|
|
DIVA LESBIAN NEWS
DIVA brings you everything you need to know about lesbian life, every day. Whether it’s news you're after, reviews of the stuff we love, or the choicest selection of lesbian events, you’ve come to the right place. And yes, a power-suited, glamourous descendant of Lois Lane writes all of this from an old school news room; that is when she's not filing her nails to regulation lesbian length or barking orders at her underlings.
A online transgender message board has reported how a transsexual woman was prevented from using the women's toilets at the Pride rally in Trafalgar Square.
Human rights campaigner, journalist and transsexual woman Roz Kaveney, was told by official Pride stewards that she should use the disabled toilets instead.
'I politely pointed out to the stewards that I transitioned and had surgery before they were born. Then I went and fetched a posse of transwomen and transmen and we made a collective fuss. Their response - and remember these were official stewards at pride - was to radio in “we're being attacked by a mob of trannies! send backup” says Ms Kaveney.
The trans group was then apparently threatened with arrest for demonstrating on private property. Ms Kaveney was also told by the Police that unless she could produce her Gender Recognition Certificates she could not use the women's toilets.
'It was one of the most wretched experiences I have had in thirty years, only made positive by the love and solidarity of my community - including various transmen who proposed that, since they had no GRCs, they should be made to use the women's loos. Beards and all" say Ms Kaveney.
This report comes amidst other allegations that Pride Stewards behaved heavy handed towards Pride marchers and spectators including Peter Tatchell in Trafalgar Square.
The organisers of Pride London were today celebrating after a hugely successful end to the event that saw over half a million people flock to the capital.
Two weeks of festival culminated in a parade, rally and stages across the West End of London.
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson walked at the head of parade to the cheers of the tens of thousands of people lining the route. He later commented that the event was fantastic and added that he was “…going to make sure we support this event”. The Deputy Mayor gave an uplifting speech on the Main Stage where again the city’s commitment to Pride London and the LGBT community was particularly strong.
Paul Birrell, Chair of Pride London, commented: “I am absolutely delighted to have had quite so many people at our event this year. This year really was a fun day out full of party and politics for everyone. We saw Patty Boulaye, Therese and host of stars mixed with the political messages from Sir Ian McKellen, Nick Clegg, Richard Barnes and Harriet Harman to name but a few.
“I am especially proud that such a large and successful event is put on by volunteers. We have people working all year round to raise the half million pounds the event costs, to publicise the event and to put the event on." said Birrell.
The Main Stage in Trafalgar Square finished with the final episode in the current series of Doctor Who, and over 15,000 revellers stayed to enjoy the show together.
Stonewall today launches a new Education Champions Programme, providing support to local authorities in tackling homophobic bullying in their schools.
The first members of the programme were announced at Stonewall's annual Education for All conference, where Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg spoke out against homophobia in schools. He was joined by Sir Ian McKellen and Julia Neal, President of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, who also gave keynote speeches praising Stonewall's Education for All programme.
The Education Champions Programme allows local authorities to work with Stonewall and each other to promote a safe and inclusive learning environment for all young people and establish practical ways of addressing homophobia in schools. The first five members are Birmingham City Council, Wigan Metropolitan Borough and the London Boroughs of
Waltham Forest, Brent and Southwark.
Ben Summerskill, Stonewall Chief Executive said: 'In the twentieth anniversary year of Section 28, under which homophobic bullying festered for so long, we can think of no better time to launch a programme which truly returns power to them. Local authorities have a critical role to play in ensuring that all schools in their area are well equipped with
the latest resources to help them tackle homophobic bullying.'
Nick Clegg MP said: 'It is a moral responsibility of every teacher in every school to take a zero tolerance approach to homophobic bullying. This type of bullying should be treated with the same degree of outrage as racist bullying.'
'I've written to every Liberal Democrat council leader asking them to become members of Stonewall's Education Champions Programme. Having supportive, trained teachers to turn to shouldn't be the luck of the draw - they should be available to all pupils.'
Birmingham, the largest local authority in Britain, was the first Stonewall Education Champion to sign up. The Education Champions Programme has been developed following the success of Stonewall's Diversity Champions Programme - Britain's good practice forum on sexual orientation in the workplace. The programme, launched in 2001, will soon
announce its 400th member.
Last year, Stonewall's School Report revealed homophobic bullying to be almost endemic in Britain's schools. Sixty five per cent of lesbian, gay and bisexual pupils have experienced direct bullying. Thirty per cent reported that adults are responsible for homophobic incidents in their schools.
A Nigerian lesbian who was refused asylum and deported from the UK in 2006 is homeless and destitute in her home country.
Grace Ogunsola came to Britain in March 2005, desperate to escape a husband who raped, beat and attempted to kill her. She was then forced into prostitution to pay the agent who trafficked her into the UK. She was discovered and detained for over a year in the notorious Yarl's Wood Removal Centre where she started a relationship with a woman and came out publicly as a lesbian.
The Home Office refuses to acknowledge the dangers faced by lesbian women in Nigeria and returned her despite widespread public support and interventions by Black Women's Rape Action Project, her MP, the Metropolitan Community Church and Wages Due Lesbians.
Grace says,"In Nigeria, as an openly gay woman, I suffer homophobic abuse and violence. I am homeless and at the mercies of strangers. If my ex-husband and his family find out I am in Nigeria, my life would be in further danger."
She is homeless and survives on handouts or by occasionally turning to prostitution.She was unable to raise money for a much needed operation and has now been diagnosed HIV+.
"Now is the time for prominent lesbian and gay people, including politicians and those from high profile organisations to defend the civil, human and legal rights of those of us seeking asylum - being an immigrant and fleeing persecution is a 'gay issue',” said a spokesperson for Wages Due Lesbians. “Those who don't support asylum seekers are upholding a different standard of 'equality"'depending on whether someone has the right passport, skin colour, accent…"
For more information about Grace and how you can help, visit http://www.allwomencount.net/
 Harriet Harman MP, government minister and deputy leader of the Labour Party, was booed and heckled as she spoke from the main stage at the gay Pride London celebrations in Trafalgar Square on Saturday.
"At several points during her speech a bewildered Ms Harman appeared to waiver and had to struggle to be heard," said gay human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, who was at the side of the stage.
"Hundreds of people in the crowd expressed their anger at the way the Labour government is locking up gay asylum seekers, refusing them refugee status and ordering them to be sent back to violently homophobic countries' said Tatchell.
According to Tatchell, the Pride stewards 'violently shoved' him out of the way when he 'tried to explain the crowd's anger to Ms Harman as she left the stage.'
This comes amidst other spectator reports of overly aggressive behaviour from stewards during the Pride March. 'We saw a steward roughly shove a marcher with the trans contingent back into the parade when they stopped to chat with a
friend on the sidelines in Regent Street' reported one of the marchers.
Newly elected London Mayor Boris Johnson, who was taking part in pride for the first time, lead the parade off from Baker Street, recieved a few boos along the way but also some applause from the crowd. However apparently due to 'family commitments' he was unable to make a speech in Trafalgar Square after the march.
On a more positive note, members of the armed forces received rapturous applause as they marched in full uniform for the first time. There was also huge cheers for Lord of the Rings star Sir Ian McKellen, who is a patron of Pride London.
McKellen said that Pride was more pertinent than ever. "It wasn't a parade of shops trying to cash in on the pink pound. It was old lesbian and gay people in a bus, it was kids with their mothers and fathers, it was gay Jews, gay Christians and gay Muslims, gay servicemen. And when you come out and define yourself as gay, that in itself is political."
The ‘pregnant man’, Thomas Beattie, has given birth to a baby daughter at a hospital in Oregon, USA.
Thomas, a transgender man who was born female, delivered his daughter naturally on 29 June. The 34-year-old who legally married Nancy, his partner of ten years, after he became a man, kept his uterus and ovaries when he transitioned because he had always wanted to have children. 'It's a human need - I'm a person and I have the right to have a biological child,' he told viewers of the Oprah Winfrey Show.
The story caused international controversy and provoked a succession of critical responses in the right-wing press. ‘How will the pregnant man's daughter thank him for this breathtakingly cynical - and profitable - foray into gay rights?’, blasted the Daily Mail, in a confused broadside against the couple.
”I feel fantastic,” Thomas told the News of the World in an interview a few weeks ago. “I cannot wait to see our baby’s face.” The couple have said that they do not rule out more babies in future. The Daily Mail will likely have plenty to say about that.
Read DIVA editor Jane Czyzselska's blog on The Guardian's
Comment Is Free
Amnesty International members will join the annual Gay Pride parade in London on Saturday the 5th July and stage a mock Eurovision contest - on a huge float featuring a giant scoreboard and music.
Amnesty International supporters will be awarding "null points" to European countries with poor records on lesbian, gay and transgender (LGBT) rights.
Kim Manning-Cooper, Amnesty International UK's LGBT campaigner, said:
"While the Pride events in London are set to be awash with glitz, glamour and joy - the story in other European countries is very different. On the continent, LGBT people experience very different treatment and protection."
"Recently the first ever Pride event in Sofia was targeted by petrol bombs, rocks and bottles, while last year's event in Croatia and Hungary suffered a similar fate. Meanwhile, the Romanian capital, Bucharest, has played host to an
anti-gay 'March for Normality'. In Riga, last year's 'World Against Homosexuality' concert attracted an audience of several thousand.
"Amnesty International will be shining a spotlight on these countries and encouraging everyone to take action. It's time Europe put homophobia in the dustbin of history where it belongs." said Manning-Cooper"
Katrín Thóra Vídisdóttir and Erla Björk Pálmadóttir will today become the first lesbian couple in Iceland to have their cohabitation validated in church, following a recent law amendment. However is still being discussed as to whether it can be official referred to as marriage.
“In my opinion it is a very appreciated development because many priests in the State Church have already organized ceremonies for many years where they pray for and bless gay coupes who have earlier had their cohabitation confirmed by state officials,” Rev. Sigurdur Grétar Sigurdsson in Hvammstangi, who will validate the cohabitation of Vídisdóttir and Pálmadóttir, told Morgunbladid.
The new law that came into being on June 27th, allows religious organisations to confirm the cohabitation of gay couples.
The State Church agreed to the planned law amendment at a convention in fall 2007, but did not want to change the traditional definition of marriage as a holy union between a man and a woman.
The new laws have come under criticism from groups being too vague and not including marital rights such as heredity rights, although the validation of cohabitation by religious associations is generally referred to as marriage.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber has called on the Government to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) equality education in the school curriculum, as the only way to address homophobic bullying in schools.
Speaking at the TUC's annual LGBT conference in London, Brendan Barber said that schools need to protect their pupils from homophobic bullying, and that promoting LGBT equality in the classroom is the best solution:
"While the UK's education system ought to be in the vanguard of the fight against homophobic discrimination, all too often it is in fact part of the problem.
"Whereas our schools and colleges have done much to counter racism and sexism, the same cannot be said
when it comes to tackling homophobia. Despite some notable exceptions, too many educational
establishments are breeding grounds for the worst kind of casual prejudice.
