As thousands of us are facing lockdowns and self isolations anxiety levels for some are rising.
As countries around the globe fully or partially closed down public services, shops and schools due to Coronavirus, there are growing concerns for OCD, depression and anxiety sufferers that the British government will soon implement more dramatic measures to contain the spread of coronavirus in the UK.
Gerard Barnes, CEO of mental health treatment specialists, Smart TMS, gives his insight on the mental health implications of the circumstances surrounding coronavirus, shares tips on how to safeguard one’s mental health, and highlights the importance on supporting friends, family and loved ones as the situation develops:
“It is certainly important to take the necessary precautions to protect one’s physical health given the circumstances surrounding the spread of COVID-19, but there is now a real threat of a serious mental health crisis alongside the potential physical effects, particularly to those already suffering with chronic anxiety, depression or OCD.
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Here’s what you can do if you’re anxiety or depression is starting to spike.
Check in on your loved ones
While you may not be able to pay a visit to your friends and family if widespread quarantine and self-isolation measures are introduced, staying in touch with your loved ones through social media, video calling or messaging is more valuable than ever. Not being in close proximity to people can have a negative impact on your mood and energy levels, and it is therefore imperative that you maintain regular contact with loved ones to improve your mood and make it easier to deal with these stressful and lonely times.
Stay Active
When self-isolating, it is important to make sure that you stay active. Whilst it is impossible to go to a gym and inadvisable to exercise in a public space, we would highly recommend engaging in moderate exercise at home, ideally for 30 minutes a day. Exercise is one of the best ways to fight symptoms of mental health problems, and people who are less physically active are more at risk of anxiety and depression.
Eat well and stay hydrated
Make sure to think about your diet carefully – this is vital to both your physical and mental health. If your regular routine changes or you are less active than usual, your blood sugar levels are certain to affect your mood and energy levels, so be sure to eat healthily and drink enough water to ensure your body is in its best condition.
This stripped-back piano-led ballad is probably one of the purest ballads of all time. It perfectly showcases Mariah’s vocal quality – and one epic vocal run (that sounds like the prettiest car alarm in the world) towards the end.
Emotions
“Can’t Let Go”
After a string of number 1s in the US, “Can’t Let You” didn’t manage to reach the coveted top spot – which we think is a travesty. Plus the accompanying music video is one classy affair.
MTV Unplugged
“If It’s Over”
Originally from the album Emotions, it marries MC’s songwriting with Carole King’s. Strong. Strong. Strong.
Musicbox
“Anytime You Need A Friend”
This song is pure power and quite different from anything Mariah had released up to that point. Its dark chord structure in the verse opens up to one glorious chorus, filled with a gospel vibe that truly inspires – and don’t get us started on that whistle note at the end of the song. The whole Musicbox album is the ultimate MC balladfest, it has so many good options.
Merry Christmas
“Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)”
When Mariah stips it all back we get to hear the jewel that is early Mariah’s bell-like soprano range. This song is the perfect opposite to the campery fun that is Mariah’s all-time greatest (or best-selling anyway) hit, “All I Want For Christmas (Is You)”.
Daydream
“Looking In”
I love songs like these from MC. We really get to understand her story as an artist. “Looking In” feels deeply personal and from a songwriter’s perspective can feel very exposing but ultimately freeing.
Butterfly
“Butterfly”
This is pretty much a standard Mariah ballad, but the lyrics are just so powerful and on the first album of Mariah’s to be pretty thin of ballads this is the obvious choice, following by “My All”.
Rainbow
“After Tonight”
There are a couple of great ballads on this album – and you may be surprised that I didn’t choose “Can’t Take That Away” but the vocals in “After Tonight” are actually next level when you listen to them. Unfortunately the album’s other ballads like “Against All Odds” and “Thank God I Found You” (don’t hate) sounded just dialled in, I’m not a fan. Don’t get me started on the duet version of “Against All Odds”.
Glitter
“Lead The Way”
Back in the very early 2000s, when most of the world had seemingly written Mariah off, there’s the gem of an album the Glitter soundtrack. “Lead The Way” is just beautiful. The album showcased a newer style of singing for the diva – as she started to use her breathier lower register to great effect – allowing her to let rip towards the end of songs – giving a greater contrast to her performances.
