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  • THEATRE REVIEW | Miss Nightingale: The Burlesque Musical

    ★★★★ | Miss Nightingale: The Burlesque Musical

    It’s 1942 and Britain is in the grip of war. Northern nurse Maggie Brown has moved to London to try her hand at a singing career but along with her Jewish refugee song-writer, George, she faces rejection at every turn.

    Things change when the pair meet aristocratic nightclub owner Sir Frank Worthington-Blythe and the saucy burlesque singer, Miss Nightingale, is unleashed on a rapturous London crowd. Complications ensue when Maggie’s relationship proves to be less than perfect and Sir Frank falls in love with George.

    Near the start of the show George states that he wants to bring a touch of pre-war Berlin to war time London and the show certainly achieved that aim with witty numbers, corking dance routines and enough sauce and innuendo to outdo even the cast of a Carry On film. The show is very funny and incredibly infectious with a fantastic set of songs which run the gamut from bawdy through to mournful. Composer, Matthew Bugg has written some corking numbers which had the audience cheering and applauding like crazy and the standing ovation from the crowd at the Leicester Square Theatre proved that the show was a massive hit.

    Award winning burlesque star Amber Topaz is a tiny but powerful ball of cheekiness with a talent to amuse, titillate and dazzle and the two male leads are also well cast and show incredible talent. As well as acting, they sing beautifully and play instruments in the band. How’s that for multi tasking?

    The main theme of the musical is the difficulties faced by gay men in Britain in the 1940s, with fears of damaged reputations, prosecution and ruined lives. The love story between Frank and George is actually quite charming and beautifully rendered.

    For a cracking night out I’d recommend this wholeheartedly.

    The show is on 7th July at Leicester Square Theatre followed by
    • 9th to 13th July: Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
    • 15th to 17th July: Victoria Theatre, Halifax
    • 18th to 19th July: Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield
    • 22nd to 27th July: Theatre Royal, Windsor

    Book tickets and read more here: http://missnightingale.co.uk

  • COLUMN | Happy Birthday To You

    So, TheGayUK has hit a memorable birthday and what a fantastic year it has been. I’ve interviewed choreographers, writers, poets, cabaret artists, actors, painters and singers, reviewed theatre, film, dance and even a book where a poodle showed me the sights of London.

    The site is also going from strength to strength. I just hope that the site has a better track record with celebrating birthdays than I have.

    1976: I’m five years old and have the one and only birthday party of my childhood. My mum organises a treasure hunt and hides sweets all round the house. For the next year we find melted Blackjacks in extraordinary places. The food is fancy for the 70s (i.e. the tomatoes are cut into little crown shapes). The party goes seriously wrong when over-excited, I lean in too close to ‘Pop-up Pirate’ and the little plastic pirate hits my forehead with velocity. Being a trainee diva, I order the party terminated and ask everyone to leave, before flouncing upstairs to my room in a huff born of indignity.

    1989: My 18th was less than monumental. I remember having bad 80s hair and trawling round bars with my partner, drinking gin. That’s where the memory ends. There was a lot of gin. I don’t like being 18 much. I feel gauche and am horribly shy and am hopeful that this will improve with age. It does, mostly.

    1992: I’m 21 and having another tantrum. I’m stuck in an overheated restaurant, which has an American diner theme, drinking cocktails and eating over cooked greasy food with a group of friends and my partner. I feel terribly old and wise (I’m actually neither) and also very unhappy with the life I have and I’m taking it out on everyone around me. The mature option would have been to change the bad things and move forward (e.g. ditch the abusive partner) but I’m not able to visualise that one. My Brandy Alexander (see how sophisticated the 90s were!) isn’t the right drink and I get some hideous banana thing. I do the mature thing and deflect my unhappiness on to the waiter and embarrass everyone around me with a drunken rant.

