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Tag: Warwickshire Pride

All the latest breaking news on Warwickshire Pride. Browse THEGAYUK’s complete collection of news, articles and commentary on Warwickshire Pride.

  • Warwickshire politician says LGBT people “in unnatural waters”

    Warwickshire politician says LGBT people “in unnatural waters”

    A Warwickshire politician has been called out over a Facebook post in which he refers to queer people as those “who chose fish in unnatural waters”

    The Chair of Claverdon Parish Council, in Warwickshire Cllr has been called out by Warwickshire Pride after an alleged Facebook post in which he said that queer is a word for people “who fish in unnatural waters”.

    The comment was made after Lawton asked the question, “On the LGBT thing, there is a Q on the end now. What does it stand for?”

    In a reply, the elected official wrote, “I am losing the plot here. I thought queer was an offensive term for those who chose to fish in unnatural waters”.

    The word “queer” is used advisedly within the LGBT+ community as many, particularly gay and bi men find the term deeply offensive.

    Warwickshire Pride released a statement condemning the councillor saying,

    “Cllr Lawton’s comments are very disappointing, particularly as he is a public figure and an elected representative of the community. Homophobic comments such as his are incredibly damaging and show how far there is to go until all LGBT+ people can live openly and freely as who they are, without having to put up with hate speech and discrimination.

    “We work year-round with LGBT+ people, supporting and empowering them to be who they are. We also deliver LGBT+ awareness training to organisations and people who are not LGBT+ because anti-LGBT+ views and behaviours are still prevalent. As Cllr Lawton’s comment shows, there are still people who think that being LGBT+ is unnatural.

    “We would welcome an opportunity to engage with Cllr Lawton to explain in person why his comments are deeply offensive and hopefully enlighten him. In the meantime, Cllr Lawton should be utterly ashamed of the language he has used. It is not becoming of someone in his position. We hope to see a meaningful apology from him and a commitment to becoming more LGBT+ aware.

    “We will be raising a complaint with Claverdon Parish Council and also reporting his comment to Warwickshire’s Hate Crime Partnership as a hate incident.

    “Hate is never acceptable and in this case, we hope to engage and educate.”

    The post was published on Lawton’s personal Facebook page and not in an official capacity – which was spotted by a local resident, Jon Abbott according to The Leamington Spa Courier.

    “I now completely understand how my comment has quite rightly been met with such disgust and anger”

    The councillor did issue a full apology to Mr Abbott saying, “An apology. I am of course deeply sorry that you, our mutual friends and acquaintances and others have, quite rightly, been so offended by my crass and completely thoughtless comment on my facebook page last Sunday evening.

    “I have taken some time to consider how best to apologise to you personally and more widely in open forum and have been fortunate to be offered advice from mutual friends in this respect. It was never my intention to cause offence but I now, completely and fully, understand how my comment has quite rightly been met with such disgust and anger.

    “I will not in any way attempt to justify the wording used as I realise that there is no justification whatsoever for the comment made which has, quite naturally, caused you and many others to demonstrate considerable outrage. I have now realised and fully accept that what I thought was an innocuous quote, was the most stupid of actions. This cannot be undone and I will have to live with the shame of this lifelong slur of my having an association with a negative attitude to the LBGTQ community which will hurt as, in my heart, I hold no such feelings.

    “I do not really know how much more I can do to atone for my deplorable and unthinking behaviour but hope that you and others that I have offended will accept this apology in the sincerity that it is given and rest assured that it is a personal lesson learnt in how I should conduct my behaviour going forward. Best regards. Simon D H Lawton”.

  • INTERVIEW | Sassi Afrika, Leamington Spa’s most delicious Drag Queen

    INTERVIEW | Sassi Afrika, Leamington Spa’s most delicious Drag Queen

    With Warwickshire Pride’s sixth annual event just around the corner, we speak with Warwickshire’s most vibrant Drag Queen, Sassi Afrika on why pride is still important in 2018…

    (C) THEGAYUK

    …and who her favourite act on the Warwickshire Pride stage is.

