Provide emotional support and information to the entire diversity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community across Scotland. This includes queer, intersex, asexual people and all identities under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella.
You do not need a label to use the helpline. They will support you if you are questioning or exploring your sexuality and/or gender identity. They are also here for the families, partners, friends and supporters of LGBTQ+ people, as well as health and social care professionals who want to be more inclusive.
They can support you with all kinds of issues as often and as regularly as you need it.
Non profit use of material in the magazine will normally be permitted free of charge, but contact us first for permission. Views expressed in QS Mag don't necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. People featured may identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, straight, or none of the above.
QS Magazine Album Loves
Albums that are classic, overlooked, lost or just special to us.
Album Love Number 7.
Erasure - The Circus (Mute Records 1987)
The eighties has featured a lot in these articles, but the eighties was the real dawning of ‘Out’ records. Bronski Beat, Soft Cell, The Communards had came out of the closet singing in a way that hadn’t really been heard before.
Queer songs to that point had been generally more opaque in their approach, either the songs themselves had eschewed definite pronouns to muddy the water or they just simply changed the gender to the opposite.
And of course there were exceptions, Tom Robinson was defiant, Sylvester was flamboyant, Divine was dazzling, but for the times the big stars we now know as queer hid themselves. George Michael, Freddie Mercury and Elton John seemed to be open secrets that would not definitively come out, but that was now changing.
During the early eighties Vince Clarke was very much an established songwriter and
musician. Having scored substantial success with a fledgling Depeche Mode then even more chart success with Alison Moyet in Yazoo, he forged an experimental project with Eric Radcliffe named The Assembly. Together with Undertones singer Fergal Sharkey they produced a hit in ‘Never Never’ but the time was right for something new.
An advert searching for a singer placed in Melody Maker brought the then unknown Andy Bell into his orbit. The alchemy was apparent from the get go and Erasure was born.
At the beginning of 1987 the band had one album already under their belt. The frothy, poppy and upbeat ‘Wonderland’. Whilst it contained some of Erasure's most endurable songs in ‘Who Needs Love Like That’ and the immortal ‘Oh L’Amour’ it was a minor hit.
It was the follow up that was about to set Vince and Andy up as one of Britain’s most loved and best pop bands.
‘The Circus’ was a marked difference from the sunshine and light of ‘Wonderland’ gone was the candyfloss and in came politics.
Opener ‘It Doesn’t Have To Be Like That’ lays out the new approach in stark, obvious words:
“You are on one side, I am on the other, are we divided?”
It doesn’t hide anything in imagery or metaphor, it is clear and obvious. Throw in the Swahili language bridge which roughly translates to:
“Sleep with me
Your home, your home
Because you don’t stay with me
Your home, your home
Sleep with me
Your home, your home
Because you don’t stay with me
Your home, your home”
At the time this was thought to be a protest at the appalling apartheid of the South African government of the time. Although it's never been directly confirmed it seems very likely due to the more serious stand the band were taking.
The message of rejection on ‘Hideaway’ is much clearer. A story of a boy coming out to family only for them to turn their back on him. The loneliness and hurt is present however the narrator implores the youngster:
“Don’t be afraid, you don’t need to hideaway,
Don’t be afraid, love will mend your broken wing
Time will slip away
Learn to be brave”
It's a message of hope and acceptance, out there in a community which will look out for him. And although, yes, it isn’t always full of altruistic brothers and sisters, there is more of a chance within those boundaries.
The heartache becomes hope and at that moment, in that time when a
(rather sexless) gay relationship in a major soap resulted in the headline “Ban this filth” it was a little bit of light.
And these songs are deeply important. Pop music is the fuel of the young, fertile mind, to carry such hope can truly save lives. On your own, in your ears you can connect with like-minded people that seem light years away. Of course now there is the internet but back then it was a lifeline.
