Lyfe Magazine by Matt Langhorn

lyfe Manchester’s Premium Gay Lifestyle Magazine

MAGA ZINE December 2014 £3.00

B O DY I M A G E

WE FIND OUT HOW COMFORTABLE A TWINK, A JOCK AND A BEAR FEEL IN THEIR OWN SKIN DO WE NEED A GAY SCENE IN 2014? REVIEWS: THE IMITATION GAME, MOCKINGJAY PART 1 & ONE DIRECTION’S FOUR

Contents

PAGE 8: WE TACKLE BODY IMAGE WITH REAL PEOPLE WITH REAL BODIES ABOUT BODY IMAGE AND HOW THEY FEEL IN THEIR BODIES AND DATING

PAGE 10: WE FIND OUT FROM THE PEOPLE IN “THE VILLAGE” WHETHER WE REALLY NEED CANAL STREET OR EVEN A GAY SCENE AT ALL?

“WE SHOULDN’T JUST HAVE OUR OWN SCENE, BUT OUR OWN SOCIETY AS A WHOLE; OUR OWN LAWS, OUR OWN RULES.”

PAGE 6: BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH TAKES ON THE ROLE OF COMPUTER PIONEER & WWII CODE BREAKER ALAN TURING IN THE IMITATION GAME

EDITOR’S LETTER

hat an issue you have waiting for you on the following pages! But first I would like to bend your ear for a few minutes. Our cover story this month focuses on body image - though I’m sure you’ll agree with me that our cover star David doesn’t need to worry about his body image at all. When putting this issue together, I had an image in mind that I wanted to portray, I wanted to focus - as we always try to - on real people with real bodies. I think it’s far too easy to become obsessed by polished and airbrushed perfection that we forget that’s not what anyone really looks like. Unless they live in the gym, which I don’t and I’m fairly confident you don’t. This is one reason I got involved with the Body Image feature, as I have a lot of confidence where some don’t, even those who have better bodies than I do. By the time the magazine is published, it will already have been World Aids Day, so I would like to pay tribute to the many saddening cases of those who have been unfortunate to have suffered and died as a result of this terrible disease. I can only encourage you to take precautions and always wear a condom and be safe in the bedroom. You don’t always know his status, and you cannot always trust a random guy’s word. Whilst paying tributes, I would like to take a minute to remember those who have died at the hands of brutal homophobic attacks. The other month saw another viscious attack on two unsuspecting victims - which makes it all the more important that we stick together as a community and put up a united front as those brilliant demonstrators did on the tram in Manchester. So this month we also asked the big question, “Do we need a gay scene in 2014?” We asked you on the internet and we’ve compiled some of your responses and thrown in our two penneth for good measure. Also this month we have the review of One Direction’s latest album - a new personal favourite of mine, and the brilliant biopic of wartime hero Alan Turing, The Imitation Game. As it’s the holiday season, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a very happy Christmas. Matt Langhorn

NEWS

F I N L A N D F I N A L LY G E T S E Q U A L M A R R I A G E Finland becomes the final nordic country to make same-sex marriage legal

he Finnish parliament has narrowly approved a citizen’s initiative to legalise same-sex marriage. Gay couples in Finland have been able to enter into registered partnerships since 2002, but until now the country was the only in the Nordic region not to allow same-sex marriage. Finland is now the 12th European state to do so. In the vote, 105 members of parliament supported the legal amendment while 92 opposed it. The measure will end the

distinction in Finland between same-sex unions and heterosexual marriages and give such couples equal rights to adopt children and share a surname. “Finland should strive to become a society where discrimination does not exist, human rights are respected and two adults can marry regardless of their sexual orientation,” the centre-right prime minister, Alexander Stubb, said in an open letter before the vote. Most opponents argued that all children should

have the right to a father and mother. “This is a question of the future of our children and the whole society, and such changes should not be made without thorough evaluation of their impact,” Mika Niikko of the nationalist Finns party said before the vote. “The Western world is gradually coming to accept a gender-neutral legislative stance on marriage, and it feels right that Finland has at last come around to the idea.” ML

