May 2017 – Page 6 – Scene Magazine – From the heart of LGBTQ+ Life

‘OneFamily’ support LGBT+ families at Brighton & Hove Pride

Posted on 19/05/201721/05/2017 by Besi

OneFamily, the Brighton-based, financial services company are to sponsor the Pride Family Diversity Area, at the Summer of Love festival on Saturday, August 5.

Brighton Pride, takes place from August 4-6, with 300,000 people participating in the celebrations across the city.

The enclosed family area located within the Pride festival site on Preston Park will be a fun-filled space for families to enjoy the Pride festival together.

OneFamily Customer Strategy Director, Karl Elliott, said: “We are really excited to be continuing our support of the Brighton Pride festival and look forward to what will be a spectacular showcase that really celebrates the diversity of the city.

“As a Brighton employer is gives us great pleasure to be able to support a local event that both our employees and their families enjoy so much.”

OneFamily provides products and services across investments, savings, lifetime mortgages and protection, to support families to meet the financial demands of modern life.

Paul Kemp, Brighton Pride Community Interest Company, said: “Brighton Pride has evolved over the years with more communities coming together to celebrate every aspect of our city, regardless of sexuality, race, gender, age or ability. We are delighted that OneFamily is supporting the event for the second year running and sponsoring our Family Diversity Area.”

Last year’s Brighton Pride raised a record breaking £100,000 for LGBT+ and HIV organisations and good causes across Sussex. Beneficiaries included Allsorts Youth Project, Lunch Positive, LGBT Community Safety Forum, MindOut, Peer Action and Clare Project.

To book tickets for the Brighton Pride Summer of Love festival, click here:

Amnesty call for Chechnya journalists to be protected

Posted on 19/05/2017 by Besi

Amnesty International calls for journalists who revealed the abuse of gay men in Chechnya to be protected.

On April 1, journalists at Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported that over a hundred men suspected of being gay had been abducted, abused and some even killed because of their perceived sexuality. Chechen authorities have warned the journalists they will ‘face retaliation’.

Following the reports, anger has been steadily building towards the reporters who broke the story by those who oppose LGBT+ rights and have been emboldened by the Chechen authorities who have given them a prominent platform to warn the paper that their journalists would “face retaliation”.

Journalists for the paper have been murdered for their investigations in the past decade with 56 journalists being reportedly killed in Russia since 1992 .

Amnesty are demanding that the Russian authorities:

♦ Investigate the threats to staff from both Novaya Gazeta and Ekho Moskvy, in accordance with the Russian Criminal Code regarding ‘obstruction of lawful activities of journalists’
♦ Publicly condemn all threats and violence towards journalists, and bring those responsible to account
♦ Guarantee freedom of expression and protect journalists, in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights.

To sign the petition calling on Russian authorities to protect the journalists, and their freedom to report human rights abuses, click here:

Fabulous trans activist wow’s at Jubilee Library

Posted on 19/05/2017 by Besi

Charlie Crags, activist, nail artist and human being visits Brighton and Hove with her pop up nail bar to celebrate IDAHOBIT.

Charlie’s activism – Nail Transphobia – is all about fighting transphobia fabulously. She travels around the country with her pop up salon and invites complete strangers to come and get their nails done for free.

This gives her the chance to sit down with someone who has usually never met a trans person before but probably has a lot of misconceptions.

Charlie says: “I get the chance to bond with them while I paint their nails – they can ask me questions and I can teach them how to be an ally. But what’s most important is just having a chat and a laugh because what I’m really trying to do with my campaign is humanise the issue and show that trans people are just normal (actually rather nice) people. I’m trying to change hearts and minds a nail at a time.”

Charlie’s visit was by invitation of the city council’s LGBT Workers Forum as part of celebrating LGBT+ lives for IDAHOBIT on May 17.

IDAHOBIT marks the day in 1990 when the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from its International Classification of Diseases.

The purpose of IDAHOBIT is to raise awareness of LGBT+ rights and stimulate interest in the work of LGBT+ activists worldwide. Events this year took place in more than 120 countries on every continent in every region of the world.

