Gaytimes - Tom Daley - 2022 by Xuân Lê

Tom Daley

Jack Rowe Fashion Editor

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Liv Lawrence Junior Writer

1 Issue 523 September 2022

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2 Editor’s Letter by ?

Elsewhere in the issue we speak to the incomparable Travis Alabanza about their new book None of the Above “A lot of my work is about thinking beyond the present, I love forecasting and thinking about where we could be,” they tell us “In my book, I've really pushed what I wrote in that ourselves to the gender binary ?’ and ‘What if it would think and feel and what we would gain ” on the ways we treat each other, pushing for a brighter future where gender structures aren’t being weaponised in the ways they currently are We also speak with Broad City star Abbi Jacobson and the cast of the newly remade A a new era of queerness to the classic story; Mark Segal, who was present during the evening of the Stonewall uprising back in June 1969, speaks for LGBTQ+ rights today; and we speak to four Black queer creatives about what ‘power ’ means to them as UK Black Pride makes its long awaited return as an in person event this summer It ’s been a long (hot) summer full of challenges and triumphs and with a handful of Pride events left to play out, there’s more memories to be made yet. Coming together in real life was long overdue, and it has served as a reminder that as a community we are stronger together than we are apart at a time when we need to remember that most Lewis Corner Editorial Director

It was always going to be a busy few months with the return of real life Pride events across the world seeing our community come together once again for parades, protests and parties But it also feels in general the world is moving at a faster pace So much has happened; from a Tory leadership contest being ignited in the UK , to the overturning of Roe v Wade in the US, politics has continued to use marginalised communities as a tool to invigorate a far right voter base. But we’ve seen some incredible LGBTQ+ moments across the spectrum too The UK celebrated 50 years of Pride There were glorious Trans+ Pride marches in both Brighton and London, with thousands lining the streets in solidarity with the trans+ community IVF barriers facing queer couples were scrapped in the UK in an historic step towards equality The US House of Representatives passed a landmark bill protecting same sex marriage Slovenia announced it would be ending its ban on same sex got to say “I do” in Switzerland A colonial era gay sex ban was overturned in Antigua and Barbuda Spain approved a landmark bill making it easier for trans youth to change gender And Lady Gaga to thousands across the globe! As we know, the work never stops and progress is a continual process that can never be taken for granted This September issue of GAY TIMES Magazine features a handful of LGBTQ+ people who are using their advocacy, art and platform to contribute to that change in a positive way For the Tom Daley to the cover of GAY TIMES Magazine This year, the athlete has been traveling the globe speaking with sportspeople and activists about colonial era laws that continue to criminalise homosexuality across the Commonwealth It ’s still illegal to be gay in 35 of the 54 nations that make up the Commonwealth, with punishments ranging from imprisonment to the death sentence In a new BBC documentary, Illegal To Be Me, Tom shines a light on the challenges LGBTQ+ people face in these nations, and how sporting federations like the Commonwealth Games can do more to help change these anti LGBTQ+ laws and attitudes “They're I think the big thing about this documentary is I didn't want it to be 'here's everything that is terrible and we're not going to do anything about it',” Tom says in the cover story “There is a campaign element behind it and things will continue and the Commonwealth Games is just the start If the Commonwealth Games can do it, why can't FIFA? that something like that could be pushed forward ”

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4 Gotta Have It Tom Daley Travis Alabanza UK Black Pride Stonewall Riots 05 13 33 37 41 45 Contents

5 G O T T A H A V E I T

Estrid Razors From £7 95, www estrid com/uk This collection was Daniel Fletcher’s return to the catwalk after two years. The brand continued to presentations and lookbooks, but it’s always gorgeous to see a queer brand storm fashion week Both the collection and the decision to return to the runway were made in memoriam of Fletcher’s late father, Pete The pieces within the collection were inspired by his father and Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, an ode to father The stunning reimagined basics are so chic yet wearable, with a 70s rock and roll twist that puts this collection miles ahead of others. The classic Fletcher touches such as the cool toned colour palettes of blues, greys and reds and tailoring inspired by football jerseys can be seen in this collection, but this time it feels more elevated This season, Fletcher has doubled down on his sustainability pledge, with patchwork jackets made from denim off cuts and ties made from silk shirt scraps The sentimental value of this beautiful collection makes it that much better the collection is a sleek, well manufactured ode to someone dear to the heart

7 David Koma Crossbody Plate Bag £855 Bijoux De Mimi Cranberry Huggie Stacker £46 Salvatore Ferragamo Ssunglasses £230 Shushu Tong Exaggerated Collar Dress £568

Both the collection and the decision to return to the runway were made in memoriam of Fletcher ’s late father, Pete The pieces within the collection were inspired by his father and Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, an ode to Fletcher ’s reimagined basics are so chic yet wearable, with a 70s rock and roll twist that puts this collection miles ahead of others

The classic Fletcher touches such as the cool toned colour palettes of blues, greys and reds and tailoring inspired by football jerseys can be seen in this collection, but this time it feels more elevated This season, Fletcher has doubled down on his sustainability pledge, with patchwork jackets made from denim off cuts and ties made from silk shirt scraps

This collection was Daniel Fletcher ’s return to the catwalk after lockdown through virtual presentations and lookbooks, but it ’s always gorgeous to see a queer brand storm fashion week

The sentimental value of this beautiful collection makes it that much better the collection is a sleek, well manufactured ode to someone dear to the heart

Daniel W. Fletcher AW22

9 OGBFF Baby Tees £37, www ogbff com Unless you live under a rock, you’ll know that slogan tees are back and better than ever. Enter the brand that will do all the are the original ironic slogan tee makers that shot the trend into the limelight With fans like Slayyyter, Princess Nokia and MARINA , its no secret that the brand was made for the girls, gays and theys The woman owned label was created business” being on Then, continuing their friendship online over the LA lockdown, plans were discussed to create the brand, via DMs and texts, obvi! Designs with slogans like it obvious that we have some serious iconic allyship going on

