The Birmingham Swifts, the city’s LGBT running group, has been awarded nearly £2000 from the Birmingham Pride Trust Fund to build upon the club’s successes. The money will go towards increasing visibility of the Swifts and improving the quality of running sessions on offer for the LGBT community of Birmingham.
Members of the group, which has only existed for just over a year, were able to proudly wear new running tops during last month’s Birmingham Pride Parade, but the club will now be able to own group kit for individuals who may not be able to afford to purchase their own. Alongside the clothing, the club will have a flag to act as a focal point at races and events, and new publicity materials to attract prospective members.
The Swifts will also be able to put on extra sessions to complement the existing offering, by training members as leaders and a coach. This includes more Starting Out sessions, which are based upon the popular couch to 5k programme, and a training plan for the Great Birmingham Run.
Tommy Hill, chair of the Swifts, said:
“It’s fantastic that Birmingham Pride have chosen to support the Birmingham Swifts. Together we are promoting health and physical exercise for the LGBT community, and showcasing running within Birmingham.
“We know there are many barriers for LGBT people when it comes to taking part in sport, such as cost, the fear of homophobia and the belief they will not be good enough. The Swifts are determined to remove these barriers by being an encouraging and supportive group where everyone is welcome, no matter what their ability.
“After enjoying a successful Birmingham Pride, the Swifts are now looking towards the half marathon in October. Thanks to this funding, we’ll be able to put together a training plan for the race and have a striking visual presence on the day.”
Since its start in 2014 the Broken Rainbow instant chat service has continued to increase in popularity with LGBT people experiencing abuse or violence in their relationships. On busy days this means eight hours of constant user support and Broken Rainbow today runs this service with 25 volunteers across the country. Because of its high demand the Broken Rainbow instant chat will extend its opening hours to weekends, meaning it will be open every day from 10am till 2pm from the 6th of June 2015.
The reasons for its popularity are many; partly it can offer greater anonymity to the user than phone support and partly it may give them more time to think before they express themselves.
Broken Rainbow Managing Director Jo Harvey Barringer explains why she thinks it has become such a popular tool for Broken Rainbow’s service users:
“Often the people that contact us are in situations where they cannot risk being heard over the phone. We’ve had victims/ survivors contacting us while locked in the bathroom with their abuser on the other side of the door – a situation in which if they were to call someone they may feel even more under threat.”
The new weekend opening hours will start on the first weekend of June. This means instant chat will be open every day from 2pm till 10pm from the 6th of June 2015.
You can find out more at http://www.brokenrainbow.org.uk or call 0800 999 5428
For the past week gay social media sites have been buzzing about the rather shocking discriminatory policy of IMPULSE SOUTH FLORIDA, a community outreach group dedicated to spreading HIV awareness and education.
They recently threw a massive pool party in Miami to help promote the recently renovated Vagabond Hotel, a local landmark. They made men over 40 years of age pay a hefty $50 admission when it was free to anyone else. To add insult too injury the party had been rather ironically heavily promoted and hashtagged on Instagram and Twitter with #JudgmentIsDirty,
“I’m amazed at the invite I just received – free admission up to 40 years of age and $50 over 40,” Ed Stevens, a would-be party goer said to South Florida Gay News. “In addition to whether this is even legal, It’s a shocking and blatant attempt to exclude mature people and another instance of how people in our community should know better, given the discrimination and judgments we face in the mainstream world. And I was looking forward to going back to this beautifully restored landmark.”
“The primary strategy is to organically establish a following of socially active, young gay men through engagement at large, organised events, such as Evolution, which occurred in Miami on April 18,”
Impulse responded in a press release yesterday. “The purpose of events like Evolution is to create a lively, fun atmosphere where these men can interact while simultaneously being exposed to information about HIV in a non-judgmental environment.”
That’s all well and said but as many other disgruntled would-be partygoers have been pointing out this week is the reality that the very same group of gay men who were made to feel very unwelcome also constitute a significant percentage of the donors who have helped keep IMPULSE in funds in the past. @rogerwalkerdack
The North West will be the base for Broken Rainbow’s main office and as well as new outreach programmes, such as the LGBT Independent Domestic Violence Advocacy (IDVA) role. The Broken Rainbow helpline will still be based in London, giving the charity much wider remit.
