Today, Saturday May 17 is IDAHOBIT: International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.
LGBT people across the globe will be staging a day of action today to fight for LGBT rights, which are basic human rights, the right to exist, the right to be yourself, the right to love.
Poets and campaigners Shelly Telly and Vince Laws are delighted that IDAHOBIT organisers are promoting OUT140 as a quick action that people can take part in to mark this special day. They are looking forward to getting OUT140 stories from all over the world.
OUT140 stories are coming out stories told in 140 characters or less, i.e. a tweet on Twitter.
Here are 3 examples…
• I told my parents I was bisexual when I was 16. They said go to your room.
• My friends changed my world by being so supportive. My family took longer 2 come to terms with it but now I couldn’t be happier! GAY IS FAB!
• 3, told parents was girl, beat me. I stopped speakin. Married, wife died. Transitioned, family, pals OK. New people no idea past. I am free.
If you would like to tell OUT140 your coming out story to celebrate IDAHOBIT you can:
New research reveals that UKIP and Conservative MEPs are amongst those with the worst records on LGBT rights in the European Parliament.
Sarah Ludford MEP
The research by the European Parliament’s Intergroup on LGBT Rights shows that:
· UKIP voted against EU-wide recognition of same-sex marriages, while the Conservatives abstained.
· UKIP failed to condemn homophobic legislation in Russia.
· UKIP and the Conservative MEPs did not support the call by MEPs for the protection of freedom of expression for LGBT people in Lithuania.
· The introduction of an EU LGBT Roadmap to tackle discrimination was not supported by UKIP and Tory MEPs
Liberal Democrat MEPs supported LGBT rights in each of these votes while only 33% of the Conservatives’ ECR group and 13% of MEPs from UKIP’s EDF group supported these measures to promote equality.
Liberal Democrat MEP and European justice and home affairs spokeswoman Sarah Ludford, said: “This exposes Nigel Farage’s fraudulent claim to be standing up for British values.”
“UKIP MEPs have consistently failed to support persecuted LGBT people abroad in countries such as Russia, undermining Britain’s image as a compassionate and tolerant country.”
“The UK has the best record in Europe for gay rights, partly thanks to introduction of same-sex marriage by the LibDems in government. But with half of LGBT people in Europe subject to discrimination, we need to work with other countries to defend equality, diversity and respect regardless of a person’s gender or sexuality.”
Miss Sparkles next cabaret and dinner evening will be at the Queens Hotel, tonight Friday, May 16.
Davina will be joined by the hilarious drag queen Topsie Redfern and the ‘Queen of Visual Comedy’, Bella Berserck.
Bella Berserck
On arrival you will be offered bubbly and canapes followed by a three course sumptuous gala dinner and over two and a half hours of cabaret entertainment all for just £29.50 per person.
The Queens Hotel are offering a £94 per person hotel package for the evening which includes the cabaret and dinner, twin or double room accommodation, full English breakfast and complimentary use of the Lanes Health & Fitness Club (the price is based on two people sharing).
Barclays has signed up to be the headline sponsor of this year’s annual Pride festival held in the capital to champion the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.
The agreement makes Barclays, which was again named as one of the best employers in Britain for LGBT people in this year’s Stonewall Workplace Equality Index, one of the biggest supporters of Pride in London, alongside the Mayor of London who last year confirmed major funding to support the Pride celebrations over five years. As headline sponsor Barclays will play a central role for the third year running and triple its investment in the event.
Pride in London is a week-long festival celebrating all aspects of the LGBT community that takes place in the capital from June 22-29, with the central London parade, festival in Trafalgar Square and activities in Soho taking place on Saturday, June 28. It is one of the largest annual events held in London along with the London Marathon and New Year Fireworks, and regularly attracts nearly a quarter of a million people.
The theme of this year’s event is ‘Freedom to…’, celebrating the freedom that Londoners have fought for, enjoy, and continue to campaign for. It will also coincide with the 45th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York which led to the establishment of the gay liberation movement and the modern day fight for gay and lesbian rights.
This year will also see Pride in London’s first ever advertising campaign, which is set to run across London Underground and London Buses in the two weeks up to and throughout Pride Week. The campaign will highlight the diversity of the LGBT community and encourage real-time interaction in the run-up to the event in June, offering members of the public the chance to appear within the campaign.
Barclays has been a close partner of Pride in London for three years but for the first time this year will become headline sponsor. To mark the sponsorship, Barclays is set to turn a number of its cash machines along the route of the Pride parade into ‘GAYTMs’ (Gay ATMS) and introduce ‘Ping for Pride’ allowing anyone with a bank account to donate to Pride in London via the Pingit payment app.
