Call us now

Day: March 8, 2018

#MyPronounsAre – Council marks Trans Day of Visibility with pronoun campaign

Posted on by Besi

Badges pointing out that you can’t assume what someone’s gender identity and pronouns they use, will be distributed to Brighton & Hove City Council staff and partners in the city later this month to mark Trans Day of Visibility.

Traditionally, pronouns for individuals have only described male or female – he or she, his or hers. In the past people were forced to conform.

Now, the city-wide campaign aims to raise awareness of Trans and Non-Binary people and that everyone has their own gender identity. Making assumptions can be hurtful and distressing, so it helps to know what pronouns people use. Wearing the badges will be voluntary.

The campaign has been put together by the council with support and involvement from local LGBT+ community groups, including the Clare Project and Trans Alliance, the council’s LGBT Workers Forum, local NHS trusts, the University of Brighton and Sussex Police. Wearing the badges will be voluntary.

Badges will be available in main council offices for people to take part during the week starting March 26 to coincide with Trans Day of Visibility on March 31.

The following badges will be available:

♦ She, her, hers
♦ He, him, his
♦ They their theirs
♦ Please use my name
♦ Blank, for the wearer to fill in
♦ #MyPronounsAre

Cllr Emma Daniel
Cllr Emma Daniel

Cllr Emma Daniel, Chair of the Neighbourhoods, Inclusion, Communities & Equality Committee, said: “We all define our own gender and we should respect other people’s identities, and rights.

“Now there is more freedom and safety to be ourselves. But there’s still more to do.

“Who a person is may not match what you expect and may not be defined easily. If someone’s pronouns differ from what you assume, it’s for you to adapt and it’s okay to ask.

“We’re proud of being a diverse city, and the council is committed to equality and inclusion for all people including our Trans and Non-Binary residents.

“Read the badge, respect people, it’s that easy.” 

Brighton Pride publish ‘standards’ protocol for corporate supporters

Posted on by Besi

Brighton & Hove Pride, has today published a new set of ‘standards’ for Corporate partners and brands taking part in this year’s Community Parade.

This year’s parade will take place on Saturday, August 4 marking the 40th anniversary of the iconic Rainbow Flag with a Colour My World theme.

Brighton Pride has taken this action to maintain the integrity of the community parade and ensure that floats and entries from corporate partners or brands support and celebrate the rights, achievements, culture, and aspirations of those belonging to the LGBT+ communities.

The standards highlight that floats, banners, t-shirts, flags or any form of messaging in the parade entry must include specific messages of support for all LGBT communities, their rights or diversity and inclusivity whilst rejecting consumer promotions, generic branding or marketing messages.

Entries will only be permitted if they show what the sponsor/parade entry believes or wants to stand for and that these messages are also featured across other platforms such as social media when highlighting Brighton Pride.

Paul Kemp
Paul Kemp

Paul Kemp, Managing Director, Brighton Pride CIC, said: “We are thankful to parade entries from business organisations and consumer brands that support Pride and without their support we’d not be able to deliver the costs of producing the community parade in the current climate. However, in the last few years at some Pride events we’ve seen brand marketing messages becoming more prevalent and some instances of brands using Pride to ambush market LGBTQ consumers. Brighton & Hove Pride has always celebrated our local LGBTQ community groups, Charities and red light services and with the publication of the new more robust set of standards we are aiming for all our business partners and brands featured to honour and celebrate the very reasons that Pride exists and to celebrate Diversity & Inclusion and support of LGBTQ employees.”

To read the ‘standards’ complete, click here:

Survivors’ Network launches new kitemark for local businesses

Posted on by Besi

We’ve Said Me Too: Now It’s Over To You – Survivors’ Network launches new kitemark for local businesses.

To mark International Women’s Day, Survivors’ Network have today launched a local kitemark for businesses committed to challenging sexual harassment.

Survivors’ Network is calling on all businesses in Brighton and Hove, to turn the conversation around #MeToo into action from those in positions of power in the form of an #OverToYou kitemark.