    2001: I hit 30 and am officially dead in gay terms. I actually don’t mind though. I’ve finally got a partner who is treating me well and we hit London for the occasion. A trip to the theatre, a whiz round the London Eye and a night clubbing in Heaven with a lot of drinks bought for me are all followed by my birthday itself where I feel each and every day of my 30 years as I spend a hung over day clinging to the rim of the marble toilet in the plush hotel, crying in pain and praying for oblivion. I get bought a T-shirt which says: ‘Big Dicks and Vodka’. Although these are valid hobbies, I never wear it.

    2011: After spending the last few years having nocturnal sweats thinking about being 40, I actually love it. I have a new partner, who makes me happier than I’ve ever been, I have a great circle of friends who I love and am more comfortable with myself than I’ve ever been. I hire a local arts cinema and screen a film for my friends and the day is fantastic. I no longer drink vodka, although I still quite admire the big dicks, but from afar now. What’s not to love about being 40? Bring on more birthdays.

    Have a happy birthday GayUK x

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Private Lives, Gielgud Theatre

    ★★★★ | Private Lives

    If you’re not familiar with Noel Coward’s work then you’re in for a treat with ‘Private Lives’ and the lavish new production at The Gielgud is well worth catching.

    Elyot Chase (Toby Stephens: Jane Eyre, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall) is on his honeymoon in France when he finds that his ex-wife, Amanda (Anna Chancellor: The Hours, Spooks) is in the adjacent hotel room and is also on her honeymoon. Still reeling from their tempestuous failed marriage the pair revisit the havoc that ensued previously.

    Beautiful, stylish and utterly selfish, they are witty, snide socialites. Coward’s dialogue is acerbic, devastatingly vicious and alarmingly witty. The two leads capture the spirit of the play perfectly, with dialogue that feels like a deliciously deadly fencing match. They lunge, parry and attack with rapier sharp put downs and impeccable comic timing. Chancellor is monumental in a series of stylish costumes, looking like she’s stepped straight off the pages of a book of Erte illustrations whilst Stephens captures the louche selfishness, suave posturing and petulant impishness of Elyot perfectly. Chancellor in particular makes the play her own with a seemingly effortless performance that conveys the nuances of Amanda’s character with serious style.

    The set is stunning and Amanda’s apartment in Paris is a visual feast of Art Deco styling. I could have sat in my seat and quite happily stared at the set for an hour but luckily there was much more to see.

    An interesting aside is that Toby Stephen’s wife, actress Anna-Louise Plowman, plays his new wife, Sybil. Added to this, Stephen’s parents, Maggie Smith and Robert Stephens, played the parts of Elyot and Amanda in the same theatre in 1973.

    Highly recommended for those who like their comedy with lashings of clipped tones and sharp witticisms. The audience loved the show and so did I.

    Catch Private Lives at The Gielgud Theatre until 21st of September 2013
    Buy tickets here: http://privateliveswestend.com

  • OPINION | Out of line, online; Racism and gay dating

    No Blacks. No Asians. No Queens.

    I bet you already know where these quotes come from. I am also pretty sure you’ve seen them. Yes, these are common quotes from Grindr profiles. What’s worse is that I imagine you can think of more grindr, gaydar, gayromeo profiles with further offensive and racist remarks on them.

    But surely we can discriminate on who we fancy? Of course.

    We must have the right to decide what shape, size and colour the dick is we choose to squeeze, suck or sit on? Without a doubt.

    And if I want to say what I don’t like then it saves time doesn’t it? Perhaps.

    So if I don’t fancy a black or white guy then I have the right to say so don’t I? Maybe.

    But there are ways of saying things.

    If you in fact only like Arabic men, regardless of your own racial or ethnic identity then why not say so rather than banishing other minorities outright. Equality and Diversity principles do not dictate that you have to be tokenistic in your relationships or sexual exploits but it does support a community where everyone feels included. With the social battles fought by the LGBT community in the past sixty to six hundred years surely we can be slightly more embracing of difference.

    Not into camp. Not in fairies, sorry.

    This is another angle of exclusion on ‘social networking’ apps frequented by the predominantly gay and bisexual male. Campness is labelled as undesirable, separated from the profile holder. He isn’t into it, he doesn’t like it. If you are camp he doesn’t like you – it’s there for you to read. How does it make you feel?