    THEGAYUK: Sassi Afrika is back at Warwickshire Pride‘s main stage this year, what can we expect?
    Sassi Afrika: You’re right, Sassi is back. There’s no stopping me honey. Everyone knows that. This year I’m presenting the main stage at Warwickshire Pride again. They have agreed to let me out of the cage they impounded me in after last year’s festival. You can expect lots of fabulous talent. The talent is outstanding this year. We have a very diverse lineup, which is how it should be. There is also the Big Rainbow Bake Off. I’m judging and presenting the contest. My next 3D lipo session is booked for a few days after I’ve tasted all those cakes. We also have speeches on stage and lots of fun for all the community.

    TGUK: Why is Warwickshire Pride so important?
    SA: I believe Warwickshire Pride is very important because it is a grassroots, community movement. It’s not commercial. It’s not all about making money. It’s about putting on something great for the community. We are fully inclusive and welcoming to all people. We try to create something in the spirit of what Pride was all about, while also celebrating how far we have come. I think Warwickshire Pride pulls it off quite nicely. Y’all be blessed now.

    “Some people are quick to criticise and point out what is wrong with Pride. But none of those people ever step up and help to make things better the next time.”

    TGUK: Why is Pride important to Sassi?
    SA: Pride is very important to me honey. The LGBT+ community took me in when I landed on Earth and now I’m part of the family. But seriously, Pride is important to me because it’s nice to be part of something where I can be myself and be accepted for who I am. I have been discriminated against and assaulted for being LGBT+ and for having disabilities. Pride as a movement is still so important and I am proud to be part of it.

    TGUK: It takes a lot to put on a pride event – do you think people take pride for granted?
    SA: I don’t think many people realise how much hard work goes into putting on a Pride event. I do believe that a lot of people take it for granted, whether they realise it or not. Some people are quick to criticise and point out what is wrong with Pride. But none of those people ever step up and help to make things better the next time. On the flip side, there are people who really appreciate Pride and understand how much time, effort and money it takes to put it on. I just wish more people would understand and help. But hey, we do what we can as Pride organisers and I do it all with a dash of sass.

    “Sassi is single and ready to mingle”.

    TGUK: What’s your favourite thing about Pride?
    SA: My favourite thing about Pride is seeing so many people coming together for a celebration of diversity. That and the fit guys I can eye up from the stage. Yes, honey, Sassi is single and ready to mingle. I do like seeing everyone at Pride and being who they are. It’s important that everyone has that opportunity to be who they are, without prejudice and judgement.

    TGUK: Could RuPaul’s Drag Race Handle Sassi?
    SA: Let’s be honest, can anyone handle the sass I bring? I’d like to see Mama Ru and Drag Race try.

    “We have at least 75% local acts and 75% LGBT+ acts. That kind of representation is needed at Pride”.

    TGUK: Who’s your favourite act to have performed on the Warwickshire Pride stage?
    SA: My favourite act to have performed at Warwickshire Pride is me. What else can I say… No, I’m joking. I tell you who was really good. Angie Brown. She can sing and puts on a great show. She is also a really nice person and I adore her. I also think Jordan Gray is fantastic, and Feryl is very good too. But one thing I like about Warwickshire Pride is all the local acts we have. We have at least 75% local acts and 75% LGBT+ acts. That kind of representation is needed at Pride. We have to represent the people that the event is for. Otherwise, we are failing. And Sassi don’t fail honey.

    Warwickshire Pride takes place on the 18th of August, Pump Room Gardens – Leamington Spa from 11 AM.

  • LGBT+ pride volunteers told homosexuality “an illness” in Stratford

    Members of the Warwickshire Pride volunteer team were homophobically abused around 100 times at a Stratford Upon Avon market over the weekend.

    (C) WARWICKSHIRE PRIDE / Twitter
    The stall which attracted so much homophobic critcism.

    A volunteer team from Warwickshire Pride reportedly sustained a prolonged homophobic, verbal attack by members of the public at a Stratford Upon Avon market on Saturday morning.

