THEGAYUK

Author: Richard Glen

  • Anne Kirkbride And The End Of An Era

    We have lost a real TV legend. The warmth and genuine sorrow expressed at the tragic death of Anne Kirkbride shows how over four decades, the character of Deirdre Barlow had earned a place in more than just the Soap Hall of Fame.

    Think of that character – first there were the distinctive physical characteristics; the big glasses of course, the unique vocal tics and the neck vein that was so prominent it had Facebook pages devoted to it. Then you focus in on the stories and the moments.

    Scrambling desperately through the scattered contents of a lorry that had crashed into The Rovers, looking for Baby Tracey.

    Marrying Ken in the same week as the Royal Wedding and being the only woman, aside from Camilla, who came close to stealing focus from Diana.

    ”Free Deirdre”

    And of course… The Ken-Deirdre-Mike Baldwin love triangle.

    It is not exaggerating to say that the character of Deirdre was at the centre of some of the most watched and talked about TV moments of the past 40 years.

    These were big moments. To coin that horrible American phrase, watercooler moments. But such moments are getting rarer. In a time of Netflix and it’s VOD rivals and hundreds of digital TV channels, the days when a number in excess of 20 million people would sit down and watch a single TV show are long gone.

    The soaps of course still have that power to occasionally produce storylines that land on the front of the tabloids, as do reality shows. But with an increasingly splintered audience even they are not quite the big conversation pieces they would have been even 10 years ago.

    Binge watching means that we of course still talk about telly. Witness a group of Breaking Bad devotees getting together. But we now tend to watch at our own pace. The idea of a family gathering in the living room to stare at the box in the corner and watch the same thing at the same time is becoming increasing quaint, the relic of a pre internet age.

    The mourning for Anne Kirkbride is a sign of a character that we have watched several times a week over the past forty years who was part of big moments we have shared. Moments that made millions of us stop and watch.

    When Ken and Deirdre were eventually reconciled, the news was announced on the scoreboard at Old Trafford during a game between Manchester United and Arsenal. It read: “Ken and Deirdre reunited. Ken – 1, Mike – 0.” If such a storyline happened now, it would be all over Twitter and Facebook or we’d wait to catch up online at the weekend.

    TV has changed. How we watch it has changed too. In a world of often bewildering choice though, there is still a place for sharp writing and strong acting. But now technology means that we are as likely to find it as our own speed, sometimes years after the TV shows we obsess over were first produced. There may never be a soap plot that gets tens of millions of us holding our breath one night quite like Deirdre being sent to jail or the time that Mike Baldwin knocked on the door. But for those of who us who saw it, discussed it and lived it we will never forget Anne Kikbride. She was part of our conversation. She was part of our lives.

     

    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.

  • Falling Out Of Love With Facebook

    It’s happened three times already this year. Either it’s a trend or I should start taking it very personally… Messages from Facebook acquaintances sweetly explaining that they were frightfully sorry but they were streamlining their contacts lists to close chums only but hope our paths cross in future… Blah blah blah.

    A quick, unscientific survey of a few friends reveals that it’s not just me this has happened to. Coupled with a large number of people I know who as of 2015 have resolved to use Facebook less, it’s clear that there is a shift going on in our relationship with social media.

    We all know the Facebook friend collectors. Hell, I was once myself. That 5,000 friend limit that Team Zuckerberg imposed became less a ceiling, more a personal challenge. And in a blinding bit of maths, us friend collectors cottoned on that more friends equals more likes equals winning in the popularity stakes. Or giving the impression of it at the very least. You’re never alone with 5,000 online friends right? Right??

    The other snag of friend collecting; that potential headspin of a mismatch between online popularity and the real world. Why go out and mix with people when one can save the bus fare and interact from a laptop?

    But after sitting gawping at a news feed of viral car crash videos, pictures of dinners and the nagging thought of Who The Hell Are You People?, friend collecting soon becomes fairly redundant. With a contact list of several thousand people, social media ceases being a fun, informative ammendum to life and starts being an unpaid administration gig.

    With numbers of monthly users steadily dropping, privacy concerns and controversy over censorship and user name policy, it’s getting more difficult to feel the Facebook love. But the truth is that for all its many flaws, it remains a massively useful resource for keeping in touch and promotion. The downside being of course that overfamiliarity breeds contempt.

    If there is a conscious move to slim down our Facebook account in 2015, then the biggest shock is it’s taken this long for social media fatigue to kick in. Back at the start it was a new platform and no one knew quite how to use it. When it exploded, it became a vehicle for anything and everything. There are times when the sheer weight of images and information that clog our home pages on an average day are overwhelming.

