HISKIND Winter 2017

ART · FASHION · MUSIC · LIFESTYLE · HOMOCULTURE

Heroes of 2017 From Our Stereo · Muslim LGBTQ+ · Tony Hornecker Beach Rats · Riyadh Khalaf · Travis Alabanza FREE

Winter 2017

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In 2017, we set out to start a new conversation. In a world of white noise, we wanted to engage in authentic, honest and meaningful discussion with our readers and create something brand new for the LGBTQ+ community.

HISKIND Winter 2017 Publisher & Acting Editor Josh Fletcher josh@hiskind.com Music Editor Bill Baker bill@hiskind.com

In March, we launched into print, distributing far and wide as we spread LGBTQ+ content and themes via mainstream channels, whilst challenging stereotypes and stigmas with content created by the community, for the community. 12 months on, it’s a pleasure to introduce you to our final issue of the year.

Editorial Assistant Beatrice Mustocea b@hiskind.com Writers Any Stutz Amrou Al-kadhi Baldwin Ho Connor Spilsbury-Brown Edward Hetherington Jordan White Josh Milton

As a grass roots project, we would like to thank the brands who have supported us throughout the year with a special thanks to Absolut, Amazon Music, Sonos, W Hotels, Virgin Trains and Ted Baker’s Grooming Rooms.

Columnists Riyadh Khalaf Travis Alabanza Creatives Kamran Katoch Eivind Hasen Holly Falconer Manuel Varquez Gavin Mills Ego Rodriguez

24

Beach Rats

Design James Mack Sarah Wilson

These brands have shown their commitment to diversity have actively invested into the LGBTQ+ creative scene and allowed us to fulfil our mission.

Our biggest thank you must go to you, our readers who’ve truly believed in our mission from day one and, without whom, HISKIND wouldn’t be where we are today.

This year also saw us experience the tragic loss of our co-founder, Dean Eastmond.

London’s LGBTQ+ community wrapped its arm around us to stand united in their support for Dean and HISKIND’s mission.

Dean has left a hole that is difficult to replace, but we begin 2018 with a new development as we announce that we will be recruiting 100 new community editors who will help HISKIND become a true voice of the LGBTQ+ community and allies that we set out to be.

This issue pays homage to the Heroes of 2017. The activists, journalists and pioneers who are working tirelessly to pave a brighter path for LGBTQ+ people in years to come.

We also welcome our new columnists Riyadh Khalaf and Travis Alabanza, discover Munroe Bergdorf’s last word and explore the parallels between being queer and Muslim with Amrou Khalaf.

With thanks to Aaron Cullen James Rowell Alberto Padilla Chris Godfrey Darcy Rive

As we continue to grow, we welcome your feedback, comments and contributions.

If you want to work, write, advertise or partner with us, or find out more about our community editor roles, please contact us directly at hello@hiskind.com

Advertising & Partnerships Tag Warner tag@ourkindmedia.com

We hope you enjoy the issue.

Printed in the UK by CPUK Print Publishing cp-uk.co.uk Follow us @HISKIND HISKINDmagazine @HISKINDmagazine

From the HISKIND Team

30

Tony Hornecker

14

Riyadh

Copyright HISKIND © LTD 2017 All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without written permission from the publisher. All information and prices quoted herein are correct at the time of going to press. Whilst every effort is made to achieve total accuracy, we cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions within this magazine.

To stock HISKIND, work with us or contribute, please contact hello@hiskind.com To advertise please contact advertising@hiskind.com Cover illustration by Ego Rodriguez. hiskind.com

02 / 03

The List We round up our favourite new discoveries, latest releases and this season’s must haves.

Polaroid Originals Refurbished Instant Camera £100 urbanoutfitters.co.uk In the era of Instagram and all kinds of experiments in personal photography, this vintage Polaroid 600 Close-Up Instant Camera is a real treasure, packing that authentic polaroid aesthetic we all know, love and aspire to replicate.

OLIVER J WOODS

Various prices oliverjwoods.com Having had an extensive career in hairdressing, working on everything from magazines to celebrities and ad campaigns, Oliver J Woods found the drive to develop his own collection of grooming products.

OJW are the quality hair products you never knew you needed.

Bruzzoni Electric Toothbrush

£125 shop-beast.com If you’re aiming for that 100 mega-watt smile, then do it in style. Bruzzoni is a Swedish brand with an Italian name, so it’s no surprise that they’ve dropped an elegant toothbrush.

Delivered in smooth leather and silver hardware, it couples form with function by boasting 40 minutes of charger-free running-time.

CLAE AW17 Collection

€110 clae.eu

The Los Angeles footwear brand CLAE have taken the next step in footwear that you’ll spill your mulled wine over. Taking to the open landscapes of California as their reference, CLAE’s capsule collection uses wool blends to make for a tactile and cool range for the cold months ahead.

hiskind.com

04 / 05

The Warwick Rowers Calendar £14.99 warwickrowers.org

One of the more eye-catching straight ally projects out there, the chiseled boys of Warwick are stripping homophobia by, well, stripping. All proceeds from their 2018 calendar will benefit their outreach scheme, Sport Allies, which works to eliminate homophobia in sports through education and support of young LGBT+ athletes.

White Girls by Hilton Als

£11 amazon.co.uk Hilton Als, the 2017 Pulitzer prize recipient for criticism, writes a brilliant guide to contemporary culture in this ambivalent collection of essays that interweave literature, art, music with race, gender and history. The “white girls” in question have a shape-shifting quality, bringing together the likes of Truman Capote and Malcolm. Als’ meditations make way for self-exploration through the figures of his subjects in a mastery reflective of his position at the top of the world of criticism.

Sonos One

£190 sonos.com The latest chapter in the catalogue of the audio-masters at Sonos, Sonos One is an all-new voice-controlled smart speaker equipped with Amazon Alexa and full voice support for Amazon Music.

Urban Outfitters Unisex Suit

blazer £75, trousers £49, urbanoutfitters.com The brand are dipping their toes into the world of tailoring and offering a solution to this century-old problem. The brand’s first ever suit in a unisex style. A classic staple gets reworked into a versatile form that will cater to all on the gender spectrum.

Casamigos Tequila Casamigos Tequila is available to purchase in store at Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, as well as online.