G M P S H O W S U PPO RT FO R T RA NS DAY O F REM EM BERA NC E

reater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd sent a message of support to the trans community of Greater Manchester, urging victims of trans hate crime to come forward and report it. Speaking ahead of International Transgender Day of Remembrance on 20 November, he said: “Transgender Day of Remembrance is an opportunity for us to stand together shoulderto-shoulder and remember the trans people who have tragically lost their lives through violence

and hatred. Trans woman (MTF) Karen Richards told lyfe what it’s like to be trans in Manchester, “We have a great and supportive community here in the gay village and we even have certain nights that the trans community likes to go out in particular. Days like today is a day to celebrate the lives of – and commemorate the tragic loss of so many members of the trans community who have suffered at the hands of transphobic thugs. We still have a long way to go before we reach the level of equality that lesbian and gay people currently experience.”

The trans community are still battling daily with ignorant attitudes and behaviour or – worse still – acts of aggression and violence. Over 287 cases of transphobic violence have taken place in the UK in the last year alone. You can also report hate crime at a third party reporting centre. These are independent, nonpolice centres that allow you to report incidents in complete confidence. If you’d rather not talk to anyone you can use a ‘selfreporting’ pack. Find a third party reporting centre in your area at www.gmpcc.org.uk/hatecrime ML

RAG queen Misty Chance has been FORCED by Facebook to change her profile name to her male birth name – or lose her lifelong work.

Due to a change in the social networking site naming policy Misty (real name Christian D’Arcy), along with over 1000 other drag queens, was stunned to find her Facebook profile had been deactivated without her knowledge. Misty said: “All my content had disappeared, photographs, videos, even blogs. I couldn’t believe it.” Insistent on being called by his male name, Christian explained how he discovered that Facebook had deleted his profile, “I got a text from my best friend who is also my assistant saying ‘Misty has disappeared, her Facebook has gone.’ I thought she was joking until I logged in myself and saw I had a message from Facebook Admin.” The message, sent to all male drag queens using female names, stated that all users must use their real name or their account would be deleted. Relying on Facebook for

“Misty had gone, photos, videos; all of it. I thought it was a joke - an expensive joke”

work, Christian faced losing not only his personal account but also his sole source of income. Performing as a drag queen for over 14 years, many of Christian’s bookings come from Facebook and he has a dedicated fan base following his daily posts. Christian said: “I have always had a personal page for Misty, when you have a fan page it takes away the personal connection with people. When they book me I don’t just do gigs ‘for’ people, I do gigs with the people. Plus, having a fan page is just another ego-stroking exercise, it’s not what I’m about.”

Misty does accept friend request from most people that ask to add him, though he does vet them first. He currently has two pages, one for Christian and one for Misty Chance, a separation he was keen to keep. Contacting Facebook, Christian was offered the option of creating a fan page, although they admitted “that by ‘migrating to a page’ from a profile would mean only 50 percent of all future posts would be seen by your audience.” Christian refuses to open a fan page as suggested, he said: “It’s

not good enough, I would still lose over 1500 members of my key audience. I can’t afford to do that.” Deciding the only way he could retain his audience and income, Christian has changed his name by statutory declaration, something he really didn’t want to do but feels Facebook has forced on him. Using a solicitor, Christian took the costly and time-consuming step, changing his name on several important documents. The issue is ongoing and costs so far are around a months wage. Christian’s Facebook account has been reactivated but only after he sent copies of all the documents to the admin department Facebook Chief Product Officer said: with “I apologize to the drag queens, drag kings, transgender, and extensive community of our friends, neighbours, and members of the LGBT community for the hardship that we've put you through over the past few months.” The issue is ongoing with more drag queens being targeted daily. ML