Jo Harvey Barringer, Broken Rainbow’s Managing Director, says:
“We’ve had such a warm welcome from LGBT groups and organisations here in Manchester and we are so excited to be part of a place with such great LGBT history and community. And as a national charity it is only right that we have a base outside of London.”
As part of Broken Rainbow’s relocation it has also recruited of its first ever LGBT IDVA in partnership with Manchester City Council. The role’s inaugural incumbent, Tiffany Cunningham, brings a huge amount of experience to the position, and is keen to hit the ground running, ‘We’re keen to provide the service and support that this community needs, and actually deserves’
The LGBT IDVA’s role will be to offer LGBT victims/ survivors support and assistance, such as help with safety planning and risk assessments, liaising with agencies as well as support through the criminal justice system.
Last year Broken Rainbow made headlines after it was uncertain that it could continue its services after the government failed to make clear funding options for the year ahead. MP Caroline Lucas said:
“If Broken Rainbow is forced to close its services as a result of Government cuts, it will mean the loss of a unique service which has made a real difference to the lives of tens of thousands of people. To see it close just at the time when its services are under greatest demand would be perverse and counterproductive.”
An LGBT specific IDVA service is important because it will enable LGBT victim/survivors, to receive the targeted support that they need, with the reassurance that as a service we fully understand the dynamics of LGBT domestic violence and work in a respectful, confidential and professional manner.
Jo Harvey Barringer, Broken Rainbow’s Managing Director, says:
‘One of the main things our service users ask for is on-going support by a caseworker and with this new IDVA post we will finally be able to offer this service. And although this initial role will be based in Manchester, our hope is that the service will grow and we will be able to host IDVA’s across the UK.’
Manchester City Council is very excited to be in partnership with Broken Rainbow and is looking forward to collaborate with them and other organisations in the North West in the near future.
With over 4115 individual donations and a massive 62,000 social shares, Pizza4Equality, a campaign with aims to raise money for homeless LGBT youth has raised an incredible $155,000.
The campaign was started initially as a counter to a fundraiser for a pizza parlour, Memories Pizza, in Indiana that said it would discriminate against a gay couple. After national press exposure, the owners went on to receive in excess of $800,000 in donations to keep their business afloat.
All proceeds of the Pizza4Equality fund will go to Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Foundation, an organisation dedicated to helping LGBT Youth on the streets.
A user on the crowd funding site, Christa Sheehan, wrote:
I see this campaign’s a flop! So much for outshowing Memories Pizza! LOL #praiseHim”
However the fund’s creator, Scott Wooledge countered,
“But we’ve raise $155,000 to help LGBTQ homeless youth! So how can that be a ‘flop?’ We at #Pizza4Equality are super-proud and you should be too! Thank you!”
The fund is collecting until the 29th April, the first national #40ToNoneDay – a day set up by the True Colors foundation to end LGBT youth homelessness.
Bridgend in South Wales seems to be enjoying a bit of a heatwave as I make my way to meet Russ Hughes, the photographer and creator of the Boys of Bridgend for a chat about the upcoming 2016 calendar. Well, it might not be a heatwave but it’s definitely warmer than usual for April and things are about to get a whole lot hotter as he’s promised to bring along one of this year’s new recruits for a chat. There are definitely worse ways to spend an afternoon.
I arrive to catch the tail end of an ongoing shoot, though I seem to have missed the opportunity for naked men with this one. It’s a young woman getting head shots for a portfolio, I’m informed. As she leaves, in walks Rhys, one of the calendars newest recruits who I can only describe as ‘traditionally beautiful’. Even fully dressed you can see that he is in splendid shape with his boyish good looks and cheeky smile. I’m impressed. If this is a taster of what is to come with the new calendar then pulses are set to race the world over.
We sit, drinks are poured and our chat begins. I’m interested to know how the Boys of Bridgend began. Unlike other calendars on the market, the guys who feature here aren’t part of a collective group or team and while some of them have known each other for a long time, the only solid connection that seems to bring them all together is that they all hail from this small Welsh town. So I begin by asking Russ how it all came to be.
“I’m asked on a regular basis to do charity work, be it donating shoots as prizes or shooting charity events, but I wanted to do something more to help, so one day I hit on the idea of a calendar and it all went from there. I’d never done anything like it before and I had no idea about the amount of work that it needed, but once I set my mind to it there was no stopping me. I just had to work out who to shoot, where to shoot, how to fund it and how to get it made on a tiny budget. I also set myself a timescale of 3 months to get it all done. Now that I know what I know, that seems insane, but I went into it a bit naïve and looking for a challenge and I definitely set myself one.”
