eurOut - The Magazine 2

e ur opean.lesb ian.n ews

May 15 th , 2010

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Plus: Lists Are Hot | LesBian Visibility W e A r e E v e r y w h e r e | T h e L e s b i a n N e w s S t a c 1k

eurOut magazine Dear reader

About:

Gayness comes in all sorts of shapes

Entertainment

and sizes. The contents of this issue

checked out lesBian favourite K’s

are so varied, that this kind of proves

Choice and reviewed their concert

my point. With the International

for us.

Day

against

Homophobia

editor

Natazzz

and up

On a more serious note, reporter

on May 17, I think it’s important to

Gwen looked at the deportation

realize that there are multiple ways

of LGB refugees from the UK, who

of expressing your gayness. Whether

often had to flee from their home

it’s

protest,

countries because of institutionalized

criticism, or in any other way – it’s

homophobia. A good example of why

all good and it’s all necessary. There

days like IDAHO are still necessary.

Transphobia

through

(IDAHO)

coming

celebration,

is not just one side to being gay, which is important to emphasize

And since we’re still on the topic of

when combatting homophobia.

‘expression’ - be sure to check out our exclusive interview with bisexual

So, how to express your gayness?

artist and singer Roxy Claxton, who

You can gather a bunch of lesBians

shared her thoughts on music, art

and party until sunrise, for instance.

and LGBT festivals with reporter

Our PR Officer Anna went to the

Ley.

L-Beach in Germany to report on what that’s like.

Warm regards,

Going to lesBian (friendly) concerts

Saskia Joreen

is also a really fun thing to do.

Chief Editor

This magazine is a biweekly publication of eurOut.org, the leading website for European lesBian entertainment and political news in the English language.

EurOut.org was launched in September 2008, and is now one of the most frequently visited sites on the web for gay women who are interested in European lesBian entertainment news, storylines on television, movies, music, events and political news. On a day-to-day basis eurOut.org provides thousands of readers with news, columns, in-depth articles, opinionated pieces and interviews.

Readers also have the opportunity to connect with each other, to learn more about each other’s culture, environment and life, or to just have chats about the concerts they visited. Besides giving lesBians their much needed visibility, eurOut.org wants to create more understanding and solidarity among European lesBians, so that we can grow and develop into a European community that supports each other.

Feel free to contact us with any questions, tips, remarks, or to just let us know what you think. Find our website at

www.eurout.org.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Saskia Joreen (editor@eurout.org) PR-OFFICER AND LAYOUT:

'LG <RX .QRZ" Famous Lesbians in European History Fam 0DUOHQH 'LHWULFK *HUPDQ\ Marlene Dietrich; (1901 – 1992) was a German actress and singer, who later gained American citizenship. In 1920s Berlin, she acted on the stage and in silent films. She was one of the highest paid actresses of the WWII era.

In 1938, Dietrich began a relationship with writer Erich Maria Remarque, and in 1941, French actor and military hero Jean Gabin. She was also known to have had an affair with the CubanAmerican writer Mercedes de Acosta, who also had affairs with Greta Garbo, according to de Acosta's auto- biography Here Lies the Heart (1960).

In 1999 the American Film Institute named Dietrich the ninth greatest female star of all time.

Learn more about this stunning film legend at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlene_Dietrich

Pam Harrison is the creator of the award-winning historical fiction series House of the Muses. Suggest famous lesbians you would like to see featured and check out her series at http://houseofthemuses.com

2

Anna McFaith (faith@eurout.org) EDITOR OF ENTERTAINMENT: Natazzz (entertainment@eurout.org) EDITOR OF POLITICS: Maxime (politics@eurout.org) ART DIRECTION: Embla (embla.eurout@gmail.com) CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE: Chantal (chantal@eurout.org) Gwen (garance@eurout.org) Joan (Joan@eurout.org) Ley (ley@eurout.org) Little G. Special inspirational thanks go out to Sandra Showtime, founder of eurOut.org.

In This Issue

4

4 Eye Witness Report: L-Beach 6 The Lesbian News Stack 8 Movie review: Searching 4 Sandeep 9 Concert review: K’s Choice 10 A Response To Leonard Sax

14

12 Lists Are Hot – 10 Euro Actresses Who Play Gay Or Should 14 UK Mums First To Co-sign Birth Certificate...?

16 UK Deports LGB Refugees Despite Risk of Death 18 LesBian Visibility: LesBian Life in Moscow, Russia 20 We Are Everywhere

23

22 The Teenage Coming Out Story – A Trend Or Simply Reality?

23 Interview: Salon Society’s Roxy Claxton 28 Where Are We on Television?

29 A List of LGBT Organizations

3

Eye witness Report: L-Beach

Billy Ray Martin

Sarah Bettens

Elle Bandita

Friday the 16th of April marked the kickoff of Europe’s most promising new lesbian festival; the L-Beach. EurOut was there to report on it for those of you who couldn’t make it or need some convincing for next year! By: Anna Mcfaith. Image copyright by Tina Stotz L-BEACH IS THE FIRST lesBian event

team. Even though there were nearly

especially in the main tent, it didn’t take

aimed at the whole of Europe. For one

5,000 lesBians around the premises, the

away from the fact that seeing so many

weekend only, you can share every

solid and continual organisation behind

gay (friendly) artists in one place is

single minute with lesbian and bisexual

the L-Beach event made sure the visitors

extraordinary and just plain awesome!

women in a resort rented out especially

never felt lost in the crowd.

for you. It’s our very own Dinah and I

Of course L-Beach will be back next

predict that in a couple of years, it will

With

threatening

year and you can already secure your

be as big as the Dinah as well!

to disrupt affairs, the visitors were

ticket by phone! You might want to do

informed of the status of artists every

so seeing as 15% of next year’s tickets

Organized for those who participated

step of the way, either at the festival

are already sold! Starting from the 25th

were various DJanes, live acts, parties,

or by means of the L-Beach Twitter

of April, you can also order your tickets

movie viewings and sport events as

account. This left everyone free to enjoy

online at the L-Beach website (see box).

well as access to swimming pools, spas,

themselves, knowing that everything

restaurants, bars, informational booths

would be handled for them and they

This year there were women from

and meet & greets with the artists.

didn’t have to worry about a single

Germany,

thing. An organisation this smooth for

Netherlands,

Because I live closest to the festival

a festival this big is extraordinary and

Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Poland,

of the eurOut staff and I happen to

deserves a lot of credit.

Romania, Denmark and Sweden. Let’s

the

ash

cloud

have taken the weekend off, I got to

Australia, France,

the

UK,

Spain,

the Italy,

hope next year’s L-Beach will be even

spend most of Saturday and Sunday

Now, on to that which you want to

at the L-Beach grounds in the north of

hear about: performances! For a first

Germany with the awesome people of

time event, L-Beach pulled out all the

From what I gather, the line-up for

the Emma Stahl crew, talking about

stops. Not only did they invite European

next year is going to be even more

lesBian movies, enjoying live music and

bands and DJs like Elle Bandita, Fagget

impressive, but we’ll bring you that

singing along with 4,500 intoxicated

Fairys, Sarah Bettens and Anatomie

news when it’s officially released. Keep

lesBians; and I mean intoxicated in the

Bousculaire, they also invited Betty, MEN

checking back on the official L-Beach

best possible sense of the word!

and Leisha Hailey’s Uh Huh Her.

website for this information for any

I want to take the time to thank and

While the sound quality left something

applaud

to be desired every once in a while,

more multicultural!

information on L-Beach 2010 and keep

4

the

L-Beach

organisational

a close eye on eurOut!

Further Reading:

Image copyright by Maaike Kramer

www.l-Beach.com

5

The Lesbian News Stack

By: Maxime

Eleanor Roosevelt once said: “The trouble is that not enough people have come together with the firm determination to live the things which they say they believe.” Join political editor Maxime in her regular column “The LesBian News Stack”, as she gives you an overview of recent political news of interest for European LGBTs.

Same-Sex Legal Unions

6

ICELAND IS VERY close to becoming

ITALY HAS FALLEN even further

THE PARLIAMENT OF Liechtenstein

the next country to legalize gay-

behind regarding the rights of same-

accepted a draft for civil union

marriage.

couples

sex couples. Last month, the Italian

legislation

already have the same social rights

Constitutional Court had to decide

Parliament has to wait until the

as heterosexual couples and are

on the suits submitted by several

end of the consultation period, July

allowed to adopt when registered

gay couples requesting the right to

16th, before putting this new bill

as a couple. Iceland goes the way

be married. The Court rejected the

into effect.

of ‘gender-neutral’ marriage, just

suits, calling them “inadmissible”.

Liechtenstein

like some of the other northern

The ruling is a blow to LGB-hopefuls

western

countries.

in Italy.