"A survey by Stonewall last year* laid bare the huge scale of the problem. Indeed its shocking findings
ought to act as a wake-up call to us all. Almost all LGBT pupils reported hearing homophobic abuse. No less
than two thirds reported being the victims of bullying. And perhaps most alarming of all, one in six said they had been subjected to death threats.
"The consequences of all of this don't just impact on academic attainment, which takes a pretty big hit. Don't just impact on mental health, which is suffering as incidences of self-harm rise. But also on the self-esteem of young LGBT people, which is being shattered.
"Schools and colleges doing are not doing enough. Fewer than a quarter have categorically said that homophobic bullying is wrong. And while 99 per cent of schools told the Stonewall survey they had general anti-bullying policies, just six per cent had anti-bullying policies that dealt with LGBT issues.
"That's why the TUC has joined forces with the teaching unions, Stonewall and other LGBT groups to make LGBT equality education becomes a priority for Government.
"By working, campaigning and by lobbying, genuine progress can be made."
If you’re as proud of your dog as you are proud to be gay, don’t miss Brighton’s Pride Dog Show this Sunday, July 6th, or any of the other dog shows we’ve found around the country…
This year the Brighton event kicks off with a fitting and fabulous Dog Fashion Show at 12 noon; organised by exclusive pet store Mio Minn this spectacular will need to be seen to be believed! The fashion show will be followed up by an agility display put on by The Sussex Canine Centre, to show all those pampered pooches of yours how it’s really done! After that, there are classes for all – from pedigree to veterans and ever-popular novelty categories open to hounds of all descriptions.
The show takes place at Hove Rugby Football Club, Old Shoreham Road, Hove. Registration costs £2 per class and will be taken from 11.30am. Entry for spectators is free and everybody is welcome. For a full list of the class categories please see the Pride website www.brightonpride.org
They say every dog has his day and this year that day seems to be Sunday July 6th. If Brighton is a bit far for you and your four-legged friend, one of these events may be more convenient…
Manchester and Cheshire Dogs’ Homes is putting on a ‘fun dog show’ from 12pm-3pm at Platt Fields Park in Fallowfield, Manchester. (Registration from 11am.) There will be various categories for dogs to enter, including Prettiest Bitch, Most Handsome Dog, Cutest Puppy (under the age of 12 months) and Best Dressed. All winners will receive prizes and everyone taking part will take home goodie bag.
For more information visit www.dogshome.net
And in south London, there’s more doggy fun taking place in Brockwell Park (Brixton/ Herne Hill) between 2 and 4pm at the Brockwell Park Dog Show. A chance for all those furry friends to take part in fun categories including golden oldie, waggiest tail, best fancy dress (owner & dog). There will also be dog sketching by the Brockwell Park Sketching Group. Registration takes place from 12-2pm.
Riot police and smoke bombs at Pride in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia
Saturday 28th June was a day in history for the LGBT community in Bulgaria. It was the first ever pride being held in the capital city Sofia. As British lesbians living in Bulgaria my partner and I were proud to be invited to attend. We met at the office of Gemini (the LGBT organisiation) where everyone was waiting with mixed feeling of excitment and apprehension.
We were asked if we were scared and if we had ever been to an Eastern European pride before. There had been many threats of violence from the Bulgarian Nationalist Union (the Nazi party). The Mayor of Sofia Gen Boyko Borisov was supportive and wanted a violence free pride, so had organised police protection. As we left the building to make our way to 'lovers bridge' for the start of the march we were escorted by the police and swamped by press photographers. We had been told that about 30 people had already been arrested for attempting to incite hate crimes.
There were about 150 people who joined the march, carrying banners and a huge rainbow flag, swamped by cameras and police in riot gear we set off on the 3 kilometer march. Despite the police presence there were a few incidences of attempted violence, at one stage a smoke bomb was thrown at us and the pavement in front of us was set on fire, but due to the vigilence of the police no one was harmed.
As we marched the spectators were a mixture of people cheering us on and those shouting offensive remarks, as they shouted we blew our whistles louder to drown them out. At the end of the march we arrived at The Red House (house of culture) where we went inside to to wait until the police were able to make it safe for us to leave.
Everyone was in high spirits and so happy that the turn out had been good, and that no one had been hurt, a great achievement. Everyone was thinking how grateful we were to be safe & to think of the LGBT people who had marched in Serbia and were met with such violence only a week or so before.
As the years have gone by and I have attended many prides, sometimes amongst the relaxed party atmoshpere i could almost forget the reason we march. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to attend Bulgaria's first pride and would like to mention Aksinia and the team at Gemini who did a tremendous job in organising the event, and thanks to the police who despite any personal feeling they had, kept us safe. I look forward to next year's pride.
Lesley Barker
A Vienna-based EU Agency for Fundamental Rights has released a report calling for better legal protection for LGBT EU citizens.
At present LGBT people enjoy significant legal protections in only 18 member states. Tuesday's report has called for tougher laws to combat homophobia across the 27 member states and well as the introduction of same-sex unions that offer the same rights as marriage for heterosexual couples.
"Equal treatment is a fundamental right that all members of our society should enjoy," agency director Morten Kjaerum said, calling homophobia and discrimination "a cause of concern for us all."
Same-sex couples should gain equal treatment when they marry or register as legal partnerships, "or when, in the absence of a registered partnership, the de facto relationship" is considered permanent, the report said.
Full Gay and lesbian marriage is permissible in only three EU nations: Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain.
The agency's report also highlighted the need for extra protection for transgender people.
Homophobia and violence against LGBT people is believed to be widespread across the EU but many of the crimes are under reported.
Denmark, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Malta and Portugal where all singled out as countries that need to greatly improve their legislation. Sweden is the only EU country with an agency devoted exclusively to dealing with cases of discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, the report said.
The report also listed 9 countries: Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal and Spain that have no "equality body" that is able to handle sexual orientation issues.
A so-called peacemaker and ally of the United States has been condemned by exiled LGBT Iraqis
Iranian-born Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, an important figure in post-Saddam Iraq appears to be pursuing a concerted programme of 'social cleansing' through his "Badr Corps", a Shia Islamic paramilitary militia centred in Najaf, according to DNA magazine correspondent Clive Simmons.
International pressure has led to the removal of an anti-gay fatwa statement from the Ayatollah's website, although an anti-lesbian declaration still exists. Indeed, as Simmons’ report details, two Iraqi lesbians, Amal and Zahra, were shot dead and their bodies decapitated as punishment for their concealment of six gay men, and a child rescued from paedophile sex work. Amal and Zahra were members of Iraq's underground LGBT network of safe houses, which tries to smuggle LGBT Iraqis to Syria, Turkey and the European Union.
Expatriate LGBT Iraqi human rights supporters estimate that at least 425 LGBT Iraqis have lost their lives in the past five years.
 The second annual Outburst UK Black LGBTQ Pride Festival will take place on Saturday, 9 August 2008 on the grounds of the Bernie Grant Arts Centre in north London and will be dedicated to the memory of fashion designer, actor and model, Arthur Peters who died last month.
The day will run from 12 Noon till 10pm and there will be a fireworks display at 9pm. The festival is an inclusive event regardless of race, nationality, age, gender or orientation, and thanks to extra sponsorship and funds raised from community organisations and individuals, tickets have been reduced to £5 to ensure the festival remains accessible to everyone.
Headlining on the main stage is US RnB recording artiste Michael Ashanti who will be performing exclusively at the festival, plus Kym Mazelle, the well known American Dance-pop, Soul and House music diva, UK Lesbian Rapper Mz Fontaine, European dance sensation Shena, plus the UK’s answer to Destiny’s Child 4Flava, one of the UK’s top belly dancer Cassia, up and coming rapper MC Chewy, young R’n’B singer Cory McLeod, UK Reggae artiste Guess, and others. Our host this year will be the gorgeous and talented TV presenter and director, Trevor Blackman.
There will be a fashion show choreographed by Trevor Blackman showcasing clothes from some of the UK’s top young designers. The festival this year will have two trained Sign Language Interpreters on site for the deaf or hearing impaired. The grounds and venue are disabled accessible and there are disabled parking.
For more information on the line up and tickets visit www.outburstfestival.org
A new travel company poster campaign launched today in London's Underground network is set to smash through the supposed insult value of "so gay", by reclaiming the term as part of an advertising slogan.
The new 'So Gay' campaign for leading gay specialist travel company Amro Worldwide deliberately sets out to turn the phrase on its head. The campaign, designed by leading gay marketing agency Out Now is the largest gay travel advertising campaign to use mainstream media ever seen in the UK. More than 2 million people will view the campaign from today.
The new campaign equates being "so gay" with a travel destination really being 'so good' -- as seen from a gay and lesbian perspective.
According to the CEO of Amro Worldwide, Andrew Roberts, the campaign has two very important messages it seeks to communicate.
"Clearly we want the many thousands of gays and lesbians travelling to London Pride next month to know that Amro is a travel company with hand picked travel options designed especially for the gay travel market," says Mr Roberts. "We also wanted to send a clear message to everyone who sees this campaign that it is long past time that 'so gay' should be used as a negative phrase of disapproval. From where we sit, and for all our many customers, being described as 'so gay' is not a negative thing at all. We think it is just great to be so gay."
So too it seems do many of the leading tourism destination marketing offices of the United States.
Amro's 'So Gay' campaign has received the funding and support of six leading US gay travel destinations: Atlanta, Boston, Las Vegas, New Orleans, South Carolina and Washington, DC.
The 'So Gay' advertising campaign was created for Amro by specialist gay marketing agency, Out Now.
Out Now's CEO, Ian Johnson said: "For all people seeing this campaign it is important to know that using 'so gay' as a putdown is far from clever in the eyes of lesbian and gay people. We wanted to reclaim that for the gay community. It is really about standing up and saying: You say: 'So gay'? Then I say: 'So what!'"
"In a week where Heinz lost its gay marketing mojo, we are very proud to bring the gayest ever mainstream media advertising campaign to London Underground," Johnson added.
Lotte Jeffs, Travel Editor for DIVA praised the new campaign. "I think it’s great that leading US travel destinations have bought into Amro Worldwide’s idea of reclaiming “so gay” and equating it with a positive message in their latest ad campaign," said Jeffs. "Not only will it make gay and lesbian travellers feel like these US cities want our custom and our kudos – London’s commuters will be forced to think twice before calling something “so gay” again."
The Amro Worldwide 'So Gay' campaign runs on escalators in Leicester Square, and in elevators at Covent Garden London Underground stations, from June 27 until July 12, 2008.
The first ever gay pride parade took place in Dehli, India on Sunday. It was the country's largest ever display of gay pride.
India does not explicitly outlaw homosexuality but under an 1861 penal code enacted by the British colonial government, "carnal intercourse against the order of nature between any man, woman or animal" is punishable by imprisonment up to life. Gay people have commit suicide before because of the stigma the law brings to homosexuals in India.
"We're not protesting, we're celebrating," said Leslie Esteves, a member of the newly formed Delhi Queer Pride committee. "This year for the first time we felt confident about organising a parade in the capital."
Many of the people who took part in the parade did so in disguise for fear of repercussions. "I have to remain invisible," said one 26 year old insurance agent. "If my parents see me on TV, I won't be able to go home. And if my colleagues recognise me, there'll be hell to pay in the office," he said.