    THEGAYUK.com has learned from volunteers that members of the team were told that their sexuality was “disgusting” as well as being told that an LGBT+ market stall “had no place in Stratford”.

    The team were there to raised awareness and funds for 2018’s Pride event in August.

    The incidents began at 9:00 AM until 12:00 PM when the pride team’s decided to pack up and leave. The incidents have been reported to Warwickshire Police.

    “Upsetting and Distressing”

    Speaking on behalf of Warwickshire Pride, Daniel Browne said, “Although what happened that day has been deeply upsetting and distressing, it has not deterred us from continuing to work for LGBT+ people in Stratford. If anything, we are more determined to ensure that LGBT+ people in Stratford feel safe and able to be who they are. For years, LGBT+ people in Stratford have told us that they do not feel safe there due to hate comments and looks they receive from people. We now fully understand why LGBT+ people in Stratford feel that way and will be doing all we can to ensure this trend does not continue.

    “As for our next steps, we will be contacting Stratford’s MP, Nadhim Zahawi, who has pledged his support for Warwickshire Pride via Twitter. We will also be contacting Stratford District Council, Stratford Town Trust and the company that runs the market to discuss the incidents and what can be done to prevent this from happening in future.

    “Furthermore, we are also organising an equality rally to take place in Stratford-upon-Avon on Saturday 21st April. More details will be made available soon, but we encourage all LGBT+ people and allies to join us as we peacefully say no to hate and yes to equality in every way, as indeed these incidents show that while we have almost full equality in law there is still a long way to go until LGBT+ people are fully accepted socially.

    MP calls out homophobia as “outrageous”

    The MP for Stratford Upon Avon, Nadhim Zahawi took to Twitter reiterate that homophobia would not be tolerated, writing, “This is outrageous and should never happen anywhere. Please make sure your team documents what took place. Important that this abuse is never tolerated. I will work with you and @warkspolice to make sure perpetrators are found & brought to justice.”

    This is outrageous and should never happen anywhere. Please make sure your team documents what took place. Important that this abuse is never tolerated. I will work with you and @warkspolice to make sure perpetrators are found & brought to justice.

    — Nadhim Zahawi (@nadhimzahawi) March 10, 2018

    Warwickshire Pride is an annual event that takes place in Leamington Spa. This year’s event will take place on the 18th August 2018.

  • Read Khakan Qureshi’s amazing Warwickshire Pride speech

    Khakan Qureshi was one of Warwickshire Pride’s key speakers… Read his epic speech about being gay, Muslim and dealing with division.

    Being LGBT isn’t about one-upmanship“my oppression is worse than yours”

    No. Being LGBT and holding the flag is about being able to connect with others, understand each other’s struggles regardless of colour, creed or class and not say I’m  as Good As You but say I’m the SAME as you meaning:

    We Are All Human.

    I might look like a politician, but you can be assured I’m not! 

    I was invited to speak at this event as there was a lack of diversity and the organisers wanted persons from minority ethnic backgrounds. They couldn’t get Rupaul so here I am !”

    In the UK, we commemorate 50 years since the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality. Long gone are the days when many LGBT were in the closet, discreetly knocking on doors, and entering clubs and bars which were underground and only known to the LGBT community. 50 years of challenging the status quo has brought changes and in recent years we have civil partnerships, the right to adopt and foster and equal marriage.

    We talk about diversity and representation but there is also division and derision.

    On the peripheral looking in, the sense of being different can lead to isolation and in my case, it provided me with a different world view.

    In the mainstream, I was too Asian.

    Within the South Asian community, not Asian enough. 

    I didn’t present to the world a confident young man. 

    I was shy, quiet, an introvert. I didn’t fit in with the gender stereotypes like my brothers and peers, who displayed outward signs of being very much heterosexual men – confident, ambitious, competitive, sporty. 

    Whilst I felt more comfortable at home with my mother and sisters, watching TV, helping them cook and clean, offering them style tips on dress and makeup.

