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Oscar Wilde honoured with Rainbow Plaque

Russell Tovey unveils permanent Rainbow Plaque dedicated to Oscar Wilde at Clapham Junction Station.

Photo: Joel Ryder
Photo: Joel Ryder

RUSSELL Tovey, actor and Patron of not-for-profit arts organisation Studio Voltaire, unveiled a permanent Rainbow Plaque commemorating Oscar Wilde on Platform 10 at Clapham Junction Station, a project by Wandsworth LGBTQ+ Forum and Studio Voltaire.

The Rainbow Plaque is a national scheme that identifies key moments and figures of LGBTQ+ history. This is the second plaque of its kind, the first commemorated Anne Lister, diarist and same sex marriage pioneer, (recently depicted on the BBC’s ‘Gentleman Jack’) at the Holy Trinity Church in York, first unveiled in February 2018.

Wandsworth LGBTQ+ Forum conceived of the idea for the Oscar Wilde campaign during a screening of Rupert Everett’s The Happy Prince at monthly Queer film club Out at Clapham. The film follows the final years of Wilde’s life, including his conviction for ‘gross indecency with men’, and depicts Wilde’s transportation from Wandsworth Prison to Reading Jail in 1895, where he was subjected to homophobic abuse on the centre platform of Clapham Junction Station for 30 minutes. The event was deeply traumatising for Wilde, as he detailed in his 1897 autobiographical letter, ‘De Profundis’ (extract below).

“On the 13th November 1895, I was brought down here from London. From two o’clock till half-past-two on that day I had to stand on the centre platform of Clapham Junction in convict dress, and handcuffed, for the world to look at. I had been taken out of the hospital ward without a moment’s notice being given me. Of all possible objects I was the most grotesque. When people saw me they laughed. Each train as it came swelled the audience. Nothing could exceed their amusement. That was, of course, before they knew who I was. As soon as they had been informed they laughed still more. For half an hour I stood there in the grey November rain surrounded by a jeering mob. For a year after that was done to me I wept every day at the same hour and for the same space of time.” –  Oscar Wilde, 1897.

At a time when LGBTQ+ people are still under threat, notably with the May 2019 homophobic attack on a same-sex couple on a London bus, the plaque acts as a reminder that hate crime is not tolerated in the rail industry, and is supported by Network Rail.

David Robson, Chair of Wandsworth LGBTQ+, said: “As a community forum we felt we had to respond to this historical wrong. The Rainbow Plaque is a wonderful scheme through which we can use culture to make our hidden histories (good and bad) visible. It’s also an opportunity to reflect on how far the LGBTQ+ movement has come and honour those who have suffered. I hope we begin to see Rainbow Plaques popping up all over the country as a result.”

A crowdfunding campaign was launched at the recent exhibition The Oscar Wilde Temple, by artists McDermott & McGough at Studio Voltaire in Clapham. This immersive work of art was a secular space, honouring Wilde as one of the earliest forebears of gay liberation.

Russell Tovey, Actor and Patron of Studio Voltaire, who unveiled the plaque, said: “Schemes like the Rainbow Plaque are so important in reclaiming LGBTQ+ history, and it’s wonderful to be a part of this. Oscar Wilde’s talent, wit and courage has inspired so many, including myself, and it’s wonderful to see the community coming together like this. I’m proud to support Studio Voltaire and their work.”

Joe Scotland, Director of Studio Voltaire, added: “Studio Voltaire are proud to work within our local communities to champion inclusivity and help give a platform for marginalised voices. Oscar Wilde remains an inspiration to many, and this important local incident should be remembered. Studio Voltaire’s recent installation ‘The Oscar Wilde Temple’ by McDermott & McGough, was envisaged by the artists as a space of sanctity and celebration for the LGBTQ+ communities. This plaque comes from similar motivations to commemorate the LGBTQ+ community’s endurance, past and present.”

Young people explore queer identities at Brighton & Hove Pride exhibition

Together with Royal Pavilion & Museums and Allsorts Youth Project, Photoworks celebrate queer identity with an exhibition for Brighton & Hove Pride.

OVER recent months, Photoworks, a platform for contemporary photography partnered with Royal Pavilion & Museums and Allsorts Youth Project to run two Photography Club programmes themed around an exploration of queer identity.

IN All The Places I Touch The World brings together work produced by the young people from Allsorts Youth Project who took part in the programmes.

