GNI MAG ISSUE 56 - PRIDE 2023

GO

McFLY CONNOR MILLS

THE RAINBOW PROJECT

DIVINA DE CAMPO

THE FULL MONTY

TAILOR MAID

JONAS BROTHERS

PETER CORRY

GEORGE TURNER

CONLETH KANE

THE ACES

REAL LIFE - PAUL ALLSTATE NI

PRIDE

PRIDE MAP

EQUALITY COMMISSION

PRIDE FASHION

PRIDE HISTORY

FOSTERING - ACTION FOR CHILDREN

CHILL - LGBTQI+ MOVIES

TRP - COUNSELLING + SUPPORT

POPPERS - JUPITER & LO

WHY IS PRIDE NEEDED

BSPA - YOUTH THEATRE

AWARDS

GNI AWARDS ROUNDUP

AWARDS IMAGES

GET INVOLVED IN 2024

SUMMER WEDDINGS

TITANIC HOTEL

REINVENT TRADITIONS

JENNY LINDOP BRIDAL WEAR

FOUR SEASONS MONAGHAN

CORICK HOUSE

THE MULRANNY PARK HOTEL

TRY

GARY CAMPION - HOT HITS & CELEB BITS

XAND - LGBTQI+ TAROT READINGS

MARTIN MURRAY - SPORTING PRIDE

FASHION - DEN LOUNGEWEAR

THE GOURMET BOYS

FASHION - NASTY PIG

REVIEW - OLD INN CRAWFORDSBURN

REVIEW - THE NINES

GAVYN ANDREWS - TRAVEL MALDIVES

DANNY MALONE

Credits

Daniel May Operations Director daniel@gnimag.com

Pauline Fitzpatrick Sales Executive

Tony Day Design

Thanks to...

Mc Fly / Divina De Campo / Jonas Brothers / George Turner / Peter Corry / Conleth Kane / The Aces / Gary Campion / Connor Mills / Tailor Maid / Martin Murray / The Gourmet Boys / Gavyn Andrews / XAND / Danny Malone / The Rainbow Project / The Grand Opera House / Paul / Allstate NI / Equality Commission / Action For Children / BSPA / Jupiter & Lo / Den Loungewear / Nasty Pig / Old Inn / The Nines / Halestorm PR / Jeff Dorta / Project Publicity / Chuff Media / 1

Vision PR / Nikki Taggart / Hitched. co.uk / Papyrus / Hopelineuk / Colleen Dornan

GNI MAG is published by: Romeo & Julian Publications Ltd.

13 Union Street Belfast, BT1 2JF

www.gnimag.com facebook.com/gnimag twitter.com/gnimag instagram @gnimag

All submissions to GNI MAG are made on the basis of permission to publish the submission in GNI MAG and it’s licensed editions worldwide. In the case of picture selection, the editors decision is final. Any materials sent is at the owners risk and although every care is taken neither Romeo & Julian Publications Ltd or it’s agents shall be liable for loss or damage. We take great care to make sure all elements of GNI MAG are accurate. However we accept no liability for misprints that appear in this magazine. You should seek professional advice prior to following any advice offered in this publication. Any opinions expressed are those of the writers and not those of GNI MAG or Romeo & Julian Publications Ltd.

Romeo & Julian Publications Ltd 2023

Go

McFly

The wait is over, McFly are back with Power To Play, their biggest, boldest and most brilliantly noisy statement yet. Their highly anticipated 7th album is an all-out celebration of rock music and will be released on June 9.

Over 10 million Albums sold, Winners of Multiple Awards, 91 Million Youtube Views. 1.2Million monthly listeners on Spotify. Apart from these amazing things, what would you say you are most proud of achieving?

Harry: Attitude’s Sexiest Man Of The Year 2000. Dougie: We performed with Brian May once, and that was pretty amazing. That’s certainly something that everybody, globally, seems to be impressed by.

And on the flip is there anything you still want to achieve either personally or as a band?

Harry: I always say the same thing. I just want to keep doing what we are doing. Hopefully in another 10 years time, we will still be chatting to people about new music and things that we have done and tours that we have been on. Yeah, just keep doing what we are doing.

It’s crazy that 20 years have passed since we were first introduced to you guys, would you have imagined that you would still be working together, making music, touring etc in 2023?

Harry: I think that there was a general sense from all of us that we very quickly realised that this was something forever. I mean there was always people like family saying “What’s he going to do when this is all over?”, “When is he going to get a real job?” “He should be prepared for when this all finishes?” I just always had a feeling that it would last , so none of us ever considered it. It was never, ever a conversation of it not happening.

Having worked together so long is how you work like a well oiled machine with everything running like clockwork or can things still be a challenge?

Dougie: Yes, there are still challenging times but I think that as time goes on we just get better at what we do. I can only see us getting better, better at production, better at playing. I think everybody has their own challenges but musically it has always been great.

The music business and industry has changed so much, do you think if you were starting out in this day and age you would be as successful?

Harry: I think it would be completely different. It’s a lot harder for young bands to make ‘noise’, it’s difficult. Now, you don’t really see young bands getting signed, I can’t think of a young band that ‘breaks through’ anymore.

I think we would be cancelled pretty quickly. Some

of the stuff that comes out of your mouth at 17!

Everyone I interview says they have amazing fanswhat makes yours the best?

Dougie: I’m actually still blown away that they are still into us. They are literally the life blood of our band. If it wasn’t for them then we wouldn’t have been here for 20 years, for sure. I have no idea why they like us so much and why they keep coming to our shows and supporting us. But we definitely wouldn’t have got very far without them.

Are your fans the people that have grown up with you or is it new audiences or a mix of it all?

Dougie: It is definitely a mix of them all now.

Harry: Yes, because all of our fans from the ages of 8 to 20 when we first started or 8 to 18 would have been our main demographic, the 15-16 year olds they are like 35 or 36 now and some of the have 10 year old children that are coming to shows so it’s a bit of a mix. Another 10 years down the line there will be a more younger breed of fans so we are always trying to strike that balance between keeping older fans keen and interested and the bringing on new fans as well.

Talking about new fans and kids, you have 3, what do they think of your music?

I’ve got a daughter aged 7 and she likes some of our stuff and my son is completely obsessed. Actually I would say possessed! He is guitar mad. He is 5 and all he wants to do is listen to McFly, particularly our new stuff. He loves the guitars. He just walks around with a guitar around his neck all of the time. Yes, that’s all he talks about which is pretty cool. One of Tom’s kids is pretty much the same, so it’s really amazing to see that you can have that influence on them. My son comes to the studio and watches us rehearse and brings his guitar. I’m really happy to be able to give him this opportunity, for him to be exposed to something so cool.

Dougie - People loved the legend series of I’m a celebrity, did you watch? Where you ever asked to be involved?

Dougie: I did not watch and I was not invited.

If you were asked would you have done it again?

Dougie: No not at the moment. We have got a new album to promote so I am pretty busy.

I obviously didn’t really make that much impact on the show. That’s how I ended up winning, people just

forgot I was there.

Harry, I love musicals, you are no stranger to the stage having done several - any more shows in the pipeline and what is your dream role or show?

Harry: No, not really. If you would have told me 10 years ago I would have ended up doing shows I would have laughed at you. I’ve only been able to do one because it was dance and music based so I played a bit of drums and danced. I’m not really a good enough singer to be in a musical. There are certain musicals I really enjoy so it’s kind of crazy to me that I was in a couple. The Friends one, that was more of an acting and comedy role which I really enjoyed.

Tom is the musicals guy of the band, he did one that I was in again. I was dancing and playing the drums, I somehow fit into some of them, however I am never a leading man. I shouldn’t really admit because I think some people assume that I could be but I just don’t think its quite me.

So we are not going to see you singing lead vocals in Les Miserables?

Harry: No. I’m afraid I don’t quite have the pipes for that, unfortunately. To be honest, when I did that stuff it was when the band wasn’t really active, so it was just opportunities that came to me at the time. I have to keep working, so I found myself suddenly in the West End. I worked hard, I enjoyed it and I can dance. That was a totally new and amazing experience, a really different world for me. Being a drummer from a band and suddenly going into this world with dancers and singers, it is so different. From the music people are into, the fashion, the culture, everything. I felt slightly like an odd one out but I did enjoy it and it was a good experience. I’m at my happiest when I am playing the drums with McFly.

Right we need to talk about the new album “Power To Play” which is out on 9th June. Is there still the same level of excitement, pressure and expectations etc when you release new material?

Dougie: The excitement is certainly 100 per cent. The excitement has never really gone anywhere. You always feel like you are on the brink of a song that is going to align the planets and it is going to change the world. I think we just put pressure on ourselves to make something that satisfies all of our needs and is a great song but still works live.

Now more than ever we love what we do and feel

very privileged and fortunate to be able to do it.

How does this album compare and differ to your previous ones?

Harry: It is the heaviest music we have done it is very guitar driven. It is a proper rock album. We were just like ‘F*** it’, no rules really apply here, we can do what we want. It was quite liberating and a lot of fun.

Watching the videos seemed like you were having a lot of fun?

Harry: Yes it was so much fun. There is still variety on there. There are definitely songs on there that people wouldn’t believe were McFly, which is exciting.

Danny was one of the producers. Does that help with the process?

Dougie: I’ve always found it a massive help because he is kind of like your translator. You can play him something that you like, like guitar or a vocal sound, and Danny can translate what it is and knows how

to pick it apart so that we can go away and recreate it.

We spent about 2 years on and off making this album and there were a good few months in between where we just done deep dives on guitars. We learned stuff from some of the great rock producers like Bob Rock and Mutt Lange and Jerry Finn. I think it is a great asset.

Harry: Also, we have our own studio now, so to be able to have a member of a band that can produce music is great. If we suddenly have a song it doesn’t get stale. Momentums are really important thing in a creative process. Even if they are really good songs that can just get left behind quite easily.

If Dougie had an idea on this album and Danny is there. He just says “Here’s an idea”, then he plays it to everyone and we are like “that’s great” record it and you have a producer in the band that can produce it. Our other producer, Jason Perry, can’t just

put his life on hold for 2 years, so he committed to a certain amount of time and then Danny did these other tracks. He sort of follows our lead as well, he is confident with his decision making but he doesn’t dictate how it is going to be. He is very open to all of our thoughts.

I love ‘God of Rock N Roll’, it is such a mind melt though, it reminds me of 2 or 3 classic rock songs, was this intentional?

Dougie: Yes, it is totally intentional. It was the last song written for the album and it was born from this idea that if there was a God of Rock and Roll then we certainly would worship him. Like going to a gig and kind of like going to a church - everybody is there for the same reason and everyone is just having a good time and singing along. It is euphoric and there is something kind of spiritual about it and that is how the concept of the song was born. Anytime it got to punky or weird, it didn’t feel right, so sticking to the classic rock song formula, it captured the

essence of it. There are a lot of nods to our favourite bands in that song.

When it comes to the creating process, who takes the lead or do you all get involved?

Harry: It is really varied. Often Tom will come in and have a song that is just finished or he will have the bulk of it done and he will want our input. Sometimes Danny and Dougie will write a song together, or it will be Danny, Dougie and Tom, or just Dougie or Danny. I often come in towards the end of it and have an opinion from an outsiders perspective which I think can be quite helpful at times. It’s very varied and it’s a real collaboration. It is literally just a complete mx from the 4 of us, some more than others.

You will be touring soon, what are the best and worst things about it for you?

Dougie: The best thing is playing a show every night. I don’t dance so I don’t know what it feels like to go out dancing, but I imagine it’s like you let off a lot of steam and energy. And people applaud you when you finish which is always cool.

The only bad thing about touring is how ‘beat up’ your body feels. If we do 3 shows in a row, obviously your voice starts going a bit, but physically, we don’t prepare our bodies for the amount of jumping around that we do. I’ve got a sore neck at the moment because I have been rehearsing standing up do god knows what I am going to feel like after these first few shows on tour.

Elephant in the room, there aren’t any dates in Ireland - What’s that about lol - Any plans on coming over soon?

Harry: Daniel, all I can say is, we are working on it.

FAN QUESTIONS

Paul Roche asks have you ever been approached or approached McDonalds to do any type of fun collaboration - The Mc Fly lol

Harry: Yes, actually we did have a McFly toy in the Happy Meal. It was like a real retro toy, like a collectors item, a fan has that, I often see it. Often loads of fans comment and say “OMG That’s my childhood”. Also, I think it was our third album where are faces popped up - it may have played music but I’m not too sure. Actually, Tom did a collaboration with McDonald’s with his kids books, but yeah. cFly, McFlurry - do they still do McFlurry’s?

Gary Campion asks- I remember you stripping off for a Gay Magazine back in the day, would you have any objections to doing it again for the GNI Readers lol

Dougie: I wouldn’t have any objections but I think we don’t look that good naked anymore. I think it would just offend people if we got naked.

Harry: Daniel, Dougie is talking absolute s***. He is in the best shape of his life. Look, I love getting naked but I think maybe we have pretty much went the full ways there’s not much else to see now.

Dougie: Did we get completely naked?

Harry: That’s all that’s left is full frontal!

Louise1992sarget asks if you could do a collaboration with anyone dead or alive who would it be?

Harry: Do you know who I would love to collaborate with? I just think Lewis Capaldi is so great. He has got to be the first person ever that is as good a comedian as he is a musician/songwriter. He somehow manages to be really funny in a ridiculous way, but then also totally believable with really moving and heartfelt songs. He has just always been really nice about McFly as well, so I think that we would get on which would be fun.

I would also like to do something with Springsteen. Danny absolutely idolises Bruce Springsteen and anyone that comes to see us play live and doesn’t know anything about us will look at Danny and say “He likes Springsteen”. So that would be cool.

Connies147 asked Can you describe ‘Power to Play’ in 3 words?

Dougie: Erm, rad, rad, rad!

Sarahdumbell said I am coming to meet you in Leeds

for the signing, my 7 year old son Tommy is such a fan, he asked what is your favourite song to perform and who is your favourite football team?

Harry: Well, I support Arsenal Tommy. Danny supports Bolton. Dougie supports Panathinaikos., which is ironic for Dougie because he’s not really interested In football. So Bolton and Arsenal.

So, I’m loving playing our oldest songs like ‘One for the Radio’ and ’Lies’. However, I am loving playing all of our new songs. They are the most fun songs to play live. They are up tempo, the drum parts are fun, there’s loads of guitar solos, so any of the new album basically

THIRTY, SOMEWHAT FLIRTY AND TIRED Connor Mills

Slowing down in any form has never really been my style and as I inch ever closer to the looming big 3, pause for dramatic effect, 0, I still don’t feel the want or need. It’s that idea of how a large majority us spend so long closeted from our true selves that we can run circles trying to recapture the time and experiences we lost, not to suggest that we all suffer from a Peter Pan syndrome but there’s a large subset of the queer community that compares being young with being desirable.

In my late teens and 20’s I’ve always been quite slim, and no matter how hard I wanted it to whiskey has never put hair’s on my chest, so if I were to fall into a queer archetype, it would have been a twink, a definition I had always shied away from as it didn’t embody any of the features I would have found attractive in others, and so, didn’t find certain qualities about myself attractive being given this label, It’s difficult to pinpoint when someone might lose their twink credentials— is it turning 26? Gaining weight or muscle? Growing a beard? Yet now I’ve passed the threshold into being more a “twas” it’s something I subconsciously miss just for the simple connotation of youthfulness.

It’s this too that goes in hand with the pressures imposed by a heteronormative society. It’s ridiculous to claim that society places greater expectations on aging gay men like myself than other groups, the way for example women are judged if they’re still “single and childless” in their thirties. Yet even those within my friendship circle ask, “so when’s the wedding” or “would it not be better to save for a house”, questions loaded with a need to explain yourself for not meeting what’s on the traditional timeline of achievements, and sometimes you just don’t want to have to explain why you’d prefer to wake up to a new Sage coffee machine rather than a new baby.

While of course the fact I’m writing a column about this shows I have an opinion about aging into this milestone truth be told I don’t think I would feel any certain way towards it unless I wasn’t nudged into the fact that I should. Not only from friends or society but from what I’ve noticed in our own community, people halfjokingly saying online “I’m now ancient in gay years” or being offended by the term “Daddy” (which in my opinion has more to do with a mindset than a greying beard). The half-laboured jokes when getting a box skin fade and announcing that you were told you look ten years younger. When in reality it’s a thinly vailed ploy to get others to say the same, what is the exact shame in looking your age even after a moment of selfcare.

To be very clear I am team do what makes you feel good, and I think whichever shape that takes as long as its creating a space of happiness within yourself should

be the thing that matters, but doing something solely for the purpose of others validation couldn’t lead to what exactly it is were actually look for and that’s selfvalidation, being ok with the fact that even though you wore your under eye mask an extra five minutes you may not have taken years from your personal appearance, but you can still look fresh and feel good in yourself and that fact is nothing to do with your age but your self-worth, something not exclusive to under 25’s.

Yet as I said it’s hard and something I do daily myself, I have always had an unfortunate hairline, compounded by the fact that I would only wear those big heavy beanies as a teen (I was a non-conforming, conforming emo child of my time) and I’m certain did all the things that would make a hair doctor’s eyes turn into dollar signs, but either way I would hate how I perceived it to age me in pictures. I’ve entangled this very natural human feature I have into something to be ashamed off just for the simple reason it might make me look older than I am, it’s silly, and yet I’m still going to go to the barbers and mention for the millionth time to leave length and weight on the sides so I can hide it. Yet I have to ask myself what is that actual shame response, I still feel like I’m 19 in my head, yet I make more informed and experienced choices, I still look like me, but I have a confidence I’ve gained over the years to express it more authentically and freely, all things I wouldn’t have gained without experience and while no, that isn’t the sexiest or most obvious thing to instantly come across in a crowded room and no, I don’t think anyone’s using “experienced” in quite that way on a Grindr profile I don’t think it makes that emotion any less valid.

Yes youth-centric attitudes within our community and society might always be prevalent but I think it’s our ability to avoid this then defining our lifestyles and our choices that’s important, there’s comfort in aging as it’s accepting your wants and needs as they are not portraying them as others might expect. Yet either way all I know for certain is when that fateful day comes in August this year, I will hopefully be at some rooftop pool in Barcelona rum drunk and tanned celebrating the things that got me to this point and all the amazing things yet to come.

A NEW COMMUNITY SPACE // THE RAINBOW PROJECT

The Rainbow Project launches new community space in the heart of the city's 'LGBTQIA+ quarter The Rainbow Project is bringing its support and advocacy services into the heart of the city's "LGBTQIA quarter" with the launch of a new satellite office on Union Street. Right beside the GNI offices here in the city centre.