The kitemark is achieved by signing an ‘Employers Pledge’, detailing the following promises:

♦ Maintain a healthy and respectful environment free from discrimination based on gender to include all employees, customers, clients and others.

♦ Not tolerate any form of sexual harassment or sexual violence including images or sayings which may objectify or degrade a group of people within the workplace or at any companysponsored events.

♦ Immediately and respectfully respond to every claim of sexual harassment or sexual violence by an employee or client regardless of the victim’s gender or previous claims of harassment or violence.

♦ Maintain and actively review a sexual harassment/sexual violence policy for employees, and provide a copy of this to Survivors’ Network.

♦ Regularly discuss protocol for reporting sexual harassment/sexual violence with employees. Businesses will be expected to renew their signature of the pledge annually, providing evidence of any changes made to their policies.

A full list of businesses certified with the kitemark will be displayed on the Survivors’ Network website. While the kitemark does not guarantee no sexual harassment will take place, it ensures better safeguards will be in place and, hopefully, that staff will be better prepared to believe and support survivors.

The #MeToo movement and the Times Up campaign have been widely covered in national and international press, drawing much needed attention to not only the high rates of sexual violence women experience but also the many ways that bystanders have failed those survivors.

Survivors’ Network sees this as a prime opportunity for local businesses to step up to the plate and make a public statement regarding how they will respond to this issue, be it through an assessment of HR policies or through actively engaging staff in training around sexual violence and first disclosures.

Survivors’ Network Director Fabia Bates, said: “With approximately 3,000 assaults a year sexual violence is one of the most pervasive crimes in Sussex. We work with survivors to support them through the profound consequences of harassment and violence, but we want to do more to challenge the issue at its root. We are calling on the local community to join us in making Brighton and Hove the first City with fully transparent sexual harassment policies in all lines of work.”

The organisation has launched their kitemark via their website, where supporters Caroline Lucas (Co-Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales) and Sarah Springford (Director of the Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce) have signed a letter in support of the project, stating: “This simple list of promises should already be a priority for businesses in Brighton & Hove, so we are calling on the city to show that we will lead the way in tackling sexual harassment head on.”

For more information, including how your organisation can sign up to receive the Over To You kitemark, contact admin@survivorsnetwork.org.uk or click here:

FILM PREVIEW: The Happy Prince premieres at BFI Flare

Posted on by Contributor

The Happy Prince, written and directed by, as well as starring, Rupert Everett, opens in cinemas across the UK on June 15.

Its UK premiere is set for March 28 as part of the BFI Flare: London LGBTQ+ Film Festival, following world and European premieres at the Sundance and Berlin film festivals.

The final years of Oscar Wilde, and the ghosts that haunted him, are vividly evoked in Everett’s directorial debut.

The film features a stellar supporting cast of British actors including Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, A Single Man), Emily Watson (On Chesil Beach, Gosford Park), Colin Morgan (The Fall, Testament of Youth) and Edwin Thomas (Endeavour).

Building from his own 2012 lauded stage portrayal of Wilde in David Hare’s The Judas Kiss, Everett physically and emotionally embodies the literary genius as he lives out his last days in exile in Europe, in a performance described by critics as “flawless” and “the best thing Everett has done”.

The film opens in Paris, where Wilde, by now in his forties, penniless and in poor health, is still reeling after being imprisoned in England for his love affair with Lord Alfred ‘Bosie’ Douglas (Morgan). Out of prison but a pariah, Wilde swings between grief and a determination to wrest whatever pleasure and beauty he can from the time he has left. His body ailing and heavy, his mind spinning, he survives by falling back on the flamboyant irony and brilliant wit that defined him.

Everett’s Wilde is tortured but determined to remain true to himself. His thoughts are filled with love and betrayal and permeated with those closest to him: Bosie, his literary agent Robbie Ross (Edwin Thomas), his great friend Reggie Turner (Firth) and his estranged wife Constance (Watson).