    The more apparent forms of homophobia, although I didn’t recognise it as such at the time, and discrimination came from my brothers who would mock and ridicule, my voice, my mannerisms and my close relationships with the females in the household.

    Later, as I shied away from them, I created my own make-believe world in which they didn’t exist. 

    Unfortunately for me, the bullying didn’t just stop with them. It would sometimes rear its ugly head at school. But again, I was protected by female companions and teachers who realised I was different in the sense I was very creative and could express myself very well in the written word. I daren’t speak up too often, especially after having years of torment from my brothers, brothers in law and peers, about how I spoke or sounded which made feel too embarrassed about my voice. 

    When I spoke up at school, it led to all forms of humiliation and name calling. It identified me as “queer, sissy, gay, batty boy” in amongst other name calling such as “Paki, brown boy, coconut “ and variations on how to pronounce my name –

    Being Muslim and gay, you don’t just deal with coming to terms with it. There’s the cultural oppression and religious guilt to contend with.

    But I was fortunate.

    When I came out, aged 22 to my mum 26 years ago, she said whatever makes you happy makes me happy. 

    And my happiness stems from being in an interracial relationship of 26 years. 

    But in recent years, with the rise of homophobia, bi-phobia, transphobia and Islamophobia, it makes me wonder how far we, as an LGBT community, have really come?

    As a South Asian Muslim gay man, I thought I was part of the LGBT community and found more labels – “curry queen, otters, chapatti queen, bears, rice queen, twinks, daddies” etc. 

    We don’t want our lives and identity defined by labels. 

    I don’t want to be boxed in because of the colour of my skin, my religiosity, my age, my relationships, my sexual orientation. I want to be allowed to be me, burst out of that box and say to the world I am what I am. 

    Religion appears to oppress the LGBT community.

    Being LGBT isn’t about one-upmanship “my oppression is worse than yours” or “Muslims persecute gays, therefore, being white LGBT gives you higher privileges”. 

    No. Being LGBT and holding the flag is about being able to connect with others, understand each other’s struggles regardless of colour, creed or class and not say I’m  as Good As You but say I’m  the SAME as you meaning We Are All Human. 

    Being LGBT, being human means reaching out and overcoming obstacles and difficulties, offering support and understanding, demonstrating compassion and delivering words which say I am with you all the way. 

    We are continually looking outside when we really need to look on the inside and face reality.  

    We are LGBT and your truth is not the same as mine. 

    What I do know is that we need to navigate our own lives in the here and now, be mindful of our circumstances and safety, and not look to what others say or all the yesterdays. 

    Martin Luther King said, “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred” 

    Acknowledge the past as we can’t change history, try and live for today as we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. 

    Whilst we are trying to be citizens of the world, let’s try and educate and inform others about the A-Z of identities to make future generations more understanding and accepting.

  • Pride flag will fly for Warwickshire Pride

    Pride flag will fly for Warwickshire Pride

    The Rainbow Pride flag will now fly in Leamington Spa for the county’s Pride.

    Swindon and Wiltshire Pride 2015

    The town hall in Leamington Spa will now fly the internationally recognized symbol for LGBT+ pride, the Rainbow flag, this weekend to celebrate Pride in the city.

    A spokeswoman for the council told THEGAYUK,

    “I am pleased to confirm that the Town Hall will be flying the Pride flag from 9am to 5pm on Saturday 20th August.”

    Warwick District Council had come under criticism after refusing to fly the rainbow flag during Warwickshire Pride, a petition was launched with many who signed,  describing their disappointment with the council’s original decision.

    Daniel Browne, the organizer of Pride said,

    “Thank you to everyone who has supported this campaign. By sending supportive messages, writing to Warwick District Council, highlighting this issue and signing the petition that was running, you have contributed to bringing positive change and progress to Leamington Spa. For that we are eternally grateful.

     “A number of Warwick District Councillors and Leamington Town Councillors have shown support during this issue. A thank you must be extended to them for supporting the LGBT+ community.

