Out on Campus Issue 1

Issue 1, Nov/Dec 2011

BEN COHEN TACKLES BULLYING

BEAUTY

HOPELGBT

VLOGGING

GAY FOOTBALL

CHESTER PRIDE

Actually, the Queers are revolting 32 years since the Stonewall riots, the White Night riots and the first Gay Pride marches, the struggle for equality is far from over. As students, we continue to campaign and fight against discrimination and homophobia, often through various LGBT societies and organisations.

By UCLU LGBT An LGBT society is a key element in a students’ union, providing a voice and creating a safe space for LGBT students, as well as resisting homophobia on their behalf. LGBT societies have been at the centre of the Donation Not Discrimination campaign, which effectively lobbied the National Blood Service to change its discriminatory ban on gay and bisexual men giving blood.

Regardless of this, they are currently under fire in the student media,

Aidian Barlow, Politcal Editor aidian.barlow@outoncampus.org Alex Mitchell, News Editor alex.mitchell@outoncampus.org John Hyland, Problem Page Editor (Laura Ellison, Sub Editor) john.hyland@outoncampus.org Mark Jackson, Fashion Editor mark.jackson@outoncampus.org Natalie Wood, Film Reviewer natalie.wood@outoncampus.org Ollie Harcus, Sports Editor oliver.harcus@outoncampus.org Paul Kelly, Legal Editor and Legal Advisor paul.kelly@outoncampus.org Simeon Scheuber, Music Editor (Adi Fallaize, Sub Editor) simeon.scheuber@outoncampus.org

Tom Kirby, Events Editor tom.kirby@outoncampus.org

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and an inaccurate picture of their apolitical nature is being painted. In a London student queer column called Advice for Freshers, Jennifer Izaakson slams LGBT societies and queer charities as organizations set out to “transplant” peoples’ identities for new ‘LGBT-branded’ ones, complete with rainbow bracelets and Justin Bieber haircuts.

We live in a time when cuts to LGBT provisions are dealing a severe blow to our fight, and our fight is not about 24-hour Vauxhall-based clubbing sprees. Today, the Coalition government cuts to education and welfare will affect LGBT students disproportionately, and it’s up to us to respond.

HE Teaching Budget is going to be cut by 40%, affecting 8% of LGB students and over 16% of trans students who are either estranged from their parents or don’t receive financial support from them, thus requiring financial assistance from their universities.

The Government’s removal of the ring-fence from the AIDS Support Grant (£26 million) will be another hit for the LGBT community, as HIV disproportionately affects men who sleep with men: in the London LGBT scene, 1 in 7 men who sleep with men are HIV positive.

Existing cuts have already had negative impact on student welfare, as outoncampus.org

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a 2011 NUS LGBT briefing shows. Cuts to the Leeds Primary Care Trust have resulted in a lack of budget this year for sexual health campaigns at Leeds University Union, there is no budget for substance misuse campaigns, and a significantly reduced budget for student safety and crime prevention campaigns.

Almost half of LGBT students in HE report being treated in a negative way by fellow students on the basis of their sexual orientation.

Furthermore, 10% of LGB students report negative attitudes from tutors and lecturers, and this percentage doubles for trans students! The same applies to bullying, harassment and abuse. In the face of these issues, LGBT societies must work together with NUS and their students’ unions to fight back.

This year, we’ve seen cuts, profitoriented Pride marches and homophobia as alive today as it was in 1969. This year, we see the Queer Column advising freshers to think twice before getting involved with their local LGBT societies and donating to queer charities. This year, we need to say this is not okay!

UCLU LGBT is one of the biggest forums in the country, with over 500 members and a record of campaigning around various issues, including the blood ban. We say, do get involved!

We recognize that not all LGBT societies have the confidence to put on political events on top of their socials and it is important to see this in the context of coming out at university, often for the first time, and the pressure this brings. Political confidence grows through activity, and this is why UCLU LGBT will be planning, along with new students, a range of events fighting the cuts, fighting fascism, fighting against islamophobia and other forms of discrimination.

Anyone wishing to help plan our first event, please e-mail uclu-lgbt.officer@ucl.ac.uk

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Ben Cohen stands up against bullying A comedy of errors preceded the arrival of Out on Campus at Northampton College where England Rugby World Cup champion turned gay rights activist Ben Cohen, MBE, was spending the day among students preaching the word of his project The Ben Cohen Stand Up Foundation. Jack Hill and Kev Luke (University of Leicester) caught up with Ben to find out more about the foundation.

Tell us a bit about the Stand Up Foundation.

The Foundation began in May 2011, from my ongoing work within the LGBT community for the last 6 years.

Our aims are to break down stereotypes whilst raising awareness and providing support for the community. One of the worst effects of bullying is the emotional damage it can cause. Bullying can stifle development and cause lasting issues for its victims, so we’re working closely with schools, colleges, Stonewall and Bully Free Zone.

Where have you seen real change as a result of the Foundation?

We’ve been going into schools such as Greenhill School in Dallas (Texas) and speaking about the effects bullying can have. I’ve also led more targeted talks towards the schools’ aspiring sports players about the incredible impact they can make through standing up against bullying. We’ve received a very positive response so far, and will continue to raise awareness in schools and colleges to break down stereotypes.

Why did you decide to retire from rugby and focus on the Foundation, and why do you focus mainly on LGBT issues?

Kids are killing themselves in the world as a result of bullying, and I felt that I should focus primarily on my anti-bullying message. I feel that more of an impact can be made in the fight against homophobia and homophobic bullying as a straight guy. It’s more powerful for a straight guy to bridge the gap and combat bullying. I have a huge gay following, so it’s a way of giving back to the LGBT community.

To find out more about The Ben Cohen Stand Up Foundation visit www.standupfoundation.com What was the reaction of your family, friends and exteammates?

I’ve had nothing but support for this project. Rugby is a very accepting sport, people from all different backgrounds, shapes and sizes play and they’ve been really supportive of me.

In 5 years time, how do you think acceptance in sports as a whole will have changed?

We’re working with Nike, who are very proactive in their campaigns to eliminate bullying in sport, and we’re using the Foundation to support this cause. Homophobia is the last great phobia in society, so I’d like to see that change and sport becoming much more accepting as a whole.

Do you have any advice for young LGBT sports players facing difficulties coming out?

The big thing is acceptance. If you accept yourself and embrace yourself for who you are, coming out will be easier.

All in all, what began as a busy and rushed day turned out to be quite the insightful adventure; with Ben himself shedding light on his Foundation.

Despite being kept to a tight schedule, he was pleasant and professional, and Ben’s clear desire to eradicate all sport of homophobia and any kind of discrimination is almost as attractive as the man himself.

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International students

by Janet lynn Zazubek, University of Liverpool A new term at university includes the obvious new friends, new accommodations, new social lives and new responsibilities. International students have also taken on the challenge of a new country, new language and new culture. Before classes even begin, we must re-learn simple tasks: how to ask for directions and introduce ourselves to strangers.

Some of us came to the UK sure of our ourselves and ready to take on the challenges of meeting new people.

Others remain uncertain of the local expectations, hesitant of how we may be accepted in this country.

Life in the UK can be challenging for students from countries with different attitudes towards the LGBTQ community; Some of our home towns may have more liberal views, and international students may find themselves briefly back in the closet as they learn to navigate the UK scene. For other students, life in the UK represents as change to express themselves beyond the restrictions from home. Wherever you come from, university is the ideal stepping stone to a new city and a new country, as you will have so many more resources and opportunities to met people socially than other immigrants might have.

Let’s start with your local Unis LGBTQ club. How many international students

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are there? Compared to your program of study, maybe we are a bit under represented. Many LGBTQ groups meet in bars, a challenge for students still practicing their English to be heard or follow conversations in loud settings.

International students also tend to congregate with the other students from their home country. Does your club encourage bringing along a ‘straightbut-not-narrow’ friend for support?

And I don’t know about you… but my gaydar doesn’t work in the UK. I seem to have no frame of reference - how do gay people look or act over here? I’ve had more than a few awkward conversations while I discover my intuition has lead me astray... But keep in mind, we want to meet locals and ask them about life in this country.

So forgive me if I chat you up, or ask you to repeat yourself more slowly, but I am from out of town. And please invite us out. We want to see your scene, even if we don’t know how to ask. It’s part of why we come here!

(A)sexual UK premiere held at University of Kent

by Jon Cornejo, LGBT Officer (Open Place), Kent Union On Wednesday the 26th of October the Kent Union LGBT Campaign held the UK premiere of Angela Tucker’s (A)sexual, a ground breaking new documentary on asexuality, at the University of Kent’s Canterbury campus. The event was part of Asexual Awareness Week and included a question-and-answer session with Michael from Asexual Awareness Week Committee and a forum discussion on Asexuality the following week. The event drew one of the biggest turn outs ever for the fairly young LGBT Campaign, bringing in over 80 students to watch the documentary and learn more about asexuality.

The film itself is a newly completed documentary tracking the rise of

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the asexual movement by following the journey of David Jay, founder of asexuality.org, and the Asexuality Visibility and Education Network (AVEN).

The term asexual is an umbrella term that refers to people that experience little or no sexual desire. However, within this term there are variances in whether or not people experience romantic desire, whom they experience romantic desire towards and the extent to which they are comfortable in participating in sexual activity. However, asexuality is commonly misunderstood and even people like myself who have been involved in the LGBT movement for years have little or no understanding of it. The film serves as an important reminder that there is more to being LGB than just sex, pointing out that sexuality is not just about who you are sexually attracted to but also who you are romantically attracted towards.

An important consideration that came from the discussion we held following the screening was the way in which the LGBT movement has been slow in its acceptance of asexuality. The film shows a group of asexual people marching in San Francisco pride for the first time only to be met by confusion and some hostility. The important thing to understand is like other identities within the LGBT umbrella, asexuality is not a choice. Asexuals are born without or with very little sexual desire, making the commonplace comparisons to celibacy incorrect, as celibacy involves the suppression of existing sexual desires. Asexual people face different struggles and discrimination, but they also have many experiences similar to our own. They still have to come out to friends and family, and sometimes face homophobia as a result of often being dismissed as closeted gay people. They have to go through the process of self discovery and understanding of their sexual orientation. And they still have to battle to educate the general population about their sexual orientation and the issues that they face. It is because of this that they must be more widely accepted and supported within our movement, because our general struggle is fundamentally linked.

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Small uni, big voice When you think about starting a student campaign, you begin to gather together what you think you will need for it to be successful… Will you need hundreds of Students? How about thousands of Pounds? Well, one campaign that says no to these stereotypes (literally!) is Liverpool HopeLGBT. Liverpool HopeLGBT is the Society and campaign for students at Liverpool Hope University, one of the country’s smallest universities with just over 7,500 students and only two small campuses.

NUS affiliated and recently having adopted the Forum system of student democracy, HopeSU is hoping to inspire a new age of Activism and Involvement, as well as the next Student Leaders.

The Students’ Union prioritises its equality and diversity opportunities as well as taking pride in their very successful Liberation campaigns which, for the first year, is made up of a full team of Student Officers. From our First Black and Ethnic Minorities (BME) Officer to our Disabled Students’ Officer, Womens’ Officer and LGBT Officer all are set to make the coming year the best year that Hope Liberation has ever seen.

Liverpool Hope are also the new guys on the Stonewall Gay By Degree rankings, going straight in (excuse the pun) at 6/10 and 3rd in Merseyside.

HopeLGBT was also one of the first universities to support the new Trans* By Degree rankings from its early stages of being developed.