Along the same lines but with a more defiant feel, ‘Don’t Dance’ reminds us that being ourselves and accepting ourselves is a positive thing without reporting to saccharine sentiment, and you very much can dance to it.
In fact ‘The Circus’ is a much more danceable album than its predecessor. Harder synth sounds, meatier bass and even some
shimmering guitars make this an endlessly listenable record.
‘Sexuality’ has a sly sensuality about it and makes no bones about its subject of shagging, why not? We’d been reduced to sexless cartoon characters everywhere else and this was their playground so Andy was running with it. He was very out and we fucking loved it.
The subject of love is, of course, strongly highlighted on the album too. ‘Victim of Love’ is an ebullient two fingers up at a lover who has been quite strongly wronged and is not standing for it anymore.
Overwhelming love is the subject of the song that would catapult them into the public eye and begin a love affair with the band that is still ongoing today.
‘Sometimes’ is all about that all engulfing love that makes you an irrational idiot. When you just cannot get enough of the other person and it is teetering on the edge of obsession.
With its wailing
“Whoooooooaaaaaaaaoooooaaaaaooo hhhh” punctuating the song you can’t help but get swept away in the rollercoaster emotions at the core of the song.
Both pulsating and shimmering at the same time ‘Sometimes’ is a solid
gold modern classic absolutely deserving in the love that pours out for it even now.
Whilst sexual, and queer politics have been the baseline of the album, the record’s title track gives over to a swipe at the anti-socialist policies of Thatcher’s uncaring cabinet of true elitists who seemed determined to put the working classes down at every opportunity. It was that very same government that saw the introduction of the disastrous Clause 28 which stopped young adults in schools from knowing or hearing anything about gay people or their lives. By law. It would seem barbaric and mired in a hateful, unknowledgeable past yet here we are in 2024 with the same shadows casting themselves over us once more.
A culture war that paints queer people as ‘groomers’ and drag
artists as ‘sick and damaging’. If indeed evil is banal, then this is a banal language of yes or no questions with no scope for nuance or understanding.
In other words, it's all a circus. A place to parade the idiotic, a place to keep good people down whilst holding some unwarranted higher moral ground. A circus to promote ideas that stifle progress and all to serve the very, very few.
Erasure saw this way back in the eighties and in the face of it all, chose to rebel, chose to relate, chose to love and chose to do it in a way that it will never be forgotten and will be sung loudly forevermore.
And you know how it goes, deep breath…
Whoooooooaaaaaaaaoooooaaaaaooo hhhh!
A pride picnic for Disabled LGBTQIA+ people and their allies and families. Hosted by Disabled Queer Edinburgh. Sharing/ inviting: please invite your friends, feel free to share but please be mindful of only sharing in queer safe spaces, we really don’t want to have unwelcome guests (like TERFS!) DONATIONS; we will be collecting donations at the event, on a ‘pay what you feel/ can’ basis. This money helps us to run social events for Queer Disabled people in the community. Edinburgh Pride has yet again failed to provide access. And so we are hosting our wonderful Queer Pride Picnic again, as it was so lovely and wholesome the last 2 years ♥ � This event is organised by Disabled Queer people, with the aim of being accessible as possible, as a relaxed alternative to the main Pride events, and there will be people there with a variety of disabilities and needs. We will be gathering from 12pm at Inverleith Park, near the entrance on Arboretum Place (full details and photos will be posted below). Feel free to stop by for a quick visit, or stay all afternoon. We will have pride flags, pride flag face paint roll-on (communal
usage, feel free to bring your own). Feel free to bring your pride outfits, flags, any games or fun things you may want to bring. there is lots of grass for a kick about, or play garden games, and there are basketball hoops and table tennis tables nearby. There is also a children’s play park at the other side of the park to where we will set up (to minimise background noise for those who need a quieter space) We ask everyone to bring their own food. Bringing things to share around is enthusiastically encouragedthere will be a share table you can add things to. Please bring items labelled with dietary restrictions for the share table COVID safety; This is an outdoor event in a spacious park. I will bring hand sanitizer, feel free to bring your own for personal use if you prefer. This is a community event organised by participants, so we will not be checking for anything. But it is encouraged that you stay home if you’re not well, LFT where able/needed, respect people’s personal space, especially as there will be vulnerable people there who may choose to wear masks. Ask before hugging people etc.