    “Finally, a thank must also go to Chris White MP, who has again shown himself to be an ally of the LGBT+ community by supporting the rainbow flag being flown at Leamington Spa Town Hall and for his intervention in this issue.”

    Warwickshire Pride takes this weekend in the Pump Room Gardens in Leamington Spa from 11:00AM to 6:00PM.

     

    TheGAYUK is a proud media sponsor of Warwickshire Pride.

  • Warwick Council refuses to fly LGBT rainbow flag on Town Hall

    Warwick Council refuses to fly LGBT rainbow flag on Town Hall

    Warwick District Council have come under criticism after refusing to fly the rainbow flag during Warwickshire Pride.

    Photo Credit - Paul Szabo
    Photo Credit – Paul Szabo

    The organisers of Warwickshire Pride have raised concerns with Warwick District Council after it said it would not fly the rainbow flag, at a town hall, during the county’s main pride event, which takes place in Leamington Spa on 20th August.

    Daniel Browne, who founded Warwickshire Pride said that he wrote to the council to find out about the possibility of flying the rainbow flag during Warwickshire Pride. Mr Browne also enquired whether flags could be flown along Leamington Spa’s high street during the event.

    A number of towns and cities across the UK, have raised rainbow flags to show their solidarity with the LGBT community after the Orlando massacre killed 49 people in June.

    Matter of policy?

    However, Councillor Andrew Mobbs, Leader of Warwick District Council replied that flags can only be flown for national events, not local ones. The leader remarked that this was not a new policy.

    Spaces for flags on Leamington Spa’s high street are taken up by the Bowls Championships.

    Further investigation by Mr Browne revealed that no such policy exists.

    Mr Browne said,

    “On Friday 29th July, I was contacted by a local councillor. He informed me that he has discovered that Warwick District Council do not have a flag policy.

    “This is deeply concerning, as Cllr Mobbs specifically mentioned a council flag policy in his original email to me.”

    Across the UK there are around 62 prides, with the bulk of events taking place to celebrate the LGBT community in July and August.

    Entrance Flag

    The council have confirmed that there will be a flag flown, but only at the entrance of Jepson Gardens – directly opposite the pride site – but not at the Town Hall.

    Mr Browne continued.

    I did raise concerns that he had not addressed the rainbow flag flying at the Town Hall and I asked him some direct questions about it. I asked for an explanation of the flag policy so I can understand it a bit more, asked who was involved in the decision making, and also whether it means Cllr Mobbs does not recognise Pride as a national event.

    “All we ask is that the LGBT+ community in Leamington Spa receive the same visible support that councils around the UK show to their communities for Pride. A small gesture would go a very long way.”

    A petition has been launched in which the Warwickshire Pride organisers “ask that the LGBT+ community in Leamington Spa receive the same visible support that councils around the UK show to their communities for Pride. A small gesture would go a very long way.”

    This isn’t the first case of a council deciding against flying a flag – Aldington near Oxford refused to fly a flag recently after a vote by the town’s council defeated the motion to fly a flag during Oxford Pride 2017.

    The Pride Flag flies outside the Scottish Parliament during the Opening of the fifth session of the Scottish Parliament. 02 July 2016. Pic - Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament
    The Pride Flag flies outside the Scottish Parliament during the Opening of the fifth session of the Scottish Parliament. 02 July 2016. Pic – Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament

    In stark contrast, Pride flags were flown over Scotland’s parliament during Edinburgh Pride and Norwich’s town hall went to town with flags – and rainbow bunting on the front of its building.

    THEGAYUK reached out to Warwick District Council for comment.

  • OP ED | Smaller Prides Matter Too

    On Saturday 20th August, the fourth Warwickshire Pride festival will take place at the Pump Room Gardens in Leamington Spa.

    For a small town in a rural county, it’s a massive achievement that the festival happens each year. With many LGBT people living in villages and not necessarily having access to other LGBT people or services, Warwickshire Pride is an important event in the calendar as it provides the types of opportunities that are non-existent for much of the year.

