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Day: June 27, 2018

Fort Lauderdale celebrates ‘Flockfest’ on Sebastian Beach on June 30

Posted on by Besi

Fourth annual celebration brings together hundreds of LGBT+ visitors with winged floats.

THERE is still time to jump on a plane at Gatwick and take a Norwegian Airlines flight direct to Fort Lauderdale for the winged-float celebration FlockFest, which takes place on Sebastian Beach in Fort Lauderdale this Saturday, June 30 from 11am to 4pm.

The event is free and you are welcome to take your winged-floats of swans, flamingos and ducks, decorated with creative flair.

“I’m excited to see FlockFest grow each year, and am so proud to welcome hundreds of attendees to join us in making this splash in the water and on the sand of Sebastian Beach,” said Steven Crawford, founder of FlockFest. “This event started out three years ago as a small gathering of friends looking to do something fun and different, and today that is still very much our purpose.”

While admission to the event is free, tickets can be purchased for access to the VIP area which includes beverages and FlockFest merchandise. FlockFest tank tops and hats are also available for purchase. Proceeds from ticket sales and merchandise benefit the Fort Lauderdale-headquartered Renand Foundation.

Flockfest is sponsored by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Georgie’s Alibi Monkey Bar where the events post-party will be held on Saturday, June 30, starting at 7pm.

“FlockFest is such a fun and exciting event, and there is nothing like this anywhere else,” said Richard Gray, Vice President of LGBT+ for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Greater Fort Lauderdale is growing with more and more LGBT+ events, and this is another spectacular event that is full of color and shows just how welcoming and festive our destination is.” 

Recently, Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County opened the area’s first LGBT+ Visitor Center in Wilton Manors, Broward County’s gay-centric district with the destination’s largest concentration of gay residents and businesses. The Center is located at 2300 NE 7th Avenue in Wilton Manors.

Greater Fort Lauderdale is also home to one of the largest Pride Centers in the country, the world’s first AIDS Museum, the global headquarters of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association, and the Stonewall Museum, one of the only permanent spaces in the U.S. devoted to exhibitions relating to LGBT+ history and culture.

The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau has been welcoming LGBT+ travellers since 1996, when it became the first Convention & Visitors Bureau with a dedicated LGBT+ marketing department.

Since then, Greater Fort Lauderdale has continued to break down barriers and facilitate visibility for the LGBT+ communities at large, acting as a pioneer in the hospitality industry and ensuring that the destination is inclusive and welcoming with a diverse, safe and open community for all travellers.

Kemptown MP to speak at Village MCC Pride service

Posted on by Besi

The Village Metropolitan Community Church welcomes Lloyd Russell-Moyle as the guest speaker for their Pride service on Sunday, August 5, 2018, at the Somerset Day Centre, in Kemptown at 6pm.

LLOYD was born and went to school in Brighton and Lewes where he studied Peace Studies, Conflict Resolution and International Law at the Universities of Bradford and Sussex.

He was Vice-President of the European Youth Forum in Brussels and has a background in Youth Work.
Whilst a serving local councillor in East Brighton he was elected to serve as the Labour & Co-operative MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven in June 2017.

In parliament he is a prominent member of the International Development Select Committee, he chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group on Youth Affairs and is the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Shadow Justice Minister.

Rev Michael Hydes
Rev Michael Hydes

Rev. Michael Hydes, senior pastor at The Village MCC said: “I am thrilled that the honorable member of parliament for Kemptown and Peacehaven, Lloyd Russell-Moyle, will be our Pride service keynote speaker this year. 

“I can’t believe it’s been over a year since the general election. However, although I was excited to see that Lloyd was one of eight LGBT community members voted into office, it was his value set that thrilled me the most. 

“He is a man with a heart for equality and justice. He has publicly condemned the government’s policies on arms exports to countries such as Saudi Arabia for use in the conflict in Yemen, and supported schemes that speak to helping those on the margins. He’s a local lad, (no disrespect meant but at 32 he’s a lad compared to me) and I can’t think of anyone more qualified to talk about Pride in our community.”

The Village MCC Brighton and Hove is a church that was created by LGBT+ Christians, their families, friends, and allies called to support the LGBT+ communities in whatever ways it can. It offers a safe space where anyone can feel at home, fully affirmed in their sexuality and gender identity.

Church members are active in the larger community, offering emergency aid and support to the homeless and vulnerably housed. Their minister, Rev. Michael, offers spiritual direction and pastoral care. they worship together every Sunday at 6pm.

Event: The Village MCC Pride Service with guest speaker Lloyd Russel-Moyle

Where: Somerset Day Centre, 62 St James’s St, Brighton BN2 1PR

When: Sunday, August 5

Time: 6pm

Cost: Free

Film maker needs help to finance his film about mental health

Posted on by Besi

DON’T BLAME JACK is a short film about learning self-love and self-appreciation after a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

THE FILM is a semi-autobiographical story about overcoming a loss of self, the recovery process, and adjusting to new circumstances. It is a story about learning self-love and self-appreciation and acceptance.