Charmbracelet
“I Only Wanted”
Maybe an “After Tonight” part 2, but MC’s vocals are on point in this song and she does the Spanish guitar sound so well. This gets the top spot on from this album, because the chorus is so strong. I would have gone with “Through The Rain” but the use of Mariah’s softer, breathier vocal style gets tiresome. It’s not until the last chorus that she really opens up and lets fly – which is a shame.
TEOM
“We Belong Together”
This album is very thin on the typical Mariah ballad, so the only choice is either “We Belong Together” or “Mine Again” luckily WBT is an epic song – particularly when she goes up the octave towards the end of the song.
EMC2
“I Wish You Well”
Back to the piano-driven ballad, Mariah lets her stunning vocals shine.
MOAIA
“I Want To Know What Love Is”
Mariah isn’t really known for her covers (why would she, as she’s probably the most accomplished song-writer in the world) but when she does one it gets noticed (remember “Without You”). “I Want To Know What Love Is” is, dare I say better than the original. And totally uplifting, you just don’t want it to end – and well in Brazil, it nearly didn’t! It was number 1 for an incredible 27 weeks.
Merry Christmas II You
“O Come All Ye Faithful”
I have to say, I’m not a fan of this album, when compared to her 1994 release, it feels a little underwhelming, but getting a duet with her Mumma is pure excellence!
Me. I Am Mariah The Elusive Chanteuse
“Cry”
Unfortunately, the traditional MC ballad has all but disappeared for this album, aside from the cover of George Michael’s “One More Try”, which I never thought was a great song from GM. To note, this is one of Mariah’s worst-selling album so far. The album peaked at number 14 on the UK Albums Chart, selling just 6,547 copies in its first week.
Caution
“Portrait”
This song feels like a late-90s end-of-album Mariah ballad and that’s a lovely thing. On the whole, the album Caution album is underrated and under-selling. It really deserved to do better.
So how did we do? What are your favourite MC ballads? Use the comments below to let us know.
Not all celebrities need a drink to have a good time! In fact, many of them have sworn off the booze for good and are living their best lives.
Frankie Grande
CREDIT: Channel 5/ Youtube
US reality TV star Frankie Grande recently celebrated a year and a half sober. He took to Instagram to celebrate the amazing milestone and released a colourful artwork featuring a picture of him smiling and the words, “sexy, sassy and strong” added.
He also took a moment to reach out to anyone who is struggling with depression or unmanageable or overwhelming feelings to offer the words of encouragement, that you don’t “have to drink and use over them…”
Bradley Traynor
If you’re outside the US, you might be more familiar with Brad’s former alter ego, drag queen Wanda Wisdom, the first-ever drag queen to host her own podcast. She made a big point at the start of every show to say that she was a “single, sober drag queen”. Nowadays, Brad is still sober but works as a presenter on the radio, MyTalk 1071.
RuPaul
Speaking to THEGAYUK in 2014, RuPaul told us, “Well you know I’ve been sober for 14 years. I feel incredible. If you wanna lead a life on this planet there’s an evolution a storyline, somethings get left behind. It’s like a rocket and a fuselage.
“To launch a rocket into space you need to use the fuselage but at some point, you leave Earth’s atmosphere and you don’t need that fuselage anymore and you realise its important to break it off, if you want to move further. My point is you have to be present enough to understand when it’s time to give certain things up, but you also need tools to know how to deal with being present, because sometimes being present is really f**ked up.
“Sometimes you get really bored, sometimes you have a lot of pain, a lot of loneliness, but you need the tools to deal with that otherwise you’re gonna be in a lot of pain”
The writer and creator of some of the best gay stories, like the film Beautiful Thing and Gimme Gimme Gimme, celebrated one year of sobriety in January 2020. Taking to Twitter he wrote,
The Aussie Olympian, Matthew Mitcham is sober and last year celebrated another year sober. He took to Instagram to say, “I also reached another recovery milestone, and I’ve never felt cleaner or serener”.