John O'Doherty, director of the Rainbow Project, said: "For us, it's important to be part of the Queer quarter and putting our services back at the heart of the community".

Speaking at the grand opening John said, “The mission of the Rainbow Project is to promote the health and well-being of LGBTQIA+ people and their families. With the support from some

key stakeholders such as Pinsent Masons, IKEA, Public Health Authority and Allstate we can provide more services for the community. The amount of support that we've had from across the business sector, community voluntary sector and statutory sector has been remarkable and I think it's a real indicator of the need for our services.

“The Rainbow Project saw a stark increase in the number of counselling clients during lockdown which made our waiting lists much longer than they had ever been before, but with this support and additional support, we've been able to reduce those waiting lists back down to pre-Covid levels. We are committed to supporting the wider LGBTQIA+ people and their families on their journey to better health and well-being, particularly

better mental health. Also, we will be able to provide extra volunteering opportunities and boost awareness and accessibility of its services among the LGBTQIA+ community.

“ We are delighted to have this space open Monday to Friday between 10 am and 5 pm, where anyone can call in to talk about the services we provide and schedule a sexual health appointment. It’s right that the services that we deliver are in the right space, a place where our community socialise and spends time with their friends and families. The Rainbow Project is here to help and support them whenever you need it. “

DIVINADe Campo

Divina De Campo rose to fame as runner up in the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. Since then, Divina’s star as only risen playing roles such as Mary Sunshine in Chicago, and giving an award winning performance as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Leeds Playhouse. Now taking on the role of evil genius Plankton in The SpongeBob Musical, we caught up with Divina about life under the sea!

Lets play a little game of would you rather

• Hands or Feet? FEET

• Night In or Night Out? OUT

• Spray Tan or Real Tan? NEITHER, PALE AND INTERESTING

• Cook or Takeaway? TAKEAWAY

• Deserted Island or Party Island? DESERTED

• Chocolate or Crisps? CHOCOLATE

• Fav Band or Singer? KATE BUSH

• Celebrity Crush? TOM READ WILSON (don’t tell him)

• Fav Holiday destination? GRAN CANARIA

• 1 thing you can’t live without? LOVE

Super, now that we know a little more about you let’s dive into some questions.

Before we talk about the show we need to backtrack ‘All Together Now’, we loved the show and you on it, think it was 2019 when it was last on, any chance or word of it ever coming back? Obvs over covid it would have been an impossible thing to film though I’d say people would love to see it back.

We filmed September 2018 and it aired while I was filming Dragrace which was kinda weird lol. No word as I know on it making a come back but I loved working on the show and lots of us still stay in contact.

I read you do work with a charity, George House Trust, can you tell us more about it and the work they do?

GHT support a people living with HIV in the Manchester area. There’s still lots of stigma surrounding HIV despite it being a manageable virus and if you’re undetectable you’re also untransmissable so get tested lovers!

SpongeBob is by no means your first show/musical though I imagine it is a completely different experience from other projects? It’s totally different for me Plankton is a masculine character and for twenty years I’ve been playing either drag queens or feminine characters, so this is a big departure for me.

What is it about The SpongeBob Musical that appealed to you about doing the show? Were you a fan of the cartoon?

The entire show is just so joyful and fun! SpongeBob as a character is full of positivity and irrepressible determination. Plankton is an absolute treat as well! A massive departure for me from playing more feminine characters and into a maniacal genius. It’s a joy to embody that, and just let rip! SpongeBob was a massive staple in our house as soon as we got more than 4 channels, back in the day. We had it on regularly and I’ve always loved its sense of fun and cheekiness. It’s one of those cartoons that works on lots of levels, making it fun for everyone.

Are you able to tell us a little bit about the show, your character, and perhaps your costume too?

The premise is a volcano is threatening Bikini Bottom where we all live. SpongeBob and pals want to save the town but (my character) Plankton wants to trap everyone in an escape pod and hypnotise them into loving his Chum burgers! Sheldon Plankton is a massive show off with a bit too much faith in his own abilities. His costume been made in a sort of glam rock style like Kiss which really helps big shoulders big boots and a big ego!

You are known for singing and your range, do you get to show off in this show or do you have to pull it back to suit the character?

I always approach every part from what is it the character needs rather than what do I want. Plankton doesn’t sing so much as rap so I’ve had to learn a new skill to do this!

How do you find performing as Divina, versus performing as a character?

They’re such different things, Divina is a real party (well, mostly!) but for characters I try as much as possible to work with what’s in the script. I love the process of digging into them and working out what drives them and their story.

The show was nominated for a staggering 12 Tony Awards on Broadway, what do you think are the elements of it that make it so special?

There are so many! First off like any great musical the music is brilliant. There’s so many big song writers attached to the show. The book is smart and funny and like the cartoon it works on lots of different levels so there’s something in it for everyone.

The SpongeBob Musical has songs written by a whole host of incredible artists including Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Panic! At The Disco and The Flaming Lips. Is there a particular song that you enjoy singing, or any style of music that is a fun new challenge for you?

I get to sing When The Going Gets Tough. Which I love. It’s another departure for me as it’s more of a rap with a tune with this mind-bendingly fast speed-rap in the middle of it. That’s been a big challenge and loads of fun as well. My other favourite (I get to just listen to it) is I Guess I Miss You which is just a beautiful song about friendship.

You’ve toured the UK previously, notably in Chicago, do you enjoy visiting the different cities? Do you have any specific connections to any venues?

I love touring, getting to see other towns and cities and explore them a bit is always lots of fun. It’s especially nice to revisit places to spent time in on previous tours.

Have you been to Belfast before? Any plans aside from work while you are over? I was in Belfast just before the first time we all had to stay indoors. Literally the 3 days before. So I’m looking forwards to being back and getting to properly explore.

Pride month is round the corner, any plans or gigs you’d like to plug?

SpongeBob! I’m taking a bit of a step back from everything else so I can work on myself if I’m honest. So, catch me in SpongeBob or I’ll see you next year.

Have you ever received any advice throughout your life or career that has really stuck with you?

A fellow drag queen (Son Of A Tutu) said to me, “It’s not enough to beat an audience round the head with your talent, you have to make them love you” That’s something I’ve taken with me everywhere. I have to love them before they can love me and that’s what I try to give from the word go. It’s such a privilege to work on the stage and I feel like it’s my job to create a space we can all share. When it works it’s incredible.

Final note - why should people come to see you and the cast of SpongeBob in the Grand Opera House?

It’s a joyful positive show full of the most amazing music and a glorious cast headed up by the sensation that is Lewis Cornay. It’s a tonic for the times we live in and fun for all the family.

THE FULL

Monty

DANNY HATCHARD, JAKE QUICKENDEN, BILL WARD, NEIL HURST, BEN ONWUKWE AND NICHOLAS PRASAD TO STAR IN THE NEW UK TOUR OF THE AWARD-WINNING SMASH HIT PLAY

Everyman Theatre Cheltenham & Buxton Opera House in association with Mark Goucher and David Pugh are delighted to announce that the UK Tour of Simon Beaufoy’s THE FULL MONTY will star Danny Hatchard as Gaz, Jake Quickenden as Guy, Bill Ward as Gerald, Neil Hurst as Dave, Ben Onwukwe as Horse and Nicholas Prasad as Lomper. THE FULL MONTY opens at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham on 14 September 2023. Full tour schedule below, with further casting to be announced. www.fullmontytheplay.com

Danny Hatchard is probably best known for his role as Lee Carter in BBC One’s EastEnders, and Gary in BBC One’s Not Going Out. His other television roles include Lee in BBC One’s Ridley Road and Private Rhett Charlton in BBC One’s Our Girl. His theatre credits include Aaron in Eyes Closed Ears Covered at The Bunker Theatre, for which he was nominated for an Off West End Theatre Award, as well as Tom Jenkins in Scrooge at Curve, Leicester, Jack Dawkins and Noah Claypole in Oliver Twist at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Ste in Beautiful Thing at The Arts Theatre and UK Tour and Valentin in Kiss of the Spider Woman.

Jake Quickenden’s theatre credits include the UK Tours of Hair, Footloose and Friendsical, as well as Peter Pan a Musical Adventure at Blackpool Opera House. On television Jake has previously appeared on ITV’s The X Factor, The Chart Show, I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, Dancing On Ice, The Real Full Monty: On Ice and Channel 4’s Hollyoaks and Celebrity SAS Who Dares Wins. Most recently, Jake has been presenting regularly for ITV shows such as Lorraine and Loose Women.

Bill Ward is probably best known for his roles as Charlie Stubbs in ITV’s Coronation Street and James Barton in ITV’s Emmerdale. His other television credits include ITV’s The Hunt for Raoul Moat, Vera, Midsomer Murders, Heartbeat and Footballers’ Wives, BBC’s Silent Witness, Jonathan Creek, Casualty and Holby City. His West End theatre credits

include Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre, Viva Forever at the Piccadilly Theatre, Million Dollar Quartet at the Noel Coward Theatre, Spamalot at the Palace Theatre and Japes at Theatre Royal Haymarket.

Neil Hurst’s television credits include Channel 5’s All Creatures Great and Small, ITV’s Coronation Street and BBC’s Home from Home, Casualty, Doctors, The Syndicate and Moving On. His theatre credits include the UK Tour of Fat Friends the Musical, Early Doors Live UK Arena Tour, Evita at the Leeds Grand Theatre, and Jungle Book The Musical at the Oldham Coliseum.

Ben Onwukwe’s theatre credits include the UK tours of The Shawshank Redemption and Black Men Walking, The 47th at the Old Vic, New Nigerians at the Arcola Theatre, The Treatment at the Almeida Theatre and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe at the Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh. Ben’s television credits include ITV’s Professor T, Coronation Street and Law & Order UK, Netflix’s Marcella and the BBC’s EastEnders, Doctors and Holby City.

Nicholas Prasad’s theatre credits include Around the World in 80 Days at Theatre by The Lake/Hull Truck, The Comedy of Errors with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Approaching Empty at the Kiln Theatre, Treasure Island at Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Baghdad Wedding at the Soho Theatre. On television he has been seen in the BBC’s Doctors and EastEnders, and SyFy’s Krypton.

This fast and funny play is still very much of our time, as again we are hit by a cost of living crisis. Gaz and his mates are down on their luck and feel they have been thrown on the scrap heap, but they are determined to fight back and bare a little more than they ever thought they would have to.

As in the 1997 smash hit film, this brand new production is a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, laughs and heartbreak.

THE FULL MONTY marks the first coproduction and partnership between the Everyman Theatre Cheltenham and Buxton Opera House, which recently became an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation.

THE FULL MONTY is directed by Michael Gyngell, choreography and intimacy coordination is by Ian West, Set and Costume design is by Jasmine Swann with Lighting design by Andrew Exeter and Sound design by Chris Whybrow. The Casting Director is Marc Frankum.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW

Grand Opera House, Belfast

TUESDAY 23 – SATURDAY 27 JANUARY

2024

https://www.goh.co.uk/

lastminute.com

HAPPY PRIDE 2023

Tailor Maid

This year is flying in, I can’t believe its June already.

I want to start my wee column by saying, I wish you all a very Happy Pride month. I hope you are all able to express yourselves as you see fit and be able to celebrate what makes you unique without any push back from others.

I always get a bit of a writer’s block when I initially sit down to write this article thinking: “What can I write that will be interesting for people to read about?”

I always try and write about something different in each article providing an insight into my life and mind, but I am terrible at finding time to put my thoughts down on paper. I put off writing this article all the time until usually the last minute. I don’t do this intentionally; nothing gives me more satisfaction than to be fully organised and prepared for any situation in my life. But that rarely happens… I leave important things to the last minute all the time, then rush to get them completed. I hate the fact that I need to work under pressure to get things done, but this is where I find myself. Again.

So… what have I been up to the past few months and what’s on the upcoming cards, read on and find out.

#MUIB

On the 10th of April myself and the BPerfect crew celebrated the launch of our wee tv show Made Up In Belfast which debuted on BBC Three, BBC iPlayer and BBC One NI. The show really captures what it’s like to live and work modern Belfast, there’s a real eclectic mix of story lines, that are inspirational and at times emotional.

Amongst all the storylines I had the opportunity during filming to share a very personal story concerning a health condition that I have been living with since 2013 and to say the feedback and response has been overwhelming would be an understatement. The hundreds of messages of support I have received over the past 2 months have been uplifting and really humbling. I will be talking about living with HIV in my next article, so stay tuned for that. U=U.

I am so proud of the entire show, the cast, and the crew are It was a lot of fun filming it for 10 months last year. I feel that MUIB really captures what it’s like to live and work modern Belfast. There’s a real eclectic mix of story lines, that are inspirational and at times emotional. If you haven’t had a chance to catch it yet you can check it out on BBC iPlayer now. 

BPerfect Events

Drag world for Tailor has been a bit varied recently. I’ve been doing a lot of hosting for BPerfect at events which I’ve really enjoyed. I love combining my day job with my drag, it’s a really good pairing, and really helps us stand out from other brands.

I got the opportunity to host the BPerfect stand for 3 days at a huge cosmetics convention in Italy in March which was a lot of fun, albeit very tiring. I’ve also been to Manchester and London hosting events for BPerfect for Tik Tok, where I got to meet a lot of creators and rising talent and educate them on how fabulous BPerfect make up is.

Brunch Season

Its officially brunch season and I LOVE IT! With the warmer weather comes outside parties and celebrations of all types. All it takes is a bit of sun and the

faint whiff of summer in the air, and all the gals and gays are up for copious amounts of day drinking, Wack on some Legendary tunes, throw in some drag queens and have a party.

Hosting Drag brunches are one of my favourite things to do in drag, I love interacting with an audience, preforming, and playing games, so it all fits very nicely. It’s during the day, so you finish the gig early enough to still enjoy and evening. With regards to the audience everyone is up for a good time as it usually the start of their night out, so you are getting a “fresh audience” ha ha.

I have been working a lot with UK Brunch Club and No Label events for Brunches this summer, and have quite a few coming up in the next 3 months, check out my socials if you are interested, they are always a great day out.

Dragfest Ireland

At the time of writing this article, its 6 days until a gaggle of drag queens descend on Dublin for Drag Fest Ireland, and I couldn’t be more excited. The roster for the event is fabulous with both local talent and international queens performing. I’m excited to see some of the drag race queens in person, Anetra, Jan Sport and Trinity K Bonet are all on the line up so it’s going to be a stellar Show.

As usual, I’ve gone all out and got new ‘custom everything’ for the show. I’m performing in the second half of the show, so I’ll have a chance to watch a lot of the queens before I perform which is great.

Hot of the press Dragfest Manchester

It has just been announced that I will be performing at Drag Fest Manchester on the 12th of August, which I’m really looking forward to. I can’t wait to be back preforming in Manchester. I love the city and the drag there so that will be a blast.

Sasha Colby

It has also just been announced that I will be Hosting for the Goddess herself Sasha Colby who is coming to the Belfast Empire with DFIU Events on the 15th November. I cannot wait to perform, host and share a stage with an absolute drag legend. I must have watched her winning talent show performance from Miss Continental a couple of hundred times, and it gets better with each watch. If you have not seen it, check it out on Youtube you won’t regret it.

Get your tickets for Drag fest Manchester from @Klubkids_uk on Instagram

Get your tickets for Sasha Colby @dfiuevents on Instagram

You can also find Tailor Maid on Instagram @totally.tailor Bookings on instagram or via email jamesmcguigan@me.com or call/message 07540533943

JONAS Brothers

Instead of holding back or walking the well-trodden path, Jonas Brothers swing for the fences on their 2023 full-length LP, The Album. The GRAMMY® Award-nominated powerhouse trio craft skyscraping anthems with widescreen scope, wild personality, and palpable intimacy. Following arguably the comeback of the decade and the biggest season of their career with 2019’s Happiness Begins and its ensuing tour, the musicians—Nick Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Kevin Jonas—opt to challenge themselves. By doing so, they amplify their individual identities and collective energy over the course of these twelve new tracks.

This time around, the brothers found a kindred spirit and creative north star in producer Jon Bellion. Nothing was off the table. There are moments of unabashed dancefloor-ready funk that could’ve been lifted right from Studio 54. There are synths galore, channeling seventies FM radio bliss with wide-eyed enthusiasm and wondrous panache. There are enough sticky hooks to keep any stadium anywhere singing along, all night. Under the influence of the Bee Gees, The Doobie Brothers, and other old school staples, they conjure a classic spirit from an entirely modern perspective. It’s no wonder Vanity Fair hailed this outing for its “feel-good ‘70s-inspired songs.”

Talkbox and wah pedal give album opener “Miracle” a Saturday Night Fever swagger punctuated by a hypnotic high register and glossy harmonies. Of the song, Joe admitted, “‘Miracle’ got me really excited. We can’t wait to play this live.”

Elsewhere, the sweeping sonic vistas of “Montana Sky” informed the expanse of this record, breaking open the boundaries once and for all. As the story goes, according to Joe, “Jon went to Nick’s house, and they really created the whole world of the album based on ‘Montana Sky’.”

Lead single “Wings” lifts off to the skies on the fumes of analog synths and slick bass with an uplifting hook, “You are the wings I need to fly away.” As an added bonus, self-proclaimed Jonas Brothers diehard Haley Lu Richardson [White Lotus] starred in the big

screen-worthy music video captured during the band’s sold-out three-night residency at Park MGM.

Nick elaborates, “The sonic world for this album is really organic to what those records sound like back in the sixties and seventies, so Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind & Fire. ‘Wings’ was very inspired by that instrumentation. The rhythmic element is electrifying. It takes you back to the good old days.”

Then, there’s “Waffle House.” A groove as thick as maple syrup pours over the scrumptious beat as the chorus fondly recalls, “Deep conversations at the Waffle House.” It holds a deep meaning for the guys as Kevin mentions, “The brotherhood we talk about also

references our friendship. Not all brothers are friends, and it says a lot about how far we’ve come.”

“Vacation Eyes” glimmers with a candid memory over lush instrumentation. “As much as it’s about the fact my wife Danielle and I met on the beach in the Bahamas, it’s really about the fact you continue to have the same feeling of vacation, happiness, and joy every time you’re together,” Kevin states.

Acoustic guitar threads around the bopping bounce during “Summer Baby” where the bridge swoons, “Still catching feelings for you.” Elsewhere, “Little Bird” flutters with a father’s love in a heartfelt crescendo.

