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DJ PROFILE: Claire Fuller

We’ve survived January and are still coping with all the rubbish this crazy world seems determined to chuck at us. So it must be time for a bit of healing, particularly when Cupid’s set to twang that arrow.

Yes – it’s the month of St Valentine, so who could be better to hear from than the legendary award-winning DJ Claire Fuller.

How are you and are you in the mood for love this Valentine’s?  “Hi, I’m good thanks – things are all moving in the right direction and I’m the happiest I’ve been for years! For Valentine’s I have a gorgeous lady in my life so I intend to make it very special. Plus, we are off to Thailand and Australia in a few weeks so it’s going to be an amazing month!”

Where can we see you playing this month and are you involved in any particular Valentine’s events?  “On Wednesdays I’m at Ice at Legends playing chart/house/r&b. We recently started a new night at Legends playing 70s/80s/90s every Thursday called NOW! That’s What I Call Legends and it’s been a massive success so far! Fridays I DJ in Uckfield at The Broadway club and Saturdays you can usually find me in Southampton at either the London Hotel or The Edge. On Sundays it’s back to Legends DJing at Pop!Candy playing all things pop, cheese and a bit of Disney!”

Tune you’ll definitely be playing this Valentine’s and fave ‘love’ tune of all time? “I’m not sure love tunes will go down well at Legends on Valentine’s Day, haha, but if I had to choose one I would probably play Christina Perry’s Thousand Years.”

Your dream gig and best gig during this month d’amour? “I think I ticked my dream gig box last year at Brighton Pride, having a massive tent full of people partying with me for hours on the Friday night in the Old Steine. Now I just dream of DJing abroad – that’d make me a very happy DJ!”

Tune you wish you’d never played? “Yeah anything grime, the clubs I work in just don’t like it and it totally kills my dancefloor!”

Guilty pleasure? “DISNEY naturally!!”

Describe yourself in three words… Honest, Friendly, Loyal.”   

Claire Fuller’s current top five: 
RayeDecline (Wideboys remix) – Universal Music Operations Ltd
Charli XCXDirty, Sexy, Money (J Stone remix) – Parlophone /Warner
Armand Van HeldenI Need A Painkiller – All Around The World Ltd
One Bit & Noah CyrusMy Way (Joe Reece Mylo remix) – MOS
James Hype ft Kelli-LeighMore Than Friends – Warner Music UK

Sing for fun with RC+

RC+ (Rainbow Chorus Plus) is a community initiative from the Rainbow Chorus, Brighton’s long-standing LGBT choir.

Rainbow Chorus perform at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, August 5, 2016
Rainbow Chorus perform at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, August 5, 2016

The ‘plus’ is there to highlight the fact that the group is an extension of the main choir and is open to the entire LGBT+ communities, embracing cis, trans and non-binary members with a cross-section of vocal ranges and abilities. The aim is that everyone will find the space safe enough to explore the range and depth of their voice.

The initiative is now in its third year largely thanks to generous support from the Rainbow Fund. After receiving feedback from members, a couple of important changes have been introduced.

As a trans person whose voice is changing RC+ offers a
fantastic safe space to explore 
my “new” voice….Attendee

Firstly, while the sessions continue to explore breathing and vocal techniques, the focus is now squarely on singing for fun. Also, the group, which meets roughly once a month in Kemptown, is trialling a couple of Friday sessions after it was pointed out that not everyone is free at the weekend. It is hoped this will encourage new members.

To help members plan their time, the following dates have been confirmed for RC+ sessions through to July:

Saturday, February 24: Dorset Gardens Methodist Church (DGMC) from 2-4pm

Saturday March 17: DGMC from 2-4pm

Friday, April 20: St. George’s Church, Kemptown from 7.30 – 9.30pm

Saturday April 28: St. George’s Church, Kemptown from 2-4pm

Saturday, May 19: DGMC from 2-4pm

Saturday, June 9: St George’s Church from 2-4pm

Friday, June 29: DGMC from 7.30 – 9.30pm

Saturday, July 7: DGMC from 2-4pm

Thanks to the continued support of the Rainbow Fund, RC+ is available to members at a reduced monthly subscription of only £10. The first session is offered free of charge – nobody will ever be turned away on the grounds of being unable to pay.