DALE John Allen is an artist filmmaker based in Manchester and a postgraduate film student at Manchester School of Art. His work explores themes surrounding the social politics of representation, particularly within the LGBT+ communities, in addition to creating work to challenge the stigma surrounding mental illness.

His 2016 short, A FILM ABOUT LOVE, won the short film award from Art with Impact. In 2018 his short, Hugo, XO, was nominated for Best LGBT Documentary for Amsterdam’s New Renaissance Film Festival.

Dale says: “This project is of personal importance to me as it is based on my story. In February 2015 I was diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder and, like so many others before me, struggled with coming to terms with what this label meant and how it would affect my daily life. I created A FILM ABOUT LOVE from my recovery journals. 

“DON’T BLAME JACK is a semi-autobiographical short-film which tackles the subject of post-diagnosis. Your problems do not go away once you receive the diagnosis, but instead the long, often dull reality, of recovery just begins. This story demonstrates how mental health and sexuality can have a profound impact on an individual’s life, with hope to highlight important issues that members of the queer communities face. Many members of the queer community suffer from mental health issues such as depression, which can often be exacerbated by fear of acceptance. Many members of the LGBT+ communities end up homeless, or struggling with addiction.

“This story is about accepting that I am not just my mental illness and I am not just my sexuality. I am a passionate voice with a story I wish to share and inspire by waving my pride flag in the name of love.”

This film is ready to go Dale just need a little financial help.

By donating to this project, you will also be donating to three chosen charities. 10% of each donation will be given to The Amy Winehouse Foundation, with an additional 10% of each donation to be split between Mind Out and LGBT Foundation in Manchester.

All three charities are organisations fighting to improve the lives of LGBT+ communities suffering from ill mental health, and those facing homelessness and addiction.

To make a donation to Dales Crowdfunder Campaign, click here:

Caplin promises Action Not Words!

Posted on by Craig Hanlon-Smith

Former MP for Hove and Portslade elected Chair of The Jewish Labour Movement.

Photo: @fabhospitality
Photo: @fabhospitality

IVOR Caplin has been elected the new Chair of The Jewish Labour Movement at a key point in the history of both the movement but also The Labour Party itself. The party has recently been beset with accusations of anti-Semitism deep within its ranks, a fact Mr. Caplin did not shy away from in his acceptance speech to the movement at their AGM on June 13.

He said: “There is no place in our Party or our country for anti-Semitism. Across our country this is affecting our electoral performance and Labour’s once fine reputation as a party of fairness. There is no hiding place and we must be prepared to call out anti-Semitism whenever it occurs”.

Born in Brighton into a Jewish Family, Caplin was elected to Hove Borough Council as was in 1991. He helped secure Labour’s control of the council in 1995 and sat as its leader until Brighton and Hove merged.

Elected to the new joint council in 1996 he sat as deputy leader until his resignation in 1998. Elected to parliament in Hove and Portslade as part of the legendary Labour landslide in 1997 under the leadership of Tony Blair, Caplin remained in parliament until he stepped down in 2005 to run his own consultancy company. His time in local politics was not without controversy, he was the subject of much local ire when he refused to take receipt of an anti-war petition from the people of Hove after the invasion of Iraq.

Describing himself as a pragmatic politician and one with a strong voting record with the establishment of The Labour Party when in Government, he has voted favourably with the majority of pro-LGBT+ related legislative changes brought in by the Blair led government including the abolishment of Section 28 and reduction of the age of consent to 16 in line with heterosexual relationships.

Of his role ahead Caplin says: “The Jewish Labour Movement has to be focused on outcomes not processes and ensuring those outcomes are to the benefit of our members and the wider Party. This will make us more electable in both local and national Government”.

Cumbria University launch LGBT+ abuse research project

Posted on by Besi

University of Cumbria launches pioneering abuse research.

Philippa Laskey
Philippa Laskey

A RESEARCHER at the University of Cumbria who is looking to carry out what is thought to be the first detailed piece of research of its’ kind is appealing for victims of abuse from the LGBT+ communities to contact her.

Philippa Laskey, a psychology lecturer based in Carlisle, aims to investigate the experiences of victims of intimate partner violence (abuse that occurs within an intimate relationship).

Philippa said: “I’m specifically looking at experiences across gender and sexuality, to highlight that this type of abuse can happen to anyone, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation.”

The work, running during Pride month, has been welcomed by OutREACH Cumbria, a charity offering advice to the LGBT+ communities.