The Album reaches its apex on the powerful

and poignant finale “Walls.” Organ dissolves into acoustic guitar beneath lovestruck musings such as, “‘Cause time is a doorframe, I want to go through. As long as it leads me back to you. If you ever left me, I would die. And even the walls would cry.” Nick reveals, “‘Walls’ is very heavily inspired by Oasis. It’s done in a really modern way in the verses, which is signature Jon Bellion, which is why it was so important to have him as a feature. Lyrically, it was a poetic way of saying a sentiment we’ve heard a lot in songs—if someone left you, it would be soul crushing. It’s the final stamp on the album of that idea. We’re including people in not only our personal experiences but inviting them into this space.”

This space proved to be the band’s most immersive as Jonas Brothers overtook every facet

of culture in 2023 leading up to the release. They delivered stirring and showstopping performances of “Walls” and “Waffle House” on Saturday Night Live, while they sat on the couch for an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Impressively, they headlined Royal Albert Hall in London and a five-night sold-out Broadway Residency at Marquis Theatre—of the latter Variety enthused, “They brought a rock swagger to Broadway, keeping the crowd on their feet for the entirety of the show.” It all preceded two sold out summer shows at Yankee Stadium in New York—their biggest North American headline dates yet.

Ultimately, Jonas Brothers have made a statement. They’ve leveled up and created what may just be their most definitive body

of work.

“I hope people feel like they’re part of our journey for a moment in time,” Nick leaves off. “One of the things I always say about Jonas fans, which I think is the greatest honor ever, is that I think they’ve really allowed us to be a part of their journey. We’ve stayed true to ourselves, most importantly, and who we are as artists, what we want to say, and what is authentic to us. I hope people feel a part of our journey and know we’re honored to be a part of theirs.”

“Just go for it,” smiles Joe. “Sit down with it and listen to it from start to finish. Please don’t skip any songs.”

Welcome to The Album.

THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD

AN INTERVIEW WITH PETER CORRY

GNI Magazine recently had the pleasure of interviewing Peter Corry, a prominent and well respected personality in the entertainment industry who is celebrating 30 years in show business. Peter has delivered numerous successful concerts, shows, and events throughout his career, including a sold-out tour of Northern Ireland that culminated in two incredible shows at St Anne’s Cathedral earlier this year. Now, Peter is returning to the Netherlands with a new production of “The Showman is Coming”. The audience are guaranteed an absolute delight for the senses with burlesque, circus, show songs, dance, pop, Bollywood, cabaret, and opera all making an appearance in this spectacular show. The show will also be premiered exclusively at the Theatre at the Mill for two performances only on September 9th, 2023.

Peter was recently invited to speak at a Ted X event about his love for music and its incredible power to transform lives. Aptly entitled, ‘The Long and Winding Road’, after both the song he sang for George Best’s funeral, and the path his career has taken him on; Peter discussed the impact of music on people’s lives.

Can you tell us more about the power of music and its ability to transform people’s lives?

The power of music is truly amazing. I’ve witnessed it first-hand, from the day I was dragged to a concert by my father, where I witnessed him play a solo that made a woman cry. I realized then that my dad had a superpower, and I wanted one too. Music has always been my constant companion, and as a teenager, it helped me navigate life’s many emotions, from heartache to euphoria. It’s an emotional outlet for me and has helped me find a space to express my feelings.

What role do you think music plays in bringing people together?

Music is incredibly powerful. Think of the pandemic, from rhythmic clapping to honour the NHS to kitchen disco’s and celebrities performing songs on scial media from their own homes, we couldn’t have gotten through it without music. National anthems bring a nation together like nothing else, it’s a declaration that we’re all in this together, regardless of our differences. Music has also been used to fight injustice and prejudice. The song “We Shall Overcome” is a perfect example of this. And even in sports, music has a way of bringing fans together, regardless of their differences. Music’s ability to connect us so simply, without having to say a word, is truly remarkable.

Can you tell us more about your upcoming show, “The Showman is Coming,” and what audiences can expect?

“The Showman is Coming” is a new production featuring burlesque, circus, show songs, dance, pop, Bollywood, cabaret, and opera. It’s a show where all these different genres come together to create something truly special. I’m excited to be returning to the Netherlands with this new production, and I’m looking forward to premiering it at the Theatre at the Mill for two performances on September 9th, 2023. It’s going to be an incredible show, and I can’t wait for audiences to experience it.

What’s the biggest joy music has brought you?

It brought me to my ‘Tribe’. When I was in my teens and a member of the Belfast Youth Orchestra I met young people from so many different backgrounds who enjoyed the same thing, that was an amazing opportunity when growing up in Northern Ireland during the troubles, to meet and play with young people from all walks of life, that was my first experience of finding my tribe and that has continued into adult hood – music has

brought me the joy of connection.

Is there anything else you’d like to say about Music?

Yes, one more thing, think about your week so far or even the last week and now erase every aspect of music from it. No radio, no spotify, no tik tok videos’, no advertising jingles, no programme theme tunes. Think of films without music.

Imagine your Life without Music. Maybe that’s manageable for a few days but how about a few weeks? A year? Imagine the whole of lockdown without any music allowed at all, how would that have impacted on your mental health. So I ask you to go now, play your favourite song, turn up the volume and enjoy every beat!

To book tickets for Peter Corry’s ‘The Showman is Coming’ at The Theatre at the Mill please visit petercorryproductions.com

george turner

George Turner Stars in Peckham Mix

A New Gay Comedy Series Releases This Summer

George Turner stars in Peckham Mix, a lighthearted gay comedy series about a man struggling to find new direction in his life after being dumped by his boyfriend. Turner’s character Josh moves into a new flat on Weston Street in Peckham, with colorful new roommates, Rex (Kane Surry) and Connor (Janak Nirmal), who mysteriously leave the house each night. Josh’s curiosity into his roommates’ inexplicable 1am excursions lead him to potentially deadly consequences. Peckham Mix is created and directed by Marco De Luca, produced by Cédric Andries and executive produced by Brian Sokel and Derek Curl. It will begin streaming on Dekkoo, the first subscription streaming service dedicated to gay men, on June 15.

“Peckham Mix is a tale of new beginnings that explores loss, life’s inescapable changes and the bias many of us carry in our rush to judgements,” says Marco De Luca, who, in addition to producing, also directed and created the series. He came up with the idea while on a Sunday walk in his Peckham neighborhood when he noticed a group of unlikely friends chatting in the street. “They looked and behaved so differently from one another,” he remembers. “It gave me the idea for a bromance between three very different characters who wouldn’t normally associate with one another if it weren’t for some unusual circumstances.”

Rex is grumpy, coarse and brash. While he plays his cards close to his chest, there is surprisingly more depth to his character than one assumes. Connor, on the other hand, wears his heart on his sparkly neon pink sleeve. Separately, they are polar opposites, but together, they are like an old married couple whose personalities bounce off of each other to create a wonderfully amusing pair.

“Initially, I would not choose to be roommates with Rex and Connor,” admits George Turner who plays Josh in the series. “But I would eventually come around to the idea as they are both real growers with infectious qualities. Their good hearts would win me over.”

George Turner grew up in a small town near Brighton in the south of England. After high school, he studied acting at Drama Centre London. While he is best known for his stage

work, he says he was drawn to the series because he related to his character. “Like Josh, I have navigated through breakups and have had my share of horrible flatmates,” he laughs. “I have also experienced having the rug pulled out from underneath me, hitting rock bottom and being forced to find my own route through life’s rubble. Looking back, I have found that it is through the obstacles that I have grown the most.”

Mr. De Luca agrees. “I hope that after watching Peckham Mix, viewers see that purpose in life comes in many different shapes and forms, and that taking the time to look beneath the surface of the people in our lives can challenge our belief systems and reveal unexpected blessings.”

He says Peckham Mix is different from any -

Latent Image, an LGBTQ thriller, directed by Alexander Birrell.

Andries recalls the long auditioning process for Peckham Mix: “Kane stood out as Rex, first and foremost for his physicality. He got the role of the English derelict down to a T from the start.”

“Janak is at the beginning of his acting career and so there’s a freshness and an excitement in him that I found to be really inspiring,” Andries continues. “As for George, our sweet ingénue,he is the perfect balance of comedy and drama.”

Filming for Peckham Mix took place in London in December 2022. It wouldn’t stop snowing which made all of the exterior scenes

thing he and his co-producer Cédric Andries has done before. “We usually make horror films and thrillers. Making a comedy was refreshing.”

The series is not their first LGBTQ project, however. They worked together on the short film, Jackplot. De Luca also shot the short film Two Metres Apart that won a Dekkoo award and Andries worked as a costume supervisor on Harry Styles’ My Policeman and produced The

difficult to shoot. “We viewed it as a metaphor for the series,” says Marco De Luca. “Our weather woes were tragic, but somehow funny. Unlike Josh, the cast and crew on Peckham Mix knew our purpose and it was to get this quirky little comedy series in the can.”

Peckham Mix premieres on Dekkoo on June 15, 2023. For more information, visit Dekkoo.com.

CONLETH Kane

Conleth Kane makes a return to music by releasing a cover of the All Saints 2000 classic hit ‘Pure Shores’. The EP features 3 versions of the number 1 record, a radio pop mix, a club mix and an unplugged acoustic mix - all produced by Jon Dixon at 7th Heaven. Tracey Webb at Power will be servicing the 7th Heaven Club and Radio Mixes at Poparazzi. Conleth premiered the single recently at the ‘Women in Sport’ Awards and at our GNI Magazine Awards

Described by OK Magazine! as ‘the breath of fresh air we all need right now’ and QX Magazine as “an infectiously energetic, refreshingly cheerful Singer/ Songwriter”, Conleth Kane recorded his debut album ‘Proud - Live in London’ at a sold out show at The Crazy Coqs in London’s West End in Oct 2018 seeing him shoot to Number 2 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter Charts in Feb 2019. He released his self-penned debut EP in August 2020 which went to Number 7 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter Chart. His launched his latest EP ‘Just A Dream’ (produced by 7th Heaven) at the exclusive Century Club in Soho in 2022. The record includes his song ‘Proud’ (feat. The London Gay Men’s Chorus), a cover of Melanie C’s ‘I Turn To You’ plus more. He went on an extensive promo tour of the new record including London’s Number 1 Pop Festival Mighty Hoopla, Pride in London, Leeds Pride, Wembley Pride, Bradford Pride and Malmo Pride (Sweden).

Conleth has performed live sets of his own songs on both BBC Radio London, BBC Radio Ulster, and Northern Ireland’s Number 1 Radio Station, Cool FM. 2017 saw Conleth win the ‘Personal Contribution to the LGBTQ Community’ at the annual GNI Magazine Awards in Belfast - voted for by the public.

He has toured his music all over the world including Europe and Australia

Thanks for taking time with me Conleth. It was so great having you perform at the GNI Awards last month, you smashed it, how was the night for you? It was an amazing night. Honestly, the highlight for me was having my mother there. She has had an awful year health-wise. To have her with me was so special. It felt really great to preview the single on stage, and the crowd were super warm and welcoming. I know that so many people love the original All Saints version, so to have such a positive reaction to the performance was just brilliant.

I know you treasure time with your family, did you get to stay here for long after the event or was it a flying visit?

I was in the country for 5 days. I did get to spend quality time with both of my parents as well as perform at the Women in Sport Awards and the GNI Awards. I am coming home in July for a week for my brother’s wedding which will be lovely!

So you are back with a new single just in time for Pride month, why is this the right time and on the subject of pride what does it mean to you. Well, I wanted to release something with a real ‘summer vibe’. ‘Pure Shores’ is a classic, and the original is one of the best produced pop songs of our time. It made sense timing wise to put it out into the world on the eve of the summer season.

I’m also a proud, gay artist and I love pride month so this was a way of me celebrating entering Pride month by releasing a single. In terms of what Pride means to me, it has definitely evolved. I feel incredibly protective over my trans brothers and sisters right now. It seems that the rightwing media are on a mission to whip up tension against the trans community. It’s overwhelming and I want us to all group together and show that LGBTQ+ rights are human rights. Pride is all about self-acceptance of oneself and accepting/ protecting others too..

It’s common knowledge for anyone that follows you on social media that you have a great love for the

Spice girls, with you covering All Saints I wonder where you also fan and to the same level lol. Of course I am the biggest Spice Boy in town! Some friends in London even refer to me as Irish Spice! Ha! I adored the Spice Girls music catalogue, but they were more than a pop act to me. They had a message. They gave me confidence. I loved the fact that they were all separate individuals working together and telling young people to be fearless and to go and chase their dreams. I really liked All Saints too. They were a bit more cool and had more of an edge. ‘Pure Shores’ is one of my all time favourite songs. I actually think that they have matured really well as a band. Their 2016 album ‘Red Flag’ is their best work and I have loved seeing them live on stage in London over the past few years!

Only a select group has heard the new song, we have been lucky to hear it live (amazing) when can everyone pick it up ?

It’s out 2nd June! It’s a full EP of different versions - a radio mix, a club mix, and an unplugged,

acoustic mix! All produced by 7th Heaven!

You have worked with 7th Heaven a few times now, can we assume a long term relationship is blossoming or is it just a fluke ?

The relationship has definitely blossomed. I reached out to them during the pandemic (2020) to remix ‘Proud’ and we have been working together ever since. They have remixed and produced for some of the biggest pop acts in the world. I really enjoy working with Jon Dixon (the producer at 7th Heaven). He really gets the best out of me vocally. I love the studio - it’s my favourite bit of being an Artist! Jon is really chilled and laid back and is very encouraging.

You are such a busy bee, outside of your career you also love teaching bikram yoga, how is that going? I adore it. I think everyone made lots of different life decisions during the pandemic. Bikram Yoga has been my one constant since 2007. It’s a huge part of my life and it has done wonders for my mental and physical health. I wanted to do the teaching course to deepen my own yoga practise and hopefully encourage and help others by bringing the benefits of it into their lives.

Do you have any gigs coming up, any planned pride events ?

I am so excited to announce that I will be appearing at ‘Pride in London’ this year again! I even have the London Gay Men’s Chorus joining me at the end of my set to sing my song ‘Proud’ with me. If anyone is in London, come along - I will be on stage at 13:55!

You can pre order the single NOW! then from 2nd June it will be available across all major platforms.

Follow Conleth online & social media to keep in the loop:

Conlethkane.com

Insta - conlethkane Facebook - conlethkaneofficial

After our interview we had the opportunity to get a sneak peak of the music video for ‘Pure Shores’ , first impressions it is somewhat understated though thought provoking. Conleth never ceases to impress, he has as much enthusiasm and artistic flair in his video’s as he does performing live, Bravo!.

Without giving too much away, it was filled with beautiful shots in various environments, it was such a treat to the eyes showing the nature on our doorsteps.

The concept takes you on a real journey of self discovery - we are all seeking something! Epic Tune + Pristine Vocals = Another Banger from Conleth just in time for Pride month and the Summer.

Four-piece indie-pop band The Aces today released the final single ahead of their anticipated third studio album, I’ve Loved You For So Long out June 2 on Red Bull Records. As the first song on the album, the title track evokes the heartwarming feeling of falling in love with someone again and again, discovering new things to love as time goes on. The acoustic guitar- driven melodies are reminiscent of The Cranberries, setting the tone for several 90s-tinged tracks on the package. The band dedicates the song to each other, knowing the greatest love of Their lives are in their chosen family and the music they’ve made together since they were kids. The official music video reflects the endearing nature of their relationship and brings this nostalgic era of The Acesto life.

Lead singer Cristal Ramirez shares, “The greatest love of my life is this band. It was something that subtlety dawned on me after writing the title track for our third record, ‘I’ve Loved You For So Long’ - a line Alisa wrote that felt grand and romantic. We were exploring what love looks like in a longterm relationship, of loving someone for so long that they almost feel like a part of you. Although, when we were writing it, we were referencing experiences from our romantic relationships, I quickly realized, the love of my life is this band.”

She continues, “I was recalling making our first record in New York. From being 10 years old in the basement picking out guitar chords, to touring the world together. Stumbling through life, relationships, the good and bad, always having the band to fall back on. The only truly consistent thing in a chaotic ever-changing world. I realize that I’ve never really loved anything like I love this band. And that even through times of dulled inspiration, of questioning everything, I’m always softly reminded that this is exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

Alongside the single, The Aces announced their triumphant return to the live space with two headline runs across Europe/UK and North America, spanning 30+ dates starting August 14th. Following several festival performances in addition to their sold-out album release event at Camden Assembly in London, they’ll bring the new album to fans in Birmingham at The Mill, Glasgow at King Tuts, Manchester at Gorilla and Cardiff at The Globe. Throughout the tour, The Aces will partner with Sound Mind Live, a non-profit organization that focuses on building a community and open dialogue around mental health through music, to provide mental health resources to fans in each city.

Tickets On Sale Today for World Headline Tour

Across 30+ Dates Via www.theacesofficial.com

THE ACES

ACES

Deliver Heartwarming Title

Single From Anticipated Album

I’ve Loved You For So Long

Out June 2nd

I’VE NEVER REALLY BEEN GOOD AT BEGINNINGS OR ENDINGS, BUT I SUPPOSE MY NAME IS A GOOD PLACE TO START. I’M PAUL O’DONOGHUE AND AT THE TIME OF WRITING THIS I’M COMING UP TO FIFTEEN MONTHS OF SOBRIETY; WHICH TO ME IS STILL ABSOLUTELY BONKERS TO THINK IT’S BEEN NEARLY FIFTEEN MONTHS SINCE I LAST DRANK ALCOHOL. >>>

...I believe there are many factors that contributed to what I considered problematic drinking (and other party favours) but what others may not consider problematic because it is the socially accepted norm in the community. For some you don’t even have to have an issue with alcohol or substances to want to quit and live a teetotal life and for others their life becomes so unmanageable that there’s no other way but to live a teetotal life. I believe I’m somewhere in the middle, in the grey area. So, I’ll begin with a little bit of history.

They say trauma can cause memory loss and although I’d say most, if not all, members of the LGBTQIA+ community have experienced our fair share of trauma, it’s one of the reason’s I feel I don’t recall much of my childhood. I know that I grew up in a warzone. I know that certain smells and certain sounds used to trigger dissociative coping strategies and for all I know they still do, although not so frequently. This I believe is down to how I was raised. Two parents that drank, argued and fought. I’ve had homophobic slurs thrown at me by a parent from when I was in primary school. I’ve watched a parent being gaslit and belittled so much that they needed to drink to soothe their pain. I’ve watched psychological and physical violence unfold regularly. I was used to walking on eggshells (metaphorically) and to always behave and say the right thing. I’ve been beaten because ‘I needed to be given a real reason to cry.’ I’ve had to call an ambulance for a parent who was threatening to end their life. And this was all before I even began high school. This all happened behind closed doors, where I was meant to be safe and loved. I tell you this because I believe this was the beginning of my path to addiction and referring to Gabor Mate; “not why the addiction but why the pain.” All of these abusive actions growing up I believe created a desire in me to numb the pain. To self soothe and find a way to release the emotions I had been taught since birth to bury beneath my skin and forget about.