    So much to process. And there are times that just keeping up with everything is a struggle. That feature we all liked about FB at the start, the sharing of information and keeping in touch made easy, has turned it into hard work. No wonder there is a shift towards Back To Basics.

    The former FB buddies who sent me the apologetic message and then hit delete may just have the right idea. A social media experience that is smaller, more ruthlessly edited and, heaven forbd, features only people you know from the offline world and actually like… The numbers of names on the list may drop. But as an exercise in quality over quantity, it may just be the thing that saves Facebook and its like from one day being that website we all used to use in the early 2000s.

     

    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.

  • INTERVIEW: From Kentucky With Love: Photgrapher Jon Eland

    Jon Eland is a Leeds based photographer who has steadily built a strong reputation for intelligent, inventive male portraiture.

    2014 was his most prolific year to date and seen his work receive wider recognition, including a solo exhibition in his home city this summer which won much attention as well as some excellent reviews.

    For his latest project, KY Guys, Jon has turned his sights across the Atlantic bringing a British sensibility to a series of portraits of men all hailing from the US State of Kentucky, the result of a recent trip to the city of Louisville.

    RG: How does a Yorkshireman wind up taking photographs in Kentucky?

    JE: Back in 2010 I was running a Leeds-based photography group and we held an exhibition. At that exhibition a representative of the local council asked if we’d consider hosting a photographer from Louisville, Kentucky. After we clarified the reason why, that Leeds is partnered with the city and he was looking to capture some of Leeds to share with the good folk of his own city – I said ‘sure… and how about one of us makes the return trip?’

    After the council agreed to the idea, discussions were had and I was nominated to make the trip. I visited twice representing the city and my group – in 2011 and 2012 and then took a break.

    2014 saw me return entirely under my own steam – essentially as a vacation and to see some of the many friends I’d made in Kentucky.

     

    RG: It’s clearly a place you have great affection for. What is it that draws you back? The people clearly but it also sounds like it’s fast become a second home.

    Absolutely! It’s one of those places that, on the surface, looks like a normal American city – and at the ‘big’ level a bit like my own. But once you peel away the top layer you get to an interesting liberal city with a strong blend of cultures and a great attitude to the arts.

     

    RG: One of the things I love about KY Guys is it does feel very natural and unaffected. And the location is great. Where was it shot?

    JE: The location is a unit situated close to the city centre that my friend, Michael, has owned for a number of years. It’s been offices for most of its life – initially for the tobacco industry. But he’s currently renovating it to be an AirBNB location.

    I loved it cos of the great natural light. It’s got 3 tall windows either side – both north and south facing.

     

    RG: It looks a great space. Did it influence the style of the series? You mentioned the natural light and there is something very relaxed and at ease about the photographs that makes it feel different to the usual set of male nudes?

    JE: That was intentional. In my previous visit I shot Alex (who also appears in KY Guys) in an alley and the light there was great. I’d seen some of Michael’s shots in the space and wanted to give it a go; having had limited experience with natural light nudes – especially inside.

    I intentionally stayed away from more traditional erotically charged imagery – I wanted the guys to be themselves, relaxed with (hopefully) a hint of seduction. I also chose the non-commercial route of a mixture of guys. I’m not someone who believes in adhering to types or tribe-chasing – so it was great to get a mix – I just wish I had been there longer and got an even greater diversity.

     

    RG: Yes, it is a pretty diverse series of guys that you’ve featured. How did you find them? I assume they’re all locals.

    Yeah – they’re all living within a 20 mile radius of the studio space. In preparation I contacted some through modelling sites, but the majority were guys I found through the mobile apps – so I guess I should thank Growlr and Scruff for the intros!

     

    RG: Hahaha… Those apps have so many uses!! But I guess that also means there are quite a few who had never modeled before?

    JE: Yes – the majority in fact. And, while there were some nerves, all the guys were fairly up for it. I ensured they all knew they had as a minimum to get their shirts off, but many were quite happy to be completely naked. I’m guessing the unseasonably warm weather at the time helped (it was 30°+ in early Oct – and I needed a/c to keep the place cool enough to work in!)

    But feedback has been great – all of them are still in touch with me – many added to my extensive Louisville Facebook family.

    I do wonder if some were taken in by the English charm and Yorkshire brogue though.

     

    RG: You should ask them…! As someone who has also photographed many British chaps, and I know that this is a terribly general question, but did you find any difference between working with US and UK guys?