If you want to know more, email the organisers at membership@rainbowchorus.org.uk and they will answer any questions you may have.

“I’m FTM and after being on ‘T’ for a few months my voice has dropped deeper and at RC+ I can try out singing Bass parts in a safe supported environment…..Taylor

The Rainbow Chorus, now in its 21st year, prides itself on providing a safe place for anyone within the LGBT communities to go along and sing with like-minded people. It strives to be as inclusive as possible.

The choir includes many people with disabilities amongst its members, some with HIV, and spans a wide age range, including older people who can often feel isolated and excluded from the Brighton scene. Singing with people who understand the pressures and joys of being part of the LGBT communities can be a lifeline for many. But, because of the big commitment and the fact the choir sings at many public events, it was felt there was a need for an even more inclusive forum for people to sing in. And so RC+ was born.

Lovely experience coming together as a community. I leave
feeling a greater sense 
of belonging – it is good for my soul.
Really helpful and interesting teaching…..
Attendee

RC+ offers more than the fun of singing. It has many other benefits, not least that it’s actually good for us all! The Alzheimer’s Society and Heart Research UK are among those acknowledging the numerous health benefits of singing.

In particular, singing is a physical workout for the heart and lungs; it improves posture and sleep and leads to a decrease in stress hormones. Singing releases endorphins into the bloodstream, leading to a sense of pleasure and well-being. For vulnerable members of our local communities, this kind of initiative is invaluable.

                              Great day. Very affirming for an LGBT person. Good tuition that involved all levels of music experience.
Soul soothing and inspiring fun!….Attendee

There are social and psychological advantages too. A choir is a great place to meet new friends and nurtures a sense of belonging to a community. Loneliness is a big problem of our times and those of us with busy lives or who are able to work may take the value of being sociable for granted.

Rainbow Chorus have been awarded a Mind Out Mental Health Award for its contribution to improving the mental wellbeing of LGBT+ communities.

RC+ is a really uplifting experience. It’s a safe space to meet other people. It helps me feel more confident and part of my community, which is really important as I have been feeling so isolated. It is truly great to do something so positive and be part of a great sound. Thanks

I was feeling grumpy & overwhelmed with grief. After taking time out with RC Plus, I feel so much better. There is a strong sense of community in using our voices together.

For more information about Rainbow Chorus, click here:

56 Dean St offers generic PrEP outside NHS trial 

56 Dean Street, Europe’s largest sexual health clinic introduces new private prescription service for the HIV prevention drug PrEP.

Having filled its allocated number of places in the current NHS trial of the same drug this new service launches on Monday, February 12.

The medical effectiveness of PrEP for preventing HIV transmission is certain, however NHS England’s PrEP IMPACT trial was designed to answer questions about the need for the drug, and how to reach the most at-risk populations.

With trial places capped, and interest very high, 56 Dean Street (part of Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust) will add an Additional Private Care process offering PrEP for £55 a month (30 tablets) to those who have missed out on a place on the IMPACT trial.

This will be the first time the NHS will prescribe generic PrEP (rather than the significantly more costly branded version, Truvada) outside of the IMPACT trial.

Despite a private prescription, those who opt into the new process will access the NHS services that are part of the trial at no extra cost, including advice and regular testing. The service will benefit those who can afford to buy PrEP but are not confident in obtaining the drug online.

Deborah Gold
Deborah Gold

Deborah Gold, Chief Executive of NAT (National AIDS Trust), said: “We applaud Dean Street for this decision to do all it can to increase access to PrEP.  However the fact that an NHS clinic has needed to create this additional option exposes the inadequacies of the current trial which is evidently not meeting need. Places in the trial are filling far too quickly, especially in cities.
 