*Before I close this paragraph, my parents did separate properly when I was a teenager and one of them now has over thirteen years of sobriety under their belt.

Although I’ve had other addictions and coping strategies throughout my life, I’ll do my best to stick to alcohol and drugs. I would say most

people, like myself, started drinking in their early teens and for me that progressively got worse as I got older. By my late teens I had already started using ecstasy, meth and hash. When I then turned the legal drinking age and started venturing out on the gay scene, I became marveled with the lifestyle of drink, drugs and drag queens. It became one of the first places I really felt accepted and understood by so many others who had walked similar paths. I found a sense of community and belonging that I had never found before. I heard a drag queen say one night that a gay weekend starts on a Thursday and ends on a Tuesday and for the next lot of years that became my reality. Keeping up with that lifestyle meant more drinks, more drugs and more detriment to my mental and physical health. I don’t want to tar us all with the same brush, but I know from experience that there’s a massive issue with alcohol and drugs within the LGBTQIA+ community that we often turn a blind eye to, because it’s accepted and expected. This should not be the default for our community, there’s so much more to us than booze, pills and spliffs.

By my early twenties I had swapped out the hash and brought in cannabis to replace it in my roster of drugs. My primary drug then slowly shifted to cannabis and this will probably open the great cannabis debate of ‘it’s just a plant’ and ‘it’s natural’ and ‘it has loads of health benefits.’ Blueberries have loads of health benefits but I’m not slamming £70 to a £140 worth of blueberries down my throat a week. It really did take over my life. I couldn’t function - eat, sleep, socialise without it. The only thing I could do was go to work and even that was a struggle at the best of times. For a while I do believe it helped alleviate symptoms of my anxiety and depression. Then I needed more to get that relief and in return it gave me back my anxiety and depression tenfold. It was too late at this stage to walk away from it as I was caught in a cycle of self-soothing and then getting the symptoms tenfold that caused me to self-soothe once again. It ramped up to an everyday use and although my partying continued, a joint was the only thing to bring me down from ecstasy, MDMA or cocaine high. It became something that I needed to always have in supply. It completely took over my life. Every waking thought centered around cannabis. I became a stoner, and I wore that badge with honour. As if it was something to be proud of. At the end of

the day, it’s a drug and if I change the word stoner to drug addict it slowly becomes much more impactful and troubling.

I spent most of my twenties in a blackout or a drug fuelled coma (I literally used to be able to sleep for a good 24 hours after a heavy session). I decided I wanted to quit alcohol because that would help cut out party favours, but I remained a stoner. I managed to cut out harder drugs for a very long time but struggled to cut alcohol out permanently, however it was greatly reduced. I was doing stints from two to six months alcohol free before going back to it again and this went on for a good two years. Then we got COVID-19 and lockdown. I noticed my cannabis use ramped up, I decided to quit that, and I literally swapped out cannabis for alcohol. I realised I couldn’t do reality raw, and this was the first time I properly started looking for recovery groups targeted for the LGBTQIA+ community. The reason why I wanted a specified group is I didn’t feel like AA or a twelve-step programme with God as their centre was for me. Despite growing up in a Christian household I’ve never really had faith and I’d be damned if sobriety was going to enlighten me that much – spoiler alert, I still haven’t found Jesus. I was able to come across things like Gay AA in the South and across England but none in Northern Ireland. Speaking with different organisation I really couldn’t find a lot to support our community with alcohol and substance abuse and so that planted the seed for QRS.

I wish I could say I quit once and that was me done. Unfortunately for most that’s not the case. Recovery is a journey and this means it’s not always linear. I’ve had too many ‘never agains’ and ‘day ones’ but I believe the more you try to quit the easier it gets and eventually it will click but you need to change your mentality to your relationship with alcohol and drugs. I was sick and tired of being hungover, on a comedown, in a green smog and knew that something had to give. I’ve been sober nearly fifteen months but I’d say I’ve been in recovery for a good four years. It starts with the thoughts of questioning your relationship with alcohol and drugs and then taking little breaks and then as I said it just clicks. I genuinely believe (and I don’t advocate for this) but each lapse or relapse I had taught me something new. It didn’t undo the progress I had made but added to it. Give me new motivation and a stronger belief that I could

get sober and finally I did. I have scattered dates but between December 2021 and January 2022 I quit hard drugs (again), alcohol and cannabis.

A lot of people in recovery would normally find it taboo to say this but for me I can honestly say never again. I know what a life of drinking and drugs leads to, I mightn’t have had a full blown rock bottom but I had many little ones and I could see it from where I was. I wanted to take back my life and start living again and I feel these last few months I’ve accomplished that. I started going to the gym back in June 2022 and lost over three stone. I know I would never have committed to the gym as long as I have to maintain results if I was still drinking/using. My diet has gotten better because I don’t crave hangover food as much. I’ve been able to travel to one of the places I’ve wanted to go from when I was a teenager and see Japan during the beginning of Cherry Blossom season. I’ve been to my first Disneyland. My relationship with my partner has gotten deeper and stronger. The friendships and family in my life have gotten deeper and there seems to be a real genuine connection there. I’m more confident, I look and feel younger. My mental health has been the best I think it’s ever been, so much so that I’ve been able to stop my medication. I’ve gone on a solo retreat, something I would never have dreamed of doing. Basically, every aspect of my life has gained something from when I stopped drinking/using.

Be under no illusion that it hasn’t always been rainbows and sunshine, there’s been quite a few rain clouds too, especially in the early days and then around the sixth month mark. It’s easy to grow bored in your sobriety which can be a slippery slope for some. This is when I reached out for additional support. I tried AA and as I had mentioned previously in the article it wasn’t for me. I tried another organisation and I still drop into their meetings when I can but it’s not an LGBTQIA+ specific space. I tried this as it was already established and ran in the same format I wanted for QRS. QRS stands for Queer Recovery Support and it was established to offer peer support and a place to keep yourself accountable. I would advocate for complete abstinence however I believe harm-reduction has a seat at the table. We meet weekly online and once a month we do a sober social activity in person. I find when we get sober in the LGBTQIA+ community it’s easy to feel ostracised from the community, this is a chance for us to establish a queer sober community and stay connected with each other. Johann Hari states that the opposite of addiction is connection and I believe that it’s so important to have sober connections when you’re getting sober. When the bar and drug scene is all you know it’s hard to meet sober people, so if you’ve been questioning your relationship with alcohol and/or drugs and you’re not sure where to start, why not reach out and drop me a DM on Instagram or email me for how to get involved.

Instagram: @qrs_belfast

Email: qrs.belfast@gmail.com

ALLSTATE NI A SAFE AND WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL

Allstate NI, Northern Ireland’s largest IT company are committed to inclusive diversity & equity for all. They are core values at Allstate and are brought to life by our purposedriven employees.

Allstate were proud recipients of the Diversity Mark Gold Accreditation – the first company in UK and Ireland to achieve this accolade. This follows on from them being the first company to achieve Silver status in 2020,.

The independent assessment panel of Diversity Mark commended Allstate as a “leader and exemplar.” Allstate remains committed to making a lasting change on gender diversity, age diversity, LGBTQIA+ representation and inclusion, and age and racial equality, representing its commitment to creating an environment where all employees can feel at home.

As part of the accreditation, Allstate defined metrics to track LGBTQIA+ diversity as measured against the Stonewall 2021 Workplace Equality Index. In February 2022, Allstate achieved a Gold Stonewall award for commitment to inclusion of lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer people.

Vice President & Managing Director at Allstate Dr Stephen McKeown said:

“This award is a testament to the hard work of our teams. It’s the employee-led initiatives that make Allstate NI an inclusive workplace for all.”

Director at Diversity Mark Nuala

Murphy said:

“We are delighted to have awarded the first Gold Diversity Mark to Allstate NI. As one of our largest employers here in Northern Ireland, they are without doubt a leader and

exemplar and we are continually impressed by Allstate NI’s commitment to encouraging high standards right across the wider business community of the UK & Ireland.”

Allstate have also completed a review of the benefits offered to all employees. The Maternity, Adoption and Paternity leave allowances have all been enhanced, regardless of their gender, or their partners. They have also extended private healthcare benefits to new bands, and added a new benefit to all employees; Gender Dysphoria support from their providers, AXA.

Gender dysphoria is a term that describes a sense of unease that a person may have because of a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity. This sense of unease or dissatisfaction may be so intense it can lead to

depression and anxiety and have a harmful impact on daily life. A qualified team of professionals are available to employees that are knowledgeable about the condition, supportive and can put the employee at ease, working collaboratively to support each person’s individual journey.

Allstate continue to take action to support all employees treating them all with respect, no matter what they may be facing in life.

Pride

CITIES OF Pride

Hundreds of Pride events and festivals take place every year in cities across the U.K/Ireland Here are 8 to consider attending.

OMAGH - 17th June

DUBLIN - 24th June

LONDON - 1st July

LIMERICK - 9th July

BRISTOL - 22nd July

BELFAST - 29th July

CORK - 6th August

FOYLE - 26th August

Key points:

PrEP is highly effective.

There are different ways to take PrEP - taking a pill every day is an option but there are other ways too.

Remember to have a sexual health screen every 3 months

Please call or text us if you have any problems

Please visit these website for more information on PrEP: www.iwantprepnow.com or www.prepster.info

NHSCT HIV prevention

NHSCT HIV prevention

Available at your Sexual Health Clinics in:

Available at your Sexual Health Clinics in:

COLERAINE

BALLYMENA

MAGHERAFELT

Causeway Hospital

COLERAINE

4 Newbridge Road

Causeway Hospital

BT52 1HS

4 Newbridge Road

Coleraine

BT52 1HS

Coleraine

Tel: 07384 820 826

Tel: 07384 820 826

BALLYMENA

Braid Valley Site

Cushendall Road

Braid Valley Site

BT43 6HL

Cushendall Road

Ballymena

BT43 6HL

Ballymena

MAGHERAFELT

Mid Ulster Hospital

Mid Ulster Hospital

59 Hospital Road

59 Hospital Road

BT45 5EX

BT45 5EX

Magherafelt

Magherafelt

sexualhealth@northerntrust.hscni.net

sexualhealth@northerntrust.hscni.net

PROTECTING YOUR EQUALITY RIGHTS AFTER BREXIT

The Windsor Framework, previously known as the NI Protocol, has never been far from the headlines and while the debate has been dominated by trade issues and borders, did you know that the Windsor Framework also protects equality and human rights after Brexit, including important legal protections for the LGBTQ+ community?

In the Windsor Framework, the UK Government has committed to ensuring that certain rights, safeguards, and equality of opportunity protections, covered by the Belfast Good Friday Agreement, are not reduced because of Brexit and that certain equality laws in Northern Ireland will keep pace with any future changes in EU law.

These laws include anti-discrimination laws which protect against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation in areas such as employment.

The Equality Commission, along with its partner, the

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, has a responsibility to ensure that the Government upholds the equality protections committed to in the Windsor Framework.

Speaking about the role of the Commissions, Chief Commissioner Geraldine McGahey said “We are here to protect your rights. We continue to work with the LGBTQ+ community to raise awareness of these rights and can also provide advice if your rights are compromised. In certain cases, we may also be able to provide legal assistance through the Courts.

“As a long supporter of Belfast Pride, we are hoping to highlight these protections and raise awareness of our Brexit responsibilities at the Commission’s stand at Pride Village this year. Our team will also be on hand to answer any queries raised.”

If you have a concern about your equality rights, due to your sexual orientation, you should contact the Com-

missions for advice as soon as possible.

More information on your rights after Brexit is available on the Equality Commission’s website www.equalityni.org/rights-after-brexit

Geraldine McGahey, Chief Commissioner, Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

PRIDE FASHION

Looking for some pride outfit inspiration?

We’ve got you covered. Here are some ideas for what to wear this pride month...

Pride-themed t-shirts , you can get them literally anywhere!

Pride-themed dungarees, these have the potential to look great on everybody, regardless of gender.

Another idea which is really popular this year is a pride-themed crop.

Why bother with a pride outfit when you can cover yourself with body paint instead?

Why not step into pride month with some pride-themed Shoes?

Don’t want to dress up in rainbow attire, that’s OK. Wear whatever makes you feel comfortable. relaxed retro trousers do sport a colourful and funky design, it’s incredibly subtle. And quite honestly, they’re cool AF.

Wear with a matching top and some comfy sneakers for a real festive vibe.

Other essentials are sunglasses and raincoat - with our weather it can go one way or the other.

Pride History

Pride marches have been active in the U.K for 53 years. It’s easy to take the event for granted, and forget the activism that grew into the fight for LGBTQ+ equality. Pride Month is as great of a time as ever to remember who got us here!

1970 - The first ever open, public gay rights demonstration in the UK was through Highbury Fields in North London, where about 150 men of the Gay Liberation Front marched against police harassment.

1971 - The Youth Group of the Gay Liberation Front led a demonstration opposing the age of consent inequality, where it was 21 for gay men but 16 for straight people.

1972 - The first official Pride march in the UK was in London on 1 July 1972. Its date was chosen to be as close as possible to the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York, which were protests against a violent police raid in New York in 1969, also known as the catalyst for the gay rights movement around the world. The first march in the UK was highly political and heavily policed. There was said to be a turnout of somewhere between 1000-2000 people. It was one of the first prides outside of the US, alongside Toronto, Canada.

1976 - The Pride march focus at this time was towards the discrimination of gay people in society, specifically in criminal law and employment. They wanted to call public attention to these inequalities.

1981 - The focus of pride was still discrimination, but this time police discrimination, following repeated raids of a gay night club, The Gemini, the most popular gay bar in Northern England.

In 1981, the LGBTQ+ community showed solidarity when they chose to hold the UK’s main pride in Huddersfield, the home of The Gemini and where the police discrimination was taking place, also where many gay and bisexual men travelled to find community.

1983 - Pride was renamed from Gay Pride to Lesbian and Gay Pride.

1987 - The AIDS crisis was the focus of Pride as the pandemic spread, hitting gay men the hardest. The LGBTQ+ community came together to call attention to the HIV/AIDS pandemic as much of the world stayed silent or condemned people living with HIV/AIDS.

1988 - In 1988, Section 28 was brought into force under Margaret Thatcher’s administration, which banned the “promotion of homosexuality” and criminalised the discussion of gay issues in schools. This was a huge step backwards, and it sparked tons of activism from the LGBTQ+ community.

On the day that it was introduced, over 20,000 people came together in Manchester to protest. On the day that it was enacted, a group of lesbians protested in the House of Lords. At Pride, there was a record turnout of about 40,000 people that marched together to protest Section 28’s repression of LGBTQ+ awareness and rights.

1991 - Northern Ireland held its first pride.

1996 - Pride was renamed Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride. In the 1990s, pride included a fair and large park gatherings, becoming a carnival as well as a political march. In 1996, Pride evolved even more to become the biggest music festival in Europe.

2004 - The annual pride events in London became managed by the charity Pride London, lasting until 2012.

2005 - The first UK Black Pride was held, which was essential for promoting LGBTQ+ rights

and providing a space of belonging for people of colour. The event started small with around 350 attendees, but now has grown to the biggest pride in Europe for people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Latin American and Middle Eastern descent.

2012 - World Pride was held in London, but it was significantly scaled back after funding issues, causing the organisation Pride London to withdraw from Pride events in London.

2013 - The Annual pride events in London were taken over by a different community interest company called London LGBT+ Community Pride, that are now called Pride in London.

2013 - The very first Trans Pride event in the UK took place in Brighton with an attendance of around 450 people. It was said to be a groundbreaking event for the transgender community, promoting inclusivity among all trans, intersex, and gender variant people.

2019 - London had its first Trans Pride march with an attendance of over 1,500 people. It was a place for people to truly be themselves, have a place of belonging, and march for trans rights, including concerns about healthcare, housing, media representation, deportation of trans people to unsafe countries, and better LGBTQ+ education.

Today - It has been over 50 years since the first Pride in the UK. These years and many years before are marked by the fight and sacrifice of many, bringing us to where we are today.

We still have a way to go, but it’s important to remember how far we’ve come and what drove the early rallies and marches. Happy Pride!

CONSIDERING Fostering

In this column, Avery Bowser, Fostering Services Manager at Action for Children, discusses how to know if it’s the right time to start your fostering journey.

Fostering is a big commitment and not a decision that you should take lightly. Here are some steps you can take to find out if fostering is right for you.

TALK

Discuss what you are thinking with your family and friends. Ask their honest opinion whether they think you have the skills to be a foster carer. Things to consider would be: are you empathetic, caring, resilient and patient? If you know anyone who fosters, talk to them. They can explain the realities of fostering and discuss what a typical day looks like.

START READING

There are a lot of resources out there that will give an insight into fostering, so start reading. The Action for Children website features fostering blogs filled with tips and advice. You can also find real stories from our foster carers who discuss what fostering is like for them. (Visit: https://www.actionforchildren.

org.uk/how-we-can-help/foster-with-us/fostering-and-adoption-blogs/)

DO RESEARCH

Now is the time to ask questions. Are you unsure if you meet the criteria to foster? Do you want to know more about fostering? Then contact our fostering team. They will send you a copy of our information pack. This will give you an overview of fostering, the application process, and the types of fostering we offer. They will be happy to chat through any questions you may have. We want you to have all the information you need to make your decision, so remember, no question is too small.

CONSIDER YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES

Have you recently had a relationship breakdown, lost a job, or experienced bereavement? If you have had a major change in circumstances in the last year, now might not be the best time to foster. The application process, whilst often therapeutic, can be time intensive and go into a lot of depth. We want you to be able to commit to the process, but we don’t want you to feel overwhelmed.

BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF

Honesty is at the core of fostering and so, from the very first step, you need to be honest with yourself. There are questions you need to ask yourself. Such as, are you ready to invite someone into your family and your life? How is your general health, fitness and wellness? Do you have other commitments or stressors in your life? When you foster, you need to be able to say to yourself honestly that any children who live with you, will be your priority.