    JE: I think Americans in general are brought up to put themselves ‘out there’ a bit more than we are, and I think this helped with the attitude, along with the concept of being offered free photos a bit more unusual in that city. I found it easier to convince them – however I suspect my being from elsewhere made it easier for them too.

    But once in front of the camera there was little difference in terms of response, attitude and personality.

     

    RG: So a happy experience then?

    I think it was a great collaboration – I learnt loads and the experience of working (and getting people to buy into your activities) in a city far from home is always scary – but generally less of a challenge than you think. Of course the language barrier was a problem – but these things you can get over.

    Once someone’s naked it’s all about treating them with respect and keeping up the banter so you get the right expressions, poses and personality from them.

     

    RG: And it’s great that the feedback from the guys themselves has been so positive. Are there plans to exhibit it in Louisville? Or indeed elsewhere?

    JE: I’m still in the process of editing the photos, shooting 20 guys in a number of poses generates a lot of images – which take some time and, as with all the best creatives, I excel at being distracted by other things! But, I’m looking forward to getting a full set and seeing what I can achieve – at very least there will be a couple of publications made available in the future. I’d love to exhibit the images – and would love to hear from anyone interested in this.

    For now, I’m simply providing a teaser in the way of the 13 guys in the 2015 calendar.

    RG: And a fine teaser it is too! You mentioned working in a city far from home. Does this mean it’s something you want to repeat elsewhere?

    JE: I’m always open to ideas and opportunities. However I’ve also worked in both Sitges and a fishing village in East Lothian and consider all interesting opportunities as they make themselves known. A great example of this is that this time last year I had no interest in Latex and by March I was photo documenting the Manchester Rubberman weekend – in a rubber kilt!

     

    RG: Wow! That is quite a turnaround!! And totally different from KY Guys. Clearly you have quite a few diverse projects on the go. It seems to go without saying then that variety and new challenges are something you welcome as an artist.

    JE: I think it’s important as a photographer to try new things – whether it’s learning empathy with your models by sitting for other photographers yourself or by throwing yourself into strange environments – a week following the drag queen, Lady Diamond in Sitges is another thing I never imagined myself doing before I arrived on location!

     

    RG: What do you think you learnt from the Kentucky project and how might it shape your work in future?

    JE: I learned I love the city even more and would love to work there in the longer term, that naked men in great light take any of the chore from photography and that trying to source and shoot 20 guys in 10 days is a little tiring. But mostly that Kentucky men are soooooo hot!

     

    RG: I think we can all agree about Kentucky Men! I understand that KY Guys is only one of the projects that’s made 2014 a big year for you?

    JE: Yeah – 2014 has been phenomenal At the end of 2013 I did a review gallery of all the guys I shot and thought I’d never surpass that but this year has included (in no special order) the Rubberman weekend, photographing Stuart Hatton – Mr Gay UK (and now World) as a honey bee, documenting Carnaval for Gay Guide Sitges – as well as exhibiting for Brighton, Manchester and Leeds Prides – which included a solo exhibition in Leeds of work in progress for my long running ‘Veiled ‘ project.

    I’m ending the year, equally weirdly, making portraits of models from the northern English porn industry – never a dull day in my lens!

     

  • The Trouble With New Year

    So how are the New Year’s resolutions going? You made at least one, right?

    First of all, a big congratulations to us all for getting through New Year’s Eve unscathed. I don’t know when it happened but NYE became a young person’s game. Us old timers (i.e over 25’s) nod and mutter sagely about inflated entry prices and crowds. And this we invented to New Year House Party. Your first 31st December dinner party really should be ticked off the list as a rite of passage. With double maturity points if you are the one hosting.

    New Year has turned into hard work. Firstly there was the question of where to be at midnight. And trying to escape it has become virtually impossible as even an early night becomes a tough call due to the inevitable 12AM fireworks acting as a cruel taunt that someone somewhere might just be having more fun elsewhere.

    The pressure of a new year does not end there. I remember a few years ago doing a temp job in early January at the call centre of a very well known chain of slimming clubs – they need extra staff as it is there busiest period, thanks to New Year resolutioners.

    But of course, 2015 will be a whole different kettle of healthily grilled fish (and hold the dressing – I’m on a diet). Every single one of us who takes out a new gym subscription in the coming days will still be hitting the treadmill this time in 2016.

    Like hell.

    Personally I never get why we all opt from early November onward that once we can start a new diary, then that will be D Day to lose weight / exercise more / quit smoking / drink less. You say new year = new start, I say procrastination.

