay with even less evidence than Ola had shown. No luck.

This lack of fair treatment is leaving no avenue for LGBT asylum seekers to get a fair chance at being heard. There are literally dozens of other people facing this exact same process right now, and as long as there are laws that make it illegal to be gay somewhere in the world, there will always be more.

In an ideal world, everyone would be safe in their own communities no matter who they are and who they love. We must fight to make that a reality every day.

The UK has taken the first step in acknowledging that LGBT asylum seekers deserve protection on the basis of their sexual orientation when it's illegal to be gay in their home country. Now, it's time for the Home Office to make sure they can actually receive that protection.

Join the call for fairness; it's not complicated, it's just fair. Make Theresa May embarrassed that a story like Ola's can happen in the UK and make sure it never happens again. Sign the petition now: www.allout.org/Asylum_in_the_UK

JACK & HIS BIG STALK

There are a few places left at the official launch party for the adult pantomime, Jack & His Big Stalk at Topolinos Restaurant, on Wednesday, November 21. Stars from the panto will be on hand to entertain you during and after diner. A sit down three course meal costs £30 which includes a £5 per head donation to the Rainbow Fund. To make a reservation telephone: 01273 725726. Topolinos Restaurant, 67 Church Road, Hove.

The Alternative Pantomime opens at the Pavilion Theatre, New Road on Wednesday, February 20, 2013, runs till Sunday, March 3 and stars Lee Tracey, Phil Harlequeen, Scott Virgo, Davina Sparkle, Robert James, Simon Grant and Andrew Stark. Tickets are available from the Dome Box Office: 01273 709 709.

MADRID CHOSEN TO HOST WORLD GAY PRIDE IN 2017

The Spanish capital, Madrid, has been chosen to host World Pride 2017, beating Berlin and Sydney in the bidding process. More than 80 delegates from around the world voted unanimously for the Spanish capital at the annual meeting of InterPride in Boston, USA last month.

Madrid’s successful bid was presented by Miguel Sanz, representative of the city's Office of Tourism of the City of Madrid, and members of the Association of Entrepreneurs & Professionals for Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgender Madrid (AEGAL) In 2014 World Pride will be held in Toronto, followed by Madrid in 2017 and New York in 2019, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall movement in that city.

Past host cities of World Pride include Rome, Jerusalem and London, while Madrid successfully hosted Euro Pride in 2007.

Juan Carlos Alonso, an AEGAL member, said: "Madrid Pride has helped change our city, including our country, making it a place of freedom, celebration, respect and equal rights.

“We know that the eyes of the international LGBT community will be focused on our city and we will not disappoint because we are fully prepared to host the largest World Pride in history.

“This positions Madrid in the world as a true gateway to diversity and an example of coexistence.”

DIRECTOR OF EDDIE SURMAN TRUST TO RETIRE

After 15 years of running the Eddie Surman Trust, Peter Shapcott its director is to retire.

The Trust's help line ceased to operate in September although a number is available to all callers using the old number and that will remain for the next six months.

When The Eddie Surman Trust was founded in 1996 it was unique in that all of its volunteers were themselves HIV positive and they offered help and support to people who felt they could not cope following an HIV diagnosis. As costs have escalate the help line in no longer viable.

Peter said: “I have made the decision to retire. I took a long time to come to this decision but I decided that it was not practical to keep the help line operating. It is becoming more and more difficult to raise funds at a time of great financial hardship for many people. However, the trust now has a Facebook page which is updated daily with HIV news from around the world and a mobile contact number for anyone wanting help or support and enquiries from this source are already higher than the helpline and there is no cost to the trust at all. The page will be developed over time to keep it fresh and relevant to positive people.

PETER SHAPCOTT

OLALEKAN_AYELOKUN

HOME SECRETARY ALLOWS GAY MAN TO BE DEPORTED TO NIGERIA WHERE HIS LIFE IS IN DANGER

“On a personal level, I am not getting younger and this has not been a good year following the attack on me in Brighton and then breaking my shoulder.

“It has been a personal battle recently to be able to help other people as I would have liked and feel that I have reached a level of burn out from which I need to recover in private.

“For 15 years along with a small team of dedicated volunteers we have answered the helpline every day of every year since 1997. The trust will contain in its new format as The Eddie Surman Trust & Positive Online and the trust will continue to run The Midmonth Group, our social support group for positive gay men.

“I also thank everyone for their amazing support of the trust over the last 15 years."

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DINE WITH THE STARS @ QUEENS HOTEL RAISED £1,000 FOR ALZHEIMERS & RAINBOW FUND

DAVINA SPARKLE - LIVE, FILTHY & DANGEROUS @ QUEENS HOTEL

20 GSCENE helps, but I should be able to be who I am and not worry about those sort of things, especially in Brighton in 2012.”

As Blake's world fell apart following his diagnosis he got no support from his family.

Many of his friends abandoned him so he left Brighton and spent the next three years running away from his emotional problems.

At different times he popped up in Bournemouth, Manchester, Torquay and Wales before returning to Brighton where, after receiving counselling, he is much more confident to deal with the stigma attached to his diagnosis.

When he meets someone he always tells them quickly about his status. He finds he gets knocked back 75% of the time but the other 25% of people are generally supportive towards him.

POSITIVE, FIT & HEALTHY A positive diagnosis at 21 changed my life.

Don't let it happen to you!

Blake Anthony Willows became positive in 2007 when he was raped at a house party. He was just 21-years-old. Five years on he is finally over the trauma and depression that followed and has started to piece his life back together again.

Blake was a young party boy visiting Brighton for the weekend in September 2007 when he was raped at a house party. Someone dropped a rape drug into his drink and he woke up many hours later bleeding from his behind.

I asked Blake the obvious first question; did he report it to the police? “I never reported it to the police. I didn’t think they would take it seriously. I was young and scared.”

Blake went along to the Lawson Unit and was given PEPS, the short, intensive HIV prevention treatment administered over a one month period. Unfortunately the treatment didn’t work and Blake tested HIV positive shortly afterwards.

Following his diagnosis he moved to Brighton permanently to be near good HIV services and part of a 'caring' local gay community. During the next two years his life spiralled downwards. He sunk into a deep depression and used alcohol to deal with the pain.

Blake came out to his family when he was 18.

He was brought up by his gran, a Scottish catholic who he says: “loved him to bits” and somewhat reluctantly accepted his diagnosis and his gayness. His coming out split his family apart. His mother and father pushed him away and his father has not spoken to him for the last eight years.

During the first year after diagnosis, he didn’t tell anyone about his status. He suffered deep depressions and attempted suicide. After the suicide attempt, friends were quite inquisitive so he started telling some of those closest to him, who he thought were good friends, what had caused his suicide attempt.

He said: “Some people were very judgemental and said I deserved what happened to me. I lost all my friends in London and more than half my Brighton friends just stopped calling and texting me. It was a traumatic time and very difficult for me to deal with. When I was at my lowest ebb after trying to take my life I was just abandoned by people who I trusted and took into my confidence.”

Blake grew up in Nottingham and left school with good qualifications before going to performing arts school. He was bullied at school for being open and flamboyant but blossomed when he went on to study performing arts where the fun aspects of his personality were a hit with the other students.

He said: “I now realise I was bullied at school because I was camp. I didn’t realise that I was different at the time but over the years I’ve learnt to present myself in a different way. I now speak in a lower voice which

Five years on Blake has got his life back together. He goes to the gym regularly, eats healthily and both his CD count and Viral load are good and he has yet to need any HIV combination drugs.

He said: “After my diagnosis I went off the rails. I was depressed and drank too much. I let myself go and allowed myself to become and act like a victim. I’m much more confident now and I’ve come to terms with everything that a positive diagnosis brings. I think positively all the time. It’s the only way.”

Blake has just started a new job nursing older people with dementia which he loves. He has found himself a new flat and has surrounded himself with a small group of reliable friends.

His biggest regret is that he didn’t report the rape to the police in 2007.

He said: “I didn’t report my situation to the police because I thought they wouldn’t take it seriously. If the same thing happened to me now I would report it to the police, not because my views on the police have changed but because, during the last five years I reached rock bottom and have slowly put my life back together.

“I don't want what happened to me to happen to anyone else. I have a new confidence in myself and don't care anymore how the police would react, I just don't want someone to be allowed to do to another 21year-old what they did to me. For this reason whatever your concerns I would encourage anyone to report this type of incident or in fact any other Hate Crime to the police.”

“I never reported it to the police.

I didn’t think they wouldn’t take it seriously. I was young and scared”

22 GSCENE involve people who care about others, the community we are part of, and who want to make a difference. We'll continue to make it – but it can't be left to groups and organisations alone, it's up to each of us in our everyday lives to make any difference we can.

LUNCH POSITIVE Gary Pargeter explains why World AIDS Day matters There was a very powerful message at the opening at last year's World AIDS Day vigil.

For those of us who remember Brighton & Hove before the more recent growth in the number of bars and clubs, and the ages and diversity of people who make up our community, there was a moving but stark reflection on the impact of loss to our community - that of the hundreds of people who have died locally – a large proportion have been gay men.

Many of these were people who lived through a time (not that long ago) when gay sex was illegal, and thereafter restricted by an unequal age of consent. Many struggled, fought and laid the foundations for the place we call home, which has the largest LGBT population in our region; and throughout this they were often stigmatised and marginalised as being HIV positive or (as was used much more then, often wrongly) having AIDS. The message also reflected the fact that the community wasn't separately described as LGBT or HIV; it seemed to be simply a community that was threatened by a terrible disease, that cared for people within it, and that rose up to support itself.

Nowadays we have greater equalities, more bars, there are ever more businesses which we hang a rainbow flag over; and maybe HIV doesn’t have the ‘shock’ factor it once did.

But don't think just because we're not as visibly unwell or dying as often as we used to that life with an HIV diagnosis is suddenly easy for everyone.

Sure, prognosis is better because of improved treatments, and the future has changed. It's a good thing that HIV is more normalised, and our outlook today replaces that from the days when you felt sure you'd not survive. Some people find their diagnosis far less

frightening, awful and less life altering than years ago. Consider though - it might likely be that you easily meet and talk to those who have made HIV a manageable part of their lives than those who aren't able. So just pause for a minute and think about how many more there might be. It's a misconception that just because people live healthier and for longer that lives suddenly become easier, more fulfilled and 'just like everyone else's'.

For many people, starting treatments and a prospect of a lifetime dependent on ongoing and sometimes difficult to tolerate medication, is incredibly difficult. Consider the difficulties many have with disclosing our HIV status (not everyone is as understanding or as accepting as you!), fear of rejection, rejection itself, struggling with a change in relationships, options and choices. Consider these, and how if not understood or uncared for by us as individuals within our own community how difficult it can be for people to truly, fully and comfortably be themselves.

Then maybe we can all think about how we contribute to the growth of our community, not in numbers, but in becoming more caring, inclusive, understanding and cohesive.

At the lunch club we meet all kinds of people.

We meet people who come long because they're new to the area and are looking for somewhere to meet others who have HIV, to find others they can talk with safely and to find peer support. We meet people who've recently been diagnosed – and just want to meet others to see that they're not alone, that they're still the person they were before.

We meet people whose lives are so complex that HIV becomes the most difficult thing to manage and come to terms with; and yes, it still happens, we meet people whose physical and mental health is poor or damaged by HIV. The great thing about being part of a community organisation is that we see and

As the summer approached we were ready to publish our annual evaluation, giving details of our work, its benefits and outcomes; and also to celebrate National Volunteering Week.

It was great to spread the news about what a difference a community space can make to people’s lives, to tell people's stories, and to acknowledge the hard work and thousands of hours given up by volunteers. People who read the reports, or came to those presentations seemed genuinely surprised though that everything has a cost! Other than the time given up by volunteers – practically nothing comes for free. We've great support from many who help our organisation carry out its work – but don't assume it's someone else who is giving stuff for free or is making the financial contribution, it's often just not the case.

Around the same time someone commented that this year’s Golden Handbags voting list included a huge number of organisations that exist to involve people who are LGBT, and also those which address specific needs of the health of our community. Look a bit closer though, and despite a continued growth in HIV diagnosis you'll see that there are only three HIV organisations in a city where thousands of people are infected, and of those only one which is community based.

That's half the number of organisations than five years ago. It was a great recognition to receive an award for contribution through volunteering, and hopefully perceived as another acknowledgement that as an HIV organisation we're all together as part of one community.

Pride was a big part of our summer, planning and taking part with a return to providing a café at Preston Park – and for us, full of uplifting examples of how supportive the wider community can be of the work of our group. The need to carry out our day to day work confidentially and mindful of keeping people’s status safe means it's not always easy to find a time and place to talk about our work and to hear people’s views. The feedback was great, and especially as it came

from gay men and women of all ages. It was also another example, that when given the opportunity, we get to hear that so many people have been touched in one way or another by HIV. We share the sentiment expressed by many that it was shameful that the AIDS Memorial was disrespected as it was, and we can only hope that next year everyone will consider that we are all guardians of it, individually and as a community, representing as it does the deaths of so many of our own. A call to organisers now – please, next year start planning early, and think about how more of us can get meaningfully involved in the plans.

It’s fantastic news that the Rainbow Fund has raised such a great amount, not least through Pride itself. At last – a fund which is here to benefit us all, and involves more people in giving. Long may it grow!

Brighton & Hove deserves a fund like this, and is another acknowledgement that HIV remains a huge part of our community’s life, consideration and generosity. Smaller organisations which carry out vital front-line work just don't have the resources to run high profile appeals and large events, so funds like this become a lifeline to us.

So, as World AIDS Day approaches again on December 1st, if anyone asks 'does HIV matter to the LGBT community', the answer has to be 'yes'. There is a legacy, the community and equality we value today is here today because of the efforts of many of those people who were here before and lost too soon to HIV. Many of those of us with HIV continue to work towards making our community a better place, together with a caring and helping group of people who understand, feel the effect and are supporters. There is an impact - HIV still mainly affects those who are part of our community now. If you have a mind to think of our community as an inclusive, caring, supportive and empowering thing for us all to be part of, then understand, embrace and support the needs of people with HIV. We really are in this together.

BRIGHTON & HOVE WORLD AIDS DAY EVENTS The Brighton & Hove World AIDS Day Partnership are organising a series of events in Brighton & Hove to mark World AIDS Day on December 1. The partnership includes: Bear Patrol Social Group, BHCC Partnership Community Safety Team, CDO Sussex, Lunch Positive, The Sussex Beacon, Sussex Community NHS Trust, Sussex Ecumenical HIV Chaplaincy and THT South.

For up to the minute information, join their Facebook page World Aids Day - Brighton & Hove at www.facebook.com/worldAIDSdayBH

EXHIBITIONS

I WORLD AIDS DAY EXHIBITION: THE HANKIE QUILT PROJECT The Dome Foyer, The Dome, Brighton, Sat Dec 1–Sun Dec 2, 10am–5pm each day. There will be an exhibition of The Hankie Quilt Project as well as information to promote World AIDS Day. More info: Cath Mattos on 01273 694222.

I RISE LIVING LIBRARY: SECRETS & LIVES Jubilee Library, Brighton Nov 28-30, 2–5pm The RISE Living Library is an opportunity for visitors to the library to speak informally with ‘people on loan’.

Wed Nov 28 2-5pm: Meet people whose lives have been affected by drugs and alcohol.

Thurs Nov 29: 2-5pm: Domestic Abuse discover stories of survival.

Fri Nov 30: 2-5pm: Meet people living with the effects of HIV.

MEMORIAL SPACE

I NEW STEINE GARDENS, Sat Dec 1, 2–7pm.

Volunteers and staff from the partnership will be at New Steine Gardens from 2pm providing a welcoming place for people to leave keepsakes, photos or messages of hope or remembrance at the memorial. Lunch Positive will be providing refreshments.

More info: Gary Pargeter on 07846 464384 or info@lunchpositive.org

CANDLE LIGHT VIGIL

I BRIGHTON AIDS MEMORIAL CANDLE LIGHT VIGIL, New Steine Gdns, Sat Dec 1, 6-7pm.

All are welcome to attend the remembrance event of those we have lost to HIV/AIDS in Brighton & Hove. There will be a reading of the names and a candle light vigil. New names to be read (in addition to those in previous years) can be emailed to susshivchap@gmail.com by November 27, or can be added to the list during the day at the Memorial Space in New Steine.

More info: Ross Boseley 01273 764200 or ross.boseley@tht.org.uk

POSITIVE HOPE

INFO LUNCH POSITIVE is a lunch club for people with HIV which runs every Friday from Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, Dorset Gardens, Brighton.

To find out more about joining or becoming a volunteer visit • www.lunchpositive.org • or call 07846 464384.

The LUNCH POSITIVE COMMUNITY LUNCH is on Friday November 30th from 11am for anyone with HIV who is interested in joining, to show people around and to answer any questions.

The lunch club is also running its regular lunch session.

I SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE & SOLIDARITY, The Sanctuary (top floor), Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, Sat Dec 1, 7.30–8.30pm.

Refreshments courtesy of Lunch Positive will be served from 6.45pm - go along after the Candle Light Vigil. Churches Together in central Brighton & Kemptown and Sussex HIV Chaplaincy invite ALL to join them in a service of remembrance for those who have died and solidarity for those living with HIV/AIDS. An opportunity for prayer and reflection, in a welcoming and supportive atmosphere, for those with some faith or none.

More info: Revd Heather Leake Date, Sussex Ecumenical HIV Chaplaincy, on 07867 773360 or susshivchap@gmail.com

CONCERTS

I AIDS MEMORIAL CONCERT: Presented by Music for Life, St Mary’s Church, St James Street, Kemptown. Sun Nov 25, 6pm, Features the Regency Singers directed by Mark Hodge, Tom Murphy tenor, Alexandra Bowa soprano, Neil Carter flautist & Andrew Ballantyne harp. Tickets £10/£8 concs.

I WE ALL LIVE TOGETHER - A CONCERT FOR WORLD AIDS DAY: St Mary’s Church, St James’ Street, Sat Dec 1, 7.30pm with The Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus, The Rainbow Chorus, Qukulele, Resound and The Theatre Workshop. Compered

by Neil Bartlett OBE. The concert will feature a joint performance of the first international OutPostChoir anthem, You Make Me Proud composed by Howard Alexander. Proceeds to Rainbow Fund. Tickets on the door or from: www.brightongmc.org I CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR WORLD AIDS DAY: St Andrews Church, Waterloo Street, Hove. Sat Dec 1, 7.30pm. Actually Gay Men’s Chorus and Actually Gay Women’s Chorus perform together.

World Premiere of BEACONS REQUIEM with full orchestra written by AGMC member, Richard Horscraft. The event isn’t ticketed but there will be a collection for Sussex Beacon after the show.

HEALTH

I FREE & CONFIDENTIAL HIV TEST & SEXUAL HEALTH SCREENING: Shae Shae Creations, 50 Queens Road, Brighton, 2pm-6.30pm More info: Beatrice on 07877 301269

FUNDRAISERS WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 28 I QUEENS ARMS: CABARET EXTRAVAGANZA for World AIDS Day, 9pm hosted by Drag With No Name featuring Dave Lynn, Son of a Tutu, Mary Mac, Mzz Kimberley, Tammy Twinkle, Tanya Hyde, Nicole & Geri Love. All proceeds to local HIV charities.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 1 I A-BAR: HONEY HUSH FUNDRAISER, r&b/rock & roll/rockabilly night, 9pm.

I CHARLES STREET: COME TO DADDY, 10pm.

All proceeds to the Sussex Beacon.

I REVENGE: KINKY DANGEROUS FUNDRAISER, for THT & Sussex Beacon, 10.30pm.

I SUBLINE: ROUGE WORLD AIDS DAY FUNDRAISER, for THT, 9pm.

I WILD FRUIT@HONEY CLUB: 20TH ANNUAL RED PARTY, 10pm with DJs Hoxton Whores, Fat Tony, Mr Haywood, Affy & Ali, Kate Wildblood & Queen Josephine; hosts Marnie Scarlet, Dolly Rocket, Chrissy Darling, £1 of every ticket to Rainbow Fund.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 2 I LEGENDS: 20TH BIRTHDAY AND WORLD AIDS DAY EVENT, 3.30pm with Lady Imelda, Lizzy Drip, DJ Claire Fuller and many more.

All proceeds to the Sussex Beacon

24 GSCENE STEPHANIE

STEPHANIE

Stephanie, who has been in Brighton for a few years, came here to be near friends and work on trans activism issues.

“I’ve been an activist doing my bit to make the lives of others easier for some years.”

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 25 2012

Eric Page talks to local activists about the effect and point of the Transgender Day Of Remembrance

NICK

Nick is a born and bred Brightonian. He works for the LGBT Health & Inclusion Project, he’s a founding member of FTM Brighton for transmasculine people, he volunteers for THT’s Trans Men’s Working Group and he writes a column for Gscene.

What does the Transgender Day Of Remembrance mean to you?

“It’s a day when we shine the light on the violence and hate crime that trans people still face the world over. It marks the resilience of trans people in resisting and challenging transphobia and fighting back with all the legitimate means at our disposal. ” What could improve the lives of trans folk in the city and what gives you hope?

“A funded LGBT centre in Brighton & Hove, where the trans groups can have a safe and permanent home and are included, welcomed, valued and respected. The trans community is what gives me hope. The way that we’re there for each other when all the services and others who are supposed to help us or care for us let us down. My amazing trans activist friends inspire me.”

JOANNA

NICK

Rita Hester was murdered on November 28, 1998. Her death sparked the Remembering Our Dead project and Candlelight Vigil. Her murder, as in most transgender murder cases, has yet to be solved. The Vigil evolved into the Transgender Day Of Remembrance and is marked in cities around the world. Almost 200 murders were recorded last year, but many murders simply aren’t reported and these numbers do not include the deaths from suicide.

The aim of Transgender Day Of Remembrance is to remember the lives of the trans people (and non trans people) who have been murdered as a result of transphobic hatred – in the previous 12 months. It raises public awareness of hate crimes against transgender people, publicly mourns and honours the lives of people who might otherwise be forgotten. The combination of bigotry, social violence, exclusion, religious bigotry along with social invisibility and official indifference mounts up to this shocking toll of death each year.

JOANNA

Joanna, who has lived in Brighton for 54 years, came here with her parents because of the school for the deaf in Ovingdean. She is the Trans Liaison for Regard, the UK charity for disabled LGBT people, the Transgender Representative for PCS Proud and a committee member of the Community Safety Forum.

What does the day mean to you and how can we challenge transphobia?

“It’s a day to reflect and to raise awareness among the wider communities in which we live of the struggle that trans people have, often for the basic right to live. We have to educate the wider LGBT community that being trans is not a choice. That we often identify with the LGB community as we take heart from their success in being accepted by the straight community. We aren’t trying to steal their thunder. We believe we can add our uniqueness to their own.”

What gives you hope?

“An official acceptance of ALL forms of gender variance, provision of private gender neutral (unisex) changing facilities in sporting venues, unisex toilet facilities, etc. I see hope every time I see trans people being recognised and accepted in public life.”

What inspires you?

“Seeing the way that more and more people find the Clare Project a source of support and that we are now being seen as an organisation that has a part to play in improving the lives of trans people in the UK.” RORY

BRIGHTON TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

What does the day mean to you and how we could make the city a better, more welcoming place for trans people?

“It means many things: that I’m grateful I live somewhere reasonably safe; that I don’t have to sell my body or drugs to survive; that those of my brothers and sisters that don’t have these things need our help and our remembrance of their plight. We need more education and awareness that transphobia is never acceptable and condemn those who abuse others.”

RORY Rory came to Brighton for university. He’s the Chair of FTM Brighton, a transmasculine peer support group and has volunteered in the trans community for five years.

Is Brighton a beacon for trans people?

“People come to Brighton because there is an assumption that it’s a queer utopia. If only that were the case! We don’t have a specialist clinic despite local medical expertise, but we are blessed to have hard working activists who support the community. The UK has some of the most progressive laws in regard to trans people, but there is still a long way to go.”

How has your trans experience been in the ‘gay’ community and what gives you hope?

“I think there’s a lot of work still to do to make LGB communities realise that we’re from the same family. We face similar struggles and face the same vitriol and bigotry. We need our allies to speak out when they encounter transphobia and for our leaders to recognise and celebrate trans contributions. We have been at the forefront of gay rights activism.

“The council is taking a keen interest in our struggles with the Trans Scrutiny Panel. Equally important however, is the gradual acceptance and focus that the wider LGBT community has put on trans issues. More active inclusion of trans people and taking trans issues seriously.

If our local organisations, (LGBT Switchboard, Allsorts, MindOut for example) can do it, then so can the larger ones that claim to speak for LGBT people.”

INFO The Brighton TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE takes place at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, Dorset Gardens, on Sunday 25 at 3pm. All are welcome.

GSCENE 25

THE RAINBOW FUND Gscene talks to Paul Elgood, chair of the Rainbow Fund “The first thing you need to know about the Rainbow Fund is that we are all volunteers,” says Paul Elgood, chair of the Rainbow Fund, and the public face of the local grant giving fund. “We all wear the same ‘volunteer’ badge.

No-one takes a salary, no expenses are claimed and there is no office to fund.”

The Rainbow Fund is a Brighton & Hove based fund for local LGBT and HIV/AIDS charities. It was set up by James Ledward and Paul Elgood following the fundraising for the city’s groundbreaking AIDS Memorial was completed, to provide a living legacy for the project. This year has seen the Rainbow Fund benefit from a unique charity partnership with Pride Brighton & Hove, where £1 per ticket goes directly to the Fund.

“No-one takes a salary, no expenses are claimed and there is no office to fund” Paul said: “The Rainbow Fund grew out of the fundraising for the AIDS Memorial. There was a huge response to building the AIDS Memorial and after it was unveiled, it seemed a shame to close down all the networks we had built.

There was also comment during the process that there also needed to be a living memorial to those lives lost, and this was how the Rainbow Fund was formed. We don’t aim to duplicate what already goes on in terms of fundraising for the local charities, what we aim to do is provide a secure way to donate and a fair way to see it distributed across a range of causes.”

The Rainbow Fund has perhaps had a lower profile in the community than other better known fundraising groups. This year however it had 45 volunteers on the Pride parade alone, and led it at the very front. Over the last few years, a range of local groups have benefitted from the Fund, including MindOut, Lunch Positive, Brighton Our Story, FTM, Switchboard and GEMS. The Fund also has a role in maintaining the AIDS Memorial should damage occur. Paul said: “We are proud of our work with a number of the local groups, in particular MindOut and Lunch Positive, who in previous years used the donations we made for maximum social impact within the community.

I hope that we made a difference in funding them.”

The Rainbow Fund is administered by the Sussex Community Foundation, who oversee the Fund’s annual grant giving process and handle all donations made to it. This provides the LGBT community with an independent and transparent way to ensure donated money goes straight to the local good causes who benefit.

This year’s grant round closed to applications in early October. Local charities who meet the criteria were encouraged to apply: “The Rainbow Fund wants to support community groups and voluntary organisations addressing the needs of the LGBT community in Brighton & Hove, particularly those demonstrating that either the project, or the group, is led by LGBT people. Grants of up to £5,000 will be awarded annually.”

The Sussex Community Foundation also oversee the decision-making process for grant allocation through an independent panel. The panel members take no expenses and give their time and expertise freely, without any conflicts of interest. Paul said: "We work with the Sussex Community Foundation to give our donors the re-assurance that the funds given will reach local good causes on a needs led basis and in a fair and open way. With growing pressures on statutory funding, we will increasingly look to fund frontline projects with direct welfare outcomes for our community."

The Rainbow Fund pro-actively fundraises within the community and has benefitted from a range of high profile events and activities.

Most of the leading local LGBT bars, clubs and groups have actively supported the Fund at some point. Paul continued: “This year we have linked up with the new Pride organisation, who delivered on their promise to ensure that £1 per ticket sold comes directly to the Fund to distribute quickly and transparently to local good causes who meet our criteria. James Ledward was very clear that as a minimum the ticket donation should be ring-fenced for the Rainbow Fund. He also ensured that any surplus made by the event came to us and this puts the total raised at £71,000. We’d like to thank Revenge owners Michael Deol and Robert Webb for supporting us in this way.”

This year the Fund will have a record figure to give out, but Paul is clear that it will only be given out on a needs led basis. He said: “The applications are independently assessed by the

Sussex Community Foundation and each go through a two stage panel process before a decision is made. Just because a group is asking for money, it doesn’t mean they’ll automatically get it and I have to be very clear that to be successful we are looking for maximum social impact. Also we only do one year funding at a time, and there’s no guarantee that a group that we have funded previously will receive money again, however much we have supported them in the past. “The final grants panel has five diverse voices on it. I cannot be sure what projects will be successful before it meets, the applicants basically need to persuade all five of us by demonstrating the need of the project. It is a very robust process.”