Fostering is not easy. But, watching a young person thrive in a safe and loving home is such a special and rewarding experience. If you are in a position to invite a child into your life, we would love to hear from you. To foster you need to be over 21 years old, have a spare room and have a lot of love to give. To find out more call 028 9046 0500 or visit: actionforchildren.org.uk/ fostering

& CHILL

Disobedience

New York photographer Ronit Krushka flies to London after learning about the death of her estranged father. Ronit is returning to the same Orthodox Jewish community that shunned her decades earlier for her childhood attraction to Esti, a female friend. Their fortuitous and happy reunion soon reignites their burning passion as the two women explore boundaries of faith and sexuality.

Call Me By Your Name

It’s the summer of 1983, and precocious 17-yearold Elio Perlman is spending the days with his family at their 17th-century villa in Lombardy, Italy. He soon meets Oliver, a handsome doctoral student who’s working as an intern for Elio’s father. Amid the sun-drenched splendor of their surroundings, Elio and Oliver discover the heady beauty of awakening desire over the course of a summer that will alter their lives forever.

Love, Simon

Everyone deserves a great love story, but for 17-year-old Simon Spier, it’s a little more complicated. He hasn’t told his family or friends that he’s gay, and he doesn’t know the identity of the anonymous classmate that he’s fallen for online. Resolving both issues proves hilarious, terrifying and life-changing.

My Policeman

A beautifully crafted story of forbidden love and changing social conventions, My Policeman follows three young people -- policeman Tom (Harry Styles), teacher Marion (Emma Corrin), and museum curator Patrick (David Dawson) -- as they embark on an emotional journey in 1950s Britain. Flashing forward to the 1990s, Tom (Linus Roache), Marion (Gina McKee), and Patrick (Rupert Everett) are still reeling with longing and regret, but now they have one last chance to repair the damage of the past.

Booksmart

Academic overachievers Amy and Molly thought keeping their noses to the grindstone gave them a leg up on their high school peers. But on the eve of graduation, the best friends suddenly realize that they may have missed out on the special moments of their teenage years. Determined to make up for lost time, the girls decide to cram four years of not-to-be missed fun into one night -- a chaotic adventure that no amount of book smarts could prepare them for.

The Danish Girl

With support from his loving wife Gerda (Alicia Vikander), artist Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne) prepares to undergo one of the first sex-change operations.

The Danish Girl serves as another showcase for Eddie Redmayne’s talent -- and poignantly explores thought-provoking themes with a beautifully filmed biopic drama.

Boy Erased

Jared Eamons, the son of a small-town Baptist pastor, must overcome the fallout after being outed as gay to his parents. His father and mother struggle to reconcile their love for their son with their beliefs. Fearing a loss of family, friends and community, Jared is pressured into attending a conversion therapy program. While there, Jared comes into conflict with its leader and begins his journey to finding his own voice and accepting his true self.

Bros

Universal Pictures proudly presents the first romantic comedy from a major studio about two gay men maybe, possibly, probably, stumbling towards love. Maybe. They’re both very busy. From the ferocious comic mind of Billy Eichner and the hitmaking brilliance of filmmakers Nicholas Stoller and Judd Apatow, comes Bros, a smart, swoony and heartfelt comedy about finding sex, love and romance amidst the madness.

Moonlight

A look at three defining chapters in the life of Chiron, a young black man growing up in Miami. His epic journey to manhood is guided by the kindness, support and love of the community that helps raise him.

INTRODUCING THE RAINBOW PROJECT COUNSELLING AND FAMILY SUPPORT

The Rainbow Project provides the only Co-cultural LGBTQIA+ specific counselling service in Northern Ireland. Co Cultural counselling simply means LGBTQIA+ counsellors for LGBTQI+ people.

Counselling offers an opportunity to talk in confidence about any challenges, losses, problems or issues that concern you.

Presenting issues may include difficulties with sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, relationships as well as self-esteem, family dynamics, unhealthy coping mechanisms and much more.

All of our counsellors are accredited or working towards accreditation by the British/Irish Associations for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP/IACP).

Our counselling services currently include:

• One-to-one counselling for anyone who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or people who are questioning their sexual orientation and or gender.

• Counselling for young LGBTQIA+ people as well as adults

• Couple counselling for partners attempting to resolve relationship issues and conflict.

The Rainbow Project also offers counselling support for parents/ carers/family members of LGBTQIA+ children, young people and adults.

All counselling provided by The Rainbow Project is funded and is free to clients.

Further support for parents/carers/family members of LGBTQIA+ children, young people and adults is provided through our Family Ties Peer Social and Support group. For more information please email: info@rainbow-project.org

For more information on how to access our counselling support and or to arrange counselling support, you can make an appointment by calling our Belfast Office on 028 9031 9030 or by emailing counselling@rainbow-project.org

Feedback from counselling clients:

• “Reduced feelings of isolation, made coming out much easier to accept”

• “It gave me the ability to start accepting myself”

• “Feeling more confident discussing my identity with the people around me”

• “Being able to speak my mind and open up in a nonjudgemental environment. I have gained a lot of valuable coping mechanisms which I am currently putting into effect on a day to day basis”

• “How to cope with some of my anxieties – finding an outlet, etc. Most important though – having someone to talk to, to listen and feel validated”

• “The counselling helped me a lot in the different struggles; domestic abuse, the passing of my mother and within myself. I couldn’t be more thankful and appreciative of everything my counselling has done for me.”

• “Reframing situations, seeing things from another perspective, a safe space to chat about emotions”

• “Somebody listened to me”

• “Self-confidence, believing in myself and others to make friends I thought I never had.”

• “I felt that during this process I have been able to get permission to think and say the things in my head without feeling condemned. I have learned to be more accepting of myself and worry less what others might think”

HAVE FUN WITH POPPERS

JUPITER

& LO

Here we are halfway through 2023. We want to highlight these this month as its Pride month and with so many events happening its certainly the right time to stock up

It is always an interesting journey to see if and how people react to new brands and 2023 was no different.. The most popular new brand was Red Bullet, with power pellet. No surprise I guess as it is made by the same manufacturer that created Berlin XXX. Other brands to keep an eye out for are Jungle Juice Gold Retro, Man of Steel & Fist Fuel

Another smart move is the introduction of the guest poppers and XXL from the classic brands, basically you get more of the same but at a better value. Even though the XXL 25ml are more expensive than the traditional 10ml, it contains more than twice the formula. Our regulars seem to be very happy with the increase in size. Who said size does not matter!

Let’s start with the slightly more boring bit, for another year Liquid Gold is the best seller. It

has been like this for a good few years, I am not saying it is not well deserved, trust me Liquid Gold is awesome, but it would be nice to see a new number one for once. The more exciting news is about the brands that are fighting for the rest of the top 5 best sellers. The new number 2 is called a brand called Super Rush. We have had this on the store for a long time and the sales was fine but never great. Then suddenly word of mouth happens, and it is now flying. At the office we think the bland branding is the reason customers are not drawn to it at first sight, but once tried they keep coming back for more. Another newcomer in the top 5 is Power Rush, a more potent version of the traditional Rush Poppers. The rest of the top 5 is made up by Fist and Jungle Juice, no real surprise there.

What is next?

The short answer to that is plenty! We just launched a new range of  Aroma toppers inhalers, the latest craze to hit the shops in Europe and now Belfast! Its a cool little rotating attachment for your aroma bottle, without coming into contact with the room fragrance.

All the bottles fit perfectly in your hand and the idea is that this might stop spillage or even dropping the bottle.

Another news flash is that we have already introduced Amsterdam Platinum to the local adult market. This will be a new import, again from Europe. We are excited by this as our product testers have been raving about these leather cleaners. With Amsterdam already being an established brand we believe this European version will be a big hit.

There you have it, the best of 2023  - Hopefully some of the above has generated some interest in brands you have not tried yet. As mentioned at the beginning, the time is now as the Pride event is on so check out Jupiter & Lo, Gresham Street, Belfast.

Fashionable Purveyor of Erotica

Lets Go Mental for Penty

Pentyl is far STRONGER and has an effect over your full body, rather than just your head – the effects are much LONGER LASTING

These are extremely powerful aromas are the STRONGEST ON THE MARKET - available from Jupiter & Lo Belfast

If you want to find the widest range of other brands like Amsterdam, Bears Own, DV8, FF, Fist, Jungle Juice, Liquid Gold Poppers, Prowler, Rush, Titus, TNT, Tom Taylor, Xtreme and many others! then head over to Jupiter & Lo

signature

Our list of stockists where you can purchase our signature IMMUNE SUPPORT

- Wilkinson butchers Tandragee

- Doreen’s newsagents Bandbridge

- Bairds butchers Newry

- John Magee warrenpoint

- Park butchers Newtownhamilton

- Spar tempo

- Maguire’s butchers Irvinestown

- Spar Lisnarick Enniskillen

- Goan Meats Lisnaskea

- Lisdergan meats Omagh and Fintona

- Pat Traynor butchers Ballygawley

- Mc Kay family butchers ballycastle

Do you want to lose weight the NATURAL way?

- Emerson’s Supermarket, Armagh

- BAWNS MEATS IN RICHILL

- Daly’s SPAR in Eglish

- Okanes SPAR, Carrickmore

Ingredients that are proven to Help....

- Mc Kennas in AUGHNACLOY

- Moneymore Pharmacy

* Naturally raise metabolism.

- Dolahns pharmacy and health food store in Monaghan

* Burn calories faster

- Mace in Newmills

* Lower blood pressure

- Woosleys scotch street Portadown

- Ward & Co fine foods in STRANDMILLIS

* Give you more energy

* Clear skin

- Grange Farm Moy

- TOPAZ in Keady

- McGuires butchers in Irvenstown

100% NATURAL

- Trainor Bros Pointspass

- Knipes Butchers in Cookstown

- Forbes Spar Ardboe

Look great and

- Aperleys Butchers in Antrim

- Lindwoods shop Monaghan road

- William Baird Butchers Newry

- Park Butchers Newtown Hamilton

- Tullynagrow Topaz

- Tener’s Butchers in castlecaufield

- Magees butchers in WarrenPoint

- NCCE Country store Swatragh

Our

Fat Buster is completely natural and made from herbs and spices which helps burn fat, raise metabolism, curb appetite and gives you lots of energy.

We have changed our venue creating room for more artists and entertainment. The Titanic Exhibition Centre will be packed with world-class tattoo artists, live entertainment, trade stalls from around the UK, food and drink vendors and a fully licensed bar with a sitting area.

If you would like to join the fun all you have to do is, choose an artist from the posts on our page, contact the artists directly on Facebook or our Instagram page, and arrange a day and price, each artist charges their own prices.

The entrance fee is £15 per day or £30 for a weekend pass, kids under 15 yrs get in free with a paying adult. You can pay at the door, or if you would like to buy tickets in advance you can purchase them directly from us.

THE TITANIC TATTOO CONVENTION IS BACK! THIS YEAR IS BIGGER AND BETTER.

Lots of people ask why Pride month is still needed, and to some people outside of the LGBTQIA+ community, it can look like Pride isn’t necessary anymore. But there are many reasons why Pride month is still needed, and – as a lesbian woman – I’d like to share with you how I think celebrating Pride can be a good thing for young LGBTQIA+ people, including those who experience thoughts of suicide.

Long history

Pride started as a protest called the Stonewall Riots which happened because Police tried to raid the Stonewall Inn in New York. Pride Month honours those who were part of the most important gay rights protests and is a reminder that Pride can still fight for our rights. It wasn’t until 1999 that June officially became Pride Month in the USA. It has since grown into a massive celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community. Pride month isn’t just Gay Pride.

Some people still call it Gay Pride but Pride is for everyone in the LGBTQIA+ community. Some people in our community are just as transphobic, biphobic and racist as some people outside of our community and don’t want to include everyone. It’s important we don’t put up barriers that make people feel they don’t belong because they’re trans, non-binary, bisexual, Black, Brown, or a combination of these. Someone even created a new flag which added extra colours to the rainbow flag to show that Pride is for everyone. It can’t fix all of the issues but it is a small step to including everyone.

Raising awareness of issues faced by LGBTQIA+ people

June is not just time for celebration, it’s also a time to raise awareness of issues we might experience being part of the LGBTQIA+. It shines a light on the unique challenges we might face so that we can support each other better.

In the UK, rights have improved for some groups within the LGBTQIA+ community. Section 28* was removed, same sex marriage was made legal, and conversion therapy is due to be made illegal for lesbian, gay and bisexual people. But there is more we need to do.

The ban on conversion therapy doesn’t include trans people**. Waiting times at gender clinics are years long. Between 2016/17 an 2020/2021 the number of reported hate crimes against LGBTQIA+ people more than doubled. LGBTQIA+ people continue to face unequal treatment in workplaces, healthcare, and other areas of life.

A health report by Stonewall from 2018 shows that 52% of LGBT people said they’ve experienced depression, while 46% of trans people and 31% of LGB people who aren’t trans have thought about suicide.

Creating a safe space for LGBTQIA+ people

Pride should be a safe space for LGBTQIA+ people to celebrate a part of ourselves we may hide. Parades and other events allow us to be ourselves with pride, rather than hide parts of who we are behind closed doors, which some of us have to do more often than others.

Building and supporting the community

Any events where LGBTQIA+ people are coming together can build community. Pride gives young LGBTQIA+ people the chance to attend events where they can meet others who are like them and feel part of the wider LGBTQIA+ community. Pride events promote opportunities of support both within and outside of the LGBTQIA+ community with many charities and other groups promoting the work they do to support us.

Encouraging and supporting acceptance

The general conversation around Pride and the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as local events, creates an environment where people can feel acceptance of themselves. It allows others to become more familiar with seeing LGBTQIA+ people being themselves in their local communities, which can go a small way to encouraging acceptance from others. A positive consequence of this is that some people may feel more able to come out to friends, family, etc. when the world is already talking about people like us.

While on their own these things might not help someone who is experiencing thoughts of suicide, together they can make a difference. Increasing acceptance, building community, raising awareness, and developing a support network can help to make some of the challenges we might face easier to cope with.

This Pride Month I’d like the rest of the LGBTQIA+ community to know that Papyrus is a safe

space for you to get support with staying safe from suicide. We see you, we understand the challenges you’re experiencing, and we want to help you.

This was created by a PAPYRUS staff member to celebrate Pride month, and highlight the importance of celebrating LGBTQIA+ people not just in June, but all year round.

If you’re experiencing thoughts of suicide, and need a safe non-judgmental space to talk, PAPYRUS is here for you. Call HOPELINEUK for free, confidential advice and support on 0800 068 4141, text 07860 039 967 or email pat@papyrus-uk. org from 9am to midnight every day of the year.

YOUTH THEATRE BUILDING CONFIDENCE FOR THE FUTURE

The Belfast School of Performing Arts is taking centre stage, and we're here to shine a spotlight on some of their outstanding projects coming up and find out what makes youth theatre such a positive influence for young people.

As Northern Ireland’s largest theatre school with over 700 pupils, BSPA prides itself on fostering a welcoming, nurturing, and inclusive environment for young people to grow, explore their creativity and to develop their skills in dancing, acting and singing.

The passionate and talented team provide opportunities for young people to perform in fullscale productions, take part in specialist masterclasses, have fun, make friends and build confidence. Not only are they leading the way in developing the next generation of performers, but they are providing those who don’t follow a career on the stage with some very valuable life skills that they can use on whatever journey they choose.

Tina McVeigh, Managing Director at BSPA says;

“Youth theatre is something that I firmly believe can transform lives, we hear so many positive stories from our students and their parents on how coming to BSPA has made a difference, from improved academic performance, developing confidence, enhanced creativity or the ability to work better in a team, but something we hear a lot which makes my heart really swell with pride is that many of our

students have found real lifelong friends in our BSPA family.”

“Furthermore, youth theatre provides exposure to different cultures and ideas, allowing young people to gain a broader perspective of the world around them. This exposure helps them to become more empathetic and become more understanding individuals, able to appreciate and celebrate diversity.”

Undoubtedly the highlights on the BSPA calendar are the two annual Summer Youth projects which are both open to students who are not attending the weekly classes. These are intense projects which give the students the opportunity to deliver a full-scale production on a real stage while working with some the best industry professionals there are. This year, BSPA are showcasing both Shrek and Les Misérables.

Jackson Allen, a student at BSPA for a number of years is looking forward to taking on the role of Monsieur Thenardier in Les Misérables, he says;

“I’ve been involved in loads of Summer Youth Projects with BSPA and I am so excited to be returning once again. The project is always fun and challenging and the production team are always so professional, supportive and knowledgeable, but without a doubt the best part of the experience are the friends and laughs you gather along the way. The friends I have met through BSPA are some of my

best friends and the memories we have made are absolutely priceless, without youth drama I would not have had the opportunity to meet all these incredible people and I can’t wait to see who I’ll meet this year!”

Audiences will enjoy a “big bright beautiful world” as everyone’s favourite ogre, Shrek, leads a cast of fairytale misfits on an adventure to rescue a princess and find true acceptance. Part romance and part twisted fairy-tale; Shrek JR. is an irreverently fun show with a powerful message of acceptance for the whole family to enjoy.

Shrek features a cast of 70 young people aged between 6-16 years old and runs at Stranmillis College Theatre from the 3rd- 6th August.

The BSPA senior Summer Youth Project is the epic tale of broken dreams, passion and redemption, all set against a nation in the throes of a revolution – With a cast of 80 students aged 12-18, BSPA looks forward to taking on one of the most loved stage productions of all time, Les Misérables features one of the most memorable scores and some of the most memorable characters to ever grace the stage!

To book tickets for Shrek please visit  ticketsource.co.uk/bspa

To book tickets for Les Miserables please visit themaclive.com

To find out more about BSPA please visit thebspa.co.uk

Awards

GNI MAG AWARDS TWENTY TWENTY-THREE

GNI MAG AWARDS 2023 WHAT A SUCCESS!

On Saturday 15th April 2023 we made our much-awaited return to The Crowne Plaza and with over 500 attendees it was an amazing night acknowledging so many Businesses and people who work tirelessly to improve the lives of LGBTQIA+ people.

In a 12 a day window a staggering 61,854 votes were received for the finalists, this is

unprecedented and is testament to the great work they do for LGBTQIA+ people across the province. Winners were revealed at the Gala Ceremony, which we are happy to share with you.

YOUR WINNERS!

