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Wait on the park benches opposite the loos.
Look out for toilet attendants and other users. Head to the last cubicle and quietly cough to see if anyone’s inside. If you’re in the cubicle and want some company open the door
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In 2017 the City of Philadelphia revealed their take on the traditional LGBT+ pride flag, to include two new stripes. A black and brown stripe to represent LGBT+ communities of colour.
The organisers of the campaign, to drive awareness of some of the issues faced by communities of colour, added an extra brown and black stripe to the flag and used the hashtag #MoreColorMorePride.
It has proved to be both adored and controversial since its reveal.
While some maintain that the standard Rainbow Flag was supposed to be inclusive of everybody, regardless of race, colour or creed, others have suggested that for far too long, people of colour have been precluded from LGBT+ history nor given proper credit for some of the culture that has developed and enjoyed by the wider LGBT+ community.
Since its introduction in 2017, numerous Pride events across the UK, have adopted that version of the flag, particularly in cities where there is a large BAME (Black Asian and minority ethnic) community.
A statement on the campaign’s website says,
“In 1978, artist Gilbert Baker designed the original rainbow flag.
“An iconic symbol of LGBTQ+ unity. So much has happened since then. A lot of good, but there’s more we can do. Especially when it comes to recognizing people of color in the LGBTQ+ community. To fuel this important conversation, we’ve expanded the colors of the flag to include black and brown.
“It may seem like a small step. But together we can make big strides toward a truly inclusive community”.
It’s probably become one of the most famous symbols in the world. It’s internationally recognised and brings hope to millions of LGBT+ across the globe.
The original rainbow flag was created in 1978 in San Franciso by an artist called Gilbert Baker.
The flag has been identified as one of the defining designs of the modern age, the flag was part of an original series of ten that Baker designed and created in 1978.
The original flag can now be viewed at the Design Museum London which acquired the flag as part of a series of new objects for its permanent collection.
It was acquired by the museum in 2017.
Speaking about the rainbow as a symbol for LGBT+ folx Gilbert Baker said, “There was no other international symbol for [the LGBT+ community] than the pink triangle which the Nazis used to identify homosexuals in concentration camps,
“Even though the pink triangle was and still is a very powerful symbol, it was very much forced upon us”.
Did you know that there was a “Gay Uncle” day? It is a relatively new awareness day in the LGBT+ calendar.
In 2020 International Gay Uncle” or Guncle day takes place on the 9th August 2020 and is observed all over the world. It usually falls on the 2nd Sunday of August.
The first Gay Uncle” day was first celebrated in 2016 and took place in the US. However, it proved quite popular.
Gay Uncle Day doesn’t actually have a flag, although, at a push, you could use the traditional rainbow flag, (find out about what the rainbow flag means here) if you were thinking about waving a flag for your gay uncle.
Yes, there are many stores which have gifts which would be perfect for gay uncles. Some of them even carry the rainbow flag. Check out our partner store, The Pride Shop for some ideas!
To find out other days in the LGBT+ calendar click here.
The soapiest of gay soap operas arrives in the form of From Zero to I Love You.
Scott Bailey stars as Jack Dickinson, very handsome and successful, with a fun and lively and attractive wife Karla (Keili Lefkovitz), two adorable daughters, and of course a perfect job. But soon enough he realizes this is not who he is when he meets handsome Peter (Darryl Stephens), and this meeting turns Jacks life upside down. And while he knew he had a bit of a gay side to him, he didn’t really comprehend that this could eventually lead to him falling in love with another man. But Scott is not quite ready to leave his family, and Peter gets tired of waiting around, so they break up.
So Scott goes back to the straight life, his wife gets pregnant, and Peter lands quickly into another relationship that quickly leads to an engagement. But a chance (and very coincidental) meeting Karla has with Peter’s best friend who happens to tell Karla about the now finished affair. After this shock reveal Scott and Karla end their marriage while Peter gears up for his wedding. Scott is now a truly free gay and he’s left with meaningless one night stands while still pining for Peter. But of course there’s no surprise how this film ends once you get the soap out of your eyes.
Filmed over the course of four and a half years (it looks it) and giving us the old tried and true story of a ’straight’ man who turns gay is a plot we’ve seen quite a few times, and again in this super melodramatic film.
While the cast are all fine in their roles, and leading man Bailey is pleasant to look at, there is very little for us to take away from this film which has an ending that wraps things up all too neatly.
Enjoy t he shirtless scenes of Bailey – he’s sexy!
Now available on demand and on Amazon
It’s Pride month across the world, but that hasn’t deterred Poland‘s President Andrzej Duda signing one of the most anti-LGBT+ charters in the EU.
The charter defends the “institution of marriage” which means that there is no acceptance of gay marriage.
He’ll also refuses to accept allowing gay couples to adopt children
and says that he will protect children from an “LGBT ideology”.
Embed from Getty ImagesPoland’s biggest LGBTQI-organisation KPH (Campaign Against Homophobia) have criticised the President, saying that he is using the anti-gay charter as a way of bolstering his presidential campaign ahead of the elections on the 28th June 2020
In a statement they wrote, “We have no doubt that he’s just playing his presidential campaign game trying to gain the electorate by setting it on LGBT persons.”