ACCESSIBILITY; Full details with photos in a post below. There is a
bus stop just outside the gate where multiple buses from different parts of the city stop. There are designated blue badge spaces on both sides of the road, near the gate. There are accessible toilets near where we will set up. Alternatively, if for any reason these are busy or locked, the botanics directly across the road (free entry) has accessible toilets just inside the entrance. We will set up on as flat an area of grass as we can, not far from the tarmac pathway. I have wheeled across it comfortably in my wheelchair, it is well maintained grass. Please bring blankets, cushions, folding chairs, wheelchairs, rollators, anything you need to feel comfortable. There will be people around happy to help where they can getting you comfortable and we are all very friendly and welcoming, most of us disabled and/or neurodivergent ourselves. If you are anxious about arriving, let us know, someone will meet you at the gate and welcome you over to the group.
SMALL TOWN BOYS IS BACK!
After a glorious run in Dundee last year, Shaper/Caper are taking Small Town Boys on the road, making stops in Dundee, Perth, Inverness, Stirling, Glasgow and Aberdeen!
A young man leaves his small hometown to find refuge in the bright lights and warm embrace of the big city; he discovers solace and joy in the city's LGBTQ+ scene, but soon finds himself navigating a
terrifying unfolding health crisis, almost completely ignored by the government.
Small Town Boys explores the escapism of queer nightlife during the 80s & early 90s AIDS crisis through dance and spoken word. And it just won the Creative Arts Award at the 2024 Proud Scotland Awards!
Dundee is on sale NOW! Book tickets at https://dundeerep.co.uk/ events/small-town-boys-3
LGBTQ IN SCOTLAND
The history of LGBTQ+ individuals and communities in Scotland is rich and varied, marked by periods of acceptance, persecution, and significant legal and social advancements. Here is an overview of key points in this history:
### Early History to the 19th Century**Medieval and Early Modern Periods**: Like much of Europe, medieval Scotland's attitudes towards same-sex relationships were shaped by the Church, which viewed homosexuality as sinful. Punishments were severe, often involving execution. - **18th Century**: Homosexuality remained a capital offense. Records show that several men were executed for sodomy in Edinburgh and other parts of Scotland during this period.
### 19th Century -
**Criminalization**: The Buggery Act of 1533, passed under Henry VIII, was adopted in Scotland and continued to criminalize homosexual acts. The 1885 Criminal Law Amendment Act further criminalized "gross indecency" between men, even in private. -
**Persecution**: Throughout the 19th century, men in Scotland were arrested and imprisoned for homosexual acts. Public attitudes were heavily influenced by religious and social norms that condemned homosexuality.
### 20th Century - **Early 20th Century**: Despite legal repression, there were underground communities and spaces where LGBTQ+ people could meet, although they risked police raids and public exposure. - **Post-WWII Era**: The 1950s and 60s saw increased scrutiny and policing of homosexual activities. However, societal attitudes began to slowly shift, particularly in the wake of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act in England and Wales, which decriminalized homosexual acts between consenting adults in private. This change did not immediately apply to Scotland.
### Decriminalization and Legal Reforms -
**1980**: Homosexuality was decriminalized in Scotland through the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980, following the model of the 1967 Act in England and Wales. This was a significant step forward for LGBTQ+ rights in
Scotland. -
**2000s**: Scotland continued to advance LGBTQ+ rights: -
**2000**: The Scottish Executive lifted the ban on homosexuals serving in the armed forces. -
**2001**: The age of consent was equalized at 16 for all, regardless of sexual orientation. -
**2004**: The Civil Partnership Act allowed same-sex couples to enter into civil partnerships, granting them similar rights to married couples.