Zachary Quinto
(C) BIGSTOCK
The actor Zachary Quinto has just celebrated 3 years of sobriety on Instagram, writing, “III years sober today. I guess I wore the right jumper for the occasion. when I think about how far I’ve come and how much I’ve grown and how much more I love myself,” he wrote in the caption. “I’m really blown away. very far from perfect – but perfectly flawed. and working every day to honor and realize my full potential.
“Three years ago I had lost a connection to gratitude almost entirely. today i am brimming with it. for this touchstone. for life’s abundance. for true friends. for support. for the sweet freedom of this journey. may it continue with compassion – curiosity – honesty and above all… LOVE.”
Elton John‘s fight against drugs, drink and eating disorders started in 1990. The music legend was propelled to get sober 28 years ago in 1990 in the wake of seeing how the AIDS scourge inflicted itself on the community. The Fix quotes, “Within six months I became sober, and clean, and have been for the last (28) years.”
Tyler may rap about liquor and meds, but apparently he’s totally sober, he said, “Not to drugs, I never spark it.”
Jake Hook
Songwriter and editor of this very magazine Jake Hook has spoken about the benefits of being sober, including the monetary and well-being benefits. He became sober in the summer of 2014. Speaking about the night before coming sober he wrote, “…one night, when I was alone and I started to drink by myself and after the first half a bottle of Malibu, or whatever it was I was drinking, a thought popped into my head. ‘What am I doing and why am I doing this?’ I wasn’t happy and jolly, I wasn’t being the life and soul of any parties and I certainly wasn’t looking, feeling or acting the sexy beast that I know myself to be! Looking into the mirror, I saw how miserable I had actually become”.
Kelly Osbourne shared a passionate post on Instagram in August 2018 celebrating one year of restraint. She said, “This past year has been one of the hardest years of my life and I feel it’s time share that with you guys,
“To cut a long story short things got really dark … The only way I knew how to function was to self medicate and go from project to project so I never had to focus on what was really going on with me.”
In September 2018, the artist tweeted about being eight years without drink.
“Eight years sober today,” she wrote on September 11, 2018. “I love you, keep going. You can do it.” During an appearance on The Late Late Show, the singer talked about her struggles. She said, “I was a singer already for like 10 or 11 years to mediocre success, and I was an alcoholic and a drug addict, and I sobered up and decided I didn’t want to be an artist any more, “I was starting to get a little bit famous and it was destabilizing in some ways…so I thought, ‘What doesn’t exist in pop music at the moment?’ and it was mystery.”
Mexico is vast and stunning country, but many travellers never make it past Cancun or Tijuana. Puerto Vallarta is a coastal city that sits on the western coast just south of Mexico City, and it is chock full of fun gay things to do that make it well worth a visit.
1. Go gay clubbing
Let’s start with the obvious one, you’ve got to go gay clubbing when you visit Puerto Vallarta. The gay scene exists mostly in the romantic zone (Zona Romántica as they say) along Lázaro Cárdenas. Though not expansive, the gay scene in Puerto Vallarta is warm and welcoming, with a string of stylish bars opening out onto the street. Wandering from one to the next is a great way to meet both visiting and local gays as each will have an opinion of where you should go next.
We started out with dinner at The Top Sky Bar (LGBTQ, where you can enjoy both the stunning sunset and the go-go boy dancers while you eat. From there we went to Roxy Rock house for a couple of cervezas, and then danced to Madonna in Mr Flamingo. If you want something a little more hardcore, Cici’s Slaughterhouse is your more traditional club setting. Complete with sex swings should you so desire.
2. Head to the beach clubs
If clubs aren’t your thing, or they are and you need a place to chill out the next day and nurse your hangover, then you should absolutely spend the day at Mantamar Beach beach club. Whether you want to sprawl out on the beach, splash around in the pool, or chill out in the VIP area and have hot waiters bring you drinks.
3. Visit the islands
With year-round sunshine you need to make the most of your time outdoors, and if lounging around the pool isn’t your thing then you should take a trip to Las Caletas with Vallarta Adventures. You’ll receive endless refills on your margarita as you set sail for the islands, with plenty of high-energy entertainment from your hosts during the hour-long trip. As a happy coincidence our tour leader was a screaming homo, but in all honesty the straight ones are so camp you wouldn’t notice the difference.