George Clooney, Rande Gerber and Michael Meldman have bottled up theirtequila-filled nights with friends in the form of Casamigos, an ultra-premium brand made from the finest hand-selected agaves. The smooth tequila taste is intended to be shared in intimacy as it’s made by friends for friends. In their words, this tequila is ‘brought to you by those who drink it.’

Cowshed Advent Calendar

£90 cowshedonline.com With miniature versions of their most-loved products, from their Knackered Cow Body Lotion to Cow Pat Hand Cream, it’s the ultimate Christmas countdown and will form the perfect introduction to their wonderful range.

Where we’ll be and what we’ll do

The Diary Nov - Jan Winterville 2017 Winterville runs from 23rd November 2017 to 1st January, Clapham Common What do Sink the Pink, the South London Soul Train and Santa’s Workshop all have in common? Well, they’re all setting shop down south to turn Clapham into the best alternative festive experience. From cinema to roller disco, we’d say that Winterville is the attraction of the season.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie Everybody’s Talking About Jamie runs from 7th November, Apollo Theatre Feel-good musical sensation hits London in this reworking of Jamie Campbell’s true story. Fresh off the UK Theatre Awards, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is a heartwarming story of overcoming prejudice and finding your own spotlight, seeing 16-yearold Jamie find his true self as a drag queen with the support of his mother and friends.

Everything at Once + Test Pattern, 180 the Strand Everything at Once runs from 5th October to 10th December 2017 at 180 the Strand Those familiar with the sensory overload ‘The Infinite Mix’ last autumn might have already explored the new special audio-visual feast hosted by 180 the Strand. Shaped around a John Cage quote, “Nowadays everything happens at once and our souls are conveniently electronic (omni-attentive)”. The exhibition challenges all your senses through this selection of commissions curated by the ambitious Vinyl Factory. And it will look great on your Instagram.

Tales from the City Tales from the City at the Museum of Liverpool runs from 13 October to late 2018, free entry To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act, the Museum of Liverpool has curated a collection of stories, art and objects from Liverpool’s LGBTQ+ community of the last five decades.

Sonos present David Bowie’s London Exhibition runs from 16th November to 7th January, 21-23 Earlham Street In celebration of Sonos opening its new concept store in Seven Dials, London and the release of their first-ever voice activated speaker, the Sonos One, the brand will honour David Bowie’s unique voice in a curated display of rarely seen images of David Bowie’s London life taken by photographers including Mick Rock, Brian Duffy, Rolf Adlercreutz (Alamy) and Mike Maloney which can be seen at temporary exhibition at Sonos’ new concept store.

hiskind.com

06 / 07

The Smart Speaker for Music Lovers The new Sonos One with Amazon Alexa

Words

From our Stereo

Connor Spilsbury-Brown @cnnrbrown Bill Baker @billbaeker Jordan White @jordanxcx

From our stereo to yours: We shortlist our favourite emerging music acts to playlist on Amazon Music

Jessie Ware: Glasshouse Nothing makes the eyes roll harder than hearing an album being described as the “most personal yet”, albeit Jessie Ware really hit the nail on the head with this one.

Glasshouse, Ware’s third effort, shimmers under the sunlight; dazzling with soul and dripping in her signature R&B sound. We hear elements of disco (Your Domino) sandwiched between sultry ballads (Stay Awake, Wait for Me/ Alone) making Glasshouse a cohesive diary of thoughts written from the heart of a wife and mother. Despite no major jumps out of her comfort zone, Ware knows what she’s good at, and that’s what she does so perfectly on this record.

The Sound Of Arrows: Stay Free

Queen Zee & The Sasstones: Eat my Sass

We all know by now that the Swedes do pop best. The Sound of Arrows are no exception to this, given the cult-like following and legacy of their camp-pop 2011 debut Voyage. Fastforward to the present and the duo have turned their attention to 90s boy-band ballads and tropical synthsoundscapes, fusing the two across 45 minutes of Scandi-pop gems. A glorious team-up with fellow-pop heroes Niki & The Dove on In The Shade Of Your Love is more than enough reasoning for Stay Free to earn itself the same recognition as the first.

Try and find a band sassier than Queen Zee & The Sasstones. From the sporadic-ness of the lyrics “You f**k like a porno movie” in the appropriately titled track Porno, to the wild artwork spotlighting cutlery aside an ass, Queen Zee & The Sasstones (fronted by the enigmatic Queen Zee, who recently came out as transgender) may have just released the most bizarre EP of 2017. Behind the screams, their personalities shine through their wit and their needs to repeatedly tell us that they hate your new boyfriend.

Though they pride themselves in being lame, Eat My Sass is anything but. That’s what makes them so exciting.

Must listen: In The Shade Of Your Love

Must listen: Your Domino

Fever Ray: Plunge On her 2009 self-titled debut record, Karin Dreijer (one half of prolific Swedish odd-bots The Knife) transformed isolation and restless nights of motherhood into an atmospheric, frankly terrifying masterpiece. Eight years on, her sophomore effort Plunge highlights an all-encompassing sexual revolution and political lust, shrieking “gag me, awake my fighting spirit” on the manifesto-like This Country and dismissing the skeletalspookiness of LP1 for harsh, restless electronica across its 11 tracks. A remarkable, manic and sexuallycharged return from an artist whose output makes for some of the most important queer music of the past 15 years.

Must listen: Boy Must listen: IDK About You

St Vincent: MASSEDUCTION St Vincent has exploded back into our lives with her fifth studio album, MASSEDUCTION. The guitarist and writer teamed up with Bleachers’ lead man Jack Antonoff to produce not only one of the best in Ms Clark’s discography, but of the year so far. Songs like the synth-driven banger Sugarboy and the BDSM-fuelled funk track Savior see St Vincent in a more focused light as we are introduced to an artist who’s more fearless and honest than before and able to command a room with just a cry of the word “Boys!” She’s mastered her craft and now she’s taking it to new heights.

Must listen: Sugarboy

Download your 30 day trial and discover the latest music at: amazon.co.uk/music/hiskind hiskind.com

08 / 09

From bored

To Bowie

The Home Sound System with Amazon Alexa.

Learn more at sonos.com

Best of 2017

Chappy x HISKIND Pride Every Pride-goer was a happy chappy when HISKIND collaborated with the fresh dating app, Chappy. For 2017’s Brighton and Manchester Prides, we hosted #ChappyBrunch and kicked off the celebrations in style. Complete with rainbow roses, free flowing drinks, vogue dancers and polychromatic confetti.