The second ever Liverpool Pride festival was not just a landmark event in its own right but also the first ever Pride festival attended by HopeLGBT. Marching alongside the Justin Campaign and NUSlgbt Hope soon became one of the loudest groups on the march and were definitely the largest Student Group there on the day.

It seems that Hope has caught the “Pride Bug” as they are planning on being present at more than five festivals over the next academic year including World Pride 2012, which is being hosted by Pride London.

we have at Hope... I am proud to be part of our community” Andi Herring, talking about Liverpool Pride 2011 A campaign message plays a key role in Hope’s LGBT society and over the coming year it is only set to grow. With the launch of the society focus weeks which look at different areas of the LGBT community from an on-campus perspective with Gender Neutral Toilets and Academic campaigns to local operations such as the Hate Crime, Hate Hate-Crime campaign and the launch of what are hoped to become national movements such as our LGBT-Sport and Faith & Sexuality campaigns.

“It’s crucial that students are able to express all parts of their identity, whether it be sexual, gender or cultural.

It’s great that LGBT societies are starting to take a lead on creating a safe space for students to do this and Hope’s full week of events looks particularly impressive.”

Hanif Leylabi - NUS Committee

by Andi Herring when I started to write this article most seem to lessen when compared to two in particular, and I guess these two ideas are my main reason for writing this: to say a huge thank you to all those who have supported us so far - the students who have made the campaign possible to date, and to give a message to aspiring activists: If you are thinking about getting involved, maybe in your union’s LGBT, or maybe a local organisation… What are you waiting for!? It could be one of the best decisions you will ever make, It was for me! And don’t forget… You can be a small campaign and still make a huge difference to many others just like you!

I say it again, I have never been more proud of our HopeLGBT community.

Upcoming Event: Love Music, Hate Homophobia, December 4th, 8pm at Slug And Lettuce, Liverpool.

Tickets: email: lgbt@hope.ac.uk www.hopelgbt.org facebook.com/hope.lgbt Twitter: @hopeLGBT

Going back to the idea of what makes a good campaign, a big factor is contacts - and no I don’t mean being able to call up Richard Branson for a big wad of cash, though that would be nice - I am talking about having a network of people who want the same thing you do. HopeLGBT are lucky to have a wide range of support behind them, from local businesses and local charities to other Universities and Unions. The society looks at and thinks with the idea: Rather than trying to provide something that is already there and doing well why not act as a ‘hub’ where all services are able to reach our students, while also being able to support and help providers.

As I try to think back to all the ideas I had

“As LGBT Officer I have never been more proud of our society. It [Liverpool Pride 2011] was a great reflection of the diverse and supportive community

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What is a vlog?

by John Hyland of thousands, if not millions, of hits per video and therefore are internationally known. Viewers are always waiting in anticipation for when their Youtube idols will upload their next video, their popularity stemming from the simple fact - they are real people sharing their lives in a more real way than such reality television series will ever portray.

“What is a vlog” I hear you say. Well, put simply a vlog is the abbreviated term for a video blog, or a video diary, through which the creator, known as a vlogger, talks to the camera about whatever they choose and then uploads it to the internet, usually onto the video sharing website Youtube.

Vlogging has become increasingly popular as social networking sites have become the norm in society, as it adds that extra interactivity between friends and acquaintances - the ability to share videos across multiple platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook, from Youtube allows a greater viewing audience. It is in this way that most things gain popularity through word of mouth.

In this respect, most people will relate such a thing to sharing funny videos, such as Sneezing Panda, and shocking videos, such as Chris Crocker’s Leave Britney Alone (he, himself, a vlogger), so why is it vlogging has become so popular?

One reason is possibly due to the idea of “Youtube Celebrity.”

“Why exactly do you film yourself and put it online” is a question I’ve received a multiple number of times since I started vlogging a few months ago, but if I’m truly honest there is no real answer that can be applied to every vlogger on Youtube, as every individual has their own reasons for why they do it.

Have you ever had the need to vent your frustrations to a friend, or write all your misgivings in a diary? Some vloggers choose to do this through their video logs, it is a form of release that can be, and I say this through personal experience, very addictive.

Others feel it is their own form of creative outlet, as the time and energy spent on editing and putting together a vlog can be lengthy and tedious depending on the topic of the Vlog and whether it has a serious or comedic tone to it; Vlogs that make use of humour are usually the most time consuming to piece together.

Well noted vloggers are Charlie McDonnell (CharlieIsSoCoolLike), Michael Buckley (What the Buck?), Alex Day (AKA Nerimon) and GloZell.

Each of these vloggers contribute something completely different in their videos but have hundreds

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“They are real people, sharing their lives in a real way”

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Another major reason, if not the most important reason for this article, is that the viewer relates to what it is a person is talking about in their video.

It can be something topical, such as a motion passed by government or a tutorial video on how to create something. Whatever the subject, Youtube viewers find comfort in the knowledge that there is someone else who thinks in the same manner that they do and that they can rely on that person to talk about a great many different things and they can still watch and engage with them.

The videos can then potentially strengthen them as a person.

“A great media attention has been placed on the LGBT Youth of today” It is with this idea in mind that vlogging has become extremely popular in the gay community, especially amongst LGBT Youth, and again since the It Gets Better project took off on the 21st September 2010, as those courageous enough to speak out about their experiences and problems, allows a whole new generation, as well as those of the same generation, to understand, identify and possibly gain advice from those producing the videos.

It is a terrible thing to admit, but a great media attention has been placed on the LGBT Youth of today,

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in light of the recent tragic suicides that have hit our community hard.

However, one thing which has been noticeable is that several of these individuals used vlogging to get their feelings out in the open. Jamey Rodemeyer posted several “It Gets Better” videos, thanking his family and Lady GaGa, before the bullying became just that too much, and Jamie Hubley used his videos as a creative outlet to display his passion for performing and singing. So, the spotlight has been placed on young gay vloggers in response to this, as it is us who are being looked upon to express our feelings and give our opinions, as it is us who this situation affects most. It is here that gay collab channels come into play for their popularity and ability to get messages across to a vast amount of people.

A Youtube collab channel, is a channel in which a group of vloggers come together under one name and make a video, usually each day of the week, specified by an agreed weekly theme, with each person within the group being allocated a specific day. In this way the channel has, for example, five different personalities, five different styles of video making and five groups of viewers, which then combine to watch the other videos, and a domino effect ensues.

One of the most influential gay Collabs for young LGBT people, was the American collab 5 Awesome Gays, or 5AG, which was active for three years before the group of young men decided collectively to end the channel four months ago. This act then passed the reins onto the channel A Gay A Day, or AGAD, which has been ongoing for two years and remains strong. youtube.com/5AwesomeGays

Yours truly is part of a brand new collab called 5 Empty Closets, or 5EC. Collabs don’t try to tackle all things LGBT, as that could get monotonous and a bit, in my opinion, preachy.

Therefore we all try to vary the themes up. 5AG and AGAD have had such themes as Pirate Week, Harry Potter Week, and Unedited Week (where the video makers have to post their video without making any changes to the original recording, which can be quite amusing to watch). This way it keeps viewers entertained as well as educated and aware.

“I have used my channel to talk about various LGBT issues” I personally began vlogging earlier this summer, however I have been part of Youtube since 2006, I just never had the confidence to talk to the camera.

Yet, on making my first vlog, I caught the bug, and, as I mentioned earlier, have became quite addicted to it.

I do it because I see it as a way to voice my opinion and engage with the people who watch my videos, whether they agree or not.

I have used my channel to talk about various LGBT issues, such as the ongoing suicide contagion that appears to have gripped America, bullying in general, the relaxation of the law in donating blood by gay men in the UK, as well as many other things such as Pottermore and Pokemon (don’t judge me). In recognition of these vlogs I was nominated, and eventually won a regional award for them! I was voted Seen Magazine’s LGBT Young Person of the Year, which I am very proud of, and if anyone reading this voted... THANKS! If you’re interested in Vlogging, check out my channel at youtube. com/JohnBirdMedia or check out the collab channels I mentioned. I am certain you will find someone you can connect with if you’re having any trouble, and don’t hesitate in contacting them, or me. youtube.com/JohnBirdMedia

youtube.com/AGayADay

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Do we need the Human Rights Act? Over the last few weeks, the Conservatives have been tearing themselves apart over the thorny issue of Europe. It has been seen as something of a lurch to the right by many in the media, which has prompted Theresa May’s criticism of the Human Rights Act, urging it to be scrapped.

At the same time, we have over the last 25 years been witnessed something of a crisis in the numbers of people seeking refugee status. In many countries, governments actively legislate to criminalise LGBT+ status, forcing tough decisions on people to have to flee to safety in the UK. To what extent is the Human Rights Act useful and necessary for LGBT+ asylum seekers? Would it be a mistake to get scrap it or replace it with a “British” piece of legislation?

The Tory case for scrapping the Human Rights Act fits into a wider pattern of Euro-scepticism that has maligned the Tories for three decades. The perception is that too many powers are leaving Parliament and British Courts only to be “handed over” to the European Union or other European bodies such as the Court of Justice (ECJ) and Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). They argue the solution is to “bring powers back”. In this instance, it would

mean scrapping the Human Rights Act, a piece of legislation which seeks to enshrine the European Convention on Human Rights into British legislation and requires all future British legislation to be compatible with these standards.

Instead, it would be replaced by a “Bill of Rights” that could be amended by Parliament, and would be adjudicated by British Courts seeking to determine the wishes of Parliament as “sovereign” law maker.

Yet despite the Tory case, there are immediate issues to discuss.

Firstly, it is unclear as to whether a “British Bill of Rights” would extend to anyone without British citizenship. If this were the case, asylum seekers may not expect to enjoy a same level of rights, or may be excluded from important protections which they currently receive under the Human Rights Act. In contrast, the existing Human Rights Act does apply universally to any person who has stepped onto British soil, irrespective of their citizenship.

Secondly, the ECtHR and ECJ have been pivotal at times in challenging the British Government’s record on its treatment of refugees and those seeking asylum. It was thanks to the Human Rights Act that people could challenge former Home Secretary David Blunkett over degrading treatment of asylum seekers in Britain. Courts held that asylum seekers having to live at Heathrow Airport or be in homeless shelter was not an adequate state of affairs, and was degrading, in breach of Article 3.

The Human Rights Act enables us to acknowledge that sometimes the government is wrong or in defiance of the principles it espouses.

Instead it allows courts to more clearly assert the obligations of

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by Aidan Barlow.

the Government. I fear a British Bill of Rights would leave no such remedy for LGBT+ asylum seekers who sought to challenge their poor treatment.

Surely we want our courts to stand up and protect all refugees, including LGBT+, from being treated in an unsatisfactory manner?

Refugees and Asylum seekers already face great contempt, being labelled as “bogus” asylum seekers and facing a hard life in poverty conditions when entering the UK. This treatment has been created from policies under both Conservative and Labour governments. The smear tactics against those escaping hardship, torture and persecution are still ever-present in our political landscape of immigration. We witnessed this with Theresa May’s speech which was characteristic of her gross contempt for the issues and personal stories involved with those seeking asylum.

The Human Rights Act may not be perfect, but scrapping it would most probably be unwise and have negative consequences for those seeking asylum.

Furthermore, when we consider the active discrimination of LGBT+ people pursued by governments around the world, it is of massive significance that our country sends a clear message in defence of basic human rights for LGBT+ people. Sending such a clear signal would arguably be much more effective than Cameron’s dubious idea of cutting aid to such countries. It would be better to state: LGBT+ refugees and asylum seekers are welcome here. It is our responsibility to create this through our campaigns and actions in the future.