• Most Stylish Person - Storm

• Legal Representation Award - Phoenix Law

• Ally Of The Year - Jess Weir

• Business Contribution - Lyric Theatre Reputable Retailer Award - Primark

• Financial Institution Award - Danske BankSupportive Media AwardCool FM Friendly Facilitator Award

- Cara Friend Entertainer Of The YearCherrie On Top

• Friendly Employer Award - The Rainbow Project

• Inclusive Education Award - Queen’s University

• Friendly Gym - Magee Health and Fitness

• Wedding Venue - Balmoral Hotel

• Small Business - Fresh Garbage

• Independent Business - Belfast Cheesecake Co.

• Drag Artist Of The Year - Pauletta Stelletta

• Local Politician - Eoin Tennyson

• Inclusive Venue - Balmoral Hotel

• Nightlife Award - Union Street Bar

• Patient Care Award - Specsavers Vic. Sq.

• People’s Choice Charity - The Rainbow Project

(Continued on page 68...)

C H A M P A G N E S T Y L E On a Prosecco budget

Smash hit shows like Succession on Sky Atlantic have given rise to a dominant ‘stealth-wealth’ trend for SS23 Get the brutally basic trend for less at Abbey Centre and showcase your old money style with timeless pieces, low-key logos and quiet, muted tones

Dunnes Stores Gallery Carnelian Short £17

River Island Casual Chinos £35

The Perfume Shop Citrus Fresco £19 99

Next Ribbed Vest £28 Primark Shirt £12

JD Sports Adidas Originals Handball Spezial £80 00

RI Studio Belted Trench £125

Primark Black Cap £3

Vision Express Unofficial £15

DV8 Berghaus Jacket £64 99

Clarks Violet55 £85 00

Dunnes Stores “ludicrously capacious” bag £12

Jack & Jones Belt £20

Ernest Jones MVMT Watch £119

• Personal Care Award - Belfast City

Skinworks

• Personal Contribution - Micky Murry

• Editors Choice Award - Face Therapy

NI

• Editors Choice Award - John O’Doherty

£9000 RAISED!

From money generated by ticket sales and raffle tickets purchased over £9000 was raised for our Charity Partner The Rainbow Project, thanks to everyone for your support including the many businesses who donated a raffle prize.

ALL THE IMAGES ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS CAN BE VIEWED ON GNIMAG.COM/AWARDS

To get involved in the 2024 awards contact daniel@gnimag.com or gniawards@gmail. com

Handcrafted Cheesecakes, artisanal indulgence

Delight in our Delectable range of Desserts, Perfect for any occasion

Our promise to you

At “Belfast Cheesecake Co” our customers have been returning time and time again for our delicious and natural desserts. Using only premium ingredients, such as fresh fruits and highquality cheese, we create desserts that are bursting with flavor and made with the utmost care and attention.

You can find us at St Georges Market every Friday - Sunday Shop Address: Inspire Business Park, Carrowreagh Road, Dundonald, BT16 1QT

Phone: 07846 695418

Email: jonben1981@yahoo.com

Web: belfastcheesecake.co

Summer Weddings

TITANIC HOTEL BELFAST

Love can take us to many different places but a wedding needs a special place of its own. It should be a place which cherishes your love, sets the backdrop perfectly and fills in all the details exquisitely.

Located in the magnificently restored former headquarters of Harland & Wolff, shipbuilders of RMS Titanic, this is the grand opening to your wedding story. It is the birthplace of a story that captured the imagination of the world and a tradition that created ocean liners beyond all limits of their time. The building re-opened itself is an architectural jewel and its sensitive restoration is something that all of Belfast can be proud of. Opened in September 2017 and with 119 Bedrooms finished in a nautical theme and styled with art deco furniture, that creativity and flair is once again in evidence

At Titanic Hotel Belfast we know that the success of your day will be in the details of our Belfast wedding venue. The smooth running of your celebration from planning right through to the day after, is where we really excel. Our team of friendly, welcoming wedding experts are there for you. Their exceptional attention to detail and assertive manner

will ensure your day flows just as you hoped. You will then be free to immerse yourself in the celebration and enjoy every moment.

The main banqueting suite is situated within one of these historic Drawing Offices and provides space for 250 guests. The Hotel features five unique Heritage Rooms, one of which is the private office of Lord Pirrie - Chairman of Harland & Wolff and the man responsible for the original concept of the ‘Olympic’-class liners. The champagne & cocktail bar is housed within the second main Drawing Office.

For your wedding reception we offer menus which will leave you and your guests wowed by every mouthful. Our passionate culinary team will do what they do best, using local produce to inspire their menus. Therefore, yours can be a true Belfast wedding to delight all your guests coming from near and afar For enquiries please call 028 9508 2000 or email

weddings@titanichotelbelfast.com

Exclusively & Uniquely Yours...

Once a family home with a lifetime of happy memories, Markree Courtyard In Sligo has been transformed into an exclusive event & accommodation venue creating new memories for our guests which will last for a lifetime.

Our venue consists of a series of unique spaces from our beautiful grounds and ceremony options to our Carriage Rooms which includes The Courtyard Bar, The Saddle Bar & Lounge, The Long Hall and the beautiful Courtyard itself.

The Carriage Rooms at Markree Courtyard is solely your private Estate for the duration of your stay. From room décor to food selection and catering company, drinks receptions and entertainment, the choice is completely yours. Our dedicated events team have years of experience with planning and delivering only the best service ensuring you, your family and friends have the most enjoyable and most memorable time with us

The Carriage Rooms at Markree Courtyard... A hidden gem in the beautiful County of Sligo, let our Estate be exclusive and uniquely yours...

Markree Courtyard, Clooneenroe, Collooney, Co Sligo, F91 Y067

TWELVE WAYS TO REINVENT TRADITIONS FOR AN LGBTQ+ WEDDING

Curious about how to reinvent or reinterpret wedding traditions for your LGBTQ+ wedding? Here are 12 creative ideas

One

Who Proposes to Who in an LGBTQ+ Couple? Traditionally, the groom asks the bride’s father for permission to propose, before going down on one knee and offering a ring. Who says it has to be like that? Not having the traditional script to follow, like it is the case of heteronormative weddings, can lead to confusion for some LGBTQ+ couples. Our number one tip is to listen to your partner, communicate so you make sure you don’t ruin their moment, or you don’t ruin theirs. If you’d like to ask, or would like to be asked, say it.

TWO

Don’t

Be Confined by Wedding Party Labels

In an LGBTQ+ wedding (in fact, in any wedding!), gender shouldn’t define anyone’s role. The most important thing is having the people closest to you by your side. Just remember to share their duties with them. There might be a lot of stuff they need to

help you with.

THREE

What Do You Wear to an LGBTQ+ Wedding?

If you’re the nearlyweds considering this, you can wear whatever you want! Most wedding traditions don’t necessarily make sense anymore, and dress code is one of them. What to wear on your wedding day is entirely up to you. No need for this suit or that dress. Be yourself and be comfortable.

Four

Who Walks Down the Aisle?

In a traditional ceremony, the bride is walked down the aisle and ‘given away’ by her father. Sounds rather outdated, right? But who says it has to be your father? Why not your best friend, a very close auntie or your mum? You could even walk down together if you want. It really is up to you! There are so many ways to make this moment your own.

Five

Where Do You Stand at an LGBTQ+ Wedding Ceremony?

The ancient wedding tradition of the bride

and groom standing in certain places dates back to a time when grooms needed their right hand free to defend their bride from other suitors - but we’re hoping no sword fights break out at weddings these days...

Since you don’t need to follow the traditional male and female roles, stand on whichever side you feel most comfortable on. Discuss it beforehand so you don’t do an awkward little dance around each other at the altar.

Your attendants of honour can stand to the side of you, or take seats on the front row.

Six

Who Holds the Flowers at an LBGTQ+ Wedding?

The answer is, anyone! However you may identify, there’s no rule against one or both of you carrying bouquets, or getting rid of them altogether.

Seven What About the Officiant?

The rules around marriage differ across the UK. Same sex marriage is legal across all >>>

...of the UK, and has been since March 2014 for Wales and England, December 2014 for Scotland and since 2020 in Northern Ireland, however the types of marriage ceremony available depends on the country you’re in.

Eight

What Symbolic Acts Can We Include?

The cultural assumptions that surround a wedding (taking the husband’s last name, the work of the wedding falling on the shoulders of the woman...) keep us stuck. Let’s keep pushing for progress, shall we?

How about including a symbolic act to represent your love and unity that your guests will remember forever?

Nine Vows at an LGBTQ+ Wedding

Make your vows your own! At a civil or religious wedding ceremony, there are standard legal declarations and contracting words that you have to say. However, you can be creative too. Discuss your vows with your officiant first to find out what you’re allowed, what you can add in and what you can omit.

Ten

What About the Table Plan at an LGBTQ+

Wedding?

Traditionally, you’re meant to alternate between male and female guests when doing your seating plan - but those rules don’t apply here.

Leading British etiquette coach William Hanson says: “For same sex weddings the rule book can be adjusted or in some cases forgotten – so long as the wedding day itself is respectful, harmonious and civilised. The male-female seating plan is one traditional rule that obviously has to get abandoned as the newly married same sex couple will be seated next to each other on the ‘top’ table.”

Eleven

Who Gives a Speech at an LGBTQ+ Wedding? On to the speeches. Why not mix them up? Speeches are one area of a wedding where you don’t need to be bogged down by the rules, the only piece of advice to follow is to keep the toasts short (and funny!) for the benefit of your guests.

Twelve

Who Pays for What at an LGBTQ+ Wedding?

Traditionally, the bride’s parents would pay for the wedding, or at least a significant portion of it. Now, more and more couples are

Make it Special, Make it An Grianan

paying for their wedding themselves or both sets of parents are chipping in equally.

This does require a delicate conversation. You shouldn’t make any assumptions about who will be willing to lend you money, and you should be aware that when parents do financially contribute, they might want a say in what the wedding looks like. If you want complete control over your day, it might make sense to see if you can afford it without any extra help.

Remember, your wedding should be a celebration of your relationship and your love for each other - you can follow as many or as few traditions as you like! Discover our edit of the best LBGTQ+ first dance songs to add even more of a celebratory spin to your day.

Source - www.hitched.co.uk

YOUR WEDDING CAN BE AS

UNIQUE

AS YOU ARE

A humanist marriage is much more than simply a legal contract between the two of you.

It’s the chance to celebrate your love and commitment to one another in a personal and inclusive ceremony which perfectly reflects you Indoors or outside, in a grand building or a cosy hall, you choose where and how you make your special day meaningful and unforgettable.

For more information about humanist weddings and our network of accredited wedding celebrants, humanists.uk/northern-ireland

JENNY LINDOP BRIDAL WEAR

‘Jenny Lindop Bridal Wear is situated in the lovely coastal town of Bangor.

We take pride in our carefully chosen selection of designer dresses and outfits from all over the world.

From coloured & patterned bridal dresses, maids dresses, short dresses, skirts, jump suits and pants, whatever unique look fits you we’ve got it and can co-ordinate all of the key looks for your wedding.

Jenny’s experience in dressmaking means you can have your alterations done in house and any additional customizing you may wish for.

We look forward to meeting you!’

Established in 1970 the four-star Four Seasons Hotel & Leisure Club, Monaghan is the family-run haven ready to host your perfect wedding day. Your wedding is the ideal opportunity for you and your wedding guests to indulge in the charm of Monaghan Town in Ireland’s Ancient East.

Move in the night before with your wedding party and say your ‘I Dos’ onsite or join us on the day of your wedding; Our Sakura Suite offers the flawless backdrop for your ceremony, with romantic pastel tones and opulent wall panelling, allowing you the opportunity to add your own unique touches to the occasion.

To give you and your guests a wholesome Irish welcome we will greet them into your private pre-reception Limewood Suite with drinks and snacks before they make their way to a cosy spot on one of our plush crushed velvet sofas.

When it’s time for your fresh, locally sourced wedding feast with wine, your party will make their way to one of our lovingly and elegantly refurbished banqueting suites, which can cater for all party sizes ranging from 25 to 350 guests, offering variety to accommodate your personal wedding style.

The grounds are home to mature and intimate gardens offering the perfect picture locations and opportunity to soak in the rays, if the weather isn’t misbehaving!

Wedding couples receive an allocation comfortable guest rooms at a discounted rate, plus complimentary use of the Superior Suite and two additional complimentary guest rooms. All guest rooms include full use of the hotel’s award-winning Leisure Club and wholesome Irish breakfast.

Celebrating over half a century in the hospitality industry, our team offer a personalised and tailorable service, accompanied by our strict one wedding per day policy to ensure each of our weddings are lavished with our undivided attention.

Contact a member of our wedding team today on weddings@4seasonshotel.ie or +353 (0)47 81 888 to arrange your private or virtual viewing.

Visit our website today www.4seasonshotel.ie

THE FOUR SEASONS

Magical WEDDINGS

■ Our beautiful Drumragh Suite caters up to 400 guests

■ Complimented by our modern Grand Foyer, Courtyard Bar and wrap around Outdoor Terrace

■ Licensed Civil Wedding Ceremony Venue

■ Camowen Suite for smaller intimate weddings

■ 64 Bedrooms with Free WiFi & Free Parking

E: weddings@silverbirchhotel.com | T: 028 8224 2520 5 Gortin Road | Omagh | BT79 7DH www.silverbirchhotel.com

Belle Isle Estate Lisbellaw, Enniskillen

BT94 5HG 028 6638 7231 www.belle-isle.com info@belle-isle.com

Your CastleFairytale VenueWedding

Winter Wedding Package Specials Also Available

CORICK HOUSE

Corick House Hotel & Spa offers a wealth of experience & with only one Wedding per day, couples can be assured they will receive exclusive attention from both Management & Staff. Corick house, with its Victorian walled garden surrounded by parkland & mature trees provides the ideal setting for your wedding day. We provide a haven of tranquillity, unrivalled style & grace.

Corick House Hotel and Spa is the ideal venue for a Civil Ceremony with a variety of suites available to cater for your wedding party, from our secluded Library Room which accommodates intimate celebrations for up to 20 guests, to seating 200 guests in our elegant Garden Room and 350 guests in our stunning Orchid Suite.

To enter this grand suite guests, walk

through the Rose Walk Corridor decorated with Verdis Gris Leaf chandeliers which light the way to the special arrival’s foyer prior to entrance into the stunning Orchid Suite. The corridor and suite all afford spectacular views across the Clogher Valley and its historic cathedral village of Clogher. The Orchid Suite caters for 150-400 guests and can offer a splendid backdrop for your very special day.

The Garden Suite provides an excellent venue for an intimate wedding reception with a choice of seating arrangements for 80-130 guests. It is entered directly from the conservatory, which has direct access to the terrace and gardens. Its architectural design compliments to perfection the historic surrounds and the magnificent gardens of Corick House Hotel and Spa.

The advantage of having your civil ceremony in Corick House Hotel and Spa is the professional dedicated time and attention devoted to you and your wedding day. From the initial planning stages right through to your wedding day we will ensure that you get the highest level of personal service. No request is too big and no concern to small.

THE MULRANNY PARK HOTEL

The 4* star Mulranny Park Hotel is perched on a unique site overlooking Clew Bay & Croagh Patrick Mountain beyond. We are located on the Great Western Greenway in the most scenic section of the route and the perfect cycling and walking holiday base. We are only a few steps away from the sand and sea of the beautiful Mulranny Beach which has been awarded the coveted blue flag and is ideal for family breaks. Uniquely located on the Wild Atlantic Way, this is the ideal base for walking, cycling and as a wedding venue or just a relaxing break and a proven place as one of the best wedding hotels in Ireland.

The magic of Mulranny Park Hotel is that you don’t even have to leave the grounds to achieve the relaxation you’ve been looking for. Submerge yourself in the 20-metre swimming pool and enjoy the jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, plunge pool and fully equipped gymnasium.

Mulranny Park Hotel is absolutely delighted to be

voted as one of the Top 50 Best places to stay in Ireland for 2019. The Fab 50 is the Irish independent annual list of the best places to stay in Ireland. We are very proud to be listed under the fab four stars and family hotels.

Mulranny Park Hotel’s Gourmet Greenway has been announced a finalist for an Irish Tourism Industry Award in the category of Best Atlantic Way Tourism Experience. The Gourmet Greenway is a food trail devised by Mulranny Park Hotel, in association with several Mayo food producers, to showcase the wonderful artisan food in the vicinities of Mulranny, Newport, Westport and Achill.

Here at Mulranny Park Hotel, we would love to host your Same Sex Service, Civil Wedding, Humanist Ceremony or spiritual blessing, Whether intimate or extravagant we have a choice of rooms to host your ceremony.

Our Granuaile Suite is ideal for a large ceremony which is a spacious, bright and airy room or alternatively our Nephin Restaurant offers a more intimate ceremony, both options overlooking Clew Bay and Croagh Patrick making it a unique wedding venue experience.

Our award-winning wedding venue prides itself on designing a unique wedding experience, allowing you to savour all the wonderful experiences this day will bring.

Renowned for producing the finest local food matched with great service. Our award-winning Wedding Co-ordinator will go that extra mile to make sure your special day is all you ever dreamed of.

MACC HAIR Belfast offers one of the most experienced hairdressing teams in the city, we pride ourselves in offering a wide range of diverse styles and tends within the hairdressing industry. Basing ourselves in the heart of the hip and thriving Cathedral Quarter, Our team take PRIDE in making sure each and every customer leaves our salon feeling confident and as unique as they want to be.

Keep updated with us on social channels with the QR code below or via www.macchair.co.uk helping you book your next appointment.

HOT HITS AND CELEB BITS! Gary Campion

Back for my 2nd column & so much has been happening in the music & celebrity world between releases, gig announcements, celeb spats & Twitter feuds I hardly know where to start….. lets’s start from the top…..

My top 5 hits on repeat What I am listening to!

P!nk - Trustfall - this icon of cool can do no wrong & this total anthem puts her back on top of the Queer charts where she belongs being played in every bar & club across the land.

Calvin Harris ft Ellie Goulding - Miracletaking me back to my days at the under-18 raves, this track is bringing the dance of the 90s back to the top of the charts.

Niall Horan - Heaven - perfect for driving in a summer haze or at a garden BBQ with ice-cold beers, Niall has nailed yet another chart success.

Tom Grennan - Here - the gravely vocalled one whose sound is constantly evolving hit after hit, everything he touches is turning to gold at the moment.

Confirmed New Album Releases I am beyond excited about!!