Switzerland and Austria.

Same-sex

last

is

Europe,

month.

a

microstate bordered

The

in by

The Lesbian News Stack France:

Cyprus: DISY

DEPUTY

Andreas

Switzerland:

THE NEWLY elected president

THE

some

of La Fédération Indépendante

Arbeitsgruppen Bern (gay groups

uproar when he argued in a

et Démocratique Lycéenne (an

Bern) planned a poster campaign

discussion

independent

of

for May 17, International Day

Mohamed

Against Homophobia, aiming at

Themistocleous

created

about

legalizing

organisation

HOMOSEXUELLEN

same-sex unions, if they wanted

students),

to legalize pedophilia, bestiality,

(18),

campaign

the problems of lesBians and gays

poligamy and necrophilia next.

against homobhobia last month.

with a migration background,

Toufike

launched

a

The discussion was the follow-

intended to be displayed inside

up to a report recommending

The campaign includes videos

a change in legislation to allow

and posters with the slogan:

same-sex unions.

“L’homosexualité n’est pas un

Transportation

problème… l’homophobie en est

Bernmobil and Ortsbus Köniz

Additionally gays from Cyprus

un.” (“Homosexuality is not a

are afraid to upset migrants.

are putting their forces together.

problem, homophobia is one.”)

Bernmobil won’t display anything

They created a Facebook group in

protest

of

more than 1.100 members.

Assembly Europe

of

the

(PACE)

of

adopted

a

Resolution on Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Turkey: The in

Turkish favour

court of

has

Black

Pink

to exist. The association was with

going

against

“public morality” by Izmir’s Public Prosecutor in October 2009.

The judgment comes as a relief to

the

fourth

Turkish

LGBT

association to come under threat of closure since 2005.

registered

and

each

They

are

not

in

any

way

provoking but instead offering

same rights as married couples

help for those feeling spoken to.

it

comes

have

languages

features a German translation. the

to

adoption.

Poland:

A little disappointing side note is

that

the

Danish

Conservative

Liberal-

government

THE PLANE crash that killed the

doesn’t actually back the new

country’s president and most of

legislative

Danish

its military and intellectual top

National Association of Gays &

management also took the life

Lesbians (LGBT Denmark) called

of Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka, who

the new legislation a “big step”

was not only a former deputy

for gay rights in Denmark.

prime-minister

bill.

The

but

also

an

rights.

Malta:

of

Triangle Association can continue charged

now

ruled

freedom

the

IN

partnerships

seven

outspoken advocate for LGBT-

assembly. This means that LGBT organization

COUPLES

when

Council

the four statements come in

Denmark:

which, as of today, already has

LAST MONTH, the Parliamentary

companies

they don’t understand. Uhhh...

Themistocleous

Europe:

public transportation.

MEMBERS Party’s

OF

the

executive

Nationalist committee

elected not only the youngest MP

to

Parliament,

but

also

the first politician who is open about being gay. The Gay Rights Movement of Malta is aware that a single politician cannot make laws, but they are looking forward to meeting him soon to discuss their agenda.

With coming website

presidential up

in

elections

June,

Tetu.com

French

discovered

candidate Grzegorz Napieralski from the SLD party (democraticleft) is trying to open up civil partnership to gays and lesbians.

Polls, unfortunately, suggest he would only get 5% of votes.

www.eurout.org 7

Movie Review: Searching Sandeep Out Fashion Model Jessica4 Clark: Beauty & Brains “Searching 4 Sandeep” is a really sweet documentary about finding love online. But even more than that it is the story of two women who made their relationship work regardless of their different backgrounds. By: Joan ONE DAY POPPY Stockell decided that

When talking about

it had been too long since she last had

towards film making, Poppy says:

her

attitude

a girlfriend. Slightly intimidated by the new kind of hip lesBian with stylish

“I’ve always tried to record my story

haircuts and fashionable clothes in

in a warts and all way. In this I was

Sydney’s bars she thought she’d give

particularly inspired by Robert Gibson’s

online dating a chance.

1995 documentary Video Fool for Love.

Gibson is so brave in that film - he’s

Poppy

started

her

not afraid to show himself in a bad light

make

or to reveal his vulnerability - and even

them into a documentary about online

though it’s pretty lo-fi filmmaking,

dating in general. The story became

that’s what makes it so engaging.”

experiences

and

to

record

wanted

to

more personal, however, when she started chatting and falling in love with

Searching 4 Sandeep follows the ups

Sandeep, who lived on the other side

and downs of Poppy and Sandeep’s

of the planet, in England. But this was

relationship over two years. From

not the only thing separating the two

their first meeting in real life, to

women. Sandeep is the oldest of four

the

sisters and at 31 is still living at home

relationship,

with her conservative Sikh parents.

England and Sandeep finally coming

She isn’t out to any of them.

out to her parents.

heartache

of

to

a

long

Poppy

distance

moving

to

Above: POPPY STOCKELL hard at work.

Below: Stars of SEARCHING 4 SANDEEP; SANDEEP VIRDI and POPPY STOCKELL Photo by Tania Lambert Images courtesy of Women Make Movies, www.wmm.com

Watch: You can watch SEARCHING 4 SANDEEP online for free on Logo TV at bit.ly/logo-sandeep, or buy the DVD at bit.ly/order-sandeep

8

Concert Review: K’s Choice On April 27th, Natazzz went to see K’s Choice in concert in Vredenburg, Utrecht, the Netherlands. It had been 14 years since she’d first seen them live and she guaranteed us they were just as great as then, if not better. By: Natazzz LAST WEEK I went to see K’s Choice in

probably also watched K’s Choice live

concert in Vredenburg, in Utrecht, the

the first time around.

Netherlands. It had been 14 years since I’d first seen them live and they were

Besides

just as great as then, if not better.

myself, being a little older than the

the

audience,

including

first time I saw K’s Choice live, they The first time I saw a performance by

were also a little more quiet and

K’s Choice was at the Pinkpop Festival

controlled. I saw some movement and

back in 1996. I remember being quite

a little dancing in front of the stage,

impressed by them and I bought their

but this was nothing compared to the

album Paradise In Me shortly after.

crazy jumping up and down and crowd

Over the years that followed I saw

surfing of the late nineties. Then again,

them a few more times at festivals,

this could also have been due to the

and I always really enjoyed their

difference between a summer music

shows. I guess you could say I am a

festival and a concert hall.

MORE: Official Website: www.kschoice.com With tour dates

fan, so I was really excited to hear that Sarah Bettens and her brother Gert

K’s Choice played the majority of

had revived K’s Choice, were releasing

the songs from Echo Mountain, but

a new album and were going on tour

they also left plenty of room for their

again.

previous hits like Believe, Everything For Free, and of course Not An Addict.

The concert I went to was part of K’s

In addition, they played a few of Sarah

Choice’s Echo Mountain tour through

Bettens’ songs, including one of my

Europe (for a complete lists of dates

favourites Come Over Here.

and venues, see their website), and one of only two dates in the Netherlands.

Unlike

Echo Mountain is the name of their

really seem to care much about the

latest album, which I love. Why?

performance

Because it’s just really good.

Choice really seemed to be enjoying

some

artists

they

are

who giving,

don’t K’s

themselves. They were enthusiastic, If you enjoyed K’s Choice’s previous

energetic (I got tired just watching

albums, especially Cocoon Crash, you

Sarah jumping up and down the stage!)

are going to love Echo Mountain. My

and sounded just great. We were

favourite song of the album is their

treated to not one, but two encores,

first single Come Live The Life.

including a brilliant acoustic version of God In My Bed.

I went to see the concert together with my girlfriend. We weren’t the

All in all it was a really good concert

only ones with that idea, as the area

and a great night out. If you have the

we were sitting in was filled with a

chance to go see them live near where

number of other cute lesbian couples.

you live, I definitely recommend it. If

The majority of the concert goers,

you can’t, at least get their new Echo

though, seemed to be people in their

Mountain album from iTunes, I promise

late twenties to late thirties, who had

you won’t regret it.

Most of K’S CHOICE Image Property of Sony Music

9

A Response To Leonard Sax Apparently there’s a new kind of existential crisis a lot of people are going through that creates almost every problem you could encounter. I’m talking about suicide, anorexia, ADD, and “the decline of boys”. Dr. Leonard Sax has found the reason for the crisis and wrote three books to discuss it. Gwen has something to say about his theories. By: Gwen

DR. LEONARD SAX, MD, PhD. Has

The Four Factors Driving the New Crisis

You might have read Dr. Sax’s article

found the reason for the current crisis.

