Pride Guide 2014

THE TEAM EDITORIAL EDITOR David Hudson

COVER ILLUSTRATION @madeby_ryan

DESIGN Ryan Beal

SUB EDITOR Helen Mathias

CONTRIBUTORS Lauren Anderson, Emma Bailey, Rena Brannan, Colin Crummy, Josh Hobson, Thomas Knights

ADVERTISING ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Sarah Garrett

ADVERTISING SALES Margaret Tapping Kellie Lombard

PUBLISHERS Sarah Garrett Square Peg Media Ltd. 37 Ivor Place London NW1 6EA Phone +44 (0)20 7258 1777 Fax +44 (0)20 7258 1787 www.squarepegmedia.com © Square Peg Media Ltd 2014.

We take no responsibility for any loss/claim resulting from a transaction with one of our advertisers /Media Partners.

Content of this publication, either in whole or in part may not be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior permission from the publishers. Opinions expressed in National Pride Guide are not necessarily those of the publishers, and do not necessarily represent the views of LGBT+ Community Pride.

Trafalgar Square photo: © Lauren Anderson

FRONT

CONTENTS 04 PURPLE REIGN – Role models by

– Manchester, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff,

photographer Thomas Knights

Liverpool and beyond

10 #FREEDOMTO – What does

70 INTERVIEW: Len McCluskey

freedom mean to you?

74 OPINION: Peter Tatchell

12 DIRECTORS CUT – Pride in

76 INTERVIEW: Sally Walton

London’s directors speak out

78 TELEGRAPH MAN: Colin

16 PRIDE IN LONDON – festival

Campbell-Austin

highlights

80 INTERVIEW: Actor Stephen Hoo

20 INTERVIEW: Sir Ian McKellen

82 INTERVIEW: Laverne Cox

26 PRIDE IN LONDON

86 INTERVIEW: Laura Prepon

VOLUNTEERS’ ARMY

92 MARRIAGE: The Southbank’s Big

28 PRIDE COMMUNITY

Wedding Weekend

ADVISORY BOARD

94 JOSH HOBSON: Out with the

30 PRIDE IN LONDON PARADE

family

32 INTERVIEW: Sinitta

96 FAMILY: Cyros Sperm Bank and

34 PRIDE: Stage entertainment

London Women’s Clinic

36 A PRIDE MESSAGE FROM

100 REMEMBERING ALBERT

THE PRIME MINISTER – and other

KENNEDY: 25 years on

party leaders

106 HOUSING: Newlon

42 TRANSPORT FOR LONDON

108 TRAVEL: Las Vegas

– Rainbow crossing and Barclays bikes

110 TRAVEL: Maspalomas Summer

46 BARCLAYS

Fiesta 2014

48 PRIDE’S BIG PICNIC

112 TRAVEL: Magical Pride

50 UNISON SPEAKS OUT

114 TRAVEL: ELLA Festival

52 ASDA SUPPORTS PRIDE

116 JONATHAN PHANG:

54 SHOPPING

Remembering the Marchioness

56 HEATHER PEACE – The singer

120 HEALTH: Imperial College

and actor visits Stonewall

122 DEAN STREET EXPRESS

62 PRIDE AROUND THE UK

124 THE NEW MILDMAY

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

3

FRONT

PURPLE REIGN EXHIBITING OVER PRIDE IN LONDON WEEKEND IS AN EXHIBITION OF LGBT ROLE MODELS AND STRAIGHT ALLIES DRAWN FROM THE FIELDS OF LAW, BUSINESS, ACTIVISM, THE ARTS, GOVERNMENT AND SPORTS… Following the success of his acclaimed 2013 photographic exhibition, Red Hot (redhot100.com) – which set out to depict sexy images of male red heads – fashion and portrait photographer Thomas Knights has teamed up with the InterLaw Diversity Forum for his latest show, Purple Reign. The Forum is an inter-organisational forum for the LGBT networks in law firms and all personnel (lawyers and non-lawyers) who work in the legal sector.

The collaborative show, which will coincide with the Pride in London festivities, is described as by a spokesperson for the InterLaw Forum as, “an artistic representation of LGBT and straight ally role models in their professional environment. It celebrates the 4

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

Above: The Lord Mayor of London, Fiona Woolf Right: Brian Winterfeldt (L), Head of Internet Practice, Katten Law and Board Member of Trevor Project, and Daniel Winterfeldt, Head of International Capital Markets, CMS and Founder of InterLaw Diversity Forum,

FRONT

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

5

FRONT

success of LGBT professionals and the support of powerful straight allies. The goal is to raise the selfesteem and the career aspirations of LGBT youth, students and professionals.”

Drawn from the fields of law, business, activism, the arts, government and sports, the project will feature some of the influential personalities who are making a difference today in respect to society’s view of LGBT people.

The project will benefit the Albert Kennedy Trust through raising awareness and funds. Individuals featured in the exhibition include: straight ally and Lord Mayor of the City of London, Fiona Woolf – depicted in the Egyptian Hall of The Mansion House in the city of London; actor Sir Ian McKellen; InterLaw Forum’s co-chair Daniel Winterfeldt; lesbian Team GB Paralympian, Claire Harvey; Omar Sharif Jr, gay actor and national spokesperson for GLAAD; and Mia Yamamoto, trans criminal attorney and activist – some of whom are reproduced here.

Photographer Thomas Knights said: “It’s been amazing 6

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

FRONT

Left: Alderman Tim Hailes, Managing Director and Associate General Counsel, JP Morgan Right: Helen Grant, Minister for Sport, Tourism and Equalities Below: Some of Stonewall’s original founders: (clockwise from top left) Lisa Power, Olivette Cole Wilson, Sir Ian McKellen and SImon Fanshawe

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

7

FRONT

to photograph such a high-flying and powerful group of people here and in the US. I hope my pictures express that power and have impact of their own to support others on their own journeys.”

Daniel Winterfeldt, Founder and co-chair of the InterLaw Diversity Forum said: “Thomas Knights’ photography captures the strength and influence of incredible people. The Purple Reign portraits of LGBT and straight ally role models will be an inspiration to young people and professionals of all ages as they build fulfilling careers while being authentically themselves, whoever they are.”

The full collection can be seen at a pop-up exhibition from 23 June-7July at at 1 Silver Place, W1F 0JW. More details at facebook.com/purplereignexhibition For more information about Thomas Knights, check thomasknights.com For more information about InterLaw Forum, check interlawdiversityforum.org 8

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

Above: Kath Gillespie Sells, LGBT and disability activist, and her son, Dan Gillespie Sells, musician (The Feeling),and patron, Albert Kennedy Trust All images © Thomas Knights thomasknights.com

PRIDE GUIDE

#FREEDOMTO… PRIDE IS ALL ABOUT FREEDOM, WHICH IS WHY THIS YEAR’S PRIDE IN LONDON HAS LAUNCHED ITS #FREEDOMTO CAMPAIGN… In a celebration diversity, Pride in London is this year calling upon Londoners to communicate what freedom means to them. Pride’s ‘#FreedomTo’ campaign asks people to hold up a large piece of paper explaining what freedom is most important to them. This might be the freedom to love, the freedom to be yourself, or the simple freedom to kiss your partner in public.

Over the past few weeks, the campaign has already received the support of many celebrities, including TV presenter Graham Norton, Louie Spence, actor Kieron Richardson, TV’s Dr Christian Jessen, Sir Ian McKellen and human rights activist Peter Tatchell, all of whom have been pictured with their #FreedomTo message.

The ‘Freedom to…’ campaign aims to provide a simple but creative platform for individuals and community groups to celebrate the role freedom plays in their daily lives. It is hoped the campaign will also draw attention to the millions around the world for whom freedom is denied.

Michael Salter, Chair of Pride in London, said: “Pride in London is not just a celebration of our capital’s brilliant diversity – it’s an opportunity to acknowledge how much we have achieved, whilst also recognising there is still much work to do to win true 10

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

freedom for everyone – not just in London, but around the world.

“Our new campaign is about making sure that everyone has a chance to tell their story and be part of the celebration and campaigning of Pride in London.

The ‘Freedom to…’ theme celebrates the freedoms that Londoners have fought for, enjoy, and campaign to extend, allowing people to make a really personal statement about what ‘freedom’ is most important to them and why; whether it’s freedom to campaign for international rights, freedom to continue changing attitudes in the UK, or the simple freedom to kiss their partner goodbye at a bus stop without the need to self-censor.

“It also gives us a reason to pause and be proud of London, the UK and the freedoms we enjoy on a daily basis, while remembering those around the world who can’t be themselves and live in fear – in those 77 countries where homosexuality is illegal, and in communities everywhere that are oppressive or intolerant of all kinds of minorities.”

Visit prideinlondon.org/freedomto for further details and to see the selfies taken so far. Keep up to date on twitter: @LondonLGBTPride #FreedomTo

Photos Š Lauren Anderson

PRIDE GUIDE

Clockwise from top left: Graham Norton, Louie Spence, Jane Hill and partner Sara Shepherd, Soho revelers, Paris Lees, Ugandan community group Say It Loud, Peter Tatchell and Mary Portas OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

11

PRIDE GUIDE

PRIDE: DIRECTOR’S CUT

WE SPEAK TO THE DIRECTORS OF PRIDE IN LONDON TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY DO AND WHAT THEY’RE EACH LOOKING FORWARD TO ABOUT THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL… NAME: Michael Salter OCCUPATION: Political Advisor to the Prime Minister PRIDE IN LONDON ROLE: Chairman WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO ABOUT PRIDE IN LONDON? As Chairman, the answer must be that I’m looking forward to it being run well, people kept safe and the books balanced. But, as a gay man, I always love the buzz of the LGBT+ community being in the majority for a day, our wonderful eclectic diversity on display. The Parade is vital to this, because it enables the charities and organisations that support the LGBT+ community and those we are involved with – including the businesses that we work for – to bring volunteers and staff together, to highlight the work they do, whilst also having a good day out. It is vital for me that Pride also provides the opportunity for groups to campaign and for speakers on the main stage to highlight important arguments for equality, not just in London, but around the world – making us think about our community’s history and the future. Pride in London will be, and must remain, a mixture of celebration, campaigning and fun.

12

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

PRIDE MEANS THE #FREEDOMTO: Help deliver this important event for our community; because, in the UK, I have the freedom to be myself, ‘out and proud’, and I want Pride in London to help others have the same.

NAME: Stephen Ward OCCUPATION: Strategy and Communications Consultant PRIDE IN LONDON ROLE: Deputy Chair, getting involved in all kinds of things, from communications to community engagement.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO ABOUT PRIDE IN LONDON? The incredible feeling you get seeing so many people gather together in the very heart of London to campaign and celebrate together.

PRIDE MEANS THE #FREEDOMTO: Live authentically as myself and soon to become a father.

NAME: Ben Whur OCCUPATION: Assistant Director at the General Medical Council PRIDE IN LONDON ROLE: Event Director WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO ABOUT PRIDE IN LONDON? Trying to say thank you to

PRIDE GUIDE

Photo: © Thomas Knights – part of the Purple Reign project

L-R: Stephen Ward, Alison Hand, Patrick Lyster-Todd, Huma Qazi, Michael Salter and Ben Whur

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

13

PRIDE GUIDE every volunteer in person.

PRIDE MEANS THE #FREEDOMTO: Live without fear of persecution.

NAME: Alison Hand OCCUPATION: Deputy Chairman, Quadrangle Research Group Ltd (award-winning market research and strategy consultancy).

PRIDE IN LONDON ROLE: Director, working on sales and marketing, fundraising events (including our flagship Gala Dinner).

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO ABOUT PRIDE IN LONDON? Seeing central London come to a standstill, as 30,000 LGBT+ paradegoers join together to proclaim our rights and celebrate our freedoms.

Pride means the #FreedomTo: Discover who you really are and want to be.

NAME: David J. Bloomfield OCCUPATION: Broadcast Project Manager PRIDE IN LONDON ROLE: Finance Director WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO ABOUT PRIDE IN LONDON? A great parade and fun afternoon with no rain.

PRIDE MEANS THE #FREEDOMTO: Be yourself.

NAME: Patrick Lyster-Todd OCCUPATION: Small charity consultant PRIDE IN LONDON ROLE: Community Engagement/Secretariat: I liaise with the independent Community Advisory Board that we’ve established, to ensure 14

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

that we listen to, and are guided by, all parts of our diverse community when putting on our Pride in London events. Our priority is to be as inclusive and accessible as we can be – something we’re wholly committed to achieving.

I also look after some of the smaller tasks, like event applications, music licenses, insurance and keeping everything legal!

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO ABOUT PRIDE IN LONDON? A glass of chilled champagne at some point – and putting my feet up after everyone has had a safe and most enjoyable day!

PRIDE MEANS THE #FREEDOMTO: Not forget what it took to get here…

NAME: Huma Qazi OCCUPATION: Managing Director at Huma Qazi Limited PRIDE IN LONDON ROLE: Fundraising efforts, coordination for the Pride Guide publication between our sponsors, advertisers and publishers, community engagement and gathering feedback to help take Pride in London from strength to strength.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO ABOUT PRIDE IN LONDON? Witnessing our wonderful diverse community, visitors, our volunteers, charity organisations and our businesses all come together for a common purpose in this marvellous city which I love.

PRIDE MEANS THE #FREEDOMTO: Be proud of who you are and live your precious life to the fullest.

PRIDE GUIDE

PRIDE HIGHLIGHTS Pride in London takes place in the week from 21 June until 29 June, and there’s plenty of other events besides the main #FreedomTo parade and Trafalgar Square rally on Saturday 28 June. Below, we pick just a few of the highlights – check prideinlondon.org for details.

SINK THE PINK East London’s Sink The Pink crew will be throwing their biggest party yet, with a grand Summer Ball to officially launch the Pride in London festival on the evening of Saturday 21 June. Live entertainment will come from camp 90s pop troupe, the Vengaboys (‘We’re Going To Ibiza’, ‘Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!’). Tickets cost £20 – book yours now via sinkthepink.co.uk

beautiful Mansion House in the heart of The City. Only the second female Lord Mayor since the office was created in 1189, Fiona Woolf has made the promotion of equality and diversity a focus of her year leading the City of London. Guest of honour at this year’s Gala Dinner will be Sir Ian McKellen, trailblazing campaigner for equality, theatrical knight and patron of Pride in London. prideinlondon.org

BATHHOUSE: THE MUSICAL Vauxhall’s Above The Stag Theatre company will be hosting Bathhouse: The Musical from 18 June through to 20 July, including a special Pride in London Gala Performance on Tuesday 24 June. Check abovethestag.com for further details.

PROUDWOMEN PROUDWOMEN is a collaborative partnership between Elysion Events and Pride In London. In the lead up to Pride in London, PROUDWOMEN will be holding a series of events to increase the representation, inclusion and visibility of women at Pride – and to raise funds to support Pride in London. The events include PROUDWOMEN Quizzes and a PROUDWOMEN Raffle. This will be followed by the PROUDWOMEN Official Afterparty – the only official women’s afterparty taking place on the day of the Pride in London parade. It will take place at Adam Street Club – just a stone’s throw from Leicester Square.

PRIDE IN LONDON GALA DINNER AT THE MANSION HOUSE One of the highlights of last year’s Pride in London was undoubtedly the Gala Dinner – a glamorous, black tie, sit-down event. This year’s dinner – on Wednesday 25 June – will be hosted by the Lord Mayor of London at the 16

Gala Dinner

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

PRIDE GUIDE Tickets cost £17.50 tickets online at elysionevents.co.uk or £20 on the door.

Evan Ifekoya

TRANSFORMING STORIES The Ovalhouse Theatre presents a co-commission with Theatre in the Mill and Pink Fringe. Enjoy three new queer commissions that are still in the development phase – all for the bargain price of just £5. Lucy Hutson presents I’d Like To Tell You About This, while the DeNada Dance Company offer up Café Salome. Finally, ARtFUnSHACK is described as a fast moving and interactive art show hosted by Evan Ifekoya. The shows run from 25-28 June. www.ovalhouse.com CLIFFORD CHANCE: ANNUAL PRIDE ART EXHIBITION Clifford Chance will again be hosting its Annual Pride Art Exhibition, organised

by Arcus, Clifford Chance’s LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) and allies employee networks in London and New York, to celebrate Gay Pride.