As the film travels through Wilde’s final act, and journeys from England to France and Italy, desire and loyalty face off, the transience of lust is laid bare, and the true riches of love are revealed.

 

PREVIEW Brighton Fringe: Too young to stay in, too old to go out! by Nigel Osner

Posted on by Contributor

Life’s challenges and opportunities for those that little bit older!

Nigel Osner returns to the Brighton Fringe and Sweet Venues with his new show Too Young to Stay In – Too Old to Go Out.

He takes a quizzical look at the challenges and occasional opportunities for those who can no longer claim, even to themselves, that they are young. He looks at dating, love, work, holidays – even the gym! There’s lots of humour but with a bitter sweet edge.

Nigel illustrates his theme with original songs and stories by male and female characters. These include Gerald who is having a taxing night out in central London; a rich designer who falls for his hunky gardener; the woman driven mad by her companion on a river cruise down the Danube; and a fading movie star doing an endless tour as she needs the money.

Nigel has been described by the Scotsman as “tremendously talented and very entertaining”. Fringe Review has called him “a multi-skilled performer.”

In 2017 Nigel was nominated for excellence in new writing by the Buxton Fringe for his previous show Angel to vampire! He performed this show in last year’s Brighton Fringe.

Once a practising barrister, then employed at the Ministry of Justice, Nigel is now a performer, actor, lyricist and writer.

In London he has appeared at mainstream venues like the St James Studio, the Crazy Coqs and the Pheasantry. He has acted in two feature films, many short films and on stage.

He is the author of Magic in Ravenswood (Heinemann) which he adapted into a musical with music by BB Cooper, premiered in London in 2002/3. His fantasy novel ‘worldoflegends.com’ is available on Amazon etc.

Event: Too Young to Stay In – Too Old to Go Out by Nigel Osner

Where: Werks Central, 15-17 Middle Street, Brighton and Hove, BN1 1AL

When: May 25-28

Time: 5.30pm

Cost: £8.50 (£7.50 concessions)

To book tickets online, click here:

Mayor of Brighton & Hove supports Independent Community Radio

Posted on by Besi

Cllr Mo Marsh the Mayor of Brighton & Hove and Caroline Lucas, the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, show support for RadioReverb and preserving independent radio.

Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Cllr Mo Marsh
Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Cllr Mo Marsh

Brighton and Hove Mayor Mo Marsh joined RadioReverb’s team of presenters and volunteers on Saturday, March 3 to support Brighton’s community radio station’s annual fundraiser.

The ‘Reverbathon’ was a 12-hour broadcast in which, for one day only, RadioReverb’s usual schedule was scrapped, with presenters and listeners coming together to support the station live on-air. The object was to raise funds to keep RadioReverb independent, playlist-free and advert-free.

Mayor Cllr Mo Marsh attended the event at RadioReverb’s studio in Brighton’s Open Market where she praised the station’s “wonderful diverse offering which I’m going to be tuning in to more”.

She also added that local independent radio is: “important to anywhere and I’m delighted our city as usual is particularly strong in this offer.

“There is no funding for RadioReverb apart from what you donate so if you want to keep your local radio station live, serving a wonderful diverse community – particularly the house bound, the vulnerable, people who can’t get out – radio is a vital link. Please, please donate!”

Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavillion, sent a message of support: “I will urge people very seriously in Brighton and Hove to get out there and support the Reverbathon.

“Give even just a couple of quid if you can because independent voices in the media are needed more than ever. Brighton is such an independent city – it deserves and needs good independent radio.”

Volunteers and supporters of RadioReverb raised over £2,000, through sponsorship and donations, for the community radio station during the community event.

Local businesses supporting the Reverbathon through sponsorship, included key donors such as VegFest, Brighton’s Finest, Avonside Television, Stripey Lemon, The Best Of Brighton & Hove, Flowers Unlimited, Butler’s Wines, Network My Club and The Basketmaker’s Arms.