Charlie says: “I use nails as my catalyst for change because doing someone’s nails is such an intimate interaction, I get to touch people, not just physically – as in touching their hands, but touch them on a deeper level too. As a result hopefully they’ll go away with more than just a manicure, they’ll go away with a new perspective – they’ll go away an ally.

Allies are so important in both our fight for equality and also in the fight that is our everyday lives as trans people; if it wasn’t for allies stepping in when I’ve been attacked in the past I might not be here doing this now”

Charlie spent the morning in Hove Town Hall and all afternoon at Jubilee Library, attracting a queue of people, of all ages and backgrounds who were keen to spend a moment meeting a fabulous person, learning a little about their lives and leaving with seriously buff nails!

For more information about Charlie and her novel form of activism, click here:

‘Out with Allan Jay’ is Latest LBGT+ TV’s newest show to hit the screen

Posted on 19/05/2017 by Besi

Usually known for his chart topping HiNRG music Allan Jay will be giving a “Whats on who’s who, where to go and when to be there” look around the LBGT+ friendly venue’s and events in Brighton.

The weekly show will be going behind the scenes giving you a ‘sneaky peak’ around each venue and meeting some of the bartenders, managers, cabaret acts and owners. Focusing on 2 different venues a week and giving you the run down of what else is on and around Brighton each week, as well as getting to meet the faces behind the venues.

Allan Jay is an award-winning recording artist known for his high energy style and powerful vocals. He is signed to Energise Records and has performed across the UK and Europe as well around many of the Brighton venues

Allan describes Brighton as his “home from home” and is excited about showing you around the venues bringing some fun n laughs along the way.

Tune into Latest LGBT+ TV every Thursday at 9pm starting 1st June.

Latest TV (Freeview 7 | Virgin Media 159 | latest.co.uk or Youtube)

Lunch Positive to celebrate 8th birthday!

Posted on 19/05/2017 by Besi

Lunch Positive, the HIV charity that provides a weekly lunch club for people with HIV will celebrate its 8th birthday on Friday June 9 from the Lunch Club at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church.

All members are invited to attend, including those who go along regularly and those who go less frequently or haven’t been for a while.

The entire volunteer team will be putting together an extra special celebration meal which will also mark the first time use of the newly refurbished kitchen at the church.

The meal is free to everyone and promises to be something very special. The charity trustees will also be at the lunch club to meet members, socialise and talk about plans for the future.

Lunch Positive’s birthday falls at the end of National Volunteers Week. The charity has been built upon the involvement of members and an amazing commitment and motivation of people volunteering, giving their time for the benefit of their community.

A team of more than 30 people currently volunteer to deliver the weekly lunch club, as well as fundraise and actively support wider LGBT+ and HIV community events.

Service Manager Gary Pargeter said: “Some very special acknowledgments will be given to all the volunteers, members and helpers that have supported Lunch Positive over the years, giving thousands of hours of their time year-on-year.”

For more information about Lunch Positive, click here:

BRIGHTON FRINGE REVIEW: The Cocktail Pianist 2 @Sweet Waterfront 2

Posted on 19/05/201719/05/2017 by Brian Butler

We’ve all sat far away from home in the lounge of some large hotel when the cocktail pianist starts to play. Some notes he gets right, some notes he doesn’t. Some tunes he knows all the way through – others he doesn’t.

Mike Hatchard has written and performs in this slightly cringe-making self-conscious world of the mediocre hotel entertainer. And as he plays piano bits and pieces from Beethoven, the Girl from Ipanema, Mother Kelly’s doorstep and others, he unravels his sad but warmly funny life story.

It’s a tale of what might have been but this 60-something year old pianist has certainly had a varied love life. As an autistic but artistic child prodigy he has his first sexual encounter aged 14 with a 45 year old woman. It’s an encounter that tragically colours his future.

A highly gifted student at the Royal School of Music, he has some kind of epiphany during a prestigious piano competition when he thinks he sees the 45-year-old in the front row of the audience.

It isn’t her, and the shock leads to a breakdown and he’s literally running away from life and music for a number of years.