Other marchers felt a little braver and even brought some straight family members for support, but people remained cautious talking to the press. "I'm not 100% out," a 35-year-old lesbian chef said, not wanting to be named. "Let's face it, India is still a very, very conservative society. Moreover, the law sees us as criminals."
Overall the mood of the parade was one of positivity and celebration; "This is for the first time Delhi is organising a pride festival to celebrate sexuality and people of all sexualities," student Mario Depeno was quoted by news agency Reuters as saying.
"Gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender and even straight are coming together here to talk and to celebrate, it's a party, to celebrate themselves," he said.
Twenty-six-year-old Prossy Kakooza is seeking asylum in the UK after fleeing Uganda, where her own family planned to kill her for being a lesbian.
After being caught with her girlfriend by her family, the couple were marched naked for two miles to the police station, where they endured vicious physical, verbal and sexual abuse at the hands of inmates and police officers, over four days.
After her father bribed guards to release her with the intention of having her sacrificed as an “honour killing” in order to ''take the curse away from the family'', Prossy managed to escape to the UK.
Doctors at a local GP's surgery in the UK were so shocked by the extent of her injuries that they called the police. Prossy is currently undergoing counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Although it acknowledges the medical evidence, the Home Office has refused Prossy's asylum application, dismissing these appalling attacks as ''the random actions of individuals'', and stating that she can be returned to a different town in Uganda.
In fact, Prossy would need to register papers with local authorities in order to move to a new town, and it is likely that her reputation as a known lesbian would follow her. It is not safe to live as a lesbian in any part of Uganda, where the media and government are vehemently homophobic.
Hear Prossy's story in her own words at http://www.mccmanchester.co.uk/prossy.htm
Sign the online petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ProssyKakooza/
Hajira Mahomed
Spurred by the conviction of two men for the homophobic murder of Jody Dobrowski in June 2006, new research by Stonewall has revealed the shocking extent of abuse faced by Britain’s LGBT community.
Ever been a victim of homophobia? Perhaps the question now is 'Who hasn't?' Stonewall's findings show that one in five have been a victim of one or more homophobic hate crimes in the last three years. However, three in four don’t report such incidents to the police, in the belief that no action will follow.
Hours after Jacqui Smith was accused of failing to defend gay asylum seekers the Home Secretary has stepped up to the plate, saying: ‘In the 21st century no one in Britain should ever feel under threat of verbal or physical violence just because of their sexual orientation. We’re determined that lesbian and gay people should have the confidence to report crimes to the police knowing that they will be taken seriously, the crime investigated and their privacy respected. Our key priorities are to increase reporting; increase offences brought to justice and to tackle repeat victimisation and hotspots.’
Welcome words from Ms Smith. Isn't it about time we put an end to homophobic abuse, report incidents to the police or local LGBT resources, and force the law to protect us as it's meant to do?
Hajira Mahomed
The Irish government has unveiled details of proposed legislation that work towards legalizing civil partnerships for same-sex couples.
The proposed bill will allow same-sex couples who are over the age of 18 to enter into civil partnerships. These civil partnerships will only be available to same-sex couples and not heterosexual couples or siblings.
The legislation covers areas such as pensions and property rights for partners and it provides for ending relationships which fail. However it fails short of many of the benefits of heterosexual marriage such as the right to adopt.
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said that the Irish constitution prevented the government from introducing full marriage for gay couples as their is a clause in it that says 'the government must protect the institution of marriage'.
However gay rights groups have argued that because the clause does not specify gender it should not be a barrier to introduce full rights. Rather it seems to be a problem of semantics with the word 'marriage' deemed to equal 'heterosexual couples only'.
The Union of Students in Ireland (USI), said Civil Partnership legislation would create an institution separate from
marriage.
USI Equality Officer Ryan Griffin said: 'A separate institution is not a substitute for marriage. The Government is engaged in an attempt to barter with the public over the human right to marry.'
'Instead of including gay and lesbian people in the mainstream institution, which is marriage, the proposed legislation will create a separate institution, civil partnerships.'
Despite the shortfalls the proposed legislation, it has been welcomed as a step forward by various groups.
(Irish) Green Party Justice Spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe welcomed the proposed civil partnership bill, saying "Today's announcement is a significant step forward for same sex couples, and represents progress on the path towards full marriage equality. It is of huge practical value and I believe will make a difference to the lives of the many gay and lesbian couples in our society.
"We accept that the civil partnership bill bestows limited rights and will not satisfy everyone. While the Green Party remains committed to marriage equality for all, in light of our present strength in the Dáil and in Government we believe that legislating now for civil partnerships provides the best means of recognising and protecting same-sex relationships.
'This is not the full equality we are seeking, but it is a step towards full equality,' Deputy Cuffe concluded.
This was a sentiment echoed by Kevin Rose of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN), Ireland largest gay rights group. 'Comprehensive civil partnership, as proposed in the Heads of Bill, is a major milestone towards equality,' said GLEN's Kevin Rose.
'The goal of GLEN is access to full equality through civil marriage and this Bill is a fundamental step forward towards this goal.'
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has claimed that she was misquoted in a letter to the Independent newspaper, which provoked outrage amongst supporters of gay and lesbian asylum seekers.
In the letter, from Liberal Democrat peer Lord Roberts of Llandudno, it was claimed that Smith said, “Evidence does not show a real risk of discovery of, or adverse action against gay and lesbian people who are discreet about their sexual orientation.”
It has since become clear that the words of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal's finding were misrepresented as the opinion of the Home Secretary. Regarding the case of Mehdi Kazemi, a gay Iranian teenager who faced execution if he returned to his home country, the tribunal said, “It is a question of fact to be decided on the evidence of the appellant's history and experiences as to whether a homosexual appellant "can reasonably be expected to tolerate" living discreetly in Iran. Enforcement of the law against homosexuality in Iran is arbitrary but the evidence does not show a real risk of discovery of, or adverse action against, homosexuals in Iran who conduct their homosexual activities discreetly.”
A statement to DIVA from a home office spokesperson on behalf of Ms Smith, said: “I take the situation of gay and lesbian asylum seekers very seriously, which is why I intervened and ordered a review in the case of Mehdi Kazemi, enabling him to stay in the UK.
"I have also been clear that the conditions for gay and lesbian people in Iran are such that individuals may well need international protection - and that this is reflected in our advice to the caseworkers who make the individual decisions. Finally, as the Minister who steered the Civil Partnership legislation through parliament, I am hardly someone who believes that gay and lesbian people should need to be discreet in order to receive the
protection of the state - either in this country or in Iran.”
Since the tribunal's findings, Kazemi has been granted asylum in the UK.
Hajira Mahomed
Food conglomerate Heinz has pulled the plug on a TV advert for their ‘Deli Mayo’ which featured two men kissing .
Since receiving over 200 complaints from outraged viewers, the ad was removed less than a week into its expected five week run. There is concern that the complaints were part of an organised campaign by homophobes.
The humorous commercial depicts a classic morning scene at a family home as the children pick up their sandwiches for school. "Mum", has been replaced by a male New York deli worker clad in a chef's hat and apron. As the father of the house grabs his sandwich, the two men share a goodbye kiss on the mouth.
Equality organisation Stonewall has called on consumers to boycott all Heinz products. Stonewall’s chief executive, Ben Summerskill, blasted Heinz's decision and said many members of the LGBT community had already complained to Heinz in a bid to reverse the advertisement’s removal.
An online petition calling on Heinz to re-instate the ad has also been set up and already had almost 2000 endorsements at the time of going to press. "Heinz have given the impression that they would prefer to cater for the homophobic than the free-thinking, and the decision has provoked upset, brand distrust and outrage among the LGBT community and outside of it,” reads the petition.
Watch the advert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAKYpUo18wU
Sign the petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/heinz/
Hajira Mahomed
A new women's archive is to be set up in Scotland. Funded by a lottery grant it will be the first of it's kind in Scotland.
The archive, which will be housed in Glasgow's Mitchell Library, and will contain material representing 100 years of Scottish women's social history.
It will include family planning leaflets, suffragette photos, and around 30,000 documents and publications including a rare first edition of the classic lesbian novel The Well of Loneliness written by Radclyffe Hall.
The £410,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund Lottery will be used to catalogue 500 boxes of material and to pay for the training of an archivist who will look after the collection and train volunteers for future preservation projects.
Yes folks try not to get too excited but the biggest event on the lesbian sports calendar, Wimbledon, began on the 23rd of June.
While we may no longer have the pleasure of Dykon supreme Martina Navratilova gracing the courts there is still plenty of (on court) action to keep lesbian tennis fans happy.
Yes our current lesbian tennis idol (and Wimbledon title winner in 2006) Amelie Mauresmo will be there flying the flag for the 'out and proud' as well as Aussie Rennae Stubbs.
Wimbledon gives us the opportunity to watch incredibly fit and talented sportswomen in action on prime time TV (bit of a rarity for sportswoman) and to indulge in the fun game of 'is she or isn't she?' to keep you occupied as you try to use your highly tuned gaydar to pick out any potential 'family members'
The tennis continues until July 6th with the all important women's final taking place on Saturday July 5th. Let's just hope the rain stays away this year...
Just 19 lady-lovers - including DIVA editor Jane Czyzselska - grace the Independent on Sunday’s Pink 100 List, which charts 2008’s out lez/gay/bi movers and shakers.
The lesbians who made the list are Channel 5 CEO Dawn Airey (at number 5), broadcaster/ writer Sandi Toksvig (14), sports commentator Clare Balding (16), Mamma Mia director Phyllida Lloyd (18), Tory hopeful Margot James (27), TV exec Eileen ‘Bad Girls’ Gallagher (42), novelist Charlotte Mendelson (44), DIVA ed Jane Czyzselska (51), author Sarah Waters (53), actress Fiona Shaw (56), Treasury minister Angela Eagle (57), City exec Ashley Steel (66), author/ actress Stella Duffy (69), theatre director Deborah Warner (71), presenter/ comedienne Sue Perkins (73), novelist Jeanette Winterson (81), former model/ singer Sam Fox (88), crime writer Val McDermid (92) and actress Saffron Burrows (96).
It’s fantastic to see these national treasures given their due respect but here at DIVA we know our world turns on the efforts of many unsung heroines, so we were especially pleased to see activists and advocates Lindsay River of Polari, Finn Mackay of Feminist Coalition Against Prostitution, Lisa Power of Terrence Higgins Trust, anti-homophobia in schools activist Shirley Pierce and Cindy Gilmour of the Orange Clinic all getting a name-check.
For the full list, go to http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-iiosi-pink-list-2008-852032.html
Louise Carolin
Noticed anything different on the London Underground, besides buskers and bodies... Anything “so gay?”
Stop ogling that fit hottie in front of you and try looking around for a change! Amro Worldwide will be launching the new gay advertising campaign at Leicester Square and Covent Garden Tube stations between June 30th and July 14th.
The poster campaign aims to reclaim the often derogative and negative connotative term "so gay”, by positively associating it with a travel destination being really 'so good' -- as seen from a gay and lesbian perspective.
The ‘So Gay' campaign by gay marketing agency, Out Now, deliberately set out to turn the phrase on its head, and has a few powerful messages being conveyed to the gay community and more specifically the general public, being gay should be celebrated, not frowned upon.