    Maybe you do sprout wings and poop glitter? But that’s who you are – should you change it for the faceless, headless body? No, but it makes you feel badly about yourself and he still hasn’t found himself a date because the butch bull he is looking for actually doesn’t like guys who bully and discriminate.

    So in summary, let’s start with the basics: How not to be a racist in five easy steps.

    1) Do not use racist language. We all know what they are. No one thinks you’re big or smart or edgy for using them. And being practical, not many guys invite racists round to their houses.

    2) Put what you like, what you ARE into. It’s more positive and inclusive and appealing to a wider range of people. Saying you like something, or love something is much more attractive than associating you with ‘No this’, ‘No that’ or other negative concepts.

    3) Be polite. If someone messages you that doesn’t give you butterflies in your stomach (or lower) then just say thanks but no thanks. Most people will get the hint, and if they don’t just block them. It’s easier than resorting to a racist rant.

    4) Be inclusive. Try not to see people as one dimensional. Not all ethnicities are the same. Look at your arm – it everyone with that similar shade the same as you? Do they eat the same food, socialise in the same way, believe the same as you do just because your skin matches? Of course not, so don’t apply this ignorance to other arm shades.

    5) Challenge yourself. How many of your friends are the same as you? Do they all look the same, come from similar backgrounds? Most are probably the same age. How about bringing some diversity to your life? Speak to someone new, someone with maybe a different experience, a different outlook, a different skin colour – they might be able to shed new light on life. How does your coming out experience compare to the Asian guy 200 meters away or the polish guy four roads away, or the twink smiling at you at the bottom of your screen?

    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.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Evita, Sheffield and National Tour

    ★★★ | Evita

    The glamour, passion and politics 1940’s Argentina are brought to life in this revival of one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most successful musicals which is back on national tour.

    In 1934, a young and naive country girl, Eva Duarte, falls for a singer and pressures him into taking her to Argentina. Filled with her ambitions to be a singer and actress, she quickly realises the harsh reality of life in the city when he leaves her. Sleeping her way up the ladder, from secretary to model and from radio star to actress, she attends a charity function held by Juan Peron, an aspiring politician with his sights on clawing his way to the presidential seat. They come together, both in love and to further their careers, much to the disapproval of a number of Peron’s political allies. But whilst Evita charms the nation, the corrupt nature of their reign starts to show, her greed and power hungry desires come to the forefront and her body starts to become increasingly frail as she begins to succumb to illness.

    There are a number of reasons to recommend this production. Starting with the music, the show is performed as a sing through musical, and is absolutely crammed with classic songs, including “Another Suitcase, Another Hall”, “You Must Love Me”, “”Oh, What a Circus” and the show stopping, “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”. The orchestra played beautifully together and the balance of the volume between the music and the vocals was perfect, allowing for both the music and the lyrics to be appreciated. It was also good to be reminded of how well written, enjoyable and powerful the music and songs are when performed live.

    The ensemble cast were incredibly talented and all performed strongly, sounding superb when singing both together and undertaking their solo parts. Mark Heenehan was well cast as Juan Peron, demonstrating his commanding voice and compelling stage presence.Sarah McNicholas gave a heart wrenching performance of “Another Suitcase, Another Hall” and Nic Gibey was ideal as the sleazy crooner Magaldi. However, the standout performance of the evening was by ensemble member Joel Elferink, who managed to consistently out-sing and out-act most of the cast in his numerous parts.

    The play itself was more political in its storyline than the well-known film version and the play moved along at a swift pace, meaning the near two hour running time flew by. There were some well put together set pieces, in particular, “Buenos Aires”, “Peron’s Latest Flame” and “A New Argentina”, which were well choreographed and performed. The set was versatile and well utilised, although did seem cluttered at times, the use of the lighting was atmospheric and effective and the costumes were beautifully put together.