Rémy Bonny an expert on LGBTQI-politics in Central & Eastern Europe told us, “The elections are a choice between European values and Russian traditional values – a choice between democracy and autocracy. The elections will eventually decide on the future of Poland within the European Union.
“Over the last decade, the LGBTQI-community became well-organised and very visible in Poland. The government is afraid that a professional and vibrant civil rights movement would overthrow their corrupt and elitist rule for a real equality-based government.
No such thing as “LGBT Ideology”
The Polish activists from KPH directly reach out to President Duda in an open letter to say,
“Mister President, let us say it out loudly and clearly once again: there is no such thing as the ‘LGBT ideology’ – it’s just a homophobic construct. LGBTs are lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender persons who personally experience the consequences of homophobic and transphobic hate which you also fuel.
“Those people are Kacper, Dominik and Milo, who are no longer here with us, because the homophobic propaganda of the profit-oriented authorities killed them.
“It’s time to change it and we will do it! We will remember about it, Mister President and we will settle accounts with you by the ballot boxes. Let June 28th be the day when freedom, respect and mutual solidarity in Poland prevails!”, KPH concludes
The LGBTQI-community is in the frontline of the far-right PiS-government’s fight against liberal democracy.”, Bonny continues.
Scotland‘s schools will offer LGBT+ history as it becomes the first nation in the world to add the struggle for equality in the LGBT+ community on its curriculum.
The EdinburghLive website is reporting that from 2021, schools in Scotland will teach LGBT+ history in its schools and include subjects surrounding equality and identity.
Deputy First Minister and Education Secretary John Swinney said “Scotland is already considered one of the most progressive countries in Europe for LGBTI [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex] equality.
“I am delighted to announce we will be the first country in the world to have LGBTI inclusive education embedded within the curriculum.”
It is hoped that lessons will be taught to a wide variety of age groups and across various subjects. The lessons will tackle inequalities faced by LGBT+ people as well as homophobia, biphobia and transphobia.
Although Scotland may be leading the way in bringing much-needed education on LGBT issues, statistics released in 2020 from the Hate Crime In Scotland report showed that charges in relation to homophobic hate crime increased by 5 per cent in the 2018/19 period compared to the year before.
Meanwhile, transphobic hate crimes in the same period had decreased by 23 per cent.
In England, lessons taught under the “No outsiders” banner to Primary school-aged children, which included LGBT+ elements were met with a huge backlash in England last year.
Parents removed hundreds of children from at least two schools after they said they had not been informed or consulted about the lessons.
The lessons led to mass protests outside the primary schools. Eventually, the protesters were banned from demonstrating outside schools. In November 2019, a judge ruled that parents, mainly from an Islamic background, but included members from other religious backgrounds, would not be able to protest outside a school in Birmingham.
Tan France is probably most famous for being one-fifth of the Netflix reboot of Queer Eye, however, since his debut on the show five seasons ago (2018), he has gone on to star in a number of other shows for the streaming platform and is celebrated as being one of the only, openly gay Muslim men on Western television.
Tan, who grew up in the Northern city of Doncaster, but now is a US citizen has become a bit of favourite at Netflix HQ. Since starting on Queer Eye in 2018 he has gone on to star in a number of other shows including Nailed It! and Next In Fashion.
He also has a memoir out called Naturally Tan which was released in June 2019.
In just a few short years, Tan has become one of Netflix most bankable stars.
Aside for the most famous, Queer Eye in which he has appeared in 47 episodes since 2018, he has also appeared in Nailed It! – as himself.
He also appeared as the character Fett Ragoso in the hit Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, which also is available to stream.
He lent his voice to an episode of Big Mouth – a Netflix original animated series in 2019. The episode is called ‘Disclosure the Movie: The Musical!’ and all of the “Fab Five” were called upon to give Coach Steve a Queer Eye-style make over.
In 2020 he has even more appearances to add to his resume! He is a contestant on the show The Big Process he is the head host along with Alexa Chung on the reality contestant show, Next In Fashion.
Unfortunately for Tan, Next In Fashion was cancelled by Netflix after just one series, but not all is lost, Tan will return to Queer Eye for a sixth series.
Tan France who is one-fifth of Netflix’s rebooted hit series, Queer Eye and Next In Fashion has become a citizen of the United States of America.
In an emotional post on Instagram the star, who grew up in UK city of Doncaster in the North of England, said that he would use his citizenship to flex his constitutional rights and “vote for change”.
According to the star, US citizenship is something that he’s been working towards for 20 years.
The 37-year-old fashionista used his first Instagram post as a US Citizen to say that he would be exercising his “constitutional right as an American” adding that he would register to vote – and “vote for the change I wish to see in OUR nation”.
The announcement from Tan, who has 3.7 million followers on Instagram, was greeted with excitement from his fans, who welcomed the star and his new-found allyship to the US. Both Justin Theroux and Courtney Cox congratulated him with a clapping emoji.
Queer Eye Co-star Jonathan Van Ness wrote, “There is no word or phrase I have strong enough to say how happy, proud, strong you are I have no words strong enough. Love you so much.”
Look out for toilet attendants and other users. Head to the last cubicle and quietly cough to see if anyone’s inside. If you’re in the cubicle and want some company open the door
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