    True though that the week between 25th December and 1st January has seen eating and drinking the cupboards crammed with the mammoth Christmas food shop clear become a tradition. And I know I am as guilty of gluttony over the holidays as anyone else. I weighed myself last week and that I didn’t burst into tears, I count as my first real achievement of 2015.

    But when sat at home, buried alive under a pile of Ferrero Rocher wrappers and empty wine bottles, the diet and fitness industry are far more visible that at any other time to guilt trip us all into attempting self improvement and feed into body anxieties. So the pressure is on.

    Naysayers will say that the vast majority of New Year’s resolution are in tatters by mid January. So this year I’m taking a different approach. And please forgive me if I sound some like god awful self help book. But like the majority of the world it seems, I’ll be cutting down the crap starting from now on. A necessary evil as my stomach is bearing the signs of the collateral damage of a mince pie or three too many. I also know that at some point I am going to fall off the wagon and reach for the chocolate. But this year, here’s what I humbly suggest – a part of this whole New Year’s resolution shizzle should be taking a step back, understanding why we break them and getting back into it.

    Because what the slick, big money slimming clubs and discounted gym membership emails fail to mention is it’s not easy. In fact, it’s bloody hard work.

     

    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.

  • My day as an EXTRA on Corrie

    When I was asked ”Do you fancy a day in The Rover’s Return this Christmas?”, it took a fraction of a millisecond to say yes. If nowt else I was open to the possibility of uncovering some juicy backstage dirt. Purely in the name of investigative reporting of course.

    The politically correct term for them these days is ”background artistes”. Everyone still calls them ”extras” though to be honest. They are the people you see in movies and TV shows, fleshing out the screen and adding depth and presence; whether the thousands of mourners in the funeral scene in Gandhi or a handful of punters in the pub on Coronation Street.

    I must say I am not the most regular of viewers these days but Corrie will always have a special place in my heart. Still going strong after over 50 years of existence, it’s influence and importance can not be overstated. On a personal note, I remember how it was the only telly show my dear old mum considered unmissable. I’m also old enough to get a touch misty-eyed at the slightest mention of Elsie Tanner (aka The Greatest TV Character Ever).

    Production of the show has moved out of Manchester in recent years to a purpose built studio complex at Media City, Salford. The studio is just yards away from BBC North and the legendary cobbles and familiar terraced houses are a stone’s throw from the sleek glass and metal, Blader Runner-esque buildings of Salford Quays.

    On arrival at reception, extras are ushered into a nearby area called The Hub, a holding area where we await further instruction. With its white and bright orange walls, it is not dissimilar to the breakfast room of a budget hotel. Trays of ITV branded mugs sit in a small kitchen area, next to a fridge crammed with milk and loaves of bread. After making coffee and toast, it was time to sit and wait to be told the plan for the day.

    Young assistants, or runners, rush in and out in their unofficial uniform of hoodies, battered jeans and Converse. They clutch clipboards loaded with lists and wear headsets constantly connecting them to the show’s Mission Control, as vital as life support to the smooth running of a logistical juggernaut like The Street. The runners are friendly enough but have the brisk, no-nonsense manner of people well drilled in getting disparate tribes of people from A to B with minimum fuss on a daily basis.

    I asked our runner, Paul, if the novelty of working on Corrie ever wore off.

    ”It does become just a job, yeah. But when you tell someone where you work and see the reaction, you remember it is a cool place to be working.”

    Paul took us across into the studio, a vast low ceiling hangar-like space. Off the main walkway are the individual sets; rows of plywood boxes with words like ”The Kabin” and ”Bookies Flat” written on the back of them. Moving through the studio, I caught brief glimpses of familiar rooms through gaps in the flimsy walls.

    After a brief delay, we were taken onto our set; The Rover’s Return. An obvious statement but the first impression was that it looks just like it does on the telly but smaller and darker.

    The scenes we were filming were short and light in tone. They were for the Christmas episodes, so the pub was festively decorated including a string of silver tinsel around the picture of the much missed Betty Turpin on the wall. That made the inner long term viewer inside me go “Aw”.

    Us extras were briefed on what we were doing and when and where to move and work on the scenes commenced very shortly after. Film and TV making can be notoriously slow moving and exacting, but turning out over two hours of television a week Coronation Street is factory like in approach. Flubbed lines or technical hitches cause only the briefest of breaks in the production line and it resumes at a relentless pace.