Other factors also come into play as to who gets a grant. The Sussex Community Foundation generally doesn’t fund larger charities with significant financial reserves, or they may not be convinced that the group is financially sustainable enough to warrant the investment.

The panel has traditionally sought to spread the money out across the community, so for example not all HIV/AIDS groups who applied were successful last year. Paul added; “I need to be clear that just because a group is shouting loudly for money, they have no automatic right to it. What we do is totally needs led and decisions are taken strategically.”

On the relationship with Pride, Paul said: “One thing we do need to look at is how the Rainbow Fund can play a role in providing stability for Pride as an event each year. We now have funding available for whoever organises Pride to apply for or borrow, to help them with start-up and capital costs each year. This will go through the same process as any other grant application, but would hopefully start to create stability around the event and stop it lurching from crisis to crisis each year.”

On Rainbow Fund plans for the future, Paul said: “I’d like to see us raise enough money to do a second grants round each year instead of just the current one. That would help tackle funding needs throughout the year. This we are looking at, if enough money is available to fund a second round and if we can we’ll announce it in the New Year. The community as a whole also needs to look at how it can build on the success of Pride. 2012 was hopefully a turning point for Pride and it is vital that this progress is maintained.”

26 GSCENE

Keith Taylor, Green MEP for the South of England kept a diary when he visited Belgrade, Serbia, to take part in their Pride celebrations.

I wanted to go to Belgrade to help the Serbian LGBT community mark their Pride celebrations, which were due to culminate in a short parade on Saturday, October 6. Twice over recent years the Serbian authorities have prohibited the Pride parade taking place, citing ’security concerns’ as the reason. With growing international support for the event, this year the organisers had hoped the parade would go ahead.

Who is running Serbia, the government or the homophobes? For Serbia to nurse ambitions to join the European Union looks fundamentally unrealistic until concrete steps are taken to protect peoples’ human rights.

FRI 5 OCT 2012: A WARM WELCOME & SHARING OF VIEWS

TURN BACK OR DIE GRAFFITI GREETS US

My first port of call in Belgrade was a reception hosted by the urbane Swedish Ambassador, Christer Asp. Birgitta Ohlsson, the Swedish minister, was in town and this event was held for NGOs and other diplomatic missions.

Conversations I had with several people quickly followed the same thread. Serbia had once again stepped out of line, and was failing to deliver a 21st century governance based on equal rights. Time and time again the conversations pointed to a lack of willingness at senior levels to engage with the issue.

I then went on to speak at the final session of a week-long seminar organised by the

I explained how our local Green council has worked with the health, education and police authorities to reduce hate crime and homophobic bullying. One area that is incredibly important in helping change societal attitudes to LGBT issues is working with young people and this is something which the council is doing with great success.

It had been a gradual process, where those who held entrenched views needed to be supported to change how they felt.

RIOT POLICE GUARD ENTRANCE TO MEETING

Those hopes were dashed on the Wednesday prior to the event, when, once again, the authorities refused permission for the event to proceed. Right wing hoodlums threatened to disrupt the parade, and the Orthodox Church also called for its cancellation. Protests and criticisms followed from many quarters including the EU, the USA, as well as from countless NGOs, including Amnesty International, but all to no avail. By refusing to allow Pride to take place the Serbian Government has failed human rights on several fronts: freedom from discrimination; the right of free assembly; and movement; and the right to a personal life. They have also demonstrated they are incapable of applying the rule of law.

Federation of Young Greens, the Heinrich Boll Foundation, the Green European Foundation, and the Serbian Green Party. On the panel was Ulrich Schneider, a German Green MP, who addressed the seminar’s theme How To Reach Equal Rights In Family Law. There was discussion around the definitions used for relationships, and I explained the current debate in the UK around the issue of gay marriage. I spoke about Brighton & Hove, where we have just celebrated our 20th annual Pride, and explained how it is now an important fixture in our calendar of cultural events.

SAT 6 OCT 2012: PARADE DAY The ‘parade’ was actually two hundred or so LGBT supporters, a rank of international speakers, the media and the organisers – all crammed into a meeting room at the Belgrade Media Centre, behind cordons of riot police.

Birgitta Ohlsson started the meeting, setting out the political context and imperatives for the LGBT community, and spelling out the action that is needed from the authorities – to allow all the community free expression and not to artificially suppress it. Incidentally Birgitta is the only other politician I’ve ever heard (apart from me) who quotes Bob Dylan!

She also said that politicians need to “get out of their closet of intolerance”. It was a fine speech, which won admiration and agreement.

Also speaking was Vincent Degert, the head of the European Action Service in Serbia. He underlined the EU’s objections to the cancellation of Pride and referred to Commissioner Fule’s concerns which were expressed in his statement of support and called on the Serbian Government to ensure that the rights to freedom of assembly and

expression are fully respected and that any future peaceful gathering is allowed to take place. Commissioner Fule heads up the accession processes for aspiring new members of the EU. Goran Miletic, the main organiser of the event spoke next. He spoke with passion, saying that LGBT people would not be going away, and would not give up. Inspiring stuff!

Also speaking was my fellow Green MEP, Marije Cornelissen from the Netherlands, who is a well established Pride supporter across all of Europe. Her rousing speech of solidarity brought cheers from the audience.

PRIDE MEETING IN BELGRADE MEDIA CENTRE

BELGRADE PRIDE 2012

Then it was my turn to speak and deliver a message of hope from my home city of Brighton & Hove. I explained that this year we had celebrated our 20th annual Pride celebration, that 130,000 people had turned out to cheer the procession and 30,000 people paid to come into the park for a party hosted

by Fatboy Slim! Pride is an important part of our cultural calendar, and our LGBT community of 35,000 or so is a vital and valued element in the diversity of our city.

But I then explained that progress in the UK didn’t happen overnight. It wasn’t until the late 1960s that sex between men was made legal and once legal, progress toward full equal rights was then hindered by the Conservative Government’s repressive Section 28 which tried to ban or restrict mention of same-sex relationships in schools. There was a battle to get rid of that, but in the end it was successful.

Now we have civil partnerships for same-sex couples, and we are campaigning for full marriage rights – the fight goes on. I said that a change in cultural attitudes and political positions would be best achieved through evolution, not revolution.

I said that I had asked opponents of Pride, “what is the worst thing that could happen if you give a gay person equal rights?” I’m still waiting for an answer, but perhaps that’s because there isn’t one. After all, can you imagine trying to justify why a black person isn’t equal? You can’t, and I’m left seething at the injustice and stupidity of it all.

We were herded into a courtyard for photos under the threatening eye of the riot police, and Goran announced that a date had now been fixed for Belgrade Pride 2013. It’s September 28, 2013, and I, for one, will be there. Anyone care to join me?

GSCENE 27

RAINBOW REYKJAVIK WINTER FESTIVAL

centre has recently been refurbished to a very high standard. The zen style spa is relaxing and well worth a visit and the restaurant called Satt is first class and a popular choice for brunch by both tourists and business people.

The hotel has a wonderful take on Art Deco and 50s feel. All guest rooms are bright and spacious and the hotel is decorated with paintings, sculptures and videos by contemporary Icelandic artists.

BLUE LAGOON

The groups newest hotel, the Reykjavik Marina is situated in the Old Harbour district. This former paint factory has bustling public areas where locals are welcome to mingle with the guests. The fitness centre is situated unusually in the main lobby. There is a modern contemporary cocktail bar called Slipp and a fine restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The hotel has a good variety of rooms,

Gay people in Iceland are equal in the eyes of the law and have enjoyed equal marriage rights in church since 2010. The country boasts the world's first openly lesbian Prime Minister and every August one third of the total population of Iceland turns up in Reykjavik to celebrate Gay Pride. It is truly a welcoming destination for the LGBT tourist.

Outside of the main Pride event there are two other annual LGBT events: Bears On Ice every September when ‘Bears’ from all over world descend on Reykjavik for four days of fun including a bear 'love-in' at the famous Blue Lagoon and the Rainbow Reykjavik Winter Festival which runs from January 31February 3 2013.

Rainbow Reykjavik Winter Festival

GEYSIR HOT SPRINGS

Due to Iceland's location halfway between the US and Europe, LGBT events attract a good mix of nationalities. Activities during the up coming Rainbow Winter Festival include a visit to the Blue Lagoon, one of the 25 wonders of the modern world followed by dinner at the Lava Restaurant in the Lagoon complex; a welcome party in the Slipp Bar in the Marina Hotel in the Old Habour; a Golden Circle Tour visiting the waterfalls at Gullfoss, the hot springs and spectacular geysers at Geysir and the stunning Pingvellir National Park.

You will visit the Fontana Health Spa at Laugavatn and sit in wooden steam sauna cabins built directly on top of hot natural springs and then soak outside in hot water baths drawn from the springs. This new modern spa is a must do for first time visitors to Iceland. It is relaxing and overlooks a lake which at the edges is heated by the hot springs. Fresh bread is baked daily in the hot volcanic mud. Make sure you try some at the spa cafe. It is unique, healthy and very tasty.

A Pink City Walk round Reykjavik includes a visit to the Penis Museum. You will have plenty of time to see the mainstream tourist sights such as the space age Lutheran Cathedral, the new Harpa Concert Hall, the Hofdi House, location for the 1986 cold war summit between Presidents Reagan and Gorbatsjov and you will witness the national sport of Glima (folk wrestling) in action.

Weather permitting a Northern Lights Hunt is planned to see the spectacular natural phenomenon knows as the Aurora Borealis. The festival weekend closes with a midnight Pink Party on Saturday, February 2.

Package are available at: www.rainbowreykjavik.com with options to extend your trip for a few days to take in whale watching and a full day glacier cruiser snowmobile tour. You might also want to visit Iceland’s second city Akureyri situated on a Fiord on the north coast of the Island.

Where you stay is an important element of any trip away to attend any gay happening, as everyone wants to be at the centre of all the planned events.

Icelandair Hotels Group run a chain of eight first class hotels throughout Iceland. Four outside Reykjavik are operated under a franchise agreement license and the Reykjavik Nordica is operated under the Hilton brand name. The Hilton Nordica, just slightly out of the centre of the city but only minutes from all the attractions, has a corporate feel, a world class spa and superb restaurant. The Reykjavik Natura in the grounds of the domestic airport in the city

some with balconies and an impressive private suite on the third floor if you really want to treat yourself. You walk out the front door of the hotel onto the Old Harbour, where the ships are literally at your fingertips.

If you venture out of Reykjavik in search of the Northern Lights visit the Fludir Hotel in the beautiful Fludir countryside close to the natural wonders of Gullfoss, Geysir and Pingvellir. The hotel bedrooms are designed round a central courtyard where you can relax in hot tubs and watch the Northern Lights. The hotel has a first class restaurant serving the best lobster I have ever tasted.

FLUDIR HOTEL

Tourism chiefs in Iceland work very hard to encourage LGBT travellers to visit the country all year round. In 2012 they hosted the Gay Aquatic championships and have bid to stage the World OutGames in 2017.

REYKJAVIK MARINA HOTEL

James Ledward previews the Rainbow Winter Festival in Reykjavik

• For information on all Icelandair Hotels view: www.icelandairhotels.is • Icelandair now run daily flights from Gatwick to Reykjavik as well as from Heathrow, Manchester and Glasgow.

For info: www.icelandair.co.uk • Rainbow Reykjavik Winter Festival: January 31–February 3 www.rainbowreykjavik.com • Reykjavik Gay Pride: August 8–11 www.gaypride.is/index/english • Bears On Ice Weekend: September 5–8 www.bearsonice.org

DICK AFTER THE OPERATION

DICK BEFORE THE OPERATION

28 GSCENE

THE DAY I FOUND THAT I COULDN’T WALK Dick James explains how Bariatric Surgery saved his life.

It all started back in January 1993, when I owned and ran Fudges Restaurant on Brighton sea front, just along from The Metropole Hilton Hotel and the old West Pier. This might seem like another age to many readers nowadays, but as many will recall, we were quite a popular venue, with our original Sunday Cabaret Lunches, offering the best of drag and entertainment.

I had started with a bad cold and cough one weekend, which seemed to get worse as the week progressed and finally I needed a course of antibiotics to clear it up. On the Friday morning I got up to use the bathroom but found I couldn’t walk properly. In fact my first thought was that I had suffered some form of stroke during the night.

I bounced off the hall walls and on entering the loo. I didn’t know when I had started or when I had finished. Another drunken walk back to the bedroom followed and I woke my partner, who soon realised, something was desperately wrong! A strange 'tingling sensation' started to appear in both my feet, which as the illness progressed, spread over my entire body.

Malcolm, my partner, called the doctor who said he would be over in about an hour or so, and told us not to worry. During that short time, the numbness and tingling was already moving up my body and when the doctor arrived, he did the usual rubber hammer job on my knees, and concluded that I was starting to be paralysed. A series of phone calls to various medics followed and the doctor concluded that although he had never seen it, or treated it, in his many years of medical practice, he thought I had Guillam- Barrie Syndrome. His judgement was 100% correct and we made our way to the Sussex County, to be assessed.

There was no known cause for sure, and treatment was strictly restricted with only a regular plasma exchange being the hopeful way forward. Needless to say I was kept in hospital and my condition deteriorated fairly rapidly until they decided to install various bits of pipe work to aid my collapsing lungs.

Malcolm was called over by the doctor when visiting on Saturday lunchtime, and told the gory truth. By this time I was out of it, but I understand that over the next three nights, Malcolm was called three times to get over quick, as I was not expected to pull through.

Like so many of these life threatening experiences, patients like myself in ICU are oblivious to the goings on, and I remained on a life support machine for just over three weeks.

Malcolm had been advised after day four that I was likely to survive but would be a ‘cabbage’ and would never walk, write, or be able to live a normal life again. Some might now say the ‘cabbage’ term was a fair assessment for me, both then and now!

Being a fighter throughout my life, I survived and made quite a good recovery, despite the odds, but even now, some 19 years later, the legs and knee joints remain weak, but at least I’m still alive to tell the tale!

However this trauma spelt the end of my working involvement in Fudges Restaurant and I remained very much on the sidelines, until we sold it in 2001.

After this episode I received regular and excellent medical care from Dr David

“A strange 'tingling sensation' started to appear in both my feet, which as the illness progressed, spread over my entire body”

GSCENE 29 Cairns and Dr Duncan Stewart who now is a regular contributor to Gscene, plus of course my partner Malcolm and friends. It has been a difficult journey, frustrating at times and as one gets older, other things start to go wrong.

In my case during a regular consultation with Duncan Stewart, a urine test showed a higher than normal sugar level, which translated eventually into type 2 diabetes.

“Exercise is always a key word in any diabetes management thinking, but when one is the wrong side of 50, running round the block in a pair of skimpy shorts at six in the morning, isn’t really a starter!”

The usual Metformin Pills, balanced diet, and all the usual restrictions followed over time, but I managed to avoid the dreaded insulin injections for many years. I am needle phobic, and the thought of sticking a needle in myself, was strictly off limits.

Surgery. Not even understanding what it meant, I came home to the internet to read up about it. As with the needles before, the thought of an operating table didn’t fill me with joy, but we were now in fairly troubled waters.

However well one takes the medical advice, life does go on and a slice of cake or a pint or two is part of life, but of course it’s at a price and as in most peoples experience, the weight increases.

Further discussions took place from September 1010 to April 2011, when I agreed to go forward for the operation, subject to NHS funding being available. It’s quite a long drawn out process, about a year from start to finish, and great effort is taken to select only suitable patients who can benefit from the procedure overall. The hospital cannot set this up surprisingly, and you need to rely on your regular NHS GP to approach the local health trust for funding.

Weight and diabetes seem to go hand in hand and as the weight increases, your level of activity decreases, and the blood/sugar relationship worsens. The approach from most medics is lose weight and everything will be perfect, but unfortunately we don’t live in a perfect world. Exercise is always a key word in any diabetes management thinking, but when one is the wrong side of 50, running round the block in a pair of skimpy shorts at six in the morning, isn’t really a starter!

From the early days of rebuilding and opening Fudges Restaurant in 1994, my weight was about 13 stone but by the summer of 2010 I had reached the dizzy heights of 26 and a half stone. Not good and ultimately another real life threatening experience, which had to be redressed somehow. I was now on insulin three times a day, but the quality of life was almost zero. Unable to dress myself, walk far, or do any work around the house.

A new drug/insulin was on trial called BYETTA, made from lizard extracts and Worthing Hospital’s diabetes unit decided that I was a suitable case for the trial. It was an almost immediate improvement with a much reduced food intake and loss of weight. But like all these trials, cost had a bearing and it had a limited scope for me, and soon my weight started to level out. Much less than before, but still about 21 stones.

The pill intake increased almost every month, but really without any success or further dramatic weight loss or diabetes blood/sugar control levels.

In reality, this was about the end of the road for the current diabetes treatment and pills and the consultant at Worthing Hospital, suddenly as almost a 'throw away remark', asked if I had ever considered Bariatric

I finally got the okay that funding was available for me in late summer 2011 and started the various pre-operation courses in September 2011.

Great emphasis is placed on the mind and well being of prospective patients, as this is definitely a life changing operation and many adjustments have to be made and followed. I had an almost weekly interview and assessment throughout the period up to and including the hospital stay. My operation was planned for February 2012, but a hiccup with my local GP made this slip to March 1, 2012 at St Richard’s Hospital at Chichester.

We arrived at St Richard’s at 7.30am on Thursday March 1 and were shown to a small private six bed ward, me and five other ladies, to get changed and ready for the procedure. It all nearly came to a halt there and then as the surgeon had gone sick, but a standby surgeon who I had met before, took his place. You actually walk down to the theatre, clutching your pillows and climb onto the operating table yourself. Not quite what I was expecting but I understand it’s to keep your circulation in good order and not part of NHS cuts.

I was on the table at 9.15am with the nurses and staff talking to you until the knockout drop takes effect and the work begins. By 12.45pm I was back in recovery and talking with the staff, and about an hour later, back to the ward. Expecting to feel unwell, after such a major procedure, all I experienced was a slight discomfort in the lower stomach,

which was soon fixed with some pain killers.

No food or drinks were allowed for the first 24 hours apart from a few sips of water, but that was bearable and quite manageable. I was up in a chair from about 6pm and able to walk to the loo, unaided by 9pm the night of the operation.

The best bit of all was that after so many years of pills and insulin injection three times a day, it has all stopped apart from a couple of Metformin and blood pressure pills, which will steadily decrease as I lose weight. This alone must save the NHS thousands of pounds a year in reduced drug costs, let alone being of real benefit to the patients.

Initially food intake is very restricted with mainly slops for four weeks, followed by four weeks of semi-firm meals, then an almost normal diet, just greatly reduced portion sizes. Because the new tummy they have given you is only about 200ml, you can only manage a very small intake of food and/or drinks and time has to be allowed for the intake process to work through your system, so as to not overload the new setup.

The operation was a keyhole job, with just seven small insertions, most of which are barely noticeable.

Now after six months I have lost six stone and am down to 14 stone from the 20 stone when I had the operation, with possibly another one or two stone yet to loose.

Friends and people who know me have walked past me, not recognising the “NEW ME” but apart from the dramatic decrease in medications, the weight loss and general feeling of well being after so many years of poor health, makes this choice and operation, the best decision I have made in my life.

To sit on an aircraft and not require the extension seat belt or be refused the emergency exit row, because I was too fat, makes this a prize worth taking. Also the chance of a new wardrobe is in the offing!

Anyone suffering from weight problems or diabetes should seriously consider pressurising their health professionals and doctors as I feel better than I have been for the past 25 years.

30 GSCENE

CHARLIE’S

KITCHEN

BY CHARLIE NYEREYEGONA

AUTUMN RECIPES These four mouth watering recipes will bring warmth to your autumn and are easy to prepare. I hope you enjoy them.

BEEF CASSEROLE WITH HERB DUMPLINGS So delicious and warming!

INGREDIENTS: (serves 4) For the Casserole • 600g diced braising steak • 150ml pale ale • 2 shallots (roughly chopped) • 250g button mushrooms • 2 medium carrots (roughly chopped) • ½ tsp fresh thyme • 1 tbsp tomato ketchup • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce • Sunflower/vegetable oil • 1 litre beef stock FOR THE DUMPLINGS: Mix together 50g self raising flour with 25g shredded suet and 2 tablespoons cold water. Add some dried mixed herbs and knead into a dough. Roll into 4 dumplings and cover with a damp cloth. Add to the top of the casserole 10 minutes before it is ready

METHOD: Pre-heat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Dust a plate generously with flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Cover the steak pieces with the flour. Lightly brown the shallots in a tablespoon of the oil in an oven proof dish on top of the hob. Add the steak bits a few at a time and seal. Add more oil if necessary. Stir in the tomato ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Add the mushrooms and thyme and cover with the ale and stock. Cover and place in the oven for 1hr 50mins until the meat is tender. Remove from the oven and mix in the carrots. Place the dumplings on top, cover and place in the oven for a further 10 minutes.

TO SERVE: Serve with the dumplings and lovely winter vegetables.

DOVI (CHICKEN PEANUT BUTTER STEW) This is a truly delicious finger licking stew and originates from my homeland of Zimbabwe. It is usually served on feast days. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS: (serves 4) • 1 large chicken (cut into pieces) • 4 large carrots (roughly chopped) • 4 large tomatoes (finely chopped) • 1 green pepper (finely chopped) • 2 large onions (finely chopped) • 1 jar smooth peanut butter • Cooking oil

• • • •

½-1 litre chicken stock 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs 1 jar crunchy peanut butter Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD: Brown the onions and the herbs in a tablespoon of the cooking oil. Add ½ the vegetables.

When they start to soften, add a jar of the peanut butter. Meanwhile heat some oil in a large frying pan and brown the chicken pieces. Once the peanut butter has melted in with the vegetables add ½ the chicken and mix well. Add the rest of the vegetables and the rest of the chicken. Mix in well and add the second jar of peanut butter. Add the stock to cover the chicken and reduce the heat. Cook for an hour on a low heat, turning occasionally to make sure the peanut butter doesn’t stick to the bottom.

TO SERVE: Serve with rice/polenta, steamed green vegetables and a finely chopped red chilli!

YUMMY AUTUMN EASY FISH PIE INGREDIENTS: (serves 4) • 300g white fish fillet (cut into largish pieces) • 300g salmon fillet (cut into largish pieces) • 300g prawns and scallops • 1 large red onion (peeled & chopped finely) • 1 celery stalk (finely chopped) • 200g frozen peas • 1/3 of a glass of wine • 2 tbsps brandy • 1 small tub crème fraîche • Juice of ½ a lemon • tbsp paprika powder • 1 tsp dried mixed herbs • 1 tbsp sunflower oil • Salt and pepper to taste • 6 large maris piper or other good mashing potato • Egg wash (egg yolk mixed with a little milk helps brown the potato) METHOD: Pre heat oven to 200c. Boil the potatoes and mash. In a large frying pan heat the oil and brown the onion and the celery with the mixed herbs and paprika. Lay the shellfish on top and season with the salt and pepper. Add the wine, brandy, peas and lemon juice and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Remove the fish, shellfish and peas and set aside. Gradually add the crème fraîche to the remaining liquid over a low heat and allow to thicken. Meanwhile rub a large baking dish with a little butter. Divide the pastry into two halves and roll out to fit the dish. Line the bottom with some of the mashed potato. Spoon on some of the fish mixture then top with some crème fraîche sauce.

Repeat until all the mixture is gone. Brush the top layer of the potato with the egg wash (to help colour the top). Bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the potato turns golden brown.

TO SERVE: Serve with your favourite vegetables.

GSCENE 31

BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING WITH PEACHES, HONEY AND CINNAMON INGREDIENTS: (serves 6) • ½ loaf of white sandwich bread, slices cut in half ( cr usts on or of f as pre f e rre d) • 1 t i n p e a c h h a l ve s • ½ a b o ttl e r u nny ho ne y • 1 cin nam on s tick • ½ a pin t of f u ll fa t m il k • ½ a pin t of cre a m • 2 e ggs METHOD: Beat eggs with the milk and cream. Melt the honey gently over a low heat with the cinnamon. Grease an oven proof dish with butter and overlap some of the ½ slices of bread on the bottom.

Layer on some of the peaches and pour over some of the honey and cinnamon mixture. Top with some of the cream and egg mixture.

Repeat the layers. Preheat the oven to 180C and cook until top crust is golden brown.

TO SERVE: Cut into thick pieces and serve with loads of double cream/devilish custard!

32 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

PICS FROM A-BAR + BAR 56

NOVEMBER

LISTINGS

THURSDAY 1 A-BAR food noon-5pm; cocktail night; open noon AQUARIUM Live DJ; open noon BAR 56 Bar 123 8pm; open 11am BAR REVENGE Girls On Top Official WarmUp: DJ Kelly L 8pm; open noon BEDFORD TAVERN Thur Social; open 12 BULLDOG Release: DJ Grant Knowles 10pm; open 11am CHARLES ST Mad Cow: 2 floors, hostess Ms Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy in bar, DJ Ruby Roo in club 8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST open noon DR BRIGHTONS Thirsty Thur; open 3pm ENVY Mad Cow: 2 floors, hostess Ms Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy in bar, DJ Ruby Roo in club 8pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING Jane High’s karaoke 8.30pm; open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR food noon-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open noon POISON IVY Misty Lee’s karaoke 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS QA’s Annual Karaoke Competition: host Pasty Cline & cash/boozy prizes 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; open noon REVENGE Fangtastic Freakshow: The Girls On Top Halloween Party, 2 floors of spooky

BAR 56

tunes, DJs Smithy, Fifilicious, Missy B, Alpha; box bar DJs Dulcie Danger & Cheeky Du Rhythm 10.30pm SUBLINE Leathered 9pm VAVAVOOM open 7pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE Strictly Comes To Rottingdean: dance contest heats, £250 prize 9pm; food noon-9pm; open 11am ZONE Rachel’s Thrifty Thur: karaoke, videos & Wii 8pm; open 11am FRIDAY 2 A-BAR food noon-7pm; Pre-Club tunes; open noon AQUARIUM Live DJ; open noon BAR 56 cabaret: Sophie Causebrook & DJ 8.30pm; open 11am BAR REVENGE Disco Bomb: Alpha DJ 9pm; open noon-6am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Friday Night Live with LaRue: 2 floor party with Lady La Rue, then DJ Peter Castle in the club 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Krazy Kamikaze Karaoke 8.30pm; open noon BULLDOG DJs Simon Blanch/Grant Knowles 10pm; karaoke bar cabaret: Cassidy Connors midnight; open 11am CHARLES ST Fruity Fri Fix: DJ Leeroy 9pm; food noon-7.45pm 112 CHURCH ST cabaret: Krissie DuCann 9pm; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Funky Fri: DJs Nick Hirst or Wayne 9.30pm; open 1pm

ONE FOR THE DIARY: SUNDAY CABARET at 8.30pm: Lady James (4), Davina Sparkle (11) and Connie Conway (18).

WORLD AIDS DAY: Sun (25) is the World AIDS Day Cabaret Fundraiser for The Sussex Beacon with cabaret performers Jamie Watson, Fonda Cox, Mark Inscoe, Krissie DuCann, Benji Official, Jennie Castelle, Jason Lee Howlett, Jacqui Cann, Tammy Twinkle, PJ, Tom Atkinson Jnr, Davina Sparkle, Kitty Monroe, Sophie Causebrook, Maisie Trollette, Pooh La May & many more at 5pm.

REGULARS: Tue (6 & 20) is an open platform MAGIC NIGHT upstairs at 8pm.

Wed is Davina Sparkle’s CABARET & QUIZ at 9pm. Thur is Bar 1-2-3 with £1–£3 drinks from 8pm. Fri CABARET at 8.30pm: Sophie Causebrook & DJ (2), Jennie Castelle (9), JP Christian (16), Phil Lawrence (23) and Fonda Cox (30).

DRINK DEALS: from Sun–Fri. OPEN: Sun–Tue 11am–11pm; Wed & Thur 11am–midnight; Fri & Sat 11am–1am.

The function room is free to hire from Sun–Thurs and for bookings on Fri & Sat, call for details 01273 623399.

A-BAR

ONE FOR THE DIARY: Sat (3) is HONEY HUSH with DJ Lonesome M & guests playing r&b/rock & roll/rockabilly on vinyl at 9pm, shots from £2, free entry.