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2011 Stonewall Award winners The sixth annual Stonewall Awards, hosted by Stephen K Amos and supported

by Nationwide, were held last night at London’s V&A and attended by over 400 people including celebrities, politicians, sportspeople and writers. The Awards, one of the most glamorous events in Stonewall’s fundraising calendar, celebrate those who have made a positive impact on the lives of lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Britain in the last 12 months.

Hero of the Year – Roger Crouch Chosen by thousands of Stonewall supporters.

Since 2010 Roger has dedicated himself tirelessly to working to raise awareness of homophobic bullying in schools, after his son Dominic took his own life in 2010. Roger said: ‘I see this as an award for Dom. I want to say by choosing us for this award you’ve also chosen to take a stand alongside all the young people whose lives have been ended by bullying. We are parents who loved our son. We stood by him in life and we stand by him in death.’

Broadcast of the Year – The World’s Worst Place to be Gay? (Scott Mills/ BBC 3) Openly-gay Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills travelled to the centre of an international row about homophobic legislation by visiting Uganda in the midst of debate over the so called ‘Kill the Gays’ Bill. The judges were struck by the ‘courageous and inspiring story’.

Entertainer of the Year - Jane Hazlegrove Jane Hazlegrove joined the cast of Casualty in September 2006. As an openly-lesbian paramedic Kathleen ‘Dixie’ Dixon has appeared as a credible character in a continuing drama, with a mass audience, for more than five years. Jane said: ‘Thank you so much, this means the world to me. And thanks to my missus, you mean the world to me. Ain’t it great to be gay!’

Joint Journalist of the Year - Vanessa Feltz, Daily Express, and Matthew Todd, Attitude Vanessa Feltz regularly uses her platforms in both the broadcast media and her national newspaper column to encourage fair discussion of gay issues. Vanessa said: ‘If I get another caller saying “It’s Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve” I will shoot myself in the heart. I am fighting the good fight as hard as I can, and will continue to fight!’

As Editor of Attitude, Matthew Todd has been recognised for bringing a new edge and maturity to gay publications.

Matthew said: ‘We all hear people say that “everything is fine”. It is not fine if you are a kid. I have interviewed a 14 year old boy who lost a tooth after being head butted and a teacher who broke her arm defending a kid in an attack. Roger Crouch is here today and I want to pay tribute to him and his son Dom who killed himself last year. It has to be our number one priority. It’s not just a priority for gay people, it’s straight people’s kids who are killing themselves too.’

Politician of the Year - Chris Bryant MP Chris Bryant has been garlanded with plaudits from across the political spectrum for his tenacious campaign against News International phone hacking. The judges were impressed with ‘the resolve and tenacity’ that Chris has demonstrated, as an equality advocate, in the last decade.

Publication of the Year – Guardian Weekend Judges noted that during the last year the magazine had ‘successfully created a balanced dialogue and covered lesbian, gay and bisexual issues in a commendably incidental and conversational manner’. Merope Mills, Editor of Guardian Weekend, said: ‘Thank you. It is especially nice because it’s so surprising. Featuring lesbian, gay and bisexual people, that just seems to me a normal thing to do. Here’s to being normal!’

Sports Award of the Year - Anton Hysen Twenty year-old Anton Hysen became the only openly-gay professional footballer in the world when he came out in March.

Writer of the Year - Alan Hollinghurst The Stranger’s Child, is an elegant and erudite book about the life and legacy of a gay war poet. The judges said: ‘Alan stood out not just for his latest work but for a catalogue of superb novels representing the intricacies of gay life across the decades.’ Alan said: ‘It feels so especially wonderful that it [my work] should be recognised by such a great campaigning organisation like Stonewall who fight for the larger and important things that we all hold dear.’

Stonewall Community Group of the Year - UK Black Pride UK Black Pride, recognised for their continuing work to tackle homophobia and racism, were presented with a £5,000 cheque at the ceremony. Phyll Opoku-Gyimah said: ‘Thank you to all of you who voted and who keep on supporting us. And thank you to Nationwide – without this we cannot keep working.’

Special Entertainer Award - Cosmo the Jack Russell (Beginners) Cosmo stole the show as well as viewers’ hearts in his role as Arthur in the hit movie Beginners. He won a Stonewall Award as the most gay-friendly dog in cinema history.

Bigot of the Year - Melanie Phillips Chosen by thousands of Stonewall supporters. Long infamous for her shrill views on just about everything from the NHS to Barack Obama to gay rights, this year Phillips really outdid herself by comparing gay people to animals.

The Hero, Bigot and Community Group of the Year Awards were voted for by thousands of Stonewall supporters across Britain. All other categories were chosen by a judging panel including England women’s national football team coach, Hope Powell, John Partridge, Gok Wan, TV producer Maureen Chadwick and Eddie Mair.

Ben Summerskill, Stonewall Chief Executive, said: ‘The Stonewall Awards celebrate those who have made a positive impact on gay people’s lives, and also provide a platform to showcase inspirational lesbian, gay and bisexual role models. Those role models make a massive difference to the quality of many young gay people’s lives.’

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2000+ attend vigil in Trafalgar Square It is estimated that over 2,000 people attended and took part in this year’s 3rd vigil against Hate Crime in Trafalgar Square on Friday 28th October. The event was organised by 17-24-30 in partnership with the Harvey Milk Foundation.

Mark Healey, organiser of the event said “We had a good turnout again this year, although I did expect more people following three high profile attacks in central London. The attack on Philip Salon that left him hospitalised for several weeks, the attack on the barman from Half-way 2 Heaven, and the brutal gang attack on the gay couple holding hands on Charing Cross Road.

“However it’s not just about the numbers is it? It is about making as many people aware that there is a problem and that we all need to be vigilant, to look out for each other and keep our communities safe.

At the same time we need to keep the pressure on local authorities to ensure that they are doing everything within their powers to prevent these attacks – especially in the current economic climate.

mention the Harvey Milk Foundation, Southwark LGBT Network, and Apollo Construction for their generous support.”

There were more vigils around the country this year including Brighton, Kettering, Leicester, Norfolk, Norwich, Plymouth, Sussex, Suffolk, and Stoke.

Even the people involved in the “Occupy the Stock Exchange” protest held a vigil outside St. Paul’s to show their support.

If you are interested in getting involved visit 17-24-30.com.

AllOut.org succeeds in pushing PayPal to drop extremist groups from its service as hysterical anti-gay decry “homo-facism”

“I am very pleased with how things went this year, we have a good team of trustees; Ryan Parkins, Mark MacKenzie, Martine Whittaker and Anthony Townsend, and we have involved far more people leading up to the event during the various fund-raisers that we have held in the bars (especially the 2 Brewers which was amazing). I thank everyone who has been involved this year – all the volunteers who helped us make a difference. In particular I must

New York – At least three extremist groups have been removed from PayPal a week after AllOut.org, the leading international LGBT rights organization, launched a campaign urging the online payment provider to sever its relationship with them. Six of the targeted organizations continue to raise money through PayPal. The PayPal option has been disabled on the websites of Brazilian extremist Julio Severo’s sites, Noua Dreapta, and Dove World Outreach Centerorganisations whose regular antiLGBT hate speech puts them starkly at odds with PayPal’s own ethics policy,

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which states that account holders “may not use the PayPal service for activities that [...] promote hate, violence, racial intolerance”.

AllOut.org has called for a number of organizations to be removed, and has attracted almost 40,000 signers from around the world to its petition asking for PayPal to take action. In response, the successful campaign has been dubbed “the latest example of homofascism,” by ‘Americans for Truth About Homosexuality,’ a notoriously virulent anti-LGBT group.

PayPal said this week it “take[s] very seriously any cases where a user has incited hatred, violence or intolerance because of a person’s sexual orientation.”

PayPal has been instrumental in helping the targeted organizations to raise funds. These also include Abiding Truth Ministries, purportedly a religious group, which regularly blames gay people for the Nazi holocaust and the Rwandan genocide.

The group and its leader Scott Lively have been frequently cited as a primary force behind Uganda’s “Kill the gays” bill.

“When PayPal came under fire in the past for processing donations to the white supremacist group, the Ku Klux Klan, the company did the right thing and promptly removed them,” said Andre Banks, co-founder of Allout.org. “If PayPal hears us and terminates these accounts, we will cut funds from some of the most dangerous extremist groups and have a real impact against homophobia worldwide. This isn’t about free speech or freedom of religion, it’s about hate speech - which Paypal’s own ethics policy expressly forbids.”

AllOut.org is a global campaign organization of over half a million people from 190 countries around the world dedicated to LGBT equality.

A movement working online and on the ground to build a world in which everyone can live freely and be embraced for who they are, All Out is adding global people power to the historic fight for LGBT equality. Find out more at www.allout.org.

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Winter

by Rhys Matthews As we have well and truly seen off the coolest summer since 1993, we can look forward to what is hopefully going to be a bitter winter and appreciate, rather optimistically, that we can at least get one season spot on.

So don your scarves, hats, gloves and grandpa jumpers (which, I for one am hoping are still socially acceptable), step outside and breath in the blistering, icy, skid your car off the road, shut all schools, cancel all public transport, fall and break your neck cold air! Winter is back. And I am excited…

For now.

Don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait for layering up and for the annual YouTube upload of a large congregation of strangers having a good-hearted snow ball fight in the street (here’s hoping that we’ll get to see one as good as 2009’s “You don’t bring a gun to a snow ball fight!”) and I’m even looking forward to a time where the weak sun will dribble sleepily onto a blanket of white, sleepy because we will be up for hours before him. And every day we will all be in utter shock at “how dark it was this morning when I woke up, it was lighter when I went to bed” or when the weatherman announces “this is the coldest (insert every month here) since records began!”

What I am not looking forward to however is the pinnacle of winter, when we enter a depth which seems we can never return from… when the news becomes the weather!

From 6 o’clock onwards we will be told about the weather: snow everywhere, cars abandoned, houses burnt down just for warmth and the sudden shock realisation the nation will find ourselves in… we’ve run out of grit! Then we’ll have regional

news, which will tell us about the local weather and how your road may not be gritted tonight and kindly suggests you go around and check on elderly neighbours and finally, as if we haven’t heard enough, we’ll get the real weather and ironically it won’t tell us the news, oh no, there’s no reversal here, it only works one way, the weather takes and it never gives back. We’ll be told all about the weather and what we can expect over the next few days: “Unfortunately the weather will get worse, and possibly when you go around your grandparents’ house you’ll find them huddled around a Cook’s Essentials match, frozen completely solid like your Christmas turkey”, they’ll close with a smile, and nod of the head and a knowing look in their eye which says “See you at ten tonight and then tomorrow morning I’m taking over every inch of your television, before you know it the One Show will start bringing me on to do special reports on the weather. For you need me now more than ever, without me you have no idea how to get to work tomorrow or whether it’s safe to leave the house let alone possible! Because you couldn’t possibly look out of the window to check for yourself!”

Yes that’s right, every winter the weatherman capitalises on your fear and takes advantage of the deathly grip we as a country find ourselves in.

He truly becomes the Don of winter.

Don’t worry though, by March we’ll have them returned to their proper place, humbly smiling and nodding pointing at random places on the map and repeating the same phrases over and over in a Telly Tubby manner “Sunny”, “20 degrees”, “Dry”.

Yes, they’ll try and regain power by dangling the threat of a hose pipe ban over us, but we’ll just laugh, put on our flip flops, fill up our water guns and balloons, turn on the sprinklers and frolic idly in the Sun until we feel a chill in the air and we stop using the freezer for a place make ice cubes and keep our food frozen and start climbing in for the warmth.