    From my privileged position as ”Man At Bar Reading Wetherfield Gazette” I eavesdropped as the regular cast on set gossiped, joked and chatted between takes. Listening to it all seemed to me so, for want of a better word, normal. As they discussed weekend plans and showed each other YouTube clips on their phones, it felt exactly like the light, time killing banter that takes place in a million other workplaces day in and day out. Although not many workplaces have a cabinet packed full of BAFTAs and Royal Television Society Awards in the foyer admittedly. The cast shared private jokes, talked about family and gently teased each other; the universal language of professional colleagues who get on well together.

    It stands to reason actually. With their grinding schedules and constant demands, Coronation Street and the other long running soaps are the actor’s equivalent of a 9 to 5 office job. And just like in any other place of work, there is even a spot of office politics as I overheard a couple of long standing stars having a grumble about management. Discretion, of course, prevents me from naming names. That and I would quite like to be invited back one day.

    So I can’t say I was privy to any major revelations or noteworthy nuggets of gossip during my visit to The Rovers. However next time I read one of the show’s stars tell an interviewer how the cast are One Big Happy Family, I’m now slightly less likely to write it off as PR bull and roll my eyes in cynicism.

    This Christmas On Coronation Street:

    Will Gary Ruin Christmas? Does Kylie stand to lose everything? Find out in the Christmas Day Episode on ITV1 at 8pm.

  • Can You Spend Christmas Homo Alone?

    I blame all those bloody Christmas songs. Think of all the ones written about being on your own for the festive season. Okay, now try thinking of one that is not a mournful wrist slasher.

    As I thought.

    Right now I have no plans for Christmas and highly likely to be home alone on the 25th. Frankly it’s not keeping me awake at night and if anything Plan B, taking advantage of one day I don’t have to be somewhere else and attempting to claw back a tiny part of this year’s sleep debt, has a lot of appeal.

    However, tell some people you’re planning a lone Yuletide and watch their eyes widen in horror;

    ”YOU CAN’T DO THAT!!!”

    The following mix of horror and faux sympathy is akin to having admitted to contracting a rare, nasty tropical skin condition. Or even worse, being a UKIP supporter.

    The assumption is that despite your protests that it’s all fine and that a solo Christmas is no big deal, you must be putting a brave face on it. Or a confirmed Christmas hater. Not true. At worse it’s an inconvenience; a day off work for sure, but the gym is shut and there is no popping out for a medium Americano and a biscotti at the local generic coffee chain branch should the urge arise.

    And this year I really must remember to buy two days worths of fags on the 24th as trying to find a petrol station that’s open for emergency supplies after running is quite annoying.

    Christmas can be a challenge for the single gay. For myself, the circumstances are my parents are long gone, closest friends are many miles away and other acquaintances are with their own flesh and blood. Or spending it with their current life partners. The very thought of gatecrashing a couple-y Christmas Day makes me queasy. Nobody wants to play gooseberry next to the cranberry jelly.

    I really don’t feel like I’m missing out though. It’s cool to post on Facebook about just how much you despise Christmas (these posts start to appear around late August, judging from my newsfeed) or to witter on about how magical it is. But no one often talks about being ambivalent about it. There are bits I quite like but let’s face facts here, folks; it’s hard work and stressful. We spend much of lives from mid November onwards standing in queues and I can’t say I’m gripped with a burning desire to sweat over vegetable versus turkey timings or feeling duty bound to wear a novelty jumper while silently praying that the inevitable whacky photo can remain my dirty little secret to the grave.

    Occasionally though I do catch myself seeing an ad on telly of a lifestyle porn, picture perfect Christmas and giving pause. Whilst staying at home is my choice, it just might be nice to go somewhere after all. There are the inevitable downsides to a lone 25th at home. For a start, no one to shower you with a mountain of beautifully wrapped gifts. Hey, I’m a homosexual; flashes of shallowness are in my genetic code.

    But then us Home Aloners get wistful comments from pals; ”Oh I wish I was spending Christmas alone; you’re lucky…”. This is the special family time when we remember just why we try to limit contact with the passive aggressive sister in law and the uncle that still smells of dry rot to just once a year. The virtual house arrest of the holidays can be a pretty brutal microscope for personal relationships.

    Many people have said they would like to swap festive seasons with me and would quite happily ditch the relatives and spend it on their lonesome. Really? Because when the day comes and you go for a walk in the afternoon, glimpsing others tucking into lunch or Dads in Santa hats laughing with their kids… That can be the part that stings if you haven’t fully thought the choice through and decided that you can deal with the day alone. Because for all it’s flaws, Christmas can be okay.