According to Out Now’s CEO, Ian Johnson, it's really about standing up and saying: You say: 'So gay'? Then, I say: 'So what?' “
We like your attitude, Mr Johnson!
Ellen DeGeneres has picked up her 4th Daytime Emmy for best talk show host at a glitzy Hollywood ceremony.
She managed to beat off stiff competition from US TV veteran Regis Philbin, and Whoopi Goldberg to sccop the award.
Ellen also announced that she had set a wedding date with partner Portia de Rossi, following California's lifting of a ban on same-sex marriage.
"I obviously feel like it's long overdue," she said.
"I think someday people will look back on this like women not having the right to vote, and segregation, and anything else that seems ridiculous that we didn't have all the same rights."
She added: "Planning a wedding is very stressful. It's crazy. My gardener is now invited."
Home Office minister Vernon Coaker will be at the launch of the Stonewall Homophobic Hate Crime: The Gay British Crime Survey 2008 next Thursday.
The survey, which was funded by a £26,900 grant from the Home Office and conducted by YouGov, is the first comprehensive study of its kind. The survey looks into gay, lesbian, and bisexual peoples experiences of hate crime in England & Wales.
Ben Summerskill, chief executive of Stonewall, said "We are delighted that Vernon Coaker has asked to attend the launch of the report."
"We hope the government will take very seriously the findings of this pioneering research."
What makes people gay? Are we born gay? And so the nature versus nurture debate continues, this time scientists from Sweden have evidence that it might be more nature, and the answers lie in the structure of the brain.
Tests results of brain scans done on ninety gay and straight men and women found that gay men have almost equally sized, symmetrical brains similar to those of straight women, while the brains of lesbian women are symmetrical like those of straight men, with the right hemisphere slightly larger than the left.
So what does that mean? The researchers cannot say whether the differences in brain shape are genetic or developed in the womb, and if they are in fact responsible for sexual orientation. The team plans to carry out further studies on newborn babies to investigate whether future sexual orientation can be predicted. How beneficial that may be, remains to be seen.
If you have had a bad experience with the NHS because of your sexuality, a new report reveals you're not alone. The first major UK survey ever conducted into lesbian and bi women’s health reveals disturbing levels of self-harm, suicide, phenomenal levels of substance abuse, and seriously negative NHS experiences.
The findings of the survey provide shocking, yet eye-opening, statistics on the mental health, drinking and drug use of lesbian and bi women:
• One in five lesbian and bisexual women have deliberately harmed themselves in the last year, compared to 0.4 per cent of the general population. Young lesbian and bisexual women are ten times more likely to have self-harmed compared to others - half of women under 20 have self-harmed compared to one in fifteen of teenagers generally.
• Lesbian and bisexual women under 20 are eight times more likely to have attempted to take their life than teenagers generally.
• Lesbian and bisexual women are five times more likely to have taken drugs than women generally, while forty per cent drink three times a week compared to a quarter of women in general.
And despite new legislative protections introduced in 2007, which made it unlawful to discriminate against lesbian and bisexual women in the delivery of public services, lesbians and bi women are still receiving substandard health care:
• One in five who have not had a cervical smear test have been wrongly advised by healthcare practitioners that they are not at risk.
• One in fifty have been refused a test. Fifteen per cent of lesbian and bisexual women over 25 - almost double the number of women in general - have never had a cervical smear test.
The report includes key recommendations for improvement and should surely serve as a serious wake up call to healthcare practitioners overall, particularly NHS service providers.
For more information go to www.stonewall.org.uk
Hajira Mahomed
British Soldiers and the Air Force will be allowed wear their uniforms on the London Pride March on July 5th.
This brings them into line with the Royal Navy who had already let sailors wear their uniforms in previous parades.
Lesbians and Gay men have been allowed to serve openly in the Armed Forces since 2000. Although they have been marching in Pride Parades since then, they previously did so in civilian clothes.
The decision has been welcomed by gay activist groups.
Here at DIVA we thrive on celesbian gossip, and we're letting you in on some saucy insider information about some lesbian action that’s going to hit our screens soon...
TV drama Grey's Anatomy has introduced a juicy lesbian story-line with some serious snogging between the charismatic, and enigmatic, Dr Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) and professional, yet feisty, Dr Erica Hahn (Brook Smith). We can't wait.
Heroes star Hayden Panettiere also revealed that she there have been occasions where she has snogged girls. Once she realized what she'd said she made a recovery statement claiming," There are occasions when you kiss your best friends growing up, goofing about, perfecting technique.” Yeah, right, Hayden; we all tried that one on!
Hajira Mahomed
LGBT communities have been in the limelight since US presidential candidate Barack Obama issued a statement in support of American Gay Pride month.
"Pride Month is a reminder that while we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. This Pride Month, let's make our founding promise of equality a reality for every American,” said Obama.
With same-sex marriage becoming legal in California barely a few hours ago, Obama commented, “Civil unions should give gay couples full rights. And those who commit hate crimes should be punished no matter whether those crimes are committed on account of race, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation."
Obama is sure to get the pink vote, a minority so often ignored by the Republicans. Whether it's all just a publicity stint or not, at least the publicity is shedding light on many of the issues faced by LGBT communities.
Hajira Mahomed
DIVA sends congratulations to one of San Francisco's oldest lesbian couples who were among the first to get married, barely a few hours after California became the second American state to allow same-sex marriages, after Massachusetts.
Pioneers of the gay rights movement, Phyllis Lyon (87) and Del Martin (84) have been together for more than half a century. “We get along well”, Lyon said, “And we love each other.”
Here in the UK, the Bishop of London has ordered an investigation into a “wedding-like” service, conducted by a London vicar, appeared to sanctify the union of two male priests. Such services are not authorised by the Church of England and only civil partnerships between same-sex couples are officially recognised in Britain.
Hajira Mahomed
The Youth @ Pride team will be out in full colour at this year's Pride London, celebrating diversity with fun-filled activities in the cause of building stronger community ties.
Consisting of a group of LGBT people under 25, the team aim to raise awareness of issues facing young LGBT individuals, such as homophobic bullying and negative attitudes. Heads up to all the good work people - we will certainly be looking out for the team on July 5th.
For more information, you can view their website http://youth.pridelondon.org
Hajira Mahomed
The straight men and women's mags may have their top 100s but who do lesbians think are the hottest babes on the planet?
When US website afterellen recently published their own top 100 list, they voted US TV stars Tina Fey and Jennifer Beals, Beridget McManus, Jill Bennet, Leisha Hailey in their top 5 with gorgeous Latino Grey's Anatomy star Sara Ramirez coming in at 8.
Ramirez who is TV's newest gay character is a favourite of avid GA fans in the UK and DIVA editor Jane Czyzselska say's she'd kill to scoop a cover interview with her.
But who are your hotties? Does the BBC Wales' 'Belonging' soap star, Asian actress Hema Mangoo who plays a lesbian
barmaid Jodie, take your vote? Or TV's Fern Britton? Scarlet Johannsen and Penelope Cruz who
recently locked lips in Woody Allen's new movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Or how about Juno
star Ellen Page who looks every inch a baby dyke? Rumours about about the young star but she's
keeping her lips well and truly locked on the subject for now, teasing us with talk of a lesbian
vampire movie later this year.
Perhaps Lindsay Lohan and Sam Ronson are on your list? DIVA wants to know who you rate. And we'll print the results in a forthcoming issue of DIVA and of course online.
Send in your favourites to edit@divamag.co.uk. Let the voting commence!
Hold on to your alcopop - the news you've been waiting for has finally arrived at DIVA towers. After almost a year since the last series, the fifth season of The L Word, everyone's favourite lesbian TV show is back this autumn.
After twelve months of L Word cold turkey that has seen devoted fans glued to tiny computer screens scanning Youtube for illegal vertially unwatchable clips of the West Coast television show, there is light at the end of the cathode tube.
Fans of the groundbreaking show will be thrilled to learn that the new series five will be broadcast from the end of September on Living 2. Of course the question on everyone's lips is will Tina and Bette be reunited? Can Jenny become any more nail-scrapingly irritating and what fresh hell lies behind the demure, bespectacled facade of her new assistant?
All will be revealed but for now, watch this space for news of L Word parties and the official start date.
Its about time that we had another lesbian film for us to feast our eyes and ears on, and the long wait has made it even sweeter.
Tick Tock Lullaby is a London-set romantic comedy from director, actor and writer Lisa Gornick , and is described as ‘the perfect antidote to those winding down from a month of sweltering heat and Carrie Bradshaw.’
Two North London ladies, Sasha and Maya, are searching for the perfect sperm donor for their baby, but in true gay film fashion, have many trials and tribulations to overcome, which result in relationship problems, and a twist at the end which will make all gay women breathe a collective sigh of relief that they are not alone in their confusion over whether to settle down and start a family, or keep searching for that unattainable ‘ideal’.
In 2002, Lisa Gornick had written, produced, directed and acted in the first British lesbian film in ten years, the acclaimed ‘Do I Love You?’. Just when you thought films couldn’t get better after Bound, it seems Gormick may have conquered it once again.
On DVD June 30th
RRP: £17.99
Luisa Gottardo
Fancy yourself as the next Valerie Faris? The boffins at the BBC want to help you make your name with a new scheme launched today. The New Music Shorts 2008 initiative offers aspiring filmmakers the chance to make a music - based short film with a professional production company and have it premiered at the BBC Electric Proms festival in October.
BBC Electric Proms is inviting budding filmmakers to submit ideas for ‘shorts’ that either use or are inspired by music contributed by three leading independent record labels.
Ninja Tune/Big Dada, Domino and Mute Records have provided new tracks from artists Roots Manuva, XX Teens and Wild Beasts for you to work with. These are:
· ‘C.R.U.F.F’ – Roots Manuva (Ninja Tune/Big Dada) – from his upcoming album
· ‘Round’ – XX Teens (Mute Records)
· ‘She Purred, While I Grred’ (Domino) – from their debut album
The idea for the New Music Short could be anything from a music promo to a drama or documentary. The filmmakers with the most innovative ideas will receive up to £5,000 to make their film under guidance from Warp Films, and the shorts will be premiered at the opening day of the BBC Electric Proms on 22 October.
Last year, five commissions were selected and premiered at the BBC Electric Proms
Lorna Clarke, BBC Electric Proms Festival Director said: “The BBC Electric Proms is all about creating new moments in music. We’re asking aspiring filmmakers for fresh visual ideas based on three unreleased tracks to create something fresh and exciting.”
BBC Electric Proms 2008 will take place from 22 to 26 October. The event will be broadcast across BBC television, radio, online and via the red button for digital viewers.
For further details and to enter, visit www.bbc.co.uk/electricproms/newmusicshorts. The closing date for entries is 9 June 2008.
Luisa Gottardo
In an increasingly disturbing trend, yet another Eastern European Pride has been put into jeopardy by the authorities.
Budapest's police chief has signed an order barring the gay pride march that was due to take place on July 5th claiming it would cause major traffic obstruction. Chief Gabor Toth said the march could be held in "a fixed location" instead.
