October 7th Gina Yashere
Another day and another black LGBT+ icon. Today’s icon is Gina Yashere. Gina is a hugely talented comedian who has appeared on television for many years in the UK and USA.
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Six police in Hampshire ‘recorded making homophobic, sexist and racist remarks’
Six police officers of the Hampshire Police Force are facing a misconduct hearing after being accused of making remarks about LGBT+ people, people of colour and women.
The six officers will face a misconduct hearing on Monday after the Hampshire Constabulary said they were covertly recorded making “discriminatory”, “inappropriate” or “offensive” remarks at the Northern Police Investigation Centre in Basingstoke.
A number of the officers are said to have sent emails from work accounts, which the Constabulary say are “discriminatory, inappropriate or offensive” in their nature. It also said that similar messages were found in text and Whatsapp messages. The force did not go into details about what the messages said.
Detective Inspector Timothy Ireson, Detective Sergeant Oliver Lage, Detective Sergeant Gregory Willcox, trainee Detective Constable Andrew Ferguson, PC James Oldfield and PC Craig Bannerman will face a police disciplinary hearing in Winchester.
Two of the officers, DI Ireson and PC Bannerman have since retired or resigned from their posts at the force.
Who and where are Hampshire Police?
Hampshire Police is responsible for policing the counties of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in South East England. Its largest city is Southampton. It has an annual budget of £337.3 million and employs around 4000 people, with a further 450 volunteers.
Since 2006 the force has constantly been featured in the top 100 employers in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index. In 2010 it reached its peak of 2nd place.
A Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said to Sky News, “It is alleged that the breaches of the standards of professional behaviour outlined are so serious that, if proven, dismissal would be justified and, as such, it is alleged that the behaviour amounts to gross misconduct.”
The disciplinary hearing is schedule to last up to three weeks.
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Drag Queen Crystal is also suing Laurence Fox after paedophile claim
Laurence Fox is now facing two defamation lawsuits after RuPaul Drag Race UK star Crystal confirmed that she had also engaged a lawyer to sue the actor turned politician.
Taking to social media, Crystal wrote: “In response to my criticism on Sunday, Mr Fox seriously defamed me, and I have instructed Mark Lewis of Patron Law to sue on my behalf”.
She added, “An accusation of paedophilia is one of the oldest homophobic tropes and it was very shocking to have that levelled at me, not just by Mr Fox, but also his many followers who believed him.
“I may have had to endure homophobic bullying as a child, but I will not tolerate it as an adult”.
Mark Lewis is also representing Simon Blake, the deputy chair of Stonewall.
“Language is powerful”
In a defense of his words, Fox wrote on Twitter, “Language is powerful. To accuse someone of racism without any evidence whatsoever to back up that accusation is a deep slander. It carries the same stigma and reputation destroying harm as accusing someone of paedophilia. Here endeth the lesson”.
He also added, “If the game nowadays is to throw baseless insults and accusations about, then we should all be free to participate.
“Having said that, I have deleted the tweets posted yesterday, in response to being repeatedly, continuously and falsely smeared as a racist, as they just serve as a distraction to the important work that needs to be done”.
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Iris Prize 2020: The Diversity of LGBT+ Films
Thirty-five international filmmakers are set to compete for £30,000 prize money as the organisers of Cardiff’s International LGBT+ Short Film Prize, Supported by The Michael Bishop Foundation have today announced the shortlisted films in competition for the world’s largest international LGBT+ short film prize. The Iris Prize LGBT+ Film Festival runs 6th to 11th October at www.irisprize.org
Iris Prize has 25 international partner festivals who nominate films each year for the Iris Prize shortlist, with the rest being chosen by a pre-selection jury from a record number of films entered through open submissions.
UK audiences can join in the experience for the first time in the festival’s history, by watching all the nominated shorts for free online, ensuring it reaches a wider audience than ever.
