Pride Brighton and Hove reveal more artists for the main stage at Pride in the Park on Saturday, August 3 and LoveBN1Fest on Sunday, August 4.
Joining Kylie and Clean Bandit on Saturday, August 3 are Fleur East, Uptown Funk star, X Factor finalist and Jungle celebrity; Björn Again, the world’s best ABBA tribute; Zak Abel, playlisted on both Radio 1 and Radio 1 Xtra Rina Sawayama, lauded as the future of pop and Alice Chater, super-talented triple-threat star.
Jessie J and Grace Jones will be joined on Sunday, August 4 by: Rak Su, winners of The X Factor 2017; Nina Nesbitt, award winner and Radio 1 playlist regular; House Gospel Choir, back for a 2nd year after last years smash; Grace Carter, local artist and championed by BBC.
Plus loads more diverse artists to be announced on the QueerTown Stage, BAME Stage hosted by The Cocoa Butter Club, cabaret, dance tents and activities across both days.
Bianca Del Rio to make West End debut in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.
Roy Haylock, best known as his drag alter ego, Bianca Del Rio, will be making his West End debut playing the role of Loco Chanelle/Hugo from Saturday, May 6 until Saturday, June 29 2019.
Bianca Del Rio was the season six winner of the hit TV series RuPaul’s Drag Race. A self-proclaimed “clown in a gown,” he received the Best New Television Personality Award from NewNowNext in 2014 and made Variety magazine’s list of Top 10 Comics To Watch for 2015.
The New York Times called Haylock the “Joan Rivers of the Drag World”, and Joan Rivers herself referred to him as “So funny! So sharp!”
As Bianca, he made guest appearances on MTV’s Mardi Gras with Britney Spears and Carson Daly and In Bed With Joan starring Joan Rivers, as well as starred in the LogoTV Christmas special Not Today Bianca.
On stage Haylock has had theatrical starring roles that include Miss Mazeppa in Gypsy, the Emcee in Cabaret, and Angel in Rent.
Since winning RuPaul’s Drag Race, Haylock has completed three solo stand-up tours to sold-out audiences around the world, starred in two feature films (Hurricane Bianca and Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate) which are now available on Netflix, and wrote his first book: Blame It On Bianca Del Rio: The Expert on Nothing With an Opinion on Everything.
Haylock is now touring with his fourth solo stand-up show, It’s Jester Joke, that will reach six continents and over 25 countries in 2019. The tour will include performances at New York City’s Carnegie Hall and London’s Wembley Arena which will be the first time a drag queen headlines either of those venues with a solo act.
Bianca Del Rio said:“I’m absolutely ecstatic to be joining the brilliant cast of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie! What better way to return to the musical theatre stage than in a WEST END production?! It’s such an incredible honour. Helen Mirren beat me to playing Queen Elizabeth, so I accepted the role of the next best admired queen… Loco Chanelle!”.
Nica Burns, Producer of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie added: “We are so excited to have a genuine drag queen playing the part of Loco Chanelle/Hugo for the first time. Bianca Del Rio is a queen amongst queens, a world-famous, RuPaul’s Drag Race winner. This is her West End debut and while dazzling us as Loco Chanelle, she will also be channelling her inner actor in the double role of Hugo”.
Roy will join current cast members: Layton Williams (Jamie New), Faye Tozer (Miss Hedge), Alex Anstey (Laika Virgin), Luke Baker (Dean Paxton), Courtney Bowman (Fatimah), Marvyn Charles(Swing), Marlon G Day (Dad), Momar Diagne, Zahra Jones (Becca), James Gillan (Tray Sophisticay), Ryan Hughes (Mickey), Daniel Jacob (Sandra Bollock), Melissa Jacques, Emily Kenwright(Vicki), Sejal Keshwala (Ray), Luke Latchman (Sayid), Jordan Laviniere (Cy), Rebecca McKinnis (Margaret New), Harriet Payne (Bex), Rachel Price (Swing), Sabrina Sandhu (Pritti Pasha), Biancha Szynal (Swing), Adam Taylor (Swing) and Ziggy Tyler Taylor (Levi).
Carnival Corporation receives a perfect score of 100 and designation of Best Place to Work for LGBT+ Equality from Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation.
CARNIVAL Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world’s largest leisure travel company, has been recognised by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation with a perfect score for the third consecutive year in its 2019 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), which rates U.S. companies on their treatment of LGBT+ consumers, investors and employees.