Outraged LGBT groups have replyed saying that the parade has been held on this route for several years now and has not caused any problems. This claim was backed up by former equality minister MEP Katalin Levai. "I do not believe that a colorful parade on a Saturday morning during the summer would cause a major obstruction to traffic on the less-frequented Andrassy Avenue," said Levai.
The International Lesbian and Gay Association-Europe also expressed dismay at the ban "We consider [Toth's] decision as a sign of giving in to the threats of ultra nationalists," said Patricia Prendiville, Executive Director of ILGA-Europe.
"The traffic hindrance explanation and an earlier suggestion to the LGBT activists to organize a stationary event in an area remote from the city centre are just excuses for the unwillingness of the Budapest police chief to take his responsibilities seriously to ensure order," said Prendiville.
In recent years previously unhindered pride marches have come under attack from right wing extremists.
Norway has become the sixth country in the world to introduce gay marriage. Norwegian Parliament passed the bill on Wednesday.
The law also recognizes both partners in a marriage as equal parents and gives lesbian couples the same access to IVF treatment as heterosexual couples. Norway already had Civil Partnerships but LGBT activists wanted full rights the same as
heterosexual marriage. The new law amends the definition of civil marriage to make it gender neutral.
"It is a historic day," said Labor Party member Gunn Karin Gjul who compared passage to universal suffrage which gave women the right to vote nearly a century ago.
If like us you're seething with righteous indignation about the homophobic residents of Lesbos who want to see the L word banned when used in reference to lesbians, you probably have plaintiff Dimitris Lambrou's face pinned to a dartboard.
While lesbians in over 80 countries in the world are still denied the
most basic equal rights and over 50% of Britain's own lesbian youth are
routinely bullied, poor old Lambrou and his sister are upset that use
of the word violates the human rights of the islanders, and disgraces them
around the world. Clearly Hellenics hath no fury like a Lesbian woman
scorned.
But beneath my own tsk-tsking lies an irony which may solve both his
and some of our own privileged contemporary concerns.
Lambrou may not know it but some lesbians secretly wish they too could
scratch the L word from the history books. Frequently used pejoratively
the term shares an unfortunate phonetic similarity to 'less than',
'loser' and even, some say, an exotic venereal disease.
Recently I asked a friend whether she liked being called a lesbian; she
said, 'No, I like being called Barbara.'
When writer Diana Souhami was asked by a newspaper reporter if she was
a lesbian, Souhami replied 'yes but not at the moment. It's 9.30 in the
morning and I'm thirsty.'
Earlier this year, a group of Lesbians unhappy with the antiquated
moniker launched a world- wide campaign to have the term changed to
'gayelle' a nifty combination of gay and elle, meaning 'she' in French.
Its advocates believe that a more positive and contemporary word is
required to counteract the negative legacy of the term. Personally I
think it sounds like too much like that 1980s M&S clothing line
'Jonelle' which is too recent to be vintage and too old to be hip.
If Mr Lambrou and his supporters win their case perhaps there are some
other islanders who would consider sharing their name with us? My first
choice would have to be the Canadian island of Princess Royal. If gay
men can be queens there's no reason we can't have a bite of the regal
cherry and be princesses.
Butch and androgynous lady-lovers can have the
Australian King Island. Or better still, why not name and claim our
very own island as gay rights activists in Australia did four years ago?
Uninhabitable they may well be but The Coral Sea Islands have been
claimed as a homosexual micronation. All they need now are some
lesbians to make house.
Lesbian survivors of domestic and sexual abuse are invited to take part in new research.
University professors from Manchester, Bristol and the London Metropolitan have teamed up with the Rape Crisis Network to conduct research about the service and support needs of victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence for groups that are often overlooked – including black, male, gay, lesbian, bisexual and ethnic minority victims. The research is funded by the Home Office and will feed into the development of policies on domestic and sexual violence and abuse.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people who have experienced domestic or sexual abuse are invited to fill out the online questionnaire at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Qz9mYjOVigY7gGo9XGc5Kw_3d_3d, which is completely anonymous. The survey itself includes a lot of ‘skips’ so you need only complete the parts that are relevant to your situation.
For more info, please visit www.cwasu.org
They may be flying the Rainbow flag in Warsaw but gays and lesbians in Poland are still being advised to take part in programs designed to help ‘cure’ them of their homosexuality.
In the city of Lublin, known for its Catholic leanings, an organization is offering ‘therapy’ for homosexuals, to the disbelief of gay rights groups.
The program, which mirrors that of the goings-on in the hit comedy film ‘But I’m a Cheerleader’, teaches men to play football and women how to cook. Both men and women spend time praying with priests.
Lena Wojdan, a Warsaw-based psychologist feels that ‘the goal is not to change the patient, to shift their orientations, but rather to prepare them to accept their leanings’.
The program, named Odwaga (Courage), is not easy. For the first year, participants must devote one weekend a month to support-group sessions. For the following two years, participants devote 20 hours a month to group therapy sessions.
Life may seem hard for the gay community in Poland, where more than 90% of the 38.2 million population are devout Catholics, and the gay community has complained of living in a ‘climate of fear’. Despite this, Warsaw’s Pride parade took place last Saturday.
Luisa Gottardo
This year's Lincoln Gay Pride has been cancelled because of a lack of funds.
The event was due to take place in
July, but organisers said the credit crunch meant
local businesses could not support the event.
The first Gay Pride event took place in 2006 in a pub,
but moved to the Engine Shed the following year to
make room for a programme of cabaret and music.
Organisers said they were disappointed but would
continue to fund raise for future events.
Chair of the Lincolnshire Gay Pride Committee,
Jennifer Parker, said: "It is a community event, it is
a family event and it brings some much custom to the
Waterfront festival which is on the same weekend.
"So yes, it is a big loss for us and for
Lincolnshire."
Luisa Gottardo
With a looming court case set to resolve who the 'real lesbians' are, DIVA takes a closer look at what all the fuss is actually about.
Sappho, the famous poet who wrote of her love for women, was an inhabitant of the island of Lesbos, which is the reason the location is such a hit with gay women.
The people of Lesbos, though, are not so happy about the mix up between Lesbians and lesbians!
Those that live on Lesbos believe they have become a laughing stock due to the sexual connotations linked with the word lesbian. They feel that they cannot call themselves Lesbians, as it may seem that they are in fact gay women, not citizens of Lesbos.
Confused? So are we, but as the war of words between Lesbians and lesbians continues, the court date is looming ever closer. Will we be allowed to call ourselves lesbians if the Lesbians win? And will a legal defeat force us to rebrand?
Watch this space!
(Luisa Gottardo)
The Northern Irish Alliance Party's Gerry Lynch has expressed anger at homophobic comments made by the First
Minister's wife, an MP in her own right, Iris Robinson.
Robinson spoke out regarding homosexuality on Radio Ulster's The Nolan Show, after a man was severely beaten in a vicious homophobic attack. Stephen Scott (27) suffered head and leg injuries, fractured ribs and a broken wrist after he was kicked and punched by three youths while walking home in Newtownabbey on Wednesday night. Mrs Robinson condemned the brutal assault and strongly denied that her "abomination" remark could have in any way incited further violence.
Gerry Lynch said: "Iris should learn that if she has nothing constructive to say, she should say nothing.
"Despite the brutal attack on Stephen Scott in Carnmoney, Iris unrepentantly repeats her hate-mongering comments that homosexuality is an abomination. While Iris may condemn the attack, she should have the wit to know that inflammatory remarks like hers give succour to homophobic thugs.
"The only things I see as abominations are the thugs who attacked Stephen Scott and the words that came out of Iris Robinson's mouth.
"Her disgusting remarks have overshadowed her husband's appointment as First Minister. Her husband's Department is supposed to be in charge of equality for gay people. How can people who make comments like this run a fair government?"
Mairead McCafferty and James Knox, who co-chair the Coalition on Sexual Orientation, condemned the comments.
"We are deeply concerned at these comments. We believe that the comments are at best damaging and at worst
dangerous. Furthermore, they are completely unacceptable in a society based on values of dignity, respect and equality."
The Royal College of Psychiatrists also rubbished Mrs Robinson's claims that being gay is a mental illness.
(Luisa Gottardo)
Chroma International Queer Writing Competition has come to the forefront of our creative minds once again
This year's judges are the fabulous Sarah Waters, Robert Gluck and Betsy Warland. There's about £1,500 ($3,000) in prize money, and they have teamed up with Transfabulous and Velvet Magazine to bring you two additional categories- poetry and short stories.
The deadline for entries is 1st September 2008.
For more information visit www.chromajournal.co.uk
The South Bank Show features the highly acclaimed, best-selling novelist Sarah Waters. Sarah Waters, twice short-listed for the Booker Prize, is happy to be described as a lesbian writer though her books now sell to a huge mainstream readership.
In this South Bank Show, Melvyn Bragg talks to Sarah about the way her work has reclaimed lesbian sexual history. They also look at how lesbian sexuality has been used within pornography, about male impersonation (cross-dressing), and about her own risqué and often bawdy subversion of these themes in her work.
The popularity of her novels is due in part to her extraordinary gift for story telling, and several of her books have now been adapted for television. Tipping the Velvet and Fingersmith were made for the BBC, and Affinity will be shown on ITV.
In the programme, Sarah Waters talks to the screenwriter Andrew Davies (adapter of Tipping the Velvet and Affinity), about their collaboration, and about the infamous ‘dildo scene’ in Tipping the Velvet. Sarah also visits the medium, Sally Morgan, for a reading, pursuing a private curiosity that earlier led her to the gothic world of Victorian spiritualism in Affinity.
Presented and edited by Melvyn Bragg
UK entrepreneurs Rachael Elnaugh, Peter Jones and Sir Michael Bishop CBE are to attend a gay socialising event next month.
The business experts will share their expertise and their own experiences of failing and succeeding in business with members of Village Drinks, a popular social event for gay professionals.
Their appearance will form a series of business themed events that the Village Drinks organisers are hosting this year in recognition of their very first Global Entrepreneurship Week, which takes place in November.
The popular socialising group has recently seen its UK membership exceed 8000, with the group expanding to Brighton and events attracting more than 500 people each month
The organisers claim that the attendance of such senior business personalities illustrates the growing level of interest that the business community is taking in the gay market.
Greg Healey, Co-Founder of Village Drinks, is excited at the prospect of having two successful business entrepreneurs involved in the business.
“Many of our members work in business, so we are thrilled that Sir Michael, Peter Jones and Rachael Elnaugh have all accepted our invite to come and speak. We want to inspire gay professionals of all ages to have ideas and make them happen
Rachel Elnaugh, former star of BBC’s Dragons Den, is also appreciative of the gay community within industries worldwide. “Gay Businesses help root and develop the gay community and, indeed, wider society. I am delighted to support their mission to champion enterprise, wherever it is found.”
Luisa Gottardo
The latest in British horror spoofs is soon to be hitting our screens in the form of ‘Lesbian Vampire Killers’, a ‘Carry On’ style production from director Phil Claydon.
The slogan, “Two no-hopers. A cursed village. One hell of a night!” seems to place the movie directly in the same league as Scary Movie, with its promise of blood lust and bare breasts. But has this struck a nerve with the more anger-prone members of the LGBT community?