    The grass isn’t always (Christmas tree) greener on the other side.

  • This Not A Lecture About Safe Sex

    It would be easy to preach.

    At the time of writing this (late November 2014), I’m a man in my early 40’s and as of my last test roughly 3 months ago, I’m HIV negative. So well done me. Do please bear with while I heartily congratulate myself and launch into an impassioned yet slightly smug sermon about the benefits of practicing protected sex.

    Except doing that would make me a hypocrite.

    Because can I say in total honesty that every single time I’ve had penetrative sex in my life it’s always been safe? Nope, I can’t. And this includes one incident that was relatively recent. I like to think I’m well informed, God knows I know the risks and still it happened. Of course ask right now and I will say that it would be a deal breaker for me. I’ve had enough conversations insisting on condoms with potential partners in the past. Plus I seem to recall writing ”safe only” often enough on various hook up site profiles. Which is as close as one can get to going on the record.

    Hell, I even once promoted a men only club night in a straight venue and insisted on safer sex packs because I felt strongly that we should be seen to be being responsible when taking guys 5 quid entry fee on the door. One million social conscious brownie points for me right there.

    So taking that all into account, how come it still happened? Placing the blame on too much alcohol is lazy and frankly not even half the story. So why? Truth be told, we were naked and saying “Stop” to have the condom conversation felt like it would kill the moment dead. And that voice in the back of my head said that it would be okay. Just this once…

    Like I say, it would be easy to lecture. But I would be awfully naive to believe that anyone is going to go away and rethink their sexual behaviour based on anything I write here in a relatively short opinion piece. I’m no saint and certainly no expert on public health. So I am going to speak solely for myself.

    This is what I think now; I hated the fact I put myself in that position. I hated the ”Oh Sh**” feeling the next day and that heightened sense of uncertainty waiting at the drop-in clinic. Most of all I hated the fact I betrayed the memories of the friends I’ve lost, the friends we’ve all lost, through being too drunk and too needy one night. Like I’d learnt nothing.

    To repeat, I speak for no one but myself. We all have our own reasons for marking World Aids Day. For some it is a moment to mourn absent friends and lovers taken too soon. For others it is anger and activism that drives them. We have all read plenty this past year of how there remain far too many parts of the world where the basic human rights of the LGBT community are being eroded to a point of non existence. In the case of our brothers and sisters who are HIV positive, the situation is even more desperate.

    Hell, you can even make a case that a few show up at the vigils to check out cute boys looking sad.

    But whatever the reason, we are there every 1st December in our thousands. And I know why I’m there. It’s a show of love, grief and respect for those that walked before me and fell along the way. And for those who still live every day with the shadow of HIV hovering just in sight.

    And after a couple of moments of stupidity, relief. Pure, simple, selfish, relief.

    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.

  • You Were Known To Us: Transgender Day Of Remembrance

    ”Tiffany. 18 years old. Cause of death – dismemberment”

    ”Camille Verona. 24 years old. Cause of death – suffocation”

    ”Luna. 27 years old. Cause of death – gunshot to the chest”

    And that is just to pick a few examples at random.

    In the past year, there have been 268 reported murders of trans women and trans men around the world. And that is just the number we know about. The true figure is undoubtedly far higher. While the statistic in itself is depressing, it’s the individual stories of violence and brutality that lie behind it that is truly shocking.

    Since 1999, 20th November has been the annual date for Transgender Day of Remembrance. Its purpose is simple; to remember the members of the transgender community that have been victims, but also to acknowledge those who have committed suicide, as statistically the trans community are the social group most likely to be driven to take their own lives.

    In the UK, the largest commemorative event for TDoR is held in Manchester, also the site of the world’s first permanent trans memorial, a 12 foot tall wooden tree sculpture in Sackville Gardens, the green space in the heart of the city’s famous Canal Street area.

    From small beginnings, Transgender Day of Remembrance has steadily increased in profile and media coverage. Tony Cooper, organiser of the Manchester event and a trustee of trans charity Sparkle told me. ‘This is our eighth year in the park and it’s grown hugely every single year’.

    This year over 200 people crammed into a marquee in Sackville Gardens to hear the names of those who have died as a result of violence in the past year read out, listen to a rousing performance from the Manchester LGB Chorus and then at the end of the evening to light candles and assemble at the memorial. Some had also brought flowers and handwritten cards to leave in memory. From the trees close to the memorial hung photographs of some of those we had gathered to remembered; their faces watching us, a moving reminder of the unnecessary waste of human life and why so many felt compelled to gather in the park on a chilly Sunday evening in late November.