WORLD AIDS DAY: Sat (1) December is the HONEY HUSH World AIDS Day Fundraiser with DJ Lonesome M & guests at 9pm, shots from £2, free entry.

REGULARS: Wed is Sonia Marmite’s GAY BINGO at 9pm. Wed & Thur are cocktail nights from 9pm; buy one get the other half price. Fri & Sat is Pre-Club with drink promos, including shots from £2.

FOOD: noon–7pm from Mon–Sat; Sunday roasts noon till they’re gone, bookings recommended, 01273 696691. Book now for Xmas Day lunch; £60pp, ask at the bar!

DRINK DEALS: Mon–Fri bottle house red or white wine £9; guest ale available from the pump; double up on your spirits (Smirnoff, Bells, Gordons Gin & Morgan’s Spice) for an extra £1.50, all day every day.

OPEN: Fri & Sat from noon–2am; Sun–Thur from noon–midnight or till 2am through side entrance for friends/regulars only. A-Bar offers unrivalled sea view, large heated smoking terrace and all big sport events. Sauna closed. www.amsterdam.co.uk FUNKYFISH BAR opens noon FUNKYFISH CLUB Thank Funk It’s Fri 10.30pm JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING Rocky Horror Fancy Dress Party: DJ CJ, prizes for best costumes, special cocktails 8pm; open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR Friday Night Live with Lady La Rue: 2 floor party, promo boys, free champers for early birds, free bottle of champers for birthdays 9pm; DJ Peter Castle in the club 11pm; food noon-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open noon POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ karaoke 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Camp Attack: DJs Andy B, Kamp Kevin & karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; open 11am REVENGE X Factor Fridays Launch: see the contestants live as they leave the show, guaranteed meet & greet + box bar DJ Dulcie Danger 10.30pm SUBLINE Bear Ball: DJ Screwpulous & dancing bears 9pm VAVAVOOM open 7pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE cabaret: Steve Leppard 9pm; food noon-9pm; open 11am ZONE cabaret: Gilly Bee 9.30pm; open 11am SATURDAY 3 A-BAR Honey Hush: r&b/rockabilly night, DJs Lonesome M & guests 9pm; food noon7pm; open noon

BRIGHTON SAUNA

AQUARIUM live DJ; open noon BAR 56 pre-club with DJ; open 11am BAR REVENGE Kinky Classics: DJ Fifilicious 9pm; open noon-6am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fusion: DJ Lee Harris 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Dead Famous v Night of the Living Dead Halloween Party: cabaret with Spice; open noon BULLDOG DJ V John 10pm; DJ Lil Alex 3am; karaoke 10pm; open 11am CHARLES ST Fierce: DJs 9pm; food noon7.45pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST open noon DR BRIGHTONS Sexy Sat: DJ Tony B 9.30pm; open 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon FUNKYFISH CLUB Old Skool Sat: DJ Sean Quinn 10pm JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING cabaret: Jennie Castelle 8.30pm; open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR Pre-Club DJs 7pm; food noon-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open noon POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Marina Port & guests 4.30pm; guest host karaoke 6pm; Sissy & Kemp Kevin’s Sat Night Sin Bin: karaoke, tunes & games 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food noon-6pm; open 11am REVENGE Kinky Dangerous: Stephanie Starlet & go-go boys host DJs Alex Baker & Trick on level 1 & box bar DJs Dulcie Danger, King K & guests 10.30pm

REGULARS: Wed (7) is Bears Night for bears, cubs and their admirers; drink offers, club music at 7pm. Wed (14 & 28) is Naked Night at 7pm, no towels to be worn. Wed (21) is mandatory Underwear Night at 7pm, thongs, briefs, speedos.

DRINK DEALS: The Brighton Sauna now runs a licensed bar 7 days a week; Sun–Thur 11–1am and Fri & Sat 11–2am.

OPEN: For opening hours and listings visit: www.thebrightonsauna.com

GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 33

PICS FROM BULLDOG

BULLDOG

ONE FOR THE DAIRY: Fri CABARET is now upstairs in the karaoke bar at midnight: Cassidy Connors (2), All Mouth & No Trousers (9), Dave Lynn (16), Maisie Trollette (23) and tba (30). DJs Simon Blanch/Grant Knowles are downstairs at 10pm.

REGULARS: Sat is with DJ V John at 10pm, DJ Lil Alex at 3am, and KARAOKE upstairs at 10pm. Sun is with DJ Grant Knowles at 8pm. Mon is DJ Marcia’s GLITTER BALL with 70s & 80s tunes at 9pm. Tue is with DJ Lee at 10pm. Tue (27) is Reggae Night with DJ Micklos at 9pm. Wed is Red Light Rush with DJ Marcia at 9pm. Thur is RELEASE with DJ Grant Knowles at 10pm.

DRINK DEALS: Happy hours: Mon & Tue 3–7pm & 11pm–midnight; Wed from 3–7pm and 9pm–1am, when drinks £1.50 when music vid is played; Thur from 3–7pm & 9pm–midnight; Fri from 3–7pm & all drinks £1.50 10pm–midnight; Sat from 10pm–midnight; Sun all day. Drinks include: pints from £1.95, double spirit & mixer from £2.30, bottles from £1.85 (Terms & conditions apply).

OPEN: Open daily from 11am–very late. www.bulldogbrighton.com SUBLINE The Furnace 9pm VAVAVOOM open 6pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE gastro dining noon-9pm; open 11am ZONE cabaret: Sally Vate 9.30pm; open 11am SUNDAY 4 A-BAR Sun lunch noon-till gone; open noon AQUARIUM live entertainment 3pm; open noon BAR 56 cabaret: Lady James 8.30pm; open 11am BAR REVENGE Sublime Sun Acoustic Sessions & Karaoke Queens, LouBag & Smithy 8.30pm; Sun roasts noon-7pm; open noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pop!Candy: DJ Claire Fuller 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Sun roasts noon-5pm; Piano Bingo 5pm; open noon BULLDOG DJ Grant Knowles 8pm; open 11am CHARLES ST cabaret: Glam Jam 7.30pm; Tranny Rock & Roll Bingo: Sally Vate & roll over jackpot 8.30pm; Sun lunch noon-7pm 112 CHURCH ST Richard’s Sun Roast noon-late; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Hangover Therapy; open 1pm FUN FAIR CLUB BodyShakers: tea dance with DJs Steven Geller, Steve B & guests 6pm FUNKYFISH BAR opens noon

JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING Sophie’s Cheesy Sun 7.30pm; open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR cabaret: Kandi Kane 3.15pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open 1pm POISON IVY Mimbo’s Karaoke; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Super-Duper Sun: Lola Lasagne 6pm; Miss Jason 9.45pm; karaoke; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Sun roast noon-5pm; Jerome’s Piano Bar 1.30pm; open noon SUBLINE Come in Your Pants: DJ N.U.D.E, underwear party 9pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE cabaret: Saucy Sophie 5pm; Sun lunch gastro dining noon9pm; open 11am ZONE cabaret: Lucinda Lashes 9pm; open 11am MONDAY 5 A-BAR bar food noon-7pm; open noon AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 open 11am BAR REVENGE Quiz with Liz 8.30pm; DJ Picadilly till midnight; open noon BEDFORD TAVERN Recovery; open noon BULLDOG DJ Marcia’s Glitter Ball 9pm; open 11am CHARLES ST food noon-8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST open noon DR BRIGHTONS Medication Mon; open 3pm ENVY Studio 150 Guy Fawkes Special: NUS night 10.30pm

34 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

PICS FROM CHARLES STREET + ENVY

NOVEMBER

LISTINGS

CHARLES STREET BAR

ONE FOR THE DAIRY: Sat (24) is the WINTER WONDERLAND WHITE PARTY with ice & snow décor, DJ Lil Alex playing the hottest tunes and Queen Bond awarding prizes to the best white costumes.

REGULARS: Thur is MAD COW over two floors with hostess Miss Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & Leeroy in the bar, commercial dance, DJ Ruby Roo in the club, chart & pop favourites at 8pm, drinks from £1, entry £1 b4 10pm, £2 after. FRUITY FRIDAY FIX is with DJ Leeroy spinning the best in dance & funky at 9pm, free entry. Sat is FIERCE with DJs playing commercial dance/house till 3am. Sun CABARET at 7.30pm: Glam Jam (4), Titti La Camp (11), Lola Lasagne (18) and Drag With No Name (25); TRANNY ROCK & ROLL BINGO with Sally Vate and a rolling jackpot (currently £600 at time of print) follows at 8.30pm.

FOOD: Mon–Sat noon–8pm; Sunday Lunch: roast beef/chicken/veggie noon–7pm, £5.95. Check out the brand new menu with a new range of small plates to share. 2-4-1 deals: all mains on Mon; all gourmet burgers on Tue; all homemade pizzas on Wed. DRINK DEALS: All drinks half price (excl champers, cocktails, not in conjunction with other offers) Mon–Sat from 5–9pm, till 8pm on Thur, on Sun after the show till close.

OPEN: daily from noon. Xmas Bookings: No matter how big or small, pop into Charles Street or call 01273 624091 to check out their range of Xmas parties. www.charles-street.com FUNKYFISH BAR open noon JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR Miss Jason’s Monday Madness 9.30pm; food 12-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open noon POISON IVY Collagen Westwood’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Kamp Kevin’s Mon Madness Karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; open noon YE OLDE BLACK HORSE Cabaret Dinner: 3 courses & Shirley Bassey Tribute; £25pp, bookings essential 01273 300491; open 11am ZONE Tony’s Fun Factory: karaoke, Wii & tunes 6.30pm; open 11am TUESDAY 6 A-BAR bar food noon-7pm; open noon AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 Open Platform Magic Night 8pm; open 11am BAR REVENGE Karaoke Unplugged: DJ Alpha & hostess AJ, win paid gig 8pm; open 12 BEDFORD TAVERN Games Galore; open 12 BULLDOG DJ Lee 10pm; open 11am CHARLES ST food noon-8pm; open noon

112 CHURCH ST open noon DR BRIGHTONS Twisted Tue; open 3pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR food 12-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN Nat’s Quiz 9pm; open 12 POISON IVY Bar 150 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Brenda Snap’s student karaoke, games, candy 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; Mark Hodge’s Piano Bar 8.30pm; open noon REVENGE Supersonic: DJ Trick & Picadilly Boy 10.30pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE gastro dining noon-9pm; open 11am ZONE U Say We Play 7.30pm; open 11am WEDNESDAY 7 A-BAR bar food 12-7pm; Sonia Marmite’s Gay Bingo 9pm; cocktail night; open noon AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 Davina Sparkle’s Cabaret & Quiz 9pm; open 11am BAR REVENGE open noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Midweek Mash-Up: DJ Lee Harris 10pm

ENVY @ CHARLES ST

WORLD AIDS DAY: Sat (1) December is COME TO DADDY for World AIDS Day in aid of Sussex Beacon at 10pm, everyone welcome, entry £5 b4 midnight. Check out www.cometodaddyclub.co.uk for Pride mix podcast.

REGULARS: Thur is MAD COW over two-floors with hostess Miss Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & Leeroy in the bar, commercial dance, DJ Ruby Roo in the club, chart/pop favourites at 8pm, drinks from £1, entry £1 b4 10pm, £2 after. Mon is the STUDIO 150 student night, Mon (5) Guy Fawkes special; singles or bottles for £1.50 all night, entry £1.50.

OPEN: www.charles-street.com BEDFORD TAVERN Buzz Tournament 8.30pm; open noon BRIGHTON SAUNA Bears Night: bears, cubs & their admirers, licensed bar 7pm BULLDOG Red Light Rush: DJ Marcia 9pm; open 11am CHARLES ST food noon-8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST open noon DR BRIGHTONS Cocktail Clinic; open 3pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING Diddly Duncan’s Quiz Night: £50 cash prize 7.30pm; open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR food 12-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open noon POISON IVY Guy’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Candi’s Capers’ karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; open noon SUBLINE Backlash: retro night 9pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE Quiz 8.30pm; gastro dining noon-9pm; open 11am ZONE Reggae Night: DJ Micklos 8.30pm; open 11am THURSDAY 8 A-BAR food 12-5pm; cocktail night; open 12 AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 Bar 123 8pm; open 11am BAR REVENGE Girls On Top Warm-Up: DJ Kelly Lloyd 9pm; open noon BEDFORD TAVERN Thur Social; open 12 BULLDOG Release: DJ Grant Knowles 10pm; open 11am CHARLES ST Mad Cow: 2 floors, hostess Ms Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy in bar, DJ Ruby Roo in club 8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST open noon

DR BRIGHTONS Thirsty Thur; open 3pm ENVY Mad Cow: 2 floors, hostess Ms Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy in bar, DJ Ruby Roo in club 8pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING Jane High’s karaoke 8.30pm; open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR food noon-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open noon POISON IVY Misty Lee’s karaoke 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Karaoke Star 2012: host Pasty Cline, cash/boozy prizes 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; open noon REVENGE Girls On Top v Emergency Room: Level 1 DJs Smithy, Fifilicious, Missy B & Alpha; Box Bar DJs Dulcie Danger & Cheeks Du Rhythm 10.30pm SUBLINE Leathered 9pm VAVAVOOM open 7pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE Strictly Comes To Rottingdean: dance contest heats, £250 prize 9pm; gastro dining noon-9pm; open 11am ZONE Rachel’s Thrifty Thur: karaoke, videos & Wii 8pm; open 11am FRIDAY 9 A-BAR food 12-7pm; Pre-Club; open noon AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 cabaret: Jennie Castelle 8.30pm; open 11am BAR REVENGE Disco Bomb: Alpha DJ 9pm; open noon-6am LEGENDS BAR Friday Night Live with Lady La Rue: 2 floor party, promo boys, free champers for early birds, free bottle of champers for birthdays 9pm; DJ Peter Castle in the club 11pm; food noon-7pm; open 11am

PICS FROM CHURCH STREET + DR BRIGHTONS

36 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

NOVEMBER

KRISSIE DUCANN (2)

TRUDI STYLES AND PIANO MAN (30)

LISTINGS

CHURCH STREET

ONE FOR THE DAIRY: Fri CABARET at 9pm: Krissie DuCann (2), Jason Lee (9), Lola Lasagne (16), Pooh La May (23) and Trudi Styles and Piano Man (30).

FOOD: Richard’s Golden Handbag Award-winning Big Sunday Lunch served from noon. Bookings now being taken for Christmas Day lunch, call 01273 606864.

OPEN: Have you visited the secret beer garden? Perfect for a drink and a smoke!

BEDFORD TAVERN Krazy Kamikaze Karaoke 8.30pm; open noon BULLDOG DJs Simon Blanch/Grant Knowles 10pm; karaoke bar cabaret: All Mouth & No Trousers midnight; open 11am CHARLES ST Fruity Fri Fix: DJ Leeroy 9pm; food noon-7.45pm 112 CHURCH ST cabaret: Jason Lee 9pm; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Funky Fri: DJs Nick Hirst or Wayne 9.30pm; open 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon FUNKYFISH CLUB Thank Funk It’s Fri 10.30pm JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING live band: Murtock Crazy Eyes 8.30pm; open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR Friday Night Live with Lady La Rue: 2 floor party, promo boys, free champers for early birds, free bottle of champers for birthdays 9pm; DJ Peter Castle in the club 11pm; food noon-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open noon POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Camp Attack: DJs Andy B, Kamp Kevin & karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; open 11am REVENGE X Factor Fridays: see contestants live as they leave the show, guaranteed meet & greet, box bar DJ Dulcie Danger 10.30pm SUBLINE Bear Ball: DJ Screwpulous & dancing bears 9pm VAVAVOOM open 7pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE cabaret: Josh Dubovie 9pm; food noon-9pm; open 11am ZONE cabaret: Jannine 9.30pm; open 11am SATURDAY 10 A-BAR food noon-7pm; Pre-Club Music; open noon AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 pre-club with DJ; open 11am BAR REVENGE Kinky Classics: DJ Fifilicious 9pm; open noon-6am

FUNKY FISH

BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fusion: DJ Peter Castle 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN open noon BULLDOG DJ V John 10pm; DJ Lil Alex 3am; karaoke 10pm; open 11am CHARLES ST Fierce: DJs 9pm; food noon7.45pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST open noon DR BRIGHTONS Sexy Sat: DJ Tony B 9.30pm; open 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon FUNKYFISH CLUB Old Skool Sat: DJ Sean Quinn 10pm JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR Pre-Club DJs 7pm; food noon-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open noon POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Auntie Robbie 4.30pm; guest host karaoke 6pm; Sissy & Kemp Kevin’s Sat Night Sin Bin: karaoke, tunes & games 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food noon-6pm REVENGE Kinky Dangerous: Stephanie Starlet & go-go boys host DJs Alex Baker & Trick on level 1 & box bar DJs Dulcie Danger, King K & guests 10.30pm SUBLINE 2nd Birthday Black & Gold Party 9pm VAVAVOOM open 6pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE food noon-9pm; open 11am ZONE cabaret: Sally Vate 9.30pm; open 11am SUNDAY 11 A-BAR Sun lunch 12-till gone; open noon AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 cabaret: Davina Sparkle 8.30pm; open 11am BAR REVENGE Sublime Sun Acoustic Sessions & Karaoke Queens, LouBag & Smithy 8.30pm; Sun roasts noon-7pm; open noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pop!Candy: DJ Claire Fuller 11pm

ONE FOR THE DAIRY: Fri (23) is DIRTY RETRO, London’s funkiest retro club night with DJs playing 60s–80s funky disco grooves & electro rocking retro club classics at 10.30pm, entry £2.

REGULARS: THANK FUNK IT’S FRIDAY with funk/soul/Motown/disco at 10.30pm, free entry. OLD SKOOL SATURDAY is with DJ Sean Quinn at 10pm, entry £5/£6.

OPEN: Funky Fish Bar open daily from noon. www.funkyfishclub.co.uk

DR BRIGHTONS

ONE FOR THE DAIRY: FUNKY FRIDAY with DJs Nick Hirst or Wayne from 9.30pm, free entry. SEXY SATURDAY with DJ Tony B from 9.30pm, free entry.

DRINK DEALS: from Sun–Thur all day and Fri & Sat from 1–7pm: small Smirnoff & mixer £2.85, large £3.85, pints of Fosters £3 and large wine £4. Cocktails are two for £11 from Sun–Thur. Free game of pool with every round of drinks during happy hour.

OPEN: Mon–Thur 3pm–midnight, Fri & Sat 1pm–2am, Sun 1pm–midnight.

Now taking bookings for Xmas parties! www.doctorbrightons.co.uk BEDFORD TAVERN Sun roasts noon-5pm; Piano Bingo 5pm; open noon BULLDOG DJ Grant Knowles 8pm; open 11am CHARLES ST cabaret: Titti La Camp 7.30pm; Tranny Rock & Roll Bingo: Sally Vate & roll over jackpot 8.30pm; Sun lunch noon7pm 112 CHURCH ST Richard’s Sun Roast noon-late; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Hangover Therapy; open 1pm FUN FAIR CLUB BodyShakers: tea dance with DJs Steven Geller, Steve B & guests 6pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING Sophie’s Cheesy Sun 7.30pm; open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR cabaret: Dave Lynn 3.15pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open 1pm POISON IVY Mimbo’s Karaoke; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Super-Duper Sun: Miss Penny 6pm; Miz Kimberley 9.45pm; karaoke; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Sun roast noon-5pm; Jerome’s Remembrance Day-themed Piano Bar 1.30pm; open noon SUBLINE Come in Your Pants: DJ N.U.D.E, underwear party 9pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE cabaret: The Spinettes sing for Remembrance Sunday 5pm; Sun lunch noon-9pm; open 11am ZONE Carrie O’Kay’s karaoke 8.30pm; open 11am MONDAY 12 A-BAR bar food noon-7pm; open noon AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 open 11am BAR REVENGE Quiz with Liz 8.30pm; DJ Picadilly till midnight; open noon BEDFORD TAVERN Recovery; open noon BULLDOG DJ Marcia’s Glitter Ball 9pm; open 11am CHARLES ST food noon-8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST open noon DR BRIGHTONS Medication Mon; open 3pm ENVY Studio 150: NUS night 10.30pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR Drag With No Names Win My Wonga: songs/sketches/chat 9.30pm;

food noon-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open noon POISON IVY Collagen Westwood’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Kamp Kevin’s Mon Madness Karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; open noon YE OLDE BLACK HORSE food noon-9pm; open 11am ZONE Tony’s Fun Factory: karaoke, Wii & tunes 6.30pm; open 11am TUESDAY 13 A-BAR bar food noon-7pm; open noon AQUARIUM open 1pm BAR 56 open 11am BAR REVENGE Karaoke Unplugged: DJ Alpha & hostess AJ, win a paid gig 8pm; open noon BEDFORD TAVERN Games Galore; open noon BULLDOG DJ Lee 10pm; open 11am CHARLES ST food noon-8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST open noon DR BRIGHTONS Twisted Tue; open 3pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR food noon-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN Nat’s Quiz 9pm; open noon POISON IVY Bar 150 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Brenda Snap’s student karaoke, games, candy 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; Mark Hodge’s Piano Bar 8.30pm; open noon REVENGE Supersonic: DJ Trick & Picadilly Boy 10.30pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE food noon-9pm; open 11am ZONE U Say We Play 7.30pm; open 11am WEDNESDAY 14 A-BAR bar food 12-7pm; Sonia Marmite’s Gay Bingo 9pm; cocktail night; open noon AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 Davina Sparkle’s Cabaret & Quiz 9pm; open 11am BAR REVENGE open noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Midweek Mash-Up: DJ Lee Harris 10pm BEDFORD TAVERN Buzz Tournament 8.30pm; open noon

38 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

PICS FROM LEGENDS BAR + BASEMENT CLUB

NOVEMBER

LISTINGS

LEGENDS BAR

ONE FOR THE DAIRY: TWENTY - THE BIRTHDAY BASH (World AIDS Day event) on Sun (2) Dec from 3.30pm Legends celebrate their 20th birthday to coincide with WAD to raise funds for Sussex Beacon featuring Lady Imelda, Lizzy Drip & guests, DJ Claire Fuller, £2.50 selected drinks all day and bubbly throughout the day.

REGULARS: FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE with Lady La Rue on 2 floors at 9pm, DJ Peter Castle, Butlers with Bums promo boys, £1.50 shots all night, free bottle of champers if it’s your birthday. Drag With No Name WIN MY WONGA from Mon (12), songs, sketches & chat at 9.30pm. Pre-Club DJ sounds every Sat from 7pm. Sun CABARET at 3.15pm: Kandi Kane (4), Dave Lynn (11), Sandra (18) and Topping & Butch (25).

FOOD: big chunky pies & proper warming winter food served noon–7pm Mon–Sat. DRINK DEALS: Mon–Thur 5–9pm any spirit & mixer or bottle £2, any pint £2.50.

OPEN: daily from 11am–5am. Heated smoking area, free entry and all day sun-terrace. www.legendsbrighton.com BRIGHTON SAUNA Naked Night, bar 7pm BULLDOG Red Light Rush: DJ Marcia 9pm; open 11am CHARLES ST food noon-8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST open noon DR BRIGHTONS Cocktail Clinic; open 3pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR food 12-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open noon POISON IVY Guy’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Sex, Lies & Video Tape: celebration of 20 years of landlord Andy Feest, hosted by Drag With No Name 9pm; open 12 REGENCY TAVERN food 12-2.30pm & 68.30pm; open noon SUBLINE Backlash: retro night 9pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE Quiz 8.30pm; gastro dining 12-9pm; open 11am ZONE Reggae Night: DJ Micklos 8.30pm; open 11am

THURSDAY 15 A-BAR food 12-5pm; cocktail night; open noon AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 Bar 123 8pm; open 11am BAR REVENGE Girls On Top Warm-Up: DJ Kelly Lloyd 9pm; open noon BEDFORD TAVERN Thur Social; open 12 BULLDOG Release: DJ Grant Knowles 10pm; open 11am CHARLES ST Mad Cow: 2 floors, hostess Ms Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy in bar, DJ Ruby Roo in club 8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST open noon DR BRIGHTONS Thirsty Thur; open 3pm ENVY Mad Cow: 2 floors, hostess Ms Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy in bar, DJ Ruby Roo in club 8pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING Jane High’s karaoke 8.30pm; open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR food 12-7pm; open 11am

LEGENDS BASEMENT CLUB

FREE ENTRY: to the Basement Club every day.

ONE FOR THE DAIRY: Wed is now MIDWEEK MASH-UP with DJ Lee Harris spinning the latest chart tracks/anthems.

REGULARS: FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE with Lady La Rue over 2 floors from 9pm with DJ Peter Castle, Butlers with Bums promo boys, £1.50 shots all night and free bottle of champers if it’s your birthday. Sat is FUSION with DJ Peter Castle, Lee Harris (3), house/chart sounds. Sun is POP!CANDY with DJ Claire Fuller, recent/classic pop.

DRINK DEALS: all night Wed £2 spirit & mixer, £2.50 select bottles, £1 shots ; drinks £1.50 shots Fri; drinks from £2 every Sun (exclusions apply).

OPEN: Fri–Sun 11pm & Wed 10pm. Closed Mon, Tue & Thur. Legends will host your party from £150, call Matt on 01273 624462 for info. www.legendsbrighton.com MARINE TAVERN open noon POISON IVY Misty Lee’s karaoke 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Karaoke Star 2012: host Pasty Cline, cash/boozy prizes 9pm; open 12 REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; open noon REVENGE Girls On Top v Emergency Room: Level 1 DJs Smithy, Fifilicious, Missy B & Alpha; Box Bar DJs Dulcie Danger & Cheeks Du Rhythm 10.30pm SUBLINE Leathered 9pm VAVAVOOM open 7pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE Strictly Comes To Rottingdean: dance contest heats, £250 prize 9pm; gastro dining noon-9pm; open 11am ZONE Rachel’s Thrifty Thur: karaoke, videos & Wii 8pm; open 11am FRIDAY 16 A-BAR food 12-7pm; Pre-Club; open noon AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 cabaret: JP Christian 8.30pm; open 11am

BAR REVENGE Disco Bomb: Alpha DJ 9pm; open noon-6am LEGENDS BAR Friday Night Live with Lady La Rue: 2 floor party, promo boys, free champers for early birds, free bottle of champers for birthdays 9pm; DJ Peter Castle in the club 11pm; food noon-7pm; open 11am BEDFORD TAVERN Krazy Kamikaze Karaoke 8.30pm; open noon BULLDOG DJs Simon Blanch/Grant Knowles 10pm; karaoke bar cabaret: Dave Lynn midnight; open 11am CHARLES ST Fruity Fri Fix: DJ Leeroy 9pm; food noon-7.45pm 112 CHURCH ST cabaret: Lola Lasagne 9pm; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Funky Fri: DJs Nick Hirst or Wayne 9.30pm; open 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon FUNKYFISH CLUB Thank Funk It’s Fri 10.30pm JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING cabaret: Davina Sparkle 8.30pm; open 11.30am

PICS FROM MARINE TAVERN

GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 39

MARINE TAVERN

ONE FOR THE DAIRY: Tue is NAT’S QUIZ at 9pm.

DRINK DEALS: Wed & Thur 7–11pm: pints of Carlsberg & Stowford Press £3, plus buy a single spirit and get the mixer free.

OPEN: Mon–Sat from noon, Sun from 1pm.