An internet group known as Angry Lesbians have criticized the film, vehemently insisting that ‘Lesbian Vampire Killers’ will encourage members of the public to regress back to the idea that all lesbians are ‘violent creatures that have to use force and evil to gain their partners’ and therefore undoing all the progress made by the LGBT. Angrylesbians.biz have started an online petition with a 1,000 signature goal to try and prevent the film from being made, claiming that it is ‘shamelessly catering to men’s girl-on-girl fantasies.’
With the cast listing starring ‘Lily Allen and a quartet of very sexy female companions’ the movie is due out early next year.
The LGBT community in Iraq is calling for urgent funds to help them support safe houses and communicate information about homophobic murders in Iraq to the outside world.
The call for help has come after a wave of murders carried out by Iraqi officials, condoning the fatwa passed by Grand Ayatollah Sistani that called for the execution of gays in the “worst, most severe way”.
It was reported that boys as young as 11 are being forced into prostitution to support their families, and in turn are persecuted by members of the Shiite death squads for being gay.
Homosexuality in Iraq is seen as so immoral that it comes under the category of an ‘honor killing’, allowing the perpetrator to escape without punishment. These fundamentalist militia groups and Islamic death squads have forced gay and lesbian citizens into hiding as they have been threatened with death ‘by sword, or burning alive, or tying [his] hands and feet and hurling down from a high place’.
The latest news update shows video footage of an Iraqi transsexual who was living in one of the safe houses being humiliated and having her hair shaved by officials – she has since disappeared.
Following negotiations with Iraqi LGBT in the UK, Sistani agreed to reduce the punishment for gay men, but refused to remove the “sexual cleansing” fatwa on lesbians. LGBT communities are urging people to donate money to activists in Iraq that will go towards supporting safe houses and the provision of food.
Visit http://iraqilgbtuk.blogspot.com to make an online donation or send a cheque payable to “Outrage!” with a cover note marked “For Iraqi LGBT”, tothe following address, Outrage, PO Box 17816, London SW14 8WT.
(Rachel Webb)
It is with great regret that the Velvet team, Edinburgh have cancelled any future events as a mark of respect due to the recent death of their resident DJ Melanie.
Mel was joint resident DJ Lucy*Fur and a much valued member of the Velvet team.
It was decided that a period of compassionate time out for mourning was appropriate both for family and friends, and as a mark of respect for Melanie.
Due to other circumstances beyond Velvet’s control, the Edinburgh Heat of Miss Gay UK and Ireland has been cancelled and they apologise for any disappointment caused.
If and when Velvet returns later this year, it will be on the 1st Saturday of the month - Velvet’s regular slot.
For more information visit : www.myspace.com/clubvelvet
Greece help its first lesbian wedding today amidst fears that the local mayor would face criminal charges for allowing it to go ahead.
The two women, Evangelia Vlami and her partner, were so thrilled to have finally tied the knot.
"I am proud to be the first Greek Lesbian to get married".
The weddings were held only a few days after a senior Greek prosecutor said the mayor of Tilos would face criminal charges if he officiated; but the mayor, Tassos Aliferis, told Reuters he was determined to defend what he saw as basic human rights.
The Justice Ministry said the marriages were illegal and all involved would face charges.
"The law does not allow marriage
between homosexuals," a Justice Ministry official who requested anonymity told reporters.
"The case will go to court; the mayor of Tilos will face charges."
Luisa Gottardo
The brilliant Transfabulous is back to explore crossing borders and what it means to live in the spaces between nations, cultures, genders and sexualities.
The idea behind the festival is: ‘To organise and showcase trans and genderqueer people’s creative output across all
platforms, be it in music, comedy, visual arts, performance or spoken word, and with an emphasis on
(re)claiming positive identity(s) and sharing experiences.'
The festival holds workshops, discussions and films followed by an evening performance. Some of highlights that festival-goers have to look forward include Ignacio Rivera’s full length show "Dancer", a performance piece about a dyke
who travels to Hawaii for the summer and finds herself stranded and questioning her sexuality.
Saturday night’s entertainment comes in the form of Carnivale Transfabuloso; Circus, Burlesque, Cabaret,
Drag, Performance Art, SEXINESS, music, roving delights for the eyes, ears, nose, hands, and mouth!
The carnival includes FTM acrobats, ‘Queer MC’ , Butch/Trans hip hop groups, and a mouthwatering
selection of diverse acts to follow
On Sunday the Border Fuckers will entertain you with their impressive cabaret act.
Oxford House, Bethnal Green , June 13th – 16th
Tickets £10/£5 concs for evening events
All other screenings, workshops and events free.
For more information, call Jason: 07940014740, or
email Ben: bgooch@lgbtconsortium.org.uk
www.transfabulous.co.uk
According to an article in the New York Post, celebrity magazine 'OK' has reportedly offered Lindsay Lohan $1 Million to admit she is a lesbian and in a relationship with her openly gay friend Samantha Ronson.
The deal would mean Lohan appearing on the magazine's cover and publicly 'coming out' about the alleged relationship.
One source said, "Lindsay really wants this to happen and she needs the money." Lohan's rep denies there's a deal, however, saying, "They sent offers and we passed." OK! said, "We don't comment on future editorial."
The 'is she, isn't she' rumours have been taking up plenty of tabloid column inches over the last few months. The latest gossip suggests that the diamond ring Lohan sports is an engagement ring and that the pair plan to marry in a Civil Ceremony.
Following the appearance of a dodgy batch of ecstasy, lesbian and gay clubbers have been warned to be extra vigilant when clubbing.
The call comes after a 25-year-old man nearly died as a result of taking ecstasy at a club in Vauxhall, south London on the weekend of the 11th May.
The night club, Fire is situated under the railway arches in Vauxhall. Although is not strictly a gay venue it is extremely popular with London's LGBT community, hosting “Juicy”, a gay night on Saturdays which becomes 'Twist' on Sunday. Fire is popular for its closed arena type dance floors and hard house music, and for hardcore ravers the club remains open until 10am on Sunday, closing for an hour and reopening at 11.
However, Fire is also notoriously linked with the use of class A drugs, especially ecstasy and the date rape drug GHB. There have been 15 collapses and two deaths in the South London/Vauxhall area in the last 6 months according to Kennington Police, and the incident last month merely adds to a growing statistic.
Paramedics were called to The Fridge nightclub in Brixton where two men had reportedly collapsed just two hours before the incident in Fire. All three men were rushed to hospital, where one was pronounced dead on arrival. The other two remained in a serious condition.
LGBT officials have voiced concerns that the dodgy batch of pills were dispersed to many gay clubs in London; however Police officials have since released descriptions and pictures of the pills that the men were believed to have taken, described as “pink with small white dots on them. Another is a white tablet with the letter G pictured on it with various numbers appearing on the reverse of the pill. One example is the number ‘0030’.”
Rachel Webb
Police in Russia’s capital Moscow have threatened to plant drugs on 4 gay activists to ensure that they
will be charged, after their outburst demanding equal rights for gays and lesbians.
It was meant as a peaceful protest- a banner was flung from a 3rd floor window early yesterday
afternoon, and the four gay activists stayed in the apartment until 9pm when the Police eventually broke
in and the four were arrested, over 8 hours after the ordeal began.
Shortly after the activists arrived at the police station, two of the main local gay websites ‘went
down’ which many felt pinpointed the power the authorities have over every aspect of civilians
lives.
The four were expected to be released from prison early this morning, but the police changed their minds
and kept them in cells overnight. They are now expected to arrive in court in the next hour.
It is not known whether the police followed through with their threat.
Update
14:50 ( Russian local time). The four gay activists have appeared in court. The judge did adjourned the case until next week and ordered them to be released from custody. The thinking is that the four will, if found guilty, be fined - if a jail sentence was a possibility, they would not have been released.
Moscow Pride chief organiser Nikolai Alekseev has said: "With the release of the four activists, Moscow Pride is officially over".
Luisa Gottardo
South Yorkshire’s first ever annual gay pride event is to take place on Saturday 7th June 2008.
South Yorkshire Pride- Sheffield 2008 is a totally free event and invites lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals from all walks of life and their many friends and supporters to attend. Celebrating diversity and inclusion the event will help to promote equality and raise awareness, to help eliminate discrimination against the LGBT community.
Events at the Pride festival include a main stage featuring live music all day, a dance tent, T’Other stage (a women’s performance space open to all), a community area and community stalls.
The event will be opened by comedienne Clare Summerskill, (described by Radio 4 Women’s Hour as ‘a lesbian Victoria Wood’) before performing the Sheffield leg of her sell out UK tour that evening. An eclectic array of acts on the main stage will include pop punk band Axe Kid, (star of T4’s Musicool) headlining, electro dance group Random Pam, South Yorkshire’s infamous ska act Bison and ‘OutAloud’, Sheffield’s very own LGBT choir, amongst others.
There are extra performances on T'Other stage - a women's alternative performance space which is open to all. Headlining will be all girl punk band, The Ejaculators, and an eclectic line-up of a variety of acts ranging from poetry, comedy, burlesque and Mirkin Making workshops
The Dance Tent will showcase some of the most popular DJ's on the Sheffield Gay Scene, with the ever popular DJ Scott Kelly (Climax - Sheffield, Mission - Leeds) and also the infamous Speed Queen DJ, spinning the decks.
The Irwin Mitchell Community Tent will provide workshops appealing to the whole spectrum of the gay community from break dancing classes to drag king workshops. These workshops are free to attend and those interested in taking part are encouraged to book a slot early as places are limited.
Howard Culley, Managing Partner from Irwin Mitchell Solicitor’s who are sponsoring the community tent said: “we are delighted to have the opportunity to support South Yorkshire Pride, following our involvement in previous events such as Birmingham Pride and the Gay and Lesbian Awards.
“As one of the most forward-thinking law firms in the UK, we understand the importance of diversity and inclusion in both our workforce and the local communities in which we work. As such we are proud to support the South Yorkshire LGBT community at Sheffield’s first Pride Event.”
The event will take place between 12 noon and 6pm at Cemetery Park, Montague Street, (near Ecclesall Road for the biggest ‘gay’ party ever to take place in the city to date.
Those coming from afar don't have to worry, getting to the Pride event couldn't be easier. Buses are running from Sheffield Interchange (dropping off right outside Cemetery Park) every 10 minutes from stand B2 between 11:30am and 1.00pm for a discounted rate of £1 per person. Buses will be returning to the city centre every 10 minutes between 5.00pm and 7.00pm.
And the party doesn't stop at 6pm. Razor Stiletto at DQ, Fitzwilliam Street is to host Pride's official after party with fabulous entertainers and Jodie Harsh as the guest DJ performing especially for Pride. Tickets are available at the Pride info stall at a discounted price of £7. All the regular gay venues are hosting their own Pride parties.
For further information visit the pride website at www.southyorkshirepride.co.uk
Angelic Music, the UK’s first record and publishing music label to specialise in female singer-songwriters, is excited to announce the ‘In her Own Words’ 2008 competition.
The competition is open to all female singer-songwriters with a minimum age of 15. Closing date for the competition is 30th October 2008.