### Recent Developments -
**2014**: The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 legalized same-sex marriage, a landmark moment for LGBTQ+ rights in Scotland. -
**2018**: The Historical Sexual Offences (Pardons and Disregards) (Scotland) Act pardoned men convicted of same-sex sexual activity under outdated laws. -
**: Scotland hosts annual Pride events in cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh, celebrating LGBTQ+ culture and raising awareness of ongoing issues. -
**Media and Representation**: Increased visibility of LGBTQ+ individuals in media, politics, and public life has contributed to broader societal acceptance and understanding.
**Ongoing Advocacy**: LGBTQ+ organizations, such as Stonewall Scotland and the Equality Network, continue to work for full equality and inclusion. Issues such as trans rights, non-binary recognition, and protection from discrimination remain active areas of advocacy.
### Cultural and Social Impact**Pride and Visibility
The history of LGBTQ+ rights in Scotland reflects broader global movements towards equality, while also being shaped by unique local contexts and cultural shifts. The journey from criminalization to celebration highlights significant progress, although challenges remain.
Teacup Promises by Glenn Quigley
4.5 stars
What a lovely read!
This is a slightly melancholic story about the romance between two men, the lies they tell themselves and others, and love in its many forms.
What sets this story apart is its clever twist: it is told backwards at various points in our protagonists’ lives. This narrative technique, the weaving together of details in reverse, is a testamentto Glenn’s craft as is his ability to deftly create engaging characters.
Tunnel Visions: Tales
Inspired by the Glasgow Subway and the People Who Circle It
By D J Thacker (author), S Blockley (author)
Take a trip around the great city of Glasgow, using the Subway system as your guide. From a night on the town to a life on the streets, mingling with musicians, football fans and revellers, this collection paints a vivid picture of the city's many faces.
Interview with Daf
James (Creator, Writer, Music Director and Executive Producer)
How would you describe Lost Boys & Fairies?
I would describe Lost Boys & Fairies as a drama with music, that explores the themes of parents and children told against the backdrop of gay adoption, set in Cardiff. It’s also a love story. What inspired you to write it? As with a lot of the stuff that I've written it's very personally inspired. Though I draw from lived experience, I always adapt story. The themes and emotions resonate with my life but it’s not my autobiography; and roles like Andy, Emrys and Jake aren’t depictions of my family. My husband and I first adopted eight years ago now. When we went through this process my world changed forever as a human, but also as an artist. I felt like I hadn't seen adoption represented authentically on screen, so it's something I feel really passionate about bringing to the television. That first year after adopting my kids was a challenging period because I went through so many emotions and feelings. My identity completely shifted; my frames of reference in this
world shifted. I wanted to be able to put all of those things into a story.
How would you describe Gabriel and Andy's relationship? How did they first meet?
On the surface they're very different, I suppose – Gabriel is the artist, Andy is the accountant. They're incredibly understanding of each other. Andy is very stable, he's a rock and Gabriel needs that in his life. Gabe jokes about the moment when they first kissed in Neverland as the moment when Andy saved his life, because he was living a life of excess before they met. But I would also say that Andy is attracted to Gabriel because Andy is also an artist in his soul. He's the homemaker, he is an extraordinary cook and baker, he has artistry in his fingers and in his heart. I think they bring out the best in each other. Why have they decided they want to adopt?
They've decided to adopt a child because they've been together for a long time – eight years – and they've got what they consider to be a really stable relationship. Quite organically a space has opened up where they feel
that they can share their love with somebody. Gabriel is conflicted about this, whether or not he's up to the challenge, which is part of the story.
What are the hurdles Andy and Gabriel face in their journey to adoption?