    The assembled crowd was truly diverse in terms of age and background and many had traveled long distances to be there and pay their respects. Many also had there own stories to tell of personal experiences of hate crime.

    As we set our candles in the sand boxes at the foot of the huge wooden sculpture, I chatted to a lady called Carol who had travelled overnight from near Bristol to be in Manchester.

    ‘I had trouble myself. I was in hospital earlier this year. It all got too much for me. I had this friend and she got killed. They smashed her face up. I saw her in the hospital. They made her look so horrible. I still see her all the time looking like that but it’s better now I’ve had help’.

    The overwhelming message of TDoR is a simple but powerful one ”You Were Known To Us”. Each speaker reinforced this. This does not just apply solely to victims of hate crimes on other continents however. A few speakers also noted that there were many instances of trans men & women who had died of natural causes but whose families had opted to bury them as their birth gender, denying them their identity. As one lady who had recently lost a close friend who was then buried as a man by her family told me, ‘I want to lay flowers on the grave of the woman I knew, not a man called David who was a stranger to me.’

    It was a theme that Tony Cooper focused on in his speech too, along with the importance of community and reaching out to others, both half a world away and far closer to home, ‘Do we need a day to remember? No, we don’t need a day… But a day to say you were us. Because you are us.’

    The Sparkle weekend, a celebration of the transgender community held in Manchester each July, has grown to a point where, after Pride, it is the Gay Village’s second biggest weekend of the year in terms of visitor numbers and revenue. In purely commercial terms, this year’s event generated a not inconsiderable sum of £2.8 million for the local economy. It is indicative of the growing visibility of the community in the UK.

    The remit that the trustees of Sparkle have set themselves is of ”education, action and accessibility”.

    Manchester is a city often celebrated for its tolerance and diversity and this year’s Transgender Day of Remembrance saw a large number of attendees from across the wider spectrum of the LGBT community. It’s certainly a start. But when in 2014, there remains 21 European countries where by law trans women and men must be compulsorily sterilised prior to gender reassignment surgery, there remains much to be done.

    And to quote one of the speakers from the marquee ”268 people were murdered in the last year. Just for being themselves”

    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Transgender-Remembrance-Memorial-Project-Manchester/127795353947830?fref=ts

  • OPINION | Why Kim Kardashian Matters

    There is no escape from Kim Kardashian’s arse. It’s gone beyond global. Unless you’ve been under a rock, you will be aware of her shoot for Paper Magazine. To call it a phenomenon is an understatement. Within seconds of release, that champagne glass balanced on backside shot had been dissected, spoofed and pilloried ad infinitum.

    Of course, those of us old enough to have experienced a naked, pregnant Demi Moore on the front of Vanity Fair are getting cover controversy deja vu. But that’s a whole other story…

    The internet makes social commentators of us all and this is one of those splashy, eye popping social media moments ripe for sharing and evaluating. From the gazillions of posts and tweets about Kimmy’s shoot, the most common train of thought is as follows:

    A)Why is she famous?

    And

    B)Why is she famous?

    Scratch just beneath the surface though and something far more interesting emerges.

    In the past few days, I’ve read some genuinely excellent blog entries and articles on race, body politics and feminism all written in response to the Kardashian pictures. These are big, grown up themes not easy to express as pithy soundbites.

    Yes, it is a shame that we have to use a naked Kim as a hook to hang real issues on. But debate can only be healthy, no matter how unlikely the source it has stemmed from. Even our dear old battered and bruised tabloid press have weighed in with some strong opinion pieces on body image and the representation of women in mainstream media. That in itself is a small miracle.

    No one is arguing for a second that La Kardashian turned to her people and said, “I wanna be the springboard for some good, in depth critical writing. Get me a champagne glass and a bottle of baby oil. Stat.”

    However, there is a bittersweet irony that a woman often held up as the poster girl for the ongoing trivalisation of modern celebrity culture has accidentally sparked thought-provoking conversation. Kim Kardashian is not about to lead a revolution in sexual politics or change the way that women of colour are represented in magazines. But by default, the reaction and the weight of commentary that photo shoot has incited has made people think.

    And not just about the pros and cons of her bottom or why she’s famous.

     

    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.

  • REVIEW: Chris Stein/Negative: Me, Blondie and The Advent of Punk, Somerset House, London

    Fittingly it’s Deborah Harry’s opening line in the programme notes that sums it best.