This a follow-up to the hugely successful ‘In Her Own Words’ competition which launched Angelic Music in 2006 and which attracted entries from all over the world. The 2006 winner, Rosie Oddie (daughter of the TV wildlife presenter Bill Oddie) had a tremendous year following her win, playing the O2 festival in Hyde Park and supporting legendary band ‘The Blockheads' on their 30th anniversary tour. Rosie has recently signed with a London management company and is currently in talks with major labels across London.
The Prize
The 2008 winner will receive a fantastic prize package:
A one song recording and publishing contract, with the winning song released as a single.
A day’s production and recording in the world class studios P&C Music in West London with producer Stuart Anning.
A brand new Blueridge guitar to the value of £500.00. The guitar is a Blueridge BR-163 000 with solid sitka top, solid Indian rosewood body, herringbone inlay, 28 style. [For reviews visit:
Free 1 year membership of SongLink International.
The winning track to be included on the Songlink International Compilation CD
How to enter:
Entries cost £15 per song and artists can enter as many songs as they wish. The closing date for entries is 30 October 2008. Log onto http://www.angelicmusic.co.uk for full entry details.
Support Network for Female Artists
Angelic Music runs a free ‘not for profit’ artist development, networking and support organisation called ‘Angels Out There’ that runs alongside the main label. Here female artists from across the UK, Europe, USA and even Australia make contact with each other. If an artist has a question or needs advice or support on anything to do with music or the music industry, Angelic Music staff answer it or find someone who can.
Full details of Angelic Music can be found at the website: www.angelicmusic.co.uk
How to enter:
Entries cost £15 per song and artists can enter as many songs as they wish. The closing date for entries is 30 October 2008. Log onto www.angelicmusic.co.uk for full entry details.
UK colleges and universities are taking a bold step forward to deal with the inequalities facing trans people in education.
The first ever guidance on trans equality for the whole post school education sector is available from today and was developed by the Forum on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, which was established in April 2007. It is in response to the 2007 Gender Equality Duty, which places an additional requirement on all public bodies to pay due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment in employment and vocational training for trans people. It is a unique piece of work because it is for both the workforce and for students and it has the support of Lynne Jones MP, who chairs the Parliamentary Forum on Transsexualism, that was set up to press for reforms to end discrimination against transsexual people.The Forum’s Chair, Seth Atkin, from University and College Union said: “The publication of the guidance is significant - but by no means an end in itself. There remains along way to go to ensure that there is equal legal protection and effective implementation.”
Carola Towle, National Officer, LGBT Equality at UNISON said: ”Until now, few colleges and universities have given much thought to trans equality. Too often, trans workers facing discrimination find they have to educate their employers in their legal obligations. For those without the backing of their union, this can be a lonely and intimidating task. This guidance can make a real difference. The practical steps set out in the guide are manageable for any college or university and will go a long way to building a positive environment for trans workers and students.”
“I'm delighted that guidance on trans equality is now available for the Further and Higher Education Sector. It would have made such a big difference to my life if the university I went to just a few years ago had known how to support trans students." said a A Trans Caucus Rep on the UNISON National LGBT Committee
Mean Girls actress Lindsay Lohan looks set to scoop DIVA’s illustrious Hokey Cokey Award 2008 in a stunning display of ‘Is she? Isn’t she’ press-provocation.
Featuring a supporting cast that includes her mum, her sister, her dad, record producer Mark Ronson’s sister Samantha (are you keeping up?), P Diddy and scads of lesser-known Hollywood celesbians, this story looks set to run and run and...
Recent developments saw her caught on camera, apparently mid-snog with DJ Samantha Ronson on Diddy’s yacht. This appeared to spike her mum and sister's insistence that she’s definitely not gay, but then dad comes on the line insisting that it’s evident to “anyone with a half a brain that she is”. Cue media hysteria – her dad says she’s gay so she must be! – and then he comes back on and claims he was misquoted. Darn!
Well, one thing’s certain. The girl’s having a good time. Check out The Daily Mail’s pics to see La Lo with little boi Sam and judge for yourself. Chemistry or a couple too many caipirinhas?
 Gay equality charity Stonewall has launched a freephone number - 08000 50 20 20 - to respond to questions callers have around gay, lesbian and bisexual issues.
The new service, supported by the Big Lottery Fund, responds to a huge growth in demand for gay-specific advice and information about the status of lesbian and gay people. The Infoline complements existing services such as local Gay & Lesbian switchboards
Ben Summerskill, Stonewall Chief Executive, said: 'Stonewall has successfully lobbied for major legal changes in recent years that benefit and protect lesbian and gay people in so many ways. This means the rights we enjoy today are very new and people often want to clarify where they stand. Further expanding our info service is part of Stonewall's commitment to educate people around the new legal status of Britain's 3.6 million gay people.'
Information Officer Helen Ward, who runs the service, added: 'We can also point you in the right direction for legal advice, and give out facts and guidance on all issues affecting lesbian and gay life - from civil partnerships and parenting to housing and health as well as everything in between. In addition, we'll be able to refer callers to hundreds of other specialist and regional organisations who can help too.'
In 2007, Stonewall received more than 5,000 telephone enquiries and its website www.stonewall.org.uk had 1.2 million visitors. Both figures represent a fourfold increase since 2002.
'So whatever you need to know,' said Helen Ward, 'just call 08000 50 20 20 and we'll point you in the right direction.'
08000 50 20 20 operates Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 5.30pm. You can also contact Stonewall's Info Service at info@stonewall.org.uk
www.stonewall.co.uk
The Earl of Devon's wedding licence has been revoked by Devon's County Solicitor.
This follows Lord Devon's refusal to allow a gay couple their civil partnership ceremony at his property, Powderham Castle in Devon.
The London couple, Bernard Horrocks, 40, and Glenn Sontag, 35, who in 2009 will be tying the knot to celebrate 20 years together, raised the issue with Devon County Council after attempting to book a civil partnership ceremony at Powderham Castle.
The Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 requires providers of goods, facilities and services to ensure they are not treating their customers unfairly on the grounds of sexual orientation.
After Lord Devon's insistence on excluding same-sex civil partnerships at Powderham Castle, the County Solicitor acted swiftly to uphold the complaint and enforce the legislation.
Mr Horrocks, a copyright consultant, said, “Although this has been a distressing time, I would like to thank Devon County Council for their quick and decisive action. Happily, we have already booked an alternative Devon venue which made us immediately welcome."
The couple's first holiday together took place in Devon in 1989. Having returned every year to what they describe as a "wonderful, warm county, full of the most delightful people and places", they considered Devon the ideal location for the formal union. Family, friends and colleagues - all of whom have been totally supportive throughout - are being invited.
Mr Sontag, a healthcare professional weeks away from graduating as an osteopath, commented, “How would people react if Lord Devon turned down weddings on the grounds of race, colour or creed? Lord Devon cannot cherry pick who enters a licensed premises".
The Equality and Human Rights Commission and Stonewall, the gay equality group, have been kept informed throughout.
Finally the couple said, “Lord Devon has now decided to host only receptions for weddings and civil ceremonies. It will be interesting to see whether he continues to discriminate against same-sex couples. In the meantime, we are looking forward to finalising the plans for our big day."
With the rumour mill in full action as to details of Jodie Fosters alleged affair with Cynthia 'Cindy' Mort, we delve a bit to find out what connection this mystery woman has to Jodie.
A producer and screenwriter whose TV writing credits include Roseanne (1988-98) and the NBC sitcom Will and Grace (1998-2006), Mort also co-authored the script of Neil Jordan's 2007 revenge-themed psychodrama, The Brave One, starring Jodie Foster. It is on the film's set that the affair with Foster apparently began.
It seems that the 'pair' have a lot more in common than just being involved in the film industry:
Like Jodie, Mort lives in LA. She is the former partner of thirtysomething actress Melanie Mayron, with whom, she has two children, just like Jodie and Cydney. Melanie Mayron has also been a Director and according to her IMDB page in 1995 Directed a TV version of Freaky Friday and coincidentally Jodie Foster starred in the original film version of Freaky Friday in the Seventies!
The Sunday Mirror reports that a gay couple who have been together almost 20 years have been banned from tying the knot at a country castle.
According to the tabloid, Bernard Horrocks, 40, and Glenn Sontag, 35, from London, wanted a civil partnership ceremony at Powderham Castle, Exeter.
But its owner, Hugh Courteney, 18th Earl of Devon, has apparently said no even though he advertises the castle as a wedding venue.
"He won't allow any civil ceremonies at his stately pile," explains the Mirror.
"It's outrageous," Bernard is reported to have said.
The Mirror's story is somewhat complicated by the fact that the venue's website, www.powderham.co.uk clearly states that they provide "an extremely flexible venue for weddings and civil ceremonies."
 As part of their 'Long Weekend' programme the Tate hosted a rare slide show with accompanying musical performance of two of American photographer Nan Goldin's most important works, The Other Side and The Ballad of Sexual Dependancy on Saturday night.
Goldin, one of the pioneers of queer 'Insider Documentary' photography, has been documenting the lives of her friends (and herself) through a personal 'visual diary' since the 1970's and has won numerous awards, accolades and fans along the way. Goldin continues to push the boundaries of what is considered 'acceptable' to document and has been focusing her camera increasingly on children in recent years. However it was her most famous and extensive body of work 'The Ballad of Sexual Dependancy' that took center stage at the Tate Modern.
The popularity of Goldin's work was evidenced by the long queue that had already formed at 8.30pm. After a long wait and a delayed start the crowd finally began making it's way into the vast Turbine Hall shortly after 9pm. Everyone was issued with a red cushion and was free to sit wherever they could find space. Finally at about 9.30 Nan took to the stage to introduce the first of the two slide shows. Unusually enough for a photographic show their was definite buzz of excitement in the air, confirmation - if needed - of Goldin's influence on the photography world.
The slide show began with The Other Side, which is named after the Boston nightclub where Goldin spent her early years and has been expanded over 25 years to cover image from New York, Paris, Manila, Bangkok, and Berlin. The photographs were accompanied by a special commissioned soundtrack created by American performance and Visual Artist John Kelly.
After a small break and another short introduction by Goldin The Ballad of Sexual Dependency slide show, which was accompanied by a new live soundtrack specially commissioned by British Singer songwriter Patrick Wolf, began.
Goldin's most extensive collection of work, it contains approximately 750 photographs which are divided into chapters and cover themes such as death, drugs, sexuality, friendships, and lovers. If you've only ever seen one of Nan's photographs it's likely to have been part of this collection. Wolf's haunting vocals and array of unusual instruments perfectly suited both the images on display and the ambience of the Turbine Hall. He was also joined by guest vocalist Bishi.
But the undoubted stars of the show where the photographs themselves and it was a amazing opportunity to see Nan Goldin up close and personal. It was certainly a unique way to spend a Saturday night and the perfect location for a photography legend to show her work.
Millions of people dressed in Carnival costumes and waving rainbow flags paraded through South America's largest city on Sunday to celebrate gay pride and call for an end to homophobia and sexism.
Gay men, lesbians and cross-dressers danced down the skyscraper-lined Avenida Paulista, Sao Paulo's financial heart, to the beat of loud music blasted off more than 20 sound trucks.