For Girls, the fact that large numbers

in which half of the conclusion was

It has to do with gender identity and

of girls aged ten to fourteen engage in

pretty much that all guys nowadays

how no one nowadays knows what the

non-suicidal self-cutting.

are douchebags. The other half was

differences between men and women

that because the supply of straight

are, while at the same time denying one

However, one thing that immediately

boys was in such bad state, girls would

should treat boys and girls differently.

struck me while reading Sax’s excerpts

magically turn bi. I might be crazy, but

At least, that’s what I gather from

is

this is insulting to almost everyone.

reading over excerpts from his two

gender and sex. That girls hear better,

books, Boys Adrift: The Five Factors

for instance, is not a gender difference.

“Pretending to be lesbian or bisexual

Driving

of

On his homepage, he treats masculine

doesn’t

Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving

and feminine as synonyms to male and

proportion of young women are lesbian

Young Men and Why Gender Matters:

female.

or bisexual. Or does it?”

Know about the Emerging Science of

I have also had a rather smart high

Of course Dr. Sax uses the much

Sex Differences.

school teacher who taught us to watch

quoted theory that female sexuality is

out when authors, of anything, use

different from male sexuality. Usually

of

words such as “epidemic” and “crisis”

I read that female sexuality is more

the points Sax takes up are quite

in titles of books or articles. Is it simply

emotionally-based

important, like how almost all primary

a way to catch the reader’s attention,

develop in a certain way because of

school teachers are women, and in his

or is it sensationalism?

the surroundings of the woman in

the

Growing

Epidemic

his

continuous

mix-up

between

explain

why

a

growing

What Parents and Teachers Need to

Don’t

get

me

wrong,

some

yet to be published Girls on the Edge:

10

and

can

even

question. Male sexuality seems to be

A Response To Leonard Sax on a fixed point and more physically-

Of course anyone could choose not

girls these days, and boys are not the

based. This is something I really don’t

to act on their attractions. The same

sole reason.

have an opinion on and would easily

way you could choose not to date for

take as a fact because scientists say

instance people who smoke, out of

It is not just boys who like to see

so - I’m on my way to becoming a

principle, in case you’re bisexual you

women kiss, it’s the entire culture that

linguist, what do I know? However, this

could choose not to date one gender.

tends to objectify women until boys

theory does create some interesting

Then of course my straight friend is

(and girls, too) believe it is normal for

problems – ever heard someone say

completely right, you don’t control who

straight girls to make out with each

“men can’t be bi”?

you fall in love with.

other even though they are straight.

Dr.

Leonard

Sax

writes

that if a girl kisses another girl and likes it (good luck on

trying

to

get rid of that Katy

Perry

“Some of Sax’s points are quite important.”

earworm), her

And as soon as this is normal, it might be a little safer for women to come out, however much I hate to say this.

There are not a lot of women who say they like to see men kiss, and for a long time, gay and bisexual men in the media weren’t presented in a sexual way at all. Remember how many boyfriends Will and Jack had in Will & Grace? Another reason why it might seem there are more lesbian and

sexuality is more likely to change than

There are two things about the article

bisexual women these days is because

a boy’s sexuality is if he were to kiss

I disagree with besides the message.

perhaps women have actually, I don’t

a boy. Even if I did believe sexualities

The first is that Dr. Sax presents his

know, progressed from being those

change so radically that one day you

opinion like the absolute truth, and

beings who cooked and couldn’t legally

could be totally straight and the other

quotes little sources, although he is

buy their own refrigerators without

day you could suddenly fall in love

discussing a very complicated matter,

permission from their husbands? (This

with women, we have to keep in mind

the right of people to self-identify.

used to be true for Dutch married

straight girls kiss other girls much more often than straight boys kiss other boys. Who knows what would happen if as many boys kissed each other as girls do.

I discussed Sax’s article with two of my friends, one of whom identifies as straight and one of whom identifies as bi. My bisexual friend said most guys

“You don’t control who you fall in love with.”

women.)

As you might be

able

to

tell, I’m quite frustrated claims

by like

Dr. Sax’s. The thing

is,

I

also have my

were primarily interested in sex, and

I try not to doubt anyone’s proclaimed

personal experience. I fell in love with

although of course no one magically

identity, even though I, like everyone,

a girl when I had just turned twelve. At

turns bi, it could tip some girls over

have met these really frustratingly

that age it’s almost impossible to think

the edge who were already somewhat

straight

you

of boys as losers, they are just kids. I

bisexual or bicurious to begin with.

analyzed

be

didn’t identify as bisexual until I was

My straight friend said she’d rather

queer.

girls

who

couldn’t

the

more

possibly

not

be single than have a jerk boyfriend,

sixteen, because somehow I excelled at denying the obvious, but I would be

but wouldn’t “just switch” to women.

The second problem I have with

“It doesn’t work like that; you don’t

the supposed reasons more girls are

control who you fall in love with.”

bisexual or lesbian nowadays is that it seems Dr. Sax believes girls’ sexualities

Both of their statements carry truth

are dependent on boys. I think there

in them. It’s important to distinguish

are many reasons why it might seem

between behavior and identity though.

there are more lesbian and bisexual

lying if I said I was ever straight.

Sax’s website: www.leonardsax.com/

Further Reading: 11

Lists Are Hot – 10 Euro Actresses Who Play Gay Or Should This edition of “Lists Are Hot” is about movie actresses who have played gay or bisexual characters. Plus we added some actresses who haven’t played gay yet, but who we think should. By: Natazzz

10. Lena Headey (UK) Who doesn’t like Lena Headey? Besides being awesome as Luce the florist in

9. Noomi Rapace (Sweden)

Imagine Me & You (one of those good lesbian movies), she’s also played a lot of other interesting characters, including Sarah Connor in The Sarah Connor Chronicles. I never could quite get into that TV series, but I love seeing Headey in stills from that show.

Not only is Headey a great actress, she’s also a lovely and down-to-earth woman, which can sometimes be a rare thing. I’d like her even if she never plays gay again, although, of course, I am really hoping that she will.

8. Charlotte Schwab (Switzerland) Charlotte Schwab is a Swiss actress best known for her role in many of the

Rapace on the movie poster of ‘The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo’ These

past

twelve

months

you

couldn’t read a single (lesBian) publication

without

them

Tatort movies. Tatort is like the German version of CSI or Criminal Intent,

mentioning Lisbeth Salander from

only better. She is also well-known for playing one of the title characters

the Millennium trilogy at least once.

on German crime series Das Duo. The other reason why we care about her

And rightly so, because cool, kick

on this list is because she also played a lesBian in Die Konkurrentin (“The

ass, independent female characters

Competition”). The plot of the movie includes Schwab as a married woman

like Salander don’t come along very often.

who falls in love with her lesBian colleague. Strangely enough, the movie has a happy ending.

The

actress

who

plays

Lisbeth

Schwab is one of two actresses in their fifties who made it onto this list.

Salander is Noomi Rapace. Before

Remember this when you continue to read this column and decide all we care

starring in the Millennium movies,

about is hot, young things on eurOut.org.

Rapace starred in several Swedish (TV) films and TV series, but her

6. Marion Cotillard (France)

big break came with Men Who Hate Women.

7. Penélope Cruz (Spain) We move to Spain for our next actress who has played a queer woman. Actress Penélope Cruz has played in many movies like Gothika and Volver (which I by the way didn’t Cotillard on the movie poster of ‘La Vie en Rose’ French actress Marion Cotillard is best known for her role as Edith Piaf in the movie La Vie en Rose, for which she won several awards, including an Oscar.

She has also played in many other (mainly French) movies, some of which you might have heard of, like Big Fish and Public Enemies (where she played Johnny Depp’s lover).

Thanks to a tip from one of our readers, we discovered a short film on YouTube (La Mouette, or “The Seagull”) where Cotillard plays an HIV positive lesBian.

Let’s hope she’ll play a lesBian again really soon!

12

really get. Why was this movie so great?), but we like her best for her role in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. In this movie she can be seen making out with Scarlett Johansson (and Javier Bardem).

This is not the only time she’s played queer, as she can also be seen kissing a woman in one of her brother Eduardo’s music videos.

Lists Are Hot – 10 Euro Actresses Who Play Gay Or Should 5. Kate Winslet (UK) Someone who in my opinion needs to be on this list is Kate Winslet. Not only is she a really great actress, she’s also very pretty and a lovely woman. I have liked her ever since I saw her in Titanic. Of course, Winslet has played in many movies since then, including one of my all time-favourites Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

She first played a lesbian in Heavenly Creatures, alongside Melanie Lynskey. It’s one of these movies you just have to see, if the plot of two teenage girls killing one of their mothers to be together doesn’t put you off, of course.