Russ Hughes/Boys Of Bridgend
The 2015 calendar went on to be a big success, selling in over 35 countries, so it seems that it was a challenge that he managed to overcome, but what about the process of making it. How did it get off the ground?
“I’d love to say that it was plain sailing but it seemed like we hit brick walls at every turn. On the day of the very first shoot the model text me to say he was pulling out. I think he’d spent too long overthinking it and had talked himself out of it by the time the shoot day came. We were already miles behind schedule and I was panicking like you wouldn’t believe. I text one of the other guys who finished work and drove over, so we at least got the shoot done, but we were still a guy short. By the time we had completed all 12 shoots we had lost a further 2 guys who then had to be replaced, and we were still behind schedule. Aside from the shoot problems, we also had trouble finding funding to even get it printed. Companies just weren’t interested. In the back of my mind I was worried that I would be left with hundreds of pictures but no calendar to put them in. I ended up paying over half of the printing costs myself just to make sure that it was made and nobody ended up disappointed.”
You’ve been teasing us on social media with snippets from this year’s calendar, which is very obviously different from what we’ve seen before, so what sparked the change?
“There’s a couple of reasons, really, but mostly because of how well the last calendar did. We always thought that we would sell a couple of copies locally, raise some money for the charity and that would be that, but it went down a storm and people were buying it from all over the world. It was obviously a winning formula so changing that this year is a bit of a risky move, but we don’t want to get complacent, either. We did it one way and it worked well, so now we want to test the water and give everyone something different. People who have already bought the calendar already have lots of black and white images of naked men in the Bridgend countryside, so if and when they decide to buy the new calendar we will be giving them something completely different for their money so it won’t seem like they’ve paid for the same thing twice. We’ve put out teasers on Facebook and Twitter which have had a really positive response, which is brilliant, but just like last year, you haven’t seen anything yet. The final calendar images are still under lock and key and have been seen by nobody.”
“Keeping things fresh and new is what we want to do, and we really have changed everything. The theme of the calendar is completely different, we’ve got a bunch of new guys and we’ve also changed the charity we will be supporting this year as well.”
Russ Hughes/Boys Of Bridgend
Money raised from the 2015 calendar went on to support the Everyman Appeal, which benefits men who suffer from testicular and prostate cancer, while money from the 2016 calendar will go towards the Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation. How did that partnership come about?
“The guys over at the StandUp Foundation have been amazing. Really, truly amazing. We have had such a great response from fans and we really want to be as interactive as possible, so when work started on the new calendar we put it to our supporters for them to suggest charities that they would like to see us donate to. The response was incredible and there were lots of worthwhile charities thrown into the mix, but the one that came up over and over was the StandUp Foundation, so it was a no brainer for us. We contacted them to explain who we are and what we do and within an hour they were on the phone to us to get it in place and they have been fantastic ever since. The work they do, especially within the LGBT community has been so brilliant and the fact that we can help them is amazing. It’s like we’ve come full circle. It’s no secret that if it weren’t for the LGBT community the first calendar would have been nowhere near the success that it was. They really took us to their hearts and gave us sales all over the world. I love the fact that we can now give back to them in some way by supporting a charity that does so much work, both here in the UK and elsewhere in the world, to tackle homophobia. If we can make one persons’ life a little easier through sales of this calendar then we will have done something worthwhile.”
“It really is an amazing charity,” adds Rhys. “I do a lot of charity work but I’m especially proud to be supporting the StandUp Foundation. What this charity is striving to achieve and already have achieved is a massive boost for not just the youth but people of all ages. No-one should have to grow up being bullied or feeling ashamed. It’s bad enough to witness it let alone being the one on the receiving end of it, so the message the charity is sending out is such an important one. We all need to stand up and hopefully we can encourage more people to acknowledge what is going on and do more to help stop it.”
And it was just those sort of prejudices that put another spanner in the works for the boys this year which could have seen them have to cancel the 2016 calendar altogether.