NEWS

DRAG QUEEN MISTY CHANCE FORCED BY FACEBOOK TO CHANGE STAGE NAME INTO REAL NAME OR FACE LOSING BUSINESS

FILM REVIEW

THE IMITATION GAME

WORDS: MATT LANGHORN

uring the WWII millions of soldiers fought across the European theatre for five years, using a strategy devised for them not by Churchill, but by a small team of code breakers at Bletchley Park. Under the command of a fiercely intelligent mathematician, Alan Turing, the team worked tirelessly to crack encrypted Nazi military commands written in code – the enigma code. This beautifully crafted biopic follows Turing from his awkward school years, through the war and to his tragic suicide. Benedict Cumberbatch portrays Turing in the film, alongside wartime companion Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley) and the team of code breakers. We learn about the difficult childhood Alan suffered at the hands of other children, as they mocked him for being different. A sweet friendship between Alan and another young boy – Christopher – proves that from very early on, there were a few who saw the potential and brilliance of being different. The phrase, “Those who nobody imagines anything of, are often the ones who do the things that nobody can imagine” is coined by Christopher to inspire confidence and belief in Alan’s ability. There are witty and comedic moments threaded into the film, often at the expense of Alan – the butt of the joke often being his inability to translate irony and sarcasm. Benedict portrays Turing with an almost textbook approach to autism. But it works; it’s a powerful trait that makes Turing an incredible ally – and a frightening enemy. It would be a lie to say that the film “downplays” Turing’s homosexuality, because there are traits and it doesn’t take Alan Turing (sorry) to work it out. It has been said in the press by Andrew Hodges (author of The

Enigma: Alan Turing on which the film is based) that it overstates Turing’s relationship with Clarke (Knightley). That’s unfair, but it’s also a separate argument to have. . The choice not to cast a gay man in the role of Turing proved to be a controversial one; once you see Cumberbatch in action, however, there is little doubt that anybody could’ve done better. Intelligence, introverted, misunderstood and cold, Turing was a man imitating a man, and he was playing a game with everyone. Every other character feels like an audience member to his fierce unfaltering conviction and dedication to art – in his case the art was computer science. The film runs 3 parallel time frames, boyhood, war time and conviction. Set in 1952, told through the words of Turing during an interview with Kinnear, the film flashes between the three settings, although sometimes it’s not always linearly effective, it aids in telling an almost rounded story. The screenplay keeps many plates spinning, with conflict in the skies and at Bletchley Park, ulterior motives, spies, homosexuality, criminality – leaving it feeling safe and a little contrived. Though its wit provides some moments of comic relief. Director Morten Tylden‘s colour palette suits the war time setting perfectly, and his unorthodox camera angles create an almost uncomfortable intimacy. There’s a beauty to crafting a biopic – and many often miss the mark by skimming over the controversial issues. Cumberbatch’s best performance save this film from that. Mesmerizing, encapsulating and wonderful to watch. Just don’t go looking for a war-time version of Queer as Folk.

he biggest boy band in the world are back with their fourth album in as many years. Finishing third on the X Factor would usually relegate an artist to the Z-List of has-beens only to be seen again in about six years on “Celebrity” Big Brother. Zayn, Louis, Niall, Harry and Liam, however, have defied all odds and taken over the globe, with their squeaky clean and cute-as-a-button image, their bankability has lined Simon Cowell’s velvet pockets rather nicely up to now. Syco’s machine saw potential (£s) and the gamble paid off to deliver 3 global No. 1 albums, 2 sold-out arena tours and a box office hit movie. The boys are barley boys now aged between 20 and 22, but to call them a man band would just be weird *shudders at images of A1 and 5ive*. The boys are growing up, so surely now is the time to show this in their music. So, does ‘Four’ do that? Recent hit single ‘Steal My Girl’ opens the track-list with a thumping synth and 80s tinged piano chords. It’s a polished bubble-gum-soft-rock track that – while not worlds away from their debut ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ – demonstrates an evolution in maturity for the boys. Produced slickly but betrayed by clichéd lyrics – it’s full of energy and enthusiasm – it’s a solid album opener. Zayn’s voice is still the strongest in ability and range – demonstrated with his trademark soaring falsetto on the thrumming mid-tempo track ‘Stockholm Syndrome’. “Baby, look what you’ve done to me, baby, you’ve got me tied down” the boys exclaim over pulsing bass guitar riffs. Julian Bunetta is credited as the producer of the majority of the album, providing a glossy coating to every track – at times over-sugaring the mix. Ed Sheeran penned ‘18’ turns down the tempo with Steve Robson producing the reminiscent ballad. “I have loved you since we were 18, long before we both thought the same thing” recalls a time in the band’s not too distant past and is everything you would

