Gscene News Archive

This year’s Golden Handbag Show will take place in the main ballroom at the Hilton Metropole Hotel on Sunday March 22, starting 7.30pm.

Headlining the show is the brilliant comedian Jason Wood.

Also appearing is Mark Inscoe and Wezley Sebastian, who are both starring in the new West End production of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, which opens at the Palace Theatre, London, in late March.

Performers from the hugely successful Absolutely Dragulous including Dave Lynn, Miss Jason, Lady James, Connie Conway and Jamie Watson will be performing together. The show is hosted by Lola Lasagne.

Voting commences online at: www.realbrighton.com starting Monday February 2.

Postal votes will be available in the printed edition of the March issue of Gscene.

Voting in all categories is open. People who receive the top five votes appear as the nominations on the night.

The Golden Handbag Awards are unique in that the voting is handled and monitored independently of the magazine running the awards, Gscene.

This year’s event is sponsored by Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust’s LGBT Forum under its remit to promote a positive work environment and strengthen links with the wider LGBT community.

The event is supported by Realbrighton.com, which administers the online voting and produces the interactive television production during the awards. Arena Entertainments provides the sound and lighting production on the night and the Brighton Hilton Metropole Hotel donates the use of the main ballroom. The security for the night is organised by Terry Wing (aka Rita Snatch) who, once again, will be supplying unpaid door supervisors, supported by Resolve Security, and a first aider, supported by St John's Ambulance. All supporters and artists on the night give their services completely free of charge.

Tickets for the show are £16. We guarantee very penny of your ticket money is distributed to worthwhile LGBT causes. No expenses are taken from the ticket money.

There are a limited number of pre-booked tables of ten and 12 available. To secure a pre-booked table telephone 01273 722457. All other tickets are available from Prowler, 112 St James’s Street, Brighton. These tickets must be collected in person and paid for in cash, as Prowler is not charging a booking fee. Tickets purchased from Prowler are not reserved and are filled on a first-come-first-served basis on the night. To make sure the wait for drinks is a short as possible, this year the Hilton Metropole is arranging bar service at every table with the opportunity to order wine and champagne when you book reserved tables.

The Golden Handbag Awards started in 1995 and have become the biggest annual fundraiser in LGBT Brighton, raising over £100,000 for local LGBT and HIV organizations since it started.

This year’s proceeds will be distributed among a variety of LGBT organisations.

The Awards are first and foremost a fundraising event, to raise money for LGBT organisations, and are intended to build pride and confidence in the LGBT community, celebrating the best LGBT Brighton has to offer the world.

The organisers are erecting a boxing ring in the Hilton car park for anyone who needs to get anything off their chest before attending the show!