If you want to work with us, support us, write for us or party with us, say hello@hiskind.com. Here’s to 2018!

Issue 1 Launch Party @ Shoreditch House There’s only one way to launch a new magazine, and that’s with a sparkled bang.

Shoreditch House glowed as Glitterbox decked the rooftop terrace with sashaying hips and fluttering voguers, and the likes of The 1975, Aquilo, and Sink the Pink dotted the guest-list.

There’s no party like a HISKIND party!

HISKIND Celebrates Dean

Absolut x KISS WITH PRIDE

HISKIND x Illustrators

Friends, family, and followers of the late HISKIND co-founder Dean Eastmond joined forces in the later weeks of September to celebrate his life and legacy. Corralling in the Oval Space, the venue was transformed into a site of music and reverence, as Years and Years, Sink the Pink, and DJ Will Joseph Cook, Wut?Club, Charles and Oscar King paid tribute to Dean’s arresting legacy.

2017 marked 50 years since the partial decimalisation of male homosexuality in England and Wales. Absolut continued their fight for equality with #KissWithPride and we were honoured to be invited to join them at the Houses of Parliament to celebrate the launch. In support of Stonewall, individuals from the 72 countries where homosexuality is still illegal came together and expressed love in its purest state - with a kiss.

In anticipation of the first issue’s drop, we pulled together 6 different illustrators to re-imagine the HISKIND logo. With creativity and art being the backbone of activism and social movements, our favourite artists rearticulated our message in their unique visual language.

From immaterial space to felt tip pen, it solidified our aim to be a magazine by the community, for the community.

Issue One

Issue Two

Issue Three

Where it all started. From quizzing a Klu Klux Klan member about the alt-right to charting the visibility of mental health in music today, our first issue held nothing back. The issue included a tender tribute of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in a resurrection of the political pleasure of his style and we chatted with chart topper

Producer, songwriter, and Bleachers frontman Jack Antonoff manned our 2nd issue cover in August. Against the leaking neon lights, Antonoff spoke about going beyond identifying as an ally by using his success to funnel voices to people who need to listen. His patchwork musical career of collaborations includes Lorde, and he colaunched the Ally Coalition; aimed at raising awareness of homeless LGBTQ+ teens.

Casting queering spells into the popcauldron, the modern-day witch coven MUNA graced issue 3. Electrifying the charts with their alt-pop symphonies, MUNA are known for their lyrics and sound that signal and blast-out pressing messages. For a band that’s been jamming for only 3 years, MUNA’s musical project of expanding the people’s purviews to all identities has only just begun.

Dua Lipa.

hiskind.com

10 / 11

Not Such a Bad Romance: Words Amrou Al-Kadhi Images Holly Falconer

How being Muslim and being queer can be a successful marriage.

Far-Right Politician Marine Le Pen was very nearly France’s President, with her virulent Islamophobia and barbaric immigration policies garnering wide-spread appeal - even within the LGBTQ+ community. One third of all married gay men in Paris voted for her, representing yet another instance of queer votes being co-opted by the right-wing for political gain. In particular, it was Le Pen’s hate-fuelled rhetoric against Islam that won her a large portion of the gay vote, persuading her followers that Islam was a threat to the civil liberty of LGBTQ+ lives in the West.

Whenever I tell people I identify as queer and Muslim, the usual reaction is one of disbelief: “that’s surely not a thing?” The media has polarised Islam as a barbaric ideology in combat with Western ‘equality’; as a result, the general cultural consensus is that to be queer and Muslim is a nonsensical proposition. But if you widen the politically filtered lens, you’d find a great deal of feminist and queer Muslims proving otherwise.

Now, I don’t want to play dumb and act like Muslim countries are woke utopias. I, for one, am no longer able to visit my family in the Middle East because of the threat to my safety. And as a child, my weekly Islam teacher was a constant source of fear, imbuing in me the paranoia that any sinful thought or act would lead me straight to hell. And my parents - not so much Muslim by faith as Muslim by social norm - did everything they could to police any behaviour they deemed queer (this included grounding me for a month when they found the ticket stubs to Brokeback Mountain). And so, as a teenager, I denounced Islam. I quit speaking Arabic, and in adolescent retaliation I learnt French instead. And through drag, I fully rejoiced my queer identity. How funny, then, that drag was ultimately the key that led me back to Islam.

Islam, like all religions, can be manipulated and abused, as is the case in countries like Saudi Arabia. Scripture can have its meaning completely skewed in the name of power, brewing the extremism that has tarnished the faith’s reputation. But it’s crucial we don’t confuse Islam as a religion with Islam as a social and political construct. It’s a vital distinction. What caused me to once reject Islam was how it was expressed around me - it was never because of Islamic scripture itself. As it happens, Islamic scripture is teeming with queer magic - you just have to look for it.

So much in Islam chimes with my queer politics. As a queer person, I believe in difference, in the idea that every single person is unique, with their own innate sense of self.

Sufism - a more mystical sect of Islam - does the same. It’s a branch of Islam in search of a deeply personal relationship with Allah.

This can be achieved through sensual practices, meditation, and in some cases, men dancing in skirts in order to fuse the soul with Allah.

Each time I perform in drag, I’m also searching for a transcendental connection with a higher power, channelled through the collective queer energy that comes from the audience. Whenever I get into drag - the quiet ritual of meticulously applying make-up and building a new self - I feel like I did as a child doing prayer. Islamic prayer is a very charged experience, in which you quietly and personally allow your body to find God through movements and mantras. Every time I block out my brows whilst telling myself “you’re fierce” in the mirror, I feel an affinity with these Islamic practices.

I’m not the only performer who feels this way. “This is silly, but often before going on stage, in addition to my vocal and physical warm-ups, I do some of the Muslim prayer poses,” says Amin El-Gamal, a gay Muslim actor who has had roles in shows like Prison Break and Transparent. “They help me centre myself, and get grounded.”

Amin is a remarkable person to talk to: humble, insightful, and a proud queer Muslim showing that the two can live in harmony. “My Muslim and queer identities nurture each other in a very natural way,” he says. “When I first came out to my parents, there was a real possibility that I could be kicked out of the house. At the time, I found immense comfort, patience, and wisdom from the surahs in the Quran. Ironically, I don’t think I’ve ever recited more from the Quran than during that ordeal.”