4. Gesine Cukrowski (Germany) German actress Gesine Cukrowski can’t stop playing gay. She played a lesBian in two adaptations of Donna Leon novels (Acqua Alta and Death at La Fenice) and also in a number of other German movies. In the Donna Leon novels she played a lesBian archaeologist. How cool.

Cukrowski is very well-known in Germany, and besides playing lesBians she has a pretty impressive résumé of other roles she’s played over the years.

3. Laura Fraser (UK)

2. Kate Beckinsale (UK)

Another British actress can be found at number 3. Laura

When asked which European actress they’d most like

Fraser is probably best known for her role as Lisa in Nina’s

to see play gay, eurOut writers Ley and Anna both

Heavenly Delights (a wonderful movie, because it combines

mentioned that it had to be Kate Beckinsale. Beckinsale

two of my favourite things: lesBians and food), in which

is of course best known for the awesome Underworld

she stars opposite the lovely Shelley Conn. Fraser has also

movies, but she has also played in many other well-

played in numerous other movies, including Neverwhere and

known movies including Serendipity and Pearl Harbor.

Vanilla Sky.

Beckinsale did share a kiss with Frances McDormand in

Soon she can once again be seen playing a queer character,

Laurel Canyon, but we at eurOut.org think she can do

when starring in the upcoming BBC TV series Lip Service.

much better than that.

1. Emma Thompson (UK)

Thompson on the movie poster of ‘Sense and Sensibility’ Finally, British actress Emma Thompson played gay on Ellen, and she announced that she is currently working on a screenplay starring an Australian lesBian, who she will be playing herself. I am kind of curious to find out more about this role and movie, especially since Thompson is now 50 and there aren’t that many movies starring older lesBians.

Thompson is best known for her roles in movies like Sense and Sensibility, Love Actually, the Harry Potter movies, and I Am Legend.

13

UK Mums First To Co-sign Birth Certificate?

When it comes to having children, unfortunately for two women love is not enough to create a bouncing little bundle of joy, and the decision to choose a donor, or indeed adopt, comes into play.

So when you’ve chosen the donor, went through IVF treatment, and the baby arrives… do you mention the donor as the other parent on the birth certificate? By: Ley UK LESBIAN COUPLE Natalie Woods

Before, she would have had to go

and Elizabeth (Betty) Knowles have

to court or would have faced the

decided not to, but instead to become

convoluted process of adopting Lily-

the

May to have the legal status of a

first

UK

same-sex

couple

to

have both their names on the birth

mother.

certificate of their daughter, Lily-May Betty Woods, with no mention of the

In another interview with Mail Online,

anonymous donor to be found on the

Miss Woods said:

certificate. Although, when she is 18, Lily-May can if she chooses, find out

“We would have made sure Betty

the donor’s identity.

had parental rights and responsibilities either by seeking them through the

They are reported to be the first

courts or by adoption. But as the law

couple to do so since birth certificates

stands now it’s very straightforward.

began 200 years ago. In 2008, the

We just had to sign a couple of consent

Human Fertilisation and Embryology

forms that said we were entering into

Act made it possible to record two

parenthood together. After that, it was

mothers. The new law allows that any

simply a matter of us both signing the

child conceived after April 1st last year

birth certificate.”

could have the birth certificate listing of “Mother and Parent”.

Miss Woods went on to comment that if the donor was someone they knew,

The two women have been together

and had a role in Lily-May’s upbringing,

for over 15 years, and are engaged,

then they would have put his name on

hoping to have a civil partnership

the certificate, but Miss Knowles and

soon. In an interview with Mail Online,

herself chose to pick an anonymous

Miss Woods said:

donor and raise their daughter together without the donor’s input.

“We knew we wanted a child and that we were going to be together for ever.

Miss Woods, who manages a lesbian,

The only option was either through a

gay, bisexual and transgender helpline

donor or adoption, but it felt important

while

to me to have a biological child.”

counsellor

also

working

as

specialising

a in

private fertility

issues, is definitely well-informed on They spent around £7,000 on IVF

the subject of family diversity.

Image copyright Henry Rienties

treatment, as gay couples are not entitled to it on the NHS (National

When asked about male role models

Health Service). And the Act allows her

in their daughter’s life, and lack of

sexuality), they said that:

to assume her parental responsibilities

grandparents (Betty’s parents have

Lily-May

officially, with minimal fuss.

both passed away and Natalie’s

surrogate uncles in her life, they are

parents don’t accept their daughter’s

friends who will spend time with us as

14

will

have

quite

a

few

UK Mums First To Co-sign Birth Certificate? a family. Some are straight, some gay.

homosexuals. Although, the Act itself

All this being said, from Claire from

I think it’s an advantage to be brought

has angered pressure groups who

Derbyshire’s comment on one of the

up to form positive relationships with

say a child’s birth certificate should

interviews mentioned, it appears that

people of the opposite sex. It will

accurately reflect their biology.

they are not actually the first couple to

pave the way for her to form good relationships in future.”

They are also friends with an elderly

do this… and may have missed a small Andrea Minichiello Williams, Director

detail in the law that allows the joint

of Christian Concern for our Nation

certificate signing:

(CCFON), said:

married couple who have ‘adopted’ Lily-May as their grandchild.

“I’m afraid to comment that Lily is “It is extraordinary that an Act of

not the first baby in the UK to have

Parliament has allowed the truth to be

two mothers on birth certificate as

exchanged for a lie. Every child needs

my daughter born in January also has

a mother and a father to come into

myself and my partner on her birth

this world and every birth certificate

certificate. I would also like to ask how

should reflect the child’s real parents.

you managed this as the rules stipulate

This extremely sad state of affairs is

that a civil partnership has taken place

taking place at a time when there is an

before conception?”

urgent need for greater involvement of fathers in the lives of their children.”

Congratulations

are

offered

to

Claire and her partner on being an Josephine Comment

Quintavalle, on

Reproductive

from Ethics

(CORE) said:

earlier same-sex couple to sign the birth

certificate

of

their

daughter.

However, having looked at the 2008 Act amendments from the original

“Birth certificates should reflect how

1990 Act, it does not detail that

a baby is generated: In a culture that

the two women have to be in a civil

is obsessed with genetics, it is strange

partnership, it’s just written with the

that when it comes to birth certificates

assumption that they already are.

we are prepared to forget all that. As much as you try to play around with

However, due to the absolute maze

the terminology, the biology reflects

of the amendments, it’s hard to say

what has happened and one day the

either way which is right or wrong on

child will ask about their father.”

the ruling of prior partnership.

However, the certificate asks for the name of the “parent”, not the name

Further Reading:

of the DNA contributor, so shouldn’t it make more sense to state the person responsible for raising the child?

Another critic of the amended Act is Baroness Deech, the Chairman of the Bar Standards Board. She is an open

“New rights for lesbian mums” at bit. ly/uk-lesbian-mums

critic of the rules about same-sex couples signing birth certificates with no mention of the father. The Telegraph reports that she has stated that: Stonewall (the lesbian, gay and bisexual

charity),

“This is not a moral issue; it is about the

disguising true facts, and it is about

change in the law and said it wasa

confusing biological parenthood, legal

much

and social parenthood.”

needed

welcomed

“fairer”

system

for

“Pregnant Pause: A guide for lesbians on how to get pregnant” at bit.ly/stonewallpregnancy

15

LesBian Visibility: LesBian Life in Moscow, Russia No matter where you live, there is a good chance you have no idea how lesbian life is in Russia. The supersized country has a reputation of being closed off so we spoke to Helga who is a lesbian and lived in Moscow to share her experiences. By: Little G Russia was known as the Soviet Union, and that’s when she got acquainted with very hospitable Russian folks and their rich culture. Helga pointed out that back then Russians had very little exposure to foreigners and tourists, and bent over backwards to accommodate guests.

After that first visit she kept going back to Russia regularly - first and foremost to attend Russian courses, and secondly to do some additional travelling.

In 2007 the opportunity arose to work for a Dutch organization as an interpreter, which she seized. Used to being out in her home country, she started the new job (semi) closeted, testing the waters. Helga told me she initially didn’t talk about her sexual preference. She suspected her Dutch co-workers (probably) knew from the start, and didn’t have any problems with it. As a woman working for the organization she was the only one who didn’t wear skirts and dresses, nor had long hair, which Helga thinks is telling, especially when the other female coworkers look more feminine.

She did open up in her last year working Yelena Baturina on the cover of “Forbes Magazine”

for the organization, when she got a (Dutch) girlfriend. She did, however,

SEVERAL YEARS AGO Helga sent out

there all her life. She has recently

maintain caution when she was around

an appeal to experienced guitarists and

moved back to the Netherlands after

Russian

other experienced musicians to start

working as an interpreter in Moscow for

the younger generation is more open

a band jam. I can’t remember exactly

the past three years. I thought this was

minded about the issue, homosexuality

how that e-mail reached me, but I

a good opportunity to ask her about

is still a taboo in Russia and progress is

responded from my crib in Chicago, IL.

her point of view on lesbian life in the

extremely slow. Helga told me Russian

and soon we were e-mailing back and

Russian capital.