In my fit of excitement for winter I have compiled a “Things that I hope to do this winter” list, granted they aren’t that difficult, but I get distracted quite easily:

Things that I hope to do this winter 1) Go ice skating 2) Go sledding 3) Build an igloo 4) Build a snow fort 5) Have 100 times more snowball fights than I have in any year before 6) Go for long walks in the snow 7) Go snow tubing 8) Have a winter romance and do most of the above with him 9) Have a jumper knitted for me 10) Take winter as an excuse to put on weight, and if anyone asks explain that it’s nature 11) Eat so many pigs in blanket I run risk of becoming one 12) Drink my body weight in mulled wine 13) Get so drunk I think writing my name in the snow using… yellow ink is an amazing idea.

14) Make loads of mince pies

I’m aware that having a list of to dos 14 points long is slightly strange, but as I said I get distracted quite easily and this list doesn’t include things such as “achieve world peace” which I obviously want to do (maybe when the roads aren’t so treacherous) , but didn’t think it was applicable here.

I hope you are all as excited as me to huddle around the roaring fire every night drinking hot chocolate while the temperature outside plummets and snowflakes glisten and glide to the floor laying out a fresh canvas of white to welcome you every morning.

So wish me luck and please keep me posted on all the things you get up to and anything you think should be added to my “Things that I hope to do this winter” list.

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Role models

by Alana Gadsby, University of Leicester

Whether gay, straight or bi, the boldness and audacity of these fearless women in the face of such intolerance is something all women should remember.

When I was asked ‘who has influenced your life?’ I thought immediately of typified modern celebrities, Cameron Diaz for example, or Helena Bonham Carter. Superficially yes, I suppose in some way they have been an influencing factor, however as a free woman I don’t for the most part consider the equality of our society or how it came to be, I generally just take it for granted.

Whether we have fully achieved the dreams of these visionaries or not, if it were not for their selfless acts of courage I should imagine I would be sitting here barely able to breath, sewn up in a delightful, precious little corset.

I often forget the importance of revolutionary efforts of all the great women who fearlessly gave up their dignity and freedom to achieve female independence and equality during the turn of the century. I’m talking of course of the suffragettes, in particular members of the Women’s Social and Political Union, who wanted to have a say in how the country was run and to be treated as equals to men. Restrained by an Edwardian society, the headstrong women broke free from the dainty drawing rooms, creating social pariahs on a massive scale. Boldly they cried for an end to a life of servitude to men, shouted no to oppression, no to abuse, no to spending their lives entombed in a corset, being judged on appearance, and being seen but not heard. Under the slogan ‘Votes for women and chastity to men’, they bombed and set fire to churches and stations, threw bricks through windows, cut telegraph wires and chained themselves to railings. They were a force to be reckoned with, actively fighting a civil war against a society dominated by upper class males.

These women even formed intimate relations within their own ranks, paving the way for the development of the theory of radical feminism as we know it today. Emmeline Pankhurst, one of the key founders of the WSPU, had a passionate relationship with composer Ethel Smyth, and the two were imprisoned fifteen times for ‘indecent behaviour’.

The fear factor

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I dare say I would not even be allowed to write.

by Bridget Hamilton, University of Newcastle Up until recently – when I decided to get a degree before my grandchildren would have to finish paying the debt – I worked in a beautifully twee boarding school in West Sussex. My colleagues and I lived on site and were responsible for ensuring the thirty boarders, complete with all their teenage angst, came to the end of another school year unscathed.

Now I’m not saying, dear reader, that every girl that spent time within those cobbled walls was the very definition of innocence. Far from it. But for many it had simply never crossed their mind that, even outside of Hollyoaks, some girls liked other girls and some boys liked other boys, some boys wanted to be girls and some girls wanted to be boys, and some weren’t sure about much at all. The school cried out for a woman to show everyone that you can date other women without necessarily needing to get a Mohawk or wear vegetarian shoes (but you can if you want, of course!). I should have been that person and accepted the consequences. I didn’t. I crawled back shamefully into a closet I hadn’t frequented for five years, and every time I think about it a little voice says “Bridget, you absolute mug.”

I kept telling myself that if anyone came to me presenting symptoms of •

being desperately in love with their Maths teacher, I’d regale them with a few of my own experiences. But in such a small school, that time never came and I had a really rewarding year of working and playing but not entirely being myself. The selfpreservation cortex in my brain told me that someone else would come along and be the one who sacrifices being inoffensive and popular in order to change girls’ lives for the better. It didn’t have to be me, surely. I didn’t have to be the one that girls accused of looking at them in the changing rooms after netball (because all gay women are perverts too, right?).

We’ve all been there, in one way or another, and I suppose what’s done is done. I’m sure you can think of countless opportunities you’ve had to come out to someone, a moment so perfect you could never have planned it better. And yet you said nothing. I failed epically as an LGBT role model for the pupils at that school and I’m sure many others have been sly enough to slip under the radar, too. But I did succeed in being a role model of sorts, someone who’s cheery at 6am and 11pm (on the same day), someone who’s good at listening, who can calm people down, who picks her battles, who stands her ground. I just fell at the final hurdle, never showing a soul that my sexuality doesn’t tarnish any of the things they loved about me.

I guess there’s a certain fear factor to being an LGBT role model, which is what makes those who take the plunge – especially in the public eye – even more astounding people. I’m still determined to become one of those astounding people; after my degree I’m going to become a hugely inspiring, happily queer English teacher and make up for lost time.

For now though, I’m on the cusp of a new chapter of my life, a brand new city and a chance to really be “out and proud” - again - even if no-one benefits but me just yet. After all, we LGBT students owe it to ourselves as much as anyone to be exactly who we want to be.

Anyone know a good vegetarian shoe shop in Newcastle?

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Glee. The Golden Girls. Sex And The City.

Everybody knows these shows have a big gay fanbase and for obvious reasons, but the show that should be topping the list is the BBC’s Doctor Who (1963-89, 1996, 2005-present), which has had a large gay following decades before the more wellknown “gay” shows were even dreamt up. But the question to ask is:

Why does Doctor Who appeal to gay men?

by Matt Holsman Starting with the obvious, the major reason why the show has made such an impact on the community is down to the title character of the Doctor. Gay men can relate to the Time Lord for his apparent asexual persona with most fans making this connection during the late 1980s. Before this, being able to relate to anyone else in a similar position through whatever fears such as not coming out or having friends like you was impossible, but here was a legendary figure who was the same and loved by more than just homosexuals for what he was. The Doctor expressed no interest in being straight, gay or in-between and never judged people for their beliefs, making for a more than ideal gay role model.

So when the Doctor returned for the twenty-first century, it rejoiced in becoming even gayer than it was two decades previous. The character himself is no longer the main figure of authority for gay men (more on that later) but continues to be camp and flamboyant in his manner.

In 2000, Script Editor Gary Russell commented that the Doctor was more accessible to gay men than other scifi characters purely for his differing ethos. Whereas Star Trek’s Captain Kirk would save the universe and get the girl (as would James Bond albeit on a smaller scale), the Doctor wouldn’t give an attractive girl a second thought before saving the world and quietly slipping away without saying goodbye or accepting a reward.

The character keeps numerous traits that can be related to different men such as when the Doctor enters a room, all eyes immediately focus on him. The case is the same for a certain number of gay men who crave the attention the Doctor gets.

Another example is the Doctor’s lack of ability to spot an attractive person, man or woman. A famous line from a 1979 story “You’re a beautiful woman.

Probably.” speaks volumes about why we love the Doctor so much. He fails to spot attractive women, yet in 2010 he’s the first person to spot the difference between Amy Pond’s pretty friend (Jeff) and “the other one” with the long nose (Rory).

Earlier I said how the main authority figure of the Doctor Who franchise today isn’t the Doctor himself but is instead John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness). Jack is the one character in the show who is never afraid to show his affection for men or women, having caused controversial acts through various acts from planting a kiss on Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor to hitting on a blue alien at the end of the universe.

Jack Harkness is a testament to the gay community, bringing the sense that men loving men is normal to living rooms around the country on a Saturday night children’s show. Just imagine that fact for a moment; a kid’s show can do more for gay rights than the recently slated gay-themed plots of major ITV rival Coronation Street.

Doctor Who is an easy show for gay people to fall in love with due to the high number of homosexual cast and crewmembers. Current exec-producer and head-writer Steven Moffat is the first heterosexual to lead the show in thirty years, following in the footsteps of previous hard-workers Russell T. Davies (also creator of Queer As Folk) and the epic nine-year run produced by John Nathan-Turner, who surprisingly toned down the level of “campness” in the show, despite a more-than-flamboyant choice of dress code.

And it’s not just the gay cast and crew who make the show appeal to us, as current Doctor Matt Smith proves by being a huge gay icon, appearing in Christopher And His Kind (where he portrayed a gay writer from the 1940s), and on the cover of the Gay Times.

Despite being straight himself, Smith’s

Doctor has been credited the most “queer” of the eleven even though he’s the only one to clearly reciprocate feelings for a man or woman in the guise of River Song. The current Doctor has a “quality” about him, giving off the spark of being homosexual- a joke from 2010s The Lodger is making the Doctor have to deny he has a boyfriend before admitting not knowing anything about football but can make an excellent cup of tea. Its episodes and jokes like these that reinforce the doubt in the eleventh Doctor’s sexual agenda.

As well as the Doctor’s asexual attraction and John Barrowman’s ability to flirt with anyone at 7pm on BBC One a reality, Doctor Who manages to invoke to gay people for a mass amount of characters. Since the shows 2005 revival, there have been more gay characters in this children’s show than any other of the genre. We’ve had “the only Thin/ Fat Gay Married Anglican Marines”, two elderly lesbians stuck in a traffic jam in the year five billion and fifty-three as well as the first Silurian/Human samesex relationship. Whilst there was a lack of obviously gay characters to relate to in the classic series, the subject being more tender then than now, we did get an endless list of futuristic space pirates in glitter, eye-liner and everyday disco wear to more than make up for it.

To conclude, there is no sole reason for the shows gay nature, but I think the more important subject is how grown-up a children’s show can be for introducing characters who are openly gay or kiss members of the same sex when a lot of adult shows still refuse to or are too frightened to attempt this. As previously mentioned, ‘Coronation Street’ has recently come under fire from tabloids for its overcrowding of gay characters and yet this seems acceptable in a prime-time fun show.

And if you don’t agree about the Doctor’s huge following, remember that in 2007 London Pride feared the show’s success so much they had to screen the finale as close to the Pride event as possible for fear from a lack of attendance.

So forget your Glee and your Sex And The City because Doctor Who will always be the biggest gay show and the most powerful to represent this ever-growing community.

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Out in the sticks Coming out in a rural area

by Joe White, University of Manchester I came out to my close friends at the end of Year 10 / start of Year 11 when I was 15. The support from them generally was positive, though very misunderstood as there wasn’t a knowledge of gay people within my town and I was the only out person at school/college for the time I was there. I slowly began to come out to more and more friends and my youth worker, as at the time I was in Youth Parliament which was extremely supportive and made me realise there actually were other gay people and stopped me feeling like I was “the only gay in the village” which, at home, I often felt. There was also huge isolation in community when I came out, with a feeling I couldn’t raise it with older generational people I knew as I had been scaremongered against it by the press etc.

Coming out to my parents was an ordeal most definitely. I came out to them on 5th March 2009, having sat them both down to tell them calmly.