The index also recognises Carnival Corporation with the designation of a Best Place to Work for LGBT+ Equality by HRC Foundation, the educational arm of America’s largest civil rights organisation working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and queer people.
Additionally, it is the sixth time the company has been recognised in the CEI report, which is the nation’s premier benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBT+ workplace equality.
“Being recognised by the largest LGBT+ civil rights organisation in the U.S. with a perfect score on the CEI for a third year in a row is a great honor that reflects our ongoing commitment to equality, inclusion and diversity,”said Roger Frizzell, chief communications officer for Carnival Corporation, whose nine industry-leading cruise brands are among the world’s most popular and admired cruise lines, including Carnival Cruise Line, Cunard, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Seabourn.
“We are dedicated to promoting a positive work environment for our more than 120,000 employees from over 150 countries that work with great passion to provide extraordinary vacation experiences for our guests. For us, diversity of thinking is a business imperative that provides a competitive advantage. We know that having people from different backgrounds and cultural experiences organized around a common objective is far more likely to create breakthrough innovation than a homogenous group.”
The announcement follows Carnival Corporation being recently recognised as one of America’s Best Employers for Diversity in 2019 by Forbes Media, as well as being named to the first-ever NAACP Equity, Inclusion and Empowerment Index, which assesses U.S. companies on their commitment to racial and ethnic equity in every aspect of their business and operations.
Additionally, Carnival Corporation’s namesake cruise line brand, Carnival Cruise Line, was recognised in 2018 with both a Travvy Award and Women’s Choice Award as the best cruise line for LGBT+ travellers.
“The top-scoring companies on this year’s CEI are not only establishing policies that affirm and include employees here in the United States, they are applying these policies to their global operations and impacting millions of people beyond our shores,”said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Many of these companies have also become vocal advocates for equality in the public square, including the dozens that have signed on to amicus briefs in vital Supreme Court cases and the more than 170 that have joined HRC’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act. Time and again, leading American businesses have shown that protecting their employees and customers from discrimination isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s also good for business.”
This HRC honour aligns with Carnival Corporation’s 2020 sustainability goals, including a commitment to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and providing all employees with a positive work environment and opportunities to build a rewarding career to further drive employee engagement.
The company has also shown support through:
♦ Partnering with OUTBermuda and other LGBT+ community organisations to support the legal recognition of same-sex marriages in Bermuda;
♦ Offering welcoming environments with LGBT+ cruises, onboard activities and special events, including the company’s Holland America Line brand sponsoring the 2019 Seattle Men’s and Women’s Chorus Annual Dinner and Auction;
♦ Participating in Florida Competes (formerly Florida Businesses for a Competitive Workforce), a top coalition to end LGBTQ discrimination in the state’s businesses;
♦ Participation and sponsorship of annual Pride events to raise awareness and funds for LGBT+ organisations, including the Seattle Pride Parade and Southampton (England) Pride; and
♦ Partnering with equal opportunity champions such as the Human Rights Campaign, Executive Leadership Council, Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, Catalyst, Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics and CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion.
In its 17th year, the CEI evaluates LGBT+ related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs, and public engagement with the LGBT+ communities.
Hosted by the Survivors Movement as part of The B Right On LGBT+ Community Festival this, the second year for The Walk of Survivors will take place today, Sunday, March 31.
IT will commence with a march starting from The Level (Brighton) at noon proceeding up to The Phil Starr Pavilion, Victoria Gardens for a family friendly event for the rest of the afternoon.
The Survivors Movement is a grass route movement set up on the grounds of social impact to provide and build a peer to peer support network for adult survivors of sexual abuse and violence.
The concept of The Walk of Survivors is to help create a Pride for survivors to be proud of the survivor they are today. The organisers aim to send the message of empowerment, courage, strength, solidarity.
They as survivors realise and understand the importance of changing how the general public look upon this as a stigmatised and taboo subject and feel its time to create a platform to speak out and encourage future generations to speak out sooner.
This year organisers are proud to be collaborating with Brighton & Hove LGBT+ Community Safety Forum and the B RIGHT ON LGBT+ Community Festival.
They need the support of the whole community and will make no assumption on the day of people’s individual survivor status.
You do not have to identify as a survivor to attend but the organisers ask that you join other attendees in creating a safe and empowering place for a potentially triggering subject matter. Everyone is welcome.
The event aims to create platforms for approved and regulated networks and organisations to promote their services and support networks for survivors of sexual abuse and violence so that attendees have a greater awareness of what is accessible to them.
