August 2014 – Page 3 – Scene Magazine – From the heart of LGBTQ+ Life

New crime of domestic abuse welcomed by LGBT charity

Posted on 21/08/2014 by Besi

Broken Rainbow, the LGBT Domestic Violence Charity has welcomed news that Ministers are considering plans to create a new crime of domestic abuse.

Existing legislation already covers coercive and controlling behaviour, but does not explicitly apply to relationships.

Jo Harvey Barringer, Managing Director (Interim), Broken Rainbow UK, said: “Broken Rainbow UK welcomes the proposed new crime of domestic abuse, implemented correctly the new crime would provide clarity – giving victims the confidence to seek support, ensuring perpetrators understand their behaviour is criminal, and reduce ambiguity for police so they respond effectively. It is vital that implementation, including training for the police, recognises that domestic abuse is a crime that does not discriminate as the 4,000+ calls our helpline receives from LGBT people each year demonstrates.”

Theresa May, the Home Secretary is consulting on creating the offence in England and Wales as part of attempts to improve police performance.

She said: “The government is clear that abuse is not just physical. Victims who are subjected to a living hell by their partners must have the confidence to come forward. I want perpetrators to be in no doubt that their cruel and controlling behaviour is criminal.

“We will look at the results of this consultation carefully in order to continue providing the best possible protection and support for victims of domestic abuse.”

BOOK REVIEW:Will Grayson, Will Grayson: John Green and David Levithan

Posted on 21/08/201402/09/2014 by Eric Page

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

This is an interesting and fun book, Featuring alternating chapters written by Green and Levithan in the voices of two boys who share the same name, (Yes it’s THAT John Green who also wrote ‘The Fault in our Stars’), two boys, one name, two lives, one event which changes and effects both boys in ways they can scarcely comprehend but which alters the very nature of the way they live and perceive their lives.

One Grayson is gay, one is straight, both seek affirmation and love from different sources and the plot works tightly to keep the narrative tension tight for the duration of the books.

Green and Levithan have delivered a very entertaining book which feels whole unto itself and also with a breadth of character and voice that allows this to feel like two books slamming into each other, with some very funny characters and some catch-you-off-guard profound depths this book is as interesting to an adult reader as it is to the younger reader it is written for.

It’s a perfect book for the younger LGBT reader (13+), which allows a feeling of being ‘other’ to be embraced into the infinite variety of humanity and reassures at the same time. There’s no complexity to the plot, quite the contrary it’s a simple and clear story, just done with such sensitivity and clear almost audible empathic motivation of each boys accepting of his life choices. It’s also full of some salty swearing too, and I mean stuffed full of it, but this just sits nicely in with the boy’s backgrounds and their angle on the world.

Even while grasping to understand what they are all about they accept their need for acceptance and unconditional love for which they are, and the men they hope to become. I really enjoyed the book, it felt so real and I wasn’t expecting to believe in the characters quite as much as I did.

This is a surprise and a well written one too, there’s so few decent books featuring young gay characters that the book should be welcomed just on that basis, the fact that’s it’s a beautifully written, enjoyable and moving story too, just makes it a grand read. The best thing about it, was how utterly normal it treats everything and for this the book is elevated into my best younger persons book of the year.

Recommended; honestly the book is excellent, go buy a copy now for you and for any younger LGBT people you may know.

Out now £7:99

from all good bookshops or from the publishers website here:

Peer Action creative writing course in partnership with ‘Speaking Volumes’ Project

Posted on 21/08/201421/08/2014 by Besi

Have you ever wanted to get your thoughts down on paper?

Do you want to build your confidence in writing?

This Autumn Peer Action and Speaking Volumes are running a six week creative writing course at Hampshire Lodge in Kemp Town, where you will have the chance to develop your writing skills, which could be fiction, autobiography, drama, poetry… the choice is yours.

In a safe space with other people living with or affected by HIV, the course will provide a friendly and supportive environment for you to explore your creativity.

No previous writing experience is necessary to take part and should you need volunteer support to participate please get in contact with Alice Booth.

The course will cost £20 for the 6 weeks, in two instalments of £10.

It will run every Thursday evening from October 2 – November 6, from 6.45 – 9pm, with tea, coffee & biscuits provided.

If cost is a barrier to participation please let Peer Action know.

To register for the course, EMAIL:

FA to investigate former Cardiff manager about alleged homophobic text messages

Posted on 21/08/2014 by Besi

Crystal Palace have announced they will not be appointing Malky Mackay as their new manager.

The announcement comes after his former club Cardiff delivered a dossier to the FA claiming Mackay allegedly sent texts of a racist, sexist and homophobic nature while employed by them, according to The Daily Mail.

The Gay Football Supporters Network (GFSN) have responded quickly to the news.

