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  • INTERVIEW | Drag Queens Of London Lady Lloyd

    Star of London Lives’ Drag Queens Of London, Lady Lloyd, opens up about being homophobically attacked and how life has changed since.

    When and where exactly did the attack happen?
    It was when I was 15, and it happened as I was catching a late night train from Stansted Station into West End to see my best friend Siobhan Donaghy perform at G-a-Y when she was in Sugababes.

    How many people attacked you?
    3

    How old were they?
    They were the same age.

    Did you know who they were?
    I knew who one of them was, but the other two I never found out. The one I know for sure was put away for other attacks, and actually got a brain tumour and died. Now I wouldn’t wish harm on anyone, but you know – Karmas a bitch!

    Could you describe your injuries for me?
    Just completely bashed up! black eyes, busted lip and had my face cut open on my cheek. It was pretty horrific, I really think if it had gone to court it would have been attempted murder, as it happened on a bridge and they were trying to shove me off it onto the train tracks.

    What age did the abuse/bullying start?
    I guess it started when I started high school, but just words and stuff which has never bothered me. I was going out nightclubbing from 13 and hanging out with people 25+…I matured really quickly , I think i’m more immature now than I was then, and so playground bullying never bothered me, I used to play up to it really…I wore a Spice Girls puff jacket for goodness sake and had my own hair salon during lunch break! I had a great time at school, I loved it.

    Have you encountered any abuse/bullying since, in recent years?
    Not really, maybe some remarks here and there but nothing that stands out, but my friend, legendary nightclub host Phillip Salon, was brutally attacked and left for dead outside the GAP in Piccadilly, and the police claim there was no CCTV. On that corner in Piccadilly, Central London? I don’t think so. My attack happened in front of CCTV cameras, and it was claimed they just weren’t switched on. Shocking.

    When did you start dressing in drag?
    Probably when I was 16. But you know, we are born naked – everything else is drag. It comes in dribs and drabs – an eyeliner here, a heel there – I don’t really think of drag as a transformation, my clothes don’t have genitals, a man in a skirt, a girl in a nice pair of trousers it’s all the same.

    Do you think the attack has left any scars? Emotional and physical?
    I have a scar on my cheek and another on my hand, so there is that which isn’t pleasant, but some people like them. Other than that emotionally not really – I certainly gained in confidence and I think I have a really strong core and belief in myself , but I don’t know if that is a result of one attack or of living my life as true to my own self as I can, which I have always done, no apologies.

    HOMOPHOBIC HATE CRIME STATS
    The problem of hate crimes and incidents
    • One in six lesbian, gay and bisexual people have experienced a homophobic hate crime or incident over the last three years.
    • In the last year alone, almost one in ten lesbian, gay and bisexual people have experienced a homophobic hate crime or incident.
    • One in sixteen regard homophobic harassment or attacks as a big problem in their area.

    Drag Queens Of London Continues Tonight on London Live

    Freeview 8, YouView 8, Sky 117 and Virgin 159

  • Miami Dolphins Fines Don Jones Over Michael Sam Twitter Comments

    Miami Dolphins have fined Don Jones an undisclosed amount after tweeting after Michael Sam’s kiss and acceptance as the NFL’s first openly gay player.

    Michael Sam, 24, was drafted to the NFL as the first openly gay player yesterday, however not everyone seemed to be happy about the announcement.

    Miami Dolphins player Don Jones tweeted shortly after the news broke: “horrible”. The tweet has since been deleted and Jones was fined an undisclosed amount. He has been excused from team activities and must undergo educational training.

    He has also commented:

    ‘I want to apologise to Michael Sam for the inappropriate comments I made on social media,” Jones told the Miami Dolphins website.

    ‘I take full responsibility for them and I regret that these tweets took away from his draft moment.

    ‘Last year when I was drafted in the seventh round I remember the emotions and happiness I felt when I received the call that gave me an opportunity to play for an NFL team. I wish him all the best in his NFL career.’

  • Meet ‘The Real Hedwig’

    With Neil Patrick Harris kicking up a storm on Broadway, the ‘real’ Hedwig pipes up.

    Hegwig And The Angry Inch is one of the must see gay films of all times and Neil Patrick Harris is currently playing the seminal character on Broadway to much applause and critical acclaim. But our friends at out.com have secured an interview with Tish Gervais (Brian Belovitch) – the star who claims to be the original Hedwig.