expect from Sheeran, but the boys don’t share his emotional depth. ‘Little Things’ from ‘Take Me Home’ – which was also penned by Sheeran – heralded a raw acoustic feel, and the boys sounded natural. Here they feel contrived, and sound bored. The boys feel more at home on Fleetwood Macesque ‘Fireproof’ where layered vocals channel harmonies reminiscent of ‘Go Your Own Way’. There’s an old-school tinge that feels organic and superbly produced. “I think I’m gonna win this time, I roll and I roll till I change my luck” croons Louis, over a rumbling rocky beat – easily a stand out track. ‘Night Changes’ is a silkily produced pop track that opens up the boy’s hearts. It’s a little cheesy, a little over-cooked – but mightily well performed over a wobbling drum and simple piano chord, before the key changes at the bridge cuing harmonies of “Ooooo’s”. It’s an all-around lovely track – if a little soft. Rumours have been rife since day one of a split leading to ambiguous tracks like ‘Spaces’. “Who’s gonna be the first one to start the fight? Who’s gonna be the last on the drive away?” No doubt references to a shaky relationship – they are only their early 20s, it’s not foreign territory. But the rumours grow greater in substance as tracks like this manufacture their own air of mystery. Tracks like ‘Spaces’ are melancholy and feel terribly out of place. The boys are too young to be reminiscing and mourning past relationships – they should be partying, running riot and filling arenas with unrelenting energy and enthusiasm as on ‘Steal My Girl’ and past tracks ‘Live While We’re Young’ and ‘Kiss You’. ‘Four’ displays signs of maturity, but also an evergrowing want to please everyone. One Direction have their fans and they should stick to entertaining their core ‘Directioners’ – and leave the slow tracks to Ed Sheeran. It’s a well-produced, solid effort.

MUSIC REVIEW

ONE DIRECTION: FOUR

WORDS: MATT LANGHORN

BODY

IMAGE COVER STORY!

WE’VE SPOKEN TO THREE NORMAL GUYS WITH NORMAL BODIES TO SEE HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THEIR BODIES. THE BOYS STRIPPED OFF AND TOLD US HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT DATING, GRINDR AND SEX! EVEN THE EDITOR GOT INVOLVED!

LUKE, 22

BIOMEDICAL ASSISTANT

I couldn’t be more happy with my body and the way it looks. I think that’s mostly because the way I look is what I look for in a guy - and what I found in my boyfriend

I don’t have any kind of diet, I eat exactly what I like, which I know is probably my dentist and doctor’s worst nightmares

Being very comfortable in my body makes me very confident in the bedroom

I used to use Grindr and Scruff without a problem - if someone wanted a pic of my body I wouldn’t hesitate sending them one. I think it’s a very healthy attitude to have

WORDS: MATT LANGHORN / PHOTOGRAPHY: MATT LANGHORN

DAVID, 22 ACCOUNT MANAGER

I’m not happy with my body, because it’s not where I want it to be in terms of being toned and buff. I spend so much time in the gym, that it depresses me when I don’t see results I used to have an eating disorder when I was in my teens, I was really big, and then I used to starve myself and ended up borderline anorexic. I am much better now, and I don’t think that could ever happen again

I am very careful with what I eat to the point where it takes me forever to do my shopping because I read the labels for carbs and fats If I know that a guy likes my body, I feel more confident in the bedroom

I still use Grindr and Hornet. I use a photo of me at the gym as my profile picture. Does that make me one of those types of people?