LEGENDS BAR Friday Night Live with Lady La Rue: 2 floor party, promo boys, free champers for early birds, free bottle of champers for birthdays 9pm; DJ Peter Castle in the club 11pm; food 12-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open noon POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Camp Attack: DJs Andy B, Kamp Kevin & karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; open 11am REVENGE X Factor Fridays: see contestants live as they leave show,guaranteed meet & greet, DJ Dulcie Danger 10.30pm SUBLINE Bear Ball: DJ Screwpulous & dancing bears 9pm VAVAVOOM open 7pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE cabaret: Karin Bello Godfrey 9pm; gastro dining 12-9pm; open 11am ZONE Miss Jason 9.30pm; open 11am SATURDAY 17 A-BAR food 12-7pm; pre-club Music; open noon AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 pre-club with DJ; open 11am BAR REVENGE Kinky Classics: DJ Fifilicious 9pm; open noon-6am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fusion: DJ Peter Castle 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Tash Dash After Party; open noon BULLDOG DJ V John 10pm; DJ Lil Alex 3am; karaoke 10pm; open 11am CHARLES ST Fierce: DJs on rotation 9pm; food noon-7.45pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST open noon DR BRIGHTONS Sexy Sat: DJ Tony B 9.30pm; open 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon FUNKYFISH CLUB Old Skool Sat: DJ Sean Quinn 10pm JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING cabaret: Scarlette Diamonte 8.30pm; open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR Pre-Club DJs 7pm; food noon-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open noon POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Ben & guests 4.30pm; guest host karaoke 6pm; Sissy & Kemp Kevin’s Sat Night Sin Bin: karaoke, tunes & games 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food noon-6pm; open 11am

REVENGE Kinky Dangerous: Stephanie Starlet, go-go boys host DJs Alex Baker, Trick, Dulcie Danger, King K & guests 10.30pm SUBLINE The Furnace 9pm VAVAVOOM open 6pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE gastro dining noon-9pm; open 11am ZONE cabaret: Collusion 9.30pm; open 11am SUNDAY 18 A-BAR Sun lunch 12-till gone; open 12 AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 cabaret: Connie Conway 8.30pm; open 11am BAR REVENGE Sublime Sun Acoustic Sessions & Karaoke Queens, LouBag & Smithy 8.30pm; Sun roasts noon-7pm; open noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pop!Candy: DJ Claire Fuller 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Sun roasts noon5pm; Piano Bingo 5pm; open noon BULLDOG DJ Grant Knowles 8pm; open 11am CHARLES ST cabaret: Lola Lasagne 7.30pm; Tranny Rock & Roll Bingo: Sally Vate roll over jackpot 8.30pm; Sun lunch 12-7pm 112 CHURCH ST Richard’s Sunday Roast noon-late; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Hangover Therapy; open 1pm FUN FAIR CLUB BodyShakers: tea dance with DJs Steven Geller, Steve B & guests 6pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING Sophie’s Cheesy Sun 7.30pm; open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR cabaret: Sandra 3.15pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open 1pm POISON IVY Mimbo’s Karaoke; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Super-Duper Sun: Peggy Wessex 6pm; Dave Lynn 9.45pm; karaoke; open noon REGENCY TAVERN Sun roast noon-5pm; Jerome’s Piano Bar 1.30pm; open noon SUBLINE Come in Your Pants: DJ N.U.D.E, underwear party 9pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE Drew Edwards 5pm; Sunday lunch 12-9pm; open 11am ZONE Carrie O’Kay’s karaoke 8.30pm; open 11am MONDAY 19 A-BAR bar food noon-7pm; open noon AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 open 11am

42 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

PICS FROM POISON IVY + QUEENS ARMS

NOVEMBER

LISTINGS

QUEENS ARMS

POISON IVY

ONE FOR THE DAIRY: Tue is BAR 150 with extended happy hours.

REGULARS: KARAOKE seven nights a week with £1 shots: Collagen Westwood on Mon; Guy on Wed; Misty Lee on Thur; Betty Swollocks on Fri & Sat; Mimbo on Sun. DRINK DEALS: extended through the week.

OPEN: daily from 11am.

BAR REVENGE Quiz with Liz 8.30pm; DJ Picadilly till midnight; open noon BEDFORD TAVERN Recovery; open noon BULLDOG DJ Marcia’s Glitter Ball 9pm; open 11am CHARLES ST food noon-8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST open noon DR BRIGHTONS Medication Mon; open 3pm ENVY Studio 150: Student night 10.30pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR Drag With No Name Win My Wonga 9.30pm; food 12-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open noon POISON IVY Collagen Westwood’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Kamp Kevin’s Mon Madness Karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; open noon YE OLDE BLACK HORSE gastro dining noon-9pm; open 11am ZONE Tony’s Fun Factory: karaoke, Wii & tunes 6.30pm; open 11am TUESDAY 20 A-BAR bar food noon-7pm; open noon AQUARIUM open 1pm BAR 56 Open Platform Magic Night 8pm; open 11am

BAR REVENGE Karaoke Unplugged: DJ Alpha & hostess AJ 8pm; open noon BEDFORD TAVERN Games Galore; open 12 BULLDOG DJ Lee 10pm; open 11am CHARLES ST food noon-8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST open noon DR BRIGHTONS Twisted Tue; open 3pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR food 12-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN Nat’s Quiz 9pm; open 12 POISON IVY Bar 150 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Brenda Snap’s student karaoke, games, candy 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; Mark Hodge’s Piano Bar 8.30pm; open noon REVENGE Supersonic: DJ Trick & Picadilly Boy 10.30pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE gastro dining noon-9pm; open 11am ZONE U Say We Play 7.30pm; open 11am WEDNESDAY 21 A-BAR bar food 12-7pm; Sonia Marmite’s Gay Bingo 9pm; cocktail night; open noon AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 Davina Sparkle’s Cabaret & Quiz 9pm; open 11am

ONE FOR THE DAIRY: Wed (14) is SEX, LIES & VIDEO TAPE, a Comedy Roast/This Is Your Life-style evening celebrating 20 years of the QA under landlord Andy Feest with laughter, tears and host Drag With No Name at 9pm.

WORLD AIDS DAY: Wed (28) is the World AIDS Day CABARET EXTRAVAGANZA with host Drag With No Name and cabaret performers Dave Lynn, Son of a Tutu, Mary Mac, Mizz Kimberley, Tammy Twinkle, Tanya Hyde, Nicole & Geri Love all raising money for local HIV charities at 9pm, entry £2.

REGULARS: Mon is Kamp Kevin’s MONDAY MADNESS Karaoke with drink deals at 9pm. Tue is Brenda Snap STUDENT KARAOKE with drink deals, games & candy giveaways. Wed is Candi Rell CAPERS’ KARAOKE with drink deals. Thur is the Annual Karaoke Star 2012 with host Pasty Cline; £100 first prize, two £25 drink vouchers for runner-ups, at 9pm. Fri is CAMP ATTACK with DJs Andy B, Kamp Kevin, 60s/70s/80s/90s/00s tunes & karaoke at 9pm. Sat is non-stop entertainment from 4.30pm with: Marina Port & guests (3), Auntie Robbie (10), Q Factor’s Ben & guests (17) and Trudi Styles & Pianoman (24); mystery guest host karaoke starts at 6pm; Sissy & Kamp Kevin SATURDAY SIN BIN with karaoke, dancing & games at 9pm.

Sun is double CABARET at 6pm & 9.45pm: Lola Lasagne & Miss Jason (4), Miss Penny & Mizz Kimberly (11), Peggy Wessex & Dave Lynn (18), Kitty Litter & Maisie Trollette (25); karaoke follows.

OPEN: daily from noon. Early bird tickets for New Year’s Eve are on sale now!

BAR REVENGE open noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Midweek Mash-Up: DJ Lee Harris 10pm BEDFORD TAVERN Buzz Tournament 8.30pm; open noon BRIGHTON SAUNA Underwear Night: licensed bar 7pm BULLDOG Red Light Rush: DJ Marcia 9pm; open 11am CHARLES ST food noon-8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST open noon DR BRIGHTONS Cocktail Clinic; open 3pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING Diddly Duncan’s Quiz Night: £50 cash prize 7.30pm; open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR food 12-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open noon POISON IVY Guy’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Candi’s Capers’ karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; open noon SUBLINE Backlash: retro night 9pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE Quiz 8.30pm; gastro dining noon-9pm; open 11am ZONE Reggae Night: DJ Micklos 8.30pm; open 11am

THURSDAY 22 A-BAR food noon-5pm; cocktail night; open noon AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 Bar 123 8pm; open 11am BAR REVENGE Girls On Top Warm-Up: DJ Kelly Lloyd 9pm; open noon BEDFORD TAVERN Thur Social; open noon BULLDOG Release: DJ Grant Knowles 10pm; open 11am CHARLES ST Mad Cow: 2 floors, hostess Ms Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy in bar, DJ Ruby Roo in club 8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST open noon DR BRIGHTONS Thirsty Thur; open 3pm ENVY Mad Cow: 2 floors, hostess Ms Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy in bar, DJ Ruby Roo in club 8pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING Jane High’s karaoke 8.30pm; open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR food noon-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open noon POISON IVY Misty Lee’s karaoke 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Karaoke Star 2012: host Pasty Cline, cash/boozy prizes 9pm; open 12

44 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

PICS FROM BAR REVENGE + REVENGE

NOVEMBER

LISTINGS

BAR REVENGE

ONE FOR THE DAIRY: Tue is KARAOKE UNPLUGGED with DJ Alpha & AJ; perform with an instrument or a backing track and win a paid gig at the Sunday Acoustic Sessions.

REGULARS: Thur is Girls on Top Official Warm-Up with DJ Kelly L playing pop and chart at 9pm. Fri is DISCO BOMB with Alpha DJ playing r&b/pop/party tunes at 9pm.

Sat is KINKY CLASSICS with DJ Fifilicious playing the best pop tracks from the past five years. SUBLIME SUNDAY with Acoustic Sessions and Karaoke Queens with Smithy & Lou Bag at 8.30pm. Mon is QUIZ WITH LIZ with cash and boozy prizes at 8.30pm followed by DJ Piccadilly till midnight.

FOOD: Sunday roasts £6.95 served noon–7pm.

DRINK DEALS: all day Mon–Wed all drinks (exc champagne/cocktails/doubles) from £1.99; £1.50 from 7pm on Thur; from £2.49 Fri–Sun; 2-4-1 cocktails 5–9pm Mon–Sat. OPEN: daily from noon–2am & till 6am on Fri & Sat. Revenge discount passes: Thur b4 11.30pm, Fri & Sat b4 midnight. www.revenge.co.uk QUEENS HOTEL Dine with the Stars for Sussex Beacon: cabaret Maisie Trollette, Krissie Du Cann, Dave Lynn, Lady James, Pooh La May, Davina Sparkle, Jamie Watson, Sally Vate, Lola Lasagne, drinks & canapes reception 7pm; tickets £25pp, all proceeds to Sussex Beacon, bookings essential 01273 321 222 REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; open noon REVENGE Girls On Top v Emergency Room: Level 1 DJs Smithy, Fifilicious, Missy B & Alpha; Box Bar DJs Dulcie Danger & Cheeks Du Rhythm 10.30pm SUBLINE Leathered 9pm VAVAVOOM open 7pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE Strictly Comes To Rottingdean: dance contest heats, £250 prize 9pm; gastro dining 12-9pm; open 11am ZONE Rachel’s Thrifty Thur: karaoke, videos & Wii 8pm; open 11am FRIDAY 23 A-BAR food 12-7pm; Pre-Club tunes; open noon AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 cabaret: Phil Lawrence 8.30pm; open 11am BAR REVENGE Disco Bomb: Alpha DJ 9pm; open noon-6am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Friday Night Live with LaRue: 2 floor party with Lady La Rue, then DJ Peter Castle in the club 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Krazy Kamikaze Karaoke 8.30pm; open noon

BULLDOG DJs Simon Blanch/Grant Knowles 10pm; karaoke bar cabaret: Maisie Trollette midnight; open 11am CHARLES ST Fruity Fri Fix: DJ Leeroy 9pm; food noon-7.45pm 112 CHURCH ST cabaret: Pooh La May 9pm; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Funky Fri: DJs Nick Hirst or Wayne 9.30pm; open 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon FUNKYFISH CLUB Dirty Retro: DJs 10.30pm JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR Friday Night Live with Lady La Rue: 2 floor party, promo boys, free champers for early birds, free bottle of champers for birthdays 9pm; DJ Peter Castle in club 11pm; food noon-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open noon POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Camp Attack: DJs Andy B, Kamp Kevin & karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; open 11am REVENGE X Factor Fridays: see contestants live as they leave show, guaranteed meet & greet, DJ Dulcie Danger 10.30pm SUBLINE Bear Ball: DJ Screwpulous & dancing bears 9pm VAVAVOOM open 7pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE Benji O’s dance night 9pm; gastro dining 12-9pm; open 11am

REVENGE

ONE FOR THE DAIRY: Thur (1) is Fangtastic Freakshow: The GIRLS ON TOP Halloween Party with 2 floors of spooky tunes courtesy of DJs Smithy, Fifilicious, Missy B & Alpha; plus DJs Dulcie Danger & Cheeky Du Rhythum play house anthems/future classics in the box bar, entry free with a pass, otherwise £4/£3 NUS. WORLD AIDS DAY: Sat (1) December is the KINKY DANGEROUS World AIDS Day Fundraiser for THT & The Sussex Beacon with Stephanie Starlet & her go-go boys, pyrotechnics, level 1 DJs Alex Baker & Trick, current/past charts; box bar DJs Dulcie Danger, King K & guests, uplifting funky house, all drinks £2.50 (exc doubles & champers) & £2 Jagerbombs b4 12, entry free b4 11pm/£4 b4 12 with pass, £4 b4 11pm, £6 b4 12, £8 after, £3 NUS all night, VIP card-holders free b4 12.

REGULARS: X FACTOR FRIDAYS see the contestants perform exclusive live set as they are voted off the show, guaranteed meet & greet; DJ Dulcie Danger plays classic tunes from the 90s–00s in the box bar, entry TBC. Sat is KINKY DANGEROUS hosted

by Stephanie Starlet & go-go boys, pyrotechnics, level 1 DJs Alex Baker & Trick, current/past charts; box bar DJs Dulcie Danger, King K & guests, uplifting funky house, all drinks £2.50 (exc doubles & champers) & £2 Jagerbombs b4 12, entry free b4 11pm/£4 b4 12 with pass, or £4 b4 11pm, £6 b4 12, £8 after, £3 NUS all night, VIP card-holders free b4 12. Tue is SUPERSONIC with DJs Trick & Picadilly Boy, pop/indie/urban, entry £2 NUS, £3 others, free b4 12 with pass. Thur is GIRLS ON TOP V EMERGENCY ROOM level 1 DJs Smithy, Fifilicious, Alpha & Missy B, chart/pop/trash/r&b/party tunes; box bar DJs Dulcie Danger & Cheeks Du Rhythm, house anthems/future classics, drinks from £1.50, entry free with pass, £4/£3 NUS. OPEN: 10.30pm on Tue/Thur/Fri/Sat. (Closed Sun/Mon/Wed). Passes available all week from Bar Revenge! www.revenge.co.uk ZONE cabaret: Back Beat 9.30pm; open 11am SATURDAY 24 A-BAR food noon-7pm; Pre-Club Music; open noon AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 pre-club with DJ; open 11am BAR REVENGE Kinky Classics: DJ Fifilicious 9pm; open noon-6am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fusion: DJ Peter Castle 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN open noon BULLDOG DJ V John 10pm; DJ Lil Alex 3am; karaoke 10pm; open 11am CHARLES ST Winter Wonderland White Party: DJ Lil Alex, hostess Queen Bond, ice & snow decor, prizes for best white costumes 9pm; food noon-7.45pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST open noon DR BRIGHTONS Sexy Sat: DJ Tony B 9.30pm; open 1pm

FUNKYFISH BAR open noon FUNKYFISH CLUB Old Skool Sat: DJ Sean Quinn 10pm JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING cabaret: Wilma Fingerdoo 8.30pm; open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR Pre-Club DJs 7pm; food noon-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open noon POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 3pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS cabaret: Trudi Styles & the Pianoman 4.30pm; guest host karaoke 6pm; Sissy & Kemp Kevin’s Sat Night Sin Bin: karaoke, tunes & games 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food 12-6pm; open 11am REVENGE Kinky Dangerous: Stephanie Starlet & go-go boys host DJs Alex Baker & Trick on level 1 & box bar DJs Dulcie Danger, King K & guests 10.30pm SUBLINE The Furnace 9pm VAVAVOOM open 6pm

GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 45

I YE OLDE BLACK HORSE gastro dining noon-9pm; open 11am I ZONE Sally Vate 9.30pm; open 11am SUNDAY 25 I A-BAR Sun lunch 12-till gone; open 12 I AQUARIUM open 3pm I BAR 56 World AIDS Day Cabaret Fundraiser for Sussex Beacon: Jamie Watson, Fonda Cox, Mark Inscoe, Krissie DuCann, Benji Official, Jennie Castelle, Jason Lee Howlett, Jacqui Cann, Tammy Twinkle, PJ, Tom Atkinson Jnr, Davina Sparkle, Kitty Monroe, Sophie Causebrook, Maisie Trollette, Pooh La May & many more, 5pm; open 11am I BAR REVENGE Sublime Sun Acoustic Sessions & Karaoke Queens, LouBag & Smithy 8.30pm; Sun roasts noon-7pm; open noon I BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Pop!Candy: DJ Claire Fuller 11pm I BEDFORD TAVERN Sun roasts noon5pm; Piano Bingo 5pm; open noon I BULLDOG DJ Grant Knowles 8pm; open 11am I CHARLES ST cabaret: Drag With No Name 7.30pm; Tranny Rock & Roll Bingo: Sally Vate roll over jackpot 8.30pm; Sun lunch 12-7pm I 112 CHURCH ST Richard’s Sun Roast noon-late; open noon I DR BRIGHTONS Hangover Therapy; open 1pm I FUN FAIR CLUB BodyShakers: tea dance with DJs Steven Geller, Steve B & guests 6pm

46 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

PICS FROM REGENCY TAVERN + SUBLINE

NOVEMBER

LISTINGS

REGENCY TAVERN

ONE FOR THE DAIRY: Sun (11) is a REMEMBRANCE DAY special, Sunday roasts served rom noon–5pm accompanied by Jerome on the piano at 1.30pm.

REGULARS: Sunday roasts accompanied by Jerome (4, 11 & 18) & Patrick (25) at the piano at 1.30pm. Tue is Mark Hodge’s Piano Bar at 8.30pm.

FOOD: Mon–Fri noon–2.30pm & 6–8.30pm; Sat noon–6pm; Sunday roasts served noon–5pm. Now taking bookings for Xmas Parties and Xmas Day Lunch, for more details visit www.regencytavern.co.uk or call Paul 01273 325 652.

OPEN: Mon–Thur noon–11pm; Fri & Sat 11am–midnight; Sun noon–11pm.

FUNKYFISH BAR open noon JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING Sophie’s Cheesy Sun 7.30pm; open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR cabaret: Topping & Butch 3.15pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open 1pm POISON IVY Mimbo’s Karaoke; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Super-Duper Sun: Kitty Litter 6pm; Maisie Trollette 9.45pm; karaoke; open noon QUEENS HOTEL Lady James’s 3 course cabaret dinner 3pm; £19.95pp, bookings essential 01273 321 222 REGENCY TAVERN Sun roast noon-5pm; Patrick’s Piano Bar 1.30pm; open noon SUBLINE Pyjama Party: DJs 9pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE cabaret: Sophia Ripley 5pm; Sun lunch gastro dining noon9pm; open 11am ZONE Carrie O’Kay’s karaoke 8.30pm; open 11am MONDAY 26 A-BAR bar food noon-7pm; open noon AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 open 11am BAR REVENGE Quiz with Liz 8.30pm; DJ Picadilly till midnight; open noon BEDFORD TAVERN Recovery; open noon BULLDOG DJ Marcia’s Glitter Ball 9pm; open 11am CHARLES ST food noon-8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST open noon DR BRIGHTONS Medication Mon; open 3pm

ENVY Studio 150: student night 10.30pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR Drag With No Names Win My Wonga: songs/sketches/chat 9.30pm; food noon-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open noon POISON IVY Collagen Westwood’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Kamp Kevin’s Mon Madness Karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food 12-2.30pm & 68.30pm; open noon YE OLDE BLACK HORSE gastro dining 12-9pm; open 11am ZONE Tony’s Fun Factory: karaoke, Wii & tunes 6.30pm; open 11am TUESDAY 27 A-BAR bar food noon-7pm; open noon AQUARIUM open 1pm BAR 56 open 11am BAR REVENGE Karaoke Unplugged: DJ Alpha & hostess AJ 8pm; open noon BEDFORD TAVERN Games Galore; open 12 BULLDOG Reggae Night: DJ Micklos 9pm; open 11am CHARLES ST food noon-8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST open noon DR BRIGHTONS Twisted Tue; open 3pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING open 11.30am

SUBLINE

ONE FOR THE DAIRY: Sat (10) is Subline’s 2nd Birthday BLACK & GOLD PARTY with DJs. WORLD AIDS DAY: Sat (1) December is ROUGE, a World AIDS Day Fundraiser for THT, regular entry prices.

REGULARS: Wed is BACKLASH retro tunes and prices, selected drinks £2.80 all night for members. Thur is LEATHERED with free lockers. Fri is BEAR BALL with DJ Screwpulous, dancing bears, £2.80 drinks, entry free for members till 11pm, £3 after.

Sat is THE FURNACE with £2.80 drinks, free entry for members till 11pm, £3 after.

Sun is COME IN YOUR PANTS underwear party with DJ N.U.D.E. Sun (25) is the PYJAMA PARTY. DRINK DEALS: Wed select drinks £2.80 all night for members; Fri & Sat £2.80 drinks.

OPEN: Fri & Sat from 9pm–4am, Sun from 8pm–2am, Wed & Thur from 9pm–1.30am. (Closed Mon & Tue). www.subline-brighton.com LEGENDS BAR food noon-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN Nat’s Quiz 9pm; open noon POISON IVY Bar 150 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Brenda Snap’s student karaoke, games, candy 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food 12-2.30pm & 68.30pm; Mark Hodge’s Piano Bar 8.30pm REVENGE Supersonic: DJ Trick & Picadilly Boy 10.30pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE gastro dining noon-9pm; open 11am ZONE U Say We Play 7.30pm; open 11am

WEDNESDAY 28 A-BAR bar food 12-7pm; Sonia Marmite’s Gay Bingo 9pm; cocktail night; open noon AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 Davina Sparkle’s Cabaret & Quiz 9pm; open 11am BAR REVENGE open noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Midweek Mash-Up: DJ Lee Harris 10pm BEDFORD TAVERN Buzz Tournament 8.30pm; open noon BRIGHTON SAUNA Naked Night:, bar 7pm BULLDOG Red Light Rush: DJ Marcia 9pm; open 11am CHARLES ST food noon-8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST open noon DR BRIGHTONS Cocktail Clinic; open 3pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR food 12-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open noon POISON IVY Guy’s Karaoke 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS World AIDS Day Cabaret Extravaganza: host Drag With No Name & cabaret Dave Lynn, Son of a Tutu, Mary Mac, Mzz Kimberley, Tammy Twinkle, Tanya Hyde, Nicole & Geri Love raising money for local HIV charities 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; open noon SUBLINE Backlash: retro night 9pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE Quiz 8.30pm; gastro dining noon-9pm; open 11am ZONE Reggae Night: DJ Micklos 8.30pm; open 11am

PICS FROM WILD FRUIT, YE OLDE BLACK HORSE + ZONE

48 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

NOVEMBER

JONNY M

HOXTON WHORES

LISTINGS

ZONE

ONE FOR THE DAIRY: Wed is REGGAE NIGHT with DJ Micklos at 8.30pm.

REGULARS: Thur is Rachel’s THRIFTY THURSDAY with happy hours, Wii, karaoke, videos and more from 8pm. Fri CABARET at 9.30pm: Gilly Bee (2), Jannine (9), Miss Jason (16), Back Beat (23) and John Paul Christian (30). Sat CABARET at 9.30pm: Sally Vate (3, 10 & 24) and Collusion (17). Sun is Carrie O’Kay’s KARAOKE at 8.30pm. Sun (4) is cabaret with Lucinda Lashes at 9pm.

OPEN: daily from 11am.

REBEL @ THE HAUNT

AFTERHOURS: REBEL celebrates its 7th birthday at 4am on Sun (2) December, immediately after the Wild Fruit Red Party with DJs Jonny M, Fat Tony, Lee Harris & special guests.

THURSDAY 29 A-BAR food 12-5pm; cocktail night; open 12 AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 Bar 123 8pm; open 11am BAR REVENGE Girls On Top Warm-Up: DJ Kelly Lloyd 9pm; open noon BEDFORD TAVERN Thur Social; open 12 BULLDOG Release: DJ Grant Knowles 10pm; open 11am CHARLES ST Mad Cow: 2 floors, hostess Ms Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy in bar, DJ Ruby Roo in club 8pm; open noon 112 CHURCH ST open noon DR BRIGHTONS Thirsty Thur; open 3pm ENVY Mad Cow: 2 floors, hostess Ms Joan Bond, DJs Lil Alex & LeeRoy in bar, DJ Ruby Roo in club 8pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING Jane High’s karaoke 8.30pm; open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR food 12-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open noon POISON IVY Misty Lee’s karaoke 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Karaoke Star 2012: host Pasty Cline, cash/boozy prizes 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; open noon REVENGE Girls On Top v Emergency Room: Level 1 DJs Smithy, Fifilicious, Missy B & Alpha; Box Bar DJs Dulcie Danger & Cheeks Du Rhythm 10.30pm SUBLINE Leathered 9pm VAVAVOOM open 7pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE Strictly Comes To Rottingdean: dance contest heats, £250 prize 9pm; gastro dining noon-9pm; open 11am

ZONE Rachel’s Thrifty Thur: karaoke, videos & Wii 8pm; open 11am FRIDAY 30 A-BAR food noon-7pm; Pre-Club tunes; open noon AQUARIUM open 3pm BAR 56 cabaret: Fonda Cox 8.30pm; open 11am BAR REVENGE Disco Bomb: Alpha DJ 9pm; open noon-6am BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Friday Night Live with LaRue: 2 floor party with Lady La Rue, then DJ Peter Castle in the club 11pm BEDFORD TAVERN Krazy Kamikaze Karaoke 8.30pm; open noon BULLDOG DJs Simon Blanch/Grant Knowles 10pm; karaoke bar cabaret midnight; open 11am CHARLES ST Fruity Fri Fix: DJ Leeroy 9pm; food noon-7.45pm 112 CHURCH ST cabaret: Trudi Styles & The Piano Man 9pm; open noon DR BRIGHTONS Funky Fri: DJs Nick Hirst or Wayne 9.30pm; open 1pm FUNKYFISH BAR open noon FUNKYFISH CLUB Thank Funk It’s Fri 10.30pm JOLLY BREWERS@WORTHING Taverner Motown Night 8.30pm; open 11.30am LEGENDS BAR Friday Night Live with Lady La Rue: 2 floor party, promo boys, free champers for early birds, free bottle of champers for birthdays 9pm; DJ Peter Castle in the club 11pm; food noon-7pm; open 11am MARINE TAVERN open noon

SATURDAY 1 DEC A-BAR Honey Hush & World AIDS Day Fundraiser: r&b/rockabilly night, DJs Lonesome M & guests 9pm; food noon-7pm; open noon BASEMENT CLUB@LEGENDS Fusion: DJ Peter Castle 11pm ENVY Come To Daddy World AIDS Day Special in aid of Sussex Beacon: DJs, all welcome 10pm

LEGENDS BAR Pre-Club DJs 7pm; food noon-7pm; open 11am REVENGE Kinky Dangerous World AIDS Day Fundraiser for THT & Sussex Beacon: Stephanie Starlet & go-go boys host DJs Alex Baker & Trick on level 1 & box bar DJs Dulcie Danger, King K & guests 10.30pm SUBLINE Rouge World AIDS Day Fundraiser for THT: DJs 9pm WILD FRUIT@HONEY CLUB 20th Annual Red Party for World AIDS Day: DJs Hoxton Whores, Fat Tony, Mr Haywood, Affy & Ali, Kate Wildblood & Queen Josephine; hosts Marnie Scarlet, Dolly Rocket, Chrissy Darling & many more 10pm SUNDAY 2 DEC LEGENDS BAR Twenty - The Birthday Bash: a World AIDS Day event celebrating 20 years of Legends & raising funds for Sussex Beacon: Lady Imelda, Lizzy Drip, DJ Claire Fuller & many more 3.30pm; £2.50 select drinks all day, bubbly throughout the day REBEL AFTERHOURS@THE HAUNT Wild Fruit’s Rebel 7th Birthday Celebration: DJs Jonny M, Fat Tony, Lee Harris & special guests 4am

SPINETTES SUN 11

WORLD AIDS DAY: Paint the town red on Sat (1) December at the 20th Annual RED PARTY Fundraiser for World AIDS Day featuring DJs Hoxton Whores, Fat Tony, Mr Haywood, Affy & Ali, Kate Wildblood, Queen Josephine; plus hostesses Marnie Scarlet, Dolly Rocket, Chrissy Darling and many more at 10pm.

All profits after costs, but a guaranteed £1 ring fence from each paying customer.

Limited tickets £8 in advance from Prowler or online at www.wildfruit.co.uk.