END THE STIGMA, STOP THE SILENCE!
If you have any access requirements email: access@lgbt-help.com or call 01273 855620 and select option 4
The B RIGHT ON LGBT+ Community Festival celebrates LGBT+ history, lives and culture, 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.
Event:The Walk of Survivors
Where: Starts at The Level in Brighton and marches to the Phil Starr Pavilion on Victoria Gardens, Brighton
The Gay Classic Car Club (GCCG) is the National Car Club of the Year.
The Gay Classic Car Club takes National Car Club of the Year award
THE prestigiousNational Car Club of the Year is presented in association with Tourism Ireland, supported by Classic Car Weekly and endorsed by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs.
The National Car Club Awards celebrate, recognise and honour the achievements of the nation’s car clubs, the enthusiastic people who run them and the remarkable cars they preserve and cherish.
The GCCG had stiff competition from hundreds of other clubs with this historic achievement coming at the end of their 30th anniversary celebrations last year and sets them on course for another historic year.
GCCG Chairman Brian Palmer said;“This accolade follows the 30th Anniversary of the founding of the Gay Classic Car Group. So we are especially delighted that our club has been recognised by such a prestigious award.”
This is a great achievement not only for the club but also the LGBTQ+ communities in what is predominately a heterosexual environment.
Club representatives Alan Webb Moore (also shortlisted for club ambassador award), Mark Wells (who tirelessly spent many late nights filling the required forms for nominations) and other GCCG members attended the awards ceremony during the NEC Classic Restoration Show.
The GCCG also got an honorary mention for live action on their stand.
The GCCG made the shortlist in the following categories:
• Unsung Hero (Simon Legge)
• Club Ambassador of the Year (Alan Webb-Moore)
• Outstanding Car Club Run, Rally or Tour (Eurotour 2018)
• Outstanding online presence
• Outstanding club magazine: (Big End Journal)
The winner of the Archangel Critic’s Choice Award at Brighton Fringe 2018, makes a welcome return to the stage in Brighton at the Phil Starr Pavilion on Sunday, March 31, as part of the city’s B RIGHT ON LGBT+ Community Festival.
EDITH Piaf Live at Nimegue is a one man show of two very different halves. It weaves the story of the life of the celebrated French singer with that of a fifty something super-fan from Stoke on Trent whose first singing engagement was as an Edith Piaf tribute act in Paris in 1984.
The first act is an affectionate re-telling of Piaf’s life. After the interval, her last ever filmed concert in Holland, just ten months before her untimely death aged just 47, is reimagined.
This play with music is the work of Brighton & Hove residents Andrew Farr and collaborator Peter Allinson.
Farr says of the piece;“Edith Piaf’s childhood was traumatic and throughout her life she sang songs of tragedy. But she loved to laugh, and this one-man show tries not to lose sight of the laughter and Piaf’s tremendous sense of fun. We’re thrilled to be bringing Piaf to a wider audience again. We were overwhelmed by the reaction to, and support for, the play at last year’s Fringe. We hope that this appearance at the B RIGHT ON LGBT+ Community Festival can keep the indomitable spirit of Edith Piaf alive for a little longer.”
The B RIGHT ON LGBT+ Community Festival celebrating LGBT+ history, lives and culture, 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 located on Victoria Gardens, Brighton.
Tickets also available without booking fee from the Phil Starr Pavilion Box Office, Victoria Gardens, Brighton or The Rainbow Hub, 93 St James Street, Brighton.
Event: Edith Piaf Live at Nimegue
Where: Phil Starr Pavilion, Victoria Gardens, Brighton
When: Sunday, March 31
Time: 7.30pm
Cost: £12 To book tickets online, click here: OR call: 01273 855773
Green councillors raise concerns over “weak” Labour response to impending local disability service closure.
BRIGHTON and Hove charityPossability People may be forced to close the only specialist disability advice centre in the city after local health authorities announced a sudden cut in funding for the service.
The decision, which has provoked widespread condemnation from local organisations and service users, was first communicated to Possability People in a joint letter signed by both Brighton and Hove City Council and health partners the Clinical Commissioning Group.
The letter gave Possability People just three weeks’ notice of the termination of funding, stating that “Brighton and Hove City Council understands the decision made by the CCG.”
The charity and its supporters organised a protest outside a meeting of Full Council on Thursday, March 28. Greens claim that news of the protest prompted the Labour group to issue a statement for submission to the CCG, which they called on fellow Councillors to sign.