PHOTOGRAPHY: STEPHEN COWELL

MATT, 21

THE EDITOR

I am not sure if I’m happy with my body, but I don’t really like the commitment of going to the gym. There aren’t enough hours in the day

I don’t mind taking my clothes off, my boyfriend likes it, so I’m happy with that I tend to eat whatever I feel like, I don’t have a special diet or anything

I like to think I know what I’m doing in the bedroom, and I think it’s really important to keep the intimacy during sex. I think porn has damaged many people’s sex lives

I met my boyfriend on Grindr, and I used to be guilty of talking to near enough anyone. I think it has killed the art of pulling someone though

BODY IMAGE

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DO WE NEED A GAY SCENE? Following the horrific homophobic attacks across the UK and the disparate community spirit amongst the gay population, we talked to you, the police and venue owners whether we really need a gay scene anymore? By Matt Langhorn

“I

believe we should have a separate society entirely; with our own laws, our own government and live in our own separate country.” The conversation opens with Barry’s remark. “I’m a separatist, I won’t deny it. I think what we need is not equality; that does us no good. It puts us not level with heterosexuals, but still a rung below it, because we’re an afterthought. We still have to abide their rules; follow their laws.” Barry, now 50-years-old, came out just 13 years ago. He moved to Manchester following the success, controversy, uproar and popularity of Queer as Folk. “It was finally ok to be queer, I thought ‘Fuck this, I’m coming out’ and moving to Manchester was undeniably the result of watching Queer as Folk.” “By having our own society, the straights can fuck off and leave us to it. I don’t want them in our bars; they act like they have a fucking entitlement. No, that’s bollocks. They are gay bars, which we need - as is ever proven by the spate of homophobic attacks. I despair at those who say, “They wouldn’t let me in because I didn’t look gay enough.” No, they didn’t let you in because they don’t know you, and they don’t like the look of you because we have strict policies to protect our people.” The theme stemmed from articles on blogs about G-A-Y door staff in Manchester refusing entry to the club on the basis that they weren’t regulars. The gay scene is regarded as a sanctuary by some, a seedy cesspit of sex, drugs and AIDs to homophobes and bitter gays and is often the first place young and freshly “out” teenagers visit. Barry, a frequent visitor to Canal Street, told of his first encounter with the gay scene. “I was in my late twenties, in Birmingham, and struggling with my sexuality. I sat outside a bar, but I never entered. The result of going in and being exposed was intimidating. Back then, for people to find out would have been catastrophic. I was living with a man and we were having sex, but I wasn’t out. It wasn’t until I came out at 37 I thought “fuck this” and went to what was “The Shilling” in Bristol.” For many, the gay scene has been home to many as a meet up destination for those who have a wife and kids at home. Many men did what was expected of them, and got married and had children from an early age – hiding their sexuality. The gay scene has long been a sanctuary, where everyone is gay and so no questions are asked. Today, we face an ever increasing gay population of newly “out” teens moving into Manchester for university – emerging onto the

scene with fresh faces and many pink pounds (student loans) to spend. One man who is more than happy to take their pink pounds is business owner Paul Yarwood. Having taken over Kiki just over a year ago, Paul; has had more than a taste of Manchester’s gay scene and the aforementioned straight crowd. Naturally Paul’s interest in the public – and wider variety of gay and straight punters – is first and foremost to do with his business. “I don’t have a problem with straight people coming in here, I turn people away at the door – and I spend all night Friday and Saturday at the front doors vetting who comes in – based on my perception of them.” We hit a landmark this year, receiving equal marriage – in many countries across the globe, and many would say that now there is no need for the separation since gay people now have total equality. In spite of this view, homophobia remains rife across Manchester and the UK, with Scotland Yard recording 1,073 violent homophobic offences between January and October, up from 1,007 in 2013 and 1,002 in 2012. This demonstrates a significant rise, which certainly makes the case for keeping the gay scene. It was reported on The Huffington Post, “Figures released to the Press Association under the Freedom of Information Act revealed 19 police forces recorded more violence against the person offences, which were classed as homophobic or motivated by a person's sexuality, between January and October than the whole of last year.” Paul Yarwood believes that “the spate of attacks have signalled the need for the gay scene to return to the underground and back alley community that it was more than 20 years ago. If Scotland Yard have noticed an increase in attacks, what are they doing about them? Obviously nothing!” Richard Lane, a spokesman for Stonewall, said, "Hate crime is a key area of our work and our campaigns aim to not just encourage individuals to report attacks, but also for the police to try and make people feel more at ease with approaching them. We know, in the past, many have been hesitant to report crimes to the police for fear of the consequences." Just last month the two young men from Manchester made global news when they were attacked allegedly for singing a song from the musical show Wicked. The men were travelling on a tram in Manchester and suffered a homophobic attack – with one of them needing hospital