My mum cried. My dad was convinced it was a phase and it wasn’t raised again. They began pressing females on me, and actively encouraging my grandparents to do the same.

However, despite family not being supportive, I was set in my ways (call me stubborn) and continued to come out at school. One of my immediate friends attempted to use it as a blackmail device, and it was then I decided I was no longer hiding myself.

I didn’t want to anymore. I came out to my school. Not publically. I think I started off a rumour about it, and then confirmed it when asked, but in truth I can’t remember well. I had the fair few homophobic remarks: “backs against the wall”, “poofter”, “faggot”, “suck on this”, “bender” etc etc - but I didn’t let it phase me because I always had in my mind that give it a few years and I would be leaving the backwards ways of rural Shropshire and be

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moving to liberal university. Despite these comments being overheard, staff never challenged them and I never wanted to raise them as I felt the school was inherently blase about homophobia and nothing would ever be done. I regret this deeply now and wonder how many more young people have endured homophobia there because I was too self conscious and too scared to speak up against immoral and unjust words and against bullies.

Having come out, I began searching for lgbt youth groups in my local area and well, found none. Once a week, in one town there was an lgbt night, but that was a club and at 16, I wouldnt be allowed in and I had heard it was mainly older men who used it. So I sought for help and guidance online, and found the stereotypical websites - gay youth centre, Stonewall etc and began talking to people. However, I also began to realise that the lack of provision for young people was wrong. My confidence had been raised through Youth Parliament and I was no longer willing to sit back, especially with the horrific news about teenage suicides, and especially being able to relate.

In the summer 2010, with some help, the Shropshire XYZ LGBT Youth group was founded, with 3 people attending and a helpline launched. I felt I had started something useful and began to campaign and get involved with LGBT rights. My parents had been very quiet on the issue, which did concern me especially as sniding comments were made when gay characters were on TV. But this was my release, allowing young people to escape situations once a month and talk with other LGBT people.

August 2010 though, and on my way back from Whitby Folk Week, where I had been with my then boyfriend (my first and only) I had a phone call from my mum, who was clearly upset and I got increasingly worried.

When I returned home, I was sent to my room, where I found shredded Gay times and attitude magazines which I had hidden for so long, and had provided me an insight to outoncampus.org

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the community I was a part of but otherwise had no understanding of.

My father had found them and gone mental. He tried hitting me, he hurled abuse at me and if it was not for my mum, I daren’t think what would have happened. I went upstairs extremely upset and overheard my mum trying to calm my dad down when he uttered words that have, to be blunt, haunted me ever since:

“He is no son of mine, and what he says he is, it is worse than being a mass murderer.

I would rather have one of them for a son than him.”

I crumbled. I cracked. There was no support system for me, because as far as Shropshire was concerned on youth lgbt issues, I WAS the support system. I kept the group going for my own sanity, and slowly insidve of me grew a strong resilient determination to make sure no other lgbt person had to face that, whether from their family, their friends, their colleagues, their peers, or complete strangers.

My dad ignored me for the next two weeks, my mum couldn’t stop crying and I mulled over the hardest decision of my life. I left home and moved to a friends house. My mum visited ocassionally and my college didn’t know how to deal with me, or the situation and so pressurised me to move back.

After two and a half months, I moved back in reluctantly aided by the misfortune of suffering appendicitis which knocked a fraction of sense and added the emotional range of a teaspoon to my father but still it was an improvement. The youth group went from strength to strength with over 13 people attending one session from across the county and the phone number had several enquiries. We also got council support for what we were doing and I got approached by West Mercia police to become an independent advisor on LGBT issues for them this year. The group is continuing whilst I’m at uni thanks to the support of the council in funding a youth worker for us and I’m so proud

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of the work everyone involved has done.

I am jealous of LGBT young people who grow up in urban areas. Not because they may have an easy road ahead. No LGBT person has an easy road I think. We are different. Whilst many of us celebrate that fact, certain people and groups despise us for that very reason. And I sympathise with them. I respect their choice, a choice they consciously made unlike my being gay, which was neither conscious nor a choice. But anyone who makes someone feel degraded, feel inhumane for being who they are, is no friend to society in my eyes.

LGBT people do not have it easy, and the march for equality is ever growing and ever moving. There will always be new laws, new homophobes, new people who look down on who we are. But LGBT young people across the UK, and the world, should know there is support. It is more visible in urban areas, and that is what I envy.

It is harder to access, sometimes may need someone to get the ball rolling in rural areas, where society has not adapted fully to diversity and has not fully embraced it yet, but there is always someone out there who gives a damn, who supports you. Whether they know you or not, whether LGBT or not, you have supporters and most importantly, we all have friends. And I will fight for every single LGBT person and their rights and their welfare as long as I live, because no person deserves to feel the way I and many others have felt and rural areas need support systems in place and I will fight and work with anyone willing to help set them up.

Someone said to me the other week when I was talking to them that I sounded like a “gay rights activist in the making” to which I replied “I’m not a gay rights activist, I’m just a person who believes that we can make a change, on equality issues amongst other things, but we can never walk alone.” This is a march for us all. This is the one shot we have at life. And damn it, I’m going to fight to make it better for those coming along next.

Marriage should be something that we can all take for granted regardless of who we are. But it is not, and that’s something that we have the power to change.

The Scottish Youth Parliament, LGBT Youth Scotland, The NUS Scotland LGBT Campaign and The Equality Network have joined in partnership to provide you with an easy form to

submit a response to the Scottish Government’s Consultation on Marriage Equality.

It only takes a few minutes, and you’ll have contributed to the movement towards equality.

Copy / tear out the form or complete an online version via the web address below.

http://www.nusscotlandlgbt.org.uk/equalmarriage

Do you support same-sex marriages?

Yes

No

Should religious bodies be able to carry out same-sex marriages?

Yes

No

Should Civil Partnerships be opened to mixed-sex couples?

Yes

No

FILLING THIS SECTION IS IMPORTANT - IT WILL ENSURE YOUR RESPONSE IS ACCEPTED Surname: __________________________

First Name: ___________________________________

Address:___________________________________________________________________________ Email:_____________________________________________________________________________ Do you agree to your response being made available to the public (in Scottish Government No library and/or on the Scottish Government website?

Yes Where confidentiality is not requested, the Scottish Government will make your responses available to the public on the following basis: Yes, make my response, name and address all available Yes, make my response available, but not my name and address Yes, make my response and name available, but not my address The Scottish Government will share your response internally with other policy teams who may be addressing the issues you discuss. They may wish to contact you again in the future, but we require your permission to do so. Are you content for Scottish Government to No contact you again in relation to this consultation exercise?

Yes Hand in to your Students’ Association or post to: The Scottish Government, St Andrew’s House, Regent Road, Edinburgh EH1 3DG

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Singer, songwriter, dancer and performer Beauty is so energetic, vibrant and in your face on stage that he almost seems unapproachable to the “normal” eye.

It seems daring to mention how he dresses and how he looks in a magazine, let alone mentioning it at all in real life, but when I seen his work I knew that I had to meet him.

A fashion future

by Mark Jackson

Obviously, Mark Thomson (more commonly known as Beauty) did not arrive for our interview in a Limo and Paris Couture- as he is not famous. Yet! However, he did arrive in something much more stylish than I have ever seen in a High End London store or boutique. Confidently striding towards me in mustard yellow Topshop Leggings, a killer pair

of biker boots, and a beautifully self styled shoulder and feather piece- he extended his arms, smiled with the most stunning natural whites ever, and gracefully hugged and kissed me.

Yes that’s right, I was lucky enough to kiss this beautiful Fashion angel.

His skin and face were flawless with impeccable foundation, stunningly sharp eye brows, and a dust of sexy

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eye shadow. His hair was also perfect, powerfully boasting a glamorous head piece designed by Enola Rose, located in Liverpool. “At school I always used to dress differently to others, people would look but eventually I thought f*** it, be who you want to be.” And yes, truer words have never been spoken. By being who he is as a person, Beauty has reached great

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heights within his musical career, and by dressing creatively and dressing to the way that he prefers- he has landed himself as the main feature of this magazine’s fashion section.

So, what is this mind powerful man all about when you get to know him? I knew that I was about to find answers to my questions, but already I knew that I was definitely going to like him. “Within Fashion I take inspiration from the 80s, I like the whole in your faceness of it, it’s bold, it’s shameless and it’s unapologetic.”

The more Beauty spoke, the more and more I smiled and thought if by some crazy tiny chance that this man doesn’t succeed within music, he would without a doubt succeed hugely within Fashion. Everything about what he said, how he looked, and how friendly and open he wasmade me want the interview to never end. Regarding the topic of people who have difficulty being who they are because they worry what other people may think, Beauty replied “They can always hang with me.” Aw, so sweet. I want to hang with you!

them- and singing to Reggae songs.

I am also really inspired by Lady Gaga, Prince and Christina Aguilera..

I warm up my vocals before a show to Christina’s songs.” No wonder he’s so great. With Fashion influences like Lady Gaga, and singing along to Christina Aguilera now I know exactly why this hard working young man, has already done so much.

and more daring and it just kind of snowballed to the point its at today.

But I am extremely lucky to have such a supportive family. Anybody who does have problems, can always hang out with me.” Yes, there is proof from me as your Editor, to my readers that there is always somebody out there to listen- and maybe if we’re lucky he could possibly be single too!

Looking through my questions and nearing the end of my interview- I had to ask about the time in his life that many of us have different experiences about, and that topic is coming out and openly admitting that you’re Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgender.

“I was really lucky, coming out as homosexual was never really an issue, from school I always got more

So, a true caring gentlemen, with a successful present and definitely with a promising future- Beauty, from Liverpool, the unsigned Fashion genius and a born singer/entertainer will hopefully one day be realised for everything great that I was lucky enough to meet. I can only wish him every success in the future, which undoubtedly he will not need.

So music, surely as a performer that’s what this interview was all about- to promote Mark Thomson as ‘Beauty’to promote his career right? Wrong!

Throughout the entire interview Beauty knew exactly what he was talking about regarding both Music and Fashion, and he did not seem at all content on throwing every single promotional tool at my face. He was honest, relaxed and a true gentlemanevery single element of a future star, and every single trade of a current genuinely caring person. I loved him!

“I’m influenced by a lot of different types of music, I love pop, dance, and Reggae. I grew up with Reggae music- I love inviting my family over in my spare time and cooking meals for

www.facebook.com/Beautysmusic www.Beautysmusic.co.uk www.twitter.com/Beautysmusic Images: David Zinyama 19

SPORT What a couple of months for sport!

New Zealand are the new world rugby champions, Gareth Thomas has retired from rugby, John Amaechi believes that homophobia is still prevalent in sport, and the Premiership football leagues are hotting up!

In this issue I have specifically looked at the Gay Football Supporter’s Network and homophobia in sport.

With the lack of out gay sportsmen is it time that more came out? I was subjected to some banter last week whilst playing rugby, the usual ‘you fancy me’ or ‘I bet you love touching us’ and that. Luckily I can laugh it off, but I guess that’s why we have a lack of these openly gay sportsmen.

Though from my point of view sport is always going to have an underlying issue with homophobia and racism, as for many it’s a clear cut difference between player where one could gain a psychological edge, though your opinion my differ. Crawley Football Club and the FA are dealing with a Hope Akpan who tweeted Gays all over the tele what’s wrong with Britain! Sorry I’m #FullyHomophobic.