Directors from India, China, Brazil and Macedonia compete with counterparts from the UK and around the world, offering dramatically diverse representations within the global LGBT+ community. Filmmakers share personal family expectations and the intimacy of relationships alongside the transformative impacts of meeting the right person at the right time. They stand alongside sobering stories of cultural, political or even family restraints that mean fighting for the freedom to be true to self, overcoming fear, hostility and alienation. We encounter characters who are tentatively exploring their sexuality for the first time or breaking free of their past to embrace unique identities and genders. Plus, at a time when we need it most, there are reminders that there is plenty to be joyful about, and reason to laugh out loud.
The one uniting factor in all 35 films is an exhilarating celebration of lives of LGBT+ people across the world.
The festival opens on Tuesday 6th October and closes on Sunday 11th October, with all screenings, talks and events available online for free. There will also be a pay-per-view catch-up service which will run until the end of October.
This year’s shortlisted films in alphabetical order are:
1-1 (Sweden, 2020) – directed by Naures Sager
ALL GOOD THINGS (Australia, 2019) – directed by Simon Croker
BABY (USA, 2019) – directed by Jessie Levandov
BATHROOM TROLL (USA, 2018) – directed by Aaron Immediato
BLACK LIPS (Australia, 2018) – directed by Adrian Chiarella BLACKN3SS (Brazil, 2018) – directed by Diego Paulino
BOYS (BANIM) (Israel, 2020) – directed by Lior Soroka
BREAK IN (USA, 2020) – directed by Alyssa Lerner
CICADA (Czech Republic, 2020) – Piaoyu Xie
DIRTY (USA, 2020) – Matthew Puccini
DOWN DOG (USA, 2020) – directed by Shae Xu
DRIFTING (China, USA, 2019) – directed by Hanxiong Bo
HIS NAME (HANN) (Iceland, 2018) – directed by Runar Thor
OCTOBER (USA, 2019) – directed by Mae Mann
ON MY WAY (Belgium, 2020) – directed by Sonam Larcin
ORVILLE + BOB (USA, 2019) – directed by Alan Griswold
PEACH (Australia, 2020) – Rowan Devereux & Sophie Saville
PRETTY GIRL (CAILÍN ÁLAINN) (Ireland, 2019) – directed by Megan K Fox)
QUEENS (UK, 2020) – directed by Nick Bechman
SAVING CHINTU (India, 2020) – directed by Tushar Tyagi
SELMA AFTER THE RAIN (Brazil, 2019) – directed by Loli Menezes
SHEAR AVORY: TO BE CONTINUED (USA, 2020) – directed by Abram Cerda
SHHH! (HYSJ!) (Norway, 2019) directed by Nini Kjeldner
SHORT CALF MUSCLE (Netherlands, 2019) – directed by Victoria Warmerdam
SNAKE (Macedonia, 2020) – directed by Andrey Volkashin
THE CYPHER (USA, 2020) – directed by Letia Solomon
THE PASSING (UK, 2020) – directed by Nichola Wong
THE SHAWL (USA, 2020) – directed by Sara Kiener THE WAY WE ARE (Canada, 2020) – directed by Amanda Ann-Min Wong
THRIVE (UK, 2019) – directed by Jamie Di Spirito UNTITLED SEQUENCE OF GAPS (Germany, 2020) – directed by Vika Kirchenbauer
VICTORIA (Spain, 2020 – directed by Daniel Toledo Saura) WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE RING (Taiwan, 2020) – directed by Yichi Chen
WHEN IN ROME (PAESE CHE VAI) (Italy, 2020) – directed by Luca Padrini WINGS (UK, 2020) – Jamie Weston -
BLACK HISTORY MONTH | LGBT+ Icons: MNEK
October 6th MNEK
Let’s have another black LGBT+ icon. Today it’s MNEK. MNEK is a recording artist, songwriter and producer. He’s had huge hits writing for other artists and recently had a long-running number 1 single in the UK.
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Laurence fox is getting sued after paedophiles tweets
One of the people to be called a paedophile by Laurence Fox on Sunday evening, has announced on social media that he has engaged the services of a lawyer to sue Laurence Fox for defamation.