“NHS Trusts should not have to taking these steps to do right by their patients. We call on NHS England, as a matter of urgency, to expand the limits on trial participants so that the need for the drug can be fully monitored (as per the trial’s aims) and, more importantly, so that people can prevent themselves from getting HIV. Further, NHS England must now start working towards routine commissioning of PrEP”

 

Barnardo’s celebrate success of anti-homophobic bullying schools programme

Barnardo’s celebrate success of their anti-homophobic bullying programme in LGBT History Month.

Barnardo’s, the UK’s largest children’s charity, has supported more than 3,500 people through anti-homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying programmes in schools across Yorkshire & Humberside in just nine months.

The figures for Barnardo’s Positive Identities service, which is funded by the Government Equalities Office and supported by the Department for Education, include 177 sessions delivered in 60 schools. By March next year, it will have worked with more than 200 schools.

The sessions provide school staff with the knowledge, confidence and resources to proactively challenge prejudice and discrimination, to support LGBT+ pupils, staff and families and to ensure their school environment and curriculum is inclusive of a diverse range of identities.

All schools receive training to raise awareness and knowledge among staff around LGBT+ identities and how these can be incorporated into a school environment to promote inclusivity and reduce bullying.

Evaluation forms completed after sessions have shown that participants are much better able to identify and respond to issues of discrimination and support pupils around gender and sexual identity.

As well as the training courses, Barnardo’s offers policy reviews and guidance on how discriminatory bullying should be recorded and responded to.

In addition, Barnardo’s Positive Identities service offers bespoke training to a variety of organisations, including healthcare providers, police services, community and youth groups and education providers on a commissioned basis.

Javed Khan
Javed Khan

Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan, said: “Bullying at school is bad enough, but when young people are singled out because of their sexuality or identity it can be particularly painful and damaging.

“Barnardo’s champions equality, diversity and inclusion and not only helps young people to be themselves, but also raises awareness about LGBT+ issues so they can also be supported by their peers.

“Equality and inclusion are at the heart of everything the charity does – from the way we support children and young people to who works or volunteers for us. Building a diverse Barnardo’s is a core part of our ten-year corporate strategy.”

The figures have been released during LGBT History Month which seeks to promote equality and diversity for the benefit of the public which is being supported by Barnardo’s.

 

‘Transworkers’ exhibition celebrates LGBT History Month

The Transworkers photographic exhibition curated by photographer Stella Michaels will be displayed in the Phil Starr Pavilion during The B Right On LGBT Community Festival from February 16 – March 3.

The ‘Transworkers’ project, a collection of photographs of “TQI” people at work commenced almost two years ago and includes people who are female to male, male to female, non binary or intersex. (Some may also be L,G, or B too.)

Transgender workers are not a new phenomenon, but much media coverage in the past has focussed primarily on the curiosity of their being transgender. It has seldom been about the individual’s personal value.

This exhibition has a different perspective: it seeks to show people who happen to fall under the broad umbrella term of ‘trans’ as being a vibrant and positive part of the workforce, with a wide range of skills – rather than being social curiosities.

Historically, the intensely negative pressures put upon the trans communities have made it very hard for them to live and especially to find work. Even now, many trans people are rejected or marginalised in the workplace because of who they are. This often results in very low self-esteem for the individual, who may carry this self-image for life; poverty is the outcome, and this serves to feed the image. It’s a vicious circle.

Trans people lose from discrimination – but so does society.  We all lose what trans people can offer, and employers lose skilled, talented and capable individuals whose resilience has enabled them to overcome the many difficulties presented to them. They are a very valuable resource.

The subjects in this exhibition are positive role models and show what can be gained by employers who employ trans people.

Stella Michaels, Photographer and Curator, says: “If the people in my photographs can find work, so can others like them. I’d like the photographs to start us all thinking towards that – trans people, employers, and the public at large.”

The B RIGHT ON LGBT+ Community Festival celebrates LGBT History Month, is organised by the volunteers of the Brighton & Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum and takes place at the Phil Starr Pavilion – a multi functional, fully accessible, heated performance, conference and community space with a licensed bar which is located on Victoria Gardens, Brighton, BN1 1WN.

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