This year’s London exhibition showcases the works of eight artists who each present a body of work across many media: painting, photography, sculpture and video. The exhibition runs from 16 18

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

June – 18 July 2014, and is viewable by appointment only on Fridays between 12 and 6pm – contact Nigel Frank on 020 7006 5183 or nigel.frank@ cliffordchance.com

London Gay SymphonyOrchestra LONDON GAY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA The London Gay Symphony Orchestra celebrates turning 18 with a gala concert of opera classics on Sunday 29 June. It takes place at The Barbican, with tickets £12 or £10 concessions.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW Join the fabulous Myra Dubois for a special midnight screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Clapham Picture House on Friday 27 June – presented in conjunction with OUT at Clapham and Wandsworth LGBT Forum.

For details of other events taking place, check prideinlondon.org

INTERVIEW

PRIDE OF THE COMMUNITY S

ir Ian McKellen first publically aired his sexuality in 1988, when the then Tory Government proposed Section 28 of its Local Government Bill, which sought to ban the “promotion” of homosexuality. The legislation appalled him. So much so, that he came out three minutes into a debate about it on BBC Radio. You can listen to the full broadcast online. Google it. He really is tremendously clear-headed.

But it’s his later career, blossoming on the big screen, that’s made him an international household name, with two pivotal roles in blockbuster films: first, as mutant activist Magneto in the Marvel Comics X Men franchise, followed by the wizard Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He spoke exclusively to Winq magazine’s Culture Editor, Colin Crummy: YOU FAMOUSLY CAME OUT ON BBC RADIO IN 1988. WAS IT PLANNED? I’m not sure, but I had been talking to friends about coming out when I was in the States, particularly to Armistead Maupin and his partner at the time, Terry Anderson. It was shortly after that, that Section 28 was being debated in this country. It was such an offensive piece of legislation that I was joining in 20

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

with other people who didn’t like it; it just seemed appropriate to come out.

Whether I had decided before that programme I was going to come out, I doubt, but the way the conversation went it was too important a point not to make. I immediately had to contact my family, as I’d not come out to all of them.

And, as I have often said since, it’s the best thing I have ever done.

WAS THERE A MOMENT YOU FELT THE WIND OF CHANGE? Was the founding of Stonewall [McKellen was a co-founder] a sign of the times or did we actually change the times? A bit of both. It was suggested to me by a Tory whip that Section 28 was a piece of red meat thrown to the right-wing wolves. He said if you want to stop this sort of thing happening again you have to have an organisation that’s ready, and of course we weren’t ready. It took us all by surprise and we didn’t succeed in stopping Section 28. But, crucially, gay people started to stick up for themselves.

DO YOU FEEL OPTIMISTIC ABOUT GAY RIGHTS GLOBALLY? It’s very depressing, isn’t it? If you think about South Africa and the end of apartheid, it was a beacon of hope

Photo: Photofusion/Rex Pictures

IF THE GAY CAUSE COULD CHOOSE A FLAG-BEARER, THEN A UNIVERSALLYADMIRED HOLLYWOOD A-LISTER WOULD FIT THE BILL. WHICH IS WHY, IF SIR IAN MCKELLEN – GUEST OF HONOUR AT THIS YEAR’S PRIDE IN LONDON GALA DINNER ON 25 JUNE – DIDN’T EXIST, WE’D HAVE TO INVENT HIM.

INTERVIEW

Sir Ian McKellen at a previous LGBT pride march in London OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

21

INTERVIEW

Photo: © Manchester Pride

At Manchester Pride in 2013

for the world. That out of apartheid came a constitution that outlawed discrimination on the grounds of sexuality. Those achievements are set against other countries within Africa that missed the point entirely and blamed homosexuality on the colonial system. So, ironically, the laws they are defending in their countries are not their own, but laws introduced by us. But, the louder people shout their anti-gay slogans, the more they know in their hearts they’ve lost the argument.

IF THE ARGUMENT HAS BEEN WON, WHY STILL MARCH FOR PRIDE? Because the argument has not been won in every household where there is a gay child, or a gay parent, or a gay relative, or a gay friend, or a gay clergyman, or a gay teacher...

Changing the law is relatively simple; changing people’s attitudes takes longer. For anyone struggling with their 22

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

sexuality and/or people’s reaction to it, particularly young people but not exclusively, to be in the company of confident gay people who are having a good time and are proud to march is lovely. It’s a form of saying what’s obvious: we’re queer and we’re here and we’re not going away. We’re part of the human race and we want to be equal.

IN YOUR PERFORMANCES, DO YOU SEE A DUAL ROLE AS ACTIVIST? That’s not an exaggeration. I was attracted to X Men and, indeed, it was put to me by Bryan Singer, the gay director of the first two films, that gay people could recognise themselves in the dilemma the mutants found themselves. But everything I do is affected by the fact that I am gay, because gay is part of what I am. So, it is very difficult not to talk about it. But, I am aware that in talking about it some people might be confused, some people

Marching against Clause 28: Manchester, 1988 will think, “oh here he goes again…” and some people who haven’t heard it from me before will take comfort, because they are gay themselves, or they have a gay child.

YOU TURNED 75 IN MAY. WAS THAT A MILESTONE? Anyone will tell you, as they get older you still feel the same inside, but when you get a birthday card saying ‘Happy 75th’ you realise that one is ageing, so you’re certainly getting old and have all the disadvantages of that. I’m glad I’m still able to work.

WHAT DRIVES YOU NOW? I like to keep active. You have to keep your mind going. The scripts exercise your memory, which can’t be a bad thing.

You get out of the house and go and meet new people, old and young, and that’s something I have always liked. If I didn’t do that, I don’t know what I would do.

MIGHT YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF GAY MARRIAGE? I never felt when I was in long-term 24

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

relationships, that it would be better if we were married but, for certain people, it is. And the argument has always been not that we should get married, but that we could if we wanted to. That’s the situation we are now in.

ARE YOU IN FAVOUR OF GAY MARRIAGE THEN? Yes, and a lot of my friends are the same. I think it’s wonderful when people get married, straight or gay, and for people to want to celebrate their relationship, publicise it, draw attention to it and gain comfort from the regard it gets from other people. It’s a wonderful thing, and it’s very moving to me to see a couple of women or a couple of men getting married. I can’t quite believe it.

This is an extract from an exclusive interview in Winq magazine. Read the full story in the new July/August issue, on sale now in all good newsagents, at winq.com or to download on iTunes or for Android. Follow @winqmag

Photo: Photofusion/Rex Pictures

INTERVIEW

PRIDE GUIDE

ASK A STEWARD! PRIDE IN LONDON ONLY TAKES PLACE THANKS TO AN ARMY OF VOLUNTEERS – FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS DOWN TO THE STEWARDS. DAVID HUDSON REPORTS… Pride in London is slightly unusual in that it doesn’t yet have any paid members of staff: from the directors down to the stewards, everyone gives up their time freely to help organise one of London’s biggest festivals.

Pride needs a minimum of 500 stewards before Westminster Council will even allow the parade to go ahead, and the organisers aim to try and recruit up to 800 each year. In late May, I attended a volunteers’ training session for this year’s festival. Sitting among just a few of these enthusiastic supporters, I was struck by the number of people who give up their time to help.

26

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

This year’s Pride in London festival runs from 22-29 June. If you can help out in any way, please think about volunteering. People who are already signed up to steward are able to take friends along on the day and they’ll be given a crash course in stewarding when they get there. Events are also arranged for volunteers to meet and socialise, so it can be a great way to widen your social group and meet new faces.

In terms of stewarding, there will be several different types present at Pride, identifiable by their different colour tops. Here are the ones to look out for should you need any assistance.

PRIDE GUIDE Lisa Power (far left) and members of the Pride Community Advisory Board

COMMUNITY MATTERS LISA POWER, CHAIR OF THE PRIDE IN LONDON COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD, EXPLAINS THE PURPOSE OF THE BOARD AND HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED… For the last two years, Pride In London has had a Community Advisory Board (CAB), set up to give it advice and to scrutinise it on behalf of the LGBT+ communities.

The CAB meets monthly for most of the year and is attended by a variety of Board members and lead volunteers, who present plans, discuss options and generally use us to take the temperature of the LGBT+ public on various issues.

In turn, we raise any concerns we have about the parade, the entertainment, and the workings of Pride in general.

Each year after the event, we hold a ‘snagging’ meeting at which we report back on any areas of the big day that we think could be improved. There’s also a specific subgroup for Access 28

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

issues which supports the member for Disability Groups.

Issues on which we’ve intervened or commented in the last two years cover a wide, and often a little surprising, range: from Parade line-up politics, to provision of toilets (never enough); from guide dog refreshments, to volunteer training; from future Pride themes to traffic-flow solutions.

Every meeting is packed, and we’re usually to be found in the street afterwards still arguing (usually in a friendly way). If you want to know more about what we’ve done, there’s a list of achievements and issues we’ve tackled on the Pride website. Everyone on the

PRIDE GUIDE CAB represents a particular area of LGBT community engagement. Members were first elected from open applications in 2012 and, from 2014 onwards, a third of them will stand down each year for elections – so that we keep continuity, but change some of the faces and groups they come from. The current members are:

bPay Bands

n Black and Minority Groups: Phyll Opoku-Gyimah (UK Black Pride) n Trans* people: Suzanna Hopwood/alternate Michelle Ross (CliniQ) n Older people: Nick Maxwell (Opening Doors Project, Age UK Camden) n Disabled people: Kath Gillespie-Sells MBE n Young people: Lukasz Konieczka (Mosaic LGBT Youth) n Sports Groups: Adrian Trett (Irons Golf Society) n London Local Groups: Tyrone Ashby (Sutton LGBT Forum) n Campaigning/Political Groups: Colm Howard-Lloyd (LGBTory) n Health Groups: Matthew Hodson (GMFA) n Performing Groups: Jenny Cousins (Pink Singers) n Art and Literature Groups: Dr J Harrison (The Queer Embassy) n Professional/Workplace Groups: Abby Chicken (PIPS, John Lewis Partnership) n Faith/Belief Groups: Rev Sharon Ferguson (Christians Together) n All Other Groups: Jackie Briggs (Families Together) If you have an issue, or want to make your voice heard about something to do with Pride in London, but can’t wait for the next open meeting, you can contact your most relevant representative above and ask them to raise it, or you can contact the Chair. Currently that’s me, but from August it will be Abby Chicken.

Also, look out for elections after Pride in London this year, for people to fill some of the categories above. You must be nominated by an appropriate group but, once on the Board, you are there for the whole sector.

Pride in London and sponsors Barclays are inviting event-goers to apply for contactless Barclaycard ‘bPay bands’. A bPay band will allow you to make contactless payments.

Link it to your debit card or Barclaycard and pop it on your wrist. Then you’re free to tap and pay at thousands of your favourite retailers.

It’s quick, easy and secure. Using a bPay band will entitle you to special offers at selected retailers, allow you to enjoy special experiences at Pride, and you’ll also be able to update friends with your parade progress at special social media stations. The band will remain active for three months – allowing you to take advantage of special offers at Pride and afterwards.

To register, go to bpayband.co.uk/ prideprereg

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

29

PRIDE GUIDE

PRIDE IN LONDON: THE PARADE THIS YEAR’S PRIDE IN LONDON PARADE ROUTE WILL AGAIN RUN FROM BAKER STREET TO WHITEHALL… The annual Pride in London parade will kick off at 1pm on Saturday 28 June. The assembly point is Baker Street. Floats have been asked to assemble from 9.30am onwards and walking groups from 11am onwards. The parade is the only community event to close half of London’s West End and Europe’s busiest shopping street: Oxford Street.

At the time of going to press, more than 180 different groups were registered to take part in the 2014 parade. Last year – the first year under the control of LGBT+ Community Pride – 15,000 people joined the Parade, representing over 100 community groups, with 65,000 people enjoying the entertainment in Trafalgar Square, and 200,000 more packing the streets of Soho all day. The organisers are hoping for even better numbers for 2014, and the parade is already guaranteed to be a brighter 30

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

and louder event, as it will have a far greater number of floats this year.

The parade will set off from Baker Street at 1pm, and make its way to Oxford Street – turning the corner by Selfridges. It will then head to Oxford Circus, before turning south

PRIDE GUIDE

Out With The Family (outwiththefamily.co.uk) is sponsoring the family area at this year’s Pride in London – which can be found in Golden Square, Soho, from noon until 8pm. The area - the Out With The Family Rainbow Fete – will offer a quieter oasis for all, away from the hustle and bustle of Old Compton Street. Expect bespoke food and drink outlets, a bandstand with live entertainment, deckchairs and a kid’s area, including bouncy castle.

on to Regent Street. It will continue to Piccadilly Circus, and then head down Regent Street south to Pall Mall. It will pass Trafalgar Square and then head along Whitehall – where marchers will disperse between 2.30 and 4.30pm.

We don’t have space to include all the different groups taking part, but here are just a few of the names involved: Gay

Bikers Motorcycle Club; Barclays; South London Lesbian Mums Group; New Family Social; Age UK Camden Opening Doors London; Police; Stonewall; Navy, Army and RAF; SM Gays; Network Rail; National AIDS Trust; Outplay Squash; Out To Swim; The Pink Singers; Unite; Microsfot UK; Google; Cancer is a Drag; ASDA; US Embassy in London; Filipino LGBT UK; Planet London; Facebook; RSPCA; Out at Tesco; Gendered Intelligence; Vodafone; KPMG; Genesis Housing; LGBT Labour; LGBTory; Quest and many, many others.

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

31

PRIDE GUIDE

KEEPING MUM TO COINCIDE WITH PRIDE IN LONDON, SINITTA IS RELEASING HER FIRST NEW SINGLE IN ALMOST TWO DECADES – A COVER OF ‘SO MANY MEN, SO LITT LE TIME’! SHE CHATT ED TO DAVID HUDSON… Sinitta is probably better known to younger readers for her mentoring roles on X Factor and appearances in celebrity reality shows such as I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Older readers will remember her for her numerous chart hits in the 80s, such as ‘Toy Boy’ and ‘So Macho’. After almost a 20-year gap in her recording career, 2014 has seen her return to the studio with the team from Energise Records.

She’s currently working on her first album of new material

32

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

since the mid-90s and, as a taster, she’s recorded her own cover version of the 80s hi-nrg hit, ‘So Many Men, So Little Time’. The song has special meaning for Sinitta, as it was made famous by none other than her own mother – singer and actress, Miquel Brown. The song gets released on the same day as Pride in London (28 June) and, to celebrate, Sinitta will be performing live on the Square Peg Media float on the parade.

PRIDE GUIDE WHAT WAS THE THINKING BEHIND RELEASING YOUR OWN VERSION OF ‘TOO MANY MEN, SO LITTLE TIME’?

When Gary [Simmons] at Energise Records spoke to me about doing a track, we talked about maybe doing some obscure things – you know, different styles that I’d always wanted to do but had never done – and then maybe doing some fabulous cover of something that would be fun, and somehow it just came up. I don’t remember how or why but, as soon as it did, I knew we had to do it. It would be a great tribute to my mum, and we had so much fun doing it AND YOU’RE WORKING ON AN ALBUM OF NEW MATERIAL? Yes, we’re working on an album of new material, that’s something we’re supposed to be doing, but ‘So Many Men’ just seemed to happen on the first day in the studio. It was a kind of song to break the ice, because obviously I hadn’t recorded for years, and it was a way of getting back in the saddle. And now, the creative juices are flowing so we’ve started on other new stuff as well.

AND WHY HAVE YOU LEFT IT SO LONG BEFORE RETURNING TO THE STUDIO? The last thing I did was the Supremes EP in the early/mid 90s. There was a period that I felt I needed to do something different, so I hunkered down and did some different stuff which wasn’t really received that well. I ended up working more behind the scenes, working with new talent, and going back to the theatre, working on shows like Smokey Joe’s Café and What A Feeling, which, in a way, was going back to my roots.

That said, I was always still performing, so I never stopped singing, I just stopped recording. It was long overdue to get back in the studio. People kept saying, “We just need to find the right song, we need to find the right song”, and the right song never came. This time, rather than waiting for everything to be perfect, it was just like, “You know what?

Let’s just do it!”

HOW IS YOUR MUM THESE DAYS? WHAT DOES SHE THINK OF YOUR VERSION OF ‘SO MANY MEN…’?

My mum is great. She’s currently making a film with Helen Mirren, playing her hairdresser, and sending me saucy snaps from the set – they’re having a great time. She loved my version of the song, and I’ve added my own bits to it, which she thought was cute. She does say we sound alike though – she says, “that could be me!”, which I take as a compliment, because she’s a much better singer than me.

ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO PRIDE IN LONDON? So looking forward to it. We’ve got the single coming out, and with marriage being legal now, a lot of friends of mine are celebrating and getting married, so I think it’s going to be a big party. My kids are going and they’ve got a kids area just behind Shaftesbury Avenue, so it’s going to be a great day!

‘So Many Men, So Little Time’ will be available from 28 June exclusively through the PowaTag app – and then from 4 July via iTunes, energiserecords. com and other digital outlets.

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

33

PRIDE ENTERTAINMENT Following the Pride in London parade, the action moves to Trafalgar Square and the streets of Soho. Trafalgar Square will host the community market and the main stage.

Here we present the main stage running order – with a few acts still to be confirmed or embargoed at the time of going to Conchita Wurst press – and the line-up for Dean Street stage in Soho. Expect the other streets around Soho 34

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

– particularly Old Compton Street – to also be packed with revelers.

MAIN STAGE Hosts throughout the day will include Leanne Jones, Dusty O, Dr Christian Jessen, Harry Derbidge, Rylan Clark and Paris Lees, and more.

13.00 Freedom To Sing Musicals – supporting MAD Trust – mixed musical theatre performances 13.30 Drag Queens of London 13.50 Pride Stage official opening 13.55 Scarletts Roses 14.15 Mzz Kimberley 14.25 Aaron Denham – Pride’s Got Talent semi-finalist 14.30 Adam All – Pride’s Got Talent semi-finalist 14.35 Recall 15.10 Dorian Reland – Pride’s Got Talent winner 15:20 SURPRISE ACT! 15:40 SheBoom – Female drummers

Trafalgar Square photo: © Lauren Anderson

PRIDE GUIDE

Photo: © Stonewall/Mark Weeks

PRIDE GUIDE

Dr Christian Jessen

Dusty O

16.00 The Supreme Fabulettes – Drag troupe 16.05 Sinitta 16.30 London Gay Big Band ft La Voix (Britain’s Got Talent) 17.20 Sink The Pink 17:40 Conchita Wurst Eurovision Song Contest winner 18.00 Samantha Fox 18:20 Sophie de Battista – Pride’s Got Talent semi-finalist 18:35 Pink Singers 18:55 Beth Sherburn 19:00 Ryan Jagger 19.10 Heather Peace 19.30 DJ - TBC 20:00 Main stage closes DEAN STREET (1-4PM) 13:00 Introduction 13:20 Danny Hilton 13:40 Billy Lloyd – Pride’s Got Talent semi-finalist 14:00 Sound Manifesto – Pride’s Got Talent semi-finalist 14:20 Elena Ramona – Pride’s Got Talent semi-finalist

Lucy Spraggan 14:40 Orlaith-Rose Comer – Pride’s Got Talent semi-finalist 15:00 Luke Upton 15:25 Concrete Rose 15:45 Doremi Fly DEAN STREET WOMEN’S STAGE (4-8PM) 16:00 Intro from Alison Hand 16:00 Beth Sherburn 16:15 AdamAll – drag king 16:45 Jes Stretton 17:00 Lucy Spraggan 17:20 CX24 17:45 Battle of the You 18:05 Jes Stretton 18:25 The BelleFleurs 18:45 Naomi Young 19:05 Ashleigh K 19:25 DJ Sandra Davenport 20:00 Women’s Stage closes Running orders are subject to change, so keep checking prideinlondon.org for the latest news and updates.

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

35

PRIDE GUIDE

FROM THE PRIME MINISTER,

DAVID CAMERON

I want to send my best wishes to everyone taking part in Pride in London events, especially all those volunteers who make it possible.

Since last year’s event there has been one huge, historic change in Britain: the institution of marriage is now open to all. Whether you’re a man and a man, a woman and a woman or a woman and a man, your love for one another is equal in the eyes of the law. Since the Same-Sex Couples Act came into law in March, couples across the country and across the capital – from Peckham to Putney, Wimbledon to Walthamstow – have been demonstrating their love and commitment by tying the knot. This would not have been possible without the support of so many people who are at Pride today. So, thank you – you have made history.

I’m immensely proud to be the Prime Minster of the country which is – and this is official – the best place in Europe to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. But that doesn’t mean our job is done – we cannot be complacent.

The theme of this year’s Pride is ‘freedom’; and I want this to be a country where all children are free from the fear of bullying, where elderly people have the freedom to be who they are, where our sportsmen and 36

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

women have the freedom to achieve – people like Tom Daley, Claire Harvey, Nicola Adams and Casey Stoney, who proudly represent this country – and where no-one is at risk of the sickening homophobic attacks that, sadly, still happen on our streets.

And this isn’t just about Britain. We are committed to improving LGBT rights across the planet. I have raised my concerns about the treatment of gay people in Russia with President Putin, and the Foreign Office presses the case for positive change around the world.

The values of tolerance, freedom and respect – these are the values that define us in Britain. Not only should we take great pride in them, we should encourage the rest of the world to take our lead.

I hope you have a very enjoyable Pride in London.

Rt Hon David Cameron, Prime Minister

PRIDE GUIDE

FROM DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER,

NICK CLEGG

Once a year, the heart of London beats a little stronger, louder and prouder as thousands of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered people, along with straight people too, come together to celebrate their freedom to be who they are: LGBT and proud. And this year, we have even more reasons to celebrate.

Back in March, here in London and across England and Wales, the first gay couples tied the knot on an historic day.

A gay friend of mine told me that, walking past Moss Bross in the days before the first gay couples got married, he saw a window display of two grooms.

He’s not in a relationship and he has no current plans to get married. But he said that, as he walk passed that shop window, he literally felt himself walk a bit taller. That weekend in March should have made all of us walk a little taller, whether it was down the aisle or not.

As Deputy Prime Minister leading the Liberal Democrats in this coalition, this is one of the achievements that makes me most proud. And as gay couples were walking down the aisle for the first time, I made sure that the pride flag was flying high above the Cabinet Office in Whitehall, showing that I, and the rest of the country, were also proud of what had been achieved. For everyone who campaigned so hard for equal marriage, it’s about love and building a modern, 38

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

open and fair society. That’s the Britain we believe in - a country that is stronger through its diversity and a place where everyone is valued equally with the same right to love and commit to who they want.

This positive step also sent a powerful message to those people around the world who are still fighting for greater equality. It tells them they are not alone and that we will always stand with them.

It should never be a crime to be gay.

Love, tolerance and respect are universal values and human rights, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender freedoms, should apply to all people.

London Pride is a wonderful, loud and vibrant celebration of those rights and people’s enduring fight to protect them.

It’s also one of the biggest and best prides in the world! So enjoy yourselves this weekend and have a great pride.

Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP Leader of the Liberal Democrats

PRIDE GUIDE The Labour Party champions equality because it is the right thing to do. The desire to create a more just society goes straight to the heart of what it means to be British. That is why we must all speak up against prejudice.

FROM LEADER OF THE LABOUR PARTY,

ED MILIBAND

I want to send my best wishes to everyone taking part in this year’s Pride in London. I hope you have a fantastic day.

Pride shows Britain at its best, with our capital city coming to a standstill to recognize our LGBT community.

It highlights how far we have come on equality and in accepting and celebrating each other’s differences.

Together we have made great progress towards equality: creating an equal age of consent: ending the ban on LGBT people serving in our forces; increasing sentences for hate crimes; outlawing discriminiation in goods and services; civil partnerships and earlier this year we welcome the first equal marriages.

Yet despite progress there is still more to be done. As you celebrate Pride, may it reinforce our determinaion to end homophobic bullying and may it further our resolve to speak out for those across the world without a voice who are facing persecution and prejudice because of their gender or sexuality.

With best wishes for a great day, Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP Leader of the Labour Party

From the Mayor of London BORIS JOHNSON I’m delighted to be supporting Pride in London again this year. The capital is home to one of the biggest, most visible and most diverse LGBT populations in the world, and I am committed to ensuring we remain at the forefront of LGBT equality. There is more to be done and my office will continue to work with the police and the LGBT community to tackle prejudice and show that discrimination has no place in a city like ours.

Have a fabulous Pride and let’s celebrate London as city in which everyone has the FREEDOM TO be open about who you are.

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

39

PRIDE GUIDE

OVER THE RAINBOW! LONDON WILL GETS ITS FIRST RAINBOW-COLOURED ZEBRA CROSSING FOR PRIDE IN LONDON. MARTYN LOUKES, CHAIR OF THE TRANSPORT FOR LONDON (TFL) LGBT+ NETWORK EXPLAINS… Following in the footsteps of Tel Aviv and Sydney – where activists have painted pedestrian crossings in rainbow colours as a symbol of LGBT pride – London’s very own rainbowcoloured zebra crossing will appear in Pall Mall East for the duration of this year’s Pride in London parade. The idea actually came from a request to Transport for London (TfL) for a rainbow crossing in 2012 by the only out London gay MP at the time: Mike Freer (Conservative MP for Finchley and Golders Green). However, the request came a little too late to organize in time, and it was also the year of London’s World Pride – an event that had to be drastically scaled back and which led to the collapse of the previous Pride committee. Once the new London LGBT+ Community Pride group were appointed last year, the request was again raised and, on this occasion, it landed in the lap of TfL’s LGBT+ Network.

How hard could it be to get something so simple painted on to a road in Central London? Well, very hard, in fact. It was my first year as Chair of TfL’s LGBT+ Network and I had no idea how many issues I would come up against in trying to get the rainbow

42

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

Martyn Loukes crossing approved. I spoke to everyone I could and got them onboard, and the final challenge was securing a site on a closed road because – not surprisingly – the law says ‘no’ when it comes to anything other than black and white crossings on a working UK road.

However, the great news is that it is happening, and in an iconic location – in view of the parade as it turns the corner on Regent Street, against a backdrop of Trafalgar Square. This has all been made possible because of a great deal of determination, and with the help of our sponsors, Applied Outdoor Media – to whom we are hugely grateful. The location is the perfect spot for a Pride photo opportunity – so come along, strike a pose and snap yourself on our fabulous crossing!

PRIDE GUIDE

ON YOUR BIKE!

Not only has TfL organized a rainbow crossing for this year’s Pride in London festival (see our article on page 42), but 75 of the West End’s Barclays Cycle Hire bikes have been re-decorated with a special ‘Ride with Pride’ logo for Pride week! For information on how to hire a bike, go to tfl.gov.uk TfL’s LGBT+ Network has also commissioned 200 limited edition posters in conjunction with London Transport Museum, which will go on sale in the run up to Pride to celebrate the Year of the Bus. The posters are available from the London Transport Museum, but we’ve got six to give away to readers. To enter, tell us the answer to the following question: THE LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM CAN BE FOUND IN… A) Hampstead B) Vauxhall C) Covent Garden Email hudson@outmag.co.uk by 7 July 2014, or pop your answer on a postcard, with your contact details, and send it to ‘Poster competition’, Square Peg Media, 37 Ivor Place, London, NW1 6EA. Six names will be drawn at random.

44

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

PRIDE GUIDE

ACCESS FOR ALL PRIDE IN LONDON IS DEDICATED TO BEING AS ACCESSIBLE TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE ON SATURDAY 28 JUNE… GETTING TO PRIDE Check prideinlondon.org for details of road closures and parking suspensions in operation on Saturday 28 June. Check tfl.gov.uk for information on planned engineering works on public transport.

ACCESS SHUTTLE BUS An accessible shuttle bus will run between the northwest corner of Trafalgar Square, the safe space assembly area in Bakers Mews, and the University of Westminster on Baker Street every half hour on Saturday 28th June. The bus will be clearly identifiable with Pride signs in its windows and can accommodate six wheelchair users and eight other passengers. The shuttle will depart from Trafalgar Square every thirty minutes. Access Stewards can guide you to the bus stop, which will be clearly marked. The first bus will leave Steward Sign-In at 08.45, and the last bus will leave Trafalgar Square at 12noon.

ACCESS ASSEMBLY AREA This year, the Access Assembly point is on Bakers Mews, which is just off Fitzhardinge Street/Baker Street. Pride’s volunteer Access Managers and Access Stewards will be there from 10.30 to answer any questions you may have about the rest of your day. There will be an accessible toilet in this area.

PARADE SAFE SPACE If you want to join the Access Safe Space for the Parade, please aim to arrive at the Access Assembly Area no later than 12.30.

The Parade will leave at 13.00 and organisers need to ensure sufficient time to move from Bakers Mews to the position in the Parade. When the Parade leaves at 1pm, it will follow the route down to Trafalgar Square where the Access Safe Space will split. For those who want to continue to the end of the parade, it will continue down Whitehall and onto the dispersal point.

TRAFALGAR SQUARE A viewing platform will be provided on the North Terrace above Trafalgar Square. This will be staffed by specially trained Access Stewards. Due to the inability to properly anchor any structure safely, it will not be possible to provide cover from adverse weather conditions and so you are advised to bring your own umbrella (and, if appropriate, a wheelchair fixing clamp).

BSL interpretation will be provided on the Main Stage and will also be inset into the large video screens to either side.

For more accessibility information, including information on parking, wheelchair recharging points, and the Picnic in the Park on Sunday 29 June, please check prideinlondon.org

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

45

BARCLAYS

#FreedomTo make a statement Use Barclays Pingit to support Pride in London and send a message and photo with your donation.

Amy Stanning Director, Barclays Mortgages What are your earliest memories of being transgender?

I knew I was different at quite an early age – six or seven. And I knew I was transgender – though I wouldn’t have put it in those terms – at 12.

You hear the classic stereotype about being trapped in the wrong body. It wasn’t so much like that. It was more a feeling of being very different and that was quite isolating.

Who has been your role model in life, and why?

I read Jan Morris’s book ‘Conundrum’ when I was about 12 – I just knew that I felt the same. Her story gave me the inspiration to, one day, be myself.

How will you be celebrating this year’s event?

I am co-Chair of Spectrum, Barclays’ LGBT employees’ network. I’ll be there on the day, helping raise awareness of the issues faced by transgendered people.

What does Barclays sponsorship of Pride in London signify for you?

Barclays is widely recognised as one of the leading UK businesses for LGBT awareness and our sponsorship of Pride is a real declaration of how passionate we are about it.

What’s your view of Barclays as an LGBT employer?

I am hugely proud of the organization – there’s a genuine passion for supporting the LGBT community and embracing diversity. It’s a part of everything we do – both with colleagues and customers. I have drawn a lot of support and have made some great friends. It’s a great place to work.

46

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

BARCLAYS Lohit Kalburgi Customer Experience Director, Barclays Who has shaped you into who you are today?

Though I live in London now, I’m of Indian origin, was born in Dubai, and moved here from New Zealand; living in many different places and amongst such different cultures has played a big part in shaping who I am today and showing the importance of recognising and celebrating diversity.

What does Pride in London mean to you?

I believe events like Pride in London continue to play an important role in bringing communities together, promoting the understanding, support and celebration of all things LGBT. I’m father of a three-year-old and am incredibly optimistic about the world my son is growing up in. It’s more tolerant, understanding and diverse than it’s ever been – and Pride in London is also about celebrating that.

What’s your view of Barclays as an LGBT employer?

Barclays works hard to create a culture that enables colleagues, customers and clients to express who they are. Our sponsorship of Pride is a powerful statement of just how diverse an organisation we are.

How will you be celebrating this year’s event?

Pride in London is very much a family event these days and I’ll be there on the day with my partner and our son, Zane.

Scan with Barclays Pingit, donate to Pride.

Can’t scan? Donate to 07879 822756 within the app.

Terms, conditions and restrictions apply. You must be aged 16 or over and have a UK-registered bank account and a mobile number to use Barclays Pingit. If you’re already using Barclays Mobile Banking, you can register quickly for Barclays Pingit by confirming your existing details in the app. For full terms and conditions and more information, visit barclays.co.uk/pingit. Messages will be published during Pride in London.

Barclays Bank PLC is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Financial Services Register No. 122702).

Registered in England. Registered No. 1026167. Registered office: 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP.

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

47

PRIDE GUIDE

PRIDE PICNIC

FOLLOWING ITS SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH IN 2013, THE PRIDE PICNIC RETURNS TO VAUXHALL ON SUNDAY 29 JUNE. Launched with great success last year, London’s Pride Picnic is returning in 2014 – offering a social and fun-filled afternoon, on the day after the main parade and Trafalgar Square/Soho festivities. It will take place on Sunday 29 June in Spring Gardens, behind the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in Vauxhall.

The idea behind the Pride Picnic grew from a desire within the LGBT+ community for a free, park-setting, out-of-doors event. Those involved with launching it last year believed that there was space for a family–friendly event that promoted cross-community cohesion: one that was based around sport, health and well-being, and which could therefore stand apart from the ‘need’ to be a club/dance event.