“Yeah, it was a really sh**y time, actually. After the success of the last calendar we had companies actually approaching us wanting to help fund the next one, which was a big relief for us. When I had a meeting with them to discuss the new theme and charity our biggest sponsor decided to pull out. He didn’t want his company to be seen to be supporting LGBT causes as he thought the association would be detrimental, and so that was that. We didn’t try to persuade him as that’s not the kind of attitude that we want to be associated with, either, so we were happy to part ways but it left us with a big hole to cover our printing costs. We decided to dip our toe into Crowdfunding to see if that would help and luckily we have ourselves some amazing supporters because we hit our target in 8 days. How amazing is that? All our former sponsor did was confirm the fact that we were supporting the right charity this year, and once again the LGTB community came through for us when we really needed it.”
I was keen to know how Rhys, a 24 year old support worker, found himself signing up to appear in the latest calendar. Was there any sort of audition process or did you manage to just win them over with your looks? (Cue lots of blushing)
“I’ll have to leave all the ladies and gentlemen decide about my looks I think. I just saw an advert that was posted way back in January to say they were looking for guys for the new calendar so I thought I would give it a go and sent over some pictures. They asked some questions about me, I think to make sure I would be comfortable getting my kit off, and about my job and age, stuff like that, and then it all sort of went from there. It all happened pretty quickly, really. I’ve done a lot of charity work in the past, though nothing like this, but I am up for anything so I figured I’d give it a go and it’s been great.”
And what about the shoot? You didn’t have to get naked in the great outdoors like last year’s recruits, but how did you find the overall process of it?
“It was actually a really great experience, to be honest. Shooting with the props was really funny. That was probably my favourite part of the shoot because we had a good laugh doing it. Russ helped me to settle in really quickly and we just got in with it. I wasn’t nervous or shy but I wasn’t sure how I would take to doing the poses. When you see photo shoots they always look great but you never realise how awkward it can feel because it’s not something you naturally do, but Russ was happy with what we got so I left feeling confident that it went well.”
All of the guys from this year are being kept firmly under wraps, so has it been difficult to keep the secret about what you’re doing? Does anyone know?
“I checked with Russ and then told my parents, brother and my partner. I think I will probably get a bit of a ribbing from the boys I play football with when they find out, especially when they see some of the shots we took, but they will know it’s for a good cause so it will all be in good fun. My family thought it was hilarious but they’re really proud of me for doing it.”
So what’s next then? Calendar buying time is still a few months away but you’re all still hard at work. What can we expect to see from you over the coming months?
“We don’t want to take anyone or anything for granted. We’re trying really hard to be as interactive as possible and get amongst our followers and supporters, so we’re on Twitter and Facebook every day chatting with people and keeping everyone up to date. It’s important to us that we build connections with people rather than disappear for eight months of the year and then come begging when we have something to sell. We want to be approachable and friendly and not just be salesmen. We’re constantly thinking up ways to bring content to people and we release new teaser images all the time to show people what we’re doing. We’re hoping to be able to get out on the road this summer and go to some local Pride’s so if anyone wants to see us, get in touch. We’ve got a big reveal coming shortly where everyone will finally get to see all the guys from the new calendar for the first time and loads more merchandise coming out as well so if the calendar isn’t enough, you’ll soon be able to buy clothes, keyrings, mugs and loads of other stuff, with money from all sales going to the charity. We’ve also been working on video content, some of which you can see already on YouTube, with more to be released throughout the year. It’s going to be a busy few months. Bigger and Better. That’s what we keep telling everyone.
Greenwich-based METRO has received nearly £120,000 from the City of London Corporation’s charity, City Bridge Trust, to boost its London-wide mental health programme for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) young people.
Established in 1984, METRO runs community and youth services and is one of London’s few specialist providers of emotional and mental health support to the LGBTQ community. It promotes health, wellbeing, equality and participation through one-to-one counselling, group therapy and assessment, and referral services.
The charity faces increased demand for mental health services and its Youth Chances research found that 44 per cent of LGBTQ young people have contemplated suicide, while 52 per cent have self-harmed and 42 per cent sought treatment for anxiety or depression.
Dr Greg Ussher, METRO Chief Executive said:
METRO is delighted to receive this funding from the City Bridge Trust. The findings from our Youth Chances research and the demand on our existing mental health programme show just how vital this funding is to enable us to support so many more Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) young people across London. This investment from the City Bridge Trust gives LGBTQ young people direct access to the essential services when they need them and will save lives.”
Jeremy Mayhew, Chairman of City Bridge Trust, said:
Negative attitudes towards these young people make them more likely to experience higher levels of mental health distress than their heterosexual peers. Understanding their needs and providing accessible services during a difficult time in their lives, is vitally important. At City Bridge Trust, we are committed to supporting Metro Centre in breaking down barriers, removing stigma and improving mental health.”