The island itself offers all the typical beachfront activities including water-sports (not those kind of water sports though), boat rides, zip lines and all that fun stuff, as well as cooking classes and tequila tastings. For something a little different, visit the island at night for Cirque du Soleil-style evening experience.
4. Naked boat trips
Unfortunately there are no nude beaches in Puerto Vallarta, which is criminal given the sensational weather they have all year round. So the next best thing is to head out on a nude excursion. Jets Private Boat Tours offer both public and private tours of a nearby beach that is only accessible by boat, offering the closest alternative to a nude beach experience.
Trips last 5 hours and include a number of activities including nude snorkeling, nude jungle activities, and of course some good old fashioned nude sunbathing.
5. People watching
Again, no necessarily a gay thing but man do we love to watch people and silently (or not so silently) judge them. Head down to the Malecón, the mile-long esplanade downtown that runs along the beach. You’ll find stretches of bars, restaurants, cafes and galleries to wander around in, or simply park yourself outside and watch the world go by.
To get a more in-depth experience of the city, take a guided walking tour with Vallarta food tours. You’ll never experience tacos the same way again.
6. Go to Pride
Puerto Vallarta Pride is a sight to behold, starting from the Hotel Rosita, followed by a party in the park at the Lazaro Cardenas Park Gardens. The whole of the gay district is closed off for a massive street party, with 20+ gay bars and clubs all getting involved.
It’s an 8-day event and a Pride not to be missed.
ABOUT PUERTO VALLARTA
Puerto Vallarta, located in the state of Jalisco, is well-known for the preservation of its authentic Mexican traditions. The Pacific Coast port features 40 miles of coastline and a diverse topography, including tropical jungles, river beds, steep mountain sides and arid flatlands.
When I gave up drinking 5 and half years ago, I thought that life as I knew it would end, the parties, the laughter, the falling over in the ditch… but it hasn’t and in fact, I can still outstay my welcome, be the last to leave a party and fall over at any time as required. It wasn’t the booze after all. Here are the 11 things you won’t miss if you go sober.
1) White wine guilt.
You know the feeling when you wake up after a heavy night and you think back to the conversations you had the night before and then it hits you, you started calling everyone a c**t for no particular reason, except for, at the time, you were passionate about particular cause and it seemed like the only word that fully explained the cause – and then you realise that “everybody” included your boss, mother, local vicar and the street cleaner.
2) Lengthy debates about shit that doesn’t matter
I like to debate and I’ll happily argue a point, even if I don’t agree with the point that I’m debating. If the person opposite is a good sparring partner I’ll even argue that Trump is the planet’s saviour. Being sober, of course, I’ve realised that I don’t need to take the debate to its natural conclusion of a 5AM-we’ve-drunk-everything-let’s-start-on-the-Archers-cause-there’s-nothing-left, drunken dribbling train wreck. I can just leave it now.
3) Saying too much.
I was a bit of an over-sharer – I still am to a certain extent. And it surprises me how much people, especially in business will give away when they’re drinking. Secrets and inside info are traded away for another glass of Blossom Hill. Next time you’re out on a do with a client, just ask a few probing questions, they’ll open up about all sorts of stuff that ultimately, sober, they’d never tell and you know what, it all leads to point 1.
4) Having spent the best part of a week’s wages on one tragic Saturday night.
Dear god when I look back at how much money I spent buying rounds over the years, I could have bought a house, a yacht and a reasonably sized pony. Now a Diet Coke (£2) and I’m anyone’s (not really). What did spending all that money get me? Nowhere. And in the morning when I wake and I look into my wallet, I don’t feel point 1. Actually I wrote about how much money I saved here.
5) Grey saggy skin.
Honestly, I’ve not really aged. People always assume I’m still 10 years younger than I am… I’m happy about that. I don’t get Champagne face anymore. That look as though you’ve sat with your face against the side of a patio door all night.
6) Repeating myself, repeating myself.