Amin is the initiator of a group in South Carolina which, with the help of the MPV (Muslim Progressive Values) and the LA LGBTQ+ Centre, creates a safe space for queer Muslims to come together and share experiences. The conflicts facing many LGBTQ+ Muslims are, as Amin explains of his own experience, largely “external.”

The rejection we face is a result of those who knowingly misinterpret Islamic scripture for power. The Quran itself is a comforting text, with values that sit parallel with queer communities: generosity, equality, and the power of listening to one another.

But while Western media can often paint Islam as a primitive ideology at odds with individual liberty, there are LGBTQ+ Muslims who prove a different story. 20-year-old Alif Trevathan, a queer Muslim student in Birmingham, talks to me about her frustrations with how skewed people’s understanding of Islam is: “that is not the religion I follow nor is it the God I believe in.”

In fact, the most acceptance she has found for her queer identity comes from within Islamic communities. After coming out to her mother, Alif explains, “she said to me that Allah was proud of me…my belief in Allah has been my weapon and my constant rebuttal against hatred. My belief that I am beautiful and perfect in my queerness has always come from my belief in Allah.”

As a queer Muslim, Alif - and LGBTQ+ Muslims around the world - believe in the power of being each and individually unique. Is it so bad to believe that Allah loves us for our queer uniqueness?

hiskind.com

12 / 13

Riyadh Khalaf

Chasing a dream gig can be a heart-breaking, lifelong game of cat and mouse, especially when your goal is to work in media. Jobs are scarce, competition is rife and it can come down to who you know rather than what you can actually do. However, there are certain things you can do to drastically increase your chances of success.

I began my career in media at age 15 when I set up a (somewhat illegal) pirate radio station from my bedroom after buying a transmitter and antenna online from China. I then worked in commercial radio for seven years and slowly rose through the ranks of researcher, newsreader, producer and presenter. I began making my own original content on YouTube and have grown a following of almost 400,000. Most recently I presented a six-part BBC documentary series. Just saying all of this still sounds surreal to me. Not once during this journey did I think it was impossible to achieve. Never. Which starts us off nicely!

Here are my 5 golden tips to breaking into the world of broadcasting: PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT

1

Say what you want to achieve out loud. Be selfish, be egotistical, be confident and go BIG. If you begin a journey towards your dream not knowing where the destination is then you will likely get lost along the way. Ask yourself: do I want to be a director, presenter, writer, producer, editor, composer? Where do I see myself doing it, who do I see myself working with and what will my impact be? I began by saying I wanted to be the next Oprah, just a more gay and Irish version. This process will give you direction and purpose when you experience setbacks or feel demotivated.

CREATE YOUR OWN SUCCESSES

2

Why wait for a person in power or “Gatekeeper” to grant you access to a dream job? Go take it, make it, create it yourself! Living in a digitally-dominated world, you have the chance to create your own opportunities. Showcase your skills on YouTube, in a blog, on a niche social media account or start a bizarre and original podcast. If you garner a small but loyal audience then you will have the influence to attract a mainstream outlet. Showing tenacity and an ability to make something great from nothing will always catch attention from the right people. For example, I landed my BBC gig because my YouTube channel was a living and breathing showreel of my character, activism and passion.

BE ORIGINAL

3

It can be easy to look at those successful people who have gone before you in media and copy every move they’ve made, every aspect of their personality or area of expertise. This is a sure-fire way for you to slip into the background and be overlooked. Ask yourself, what is it about me that my friends love? What do I say that makes my family laugh? What makes me, ME? Take a note from the legend that is Oscar Wilde: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

IGNORE THE BEGRUDGERS BE INVALUABLE, BE MEMORABLE

4

Once you’ve worked your way into a broadcasting organisation or publication on a work experience placement or in a junior role, it’s now your mission to become someone they cannot function without! Be a ‘yes’ person, arrive early, do more than you’ve been tasked with, seek out problems that your superior may have, solve those problems and most importantly, smile while doing this. If you make someone’s job easier, you instil confidence in the gatekeepers and be fun to work with, then you are going to stand tall above your competition.

5

Declaring that you want to be the next Davina McCall or Graham Norton to your friends, family and work colleagues is no blasé statement. People have a bizarre habit of trying to put you ‘back in your box’, to control your wild aspirations and to give you a dose of reality.

BLOCK IT OUT. I can’t stress how important this is. I had countless people laugh at me when I said I wanted to become a well-known TV presenter. I kept the belief it would happen, I worked hard and I employed these points listed here. It happened for me and guess what?

The very people who tried to make me be ‘realistic’ are congratulating me and telling me they “knew I could do it.”

HISKIND Heroes 2017

In June 1969, trans women, drag queens, Latino lesbians, gay men and every corner of the LGBTQ+ community put their foot down and rioted against police brutality and the treatment of LGBTQ+ people in America in the Stonewall Riots. Heroes such as Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera and Miss Major emerged from the evening triumphant, birthing decades of queer heroes.

Now, in honour of our heroes of yesteryear, we’ve picked out those within the LGBTQ+ community carrying the banner for the next generation of queer people. These queer advocates breathe love, resistance, and change into every aspect of their lives. To us, these people are heroes.

Words Josh Fletcher, Dean Eastmond, Jonathan Mahon-Heap, Amy Stutz

Luis Mancheno Luis’s life and life’s work are remarkable.

In 2008, Luis sought asylum in the US, having fled his native Ecuador. At home, he had endured his family’s attempts to force him into ‘gay conversion therapy’, as well as physical and psychological abuse, before deciding to fly to America – arriving in Florida with $200 in his pocket. Luis has since worked for immigration NGOs across Arizona and New York. His story has appeared in the New York Times, the Huffington Post, and Vox, providing a valuable outfit for the first-person testimony of a queer immigrant in Trump’s America. He told the New York Times that his job “is to give voice to all the Luises out there”.

Now providing representation to asylum seekers whose experiences he himself has witnessed, Luis was a vocal opponent of Donald Trump’s proposed travel ban, referring to it as “propagated hate”. His story reflects a paradigm of the American dream rarely witnessed in the Trump era, and his efforts in his new home to reconcile survivors of discrimination are hugely inspiring. Living in New York, Luis has spoken openly on how event such as Pride allowed him a place to, at last, feel safe.