    In an exclusive chat with Out’s Michael Musto , Brian Belovitch says:

    ‘People were always coming up to me and saying that. Then, when I went to sell my film after my play, they said, “No, it’s too much like Hedwig. We already had this story.” But this is a true story. The whole thing was very shady to me. I went up to John and talked to him about it once, and he said Jayne (County) was planning to sue him. I said, “Everyone told me I should sue you.” You should have seen his face. He was like, “Really?” I said, “Maybe Hedwig is something you created in your imagination, but my story is my story.” I wasn’t going to accuse him there right on the spot. Catfight on Greenwich Avenue!’

    However John Cameron Mitchell responded with:
    ‘In a way, accusations of plagiarism are the sincerest form of flattery: “Wow! That could be me!’

    Read the entire interview and response from the creative team from Hedwig over at Out.com

  • Archbishop Of Canterbury Meets With School Teacher For Anti-Homophobic Campaign

    Archbishop Of Canterbury Meets With School Teacher For Anti-Homophobic Campaign

    ‘Southwark School Leader and Anti-Homophobic Bullying Champion Shaun Dellenty to Meet the Archbishop of Canterbury’

    (more…)

  • Michael Sam becomes first openly gay player drafted to National Football League (NFL)

    GLAAD, US’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy organization, today responded to the historic draft of openly gay football player Michael Sam to the National Football League (NFL). Sam will become the first-ever openly gay footballer to play for the league next season.

    “Without a doubt, this is a game changer,” said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “Today, Michael Sam has redefined what it takes to be a champion. He’s tackled stereotypes and joins the ranks of athletic trailblazers like Jason Collins and Brittney Griner in showing Americans that there’s no place for homophobia on the field. As support for equality continues to surge, it’s clear that sports fans are ready, football is ready, and America is ready for its first openly gay NFL player.”

    GLAAD encourages fans to share their support for Michael Sam by sharing #SamFans graphics on Facebook and Twitter.

    In February interviews with The New York Times and ESPN, Sam first stated: “I am an openly, proud gay man.”

    In December 2013, The Associated Press named Sam the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year. He was also selected as one of 10 unanimous first-team all-Americans. He led the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in both sacks and tackles-for-loss and resides in the top 10 nationally in Division I in those categories.

    Sam is the among several high-profile athletes to come out as LGBT recently, with others including the NBA’s Jason Collins, the WNBA’s Brittney Griner, NCAA Division I basketball player Derrick Gordon, WWE’s Darren Young, UFC’s Liz Carmouche, MMA’s Fallon Fox, and Major League Soccer’s Robbie Rogers.

    In an NFL document released in April 2013, the league described its equal employment opportunity policy as: “It is the policy of the National Football League to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law.”

    In the document, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also stated: “The NFL has a long history of valuing diversity and inclusion. Discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation is not consistent with our values and is unacceptable in the National Football League.”

    The NFL added sexual orientation to its list of protected classes in September 2011.

    The NFL has also demonstrated its commitment to inclusion by participating in GLAAD’s annual anti-bullying campaign, Spirit Day. For the past two consecutive years, the NFL has ‘gone purple’ online in a stand against bullying and to show its support for LGBT youth. In December 2013, the You Can Play Project and the NFL announced the ‘High Five Initiative,’ an “effort to create meaningful connections between LGBT youth and leaders within the professional sports community.” Troy Vincent and Dwight Hollier, former NFL players and NFL player engagement executives, visited the Hetrick Martin Institute, the nation’s largest and oldest LGBT youth services organization, yesterday to do just that. The league is also collaborating with You Can Play and You Belong for the second annual You Belong LGBTQ Sports and leadership initiative

  • Cody Simpson Goes Shirtless

    Woof. Cody Simpson shows of his body. We like We like…

    (more…)

  • COLUMN | Gaying It Up The Marvel Comics Way

    The Marvel Now initiative was launched with the specific aim of re-launching their entire line bringing fresh ideas and voices to familiar titles.

    Part of this was to bring diversity and address the inequality balance in the line. Traditionally the core audience for American main stream comics has been an adolescent white male; however the popularity of Manga and the success of the films over the years have seen a subtle shift in the audience. Comics are no longer the exclusive domain on the geek. Alongside the publicity from the X-Men same-sex marriage and the boycott from Christian Group “one million moms’”, Comics are now increasingly geared towards LGBT readers and Marvel Now has embraced this across the line.

    The company has published Young Avengers since 2005. The concept of the team are teenagers picking up the legacy of established characters. Hulking and Wiccan have been front and centre of the team since its inception and gradually introduced as a couple. They have continued to function on the team and forming a core part of the team being portrayed as any other couple in a mainstream comic book. The series received a revamp as part of Marvel Now and a new teammate Prodigy joined the team. He was a character previously part of an X-Men offshoot title.