care. A week later more than 300 gay and straight people gathered to sing on a Metrolink tram in Manchester’s city centre, to unite against homophobia. This demonstrates the solidarity and sense of community that we have in the LGBT community – the strength to unite and make a stand against injustice. Councillor Peel from Manchester said of the demonstration, “It was fantastic, there was a really positive vibe, a determination to make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen again by sending a message to people who have horrible views and attitudes that it isn’t okay. There were lots of people getting up showing their support and being defiant in the face of homophobia.” So where do these attacks and the rise in reported attacks leave the “equal” rights that we now have? “Now straight people come to our bars because they like the music, or they want to pull a straight girl who is out with her gay friends. The straight women come to the gay scene as Hen parties because they feel safe. And for the most part we’re fine with that, but they have plenty of their own bars. And many gay people still don’t feel safe in straight bars.” Paul explains why he doesn’t go to straight bars, “I haven’t been to a straight bar for years – because I don’t feel safe. I don’t feel comfortable or like I fit in. I’m a 45 year old man who is married to another man – and I wouldn’t feel safe putting my arm around Owen in a straight bar.” “When I first went to a gay bar when I was 15, it had blacked out windows. You couldn’t see in and there were no signs to tell you what it was. You knew about the place by word of mouth or someone took you there. It wasn’t safe to advertise it. I think it’s amazing that now I can have 12ft panes of transparent glass on the front of my venue – it shows the progress we’ve made. However, I believe the gay scene needs to go back underground; because it’s no longer about community it’s far too commercial now. That’s why the straight people come down here and can get into venues and carry out homophobic attacks.” It is interesting how much Paul and Barry differ in views – whilst Paul believes we need to go almost back into hiding – Barry wants us to separate from the heterosexual society for good. “Well you see then there would be NO homophobia. Because our lives would be nothing to do with them. They would have no control or influence over our lives. I stick by the fact that we need to all move to our own island, have our own government. Christ, for what

it’s worth we could all save up and move to settle on the Moon for what it’s worth.” With the aim of fairness –in whilst researching people’s opinions of this subject – we asked an open population on social media, which included straight people. Danny from Blackpool believes that we do need gay bars, “There is an interesting straight demand for gay bars in modern society. On a personal level I find these places great social clubs to hang out in and have a great time. I don't go there specifically because it's a gay establishment but I tend to have the most on fun nights out there.” Stuart a gay man from Oldham was sat on the fence, “Whilst I enjoy the occasional visit to various gay bars, and areas such as Manchester's gay village, it strikes me as being a "gay ghetto" - gay men and women are almost corralled into a neighbourhood so that they can interact with their own - if similar areas were to be created for black / Irish / Polish men and women today, there would be an outcry. Any phobia is built on fear, and a lack of understanding. And as long as gay men and women are segregated from straight society, there can be no understanding.” The subject divides opinion amongst gay and straight people, and it’s safe to say it won’t be resolved any time soon. What can be taken from this, is that there is a strong sense of support for LGBT people from the straight community. The outpouring of support from straight people and people from all walks of life during the protest on the tram in Manchester proves that gay people do have allies. With straight people advocating the need and demand for gay bars – and gay people using them on a nightly basis to pull and to enjoy themselves – we can’t see the gay scene going back underground, either. Paul made a final remark after the interview, that “Apps like Grindr and the internet as a whole have destroyed a massive part of what the gay scene used to be. Nobody goes out to pull anymore. You no longer see two strangers stood opposite ends of the bar, who by closing time are eating one another’s faces.” He has a point, when you can see how many gay people are in your area – and indeed what they (and their cocks) look like from the comfort of your own home – there isn’t a need to go out looking for it. Or to go cruising in back alleys like they used to do – back in’t day! But do us a favour, and get your arse of the couch, put this magazine down and go and meet people.

lyfe MAGA ZINE

NEXT ISSUE OUT JANUARY 5TH 2015

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