Organizers expected more than three million people at the 12th annual Sao Paulo Gay Pride Parade, which traditionally is one of the biggest in the world. Local authorities did not immediately give an estimate on the number of people attending the event, but said millions were likely present.
According to Sao Paulo's department of tourism, the parade was expected to attract nearly 330,000 tourists to the city, 20 per cent more than last year's event. At least five per cent of those tourists were expected from abroad. The parade caps a full week of attractions, including the Cultural Gay Fair, Gay Day and the International GLS Tourism Forum.
Last year, at least three million people packed the streets of Sao Paulo for what organizers said was the world's largest gay pride parade.
Source: 365gay.com
Ellen DeGeneres addressed the controversial issue of gay marriage during an interview Thursday with Republican presidential candidate John McCain.
During the pair's conversation, McCain stated that same-sex couples should be allowed to enter into legal agreements for insurance and other purposes, but that he opposes gay marriage and believes in "the unique status of marriage between and man and a woman."
"And I know that we have a respectful disagreement on that issue," the likely Republican presidential nominee said in an interview to air Thursday on The Ellen DeGeneres show.
DeGeneres spoke cogently on the issue, expressing her belief that she and the senator from Arizona aren't different.
"We are all the same people, all of us. You're no different than I am. Our love is the same," she said. "When someone says, 'You can have a contract, and you'll still have insurance, and you'll get all that,' it sounds to me like saying, 'Well, you can sit there, you just can't sit there."
"It feels like we are not, you know, we aren't owed the same things and the same wording," DeGeneres said.
McCain said he's heard her "articulate that position in a very eloquent fashion. We just have a disagreement. And I, along with many, many others, wish you every happiness."
"So, you'll walk me down the aisle? Is that what you're saying?" she asked.
"Touche," McCain said, laughing.
Last week, after the California Supreme Court cleared the way for gay marriage in that state, DeGeneres announced on her program her engagement to longtime girlfriend Portia de Rossi.
Bookish women in the Peterborough area are invited to join a new monthly reading club for lesbians and gay men. The 'friendly, social and inclusive' group will meet at the Eye library, Crowland Road.
'We are very pleased to welcome members of our gay and lesbian community to this group,” said Sarah Pizzey, library team leader. 'Even if you’re not a library member or it’s been a while since you came to the library, this is a great chance to discover new titles and meet new people.'
For further information about joining the reading group, contact Sarah Pizzey at Dogsthorpe Library on (01733) 864 300.
The threats to kill gays, made this week by Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, comes as no surprise, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell of the gay rights group Outrage!, said last night.
“The Gambian leader has a long history of homophobia and has promoted crackpot cures for HIV,” he said.
“He’ll have to kill an awful lot of Gambians and foreign aid workers and tourists to get rid of gays and lesbians. Such threats are in violation of the African Union's Charter on human rights. If he tries to carry out these threats, international aid donors are likely to withdraw their support, and foreign tourists will stay away in droves, thereby damaging the Gambian economy. The President’s policy makes no sense from either a human rights or an economic perspective.”
Tatchell was responding to Jammeh's statement that he would “cut off the head” of any homosexual caught in his country.
As part of its Summer Events Grants programme, Pride in Brighton & Hove has awarded £5,667.50 to thirteen local LGBT charities, voluntary groups and organisations. The money is to help support the likes of MindOut, GEMS and The Dyke Modern to hold events during the Summer Pride Festival week that they might otherwise not be able to afford.
From Saturday 26th July to Sunday 3rd August the money awarded will help towards more than twenty different events in Brighton, Hove and Charleston; the type of events are diverse and aimed at a variety of interests and ages. Saturday 26th will start things off with the Dyke Modern’s Lesbian Art/ Lesbian Lives during the day, and the evening providing a choice between GEMS ‘Keyboard Cuisine’, Brightwaves MCC’s line dancing barbeque, and a ‘Pride Around The World Concert’ with the City of Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus.
The rest of the week will feature events from Brighton Wotever Crew, The Gender Trust and the Clare project. Queer Writing South will be hosting an evening at The Marlborough to launch their new anthology, MindOut are curating a photography exhibition and for a bit of light relief they are also collaborating with Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard to put on a comedy night at Komedia.
Other highlights will include ‘Amor Dicea’ an evening of baroque love songs and stories, a wonderful day at Charleston based around Virginia Wolfe’s novel ‘Orlando’ and throughout the whole week a range of sporting events to take part and learn from run by BLAGSS. All of these grant funded events will be complimented by the vast array of activity run by local businesses that we have come to look forward to as an integral part of the Summer Pride Week. For full event details as they are confirmed visit the Pride Website www.brightonpride.org or requested from the Pride office by calling 01273 775939 or emailing office@brightonpride.org
The US military cannot automatically discharge people for being gay, a federal appeals court ruled in the case of a decorated flight nurse who sued the Air Force over her dismissal.
The three judges from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals did not strike down the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, but they reinstated Maj. Margaret Witt's lawsuit, stating that the Air Force must prove that her dismissal furthered the military's goals of troop readiness and unit cohesion.
The "don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue, don't harass" policy prohibits the military from asking about the sexual orientation of service members but requires discharge of those who acknowledge being gay or engaging in homosexual activity.
The ruling led opponents of the policy to declare its days numbered. It is also the first appeals court ruling in the country that evaluated the policy through the lens of a 2003 Supreme Court decision that struck down a Texas ban on sodomy as an unconstitutional intrusion on privacy.
When gay service members have sued over their dismissals, courts historically have accepted the military's argument that having gays in the service is generally bad for morale and can lead to sexual tension.
But the Supreme Court's opinion in the Texas case changed the legal landscape, the judges said, and requires more scrutiny over whether "don't ask, don't tell" is constitutional as applied in individual cases.
Under Wednesday's ruling, military officials "need to prove that having this particular gay person in the unit really hurts morale, and the only way to improve morale is to discharge this person," said Aaron Caplan, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington state who worked on the case.
Witt, a flight nurse based at McChord Air Force Base near Tacoma, was suspended without pay in 2004 after the Air Force received a tip that she had been in a long-term relationship with a civilian woman. Witt was honorably discharged in October 2007 after having served 18 years - two short of what she needed to receive retirement benefits.
Source: 365gay.com
A relationship with producer and screenwriter Cindy Mort may have caused the break-up between Jodie Foster and long-time partner Cydney Bernard.
According to the National Enquirer, Foster had an affair with Cynthia Mort, whom she met on the set of The Brave One two years ago. The affair continued, eventually causing the breakdown of Foster's relationship with Bernard.
"Although she and Cydney remain under the same roof at the moment, the relationship has been shattered," a source told the Hollywood gossip mag. "They'll continue to raise the boys together and try to keep a loving family unit despite their breakup. The love is gone."
Coronation Street star Antony Cotton will be joining hundreds of people who are preparing for Manchester’s first ever Sponsored Walk against Homophobia this weekend.
The walk which is raising money for the Lesbian and Gay Foundation (LGF) will start at 1pm from All Saints Park, Oxford Road Manchester and will travel through Manchester City Centre ending in Sackville Park where there will be speeches from the organisers.
All individuals, organisations and businesses from the lesbian and gay communities of the North West and beyond have been invited to take part on the day.
The Lesbian and Gay Foundation hope that the walk will bring people together with friends and family to ensure that their voices are heard and to help "End Homophobia and Empower People".
Emma Peate, Fundraising Manager at the LGF said: "The aims of the event are to raise awareness about homophobia amongst the general public, media and policy/decision makers, have an enjoyable event that helps bring community members together and of course raise money for LGF's much needed services in the process.
"We have had a great response and hope for a really big turn out to have maximum effect, and create a real buzz in Manchester on the day!"
Messages of support have also been received from Sir Ian McKellen, Melvyn Bragg and Sandi Toksvig who are all patrons of the charity.
20 year old Mehdi Kazemi has finally been granted Asylum after a hard fought battle with the government.
Kazemi who came to the UK in 2004 to study English, decided to claim asylum after learning that his boyfriend in Iran had been tortured and hung for being gay. Kazemi feared he would also be killed if he were to return to Iran. His initial request for asylum was rejected and he fled to the Netherlands before being returned to the UK in April after gay rights activists, The Independent newspaper and several MPs began campaigning.
The Home Security, Jacqui Smith, agreed to review his case and he was finally granted asylum.
Stonewall welcomed the announcement: "We are delighted and very grateful to Jacqui Smith for her intervention as Home Secretary and for the work that Simon Hughes, as the local MP, did on the case," said Ben Summerskill, chief executive.
DIVA is celebrating last night’s historic vote by MPs to end discrimination against lesbian parents seeking access to fertility services.
MPs voted by 292 to 217 and 290 to 222 to retain new measures in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill which will mean that in future fertility clinics take account of the presence of ‘supportive parenting’ rather than the previous ‘need for a father’, a requirement which was frequently used to deny lesbian couples access to fertility services.
MPs argued late into the night on the merits and pitfalls for children with heterosexual and lesbian parents. Conservative MP Sir Patrick Cormack said, "A child that is deliberately brought into the world with no desire that there should be a man or a woman who is the parent is brought in with a disadvantage."
But Health Minister Dawn Primarolo insisted, "It's clear that if the need for a father was retained, the legislation would place additional burdens on single women and same sex female couples.
"There is no evidence or suggestion to say that these women do not make good parents - that these women somehow make bad parents and therefore should be required to do additional steps."
During the debate Emily Thornberry MP for Islington incorrectly stated that Birmingham Women's Hospital do not offer treatment to lesbians and single women. Jackson Kirkman Brown of the hospital claims: "We have reached out into the LGBT community within the region, and currently have three lesbian couples who are pregnant from treatment here and a number of gay men who are donors. To be misrepresented so publicly has caused some upset - and more importantly worry - that people will not realise they can turn to us and may resort to unsafe attempts at self-treatment."
Ben Summerskill, Stonewall Chief Executive, said: ‘We know that the families of lesbian and gay people are every bit as caring and loving and tender, and magical, as any other. What really matters now is that no lesbian parents will ever again be forced to use backstreet fertility services if their local clinic turns them away.’
‘Stonewall has lobbied tirelessly for months on this part of the Bill and we did everything we could to persuade MPs to vote for equality. The new law does not send out a message that fathers are not needed; it simply recognises the diverse make-up of families in 21st century Britain. The clear message it does send out is that a loving, supportive family is paramount to the needs of a child.’
The new legislation is now almost certain to become law as passage through the House of Lords was secured earlier this year.
Nan Goldin, the American photographer whose dreamy yet unflinching portraits of her friends in downtown New York documented the AIDS era, will be presenting her work at the Tate Modern in London this weekend.
Goldin became famous for her informal photos of gays, transsexuals, junkies and fellow artists; her work was the inspiration for Ally Sheedy’s character in the film High Art (1998). Her style proved hugely influential, shaping the work of Wolfgang Tillmans, Juergen Teller and Corinne Day amongst others. In the 1990s she was blamed for glamourising heroin addiction, but struck back describing fashion’s fascination with so-called ‘heroin chic’ as ‘reprehensible and evil’.
Her slideshow, The Ballad of Sexual Dependency (1986), is a visual account of seven years in the lives of her ‘family’ of friends. In an interview w | |