    With so much to recommend it, it is a shame that the two leads were the weak link in both the production and the cast. Marti Pellow was better than expected as Che, but his, performance appeared both forced and strained at times, in contrast to the much more natural performances of the other cast members. Madalena Alberto played the title role with some enthusiasm and she had a good voice, but she lacked the charisma and presence of the character that she was playing, making her performance slightly less believable. Her delivery of “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” and “You Must Love Me” were the stand out moments of her performance. Their performances did steadily improve over the course of the show and eventually won me over, but it is a shame when the “stars” of a musical are eclipsed by the rest of the cast for the majority of the show.

    Overall, the show was an enjoyable evening and was a well put together production which turned out to be better than anticipated. The music continues to stand up today and despite the show being around 35 years old, this production still sounded fresh and contemporary and was generally well performed by a talented cast, despite what could be argued as a slightly miscast pair of leads.

    Evita is currently playing at the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre until the 13th July 2013 before continuing its national tour.

  • INTERVIEW: Dusty Limits

    Award-winning vocalist, director and compere Dusty Limits has been at the forefront of the London cabaret scene for over a decade.

    He has performed all over the world, from London to New York, Amsterdam to Berlin, and has shared the stage with many of the most exciting performers in the ‘new cabaret’ scene. Described as ‘the Trailblazer’, he was one of Time Out magazine’s ten cover stars for their special edition on cabaret. He is the director and resident host of the stunning Black Cat Cabaret every Friday at the Café de Paris.

    The cabaret star and dangerous drinker is soon to be seen presenting a one-hour show at The Soho Theatre celebrating the big things: life, death, sex, drugs, but mostly singing. Wickedly comic and bracingly honest, Post-Mortem is a self-penned musical obituary, charting a life lived badly. The show incorporates songs from each of Dusty’s previous solo shows, plus some brand new offerings, strung together by implausible reminiscences and barbed observations. The show was a huge success at the 2012 Edinburgh Fringe and was shortlisted for the inaugural Time Out & Soho Theatre (TO&ST) Award.

    I caught up with Dusty to talk obituaries, cabaret and Spiegeltents.

    Can you tell us a bit about ‘Post Mortem’?

    We were planning last year’s Fringe show and thinking about how to get our work out to new audiences, and the idea of an obituary came to me – a kind of edited highlights of a life, told through songs. So we took some songs from each of the previous solo shows I’d done and smashed them all together to see what emerged. In planning it I had to write my own obituary, so we could put the songs in the right order, and I highly recommend that as an exercise. It’s both humbling and inspiring and certainly focuses the mind. This version of Post-Mortem is updated and reworked; one song in particular, Dear Mr Cardinal, about a certain Scottish cardinal with a penchant for mouthing off against gay marriage, has had to be very extensively updated. It’s now my favourite part of the show.

     

    You’ve covered such an eclectic range of artists in the past. What can we expect to hear in Post Mortem?

    Just as eclectic as ever: Hollander, Bowie, Joni Mitchell, Stephen Merritt, Cole Porter, David Wilcox, a bit of gospel, plus quite a few original numbers… everything except Kurt Weill. My MD, the brilliant Michael Roulston, pointed out that it’s very strange for us not to have a single Kurt Weill song. Next year’s show will be all Weill!

     

    There’s a huge element of darkness to your work which I absolutely love. What inspires you to work comedy with themes such as self-harm, death and the pointlessness of love?

    When I started out I realised that trying to copy other comics was pointless. I could only write the stuff that made me laugh personally and hope other people laughed too. As it happens, those dark subjects are the ones that make me laugh. It’s why I love the Tiger Lillies. I’ve suffered from depression most of my adult life, and learnt to find the humour in it, probably as a coping mechanism. I was a very morbid child.

    You’re very much at the forefront of the recent cabaret revival. For those not initiated into the scene, what can they expect from 21st Century cabaret?