Various other women come in and out of his life – most with devastating effects – and a second mistaken identity episode leads to further complications.

How he ends up playing in the lounge of an hotel in Luton is beautifully and sadly explained. Needless to say, his life ultimately seems not to have been a failure, and we leave him playing Summertime, with a tinge of unhappiness, but also a feeling of warmth.

Mike Hatchard, who is clearly a top-class pianist, creates the sad, ironic and laconic character of Bernard with ease and with an often unconscious sense of irony. This is a show about time, timing, numbers, coincidences and lost opportunities – but above all about the resilience of the human spirit.

“I don’t play well, I don’t play badly : I just play,” he says.

The show deserves a larger audience and a better time slot than 5.15pm.

The Cocktail Pianist with Mike Hatchard
Venue: Sweet Waterfront 2
Reviewed: May 18
Reviewer: Brian Butler
Runs until: May 21

Circus ringmaster to stand as candidate in Brighton Kemptown

Posted on 18/05/2017 by Gary Hart

Circus of Horrors ringmaster to stand as an Alternative candidate for the constituency of Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven at the coming General Election.

Doktor Haze, creator and ringmaster in the outrageous Circus of Horrors has thrown his top hat into the ring, standing as an Alternative as opposed to an Independent candidate in the constituency of Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven at the forthcoming General Election on June 8.

The good Doktor decided to stand once he realised that the snap election coincided with the The Circus of Horrors performances in the WOW Big Top at Preston Park as part of the Brighton Festival.

He says: “I travel all over the World with the Circus of Horrors but when the snap election was announced I realised I would be in Brighton during the election run in.

Brighton has a lot of fond memories for me, it was the first City The Circus of Horrors performed commercially back in 1995. We have been to the city many times since and aside from London The Circus of Horrors have performed more in Brighton than anywhere else. I also love the diversity of the city and the tolerance and understanding of other cultures and communities within Brighton & Hove, this is one of the issues that I will be campaigning for. It shouldn’t matter what you look like, you should be accepted for what you are.”

Coming from very humble beginnings, Haze was born in a circus, abandoned by his dad and left with his mum and dog in a van in Wick, Scotland when he was 6 months old.

Reunited with his Dad and taught to fire eat in a circus ring at the age of 12 he left the circus to try to earn a living in a rock band before combining his theatrical upbringing with rock music and his other passion Horror to create the Circus of Horrors.

Doktor Haze who claims to be 668 (Vampire years) was a good friend of Screaming Lord Sutch a regular attender of The Circus of Horrors, and was encouraged by him to join the Monster Raving Loony party but always declined a potential political career – until now.

To view his manifesto, click here:

The manifesto contains an eclectic mix of the serious and quirky including his views on Brexit to scraping ‘Whips’ in the House of Commons to let politicians make their own decisions and standing by what they believe in.

“Whips need to be used in the bedroom and in fetish clubs – not The House of Commons” says the Doktor.

Ladbrokes are offering odds of 500 to 1 for Doktor Haze to win the seat.

If you don’t get to vote for Doktor Haze you can see him performing at The Circus of Horrors in the WOW Big Top on Preston Park, Brighton, on May 27 and June 3 with shows at 8.30pm.

Other candidates are:
Simon Kirby: The Conservative Party Candidate
Lloyd Russell-Moyle: Labour and Co-operative Party
Emily Louise Tester: Liberal Democrats

Brighton & Hove Council leader condems Chechen Government

Posted on 18/05/2017 by Besi

Cllr Warren Morgan, the Leader of Brighton and Hove City Council condemned the Chechen Government and its leader Ramzan Khadyrov at the IDAHOBIT event at the Dorset Gardens Methodist Church yesterday, (May 17)

Cllr Morgan, said: “I am here today on this International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia to send a message to Ramzan Khadyrov. It’s a name unknown to most, but he is the person leading the Chechen state and conducting a systematic and brutal campaign of repression and imprisonment against the LGBT+ communities in that country.

This cannot be allowed to pass unnoticed, unremarked, and unchallenged.