The brilliant thing about adoption is the people guiding the adoption process –the social services –want you to succeed. Children need homes, children need love, they need people to take them in. The assessment is from a childcentred perspective, it's to make sure that you are capable of taking on children where the likelihood is they've lived through trauma. It's ‘parenting plus’ in a way, if you're becoming a parent to an adopted child.
There's obviously a process that Gabriel and Andy have to go through. It's a
personal process that makes you look and consider your own childhood, and the way that you were parented. In this story we see Gabriel facing a lot of the demons from his own past, his own childhood trauma that he hasn't processed yet. Going through this adoption process makes Gabriel look at himself, his relationship to his father, his relationship to who he was as a teenager and the things that he experienced there. That's all put under a magnifying glass, and those are the struggles that become challenging for him; in terms of whether or not he feels not only is he up to adopting a child, but whether or not he deserves to have a child. Gay shame has had that insidious effect on him: if as a child you’re constantly told by society that you are an abomination, often you grow up believing you don’t deserve to be loved or have a sense of self-worth.
Why is it important to tell a story like this?
It's important for me to put this story on screen because it's a queer, bilingual, Welsh/English drama about adoption on the BBC, which absolutely blows my mind. If somebody would have told me that as a kid that this kind of representation was going to be in the mainstream in this way, I wouldn't have believed it. This will be the most Welsh you’ve ever heard in a primetime BBC drama.
I think it's so important that we get to see these minority perspectives in the mainstream. It's my identity: I’m a queer, Welsh-speaking Dad. This is my normal.
But also, though it's a story about gay adoption specifically, I think these are themes that resonate with everyone.
Everyone knows what it is to be a child. Many people contemplate if they want to become parents or not; and we've all been children to somebody. Also, I'm a huge advocate for adoption, it's changed my life completely. If this story can encourage more people to look into it, I think that would be brilliant thing.
What
are the key themes in Lost
Boys & Fairies?
It's a show that looks at being a parent, parents and children. Beyond that, it's a show about identity, queerness, the Welsh language; and it’s a show about the diversity of love.
One of the other really crucial themes is one of trauma and shamespecifically gay shame. Thankfully we're living in a world now where gay people can adopt and get married.
These are all things that when I was a kid, during the time of Section 28, I wouldn't have believed were even possible. When I got married to my husband, standing there was so deeply moving because we could now speak ‘the love that dare not speak its name’ in front of our community and family –our tribe – it was just extraordinary. We exist in a space now where we feel relatively safe within our own communities. But it's easy to forget what it was like as a child growing up with the trauma of thinking you are an abomination. I was also very religious at the time, so when you grow up as a teenager thinking you are inherently evil or wrong and you can't share those thoughts, it has an insidious effect on who you are and what your identity becomes.
This is something I'm exploring with the character Gabriel - why he ends up in quite dark places and some of his behaviours. It's showing how toxic shame has had an impact on who he has become and his identity. And of course, when you become a parent, you are made to revisit who you are as a child. Certainly for me, when I first became a parent, all of this unprocessed stuff came out. I had to deal with it in order for me to be better equipped to deal with a child who themselves has lived through some incredible trauma. Gabriel needs to process his own trauma to be able to take on and deal with Jake's. This is how two ‘lost boys’ essentially find healing through each other and through the love that grows between the both of them.
How would you describe the tone and visual style of the series?
It's a drama but there's comedy in it. I think humour is very disarming, and you can take your audiences with you on a journey into emotional depths if you can make them laugh too. Music is also an incredibly important part of the show. Sometimes – as he sings in Neverland – the songs are like soliloquies for Gabriel, we get a sense of his interior world through them; sometimes the music spills out of the boundaries of the club and take on another form within the narrative. It's not a musical as such, but it is a drama with songs.
There's also a lot of magic realism in it. I come from a theatrical background – I'm also a playwright, composer and performer – so I've always loved finding playful ways to tell my stories. I've taken a lot of the
qualities of magic realism I’ve explored in theatre and brought them into my TV writing. That’s because I think it makes for the most authentic depiction of life. We exist in both a concrete reality and an interior world simultaneously; and so, what we often experience is mundane and epic at the same time.