Simon Blake, who is the deputy chair of one of the UK’s largest LGBT+ charities, Stonewall, said, “I detest racism. Challenging it is important to me, but I will choose my words more carefully in future. I want to be the best ally I can to people impacted by racism
“Whilst I regret the unnecessary language I used, which is not in line with the way I like to conduct myself, I feel strongly about this issue. In response Mr Fox seriously defamed me and I have instructed Mark Lewis from Patron Law to sue for defamation.”.
“Language is powerful”
In a defense of his words, Fox wrote, “Language is powerful. To accuse someone of racism without any evidence whatsoever to back up that accusation is a deep slander. It carries the same stigma and reputation destroying harm as accusing someone of paedophilia. Here endeth the lesson”.
He also added, “If the game nowadays is to throw baseless insults and accusations about, then we should all be free to participate.
Having said that, I have deleted the tweets posted yesterday, in response to being repeatedly, continuously and falsely smeared as a racist, as they just serve as a distraction to the important work that needs to be done.
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH | LGBT+ Icons: Munroe Bergdorf
October 5th Munroe Bergdorf.
Today’s black LGBT+ icon is Munroe Bergdorf. Munroe is a model and activist who has walked catwalks at London and New York Fashion Week. As an activist, she is outspoken on racism and transphobia.
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Royal Vauxhall Tavern backs G-A-Y’s legal challenge to 10 PM curfew
One of London’s longest-running LGBT+ pubs, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern (RVT) has backed G-A-Y’s Jeremy Joseph in his quest to legally challenge the controversial restrictions placed on the hospitality sector across the UK, which the government has said is a “necessary measure” to stop the spread of Coronavirus.
In a message of solidarity, the RVT’s CEO James Lindsay echoed Jeremy Joseph’s comments that the 10 PM curfew “made no sense” adding, “not only us it another massive blow to us as a business, but it also puts our customers at more risk” as the 10 PM kick out means that hundreds of pub and restaurant-goers are forced out into the street at the same time.
No science to back up the curfew
Photo by ELEVATE on Pexels.com They added, “We totally support Jeremy Joseph and the action he has taken with the NTIA (Night Times Industries Association) to hold Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock account for this dangerous and shortsighted action that seems designed to blame the night time industry for increased numbers of Covid-19 cases when there is no science to back it up.”
Adding her voice, London’s night czar Amy Lamé wrote on social media, “Another weekend of London’s struggling hospitality businesses closing early due to the Govt’s arbitrary curfew. When will @10DowningStreet realise they are part of the SOLUTION, not the problem? @SadiqKhan and I are calling for an urgent review + financial support
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Laurence Fox deletes tweets after calling people paedophiles on Twitter
Actor turned politician Laurence Fox has deleted a number of tweets calling people, including the deputy chair of a very well known LGBT+ charity, a soap star and a drag queen paedophiles.
The actor who made a splash in the Netflix hit, White Lines, went on the attack yesterday and tweeted numerous accusations of paedophilia to people who accused him of being a racist.
The uproar happened after Fox hit out at Sainsbury’s announcement that shoppers who didn’t want to shop with an inclusive retailer should “shop elsewhere” he claimed that they were promoting “racial segregation and discrimination”.
Tweets now deleted
http://gty.im/521922066The Tweets have now been deleted, but not before users of Twitter called on the Metropolitan Police to investigate Fox for his Tweets and many users suggesting that the actor should be sued for libel.
Fox also took aim at a RuPaul Drag Race UK star after she called Fox a “racist” and “snowflake”.
“Language is powerful”
Explaining why he wrote the Tweet Fox said, “Language is powerful. To accuse someone of racism without any evidence whatsoever to back up that accusation is a deep slander. It carries the same stigma and reputation destroying harm as accusing someone of paedophilia. Here endeth the lesson”.
Actor Charlie Condou, Tweeted, “I’m not sure what point Laurence Fox is making by calling gay people paedophiles but I don’t think it’s going to end well”
Fox is in the process of starting a new political party, which is thought to be named, Reclaim, but has not been formally announced.