48

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

Taking the annual RVT Sports Day concept, but adding the attraction of real sport, planned activities will include lawn tennis, soccer and volleyball. Once again demonstrating the inclusiveness of Pride, there will also be wheelchair basketball on the multi-use games arena.

However, it’s not all about sport. You are welcome to take along your own picnic, or can take advantage of several food and drink traders that will be on site. There will be a Pride Carnival Stage – hosted in conjunction with UK Black Pride – running from 1-8pm.

Between 2-5pm, there will be linedancing hosted by the Cactus Club.

Between 5-9pm, Ain Bailey and Eduardo Gantous of The Pure Disco Foundation will play summer disco sounds on the Disco Stage, with Positive Voices bringing the event to a close with singing on the Carnival Stage at 8pm.

PRIDE GUIDE

IS LIFE ONE LONG PARTY IF YOU’RE GAY? UNISON BELIEVES IT’S IMPORTANT TO SPEAK UP FOR ITS LGBT MEMBERS – PARTICULARLY IN THIS TIME OF AUSTERITY!

In UNISON, the public service trade union, we know the value of services that meet people’s real needs. We’re 50

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

working to defend LGBT services and the workers that provide them. We’re working to end workplace discrimination. We’re campaigning for a government that sees LGBT equality as a right, not a luxury.

If you work providing public services, whether that’s in the public, private or voluntary sector, join us in UNISON. MEMBER BENEFITS INCLUDE: n Advice, support and help when you need it at work; a helpline open until midnight; legal help for you at work and your family at home; financial assistance and debt advice in times of need; compensation for accidents and injuries at work.

UNISON LGBT groups meet locally and nationally. We have groups in each of our 12 regions and in lots of local branches. Our annual LGBT conference is 21-23 November 2014 in Blackpool.

Find out about our LGBT groups at unison.org.uk/out, or email out@ unison.co.uk, or call 0800 0 857 857.

ŗŲ ! Ų)+.!Ų.!/! . $Ų"%* %*#/Ų 0Ų* 0 !*Ě Ě1'ĝŲ ),(% 0%+*/Ų+"Ų 1/0!.%05Ų"+.Ų Ų,!+,(!Ų * Ų/!.2% !/Ě

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people know how to party, and Pride isn’t just an excuse to party: it’s the perfect reason. However, some non-LGBT people make the mistake of thinking that life is one long party for us. The dangerous myth that LGBT people are responsibility-free and flush with pink pounds can prevent people seeing how LGBT people are affected by austerity.

Some even think we are not affected by it. Well, we know that’s not true.

Research commissioned by UNISON confirms it. The truth is: n Many LGBT people are worse off and struggling to make ends meet. n Specialist LGBT housing, mental and sexual health, hate crime, support, advice and youth services are all disappearing. n LGBT people are increasingly isolated, with nowhere to turn.

COMMUNITY

SUPER STORE!

MATTHEW JENKINSON, OF EMPLOYEE NETWORK ASDA LGBT, ON ASDA’S SUPPORT FOR PRIDE FESTIVAL AROUND THE UK… LGBT is a key focus of diversity and inclusion at Asda and this was given a boost in October 2012 when the network group, Asda LGBT was formed.

Since then, Asda LGBT has focused on changing policies, raising awareness and giving a voice to LGBT colleagues and friends alike.

“In just two years, we’ve gone from a small group in our Head Offices to a notable group across the whole company including our 603 stores and depots. Last year, hundreds of colleagues came together to participate in over 25 national pride events up and down the country.”

Asda have also sponsored and supported Student Pride (2012 and 2013) as well as Leeds Pride for the past three years. We are also proud to support Pride festivals across all regions of the UK – from Belfast to Manchester 52

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

to Brighton. Be sure to look out for us this year when we aim to get bigger and better in a town near you.

Asda LGBT is not just about Pride season. We value local communities too, which we support through our Community Life Programme. It’s helped us to reach out to our local LGBT communities, support local charities and be a voice for local LGBT causes.

If you’d like to find out more about Asda LGBT you can follow us on Twitter (@AsdaLGBT) or visit our website (greenroom.asda.com/asdalgbt), where you can keep up to date with what we’re doing as a group. Feel free to contact us with any queries you have, and also remember to speak to your community life colleagues in store to see whether they can support any LGBT causes in your area.

PRIDE ESSENTIALS

SHOPPING HORSE MEAT HEAVEN We’re always very excited when the Horse Meat Disco boys release a new compilation album – and their latest drops just in time for the summer. Horse Meat Disco IV includes a connoisseurs’ selection of original and contemporary deep disco nuggets. It’s out now on the Strut record label. For more details, check: horsemeatdisco-thealbum.com STRAIGHT TALKING Straight Expectations: What Does It Mean to be Gay Today is a new, thought-provoking book from Julie Bindel.

Confronting difficult and divisive issues, the sometimes-controversial Bindel challenges why gay men and lesbians are always grouped together, when she believes that they have very little in common. It’s available now through Guardian Books, priced £12.99. juliebindel.org

54

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

CACTUS COCKTAILS Enjoy a shot of Schnapps? Not only do Cactus Jack’s offer a delicious array of different flavours, but they offer a whole rainbow-selection of colours – making them just perfect for Pride! Flavours include Apple Sour, tasty Cherry, fruity Blackcurrant, spicy Blue Chilli, zingy Kool Kola or the two newest Cactus Jack’s flavours – luscious Jaffa Cake and fiery Ginger. More information at: facebook. com/CactusJacksOfficial BE TRUE Perfect for Pride season around the world, Nike has launched its 2014 #BeTrue collection, with trainers and sportwear available in rainbow-hued colours. Nike says that the collection features, “apparel that is inspired by the LGBT community, and celebrates the passion and pursuit of sport by all athletes.” The company will donate up to $500,000 of net proceeds from the sales of the #BeTRue collection to the LGBT Sports Coalition. nike.com

COMMUNITY

STONEWALL STAR WHAT HAPPENED WHEN ACTRESS AND SINGER HEATHER PEACE DROPPED IN ON STONEWALL FOR A DAY? DAVID HUDSON JOINED HER TO FIND OUT… Heather Peace is an incredibly busy woman. Not only is she an in-demand actress, but the Bradford-born singer and songwriter’s second studio album, The Thin Line, was released on 9 June. However, despite her manic promotional schedule, she jumped at our invitation to visit the London offices of LGB campaigning charity, Stonewall, to find out more about the charity’s latest campaigns and to help out with some work around the office. Peace has long been a supporter of the charity, having first become aware of it when 56

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

Heather with Stonewall’s Luke Tryl and Catherine Bosworth

attended her first Pride march in 1998. “There was still Section 28 then, and I remember it being particularly noisy in Whitehall! And I remember that Stonewall was massively involved with that.”

Photos: Emma Bailey - ebaileyphotography.co.uk

Heather with some of Stonewall’s international team: Richard Cooper, Olga Szubert and Sam Dick

COMMUNITY Stonewall’s offices are in Waterloo, London, and Peace arrived to be greeted by Fundraising Director, Catherine Bosworth, and Luke Tryl, Head of Education, who gave her an overview of Stonewall’s current Education For All campaign. From consultations with its supporters and research into the experiences of young people, the team at Stonewall know that tackling homophobia and bullying in schools is something that many LGBT people care passionately about. This is why they are now investing so many resources in this direction – even recently producing a 60-minute film, FREE, that is being sent to every primary school in the country.

Peace helped to put together some school packages of Stonewall resources and material, and took one herself – explaining that she’ll be giving it to her wife, Ellie Dickinson, who is herself a school teacher. She was then introduced to a couple of women from Stonewall’s youth volunteers team – 17-year-old Tanya and 20-year-old Amber-Safina. Both women had initiated projects at their respective schools and colleges to challenge homophobic attitudes. They all sat down with Wayne Dhesi, Stonewall’s Youth Coordinator, who explained more about their current campaigning.

Heather was hugely impressed by

Working on the new Coming Out guide

Hearing about Stonewall youth volunteer initiatives

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

57

COMMUNITY Heather chats with some of Stonewall’s youth volunteers

Stonewall’s Wayne Dhesi works on the new Coming Out guide

a screening of the charity’s latest #NoBystanders YouTube video (nobystanders.org.uk), which explores the way in which people pick on others by using insulting names and language – and shows that we should all speak up and not be passive bystanders when we hear such language being used.

“It did bring a tear to my eye,” she said afterwards. “I found it really sad because it’s true, isn’t it? We’re all capable of picking on someone else. I think it’s also important that it’s not just about homophobia – any sort of bigotry or prejudice is the same, and I think it’s absolutely fantastic, brilliant.”

Stonewall are currently producing their first pocket-sized Coming Out guide, aimed at young LGB people, and Wayne was keen for Heather to look through a draft of the guide with Tanya and AmberSafina and to get their feedback.

An informative group discussion took place about the colourful guide – due to be launched at the Stonewall Education Conference in July – and ‘coming out’ stories were swapped.

“I was 19 and it was my second year of drama school,” said Heather. “To be honest, I’d had boyfriends until then – a serious boyfriend from the age of 15 until 19, but there was a girl in my year and we just ended up hanging

58

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

COMMUNITY out more. She went through a heartbreak and I just happened to be there and, when we kissed, I remember, it was like nothing I’d experienced. I thought, ‘Now I know what everyone else is talking about!’”

Next, Heather had a session with Louise Kelly on the Stonewall Helpline (08000 50 20 20).

Louise and her army of volunteers offer advice on everything from employment rights and youth groups, to parenting and immigration. They’ve recently had many calls about same-sex marriage and the recognition of civil partnerships internationally.

Heather had a go staffing the phones, joking that it took her back to a old job working the phonelines of the National Breakdown service many years ago in Yorkshire!

The final part of the day involved Heather sitting down with some of Stonewall’s international team.

Sam and Olga explained that, since 2011, Stonewall has been supporting equality campaigns around the world, in response to supporter requests to do so. Olga explained that, although there is still lot of work to do in the UK to change attitudes, we do at least have legal equality. Around the world it’s a very different story, it’s illegal to be gay in 78 countries

Heather helps Louise Kelly on the Stonewall Helpline

Listening to more details about the latest campaigns

and in five the death penalty applies. Stonewall has been working hard to support different LGBT human rights groups to develop and run their own equality campaigns to change laws and attitudes. From Peru to Armenia they have been meeting with, and helping to train and facilitate, groups to make a difference.

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

59

COMMUNITY

Heather with Stonewall’s Wayne Dhesi and youth volunteers, Tanya and Amber-Safina Heather said she wondered how the team managed to stay positive, when the situation in some countries is still so grim.

Sam and Olga replied that the fact that many of the LGBT equality activists they worked with around the world said they felt supported and inspired working with Stonewall, spurred them on. “We also have to remember that change takes a long time, after all, our own journey to legal equality has taken 25 years”, Olga explained, “we are determined to be there supporting our international partners for the long haul.”

At the end of the day, Heather said that she’s had an amazing time, and had been particularly impressed by meeting members of the youth volunteers team.

60

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

“The fact that they’re taking such an initiative – and taking that initiative into schools and coming up with ideas – and they’re so sharp on what’s going to work…

They’re just brilliant and, at the end of the day, they’re our next generation and it’s them who will take this forward.”

For more information about Stonewall: stonewall.org.uk.

Heather Peace’s The Thin Line is out now, and she’ll be playing at several summer festivals, including Pride in London (28 June), Pride Glasgow (19 July), Brighton Pride (2 Aug), and the ELLA festival in Mallorca (4-8 September). heatherpeace.com

COMMUNITY

MANCHESTER PRIDE This year’s Manchester Pride Big Weekend will run from Friday 22 August until Monday 25 August, but it will be preceded by the Pride Fringe Festival, running throughout the whole month of August.

Pride Fringe has been running as part of the annual celebrations since 2003. Initially a 10-day festival, Pride Fringe expanded to span the full month. At the time of going to press, the schedule of events was still being finalised – but keep checking the official website at www.manchesterpride.com for details.

The annual Pride parade will take place on Saturday 23 August and will be open to all – regardless of whether you have a Big Weekend wristband. The theme for this year’s parade is simply ‘Love’ – 62

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

partly inspired by this year’s legalisation of same-sex marriage.

Once again, for the Pride Big Weekend, you will need to purchase a wristband in advance to gain entry to the Gay Village area over the duration of the weekend.

Tickets for the big weekend currently cost £22 online, while day tickets start at £12.50.

Alternatively, if you want to show Pride some extra financial support and take advantage of the VIP package, purchase a platinum pass for £95.

The Big Weekend will culminate, as in previous years, with the annual George House Trust Candlelit Vigil – when Sackville Gardens is transformed into a sea of flickering candles and in memory of those lost to the HIV virus. manchesterpride.com

COMMUNITY

BRIGHTON PRIDE One of the UK’s biggest and best-loved Pride festivals is the award-winning Brighton Pride – recently highlighted

by US magazine Wire as one of the top Pride festivals in the world!

Following the success of last year’s inaugural Brighton Pride Arts and Film Festival, this year’s parade and park festivities will again be preceded by cultural events and happenings. This will include a group exhibition at Jubilee Library entitled ‘Freedom To Live’, running from 18 July until 2 August.

Also returning this year will be Brighton Doggy Pride, which will be taking place on Sunday 20 July at Hove Rugby Club.

Another event that will help raise funds for the main festival is the Pride Rainbow run 2014 (27 July) – a fun run and community sports day and picnic.

This year’s Pride Parade will take place on Saturday 2 August, with the theme this year being ‘The World’s A Disco’.

An expected 160,000 participants and spectators are expected to attend, with floats and walkers encouraged to celebrate music and dancing from around the globe, from the diversity of disco to the sauciness of salsa.

It will be followed by the afternoon Pride festival in Preston Park. This year’s event will feature performances

by X Factor winner, Sam Bailey, Heather Peace, Lucy Spraggan, Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt, Blue, 90s Britpop band Republica and Neon Jungle, among others. There will be the return of the Cabaret Tent, the bearflavoured Woof tent, the super-size Wild Fruit tent, the Calabash tent, plus much more besides.

You can continuing the partying on the streets at the Village Party. For the first time ever, the seafront road, Marine Parade, will be closed to traffic for the event, creating a unique and vibrant gay village for Pride weekend.

It will take place from 6pm on Saturday 2nd August with entertainment starting from 8pm after the Preston Park festival, and on Sunday 3rd August between 2pm and 8pm – helping to turn Brighton Pride into a weekendlong party.

Full details and ticket information at www.brighton-pride.org

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

63

COMMUNITY

BRISTOL PRIDE

BRISTOL PRIDE RETURNS TO THE SOUTH WEST FROM 5-13 JULY… funfair, market and expo stalls, food and bars, onsite roller disco and a community area hosting over 60 organisations.

The Bristol Pride Festival, named No2 ‘Best Pride In The UK’ [Cooperative Respect Awards] takes place across Bristol this summer. One of the largest Pride events in the country, the weeklong festival will run from the 5-13 July and will showcase a diverse range of events including: comedy, sports, a dog show, workplace conference with LGB charity Stonewall, the award-winning Confessions of a Rabbi’s Daughter and even an all-female Shakespeare performance in a city farm playground!

The week also host to the Bristol Pride Film Festival with specially selected, and award winning films including G.B.F – Gay Best Friend, short film Language of Love and the multi award-winning Who’s Afraid Of Vagina Wolf?

The week culminates in a massive outdoor music and arts festival which takes place in Castle Park on Saturday 12 July. Kicking off with the Pride Parade through the city, the festival will feature three stages of entertainment, a family area with kite-making classes and activities from the likes of Bristol Zoo, 64

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

Entry to Pride Day will be by donation (£3 suggested) but Pride are offering £5 Day wristband or Day and Night pass for £15 that will offer discounts onsite including food stalls, reduced bar prices and skate hire as well as offers with other Bristol businesses keen to support Pride.

Acts performing at the Festival include urban act VOIS, electro girl band Love Beats Riot, Katherine Ellis, The Showbears (Britain’s Got Talent), Kate Bush tribute Cloudbusting, Dr Meaker, Denise Pearson from Five Star, Angie Brown and 90s dance sensation Corona.

Over on the Cabaret Stage you’ll be greeted by a host of well known names from the Drag Circuit including Son Ofa Tutu, Baga Chipz and Kelly Wilde.

DJ sensations The Freemason headline the official afterparty at the O2 Acadamy which promises to be a spectacle with aerial performances from Circomedia along with eccentric party makers Sink The Pink.