    Since appearing in Young Avengers he has kissed Hulking during a moment where they both thought they were going to die saying that “he has always wanted to do that” and coming out as bisexual in the next issue. This revelation is a big step for a number of reasons. Traditionally any LGBT characters on teams have been in the minority, by the end of the current series almost all of the team had either stated that they were not straight, had experimented or were curious.

    FF is a series that follows a replacement team for the Fantastic Four while the traditional team are on a voyage across time and space. The Team are teachers in an academy for students mainly consisting of children inspired by villains. There are a collection of moleoid children, minions of the mole man. In a recent issue one of the children, Tong, revealed to his brothers that he was in fact transgender and wished to be referred to in that way. She now wears a dress over her FF uniform to mark her identity. The only reaction from this was from team leader Antman, when he was told what was happening he remarked “oh, good for her” and returned to his conversation.

    As part of the remit for Marvel Now task was to introduce more female led books. She-Hulk, Black Widow and Captain Marvel all feature in their own series and Fearless Defenders charts the rise of established character Valkyrie trying to put together a team of “shield maidens” to defend Asgard.

    The start of the series introduced Dr. Annabelle Riggs, an archaeologist from a Viking dig. Annabelle kissed Valkyrie during battle and made it clear that she was attracted to her. As the story unfolded Annabelle died but found herself sharing a body with Valkyrie. The outcome from this is that we have a lesbian character not only as part of a team of women but co-leading them. Before the series ended a new character was introduced as a love interest for Annabelle.

    The Spider-Man series has long since been known for its supporting cast as well as its main character. The main series feature Peter Parker working in a think tank of geniuses. His boss Max Modell was featured in a time travel storyline, where his watch was a key part. They took the opportunity of Max showing his watch to Peter and remarking that his partner Hector gave it him as an anniversary present. What I liked about this is that it was so subtle that I missed it the first time round. Hector has since appeared as a solicitor representing Max through the series and into “Superior Spider-Man”.

    Marvel is taking great strides at the moment in introducing LGBT characters; the step seems to have been taken to represent sexuality as part of a character and not just a gimmick to boost sales. Other established characters such as Northstar, Karma, Rictor and Shatterstar continue to keep their roles within the X-Men line of books which have long since carried a metaphor about being different and “hated and feared” by society.

    However it is noticeable that Marvel does not carry a solo title featuring a gay character. DC comics have “Batwoman” which has been a commercial and critical success. Marvel series to feature LGBT characters have been restricted to limited series for Quasar and the poorly conceived “comedy” Rawhide kid.

    I believe that the next step would be for Marvel to introduce a “Northstar” title. Being part of the X-Men universe and the main stream media attention from his weddings mean that he is already known to a large section of fans and recognition from non-comic book readers.

    Aside from being the first gay hero, he is a strong, confident, sometimes arrogant-gay man. He is a celebrity within the Marvel universe already thanks to a previous sports career and public image. He is happily married which is somewhat of a departure from both comic book marriages. Of course the storyline needs to be stronger than the fact that he is a gay mutant, perhaps for someone who usually works as part of a team, it may be interesting to focus on him now being solo and the fact that he does not hide behind a mask.

    The creative team is key, as with the Carol Danvers’, “Captain Marvel” series, the writer Kelly Sue DeConnick is a talented and brilliant female writer for the flagship female character. They care about the character and have been able to build a strong and loyal fan base within the female audience.
    If the gay comic book community were to embrace the series it could certainly build a good solid audience.

    And yes, I’m available

  • INTERVIEW | Molly Smitten Downes: Eurovision – I wouldn’t say I’m an avid fan

    The UK’s Eurovision entry this year is a fresh breath of air for the UK. I chat to Molly Smitten Downes before the Finals of the world’s biggest music competition to find out that she’s a big hippy at heart, why she rates Gina G and how Hugh Jackman is a big fan!

    What are you most looking forward to about Eurovision?
    Oh gosh, loads really, but the performance the most. It’s going to be the biggest show I’ve ever done, it’s going to be an incredible experience to perform in front of that many people and to have such a big stage.

    Does 120 million viewers haunt you at all?
    A little bit… A little bit! Yes, but weirdly I feel more excited than anything. I’m genuinely excited. I feel really strongly about the song, and I’m really excited about getting everyone to hear it and to judge as they will. I don’t know if they’re going to like it or not but I’m really happy with the song, if they don’t like it, then that’s absolutely fine, but hopefully some of them will…

    Well out of 120 million, we’ll think you’ll find some fans!
    Some must, at least one or two!!! (Laughs)

    Was Children of the universe a co write or self penned?
    That was self-penned, I wrote and Anders Hansson
    produced it – he’s incredible. He’s an absolute dream to work with and he really understands my writing style and it’s amazing how much he can hear when I write. My little demos of basic chords, he just hears what I can hear and he knows how to make it into what you hear.