He later said it was not his view but a family member tweeting on his account. Another high league football team, Brighton and Hove Albion have also urged the Football Association to take more action in countering

homophobic chants at football grounds. John Hewitt, chairman of the Brighton and Hove Albion Supporters’ Club said “We get it everywhere we go.

There’s a certain amount of banter between fans, but when it crosses that line and becomes offensive it’s not acceptable.”

Still, with all this pressure on the FA will any other professional clubs or players back this? As we all know, many professional players wouldn’t appear in a campaign video in 2010 in case they were subjected to homophobia, only time can tell us if football will change.

Oliver Harcus, Sports Editor

Sport’s ups and downs

by Christopher Burn

At one time sport was something that I didn’t enjoy. When I was in school I thought I’d give football a try but was always put in defence or in goal, yet I had a desire to be the one scoring the goals not saving them. Unfortunately they didn’t think I was good enough so I didn’t really get into football or rugby. At least not until the world cup!

Then came trampolining. My passion was born, being far more successful at it than all the other sports.

Heading to university was the next step for me and I joined Keele University. Wanting to be social I joined the Trampolining society but my time as a fresher, and a second year flew by and it wasn’t till the third year that I started to compete when all that partying had caught up with me.

I joined trampolining again and went on to compete in the North East University Trampolining League. Our team was fairly successful but I was always coming up short in fourth place. This just spurred me on and I also got involved with the dance society and I then went on to compete in a Hip Hop Dance Competition. I loved the society and competition and to make it special we won, getting gold for Keele University.

Now going into my fourth year studying a postgraduate course I put myself up for some roles in the clubs and was elected as the cosocial secretary for the dance society and also vice captain of the Keele Panthers, our cheerleading squad. I had not been part of that team but luckily I could transfer my gymnastics

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and choreography skills from dance and trampolining.

So my relationship with sport is changing and becoming more exciting especially in comparison the bad experience with school sport. I’m now aiming to join the swimming team whilst carrying on all my other sports, continuing with my winning streak, and gaining a few more medals. But if not I will have a good time competing anyway.

The one thing sport has given me is confidence, especially from the dance society as they helped me bring up my confidence in dance as before I would never have performed in front of anyone. Another positive I have from gained sport is meeting new people as sport brings us together.

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Challenging sport: Gay mans football Football is frequently associated with hegemonic masculinity and heterosexuality though the Gay Football Supporters Network is slowly challenging this with its differing values and principles. They suggest inclusion and gamesmanship are more important than aggression and hostility that are normally found on the football pitch or stands.

The GFSN and the motion of amateur gay football are challenging not only the way that football is considered to be a ‘straight’ sport, but also the way in which gay people and gay cultures are viewed. The GFSN believes that despite football being one of the most played games in the world it’s still not welcoming to gay people due to the inherent risks of the homophobic attitudes that can still be seen in all areas of the game, whether this this be on the pitch or on the terraces.

Gay football teams help offer an alternative to the ‘scene’ and gay clubbing, offering many the opportunity to help increase self esteem. There is also the opportunity for gay football to make political statements. For many players gay football also provides liberation from the stereotypes of gay men which might allow them to be themselves with like-minded people even though they might not be out to family or friends.

Sport can often help participants prove their masculinity and validity by showing off in the football situation, catapulting the admiration of these so-called masculine players. People start to recognise and define this in sport due to the gender terms and heterosexual virility that can be seen in straight football clubs rejecting gay men. Openly gay men that choose to play in ‘straight’ teams are more likely to be the butt of jokes and are the most likely to receive discrimination either consciously though homophobia or unconsciously though heterosexism.

This is generally due to the threat, not

only to football and the values and the norms of masculinity, but to the straight players and their opinions of themselves. So it is seen that if a player was to join a non-GFSN team then they can only be seen as a footballer rather then a “gay footballer.”

In the 20th century, people would have felt disbelief, anger and laughed if people had linked sport and homosexuality together. This has inadvertently put pressure on gay people to not come out; in choosing this option, gay men put themselves in a culture that criticises there true identities. Yet two professional players have come out: Justin Fashanu who received huge amounts of homophobia and later committed suicide and Swedish player Anton Hysén who isn’t quite in top flight football but is playing in the Swedish fourth division for Utsiktens BK. Anton has also been a victim of homophobia after coming out.

For many straight players, if they found out that a player in their team was gay then it maybe perceived that the motives of said player were for sexual connotations rather then for playing the sport. Yet the GFSN players motives are normally to play football rather than sexual activity.

by Oliver Harcus

of GFSN and its leagues as they are based on inclusion and not who is the best footballer. While this is good - and is a haven for gay players who want a positive experience from sport - it refuses to challenge the hegemonic masculinity of football though some teams have; Rather than play in the GFSN leagues some gay footballers are playing in “normal” Saturday leagues which is a benefit to the whole gay community.

Gay football can be categorised as a subculture of football which helps create the community behind teams GFSN leagues thus creating a different norm, because it differs from footballs norms, it provides new benefits improving personal development and social development. Therefore it goes even further than just being a subculture to being its own entity.

Gay football clubs, players and the GFSN can only be a good thing for sport, yet at the moment football isn’t quite ready.

The one last question comes from this: Should there be gay leagues and other leagues or should we live in a world where they can mix? Only time can tell.

For now, GFSN can only continue thier good work.

The two social sides of football and the GFSN slightly differ. For straight football drinking and training are quite frequently involved which generally involves banter and humour focusing on woman and heterosexual sex. This could, to some, be construed as heterosexism which is far less visible form of homophobia, but can still have detrimental effects on players. Whilst playing for these teams gay players may feel emotional isolation and in some circumstances internalised homophobia.

Playing for fun rather then competitively is one of the major benefit London Titans v Nottingham Ballbois April 2010, c/o Rob Crane

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Suicide and the age of self-empowerment

by Ciarán Weir Children and young people now come out younger than ever. As refreshing as this is young people coming out younger means they also need support a lot sooner, in what can be quite a vulnerable time in their lives.

In the western world’s political climate with regards to the gay civil rights movement, it seems that the tug of war on gay rights can be somewhat traumatic to a young person who might be questioning themselves as someone who identifies as LGBT, or indeed questioning. It can be traumatic to see your right to love and marry constantly in question, debate and utter disrespect by people who in most cases aren’t even affected by the laws.

To state the obvious, suicide occurs naturally in all groups of people regardless of who they are or indeed what they are.

However suicide, self harm and mental health issues amongst LGBT people are four times higher than our heterosexual counterparts.

This could be for a number of reasons and it is really important that we do not over generalise.

Living in a time where diversity is key bullying is still an issue. In particular cyber bullying has played a massive part in the teen LGBT suicides in the UK and the USA. Cyber bullying is a difficult issue for young people to deal with; Cyberspace is not tangible there for it makes reporting the bullying harder and therefore protecting potential victims harder too. Cyber bullying can reach a person anywhere there is internet access.

This can sometimes make the threats seem constant and essentially having a much greater effect on the victim.

I attended the recent international cyberspace conference in London. I asked the European Policy manager for Facebook, Luc Delany how important he thinks it is for Facebook to promote diversity. He replied that by giving young people the platform that is facebook they see this as the promotion of diversity. He also spoke about hate pages on Facebook and how facebook respects its 800 22 million user’s freedom of speech. His

the YouTube videos of the It Gets general opinion was that whilst the view might be that certain pages are Better campaign various people are offensive unless they are illegal then admitting that they are struggling they will not be taken down simply with their identity and how they fit because they offend some people. in. Some also states that these videos Sadly institutionalised homophobia have saved their lives. is also still an issue. It can be hard On a more personal note, I first found for some young people to rely on the these videos really moving and they education, health or justice systems inspired me to be really be myself, that their heterosexual counterparts it highlighted to me that there are do, if they don’t actively accept them people who are LGBT and to hang in or promote their inclusion in the there. It was also really beautiful to best, most visible way. I don’t mean find some extremely powerful people to take credibility away from the show support for the international crucial and admirable diversity work LGBT community. that the health service or the equality Having recently attended a stonewall movement have accomplished in the talent programme, their key message UK, however we still have some work was ‘Be authentic’. By being authentic to do. in what you do and where you work On the contrary, we now live in the will help you reach your full potential. age of self empowerment. Paying By being yourself you can focus attention to songs like born this way, on things you want to accomplish perfect and firework; these pop songs without having to be concerned about teach self love and empowerment hiding parts of your life that relate to in an LGBT specific manner amongst your sexual orientation in the work others, something that hip hop music place. They put a really positive spin fails miserably to do. Now more than on sexual orientation. They spoke ever pop culture is recognising that about how diversity is now more people are different and these songs important than ever before and how have a connection with people, a in a hectic job market you need to connection that pop songs never stand out from other candidates. have had the ability to establish.

Could your sexual orientation and These songs are personal, these how you embrace it be the decider? songs are therapeutic masterpieces.

Being involved in something like In essence they speak volumes for a university LGBT society shows self empowerment. your commitment to diversity and Another credible master piece in equality. It also shows your leadership the age of self empowerment is the potential. Stonewall have a diversity It Gets Better project. The campaign index of employers which are ranked was started by Dan Savage and his on how well they advocate diversity husband Terry Miller in response in their work places. to the LGBT teen suicides in the The age of self empowerment has USA. Starting off as a message for taken off in frenzy with the help of US teens, it quickly became known various social networking sites and internationally. The key message pro LGBT celebrities and politicians. focused on how life gets better, It is important that we realise the that you have to tough out the hard progress that previous generations times and live for the good times. have made on our behalf and Google Chrome got on board and acknowledge that it is now in our produced numerous videos from hands. various celebrities including Lady Looking forward, I think it is essential Gaga, Adam Lambert and even gained to keep empowering ourselves, the support from Barack Obama. This current generation and the future very powerful campaign jam packed generations on the road to full with emotion, hammers home the equality for the LGBT community. It titled message that it really does get outoncampus.org • @OutOnCampusMag • facebook.com/OutOnCampusMag can be a tough ride, but. It gets better. better. Looking at the comments for

Out on Campus Advisory What we are hoping to achieve from this page is to give the best and most informative advice that we can to help everyone, but we need all you guys to contact us with any questions you have or problems you are facing, whether they are LGBT orientated or simply regarding ‘student life’. We want to hear from you! This page will rely heavily on the readers’ input, so this is a call for help. We have also discussed asking you guys for your opinions on questions put to us, however before we can begin this process, we need questions and problems to give advice on.

Hi there, my name is John. I study Television Production Management at Edge Hill University and I am your Problem Page Editor.

I recently won a regional award up here on Merseyside for ‘Seen Magazine’s LGBT Young Person of the Year’ in recognition of the Vlogs I upload to Youtube regarding topical LGBT Issues, as well as those aimed at helping people who are questioning themselves (for any of you not sure what a Vlog is; it’s a video log, or ‘diary’, and you can check out mine at www.youtube.com/JohnBirdMedia to see what I mean).

I’m really looking at helping as many people as I can with this page, but I can’t do it alone. I will need your help!

Get in Touch!

Hi, my name is Laura and I am your Sub-Editor for the Problem page. I am currently in my first year of studying Counselling and Psychotherapy Studies at the University of Central Lancashire (or UCLan for short). I feel I have a lot to offer due to my keen efforts to support and help other people.

I am currently in a relationship with my wonderful fiancée, we have recently experienced the joy of becoming parents and life is looking good for once.

I know how times can be tough and I am looking forward to helping as many of you as possible! Hopefully, this section will be a big help for you all.

advice@outoncampus.org

If you need any advice on anything at all and want to get in touch, send all questions, problems and issues to advice@outoncampus.org.