More info: www.pridebristol.co.uk FB: www.facebook.com/brispride Twitter: www.twitter.com/wearefest

COMMUNITY

PRIDE CYMRU 2014 This summer, Pride Cymru (formally known as Cardiff Wales LGBT Mardi Gras) returns to the grounds of Coopers Field, Cardiff on Saturday 16th August 2014 for Wales’ largest annual celebration of equality and diversity, since 1999.

Pride Cymru will kick off at midday with music from an impressive line-up of live main stage acts including boy band Union J, Misha B, Big Reunion’s 90’s R&B girl group Eternal, Nicki French, special guests and homegrown talent.

The variety of entertainment will continue in our cabaret marquee with acts that represent the last four decades of smash hits to the latest dance mixes playing at the Gaydar silent disco.

In addition to the summertime party atmosphere, Pride Cymru will feature a funfair, a cultural market with arts and crafts, plenty food and drink, and a social hub, offering advice and support to LGBT communities and their friends and family, plus loads more. Tickets can purchased in advance from http:// seetickets.com/go/PrideCymru14 and on the big day.

This year the main event will be supported by a wider Pride Cymru Festival, scheduled to take place in the 66

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

week leading up to the main event, and will include several cultural satellite events in partner venues throughout the city. Building on the success of the last two years - Pride Cymru’s city centre parade returns for its third year running.

The Parade offers the perfect ‘kick off’ to the main event - a visual and true celebration of diversity across Wales.

Inline with other Pride events throughout the UK – this year’s Parade embraces the new name, ‘Pride Cymru’, with the theme ‘Welsh Pride is…’ set to represent what the word ‘Pride’ really means to you and others.

Cheering bystanders at the Parade and crowds at all of the Pride Cymru events are also encouraged to capture the action using #PrideCymru and #WelshPrideis on social media.

Stay up to date wit the latest events information at: http://facebook.com/PrideCymru Twitter: @PrideCymru pridecymru.co.uk Get in touch: contact@pridecymru.co.uk

COMMUNITY

NATIONAL PRIDES 2014 FURTHER PRIDE FESTIVALS TAKE PLACE AROUND THE UK AS FOLLOWS: 28 JUNE Pride in London: prideinlondon.org Swansea Pride: swanseapride.com Sheffield Pride: 2014.sheffieldpride.co.uk Warwickshire Pride: warwickshirepride.co.uk 5 JULY North Wales Pride:northwalespride.com 6 JULY Essex Pride: essexpride.org 18-20 JULY Northern Pride: northern-pride.org 19 JULY Glasgow: prideglasgow.co.uk 26 JULY Norwich Pride: norwichpride.org.uk 2 AUGUST Belfast Pride: belfastpride.com Brighton Pride: brighton-pride.org Liverpool Pride: liverpoolpride.com 3 AUGUST Leeds Pride: leedspride.com 9 AUGUST Swindon and Wiltshire Pride: swindonwiltshirepride.co.uk 10 AUGUST Wakefield Pride: wakefieldpride.org 16 AUGUST Doncaster Pride: doncasterpride.co.uk Pride Cymru: cardiffmardigras.co.uk 68

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

232-25 AUGUST Manchester: manchesterpride.com 23 AUGUST Walsall Pride: walsallpride.org Cornwall Pride: cornwallpride.com 30 AUGUST Grimsby Pride: grimsbypride.co.uk Hertfordshire Pride: hertspride.co.uk Reading Pride: readingpride.co.uk Leicester Pride: leicesterpride.com 6 SEPTEMBER Totnes Pride: proud2beproject.org 27 SEPTEMBER Preston Pride: prestonpride.com Warrington Pride: warringtonpride.com Middlesbrough Community Pride: www.facebook.com/ MiddlesbroughCommunityPride Wolverhampton Pride: lgbtwolverhampton.org.uk 28 SEPTEMBER Lincoln Pride: lgbtwolverhampton.org.uk Sunderland Pride: sunderlandpride.co.uk 4 OCTOBER Chester Pride: chesterpride.co.uk

INTERVIEW

STRONGER TOGETHER L

en McCluskey has been the General Secretary of Unite since 2011, and has been active within the trade union movement since the late 1960s – when he began his work career with the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company.

Unite was formed in 2007 by the merger of existing unions, Amicus and the Transport and General Workers’ Union – and is now the largest trade union in the UK, with approximately 1.5 million members from a wide range of industries – from food, drink and transport to media, IT and construction.

It has great experience in campaigning for LGBT equality issues, and advising LGBT members on diversity issues at work. Unite has many LGBT committees in every area of the country, and is always well represented at Pride in London and other Pride festivals around the UK. David Hudson spoke to McCluskey about the union’s work on equality and diversity…

CAN YOU TELL US HOW UNITE SUPPORTS ITS LGBT MEMBERS? We have a slogan in Unite that says, ‘Equality is at the heart of everything we do’. We’ve had that statement for quite a while now. Of course, it’s lovely having statements: it’s how you then implement them and make them real for the people that they impact upon. Internally at 70

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

Unite, there are LGBT committees in every region. They elect their national committee. We have national conferences for our LGBT members and, of course, we have a dedicated seat on our executives, so we are very committed to making certain that the voice of our LGBT members are heard at every level of the union. Of course, often people don’t want to identify themselves as LGBT, but there’s huge progress being made on that, as our LGBT members realize that they are being embraced in the union and are proud to speak up. We continue to support Pride events both nationally and regionally.

Perhaps more importantly than the internal structures of the union and making certain that voices are heard, we are, of course, continuing to campaign at all kinds of different levels, both industrial and political, and both home and abroad, for the rights of LGBT members and, also, at a more practical level in relation to equality reps, within our workplaces. It is our LGBT activists who guide our policies and develop them with us.

WILL UNITE HAVE A PRESENCE AT PRIDE IN LONDON AND OTHER PRIDE EVENTS AROUND THE UK? Absolutely. I’ll be there myself in London.

I always enjoy the Pride events up and down the country, and have been to a

Photo: © Mark Thomas

TRADE UNION VETERAN LEN MCCLUSKEY OF UNITE TALKS TO DAVID HUDSON ABOUT PRIDE, GAY RIGHTS AND ED MILIBAND…

INTERVIEW

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

71

INTERVIEW number over the years. We’ll certainly be playing a very prominent role.

YOU MUST HAVE SEEN A BIG CHANGE IN ATTITUDES TOWARDS LGBT PEOPLE DURING YOUR TIME IN THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT? Yes, a dramatic change. I’ve been around a long time. I was a young shop steward in the late 60s and there has been many changes: a change towards women, a change towards black and Asian and ethnic minorities, and certainly a change towards lesbians and gays. Trade unions reflect society in many ways – that homophobia which, unfortunately, may have been inherent in society, was inherent in trade unions, and I experienced bigotry and prejudice at the very heart of the trade union movement. Fortunately, my initial experiences when I was a young representative taught me that if any group of workers of any minority were being attacked then all of us were being attacked, because it went against the collective strength that we sought. I therefore, from a very early age, was always involved in fighting for equality with various groups.

UNITE HAS BEEN URGING PEOPLE TO VOTE LABOUR. DO YOU THINK THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY SEEING OLD ALLEGIANCES TO THE TRADITIONAL POLITICAL PARTIES BEING CHALLENGED, AND CAN YOU UNDERSTAND WHY? Well, yes, there’s no doubt that we are.

Some of those challenges are, of course, slightly worrying – the rise of UKIP gives a vehicle for prejudice. It 72

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

may be against immigration at the moment but you can bet your life that where prejudice against one group of people emerges, the other prejudices are not far behind. You know, we’ve seen the homophonic comments of some of the UKIP candidates, and it is worrying. For me, it’s a challenge for the Labour party, because when those allegiances start to move away, it’s because people believe that nobody is speaking on their behalf and Labour needs to rise to that challenge.

IT WAS REPORTED IN APRIL THAT UNITE WAS THREATENING TO SEVER ITS LINK WITH LABOUR ALTOGETHER IF ED MILIBAND LOSES THE 2015 GENERAL ELECTION – AND INSTEAD LAUNCH A NEW WORKER’S PARTY. DO YOU SEE THAT AS A LIKELY POSSIBILITY? I think that, at the time – and it was myself that raised this issue – I was trying to kind of flag up that the status quo – that if Labour got defeated that we’d just get another leader and life would just tick on – that this has kind of changed. Regarding the question you’ve just asked: people are looking for something different. They don’t want the continuation of the status quo, and it was my attempt to see if I could persuade the Labour leadership to be more radical. It’s my view that if Labour offers a genuine, more radical alternative to the path to poverty – that this government has got us on at the moment, with austerity plus – then I believe that Labour will win, Miliband will be the Prime Minister and we can start to mend Britain.

OPINION

THE WORK’S NOT OVER

IN THE RUN UP TO THE 2014 PRIDE SEASON, HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGNER, PETER TATCHELL, CAUTIONS AGAINST COMPLACENCY. I am proud to support Pride in London. The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community makes a vibrant, positive contribution to London; enlivening and enriching its cultural diversity. As well as being a fabulous celebration, Pride is an important manifestation of our continuing campaign for LGBT dignity, acceptance and human rights. Despite having secured the repeal on all major anti-LGBT laws, our rights are not yet fully won.

It is great that we’ve overturned the ban on same-sex marriage. Big thanks to the thousands of people – LGBT and straight – who supported the campaign against homophobic discrimination in marriage law. But the new legislation – despite being a welcome advance – is not equality.

Same-sex marriage exists under a 2013 law; whereas opposite-sex marriage exists under a law from 1949. Separate is not equal. Why are we being legally segregated from straight couples? And why is there continuing discrimination against same-sex spouses (and civil partners) in pension inheritance?

In addition, over 50% of LGBT young 74

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

people report having been bullied at school, yet half the country’s schools still don’t have an anti-bullying programme that specifically addresses homophobic and transphobic bullying.

One third of LGBT people have been victims of hate crimes; including violent attack.

Extremist clerics who incite the murder of queers are never prosecuted. All the equality laws have exemptions for religious organisations; in certain circumstances they’re allowed to discriminate against us.

LGBT refugees fleeing persecution in countries like Uganda and Iran are often put in detention centres, refused asylum and sometimes deported back to their home countries to face further victimisation.

In other parts of the world, the situation is much bleaker for LGBT people. My appeal to Pride supporters is this: Dream of a world with equality for all LGBT people.

Let’s carry on the fight to make homophobia, biphobia and transphobia history – in the UK and everywhere.

PeterTatchellFoundation.org

INTERVIEW

HOCKEY HEROINE

Photo: © Adrian Wressel for savinglivesuk.com

SALLY WALTON, OF THE ENGLAND AND GB WOMEN’S HOCKEY TEAM, TALKS TO DAVID HUDSON ABOUT HER CAREER AND COMING OUT…

Sally Walton is one of the UK’s most accomplished and talented sportswomen, and is one of the stars of the England and GB women’s hockey teams – with over 130 caps to her name.

Born in Southport, her family moved to Solihull in the Midlands when she was two years old – where she still lives. She began playing hockey at the age of seven, but also loved playing football. By the time she was in her early 20s, she was playing both – securing regular appearances with the Aston Villa Women’s team, but an injury forced her to choose between one or the other – and hockey won out.

The GB team took bronze at the 2012 Olympics in London, and recently competed in the Women’s Hockey World 76

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

Cup in the Netherlands – finishing in 11th place. Sally plays hockey full-time, but, when time allows, also does some work as a hockey coach at Solihull School. Her partner is Aston Villa football player, Dani Petrovic.

WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP, WERE THERE ANY SPORTING FIGURES THAT PARTICULARLY INSPIRED YOU? I think I was always inspired by Kelly Holmes’ story. She went through two Olympics before she won her two gold medals; she kept going, kept working at it and kept chipping away, and eventually she won her medals. And also, what she’s done subsequent to that, which is setting up her own foundation and putting a lot back into the sport.

INTERVIEW WE’RE SEEING SLIGHTLY MORE WOMEN’S SPORT – PARTICULARLY FOOTBALL – ON MAINSTREAM TV. DO YOU THINK THE PROFILE OF WOMEN’S SPORT IS IMPROVING, OR DO YOU STILL FIND CHANGE TO BE SLOW? I think it’s certainly a lot higher than it used to be, and it’s grown year on year, so it’s slowly bridging the gap. It will be a slow process, but it’s moving in the right direction.

YOU WERE PART OF THE BRONZEWINNING GB HOCKEY TEAM AT THE OLYMPICS. CAN YOU TELL USE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT EXPERIENCE? Winning any kind of medal is one thing, but winning it on your home soil is absolutely incredible. It really was everything that I thought it would be… and then some more. The home support was so passionate, and doing it in front of all your friends and family as well.

Many years of hard work went into it, and the celebrations that followed really were worth the eight or so years in the making. It was incredible.

HOW LIKELY OR CONFIDENT ARE YOU THAT YOU MIGHT BE AT THE BRAZIL OLYMPICS IN 2016?

I think, as a sportsperson, you’ve really got to just take it a season at the time.

We’re just in the middle of a World Cup, and then the Commonwealth Games after this, and then there’s a whole other year before the Olympics, so, as long as I stay happy and healthy, that’s going to be my ultimate ambition.

I see my final international experiences being in Brazil but, as I say, I’m just about to turn 33, so I’m taking every

year as it comes and really just enjoying every tournament, and playing every game as if it’s going to be my last. I think that’s the way you’ve got to do it from day one, to be honest.

WHEN DID YOU COME OUT TO FAMILY, FRIENDS AND TEAMMATES? I was probably about 25, I reckon, when I came out. I probably knew a little bit before that, but I wasn’t really sure one way or the other what I really was, and I wasn’t confident enough to nail my colours to the mask, if you like. My friends and family have been nothing but supportive about it. Teammates as well. Hockey hasn’t got the same sort of public profile as other sports; I haven’t done a big coming out thing, but, to me, it’s important to have role models in the sporting sense, and strong women that just want to succeed in whatever area of life, whether it’s career, family, or whatever.

DO YOU KNOW WOMEN IN SPORT WHO DON’T WISH TO TALK ABOUT THEIR SEXUALITY? IS IT A MATTER OF PRIVACY, OR A FEAR OF LOSING SPONSORSHIP? I don’t think it has anything to do with sponsorships, or endorsements, or anything like that. If they were straight, they probably wouldn’t want to talk about their personal life and personal situation either. Certainly, in hockey, it’s one of the sports where sexuality is not an issue. It’s leading the way. Perhaps women’s sport is slightly leading the way over men’s sport, but hockey is a sport that’s played by all – regardless of race, religion, or whatever.

It’s never been an issue.

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

77

INTERVIEW

TELEGRAPH MAN WE CHAT TO THE AWARD-WINNING COLIN CAMPBELLAUSTIN: HEAD OF TALENT AND PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT AT THE TELEGRAPH MEDIA GROUP. CONGRATULATIONS ON WINNING ONE OF THE LGBT DIVERSITY CHAMPION OF THE YEAR AWARDS AT THE RECENT OUT IN THE CITY AND G3 READERS AWARDS. HOW DID THAT FEEL? Firstly I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who voted for me: I really did not expect to win. When the shortlist was being read out, it was so tense on our table; I thought I was going to be sick. When Vincent Francois from Societe Generale (the award sponsor) announced I was the winner, everyone jumped up and screamed! It’s amazing to be recognised for what I’m trying to do. It’s given me the determination to carry on trying to make a difference.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE TELEGRAPH MEDIA GROUP AND YOUR ROLE WITHIN IT? Telegraph Media Group is a multi-media news publisher of world-renowned content. We have successfully evolved into a multi-platform digital operation that continues to deliver the highest quality journalism, setting the global news agenda. This transformation means we remain ahead of our competition at the leading edge of the media landscape.

We also continue to be a brand of choice for the UK’s job seekers: recognised for our strong product offering, which includes The Daily Telegraph (UK’s 78

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

biggest-selling quality newspaper), The Sunday Telegraph, Telegraph.co.uk, and Telegraph Mobile and apps.

Telegraph TV is The Telegraph’s online video product, and a core pillar of the site’s multimedia journalism and lifestyle content.

The Telegraph’s video offering spans much more than just bringing the big breaking news stories to our viewers in a multimedia format. It also includes live streaming and special interest programmes in lifestyle categories as varied as motoring, finance, fashion, sport, travel, technology, entertainment and the arts.