    What are you trying to say in your song?
    The song is about knowing your worth as a human being and feeling a bit disconnected, dreaming, feeling not really sure about yourself in the world and waking up and realising ‘you know what I believe every human is important, we all have a part to play, we’re not really sure what it is – but it’s about knowing your worth as a human being’.

    I guess I’m just a bit of a hippy… some people might find it very sickly – that message, but it’s what I believe.

    So a bit of a hippy then?
    I’m a massive hippy in fact.

    Is the UK ready for a hippy monster?
    (Laughing) I don’t know. But I think the UK is more hippy than we know. We love animals; we’re quite pioneering with human rights.

    We’re a lot more hippyish than we like to admit – but we’re quite a deep nation, I think we care a lot about issues and we’re quite rebellious and we don’t like to conform too much.

    Are you going to go for the full camp costume for Eurovision?
    It’s pretty glam, but that’s all I’m going to say. It’s going to be the most glamorous thing I’ve ever worn.

    Are you an avid fan of the show?
    I wouldn’t say I’m an avid fan… No. I used to watch it when I was little, but the last few years, I’ve lost interest in it I guess. I didn’t feel that connected to it, for whatever reason. So I’ve had to sort of do my research, after agreeing to do it. Looking at those who have come high up in the scoring, I feel like in this Country, certainly we’ve got a preconceived idea about it and a lot of people think it’s a bit naff. But if you look at the winning songs coming through, they’re really good.

    I’m really proud to be representing the UK

    To date who’s your favourite entry?
    I love Loreen – ‘Euphoria’, I think her performance two years ago was world class…

    Any UK acts?
    Not really. Not in recent years. A long time ago… Gina G was great, Katrina and the Waves obviously; she wrote that song and that means something to me. But in recent years not so much. I can’t speak highly enough of people of that ilk (Bonnie Tyler and Engelbert Humperdinck) and they were great performances, but with regards to the competition and looking at other acts that have won I think the winning acts have done well and deserve to be up there.

    What’s in store for us?
    It’s not going to be an easy competition at all, they all seem really nice and Ruth Lorenzo, is an absolute babe. It’s been really nice chatting to her.

    Last year there were quite a few gay moments… Any thing gay this year?
    I don’t know if there are any… But you know what, great if there’s a bit of controversy and rebellion, I’m all for it. You’ve got to let people be.

    If you could hang out with anyone from music history, who would it be and what would you talk about?
    I would love to hang out with Debbie Harry… I feel like her coolness might rub off on me. And John Lennon, I really believe he had such good ideas about peace and the potential of human nature, I really like his ethic.

    Are you going to be keeping sober after the performance?
    Hell no. Not even a little bit.

    Have you practiced your poker face for when we’re not getting Douze point?
    I’ve got, unfortunately, one of those faces that really like says how I’m feeling, I might find it really hard… I’ll be trashing the green room.

    Is there a diva streak in you?
    Probably, when I get tired and under pressure, I do get a bit snappy, but generally no, I’m not high maintenance or anything. Just normal. I wish I was a bit more of a diva actually. It could be quite fun to make diva-ish demands and say things like… ‘Hey where’s my champagne?’

    Who was the last celebrity you spoke to and what did you talk about?
    Mark Feely from west life, he was at my gig last night, so we talked about my gig, he said, I’ve got a great voice and he really enjoyed the show.

    So he’s a bit of a fan then?
    I think so, (giggles)

    Any other VIP fans?
    Hugh Jackman after Graham Norton (show)! He was really nice, I’m not sure if I’ve got any VIP fans.

    How are you finding the newfound fame?
    It’s a whole new level! Fine… Yeah, good actually! I was a bit sort of thinking what was going to happen. I didn’t know what to expect really, but it’s been fine and fun actually. I don’t think my profile is quite getting stopped on the street or anything, although I did get spotted in Stockholm and that was really surreal. That was fun. I’ve not really had a chance to take it all in, because it’s all happened so fast at the minute.

    Is there anything so far in your career that demands that you be added to the rock and roll hall of fame?
    Hummmm, getting the goody bag after the Graham Norton show. In the dressing room there was this amazing goody bag, with all really nice products in and I was so excited is as was like ‘Ahhhhhhhhh. Free stuff!’ They were like, ‘It’s so nice that your excited about the goody bag, so many celebs don’t even take it…’ And I was like WHAT? These people are mad! It’s free, so I love a freebie.