Have you ever notice how dumb people who drink sound. First off we’d get irate about something and then we’d bulldoze our beef into any conversation and repeat, repeat and repeat until we pass out. We never listen to advice and we just keep on repeating…
7) Night buses
I take my smug (it’s a hybrid, so I feel less guilty about pollution) car everywhere – I never have to endure a chip stinky N91 night bus ever again. Sure I’m missing all the dramz, the light petting, the fights and alcohol breath from other passengers who are just far too close.
8) Spending a fortune on cabs
I no longer have to spend a mortgage on a cab to get back home. Are you hating me a little now, I would, I’m sounding really self-righteous.
9) Piling on the pounds
Before, when I was drinking, I just couldn’t seem to lose weight. Pounds just seem to be constantly piling on, no matter how much I ran, went to the gym or ate less cheese. I’ve lost over a stone and excitingly the weight hasn’t crept on again. When you consider a bottle of wine has 600+calories in it and you drink maybe 3-4 in a week – you’re looking at 1800-2400 extra calories a week – a full day’s worth of calories extra. Over a year that’s 93600 -124,800 extra calories that you’re probably not burning off.
10) Apathy
Come wine o’clock – which could be from 5:30 PM in our office, I just wouldn’t get anything else done. My mind would literally shut off after the first sip and then after a glass, I’d become something of a less evil Jabba the Hut crossed with an average British voter (completely apathetic). When you give up alcohol, you can say goodbye to no energy and goodbye to the excuse monster.
11) Depression
For me, the greatest thing about not drinking anymore is less anxiety and general depression. I couldn’t work it out. Every few days, I would get an uncontrollable bout of depression. Really deep and out of nowhere. It wasn’t until I released that it was always two days after a bender of a night that I realised my anxiety and depression was being brought on and exacerbated by alcohol. In the year that I’ve stopped, I have two, manageable down days – as opposed to two a week.
Is your relationship on the rocks? Was 2019 a tough year, research has shown that people are rowing about what their other after is posting online!
Just under half of all Brits admit they have secretly checked their partner’s Facebook account and one in five went on to row about what they discovered, new research has revealed.
One in seven said they had contemplated divorce because of their other halves activities on Facebook, Skype, Snapchat, Twitter or WhatsApp.
People are angry at the amount of posting their partners do
CREDIT: monkeybusinessimages-bigstock
Nearly a quarter or the 2,000 married Brits asked, said they had at least one argument a week with their partner because of social media use and 17 per cent said they rowed every day because of it.
The most common reasons for checking their partner’s social media accounts was to find out who their partner was talking to, to keep tabs on them, to check who they were out with and find out if they were telling the truth about their social life.
While 14 per cent said they looked specifically to identify evidence of infidelity.
The research was commissioned by family law specialists Slater and Gordon who have seen an increase in the number of people citing social media use as a cause of divorce year on year.
Andrew Newbury, head of family law at Slater and Gordon said:
“Social media can be a wonderful way of keeping in touch with family and friends, but it can also put added strain on a relationship.
“Five years ago Facebook was rarely mentioned in the context of a marriage ending, but now it has become common place for clients to cite social media use, or something they discovered on social media, as a reason for divorce.
“With more than 556 million people using Facebook each day, the way we live our lives, and our marriages, has drastically changed. We are finding that social media is the new marriage minefield.
“Social media, specifically pictures and posts on Facebook, are now being routinely raised in the course of divorce proceedings.”
It wasn’t just what their partner was doing on social media but also how long they spent on it that was likely to cause marital problems with Facebook usage topping the list of reasons couples argued over social media.
Arguments were also caused because of contact with an ex-partner, sending secret messages and posting inappropriate photos.
One in twenty even complained that their partner didn’t post any pictures of them together which made them upset.
Fifteen per cent of Brits considered social media to be dangerous to their marriage, with Facebook considered the most dangerous, followed by WhatsApp, Twitter and Instagram.
But one in ten admitted they hid images and posts from their partner, while eight per cent admitted to having secret social media accounts.
A fifth of respondents said they felt uneasy about their relationship after discovering something on their partner’s Facebook. 43 per cent said they confronted their spouse immediately about this, but 40 per cent said it took them some time before they felt comfortable to raise it with their partner.