You can read our full interview and feature on Luis Mancheno and his work on HISKIND.com

Greg Owen

Nina Nasim

For 35 years, the decline in HIV rates has been stagnant – until Greg Owen started his work as an activist. Having experienced homelessness, working as a sex worker, and an addiction to crystal meth, Greg began covering his experiences of the London gay scene via his blog. When Greg was diagnosed as HIV-positive, his interest and advocacy for the then-unknown PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis, which was not available on the NHS, and only available on a private prescription for £500 a month) truly began.

Nina Nasim is an Asylum Seeker Support Worker, whose work for UKLGIG is the culmination of a lifetime advocating for such causes. Nina met her now-husband at 19, when she was presenting as male – they married in 2014, shortly after same-sex marriage became legal in the UK. After coming out as transgender to her husband a month before the wedding, she has had his consistent support, and they now live together in London. Their burgeoning relationship paralleled Nasim’s own nascent interest in the experiences and sufferings of LGBTQ+ migrants, and the increasing importance of intersectionality and solidarity within this community. Nina explained the motives for her advocacy to HISKIND, stating: “LGBTQ+ refugees often fall under the radar and bringing their journeys to light allows the LGBTQ+ community to celebrate and recognise diversity within our community.”

Greg’s blog spanning his diagnosis and personal trauma went viral, as hundreds of gay men shared their stories and began to advocate for the drug. Professor Sheena McCormack is a world-leading epidemiologist, who has studied, tracked, and fought HIV for years. She credits Greg’s site IWantPrEPNow, as “absolutely critical” in the recent drop in HIV diagnoses – in the last 12 months, diagnoses of gay men with HIV have dropped 40% across London, and by a third across England.

After lengthy cases in court, PrEP will finally be rolled out in the space of weeks. Greg’s work has been covered by Patrick Strudwick on BuzzFeed, which saw his work further celebrated across the globe. It was through his work, resilience and defiance that thousands of gay and bi men across the UK have been, and will continue to be, spared of HIV.

Kimahli Powell Kimahli Powell is the executive director of Canada-based LGBTQ+ charity Rainbow Railroad. Providing safe routes out for LGBTQ+ people in danger across the Caribbean, Africa, and the Middle East, Rainbow Railroad offers direct travel assistance to those escaping violence.

This has meant communicating with the Canadian government on how to support, relocate, and save the scores of gay men fleeing Chechnya following the disappearances, tortures, and detentions of over 200 gay men there this year.

Rainbow Railroad facilitates their escape, allowing them to seek asylum and freedom from discrimination in allied communities elsewhere in the world. As the Chechen crisis continues to escalate and Russia fails to act or assist the LGBTQ+ community, active advocates across the international community are desperately required.

Powell gave a personal account of his path towards advocacy and the vital nature of the work done by Rainbow Railroad to HISKIND; “We immediately began working with the Russian LGBTQ+ Network, to see how we could help. In addition to providing resources, we are actively seeking ways to bring LGBTQ+ Chechens to safety. As this situation evolves, we are committed to being responsive to help those in need.”

UKLGIG was founded in 1993, now helping over 1500 LGBT+ people every year who have survived human rights abuses. It provides vital emotional and legal support to LGBTQ+ people fleeing persecution for their sexual orientation or gender identity in their home countries. Their work, alongside the aforementioned Rainbow Railroad and other queer-advocating NGOs mentioned, highlights the importance of advocacy groups compensating for governmental inaction.

hiskind.com

16 / 17

Barry Jenkins When Moonlight won the Best Picture Oscar in 2016, it delivered not only a stunning rebuke to the #OscarsSoWhite controversy of the preceding year, but a watershed moment for queer cinema in the modern era. A low-budget, independent film spanning the lifetime of a queer black boy in ghettoised Miami emerged from nowhere to take Hollywood’s most coveted prize. Since Crash’s unlikely victory over Brokeback Mountain a decade prior, we’ve been offered few bona fide queer blockbusters such as this one – and Barry Jenkins is in part to thank.

While not queer, Barry’s advocacy of queer black voices across television and cinema contributes to the growing tide of respected advocates we have in 2017, from Tig Notaro to Roxane Gay. Jenkins also directed episode five of Dear White People; a poignant and moving piece which examined racial violence and the banal nature of racial tensions on American campuses. As a world-class filmmaker putting his lens to the brutality of institutionalised racism, and the marginalisation of queer narratives, Jenkins is a formidable ally and artist.

Romy Madley Croft Part of creating strong role models for queer youth is to inject LGBTQ+ life and representation into every corner of society.

From the days of Boy George and George Michael, music has long been at the forefront of championing queerness. In 2017, there are hundreds of emerging LGBTQ+ musicians tunnelling into the mainstream – Olly Alexander, Shura, Mykki Blanco, MUNA, the list goes on – but front gal of the xx, Romy Madley Croft, is one step ahead of her own game.

Releasing their impeccable sophomore album earlier this year, the xx’s I See You promotes queer love and visibility, with LGBTQ+ visuals appearing across much of their work. Their rich, distinctive, lyrical sound manifests queer experiences. Having announced her engagement this year, Romy’s personal life provides the happily-ever-after that her lyrics imply but rarely fulfil. Her friendship with band member Oliver Sim, also queer, is likewise conveyed in the xx’s many lyrics that pertain to the depth and profundity of strong platonic love.

hiskind.com

18 / 19

Mathew Shurka Appallingly, across the United States in 2017, conversion therapy is still legal; its inhumane theories and brutal tactics continuing to damage more generations of LGBTQ+ individuals. Mathew Shurka is a longstanding LGBTQ+ activit based in New York, whose efforts in dismantling the practices of conversion therapy groups across the US are rooted in his own personal trauma at the hand of conversion therapy. His father once forced Mathew into conversion therapy, giving Mathew nothing other than an understanding of its long-term damaging psychological effects. Hearteningly, Mathew has forgiven his father, and educated him on LGBTQ+ issues – the pair marched together in their first Pride festival. As an ambassador to the #BornPerfect campaign with the National Centre for Lesbian Rights, Mathew is committed to ending conversion therapy worldwide by the end of 2019. The United States’s progress on this to date has been paltry, so far being only banned in California, New Jersey, Illinois, and Oregon.

“As a teenager, I gave conversion therapy its best chance.