TV just started airing documentaries on

Even

though

homosexuality that aren’t completely

forth. The rest is, as the saying goes, history.

co-workers.

Helga loved learning new languages

negative portrayals of queers.

when she was young. That’s how she 46-year-old Helga was born and raised

started a course in Russian, which took

Her

in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and

her to Russia as well. She told me she

problem

(apart from a few brief stints) lived

first visited Moscow back in 1986, when

mainly hung out with Russian lesbians,

16

sexual

preference

outside

work,

wasn’t where

a she

LesBian Visibility: LesBian Life in Moscow, Russia but Helga’s quick to stress she wasn’t

Helga’s dear friend, who is nicknamed

their

out to her Russian acquaintances and

“Bootsman”, organizes weekly evenings

Unless you’re in the scene you don’t

co-workers.

concerned.

for lesbians in the basement of a

know which celebrities are leading

building. Women are invited to play

separate lives outside the spotlights.

crawling back into the closet would be

their guitars and read poetry. Those

And for the sake of privacy and out of

inconceivable in the Netherlands.

meetings even allow for women to talk

respect people in the scene don’t tell on

to each other about personal issues.

celebrities to the media.

Helga

two

Russian

the

“Lesbisch

(“Lesbian in

met

ladies

at

Festival” Festival”)

Amsterdam,

Netherlands,

something

are

she

2005

was

lives

had mixed feelings about; to Helga,

In

It

private

the who

introduced her to lesbian (night)life in Moscow. She made some friends, some of whom she accompanied

“Lesbian life in the capital is still underground.“

Helga knows of Diana Arbenina of a band called “Night Snipers”, who was in a relationship with fellow band member Svetlana Surganova. When they split up Surganova quit the band, and started

another.

Surganova

opened a women’s club in St. Petersburg

called

“Zemfira”,

to women’s clubs. These women’s clubs

When I asked her what she thinks of

and is rumoured to be in a relationship

are frequented by lesbians only and

the ban of Moscow Pride, she replied

with actress Renata Litvinova.

pretty much look like any club in the

she thinks the ban and the amount

West. They are tolerated by the local

of police force on previous Prides are

Don’t let the Moscow Pride ban, and

government.

ridiculous. She’s seen how police officers

a huge amount of homophobia, keep

arrested people of whom they assumed

you from travelling to Moscow: there

Much of lesbian life in the capital

were gay, including a female friend of

are a few places where lesbians can

is still an underground thing. Helga

hers, who hadn’t planned on rallying.

be amongst like-minded women. Helga

remembers how, until about a year ago,

Helga told me it also happens with

recommends

their lesbian archives were located at

“leftist” rallies; it’s virtually impossible

Tverskaya) and Club “69 Papugayev”.

the founder’s living room: a Muscovite

to rally against anything. One thing she

lesbian started the archives in the

was glad for was the fact that when a

She said: “To find these and other

living room of her 2-room apartment.

group of skin heads showed up trying

clubs, go to Tverskoy boulevard and go

She

collected

books

by

Club

“12

Volt”

(near

Russian

to disrupt the last Moscow Pride, they,

to McDonald’s on Pushkin Square. You’ll

(contemporary) classics such as poet

too, were arrested and taken to the

find young (Helga thinks some are not

Maria Tsvetayeva to more modern

police station.

even 20 years old) and out lesbians

novels. The collection also contains gay

near the Jesenin statue. (Jesenin’s a

publications and related articles from

Helga also pointed out the Mayor’s

Russian poet.) Go and talk to them; not

the 90s on, which were prohibited in

wife, Yelena Baturina (who, by the way,

only do they look up to foreigners, they

the Soviet Union era. The archives were

is Russia’s mightiest and richest woman)

will be delighted to practice the little

open to the public every Thursday, but

looks very much like a dyke herself,

English they know and go out with you,

it grew bigger, and more and younger

but has never really uttered a word on

but they usually have very little money,

people showed up. Eventually, after

this topic. She doesn’t know whether

so they reckon you’ll pay for the drinks.

15 years, because of its size and

Baturina is queer or not, but she told

To get back to your hotel late at night,

attendance the archives were relocated

me Russians often assume artists are

ask them to stop a taxi and haggle the

to a gay club called “Three monkeys.”

queer. Not because they actually are,

driver on the price so the driver doesn’t

but they’re seen as eccentric. And, for

charge you way too much.”

Helga never asked the founder of the

the sake of appearances, many Russian

archives why she’s started it, but she

lesbians marry gay Russians. (Marriage

There’s more to talk about, but

can imagine they were to chronicle

of convenience, anyone?)

between the interview and meeting

lesbian life and its movement in Moscow

a self imposed deadline, I’m running

(and Russia) and to give women, and

It seems as if those marriages of

late for band rehearsals. Thank you for

younger generations, the opportunity

convenience are very much a thing

sharing, H.

to read about it.

for Russian gay and lesbian celebrities who try to keep a low profile where

17

We Are Everywhere

By: Natazzz

In our regular column “We Are Everywhere”, entertainment editor Natazzz gives you a selection of everything that happened and is about to happen in European lesBian entertainment. This edition is filled with concerts, long-awaited movies, LGBT events and more.

Events:

TV-land:

Movies: The third movie of the

After the Dutch soap ONM,

FRANCE

“MILLENNIUM” trilogy featuring

Dutch TV has a new lesBian

Do you enjoy going to Disneyland

the anti-social, bisexual hacker

storyline. On the soap GOEDE

in Paris? Do you like hanging out

Lisbeth Salander, is playing

TIJDEN, SLECHTE TIJDEN

with a bunch of queers? Then

in theatres across Europe

(“Good Times, Bad Times”)

make sure you attend Gay Day at

right now. I recommend you

Isabella is back and she’s shown

Disneyland Paris on May 29. Go to

check out this film, although

an interest in Ronja, who seems

gayday.net for more information.

it’s probably best to see the

to be more than just intrigued.

previous two movies first.

Lets see if it’s better than ONM.

THE NETHERLANDS ‘Pink Week’ is taking place in

Movies:

TV-land:

Amersfoort in the last week of June, during which all kind of queer festivities will take place,

Dutch TV programme JONG

Habitación en Roma (“Room in

(“Young”) is looking for celibate

Rome”), the hot new lesBian

Christian lesBians to take part in

Julio Medem movie without

one of their shows about being

a plot, has been released in

Christian, gay and celibate.

Spain.

ending

with

‘Pink

Saturday’

on June 25. Find out more at rozezaterdagamersfoort.nl .

NORWAY Oslo’s Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

Music:

Skeive Filmer is celebrating its 20th birthday this year. You can watch some great movies with queer content from September 25 until October 1. In addition, there will be a mini festival in June. Find out more at oglff.org

TV-land: RTÉ’s documentary GROWING UP Image copyright by Greymatter

GAY, in which teenagers share their coming out experiences, received an 18-and-over announcement for their online broadcast. It doesn’t really make sense that a programme about teenagers for teenagers isn’t deemed suitable for teenagers.

18

All-women band GREYMATTER are busy recording their third album. They

Then again, the Skins website

mentioned on Twitter (@greymattermusic) that they will release a new

have the same announcement

song next month, which will only be available for download on iTunes.

and I doubt anyone over 18 even

We’ll keep you up-to-date on when that happens.

visits there.

We Are Everywhere TV-land:

Books:

There’s good and bad news from Spanish TV land this time. Want to hear the good news first? Well, things have started to heat up again on 1950s TV soap AMAR EN TIEMPOS REVUELTOS (“Love in Difficult Times”), where Ana and Teresa shared a rather heated and passionate kiss.

However, I am not sure this makes up for the very bad (but sadly, unsurprising) news that on LOS HOMBRES DE PACO (“Paco’s Men”), Pepa is sleeping with men these days. I guess that’s every lesBian’s logical next step after having lost your newlywed wife in the most gruesome and bloody way ever…

Concerts: Norwegian musician and activist LISA DILLAN can be seen performing in Norway, but fans in other countries might like to know they can also catch her live this summer. Check out lisadillan.com for details.

SAM FOX hurt her knee while performing in Scandinavia recently. Because of the injury she sustained is so severe, she will have to postpone the UK tour she had planned this May until the autumn. The good news is

After the UK, Ireland and Italy, MALINDA LO’s Ash will

that she has also added future tour dates in the rest of

now also be released in Germany and even in Turkey.