    ”I had no idea that Chris was a voyeur when I met him”

    Currently running til 25th January 2015 at Somerset House to mark the 40th anniversary of Blondie, Chris Stein/Negative: Me, Blondie and The Advent of Punk is a showcase of unpublished photographs by Chris Stein, the hugely successful 70’s band’s co-founder.

    Blondie were undoubtedly one of the most influential bands of their generation with a sound encompassing punk, new wave, hip hop and reggae and in Deborah Harry happened to have one of the most iconic front women of all time. It is no accident that Harry is regularly cited as heroine by so many indie and alt rock musicians that followed.

    Unsurprisingly she dominates the work on show and her beauty, sensuality and good old fashioned star quality is the exhibition’s main selling point. There is a mix of candid outtakes, a snapshot taken backstage with David Bowie a particular highlight and unseen pictures from magazine shoots. This is no one woman show however. Images of other figures from the NYC punk and new wave scene such as Iggy Pop, The Ramones and Joan Jett loom large. At it’s best Stein’s work is stark and unsentimental, documenting the people and places he knows well with the sharp eye of an insider.

    Perhaps the most haunting portrait on show is of writer William S Burrows, taken in the late 80’s. Conservatively dressed, arms folded and with head cocked, he radiates defiance and fierce intellect.

    The exhibition also serves to chart the progress of Blondie from their formation in 1974 to the huge international fame a few years later. But while the band travels to Europe and beyond, they remain rooted in New York. A series of city street scenes and urban landscapes show that Stein is as interested in the harsh beauty of the city as the people that populate it.

    There is a high possibility that anybody vaguely acquaintanced with Blondie’s music will rush home to play Parallel Lines on repeat for the rest of the day. And that is no bad thing. But the power of this exhibition is in capturing a time long past but that still has a hand in shaping alternative pop culture hugely today.

    Find out more visit Somerset House

    5 November 2014 – 25 January 2015

    Daily 10.00-18.00 (last entry 17.15)

    Open until 21.00 (last entry 20.15) on Thursdays from 27 November

    24 & 31 December 10.00-16.00, 25 & 26 December-closed, 1 January 12.00-18.00

    East Wing Galleries, East Wing

    Free admission

  • OPINION | No Time Wasters

    There is a photograph in a grid. Taken in the harsh yet flattering light of a locker room. You click on the picture and then read the shopping list.

    ”Vers”

    ”Under 40”

    ”Smooth”

    ”Muscle”

    ”Neg Guys only”

    And then there is it; the three word clause, so common as to be almost a default mantra of the hook up app profile;

    ”No Time Wasters”

    You do a quick sum and calculate the amount of time it will take to travel the 1.2km it says he is away. Hey, you may be horny but you’re busy too and can only spare an hour. Two max.

    So please don’t waste my time.

    We know just what those words on the phone screen mean. Showering and douching for the fit muscle guy a couple of streets away that never shows. The chain of hot cock pictures that abruptly goes cold. In order to secure a casual Sunday afternoon hungover f**k, we write it on the list. When you encounter yet another one; curse those f’king apps and I AM gonna delete all them this time for definite; it becomes another piece of evidence to pluck out and present how all gay men are shit.

    So we write it down. If only to save ourselves from minor irritation. After all that half an hour spent negotiating could have been invested in a hot bloke who followed through. It’s annoying isn’t it… Every gay man can swap war stories of the casual time waster that’s inconvenienced him, the ones who don’t show up, the guy that didn’t text back.

    Much has been documented about the ”Together Alone” nature of social media and how isolating the faux intimacy of virtual relationships can be. There is something brutal about how the Grindr and Scruff’s of the online world at their most ruthlessly efficient can pare interaction down to the bare minimum. Why spend half a day traveling into the city to engage in drinks ‘n small talk with a good looking potential conquest when one can in theory be naked with a like minded individual in the vicinity via the exchange of a few messages?

    At a time when we are told we work on average far longer hours than our parent’s generation, it’s hardly surprising that more so than ever time has become a currency not to be squandered. In the prehistoric pre web days, quick casual sex was the domain of the scuzzier gentlemen’s toilet and public park cottages. Now though, due to health fears, the risk of law and advances in portable technology, sex on the doorstep has become infinitely more convenient. Not unlike putting in a grocery order online. Witness the amount of gay businessmen away from home who reach for the smart phone and check out who’s nearby barely a split second after the hotel room door is shut.

    It’s true that No Time Wasters has become a hook up app cliché but it’s there though because phones and laptops have made us increasingly impatient and searching for what’s instant. No matter how small the investment we’ve made with that currency.

    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.