    Warwickshire Pride is a colourful celebration of LGBT life and culture, but also aims to channel the spirit of the Pride movement in its original form. There is a lot of campaigning and interesting talks on the day that cover a variety of important topics. There is also an opportunity for Warwickshire’s LGBT community to access services that they may not ordinarily feel able to, with organisations such as Terrence Higgins Trust, Mind, and a plethora of other voluntary sector groups in attendance. If LGBT people need help with housing, substance abuse, mental health issues, sexual health concerns or anything else, they can access support at Warwickshire Pride.

    Unfortunately, in Warwickshire hate crimes against LGBT people are relatively common. In fact, due to a perceived rise in hate crimes against LGBT people in Warwickshire over the past two years, I launched the Leamington Spa Equality Rally in 2015 and lobbied the Police in order to gain more support for the community. Sadly, smaller towns and villages can have quite narrow minded views of the world, and they’re not necessarily the most LGBT friendly places to be. This is another reason why Warwickshire Pride taking place is so important; because it provides a safe and welcoming environment where LGBT people can be themselves.

    Although it’s important that Pride events in smaller, regional, rural locations take place, it is also a huge struggle to continue to put them on. At Warwickshire Pride we have minimal sponsorship, not a great amount of funding, and it’s a seriously hard task every single year to get enough money together to make the event happen. I keep being told that gaining sponsorship is the way forward. Believe me, I’ve tried. Every year I contact a large amount of companies in an attempt to build a relationship with them and obtain some form of sponsorship. Sadly, I rarely receive a response. When I do, it’s to say that they don’t sponsor events.
    This has been the case with one of Britain’s largest supermarkets in each of the past four years. Despite them proudly sponsoring Pride In London this year, I am told by that supermarket that they do not sponsor events. I can only come to the conclusion that they want to tick a box and be seen to support the LGBT community, but when it comes down to showing some support at a grassroots level, they’re not interested.

    Luckily, I have an LGBT friend who works as a community champion at my local branch. He has kindly agreed to supply water for the volunteers at Warwickshire Pride, but that’s as far as it goes.

    It’s not just this one supermarket. Another well-known retailer have also said that they don’t sponsor events, yet I’ve seen them support larger Pride festivals in the past.

    A world-famous locally based underwear specialist also said they don’t sponsor events. One week after telling me that, it was announced that they were sponsoring another local event that’s probably seen as being more family friendly.

    The lies genuinely bother me. Sometimes I’d rather companies were honest and said that they don’t want to support a small event or they don’t want to support an LGBT event. I’d respect them slightly more for that.

    The media can be a nightmare too; even the LGBT press, with THEGAYUK being a fine exception to the rule. Locally, an event like Leamington’s carnival gains huge local press coverage and front page stories whenever they like. Yet, when I contact the press or send press releases, they’re not always covered. When they are, it’s always about mid-way through the paper where many people may not see the article. With the LGBT media, it seems to be about making money out of Prides rather than genuinely supporting them. For example, a very well-known gay magazine got in touch because they wanted to support Warwickshire Pride, but when it came down to the details, they actually wanted hundreds of pounds to send out one post on Facebook that promoted Warwickshire Pride. Similarly, a regional LGBT magazine said that they could sponsor Warwickshire Pride. However, it involved us paying them £500 for the privilege. In the end, I reluctantly agreed to it because I’m aware of the need to promote the festival and the magazine reaches Warwickshire Pride’s primary target audience.

    All of the above has at times made me feel disillusioned with it all.

    If I’m being truly honest, I sometimes wonder why I bother organising Warwickshire Pride when it’s always a struggle and there is such a lack of support compared to that which other Prides receive. But then I remind myself of the thousands of people who attend each year and how important it is to the local LGBT community that they have a Pride event. It’s the only thing that keeps me going.

    The point of this article isn’t about having a moan about how hard it is and saying “poor me” or “poor Warwickshire Pride”. It’s more about highlighting the challenges of putting on a Pride event in a smaller, regional, rural location, and having a bit of a call to arms. I’d like to encourage everyone to support smaller Pride events.