“The need for this type of research in Cumbria is long over due,” Ben Vollans, interim chair outREACH Cumbria, said. “We did a very small piece of research around the under reporting of domestic violence in the LGBT community a couple of years ago and the response was pretty much all the same. Research like Philippa’s will help us see a deeper side to the questionnaire we did as part of ours and she has the full support of Outreach and our committee.”

Confidentiality is guaranteed and it’s hope the work will help influence the development of services to help fill a need that would otherwise go unmet.

“I’m currently looking to speak to anyone from the LGBT+ communities who has experienced any kind of conflict or abuse within a relationship – this could be physical, emotional, verbal, sexual, financial or controlling and coercive abuse,” Philippa said.

Participants will be invited to take part in an interview that will take approximately 1 hour to complete. This could be conducted face-to-face or by Skype, depending on where the case study lives. Participants need to live in the UK, be 18 or over, and for the relationship where the abuse happened to have ended at least 6 months ago.

Philippa added: “The LGBTQ+ community are underrepresented in research on this topic, and it’s important to learn about these experiences in order to influence the support that is offered to this population.”

For more details email: Philippa.Laskey@cumbria.ac.uk


 

Supreme Court rules for equal civil partnerships

Posted on by Besi

Supreme Court has ruled today that in future heterosexual couples can have a Civil Partnership.

REBECCA Steinfeld and Charles Keidan are opposed to marriage which they say implies rights of one sex over another and successfully took their case for heterosexual men and women to be able to have a Civil Partnership just like same-sex couples all the way to the Supreme Court, achieving today a unanimous 5-0 decision from the Supreme Court Judges.

Rebecca Steindfeld said: “We have won our legal battle. The highest court in the land has stated unequivocally and unanimously 5-0 that there is no and has never been any justification for what they call a manifest inequality of treatment. 

“Today we are a step closer to opening up Civil Partnerships to everyone, a measure that would be fair, popular and good  for families and children across the country. We are elated, but to get this far Charlie and I have had to go toe to toe with the Government over four long years, confronting four equalities ministers across three courts. They have wasted taxpayers money to defend and maintain a blatant inequality. So please forgive us if today alongside the satisfaction we feel, we also feel a degree of sorrow and frustration at the delays, obstruction and official resistance we’ve experienced.”

Charles Keidan added: There are 3.3 million co-habiting couples in this country, many want legal recognition and financial protection, but cannot have it because they are not married or the choice of a Civil Partnership is not available to them. The law needs to catchup with the reality of family life in Britain in 2018.

Peter Tatchell, LGBT and human rights campaigner and Director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation has supported the couple from the outset of their legal challenge in 2014.

He says: “This is a victory for love and equality. It was never right to deny opposite-sex couples the option of having a civil partnership. In a democracy, we are all supposed to be equal before the law. It is wonderful news that the Supreme Court has ruled against the government and in favour of equal civil partnerships.”

Peter Tatchell championed the right of opposite-sex couples to have a civil partnership from the moment Tony Blair’s government announced in 2003 that the option would be available to same-sex couples only, condemning it as “blatant discrimination based on sexual orientation.”

Speaking about today’s victory in the Supreme Court, Mr Tatchell said: “The ban on opposite-sex civil partnerships was discrimination and a violation of human rights. It is outrageous that the government was unwilling to legislate equality and that this couple were forced to go to court to get a basic human right – the right to be treated equally in law.

“It was never fair that same-sex couples had two options, civil partnerships and civil marriages, whereas opposite-sex partners had only one option, marriage.”

Grenfell Tower Fire anniversary charity single – one year on!

Posted on by Besi

Former Gscene cover boy releases charity single Grenfell (We won’t fall) to mark the first anniversary of the Grenfell fire tragedy in June 2017.

SINGER-songwriter Carl Leroy, in collaboration with affected resident Liliana Martins and musician/producer Paul Rumbol from London-based Viramundo band, has released his debut single and video ‘Grenfell (We won’t fall)’ as part of a unique charity project marking the first anniversary of the Grenfell fire tragedy.

Craig in March 2011
Craig in March 2011

The song is an expression of Carl’s personal experience helping with the Grenfell relief efforts right after the fire and Liliana’s journey with the system and charities one year on. The song celebrates the strength and perseverance of those affected while they wait for justice.

The proceeds from this song are aimed for charities working with the Grenfell community, namely the Harrow ClubW10 and Latymer Community Church two charities that were key centres for coordinating volunteers and offering support to those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire on June 14, 2017.

The primary aim of the Harrow Club W10 is to provide local young people with accessible and high quality opportunities, enabling them to maximise their life chances and to enhance their personal development to help shape their futures to come.

Latymer Community Church’s Eden team works with local young people encouraging them to make positive life choices. In addition to this they provide a home for other local organisations to run groups and activities that benefit community members of all ages.

The song is available to download on the official website (www.grenfellsong.com), and various online platforms.

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