Following the acquisition of VOS Media this year, we now reach our audience through many major events, including Telegraph Cruise Show, Telegraph Outdoor, Adventure & Travel Show, Be:Fit London, Ski & Snowboard Show North and Ski & Snowboard Show London.

As the Head of Talent and People Development I, along with my team, help give the fantastic people we have here the opportunity, through development, to be the best they can be.

WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY FOR PEOPLE TO FIND OUT ABOUT JOBS AT TELEGRAPH MEDIA GROUP, ?

Check out the pages on the website tmgacademy.co.uk

HOO’S HE? STEPHEN HOO IS A BRITISH ACTOR AND PLAYWRIGHT WHO HAS FEATURED IN THE LGBT-THEMED FILMS, FIT AND KICK OFF. HOW DID YOU GET INTO ACTING? Ever since I can remember, I was performing for others, doing impressions to make my mum laugh, or pretending I was Sigourney Weaver fighting Aliens with my classmates.

I used to go into the woods where I lived and make little films with my sister that involved lots of fake blood and screaming and gore. So, joining the drama club and being in all the shows at High School was a simple transition.

YOU’VE BEEN INVOLVED IN A NUMBER OF PRODUCTIONS WITH WRITER AND DIRECTOR RIKKI BEADLE BLAIR? HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT? I remember watching his TV series, Metrosexuality, as a kid with the sound down, so my parents wouldn’t catch me. I spotted Rikki eating in Balans in Soho one day, happy as a starfish. I knew I wanted to work with him, so I went to give him my card. The security guy wouldn’t let me in unless I was eating and we got into an argument. It ended with me banging on the window from outside and pointing to my name card so he, and everyone else, could see it.

He came out and I apologised profusely for making a scene, but that I loved his work. He auditioned me the next day for a play he was working on called Home.

80

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

WHAT’S YOUR DEBUT PLAY, JAMAICA BOY, ABOUT AND WHERE DID THE IDEA COME FROM? I wanted to write something that no one had ever thought of or seen before.

Theatre for me is very white and middle class. Jamaica Boy centres around two stories set in two different time periods: a love story in 1960s Jamaica between a Chinese Jamaican boy, Chong, and a Black Jamaican girl, Ophelia, and the present day, with a relationship between British-born Chinese rude boy, Christian, and Ophelia as a 65-year-old woman. The idea came from a desire to show characters that people would be surprised to know existed and a history and culture that many are unaware of.

WILL YOU BE ATTENDING PRIDE FESTIVALS THIS SUMMER? I love Pride. I go to the London one and Brighton Pride. I look forward to seeing all the different types of people: the different levels of camp and butch; the fierce realness; the neurotic mixed with the exotic and the understated mixed with the totally inappropriate! @thestephenhoo

Photo: © BokehNights Photography

INTERVIEW

xxxx xxxx

INTERVIEW

JAIL BAIT DAVID HUDSON TALKS TO LAVERNE COX – ONE OF THE STUNNING CO-STARS OF HIT NETFLIX SHOW, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK…

Born in Alabama, Cox relocated to New York City to attend college, which is where she began her acting career.

Although she has appeared on a couple of VH1 reality shows in the past, it was her appearance last year on Orange Is The New Black as transgender character, Sophia Burset, that thrust her into the limelight. Was she prepared for the show’s success?

“Absolutely not,” she chortles down the phone. “I don’t think there is anything that can prepare one for the amazing reception the show had; but I am very, very grateful that the public has responded and made the show into the wonderful hit that it is.”

Cox appreciates that she is a rare transgender face in mainstream media and feels it’s part of her responsibility to educate people about transgender issues. In January of this year, she made headlines when she appeared on Katie Couric’s US show, Katie, and 82

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

gently and politely rebuffed the host for asking questions that were preoccupied with surgery, eloquently stating, “The preoccupation with transition and surgery objectifies trans people. And then we don’t get to really deal with the real lived experiences. The reality of trans people’s lives is that, so often, we are targets of violence. We experience discrimination disproportionately to the rest of the community. If we focus on transition, we don’t get to talk about those things.”

I ask her if she feels a weight of responsibility in being a role model: does she now find herself having to be careful about what she says or how she behaves?

“I think everybody should be careful about what they say and how they behave,” she laughs again, “whether they’re famous or not. I don’t like the term ‘role model’. I prefer the term ‘possibility model’. And I do feel a sense of responsibility, but it’s not a burden – it’s a gift, and I have to put it in perspective and realise that I can’t do everything or be everything to everybody. It’s a process.”

Cox is currently working on producing and co-narrating a documentary about CeCe MacDonald – a trans woman who spent 19 months of a 41-month prison sentence in a men’s prison in Minnesota.

Photo: Nino Munoz for Netflix

L

averne Cox is the beautiful AfricanAmerican transgender breakout star of hit Netflix show, Orange Is The New Black. The first series of the comedydrama made its debut on the streaming, online channel last summer and immediately picked up a huge following – not least among LGBT viewers.

INTERVIEW

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

83

INTERVIEW Now released, Macdonald has spoken about how she could relate to the character of Sophia in Orange Is The New Black and how Laverne’s journey has inspired her to re-visit her own childhood dreams of acting. Cox is also working on a documentary series for MTV on trans teens, as well as a book, due out in the autumn of 2015.

As Cox chats down the phone, she is getting dressed and simultaneously barking orders to someone who is helping her redecorate her apartment. She now lives in a “tiny studio apartment in the Flatiron district of Manhattan”, and is clearly enjoying her new profile, which is keeping her very busy. She’s hoping that, if she can take a few days off over the summer, she might make a trip to Europe, having never visited before.

Although Cox is unable to give me any plot details about the second series of Orange Is The New Black – now available to stream via Netflix – I ask her if receiving the scripts was a nerve-racking moment – did she tear through them to see what happens to her character?

“Getting Orange Is The New Black scripts is always exciting. Our scripts are fantastic and are so well written – not just my character, but all the characters.

I can’t wait to see what happens next in the show – I love it.”

On the show, we see how Sophia’s transition impacts on her family. I ask if Cox’s own transition had a similar sort of impact. Did she lose friends or family?

“No, I didn’t. You know, even before my medical transition, I’d been non84

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

conforming for most of my life, so I didn’t have people in my life who had problems with that, I was really lucky.

And the journey for my mother, well, I am very blessed, because I’m very happy that she loves and supports me.”

Cox believes that transphobia continues to cut across both gay and straight communities – the result of a culture that doesn’t value difference.

“The reality about transphobia… we don’t celebrate being gender nonconforming. We live in a binary society.

It’s something that we all have to work on. Racism and sexism is something that we all have to work on. It is our job as individuals in achieving critical consciousness, to unlearn the flawed logic of the patriarchal culture.”

Our interview is interrupted by a smoke alarm going off in Cox’s flat (“Sorry – it’s the building work!” she laughs), and I decide to end on a lighter note. Is she dating anyone at the moment?

“I am dating and it has not yet been defined exactly what is going on, but I am in a dating situation,” she giggles.

That Cox is making waves was confirmed the day after our interview, when Time magazine unveiled her as its cover star. Her success and ongoing journey is opening up a whole new world of opportunity and she is determined to use it to do some good – not only for herself, but also for her fellow nongender conforming brothers and sisters.

Orange Is The New Black, season two, is now available to stream via Netflix

INTERVIEW

LUCKY LADY O

range Is The New Black became an instant favourite with many LGBT viewers when it made its debut last summer. Not only does the prisonset comedy drama feature a range of lesbian and bisexual female characters and a cracking script, but one of its costars is the stunning Laura Prepon. She plays lesbian character Alex Vause – a former drug smuggler and lover of lead character, Piper Chapman (played by Taylor Schilling).

Last autumn, rumours in the press and online speculated that Prepon was unhappy with her role and not set to return to the show: rumours she was keen to correct…

HOW SURPRISED WERE YOU BY THE SUCCESS OF THE FIRST SEASON OF ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK? Well, whenever you’re on a show that you love and you feel is really special, you’re always hoping that audiences take to it the way that you do; and when they did, it was just really amazing.

HAVE THERE BEEN ANY DOWNSIDES TO THE ATTENTION THAT IS HAS BROUGHT YOU? No. I mean, it’s amazing that you are affecting people’s lives and giving them a character that they can relate to, so if anything, it’s great. But it’s a bi-product 86

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

of the job that we definitely lose a little anonymity. One thing, I guess, is that different rumours will go around, but that’s always going to happen when you’re in the public eye.

WHICH LEADS ME NICELY ON TO MY NEXT QUESTION ABOUT THOSE RUMOURS! OK! THERE WAS A LOT OF PRESS SAYING THAT YOU WEREN’T RETURNING FOR SEASON TWO, OR WERE ONLY GOING TO BE IN A COUPLE OF EPISODES TO TIE UP YOUR STORYLINE, AND IMPLYING THAT YOU WERE UNHAPPY WITH PLAYING A LESBIAN CHARACTER. WAS THAT RUBBISH? Yes, that was all rubbish. I love my character and I love the show. What happened was that a lot of the actors on the show went to yearly contracts.

Because Netflix is new, a lot of people don’t have the standard six-year contract that most networks make actors sign. And, for season two, I had a scheduling conflict. It was really unfortunate, and Jenji [Kohan – the show’s creator] and I spoke about it and we decided to try and get me into as many episodes of season two as possible. I’ve now settled that scheduling conflict, so that I can be in all of season three, which starts

Photo: Nino Munoz for Netflix

DAVID HUDSON CATCHES UP WITH THE AMAZING LAURA PREPON – THE ACTOR BEHIND EVERYONE’S FAVOURITE DRUG-SMUGGLING, PRISONDWELLING LESBIAN: ALEX VAUSE IN ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK.

INTERVIEW

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

INTERVIEW filming in about three days, so I’m really excited about that.

SO ALEX WILL FEATURE HEAVILY IN SEASON THREE? I’m in every episode of season three and four episodes of season two – which is unfortunate because I miss it so much.

AND ALL THE RUMOURS ABOUT YOU BEING UNHAPPY PLAYING A LESBIAN ARE UNTRUE? DO YOU WORRY ABOUT BEING TYPECAST? I don’t at all. What’s so funny is that I had no idea where… actually... I do know where that came from. That came from the fact that I wasn’t able to talk about the scheduling conflict that came up, so people started guessing as to why I might not want to be there. But, the fact of the matter is, that I wanted to be there and I would have done more episodes, and Jenji is more than aware of that, so I think, because there was a bit of mystery, people started filling in the blanks. I love my character and it’s been amazing portraying a same-sex relationship. The LGBT community is an incredible fan base.

AND CAN YOU PUT TO REST THE RUMOURS IN THE PRESS THAT YOU’VE BEEN DATING TOM CRUISE? [Laughs] Yes. I’m not dating Tom Cruise.

He’s a very talented actor and a lovely man, but no, we are not dating.

DO YOU THINK YOU COULD BE FRIENDS WITH YOUR CHARACTER IN REAL LIFE? OR IS SHE NOT SOMEONE THAT YOU COULD IMAGINE HANGING OUT WITH? I would love to hang out with Alex Vause!

She is a cool chick and a total badass. I think I would get along with her very well.

88

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

HAVE YOU EVER BROKEN THE LAW OR BEEN IN TROUBLE WITH THE POLICE? No comment [laughs]!

I READ AN INTERVIEW WITH YOU LAST YEAR AND YOU MENTIONED DIRECTING YOUR FIRST FEATURE – CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THAT? Yes, it’s still in the works. Right now, Orange is my priority and, as I said, we start shooting in about three days. But when I do have a chance, I’m always working on my own projects.

ARE YOU KEEN TO WORK BOTH IN FRONT OF AND BEHIND THE CAMERA? Yeah, 100%. I’ve been working towards a career behind the camera for almost a decade now and I’ve sold three shows that no-one really knows about: the first one was a poker show that did a season on the E network [Prepon is an experienced poker player]; the second one I sold didn’t make it out of development and the third one was a show I sold to Comedy Central – we made a pilot, but they ended up going with a different show that I actually really love, so I understand why they didn’t go with it. This is all said to show you that this is definitely something I’ve been working towards.

WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Los Angeles.

HOW DO YOU RELAX WHEN YOU’RE NOT WORKING? I hang out with my friends, who are amazing. They’re like my family. I love writing. I love waking up before the sun comes up and writing when it’s dark, it’s one of my favourite things to do.

And when I play poker, it relaxes me

INTERVIEW

Photo: Jessica Miglio for Netflix

Laura Prepon (L) and Taylor Schilling (R) in a scene from Netflix’s Orange is the New Black

because I’m not thinking about anything other than playing cards.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU PLAY POKER? I use to play too much, but now… I just got back after winning a trip to Fiji, and I brought six of my friends.

WAS THAT THE BIGGEST PRIZE YOU’VE WON? Definitely! It was an all-inclusive resort on a private island – it was insanity!

It pays to be a gambler sometimes!

ARE YOU DATING ANYONE AT THE MOMENT? Right now, I’m not dating anyone. But maybe I’ll meet my husband while I’m here in the UK! YOU’RE HERE TO DO PRESS FOR ORANGE… HAVE YOU BEEN TO THE UK BEFORE? I have, but I was much younger, and then I came back again about seven years ago. I love it here, and tomorrow we get to have a day off and we’re going 90

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

to be able to go around. When I was 15, I moved to Europe for a year and a half because my sister got me into modelling, which isn’t really something I wanted to do, but I fell into it. I lived in Milan for a year. I lived in London and Paris. When I lived in London, I was living in this hotel where you could rent the rooms by the day, and every room had a different theme… I didn’t know that it was a brothel [laughs]! There were all these other women around and I was like, “Erm, I don’t know if I’m supposed to really be here?”. It was funny and I wish I could remember where it was.

WERE YOU HAPPY TO TURN YOUR BACK ON THE MODELLING WORLD? Yes, very much so, but you know, in a roundabout way, it’s how I found acting.

I learnt a lot and grew up really quickly!

Orange Is The New Black, season two, is now available to stream via Netflix

MARRIAGE

BIG LOVE WANT A WEDDING WITH A DIFFERENCE? HOW ABOUT ONE IN LONDON’S ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL? To celebrate the year in which same sex marriage became legal, Southbank Centre is creating the Big Wedding Weekend this summer – a new kind of wedding for a new era.

All couples – gay and straight, young and old – are invited to marry, or renew their vows on the stage of the iconic Royal Festival Hall.

HOW IT WORKS There are eight ceremonies over the weekend of Saturday 30 – Sunday 31 August 2014, daily at 11am, 1.15pm, 3.30pm and 5.45pm. Each ceremony lasts for 90 minutes and includes all 20 couples, who declare their vows separately in front of their family, guests and registrars. This is followed by music, dancing and entertainment for the rest of the day and evening.

Registration deadline: Tuesday 12 August 2014 PACKAGE ONE - £1,000 The packaged includes: A 90-minute ceremony with choirs, fanfares and live music on the Royal Festival Hall stage; a glass of bubbly for all your guests; registrar; photographs with stunning backdrops; two bouquets of flowers; daytime and evening activities... all in a riverside setting with forty guests*.

92

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

PACKAGE TWO - £2,000 All of the above plus a wedding buffet (This doesn’t include drinks, but these can be arranged at extra cost) *Forty guests includes the wedding couple (for refreshment purposes). If you would like more guests the prices increase accordingly.

JOIN US FOR AN OPEN EVENING We have two open evenings for interested couples to come and visit Royal Festival Hall and ask questions.

These take place on Thursday 26 June and Tuesday 22 July (6pm – 9pm).

To register for an open evening, please email weddings@southbankcentre.co.uk Find the answers to lots of questions about the day at southbankcentre.co.uk/ bigweddingweekend/FAQs southbankcentre.co.uk/ bigweddingweekend

PARENTING

OUT WITH THE FAMILY JOSH HOBSON WAS RAISED BY HIS MOTHER, ACTOR SOPHIE WARD, AND HER PARTNER, RENA BRANNAN. HERE HE REFLECTS ON GROWING UP IN A SAME-SEX PARENT HOUSEHOLD… The first gay pride I attended was a small one. I was around 13 and, having grown up in a little village in Gloucestershire, was slightly cut off from the cities holding big events. Instead we held our own, the inaugural France Lynch Gay Pride March, in which six of us marched the 50 metres from the front garden of a neighbour’s house to my own front garden and planted rainbow flags. In a lot of ways I feel like my experience that day perfectly summed up how I felt growing up as an awkward teenager in a same-sex parent household. As we marched down the road I was proud to be representing something that I closely identified with and believed in strongly.