Event-goers will also be invited to apply for contactless Barclaycard ‘paybands’ in advance of the festival, which they’ll be able to use on the day to pay for drinks and food more easily, safer, simpler and quicker than with cash.
Val Soranno Keating, Barclays’ Global LGBT lead and CEO of Barclaycard, said: “I’m enormously proud that for the third year in succession Barclays is supporting Pride in London, this time as headline sponsor. It’s the highlight of the LGBT calendar and a true celebration of the power and importance of diversity.
“It was 45 years ago this year that the fight for LGBT rights was born in New York. Back then it was a fight for recognition and against suppression, and whilst a huge amount has changed since then there is still much work to do in bringing about further cultural changes and challenging the status quo.
“Encouraging greater diversity within organisations is an essential driver of long-term, sustainable success and at Barclays we work hard to create a culture that enables colleagues, customers and clients to express who they are. We have a strong track record in promoting the LGBT agenda and our sponsorship of this year’s event shows just how important equality and diversity are to us.”
Michael Salter, Chair for Pride in London, said: “Pride in London has become one of the city’s largest annual events, boasting reported levels of consumer satisfaction equal only to the Olympic and Paralympic Games – higher than any other event supported by the Major of London – and it’s fantastic that Barclay’s are supporting the event for the third year in a row.
“The theme of this year’s event – “Freedom to…” allows people to really personalise how they choose to engage with the campaign, enabling them to highlight why freedom is important to them; Whether it’s freedom to campaign for international rights, freedom to continue changing attitudes in the UK, or simply just the freedom to kiss their partner goodbye at a bus stop without the need to self-censor.
“In 2013 we saw record numbers of supporters taking part in Pride – not just from London’s own LGBT community in the city, but with people joining from all over the UK who came to the capital to celebrate our nation’s diversity. Research has shown that LGBT people are more inclined (52%[1]) to spend with companies that they know to be supportive of their community. And with our new advertising campaign, a week of live events culminating with the Pride Parade, entertainment in Trafalgar Square and Soho street parties, Pride in London offers companies a truly unique opportunity to secure incredibly strong brand presence and shows backing for diversity and equality to an audience of potentially millions of consumers.”
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson,
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson added: “I am delighted to once again be supporting the Pride in London celebrations and, in the year that marriage equality came into force, committed to London remaining at the forefront of LGBT issues. With our city’s Pride celebrations attracting huge crowds and people coming from across the UK and beyond, I am that thrilled that it is now attracting major corporate backers. I look forward to this year’s festivities building on the success of last year and hope that many more companies will come on board for one of the biggest and best events in London’s cultural calendar.”
Brighton & Hove City Council has today launched its Pride Parade and Park Grants Programme for 2014.
Grants usually up to £500 are available to local community groups and voluntary sector organisations that are planning parade or park activities on August 2. In exceptional circumstances with accompanying paperwork applications of £1,000 will be considered.
The application deadline is Friday, June 27.
To discuss further telephone Jonathan Best: Brighton & Hove City Council Grants Officer on: 01273 291114 or email Dulcie Weaver: Brighton & Hove Pride on:community@brighton-pride.org
To find out more and download an application form, CLICK HERE:
Local dentist hygienist makes final plans for her 500 mile walk to raise awareness about oral cancers.
With just three days to go before she starts her sponsored walk from Kirriemuir in Scotland to Brighton it has emerged that Dental Hygienist of the Year, Christina Chatfield will be following in the footsteps of J.M.Barrie, author of Peter Pan, in her fight to raise awareness about oral cancer.
At the turn of the century the famous Kirriemuir born playwright and author paid for surgery for his close friend Arthur Llewelyn Davies who was suffering from cancer of the mouth. Sadly, surgery left him disfigured and unable to talk, even with an artificial jaw. Barrie paid for all his medical care until he died at the age of 44.
Llewelyn Davies, a respected London barrister, is best known as the father of the boys who served as the inspiration for Peter Pan and the other children of J. M. Barrie’s stories of Neverland. Although he lived to see his sons immortalised by their dramatic namesakes on stage, his death in middle age in 1907 left his family in the care of the playwright.
Christine will start her walk from Kirriemuir on May 19 in the town where she had her first dental practise. She is returning to her roots to begin her epic journey which will end at her new dental health spa in Brighton.
The link to Barrie has spurred supporters in Kirriemuir to rally round Christina’s campaign. Local school children will be give her and her team a rowdy send off as they attempt to raise as much sponsorship money as possible. Staff from the Kirriemuir dental surgery will escort her on the route to Dundee, completing the first 19-mile leg at Beam Orthodontics in South Tay Street.
Christina said:“Mouth cancer is one of the very few forms of cancer on the rise, and it currently claims more lives than testicular and cervical cancer combined. We all have a responsibility to help beat the disease, and you have the chance to join me and help to make a difference.