SOPHIA RIPLEY SUN 25

WILD FRUIT @ HONEY CLUB

POISON IVY Betty Swollocks’ Karaoke 7pm; open 11am QUEEN’S ARMS Camp Attack: DJs Andy B, Kamp Kevin & karaoke 9pm; open noon REGENCY TAVERN food noon-2.30pm & 6-8.30pm; open 11am REVENGE X Factor Fridays: see contestants live as they leave the show, guaranteed meet & greet + box bar DJ Dulcie Danger 10.30pm SUBLINE Bear Ball: DJ Screwpulous & dancing bears 9pm VAVAVOOM open 7pm YE OLDE BLACK HORSE cabaret: Abbalicious for John’s Birthday 9pm; gastro dining noon-9pm; open 11am ZONE cabaret: John Paul Christian 9.30pm; open 11am

YE OLDE BLACK HORSE

ONE FOR THE DAIRY: Mon (5) is CABARET DINNER with a Shirley Bassey Tribute and 3-course dinner for £25pp, bookings essential 01273 300 491.

REGULARS: Thur is the heats of STRICTLY COMES TO ROTTINGDEAN, a dance contest with judges and a £250 prize for the overall winner at 9pm. Fri entertainment from 9pm: Steve Leppard (2), Josh Dubovie (9), Karin ‘Bello’ Godfrey (16), Benji O’s Dance Night, high energy 60s–90s tunes (23) and Abbalicious for Paul’s birthday (30). Sun at 5pm: Saucy Sophie (4), The Spinettes 3 piece harmony group sing songs from a bygone era for Remembrance Sunday (11), Drew Edwards (18) and Sophia Ripley (25).

Wed is QUIZ NIGHT at 8.30pm with an accumulator jackpot.

FOOD: gastro dining Mon–Sat noon–9pm; Sun roasts & gastro dining noon–9pm.

OPEN: daily from noon–12.30am.

GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 49

PICS FROM THE EDGE, SOUTHAMPTON

50 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

SOLENT & BOURNEMOUTH BOURNEMOUTH

BAKERS ARMS 77-79 Commercial Rd, BH2 5RT, Tel: 01202 555506 BAR VENTANA at CUMBERLAND HOTEL East Overcliff Dr, BH1 3AF, Tel: 01202 556529 www.cumberlandbournemouth.co.uk BRANKSOME ARMS 152-154 Commercial Rd, BH2 5LU, Tel: 01202 292254 CUMBERLAND HOTEL East Overcliff Drive, BH1 3AF, Tel: 01202 290722 www.cumberlandbournemouth.co.uk DYMK 31 Poole Hill, BH2 5PW, www.dymk-bar.com SAUNABAR 140 Commercial Rd, BH2 5LU, Tel: 01202 552654 www.gaysaunabournemouth.co.uk 2930 THE TRIANGLE CLUB 29-30 The Triangle, BH2 5SE, Tel: 0845 496 2934 www.2930thetriangle.com EASY TIGER 27 The Triangle, BH2 5SE; open: Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-6.30pm, Sun 11am-5pm. Tel: 01202 554195 www.easytigerstore.com XCHANGE 4 The Triangle, BH2 5RY, Tel: 01202 294321

PORTSMOUTH

HAMPSHIRE BOULEVARD 1 Hampshire Terr, Southsea, Tel: 02392 297509 www.thehampshireboulevard.co.uk Open: Mon: 3pm-11pm, Tue: noon-1am, WedThur: noon-2am, Fri-Sat: noon-3am, Sun: noon-2am, cabaret bar and club

OLD VIC 104 St Pauls Rd, Southsea Tel: 02392 297013 www.oldvicportsmouth.co.uk Open: Mon-Fri: 11am till late, Sat: 5pm-late, Sun: noon-12,30am. Tradition pub with regular cabaret, serves food.

TROPICS SAUNA 2 Market Way Tel: 02380 296100 www.tropics-sauna.com Open: Mon-Wed: 12-8pm, Thur-Sat: 11am9pm

SOUTHAMPTON

ISOBAR 100c St Mary’s Street Tel: 02380 222028 Open: Sun-Tue: 2pm-11pm, Wed-Sat: 2pmmidnight. Modern bar, outside decked garden area, popular with younger crowd.

LONDON HOTEL 2 Terminus Terrace Tel: 02380 710652 www.the-london.co.uk Open: Mon-Thur: noon-11pm, Fri-Sat: noon12.30am, Sun: noon-11.30am. Friendly cabaret venue, serves food.

EDGE Compton Walk Tel: 02380 366163 www.theedgesouthampton.com Open: Tue-Fri & Sun: 9pm-3am, Sat: 9pm5am. Stylish club on 2 floors with 3 bars. Party till 5am on a Saturday night - last entry at 3am.

PINK BROADWAY SAUNA 797/80 East St Tel: 02380 238804 www.pink-broadway.com/sauna.html Open: Sun-Thur: noon-10pm, Fri-Sat: noon2am

EDGE SOUTHAMPTON

ONE FOR THE DIARY: Wed (14) is BAR 150 MILITARY PARTY with DJ Lady Bex & Cheeky Pete’s karaoke, all drinks £1.50, dress code: army/navy/airforce, entry free/£2 b4 10pm, £4/£6 after.

WORLD AIDS DAY: Sun (2) Dec is the STAFF SLAVE AUCTION with proceeds going to GCHS, buy your favourite staff member at 10pm.

REGULARS: Sun is WE ARE 1 with DJ Adam Foster, £1 drinks, £50 cash prize, entry free b4 10.30pm, £2/£4 after. Tue is BOMB IT! with 3-4-2 Jagerbombs, free video jukebox & entry. Wed is BAR 150 with DJ Lady Bex & Cheeky Pete’s Karaoke, £1.50 drinks, entry free/£2 before 10pm, £4/£6 after. Thur is GREW UP IN THE 90s with DJ Neil Sackley, 90s tunes/drinks, free entry. Fri is GET SOME with DJs Lady Bex, Lohands & Rob Davis, £1 b4 10.30pm, mems/NUS £4 after, guests £5 b4 12, £6 after.

Sat is THE BIG ONE resident/guest DJs plus Lee Harris (17), 2 dance floors, 3 bars, free mems b4 11pm, £3 after; guests £3 b4 11pm, £5 b4 1am, £6 after; NUS £3 all night.

OPEN: Sun, Tue & Thur 10pm, Wed, Fri & Sat 9pm. Closed Mon. www.theedgesouthampton.com

THURSDAY 1 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Westie’s karaoke till 2am OLD VIC karaoke 8pm; food noon-5pm SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Grew Up In The 90s: DJ Neil Sackley 10pm LONDON HOTEL Karaoke Cruising: Pat Cruise 9.30pm; food noon-3pm; open noon FRIDAY 2 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Fire & Ice HB’s 10th Birthday Weekend: hosts Sally Vate & Wilma Fingadoo, DJ Grant Knowles till 5am OLD VIC food noon-5pm; party till 2am SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Get Some: DJs Lady Bex, Lohands & Rob Davis 9pm LONDON HOTEL cabaret: Miss Jason 10pm; food noon-3pm SATURDAY 3 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD 10th Birthday Weekend: angle grinders, fire eaters, stilt walkers & DJs Ruby Roo & Divine Diva till 5am OLD VIC food noon-5pm; DJs all night SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Big One: DJs, 2 dancefloors, 3 bars 9pm LONDON HOTEL DJ Neil Sackley’s Guilty Pleasures 8.30pm; open noon; food noon-3pm SUNDAY 4 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: Sunday Lunch 12.30-2.30pm & 7-9pm; open 9am

DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD cabaret: Danny De Queen 11pm; Westie’s karaoke till 2am OLD VIC cabaret: Lola Lasagne 8.30pm; Sun lunch 1-5pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON EDGE We Are 1: DJ Adam Foster, win £50 10pm LONDON HOTEL Dolly Partem’s Sunday Service 8pm; James McDonald 9.30pm; Sun lunch noon3pm; open noon MONDAY 5 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Xtream Mon: DJ Grant Knowles till 2am OLD VIC food noon-5pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON LONDON HOTEL chillout; food noon-3pm; open noon TUESDAY 6 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD vid lounge till 2am OLD VIC Quiz: cash prizes 8pm; food 12-5pm SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Bomb It!: video jukebox 10pm LONDON HOTEL chillout; food noon-3pm; open noon WEDNESDAY 7 BOURNEMOUTH CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH HAMPSHIRE BLVD Forces Night: all invited till 2am OLD VIC NUS night 7pm; food 12-5pm SOUTHAMPTON EDGE Bar 150: DJ Lady Bex & Cheeky Pete’s karaoke 9pm

PICS FROM THE LONDON HOTEL PINK BALL, SOUTHAMPTON

LONDON HOTEL SOUTHAMPTON

I ONE FOR THE DIARY: Fri CABARET at 10pm: Miss Jason (2), Karen Dalton (9), Ms Pat Cruise (16), Sandra (23) and DJ Ruby Roo & Davina Sparkle (30).

I WORLD AIDS DAY: Sun (2) Dec is the WORLD AIDS DAY FUNDRAISER with host Lola Lasagne and cabaret performers Chrissie Edkins, Benji, Lucinda Lashes, Lady LaRue, Cassidy Connors, Drag With No Name at 7pm, entry £5 with all proceeds going to local HIV charities.

I REGULARS: Wed (7) is monthly QUIZ NIGHT at 8.30pm with landlady David, cash prizes. I Thur is Pat Cruise’s KARAOKE CRUISING at 9.30pm. I Sat is PARTY TIME from 8.30pm with DJs & vocalists: Neil Sackley & His Guilty Pleasures (3 & 10), Dazza & His Guilty Pleasures (17), Tiny & Jacquii Cann (24). I Dolly Partem’s SUNDAY SERVICE from 8pm, cabaret follows from 9.30pm: James McDonald (4), Son of a Tutu (11), Wilma Fingerdo (18) and Dave Lynn (25).

I FOOD: traditional pub food served Mon–Sun from noon–3pm.

I OPEN: daily from noon, Chill out in one of the brand new lounge areas.

I www.the-london.co.uk I LONDON HOTEL David’s Quiz: cash prizes 8.30pm; food noon-3pm; open noon THURSDAY 8 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Westie’s karaoke till 2am I OLD VIC karaoke 8pm; food noon-5pm SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Grew Up In The 90s: DJ Neil Sackley 10pm I LONDON HOTEL Karaoke Cruising: Pat Cruise 9.30pm; food noon-3pm; open noon FRIDAY 9 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Emergency Services Party: DJ Tim Sandford, host Sally Vate till 3am I OLD VIC food noon-5pm; party till 2am SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Get Some: DJs Lady Bex, Lohands & Rob Davis 9pm I LONDON HOTEL cabaret: Karen Dalton 10pm; food noon-3pm SATURDAY 10 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Hot Eye Candy: host Divine Diva & DJ till 3am I OLD VIC food 12-5pm; Bears Night: DJs 8pm

SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE The Big One: DJs, 2 dancefloors, 3 bars 9pm I LONDON HOTEL DJ Neil Sackley & His Guilty Pleasures 8.30pm; open noon; food noon-3pm SUNDAY 11 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: Sun Lunch 12.30-2.30pm & 7-9pm; open 9am I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD cabaret: Cookie 11pm; Westie’s karaoke till 2am I OLD VIC cabaret: Rose Garden 8.30pm; Sun lunch 1-5pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE We Are 1: DJ Adam Foster, win £50 10pm I LONDON HOTEL Dolly Partem’s Sunday Service 8pm; Son of a Tutu 9.30pm; Sun lunch noon-3pm; open noon MONDAY 12 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Xtream Mon: DJ Tim Sandford till 2am I OLD VIC food noon-5pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON I LONDON HOTEL chillout; food noon-3pm; open noon TUESDAY 13 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am

GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 51

PICS FROM HAMPSHIRE BOULEVARD, PORTSMOUTH

52 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

SOLENT & BOURNEMOUTH I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD vid lounge till 2am I OLD VIC Quiz: cash prizes 8pm; food 12-5pm SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Bomb It!: video jukebox 10pm I LONDON HOTEL chillout; food noon-3pm; open noon WEDNESDAY 14 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Forces Night: all invited till 2am I OLD VIC NUS night 7pm; food 12-5pm SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Bar 150 Military Party: DJ Lady Bex, Cheeky Pete’s karaoke, army/navy/airforce dresscode 9pm I LONDON HOTEL chillout; food noon-3pm; open noon THURSDAY 15 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Westie’s karaoke till 2am I OLD VIC karaoke 8pm; food noon-5pm SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Grew Up In The 90s: DJ Neil Sackley 10pm I LONDON HOTEL Karaoke Cruising: Pat Cruise 9.30pm; food noon-3pm; open noon FRIDAY 16 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD UV & Bubble Party: DJ Grant Knowles, host Sally Vate till 3am I OLD VIC food noon-5pm; party till 2am SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Get Some: DJs Lady Bex, Lohands & Rob Davis 9pm I LONDON HOTEL cabaret: Pat Cruise 10pm; food noon-3pm SATURDAY 17 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Hot Eye Candy: host Divine Diva & DJ till 3am I OLD VIC food noon-5pm; DJs all night SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE The Big One: DJ Lee Harris, 2 dancefloors, 3 bars 9pm I LONDON HOTEL DJ Dazza’s Guilty Pleasures 10pm; food noon-3pm; open noon SUNDAY 18 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: Sun Lunch 12.30-2.30pm & 7-9pm I DYMK open noon PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD cabaret: Thunderpussy 11pm; Westie’s karaoke till 2am I OLD VIC cabaret: James Bedford 8.30pm; Sun lunch 1-5pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE We Are 1: DJ Adam Foster, win £50 10pm I LONDON HOTEL Dolly Partem’s Sunday Service 8pm; Wilma Fingerdo 9.30pm; Sun lunch noon3pm; open noon

MONDAY 19 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Xtream Mon: DJ Grant Knowles till 2am I OLD VIC food noon-5pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON I LONDON HOTEL chillout; food noon-3pm; open noon TUESDAY 20 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD vid lounge till 2am I OLD VIC Quiz: cash prizes 8pm; food noon5pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Bomb It!: video jukebox 10pm I LONDON HOTEL chillout; food noon-3pm; open noon WEDNESDAY 21 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Forces Night: all invited till 2am I OLD VIC NUS night 7pm; food 12-5pm SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Bar 150: DJ Lady Bex & Cheeky Pete’s karaoke 9pm I LONDON HOTEL chillout; food noon-3pm; open noon THURSDAY 22 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Westie’s karaoke till 2am I OLD VIC karaoke 8pm; food noon-5pm SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Grew Up In The 90s: DJ Neil Sackley 10pm I LONDON HOTEL Karaoke Cruising: Pat Cruise 9.30pm; food noon-3pm; open noon FRIDAY 23 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Chav & Sports Party: DJ Tim Sandford, host Sally Vate till 3am I OLD VIC food noon-5pm; party till 2am SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Get Some: DJs Lady Bex, Lohands & Rob Davis 9pm I LONDON HOTEL cabaret: Sandra 10pm; food noon-3pm SATURDAY 24 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Hot Eye Candy: DJ Ruby Roo till 3am I OLD VIC food noon-5pm; DJs all night SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE The Big One: DJs, 2 dancefloors, 3 bars 9pm I LONDON HOTEL DJ Tiny 8.30pm; Jacquii Cann 10pm; food noon-3pm; open noon

HAMPSHIRE BOULEVARD PORTSMOUTH

I ONE FOR THE DIARY: Fri (2) & Sat (3) is FIRE & ICE, the HB’s 10th Birthday Weekend. Fri hosts Wilma Fingadoo & Sally Vate + DJ Grant Knowles till 5am. Sat : angle grinders, fire-eaters, stilt walkers, DJ Ruby Roo & Divine Diva till 5am.

I WORLD AIDS DAY: Sat (1) Dec is a RED PARTY with DJ Ruby Roo till 3am.

I REGULARS: I Sun CABARET at 11pm: Danny DeQueen (4), Cookie (11), Thunderpussy (18), Mandy Gap (25); Westie’s karaoke till 2am. I XTREAM MONDAYS: DJs Grant Knowles (5 & 19), Tim Sandford (12) & Ruby Roo (26) at 7pm, all drinks £1.50. I Wed is FORCES NIGHT, all invited till 2am. I Fri has theme parties with host Sally Vate & DJs Tim Sandford (9 & 23) & Grant Knowles (16 & 30) till 3am: 999 Emergency Services (9), UV & Bubbles (16), Chav & Sports (23) & Traffic Light (30, double up on spirits for £1.50 extra, entry £3 from 11pm, £5 after 1am.. I Sat is HOT EYE CANDY, host Divine Diva & DJs, Ruby Roo (24), till 3am.

I http://www.facebook.com/pubhb SUNDAY 25 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: Sun Lunch 12.30-2.30pm & 7-9pm I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD cabaret: Mandy Gap 11pm; Westie’s karaoke till 2am I OLD VIC cabaret: Just Like Adele 8.30pm; Sun lunch 1-5pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE We Are 1: DJ Adam Foster, win £50 10pm I LONDON HOTEL Dolly Partem’s Sunday Service 8pm; Dave Lynn 9.30pm; Sun lunch noon-3pm; open noon MONDAY 26 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Xtream Mon: DJ Rue till 2am I OLD VIC food noon-5pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON I LONDON HOTEL chillout; food noon-3pm; open noon TUESDAY 27 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD vid lounge till 2am I OLD VIC Quiz: cash prizes 8pm; food noon5pm; open noon SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Bomb It!: video jukebox 10pm I LONDON HOTEL chillout; food noon-3pm; open noon WEDNESDAY 28 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Forces Night: all invited till 2am I OLD VIC NUS night 7pm; food 12-5pm SOUTHAMPTON

I EDGE Bar 150: DJ Lady Bex & Cheeky Pete’s karaoke 9pm I LONDON HOTEL chillout; food noon-3pm; open noon THURSDAY 29 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Westie’s karaoke till 2am I OLD VIC karaoke 8pm; food noon-5pm SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Grew Up In The 90s: DJ Neil Sackley 10pm I LONDON HOTEL Karaoke Cruising: Pat Cruise 9.30pm; food noon-3pm; open noon FRIDAY 30 BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am I DYMK open 2pm PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Traffic Light Party: DJ Grant Knowles, host Sally Vate till 3am I OLD VIC food noon-5pm; party till 2am SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Get Some: DJs Lady Bex, Lohands & Rob Davis 9pm I LONDON HOTEL cabaret: Davina Sparkle and DJ Ruby Roo 10pm; food noon-3pm SATURDAY 1 DEC BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am PORTSMOUTH I HAMPSHIRE BLVD Red Party for World AIDS Day: DJ Ruby Roo till 3am SUNDAY 2 DEC BOURNEMOUTH I CUMBERLAND HOTEL Ventana Bar & Brasserie: food, afternoon tea, drinks; open 9am PORTSMOUTH SOUTHAMPTON I EDGE Staff Slave Auction for WAD: buy your fave staff member, all proceeds to GCHS 10pm I LONDON HOTEL World AIDS Day Fundraiser: host Lola Lasagne, performers Chrissie Edkins, Benji, Lucinda Lashes, Lady LaRue, Cassidy Connors, Drag With No Name 7pm; £5 entry, all proceeds to local HIV charities; open noon

DANCE

MUSIC

BY WILDBLOOD & QUEENIE Well we all like a bloody good bang and luckily November will supply. Be it with fireworks or decent tunes this month looks set to go off, all loud and sparkly and glorious like.

I First to light our fire this month is DJ Dan’s DiskoFunk Odyssey on Guesthouse Music. Expect disco, house and techno tricks galore as Dan puts the soul and fun back into house music.

I If you like your techno to come with a side helping of credibility then you won’t get better than Catz n Dogz Body Language 12 on Get Physical. Their debut official compilation knocks spots off the competition as they delve into every genre to produce a mix that is world class.

I Also worth your attention are the bleeps and beeps that are the sonic essay DRM by Crosson & Merveille on Visionquest. More intelligence giving than a pair of Wayfarers.

Get it.

I This month’s ‘wow cor blimey

missus that is too, too good’ longplayers... First up is the genius of Mario Basanov’s Journey on Needwant. We’ve had this on

repeat since it landed in our inbox so intoxicating is Mario’s take on that warm wonderful electronic space between deep house/broken beat/nu jazz/disco/ acid/electro.

Basically this will tick every box you have and then some. Vocal, deep and delicious. Just as it should be.

I Our mix of the month comes courtesy of the treasure that is Guy Williams and his Hidden Pleasures MixTape 1. Grab its lowslung funk wonder now at soundcloud.com/guy-williams.

I Also keeping us sweet and sauced up is the brilliant Classic Through The Eyes Of: Severino on The Classic Music Company. It has everything you expect when you put yourselves in the hands of a seasoned and stylish DJ. Quality tunes, rare gems and a mix that keeps you dancing till the cops come knocking (or at least the neighbours!) A nod to the wonders of Classic Records through the ears of the mighty Severino. What, we ask, could be better? Enjoy.

Catch Wildblood & Queenie at Sirens, DSD and Wild Fruit’s Red Party. katewildblood.wordpress.com soundcloud.com/wildblood

WILDBLOOD & QUEENIE’S NOV NUGGETS

I BEN PEARCE What I Might Do (Club mix) MTA Records Heaven on a loop that will ensnare your soul, heart and dancing feet.

I DJ CHUS & MATTHEW CODEK Movin' & Groovin' (EY remix) Maquina Our tune of Brighton Pride gets a very special rework. Delicious.

I DESTINY'S CHILD Say My Name (Cyril Hahn remix) White Enchanting wonder that will haunt you for months to come.

I 2 GOOD SOULS Got This Feeling (original mix) Maquina Jackin’ deep house that demands an arse wiggle of the special kind.

I MAXXI SOUNDSYSTEM Stella's Way (Huxley remix) Ellum A sound venture from our Maxxi that delivers the right kind of groove.

I NICK HOOK Open Our Peoples Eyes (original mix) Jeepers Local lad comes up tech-ni-lovely with this solid slice of house.

I MIC NEWMAN & GARRY TODD The Shelter Illusion Recordings It’s like 1991 all over again – minus the dodgy dungarees!

I JOHNNY FIASCO I Want It (original mix) Nordic Trax Sweeping electronic that delights with its uplifting tendencies.

I PHIL WEEKS Acid Pattern - 909 Tools EP Robsoul Records We bleeping, bleeping, bleeping love this acid bleeper.

I KARIYA Let Me Love You For Tonight (EY remix) Sexy Trash Digital For Simon & Grace. Our love (and that of so many) is right beside you.

DJ PROFILE It may be autumn with chills filling the air, but there’s always guaranteed to be a hot dancefloor when this month’s featured DJ Peter Castle hits the decks. Queen Josephine caught up with him to hear about home nights with Streisand, how he made a bride blush and why you should definitely try and catch him DJing on his birthday.

Where do you play? I play at Legends Basement Club every Friday and Saturday night.

DJing style? My style can be very varied according to the venue. I blend and chop mix – sometimes I’ll play a set of classic trax chopping them in after a single verse and a chorus to keep things moving along fast. I try to take what the venue/owner wants, what the customers like and what gets the dancefloor busy and blend it all together.

All time favourite song? Finally by CeCe Peniston. I can imagine having this played at my funeral…. Finally it’s happened to me!

Which tune always fills/rescues your dancefloor? It has to be either Show Me Love by Robin S or Rhythm Of The Night by Corona.

Ultimate dream gig? Playing at the beginning of a concert and getting the crowd going.

Tune you wish you’d never played... Like A Virgin by Madonna in a nightclub hired for a wedding reception. It was top of the charts at the time but no one told me the bride was expecting!

Guilty pleasure? At home listening to anything from Barbra Streisand, Café Del Mar to house and dance.

Best ever gig? Busby’s in the 1980s - I was resident at Redhill, but also played Charring X. I used to get promos three months before release but you couldn’t download or digital copy then so I’d have 2,500 people gagging for the tunes.

Tell us a secret! I was bought up with music and dance as my Grandfather started up Britain’s largest dance organisation which once had over 40 ballrooms in the UK. I watch ‘Strictly’ and judge.

Funniest gig? It was my birthday and five doormen picked me up and carried me onto the dancefloor. I thought I was going to get the bumps but they hoisted me up to the lighting rig and left me there. My record ended and I was dangling over the packed dancefloor until the manager came with step-ladders to get me down - there were people crying with laughter! The manager then decided to get me drunk and some time later I was dancing with my feet by the decks and my trousers round my ankles playing a tambourine in front of over 1,000 people. It turned into a huge party, the customers thought it was funny and wouldn’t go home!!!

CURRENT TOP FIVE

I PITBULL feat TJR Don’t Stop The Party London I SCISSOR SISTERS Let’s Have A Kiki Polydor I RHIANNA Diamonds Def Jam/Marcury I INTRALLAZZI In Da Freaks (The Cube Guys Mix) Promo I RICHARD GREY and NARI & MILANA Mas Que Nada RGS

54 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

KOMEDIA

ARTS

Gardner Street, Brighton Box office: 0845 293 8480 www.komedia.co.uk BENT DOUBLE (Sun 4). An irreverent night of fun and frolics hosted by Zoe Lyons, with special guest Mary Bourke.

BY MICHAEL HOOTMAN

triumphant premiere, but already the wheels are in motion which will lead to his imprisonment, downfall and vilification. Forced to make a choice between his lover and freedom, the everromantic Wilde embarks on a course towards self-destruction...

HOLIDAY ON ICE

LORRAINE BOWEN MEETS BARBARA MOORE

MURDER IN LEZZWOOD Grace Eyre Theatre, Montefiore Road, Hove Wanted! An audience in the Lezzwood Saloon (Fri 23 & Sat 24 Nov) to take part in the murder mystery show MURDER IN LEZZWOOD. You can help solve the murder mystery whilst singing and line-dancing with the pistol packing mamas Clit Westwood,

4 Princes St, Brighton Box office: 0800 411 8881 www.marlboroughtheatre.co.uk LORRAINE BOWEN MEETS BARBARA MOORE (Fri 2). Jimi Hendrix, Elton John and The Saint all featured Barbara Moore as vocalist and arranger! Lorraine meets Barbara, now 80, and asks her about the Swinging Sixties, composing music and being a woman in EMI Studio 1. It's a chatty evening with vintage film clips and performances by Barbara and Lorraine. Presented by Pink Fringe.

Kings Road, Brighton, Box office: 0844 847 1515 www.brightoncentre.co.uk ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA (Sun 11). To follow up on the success of last year’s ‘Apostrophe’ UK tour, Dweezil Zappa and his “rocking teenage combo” perform a special selection of tracks celebrating the seminal decades of his father's back catalogue.

HOLIDAY ON ICE – SPEED (Thu 22–Sun 25). Created by international director Bart Doerfler, the creative force behind many award-winning shows worldwide, Speed takes audiences on an electrifying journey through the speed of love, money, nature, time and thrill. Features the Holiday On Ice wheel and the famous kick line, stunt skaters delivering a hot skating duel, and flying acrobats conquer the air above the ice.

HAPPY MONDAYS (Fri 30) bring their classic Madchester sound to the seaside with acid house legends 808 State Sound System providing the support.

THEATRE ROYAL New Road, Brighton Box office: 08448 717 650 THE JUDAS KISS (Mon 5–Sat 12). Rupert Everett (Another Country, My Best Friend’s Wedding) stars as Oscar Wilde, with Freddie Fox as Lord Alfred Douglas, in David Hare’s compelling drama about the power of all-consuming love and the cruelty of betrayal. It is 1895 and Wilde’s masterpiece, The Importance of Being Earnest, is playing in the West End after a

Paganini Ballroom, The Old Ship Hotel, Kings Road, Brighton http://savagesband.com/ SAVAGES, the viscerally thrilling post-punk all female four-piece from London, fronted by Jehnny Beth (lead vocal), with Ayse Hassan (bass), Fay Milton (drums) and Gemma Thompson (guitar) return to Brighton (Thurs 8). “A reminder of the feral energy and cerebral vigour that we first experienced via Siouxsie, the Slits et al... Musically they're incredible – jazzily fluid and exploratory but tight, not sloppy and grungy” Paul Lester, The Guardian

SAVAGES

Church Street, Brighton Box office: 01273 709709 www.brightondome.org JOAN ARMATRADING (Mon 12).

Three times Grammy nominated, Brit Award-nominee and Ivor Novella winner singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading MBE, will be performing a mix of old favourites, as well as showcasing songs from

RUFUS WAINRIGHT

DOME

Dolly Partin-Em, Emmeline Spankhurst, Titty Galore, Sheriff Catchum, Ivy Biggun, Connie Lingus, Dee Liscious, Fanny Galore, Poka Up-The Hontas, Gigi Goodhead and Cherry Pie. Tickets £10 available from www.brownpapertickets.com, doors 7pm, showdown 7.30pm.