I was, however, at the same time harbouring fears that somebody I knew would see me. As with all awkward teenagers, I was acutely sensitive to, and conscious of, being different.

I want to stress that I was in no way ashamed of my family. I never wished that my circumstances were different, or that I came from a more traditional nuclear unit. I was never bullied by my peers about my home life. I was simply overly concerned about fitting in with everyone else at an age when, to a lot of young people, fitting in seems like the most important thing imaginable. Of 94

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

course, reflecting back on my feelings now, I’m embarrassed that I was embarrassed, and annoyed at myself for my hypocrisy that undermined the spirit of Pride. Despite this, I can’t deny that there were times when being from a same-sex family was difficult.

For me, at least, being a teenager in a same-sex family brought with it a certain sense of isolation. It wasn’t loneliness but more a kind of disconnect and, at times, I very much felt as though there was no-one else in the same situation as myself. This feeling of isolation was compounded by the way in which, growing up, from a very young age I was aware that my situation at home and relationships with my parents didn’t fit in to the neat template that is impressed upon children. While it was easy to get used to being asked, “If mum and dad are home?”, and laugh it off as presumptuous, it was harder to relate to close friends with regards to life at home. While it’s obviously not the case that all my friends had identical, or even similar, relationships with their parents to one another, I often felt one step further removed from them.

Along with this, it was – and still is – a source of frustration that the rise in prominence of positive representations of LGBT figures in the media did not bring with it a raised

PARENTING

profile in the public consciousness of same-sex families. There are millions of them across the world and yet, from watching TV and reading the news, you’d be surprised they existed at all.

This is why, for me, going to see an event put on by Out With The Family is such a heart-warming experience, and one that fills me with optimism. The kids that

attend the events are much too young to have to worry about feeling disconnected because of their upbringing, and to see them all together is an incredibly reassuring sight. By the time they are all old enough to understand how their families don’t conform to stereotypes, they will also be old enough to understand that there are plenty of children in the same position as them.

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

95

PARENTING

BANKING ON IT SPERM BANK CRYOS CAN MAKE YOUR PARENTING DREAMS COME TRUE… It started with a strange dream about frozen sperm, which Ole Schou, the founder of Cryos International, had back in 1981. After this, he had to know everything there was to know and read everything published on the subject. He soon became one of the leading experts in the field and Cryos International – Denmark is the largest sperm bank in the world today.

For more than 25 years, Cryos has helped people all over the world to become families, and now supplies more than 70 countries. Cryos offers donor sperm that meets your type of treatment, whether it is home insemination or treatment at a clinic, and they supply to single women, and both lesbian and heterosexual couples.

Cryos International Sperm Bank is a tissue centre licensed under the EU Tissue Directive and can therefore ship tested and screened donor sperm to private customers across all of Europe, including the UK. FREE ONLINE ACCESS TO THE DONORS’ PROFILES You can choose from the most comprehensive selection of more than 96

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

400 anonymous and non-anonymous donors, each with a basic or an extended profile. The basic and the extended profile differ in how much personal donor information is available and the availability of baby images, audio clips, emotional intelligence tests and the impression of the staff. Cryos operates with a wide range of standards, including those necessary for the UK, so, if you are getting your fertility treatment at a UK clinic, you must choose a nonanonymous donor with a UK standard.

If you are doing a home insemination with donor sperm in the UK, you can choose a donor of your own choice, regardless of whether they are anonymous or non-anonymous.

For Cryos, quality and a professional personal service are of outmost importance. The Cryos customer service team will be happy to help and to guide you in your decision-making process.

For more information visit aor look at the Cryos movies under the resources section of their website.

PARENTING

LONDON EGG BANK EMPOWERING A NEW GENERATION OF EGG DONORS Just a year or two ago, there were long waiting lists for egg donation in the UK. Altruistic egg donors were hard to find and hard to recruit. But now those waiting lists have gone.

NO WAITING LISTS What a difference a year makes! Until 2012, egg donors wishing to donate eggs for purely altruistic reasons were as rare as rainy-day taxis. But, all that changed with new government regulations on egg donation and a new drive to recruit donors who wanted to help others. Anyone wanting a donor egg could previously wait up to five years for a suitable donor, but now we meet nearly all our demands with little delay. The waiting lists have gone, which means that women needing donor eggs can be treated almost immediately – and often with a choice of donors to match their wishes. The egg donation programme and its success rates – through the London Egg Bank’s partner clinics, the London Women’s Clinic and The Bridge Centre – are growing fast.

RECRUITING EGG DONORS Most of the new generation of donors are young – aged between 20 and 30 – and recruited through the encouragement and information provided by social media. Twitter and Facebook have made a huge difference in bringing the 98

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

realities of infertility to a broad group of young people. Many of the young donors we see for the first time have done a lot of homework already. They’re very enthusiastic and well informed. Of course, not everyone making an initial enquiry will become a suitable donor.

Tests must show that the donor’s fertility is healthy. Screening every possible donor is a long and important process.

SUCCESS RATES Most egg donation treatments are currently performed in a ‘fresh’ treatment cycle, with success rates of around 60% being recorded. This means that, in most cases, only one embryo needs to be transferred – to avoid any risk of multiple pregnancies. It also means that many recipient couples have additional embryos in deep-freeze storage, ready for another try.

For further information, visit: londoneggbank. com or call 020 7563 4306

COMMUNITY

REMEMBERING ALBERT KENNEDY IT’S 25 YEARS SINCE THE DEATH OF MANCHESTER TEENAGER ALBERT KENNEDY LED TO THE FORMATION OF THE ALBERT KENNEDY TRUST… This year marks the 25th anniversary of well as safe homes with carers and The Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT), which within its own Purple Door project. was formed on 7 July back in 1989. Since Here, Hugh Fell, one of the Trust’s that time, it has supported lesbian, gay, co-founders, reflects on its early days, bisexual and trans (LGBT) young people, while current Chief Executive, Tim aged 25 and under, who are homeless or Sigworth, looks to the future. living in a hostile environment.

AKT - THE BEGINNING The Trust was set up in memory of “The Albert Kennedy Trust was founded Albert Kennedy, who was just 16 when in 1989, but its origins lie in the social he fell to his death from a multi-story and political tensions that had car park in what is widely regarded as a developed earlier in the homophobic hate crime.

1980s. It is difficult for Albert was very much loved anyone who did not live by his family but, whilst through that era to spending some time in a comprehend that there children’s home, he was a time in this country experienced rejection and when many newspapers homophobia from other regularly portrayed lesbians residents, and sought and gay men as a moral solace in Manchester’s threat to society, and the gay village.

Albert Kennedy government of the UK The Trust was set up by passed legislation (the Manchester foster carer, notorious Clause 28 of the Local Cath Hall, in Albert’s name, to provide Government Bill) to prevent local safe homes for LGBT young people who authorities from any expenditure had faced rejection from their families ‘promoting homosexuality’. It was not a and from society at large. Initially good time to be a lesbian or gay providing safe spaces with volunteer teenager. carers in Manchester, the Trust now “Albert Kennedy died on 30 April works in three cities (London, 1989, having fallen from the top of a Manchester and Newcastle) providing multi-storey car park in central mentoring, advocacy and training, as 100

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

COMMUNITY Manchester, while absconding from local authority care.

Albert often ran away from the children’s home where he lived, to escape from the anti-gay abuse he suffered from other boys there.

Unsurprisingly, he regularly headed to Manchester’s Gay Village to be with friends. His best friend, another 17 year-old called Paul, had been with him until very shortly before he died and Paul represents the link to Cath Hall, the remarkable woman who founded AKT and with whom he was being fostered at that time.

“Cath knew Albert through his friendship with Paul and was deeply upset by his death.

She was struck by the absence of a response from the lesbian and gay people of Manchester, – who had organised so effectively to protest against Clause 28 – to another preventable death in their community. Determined to do something, she called a public meeting at Manchester Town Hall and advertised it in the local lesbian and gay media. On the evening of 6 July 1989, about 30 people came to the meeting Cath had called and listened to her challenge us to take responsibility for rejected and homeless lesbian and gay teenagers. It is important to realise that anger lies at the heart of The Albert Kennedy Trust: anger at Clause 28; anger at housing

One of the rooms at the Albert Kennedy Trust’s Purple Door project benefit cuts that particularly affected young people and anger at discrimination against lesbians and gay men, fuelled by a relentless stream of negative media stories. Cath Hall’s genius was to turn anger into a revolutionary and positive response. At a time when gay men in particular were being portrayed as a danger to young people, Cath suggested we take them into our homes to provide the support, understanding and approbation that no government-run system could provide in the political climate of the time.

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

101

COMMUNITY Eight of us took up her challenge and, with Cath, became, in due course, the first trustees.

By the third anniversary of Albert’s death, AKT had made more than twenty-five placements of lesbian and gay young people and our first trans young person, all supported in carer’s homes without any public or grant funding. We were still seen as too controversial for mainstream grantmaking foundations to take the risk of funding us, so all our money had come from individuals’ donations. Especially humbling were donations sent by people living on income support who wanted to ensure we survived. Our community had taken us to its heart, a foundation that remains central to the ethos and the fundraising strategy of AKT to this day.”

Hugh Fell, one of the Albert Kennedy Trust’s co-founders THE PRESENT, THE FUTURE “As The Albert Kennedy Trust reaches its 25th birthday we are reflecting on the challenges facing young LGBT people and indeed AKT. As we see demand rise and young people face further difficulties in securing safe accommodation and support across the UK, we are turning our attention towards extending our geographical footprint and looking for more innovative ways to connect young people to the support we offer.

“To help us plan for the future we are completing the first national scoping 102

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

exercise of LGBT youth homelessness, which will gather vital information to help us decide how we deliver a truly national service for LGBT youth, that best meets their needs.

2013 was a pivotal year for us in preparing us for the challenge of significantly expanding our reach. Just some of the significant moments of the year were: the launch of our Purple Door Housing Project in Manchester and London; the merging of Outpost Housing Project with AKT and the restructuring and growth of our staff and volunteer team. I am very proud to say young people in Manchester, London and Newcastle have access to our services.

My hope for the next 25 years is that AKT will no longer be needed, because society has reached a level of equality and fairness where young people are accepted by their families and mainstream provision truly recognises and meets their needs.”

Tim Sigsworth, Chief Executive of the Albert Kennedy Trust The Albert Kennedy Trust turns 25 on 7th July. Help them celebrate with your messages of support for their young people by sending a picture message using #selfies4AKT @AlbertKennedyTr or email to comms@akt.org.uk Supporters can also send the special text giving code “ALBT25 £10” to 70070, to donate £10 to the Albert Kennedy Trust and enable them to continue their work helping young LGBT people.

Photos: Nigel Charman

PROPERTY

SHARED OWNERSHIP: LONDON N7 – A DREAM COME TRUE! FOR FOOTBALL FAN, SURAN DICKSON, IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE WHEN SHE BOUGHT HER FIRST HOME AT NEWLON’S QN7 DEVELOPMENT, ADJACENT TO THE EMIRATES STADIUM… Suran, 36, moved to the UK 11 years ago from Christchurch, New Zealand and has been renting ever since. She said, “I came to England as I am a teacher and I taught in many schools in N7. I love the area and have many friends here, so when I decided to start looking for my first home I really wanted to stay in the neighbourhood. I did a great deal of research online and when I discovered QN7, I couldn’t believe it, as it was exactly what I was looking for. When I was in New Zealand I played in a ladies 106

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

football team and I have always been a big fan, so to find an apartment which is right next to the Arsenal ground was just perfect!”

Coming from New Zealand, where light is very important, Suran was very keen to find a home which was bright and had some sunshine during the day. “When I saw the plans for the development, I was keen to try and buy a home which was fairly high up and had a balcony which would get the sun. So, when I was offered this one,

PROPERTY The next stage was to get a mortgage and, after more research, she got a three-year fixed rate mortgage on £101,250 at 4.69%.

After her solicitors, Beaumont Legal, had You too can realise your dream… completed all the Newlon will soon be offering 100 homes for sale legal side of things, through shared ownership in Tottenham. To register Suran moved in. “I am your interest in its new Rivers Apartments –part of absolutely delighted the sport-led regeneration around Tottenham with the apartment, Hotspur Football Club – go to riversapartments. as it is beyond my co.uk or call Newlon on 0800 058 2544. expectations. The rooms are really big and there is lots it ticked all the boxes. The balcony of storage, which is very important. gets the afternoon sun and has the It came with laminate wood flooring, most wonderful sunsets and the except in the two bedrooms, which are rooms have lots of large windows, so carpeted in a neutral shade. The kitchen it is light and airy. From one of the is fabulous and includes an integrated windows in the lounge which faces oven and hob, washing machine, fridge/ north, you get amazing views towards freezer and a dishwasher, so that has Highgate – it’s like having an aerial view saved me a lot of money. I am also of London.’ impressed by the bathroom, which has very nice ceramic wall and floor tiles. I Suran had to apply to Newlon online and am very security minded and the main was then invited to an open day where door has a secure entry system, which she gave the choices of apartments she gives me real peace of mind.’ was interested in. “I paid my deposit and kept my fingers crossed, but it The properties at Newlon’s QN7 wasn’t long before I heard I had been development have now sold out, but lucky enough to get the opportunity to a similar development is underway buy this one and it was a great choice. in Tottenham. Newlon’s Rivers I decided to buy a 30% share of the Apartments stand opposite full market value of £325,000 and the Tottenham Hotspur Football Ground. deposit I needed was £11,250, which Go to newlonhomeownership.org.uk was affordable.” or call 0800 058 2544

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

107

TRAVEL

VEGAS VOYAGE ACTOR CHARLIE CONDOU ALLOWS HIS INNER GAY TO SHINE IN NEVADA’S GLITTERING JEWEL, LAS VEGAS… I’ve always felt like I’m a bit rubbish at being gay. Not the man-on-man sex part; I like to think I’m fairly good at that (obviously). No, I’m talking about the clichéd stuff: the things that everyone assumes we love. I’ve never seen Beaches, have zero interest in when Kylie’s next album drops and have absolutely no idea what song Judy opened with at Carnegie Hall.

So, when I was offered the chance of a LGBT press trip to Las Vegas, I’ll be honest… my heart sank a tiny bit. On the other hand, I’d just finished four and a half years on Corrie the week before, was more than ready for a child-free holiday and thought I could perhaps just duck out of the scheduled Chippendales show to play poker in a nice air-conditioned hotel casino. So, my partner Cam and I packed our flip-flops and headed for the original Sin City.

Setting the tone for the whole trip, we really did hit the ground running. The moment we stepped off the plane, we headed straight to a cocktail tasting and dinner at Jean Georges, with possibly the best steak I’ve ever tasted.

The next few days went by in a blur of 108

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

spa treatments, boozy lunches, pool parties and shows. And, when I found myself giggling like a schoolgirl while sitting on a Chippendale’s lap, it began to occur to me that I maybe was better at this gay stuff than I thought. All those years of thinking of myself as decidedly un-camp, and three days in Vegas had well and truly released my inner sparkle.

Vegas couldn’t be more LGBT friendly if it tried; every hotel in town is welcoming, including our host hotel, Vdara. A special shout out goes to the Wynn and its sister hotel, Encore, for their dedicated ‘Pride concierge’, who can offer tips to help plan your holiday.

Xposed at the New Tropicana is a weekly pool party for gay boys and girls, with lots of preening ‘muscle marys’ posing poolside. For a slightly more relaxed vibe, check out Temptation at the Luxor, the longest-running gay poolside party in Vegas.

The gay scene in Vegas may not be huge, but it’s certainly diverse. You want Leather? Head to the Funhog Ranch.

Chic and sexy? Try Share: a nightclub over two floors, with private VIP tables upstairs. Our favourite venue was Piranha, situated in the affectionately named ‘Fruit Loop’ area downtown, and hosted by Tina Turner-impersonator extraordinaire, Hot Chocolate.

We couldn’t visit Vegas without taking in a show or two. Rose. Rabbit. Lie. at the Cosmopolitan delivers an unexpected mash-up of experiences; hailed by the LA Times as “Nightlife with a (plot)

TRAVEL

Image courtesy: Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority

n Rooms at Vdara Hotel & Spa start from £76 per night, plus resort fee and tax. vdara.com n British Airways fly to Las Vegas daily from Heathrow and three times a week from Gatwick, with flights starting from £665, including all taxes, fees and charges n For further information about Las Vegas, visit visitlasvegas.co.uk

Dion, but on stage at Caesar’s, she was truly in her element and blew us all away.

twist”, it has to be seen to be believed. .