City Bridge Trust is the grant-making arm of Bridge House Estates, whose sole trustee is the City of London Corporation. It addresses disadvantage by supporting London charities, providing grants totalling around £15 million annually.
As part of its annual Broadway Backwards event benefitting Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS, director Robert Bartley transformed Chicago’s famed “Cell Block Tango” with six really hot male dancers.
Broken Rainbow UK, the LGBT domestic violence charity, received confirmation this afternoon that the funding for their helpline is secure for another 12 months.
The charity that has been campaigning for several months to save the helpline, received the news just hours before their board was due to meet to decide on its closure.
Managing Director of Broken Rainbow, Jo Harvey Barringer, says, “What has kept us going these past difficult months has been the incredible level of support from the general public particularly those from within the LGBT community and the women’s domestic violence sector.”
In January there were fears that the charity would not be funded after the Home Office failed to announce whether funding would be extended for another year. The potential closure was lambasted by MP Caroline Lucas as “perverse and counterproductive”
Broken Rainbow has received over £25,000 for the campaign ‘There is no Pride in Domestic Abuse’. And tens of thousands of people have shared the campaign and cause on social media. Just this morning a petition with 30,000 signatures on it was delivered to the Home Secretary.
Broken Rainbow has been overwhelmed by some of the comments it has received from past service users.
Jo Harvey Barringer continues, “We know what we do makes a difference to many people’s lives, but for them to share what has been some of their most difficult life experiences and how we made a positive difference to that, has been humbling and affirming that the service we offer is a vital one that needs to continue.”
Here are some of the amazing comments Broken Rainbow has been sent in the past months, thank you so much for sharing:
‘As a lesbian whilst coming out in my teens I found help and support from various groups now it’s a chance for me to give something back. Even though I have never been a victim of any sort of domestic abuse I do know those who have with nowhere to turn to these organisations are lifelines please keep them operating’
‘This is one cause you can not drop…too many depend on Broken Rainbow, without their help there would be nowhere to turn to… and more will suffer in silence.’
‘A vital service. I have been through d.v with an ex-partner and found support through your website. Thank you’
Broken Rainbow is extremely grateful for your support and we will continue to work for a society where LGBT victims of domestic violence and abuse have access to the services they need, free of any prejudice and homophobia.
Stop Hate UK are pleased to announce the launch of a helpline offering advice, support and telephone-based advocacy to victims of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Hate Crime.
Speaking out against the potential closure of the UK’s Domestic Violence charity for LGBT people, Broken Rainbow, MP Caroline Lucas said it would be “perverse”.
Leading Domestic Abuse charity for the LGBT Charity Broken Rainbow has announced that it could face closure after the Home Office failed to provide evidence that it would fund the charity for another year.
The news comes as a raft of other mainline LGBT charities and services face devastating cuts, including Terrence Higgins Trust, GMFA and the London And Lesbian Gay Switchboard.
Speaking out about the current funding crisis, Caroline Lucas MP told THEGAYUK, “If Broken Rainbow is forced to close its services as a result of Government cuts, it will mean the loss of a unique service which has made a real difference to the lives of tens of thousands of people. To see it close just at the time when its services are under greatest demand would be perverse and counterproductive, putting more people at risk, and undermining the excellent work it has done to date. I urge the Government to think again.”
Speaking to THEGAYUK Wendy Wilde, the Service Delivery Manager for Broken Rainbow said, “For our funding not to be renewed or replaced will result in the helpline being closed down.
“We’ve supported over five thousand people this year and if we were to close there are very few other services for them to go to and not one that offers national support in the way we do.”
A Home Office spokesperson said, “Domestic violence and abuse is an appalling crime that this government is committed to ending.
“The government recognises the important role that the Broken Rainbow helpline plays in supporting LGBT victims of domestic violence and abuse, which is why we have provided the helpline with funding of £120,000 in the last financial year.
“Decisions on ongoing funding for 2015/16 are being carefully considered and will be announced shortly.”
If you want to know more about Broken Rainbow you can visit their website www.brokenrainbow.org.uk Broken Rainbow depends on donations and goodwill of its supporters.
Donations can be made via their website and even the smallest amount can make a difference to someone whose life is at risk.