Alcohol and hotdawgs on sale!

SAVAGES

JUDAS KISS

her brand new CD Starlight.

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT & HIS BAND (Sat 24). Affectionately referred to by Elton John as 'the greatest songwriter on the planet', Rufus Wainwright has established has achieved his success by carving out his own singular sound in the worlds of rock, opera, theatre, dance and film.

JOAN ARMATRADING

HAPPY MONDAYS

BRIGHTON CENTRE

MURDER IN LEZZWOOD

MARLBOROUGH THEATRE

GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 55

AIDS MEMORIAL CONCERT presented by Music for Life (6pm, Sun 25) at St Mary the Virgin Church in Kemptown features the Regency Singers with musical director Mark Hodge who will be performing along with the tenor, Tom Murphy, the soprano, Alexandra Bowa, the flautist Neil

AGMC

ANDREW BALLANTYNE

and be compered by the award winning performer and Sussex Beacon patron Neil Bartlett OBE. The event will also feature a joint performance of the first international OutPostChoir anthem, You Make Me Proud composed by Howard Alexander.

Tickets available on the door or from www.brightongmc.org.

Carter and harpist Andrew Ballantyne. Tickets: £10/£8 concs on the door.

WE ALL LIVE TOGETHER - A CONCERT FOR WORLD AIDS DAY A collection of local music groups will be performing (7.30pm, Sat Dec 1) at St Mary's Church, 61 St James St, Kemptown (just across from the AIDS Memorial). This annual community concert will feature selected performances from Brighton Gay Men's Chorus, Qukelele, Rainbow Chorus, Resound, The Theatre Workshop

Actually Gay Men’s Chorus (AGMC) and Actually Gay Women’s Chorus (AGWC) will be performing together in a CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR WORLD AIDS DAY (7.30pm, Sat 1 Dec) with a first performance of BEACONS REQUIEM. Written by AGMC member, Richard Horscraft, Beacons Requiem will be performed

with a full orchestra, with this first performance of the piece dedicated to the Sussex Beacon.

Held in the beautiful St Andrew's Church, Waterloo Street, Hove, this is an alternative event for anyone wishing to join them while remembering those affected by and working with HIV/AIDS. The evening is not ticketed but there will be a collection for Sussex Beacon after the performance.

Everyone performing in this event has provided their time completely free of charge.

comedienne Zoe Lyons. This year they're back with a magical collection of yuletide favourites and rock and pop classics including Last Christmas and O Little Town Of Bethlehem. Tickets: £18/£15/£10 (conc £16/£13/£8) available www.brightongmc.org or Dome box office 01273 709709.

For more details see: www.brightongmc.org, the BGMC Facebook page and Twitter.

ROCKY HORROR SHOW

WORLD AIDS DAY CONCERTS

COMING SOON...

PULL A CRACKER: A CHRISTMAS CRESCENDO from the Brighton Gay Men's Chorus (7.30pm, Sat 15 Dec) at Brighton Dome Concert Hall is in support of the Sussex Beacon. Famed for appearances on BBC TV's Last Choir Standing, last year the chorus sold out the Dome enthralling a rapturous crowd alongside actress June Brown &

THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW 40th Anniversary Party Production is coming to the Theatre Royal, New Road, Brighton (Thur 20 Dec–Sat 5 Jan 2013). Directed by Christopher Luscombe and starring Ben Forster (Jesus Christ Superstar), Rhydian (X Factor / We Will Rock You), Roxanne Pallett (Emmerdale) and Oliver Thornton (Priscilla Queen Of The Desert).

Bursting at the seams with timeless classics, including Sweet Transvestite, Damn It Janet and Time Warp. For tickets go to: www.atgtickets.com/brighton.

56 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

ART

QUEER STATE OF THE ART

M AT T E R S This November I’ve sourced a triptych of creative offerings for you to view and admire, considerately located in the easily walkable distances of Brighton & Hove, and within driving distance of Eastbourne.

SADIE LEE

BY ENZO MARRA

MADE12 – BRIGHTON’S DESIGN & CRAFT FAIR

BRIGHTON MUSEUM & ART GALLERY Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton, www.brighton-hove-rpml.org.uk SHOOT THE WRX: ARTIST AND FILM-MAKER JEFF KEEN is free to view (27 Oct 2012–24 Feb 2013) in the Fine Art Gallery, the Prints & Drawings Gallery & the South Balcony, and is a career-long retrospective of artist and film-maker Jeff Keen (1923-2012), who was one of the great figures of the British post-war avant-garde. His work reveals a wild spirit of anarchic play, a fascination with surrealism, and a love of popular culture. His life-long commitment to Brighton & Hove is celebrated in this selection of his films, paintings, drawings and assemblages. Keen worked for Parks & Gardens for several years and used the city as a major inspiration for his work. He ignored the hierarchies of the London arts scene and the wider world of avantgarde cinema in favour of a radical commitment to locality and intimate community. Keen’s work focuses lovingly on a close-knit circle of real and imaginary friends at work and at play, in and around Brighton & Hove. Check the Brighton Museum website for further related events, talks and screenings.

TOWNER ART GALLERY Devonshire Park, College Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 4JJ Tel: 01323 434670, www.townereastbourne.org.uk COLLECTIVE OBSERVATIONS: FOLKLORE & PHOTOGRAPHY FROM BENJAMIN STONE TO FLICKR, (now until 6 Jan 2013). Since 1897, when Sir Benjamin Stone established the National Photographic Record Association (NPRA), photographers have had a fascination with the rites and rituals of Britain. Photography and folklore practice having a complimentary relationship, the medium of photography capturing the ephemeral moment. The exhibition curated by the Museum of British Folklore in conjunction with Towner, includes contributions from Faye Claridge, Matthew Cowan, Doc Rowe, the Benjamin Stone Collection and Flickr. Free admission.

GULLIVER'S HOTEL

KERRY RICE

Corn Exchange, Church Street, Brighton, www.brighton-made.co.uk MADE12 – BRIGHTON’S DESIGN AND CRAFT FAIR (Fri 23–Sun 25) will have 120 of Britain's most innovative and original makers showing and selling their work directly to the public. The craft fair is organised by the team that have also run the highly successful Brighton Art Fair since 2004, artist and printmaker Sarah Young and administrator Jon Tutton. Tickets are available on the door at £6 per person (children under 14 free), which includes the catalogue, a listing of all exhibitors and a beautiful cotton goody bag (subject to demand).

Brighton Museum, Old Courthouse, 118 Church Street, Brighton Contemporary queer artists working in the UK, will speak about their practice, their ideas and their life experiences (1–6pm, Wed 14). Artists Sadie Lee, Ajamu X, Eddie Peake, Sarah Pucill and James Richard will discuss their visual approach to queer sexuality, politics, race, selfhood, intimacy and love in the 21st century.

The artists are either queer-identified, engaged in the representation of queer life or see their work as intervening in or communicating with queer or minority communities. (See page 73 for more details).

12a New Steine, Brighton, www.gullivershotel.com Gulliver’s Hotel have extended their exhibition of work by fine artist and photographer KERRY RICE (now until Sun 18). Kerry lives and works in Brighton but travels widely, taking inspiration from locations around the globe.

The exhibition shows her studies of life within the ever changing vistas of the world, from the frozen seas of Finland, past the shifting political and architectural landscapes of Zakynthos, through the mountains and valleys of Andorra to the musical alleyways of Dublin.

The work is a celebration of humanity's urge to explore and adapt, the planet's diverse and spectacular habitats, and the ability of art to bring it all together. www.ricephotographics.co.uk

BIBA & BEYOND: BARBARA HULANICKI Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton, www.brighton-hove-rpml.org.uk BIBA & BEYOND: BARBARA HULANICKI (now until 14 April 2013) celebrates the Biba store, the clothes, the lifestyle and the far reaching influence of an iconic brand. The exhibition looks at the life and times of the charismatic and talented Barbara Hulanicki, her successful earlier career in fashion illustration and her achievements in interior design and architecture. With loans from major collectors and private individuals the exhibition tells the amazing story through illustrations, film, fashion, music, photography, ephemera and the memories and reminiscences of those who shared the experience. There will also be items on display from the ‘bring in your Biba’ day at Brighton Museum. Contributors were asked to bring in their Biba items and memories from the London and Brighton stores.. Admission: adult £6/£4 concs, Brighton & Hove resident (proof of residency required) £3, children/members free.

THE HANKIE QUILT The Dome Foyer, The Brighton Dome, Brighton http://hankiequilt.org www.facebook.com/thehankiequilt The HANKIE QUILT is a Brighton & Hove based community project to create a quilt in support of those living with HIV/AIDS and in memory of those we have lost. It will be on display in the Brighton Dome Foyer (10am–5pm, Sat 1–Sun Dec 2) as part of the Worlds Aids day exhibition along with information to promote World AIDS Day, raise awareness and to challenge the stigma around HIV. The first stage of the Quilt was carried through the streets of the city as part of the Brighton & Hove Pride Parade. The project hope the Hankie Quilt will continue to grow and are looking for a permanent home for it to go on display.

GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 57 Rupert is coming to the Theatre Royal in Brighton in November to star as Oscar Wilde in The Judas Kiss. I met up with him at the Theatre Royal to find more about his fascination with all things Wilde.

Written in 1998 by David Hare, the play focuses on two critical moments in Wilde’s last years - the eve of his arrest at the Cadogan Hotel and a night in Naples after his release from two years imprisonment.

Is your fascination with Wilde the man or his writing?

“Above and beyond anything else I am fascinated with Wilde the man.

I see him as a kind of artwork, rather in the same way I view Michael Jackson. Somehow he encapsulated and managed to be a kind of punctuation point between the 19th and 20th centuries in the most extraordinary way. Reading about his life, everything is charged with this extraordinary romance and contradiction. He was brilliant, but an idiot, very rich and very poor, to me his life story is one of the great, great stories of all time. I love his work too but it is not just for the work I like him. He is a reflection of us all, a flawed man, but fascinating. Sometimes I can't believe how we all have the ability to behave like lemmings and time and time again throw ourselves over the edge. This is what is so appealing about Wilde, the man, the humanity of him.”

Who in your view is the real Judas in the play?

“Bosie or Lord Aldred Douglas is the Judas of the piece who betrays Oscar, maybe not knowingly, although in our play Oscar does say to him "you wanted my silence". Why, who do you think was the Judas?”

RUPERT EVERETT James Ledward chats to the man with the sexy voice Rupert Everett shot to stardom in the 1980s, playing the part of an openly gay boy at an English public school in the 1930s, in Julian Mitchell's Another Country. I can remember seeing the play when I was a student in London. His smouldering looks and posh boy voice made a lasting impression on me and many other young gay men of my generation.

Rupert's stage credits include Another Country, Pygmalion, Blithe Spirit (Broadway) and The Mike Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore (Lyric Hammersmith). His film credits include My Best Friend’s Wedding, Another Country, The Madness of King George III, Shakespeare in Love and adaptions of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband. While his film career undoubtedly suffered when he 'came out' he has still managed to produce a fine body of work and is particularly in demand for his voiceover roles in the Shrek movies and the Chronicles of Narnia.

His has written two novels and his memoirs Red Carpets And Other Banana Skins was an international best-seller and rollicking good read.

His new book, a follow up to Red Carpets is Vanished Years and is just as good a read. It's filled with brand new stories from his childhood to the present and is witty, bitchy and very, very honest. He is observational in his approach but can be a prize bitch like the rest of us.

Was Oscar not a Judas to himself?

“People say to me I self-sabotage all the time, and I never quite understand what they mean. I love the idea of self-sabotage, it’s an artistic notion. I don't know if Wilde self-sabotaged, but basically I think what was wrong with Wilde is that he became such a big star and at a certain point he felt above everything and everyone. He lived his life so dangerously without really knowing exactly how dangerous it was. He thought somehow he was so fabulous he would weather it through and ride any storm. For example on the day he went to his lawyer to make the initial complaint about Lord Queensbury, his lawyer asked "is there anything true about any of this?", Wilde said "no". At the same time he was also being blackmailed by Bosie and someone had an incriminating letter of his which had been left in a jacket. He was really living on the edge, but just not realising it. I think the other problem he had was that he was a terrible snob. He thought he was untouchable, he thought he had become this bubble that was just waiting to be burst. Just like a star today it's a real rock star story in a way. It’s much more modern, in fact it’s the beginning of modernism.”

The PR says The Judas Kiss is a compelling drama about the power of all consuming love and the cruelty of betrayal. Is that how you see it?

“The story is told through a love story, but it’s a bit more complicated than that. It’s also I think a story of fame and drunkenness. Looking at it from a modern stand point, there's addiction in it too. This man can't get through anything really without drinking and it’s an interesting study in love because whether or not the real love story of Oscar Wilde was between him and Lord Alfred Douglas or whether it was actually between him and the other character Robbie Ross is very interesting. In real life Robbie just adored Oscar and in fact they are both buried together.”

INFO THE JUDAS KISS plays at the Theatre Royal (Mon 5 – Sat 10 Nov) and stars Rupert Everett as Oscar Wilde, Freddie Fox as Bosie and is directed by Neil Armfield. For tickets call 0844 871 7650 or view www.atgtickets.com/brighton This Hampstead Theatre revival will be transferring to the West End on January 17 when it opens at the Duke Of York’s Theatre (previews from January 9).

58 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

REVIEWS Pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet is

a busy man. In addition to a hectic performing schedule, he has several recording projects on the go. Hot on the heels of his awardwinning Debussy Complete Cycle, he embarked on a complete Haydn Sonatas edition, of which he is several volumes into now. Now he’s released the first volume of a Beethoven Sonatas set. He’s tackling the sonatas in order, so this first three disc volume takes us as far as Op. 14. Yet even with these early sonatas, Beethoven was already composing on a grander scale than others before

him, and he even called two of them (Op. 7 & Op. 13) Grande Sonate and Grande Sonate pathétique. The latter is possibly the most well-known of the early sonatas, yet Bavouzet brings a freshness here by paring away some of the extravagances often heard with other pianists. In the first movement particularly he holds the dramatic contrast of the slow opening, which returns at key points, against the racing Allegro, without resorting to overblown gesture. And this characterises the whole set – an emphasis on precision and structure, yet still allowing the spirit to shine through the music. Bavouzet writes an interesting piece in the notes about why one would bother to record these works, already committed to disc by so many others. This first volume answers that question convincingly – I’m sure he’ll have more to say in subsequent volumes.

Chandos CHAN10720 CARL ORFF (1895-1982) must

be the ultimate one-work composer – know anything by him other than Carmina Burana? Well, there isn’t much, but Carmina

CONCERTS

SARA LIAN-OWEN

BY NICK BOSTON

AQUINAS PIANO TRIO

NOTES

No. 2, the Piano Quartet No. 2 and Quintet was composed a couple of their own arrangement of Když mne years before the Quartet, but is on a slightly grander scale, and it stará matka (Songs My Mother comes after the Quartet on this Taught Me) from Dvořák’s Gypsy recording. The Dumka (a traditional Songs. These are bright, lively dance form that Dvořák used Burana was actually the first work works, and the Schubert Ensemble extensively in his music) second certainly bring the requisite energy in a trilogy, the second work being movement builds wonderfully and is Catulli Carmina, which the Europa to bear here. Yet they don’t skate expertly performed here. Their over the subtleties, and the Chor Akademie lightness and sheer joy of the third sensitive arrangement of the song have recorded, is an ideal encore, finishing off the movement of the Quartet is along with Les disc perfectly. Chandos CHAN10719 delightful, Noces by Igor beautifully Stravinsky (1882For more reviews, comments and contrasted with 1971). The musical forces are the nicks-classicalevents: slightly the same – four pianos, percussion and notes.blogspot.co.uk frenetic middle choir, with soloists. Orff relies on Email: nbclassical@hotmail.co.uk trio section. The similar patterns he used in Carmina Burana, and whilst the instrumentation makes for an interesting sound world, the work doesn’t sustain interest to the ST BARTHOLOMEW”S CHURCH same extent. But if you like Ann Street, Brighton, 01273 709709, Carmina Burana, and would like www.ssomusic.co.uk more, this is worth a listen. The The Sussex Symphony Orchestra are joined by choir give a spirited performance, Sussex Chorus for a CHORAL CONCERT FOR and the four pianos, accompanied REMEMBRANCE WEEKEND (7.30pm, Sat 10), with by percussionists Mannheimer music by Holst, Howells and Elgar, followed by Fauré’s Requiem, with Schlagwerk, certainly enjoy soloists Sara Lian-Owen and Douglas Rice-Bowen. themselves. There are moments of slightly dodgy tuning, but on the ST LUKE’S CHURCH whole conductor Sylvain Queens Park Rd, Brighton, www.stlukesconcerts.webeden.co.uk Cambreling brings the best out of The DRYADS DUO, Carlo Santos on violin and Saul Picado on piano, his young singers. Les Noces (The (7.30pm, Fri 16) perform Beethoven, Janácek, Prokofiev and Enescu.

Wedding) is a ballet cantata, first performed in 1923 by the Ballet CORN EXCHANGE Russes. It is a fascinating work, Church Road, Brighton, expertly combining a respect for www.stringsattachedmusic.org.uk Russian tradition with Stravinsky’s The STRINGS ATTACHED chamber music innovative and revolutionary season continues with the Aquinas Piano composition style, particularly in Trio (11am, Sun 18), performing his use of the unusual Rachmaninov, Mendelssohn and Dvořák. instrumentation. It contains much more invention than the Orff, and BRIGHTON DOME also receives a stronger Box office: 01273 709709, www.brightondome.org performance here.

The LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA return to Brighton with If you want to Christian Tetzlaff performing Dvořák’s Violin Concerto (7.30pm, Sat 3). explore more, try Osmo Vänskä conducts, and the rest of the programme includes Nielsen the Europa Chor and Rachmaninov. BRIGHTON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA perform Akademie’s twice this month. First, under prinicpal conductor Barry Wordsworth they Choral Highlights perform Verdi, Sibelius and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 with pianist disc, with movements from the Richard Uttley (2.45pm, Sun 11). Then, pianist Howard Shelley is guest Requiems by Mozart, Brahms and conductor, with Weber, Brahms and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 Verdi, as well as Poulenc’s Stabat (2.45pm, Sun 25).

Mater, C. P. E. Bach’s St Luke’s Passion and Berlioz’s L’Enfance du SUSSEX DOWNS COLLEGE Christ. All the tracks are taken Mountfield Road, Lewes, www.nyslewes.org.uk from releases of the full works, The NICHOLAS YONGE SOCIETY welcomes Timothy also on Glor Classics. Glor Classics Orpen on clarinet and Alison Farr on piano (7.45pm, GC10401 Fri 23) to perform Finzi, Mozart, Schumann, Brahms and Weber.

I had the pleasurable if slightly daunting experience of pageBRIGHTON EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL turning for pianist William Box office: 01273 709709, www.bremf.org.uk Howard of the Schubert Ensemble And you can still catch the last week of the Brighton Early Music when they visited the Nicholas Festival. Highlights include the 1589 Florentine Intermedi, supported Yonge Society, and their by aerobatics and lighting effects (Sat 3), a concert celebrating Gabrieli performances of the Elgar and

by BREMF Consort of Voices (Sun 4), The Orlando Consort celebrating Shostakovich Piano Quintets were a Food, Wine & Song (Fri 9) and Coronation music by Boyce, Purcell and revelation. They have now released Handel performed by BREMF Singers and the International Baroque a disc of DVOŘÁK’s Piano Quintet Players (Sun 11).

TIMOTHY ORPEN

CLASSICAL

GSCENE OUT & ABOUT 59

FILM

its journey to a place of rousing emotional clarity.” I “Tough and tender drama held together by its unwavering, sympathetic focus on the mixed-up, love-starved twelve-year-old boy.”

BY MICHAEL HOOTMAN

CALL ME KUCHU Dir: Katherine Fairfax Wright, Malika Zouhali-Worrall Plot: In Uganda, a new bill threatens to make homosexuality punishable by death. David Kato Uganda's first openly gay man and his fellow activists work against the clock to defeat the legislation while combating persecution. But no one, not even the filmmakers, is prepared for the brutal murder that shakes the movement to its core.

Word on net: “With endearing and commendable characters and stories, the film is like Uganda’s Word is Out, Before Stonewall and After Stonewall wrapped up in one moving and powerful feature..”

I “A substantial and scathing argument against national hate.”

ROOM 237 Dir: Rodney Ascher Plot: A subjective documentary that explores the numerous theories about the hidden meanings within Stanley Kubrick's film The Shining Word on net: “One of the great movies about movies.” I “A wacky, sometimes hilariously esoteric deconstruction of the subliminal messages and hidden meanings.”

I “Fascinating look at the movie's hidden tricks, gimmicks and stylings... even if it's all just nonsense.” I “Shot through with wit, wayward intelligence and ample evidence that some people just have too much time on their hands.”

ARGO Dir: Ben Affleck Stars: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman Plot: As the Iranian revolution reaches a boiling point, a CIA specialist concocts a risky plan to free six Americans who have found

shelter at the home of the Canadian ambassador.

Word on net: “An entertaining, if shamelessly embellished account of one of the CIA's strangest operations.” I “A crackerjack political thriller told with intelligence, great period detail and a surprising amount of nutty humour.” I “Kudos to Ben Affleck, actor and director, for delivering a vital and thrilling political actioner.”

ALSO OUT...

EXCISION Dir: Richard Bates Jr Stars: AnnaLynne McCord, Traci Lords and John Waters Plot: A surgery-obsessed teen struggles with her outcast status while plotting to lose her virginity and save her sister from the ravaging effects of cystic fibrosis.

Word on net: “Technically polished juvenilia that provokes without resonance.” I “A supremely nasty piece of work in the best way possible.” I “It's the take-no-prisoners enthusiasm with which Bates leaps into his suburban nightmare that makes Excision so interesting.”

I “Dances the line beautifully between horror and comedy.”

SISTER

THE MASTER Dir: Paul Thomas Anderson Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams Plot: A naval veteran arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future - until he is tantalized by The Cause and its charismatic leader.

Word on net: “Fabulously wellacted and crafted, but when I reach for it, my hand closes on air.” I “A film bristling with vivid moments and unbeatable acting, but its interest is not in tidy narrative satisfactions but rather the excesses and extremes of human behaviour.” I “It is as confounding as it is magnificent.”

I “Intelligent, ambitious and cause for celebration - but not quite the masterpiece suggested by all the buzz.”

Dir: Ursula Meier Stars: Kacey Mottet Klein, Léa Seydoux, Martin Compston Plot: A drama set at a Swiss ski resort and centered on a boy who supports his sister by stealing from wealthy guests.

Word on net: “Consolidates director's skill with a tightly assembled narrative that brings supreme clarity to the mindset of a disgruntled young boy.” I “May not arrive at a happy ending, but the lack of resolution completes

CHASING MAVERICKS stars Jonny Weston, Gerard Butler and Elisabeth Shue in the story of a

young man who discovers one of the biggest waves on Earth exists just miles from his Santa Cruz home. He then enlists the help of local legend Frosty Hesson to train him to survive it.

MY BROTHER THE DEVIL is a gritty urban drama about two teenage brothers facing prejudice as they try to survive the perils of being young British Arabs on the streets of gangland London.

Robert De Niro and Diane Keaton star in THE BIG WEDDING as a long-divorced couple who fake being married as their family unites for a wedding.

FILM C O M P E T I T I O N I Chris O'Dowd (Bridesmaids) stars in THE SAPPHIRES. It's 1968, and four young, talented Australian Aboriginal girls learn about love, friendship and war when their all girl group The Sapphires entertain the US troops in Vietnam.

To win two tickets to the Odeon Brighton send the answer to the following question on a postcard to: Gscene Competition, 111 Western Road, Hove, BN3 1DD: O'Dowd starred in which computer-based Channel 4 sitcom?

OCTOBER COMPETITION: The Grandfather Paradox

60 GSCENE OUT & ABOUT

GEEK

SCENE

BY CRAIG STORRIE

CATCHES THIEVES JUST LIKE FLIES...

Fifty years ago one of the most famous and iconic superheroes ever created made his first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15 and has never looked back; I am of course talking about Spider-Man! Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, Peter Parker was an orphan raised by his loving Aunt May and Uncle Ben. After being bitten by a radioactive spider (remember this was the 1960s!) and developing spider related powers, Peter dedicates his life to saving and protecting the innocent after failing to stop someone murdering his beloved Uncle Ben. Fifty years later Spider-Man is an international icon with numerous films, cartoons, comics and video games to his name. Apart from Batman and Superman, Spidey is perhaps the most recognisable superhero in the world and it’s his status as being one of the downtrodden himself with general hang ups and problems that helps the public relate to him on a level that Batman and Superman can only dream of. So in celebration of this icon, I wanted to draw your attention to the best Spider-Man storylines of the last five decades!

GREEN GOBLIN REBORN This story from 1971 revolves around Peter’s best friend and son of his arch enemy, Harry Osborn, becoming addicted to drugs. It was notable to being the first comic to be published without the Comic’s Code Authority seal of approval. This means that the comic went against the rigid laws of the Authority by featuring illegal drug use and led to the whole revision of the Comic’s Code into what it is today. It’s also noteworthy for being the story that rekindled the romance between Gwen Stacey and Peter Parker before her death at the hands of Norman Osborn, aka the Green Goblin in 1973.

SECRET WARS Whilst this story features many more heroes than just Spider-Man and is really just an excuse to sell toys, it is important to the Spider-Man mythos for being the first time we see Spidey’s black outfit. This sentient alien would later become obsessed with Peter and after being rejected by its host, the suit would bond with the bitter Eddie Brock and become one of Spider-Man’s greatest enemies; Venom! This leads us nicely onto:

MAXIMUM CARNAGE The Venom symbiote soon spawns a child that fully bonds with its closest human, the deranged and damaged serial killer Cletus Kassidy, forming into the twisted villain Carnage. Cassidy went on a rampage which saw New York becoming terrorised by Carnage and his minions. Venom and Spider-Man must join forces to stop Carnage with both disagreeing on how to accomplish the mission. Spider-Man refuses to kill even someone as evil as Kassidy whilst Venom believes his “son” needs to be stopped regardless the cost. The story delves into the choices a hero must make to protect the innocent and what really is best for the greater good.

Notable mentions: Kraven’s Last Stand, The Clone Saga, Spider Island and the most recent Ends of the Earth! Go forth and enjoy!

ACHIEVEMENTS Back when I was a kid, one of the highlights of my week was when my friends and I used to meet up in the playground and lend each other different games. This was done for a few reasons; obviously it helped us play certain games we might never experience and also to have to something to talk to each other about the following week. The main reason behind this ritual though was the fact of seeing how your friends fared against a game you thought you were awesome at.

Be it having a stupidly high score or getting to a certain point that you thought impossible to reach by anyone but yourself. In those days there was no internet to log onto when you were stuck, you had to both get on with it and hope for the best or pray that one day the magazine you regularly read would have that part of the game solved in the hints and tips section.

Because of this, it was hard to lie about what you had seen or where you had gotten up to unless you had done it first-hand. The feeling of joy you get when you managed to accomplish something that seemed insurmountable (be it a level, a puzzle or a boss) is exhilarating. Yeah it may just seem like a game or something not worth feeling proud about but you couldn’t help it! After all the effort you had put into trying to achieve that outcome, you are just so chuffed to be able to say to yourself “I did that!”

Nowadays, thanks to Microsoft, we have a system within nearly all games that actually tells you when you have achieved something that the game thinks is worth patting you on the back for.

Implemented back when the Xbox 360 was first released in 2005, achievements were a way of proving to or showing your friends (or rivals) that you had accomplished a certain task or found a secret. With these awards come points, the bigger the achievement the better the score. Other systems like the PS3 and other Sony products use a bronze, silver, gold and platinum award scheme for their achievements, called trophies. It is now so well implemented that even games such as World of Warcraft and products like the iPhone have a system like this in place to show your friends how well you’re doing and to compare gamer scores with one another in order to influence competition.

With all gaming systems seemingly having their own type of achievements, is it such a good thing that people can essentially, show off what they have accomplished? I’d say mostly yes. Whereas a few people sadly use it for bragging rights and ‘bigging’ themselves up, thankfully the majority of gamers see achievements as progress markers and reasons to challenge themselves. It’s a fantastic incentive that can help gamers push onwards and upwards towards the next in game milestone.