Europe. Check out samfox.com for more info.

You can get your hands on a German copy of the young

Skunk Anansie have added a lot more dates to their

have to be a little more patient and wait until next year.

adult novel in November, but if you are in Turkey you European gigs this summer, including a few concerts in Germany where they are opening for German band Rammstein. You can find all the dates online at skunkanansie.net

Sports: The Gay Games (which are taking place in Cologne

Music: In an interview with British newspaper the Telegraph singer KATIE MELUA commented on her sexuality, saying “the lines are not always clear.” I guess that’s pretty vague, but it means we could put her in the all encompassing label “queer”.

this summer and you should attend, because it’s the gay event of the summer, plus you might run into some of the eurOut staff) have plans to become more global. Instead of choosing a different city each year, in 2018 the Gay Games hope to be a global (world wide) event.

Norway Handball player Gro Hammerseng has made her comeback on Norway’s National team. Hammerseng

More entertainment news at:

eurOut.org

was not playing for the National team for a while, because she was recovering from several injuries, but now it looks like she’s back in top form.

19

The latest report by the UK Lesbian & Gay Immigration Group shows that homosexuality is often concidered an invalid reason to grant asylum. This while homosexuality often means certain death on return to the home country of the refugee. By: Gwen 20

UK Deports LGB Refugees Despite Risk of Death THERE ARE SOME jobs in this world

would anyone be forced to hide who

like Save Mehdi Kazemi, which I’m

I often believe the persons who have

they are? As the report says, “part of

sure you’ve already heard about. Save

those jobs do a far worse job than any

the problem is that case owners focus

Mehdi Kazemi has since gay Iraqi teen

reasonably thinking person would do.

on ‘homosexual acts’ only and not on

Mehdi Kazemi has been saved changed

sexual identity. For many case owners,

its name to LGBT Asylum News, and

These jobs are often things like

being ‘discreet’ simply means avoiding

since I last visited more pictures of

receptionist,

having sex in public or in a place where

people who have been saved have

one could be discovered.”

added themselves to the header.

teacher,

or

annoying

person in shoe store. This reasonably thinking person is often me. Usually

“when in doubt, deport.“

I don’t really feel the need to point this out, but there is one job I think almost everyone could do better than it is currently done: Home Office case owner.

There is a report out by the Lesbian &

This is a mistake made by many

The latest case which is making the

Gay Immigration Group called Failing

people, to think that homosexuality is

headlines is that of Iranian lesbian

the Grade on how cases of immigrants

just the sexual act, in fact (sadly) even

Kiana Firouz. Her movie Cul De Sac is

who are LGBT (though mostly lesbian

by people who have no problem with

based mostly on her own life. In Iran,

and gay) are treated by the British

homosexuality at all.

lesbians can face the death penalty.

Home Office. It turns out asylum claims

This fact alone is not enough for the

by LGBT immigrants, when made on

Another issue raised in the report

UK to grant her asylum. According

the basis of being queer, are rejected

is the assumption that because a

to Firouz, “the movie contains sexual

more often than asylum claims made

certain country’s law doesn’t address

scenes which itself would be subject to

by people on different grounds.

lesbianism, the country must be safe

death punishment if I return to Iran.”

for lesbians. The British Home Office sends refusal letters to asylum seekers

Kiana Firouz has appealed in court,

were several problems gay and lesbian

with claims like “It is therefore not

but her lawyer thinks her chances are

asylum seekers apparently ran into,

accepted

slim. Cul De Sac, by the way, means a

which I felt could be easily avoided

in

and

road with a dead end. Let’s just hope

if the people handling the asylum

persistently persecuted as you claim,”

for Kiana Firouz, just like for Mehdi

seekers’ cases would just use their

downplaying the experiences of these

Kazemi at the time, the road doesn’t

head. For instance the requirement

women themselves. There might not

end here. And let’s also hope the UK

that the queer person in question live

be persecution by the state, but that

Gay & Lesbian Immigration Group’s

“discreetly” for the rest of their lives,

doesn’t mean it is safe to be a lesbian

report has some sort of impact.

after they are sent back to their country

in such countries. I believe too often

of origin. Often when you are gay in a

people who sit in offices all the time

country like Iran or Jamaica, you go

make

to great lengths to make sure no one

everything about a situation there is to

finds out you are, until you finally get

know, although of course I also know

“caught” and are forced to flee. The

sometimes asylum seekers do not give

Home Office in the UK then assumes

complete information, and research in

hiding who you are is relatively easy

these matters in countries like Iran and

and sends you back to continue what

Uganda is extremely hard. The problem

you were doing before.

though is that I think the current trend

that

Uganda

homosexual

are

decisions

women

systematically

without

knowing

is ‘when in doubt, deport’ (which is the First off, the asylum seekers this

horrible word Dutch politicians have

happens to often already have been

started using), and not just in the UK.

persecuted by the police in their country for being queer, so why does nobody

Luckily,

apparently think this will happen again

resourceful than me have also noticed

as soon as they return? Secondly, why

this, and they have started initiatives

people

who

are

more

Report by Lesbian & Gay Immigration Group: http://bit.ly/9NiZl7 Petition to keep Firouz in the UK: http://bit.ly/cqm1Db Biography of Firouz: http://bit.ly/bdpTKs Cul-de-Sac movie: http://bit.ly/9GBVZd

21

Further Information:

As I read through this report, there

The Teenage Coming Out Story – A Trend Or Reality?

Emily and Naomi on Skins, Kurt on Glee, Sophie (and possibly Sian) from Coronation Street; all teenagers with a similar plot: The Teenage Coming Out Story. In a recent article, gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said the teenage coming out story is a huge step in the right direction but Stonewall thinks we shouldn’t be jumping up and down with joy just yet... By: Chantal Image copyright Ley THE GUARDIAN POSTED the optimistic

storylines

concerning

suddenly show the gay characters

article but Ben Summerskill, chief

LGBT content are a huge step in the

having sex if it is not even in the

executive of Stonewall, tempers our

right direction. Yes, if the characters are

context of the actual show?

joy.

in a loving relationship, sex eventually

Broadcasters are being more liberal,

on

television

comes into play. Which they should

Ferrier also points out that plots

absolutely show, albeit tastefully.

among gay adults are not that common,

yes, but I think the main reason is,

but I do have to say that they usually

sadly, more about commercial reality

have a better run on European shows

than high-minded principles. It’s a

than American ones - lets not forget

trend.

Silvia on Los Hombres De Paco

This

prompted

At this point I have to say that I

Morwenna

Ferrier of The Guardian to ask

am glad that the networks are

whether or not TV writers

showing the teenage coming

avoid having to show gay

out stories – more visibility is

teenagers in actual sexual

always a good thing.

relationships by focusing on And hey, if for every coming

their coming out.

out

story

on

television

one

gay teenager comes out in real

This is where I start to wonder

life

about a different question – are

(which

is

the

only

reason

some teenagers do, because they

we ever able to be satisfied when it

identify with the character and know

comes to any LGBT content?

it is absolutely OK to be gay); the networks

All I hear is that if there’s an adult gay that

they

show

me

as

many

For

absolutely

coming out stories as they want and

they don’t show enough sex, or that

take note from the Emily and Naomi

Gay Teenagers can absolutely take

it is a faulty storyline and of course

relationship

over my television.

we cannot forget about the almighty

storyline was flawed at points – they

“they’re just doing it for the sweeps

did show that the girls were in a loving

week” comment. When it is a teenage

and sexual relationship and did it

gay relationship… it is pretty much the

respectfully.

on

should

can

relationship there are complaints that

Skins

–

yes,

the

same.

Read More:

I do not believe we can tar every I completely agree with all points

storyline or every character with the

made in the article; they are not

same brush – I think we need to look

showing an actual sexual relationship

at the individual storylines instead of

between teenagers; yes, they are

everything as a whole.

more liberal, but yes it is usually about the commercial side of the story.

If they do not show any of the other characters (teenage or adult) having

Absolutely – most characters and

22

sex, then why should they have to

GUARDIAN ONLINE article: “How Gay Teenagers Took Over T.V.” by Morwenna Ferrier: http://bit.ly/c454b9

Interview: Salon Society’s Roxy Claxton

This edition’s exclusive eurOut magazine interview is with the absolutely lovely and down-to-earth Roxy Claxton. As a bisexual artist in Glasgow, the lead singer of the awesome band Salon Society, and having spent a year working as part of the team behind the Glasgay Festival, it seemed only fitting to interview such an awesome lady for all you lovely people to enjoy.

During the interview we sat in a coffee bar, hugging our warm drinks and chatting like old friends, so I feel it’s only appropriate that you should join us in a similar manner: drink in hand, feet up, and ready for a relaxed chat about music, art, and colour-coordinated sticky labels. Yes, really!