It was only years later I could recognise the psychological abuse, manipulation, and false facts. I was estranged from my mother and sisters for three years as I was being ‘developed’ not to have any effeminate qualities, and was told to only spend time with the males in my environment until I was ready to engage in sexual activity with women.

The fear presented by my conversion therapist and worried father, was that I would live a horrible life as an out gay man,” he writes in HISKIND. You can read his eye opening and heartfelt column detailing his experience of conversion therapy on HISKIND.com

Patrick Strudwick A crown jewel in the landscape of contemporary queer British journalism, Patrick Strudwick tackles a vast array of LGBTQ+ issues and news pieces with characteristic vim and vigour. To the next generation of queer journalists, he is a source of inspiration, and in our current news landscape, he is a vital presence. As BuzzFeed’s LGBT editor, Patrick has been responsible for shifting the queer narrative of journalism and media in the UK, having been appointed as the first LGBTQ+ editor for a mainstream publication. His work has also appeared in the Guardian, the Times, and the Mail on Sunday.

From exposing MPs for their links to gay conversion groups, championing the community’s best advocates, or lobbying for law change on gay conversion therapy (having subjected himself to it), Patrick’s journalism is of a heroic strand rarely seen in today’s media.

You can catch our full feature on him and his work on HISKIND.com.

hiskind.com

20 / 21

Dean Eastmond Co-founder of HISKIND and LGBTQ+ journalist Dean Eastmond was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer (Ewings Sarcoma) at 20 and used his platform to share his journey through the honesty of his writing on his Cancer Columns. He touched so many people through the authenticity of his voice as he wrote frankly about hair loss, masculinity and mental health.

His passion for writing has sparked a lot of positive change for the LGBTQ+ community, such as fighting for fertility rights and campaigning for LGBTQ+ training for nurses and hospital staff. After being told that his treatment was likely to cause infertility, he went to a sperm bank. He was told that if he died and his partner was a woman they could use his sperm to have a child, however because his partner was a man, that was not the case. Dean worked tirelessly to highlight this issue and won an apology from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and now the rule has been changed.

His hard work and dedication to fighting for change in the system for LGBTQ+ people was recognised when he was awarded an Attitude Pride Award. His voice and writing continues to inspire and empower the LGBTQ+ community.

Dean did so much in his 21 years and given the chance he probably could have changed the world.

Opens 13 October 2017

#LGBTtales

From Our Bookshelf The Best LGBTQ+ Reads of 2017

While Netflix may prove the most tempting festive-season respite for many, consider your local book store for salvation instead. HISKIND’s favourite LGBTQ+ reads of 2017 span the shelves from Young Adult fiction to memoir.

Take your pick.

Words Jonathan Mahon-Heap

The End of Eddy by Édouard Louis Assault, alcohol, abuse; The End of Eddy, 2017’s major piece of queer literature, takes an unflinching look at these repercussions of homophobia in rural small town France, circa 1992.

Translated into 20 languages since its publication in 2014, now available in English, its universal praise is testament to its deadpan, singular style.

Release by Patrick Ness While YA literature still conjures images of dystopian landscapes and heroic teens for many, it’s also quietly emerged as fertile territory for tales of young, queer love. A far cry from the orthodox morality of YA past, we’re instead offered narratives such as Release. Ness’s newest hit is a dauntingly honest and headily romantic tale of Adam Thorn, whose coming-of-age is tinged with romance and magical realism.

The Sparsholt Affair by Alan Hollinghurst

The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne

Few authors have inked as many entries into queer canon as Alan Hollinghurst, chiefly his Booker-prize winning Line of Beauty - a seminal testament to gay love and loss in Thatcher’s England, when the queer community began to feel its first shudders of mortality. The Sparsholt Affair, his sixth, similarly arches across a half-century of interlinking friendships, shaped and thwarted by the 20th century mores, with the same expansive insight and heart.

Shame and paranoia, two feelings heightened by the dizzying discovery of sexuality, are examined as byproducts of Catholic structures, in The Heart’s Invisible Furies. Boyne deftly juggles how the ghosts of our past must be reconciled with our hopes for the future.

Visit HISKIND.com for our full selection

hiskind.com

22 / 23

BEACH RATS In conversation with Sundance Best Director, Eliza Hittman

Words Beatrice Mustocea

“I don’t really know what I like” becomes the line that guides Frankie (Harris Dickinson) to explore his latent desires in a summer of love. Or is it a summer of surfacing consciousness and of cementing identity through self-discovery? Eliza Hittman poignantly portrays the journey that Dickinson’s character takes to wander through the sexual limbo of a South Brooklyn teen.

Beach Rats (2017) successfully confronts the fragility and palpable tensions of heteronormative notions of masculinity in working-class characters.

For the youths of this Coney Island Boardwalk, these tensions remain irresolvable as their context only allows for silent yearning, for a coming of age inevitably paralleled with a sense of losing parts of themselves. It is Dickinson’s character that is caught in a claustrophobic society that he can only navigate through a tango between cultural conformity and sexual exploration, which he attempts to master by dating a girl. Recipient of the Directing Award at Sundance, Eliza Hittman talks gender, aesthetics and tapping into the consciousness of this lost youth.

I read a lot about a mirror selfie similar to the one that becomes a motif in the movie. How did this come about and blossom into the idea behind the film?

It was more the inspiration for how the audience would be introduced to the character. I always had an idea for a film called Beach Rats because it’s a term that refers to a specific kind of kid from a specific kind of neighbourhood. And then I went on Facebook and found this one image where the kid was standing in his basement bedroom in front of the mirror and the visor of his hat was creating a shadow across his eyes and he looked like he was about to take a dick pic to put online. There was something very hyper-masculine and homoerotic about it. I liked that tension – he looked like he could get into a fight at any second, but there was also something completely vulnerable to the way that he was standing and for me that was kind of how I began to think about the character so I reframed the image at the beginning of the film.

Gender roles are still very ingrained in the way people think about art and whose voice we get to hear.

As a female director, what were the challenges in telling the story from the perspective of a young gay man?

I approached the film from a place of thinking about lost youth, about a character that is unknowable to himself and trying to understand his desire. The criticism of the film is pretty gendered and it’s hard to respond to that because, as a woman, you never own the representation of being a woman on the screen. Most of the criticism is ‘how can a woman tell the story’ and, in a way, I’m just doing it in the same way men have told stories about women and how they were allowed to depict those sexualities since the beginning of time.