We will try our best to respond to your email as soon as we can and publish a selection in the next issue. If you have any other queries regarding this page or what we do, don’t hesitate in contacting John personally at john.hyland@outoncampus.org.

“I feel lonely and want a boyfriend but my friends tell me to stop looking and someone will find me. I know they mean well but I can’t help it and it really annoys me.”

Most people who are single feel like this at times; that the whole world is against them, and they they will never find love. However, as much as you don’t want to believe it, what your friends say is true, but you need to focus your mind on something productive and worthwhile that distracts you from thinking about wanting a relationship. If you take up a hobby, say drama or sports, anything that keeps you in a social circle, you will stop thinking about ‘how alone’ you feel, and focus on and enjoy what it is you are doing. Before you know it, you will have met someone, and wonder where they came from - i.e. “Stop looking, and they will find you”.

However, I must stress, that if you feel that this is something serious you should make an appointment to see your GP. - John Hyland “I’m feeling down a lot lately and I think I may be experiencing depression. What should I do?”

Whilst depression can seem like a dark place to be, and you can feel somewhat alone - always remember that there are those closest to you who could be the best medicine to make you feel better. Why not talk to a family member or good friend about the way you are feeling and see what they have to say, you never know, they are more than likely able to understand what you’re going through and be able to help.

However, I would recommend seeing a GP and letting them assess you. This can be a very daunting experience and you can have very mixed emotions, but do try to be as honest as possible so that you can receive the best advice and options available to you, remember everything is said in confidence. - Laura Ellison 23

FILMS Hedwig and the Angry Inch

by Nat Wood

Based on the 1998 off-Broadway show, this film was written and directed by James Cameron Mitchell (Shortbus) who also stars as the film’s transgendered lead. As with Shortbus, Mitchell uses an explicit plot line as a vehicle for a more subtle tender story of love and intimacy.

The film follows Hedwig and the Angry Inch, a band of Korean-born army wives as they attempt to make a living playing in coffee shops and bars in southern USA. Hedwig, an East German transsexual with a penchant for androgynous glam rock and philosophical ideologies, fronts the group as their final tour dates are interwoven with glimpses of her troubled past. Starting out her life as Hansel Schmidt, the young Hedwig falls in love with an American soldier and after a brief gummybear fuelled romance the couple are to be married. One botched attempt at a sexchange later, leaving Hedwig with the aforementioned useless “Angry Inch” of skin between her legs, the couple are married and relocate to Kansas. The relationship’s rapid demise forces a lonely Hedwig, abandoned in a backwater trailer park, to channel her pain into rock songs performed by her and accompanied by her band of fellow rejects.

with her songs. The almost ethereal star has a dominant presence in the form of memories and dreams until the pair’s troubled past and theatrical reunion, results in the film’s heady ambiguous climax.

Although not a musical in the strictest sense, the songs provide the greatest insight into the core

philosophical themes of the film, Origin of Love in particular. This song, based on Aristophanes’ speech in Plato’s Symposium, tells the story of everyone’s search for their other half whether they be gay, lesbian or heterosexual and how sexuality came to be, a recurring theme throughout.

The rest of the impressive song list, written by Stephen Trask (Dreamgirls) for the stage show, somehow manages to combine witty philosophical lyrics with a punk-rock backing.

Aided by accompanying visual interpretations, the songs translate well to the screen and are the main reason for my strong recommendation of this film and repeated checking of any UK theatre that may show it in its full real-life glory.

Other directorial work from Cameron Mitchell includes the music video for Scissor Sisters’ Filthy/Gorgeous and Rabbit Hole, the 2010 film starring Nicole Kidman, both worth a watch.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001), directed by James Cameron Mitchell, is distributed in the UK by Fine Line Features, Certificate 15.

Running parallel to their tour dates are that of rock superstar Tommy Gnosis, a young Christian boy once loved by Hedwig before he sought solo fame 24

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Midnight in Paris

by Barnaby Walter

Nearly every new film directed

by Woody Allen is, at some point, referred to enthusiastically as ‘a return to form’. Because of this, I feel I must in some way apologise for joining this rather annoying club of optimists, but I really do think Midnight in Paris is a return to form for the director of Hanna and Her Sisters and Manhattan. True, Vicky Christina Barcelona was rather fun, but it didn’t have the polish or sophistication of this new work.

I’ve never been a fan of Owen Wilson, a guy who usually stars in sentimental nonsense (such as Marley & Me) or misogynist trash (Hall Pass). But here, in the character Gil, he gives us a warm and believable leading man we can root for.

The film starts with us being taken around Paris by Gil and his fiancée Inez (Rachel McAdams). They are planning their wedding, and looking for things to buy for their new house in Malibu. Gil is a rather wealthy Hollywood screenwriter who seems disenchanted about the work he has produced. He yearns to work on something worthwhile, and stop churning out crass mainstream rubbish. It doesn’t take a genius to see the parallels between Gil and the actor playing him. He is in the process of writing a novel – a venture Inez isn’t exactly enthusiastic about.

However, the holiday changes for Gil while walking back alone to their five-star Paris hotel at midnight.

An old car draws up by him and its passengers tell him to get in. He is taken to a lavish, vibrant party and experiences things that make him suspect he is dreaming. Somehow, Gil has travelled back to 1920s Paris, and spends the night in the company of F Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest

Hemmingway and Gertrude Stein.

Before long he strikes up a relationship with a mistress of Picasso, a young woman named Adriana (Marion Cotillard). She shares the bed with a number of Paris’s most famous talents and residents, but seems to have a growing affection for Gil. Such a ridiculous story could easily have become kitsch, frivolous and saccharine, but thankfully Woody makes it gripping, fun and magical. Everything flows together beautifully, and some credit for this must go to Wilson, who plays a caring though frustrated artist

with a sense of ease and charm he rarely gets to use in his movies.

The final few scenes of the film are somewhat rushed, but this is still the most likable and enchanting work Woody Allen has delivered for decades. I hope, now he has officially returned to form, we can now put that phrase away and revel in the new-found golden-age that will hopefully follow this truly magical gem.

Midnight in Paris (2011), directed by Woody Allen, distributed in the UK

by Warner Bros. Pictures, Cert 12A.25

MUSIC Album Review: High Flying

that Liam’s sneering voice has never been able to. Liam’s voice is noticeably absent throughout the album; however, tracks like these prove that there is no need for it to be missed.

hopeless in comparison to Thile. My fellow spectators were moved in the presence of pure brilliance. I was glued to my seat; and looking around, I found I wasn’t the only one either.

Unfortunately, the album is let down by the last two tracks, as neither provide the stadium-filling bang of an ending that this album deserves. However this does not detract from the album’s overall success.

By Kim Blunden

It’s not only with vocals Thile conjures his magic; he does so with his accomplice and weapon, the Mandolin. And I say weapon, because it can hardly be called anything else in the hands of Thile. The small, traditional, folk instrument, which usually is complemented by other acoustic instruments, has been transformed by Thile to an instrument that finally deserves the spotlight.

Known for its soft and almost child-like sound, Thile show-cases the frettedinstrument with mind blowing speeds, having mastered both right hand and left hand techniques like never before.

And Thile is not just mesmerising with ear-pleasing notes, but he is visually enticing too. There is nothing like witnessing somebody with such intense passion and love for music. He feels every note he plays, sings every vocal like it’s the last he’ll ever sing and loses himself within music- creating the most captivating of scenes for an audience.

The album’s singles were well chosen and “The Death of You and Me” and “If I Had a Gun…” are two of the album’s highlights. “The Death of You and Me” sounds dangerously like an Oasis track; however, the unexpected brass and Noel’s softer voice add a new, and welcome, dimension that allows Noel to establish himself as a solo artist.

“If I Had a Gun…” is the kind of track die-hard Noel supporters have been waiting for; the melancholy lyrics allow Noel to display a vulnerability

It is true; I had been warned of the effects of attending a Chris Thile gig.

I was told that when faced with such mind blowing skill, a musician would feel insignificant and worthless. If you were simply a spectator, his music would “change your life” whilst firing a shot of raw inspiration directly into your heart. Internally scoffing at such claims, I smiled. “Sure” I said, taking a sip of my drink, rolling my eyes, whilst patiently waiting in the midst of the crowd. Those like me, who did not heed such warnings, and naturally shrugged off such overly exaggerated claims, were simply shocked by the end of the night. Despite the warnings, the musician in me wept and felt

“If he’s really as good as you say he is how come I’ve never heard of him?” you might be wondering, and this is a good question. The answer is not a complicated one. Thile’s roots are in bluegrass, the lonely subgenre of country. It pains me that somebody who is so passionate and inspiring can only share their genius with such a limited audience. There is only so much recognition Thile can enjoy, and this a shame for somebody so talented.

The next time the UK or even Europe is lucky enough to host this musical prodigy, I say go out and buy a ticket.

But remember the warnings that I, amongst many others, took lightly. He might just change your life.

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Birds Noel Gallagher

By Oliver Giles What have British tabloid editors filled their column inches with since Oasis split up two years ago? Much to the dismay of the press the end of rock music institution Oasis was also the end of lurid stories of backstage hedonism and instrument smashing fights between Oasis’ frontmen: Noel Gallagher and his brother Liam.

Unlike Liam, Noel Gallagher moved slightly out of the spotlight after Oasis split, which left Liam to release an album with his new band, Beady Eye. However, Noel’s time out of the public eye has paid off. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds is, almost undoubtedly, the best album either Gallagher brother has produced since the seminal (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

Although Oasis comparisons are inevitable, the introductory track, “Everybody’s On the Run”, has all the makings of a Britpop classic. This album opener is one of Noel’s brilliant sing-a-long rock anthems and is accompanied by pounding drums and soaring strings; it will have Oasis fans everywhere rejoicing and perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the album.

This album has proved what many Oasis fans already believed: that it was Noel, hidden behind his headlinehogging brother, who created Oasis’ best moments. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds evokes the best of Oasis whilst offering something promisingly new; it is more than enough to ensure that Liam keeps his beady eyes fixed on Noel for the foreseeable future.

Gig Review: Sleep with one eye open Chris Thile (USA) at Eric’s Liverpool, 17 September 2011

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Ones to watch: The Jesse Dansons Fresh on the scene, self confessed “feel-good”, folk/pop rockers; The Jesse Dansons are making waves in the UK music industry. Despite their short time together, this youthful quartet have made their mark, and have had a summer full of contest success, festival performances and media interest, bringing their unique blend of musical flavours to people across the country. I managed to grab a bit of the bands time in their busy schedule to find out more about the group that seamlessly combines violins, rappers and beat-boxers!

Hailing from the West Country, the Dansons have been playing across the region in high profile venues such as The Old Firehouse in Exeter as well as further afield. But the Dansons admit that a lot of this summer’s success was amongst the LGBT community, having played many pride events in recent months. “I loved Torbay Pride it was such a fantastic day…with a lovely audience” proclaims multiinstrumentalist Rosie Erangey: “I even gave Joe McElderry a beat boxing lesson!” [see YouTube]. Amongst pride events, the Dansons got the opportunity to play the lesser-known L-fest (Lesbian festival) in Shrewsbury, to an engaged crowd that simply “loved our new material”.

The bands success has not been limited to public performance this year, having partaken in different music contests over the summer months. The most renowned being the controversial Live and Unsigned national contest. Having a mixed reputation as a contest that expects a lot financially of emerging talent yet exists as a priceless launch-pad for artists careers in an ever crowded market, The Dansons did well to get

by Simeon Scheuber

to the finals of such a heavily sought after accolade. The band are grateful for the added exposure and fans they obtained from the Live & Unsigned process especially as it has also led to them competing in L-Talent (national Lesbian talent competition) and they are now taking part in the final stages of this competition!