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G-A-Y has launched a legal challenge to the 10 PM Coronavirus curfew
Jeremy Joseph who owns the G-A-Y brand has launched a legal challenge to the government’s controversial 10 PM curfew, arguing that it not put forward any scienciftic evidence to show that the new restrictions would work.
Closures at 10 PM have meant that businesses in the hospitality industry, which are now forced to close, on the dot, at 10 PM have suffered a terrible financial loss. Already numerous LGBT+ bars have had to indefinitely suspend their business or close permanently due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.
The curfew is supposed to help stop the spread of COVID-19 among patrons of venues across the UK, except since its introduction on the 24th September, scenes of overcrowding on streets and public transport have been witnessed across the country as bars and restaurants “kick out” at the exact same time.
“No sense”
Speaking to Sky News this morning, Jeremy Joseph said he was launching a judicial review of the new restrictions, saying that the new policy made “no sense” and did the opposite of protecting people.
He said, “The government has failed to show why the 10 pm curfew was put in place and has published no scientific evidence to substantiate its implementation.”
He added that he thought that the hospitality industry had been “thrown under a bus” and they hadn’t done anything to protect businesses.
Striking a balance
G-A-Y had introduced its “Covid-secure” screening and systems back in July. It included screens around the payment and ordering areas and perspex bubbles for people to sit and drink. Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary has defended the measure saying that it was a “necessary measure”.
A government spokesperson said, “Our measures strike a balance between saving lives by protecting our NHS and the most vulnerable and minimising the wider impact on the economy and schools.
“The latest data suggests a considerable rise in the infection rate following people socialising in hospitality venues serving alcohol in recent weeks, so we have taken immediate action to cut the transmission rate and save lives and will keep all measures under constant review.
“The 10pm closure allows people to continue to socialise while reducing the risk of failing to socially distance.”
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LGBT Films at the BFI London Film Festival 2020
From 7-18 October 2020 The BFI London Film Festival will be broadcast online and in cinemas at the BFI Southbank, partner London venues and all across the UK.
All shorts, events and a virtual exhibition of XR and immersive art will be accessible for free online. Here are some of the LGBT film highlights:
Supernova
After twenty years together, Sam and Tusker’s blissful life has been shattered following Tusker’s diagnosis with early-onset dementia. Intent on spending as much precious time together as they can, the pair travel across England in their old campervan, visiting loved ones and returning to special places from their past. Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci star in a film directed by Harry Macqueen.
Ammomite
A fictionalised account of the life of the 19th-century palaeontologist Mary Anning, Kate Winslet plays the pioneering scientist with Saoirse Ronan as the gentlewoman who falls in love with her while staying in Mary’s beloved Lyme Regis. Directed by Francis Lee (God’s Own Country).
Kajillionaire
In Miranda July’s assured third feature, Old Dolio (Evan Rachael Wood) and her parents (Richard Jenkins and Debra Winger) are a trio of offbeat, small-time hustlers. Old Dolio’s heart is stirred when she meets Melanie (Gina Rodriguez).
I am Samuel
Born and raised in rural Kenya, Samuel moves to the capital and falls in love with Alex. This courageous debut feature offers an intimate portrait of a young couple navigating their way in a country where homosexuality is criminalised.
If It Were Love
This Teddy Award winner for Best Documentary at Berlinale 2020 is an intoxicating exploration of love and desire, documenting the production of choreographer Gisèle Vienne’s Crowd, a work exploring the 90s rave scene.
Days
Tsai Ming-Liang’s profound commitment to less is more flourishes in this transfixing work, in which a middle-aged man suffering from chronic pain hires a young male masseur. This film is intentionally without subtitling.
Cicada
As introspective bisexual Ben embarks on a new relationship, he is forced to face the traumas of his past in this remarkable debut feature based on personal experiences of the filmmakers.
For more information and tickets, please go to: https://www.bfi.org.uk/london-film-festival