While a third said they kept their social media log-in details a secret from their partners, 58 per cent said they knew their partner’s log-in details, even if their spouse wasn’t aware they knew them.
Andrew Newbury, head of family law at Slater and Gordon said:
“Social media can also make a divorce more difficult. Divorce is already a stressful time for everyone involved and what is being posted on Facebook can antagonise families and make a speedy resolution more difficult to achieve.
“We are now actively advising our clients to be cautious when it comes to using Facebook and all forms of social media because of its potential to damage relationships.”
Five social media tips that could save your relationship.
1. Don’t post in anger.
Your post will be seen by all your friends, family and potentially millions of others. Even if you later delete your post, the damage will have been done.
2. Be respectful.
Don’t complain about your partner or other family members online.
3. Be transparent.
Check with your partner before you post images or information.
4. Check your privacy settings.
You might think someone can’t see a post when they actually can.
5. Take a break and enjoy the moment.
You don’t need to post everything on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Gerard Barnes, CEO of mental health treatment specialists Smart TMS gives THEGAYUK five tips on how to “safeguard” your mental wellbeing this holiday season.
Many people will expect you to be in great spirits at Christmas, but don’t necessarily take into account why you may appear to be down. For those of us who experience negative thoughts or feelings at Christmas, it can be hard to admit that at such a festive time of the year that you don’t share in the delight of the holidays. However, more people are struggling than you think. Making the decision to talk about your feelings and share them with those around you can improve your mood and make it easier to deal with the tough times – especially when you discover that many of the people around you may find themselves in the same position!
Be picky with social engagements – they are not obligations!
It’s extremely easy to get burnt out over Christmas and New Year. Between work parties, spending time with friends, the intensity of family gatherings and then the pressure of New Year, many people are sucked into giving away too much of their free time and ending up extremely tired, lethargic and blue. Make time for the people you care most about, but ensure that you take enough time for yourself to recover and relax.
The weather influences the way in which we behave every day – it dictates the food we eat, the clothes we decide to wear, and to some extent where we decide to go. However, for millions of people in the UK, the short, dark days around Christmas and New Year can have a disastrous impact on health and wellbeing, triggering the onset of a depression known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.
There are, however, plenty of ways to alleviate the symptoms of SAD. Getting regular exercise, eating a balanced diet and exposing yourself to as much sunlight as possible are of course extremely important, but you could also consider other options such as light boxes and dawn simulators to help regulate your circadian rhythms.
SAD is also closely linked with a lack of vitamin D which your body naturally produces when exposed to sunlight – given that sunlight is in fairly short supply in the UK at Christmas, it may be worth getting your vitamin levels checked – using vitamin D supplements could certainly help to resolve any deficit you may have.
Reduce alcohol consumption
http://gty.im/159602791
For the heavier drinkers, those trying to cut back, and people who perhaps have a poor relationship with alcohol, my suggestions for remaining sober and in control at Christmas are as follows:
Take your favourite non-alcoholic drinks to any parties or gatherings, for example soda water, ginger beers or lemonade. This will help you to blend in with a glass in your hand, you’ll feel less conspicuous, and will likely avoid being asked for a drink every few minutes
Plan activities that will get you out of a setting in which you would typically find a drink in your hand – for example, winter walks, going to the cinema, family activities at home, etc.
Be assertive: a lot of people will likely question you on your decision not to drink. Some will be genuinely interested; others may just enjoy poking fun. However, if you ensure you come prepared with a short but effective summary or spiel as to why you’re deciding not to drink, this will really help you to avoid peer pressure and take ownership of your decision.
It’s very easy to become inactive and sedentary at Christmas. The food, the presents and the time spent with close ones can compound with the often poor weather to make the prospect of exercise daunting. However, regular exercise can boost your self-esteem (especially for those who enjoy the chocolate at Christmas), and will also help you to sleep better and get the rest that so many of us look forward to in the run up to Christmas.