But they don’t stop there! The Jesse Dansons have also been busy recording their debut single; Deep Waters recorded at Turntekk Studios which will be available before the end of the year. With some exciting gigs getting announced soon in the French Alps, USA and of course the UK, now is a good time to get to know the Jesse Dansons! See them at a small venue whilst you still can, because it’s only a matter of time before their infectious tunes become the mainstay of big European festivals and larger city venues. thejessedansons.com facebook.com/jessedansonspage youtube.com/JesseDansons twitter.com/JesseDansons

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The alternative Christmas playlist

By Adi Fallaize It’s that magical time of year once again, that time to dust off them baubles, fill your stockings with glee and wrap your naked self in tinsel like a festive filled Lady Gaga. It’s this time of year that music plays a vast part in setting the mood for every Christmas occasion. Having driven loved ones insane by playing my Christmas song selection since mid July, I feel somewhat qualified to bestow upon you my recommendations for an alternative playlist to the annually overplayed Slade’s and White Christmas’s of this holiday season.

Sarah McLachlan - Wintersong Christmas shopping; the rush has just become too much, you cannot for the life of you find that Pink BluRay that Trisha has been going on about all year. You are just about to consider ending it all in a glittery suicide, when wait, what is that you spot in the distance, yes, it’s the fifth Starbucks in two minutes. Taking shelter in it’s warmed interior, you nab the corner sofa the old couple had their beady eyes on and reach for the Walkman. Sarah McLachlin’s Wintersonglends itself perfectly to compliment this setting; to cater for those Gingerbread latte moments of solitude, staring aimlessly outside of the condensation edged window, thinking of ways you can be more like Beyoncé. Wintersong’ssilky essence fills you with idyllic, postcard-esque images of frosty landscapes; whilst it’s lyrics describe those classic 28

Christmas moments in front of the fire. A traditional Christmas ballad it may be, but with McLachlan’s dream like vocals in tow, it provides that magical quality that will have you feeling warm inside.

S Club 7 - Perfect Christmas An unreleased masterpiece, a monumental moment of musical wonderment; that’s correct, S Club 7’s legacy didn’t just leave us with a set of instructions on how to grab for balls of gas billions of miles away, whilst climbing rocky terrains. They left us with a fully unappreciated heart warming festive classic.

Commencing with lifting strings that any Disney princess would be proud of, it delivers a nod to the traditional whilst capturing S Club’s un-ashameable uplifting pop at it’s best. Written by the genius that is Cathy Dennis (Can’t Get You Out Of My Head/Toxic) it leaves the question in your head as to why this was never released as anything other than a B Side [Thank goodness for Spotify!].

Michael Buble - Santa Baby What’s this, what’s this? A masculine rendition of Santa Baby?

Only the famous smooth crooner himself could give Minogue and Munroe a run for their money in the sexy stakes. With a few changes to the lyrics to avoid that awkward moment when Michael sounds like he is coming onto Santa, Santa ‘buddy’ has Buble asking for a convertible in steel blue rather than light blue; because we all know only real men drive steel blue cars.

That aside, this version provides a welcome change of pitch to add a new dimension to the song, whilst remaining true to the originals luscious festive vibe. An ideal song to help you get in the party mood before you don your sparkly shirt and put them all to shame at that Christmas get together. outoncampus.org

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Britney Spears - My Only (Wish This Year) Have you found yourself pining for some much-needed companionship? Someone to wrapup with by the fire and roast them chestnuts with? Then this one is for you beauties. An up-tempo number cram packed with positivity and a hope that Santa will have bothered to bring you a man from the boy store (here’s hoping for that 2-for-1 deal).

Britney happily belts out this Christmas stomper with genuine excitement. The lyrics “he’s all I want, just for me, underneath my Christmas tree” do tend to muster some strange images of a gagged, wrapped and bound gentleman screaming for release, but if the oracle that is the Britney Spears say’s that is what she wants, then who are we to tell her otherwise.

Destiny’s Child - 8 Days of Christmas A Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without that R ‘n’ B mid-tempo anthem about the purchases your man bought you for 8 Day’s. This is Destiny’s Child’s modern interpretation of the old English carol, 12 Day’s of Christmas, but instead of receiving various winged poultry and leaping lords (notoriously difficult to gift-wrap) Beyoncé and co. are being given cropped jackets with dirty denim jeans, which let’s face it is the staple of everyone’s list. Even with it’s R ‘n’ B styling’s and funky modern beats, it still manages to feel suitably festive, with it’s Jingle Bell style intro and chimes tinkling away in the background. Not only does it serve as a break from the more traditional ditty, you can also print off the lyrics for a pre-made wish list to hand out to your loved ones, although I think asking for a Mercedes CLK might raise a few eyebrows.

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Best of 2011

by Lorcan McElwain

PJ Harvey- Let England Shake It’s hard for artists to maintain the same energy, edginess and quality of their musical output over the years. Many seem to become casualties of the common pitfall where after album four or five things take a turn for the worse and the musical elements that once attracted fans to their music seem to wither away. This is not the case with the sensational miss Polly Jean Harvey. Let England Shake saw PJ try her hand at writing songs inspired by war, not any one in particular but many spanning various decades both past and present. PJ’s lyrics on this album on their own are a work of art. The subject matter when left in the hands of amateur songwriters can often sound preachy or clichéd but this is far from the case of Let England Shake. Last Living Rose, Written On The Forehead and The Words that Maketh Murder see PJ speaking from the point of view of soldiers and civilians describing war in a very poetic and deeply moving way. There’s no other album released this year that matches Let England Shake’s ambition nor it’s musical and lyrical artistic achievements.

Lykke Li- Wounded Rhymes “I’m your prostitute. You gon’ get some” Proclaimed the Swedish songstress on the first single Get Some from her sophomore effort;

Wounded Rhymes. Whilst Lykke Li’s first album, Youth Novels, had a somewhat childlike, naïve charm to it Wounded Rhymes sees Li delve deep into her psyche and at times, this isn’t pretty. The album is much darker than it’s predecessor and she no longer seems to want to “dance, dance, dance” but rather sob over unrequited love. But don’t let that put you off. The album still has great moments of beauty and fun. I Follow Rivers and Love out of Lust both highlight Lykke Li’s impressive prowess and progression as a vocalist and songwriter. It is definitely a grower, at first I was a little disappointed but soon found myself addicted to all of the tracks on this gifted artist’s record.

Britney SpearsFemme Fatale Whilst Femme Fatale lacked the edge and wonderful weirdness of her 2007 album Blackout, it did see Britney serving up some of her catchiest and innovative songs to date. Granted, Britney’s artistic contribution to the record is debatable. The true genius behind the album being the freakishly talented hit maker Dr. Luke who produced the majority of the tracks. However, you have to give kudos to Britney for being quite fearless when it comes to releasing tracks that don’t necessarily fit into the mold of mainstream pop music. It’s that attitude that allowed her fans to revel in the genius of tracks like How I Roll, Inside Out and Till The World Ends. All in all it must be said that Femme Fatale was my top guilty pleasure of 2011.

Active Child- You Are All I See Pat Grossi is the flame haired genius behind one of the most beautiful releases this year. You Are All I See introduced the world to Grossi’s unique brand of electronic music, that one journalist cleverly referred to as “hymntronica” due to the album’s monastic sound. His voice alone is an instrument of wonder, soaring to stunning highs with his impressive falsetto. The standout tracks Hanging On and Johnny Belinda both showcase Grossi’s exceptional talents as a singer and a composer. In my humble opinion Hanging On is by far one of the best songs of the year.

Although most of the other songs are not of the same caliber as Hanging On and Johnny Belinda it is still a promising debut, and is surely indicative of great things to come from Active Child.

Austra- Feel It Break 2011 saw the release of the debut album from Canadian electro group Austra. Musically, the band combines the synthy elements of La Roux and Fever Ray with the gothic vocal styling’s and lyrical themes of Florence and the Machine. Songs like Lose it and Beat and the Pulse put Austra miles ahead of any other band releasing electro pop this year. Feel It Break, was an accomplished and confident debut from a supremely talented band destined for success!

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Hey everyone – I hope you’ve all had a great few weeks since our first issue and that any freshers reading this have enjoyed settling into Uni life! As a fresher myself at King’s College London, I was really excited to start exploring the London gay scene, get involved in our LGBT society and find out what opportunities and events London has to offer. But enough about me, we’d love to hear about your experiences as a fresher and about any major events you may have attended already and your experiences. If anybody was lucky enough to be able to go to any of the national events or festivals mentioned in the September issue, then it would be great to hear your comments. In the run-up to Christmas we’ll be seeing some of the most important events in the LGBT calendar, including the Transgender Day of Remembrance and World AIDS Day which will be commemorated worldwide and present opportunities for fundraising and campaigning – for more information visit either of their websites. Don’t forget to drop me a line with any questions, comments or reviews at tom.kirby@ outoncampus.org. Have a great couple of months!

Alternative Miss Liverpool at Homotopia, Nov 12th

Tom Kirby, Events Editor 30

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World AIDS Day One of the most crucial dates in the LGBT events calendar is World AIDS Day (1st December) which aims to raise awareness and show support for sufferers of HIV. There are many small local events going on to commemorate this which may be found on the official website w w w.w o r l d a i d s d a y. o r g / events

GFEST - Gaywise Festival This November sees London’s premier LGBT cross-arts festival GFEST which features visual arts, theatre and dance performances, LGBT short films, debates, workshops and parties. We spoke to the festival’s Artistic Director Niranjan Kamatkar to find out what we can expect from the festival this year.

London on 15th November and we are presenting workshops/events to mark 30 years of HIV prevention.

You can even add your own event should you choose to try some fund-raising of your own.

One of many events marking World AIDS Day is an evening of stories from the HIV community called Heart Beats, produced by new theatrical company Laced Banana at AXM in Manchester.

The company regularly showcases new short theatre, including Matthew Todd’s Blowing Whistles which will be shown for a second run between 15th and 17th December. For this production we have one free ticket up for grabs for anyone who wants to go and provide us with a review for our next issue so let me know by e-mailing me at if you’re interested! For more information on the company’s productions and Heart Beats visit www.lacedbanana.co.uk.

Is there any way for people to get involved or contribute to the festival?

by Tom Kirby What are some of the most exciting things we can expect from the festival?

Expect more exciting films, sensational acts and performances and fabulous visual artwork in this year’s GFEST - Gaywise FESTival.

Each art work presented in GFEST 2011 presents a unique and gripping story. There’s something for everyone to relish and enjoy!

Are there any new aspects to the festival this year?

A number of GFEST 2011 short films deal with young people’s issues, sports and coming out, whilst looking at new and diverse ways of handling the themes. A great line -up of musical talent is promised as part of the GFEST 2011 performance programme.

We will have a East London: transphobia, a perspective at

debate to look at homophobia and cultural and arts Rich Mix in East

The best contribution is to spread the word, be there and get your friends to join you. A small number of people can apply on the GFEST website volunteers page if they are interested in participating as stewards and helping the team.

Which events will be free?

A number of workshops, parties and the visual arts exhibition are free entry events.

Please visit the website to check the details.

What would you say has made the festival so successful since it started 5 years ago?

The most important factor in shaping this festival is wholehearted and generous support from LGBTQ community members. The greatest support always comes from artists who are part of the festival line-up.

For more information on the festival visit www.gaywisefestival.org.uk 31

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