In the same way, we can laugh and cry from one moment to the next in the most profound situations. When my mother died I keened so violently and loudly I started laughing at the same time because I was so surprised by the animalistic noise I was making.
How has music influenced you in writing the Neverland sequences? Do songs help convey the character's inner struggles?
Music absolutely helps me write and always has. In fact, I would say because I'm a musician and a composer as well, I find writing scripts a musical experience. I tend to write them as pieces of music and that's why it's not just the words being said that matters to me, but the rhythm as well: the beat of dialogue, the pace of scene, the structure, or even how things are edited or cut together. I sense the structure of a script or a cut as a piece of music.
I've borrowed from the soundtrack to my life and I've brought that into Neverland. Musical punctuations help me to tell the story and to take the audience on an even more epic journey.
I composed the title song ‘Lost Boys & Fairies’ for a production of Peter Pan back in 2012 (and co-wrote the lyrics with playwright Robert Alan Evans). I’ve always wanted the song to have further life; the mood and essence of it is at the heart of the whole show.
What was it like working with the cast?
The cast are world-class. I can’t believe I have these tremendous actors performing my scripts. Sion and Fra’s chemistry is just astonishing, but all the performances have blown me away. In addition, there’s been something profoundly beautiful about Sion being cast as the lead. Sion’s first job, when he was still at drama school, was in my
first play, a Welsh-language play called Llwyth (Tribe), which was also directed by Arwel who plays Berwyn (another beautiful coincidence). Sion played a young teenager, and the play was about five gay men on a night out in Cardiff. It wrestled with my queer and Welsh identity. It was the first queer Welsh-language play by a queer playwright. It went on to tour for two years and was hugely significant to me. So, to have Sion play the lead in this show, which has a direct line back to that is remarkable. We’ve grown-up creatively together. It meant that we had a short-hand and could be truly vulnerable with each other in the creative process. I can trust him with my soul, and I think he’s a staggering talent.
What can audiences expect from Lost Boys & Fairies?
I hope that audiences will be moved and entertained and that many will get a perspective on something they didn't know about before. As a writer I want to make my audience laugh, cry, and think. To feel and be entertained.
I hope the audience will fall in love with these characters and really care about what happens to them. Most of all I want them to be entertained. That's my job as a storyteller. It's a privilege to have this platform. I don't take that privilege lightly, I'm extremely grateful that I've had this opportunity.
What has it been like filming in Wales?
It’s been amazing filming in Wales. To film in my local area, and to have supporting artists from our local communities has been a way to show off Cardiff and Wales in all its glory. There’s been an astonishing shift that's happened in the last decades in terms of the industry in Wales with so many things being filmed in Cardiff, putting Wales on screen. Often, however, it's Wales standing in for somewhere else, but in this show Victoria Park is Victoria Park, Billy the seal - the statue in Victoria Park - is Billy the seal!
What advice would you give writers who want to draw on their own personal experience?
First of all, find your people. It's a vulnerable thing to be able to excavate your soul, excavate your past, and put
Kent led with such generosity and power, but also with total openness. He allowed my voice within that, it’s just been the most beautiful collaboration.
Because this is personally-inspired, finding a way of translating that into drama takes time. I think it's important to find a form that can hold your experience that isn't necessarily directly your experience. I've done that all through my writing career; my plays and radio plays often draw on my own experiences. All writers are different, of course, but writing for me is often a process of catharsis: I want to be able to work something out, process something in my past through giving it a structure. That helps me, and through being very personal, I'm hoping that it will resonate universally with a wider audience. It's taken me time to find a structure to hold my experiences in an adapted form.
Doctor Who's Jonathan Groff, talks mysterious Rogue
How did the role come about?