Additional funds were raised through audience donations, online and at the Open Market based studio where volunteers exchanged pastries, cakes, mugs and tote-bags for donations while the broadcast was played on outdoor speakers. All donations and sponsorship pledges raised a total of £2,167.

All money raised goes directly back into running the station, upgrading equipment and bringing new shows with local voices to the airwaves.

Following Juice 107.2’s recent buy-out by Global (Europe’s leading radio company who also run Capital, Heart and Classic FM) RadioReverb is likely to become increasingly important as an independent broadcaster in Brighton.

Tracey Allen
Tracey Allen

RadioReverb Director Tracey Allen, said: “This year’s Reverbathon has been an incredible success, especially as the day proved how having an independent radio station supports the city, local traders, businesses and charities – and with no programming restrictions or adverts to get in the way!

“RadioReverb really is the sound of the city and the donations raised will ensure local voices are preserved in Brighton.We’d like to thank everyone who supported the Reverbathon, with donations, time, energy and enthusiasm.”

RadioReverb, as a not-for-profit station, is reliant on donations for its funding.

The Reverbathon may be over but to support RadioReverb all year round, click here:

Brighton demonstration to condemn cuts to women’s services

Posted on by Besi

Sisters Uncut mark International Women’s Day with Demo in central Brighton.

A demonstration organised by Sisters Uncut will take place outside Churchill Square shopping centre today, Thursday, March 8, at 5.30pm, marking International Women’s Day.

Sisters Uncut is a feminist direct action group who hit the international headlines in October 2015 when they stormed the red carpet at the premiere of film Suffragette to protest cuts to domestic violence services.

Fighting cuts to domestic violence services, they will be joined outside Churchill Square by local groups, including Sussex Refugee and Migrant Self Support Group, speakers from the Green Party, Marea Granate Brighton and Women 4 Europe.

Local crime figures show that domestic and violence services are in increased demand as recorded incidences of domestic violence since 2013 continue to rise.

With one in four women experiencing domestic violence across the UK, the protest will hear from organisations fighting against the devastating impact cuts to local council, voluntary sector and police budgets have had on services that provide a safe haven for women attempting to flee domestic or sexual violence.

National figures show that refuge funding has been cut by a quarter since 2010.

The demonstration will also be supporting the Women’s Strike, national action where women refuse work to highlight the impact that paid and unpaid women’s labour, such as care work and domestic work, has on the local economy.

Sisters Uncut condemn any cuts that endanger the safety of women experiencing domestic and sexual violence.

A spokesperson, said: “We exist because doors continue to be slammed on survivors of violence. Refuges are being shut down, legal aid cut, social housing is out of reach and the welfare system is being destroyed. Domestic and sexual violence services are in crisis. They are being cut and sold off to the lowest bidder. We believe that austerity is a political choice which has fatal consequences. They cut, we bleed.

The Government and local Councils across the country make noises about the importance of domestic violence services. But words without actions mean nothing and we demand an end to cuts on our vital services”.

 

All Sisters Uncut actions are open to all women (trans, intersex and cis), and all nonbinary, genderqueer and gender nonconforming people. Their meetings and actions are not open to those who identify solely or primarily as men.

‘The Women’s Strike is about refusing all the work that women do – whether paid work in offices and factories, or unpaid domestic work in homes, communities and bedrooms.” The contention is powerfully simple: our economic and political system is driven by the huge amounts of unpaid work done by women.  If women’s domestic work makes the world, it is within the power of women to make the world different.”

Latest News

LGBTQ+ News Psychology academic receives prestigious grant to develop self-help resource for trans and gender-non-conforming people
Arts Brighton & Hove’s LGBTQ+ Rainbow Chorus announces sumptuous summer special in June!
Arts Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus to feature in new Danny Dyer documentary – ‘How to Be a Man’
Community News Katie Vincent to step down as CEO of LGBTQ+ youth charity, Allsorts Youth Project
X