Chelsea Handler, (coming to London in July), made me laugh until I wanted to pee. The acid-tongued talk show host takes no prisoners, with savage jokes at the expense of everyone from lawyers to lesbians. Miss her at your peril. But, the icing on our pink cupcake had to be Celine Dion at Caesar’s Palace. Let’s face it: you don’t get camper than Celine in Vegas… and she did not disappoint.

Personally I’ve never really got Celine

Las Vegas is big, brash and exhausting. By the time we flew out, heading for Miami and the next part of our holiday, we really were ready to turn the volume down a bit, but we’d had an absolute blast (and not enough sleep) along the way. I enjoyed the city so much more than I ever imagined I would, and I defy anyone not to embrace their inner camp in what was always the home of Liberace. Let yourself dive in and enjoy the multicoloured, neon-lit madness. Forget your troubles, c’mon get happy because, after all, as Judy once said, “we’re not in Kansas anymore”.

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

109

TRAVEL

MASPALOMAS SUMMER FIESTA! BORED OF THE SAME OLD HOLIDAY? FED UP OF THE BRITISH SUMMER WEATHER? WISH THERE WAS SOMETHING FRESH AND NEW? WHY NOT HEAD TO GRAN CANARIA FOR MASPALOMAS SUMMER FIESTA FROM 29 AUGUST-1 SEPTEMBER 2014.

August in Gran Canaria is the island’s peak season: blue skies every day; golden sandy beaches and warm water lapping at your toes. Who would not want to enjoy a holiday in the brilliant sunshine – with a twist?

What’s the twist? The inaugural Maspalomas Summer Fiesta, that’s what, promising an eclectic mix of music, sunshine, international visitors, go-gos, parties, boat cruises and much more.

The four-day weekender will offer a programme of daytime and nighttime activities to keep you busy. Alternatively, you could just be completely chilled and spend a full week doing little more than getting a suntan to show off on your return home. Each night of Maspalomas Summer Fiesta will offer a different 110

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

event, based around the club lounge bar, KISS FM. Daytimes will offer a massive pirate ship boat cruise, pool parties, beach fiesta and games/activities. Late afternoon bar crawls will get you into the party spirit for the nights.

The concept is simple: Why fork out for an expensive weekender in the Mediterranean, with expensive clubs and pricey food, etc., when Gran Canaria has tourism all year round and can afford to keep the prices affordable?

Most of the club events will be free, and with cheap flights, cheap accommodation and cheap drinks – it simply can’t be beaten.

Check it out on Facebook: Maspalomas Summer Fiesta or igoncanaries.com

TRAVEL

MAGICAL PRIDE

TOP EVENT ORGANISERS, MANCHESTER PRIDE, AND SPECIALIST DISNEYLAND® PARIS TOUR OPERATOR, GREATDAYS HOLIDAYS, ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE A NEW PRIDE WEEKEND AT THE RESORT, STARTING ON 16 OCTOBER 2014.

112

Accommodation is available across a great selection of Disney’s on-site hotels including the luxurious Disneyland® Hotel, Disney’s Hotel New York®, Disney’s Newport Bay Club®, Disney’s Sequoia Lodge®, Disney’s Hotel Cheyenne® and Disney’s Hotel Santa Fe®. All the hotels have different themes and pricing, to suit all tastes and budgets. Once checked in, the Magical Pride team will be waiting for you with your Welcome Pack, limited edition event T-shirt, wristband and food/merchandise discount vouchers.

The weekend fun kicks off with a great Welcome Party and dinner in Planet Hollywood, offering the chance to make new friends and catch up with old ones.

The party continues over the weekend with the cowboys in Billy Bob’s Country Western Saloon, and celeb spotting at the Planet Hollywood Pride Party.

and the Wild West of Frontierland®, to the bewitching parade past Sleeping Beauty Castle.

In addition to the magic of the Disneyland Park and the Walt Disney Studios why not visit Paris only a 30-minute direct train ride away or take a free transfer to La Vallee Village, Chic Outlet Shopping, where you will be greeted with a glass of champagne and discount vouchers.As a bonus, Magical Pride falls during Disney’s Halloween Festival. Be prepared to be spooked and bewitched, as the park becomes peppered with ghosts and pumpkins.

During the day there is plenty of time to discover the magical world of Disney. In the Disneyland® Park, fairytales take flight across five incredible lands – from the pirate-filled waters of Adventureland®

Event ticket-only packages start from only £50 per person and there are great combined hotel and park ticket deals at the six Disney Hotels. For information and to book, visit magicalpride.com

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

TRAVEL

ESCAPE TO ELLA

WOMENS FESTIVAL ELLA RETURNS TO MALLORCA IN SEPTEMBER 2014 After a successful inaugural event, the ELLA International Lesbian Festival returns to Mallorca from 4-8 September – bigger and better than ever!

This idyllic island is well prepared to welcome lesbians from all over Europe and the world, and ELLA Festival aims to establish Palma de Mallorca on the international scene as an LGBT paradise.

With an explosive, women-only mix of beaches, fiestas, art, culture and sports; ELLA is the ideal cocktail that ladies have been waiting for.

It‘s precisely the lack of quality leisure holidays for modern lesbians that motivated Kristin Hansen, CEO & Founder of the Festival, to begin this adventure. The result is a cosmopolitan, mutilcultural and cool event. After only 114

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

two years, the ELLA Festival has revolutionised the lesbian holiday concept, and stands out as an LGBT tourism world reference. ELLA is here to stay!

The main idea of the festival is for girls from all over the world to meet each other and have fun – with an extensive variety of activities taking place over five days of Mediterranean hedonism. The day programme includes beach and nautical activities: boat trips; beach volleyball; wake boarding; paddle surfing; sports; yoga; jogging; gastronomy; romantic dinners on a catamaran; tapas; a vegan cooking course and wine tasting. There will also be cultural activities, including Palma on a bike and a photography excursion.

The night programme will include: shows; acrobats; arts and, of course, the best parties in the trendiest locations of Palma de Mallorca.

Fantastic concerts and performances are lined up from Heather Peace, Vanesa Klein, Swedish Dyke Vibes, and many other international artists.

The ELLA International Lesbian Festival is a unique experience for ladies who know how to enjoy life. Whether you’re looking to relax, party, or meet other women, ELLA is your kind of summer festival. See you in Mallorca!

A full programme, artist line-up and online tickets are available at the official website ellafestival.com Facebook.com/ellafestivalmallorca Twitter: ellamallorca

INTERVIEW

THE MARCHIONESS: NEVER FORGET

JONATHAN PHANG, A SURVIVOR OF THE 1989 MARCHIONESS BOAT DISASTER, REFLECTS ON THE TRAGEDY WITH RENA BRANNAN… This year marks many notable anniversaries for the UK’s LGBT community. It’s been 25 years since Sir Ian McKellen, Lisa Power (MBE) and Michael Cashman (CBE) – to name but a few – formed campaigning charity, Stonewall, in response to the introduction of Section 28 by Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government. It has also been 25 years since the Albert Kennedy Trust was founded, following the death of 16-year-old Albert Kennedy (see page 106) in Manchester. Both events were linked to the deeply ingrained, cultural homophobia of the times.

There is another 25th anniversary taking place this year, but it’s one that will probably be offered scant respect or significance by the mainstream media. In the early hours of 20 August 1989, a Thames pleasure cruiser, Marchioness, was hit by a dredger called Bowbelle. Fifty-one people died. How do these things connect?

Governmental, societal 116

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

INTERVIEW and newspaper-sanctioned homophobia, according to the television presenter Jonathan Phang.

I’m having lunch with Jonathan.

The sun is shining and the grievous homophobia and behavior that infected Britain in the late 1980s seems like a cloud over another country, another time. He was on the Marchioness 25 years ago on that fateful day.

He was one of the 80 survivors.

The Marchioness was built in 1923 and, in 1940, was one of the ‘little ships’ of the Dunkirk emergency evacuation. In the 80s, the boat was being used as a tourist attraction and was booked to celebrate the 26th birthday of Antonio de Vasconcellos, a handsome gay man from Portugal and also Jonathan’s best friend.

After it was hit by the Bowbelle, the Marchioness bowled over and rapidly filled with water. Meanwhile, the dredger continued moving forward, pushing the Marchioness deeper under water. As the Marchioness capsized, her entire structure split in half.

Jonathan lost nearly all of his friends in the accident and was lucky to survive. He escaped through a window. Little did he know that surviving the accident was only the beginning. In the aftermath of the disaster, some of

the press would paint the party as a symbol of 1980s gay excess.

Like those infected with HIV, the victims were seen to be partly responsible for their own misfortunes.

“If the Marchioness Disaster happened today, do you think it would be different?” I ask Jonathan.

“Yes. Absolutely. During the Thatcher years, the newspapers were fear-mongering with the ‘homosexual AIDS epidemic’ and the government wanted everyone to know that talking about gays in schools was off limits. But the negative onslaught from family and so-called friends was even worse. If you were coming out as a teenager, with the ‘gay virus’ everywhere and Section 28, you felt persecuted. Back then, the LGBT community was under attack by everyone. What the general public was reading about homosexuality led to some vile reactions. The public distaste, especially for the Marchioness – I have never seen anything like it since.”

Does he think things have improved now?

“There are so many more positive stories about LGBT people now than there ever was before. I know there is still a stigma attached, as not everyone feels they can come out of the closet – especially high profile

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

117

INTERVIEW individuals, who could make a difference to the young LGBT community.

“But the reality is, that the ‘public opinion’ fronted by newspapers and media seems to be shifting toward the positive, and has been consistently doing so over the last decade. The recent report of a hate crime against three men in Vauxhall [who were sprayed with a substance that is believed to have been ammonia] is a good example. In the late 80s, it would have been more about what “those poofs deserved”. Now, with social media, the pictures of the perpetrators go viral and people are demanding justice: straight people and LGBT people. For the Marchioness, so many atrocities were committed: twenty-five bodies were desecrated by the coroner – their hands removed – and the reason they gave was so that they could later make “identification” available to the family; the Captain of the Bowbelle was acquitted; the newspapers said that those of us on board the Marchioness deserved to die, because the boat was “riddled with AIDS” and it was a “gay party” and the firefighters spoke of hosing off the “bad blood” on the pavement from the survivors. It was constant homophobic abuse.”

118

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

I walk Jonathan to the tube.

I watch him go through the turnstile as I make my way back to Victoria. It seems so far away from the events of 25 years ago. We have made progress in the UK and much of Europe: Laws have been changed that affect the LGBT community for the better.

However, in Russia, they are returning to the old barbarous homophobic behaviour. Laws have been introduced that are very similar to Section 28 and the media, sanctioned by the new law, is encouraging the vilification, the hatred, the blame and the physical persecution of gay people.

Those on board the Marchioness that night were made victims twice; first by the accident and then by the press.

The Marchioness disaster wouldn’t be covered in the British media in 2014 with the same homophobic hatred as it was in 1989, but our hard-fought civil liberties can easily be lost again.

We must be diligent, not complacent. We must not forget the 51 people who died on that fateful night. They must be cherished and remembered: as the survivors bravely do everyday.

Jonathan Phang is currently working on Jonathan Phang’s Gourmet Trains for Travel Channel and Food Network.

HEALTH

VACCINE VOLUNTEERS WANTED COULD VOLUNTEERING BE THE EASIEST WAY TO HELP IN THE DISCOVERY OF AN HIV VACCINE? Every hour, nearly 300 people are newly infected with HIV, with an estimated 35 million people living with HIV globally.

In the UK, 98,000 people are living with HIV and one in five are unaware that they are infected. It may seem there is little many of us can do to help, other than wait for scientists and doctors to develop vaccines or a cure.

Professor Robin Shattock from London’s Imperial College challenges this assumption: “The only way an effective vaccine against HIV can be discovered is through a partnership between researchers and volunteers willing to participate in clinical trials. It’s becoming increasingly clear that there is no model of human vaccine responses other than humans themselves.”

Although there is increased optimism by scientists that an effective vaccine is an attainable goal, the only way to select the most promising approaches is through studying human responses in early clinical trials. As part of the global effort against HIV/AIDS, scientists at Imperial College and St Mary’s Hospital, in Paddington, are working on new vaccine approaches that induce both protective antibodies and killer T cells, 120

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

designed to eliminate cells should they become infected. However, critical to this work is the ability to assess the large number of vaccine options in humans.

The team at St Mary’s is currently assessing the safety of a DNA-based vaccine that is administered to the upper layers of the skin, or into the muscle, either via a small electrical pulse, or through a conventional injection. This is first being evaluated in healthy volunteers, (without HIV), that could hopefully lead to an effective preventative vaccine. The same approach will then be assessed, to determine its potential benefit for those already infected with HIV by boosting a person’s immunity against the virus.

Volunteers will need to make regular visits to the lab at St Mary’s, including having blood tests. They will be offered £100 per visit as a token for their time.

If you are aged between 18 and 45, generally healthy and would like to take part in a vaccine trial, contact the team on 0800 358 3001, email hivvaccinetrial@imperial.ac.uk or visit helpmakehistory.mrc.ac.uk

HEALTH

CLINICAL CHIC COMING TO THE WEST END FOR PRIDE IN LONDON? THANKS TO DEAN STREET EXPRESS, GETTING A QUICK AND SPEEDY SEXUAL HEALTH CHECK-UP HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER! Is it a spaceship? London’s newest boutique hotel? A trendy nightspot? No. What you are seeing are pictures of what must surely be the world’s hippest sexual health clinic. 56 Dean Street in Soho, one of the UK’s most popular sexual health clinics, has opened a second location at 34 Dean Street. The new walk-in service is called Dean Street Express and is designed for people who just want a routine sexual check-up and HIV test. Men and women can walk in for a screening and get all their results within six hours.

Three-monthly sexual health and HIV testing is now recommended by Public Health England, for all gay men who regularly have new sexual partners, even if they have not noticed anything wrong.

Dean Street Express is designed to make this process both convenient and efficient. Users check in by touchscreen and are given a self-test kit to take their own swab tests in a private screening 122

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

room. They then see a nurse for blood and 60-second HIV testing. Dean Street Express is the first sexual health clinic in the world to have an on-site Infinity machine. This cuttingedge technology is capable of processing gonorrhoea and chlamydia samples in only 90 minutes, while blood samples are carried by express courier to the lab every hour. Users can expect to get their results by text message just hours later.

To make the whole process less sterile and more enticing, award-winning design and architecture company, PENSON, were commissioned to design the clinic’s interior. They have previously

HEALTH

designed offices for Google and Roc Nation’s east London base.

Motivating the clinic’s design were several main factors: to bring everything together on an extremely tight NHS budget; to make the interior as least like a hospital as possible and to take inspiration from the local area.

Dean Street Express is now open.

Users must have a mobile phone number capable of receiving SMS text messages to use the service. Open Monday-Saturday, it is located at 34 Dean Street, Soho, London, W1D 4PR. deanstreetexpress.nhs.uk

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

123

HEALTH

A NEW MILDMAY STAFF FROM THE MILDMAY WILL BE AT PRIDE IN LONDON – RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT THE HOSPITAL’S NEW PREMISES One of the groups that will be represented in the community market area of Trafalgar Square at Pride in London will be east London’s Mildmay Hospital – which has just unveiled their multi-million pound new premises. The hospital is one of the UK’s best-known centres for treating people affected by HIV and AIDS. It became famous around the world in the 1980s, when Princess Diana was photographed visiting patients. The late Princess made many visits to the hospital – both formally and privately – and was photographed shaking hands with HIV patients at a time when there was huge stigma and fear around the spread of HIV and AIDS. The Mildmay’s history, though, goes back much further. It has been an integral part of the East End community for almost 150 years. Since 1988, it has been at the forefront of HIV services and care, and now is Europe’s only centre dedicated to rehabilitation, treatment and care for people with HIV associated brain injury.

As the Pride in London parade and rally takes place on Saturday 28 June, the finishing touches will be being made to the Mildmay’s brand new, purpose124

OUT & g3 LGBT GUIDES | SUMMER 2014

built HIV hospital in E2. The new premises will have a greater number of inpatient beds and greater space for day services – enabling the hospital to help more people back to health and independence.

Dr Ross White, Mildmay’s Chief Executive said, “There are 100,000 people living with HIV in the UK – around one quarter being unaware of their infection. At Mildmay we see firsthand the problems that late diagnosis can bring and #FreedomTo… we are keen to “Mildmay believes build HIV that everyone should awareness. have the freedom to Mildmay’s live life in all its presence at fullness, without Pride has fear of stigma or always been discrimination.” very important to the charity.”