Participants worked with artists Lynn Weddle and Noe Warren to create work exploring their lives and identities, as well as queer history, art, activism and community. The resulting work uses cameraless techniques like cyanotype printing as well as photomontage and self-portraits made in a pop-up studio.

The exhibition is part of Brighton & Hove Pride, one of the UK’s biggest Pride events.

For more information, click here:


Event: In All The Places I Touch The World

Where: Jubilee Library, Jubilee St, Brighton BN1 1GE

When: July 26 -August 4

Time: Wed, Fri, Sat 10am-5pm; Mon, Tue, Thu 10am-7pm; Sun 11am-5pm

Cost: Free entry

 

LGBT International Powerlifting Championships 2019 a huge success

The LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender) International Powerlifting Championships (LGBT IPC) were held in Blackpool from July 19-21.

FIFTY athletes and a further hundred coaches, friends, family and spectators attended the event, making it the largest LGBT Powerlifting event of all time with regards to overall engagement.

Athletes travelled from all over the world including Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Germany, Romania, The United States of America and to participate in this unique Powerlifting Competition.

Chris Morgan
Chris Morgan

Chris Morgan, The Meet Director of LGBT IPC, and Male Co-President of the LGBT Powerlifting Union, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the overall growth in the LGBT IPC Championships and are now focused on improving on this again in 2020. To think that we started out with only 20 lifters in 2017 and 40 lifters in 2018, we have come a long way in a short space of time. We are immensely proud of the whole group and their achievements this last weekend.

“This year’s event saw National and World record standard performances, a Civic Visit from the Lady Mayor of Blackpool and even a marriage proposal during the medal ceremonies. The atmosphere in “The Auditorium” was electric, with lifters of all abilities taking part from novices, through to national and world standard lifters – all coming together and creating a magical experience together”.

He continued: “We would like to thank The Worshipful Mayor of Blackpool, Councillor Amy Cross and the town of Blackpool for granting a Civic visit to the LGBT IPC Championships. We are hugely grateful to our partners The Blackpool Sixth Form College, Pride Sports, Funny Girls, Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club, Casson’s Strength, Fighting Fit Powerlifting Club, The Cottage Bakery, Wilkinson Hotel Group and Compete Diversity Network, all without whom we could not of delivered the event to such a high production standards. We already have plans for significant improvements to next year’s event and once again would like to invite the whole of the LGBT Powerlifting Community to experience LGBT IPC.”

The LGBT IPC 2020 event will return to Blackpool’s Theatre Auditorium on July 17-19, where once again the strongest LGBT Powerlifters in the world will participate in Technical Meeting, Competition (Squat, Bench Press and Deadlift), Social Events, Congress and Closing Party.

For more information about LGBT IPC 2020, click here:

If you would like to pre-register as a participant for LGBT IPC 2020 email your details to meet director Chris Morgan at chunky@chunkymuscle.com

 

LGBT+ Conservatives defend Johnson’s LGBT+ record

Boris Johnson, the new leader of the Conservative Party goes to Buckingham Palace this afternoon to ask Her Majesty The Queen to form a government in her name.

Boris Johnson MP
Boris Johnson MP
DURING the Conservative leadership campaign Mr Johnson pledged his administration would not consider their work on LGBT+ issues as ‘job done’.
He committed to continue to champion LGBT+ equality, get tough on hate crime and break down barriers to a fairer society committing to do more to ensure that trans rights are protected and those who identify as trans or intersex are able to live their lives with dignity.

He pledged to ensure in our schools that every young person feels safe and should not allow the authority of teachers to be undermined by parents who unreasonably take their children out of school.

He said during the campaign: “Our fantastic NHS must provide for all, including all of the LGBT+ community, and we must call on business to ensure that no one is discriminated against for their sexuality or gender.

“We have already made so much progress as a Conservative government in championing equality and LGBT+ rights, but we must continue to still reform our society step by step, bringing people together while celebrating how we are all different. 

“I hope to work closely with LGBT+ Conservatives, should I be elected leader, and will continue to champion a Government which believes in equality, fairness and freedom to love for all.”

Colm Howard-Lloyd
Colm Howard-Lloyd

Colm Howard-Lloyd, Chairman of LGBT+ Conservatives said: “As Mayor, Boris funded pride and banned anti-gay tube ads. In parliament he backed same-sex marriage, and as Foreign Secretary encouraged UK embassies to fly the rainbow flag, and had robust discussions with Commonwealth colleagues on progress needed. 

