Rev. Peta Evans joins Village MCC, Brighton & Hove as their Associate Pastor.
They will give their first sermon at The Village on Sunday, October 8 at 6pm.
Rev. Peta is an ordained minister, a non-binary trans-man, and in their secular life, a care-worker and a tailor.
Rev. Peta began their MCC journey in this very city, a member of the Brighton church from 2003 to 2010 when they left to train as a clergy intern in North London.
Peta’s training also took them to serve in MCC Newcastle, and a URC church in London where they became particularly involved in supporting LGBT+ asylum-seekers.
Rev. Peta said:“Returning to Brighton, I am excited to serve again in the community which first welcomed me and supported me in both my ministry journey and my gender transition. I would love to see the sincere passion and integrity of The Village MCC reach out even more widely to people of all ages, gender identities and walks of life.
I am also enthusiastic about reclaiming the Bible from those who have tried to make it a weapon against those who are different, and I’m starting a group for Trans people to do just that, ReTranslation, to look at the text for themselves without past interpretations getting in the way. I have a love for Celtic spirituality, which weaves together the practical and the spiritual, finding depth and delight in all things, no matter how mundane, and for creative expressions of spirituality, which I hope to share with The Village in the coming months.”
Rev Michael Hydes
Rev. Michael Hydes, Senior Pastor of The Village MCC Brighton & Hove, said:“I’m looking forward to working with Rev. Peta. Their rootedness in Celtic Christianity and experience working in the Trans communities are just two of the many gifts they bring to their work. I know we’ll all be enriched by their participation in our church life and leadership within our community of faith.”
The Village MCC Brighton and Hove is a church that was created by LGBT+ Christians, their families, friends, and allies. It’s an MCC (Metropolitan Community Church) called to support the LGBT+ communities in whatever ways it can. They worship together every Sunday night at 6pm at The Somerset Day Center, 62 Saint James’s Street, Brighton, East Sussex BN2 1PR.
After making its UK premier at Theatre Royal Windsor earlier this month, Gore Vidal’s 1960 political satire, The Best Man, has landed at Brighton’s Theatre Royal on the second leg of its UK tour.
The plot revolves around the characters and ambitions of two very different fictional politicians vying for the Democrat nomination at the Presidential primaries in Philadelphia in 1960.
Martin Shaw plays ethical, educated William Russell. A one-time Secretary of State, he’s a polymath with a sharp sense of humour and a liberal approach to politics as well as to life. Above all he professes to be true to himself and to his values.
Russell goes head-to-head against the unscrupulous and highly opportunist Senator Joseph Cantwell (Jeff Fahey) a popularist whose focus on public opinion and the use of modern public relations techniques has helped him gain ground on his opponent though probably not enough ground to win the nomination.
Both candidates are out to secure the personal and public endorsement of Democrat Ex-President Hockstader (Jack Shepherd) at the convention.
But when Cantwell decides to introduce a devastating and underhand last-minute smear campaign against his rival, will Russell follow his own campaign manager’s advice and stoop to Cantwell’s level in order to achieve his own ends?
This is a beautifully written play. It’s psychologically thrilling yet playful, and stays dramatically compelling right to the very end. And it’s also very funny.
For me there’s more than a hint of Oscar Wilde in some of the play’s slick and witty dialogue, and at times it has the feel of one of Wilde’s congenial comedies of society as much as political satire. The set itself reminded me of a Victorian sitting room.
There’s also a Wildean vanity about some of the writing. It’s a showcase for the playwright’s cleverness and wit, and it’s not hard to see Vidal seeing himself in his portrayal of Russell as a self-assured, quick-witted, silver-tongued Renaissance man. Still it’s all highly enjoyable.
But beyond the cleverness and joviality this is a powerful, taut play which astutely deals with political machinations and more personal moral questions, all of which are as relevant today as they were when the play was written – perhaps even more so.
In this play Vidal’s characters are truly believable and in some cases perhaps recognisable, and Shaw, Fahey and Shepherd provide an outstanding trio of lead performances that convincingly bring the drama to life.
They are wonderfully supported by Honeysuckle Weeks as the ambitious, vain and comically shallow wife of Cantwell, and by Glynis Barber who, playing Russell’s long suffering, stoic but cuttingly sarcastic wife, gets some of the best one-liners in the play.
Dick Jenson and Don Blades are also excellent as the scheming campaign managers in opposing corners.
This play is a real gem – a stylish political thriller that’s engrossing and entertaining in equal measure and which remains as relevant today as it was when written over half a century ago.
Six LGBT rugby clubs around Britain got starkers earlier this year to raise awareness for both inclusive rugby and the importance for guys to check their tackle for lumps and bumps, in partnership with the Balls To Cancer charity.
From Edinburgh to London, Swansea to Manchester, Northampton to Newcastle, the teams braved the cold, the driving rain (and the rare occasion of sunshine) to bare all on the pitch, locker rooms and showers. Money raised from the sales of calendars help support the clubs involved and the Balls To Cancer charity.