10 Vans Checkerboard Classic Slip on Shoes £60 at vans co uk Goodhood Printed Leopard Shirt £130 Maison Mihara Yashuhiro Asymmetric Layered Cargo Pants £452 Maria Tash Tieger ’s Eye Hoop £360

11 Zilver Tailored Shorts £332 CAT Intruder White Trainers £90 Vanmoof-S5 Bike £2,498 Fiorucci Denim Angels Cap £588

‘Summer With Love’ from Made with Love by Tom Daley Price ranging from, £29 £110 Tom Daley is not just a diver, he is a creative visionary He was born to design, knit and create! Since taking the plunge into the world of fashion, Daley has gone on to collaborate with iconic fashion house, AMI, and has taken his love for knitting and crocheting to new heights This being the creation of his heartwarming line Made with Love by Tom Daley The label beautifully showcases the comfort and warmth knitwear can inject into every corner of your lifestyle. The new collection Summer with Love, is the perfect antidote to gliding through summer with comfort and summer heat, whilst the cardigans are a gentle touch to the cooler nights Show your home some love too and decorate your space with soft checkered blankets, and earthy wall hangings Daley expresses the joy of his collection with, ‘I love this new collection and I love summer, being outdoors with my family and friends, going on holiday, having a BBQ or a party on my rooftop This collection for me sums up that feeling and contains pieces you can create that can be part of your summer memories I’m obsessed with the vests And the plant hangers? I’d have to knit hundreds if I was to hang all the houseplants in my house Having my friends involved is really special to me too Maybe now they ’ll try their hand at knitting.’ S o show your body and home some

Photography by STEVE HARNACKE Words LEWIS CORNER Hair and Makeup by BRADY LEA AT PREMIER USING Photo Assistants ALICE SCANFERLIN HENRY ANTONIO Fashion by UMAR SARWAR D A L E Set Design by LUIS GAENSSLEN T O M Art Director JACK ROWE Stepping up as sport ’s leading LGBTQ+ voice for change Fashion Assistants NALI SIMUKULWA NICOLE ALONZO D A L E T O M

Shirt, tie, DSQUARED2 Trousers, DUNHILL Shoes, ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

Shirt tie DUNHILL Trousers: QASIMI

T om Daley may have taken a year long break from diving, but that doesn’t mean he’s slowed down If anything, the than ever “Sorry I’m late,” he says as he joins breath He’s just been out for a walk with his story short, Robbie knocked over a margarita on it,” he explains, clearly still enjoying the joys tech carnage. When we speak it ’s been four days since Tom ran into the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games history In their hands they waved the Intersex inclusive Progress Pride Flag proudly to huge Commonwealth Games or any major sporting event has included such a prominent and visible statement of solidarity for the LGBTQ+ community in their opening ceremony, and it was broadcast to an estimated audience of 1 5 billion people across the Commonwealth But this moment was never a given. It was fought for “It wasn't the easiest thing to get across the line because initially they were quite resistant about having it take such a prominent part in history making moment. “Then when they did agree to it it was very much a stripped back version, but I was very insistent on making sure that it wasn't me just carrying Queen's Baton Relay and bringing it into the stadium is one thing, but that moment wasn't just for LGBTQ+ people in the UK , but for all the LGBTQ+ people across the Commonwealth the queer kids where their existence is illegal, and their existence is persecuted with jail time and even in some countries the life sentence and death penalty It was a very emotional moment and I think for the 1 5 billion people around the Commonwealth who tuned in, maybe it gave hope to some kids somewhere that maybe one day they can be free too ” A year earlier Tom was fresh from his victorious gold medal win in the 10m "That moment wasn't just for LGBTQ+ people in the UK , but for all the LGBTQ+ people across the C ommonwealth"

Games hosting the most openly LGBTQ+ athletes ever, Tom was aware that more needed to be done by sporting federations to apply pressure on countries where LGBTQ+ people face grave legal and social challenges to their about his own role in pushing forward that change, making statements on how countries that criminalise LGBTQ+ lives should be banned from being able to host international sporting events His thinking was that by doing so, legislative reform could potentially happen more swiftly and offer both hope and protection to LGBTQ+ citizens most at risk

Tom worked with brilliant organizations such as Kaleidoscope Trust, Rainbow Railroad, and Micro Rainbow to make sure he was speaking with the right people, asking the what it sets out to do There was also the crucial aspect of making sure those speaking on camera remained anonymous and the production went to great lengths to ensure their safety “I didn't know their names, all I knew was their achievements,” Tom explains in with a hoodie, mask, sunglasses and was completely unrecognizable Some athletes in Jamaica were less worried about that Again, I didn't know their names so there was no way I'd even be able to say it on tape if the footage got into the wrong hands. Their faces were never crew and production team were very conscious of that ”