    They’re the ones that make a huge difference to the lives of their local LGBT communities. Without them, there would be nothing for LGBT people in those areas. It’s fantastic that Prides such as London, Brighton, Birmingham and Manchester take place, and it’s great to see them do so well. But please don’t forget about the small, grassroots Prides. They need your support now more than ever.

    Follow Daniel Browne on Twitter

    The opinions expressed in this opinion piece may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management, editorial or connected 3rd parties. If you wish to contribute to you can click here to find out more.

  • Powerhouse Gay ICON Angie Brown Wows Warwickshire Pride

    Powerhouse vocalist Angie Brown brought the house, well the field down, at yesterday’s Pride event in Warwickshire.

    The Pride which is in its third year, saw thousands of people coming together to celebrate LGBT diversity in Leamington Spa, with the message of “Drop The Label”. The headliner Angie Brown took to the stage to sing hit songs to a cheering crowd, including Why Waste Your Time. At one point jumping off the stage and joining the dancing spectators on the grass.

    One pride goer, James Newington, said: “She was just incredible. Love her, she’s such a gay icon.”

    Thousands of people turned up to the Pump Room Gardens in Warwickshire in the sunshine and enjoyed over 7 hours of entertainment.

    The Pride’s organiser, Dan Browne praised the volunteers and team who helped to put on the event and promiser of a big and better pride in 2016.

  • XFACTOR Wagner PLUGS Hair Transplant at PRIDE EVENT

    Last night the crowds at Warwickshire Pride were subjected to a hair plug and face lift sales pitch from past X FACTOR contestant Wagner.

    The former X FACTOR star received a number of boos from the audience at Warwickshire Pride as he plugged his hair plugs after singing a short set, throwing in a sales pitch for a non-surgical face-lift to the waiting crowd.

    The 58-year-old, wild-haired former PE teacher joked that the UK’s weather had knocked a “few tiles’ from his roof and that he had enlisted the help from a hair clinic to ensure that his famous long locks remained intact. He also proceeded to bring up two members of a beauty clinic who he said performed non-surgical face lifts.

    Wagner wears the t-shirt emblazoned with the logo of the hair clinic he claims helps him maintain his famous hair do.

    One Pride-goer remarked,

    “it was disgusting, he turned up performed for 20 minutes, tried to hock hair transplants and face lifts, the crowd weren’t very supportive. It felt like a live TV Ad!”

    Wagner, who usually wows audience with his outrageous costumes wore a simple white t-shirt baring the name of the hair clinic, joked with the crowd and sang a line from the Pussycat Doll’s hit, Don’t You Wish Your Boyfriend Was Hot Like Me.

     

     

  • OPINION | Has pride lost its way?

    Pride events have been happening in the UK since the 70s, with new ones currently popping up every year. But have they lost their original meaning? Are they now just about getting drunk and partying?

    I think so.

    For me Pride events are essential. They provide an opportunity for the LGBT community to be visible and show the world that they exist in many forms. However I do feel that over the years the original meaning of Pride has been lost. When the first Prides started taking place all those years ago it was a human rights and political movement aimed at showing we exist and want the same rights and freedoms as everyone else. Cut to 2013 and it seems to be a big party and the activism slant appears to now be a small part of the wider occasion, certainly from the Pride events that I have been to. They are now huge commercial events and people only seem interested in what performers there will be and which club to go to in the evening. It really saddens me because I believe there is so much more to Pride.

    This year I went to Birmingham Pride with the LGBTQ youth support charity that I run. We marched in the Pride parade with placards referencing comments made by MP’s in the marriage equality debate. It was slightly tongue in cheek but the meaning was clear. It was about politics and the rights of LGBT people. It was a protest. It was also probably the best Pride experience I have had. I felt like I was spreading an important message and doing my bit for our rights and freedoms. Admittedly I did then party a bit and watched the Cheeky Girls (to my slight embarrassment I am a huge fan), but the day wasn’t all about the party.