Oh my god! I got a very exciting text message from Russell T Davies, and I'm a huge fan of his work, especially It’s A Sin - I still haven't recovered from it! So I was very excited to hear from him. He just wrote to me and told me that there was this role that was available on the show and asked me to play it. Can you describe your character Rogue?
Rogue is an alien bounty hunter and a man of mystery. When we meet Rogue, and he first meets the Doctor, we're in a Regency Era. Rogue is not necessarily who he appears to be when you meet him.
Have you always known of Doctor Who or been a fan of it? Or was this your first experience with the show?
I had known of Doctor Who and how much of a big deal it was in the UK, but I had never seen an episode of it. But Russell sent me about five episodes of Doctor Who from throughout the years, including the first episode that ever aired in black and white. So, I had a very quick crash course before I started.
What was the most challenging or unexpected thing about playing Rogue and stepping into the Whoniverse?
I would say the biggest challenge would be trying to understand and fit into the tone of the show - when you're coming in as a guest star, jumping into a world, and Doctor Who is such a specific thing! In the episodes that Russell showed me, and in the experience of playing a role in it, Doctor Who has such a fascinating tone. It's big, and it's larger than life, but it's also quite real and even though it's fantasy, there is depth to the storytelling and to the relationships. I'd say the biggest challenge was coming in and trying to digest the tone as fast as possible, and to really articulate the character in the proper way in the world of the show.
What was it like acting alongside Ncuti and Millie?
Ncuti and Millie were both so warm and welcoming! Big smiles and full of laughs and embraces, they could not have been more warm. As an outsider, coming into the Whoniverse for the first time, they were the greatest hosts! They took such good care of me and everybody, truly everybody on the set, the crew, everyone! I spent most of my time with Ncuti and I am obsessed with him. I think he is such a star. He's so unpredictable and thrilling to act with because you never see the same thing twice. He's so spontaneous, and yet so deeply connected to what he's doing. He really cares. He's really in it fully, and he's got this force and positivity that is completely unique to him. It's just phenomenal. I just adore him. I think he is one of the most exciting actors working today.
Did you have any unique experiences or memories from filming? Well, one happened off set, it actually happened to be when Beyoncé was on her Renaissance Tour. I looked up her tour
dates because I'm an obsessive Beyoncé fan. And I found that she was playing Cardiff. I asked that I was off by 4pm so I could make it to the stadium. And I brought Ncuti with me. So we got to see the Renaissance Tour together and it was so much fun. Amazing.
If you could travel anywhere in time and space, where would you?
This is less of a fantasy one. But my grandfather died on my 10th birthday. March 26, 1995. And I was really into I Love Lucy at the time. And one of my gifts for my birthday was this VHS with an episode of I Love Lucy. I went into the living room and I watched my VHS instead of hanging out with my family in the kitchen where my grandfather was. So if I had to go back in time, I would go back in time and I would hang out with him so I could ask him questions before he died.
PRYDE / PRÒIS / BRÓD
Join Makar Marcas for an online poetry extravaganza, celebrating LGBTQ life and creativity in Gaelic, Scots and Irish - with translation and interpretation in English.
The next iteration of the Makarations & Makarobatics series will feature Marcas alongside LGBTQ poets working on the intersection of queer identities and indigenous and community languages. Guests will include Spike Munro (Edinburgh), Babs NicGriogair (Isle of Lewis and Glasgow), Sam Ó Fearraigh (Donegal, Éire) and Mia Suhaimi (Edinburgh and Malaysia).
To close Pride month, writers will share readings that resist the Anglophone LGBTQ literature model in both Scotland and Ireland. Sunday 30th June, 7:30pm
Live and online on the Fed Facebook Newsfeed and on catch-up via federationofwriters.scot
Choosing the top ten LGBTQ+ films is subjective, but here’s is our office fav films
1. **Brokeback Mountain (2005)** - **Director**: Ang Lee - This film tells the story of two cowboys, Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, who embark on a passionate and secret relationship that spans decades. -
**Impact**: Known for its powerful performances and heartbreaking narrative, "Brokeback Mountain" brought LGBTQ+ issues into mainstream cinema.