“By donating just £10, you could potentially prompt someone into getting checked out, a move that could save their life.”
Christine has been in training for the last 6 months to get ready for her monumental walk. She will be taking a route down the east coast of England, passing though Edinburgh, York and London before arriving in Brighton where she has her own Dental Health Spa on Queens Road.
All money raised will be shared between the British Dental Health Foundation and Heart Your Smile.
You can get yourself sponsored to accompany Christina on any section of the walk, or simply make a donation to recognise her amazing efforts.
For more information about Christina’s challenge, CLICK HERE:
Public Health England (PHE) has reported a decline in levels of scarlet fever across the country with 415 new cases reported last week (5-11 May 2014).
Whilst the weekly number of cases has reduced by half compared to mid-April, levels remain substantially elevated across the country.
The total number of cases notified so far for 2014 is 8,322. This is the highest number of cases reported in a calendar year since 1980 when 11,118 notifications were made.
Scarlet fever is a seasonal disease and this is the time of year when a decline in the number of cases would be expected. While data from recent weeks does suggest that the decline has started, the fluctuation indicates a continued need to remain vigilant.
PHE are working closely with healthcare professionals to assess the impact of this season’s high levels of scarlet fever. Isolates have been submitted from laboratories across the country and analyses are underway to identify possible reasons for the widespread upsurge.
Dr Theresa Lamagni
Dr Theresa Lamagni, PHE’s head of streptococcal infection surveillance, said:“It is still too early to be confident that the drop in the number of cases will be maintained as we are seeing fluctuating numbers each week and incidence remains high compared to recent years. We will continue to monitor the situation closely to see if there is a sustained fall over the coming months.
“We strongly urge people to remain vigilant and to go to their GP if they develop symptoms which suggest scarlet fever such as a sore throat, fever and rash.”
Whilst scarlet fever is usually a mild illness it should be treated with antibiotics to reduce the risk of further complications. It is mainly a childhood disease, most common between the ages of two and eight years, although adults can also develop scarlet fever.
Latest information on scarlet fever will continue being reported in the Health Protection Report with statements issued when new information emerges.
Manchester’s Village Business Association (VBA) is holding ‘Our Village Clean Up’ on May 31 2014 in Manchester’s Gay Village.
They are calling for help from anyone with green fingers or artistic flair, as well as those willing to get their hands dirty with a mop and a jet wash!
Manchester’s Gay Village is historically renowned as a space offering unique resources, services, social experiences and homes for the LGBT community. However, recent times have seen a deterioration in the cleanliness of the area. The introduction of a new brand – ‘Our Village’ – aims to instill a sense of ownership amongst residents and visitors, whilst highlighting the need for people to look after and take pride in the area.
‘Our Village Clean Up’ on Saturday May 31 will see the launch of the ‘Our Village’ brand.
More than 100 hanging baskets will be put up around the village alongside new rainbow flags and banners. With the help of graffiti artists, the community will come together to tidy the area, helping to re-create the vibrant space the village used to be.
Jackie Crozier
Village Business Association chair, Jackie Crozier said: “As the newly elected chair of the VBA, I am thrilled to announce the launch of the ‘Our Village’ brand. Having been an advocate of Manchester’s LGBT community for many years, I believe that placing an emphasis on the importance of unity within our community is an essential move in the journey toward improving Our Village. The ‘Village Clean Up’ event is not only a fantastic way to bring people together and reinforce the brand, but is also sure to be a fun-filled day, and a task that everyone can take pride in.”
The ‘Village Clean Up’ will commence at approximately 11am on Saturday, May 31 in Sackville Gardens.
The Pocket Oxford Theatre Company bring their UK premiere production to the Marlborough for the Brighton Fringe.
Teds Walker has been performing on the queer scene for the last 20 years. However six years ago he started the Pocket Oxford Theatre Company and has been touring ever since.
This year they are performing their UK premiere, Romeo & Juliet, as part of Brighton Fringe at The Marlborough Theatre.
The show includes song, dance, drag, plenty of interaction and hardly any Shakespeare!!
Although the content is queer, the kids don’t have to be! Its queer theatre for kids, and something queers can bring take their under age friends and families to.
What: The Pocket Oxford Theatre Company – Romeo & Juliet
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Michael Salter, Chair for Pride in London, said: “Pride in London has become one of the city’s largest annual events, boasting reported levels of consumer satisfaction equal only to the Olympic and Paralympic Games – higher than any other event supported by the Major of London – and it’s fantastic that Barclay’s are supporting the event for the third year in a row.
Local dentist hygienist makes final plans for her 500 mile walk to raise awareness about oral cancers.
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