Homosexual activity remains illegal in 35 of the 54 nations that make up the Commonwealth In Brunei and Northern Nigeria the maximum punishment is the death sentence, whereas Ghana, Pakistan and Uganda are part of 11 countries that enforce prison sentences The remaining 22 countries where homosexuality remains illgeal, punishment is rarely enforced However, societal attitudes means LGBTQ+ citizens cannot live freely without fear of discrimination and violence They also have little to no protections when it comes to housing, healthcare, employment and safety We’ve seen progress in recent years with Botswana, Guyana, and India all striking down colonial era penal codes that criminalised homosexuality Since the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2018, Kaleidoscope Trust ’s 2022 review looking at the changes in country level commitments to LGBTQ+ people since then found that 10 countries had positively reformed laws to better protect their LGBTQ+ citizens However, that is outweighed by 16 country level negative setbacks, and a decrease in safety for LGBTQ+ people across the Commonwealth. Much greater public awareness of these across the world is needed, but also a better understanding of why these societal and cultural attitudes exist in Commonwealth nations in the the homophobia across the Commonwealth, as well as the British Empire’s role in imposing it, Tom has worked with the BBC on a new documentary that aims to educate audiences as part of a bigger process to achieve positive change “Going into it I thought banning countries with anti LGBTQ+ laws from hosting [the Commonwealth Games] was going to be Magazine cover story “I go on this journey of being, 'Actually that's probably not the best way to go about it ' I felt like there was so much more to this than campaigning behind closed doors and being able to follow the journey can bring with it a little bit of weight Without the documentary, I don't think the Commonwealth Games would have agreed to do what they did Tom is frank about the resistance he’s faced from sporting bodies throughout this process, highlighting that garnering support for marginalised LGBTQ+ communities is still tough in the world of sport “It was actually the president of the Commonwealth Games Federation that stepped in in the end and she was like, 'Nope, we're going to do it. We're going to make it work '”

Tom says “That was a really big move and it was amazing to see Dame Louise [Martin] do that ”

Tom Daley: Illegal To Be Me is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now and sees the athlete travel to Commonwealth nations in a action points for the Commonwealth Games to help progress global LGBTQ+ protections Tom travels to Pakistan and Jamaica in the the history, reality and challenges of queer people in their nations He admits that he was privileged white gay man and to be able to for me because I wanted to highlight those things and speak about them, but I didn't know if I was necessarily the best person to bring those to light,” he says “Having spoken to a lot of people, they were saying they'd never be able to get a manifesto or their thoughts and points into the room with the president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, so actually that manifesto is all of the things they had said should be put into it ”

Gloves, AMI

Coat, tie, DUNHILL Blazer, trousers, DSQUARED2 Shirt ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

Coat, tie, DUNHILL Blazer trousers DSQUARED2 Shirt ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

Illegal To Be Me doesn’t shy away from the fact that Tom is very much on a journey too. His original suggestion that nations who criminalise homosexuality should be banned from hosting major sporting events is dismissed by all of the activists he proposes it to They give him the reasons why the main one being that homophobic countries would then double down on their LGBTQ+ citizens, blaming them for the lost opportunity to host events and Tom takes it on board and develops his own approach the reason why many of these countries have Empire Much of the homophobic legilsation is a hangover from colonial era laws put in place by the British To understand why these laws still exist, you need to confront Britain’s history of colonialism and slavery “British schools don't teach colonialism and Black history very well at all and more needs to be done about does, is that it brings together and highlights the importance of knowing that history.”

When visiting Jamaica, Tom spoke with Carla Moore who has been researching the link between homophobia in the country today and the slave trade She explains that gay sex wasn’t allowed on the British owned platations because that wouldn’t result in a child, which would deny the owners future slave labour There was also the use of anal rape as a punishment for enslaved men, which resulted in a history of sexual trauma that spanned around 300 years. This instilled the idea that gay sex is something that white people use to harm Black victims, which has directly contributed to the homophobia that still exists there today “I knew certain history around slavery, but never understood the relationship between using sodomy as a form of punishment and that further reinforcing it,” Tom says “I was almost embarrassed by how much I think the more I learned the more I everything about everything, but you still feel this, been told this, been made aware of this?' I initially felt quite guilty and the professor says in what are you going to do about it?' That really triggered this thing inside me where I came out with anger and felt frustrated for so many communities within our community, and people who don't necessarily get listened to or don't get a space at the table to have this conversation I just wanted to be able to bring as many voices to the table To have true representation, and true diversity and inclusion, it has to include everyone ” The UK has a real problem with acknowledging its role in imposing anti LGBTQ+ laws in countries far beyond our shores There’s a resistance to accept that the British Empire was an awful era for so many countries and their peoples And the UK can’t claim to be as progressive as they say they are after centuries of opressing queer people both at home and abroad Very few people are made aware of the atrocities of the British Empire when learning history in school “Teaching facts is not persuading someone either way about anything,” Tom agrees “People need to know the history to be able to have some kind of context around what is happening in the world, and to learn the history It's also about just acknowledging it and being able to highlight that this happened and it was really shitty and until the British public and everyone can acknowledge that it happened and talk about it, how can anybody heal from that? How can anyone heal from anything without actually confronting it? That was the big thing from a lot of the advocates and activists, that they need this acknowledgment and not to be labelled as the homophobic ones when Britain is the reason for it We are the ones who implemented With two months to go before the Commonwealth Games 2022, Tom returned to the UK armed with all of the requests from athletes and activists across the Commonwealth to build a manifesto for positive change They include a pro LGBTQ+ stance at the forefront of the Commonwealth Games ethos; educational programmes around the British Empire and its role in imposing anti LGBTQ+ laws; sensitivity training for staff and volunteers; refugee resources that allows people to start seeking asylum in the country that is hosting; and the big one that cropped become a reality on 28 July, marking a new beginning for LGBTQ+ visibility and solidarity at the Commonwealth Games. Tom says that some more of the points have already been implemented too, and he’ll continue to work with the Commonwealth Games Federation sporting body to engage in that way and I think the big thing about this documentary is I didn't want it to be 'here's everything that is terrible and we're not going to do anything about it',” he adds “There is a campaign element behind it and things will continue and the Commonwealth Games is just the start. If the Commonwealth Games can do it, why can't a possibility that something like that could be pushed forward ”