Simon Smith, GFSN press officer, said: “The GFSN is shocked to hear reports that former Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay allegedly made multiple homophobic comments during his time in charge of the club.

“Homophobia and homophobic comments are unacceptable in our society and we are disturbed that someone in a high-profile role within the world of football may have spoken in this way. We take such allegations very seriously and call upon the FA to fully investigate and publicly share their findings.

“Homophobia is still a problem in football and we expect a high standard of conduct from managers, who should be setting a positive example of inclusion. We will be following the story closely and asking the FA to fully investigate the allegations.”

The GFSN works very closely with partner organisations including The FA and Kick It Out to encourage a safe and positive environment in which LGBT people can watch and play football. They worked as part of the diversity advisory group for the 2018 England World Cup bid.

Lunch Positive raises £3,211.50 at Pride

Posted on 21/08/2014 by Besi

A record number of volunteers, supporters and friends helped Lunch Positive host its annual Community Cafe at Pride this year.

Twenty-seven people gave a total of 214 hours both behind and in front of the scenes to prepare and serve over 600 meals and 400 cakes!

The café was situated in the Community Village at Preston Park, serving the public, community stall holders and Pride volunteers and staff.

The Community Café at Pride is an essential part of Lunch Positive’s fundraising and even more important this year as funding becomes ever harder to secure.

Gary Pargeter, Volunteer Project Manager: ‘This was a fantastic event for us. The café was lots of fun to be involved in, and raised very important funds. It’s hugely rewarding that so many people got involved and worked so enthusiastically to make the café happen.

“There’s a month’s worth of preparation for the day itself, fifteen hours in total on Preston Park, and several days clearing up back at base at Dorset Gardens! We prepared record amounts of food, had a mammoth bake off, received donations from Greggs Bakers, and one of our volunteers even hand stitched a gigantic flag to mark our place at the park. Volunteers from MAC cosmetics came along to help serve and wash up.

“There were a few sticky moments at the start of the day when the generator broke down – but we overcame that, and thank anyone who was kept waiting! Pride CIC have facilitated our café every year, together with support from Wilde Ones. People who volunteered at all stages worked incredibly hard. To everyone who helped make the café happen and supported us we can’t thank you enough.”

Lib Dems announce candidate to fight Lucas in Brighton Pavilion

Posted on 21/08/201420/08/2014 by Besi

Liberal Democrats have selected a candidate with a strong environmental track record to fight the seat of Britain’s only Green MP at next May’s general election.

Chris Bowers, 53, was the founder director of the Environmental Transport Association in 1990. MOre recently he has been better known as a writer and broadcaster, mainly on tennis.

For 13 years he was a member of the BBC 5 Live commentary team at Wimbledon, he commentates regularly for Eurosport and ESPN, and has written biographies of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and the deputy prime minister Nick Clegg.

Chris, said: “The Pavilion election will be an exciting four-way battle in which the Lib Dems offer environmentally concerned voters a real choice.”

“There is relatively little on which I would disagree with Caroline Lucas, but the best she can hope for is to be a one-woman protest group at Westminster, whereas the Lib Dems have been in government and could be again, so we can get a lot more done.

“The Lib Dems have achieved a lot over the past four years, both running the Department for Energy and Climate Change and generally in government. We have created the world’s first green investment bank, we have introduced a safety framework for shale gas extraction that will make it much harder than people think for fracking to get a foothold, and we have stood up against unreconstructed Conservative right-wingers who view all attempts to protect the environment and fight climate change as ‘green crap’.”

Chris stood for parliament in 2010 in the Wealden constituency (Crowborough, Uckfield and Hailsham), and since 2007 he has been a councillor on neighbouring Lewes District Council. He was re-elected in 2011 with an increased majority.

He added: “Our main task between now and next May is to tell people what the Lib Dems have achieved in government.”

“The media may have been reluctant to give us any credit, but we have created large numbers of new apprenticeships, restored the link between the state pension and inflation, made education fairer via the Pupil Premium, and raised the starting level for income tax to £10,000. None of this would have happened without the Lib Dems in government.”

Commenting on the contentious issue of tuition fees, Chris said: “We were put in a very difficult position with a massive dilemma, and I think we made a good fist of a bad situation. Access to higher education for children from disadvantaged families is much fairer now and the student loans payback facility is more realistic. Anyone wanting to debate higher education funding with me will find me robust, not apologetic.”

Brighton Pride raises record amount for good causes

Posted on 20/08/201421/08/2014 by Graham Robson

Brighton Pride organisers smash this years fundraising target and have so far raised £64,578.00 for good causes following this years Pride on Preston Park and Pride Village Street Party.

Brighton Pride 2014 — Photo: Chris Jepson

The funds will be distributed by the Rainbow Fund Community Interest Company (9138066) through their grants programmes.