When originally confronted with the allegations, Mr Kadyrov’s spokesman Alvi Karimov said it was not possible that gays had suffered abuse because homosexuals “don’t exist” in Chechnya.

“You cannot arrest or repress people who just don’t exist in the republic”. “If such people existed in Chechnya, law enforcement would not have to worry about them since their own relatives would have sent them to where they could never return.”

They do exist, Mr Karimov, they exist everywhere. You cannot deny the existence of your own people. And you cannot deny them their basic human rights.

In response to this barely disguised brutality, Human Rights Watch issued a call to action for the international community. We must answer that call, we must put pressure on our own Government to answer that call.

If anything could be worse than the state-sponsored homophobia of the Russian Federation, it is the active repression and imprisonment of the Chechen part of that nation state.

Let me put on the record here today, as Leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, that we condemn without reservation the actions of the Chechen Government. Our voice alone will make no difference to a ruthless dictator who does not think twice about having his enemies killed.

But our voice together with other cities, other countries, other organisations will become a chorus he and his cronies in Grozny cannot ignore. Together we must say, this must not pass, this action cannot stand.

We in Brighton and Hove stand shoulder to shoulder with the Chechen LGBT+ communities today, tomorrow and every day until this brutal oppression ends.”

IDAHOBIT demonstration brings St James Street to a standstill

Posted on 18/05/201718/05/2017 by Besi

The public vigil marking International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT) was moved indoors to the Dorset Gardens Methodist Church yesterday due to the pouring rain.

IDAHOBIT marks the day in 1990 when the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from its International Classification of Diseases.

The purpose of IDAHOBIT is to raise awareness of LGBT+ rights and stimulate interest in the work of LGBT+ activists worldwide. Events this year were taking place in more than 120 countries on every continent in every region of the world.

Following a warm welcome by the Mayor of Brighton & Hove Pete West on his final day in office, speakers including, Peter Kyle MP for Hove & Portslade, Cllr Warren Morgan Leader of the Brighton & Hove City Council, Rev Michael Hydes, Cllr Phelim MacCafferty Convenor of the Greens, Sgt Peter Allan from Sussex Police and Ruth Hughes from the Rainbow Chorus all highlighted the plight of LGBT+ people in Chechna and called on our national politicians to speak out and demand the killings stop.

Alice Denny performed some of her wonderful poems including Street Cleaning 2017, Normal and the thought-provoking The Universal Ugly Tranny. AJ Paterson sang with guitar and the Rainbow Chorus performed You are my sister, Hand in Hand, and A Million Voices before leading everyone out of the church singing Siyahumba, to bring St James Street to a standstill as everyone made a minutes protest noise.

The Vigil was organised by volunteers from the Brighton & Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum.

BRIGHTON FRINGE REVIEW: The Lady Boys of Bangkok @Sabai Pavilion

Posted on 18/05/201718/05/2017 by Contributor

A magnificent night of campness!

This is a show where boys can be boys and girls can be… well… boys too…

Every single performer was stunning in their own way and all dance brilliantly.

Yes, The Lady Boys of Bangkok are back at the Brighton Fringe, and in my opinion this production is bigger and better than ever.

The new show is called Who Runs The World … Well I would say the Lady Boys do!

The sets are simple but well designed, the costumes are obviously outrageously glitzy with no end of sequins and colour, the music is current and memorable and there are many comical moments that had the audience at times in stitches.

The routines are brilliant with two great musicals Grease and Chicago among those featured. They even have the car from Grease on stage.

There is a wonderful tribute to all the Asian cultures, featuring magnificent costumes.

It’s worth going if only to see the Tina Turner impersonator, absolutely brilliant with all the facial expressions and movements. The same performer is hilarious during the comedy routines and works so well with the clown of the show, a dwarf who amongst many routines becomes ‘Bridget the Midget!’

Audience participation is unique with the comedy duo making the most of unsuspecting members of the audience.

The cast numbers just 16 performers. At times you would think there were 66 of them as they make the most of the stage and auditorium, dancing anywhere and everywhere there are spaces in the Sabai Pavilion.

Looking for a downside? Don’t expect perfect lip-syncing, apart from that what is there not to like?