Coat (layed on bed) DUNHILL Shirt ALEXANDER MCQUEEN Trousers, DSQUARED2

Trousers, DSQUARED2 Shirt ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

Shirt, Tie, Trousers, GUCCI

Gloves, AMI

LGBTQ+ protections in sport are needed now more than ever In just the past month in the United Kingdom we’ve seen FINA ban trans female swimmers from competing and Rugby Football Union blocking trans players from participating It places the UK as a Commonwealth nation who is also targeting sections of the LGBTQ+ community in a merciless fashion It ’s the result of a right wing agenda to spread disinformation and fear of trans people in general. “Sport is a space for everyone, no matter your gender, no matter your sexual orientation, no matter your religion, no matter your socio economic background, ability, disability, you should be able to see yourself enjoying sport and getting involved,” Tom says passionately “It's social, it's a way of staying healthy, it's a way of learning discipline, there's so many different things that sport is amazing for The fact that people are honing in on, let's say the NCAA [National Collegiate athletes out of thousands that identify as trans, it's sometimes sensationalised in a way that isn't fair on trans people They are never given the opportunity to be able to share their side of the story in the same way that everyone else is Ab ove all else, sp ort should b e for everyone and I don't t hink anyone should ever b e excluded from sp ort It's obviously a very nuanced subject, but t here's more to b e learnt and t here is going to b e a p erio d of t ime just banning p eople is I don't know Just imagine b eing t hat 12 year old kid who's told t hat unless you get on hormone t herapy right now you are never going to b e able to puts so much pressure on t hem and t he parents ” In Tom Daley : Illegal To B e Me, t he at hlete t he public aware of his sexual orientat ion he remianed quiet b ecause he felt like he didn’ t know anyt hing and was uncertain around how t hings were going to go down But over t he years he’s emerged as one of sp ort ’s most visible and vo cal LGBTQ+ stars and now feels it ’s his duty to campaign to make it an inclusive space for everyone “It's imp ortant to b e able to use your voice and platform to b e able to stand up for p eople who ot herwise can't I am part of a community t hat is marginalized and has b een discriminated against for a very LGBTQ+ community needs to try and do is all come to get her There's p ower in numb ers t houghts, feelings and opinions wit hin t hat community The right wing knows what t hey're doing They sensat ionalise t hings and create b e able to t hen divide and conquer That's not what we should b e ab out We should b e ab out lift ing up and b eing really supp ort ive of everyone That's what we need to get back to ” Tom is current ly coming to t he end of his year long break and says he will meet wit h his coach at t he end of August to discuss t he future of his diving career No decision has b een made yet on whet her he will comp ete Paris. “ The diving t hing is always t here and I do wit h t hat,” he says Making Illegal To B e Me has taken up a go o d chunk of his t ime, but he’s also had a moment to enjoy life and explore his ot her passions. He launched his new knitwear line Made Wit h Love and has had t he opp ortunity to lean into t he world of fashion “I've always loved fashion and t he interest ing t hing wit h taking t his year off is t hat I've actually b een able to wear t hings t hat aren't just sp orts clot hes!” he laughs. “I actually go to places now! Lots of p eople have b een like, 'You're wearing all t his stuff' and I'm like, 'Well it's b ecause I'm allowed to leave t he house! I don't have training and I don't have to b e in b ed at 8pm'. S o it's b een really fun to b e able to express myself in t hat way ” He has big ambit ions in t hat world to o, wit h plans to learn how to sew and hop efully take his designs to t he runway “I'd love to, in t he next 10 years, get to a p oint where I could have a London Fashion Week show wit h Made Wit h Love You've got to dream big I guess!” Whatever decision Tom makes ab out his future diving career in t he coming mont hs, one t hing remains clear: he will cont inue to campaign for greater LGBTQ+ visibility and protect ions for p eople every where He’s just b ecome a patron of Kaleidoscop e Trust alongside Munro e B ergdorf, Michael Gunning and Kyle De’ Volle supp ort ing t he vital work upholding t he human rights of LGBTQ+ p eople across t he glob e From t he young man grappling wit h his own coming out fears to a global sp ortstar putt ing his platform to go o d use, he’s come a long way. But t hings are ab out to get even busier, as he dives into a promising and purp oseful future ahead We’ll toast a margarita to t hat “One thing I do think the LGBTQ+ community needs to tr y and do is all come together. There's power in numbers."

Shirt, tie, DSQUARED2 Belt PRADA Trousers, DUNHILL

S elf- discover y and shifting forms: Travis Alabanza discusses their new book None of the Above. Photography by KARIS CRAWFORD

33 Words by NALI SIMUKULWA W hen Travis Alabanza speaks, it is with the calm composure of somebody who is done seeking approval Despite the crackling connection of the Zoom call we are using, their voice is behind their latest book , None of the Above: stepping into the limelight in 2018 after their debut show Burgerz ignited audiences internationally, Travis Alabanza has never shied away from creating art about their experiences in the world as a Black , mixed, non binary person Yet Alabanza’s work oppressed people as lead in the tale of their mistreatment, boldly interrogating the faults of a society that allows such mistreatment to occur None of the Above does just this; constructed around seven different phrases that have all, at one point, been levelled at Alabanza, the book turns a mirror on society, act and treat one another Delving deeper however, the book resists straightforward categorisation Alabanza’s lyrical style and theatrical grounding is the book’s lifeblood and with this, the work unfurls out of the non beyond the binary, where gender may be both understood and peripheral “There's a push to show queer joy and to ensure we make sure not someone who can always make joy I feel like sometimes being trans is painful but by imagining different worlds and futures, I can imagine joy as a present thing,” Alabanza says of their vision behind the book Here, we speak to Travis Alabanza about their world building process and what writing this book has meant to them