However, Green Councillors are angry at the Labour Council for attempting to ‘create distance’ from the decision despite their critical role as health partners to the CCG, labelling the last-minute statement as ‘too little, too late.’
Expressing their support for Possability People, Greens say the Labour Council must do everything possible to mitigate and reverse the damaging cut.
Cllr Phélim Mac Cafferty
Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty Convenor of the Greens said: “There has been an attempt to distance the Labour Council from this decision, but the council can’t claim it’s not involved- it has co-signed the letter that went to Possability People decimating their funding. Council Leader Dan Yates left the charity waiting for a response to their concerns. The city council under Labour’s leadership only gave three weeks of notice that this desperately needed funding is running out. This isn’t the way to treat a charity helping some of our most marginalised residents. There’s no consultation or right to appeal on that either.
“It’s absolutely damning that the Labour leadership has remained silent on this issue until it was facing a public protest at today’s council meeting. This is not the first time a short-sighted funding decision has hit some of our most vulnerable – the council moved to stop the Low Vision Service from closure after CCG cuts, for example.
“The Labour administration should be looking for every possible opportunity to support this vital service and get the CCG to reverse this decision. While today’s sudden statement from Labour to health authorities is welcome, Labour’s starting point in this discussion – that they ‘understand the position of the CCG,’ rather than condemn or reject it – has contributed to this poor outcome. Greens including MP Caroline Lucas have been working behind the scenes to support the organisation and push for action and will continue to do so.”
Cllr Pete West
Cllr Pete West, Green spokesperson for Neighbourhoods, Inclusion, Communities and Equalities, added: “We absolutely reject the CCG’s assertion that these services are provided elsewhere – Possability People has been running the advice work for 30 years and they are the city’s only specialist disability advice service. Greens fully support this much-needed organisation. In the past year alone this charity dealt with over 4,500 enquiries and demand is rising.
“This Labour Council needs to acknowledge their leadership role and act urgently to explore all options for funding and support for Possability People. The funding runs out in a matter of days and unfortunately, despite today’s last minute statement, drawn up by Labour Councillors spooked by protests – we remain concerned that this sudden statement says too little, too late.”
A Labour group spokesperson responded saying:“We were pleased to get Labour and Green councillors support yesterday for the letter below to the CCG about the cuts to the Possability People advice services. The text of the letter is below, and lays out clearly the call for the CCG to reconsider this cut. Council funding is being maintained to the advice services, but it is the level of CCG funding that is being withdrawn that is causing such widespread concern.”
“To: Dr David Supple, Chair of the Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group – Funding cut to Possability People Advice Services.
We, the undersigned, are Brighton and Hove City Councillors. We are deeply concerned at the significant impact of the decision of Brighton and Hove CCG to remove its share of funding from the Disability Advice Centre run by Possability People.
We recognise that the barriers to accessing services and adequate income to those living with disabilities are among the most challenging faced across our communities and that relative poverty and lack of information are both serious contributing factors to ill-health, disease and social isolation.
We welcome the ongoing commitment of Brighton and Hove City Council to maintain its funding but are concerned that this represents less than 20% of last year’s total funding.
We call on the CCG to:
1. Reconsider this funding cut which will decimate advice services at Possability People
2. Recognise that other advice and welfare support services across the city are operating at full capacity and cannot take on additional work without additional funding
3. Immediately publish the Equalities Impact Assessment they undertook when this funding cut was considered
4. Attend the next Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee to explain the full background to this decision, their plans to mitigate the effect and their options to reverse the decision.”
Free support groups for people bereaved by suicide set up by Samaritans and Cruse Bereavement Care have been running in Brighton and Hove since October 2016.
FACING the Future groups – each with a maximum of eight participants – are free of charge and available to anyone over 18 who has been bereaved by suicide.
Each group session runs once a week over six consecutive weeks and lasts for 90 minutes. The bereavement does not have to have been recent, although the service is designed for people bereaved for more than 3 months.
The groups are jointly led by experienced Samaritans and Cruse volunteers who have received specialist training in helping those bereaved by suicide.
Nine groups have already taken place and more are planned for this year. The next one is due to start on Tuesday, April 30 at 6.30pm at the Brighton, Hove and District branch of Samaritans.
Feedback has been very encouraging:
“It has helped me to stop feeling responsible for what happened, and to understand that it is not unusual to feel that way.”