Did linking the genesis of the film with this idea of lost youth mean sexuality played a role in the casting?

I factored it into a few roles but not all. I don’t think actors would want to be limited in any way, so I was pretty open-minded with regard to who I considered for a role.

Audiences tend to be less familiar with the male body on screen. Did you find it challenging to flip the coin and show how sex and the body can be used without being commodified. Does it bother you how much attention the audience pays to this element?

I just focused on the story. Each sex scene in the film has a different intention to reveal something different about the character. I didn’t focus on how to make them steamy or interesting to an audience, I focused on what the character’s experience is and what he is thinking or feeling. That’s how I approach everything - it’s not erotic.

Moonlight came out in a period where there was an illusion that LGBT+ struggles had diminished. Because of the turbulent political climate, do you feel that this post-Presidential election release date adds to the film’s poignancy?

Yes, it reminds people that everybody’s experience in trying to come out is different.

I hope it reminds people that there are still parts of the world where it’s not an easy or obvious pathway. There is still violence that erupts in isolated communities when any kind of otherness is introduced into them.

And these are things that we are all forced to contend with after the election so I guess it’s like a painful reminder.

The film’s aesthetics deserve special mention. Did you have any visual references in crafting the atmosphere?

There’s a lot of fine art photography and Polaroids from Barbra Crane and from Danny Fitzgerald who took portraits of Brooklyn gang members in the 50s and 60s. He was also a male physique photographer - they were similarly homoerotic and hypermasculine. I wanted to find events to shoot that tell us something emotionally and narratively but also have physical components to it. I try to make everything very subjective, from the point of the view of the character and how he’s looking and thinking about the world.

BEACH RATS is released in cinemas 24th November. Visit beachratsfilm.com for more information. hiskind.com

24 / 25

Flanks

Sood Family

Rök

Tom Griffiths brings his wildly popular open-fire meat-centric pop-ups from Brighton to his first permanent outpost in London.

He is famous for nose-to-tail cooking, where no part of the animal goes to waste. One of the highlights we tried included slow-cooked aged beef in a scintillating offal ragu. You don’t want to ask Tom what’s gone into the ragu but simply savour the sensations. Arrive early! During our visit, there were 5 items sold out by 12:30.

They only started as a pop-up in Broadway Market in September 2016, but have been earning rave reviews from supper-club goers and foodies in the know with their authentic, fresh pasta and panzerotti. The must-try dish here is their spaghetti all’Amatriciana with heavenly crispy pork cheek bites. The pasta has an irresistible al dente chew that even the best pasta chefs in Italy struggle to master.

This Scandi-smokehouse has already been winning critical acclaim all over from their East-meets-West hip restaurants in London.

Their specialty is all about brining and curing British meat. If you weren’t already in love with Scandinavians, you will be after trying their whole duck leg bun dripping with flavoursome lingonberry jam and filled with pickled cucumbers, spring onion and sauerkraut. This is only available at their Old Spitalfields Market outpost.

hiskind.com

26 / 27

A new chapter begins for Old Spitalfields Market In recent weeks, we’ve watched the relaunch of a much-loved part of London: Old Spitalfields Market.

Phase 1 has been headed by the creative genius that is Nuno Mendes, with ten handpicked kitchen traders that are set to bring the independent, innovational spirit back to this neglected part of East London.

Over the coming months, new market traders and a regular events programme will be launched to make this a prime destination for all HISKIND followers.

Here, we check out 5 food vendors to watch.

Barbarian They are the ultimate East-meets-West pop-up using Asian flavours and cooking techniques along with local and seasonal produce. Their best sellers will guarantee that you won’t have to put up with dull meals anymore with spice sensations from their mapo tofu and Xi’an spiced fried chicken. This is like your local Chinese given a hip, Shoreditch makeover with very on-trend dishes.

Happy Endings Retro and dreamy desserts are the main attractions here along with the delightful owner Terri Mercieca. Dessert lovers will remember her campaign a few years ago to get foodies to skip dinner and head for desserts which was cleverly concocted by her girlfriend. We know HISKIND readers love a happy ending and why not when it ends with dreamy tres leche, dulce de leche, beurre noisette and rosemary.

Words – Baldwin Ho Images - Beatrice Mustocea

To my trans friendships Words Travis Alabanza Images Karan Katoch

It’s a Monday morning, and as usual, the first thing I do is check my phone. Despite always knowing this will never end well, I am there - cracked iPhone in hand - peeled to the screen. This morning felt particularly tense, but also not dissimilar to other mornings I had experienced.

I went onto Instagram and the first post I saw was a memorial to Ally Stenfeild, a 17-year-old trans girl who was killed by two women in Missouri. I scrolled through some more and saw a selfie of my friend, talking about the taunts they faced as a gender non-conforming person outside a store changing room. Even further down: a post referencing my work, which misgendered me, referring to me as a gay man.

A few moments online and I was instantly reminded of the trauma, violence and pain that encapsulates so much of the reality for trans and gender non-conforming bodies and of how often our online presence is one that focuses on this relentlessly.

1pm, the same day, and I see a notification pop up on my phone; I’ve been tagged in a photo by my friend Alok. I unlock my screen and am greeted by the image on this page and a few others. A photo of myself and artists, thinkers (and most importantly, friends) Alok Vaid-Menon, Eddie Ndopu and Katlego K Kolanyane-Kesupile.

Captured by Karan Katoch in Oxford, we were visiting Eddie, a Master’s student there, who was facing structural racism and abelism. In the midst of the pain, struggle, and hardship of what institutions do to black and brown trans bodies, we came, got dressed up, paraded the streets of Oxford and took these pictures. Together. Unison.

But individual.

It is this feeling that I am reminded of when I see these photos. A feeling of power, of intensity, of a bond, and, most importantly, of friendship. A friendship that does not erase the trauma we go outside with, but instead a friendship that understands this, holds this, but is able to move beyond this - and possibly- dance with joy. This photo reminds me of how important it was for me to be intentional and loving with other trans feminine people, particularly those that are black and brown. It is a friendship that I never thought I could obtain, that I feel loves me for all the things the world could hate me for. One that reminds me that I am not the problem, more the world. One that reminds me, we can still be loved.