By: Ley

23

Interview: Salon Society’s Roxy Claxton

From left to right: Roxanne Claxton, Roy Collings, Luci Jones and Dorothee Weber

EurOut: Can you introduce yourself

privately but singing publicly? So it’s

And you never forget your childhood

to the readers and tell them a little

been a really interesting journey for

connection to it. So that’s how I first

about yourself?

me. It’s getting to the point now where

got into music, just by creative play,

Roxy: Sure, I’m an artist based in

I feel ready to take on a solo journey,

and being inspired by my Dad.

Glasgow, I’m the lead singer of Salon

so at the end of this year I’m going

Society, I’m the Co-Founder of First

to be kick-starting my solo career,

You’re an artist as well, expressive

Aid Records, I’m the developer of First

alongside Salon Society. For the first

art?

Aid PR, and I’m also the Social Media

time ever I’ll be playing guitar publicly,

interested in that?

and I’m really terrified… I’m terrified of

I think with the live art side of things,

the whole experience!

for me, I would say as a kid and

Manager for Merchant City Marketing.

How did you get into music?

Have

you

always

been

growing up, I was always leaning

I was always singing and sort of making

I wrote my first song on a naff little

towards rule-breaking in creativity. I

up lyrics and melodies from a really

Casio keyboard when I was 11, and

was always the kid in ballet class that

early age. But I more officially got

the lyrics have never left me, basically

didn’t want to do what everyone else

into music when I picked up my Dad’s

they revolve around the theme of the

was doing, and wanted to go off on her

ancient acoustic when I was about 13,

world turning lots. Obviously at 11 this

own thing.

and just sort of started playing around

was quite deep.

in my bedroom at home… so, sort of a

I think in terms of painting it’s always

bedroom artist for many years! I guess

Deep and meaningful!

I’ve always been more comfortable

Deep

sort of playing

concept of the world turning lots.

24

and

meaningful

been the same, I don’t do anything at

11,

the

naturalistic, it’s all abstract stuff, it’s all very spontaneous.

Interview: Salon Society’s Roxy Claxton

I guess live art was the next step.

videos, I guess, [for me] it’s a way

trained? More true to yourself?

I’d never really explored live art until

of life. I don’t wake up one morning

Like, if you’re writing songs and

University and I’d gone on and joined

and go to work and when I get home I

someone’s saying “Well, write it

a contemporary performance practise,

do my art, I see my whole life as sort

about this,” it’s not just having

and that was a MASSIVE milestone

of a creative journey, and I’m being

total freedom and writing what

for me in my education, but also

creative while at work.

you want?

just my creative learning. I mean

Exactly, it’s just as well! It’s great to

it threw me into a whirlpool. Quite

It got to the point last year when I was

have structures and boundaries to rub

literally: psychologically, emotionally,

doing work for the Glasgay Festival,

against and rebel against and to break,

mentally, and spiritually. It threw me

that even when it came down to filing,

but I also think if you are forced into a

into a whirlpool being just completely

I found some sort of creative way of…

pigeon-hole where you begin to think

lost, and saturated in creativity from morning to night.

“Oh gosh, I can only write songs in this Colour co-ordination through stick

certain manner,” and you begin to get

labels?

really depressed because you think

To have that for about 4 years was

Exactly! I got very excited about laying

“Well if I don’t get it in a certain way,

really intense. It was just life changing.

everything out in what looked at the

how am I supposed to write a, ‘good’

I left University, and I just had to give

end of the day, a visual instillation

song?”

it all up for a couple of years and just

of like, files and papers. I got really

do teaching and threw myself as far

pedantic about angles being so, and if

But there is part of me that would have

as I could into music, because I just

you took a photograph of it, you could

absolutely loved to learn the theory side

had to take a huge mental break in order to allow myself to process what those 4 years were all about because they were so impacting.

Last year I started to create work again. I created a piece that was looking very much at faith and sexuality, and I think that was a

“Music is art for me, and art is a form of music”

very gentle piece, that sort of put

of things, and I have a deep respect and admiration for musicians that have trained classically or jazz, and that have that theory, I think it’s really amazing.

Can you tell the readers a little more about the Glasgay Festival?

My term is now up with Glasgay,

me back on my, “making” journey, as

have put it up on show!

but I got the most amazing opportunity

you would say.

It’s just a natural extension of who

to be the Project Developing Officer for

you are as an individual. It’s a way

nearly a year. It was amazing to be part

Is there a connection between

of seeing the world, it really is. That

of a festival which is solely devoted

music and art for you? Or is it

connection of art to music is definitely

to LGBT art. To go in and work with

just, as many creative ways of

an ethos: it’s definitely a way of life.

really inspiring organisers… Stephen

expression that you can do?

Thompson who’s the head of Glasgay

Definitely! Both art and music are

So you studied art? And music?

Festival, Alfonso Harrison who does

really spiritual for me, and it comes

I studied contemporary performance,

all the admin work. Just being able to

from a really spiritual place. So the

which is live art. I’ve had no formal

fully saturate myself and trying to find

connection: music is art for me, and

music

out, what’s available for representing

art is a form of music. Even silence

singing tuition over the years on and

is music, and I think paint splashing

off, and I’ve taken the odd instrumental

against a canvas is a type of music,

lesson, but I’ve never trained as a

There’s a really interesting tension

and a type of poetry, and the two are

song-writer or a musician. It’s always

between saying, should we have an

very, very closely linked. The way that

just been something that again, I’ve

arts festival that is LGBT, because

I perform, and the way that I like to

just kind of explored on my own.

surely every festival should be LGBT?

create stuff visually and do music

Is it less generic if you’re not

training.

I’ve

taken

private

people in the LGBT community.

25

Interview: Salon Society’s Roxy Claxton

I find that fascinating because, yes of

Ok, if you come to Glasgow, we have

course every festival should be LGBT

our album only in the underground

can make off you then drop you…

and there shouldn’t be a sense of ‘we

record store called Monorail, which’s

Exactly, exactly. To our own detriment

have this other tiny world that we’re all

huge! You can also download it from

in a way, we’ve never made money

a part of and it’s not a real world, just

iTunes and all the other online providers

from what we’ve done, and some

very, enclosed’, but at the same time

or you can go to [our website] as well

people would say it was bad business,

there is something beautiful about

as the MySpace.

but we would say no we’ve not, we’ve

celebrating who we are as human beings.

Who don’t just use for what they

done everything we wanted and that’s Your

band’s

label,

Aid

the DIY ethos. I think one day we

Records, which is favoured by

maybe will be in a position to make

I think it’s ok to say, “Let’s not say that

women in music: you co-founded?

money from it, but I think it’ll be done

the LGBT arts festival is something that

Yeah, I co-founded it with [Dorothee]

with a lot of integrity and over a long

straight people can’t come to.” Let’s

and again it came down to being

period of time. Which is why people

say, “No, this is an LGBT festival that

absolutely

music

probably do see it as being different

is for everybody but it’s choosing to

industry, feeling this is where we were

to your normal record label, and being

celebrate those that have had to stand

headed and where we belonged. It’s

something a bit more special.

up in the face of mainstream society

a sign of the time, we knew about 3

and say, “I am gay, I am bisexual, I am

years ago that more and more people

First Aid PR was developed as an

transgender, I am intersex, and this is

were self-releasing, and had been for

answer to people coming to us and

my lifestyle, and this is what I want to

a few years (those that were really

saying, “We want to be part of this,

say about the world in which I live, and

in the know) and it just was common

but what can you do for us?” and us

these are my thoughts and feelings,”

sense. This was the way the industry

saying, “Well, we haven’t got money

and to be able to put that into a creative

was going, so let’s set it up now, and

to invest in you for your recordings,

expression, and by people being able

luckily, we did that in order to put

but here’s what we can do for you…”

to engage with those connections, and

out our own band’s music, but what

and that’s when we developed First

to have that representation in a city

we found is that other bands were

Aid PR.

where, in my opinion, there is still a

approaching us and saying, “Please

lot of fundamentalism, there is still a

help us, you’re a label”.

terrified

of

First

the

lot of closeted homophobia, there is

Is there anything else you want to share with our readers?

still a lot of need to educate people to

First Aid is again, you know, an ethos

I guess I would just say that, keep

lifestyle choices, and how LGBT people

about applying first aid to a broken

on checking out First Aid Records,

live and stuff.

industry, that’s what First Aid is all

keep your eyes open for First Aid PR’s

about, cradle-to-the-grave label, it’s a

MySpace which should be coming

I just think there is a need for it, there’s

carrier label taking people to the next

soon, please download any part of the

a need for that and until there no

level and trying to endorse and push

album that takes your fancy, it’s called

longer is a need for it because society’s

artists onto the next level. First Aid is

Promenade, and just keep in touch

become so amazingly accepting of

all about applying first aid where there

with us. If you want to make or create

everybody, and even then I think

is hurt, in an academic sense of not

any quirky music videos for us ‘cause

there’d still be a need to celebrate who

finding the breaks or opportunities. Or

you’re inspired by a song to, or create

we are as people.

hurt in the general sense of feeling,

any artwork for us because you’re

like people have had a really bad

inspired by the music or what we do,

From a music point of view, you’re

experience of people in the industry.

then don’t hesitate to get in touch, and

in a band called Salon Society.