Photographer Monty McKinnen, said:“Turning up to each club was a challenge as we didn’t know who the players would be, or how comfortable they’d be when we asked them to strip and get up close to pose with each other. It turned out in the end they didn’t need much encouragement to derobe. In fact at one club we turned around to find them all stood there naked on the pitch before I’d even got the camera out!
“I have so much admiration for these guys who bared all for charity. 200,000 men are diagnosed with cancer every year. 80,000 of those will die from their cancer. It’s time we got to grips and get a hand on the situation. I hope this calendar empowers guys to check their packages more often and to feel comfortable talking about male cancers.”
Photo: Monty McKinnen
One in two men will suffer cancer in the UK during their lifetimes. Cancers which are detected early, such as testicular cancer, are beatable – but only if the message gets through that men should check their equipment regularly, which is why the Calendar features a cheeky monthly reminder.
In total 52 guys of all shapes and sizes got completely naked for the calendar, which the organisers hope will bring much-needed attention to testicular cancer and the importance of LGBT+ inclusive sports in the UK.
The Naked Rugby Players Calendar 2018 – RRP £13.99
Published by Diverse Publishing Ltd.
As Eartha Kitt sang during the disco revival of her career in the 1984 title track, ‘I love men, what can I do? I love men, they’re no good for you’. Never have song lyrics felt more relatable right now.
Ms Sugar Swan
Pre-transition I was never the ‘gay man’ that I was often perceived as and regular readers of this page will know that I have identified as bisexual since my earliest sexual experiences.
I understand that my presentation, clothing choices, femininity and other traits that should not have, but still did, lead people to assume ones sexuality would often lead to the assumption that I was a gay man. Mix that assumption with the company I kept, the gay bars I worked and frequented, the gay holiday destinations and, yeah, the fact that my endocrine system was running on testosterone leading to a high sex drive and sex with men being very freely available, I came across as pretty damn gay. Even though I reminded people that I was actually bi, I don’t think they ever really believed me.
Once I transitioned, my sexuality was once again assumed. People assumed that I was now a heterosexual woman so it came as a surprise to many when, six months into transition, I came out as lesbian. This made perfect sense to me but seemed to confuse so many others. It wasn’t that my lifelong sexual and romantic attraction to men had vanished since transitioning and being on hormones, but something had definitely changed.
Since moving through the world as a woman, I was now subject to all the usual problems that women face including misogyny, sexism and, specifically to trans women, transmisogyny.
Coping with the general transphobia that exists within society is hard enough. Walking out your front door as a trans woman and going about your day being visibly trans is difficult. Some people are kind, I receive compliments on my make up, my nails, my clothing choices, and I am commended for being myself by complete strangers most days, but these are the exceptions to the way I’m treated.
In fact, it’s the very opposite which is the norm. The compliments I get are unfortunately far outweighed by the challenges I face on a day-to-day basis. My main oppressor in all of this? Men. There’s a very clear distinction between the way men and women have treated me since transition and I’m sad to report that the majority of my oppression comes from men.
I’m not saying that women are perfect, in last month’s Gscene column I spoke of a most unpleasant experience with a woman, but when I weigh it up, most of my negative interactions come from men. Over the course of transition these daily, constant, unrelenting negative interactions with men, whether micro aggressions, sexual assault or anything between, have built up and left me scared of men.
Having always been sexually attracted to women and finding myself increasingly petrified of men, I started identifying as lesbian. The wonderful world of the internet helped me realise I wasn’t the only one and that a lot of girls like me identified as trans lesbians so I joined some social media groups for like-minded women and I felt at home, away from the male gaze.
I no longer needed to interact with men in the capacity of looking for romance, I was able to date women, as a woman, and the male interactions I had were on my own terms, with male friends that have either supported me through my journey since pre-transition or male friends I’ve met along the way, most most notably, the awesome group of trans men and non binary AFABs that I’ve met through trans night at the sauna. I now consider them true friends and I’m so very glad to have these guys in my life. So I should be happy, right? I have women to date and men and women as friends.
Unfortunately not. Just as my pre-transition self wasn’t a gay man, I’m not a gay woman. As Eartha sang: “I love men, It’s going to last, I love men, the feeling won’t pass. I love men wherever I go, all these men they’re haunting me so”. I still have sexual feelings towards men. Sexual feelings that I wish weren’t there, as since transition I only get hurt when it comes to letting men into my life and the hurt feels much greater as a woman trusting a man with my heart than it was as a man.
Men are different to women as we all know. Males are governed to some degree by testosterone, the most potent sex drug, and women governed to a degree by oestrogen.
Pre – transition, when I had testosterone in my body, I found sex with men quite easy, almost like a transaction for goods and services. It was somewhat clinical without too much emotion involved.
As a woman whose endocrine system is dominated by oestrogen, I need something different in my sexual experiences with men. I need to be treated as the woman I am, I need to be treated more gently, with a greater level of respect, without assumption of penetrative sex on date one and with an increased level of tenderness.
Ms Sugar Swan
Being quite obviously trans, I feel that men treat me sexually like they would other men and despite the fact that I may have once run on testosterone, this is no longer the case and I need to be treated as the woman I am. I’m recovering from male heartbreak at the moment and I feel I’ve been used, but I won’t let it push me back into the lesbian closet.