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62 GSCENE

SHOPPING

Indoor Fireworks, £10 (Pussy, 3a Kensington Gardens, Brighton, 01273 604861)

WITH MICHAEL HOOTMAN Tom

Christmas offering from Cardome (47a St James’ St, Brighton, 01273 692916, www.cardome.co.uk): troll along and vada Tom, their new assistant and snap up a bargain on cards - the 15% discount scheme for five or more runs until after Christmas.

THE TESTAMENT OF DR MABUSE (Eureka bluray). Fritz Lang's 1930s crime thriller certainly starts at a cracking place. A man with a gun hides in a counterfeiting workshop and is secretly noticed by its criminals who then try to kill him. It's atmospheric, cinematically fluid and instantly sets up a number of questions. As the film's action revolves around a madman in his cell writing a crazed manifesto to bring about the fall of Germany, it's really not hard to see why the film was banned by the Nazis. The movie has some great set pieces, and its central idea of a criminal motivated by a desire to destroy society, as opposed to merely accumulating wealth, is certainly an arresting one. But the film doesn't quite sustain its two hours running time – it certainly sags under the weight of too many scenes of rather dull dialogue – but on the whole it's an intriguing work.

MON ONCLE (BFI blu ray). Tati is one of those directors who, I find, you really have to be in the mood for. His 1959 Oscarwinning for Best Foreign Film has some very funny scenes and its saturated technicolor is - on this high-def transfer absolutely gorgeous. But at just under two hours I found the very, very subtle, gentle sight gags beginning to pall. Having already seen his later masterpiece Playtime which also deals with the absurdity of modern living, even some of the ideas seemed repetitive (though, of course, that's partly due to seeing the films out of sequence). However, learning a lesson from Playtime (which I loathed on first viewing), I'm sure I'll see it in a year's time in the exact right mood and absolutely love it.

Make your own London landmarks, £3.99 (England at Home, 22 Ship St, 01273 205544)

Turn on Gear, Turn on Muscles £24.99 each; Rebels £49.99; Outback Bushmen £44.95: Tom of Finland £49.99; Porn £34.99; Fist Room Odoriser £7; Fist Lubricant £12 (Prowler, 112 St James' St, Brighton, 01273 683680)

Recycled Vinyl 7" Clocks, £9.95 (Eco Logic Cool, 46 Sydney Street, 01273 606077)

64 GSCENE Michael saw an older man walk between the grooms and whisper something into one of their ears. He then smashed his glass onto the floor and stormed off into the shade of the garden. The music stopped and the guests went quiet. The darker-haired groom ran to the edge of the marquee and stopped next to Michael.

“Dad.” he shouted after the old man.

“Leave the old bastard to it,” a blonde woman said, taking hold of his arm, preventing him from following his father.

“I’d better go and talk to him.”

“No you won’t, you have guests, Sean.”

Michael stared for the first time at his father, Sean Matthews’ profile. Similar chin and hair colour but with whiter, straighter teeth.

Sean swept away the shards onto the grass with the side of his foot.

“Did any of the glass hit you?” he reached out and placed an arm onto Michael’s shoulder. Face to face now, Michael smiled weakly. Yes, he thought, the eyes too.

MONTHLY SERIAL BY CARL OPREY EPISODE 2 Sean Matthews watched his mother, Georgina, smiling tightly as she shook the hands of the friends and colleagues he’d refused to introduce her to. His father, John Matthews, stood next to her doing the opposite. After being introduced to the third same-sex couple, John slugged back his drink in a single swallow and planted the empty glass into Sean’s hand.

“I sent better men than these to certain death in Burma.”

John stamped across the lawn and Sean, sensing his guests’ eyes upon him, laughed along, unconvincingly, with his mother.

When the guests resumed their conversations, Georgina yanked Sean out of earshot.

“Are you happy now?”

“You’d better get used to it, mother. Both of you.”

Georgina unclasped her handbag and took out a gold compact to check her perfect lip line.

“I only asked if you were happy, Sean. You did, apparently, just get married.”

“That’s right. Mother.’ He held up his ring finger. She ignored him.

“You’ve no idea what this has done to your father.”

A man Sean didn’t know came up and shook Georgina’s hand, then stood back to admire her Hardy Amies two-piece.

“Just gorgeous.” he said, clasping his hands in front of his chest.

She tilted her head to one side and forced out a small smile.

“You’re very kind.”

Excusing himself again, Sean wandered to the edge of the lawn, in the opposite direction of his father.

The aroma of lilies overwhelmed Michael as he entered the hallway of the country house.

Investigating the ground floor, he found himself in an office at the rear of the building.

A photograph of the grooms at the apex of a mountain holding skis, stood in prime position upon the desk. In another silver frame the men sat in matching black formal suits, smiling from a gilt opera box. Michael picked up an antique photograph of a young man in military uniform. Rubbing away the tarnish on the frame he revealed a faint inscription: Lt D Matthews 1948.

He noticed a stack of business cards underneath the desk lamp.

Mr Sean Matthews. University College Hospital, London.

Michael felt inside his jacket for the letter addressed to Sean Matthews, then glanced at the silent crowd. He stepped back and felt Sean’s hand fall away from his shoulder.

“No. I’m fine, I’m OK.” Michael said.

The music cranked up once more and as Sean was pulled back to his family, Michael turned his attention to John Matthews standing in the garden behind him.

“I’m sorry,” said Michael, holding one of the cigars as a peace offering. “Go on. Please.

Have one.”

The old man took the cigar and sniffed along its length. Michael gave him a light.

“I’ve never been so humiliated in my life,” he blew smoke into the space between them.

Michael nodded his head in sympathy and for a while both men faced the marquee in silence.

A maid carrying towels clattered into the hallway outside and, in one movement, Michael shoved the card into his jacket pocket and made his way through the door.

“Just looking for the toilet,” he said, walking backwards towards the main doorway.

“It’s not exactly your fault, though, is it?”

Michael said taking the silver hip flask from his inside pocket.

“Here, I was saving this for later.”

The old man took a hit of the warm whisky, then turned to Michael.

“Do I know you? What side are you on?”

“Side?”

“Family boy, family.”

From the doorstep Michael looked out at the rolling hills of the Hampshire downs and, thinking his luck had finally broken, thought it time for a celebratory drink.

Inside the marquee another drunken man was trying to break a wine glass wrapped in a napkin against the central tent pole. A young bridesmaid screamed and covered her face.

Michael gulped his whisky at the edge of the dance floor and puffed on one of the cigars he’d commandeered from a passing waiter’s tray. It was getting dark and in the centre of the marquee, the grooms were leading the first dance. At the edges, people stood, watching.

Michael held up his whisky glass and deflected the question. He glanced sideways at the man next to him, his grandfather, and failed to see any resemblance with himself.

“To families,” he said. © Carl Oprey

GSCENE 65

HOMELY

HOMILY

VRON’S

BY GLENN STEVENS

VOICE

BE THANKFUL

JUMP FOR JOY

Last month I had the privilege of being involved with a project run by City Books who have been getting the town to read the 1950s Brighton-based novel, My Policeman, by Bethan Roberts. The story explores a time and place where many gay men lived in fear of arrest or persecution for loving someone of the same-sex.

Amid the continuing recessionary gloom, it’s a relief to spot a ray of light. In an otherwise underwhelming government reshuffle, Maria Miller, the new Equalities Minister & Culture Secretary, has come out strongly in favour of gay marriage. Expressing her views on the subject on the Independent Voices website, Miller insists that same-sex marriage must be legalised “to preserve Britain’s proud history of freedom and fairness”. Marriage, she says, is “hugely important. It makes us stronger”. She adds that if someone chooses to marry the person they love we should celebrate this, not stand in their way.

As part of the project I got to interview some of Brighton’s older gay men, from the social group GEMS, and asked them about their experiences of growing up gay in the late 1950s and early 60s. Some of the stories were quite harrowing, with tales of being thrown out of their homes by parents whose love turned to disgust because their child wasn’t straight. For some of the runaways, the only option was to turn to a life on the streets, which led to some being forced into prostitution as a way of staying alive and because police corruption was rife, many were sexually abused by the very people in authority they hoped would protect them.

Others spoke of the gay bars which were hidden from view and only known about through word of mouth.

Though they were often filthy dives, at the time they were gay men’s only sanctuary, places where they could relax and be themselves. Even so there was always the fear that the police would make one of their frequent raids and threaten the customers with arrest.

The 1969, Stonewall Riots in New York were a catalyst for the formation of the UK’s Gay Liberation Front, while others were defiant in the way that they dressed; wearing tight trousers, shirt and a silk handkerchief tied around their neck, putting up with the shouts of “Queer” or worse being beaten up for daring to be true to themselves.

There were also others with a bit of money, like a man I met called Robert, who dared to stand up to the police and opened an upmarket restaurant in Earls Court. He catered for the LGBT community and opened at Christmas so that his customers whose family had turned against them would not have to be alone.

These days there are bars like goldfish bowls, open for all to see and if the fancy takes us, we can march through town in our underpants on Pride Day, or be totally nude on the beach at Dukes Mound.

“We should take time to remember those pioneers who stayed true to themselves, stood up to the bigots and campaigned for a change in the law” With this in mind, we should take time to remember those pioneers who stayed true to themselves, stood up to the bigots and campaigned for a change in the law. Their actions also gave people like me the right to rage against draconian laws like Clause 28, to stand up and fight for equal treatments for people living with HIV, and to champion those who start up support groups like Lunch Positive, Outdoor Positive, Peer Action, The Hankie Quilt Project and Bear Patrol.

Living in the 21st Century, it is very easy to be complacent about the freedom we have to be ourselves, and all the more important that we remember and be thankful for those who fought hard for equality rights.

Three cheers for Ms Miller! With her radical stance, she has disappointed – nay, defied - the Tory right, along with some religious groups, who had hoped for a delay or even a U-turn in the proposed legislation.

Instead, these reforms have her unequivocal seal of approval.

Unlike Archbishop John Sentamu, who has stated his belief that redefining marriage to embrace same-sex relationships would mean diminishing the meaning of marriage for most people, with little if anything gained for gay people. In the long term, he opined, we would all be losers. Fortunately, a younger generation of church leaders, such as the new Dean of St Paul’s, are taking a different line.

Globally, there is much cause for optimism on this issue. Earlier this year, the Board of the National Association For The Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) voted to back same-sex marriage, a move which, given the mixed views within the black community, represents a major advance. And it puts the organisation in line with President Obama, who had already declared his support for gay marriage, although in America as a whole it is legally recognised in very few states.

“In November 2011, the congregation of a church in North Carolina voted to ban marriages in the church until same-sex marriages were allowed” It certainly is encouraging when, from within a repressive regime, a dissenting group chooses to make its voice heard. In November 2011, the congregation of a church in North Carolina voted to ban marriages in the church until same-sex marriages were allowed. Their statement read: “As people of faith, affirming the Christian teaching that before God all people are equal, we will no longer participate in this discrimination”.

People power in action!

With such signs of real progress for lesbians and gays, and irrespective of individual religious beliefs, we should all be jumping for joy. For myself, I often wonder how my parents might have reacted to all these changes. It’s just over 10 years since Mum died, and I can’t help feeling a twinge of sadness that I never came out to her. I guess at the time I thought I was protecting her feelings by not telling her, but then my partner at the time (we were together for 20+ years) was always warmly welcomed into my parents’ home and treated as one of the family. Hence, ‘spelling it out’ seemed pointless in a way, and also potentially dangerous, as my father, who ruled the roost, would almost certainly have disapproved (at best) and (at worst) might well have ordered me never to darken their door again! So I guess it was never an option. And Dad generally had the last word, although Mum was more than capable of standing up to him and asserting herself.

66 GSCENE

CRAIG’S THOUGHTS HELP YOURSELF DON’T DIE OF IGNORANCE: TOO MUCH LOVE WILL KILL YOU

BY CRAIG HANLON-SMITH It is now more than 25 years since every household in the UK was sent a government funded mail-shot, which in-turn matched a TV and billboard advertising campaign complete with black tombstone imagery screaming at the populace not to Die of Ignorance. Although in some circles now derided as alarmist and negative the campaign was largely effective. Effective in that those slightly to the right of society’s centre were largely given license to blame the gays for fucking air-crew who were blamed for screwing Africans who were blamed for eating monkeys and for generally not being white enough. How we’ve moved on.

FREDDY MERCURY

One significant success (if we can call it that) of the spread of HIV/AIDS amongst the gay community was to bring it closer together.

Savaged by far right organisations and moderate conservatives alike, gay communities particularly in North America and Western Europe rallied around themselves for reasons raging from safety in numbers to ‘if no-one else will help you then you’d better help yourself’.

As the pandemic affected the lives of millions across the world HIV/AIDS became a cause fought on the world stage not least of all because if you didn’t personally know someone who had died from an AIDS related illness, you probably knew a celebrity who had. A controversial reality being that Freddie Mercury’s death in 1992 probably did more to take the HIV/AIDS cause to the heterosexual masses than any government initiated letter drop.

People loved him and when he died they felt it as though he was one of their own. One year after his death thousands packed into Wembley Stadium and millions watched on TV as rock and pop living legends paid homage to his life and music: now remembered in the shadow of a tragic illness.

“In the ten years between 1996 and 2005 the number of people in the world living with HIV/AIDS doubled to 40 million” Madonna, Annie Lennox, and Elton John dedicated whole sections of world concert tours to raising awareness and money at AIDS benefits; Neneh Cherry, Madonna and Prince name dropped HIV into the lyrics of their recordings I’ve Got You Under My Skin, In This Life and Sign O’The Times respectively whilst the whole Red Hot & ... series took the cause to the MTV generation.

Whilst there are still some (including yes I know Sir Elton John and Madame Lennox) who fight on, in the context of the above there now remains an eerie silence on the subject in 2012. Former champions Madonna and George Michael now largely promote themselves; the legend of Freddy Mercury is consigned to the horrors of We Will Rock You and eleven years of Pop Idol and X Factor teaches us that pop music shouldn’t be teaching us anything at all, certainly not in its lyrical content. We have indeed moved on.

Gays on TV and everything are allowed to live seemingly normal lives, celebrity gays can have sex in toilets and still sell out concerts and HIV/AIDS need trouble neither man nor ape no more - everyone’s a winner babe and that’s the truth. Well, not quite. In the ten years between 1996 and 2005 the number of people in the world living with HIV/AIDS doubled to 40 million; and yes you did read that number correctly. In 2005-2006 more than three million people died from an AIDS related illness, 20% of them children. When you consider that we went to war over 3,000 Americans being hit by a couple of airplanes and how many trillions of dollars, pounds and euros that is continuing to cost, global HIV/AIDS statistics make 9/11 and the war in Afghanistan look like a kiddies birthday party.

Peter Piot, then executive director of UNAIDS, said at the time, “the AIDS epidemic continues to outstrip global and national efforts to contain it... a rapid increase in the scale and scope of HIV prevention programmes is urgently needed”. In my own research into AIDS and working with young people on a number of charity arts projects around World Aids Day I am sadly never surprised to learn that it is now largely considered an African problem; one young man informing me he wanted “nothing to do with monkey fuckers”. Whilst it is safe to say that 25 million of those affected by HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa, more than two million live in North America and Western Europe which means this is still a pandemic and it is on our doorstep; we have to know, we have to care.

In 2012, the International Aids Conference returned to the United States of America for the first time in 20 years. One of the complications of holding such an event in the US is that despite having their own HIV+ population of 1 million, US immigration don’t let anyone with HIV into America which makes hosting visiting speakers and positive delegates directly affected by HIV almost impossible. It is part of President Obama’s second term agenda to repeal this law; it would be President Romney’s first term in office not to. One of those moderate conservatives again.

“It has been proven time and again that HIV and AIDS are not solely medical problems, but have deep social links, consequences and implications” Prakash Tyagi As uncomfortable a dining room conversation as it is, the main reason HIV infection has persisted and grown is because generally people do not like to recognise in themselves or in those close to them, the behaviours that spread the virus. Prakash Tyagi International HIV/AIDS Alliance Key Correspondent speaking at the International Aids Conference agreed that “it has been proven time and again that HIV and AIDS are not solely medical problems, but have deep social links, consequences and implications“. We can like it or not, we can claim to be victims or not, but HIV infections continue to be a very real and present danger in our gay communities and once again it looks as though ‘if no-one else will help us we have to help ourselves’.

We don’t have to die of ignorance or worse; an AIDS related illness.

You can follow Craig Hanlon-Smith on twitter @CHanlonSmith http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11424269 Oct2012 http://blog.aids2012.org/ Oct2012 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/hivaids-the-21stcentury-plague-516391.html Oct2012

GSCENE 67

NETTY’S

QUEERYING

WORLD

QUEENIE

BY QUEEN JOSEPHINE

HIV I GOT NEWS FOR YOU

WOOF!

Could the end of HIV/AIDS be within our reach? I write this with a sense of optimism for the future, which isn’t like me at all. It seems experts are making great strides in the development of a ‘roadmap’ for the elusive cure.

I’m terribly sorry everyone but I have absolutely no idea what the theme is this month or indeed what month it is, never mind what day it is or what my name is. And no, it’s not because I fell into a vodka lake and drank my way out (strange image) or knocked myself unconscious. It’s because, far sooner than anticipated, the missus and I have only gone and got ourselves a dog. And I guess we’re all in shock…

French Nobel Laureate, Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, (co-discoverer of HIV) believes “A cure is a real possibility and the time is right to take the opportunity, or we may regret not trying.” I’m inclined to agree, in a ‘what took you so long’ kinda way.

Through endless lobbying and campaigning, we eventually received much needed worldwide investment, resulting in over 20 HIV drugs.

When used in combination they often restore health and prolong life, but eradication of the virus is not yet possible, exposing patients to potentially toxic drugs and their side effects for life.

I know HIV/AIDS is not exclusively a homosexual concern, but this fire was bound to take hold in the gay man’s world. It’s my personal theory that if I stood the sexual partners of the average scene queen on each others shoulders up to the sky, I would reach the moon. Do the same with me and I might just get to do my guttering. And so we have a missing generation of gay men. Those who lived through the terror of the 1980s are understandably haunted. With so many cut down in their prime, AIDS has become our battle of the Somme, our Passiondale.

“Those who lived through the terror of the 1980s are understandably haunted.

With so many cut down in their prime, AIDS has become our battle of the Somme, our Passiondale”

MORGAN FEMAI

But at long last we seem to be turning a corner in attitudes to the disease. Thanks to Barack Obama, the USA has lifted its ridiculous travel ban on HIV positive people entering the country. I read last month the UK’s Department for International Development has committed to spending £280 million per year on tackling the virus in India until 2015. Yep, my optimism is well founded… and then I look at Africa.

According to UNICEF, more than 14 percent of adults in Zimbabwe have HIV/AIDS. And how about their little treasure of a politician Morgan Femai? He says HIV can be stopped.

“Fantastic!” I hear you cry, “What pearls of wisdom have you got for us Morgan?” Well, HIV would be eradicated… if women shaved their heads and stopped bathing, because men find it devilishly hard to resist a well-dressed attractive woman. Oh, and circumcise them all too. According to Morgan, women have more moisture in their organs, which is a breeding ground for bacteria… a way must be found to suck out that moisture. Tell you what Morgan, while you’re working on that idea of pure genius why don’t you try this one. Cut off men’s dicks! Surely men like him make any selfrespecting vagina shut up shop and head for the hills anyway, how depressingly stupid is he? Thank Sappho for lesbianism!

Okay, rant over. We’ve come a long way since the first test for HIV in 1986. So for now, keep taking the tablets, don’t bareback unless on a horse, ooh, and let’s end the worldwide war on women. That’s the real cure for the mess we’re in.

Firstly the whirlwind acquisition of our little bundle of energy was a bit of a surprise. We’d always thought we might get a woolly woofter once the eldest of our cats shuffled off, which sadly he did last month. So we merely dropped into the dogs trust to register a vague interest and somehow within the space of four days Ted had moved in, was renamed Jack and life turned upside down.

Suddenly, at least three walks with something as strong as a tank yanking at our shoulders is an every day occurrence. We’ve had to get waterproof trousers because of course it’s been pissing down non-stop since he’s arrived; I seem to have dog treats and poo bags in every pocket; our house looks like a bomb’s hit it and we can’t find anything because everything’s been moved out of the way of the biggest, chewiest mouth ever to have lived here.

The remaining two cats are decidedly unimpressed with the latest family addition (though they haven’t moved out which we’re taking as a good sign) and we’ve had to add a cat flap here, another door there to keep everybody safe from themselves.

But the main thing going on is that none of us really know what we’re doing, as was demonstrated by Jack’s and my first attendance at dog training. God we were bad. All the other owners and dogs performed all the obedience tests with style and panache… we, having never had any form of canine tuition, just spent the whole time being told off. We walked round the wrong way, he didn’t respond to ANY instructions, I had the lead in the wrong position and didn’t jump over the jumps - yes, jumps, with him (which he’d run around anyway) and most impressively of all he managed to throw up twice and fart almost constantly throughout. The humiliation!!!

However, we are allowed to go back, though I fear this may be for our comedy value alone.

“The other owners and dogs performed all the obedience tests with style and panache… we spent the whole time being told off” It feels like we’re new parents, but ones who are having to crate-train rather than breast-feed. Exhausted and daunted by this responsibility, yet excited to have a new and already loving companion snuffling around, who now has learned to always sit for a treat! But whilst I’ve been totally rocking the grey jogging bottoms stuck into wellies look at the midnight round the block walkies, I’m thinking maybe Jack pulls at the lead so much because he’s trying to run away from fashion mistakes. I’d better get dressed up for the next dog training class… xxx

68 GSCENE

KEITH SHARPE A GAY AFFAIR? JESUS AND THE BELOVED DISCIPLE BY DR KEITH SHARPE, CHANGING ATTITUDE SUSSEX From his words and deeds we know that Jesus loved all his disciples.

However the Bible tells us of one disciple that Jesus loved in some special way. One of his disciples was lying in Jesus’ lap, the one Jesus loved… That one, falling back on Jesus’ chest says to him ‘Lord who is it?’ (John 13:21-26) The singling out of this one man who is never named but ‘whom Jesus loved’ makes clear that some kind of love is at issue here other than the love that Jesus felt for the rest of his disciples. Even then it was unusual for two males to be snuggled up together in such physical closeness and bodily intimacy. And yet Peter and the other disciples appear untroubled by it.

What are we to make of this? There is an intimacy here which goes beyond the friendship and love which characterises Jesus’ relationship to all other members of his band. If we are to follow the plain sense of the text it looks like Jesus had a beloved for whom he was the lover.

We meet the beloved disciple again at the foot of the cross during the crucifixion. He is the only disciple there. But there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, the sister of this mother, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary the Magdalene. Jesus, seeing his mother and the disciple standing by whom he loved, he said to his mother ‘Woman, see your son’. Then he says to the disciple, ‘see your mother’! And from that hour the disciple took her to his own. (John 19 :25-27) This text is hugely significant. Jesus is dying. If he had had a heterosexual relationship with Mary the Magdalene, as many people such as Dan Brown have argued, it would have been perfectly normal for him to have told his mother to look after her as the daughter-in-law she would effectively be. As so often happens, the mother of the dead son and the wife of the dead husband would adopt one another in their mutual grief. But Jesus does not mention Mary the Magdalene despite the fact that she is standing there in front of him. Instead he explicitly puts the man he loved in an adoptive relationship with his mother.

What conclusion can we draw from this other than that this disciple whom Jesus loved is, in modern terminology, his significant other? His mother and the beloved disciple are the two most important human relationships in Jesus’ life as it ebbs away.

The beloved disciple appears next in the story of the empty tomb. Mary the Magdalene goes to the tomb and finds the stone has been moved and the body has disappeared. She looks for Peter, the leader of Jesus’ disciples, to tell him and finds him with the beloved disciple. They immediately run to the tomb. The beloved disciple gets there first, but then waits for Peter to arrive before going in. This may be because Peter is regarded as the strongest and boldest. But also the beloved disciple might well still be traumatised by the sight of the mangled bleeding corpse of his lover just a few hours earlier.

Subsequently there are a number of resurrection appearances. One of the best known is when Peter and a number of the disciples go night fishing but catch nothing. In the morning they encounter a stranger on the shore who instructs them where to put the nets, which immediately

fill to overflowing with fish. It is the beloved disciple who first recognises Jesus: Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter ‘it is the Lord’ (John 21:7) They return to the beach and fry up the fish for breakfast. Afterwards the resurrected Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him and he commands Peter to ‘feed my sheep’. Peter then asks about the beloved disciple. Turning, Peter sees the disciple that Jesus loved following them, who was also the one who leaned on Jesus’ chest at the supper…

Peter seeing this one says to Jesus, ‘Lord and what of him?’ Jesus says to him, ‘if I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!’ (John 21:20-24) It is important that it is the beloved disciple who first recognises the resurrected Jesus. Peter, who is the ‘official’ leader and who otherwise might have been expected to be the one to ‘know’ Jesus, depends on the particular insight of the beloved disciple for this. This fact underlines the importance of the beloved disciple’s special intimacy with Jesus, even beyond death.

“There is an intimacy here which goes beyond the friendship and love which characterises Jesus’ relationship to all other members of his band” Then, Peter expresses solicitude for the beloved of Jesus, arguably beginning the task Jesus had set for him of caring for those whom Jesus had cared for. But Jesus stops Peter in his tracks and clearly tells him that although he is charged with responsibility for the others (‘feed my sheep’) he does not have the same responsibility for the beloved (‘what is that to you?’). Jesus then declares himself responsible for the beloved’s fate, once again distinguishing this man from all others now entrusted to Peter’s care. The other disciples take this to mean Jesus will protect the beloved disciple from harm until his return. This assumption speaks volumes about how the special relationship appeared to them.

It is truly astonishing that the story of Jesus and the Beloved Disciple is so little known and so little talked about now. In the 17th century King James I used it to justify the validity of his homosexual relationship with the Duke of Buckingham. Maybe we should do likewise.

The next meeting of Changing Attitude Sussex will be an LGBT Carol Service jointly run with the Brighton and Hove Lesbian and Gay Movement. It will take place on Thursday 20th December at 7.30pm at St George’s Church, St George’s Road, Kemptown, Brighton BN2 1ED. Everybody is welcome. Visit www.changingattitudesussex.com and www.thegaygospels.com.

OPEN AND WELCOMING CHURCHES Changing Attitude Sussex is committed to telling the truth about Christian teaching on homosexuality, and works for the full inclusion of LGBT people in every province of the Anglican Communion and more widely in all Christian Churches. For more info please visit www.changingattitudesussex.com and www.thegaygospels.com

CAROL SERVICE The next meeting of Changing Attitude Sussex will be an LGBT Carol Service jointly run with the Brighton & Hove Lesbian & Gay Movement on Thursday December 20 at 7.30pm at St George’s Church, St George’s Road, Kemptown, Brighton BN2 1ED. Everybody is welcome.

GSCENE 69

SUCHI’S

YOUNG

PEOPLE’S VOICE

WORLD

BY ALLSORTS YOUTH PROJECT

BY SUCHI CHATTERJEE

LET’S TALK ABOUT HIV AND LGBTU YOUNG PEOPLE

IN THE SAME BOAT

With World AIDS Day just around the corner, we reflect and remember those who have lost their lives to AIDS related illnesses. It’s a time to celebrate the achievements in treatment which means that people living with HIV have a much longer life expectancy and can live healthy and happy lives. Now is the time to think about prevention and how we can protect ourselves. Research has shown that LGBTU young people are more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviour, including substance misuse and unprotected sex. Discrimination and bullying can lead LGBTU young people to feel like they don’t belong and that they’re worth less than other young people. Poor representation in the media can reinforce negative stereotypes resulting in internalised homo/bi/transphobia.

I think this is the third or fourth article that I’ve written about AIDS/HIV for Gscene and I’d like to say that I’m feeling very upbeat about how AIDS/HIV is being treated by the media, the good old public, the world in general but if truth be told all I’ve been hearing over the last year or so is a very LOUD silence. It’s so loud in fact I am almost deafened by it.

It’s Worlds AIDS Day on Saturday, December 1 and so far I’ve seen next to nothing in the media about this annual event. People look at me blankly if I ask, "What are you doing on the 1st December?" The answer I usually get is “Getting ready for Christmas?”.

For me a good reminder of HIV/AIDS and how it has changed people's lives is the memorial statue in the New Steine Gardens. So you can imagine that I wasn't very happy when it was desecrated by people who obviously had the IQ of an amoeba… I might be insulting an amoeba here! I’m all for people having fun and a laugh but there are some things you just do not do. And mocking and denigrating something as important as the AIDS Memorial is a big NO-NO in my book.