T R A V I S A L A B A N Z A

34 A

What inspired you to write the book and why now? I'm inspired by what's missing in the archives We've seen such a boost in trans literature but often, what's recorded is those who are white or binary, trans or from wealthy backgrounds or all of the above And, as someone who is none of the above, I felt it was important to write a book that spoke to those experiences and went beyond 'trans' as an umbrella term; for the gender non conforming people (GNC) in society So who is this book for, who did you write it for and why? The book is dedicated to anyone who is in doubt or questioning and that is who I originally wrote it for, for other GNC people who feel like they are in between two spaces or in a transition that feels liminal But the book is opening a conversation on how the gender binary affects book trans people could go to and feel seen, hopefully it builds an argument showing how everyone is affected because the gender binary harms us all. How did you decide on the seven phrases that you've chosen to structure the book around? Being honest, I thought to myself, 'How the hell do I structure this book?' I had so much to say and I knew the topics I wanted to cover but every time I started writing I would think, 'This is boring’ and ‘This doesn't feel creative ’ I'm obsessed with language and I wanted to give people a snapshot of my memories but didn't want to do a typical linear memoir, so I decided using phrases is a good way to bring a reader in I think a lot of LGBTQ+ people have heard I also wanted to take some familiar phrases and twist them around, I love it as a structure, especially because I don't always read books from beginning to end I like to dip in and out so I wanted to give readers the opportunity to jump around the book and follow their interests, it made writing it a lot more fun Of the phrases you've chosen, is there one that was most impactful? Or one that was appease the trans lobby ” It was taken from a newspaper article that was written about me in 2017 in The Times It was a big transphobic spread about an incident I faced in a Topshop I avoided talking about it to the press or even speaking about it generally but I decided to write about it in this book It was really tough and it was really hard to relive that moment but, in the book, I cut up a phrase that was written about me and rearranged it so it kind of turns into an empowering sentiment which was healing for me The most empowering phrase has to be the last chapter The title is taken from some words a friend said to me on the phone, “This is for us baby, not for them " I love ending on that note because it felt like the rest of the book really grapples with cisgender people and straight culture, and the last chapter is about asking what it would mean if we didn't bother and, instead, we just looked at setting our own agendas as queer people

A key aspect of your show Burgerz that won you a lot of praise was its interactivity. Do you think that the book has any aspect of interactivity? And what kind of relationship do you hope the book fosters with its reader? I hope the book is interactive, I don't know how to make work without thinking about the audience It's how I've been trained in terms of performance With a play, you always think about your audience as an active participant; you talk directly to your reader and think about how they are responding Throughout the book, my idea of who the reader might be changes, I even interject some paragraphs with stage directions. I wanted to keep a certain type of kind of authors that I'm inspired by are always blending form and that interests me; I love

Whether or not I can continue to be visibly GNC or if I have to make a choice to present as more of a man or a woman, whatever that means. In writing and reading the book I remembered that we can do our own thing, we don't have to follow the rules about gender set by other people We can boldly be what we want to be and, it sounds corny, but I did lose sight of that for a moment because I was seeing all these examples of what transness had to be and I The ending of the book made me realise that it doesn't fucking matter really Seeing other trans people's reactions to the book has also helped me because if they feel really empowered by the book I have to too I feel like I've got my I'm so glad that you've been able to go through that journey in writing the book I've been reading your essay ‘Everyone’s Trans, Now What?’ A lot of what you talk about there is about using your imagination to envision progressive futures, do you think you've brought any aspect of that into this book? beyond the present, I love forecasting and thinking about where we could be In my book, I've really pushed what I wrote in that essay ourselves to the gender binary ?’ and ‘What if it would think and feel and what we would gain I've been imagining worlds where I and other trans people are safe and how our lives look In my book I use a lot of literary techniques then starting the paragraph over and telling the story from a different angle The reader doesn’t really know which story is true but both do tell a different truth Reimagining scenarios like that is healing, it shows me that there is possibility and hope There's a push to show queer joy and to ensure we make trans work that isn't who can always make joy I feel like sometimes being trans is painful but by imagining different worlds and futures, I can imagine joy as a present thing

The idea of existing in your queerness powerful one. In light of this, what did you get out of writing this book? No one's asked me that yet, I love that question. When people read the book, they'll see that part of it is explanatory but it also asks a big question about what I want to do with my body

I loved Shon Faye's quote which calls the book an “anti memoir ” because I don’t think it is a memoir I think the publishing world doesn't purely on facts so, as soon as there is some personal experience in a book they say, 'This is a memoir ’ But this isn’t a memoir, you don't leave the book knowing about my life and my experience Thinking of Audre Lorde, who writes some of the best poetry I've read in my Hooks, whose theory feels like creative writing They are constantly saying ‘I'm not going to be as it is ’ I wanted to communicate something because, in doing that, you can disrupt came out about non binary people was lacking some melanin and some colour and I wanted to inject that in before I move on to writing stories from a little cottage some day when I’m older But, I don’t think the distinction between I'm building the world around me.

Thinking of the prologue, there is a sentence that begins, stops and says ‘Wait, I don't want to tell you this’ and carries on somewhere else I wanted someone who thinks they can only If you knew you wanted the book to transcend form, how did you make the decision to write a memoir as opposed to anything else?