This year’s fundraising total was raised from the £1 ring-fenced from ticket sales for the Pride Festival, Pledge Wristbands for the Pride Village Party and from Pride’s other fundraising activities including the Pride Dog Show and Pride Film and Arts Festival.

Brighton Pride Managing Director, Paul Kemp, said: “Brighton Pride is the UKs biggest Pride festival and we are incredibly proud that we have raised more than £107,000 over the past 2 years for the Rainbow Fund. Supporting LBGT charities and good causes is the cornerstone of Pride and really shows that Brighton Pride 2014 was a ‘Pride with Purpose”.

“We would like to thank all of our sponsors and partners and every single person who supported each of the Pride events in 2014 making this donation possible, and hope even more local business will come on board next year to help us raiser even more for local good causes.”

Paul Elgood, Chairman of the Rainbow Fund thanked the Pride organisers, saying: “We are grateful that Pride have asked us again this year to allocate the funding raised. The continued success of Brighton Pride gives a massive boost to the local LGBT and HIV voluntary sector and this huge sum will make a tremendous difference for community groups working locally. Without the tireless work of the Pride organisers in making the event such a success, this money would simply not be available to the community.

“Thank you to the organisers.”

The Rainbow Fund is a registered not-for-profit Community Interest Company (9138066) with the remit of: allocating grant funding to Brighton & Hove-based LGBT and HIV voluntary sector groups; maintaining the AIDS Memorial; and supporting community development within the local LGBT and HIV sector.

Brighton Pride, Peter Tatchell — Photo: Chris Jepson

The Rainbow Fund holds a main grants round each year, where decisions on allocating grant funding are made by an Independent Grants Panel. The panel was appointed following an advertised selection process to ensure a fair, open and transparent decision-making process.

The LGBT/HIV organisations who have been successful in applying for a grant this year will be announced at a special awards ceremony at the Hilton Metropole Hotel on Monday, September 1 hosted by the Rainbow Fund’s patron, comedienne, Zoe Lyons.

BOOK REVIEW: Until the Sun Rises

Posted on 20/08/201402/09/2014 by Eric Page

Until the Sun Rises: Gay Vampire Erotica

Edited by Winston Gieseke

What’s so alluring about the undead? Vampires are sexy, virile, and forever young – frozen in time at their sexual peak. They have a flair for seduction, an eagerness to penetrate with more than their eyes, and an insatiable need to suck things. Their libidos and youth are rejuvenated by blood – and to get it, they use their charm and massive strength to overpower. If that’s your thing then what could be a bigger turn-on? Until the Sun Rises overflows with kinky scenarios of thirsty vampires who are eager for much more than a taste of your blood.

The book captures the genre well, it’s full of hungry, heaving sharp toothed and even sharper dressed blood suckers with one thing on their mind, well with more than one thing on their mind, but sucking blood is a mere entrée to these guys, they like their meat raw, bloody and hung.

If you’re a fan of the supernatural and like a bit of hot and sweaty one handed reading them I think this glossy and fun selection of stories edited by Gieseke (an established author and acclaimed editor of Gay erotica) would be of interest to you. It’s guilty pleasure reading and perfect for curling up on the sofa as the autumnal rains come lashing in, just make sure the windows are locked and you don’t invite the wrong one in from Grindr until the sun rises and keeps you safe from these handsome, hot blood sucking Adonis’s

The collection covers a range of scenarios across the vamparic tradition and the plotting keeps pace with the action, of all types, allowing each story to reach a heaving erotic crescendo and satisfying the readers need for horror too, yes, well back to Judge Judy for me now.

Bruno Gmunder have released a few decent hot and steamy erotic anthologies this month, so keep an eye on the book reviews for some more in the next week.

Out now £11.99

For more info see the publisher’s website here:

Also available in e-books for your electronic reading devices.

Volunteers needed at Lunch Positive

Posted on 20/08/2014 by Besi

Lunch Positive, the HIV charity is looking for volunteers to help provide the Friday lunch club for people with HIV.

The lunch club provides a safe and supportive space for people to share lunch, make friendships and find peer support. Volunteers are needed to help on Friday afternoons in the dining area. This involves spending time with members, sharing lunch and helping clear up the dining area and kitchen after the lunch club has closed.

Gary Pargeter, Volunteer Project Manager, said: “Providing the lunch club involves a large team of volunteers, and we’re looking for more people to help make this happen. Volunteering with Lunch Positive is something that we aim to be enjoyable, interesting and of mutual benefit for everyone involved. Our volunteers tell us that they get a lot out of spending time with other people and being part of a team. The main things we’re looking for in our volunteers are an understanding of the importance for people to feel less isolated, ability to get on with others, and interest in meeting and talking to people. There’s some clearing up at the end of the day, and our volunteers all pull together to get this done. We know that starting any new activity can sometimes be a daunting thought, and we make sure that our new volunteers are supported throughout their time with us.”