Jonas Brothers - The Album

12th May

They’re Back! The multi-Grammy Award-nominated powerhouse trio Jonas Brothers are all set to bring us their sixth full-length record “The Album,” which marks the Jonas Brothers’ first body of work since 2019’s. The members have simultaneously juggled prolific solo careers, but nothing quite matches their union as Jonas Brothers. While at their Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony in January of this year, they announced the simple titled project while flooding their socials with a glimpse of what was to come with their 1st single off the album “Wings,” which was released in February. During a performance at the AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! Nick kept repeating the phrases “The Album” & “The Tour” which has led many fans & insiders to think their up-and-coming tour will be called “The Tour.”

During a recent interview, the lads teased they were inspired by the sounds of the Bee Gees for the album. Stating that they were a huge influence in their lives when growing up listening to them with their father & that there are definite similarities between them with being three brothers growing up in a band. In addition to hinting that the album will have a 70s sound, the lads have also gone on record to say there will be a lot more acoustic guitar & real organic instruments that tap into a variety of influences on the new album.

The album has been produced by OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder & artist-producer Jon Bellion, so I predict nods to the sounds of old classics with a modern edge, which both specialise in.

Chayla Hope - Love in Lo-Fi - I came across this earwig of a summer tune on an Insta stories ad, the catchy synthpop chorus & sunny live version video thankfully caught my attention.

Louise - The Greatest Hits 2nd June

How How do you mark 30 years in music as one of the UK’s top British Female pop acts since the 90s (long before the likes of Cheryl)? If you are Louise Redknapp, you release a greatest hits album with all your solo chart successes but with the addition of 3 reworked classics from your Eternal Days, 6 solo hit reworkings & for good measure a cover of the ultimate Janet Jackson feel-good track “Together again.”

Having sold over 15 million records worldwide & 5 million in the UK, 18 Top 20 singles, 6 with Eternal & 12 solos, Louise has everything to celebrate & I am glad she is bringing this 90s kid along for the ride. Being one of the 1st women I ever fancied, releasing the style of music I have grown up loving, Louise can do no wrong as far as I am concerned. She has been teasing the reworked parts of the album via medley videos on her Insta & releasing them one by one on all the music platforms, effectively edging me closer & closer to pure pop heaven. By the time this is published the new single “High Hopes” will have been released. I was lucky enough to get a sneaky listen before its release, this track is pure euphoric pop with an uplifting melody & superb backing vocals, definitely one for driving with the roof down and the shades on!

Industry Whispers - Just between us:

Britney Spears Conservatorship to be turned into a drama - American Horror Story producer Ryan Murphy wants to help her tell her story on the small screen following the up-andcoming release of her bombshell memoir. Her conservatorship has already been explored by the likes of Netflix and the BBC but Britney was never involved with any of these projects. Ryan who produced Impeachment: American Crime Story brought Monica Lewinsky in as coproducer and is reportedly wanting to bring Britney in on a similar arrangement as he ‘hates being accused of exploiting victims’. I guess we will have to watch this space and see what happens with both the book and this series. I know I for one would only watch it if Britney has an input for accuracy as there have been far too many conspiracies

Ed Sheran and Taylor Swift - Who do two of the biggest stars in music turn to when they need help to make sense of their thoughts and feelings? Well duh…..each other obviously! Both have now been in very public copyright legal battles over their music. Ed has spoken recently of how much he and Taylor relate and confide in each other and even confessed to having a 20-hour conversation with her where they spoke about everything that was on their minds…. Who needs an expensive shrink when to me that in itself kind of sounds like therapy!

My Top 5 Rediscovered Tunes - The Pride Edition

Golden oldies to make you feel proud & shake what your mamma gave you!

Janet JacksonTogether Again - In honour of its mention with Louise, how could I not include this absolute belter!

Five - Got the Feeling - Who didn’t love a bit of the apparent bad boys of #richiescurtainspop?!

Vanessa Amorosi

- Absolutely Everybody - A pure gay pride parade on steroids, play it loud, play it proud!

Gina G - Ooh Aah

Just a Little Bit - She should have won Eurovision with this, but instead she created a staple to any cheesy pop night out!

Savage Garden - Affirmation - A song that is for & includes everyone, sung by the delectably delicious Darren Hayes what’s not to love!

Is Lizzos Singing Career in Jeopardy? - Having tested for Strep throat a bacterial infection, which makes sufferers’ throats feel itchy and sore she has been forced to cancel 2 shows already. Speaking in a video apologising for the cancellations she said “My lymph nodes are swollen and the doctors say that it would not be wise to sing while my throat is like this. In the past, I have pushed myself because I always wanna bring you guys incredible shows and I want to bring you the best of me and I’m realising as I mature that this is not the best of me. I need to heal so I can be the artist that you guys deserve and maintain my body.’ Lizzo if you are reading this we here at GNI wish you a speedy recovery and hope to see you at the Belsonic festival in Belfast this summer!

Until next issue, Happy listening! Gx

Xand

FREE LGBTQ TAROT AND LENORMAND READINGS ON YOUTUBE

I stood there in the en-suite bathroom and my heart and head started racing wildly as I wondered why the shower head was unscrewed from the hose. Of course, in these situations, it’s natural to hunt for explanations other than the obvious ones. I knew that my boyfriend enjoyed cleaning, and so I gradually convinced myself that he was simply being meticulous whilst scrubbing the bathtub on his day off and not shoving the hose up his arse to get fucked by some dude he’d met on Grindr.

A day later, and my suspicions growing ever stronger, I finally plucked up the courage to ask him about it. He immediately became defensive and angry with me, and so I apologised. Although he worked as a cook at the time he would have made an excellent politician because not only was he a compulsive liar, but was able to talk his way out of any situation. Even when I found a bottle of poppers, a Viagra, and a pair of his pants with a hole torn in the arse a few weeks later he still managed to convince me that I had bought the poppers months before (even though they were clearly brand new), the dog had chewed his pants, and the viagra belonged to his ex-boyfriend who had moved out six months earlier.

They’re not kidding when they say love is blind folks! After months of this charade, I eventually found hard evidence that he was chatting with other guys online. He hadn’t realised that photos from his iPhone were automatically uploaded to his computer in our living room and after much searching, I found a ton of images. Just to be sure I

managed to get into his Facebook account to read the many messages he had sent to other guys. Now I’m not condoning this evasion of privacy but I was planning on marrying this man in a foreign fucking country after all so I wanted to know if he was up to no good or not!

This all happened about five years ago and now as I write these words I’m laughing to myself or rather at myself that I could have been so stupid and gullible, but I can tell you at the time it was one of the most painful experiences I have been through. You see all jokes aside, I was deeply in love with this man, and I was devastated when we broke up. It took me at least two years to get over him and another three years to get to the stage where I can laugh about the whole experience. But at that time the emotional pain was so extreme, that I didn’t think that I would ever recover from that experience.

For the past 12 months, I have been teaching myself cartomancy which is a divination technique using a deck of cards (what most people think of as ‘fortune telling’). At first, I focused on Tarot cards and then I came across Lenormand. What’s different about Lenormand is that you can do what’s called a Grand Tableau using 36 plus cards to look at any situation and find out information about it. Think of it like this... A general tarot reading, the likes of which you see fake tarot readers and so-called psychics offering on Instagram, usually consists of 5-10 cards, sometimes as few as three which are used to describe the past, the present, and the future. Well, even if you are lucky

enough to find someone who knows what they are doing and who isn’t trying to scam you (I should say at this point I do not charge for readings!), you only really get to see a movie trailer. With Lenormand, it’s the full fucking X-rated porno with all the cum shots thrown in baby! Oh yeah, this big fucker doesn’t pull any punches and you get all the juicy details which are perfect when you’re trying to find out who your fiancé has been fucking whilst you’ve been at work.

I make YouTube videos in which I talk about cartomancy, witchy stuff, blowjobs and bum sex and this morning I decided to do a Grand Tableau to look at my relationship with this dude from five years ago and to see if I could finally get the answers I never got from him. Using my brand new Queer Lenormand deck made the job very easy indeed as it comes with a ton of extra people cards. So let me talk you through it. First I assigned certain cards to mean certain things. I made myself the blonde dude in the black vest above the fish, my ex-boyfriend the dude above me, a lover or fuck buddy if there was one the dude next to him on the left, his best friend the person card next to the clouds on the top row, our apartment the house card, his job the tree card and finally my job the tower card.

We lived at that time just outside of Benidorm and I worked in the old town whilst he worked near to our apartment in La Cala around the coast. Those of you who have been to Beni will know that there is indeed a kind of mini mountain

between Poniente Beach and La Cala / Finestrat so the cards worked almost like a map for me. The whip card can be used to indicate sex and sure enough, we see the letter between the whip and my ex-boyfriend with the two other players in this story connected to those cards. Now, the most important cards in a Grand Tableau are the corner cards and in this spread, I had the Star card (a direction to look in for answers), the snake (the card of deception and duplicity), the fox (the card of lies), and finally the book (the card of secrets).

Those three cards in a prominent position in this spread were all I would have needed to expose the truth but having all those other cards adds an incredible amount of detail to the story! This article would quickly turn into a novel if I went through everything but you can watch the video on my Youtube channel TWO BLACK CATS @2bctarot. As I’m still very much studying cartomancy I am always looking for opportunities to practise and improve my reading skills so I shall be doing live streams on my channel during which I will do free readings. All I ask in return is that you consider subscribing to my YouTube channel and of course, if you enjoy my videos don’t forget to hit that like button and if you push the bell icon you’ll be notified every time I upload a new video or do a live stream! See you on YouTube! Cheers guys, Xand.

SPORTING PRIDE

Martin Murray

SPORTING PRIDE NETWORKING DAY

We kicked off our 2023 calendar with Sporting Prides first Belfast based AGM. We followed this with a networking event with the venue provided by Carafriend. We gathered representatives from Female Sports Forum, Belfast Azlans, Sport NI, Active Women NI and Aeracha Uladh GAC and developed ideas for collaboration and growth.

Soon after we discovered a group call NI Gay Golf had started in Omagh with hopes of branching across Ulster so we arranged to make plans to develop the team and then we heard from a new friend looking to start an LGBTQ Tennis club, both of which should be fully up and running in 2023.

Another great thing to come from this meeting was plans for an LGBTQ Women’s Sports Day. The original project is a collaboration with Sporting Pride, Active Women NI and Female Sports Forum but since announcing the project we have been joined by Basketball NI, Ulster LGFA, Ulster Camogie, Transgender NI, Here NI, Cooke RFC, Cooke warriors and others.

Ulster LGBTQ Women’s Sports day

This will be a celebration of Ulster sports and of all women in Ulster. It’s the first event of its kind in the province but I thought it was necessary to celebrate a community that provides so much to its industry with very little recognition or funding for that matter. The event will run on May 28th and more information can be found at @Ulster_LGBTQ_Sports_Day on Instagram or by contacting Sporting Pride or myself.

Participants at the event will be invited to continue their evening at Cherry Belfast presented by Elaine at Boombox Belfast from 10pm, May 28th. Making this an entire day and night of celebrating the LGBTQ Women of Ulster.

GNI Awards

GNI Award were incredible, the food was delicious, entertainment was on fire and I got to spend most of the evening with Storm and Carl ConnieLingus which is all anyone needs to have a good time. I was delighted to receive so many nominations and votes from Drag Queens, Athletes and NGB’s across the country but just as delighted to see Micky Murray win on the night. Also delighted to see Magee Health and Fitness win for inclusive Gym. Over all it was just great to have a little break from work to just celebrate. The week before I also joined Quire Belfast on their Ballylinny trip which was a mix of pure joy and relaxation with choreography, singing, drinking games and celebrating old friends and new friends.

EUROVISION

Our next big event is our annual Eurovision fundraiser in Doyles Corner in Dublin. Last year I attended as Danú Variant alongside two other Belfast Drag Queens, Melody Festivalen who ended the night with a few iconic Eurovision performances and dancing the night away with The Count Bella

Lublowsi. This year we are starting the vent with a show hosted by Dublin’s Grainne Kneez. Everyone gets a free gin and tonic and then you get to watch the Eurovision Finale alongside 200 LGBTQ sports team members. Last year was amazing so this year we have doubled the size of the space, doubled the guests and we have over 20 big screens so you won’t miss a moment of Eurovision. All funds raised are put back into the LGBTQ Sports teams who deserve your support as part of our LGBTQ Community. I think people forget the work that these athletes are doing to open doors for other LGBTQ People and to make this country more inclusive.

COMING SOON

The summer will then be sent getting the National Governing bodies and LGBTQ Sports teams involved in Prides across Ireland and helping the new teams getting up and running. Some of the teams have incredible opportunities coming up such as Na Gaeil Aeracha who have a groundbreaking event coming in July that I will discuss in my next issue and the Frontrunners who now have five locations across Ireland. Following the Belfast marathon I had the pleasure of hosting over 80 LGBTQ Runners at Maverick Bar Belfast from The Ulster Frontrunners, Dublin Frontrunners and Glasgow Frontrunners who flew in for the race.

I will also be taking lectures at Ulster University and Stranmilis University on Diversity in Sports. I am also excited about my first international trip as part of Sporting Pride representing Ireland at the Be Active Sports contact meeting organised by the Romanian Ministry of Sport, in partnership with the Romanian National Agency in Bucharest in July. After this I will be back to plan Ulster’s 2nd LGBTQ Sports Day once again in collaboration with Ulster University Belfast and of course our Belfast Pride events.

POSITIVE LIFE NI - STRICTLY AT THE MOVIES

For those of you still not ready to jump right in to team sports you can also come and bring your dancing shoes to The Crowne Plaza at Shaw Bridge where I am honoured to be a guest judge for the night. Proceeds from the night will go into vital work supporting people living with HIV. For more information contact Positive Life Ni and please save the last dance for me.

Instagram: @TheMartinMurray

FASHION Den

DEN is back with a new bold and bright collection perfect to keep you comfy all Summer. The Short Sleeve Union Suits are the new holiday essential. Available in Fuchsia Pink and Peacock Blue, they are perfect for a weekend away camping or unwinding in with a cocktail after a day down the beach . The collection now includes wrestling singlets, vest union suits, tees, briefs and socks. Sizing also now goes up to XXL although be quick as demand is high for some sizes and stock is limited!

All DEN gear is available exclusively at www.denloungewear.com , so what are you waiting for!? Come On In !

COMPETITION

We’ve teamed up with DEN to offer one lucky reader a prize of DEN goodies worth over £100 ! To be in with a chance of winning, head over to our instagram page gnimag and see our DEN post for details.

STREET FOOD The Gourmet Boys

Recently, we’ve been delighted to see an upsurge in deliciously creative and culinarily innovative street food style outlets; from mobile units at markets, to small takeaways with sit-in options, here are five of our current favourites.

Scopers

Chef Paul Cunningham, creator of Mourne Larder and famous for his extraordinary secret dining experiences, is the owner of Scopers, a hot food bar in Dundrum, offering a range of dishes including meat, fish, desserts as well as vegan options. The menu changes with the seasons, ensuring that only the freshest food created with sustainable produce, all sourced from within a 15 mile radius, is served.

Paul’s passion for bringing the community together through food and a commitment to zero waste are both more than evident, and in honour of his Grandad, after whom Scopers is named, Paul’s love of locally foraged ingredients is showcased throughout the menu.

We loved the golden Battered Smoked Haddock with cider mayo and fennel salt, accompanied by some crunchy triple cooked chips tossed in a brand new “mussel floss” seasoning: a real taste of the seaside! We also had some crispy Mussel Popcorn with kimchi mayo and pickled seaweed, and a delicious side dish of carrots in brown butter, dukkah, & seabuckthorn caramel.

Paul’s fantastic locally sourced food is an inspiration, and proof of the incredible and abundant larder nature provides right on our own doorstep.

Fin

A brilliant little fish restaurant in Trademarket on the Dublin Road, Belfast. Fin has a regularly changing menu depending on the catch of the day, with top notch fish suppers, chip butties, mushy peas, but also lots of daily specials.

We had a wonderful Monkfish Spicebag, with a generous portion of crispy battered monkfish “scampi” on a massive bed of spicy salt & chilli style fries. Fresh, tasty and excellent value. Fintastic!

Rebel & Ruse

Rebel and Ruse serves smokin’ scran at Belfast’s Trademarket, and is a veritable feast for the senses-not only for meat lovers, but the plant-based options are also out of this world.

We had a “Damm Oyster Po’ Boy” with beer battered Hearty Growers’ oyster mushrooms on toasted ciabatta with charred sweetcorn salsa, ‘Dragon Claw Whiskey Hot Sauce’, and smoked garlic mayo with salad, and a side of “Beets & Brassica”, a gorgeous hot vegan dish of blackened greens and seasonal veg on grains with salsa verde, mayo, and mixed leaves.

All washed down with Rebel and Ruse and Craft Tea Brew Co.’s Rhubarb & Roots Collab Edition Kombucha, this was a flavoursome, plant-based treat.

Bao Bun Deluxe

We called in to Ballyhack’s BaoBun Deluxe, which has become synonymous with high quality Taiwanese Street Food served in cool surroundings and featuring an exciting new menu, table service, a terrific drinks list, and great options for all dietary requirements. All ingredients are cooked, steamed, baked, & pickled in-house.

The cocktails are excellent, particularly the Sake-Tini, a delightfully dry twist on a traditional martini, and the smooth, velvety Vietnamese Espresso Martini.

We ordered a selection of dishes to share, including crunchy Popcorn Cauliflower with a Ponzu dipping sauce, Corn Ribs with Chilli Butter, Halloumi Sticks with sweet chilli dip, and a refreshing Chilli Soy Cucumber Sesame Salad.

The Bao are phenomenally good; light cushions of steamed dough, filled with a variety of temptingly tasty fillings. We loved the veggie Black Bean and Chickpea Bao, and we also ordered a satisfying meat-free Tofu Rice dish with a creamy, spicy Katsu curry sauce.

Squid

Shack

Squid Shack Ballyhack, another great addition to this East Belfast foodie hub, serves delicious seafood street food: a perfect pescatarian paradise!

Although, if fishy fare isn’t quite your catch of the day, fear not, as there are plenty of choices for meat eaters and veggies alike; the Salted Chilli Tofu, and Beetroot Burger with tahini and houmous both sound totally up our street!

But for our first visit, we had to try the seafood, and what a beautiful bounty from the briny it was; a Salt N’ Chilli Box with perfectly cooked Squid & Prawn, with a refreshing Napa Slaw, Coriander, Chilli Jam and Asian Dressing.

We also had the Fish Tacos with shredded Baby Gem, Curried Mayo, Salsa and Pickles, and a portion of ‘Magic’ Fries, which absolutely lived up to the name; zingy with Chimichurri and fennel seeds, and smothered in garlic sauce, fresh chilli and scallions. Divine!