NALI SIMUKULWA Illustration by LIV LAWRENCE

For Donnie Sunshine, a multidisciplinary creative who specialises in content creation and DJing, the return of UK Black Pride this year is all too welcome Having attended previous UK Black Pride celebrations, he tells GAYTIMES of the fond memories he holds of the day “My

“ I ’ve been to LGBTQ+ events and I’ve been discriminated against I’ve been ignored and dismissed simply because I’m Black and they’re white,” says Koi Buckley, a 20 year old content creator from Birmingham This is exactly why UK Black Pride exists, to give queer people of colour a place to express themselves free of racism and after a two year break from in person celebrations, biggest Pride celebration for queer people of African, Asian, Middle Eastern, Latin American and Caribbean heritage returns, in the new location of Queen Elizabeth Park, Stratford

The tireless work of LGBTQ+ rights activists over the past 50 years has meant that Pride celebrations have broken into the mainstream and many towns and cities across the UK now each hold their own celebrations However, for queer people of colour who are vulnerable to racism, these would be safe spaces may still pose a threat, making events like UK Black Pride vital The theme of this year ’s Black Pride celebration is ‘Power ’ , a word loaded with complexity for Black people in particular and way to claim power in a world determined to keep us at the margins In honour of the return of UK Black Pride, GAY TIMES sat down with four queer Black people to discuss what Black

37 Four queer Black creatives share what ‘power ’ means to them

Words by

U K B L A C K R I D E

power means to them “Having a space designed for queer Black people allows us to be comfortable and not worry about microagressions or racism It lets us breathe, trusting that we are in a space where we are fully accepted,” says Koi He began sharing his experiences as a Black, trans non binary person on TikTok back in 2021 “I'm in a place that some people haven’t reached yet so they can look up to me in a way I try to educate people on topics of Blackness, Transness and generally how to go through life the best way you can as a Black queer person. I guess you could call it content creation,” says Koi, speaking nonchalantly about the 39k+ followers and 1 7M likes he has amassed during his time online In line with this year ’s UK Black Pride theme, ‘Power ’ , GAY TIMES asked Koi what makes them feel empowered “Being about myself,” he replied “I used to be mad insecure about a lot of things so now, posting content and saying outwardly, in public, that I’m the shit, that makes me feel empowered. I’ve been told that I’m vain and cocky for thinking that way but loving yourself as a Black trans person in today’s society is the hardest thing to do, but I deserve to love myself and I deserve to be loved openly and in public ” Kolade T Ladipo is a dancer, actor and photographer based in Liverpool where he runs Noirgayze, a creative collective designed to amplify queer Black people outside of London He echoes this sentiment: “The world is telling us how we should behave and how we should look but cancelling out that noise and being you in whatever way that manifests is powerful Power means healing to me, healing yourself so that you are able to be the best you you can sharing his experiences “I have been blessed to be around people who seek my advice, one person was even Nigerian and Yoruba, the same tribe and heritage as me Sharing my journey has enabled others to come out to their families or wear clothes that are more tailored to their inner beings and that makes me feel empowered By being myself and voicing my experiences, good and bad, it has allowed other people from my community to get closer to being the best they can be.” Looking forward, Pride, I’m very excited I love being in Black queer spaces and being able to speak and knowing everyone around me can understand where I’m coming from. I love the feeling of looking around and not feeling judged or feeling like I am performing ”

“UK Black Pride is going to be a safe space,” Koi adds and as the event approaches it becomes clear that the day will celebrate everything that makes Black LGBTQ+ and queer people of colour so special In speaking to all those interviewed, one thing became clear; there is power in community. As UK Black Pride promises to bring people from around the UK together for a day of joy it also promises to empower, inspire and celebrate those of us who often go overlooked

40 favourite memory of UK Black Pride has to be UKBP 2019 in Haggerston Park . I was born and raised in Hackney and growing up I never a whole community So being in Hackney in a huge park surrounded by 1000's of beautiful Black queer people was so overwheling in the best possible way I remember walking around and smiling and saying hello to people, telling people they looked fab and paying everyone compliments and it was all so well received It was a really amazing day and I'll cherish it forever,” he says. Speaking on the theme of power, Donnie shares how, to him, community is crucial “Power to me is owning your truth, culture and identity when the world makes it hard to do so, it's vital to have Black queer spaces such as UK Black Pride, because being Black British and queer you often feel like you have to compromise elements of yourself to have a good time or even be safe My community makes me feel empowered Through social media and real life safe spaces, we've created small bubbles where we feel seen, heard, loved and respected ” No one understands the power of community better than Tanya Compas As the founder of Exist Loudly, a creative youth organisation for Black LGBTQ+ young people, Tanya knows the transformational power that safe spaces can have “Black queer spaces are a lifeline, when you’re in these spaces, you get to explore who you are outside of the watchful eye of non Black or cis het people. These spaces are extra special because they arise so rarely,” she says “I feel empowered when I pull off an event for young people with Exist Loudly, I sometimes forget how powerful and important it is to create spaces for Black LGBTQ+ young people. But when the young people are together and the event is happening, I always have a moment where I look at everyone and think ‘ wow, I did that ’ ” Besides community however, for Tanya, empowerment begins within “Power to me is trusting myself to choose myself, no matter the cost and no matter the risk This applies to everything from work , to family, to friendships and romantic and reminding myself that everyone I have in my life is here because I want them to be and the work that I do, whether community work or personal work , is because I’ve chosen to do it It ’s taken a lot of work in therapy to realise my power, but now I have, I’m never giving it up again ” As UK Black Pride 2022 approaches, Tanya reminisces “My favourite UK Black Pride was back in 2017, in Vauxhall Park I remember time I saw all the different facets of the Black LGBTQ+ community Because despite the narrative that is pushed in the media, Black LGBTQ+ people are not a monolith and UK Black Pride is probably one of the only events where all the different communities within the Black LGBTQ+ community can come together ”