If you’re having difficulty during the fesitve season and have no one to talk to, you can reach out to Samaritans or the LGBT+ helpline, Switchboard
Now don’t get me wrong, I know a lot of folks are innocently curious. But when you’re trying to plan your big day, which to you just feels like any other big day out there, the often repetitive questions from enquiring minds can become just a trifle irritating.
And by the way, I haven’t made any of these up – I was asked all of them at least once in the run up to my wedding.
And by the way again, I know number 9 isn’t a question, but it felt worthy of inclusion.
Yes, yes – I think I saw him at the club meetings, he told me all about it. Now don’t get me wrong, I do love the idea of a bucking-bronco in the shape of a glittery aubergine, but it’s not quite the direction we’re going to go in.
No, that’s true – just the knowledge that there’s still a large chunk of the world who would happily see me executed for being who I am is worry enough. Thank you for giving me some perspective.
And then afterwards to finish off:
Did you know that was the first gay wedding I’ve ever been to? It was much more fun than a normal wedding!
Yes, I agree. It really knocked spots off of that boring one I went to last year, with all the shabby-chic birdcages, hilari-not speeches and tawdry wedding tat … oh wait, that was yours wasn’t it?
There are about 12 LGBT+ bars and clubs in Birmingham with the majority of them located in the gay village area of the city, which is in the south-east region of the city. Many of them are dotted around the famous Essex Street – Birmingham’s answer to Manchester’s Canal Street or London’s Old Compton Road.
One of the major critcisms that bars revcieved in Birmingham was overzealous security and bouncer staff. It might worth noting that many bars do not directly hire bouncers but employ outside security contractors.
So here are the best and worse gay bars in Birmingham ranked worst to best by Google Map users.
Eden 4.6 stars out of 72 reviews
(C) GOOGLE MAPS
Eden is located on Sherlock Street and has been voted the best bar by Google reviewers, however, it only has 72 reviews, unlike the Fox which has a whopping 224 reviews. However punters like this bar for its friendly staff and the happy hour. However, some say that the beer is a little bit pricey when Happy Hour ends. One reviewer wrote it was their favourite bar in Birmingham because “ a sense of community here and the owners talk to their customers and care” Another added, “My time in Eden was certainly eye-opening… As soon as I entered the door I felt welcomed, the service was incredible and oh so friendly”.
The Fox 4.5 stars out of 224 reviews
(C) GOOGLE MAPS
The Fox is one of the most reviewed “LGBT Friendly” bars in Birmingham with a whopping 224 reviews and it is only just pipped by 0.1 by Eden Bar. The Fox is located on Lower Essex Street in the heart of the gay village. One customer called The Fox the best place in town for a night out, while another loved the “cheap beer and friendly people”. One reviewer added “The Fox is a fantastic little bar. The staff are always friendly and professional. The music is great and there is a good atmosphere at weekends” another showed appreciation for the signage saying “The best gay bar in town. So much love for the “No TERFs on our turf” sign. Truly, my spiritual home“.
Equator 4.3 stars out of 60 reviews
(C) GOOGLE MAPS
Located on Hurst Street the Equator is another one of Birmingham’s high ranking gay bars and it serves food – apparently “the best breakfast”. One reviewer suggested “A good bar to start your evening out, in the gay village. A very good atmosphere to meet friends to talk in a pleasant atmosphere. Another added, “Great cosy little bar … friendly staff and customers just a shame it often closes on a Sat night between 11- 11:30.“
The Village Inn 4.0 stars out of 245 reviews
(C) GOOGLE MAPS
The Village Inn seems to be the most popular of all the gay bars in Birmingham with the most Google reviews. It has 245 of them – 21 more than The Fox. Reviewers like the music, but some thought the bar staff were a bit rude and there have been complaints about the security staff. A one-star reviewer revealed, “Horrible, security I was pushed at the entrance and not let in with no reason…” However, others think that the place is great and it serves “first-rate” food.
Boltz 4.0 stars out of 48 reviews
If you’re looking for something a little more on the Fetish side then make sure Boltz is on your “to do” list. Customers love the staff and the prices of the drinks. One reviewer added “Not everybody’s cup of tea but sometimes you need a strong coffee.”