We kind of wanted to be a hug for

stay connected!

Other than the band’s website,

people, to return to and get a sense

where can our readers check out

of wellbeing again, and show there are

your music, and if they choose to,

people who give a shit about music

get your CD?

and about humans.

26

Further Reading:

For more information on SALON SOCIETY, check out the band’s website at: salonsociety.com or go to their MySpace at myspace.com/salonsociety Look out for the band’s profile on eurOut. org soon, with extras from the interview including discussions of 1900s Parisian artisans and the new title to introduce the band as… it’s not to be missed!

27 29

Where Are We on TV? “Where Are We on TV?” lists what to look out for in Europe when it comes to TV series with a lesBian storyline or with lesBian characters, specific TV programs about lesbians and lesBian web series.

Belgium Thuis: Mon-Fri at 20:10 on één.

Single lesbian mom Ann is afraid to lose her daughter, Sandrine.

Finland Thu-Fri at 20:00 on YLE TV1.

This popular Finnish show features Laura and Krisse, who recently got married to each other. Read more about this show at http://bit.ly/kotikatu.

Salatut Elämät: Mon-Fri at 19:30 on MTV3.

Finland’s most popular TV show can be seen as the Finnish answer to the Australian soap Neighbours. Characters Heli and Iiris have reconnected and are now a couple on the show. Read more about the lesBian storyline in this show at http://bit.ly/salatut.

France Plus belle la vie: Mon-Fri at 20:10 on France3. soap

(currently

in

its

6th

season) that features a lesbian couple: Céline and Virginie.

Germany Lindenstrasse: Sundays at 18:50 on ARD Das Erste.

Tanja breaks up with ex-convict Steffi, after finding out that she’s dealing drugs.

Marienhof: Mon-Fri at 18:25 on ARD Das Erste.

Kerstin

seems

unable

to

choose

between Raul and Juliette. That’s why Juliette suggests the three of them

28

Set in the 1950s, Ana and Teresa

into play when they decide to give this

have been trying to figure out their

three-way-relationship a go; especially

feelings for each other for a long time.

Raul doesn’t want to share Kerstin with

After a big and long fight, partially

Juliette. That is when he decides to

because Teresa was jealous of Ana’s

break up with Kerstin for good.

relationship with Rosa, things seem

The Netherlands

Kotikatu:

French

should live together. Jealousy comes

to be heating up again between Ana and Teresa. They share a passionate

Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden:

kiss after fighting about Ana’s drug-

Mon-Fri at 20:00 on RTL 4

addicted husband, who is also Teresa’s

LesBian

character

Isabella

returns

to town in the Netherlands’ most

brother.

popular soap. She meets Ronja, and

UK

they fall in love. Ronja’s mother, who

Coronation Street:

is also Isabella’s therapist, doesn’t

Mon, Thu & Fri at 19:30/20:30 on ITV.

seem too happy with their developing

Best friends Sian and Sophie develop

relationship.

more romantic feelings for each other.

Stay up-to-date with the most recent

Uit de Kast:

developments at http://bit.ly/eurout-

May 26th at 21:25 on Nederland 3.

corrie.

First episode of show that follows LGB youth on their road to coming-out of the

Doctors:

closet, in order to stimulate openness

Mon-Fri at 13:45 on BBC1.

and discussion about homosexuality.

In this medical soap, regular character

Produced and broadcast by a Catholic

Imogen recently came out as a les-

network.

bian.

Slovakia

People of the Valley

Odsúdené:

Mon-Fri at 20:00 on BBC Wales

Tue & Thu at 21:15 on TV JOJ.

LesBian character Gwyneth has just

Women’s prison drama with occasional

started a relationship with Yvonne, but

lesBian content. Read more about the

things are complicated because of her

show at http://bit.ly/odsudene.

ex-husband who she also has a child with.

Panelák: Airs Mon-Fri at 20:15 on TV JOJ.

Waterloo Road

This popular Slovakian sitcom currently

Wed at 20:00 on BBC1

features lesbian couple Denisa and

Contemporary drama series set in a

Lucia. Read more about it online at

challenging

http://bit.ly/panelak.

featuring lesbian French teacher Jo.

Spain

After being kissed by student Ros, Jo is

Amar en tiempos revueltos – Airs

Waterloo Road questionable.

Mon-Fri ay 16:15 on TVE 1

comprehensive

school,

suspended, which makes her future at

A List of Helpful LGBT Organizations per Country EUROPEAN

FRANCE

LITHUANIA

SLOVAKIA

Egalite

Association de Médecins

Lithuanian Gay League

Altera

www.egalite-online.eu

Gais. www.medecins-gays.

www.lgl.lt/indexe.php

www.altera.sk

LGBT Network

com/femmes-entre-elles

www.lgbtnetwork.eu

SOS Homophobie

MALTA

SLOVENIA

IGLYO

www.sos-homophobie.org

Malta Gay Rights Move-

DIH www.dih.si

ment

SkuC-LL

www.maltagayrights.net

www.ljudmila.org/lesbo

MOLDOVA

SPAIN

GenderDoc-M

Federación

www.gay.md/rus

Lesbianas,

www.iglyo.com ILGA Europe

GEORGIA

www.ilga-europe.org

Inclusive Foundation www.inclusive-foundation.org

AUSTRIA

Estatal Gays,

de

Tran-

Rechtskomitee Lambda

GREECE

(RKL) www.rklambda.at/e/

Greek Sapphites

index.htm

www.sapphogr.net

THE NETHERLANDS

www.felgtb.org

Greek Lesbian

COC Nederland

Confederación

www.lesbian.gr

www.coc.nl

de Lesbianas, Gays, Tran-

Outway

sexuales y Bisexuales

www.outway.nl

www.colegaweb.org

BELGIUM

sexuales

Çavaria www.cavaria.be Wel Jong Niet Hetero

GERMANY

www.weljongniethetero.be

Lesbian and Gay Fede-

y

Bisexuales Española

ration in Germany

NORWAY

SWEDEN

BELARUS

http://typo3.lsvd.

Norwegian National Asso-

Swedish Federation for

TEMA information center

de/229.0.html

ciation for Lesbian and

Lesbian,

Gay Liberation

and Transgender Rights

www.llh.no

www.rfsl.se

www.pride.by HUNGARY BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Labrisz

Lesbian

Asso-

Queer Bosnia and Herze-

ciation www.labrisz.hu

Bulgarian

Gay

Organi-

CROATIA

HomO POLAND

www.homo.se

ICELAND

phobia

SWITZERLAND

Samtökin ‘78

http://world.kph.org.pl

Pink Cross

www.samtokin78.is

Lambda Warsaw

www.pinkcross.ch

www.lambdawarszawa.org

INFOBI

sation Gemini www.bgogemini.org/eng

IRELAND

www.infobi.net

Gay & Lesbian Equality

PORTUGAL

Network www.glen.ie

ILGA Portugal

TURKEY

www.ilga-portugal.pt

KAOS GL

Kontra www.kontra.hr/cms

ITALY

Opus Gay

www.kaosgl.com

LORI

Arcigay

www.opusgay.org

LEGATO

www.lori.hr

www.arcigay.it

CZECH REPUBLIC

DENMARK

www.unilegato.org

GlobaLES

ROMANIA

www.globa-les.com

ACCEPT

UKRAINE

http://accept-romania.ro

Nash Mir

Gay and Lesbian League www.mujvztah.cz

Bisexual

Campaign Against Homo-

govina. www.queer.ba/en BULGARIA

Gay,

KOSOVO

www.gay.org.ua

QESh

RUSSIA

http://qesh.org

Krilija

UNITED KINGDOM

www.krilija.sp.ru

Stonewall

Danish National Association for Gays and Les-

LATVIA

bians www.lbl.dk

Mozaika

SERBIA

communities.org

www2.mozaika.lv

QueerBeograd

Queer Youth

www.queerbeograd.org

www.queeryouth.org.uk

FINLAND

http://sites.stonewall-

SETA www.seta.fi

29

eur ut .org european.lesbian.news

30