41 A League of Their Own Abbi Jacobson, Chant Adams and Will Graha The stars of Prime Video’s new reimagining on honouring the queerness of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Words by SAM DAMSHENAS

n: té am “A and not gay at all, simultaneously,” laughs Abbi Jacobson The Penny Marshall directed sports dramedy, American Girls Professional Baseball League, has been reclaimed as a queer cult classic since its 1992 release due to its sapphic themes and subversion of traditional gender roles Queer awakenings sparked by Madonna’s Doris Murphy, as well as the iconic scene of Geena Davis’ Dottie Hinson effortlessly catching a baseball with her bare hand, have all contributed to its enduring queer legacy While to sexism, gender and exclusion, it didn’t authentically honour the behind the scenes queerness of the league With Prime Video’s new reimagining, Jacobson who stars and co created the series with Will Graham is aiming to change that “Will and I are both queer, and it was part of our initial conversation of what types of stories GAY TIMES “The more research we did, the more we found out that the league in particular was really queer Also, queer people didn’t just show up in Stonewall, we’ve been around forever! So, what was queer life inside the All American Girls League and outside, in general, in 1943? What was that like?” Jacobson, best known for her beloved role as Abbi Abrams in Comedy Central’s Broad City, which she co created with Ilana Glazer, stars in the lead role as Carson Shaw, an endearingly awkward yet talented baseball player who abandons her home and army husband to pursue a career with the league, called the Peaches Carson, who is in a comfortable marriage but has been her “community” with the Peaches including D’Arcy Carden’s Greta, a cool Mae Morbadito type who she passionately locks lips with in the premiere and embarks on a forbidden romance with across the series “There’s not just one queer character in the show,” Jacobson explains. “There’s a lot, and there’s different types of queerness That was so important to us I felt like we were telling stories of the women that have not been told, and it felt like a great honour and responsibility to do it and have it nuanced, meaty and juicy. It was exciting to get to tell all those stories ” Graham says he subtext, citing it as a crucial reason as to why they were drawn to the story And, with the hidden queer history of the league, the co creator admits that it wasn’t necessary to “add those elements” or “ turn them up” for entertainment purposes “The real story here is incredibly queer,” he says, “and it ’s centered on women of colour in addition to white women, and it ’s inherently inclusive. So, all we did was turn back to the real stories and look back at them through a wider lens Everything in the show is based on

43 something real Probably for you and for me and for queer kids, we got the feeling that there was something in the tone of this movie that was for us, but you still had to imagine yourself in it Now, we can see ourselves and that ’s a really big deal ” Maybelle Blair, one of the league’s original members, came out as gay earlier this year at 95 At a recent screening of the new series at the Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Blair a pitcher for the league’s Peoria Redwings in 1948 revealed that at least “400” of the 650 players were gay Although she assumed she’d be the “only” LGBTQ+ person on the team, she said it took her “about 24 hours” to discover that she wasn’t alone “But it was wonderful,” she explained “So many of the girls came from farms and they came in from all over the United States. [...] There were so many gays in the league It was amazing But let ’s face it, we’re good athletes!”

The premiere episode of A League of their queer bait like the Marshall original and will honour Blair ’s experience with the development of Carson and Greta’s romance, as well as the introduction of Chanté Adams’ closeted pitcher who’s denied a spot on the team due to the era’s racial prejudice and discrimination. While the series leans harder into the team’s queerness, it also further explores how Black players were shunned from professionally playing baseball Throughout the eight episode with, not only proving her skills in a cis, white intersection of Black and LGBTQ+ “People need to see themselves on the screen,” Adams tells GAY TIMES. “I feel like a lot of communities of just white women, because they know what it means to be an underdog and a marginalised community, and to be told that you can’t do series; we’re bringing that same spirit to what we are doing, while showcasing representation so people can see themselves on the screen as well ” “Just to piggyback on that,” adds Jacobson, “it ’s so important to see yourselves, but also to see others’ experiences and relate to that, to see yourself in something you haven’t felt connected to and for other people to see that experience on screen ” While A League it also serves as an educational tool to the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in the 1940s As the series progresses, audiences are introduced to a plethora of queer characters on and off the team, including the Peaches’ brash pitcher Jess (Kelly McCormack) and Max’s poised trans uncle (Lea Robinson), as well as a hidden queer bar owned by a new LGBTQ+ character played by original star you can correctly answer if you’re a “friend of Dorothy”; a secret code word pre dating back to World War II used by the community to safely identify one another For Graham, it was essential to depict homophobia of the era and to showcase how queer people found solace in a time that denied their existence and labelled it as a “mental disorder ” that can be transmitted through touch “Most of the stories that we get of queer people in history are, at least the endings, pretty dark and of course there’s good reasons for that,” he explains “We got this from talking to Maybelle Blair, and we asked her what her and she said, ‘It was a party ’ There was something about this group of queer women who had a party in the 1940s when they were hiding from the world, when consequences of being discovered would’ve been severe, which of course the show also deals with That ’s a big part of why we wanted to bring this to people, the idea that queer people have always made joy wherever we are and whenever we are ” With sports still illegalising the participation of LGBTQ+ people around the world, particularly trans people, Adams wants queer people to be inspired by Max’s tenacity and to not “let a few no’s stop you from going after your dream” “She’s told ‘no’ a lot trying

to do the only thing that she believes she’s meant to do, which is play baseball on a team We see her get down a couple times, but she that is through her team Find your team and go after your dream” Jacobson agrees, saying A team and your people” “In the show, that means your life,” she explains “Your team can be your best friend, like Max Your team can be the also the queer community I feel like, in my own life, when I found my comedy community, I felt that to the baseball part ”

Looking ahead to a potential season two (Prime better renew this or there will be riots, trust us), Graham reveals that he and Jacobson would “love” for more original cast members to “play a part ” in the show moving forward, such as Madonna, Geena Davis and Tom Hanks season, ‘Maybe we’re not gonna do that in own!’’ but then Rosie nicely came to our writer ’s room and she was like, ‘Here’s something I can do!’ and pitched the idea We were pinching ourselves the entire time If Madonna is listening, we would love to have you on the show or anyone else from the movie We love them all and we’re standing on their shoulders ”