    Do you have a favourite phrase or saying?
    Reach for the top of the trees and you won’t leave the ground. Reach for the stars and you might reach the top of the trees…

    Ooooft that’s deep, where did you get that from?
    A nun! I went to a convent school!

    Milly Smitten Downes will be performing at the Eurovision Finals Saturday 10th May

  • REVIEW | RHS Malvern Spring Festival

    The Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Malvern Spring Festival is a fantastic annual event that takes place amongst the backdrop of the spectacular Malvern Hills. It’s the place to go if you are a keen gardener or foodie, as visitors are treated to show gardens, floral displays, celebrity talks, and lots of glorious food and drink. (more…)

  • FILM REVIEW | My Last Round

    ★★★★ | My Last Round

    Soon after middle-aged Octavio begins his romance with his young lover Hugo life gets complicated for both of them.

    Octavio is told he must give up boxing because he has a medical condition that could cause a brain hemorrhage, and Hugo gets fired from his job as he got the boss’s daughter pregnant. Determined to put this all behind them they take off to Santiago, the nearest big city, to start a new life together.

    Octavio gets a gig cutting hair at a traditional barbers shop but as Hugo fails to find work he ends up at home all day feeling sorry for himself. It puts something of a strain on the men’s relationship as both of them feel unfulfilled and unhappy with their lot. It doesn’t improve when Octavio, missing the excitement of the ring, accepts another boxing match, whilst at the same time Hugo, now finally employed, starts to get entangled with his new boss’s daughter.

    It turns out that both men quickly regret the new choices that they have made as they were done for all the wrong reasons. In trying to retain their own heavily masculine identities and their independence they inevitably put at risk the one thing that in the end was the more important than all the others i.e. their relationship with each other.

    The fact that this story is about two poor working class Chilean men sets it apart from most gay themed movies and the sheer brutality that prize-fighter Octavio puts himself through in the ring, that is shown here in bloodied detail, is not something we expect to see in a movie which is about a very tender and loving relationship between two very different men. There is a finality to their story which writer/director Julio Jorquera Arriagada makes sure we are aware of with the very poignant opening scenes of a funeral, but he very wisely does not attempt to draw any conclusions. It is very much what is and that is both tough and sad.

    Well cast and well acted it’s a tragic love story beautifully told.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Brassed Off

    ★★★  | Brassed Off

    Set in 1992, Brassed Off tells the story of a small Yorkshire mining town as their pit faces closure, unemployment looms, families struggle and communities rally round to campaign to keep the pit open. But as the saying goes, “where there’s muck, there’s brass”, here in the form of the colliery brass band; whose elderly band leader, Danny, has a dream of taking them to the Royal Albert Hall as finalists of a national competition.

    When Gloria, a beautiful young fugal horn player, arrives back in her home town from London, the band welcome her with open arms and the affable Andy falls in love with her. But she isn’t necessarily what she seems, and with the threat of the pit closure growing ever closer, the boys start to wonder why she has a National Coal Board logo on her briefcase.

    Based on the film of the same name, Brassed Off was a poignant play about the struggles of a community fighting to maintain its livelihood. The play had some genuine laugh out loud moments in the first act, but as the story unfolds and the situation of the lead characters becomes more desperate, the second act took a more downbeat turn, with a few laughs here and there, but a lot of sad developments to the story. It was a credit to both the cast’s performances and to the writing that you felt such sympathy for the characters as their lives and community were being slowly torn apart.

    James Robinson was most notable for his portrayal of Andy – with a natural performance of his character’s cheeky jack-the-lad persona. The remaining cast gelled well together and the sense of camaraderie and community on stage came across as genuine and believable. There were also some very well written roles for the female characters, in particular the determined Rita, excellently portrayed by Helen Kay. Unfortunately, some of the speech was a little quiet at times making it difficult to hear; meaning some of the audience missed out on some of the sharp dialogue.

    The brass band performed on stage, played by a combination of the actors and members from a local band, and did a fine job with some uplifting and moving numbers. The play was heavier on the narrative than the music and the only criticism to be levelled was that perhaps the band didn’t play enough throughout the show and especially towards the end.

    The play had a strong political message about the erosion of the coal industry and the impact on small communities. That said, despite the elements of comedy, this was a play whereby, regardless of your political leanings, you left the theatre feeling emotional as a result of the plight of the likeable characters and the empathy garnered towards them as they struggled through. The play did such a good job of drawing you into the lives of the on stage community, that even the upbeat ending seemed bitter sweet. Overall, Brassed Off was an emotional piece of well written and performed drama.

    Brassed Off is currently at the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre until Saturday 10th May 2014. Further details and booking details can be found at www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

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