We are told, as people who experience misogyny, as black and brown folk, as trans people to compete, to tear each other down, to think only one of us can exist and this photo reminds me that if we do this, we let them win. That there is power in uplifting each other, in the romance of our poses, in the intimacy we hold. I wish people would see friendship as something as powerful as romance, or see friendship as a form of romance, as something to wish to obtain and as something to aspire to.

I leave you with this photograph, as a reminder that we can exist outside of a cis-normative ideal. That trans people are beautiful not because you tell us, but because we exist. And to hope, and want, for you to text your friend after this that you love them.

Trans and gender non-conforming people, I love you.

“We are told, as people who experience misogyny, as black and brown folk, as trans people - to compete, to tear each other down, to think only one of us can exist - and this photo reminds me that if we do this - we let them win.”

hiskind.com

28 / 29

Explore the world of Tony Hornecker As you step through a pale blue door in the heart of Dalston you cross a threshold into a space that is all at once a home, a stage, a restaurant, a labour of love and a work of art. This winter, once again, the home of artist Tony Hornecker opens its door to welcome guests for a Christmas panto unlike any other. Coined by its creator a “gypsy vagabond speakeasy�, The Pale Blue Door is a cabaret experience extraordinaire that continues to delight guests nearly 10 years on from its inception.

Words Edward Hetherington Images Manuel Varquez

“You could hide away from the world in another reality, smoke illegally and have a new experience that could touch a lot of senses”

The installation owes its genesis in 2009 to the perfect storm of an empty wallet, overdue rent and no prospect of work on the horizon in the midst of a recession. What Tony created was, and still is, a space where “you could hide away from the world in another reality, smoke illegally and have a new experience that could touch a lots of senses”. Over the course of the evening, guests enjoy a three-course dinner with one hell of an amuse bouche – cabaret stalwart A Man to Pet leads the cast in this year’s raucous production.

This home is a beguiling example of the imagination brought into the real. Filled with an amassing of curios and trinkets, or as Tony puts it, “dead grannies’ belongings”, it is a pleasure to behold.

When Tony first moved into the former warehouse the space was a shell.

Interestingly, he muses that initially he wanted to transform the space into a minimalist New York-style apartment.

Surveying the property now, it is apparent that things couldn’t have gone more wrong for this vision, thank God.

The project has not been without its own trials and tribulations, of course. A former neighbour once plastered the building with black crosses and called the environmental agency, hoping to shut down the frivolity once and for all. Said neighbour now resides in prison thanks to a penchant for stalking and the health inspector that came knocking up was so enamoured by the space that he stayed for hours. “Of all the health inspectors in all the land,” chuckles Tony as we chat and he thanks the “little angel on my shoulder” for the coup de grace.

The Pale Blue Door has taken itself around the world, and the stories of these jaunts sound stranger than fiction as the artist reminisces. The first stamp on the door’s passport was a Chilean one, when Tony brought the installation to Santiago to fund a trip there with his best friend. The installation then went to Buenos Aires, which the artist refers to as “just over the road”, as casually as if nipping out to pick up a pint of milk.

It was in Argentina that once again Tony’s stars were aligned in his favour. A trip to an internet café and a couple of beers later, Tony had the green light to take over an abandoned mansion.

Glastonbury festival also has Tony to thank for the two-story bordello (complete with working prostitutes) that was erected in 2010. A jolly affair, guests would clap and woop as ‘patrons’ walked down the stairs from the love hotel’s makeshift bedrooms. We laugh at the sheer audacity of the project and remark that the £20 commission Tony took made him, well, a bit of a pimp.

It is sad to hear that The Pale Blue Door won’t be around forever, at least in its current form. Tony’s home is billed to be knocked down and replaced with new and shiny flats someday. But, when searching for silver linings, perhaps there really are so many times the artist can hear “Oh my god there’s a toothbrush in the bathroom – can you believe it, a toothbrush!” hiskind.com

32 / 33

Last word with Munroe Bergdorf

Munroe Bergdorf is an international social activist and model. Follow @MunroeBergorf on Twitter

Munroe Bergdorf’s very existence is a threat to the mainstream. A 30-year-old, black, queer, trans activist who models and DJs, Bergdorf’s career has navigated assault, injury, and progress. In August 2017, she was announced as L’Oréal UK’s first transgender model named their ‘face of modern diversity’. Yet, after Bergdorf’s response to the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville was mis-amplified, she was dropped by L’Oréal. Three months on, we touch base with Bergdorf to talk self-love and corporate ally-hood.

Has self-love been more important than ever before in this post-L’Oréal situation?

Can brands today be successful, positive allies?

Absolutely. It’s definitely forced me to learn a lot about myself. I’ve realised that I’m a lot stronger than I thought I was. The love and support that people continue to show me in response to the situation really meant so much - especially people reminding me to self care and not lose sight of myself and who I am. This situation has really made me aware of my worth and what I deserve.

Absolutely, but it’s all about intention. Is it just to make money? Or do they legitimately believe in the message that they are putting out there? We see a lot of brands get it wrong, but lots also get it right. The best thing that a brand can do is make sure that all levels of their workplace are diverse, this will translate into the intention and actions of the brand.

What does allyship mean to you?

How should they approach diversity?

For me, allyship can be as small as listening to as big as employment. I feel that allyship is listening to the needs of a community that is not your own and actively working with them to help bring about change or provide support.

Brands should view diversity as base standard, not a trend. People are tired of seeing brands try to make money out of marginalised groups without giving them a voice or giving back. Brands need to acknowledge why we need diversity, not just dip their toe in and hope that people spend their money on their products. Brands need to be willing to get wet and swim to the other side of the pool with the communities that they feature.

What can allyship look like at a brand level?

Allyship on a brand level has to be authentic.

Words Josh Fletcher Josh Milton Image Eivind Hansen

Unfortunately a lot of brands cast diverse models but don’t stand behind their lived experiences.

It can be very tokenistic and performative.

Communities need allyship because of inequality, this doesn’t begin and end with visibity. Brands either need to be proving an accurate sense of representation, which works best if the people behind the scenes reflect the diversity of the people on camera. Or brands need to be donating financially to support organisations that work to help those communities.

What is your last word on the situation?

Empowerment and diversity campaigns can be done right. But for less of them to go wrong, it means that brands need to look at how willing they are to get their hands dirty. When you start to market a resistance to discrimination, it needs to be an authentic resistance, not the illusion of one.

Because illusions help nobody except those who create them.

Enjoy Absolut Responsibly