“It gave me a space where I could process my thoughts and what had happened.”
“It has helped to speed up the healing process, I’m in a better place now than when I started.”
If you’re interested in attending a group, you can register online at www.facingthefuturegroups.org or call 0208 939 9560.
It’s really straightforward and you are very welcome to attend even if you’re already receiving other forms of support. Within two working days you’ll get a call and receive all the information you require, including what to expect and when groups are expected to start so you can plan them around your other commitments.
Voice of Trans, launches today (March 31), International Transgender Day of Visibility to initiate a much-needed conversation on transgender issues.
THIS year’s International Transgender Day of Visibility, will see users of Amazon Alexa-enabled device in the UK able to activate a skill to hear the story of a trans man.
#VoiceOfTrans is launching to make trans issues a national talking point and apply pressure on the United Nations (UN) via a petition that listeners will be signposted to on change.org. The activation is led by Brand Advance & Global Butterflies.
There are 25 million transgender people in the world and their voices have long been ignored at best and, at worst, silenced. From Kuwait and Oman threatening transgender people with prison, to the recent arrest of 19-year-old trans woman Malak al-Kashef in Egypt, this issue transcends borders, can no longer be ignored and a global approach is required.
In the UK alone, one in eight trans employees (12 per cent) have been physically attacked by a colleague or customer in the last year and half of trans people (51 per cent) have hidden their identity at work for fear of discrimination.
This project has been inspired by a desire to give this marginalised and often abused group of people a platform, allow them to tell their story and to have their voice listened to. The option will be available in the UK and will be activated by asking “Alexa, open the voice of trans”.
The voice will go on to thank the listener for wanting to listen to him and will proceed to tell his story, compiled from a series of real-life stories and case studies experienced by members of the transgender communities around the world.
He will take the listener through the journey of his life with the listener being able to decide which sections they hear first, from his time as a child and hating girly clothes, to the difficulties he faced at school. He will also address the time he attempted to take his life and his transition. However, life has improved for him since his operation and he describes going on dates after his transition and his recent marriage to his girlfriend Aliyah.
Crucially, the voice will then invite the listener to visit a change.org petition applying pressure to advance trans rights on the UN’s human rights agenda in order to effect change on a global scale for the trans community.
The activation will run from the March 28 – 31and, as well as running on Alexa-enabled devices, will be promoted across global LGBTQ+ Media alongside social, digital, radio and out of home platforms across London.
Christopher Kenna, CEO of Brand Advance, said:“This campaign epitomises how voice technology can be used to transform perception and create action – impacting on the futures of 25 million people globally.
“Brand Advance exists to transform Diversity representation across the globe with authenticity, fair and transparent media representation, and exposure to global markets with global leaders. The #VoiceofTrans is an incredible campaign and we could not be more proud to lead the charge for change.”
Emma Cusdin from Global Butterflies, said: “We are delighted to support this global campaign providing a platform to tell stories from across the gender identity and gender expression spectrums using the technology of Alexa. By hearing stories, by having conversations and by signing the petition we can start to improve the daily lives of trans people worldwide. We hope that people who interact with this campaign will understand that gender is not binary but a broad spectrum and that trans people use wonderful ways to describe their gender which should be celebrated.”
Pride Brighton and Hove reveal more artists for the main stage at Pride in the Park on Saturday, August 3 and LoveBN1Fest on Sunday, August 4.
Since winning RuPaul’s Drag Race, Haylock has completed three solo stand-up tours to sold-out audiences around the world, starred in two feature films (Hurricane Bianca and Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate) which are now available on Netflix, and wrote his first book: Blame It On Bianca Del Rio: The Expert on Nothing With an Opinion on Everything.
CARNIVAL Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world’s largest leisure travel company, has been recognised by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation with a perfect score for the third consecutive year in its 2019 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), which rates U.S. companies on their treatment of LGBT+ consumers, investors and employees.
The index also recognises Carnival Corporation with the designation of a Best Place to Work for LGBT+ Equality by HRC Foundation, the educational arm of America’s largest civil rights organisation working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and queer people.
Additionally, Carnival Corporation’s namesake cruise line brand, Carnival Cruise Line, was recognised in 2018 with both a Travvy Award and Women’s Choice Award as the best cruise line for LGBT+ travellers.
BRIGHTON and Hove charity Possability People may be forced to close the only specialist disability advice centre in the city after local health authorities announced a sudden cut in funding for the service.
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