I’ve identified as the acronyms L, G, B, T and Q so far in my life and I’m currently at the point where I don’t identifying as anything, I won’t be categorised anymore as I’ve spent my life with labels that don’t quite fit.
My sexuality at the moment is governed by the way I’m treated by others. It matters not the gender of the person but very much how they treat me as a person and how they cater to my needs. I look forward to exploring my sexuality with an open mind and at some point I may even try out a dating app. Wish me luck!
Global program supports development of future leaders in LGBT+ travel.
The IGLTA Foundation is offering scholarships to attend the 35th Annual Global Convention of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association in Toronto, from May 9-12, 2018.
Now in its sixth year, the Building Bridges Scholarship Program was created to support the next generation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender tourism professionals.
The program will cover travel to Toronto as well as accommodations and conference registration for the four-day event. The scholarships are available to students enrolled in a tourism-related program or LGBT+ small business owners in destinations without a well-established LGBT+ tourism infrastructure.
Gary Murakami,Chair of the IGLTA Foundation Board, said:“The IGLTA Foundation places a great degree of focus and support on our Building Bridges Scholarship Program, as we feel that this is a pivotal cornerstone to building future leaders in LGBT+ tourism,”
“Deserving students and emerging business professionals passionate about LGBT+ tourism that attend the IGLTA convention will be provided an unparalleled opportunity to receive critical learning and to access community leaders advancing LGBT+ global tourism.”
Scholarship recipients participate in all convention networking and educational sessions, ensuring they return home with the resources to further their careers and build their businesses.
Toronto Convention, from May 9-12, 2018
Previous scholarship winners have come from Brazil, Colombia, China, Curacao, Jamaica, Japan, Liberia, Norway, Peru, South Africa, Suriname and the United States.
2017 small business scholarship recipient Michael Gladwin, owner of 7th Element Experiences in South Africa, said:“The people I met, the conversations I had, the networking at the convention was quite astounding. The level of love that comes from this organisation is truly amazing,”
“I’m looking forward to taking what I’ve learned and building my business into something substantial.”
To apply online before the December 1 deadline, click here:
Researchers at Leeds Beckett University are looking for volunteers to anonymously share their experiences of sexual activity after drinking alcohol or taking other drugs as part of a new study.
The research, within the School of Social Sciences, seeks to understand the positive and negative sexual experiences, both after alcohol or drugs and sober, of as many people as possible aged between 18 and 40.
The findings will be used to help inform future public health strategies relating to sexual wellbeing and sexual consent.
To take part, the researchers are inviting anyone within this age group, of any gender, sexual orientation and background currently living in the UK, to complete an anonymous online survey.
Volunteers will be asked a range of in-depth questions relating to their alcohol and drug use, their attitudes towards topics such as sexual consent, their personalities – for example, how impulsive they are – and their positive and negative sexual experiences when they have or have not consumed alcohol or drugs.
Participants are free to omit any questions they do not want to answer and to give as much information as they wish.
Lauren Smith, a researcher within the School of Social Sciences at Leeds Beckett, explained:“We know that a number of people use either drugs or alcohol at the time of having a sexual experience and more generally in their day-to-day lives. Findings from the Home Office Crime Survey for England and Wales, 2015-16, showed that 2.7 million adults had used an illicit drug in the last year, and, in 2014, The National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles, reported that nine per cent of the UK population had used a drug to enhance their sex life.
“However, we also know that some people have negative sexual experiences after drinking alcohol or taking drugs, for example, experiences that they might not have wanted. This research project will give us a greater understanding of different people’s sexual experiences after drinking alcohol and taking other drugs (e.g. cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy) and how these differ to those that take place sober. We want to find out what the common features of positive and negative experiences are and how people are negotiating consent so that we can help to inform policy and improve people’s sexual wellbeing.”
On completion of the survey, volunteers will have the chance to win one of 80 prizes of £10 and will be given the option of continuing to take part in an online diary study.
Participants can complete a diary entry each week for 12 weeks. Each week there will be a £25 prize draw, increasing to £50 in the sixth week and a chance to win a £300 Amazon voucher at the end of the 12 weeks.
This major study follows an extensive review of current research into the use of alcohol and drugs in relation to sex.
Lauren added:“Existing research tells us a lot about alcohol but less about illicit drugs (e.g. cannabis, cocaine). We know that some people use alcohol and drugs specifically to enhance sex but we also want to understand why. It is extremely important to understand not only who is having positive and/or negative sexual experiences but also what the contextual factors of those experiences are.”
The survey is open until the end of May 2018 when the research team will begin analysing the data.
The findings are then likely to be disseminated to the wider public by presenting findings at conferences and press releases on some of the key findings.
This research builds upon previous work within the School on sexual violence, abuse and bullying (Dr Tamara Turner-Moore) and drug use, misuse and addiction (Dr Zoe Kolokotroni).
For more information about the study or on how to take part, click here:
Since moving through the world as a woman, I was now subject to all the usual problems that women face including misogyny, sexism and, specifically to trans women, transmisogyny.
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