    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it now – this age of cabaret in London is up there with 19th century Paris, Berlin in the 20s and 30s and New York in the 50s. I think what makes this current scene so exciting is the breadth of skills on display – from amazing circus to clowning to puppetry to opera etc etc etc. What’s more, the people who make true London cabaret are committed to it as a form in itself. They’re not just musical theatre singers in between theatre jobs. I love (good) musical theatre, but I’d much rather go see Bourgeois and Maurice sing original stuff than sit through someone belting out Being Alive or I Dreamed A Dream…

     

    You perform at some great venues including The Café de Paris and the famous Spiegeltent. Do you ever feel the ghost of Marlene at your shoulder?

    Absolutely. She whispers in my ear occasionally. Mostly trash-talk. It’s actually quite weird to be on stage and realise you’re standing where Dietrich/Coward/Garland stood.

     

    Do you have any hot tips for us of any up and coming cabaret stars we should look out for?

    I won’t single out individuals, but I will say – get yourself down to the Double R Club. That’s where cabaret turns go to do the kinds of acts that they just can’t do in mainstream venues. It’s niche – all the acts are inspired by the works of David Lynch – but it’s very exciting.

     

    Finally, where do you get your amazing wardrobe from?

    It’s sort of cobbled together, to be honest. I’m fond of a cock feather trim. I absolutely hate shopping, so I tend to buy bits and pieces online and then sew them together clumsily. A lot of pricked fingers go into that trimming. I bleed for my audience.

     

    Post Mortem runs from the 9th to the 13th of July at The Soho Theatre

    Book here tickets: http://www.sohotheatre.com/whats-on/dusty-limits-post-mortem

    Read more about Dusty here:http://www.dustylimits.com/Dusty_Limits/Home.html

  • London | Pride 2013 Review

    Well, Pride in London finally arrived, and after last year’s damp squib (World Pride, too, if you remember), it can only be accounted a huge success for the new team in charge. The theme of the parade this year was, rightly, love and marriage, for it won’t be long now before gay men and women will be able to marry their partners, whatever delaying tactics our opponents use. The tide is surely in our favour.

    No doubt those opponents were praying for God’s vengeance on us, for, if not fire and brimstone, at least torrential rain to spoil our day, and, let’s face it, given the miserable June weather we have had so far, it wouldn’t have been that surprising. In the event, it seemed God smiled on us. London basked in the first true summer weather of the year. The sunshine brought out the smiles and, with it, one of the biggest and happiest Prides in recent memory. By report this was also the biggest and most heavily attended Pride in 10 years.

    My friends and I were marching, leather clad, in the first section of the parade, alongside members of MSC London and Bluff, London’s two most prominent leather and fetish wear organisations. We were followed by the most disarming group of LGBT Filipino dancers, whilst ahead of us were a group of fetish dogs and felines, so there was definitely something for everyone. It is absolutely a tremendous experience to march in the parade, but the only problem is that by marching, you don’t get to see the range of people in the parade, nor get a feeling of just how big the it actually is. Years ago, I remember we used to march down Piccadilly, and that was one of the few times one could actually get an idea of the huge size of the event, a truly exhilarating experience. However, there were plenty of photos around on facebook and the like, and some on the net (a wonderful series in The Guardian) that give a great impression of the sheer diversity of our community.

    One of the most enjoyable parts of marching, though, is just seeing the thousands of people, gay and straight, lining the parade route, enjoying the spectacle; waves of positivity and love. People with their families and friends, all there to cheer us on. For those who say that Pride is redundant, that we no longer need it, this is their answer, and this is why we need it.
    Before the parade started I was chatting to one of the guys selling whistles and rainbow flags, an affable born and bred Londoner.

    “You won’t be needing one of these, mate, will ya? Won’t go with your outfit,” he joked.

    “Hardly,” I replied.

    He then went on chat to me about how important he thought Pride was, telling me about his best friend, who had just come out.

    “I think it’s wonderful. He’s marching today for the first time,” he said. “I can’t tell you how important this is for him. I love him, you know. He’s my mate. Makes no difference to me who he fancies. I just hope he can marry some bloke he falls for one day. Have a great day and wave to me wife and kids if you see ‘em. Oh no, you won’t know’em will ya?” he laughed, and went back out into the crowd as I moved off to join my buddies in leather.