Volunteers at Lunch Positive receive full training in their role, support from other team members, out-of-pocket travel expenses, and the opportunity to attend periodical meetings which involve them in the design, delivery and development of the project. There’s opportunity to get involved in other activities such as fundraising, and various volunteer social events throughout the year.

People interested in volunteering should get in touch to arrange a convenient date to come along and see the lunch club, take a tour with another volunteer and arrange a ‘try out’ session to see how volunteering feels.

For more information on volunteering, CLICK HERE:

To contact Lunch Positive about volunteering telephone 07846 464384

Or EMAIL:

Hove MP calls on Chancellor to limit rail fare rise

Posted on 20/08/2014 by Sarah Green

Following this mornings announcement that regulated train prices are to rise by 3.5% in 2015, Mike Weatherley MP, has written to the Chancellor highlighting the plight of commuters in Brighton & Hove and requesting that fares are capped by the Retail Price Index (RPI).

Mike Weatherley, MP for Hove & Portslade

Mike, and his local Conservative colleagues, say they are acutely aware of the financial burden on commuters and feel that fares should not rise above inflation.

In his letter to the Chancellor, Mike wrote: “Many residents from Brighton & Hove currently pay over £5,000 to travel to London and this may potentially rise to £5,250. I, along with many of my Conservative colleagues, do not believe that fares should go up by more than inflation. I should be extremely grateful, therefore, if you would intervene again in this matter in order to ensure that fares do not rise above the Retail Price Index.”

Cllr Graham Cox, the Conservative PPC for Hove and Portslade, added: “Having commuted to London myself, I know just how frustrating it is to see the prices of already expensive tickets go up even further. I hope that the Chancellor will take into consideration our calls for a cap on fare increases, which will effect so many people in Hove and Portslade.”

Mike added: “I regularly hear from residents about the strain of paying huge sums of money simply to get to work. While I am pleased that the Government is taking a sensible approach to improving our rail network, I hope that the Chancellor will, like last year, intervene and restrict any rises to RPI.”

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Month: August 2014

New crime of domestic abuse welcomed by LGBT charity

Broken Rainbow, the LGBT Domestic Violence Charity has welcomed news that Ministers are considering plans to create a new crime of domestic abuse.

BOOK REVIEW:Will Grayson, Will Grayson: John Green and David Levithan

Peer Action creative writing course in partnership with ‘Speaking Volumes’ Project

Have you ever wanted to get your thoughts down on paper?

FA to investigate former Cardiff manager about alleged homophobic text messages

Crystal Palace have announced they will not be appointing Malky Mackay as their new manager.

Lunch Positive raises £3,211.50 at Pride

A record number of volunteers, supporters and friends helped Lunch Positive host its annual Community Cafe at Pride this year.

Lib Dems announce candidate to fight Lucas in Brighton Pavilion

Liberal Democrats have selected a candidate with a strong environmental track record to fight the seat of Britain’s only Green MP at next May’s general election.

Brighton Pride raises record amount for good causes

Brighton Pride organisers smash this years fundraising target and have so far raised £64,578.00 for good causes following this years Pride on Preston Park and Pride Village Street Party.

BOOK REVIEW: Until the Sun Rises

Volunteers needed at Lunch Positive

Lunch Positive, the HIV charity is looking for volunteers to help provide the Friday lunch club for people with HIV.

Hove MP calls on Chancellor to limit rail fare rise

Following this mornings announcement that regulated train prices are to rise by 3.5% in 2015, Mike Weatherley MP, has written to the Chancellor highlighting the plight of commuters in Brighton & Hove and requesting that fares are capped by the Retail Price Index (RPI).

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Broken Rainbow, the LGBT Domestic Violence Charity has welcomed news that Ministers are considering plans to create a new crime of domestic abuse.

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Have you ever wanted to get your thoughts down on paper?

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Crystal Palace have announced they will not be appointing Malky Mackay as their new manager.

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A record number of volunteers, supporters and friends helped Lunch Positive host its annual Community Cafe at Pride this year.

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Liberal Democrats have selected a candidate with a strong environmental track record to fight the seat of Britain’s only Green MP at next May’s general election.

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Brighton Pride organisers smash this years fundraising target and have so far raised £64,578.00 for good causes following this years Pride on Preston Park and Pride Village Street Party.

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Lunch Positive, the HIV charity is looking for volunteers to help provide the Friday lunch club for people with HIV.

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Following this mornings announcement that regulated train prices are to rise by 3.5% in 2015, Mike Weatherley MP, has written to the Chancellor highlighting the plight of commuters in Brighton & Hove and requesting that fares are capped by the Retail Price Index (RPI).

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