For LGBTU young people, there can be specific challenges around accessing information around sexual health. Traditionally, sex education in schools has focussed on cis-gender, heterosexual sex. This can leave LGBTU young people feeling confused about how to best protect themselves when having sex with same-sex or trans* partners. In addition, schools have traditionally concentrated on penetrative sex and not addressed all the other ways people can give and receive sexual pleasure, which means that young people are often unsure about risk levels and how best to protect themselves.

LGBTU young people may be less likely to go for regular sexual health tests and seek help if they do suspect they have an STI. Doctors and health professionals often assume patients are heterosexual and cisgender. Some LGBTU young people dread going to the doctor about intimate health issues and are reluctant to correct such assumptions for fear of judgement or discrimination.

“Mocking and denigrating something as important as the AIDS Memorial is a big NO-NO in my book” The facts and figures about AIDS are still quite scary, over 90,000 people are living with HIV in the UK alone and globally that figure is over 33 million. That is a whole heap of people who live with the HIV/AIDS sword of Damocles hanging over their head.

Despite these challenges, the situation is improving for LGBTU young people. Allsorts Youth Project has developed a clear and informative leaflet for LGBTU young women about sexual health and relationships.

We’ve recently published a resource for LGBTU young men about HIV and there are plans to develop targeted sexual health resources for bi and trans* young people.

Brighton & Hove Healthy Schools Team is working in collaboration with Allsorts to make sex education more inclusive and relevant for LGBTU young people. In addition, Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) works with the schools to deliver LGBTU inclusive workshops around HIV and other STIs. LGBT HIP recently worked with Claude Nicol Unit to make services more trans* inclusive in an ongoing partnership and THT recently launched sexual health booklets for trans men and trans women.

LGBTU young people can register with the C-Card scheme to get free condoms, dental dams and femidoms from several locations around the city including Allsorts. We also work closely with the Claude Nicol team to offer community based testing at the drop-in on a regular basis.

ALLSORTS YOUTH PROJECT Allsorts Youth Project supports young people under 26 who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or unsure (LGBTU) of their sexuality and/or gender.

Allsorts Youth Project, Young People's Centre, 69 Ship Street, Brighton, BN1 1AE. Tel: 01273 721211 www.allsortsyouth.org.uk, www.facebook.com/allsortsyouth, twitter.com/allsortsyouth

MARVELYN BROWN

We don’t want young people to feel scared of HIV to the extent where they’re scared to talk about it or fear regular tests. We want to promote a culture of honesty and openness around HIV, and for young people to know that life still goes on and can be great even if you do get HIV. Whilst we want to break down the fear and stigma around HIV, we don’t want to promote complacency around safer sex; just because there are better treatments around, prevention is still the best policy!

One bit of good news that I have come across whilst browsing the web is that there is a lot of research going on with regard to AIDS/HIV. But frustratingly, unless you have a degree in molecular biochemistry then understanding what is being done in this area of medical research is akin to trying to translate the Rosetta Stone whilst blindfolded.

In February 2012, Marvelyn Brown, an American International AIDS activist, was asked to speak to students at a Tennessee University about her experiences of being a person who is HIV positive. Marvelyn, a young woman, was diagnosed with HIV when she was just 19 years old. She is working towards a goal of getting one million people tested for HIV/AIDS. So far she is 35% into her goal. Why don’t we see more people like this amazing young woman popping up on our TVs or appearing in our newspapers? World AIDS Day reminds us every year about the dangers of HIV/AIDS but the rest of the year many of us seem to slowly float around in a haze of “I don’t know what is going on in my life much less the world” kind of vacuum.

HIV/AIDS affects us all, men, women and children and as Marvelyn Brown so eloquently says “I don’t feel like I’m living with HIV. It’s living with me”. She is so right. HIV/AIDS is living with all of us and we best not forget that if we have any sense at all…

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CHARLIE SAYS PUSHERMAN I’VE GOT A PILL FOR THAT...

BY CHARLIE BAUER PhD In my last column I told you about a host of incipient drug pushers who make peoples lives a living hell, decimate their mental and physical health, and break down their families and spirits. Euchhh. Good news; this month we’re going to lighten it all up with a lovely one-sided discussion about the drug pushers within the ‘HIV economy’.

Remember I mentioned ‘multi-morbidity’? Defined as the presence, or potential presence of medical conditions? Where every condition of a disease, real or imagined, would be treated with a shed-load of different expensive drugs and then have to be carefully monitored at further expense? Well, my friends, there’s more.

Global generic licenses for HIV meds have nearly run out (I hear a roar in Africa) and are being replaced with the newer three in one versions Atripla etc. And Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Heath in Baltimore happily states, “AIDS is becoming more affordable”. Well fiddle-de-de! Of course the big concern, apart from keeping everyone alive during the last grasp of capitalist realism, is the old chestnut of the future of global and domestic finance for newer drugs. Improving the product, so they say, when in actual fact they’re just combing the individual drugs into one pill, making the pre-existing drugs obsolete so that they are taken off the market, then patenting the newer versions.

What a jade’s trick!

Think of it this way; as everyone who owns a Mac computer knows, eventually, Apple will keep ‘improving’ the operating system until your machine becomes obsolete. Then, you’ll be forced to abandon it and buy a new one, say, every four to five years. I’m on my fifth already, four years to the day since my last one. When I asked the schmac Genius in the Apple store why this happens, he replied, “Well, how are Apple going to make any money…” At least he was honest, but what this docile, crypto-hippie happily believes in, everybody else sees as the production of control.

It’s a bit like China being able to wave the ‘communist’ flag when they’ve already bought the planet with hard cash and the purchasing of foreign debt. And it’s not just, China. Apple and big Pharma who are smiling at their cash registers as they slyly kick their ideologies under the counter. It’s everywhere.

“HIV is the same big business.

Complications with AIDS too, but this falls under, ‘care which has a limited capital yield’” HIV is the same big business. Complications with AIDS too, but this falls under, ‘care which has a limited capital yield’ and can be serviced with less specific medication. It’s economics - there’s less money to be made from the dying than there is from the walking wounded. So, maybe that’s what they were talking about at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg when they said that AIDS is becoming more affordable. (Hang on, isn’t Bloomberg a financial data marketing institution? When the f*ck did they buy into the world’s leading medical research unit? Oh, 2001)

While the various drug combinations have been extending lives over the years, they’ve relied on ‘heavy financing’ in order to keep them in circulation. HIV requires money to be thrown at it daily; $15 billion for treatment this year in the USA alone, and that doesn’t include any research. Apparently, the therapies have to be ‘updated’ and ‘improved’ all the time at a humongous cost, just like your outdated Mac software does.

Of course an easier option would be to spend money on prevention.

This was effective in the West in the early 1980s but encased mainly around the white gay male communities. Strangely, back then in the USA, HIV was known as the three ‘H’s because of the communities it affected (Homosexuals, Haitians and Hemophiliacs). Social hypocrisy and a little touch of racism meant that other communities (i.e. the ones who couldn’t afford insurance or had cultural and language barriers) passed the virus on in greater numbers. An extension of this racial shame over the last thirty years has also become the most explosive Africa. My worry is that, as penny-pinching seeps into the West, where is ‘the developing world’ going to stand? Drug development is expensive, generic drugs are not, but ethics are supposed to be free.

“One group stated that if, because of the costs, the trade off was many people having no access to medication, then it’s better to split up the new combination pills back into their constituent parts” Finance cuts were the topic of choice at this year’s International AIDS Conference in Washington, and it was mandated here that the cost of care had to lessen. It appeared that cost-effectiveness entered the vocabulary at the same time ethics left the building. Here it was voiced that advocacy groups have also been thrown into a war of compromise.

One group stated that if, because of the costs, the trade off was many people having no access to medication, then it’s better to split up the new combination pills back into their constituent parts. This might then force the drug companies to lower their prices because no one has access to their new products (except the minority who can afford it).

The rest would use the good (and cheaper) old ones, a sort of retroactive retroviral process, turning the research back on itself in order to prise open the hands of drug lords. Then we discover that the old ones have become obsolete. Just like my old Mac. Rumours are circulating that, with drugs now coming off patent, the cost of care will fall dramatically, perhaps to less than $200 per person, per year. If it is the case, which I doubt, then why has it taken this long? Is it because the ‘research’ spookily coincided with the length of the drug patents? Or, is it because a huge cash-cow, like the property boom in China or the iPhone 25, will one day fail to deliver and so be the first of many cards to tumble.

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DUNCAN’S

TRANS

BY DUNCAN STEWART

BY STEPH SCOTT

“THE ART OF MEDICINE IS TO KEEP THE PATIENT AMUSED WHILE NATURE EFFECTS A CURE”

Sorry I haven’t submitted a column for a while, but a combination of ill-health and depression has been making my life hard. Anyway now I am back!

A fellow GP kept this piece of 18th century French cynicism on his desk, facing towards him, presumably as an aid to humility. At the time it was written, visiting a doctor was a hazardous event. There were a few effective herbal remedies, some crude surgical procedures (most of which preceded the death of the patient) and a lot of bloodletting which was a useless and debilitating waste of patients’ money.

Today doctors can use extraordinary machines to confirm their diagnoses and can prescribe from a huge and increasingly effective range of treatments. So why is it that in the midst of all this medical expertise things so frequently go wrong? Diagnoses are missed or delayed and side effects go unrecognised with shameful frequency.

This is not entirely the fault of the doctor, it is usually caused by faulty communication between doctor and patient.

“This is a crucial moment and you must not waste it. Don’t undermine your case with remarks like ‘It’s probably nothing serious, doctor’” So your dis-ease, your loss of ease, has finally led you to the GP’s surgery and after 20 minutes on a hard chair in the company of silent strangers reading magazines they would never consider buying, you are facing a GP whose gaze appears to be welded to his, or more probably her, computer screen. With nine minutes of the appointment left the face pivots in your direction, lips move and some version of “what can I do for you?” escapes. This is a crucial moment and you must not waste it. For a few seconds you have total control. Don’t undermine your case with remarks like “It’s probably nothing serious, doctor” and don’t waste time ingratiating yourself with flattering remarks about the doctor’s appearance or that of the waiting room.

Nor should you cause a distraction by displaying your understanding of the Greek fiscal tragedy, The Albion’s defence strategy or moaning about our climate.

Be succinct. Describe what it is that has deprived you of your customary ease, where it is, how it has changed, your attempts to improve it and how long it has persisted. Duration adds significance to a symptom. This advice may sound absurdly obvious but after 45 years on the far side of the desk and, of course, as a patient I can assure you that consultations often fail to achieve their potential. Actually examining patients no longer seems to be as fashionable as it once was but if you feel it likely that your rash, lump or wheezing chest will need to be exposed don’t present yourself wrapped in five layers of tight fitting clothing.

You might think it worthwhile to take a urine sample but remember that testing only requires enough fluid to check for clarity and to wet a piece of blotting paper smaller than a postage stamp so you there is no need for the complete contents of your bladder in a jam jar.

After a few questions the doctor will have decided if you need further tests or a referral to a specialist. All illnesses, serious or self limiting, tend as a rule to run a fairly predictable course but the snapshot you present at a consultation may not be immediately recognisable however astute the physician. Early symptoms of a serious problem may be so mild that further investigation seems unnecessary. The process of diagnosis depends on you, the patient, returning for further assessment if your symptoms persist in spite of treatment, or time. Do not hesitate to return, this is how our system works. If you sense that you are considered neurotic or a nuisance you might choose to seek help elsewhere.

MATTERS

For many trans people, November is a bad month. The International Transgender Day Of Remembrance (TDOR) is on Tuesday, November 20, and means that we find out how many trans people have been murdered in the last year, a figure that has constantly increased each year. Yet again, Brazil and the USA look like being the worst countries, making a mockery of their claim to support human rights! Trans people in poorer countries are often forced into sex work and/or selling drugs making them more likely to suffer violence and murder.

Once again Brighton trans groups, with support from Brighton & Hove Council and its LGBT workers are holding a vigil for TDOR at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church on Sunday, November 25 from 3-5pm. All are welcome to what is a sombre occasion but with a message of hope that our trans brothers and sisters will not be forgotten and neither will their fight to be allowed to be the people they are.

ANDREA WADDELL

DOMAIN

Whilst deaths in the UK are rare, we in Brighton must never forget that trans people suffer even in this more ‘tolerant” city. Andrea Waddell was killed in this very city in October 2009 and trans people still are attacked and abused on a regular basis. I constantly call upon the LGBT communities to protect and support each other and yet bisexual and transsexual people are still subject to abuse in some of this city’s so-called LGBT venues. It is time for owners of these venues to stand together and say ‘enough is enough’.

Perpetrators of abuse should be banned from all venues so that bisexual and trans people are able to feel safe. This won't totally stop the abuse but would cut it down.

Other avenues to help reduce abuse include measures like licensed premises and shops not selling cheap alcohol to people already intoxicated and for performers in clubs not using trans people to get cheap laughs. I know of several instances where drag artists have demeaned trans people because it gets a cheap laugh. To laugh at someone because of their gender identity is not funny and could potentially be seen as a hate incident!

“I know of several instances where drag artists demeaned trans people because it gets a cheap laugh” On a more hopeful front, Stonewall have invited several trans people, including yours truly, to a round table event. Fingers crossed that this is to discuss inclusion of trans people and not another PR stunt to show that they are working with trans groups. The report of Brighton & Hove Council's Trans Scrutiny should be announced in November, hopefully showing the need for actions to make the council supportive of the city’s trans communities and of its own trans workers.

Writing this is hard because in many respects I can but hope that things will change for the better. But without the constant reminder of how many changes need to be made to empower the trans communities to truly feel part of society, we shall forever be treated as second class citizens. Trans people are more likely to be in low paid jobs, if they have one, to suffer mental health problems and to be subject to domestic violence and abuse.

It is time for change, now.

72 GSCENE

“In a world of gay men where percieved perfection seems to be the only acceptable way, there needs to be a change of attitude towards both mental health and HIV” “It takes a lot on our part to be open about our illnesses and step out of our comfort zone, be bold and step out of yours to meet us half way. Who knows you might even get to like us.”

What is striking about Keith’s story is how hard it can be to make contact with others, whilst being honest about yourself. For people who experience mental health issues and/or HIV it can be so isolating when there is nowhere safe to talk about what your life is really like, nowhere safe to explore the things which really matter to you.

What happens if you are LGBT, have a mental health condition and HIV? For some people the stigma and prejudice experienced is double...

“Being diagnosed with HIV can feel like becoming somebody else; despite usually looking and feeling well, we suddenly become ‘sick people’ and our future becomes less certain. We can also take on board some of the negative stereotypes of people with HIV, coming to see ourself as stupid, careless, dirty... whatever – this can lead to a loss of self-confidence or self-esteem. (What we do forget, of course, is that most people have unprotected sex at least once at some point in their lives – we may be just, in some way, the less lucky ones).”

Chris wrote this for an article on HIV and mental health. Combine this with living with the stereotypes of LGBT identities, and some people with HIV experience it as a double whammy, a multiple lot of stigma and prejudice to get through on a daily basis.

Keith writes about what this is like for someone who experiences mental health issues at the same time...

“Living with HIV you can feel very isolated.

When first diagnosed it is all very confusing and your head is bombarded with information which you try and make sense of. It is an illness that has, as a rule, no outward and visible signs that you are suffering. Living with a mental health condition can be the same in terms of feeling isolated in the world at large, and no outward sign that you are suffering. Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness are common and feeling suicidal can be a result.

“What happens then when you have a mental health condition and HIV? Well it seems

double the trouble. I have suffered from depression for eight years and HIV for three.

There is a real stigma attached to both illnesses individually, and when you suffer from both then it seems doubly hard to deal with.

“My depression predates my HIV diagnosis but for many HIV sufferers depression is a side effect to the medication they have to take.

This can be a real problem for some, and I recently heard that among HIV sufferers suicide is the third or fourth most common reason for death.

“In a world of gay men where percieved perfection seems to be the only acceptable way, there needs to be a change of attitude towards both mental health and HIV. When I tell someone that I suffer from depression you can see their face fall, and it often becomes clear that they don't want to get involved.

With HIV the response can be more marked especially if talking in chat rooms. If I feel that a conversation is getting around to talking about meeting, I need to be upfront about my HIV status. Six out of ten times the guy just won't respond three others say “thanks but no thanks” and just one has the bottle to meet up. Such rejection only serves to feed any depression I might be feeling.

“Come on guys it is a hard world out there.

Some of us are a bit battle scarred but still have a lot of fight in us. Give us a chance, take a risk and take time to get to know us.

You can’t catch depression, and HIV can't be caught by talking.

At MindOut our aim is to provide safe places, to allow people to talk, to seek the support they may need, to meet others, to give and receive. Anyone who contacts us can talk to an ‘out’ LGBT mental health worker who will help them find out how best MindOut can help. This may be information, advice, advocacy support to help with issues such as mental health support, medical treatment, housing, debt, welfare rights, complaints, legal problems etc.

If people want to meet with others, the worker can talk through the process of joining our group work service. All of our groups run as peer support, facilitated by ‘out’ LGBT workers, according to a group agreement and ground rules. We run weekly general support groups, some themed groups throughout the year, a suicide prevention group called Out of the Blue, and less formal social groups as well.

MINDOUT SERVICES MindOut provides free, independent mental health advice, information and advocacy.

We also run a peer support group work service and activity groups for LGBT people with mental health issues.

If you, or anyone you know, has mental health issues and you would like to talk in confidence to an out LGBT mental health worker or would like to offer us your support, please contact us.

• 24hr confidential answerphone: 01273 234839 • Email: info@mindout.org.uk • Website: www.mindout.org.uk All MindOut services are free, confidential and non-judgemental.

GSCENE 73

BRIGHTON & SUSSEX

SEXUALITIES NETWORK

BY PAWEL LESZKOWICZ

QUEER STATE OF THE ART AT BRIGHTON MUSEUM

SADIE LEE

Through the artists’ presentations of their lives and work, we intend to analyse the queer mentality in art and British visual culture. These presentations will speak of the renewal of interest in queer issues at both the national and the international level. At the same time, new views and experiences of sexuality, such as sexual and gender fluidity will be debated and contested. The artists deal with these questions in works that reflect on the historical processes that brought us to this point of rupture.

They experiment with images of male, female and transgender eroticism, in the psyche and through embodiment, which express queer pleasure and pain. Through their portraits and self-portraits they examine our contemporary sense of the complexities of the self and its sensibilities.

At the present moment of economic crisis, gripped as we are by the forces of social and political conservatism, we need more activism in queer politics and creativity in queer art. The event will be a platform for thinking about queer issues and creating a new art to bring about a fairer society for queer culture. The event, co-organised by the University of Sussex’s Centre for Visual Fields and Centre for the Study of Sexual Dissidence, and the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, is free and open to the general public.

BRIGHTON & SUSSEX SEXUALITIES NETWORK (BSSN) The BSSN is an inter-university research network aimed at supporting research and researchers who work on issues of human sexuality within the Universities of Brighton and Sussex and the wider Sussex area. We consist of community members and academics who have an interest in knowing about current sexualities research.

Our organising committee, which is open to all, meets about twice a year. A sub-committee organises our annual conference.

Anyone can come to these meetings to suggest and organise events www.it.bton.ac.uk/bssn

AJAMU X

Participating artists include: Sadie Lee, known for her paintings of lesbian and transgender characters; Ajamu X, exhibiting photographs of black gay male sexuality; Eddie Peake, a performance artist portraying male nudity; Sarah Pucill, whose images of queer femininity are very moving; and James Richard, a video artist whose installations deal with intimate subject matter. The artists are either queer-identified, engaged in the representation of queer life or see their work as intervening in or communicating with queer or minority communities.

EDDIE PEAKE

AJAMU X

On Wednesday November 14, 2012 an important LGBTQ art event will take place at the Old Courthouse of the Brighton Museum (118 Church Street). Contemporary queer artists (emerging and established) working in the UK, will speak about their practice, their ideas and their life experiences between 1–6pm. These leading artists will discuss their visual approach to queer sexuality, politics, race, selfhood, intimacy and love in the 21st century.

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GSCENE 77

SERVICES

DIRECTORY LGBT SERVICES ACCESS 4 ALL

LGBT disabled people’s forum. Safe and welcoming, support, activities, awareness.

Tel: 07981 170071 or access4all@fsmail.net

ANYTHING BUT…

Youth social support group for LGB or unsure under 26, meets every other Wed. Tel: 01424 724150 or 01424 447033

ALLSORTS YOUTH PROJECT

Drop in for LGBT or unsure young people under 26, Tues 5.30-8.30pm. Tel: 01273 721211 or info@allsortsyouth.org.uk, www.allsortsyouth.org.uk

BRIGHTON & HOVE POLICE

Report all homophobic and transphobic incidents to: • The Police 0845 6070999 (for emergencies 999) email: LGBT@sussex.pnn.police.uk tweet: @policeLGBT • Civilian LGBT caseworker Clare Brisco on 101 ext 50427 or 07769 162594 • or use True Vision self reporting pack

BRIGHTON & HOVE LGBT SWITCHBOARD Tel Helpline, Hate Crime reporting, Counselling service, Proud2connect service (relationship counselling in partnership with Brighton Relate). www.switchboard.org.uk/brighton • Helpline from 5pm daily: Tel: 01273 204050 • Services info 01273 234009 • email brighton.manager@switchboard.org.uk • or brighton.admin@switchboard.org.uk

BRIGHTON OURSTORY PROJECT

Oral history projects including shows, exhibitions, books, support to researchers Tel: 01273 207757 or 01273 328592 or www.brightonourstory.co.uk

BRIGHTON WOMEN’S CENTRE

Info, counselling, drop-in space, support groups.

Tel: 01273 698036 or www.womenscentre.org.uk

FTM BRIGHTON

Social/support group for all female-to-male trans people.

Every 3rd Sat of month, 6–8pm, THT Office, 61 Ship St, Brighton, BN1 1AE. Tel: 07504 652129 or FTMBrighton@hotmail.co.uk

GEMS (GAY ELDERLY MEN’S SOCIETY)

Twice monthly meeting for over 50s Tel: 01273 884285 or peterotto337@btinternet.com www.gems-bh.org.uk

LESBIAN LINK BRIGHTON

Local social group offers friendship, social events Tel: 07594 578035 (eve) www.lesbianlinkbrighton.co.uk

LESBIAN & GAY AA

12 step self-help programme for alcohol addictions. Sun 7.30pm, Chapel Royal, North St, Btn (side entrance).

Tel: 01273 203343 (general AA line)

LGBT NA GROUP

Brighton based LGBT (welcomes others) Narcotics Anonymous group every Tue 6.30–8pm, Millwood Centre, Nelson Row, Kingswood St. Tel: NA Helpline 604604

LGBT MEDITATION GROUP

Meditation & discussion, every 2nd & 4th Thur, 5.30–7pm, Anahata Clinic, 119 Edward St, Tel: 07789 861367 www.bodhitreebrighton.org.uk

LUNCH POSITIVE

Lunch club for people with HIV to meet, make friends, find peer support in safe environment. Every Fri, noon–2.30pm,

Community Room, Dorset Gdns Methodist Church, Dorset Gardens, Brighton. Lunch £1.50.

Tel: 07846 464384 or www.lunchpositive.org

MINDOUT

Independent, impartial info, guidance for LGBT people with mental health problems. 24 hr confidential answerphone: Tel: o1273 234839 or info@mindout.org.uk www.mindout.org.uk

RAINBOW FAMILIES

Support group for lesbian and/or gay parents Tel: 07951 082013 or info@rainbowfamilies.org.uk www.rainbowfamilies.org.uk

VICTIM SUPPORT

Practical, emotional support for victims of crime.

Tel: Brighton 01273 234009 or Hove 01273 439942

HIV PREVENTION TREATMENT & CARE SERVICES AVERT

Sussex HIV & AIDS info service, available by phone Tel: 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, 1 Tisbury Rd, Hove, Tel: 0845 1203710 www.brightonhovecab.org.uk

CLAUDE NICOL CENTRE/ WILDE CLINIC

Free confidential testing & treatment for STIs including HIV. Hep A & B vaccinations. Out Patients Dept of Royal Sussex County Hospital, Eastern Rd. Tel: 01273 664721 www.brightonsexualhealth.com

LAWSON UNIT

Medical advice, treatment for HIV+, specialist clinics, diet & welfare advice, drug trials. Tel: 01273 664722

SUBSTANCE MISUSE SERVICE

CRI / Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust. Open access drop in, assessment, support, advice, info on drug & alcohol issues Tel 01273 607575. An LGB&T worker is able to provide a confidential, non judgemental outreach service. Support for people over 18 wishing to address substance misuse Tel 07717 774 658

SUSSEX BEACON

24 hour nursing & medical care, day care.

Tel: 01273 694222 or www.sussexbeacon.org.uk

TERRENCE HIGGINS TRUST SERVICES

• 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, personal safety. Free condoms, lube, tea/coffee from Outreach van parked next to ‘The Patio’ at the Bushes.

• Netreach (online Outreach in Brighton & Hove): info/advice on HIV/sexual health/local services.

THT Brighton Outreach workers online @ Gaydar: Thur 7–10pm, Sat 1–4pm, chatroom HEALTH INFO THT • Condom Male: discreet, confidential service posts free condoms/lube/sexual health info to men who have sex with men without access to commercial gay scene in East & West Sussex.

• 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 for men who have sex with men. Pre & post test discussion with clinical staff. Results in an hour.

10 men max tested per session. Mon: 6.30–8.30pm (waiting room open: 6pm) • Face2Face: confidential info & advice on sexual health & HIV for men who have sex with men. Face-2-face or phone. Up to 3 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 • HIV Health Trainer: Face-2-face/phone/email support to help understand diagnosis, manage side effects, sex & relationships, understand meds, talk to doctor, diet & nutrition.

• Informed Passions: Expert Volunteers project to identify & support sexual health needs of local men who have sex with men and carry out wide-ranging field research in B&H on issues affecting men’s sexual health. Extensive training provided.

• Lounge (Group for Gay Men Living with HIV): fortnightly peer support group for gay men diagnosed with HIV for at least 1 year, on HIV medication or not.

• What Next? Thurs eve, 6 week peer support group work programme for newly diagnosed HIV+ gay men.

• Co Infection group: 6 week peer support group work programme for gay men with HIV & HEP C. • Telling it Straight: monthly Tues eve support group for straight HIV+ men/women. Guest speakers.

• HIV Support Services: info, support & practical advice for people living with/affected by HIV. • Volunteer Support Services: 1-2-1 community support for people living with or affected by HIV. • HIV Welfare Rights Advice: help & advice line Wed: 10am–1pm 01273 764205. 1-2-1/group support to claim DLA. Guidance on return to work & in-work benefits For more info about these FREE services go to the THT office, 61 Ship St, Btn, Mon–Fri, 9.30am–5.30pm Tel: 01273 764200 or info.brighton@tht.org.uk

TERRENCE HIGGINS EASTBOURNE

Covering East Sussex, Services: Health Promotion Outreach, free condoms, lube, sexual health info & advice; HIV Health Coach, Short term support for people living with HIV; Counselling; Positive Grants; Face-2-Face 1-2-1 support & advice on sexual health, HIV; Condom Male: free condoms by post; Fastest: 1 hour HIV tests; Positively Social: group for people living with HIV; Volunteering.

Dyke House, 110 South St, Eastbourne, BN21 4LZ, Tel: 01323 649927 or info.eastbourne@tht.org.uk

WARREN BROWNE UNIT

Free confidential tests & treatment for STIs inc HIV. Hep A & B vaccinations. Shoreham based. Tel: 01273 461453

WILDE CLINIC

Gay men’s sexual health clinic. Wed 5-6.30pm. Opposite Royal Sussex County Hospital entrance Abbey Rd. Tel: 01273 664721

NATIONAL HELPLINES BROKEN RAINBOW

LGBT Domestic Violence Helpline, Mon 2-8pm, Wed 101pm, Thur 2-8pm Tel: 08452 604460

LONDON FRIEND

LGBT bereavement helpline, Tues 7.30-10pm, Tel: 020 7403 5969

LONDON LESBIAN & GAY SWITCHBOARD Tel: 02078 377324

POSITIVELINE (EDDIE SURMAN TRUST) Mon-Fri 11am-10pm, Sat & Sun 4-10pm Tel: 0800 1696806

MAINLINERS Tel: 02075 825226

NATIONAL AIDS HELPLINE 08005 67123

NATIONAL DRUGS HELPLINE 08007 76600 THT AIDS TREATMENT PHONELINE Tel: 08459 470047

THT DIRECT Tel: 0845 1221200

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