    It must have been unbearably hot for those of them in full Bluff leather gear. I had shoehorned myself into my leather trousers, but had elected for just a waistcoat and armbands on top. The sun certainly came as a bit of a shock and I now have white rings round my arms where the armbands were and white patches on my body where the waistcoat went. Ah well, one has to suffer for one’s art.

    The only dissent I witnessed all day was a small bunch of god botherers, waving anti-gay marriage placards. The police had kept them well back and out of the way, and, to tell the truth, nobody, not the revellers, not the marchers, not the spectators, were taking a blind bit of notice of them. You have to wonder why they even bother.

    Once the march broke up in Whitehall, we made our way into Soho to see if we could bag a table outside at our favourite haunt, Balans Cafe, for some lunch. The management and staff had all dressed up for the occasion, and they all looked fabulous, particularly, Rohan, my favourite waiter in all of London, who looked hot as hell in a hard hat, plaid shirt, denim shorts and boots. Sitting was not exactly easy in my ultra-tight leather trousers, but we attracted a lot of attention in our leather gear, with loads of young men wanting to have their photo taken sitting on my lap. I wasn’t complaining.

    As we already had tickets for Summer Rites Pride in the Park, we missed the celebrations in Trafalgar Square, which were apparently superb. I really must get down there next year.
    So, having got changed into rather more comfortable shorts and trainers, we arrived at a busy Shoreditch Park at about 6pm for what was an extremely well planned and organised event. Shoreditch Park is just about the perfect size. Not too big and not too small, and, with an incredible selection of no less than 7 Music Arenas, showcasing an array of London’s finest DJs and Performers, who were representing some of the cities hottest club brands, there really was something for everyone! Aside from the Music Arenas there were also 5 licensed bars, a Fun Fair and a Community Market. Most importantly bar staff and toilets were plentiful, so there was no real queuing. So often at these events, one ends up spending hours in toilet queues or struggling to get a drink at the bar.

    We popped into most of the various tents to see what was going on. Most weren’t over busy to begin with. No doubt, it being such a beautiful day, the majority preferred to be outside soaking up the sun, and indeed that is where we found ourselves for the most part, catching up with friends we hadn’t seen for ages. Later on, the dance tents began to get much busier, as revellers soaked up the music, and danced the night away. I was also impressed with how clean the park was. Either, they had an army of cleaners running around, though I never saw any, or people were making sure they dropped their plastic glasses and bottles in the plentiful bins that were provided.By around 9pm, I had had enough. It had been a long day, my legs and feet were killing me and I decided it was time to go home. I had planned to go to the Hustlaball, but I was just too tired to manage it, and ended up having an early night. I’m sure I missed a great night, but it was nice to wake up at a reasonable hour on Sunday and actually get to enjoy what turned out to be the warmest day of the year so far.Over the next couple of days I scanned the internet for news of the event, but was rather saddened to see that the mainstream press had largely ignored us.

    When, a couple of months back, a few crazy Frenchmen turned up in Trafalgar Square to protest equal marriage, the press was full of it, but thousands marching through the streets, celebrating the diversity of our community, approvingly egged on by thousands of spectators, both straight and gay, they completely ignore us. One does has to ask if there is some sort of agenda going on here. As far as I could make out, only The Guardian on line printed a series of fabulous photographs of the event. I was surprised to see nothing from our usual ally, The Independent.

    It was also rather disappointing that the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, chose, yet again, not to attend. He pledges his support for the LGBT community, but has, as far as I’m aware, only put in one, rather uncomfortable, appearance. Time to get over it, Boris.

    What was not dispiriting is that this year’s event has risen, Phoenix-like, from the ashes of last year’s near fiasco, and has been an incredible success. Roll on 2014.

  • Two Men ‘Free Of HIV’ After Bone-Marrow Transplant

    Two men in the US have been taken off their HIV medication after bone-marrow transplants seemingly clears the virus from their bodies.

    Doctors at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, have cautiously announced that two men who were infected with HIV have been cleared of the virus for months.