The Core Club 4.0 stars out of 5 reviews
Another more fetishy place is The Core. It has the fewest reviews of any of the gay bars in Birmingham but does manage to achieve a 4-star status.
The Fountain Inn 3.8 stars out of 27 reviews
C) Google Maps
If you’re looking for something a little more traditional look for The Fountain Inn on the edge of the gay village. It has only 27 reviews but manages 3.8 stars. It’s fairly informal and what you see is what you get. Reviewers loved the food.
Sidewalk 3.7 stars out of 102 reviews
The Sidewalk is a trendy loft-style haunt in the centre of the gay village in Birmingham and does 2 for 1 cocktails during the earlier hours. Reviews are generally favourable but does manage to reach 4 stars. One reviewer wrote, “From the minute you walk off the pavement, I was greeted with friendliness and a warm welcome, from door staff, professional and friendly, to bar staff, polite, smiling and engaging. Had a lovely gin and tonic, comfy seat in the leather armchairs, that gives the place a gentlemen’s club feel – gentile. Great ambience”. Another added, “Like the Village, this is perhaps one of the only venues on Hurst Street that I would recommend. It is far classier than The Missing Bar in my humble opinion and you do not have to be on guard 100% of your visit. It is clean, staff are and always have been approachable and friendly, you have a generous selection of cocktails and beverages at the tip of your fingers, and the food is far from shabby too.”
One reviewer did mention that the service could be quite slow writing “So initially this bar seemed quiet and cosy. We stood at the bar for around 5 minutes trying to get served baring in mind there was only a couple of people at the bar but the barman was too busy chatting away.“
Missing Bar 3.7 stars out of 63 reviews
Missing Bar is a popular bar in Birmingham and it manages a fairly respectable 3.7 stars. However one of the latest reviewers complained that the place felt “dreary” and felt that the drinks were expensive. Reviewers also noted that it had a “great buzz”.
Nightingale Club 3.6 stars out of 117 reviews
Another very busy place in Birmingham is the Nightingale Club which received over 117 reviews and it manages a fairly respectable 3.6 stars, however, reviewers complained about security being heavy-handed and “vile”. Reviewers have noted that there is a great atmosphere, with one writing “Great atmosphere, and a fabulous mix of music and entertainment in the different rooms. My only criticism is they need more staff on the bar”
Glamorous Birmingham 3.2 stars out of 58 reviews
Glamorous Birmingham is a club experience in Birmingham with an average rating of 3.2 stars. Some reviewers found the place to be friendly, with lovely bar staff, others had complaints about the security and sticky floors.
Bar Jester 2.7 stars out of 38 reviews
Bar Jester is a little way out of the gay village area of Birmingham and is a little venue, however, it doesn’t do so well in the eyes of Google reviewers. Again reviewers highlight issues with security staff – with one calling them “unprofessional”.
Drunk or otherwise – thinking it’s a great idea to share our most intimate moments with the world via Instagram. We’ve made a list of the top things we need to stop sharing.
Your Trout Pout.
It just isn’t sexy. No, really it isn’t. Unless you’re Katie Price or Rylan Clark it’s best to leave the lip service to the professionals. (Even if you are cute)
Wearing Sunglasses Indoors.
Clearly, there’s a problem here.
You Looking Like A Member of a boy band. Black Vest, check…
Vacant look, CHECK. Flawless skin, which has been photoshopped into a smooth paste… CHECK. Come to bed eyes… CHECK. In other news those eyebrows are amazing.
You And Your Toys.
Not sure this one needs explaining. The world does not need to see the cone you put up your ass. No wait, hang on – show us how you do that…
Pictures Of Your Conquests.
No one wants to know you ‘Just nutted in his ass’ (yes an actual caption), such a romantic notion. We don’t wanna know. Okay, that’s a blatant lie, more of these pics, please.
Random pictures of hot guys on public transport
As cute as he is… This is creepy AF.
Your Hook Up Texts.
TMI. Now I can’t concentrate.
Your First Class Ticket.
Bitch we don’t care about your priority sticker for your Ryanair flight.
Disney Stuff
What are you ten? Although we agree Elsa is the best Disney princess ever.