Squid Shack? Ex-squid-sit!! Follow @thegourmetboys on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok & LinkedIn

Email: hello@thegourmetboys.com

If you have any requests for restaurant recommendations send us a message and we’ll get right back to you.

Scopers

Rebel & Ruse

Bao Bun Delux

Squid Shack

NASTY PIG

Elevates Kinkwear

The Original Sex Positive Queer Sportswear Brand Unveils Summer Collection

By Dominic Garcia

Nasty Pig is once again pushing boundaries and breaking rules when it comes to fashion. Their Summer 2023 collection, “Elevate”, features a range of sexually charged designs that will appeal to confident people who want to make a bold statement with their style. Their latest gym line, “Jolt” features a new Wind Runner Jacket, Jock Strap, and Rugby Short. Their lounge line, “Chill Out,” offers Union Suit Cut Offs and a new robe. All of the items in “Elevate” feature Nasty Pig’s timeless styles, subtle branding, and killer fit. They are pieces that will never go out of style and that customers will grow attached to over the years as they rack up experiences wearing the gear, feeling sexy and empowered.

“As we near our thirtieth year, we’re elevating our game to bring our customers the best version of Nasty Pig in our history,” says David Lauterstein. He and his husband, Frederick Kearney, launched Nasty Pig together in 1994 as a clothing line that fearlessly celebrated queer sexual positivity. They are a defiant brand; proud to never have sold out to mainstream pressures.

In that spirit, Nasty Pig is elevating the gym experience this summer with “Jolt,” it’s line of athleticwear that is perfect for guys pumping iron, breaking a sweat on the treadmill, or cruising the locker room. All items are made of high-quality performance poly/spandex, ensuring that men feel sexy, comfortable, and well supported during their toughest workouts. The bold grey and orange color scheme will also guarantee that nasty pigs stand out on the gym floor.

To heighten a man’s game in the bedroom, Nasty Pig is also releasing the “Chill Out” line in the Elevate Collection. All items are made from ultra-soft and comfortable French terry and cotton in a luxe grey color. A particular highlight in the collection is the Union Suit Cutoff, derived from their best-selling Union Suit. The Union Suit Cutoff is a warm weather take on the original, designed to be worn under a pair of shorts or even on its own as a onesie that will turn plenty of heads.

The “Elevate” collection is available now at www.nastypig.com

The Old Inn Crawfordsburn’s Gem

This editions staycation takes us to The Old Inn Crawfordsburn, those unfamiliar it was purchased by Galgorm Collection not too long ago , they are the owners of The Galgorm Resort & Spa and The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat, from the purchase they have been being doing all kinds of refurbishments and additions mainly on the rooms and adding a beautiful Spa, accordingly named the Tree Top Spa. We were invited along for a day/night away, which was so exciting .

My sister Pamela and I hopped in the car and headed off ready for a relaxing time. Getting there was so easy, even if you aren’t a confident driver or good with directions I don’t think you would have a problem finding it. Crawfordsburn is between Holywood and Bangor, just off the main A2 road. It is such a charming village which has a real feel of history and tradition, it was of no surprise when I discovered that the hotel was built back in 1614, it is filled with character and charm, visually looking like a building of its time though with all the mod cons added in a clearly designed way.

We arrived around 2pm which gave us plenty of time to check in, admire the place and head off to the piece de resistance - The Spa.

First though I have to tell you about our room, they have 4 different room types, we honest -

ly were not expecting to be given one of the Junior Suites - it was so beautiful, opening the door we both gasped with delight, so much care and detail has went into the refurbishment , everything was decorated with a beautiful traditional approach completely in keeping with the hotels age, there was an amazing free standing copper bathtub, had I been away with a partner and not my sister I would have certainly made the most of it. The bathroom was so spacious and the shower even had a seating area which I thought was such a clever idea.

The bed was HUGE, super King which would easily fit 4.

Other features included a Fridge , Coffee Machine, Satellite TV, Wifi and of course Flip Flops and Robes which we practically dove into lol. I cannot fault a thing about the room.

Swimming gear and robes on - Spa time, here is a wee quote from the Old Inn’s website “ Perched above Crawfordsburn Country Park, the Treetop Spa offers guests unrivalled forest views for a peaceful rural retreat. Begin your spa journey by enjoying hot outdoor bathing in the pool and hot tub, followed by detoxifying and cleansing the body and mind in our sauna and steam room and cosy up on the heated waterbeds in the covered cabana. Unwind on heated marble loungers whilst you relax in

luxury in The Conservatory, stay warm by the wood-fire stove as classical music plays softly. A haven of tranquillity and relaxation, the Treetop Spa is a luxurious and exclusive experience” I could not have worded that better. Our room was 2 mins from the Spa making it so accessible, looking out over the woodlands really transported us away. It felt like we were miles from civilization in a Scandinavian forest, it was breathtaking.

We spent the next couple of hours relaxing and using all of the facilities, being early in the week it wasn’t busy, though as such an exclusive hotel with 32 rooms, even at full capacity you wouldn’t feel crowded. The Spa is complete with Outdoor Pool, Sauna, Relaxing Cabana, Hot Tub, Steam Room and experience Shower - we loved everything about it and used all of the facilities, my sister didn’t want to leave lol

After freshening up we went for dinner, I think we were the first residents dining, we had a show booked that evening so went for dinner around 5.30pm as we didn’t want to rush.

I always ramble on about how much I love food so you’ll not be surprised to read that choosing what to eat was such a struggle, I want to try everything lol, it was super helpful when I saw the A La Carte Menu, there were 6 choices for starters and 6 for Main.

To Start on recommendation I ordered the Spicy Pork Ribs, these were literally finger licking good, just the right amount of spice for me, they were a tad fatty so if you are watching the waistline maybe go for something else. I could have easily gone with the Steamed Mussels, Seared Scallops or Tomato and Goats Cheese Arancini - all good devine.

My sister order the Chicken Satay Skewers, she said they were so good

On to the mains and on to another struggle, I loved a stew/casserole so decided to order the Beef Bourguignon, this was French style with Goats Cheese, a generous helping of Wholegrain Mustard Mash and a side portion of Buttered Courgettes.

This was heaven in a bowl for me, tender beef , rich sauce and little pops of zing from the baby pickles, so so good though honestly there was so much, I couldn’t manage it all though I got it boxed up, waste not want not.

Pamela ordered the Steak, I was told it was cooked to perfection, she got the Sirloin Medium, it came with all the trimmings, she was well pleased.

Other dishes I would have loved to try were

Pan Fried Duck, Slow Cooked Pork Chop or Grilled Sea Bass. The Menu definitely had something for everyone

There is always from for dessert, I ordered the Sticky Toffee Pudding and Pamela Got the Apple Tart, we shared them, both hit the spot, great finish to a lovely meal and perfect portions.

Our server was so knowledgeable and attentive, thank you

We popped out for a few hours and on return we went to the bar. It would be rude not to, it was so lovely chilling by the open fire with ambient music playing, it was like being in a hunters private lodge with the decor.

We shortly retreated to bed, I am a rubbish sleeper in general though managed to get 6 hours which is unheard of for me, the bed was so comfy.

Before leaving we went back to the spa for a couple of hours then had Breakfast, again the spa was pure bliss. Breakfast was such a spectacle, there was a large table with all the cold items which you could help yourself to, meats, cheese, yogurt, nuts, berries and loads more.

We also ordered hot food, my sister got a traditional fry and me being the inquisitive eater I ordered the ‘Shakshuka’ this was baked eggs with Chorizo and Sourdough, omg it was delicious

On departure we discovered that our suite was the most recent to be refurbished, thanks for allowing us to be one of the first to experience it we genuinely had a lovely stay only complaint is that it was too short, a day away from reality and toils of life isnt enough though it recharged the batteries and had us heading home relaxed and happy

Thanks so much for the kind invite and a wonderful stay, we adored the vibe and atmosphere immensely. Please don’t change a thing. Highly recommend

Words by Daniel May

THE NINES

When growing up, Bangor was a regular destination for me, days out with the parents and trips away with the summer scheme though it’s seldom I go now and I ask myself why?

TBH i’ve honestly no excuse, it is so easily accessible by car or train if you fancy a tipple, so on that note it’s off to Bangor we go.

As a self professed foodie I am never one to refuse some grub and after seeing all the pics online and reading the menu I was super excited to try the food ‘The Nines’ in Bangor had to offer.

In April a new team opened the restaurant under the direction of Head Chef Mateusz Ostradecki “Mateausz brings a wealth of knowledge & experience developed alongside some of Northern Ireland’s most notable Chefs of the past decade”

“Our philosophy is simple, to create hugely memorable dining experiences through fresh innovative ideas using the highest quality local suppliers and ingredients.

We arrived in the middle of lunch, my first impression was ‘WOW’ . I loved the decor, the place was so spacious, it was so great to see a 19th century building brought into the 21st century with such care. The restaurant was

so busy which in honesty I wasn’t expecting as it was mid week, this already speaks volumes, being so well supported they are clearly doing

With the Chef called Mateausz it was to no surprise that the menu was not your standard offering, everything had a well thought out twist or marriage with tradition.

I really struggled on deciding what to eat though the adventurer in me settled on the Racher Eggs. “Lebanese Flatbread, refried beans, monterey jack cheese, pico de gallo, fried eggs and Nduja Sausage. The dish usually comes with avocado though i’m not a fan and asked for it to be left off.

of me, is not that adventurous, she ordered the homemade burger. I did sneak a bite (obvs for review purposes lol), it was so good, the meat was so juicy, i loved the smoked cheese and their own relish. It came in a Brioche bun and also had crispy lettuce, pickles and a portion of fries.

Some other things on the Brunch/ Lunch menu that really appealed to me were the Protein and Fish Bowl, Tempura Cod and Cheeky Eggs - it is Ras El Hanout fried Chicken, toasted brioche, poached egg, lettuce and chipotle aioli. Think I’ll have to make a few more visits.

Our venue out over lunch was a lovely treat, both as a change of scenery and to the taste buds as I can honestly say I have never had a dish like it anywhere local, highly recommended.

something locals love. Our server who was so friendly sat us and took a drink order while we drooled through the menu. As we were driving we declined having a cocktail which i’m still regretting as they looked fantastic - next time! It was teas and coffees today.

Johnny the manager came to introduce himself once we were seated. It was lovely to put a face to voice/email, I have worked with Johnny and his family for many years though with modern technology it is only now we meet in person, thanks for taking the time to say hello.

This was so delicious and right up my street, had a real mexican/spanish feel to it, the sausage gave it a nice kick, the bread was thin & crispy and the eggs were cooked to perfection. Cannot fault it.

Pauline, my guest being the opposite

Thanks so much for the invite Johnny, Mateausz and the team for looking after us, I cannot fault a thing, food, service, atmosphere everything was perfect.

You really need to visit The Nines

Review by Daniel May

You can find their menus, more info and book on their website theninesbangor.com or on Facebook.

The Nines

10-12 Seacliff Road, Bangor Tel. 02891 27 0696.

TRAVEL Maldives

By Gavyn Andrews

A luxury Island experience you can’t afford to ignore. Wellness means many things to many people and well to the LGBTQ+ community we can often feel left out or very vulnerable when we are choosing or wanting to choose a new destination to holiday and feel comfortable to be in our own skin both individually and as a couple . Wellness in the Maldives means relaxation , recharging oneself and allowing yourself be free in one of the worlds most picturesque LUXURY multiple island destinations. So I am wanting to shine a Rain- bow light on the stunning options available in the Maldives which is actually an area of over 1200 little island with only 200 or so inhabited. (I know how Fabulous)

The Maldives offers so much exclusivity that you could even be the only people on holiday at a particular island. I know some of you might just be screaming at the pages and thinking but where are the Gay bars, Cafes or even Clubs. What is the nightlife like and OMG I don’t want to be alone . The Maldives isn’t that type of destination but I am delighted to tell you that the Mal- dives isn’t a Luxury island prison and is in-fact a holiday destination which can be pretty much the best holiday you could ever imagine. I would recommend it as a couples destination or a honey- moon resort and not for solo travellers or groups. Its all about Quality, Style, good Food and drink and luxury.

First and foremost a lot of people combine going on holiday to the Maldives with other luxurious city break destinations such as Abu Dhabi, Dubai and even Singapore all of which are indeed fab- ulous cities and personally I would agree a stop over in Abu Dhabi will bring you back into the re- ality of city life but still with that amazing luxury element. It all depends of course on how far your willing to push the purse strings but if your going on a Luxury Holiday Price isn’t really going to hold you back especially if its a once in a life time experience.

The LGBTQ+ community is rightly concerned about feeling unwelcome in many destinations around the world due to local laws but I want to reassure that if your respectful to local laws you will not have any problems and that I personally have had some fabulous holidays in the Maldives and the UAE so like I said don’t let your sexually put you off visiting.

The Maldives are perfectly positioned in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, nearest to Sri Lan- ka. The islands are spread out over a total area of 293km, making the Maldives one of the most geographically dispersed countries in the world. Now that the Maldives is becoming an increas- ingly popular holiday destination, many airlines operate flights to the country.

Direct flights operate from London, Singapore, India, Hong Kong and some parts of the Middle East. Virgin Holidays launched Direct flights to the Islands back in 2022 so you have an abun- dance of options from the UK mainland and Ireland.

When flying into the Maldives, you will fly to Male International Airport, which is actually located on the island of Hulhule. From there, you can either travel by boat or seaplane to your chosen Maldives resort. Seaplane rides are an incredible experience and all part of the Maldives adventure. However, they can be quite expensive and some people are shocked to find they may actu- ally cost around the same as your international flights. Also, seaplanes are only allowed to depart during daylight hours, so if your flight arrives late at night you may want to stay overnight in Hul- hule and depart the next day.

Like many tropical destinations, the Maldives only has two seasons - wet and dry. The dry season runs between December and March. This is the high season when resorts will be busier so room rates and flights may be a little more expensive. The rainy season or low season, runs between June and November. You should expect some rain during these months, but it is mostly just light drizzle that passes over pretty quickly. Temperatures are still warm during this time, so it shouldn’t really affect your vacation too much; plus, you can get some great deals on accommodation dur- ing this slightly quieter time! (If it was me this would be the time to go and get as much for your money as you can)

Ideas on where to stay ....

Deciding on the right hotel in the Maldives is the key to making your trip one of the best experi- ences ever and I would highly recommend this destination as one where you can mix the hotel and or resort experiences. There aren’t many cultural attractions in the Maldives, with the desti- nation very much geared towards rest and relaxation aka Wellness so think Luxury Spa Experi- ence and your on your way to feeling switched off from your normal day to day

life and wrapped up in some of the best pleasures the planet can offer.. Many of the resorts are located on private islands – you’ll often find yourself staying in the only resort on the island. I am not saying its like being shipwrecked but its pretty close.

I really love the Centara hotel brand from my time living in Thailand and feel the Centara Grand offers over-water villas and beach suites on palm-fringed

largest infinity pool in the Maldives, full-size tennis courts and a wide range of beautifully fresh food daily. The island also gets biolu- minescent plankton on the beach at night so definitely don’t miss checking out this amazing sight! This resort runs some of the best dive packages so be sure to check them out if diving is your thing.

Angsana Ihuru is definitely one of the most romantic resorts. It’s all about intimacy hereperfect for honeymooners! It’s one of the smallest islands in the Maldives and with sunset cruises and private candlelit dinners on the beach, the service is all intended to make you feel special.

The coral reef is one of the best on offer so expect to see a lot of marine life - dolphins, turtles, sharks, clownfish and more!

beaches set around a shimmering la- goon bringing nature to your door. Its Reef restaurant is a stand-out offering champagne break- fasts, casual lunches and asian-inspired dinners. The Coral bar and lounge is also a great spot to wind down in the elegant lounge area featuring fine wines, teas and handcrafted cocktails. Activ- ities include water sports, tennis, fishing and cooking classes!

The One & Only Reethi Rah is the go-to resort for newlyweds and A-listers. For ultimate glamour and opulence, this is the resort to go to. It is one of the most highly-rated resorts in the Maldives. It features 128 beautifully designed and decorated thatch-roof villas located on perfect white sandy beaches, in secluded lush jungles and of course, out on stilts in the ocean. Everything about this resort is extravagant - especially if you love Seafood.

Dusit Thani resort offers guests their own personal butler for the duration of their stay - it doesn’t get more luxurious than this! Your butler will drive you around the island in a golf buggy or bicy- cles can be provided to get around. Your resort features the

If your looking that perfect getaway from it all the I don’t think the Maldives can be topped be- cause the location is one of a kind, the cuisine is so fresh and offers so much choice alongside the opportunities to indulge in wellness experiences giving your body and mind time out.

You might think the Maldives is out of your price range but I guarantee that even if you try it once it will defiantly be worth it and as I said before you don’t have to go for two weeks you could combine a city brand and or even combine it with Sri Lanka which could be the next destination I shine a light on for the LGBTQ+ community. Gay Couples and or Honeymooners will really enjoy the freedom and personality of the Maldives and if your budgets can stretch you will 100% return to the island in the future for sure.

For now my advice is don’t shy away from travel, be inspirational and don’t let anyone or anything stop you from exploring the planet which is HOME to all of us not just one type of person.

DANNY MALONE

Following a nationwide search, Revlon Professional has announced the five creative individuals who have been chosen, which I have been given an amazing opportunity to become part of the Visionaries team alongside me.

Danny Malone at MACC hair Belfast

Ashley Long at Directors

Dodge MacKay at Andrew Jose

Emy Roccabella at Danilo Giangreco

Jessie Stride at Pink Soda

We will enjoy a year-long mentorship programme directed by Revlon Professional Global Ambassador, multi-award-winning Mark Leeson.

Karen also project manages the Relvon professional mentorship programme,who is pictured with the Visionaries above

I was privileged to get invited to attend the front row summit with Revlon professionals in Palma, Spain.

I was super thankful and inspired watching the talented stylists show off their latest creations and was blown away with the creativity and professionalism shown.

Was amazing being there watching my visionaire

mentor and his team lift the international artistic team of the year at the international hairdressing awards 2023.

I want to thank everyone at Relvon professional for inviting us Visionaries along.

FIND ME

Danny Malone @MACC HAIR Royal Avenue, Belfast

Tel. 028 9043 4003

Insatgram - TheunderdogDM

Terms of conditions for voucher - All bookings must be pre-booked by phone on 028 9024 4677. At time of booking please state GNI Mag promotion & vouchers to be presented to avail of discount.