    One of the patients has spent nearly four months off his anti-retroviral drugs – with no signs that the infection is returning. The other man stopped taking his medication 7 weeks ago.

    The two men, who have not been identified, have been living with the virus for 30 years.

    Speaking to the BBC Dr Timothy Henrich said,

    “We have not demonstrated cure, we’re going to need longer follow-up.

    “What we can say is if the virus does stay away for a year or even two years after we stopped the treatment, that the chances of the virus rebounding are going to be extremely low.

    “It’s much too early at this point to use the C-word [cure].”

    He continued in saying that even the virus seemed to have disappeared it could still be hiding inside ‘brain tissue or the gastrointestinal track.”

    Dr Michael Brady, Medical Director at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “It is too early to know whether HIV has been eradicated from these men’s bodies or whether it might return. However, the case suggests that what happened to Timothy Ray Brown, the Berlin Patient was perhaps not a one-off.
    “A bone marrow transplant is a complex and expensive procedure, which comes with significant risks. For most people with HIV, it would be more dangerous to undergo a transplant than to continue managing the virus with daily medication. While this is by no means a workable cure, it does give researchers another sign-post in the direction of one. Until a cure is found, we urge people to continue using condoms and testing for HIV if they’ve put themselves at risk.”

  • Tensions Rise In The New York Gay Community After Alleged Attack On Subway

    Following the Supreme Court’s ruling on DOMA in the United States, the gay community in New York City were celebrating gay pride, when this alleged attack happened on a Subway.

    (more…)

  • NEWS: The Cattle Market – Bristol Bisons RFC Bachelor Auction

    Bristol Bisons RFC in support of the Terrence Higgins trust is proud to present The Cattle Market – Bachelor Auction and BBQ. (more…)

  • Find your perfect condom

    HIV Prevention England launches online service to help gay men find their perfect condom.

    Gay and bisexual men in England will be able to access made-to-measure advice on how to find their perfect condom, as Terrence Higgins Trust and HIV Prevention England (HPE) launch a new online service called ‘Fits Me’.

    From Tuesday 2nd July, men can access the new service by visiting www.startswithme.org.uk. The service asks simple questions about size, sensitivity and latex allergy, before giving personalised advice on what type of condom will provide the best fit and give more sensation. Men can then choose to purchase that brand (or others) from campaign partner Freedoms (www.freedoms-shop.nhs.uk) at a significantly reduced price, or take advantage of an introductory offer from custom-fit condom retailer They Fit (www.theyfit.co.uk).

    Gay and bisexual men remain one of the groups most at risk of HIV infection in England. Using condoms – alongside regular HIV testing and antiretroviral treatment for those living with HIV – has been identified as a key factor in halting the spread of the epidemic among the gay community. Using condoms and lube when having anal sex drastically reduces the risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, being passed on. A recent study showed that, if every gay man in the UK had stopped using condoms in 2000, there would have been an extra 80,000 HIV infections within the community by 2010.

    Cary James, Head of Health Promotion at Terrence Higgins Trust, said:

    “No self-respecting gay man would go to a shoe shop and pick up a random pair of trainers, so why go with the first condom that comes to hand? We want to remind guys that selecting the right condom for you is a consumer decision. These days there’s a huge range of brands out there – in different sizes, shapes, thicknesses and materials – and just a little bit of research can yield a big improvement in sensation. We hope our new ‘Fits Me’ service will make it even easier for guys to find their perfect fit, and help them to stay safe while having the best experience possible.”

    As well as the ‘Fits Me’ service, the website also carries information on the different types of condoms and lubricants available. It will be promoted through press and online adverts, leaflets, posters in gay venues, and on tens of thousands of condom packs distributed at venues and events across the country. The campaign will also be rolled out across England through a network of regional organisations, funded by HPE to promote the campaign in their local communities.

    HIV Prevention England is a partnership of community organisations headed by Terrence Higgins Trust and funded by the Department of Health to carry out national HIV prevention work in England among communities at an increased risk of infection.

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