    With all of those things in mind, I began setting about organising my county’s first ever Pride event, Warwickshire Pride. There’s a growing buzz around it and many people are asking who will be performing (Chica Latina from Britain’s Got Talent if you must know), but the emphasis of this Pride is on celebrating diversity and highlighting what Pride events were originally about. The strap line for Warwickshire Pride is ‘celebrating diversity in the community’ and that’s what it’s all about; bringing people from different communities together and demonstrating the struggle that LGBT people have had whilst also showing the massive progress there has been. Yes, there will be performers and entertainment through the day. Yes there will be a huge after-party when the sun sets. But Warwickshire Pride will primarily be a peaceful protest with a message.

    Warwickshire lags behind many parts of the country, with much homophobia and opposition to the progression of our rights (I’ve personally been beaten, abused and barred from a pub for being gay), so perhaps that is a reason why I feel the need for this Pride to have a big element of activism as part of it, but I truly feel that it is an element that Prides up and down the country would benefit from introducing more of.

    Pride started off as a protest. It still should be.

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • OPINION | When Pride Was About Pulling

    Gay Pride events, what wonderful things they are. These days I like to get fully involved in the true meaning of pride and have an active role in community aspects of it.

    I am even organising my county’s first ever Pride (www.warwickshirepride.co.uk). But there was a time in the not too distant past when going to Pride was all about pulling.

    One year when I was particularly ‘mad fer it’, I went to Birmingham Pride with the intention of getting extremely drunk and copping off with as many guys as I could. How disappointed I was when it didn’t work out quite like that. What was even more disappointing was seeing each person I was at Pride with getting off with someone or at least having somebody show an interest. Even my heterosexual step-mother got hit on by a lesbian, but I had absolutely no interest in me at all. I know, how can that be possible?

    I spent the afternoon at the famous Nightingale Club in Birmingham with my friends and step-mother. It was a typically rain drenched Pride day so we had decided to take shelter and get drunk. I went to the toilet with my step-mother to get dried off. At this point a guy armed with a bag full of hairdressing equipment said he would style my step-mothers hair (as you do in a unisex toilet at Gay Pride – anything goes, I guess). Upon leaving the toilet my step-mother had been transformed from a drowned rat into a glamourpuss courtesy of the dude carrying a hairdressing kit around Pride all day. As she strutted towards the bar, heads were turning and one particular woman walked up to her and said “alright darling”. My step-mother thought it was hilarious. I was horrified. Why was she getting hit on and I wasn’t?

    I eventually saw the funny side of it and continued with my plan to pull. Once my step-mother had gone home and I was more able to misbehave, I began picking out the guys that I wanted to get jiggy with. Alas, more disappointment awaited. Nobody reciprocated the not so innocent feelings I had. Worse still, a girl I was with pulled a woman and my male mate pulled a man dressed as Queen Elizabeth 1st, which was quite bizarre actually.

    Eventually, I resigned myself to the fact I wasn’t even going to get a Pride snog. So I got very drunk and shook what my mama gave me in the club that night. But the next morning something unexpected happened.

    I was sharing a hotel room with my friend who had previously decided he was into guys that dress as Queen Elizabeth 1st, and somehow found myself in a tryst with him. It was nice. It was familiar. It wasn’t what I had intended, but sometimes these things just happen.

    So although I did pull, I don’t really count it as it wasn’t with somebody I didn’t know. I went home feeling incredibly disappointed that I had failed in my task. My strike rate had been very high, but perhaps I just tried too hard that weekend.

    Looking back, I am not too impressed with the way I conducted myself and now realise there is so much more to life than getting off with guys, and indeed more to Pride than pulling. However, on the other hand, I am glad I was like that because it has provided me with plenty of entertaining stories to tell my mates down the pub, and also some that I can share here.

    However you view Pride and whatever you get up to while you are there, the only thing I must insist on is that you have pride in yourself and enjoy it. If you see it as an opportunity to pull, then go for it and be safe. If you see it as a time to protest and focus on the issues that LGBT people face, then I salute you and again say go for it. Pride can be whatever you want it to be.

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.