“However as a journalist he used some distinctly hurtful and unhelpful language, and that has dented the confidence of many in the LGBT+ communities.  I expect him to address that at an early opportunity. 

“The four-year LGBT Action Plan has made significant progress, achieving a third of its actions in the first twelve months, but significant work remains. As recent Conservative Prime Ministers have shown, that only comes about through strong leadership from the top. 

“During the Leadership race Boris made a number of commitments via LGBT+ Conservatives, and I look forward to working closely with the new Prime Minister and his team.  We have work to do!”

Discrimination reports in football rise by a third

New figures show discrimination in both professional and grassroots football rose by 32 per cent in the 2018/19 season.

STATISTICS from Kick It Out, football’s equality and inclusion organisation, show reports rose to 422 in 2018/19, up from 319 in the previous year.

Alarmingly, incidents of racism continue to rise. It remains the most common form of discrimination in both professional and grassroots football, constituting 65 per cent of reports – a 43 per cent rise from 2017/18.

Although an increase in reports could highlight a more confident approach to reporting incidents, the leap in reports could also identify that discrimination across the game is still an issue which needs ongoing and constant education and the application of appropriate sanctions.

Faith-based discrimination, which includes Islamophobia and antisemitism, rose higher than any other across this period, with reports increasing by 75 per cent from 36 to 63.

Discrimination related to sexual orientation increased by 12 per cent from 61 to 68. Reports related to gender remained at the same level (eight), while disability discrimination reports dropped from 15 to nine.

In the overall figures, which include social media incidents, discrimination reports increased to 581, a 12 per cent rise from the season before (520).

The FA have not informed Kick It Out of the outcome in seventy-nine per cent of the 109 cases reported in grassroots football. Forty per cent of these reports were from youth football (under-18). Of this figure, The FA have not informed Kick It Out of 80 per cent of the County FA verdicts.

Discrimination reports in the professional game rose by 46 per cent to 313, with an outcome received in 62 per cent of cases.

The statistics are compiled from all levels of English football, including the Premier League, English Football League (EFL), FA Women’s Super League, non-league and grassroots fixtures.

The 2018/19 season saw a change in the way online discrimination is recorded.

The organisation received 159 discrimination reports from social media in 2018/19. Again, the most common form of reported incidents was racism (62 per cent).

Historically, each individual discriminatory comment on social media was recorded as an incident.

However, from the 2018/19 season Kick It Out developed a systematic approach to its monitoring and recorded only the initial comment in order to capture a more concise record of such posts. Kick It Out, over a number of years, has stated that football discrimination online is a significant issue that must be addressed.

Even with a new way of compiling social media reports, there was an increase in discrimination reports for the seventh consecutive year.

On the numbers, Kick It Out CEO, Roisin Wood OBE said: “Football reflects the society it is played and watched in and these figures are sadly not surprising. The fact that racist reports have risen by 43 per cent clearly shows the massive work that all of football still needs to do to challenge this. In 2019 we need to ask the question what can we do better and what is not working?

“The sharp increase in faith-based based discrimination is also worrying and represents a challenge to us all – what are we doing to address this intolerance?

“We feel that incidents at grassroots level are still under-reported and this could be due to the length of time it takes a complainant to get their case satisfactorily concluded, and even then there’s often disenchantment in the type of sanctions handed out. We need to build confidence that if you report a grassroots incident it will be dealt with effectively and efficiently.

“The online statistics in our view represent the tip of the iceberg and we renew our call for social media platforms – and the government – to help tackle growing incidents of online hate.”

New helpline hours for local Switchboard

Brighton & Hove’s LGBT+ Switchboard’s Helpline will now be open from 7pm to 9:30pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays. There will also be a trans-only webchat available on Sundays, from 3pm to 5pm.

A spokesperson for Switchboard said: “Consolidating our hours means we can be there for the community when you need us. We’ve supported LGBTQ and questioning people in the South East since 1975.”

“We plan to extend our hours in 2020, when we’re celebrating 45 years of listening to the LGBTQ communities.

The helpline is confidential and run by LGBT+ volunteers. If you want to get in contact with Switchboard, you can:

Call them on 01273 204050

Email: info@switchboard.org.uk

Webchat: switchboard.org.uk/helpline

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