2. **Moonlight (2016)** -
**Director**: Barry Jenkins - The film chronicles the life of a young black man named Chiron as he grapples with his sexuality and identity while growing up in a rough Miami neighborhood. -
**Impact**: Winning the Academy Award for Best Picture, "Moonlight" is celebrated for its poignant storytelling and nuanced portrayal of intersectionality
.3. **Call Me by Your Name (2017)** -
**Director**: Luca Guadagnino - Set in 1980s Italy, the film explores the romantic relationship between a 17-year-old boy and his father's 24-year-old assistant. - **Impact**: Acclaimed for its beautiful cinematography and tender depiction of first love, the film has become a modern LGBTQ+ classic.
4. **Paris Is Burning (1990)** - **Director**: Jennie Livingston
This documentary provides an indepth look at the ball culture of New York City and the AfricanAmerican, Latino, gay, and transgender communities involved in it. -
**Impact**: "Paris Is Burning" is an essential cultural document that offers insight into the resilience and creativity of marginalized communities.
5. **The Handmaiden (2016)** -
**Director**: Park Chan-wook - A gripping tale set in 1930s Korea, revolving around a young woman hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, but who is secretly involved in a plot to defraud her. -
**Impact**: Known for its intricate plot and stunning visuals, the film is celebrated for its portrayal of lesbian romance and its subversion of traditional genre conventions.
6. **Carol (2015)** -
**Director**: Todd Haynes - The story of a forbidden affair between an aspiring female photographer and an older woman going through a difficult divorce in 1950s New York. -
**Impact**: Praised for its nuanced performances and beautiful direction, "Carol" is a landmark in lesbian cinema.
7. **My Own Private Idaho (1991)** - **Director**: Gus Van Sant - This film follows the story of two friends, Mike and Scott, as they navigate life and love on the streets of Portland, Oregon. - **Impact**: Known for its avant-garde style and strong performances, the film has a cult following and is significant for its portrayal of queer street life.
8. **The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)****Director**: Stephan Elliott - A road movie about two drag queens and a transgender woman traveling across the Australian Outback in a bus named Priscilla.
- **Impact**: Celebrated for its vibrant costumes, humor, and positive representation of LGBTQ+ characters, it has become an iconic film in queer cinema.
9. **A Fantastic Woman (2017)** - **Director**: Sebastián Lelio - The film tells the story of Marina, a transgender woman who faces discrimination and grief after the sudden death of her partner. - **Impact**: Winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, it is hailed for its powerful lead performance and sensitive handling of trans issues.
10. **Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)** - **Director**: Céline Sciamma - Set in 18th-century France, the film depicts the forbidden affair between a young painter and her subject, an aristocratic woman set to be married. - **Impact**: Acclaimed for its lush cinematography and emotional depth, it has been celebrated as a masterpiece of queer cinema. These films represent a range of genres and styles, each contributing significantly to the representation and understanding of LGBTQ+ lives and stories in cinema.
EDINBURGH
The Regent Bar
Montrose Terrace, Edinburgh, EH7 5DL
Mon-Sat 4-00:00 Sun 4-00:00
Planet Bar & Kitchen
6 Baxter's Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3AF
Tel: 0131 556 555
Open daily: 13:00-01:00
CC Blooms
23-24 Greenside Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3AA
Tel: 0131 556 9331
Mon - Sat 11am - 03:00. Sun 12.30 - 03:00
The Street
2 Picardy Place, Edinburgh EH1 3JT
Tel: 0131 556 4272
Mon- Sat 12:00 - 01:00; Sun: 12:30 - 01:00
Food served until 21:00
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GLASGOW
The Waterloo 306 Argyle St, Glasgow G2 8LY Mon- Sat 12pm - 12am Sun 12:30pm - 12am