4 4

What the Stonewall riots can LGBTQ+ equality today

When he moved to New York at the age of 18, he quickly discovered the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village “You could hold hands, you could kiss, you could cuddle Right

45 US and UK Words by CONOR CLARK I n the early hours of 28 June 1969, police violently raided the Stonewall Inn and roughly hauled employees and patrons outside before being met with resistance from members of the community who had enough and in New York for a while had seen many raids,” says Mark Segal, an LGBTQ+ activist who took part in the uprising “They'd never seen anything like this.” The event is largely seen as the watershed moment that advanced the the 71 year old describing 1969 as “ the pivotal year ” in our shared history “We learned to what that identity is and to say to society, 'No, we're not that green eyed monster in the closet over there We're going to be out, loud and proud ' Those three words, and self identity, that was revolutionary and changed the world,” he continues Growing up in Philadelphia in the 1950s, Mark saw little to no LGBTQ+ representation His passion for activism was ignited by his “inspiration” of a great grandmother a demonstration when he was just 13 years old

outside those doors, you couldn’t,” he says “Now, lots has been said about Stonewall It was dirty, it was dingy, drinks were watered down, it it didn’t matter. It was the one place we felt safe ” Six weeks after moving to the city, Mark was at the venue on a Saturday night which at back of the bar, all of a sudden the lights blink , the police come bursting through the doors, they start slamming people up against the wall and saying every kind of profanity you could possibly imagine some you probably can’ t,” he recalls “It was the worst violence as an 18 year old I had ever seen They ’re smashing things, destroying bottles roughing people up, thought is, ‘Hey, let ’s call the police!’ and then I realised, these are the police who are doing it ”

“My eyes were opened to this kind of world that we seem to not appreciate these days, which for other communities as well,” he explains “We do much better if we’re allied with other communities than just going off on our own ”

From a very early age, Mark recognised that the treatment of LGBTQ+ people and other minorities was “wrong” with members of the community being “invisible” in society: “When I say ‘invisible’, no one was out of the closet You just were not out of the closet. If you were out of the closet, you would lose, most likely, the love of your family, your friends, your coworkers, you possibilities were that you would regularly be beat up, if not put in prison, if not put in a mental institution. Things were that bad.”

Trans people known then as ‘drag queens’ who looked somewhat, what society would call 'normal' or 'successful', were basically left alone,” Mark adds, stating that he was “one of Images courtesy of GETTY IMAGES HULTON & SYGMA ARCHIVES

Photo by Fred W McDarrah/Getty Images

Photo by Fred W. McDarrah/Getty Images

48 for civil rights that followed, was the attitude of those who stood up to the police “You were going to learn who we were and you were going to accept us,” Mark declares “Not that we were pleading or asking you to, we were demanding it That's the difference and I think we did it in some creative ways I see that creativity today [as] totally nonexistent I don't trans brothers and sisters ” As the riots continued through to 3 July, they became slightly more organised and night, however, was completely unplanned and was no brick , ” Mark , who is one of the original founders of the Gay Liberation Front, states mean, come on This is a spontaneous riot You know anybody who’s taking notes at a riot? ”

Names such as Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera who Mark describes as “incredible individuals” have become synonymous with the uprising The two women, who co founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) activist organisation together, have since passed away the reasoning of which Mark feels the “community has not come to grasp with” yet He continues: “They're not here because of the life they led, which meant that they died at a younger age All the trans members, all the people of colour, for the most part in Gay Liberation Front aren't here anymore Why ? Because of the society levels that those communities live with Now, if you're Black or Brown, you have a certain level of life which is not as good as your privileged white brothers and sisters. That's one point. But what about if you're trans? How much worse is your life? How much oppression do you put up with? How about economic issues? ” has come since 1969, many of the issues that triggered the events of Stonewall are still prevalent in the UK and US today The human rights of transgender people are being framed as a so called ‘culture war ’ , with topics like self ID being thrust into the spotlight by Conservative Party leadership contenders. In the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade, hard fought for rights such as same sex marriage could even be at risk in the near future Divisions within the LGBTQ+ community also continue, with some feeling that the rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals should be separate to that of trans people. Mark explains that, when the Stonewall riots took place, LGBTQ+ people knew they “ were under attack” which made them “come together ” as one He explains that this unity is one of the of the key differences between 1969 and 2022: “S o the question I have to ask today is, have we gone back to 1969 before Gay Liberation Front, where other members of our community are not accepted? Do we really, as a whole community, accept trans rights? Well, we better. And I think that's one of the issues We don't know how to secure those rights or to help our trans sisters and brothers get across to the public, because we're not doing it as a united community Whereas in 1969, we were united, even though we had lots of differences There was not a difference that you could show me today that wasn't there in 1969 ” To understand how to deal with the issues of today, Mark feels that LGBTQ+ people need to understand their past: “If you don't learn history, you're going to repeat it And our community has not learned the history of that year ” He states that the build up to back against the horrible homophobia and transphobia we're now seeing” in the world “If we made that much change in one year, and you look at how we did that, it might give situation,” he further explains Five decades on from the Stonewall riots, the world has indeed changed considerably Same sex marriage is legal in more than 30 countries, LGBTQ+ people are able to adopt children in a number of places and public attitudes have, on the whole, shifted us,” Mark adds, emphasising that most of the progress made has predominantly been in Western countries “S ociety was afraid of us They thought we were immoral They thought we were illegal. They thought we were mentally ill ”

When asked if things are better for LGBTQ+ people now than they were before 1969, Mark needs no time to think: “My god, yes, we are I mean, so incredible.” He continues: “I think today is similar to something we've seen on many occasions throughout our movement, which is a backlash A backlash is created when the status quo society, who dislike you because you're changing their world, decide that your battle for equality is winning.”

P h o t o b y J e r r y E n g e l / G e t t y I m a g e s