If you are looking for a memorable night out with a lot of laughs you can’t go wrong with The Lady Boy’s of Bangkok at the Sabai Pavilion, Victoria Gardens, Brighton until the end of the Fringe on June 3.

Lady Boys of Bangkok – WHO RUNS THE WORLD TOUR?
Presented by: Exchange Events Ltd
Venue: Sabai Pavilion, Victoria Gardens, Brighton
Reviewer: Mike Mendoza
Photographs by: Hugo Michiels
Runs till June 3

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Month: May 2017

‘OneFamily’ support LGBT+ families at Brighton & Hove Pride

OneFamily, the Brighton-based, financial services company are to sponsor the Pride Family Diversity Area, at the Summer of Love festival on Saturday, August 5.

Amnesty call for Chechnya journalists to be protected

Amnesty International calls for journalists who revealed the abuse of gay men in Chechnya to be protected.

Fabulous trans activist wow’s at Jubilee Library

Charlie Crags, activist, nail artist and human being visits Brighton and Hove with her pop up nail bar to celebrate IDAHOBIT.

‘Out with Allan Jay’ is Latest LBGT+ TV’s newest show to hit the screen

Usually known for his chart topping HiNRG music Allan Jay will be giving a “Whats on who’s who, where to go and when to be there” look around the LBGT+ friendly venue’s and events in Brighton.

Lunch Positive to celebrate 8th birthday!

Lunch Positive, the HIV charity that provides a weekly lunch club for people with HIV will celebrate its 8th birthday on Friday June 9 from the Lunch Club at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church.

BRIGHTON FRINGE REVIEW: The Cocktail Pianist 2 @Sweet Waterfront 2

We’ve all sat far away from home in the lounge of some large hotel when the cocktail pianist starts to play. Some notes he gets right, some notes he doesn’t. Some tunes he knows all the way through – others he doesn’t.

Circus ringmaster to stand as candidate in Brighton Kemptown

Circus of Horrors ringmaster to stand as an Alternative candidate for the constituency of Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven at the coming General Election.

Brighton & Hove Council leader condems Chechen Government

Cllr Warren Morgan, the Leader of Brighton and Hove City Council condemned the Chechen Government and its leader Ramzan Khadyrov at the IDAHOBIT event at the Dorset Gardens Methodist Church yesterday, (May 17)

IDAHOBIT demonstration brings St James Street to a standstill

The public vigil marking International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT) was moved indoors to the Dorset Gardens Methodist Church yesterday due to the pouring rain.

BRIGHTON FRINGE REVIEW: The Lady Boys of Bangkok @Sabai Pavilion

A magnificent night of campness!

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OneFamily, the Brighton-based, financial services company are to sponsor the Pride Family Diversity Area, at the Summer of Love festival on Saturday, August 5.

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Amnesty International calls for journalists who revealed the abuse of gay men in Chechnya to be protected.

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Charlie Crags, activist, nail artist and human being visits Brighton and Hove with her pop up nail bar to celebrate IDAHOBIT.

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Usually known for his chart topping HiNRG music Allan Jay will be giving a “Whats on who’s who, where to go and when to be there” look around the LBGT+ friendly venue’s and events in Brighton.

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Lunch Positive, the HIV charity that provides a weekly lunch club for people with HIV will celebrate its 8th birthday on Friday June 9 from the Lunch Club at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church.

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We’ve all sat far away from home in the lounge of some large hotel when the cocktail pianist starts to play. Some notes he gets right, some notes he doesn’t. Some tunes he knows all the way through – others he doesn’t.

Share this:

Circus of Horrors ringmaster to stand as an Alternative candidate for the constituency of Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven at the coming General Election.

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Cllr Warren Morgan, the Leader of Brighton and Hove City Council condemned the Chechen Government and its leader Ramzan Khadyrov at the IDAHOBIT event at the Dorset Gardens Methodist Church yesterday, (May 17)

Share this:

The public vigil marking International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT) was moved indoors to the Dorset Gardens Methodist Church yesterday due to the pouring rain.

Share this:

A magnificent night of campness!

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