Brighton Pride’s brand new Arts & Film Festival has over 20 events and takes place over the two weeks running up to the Pride Festival itself from July 19 – August 4.
Packed with a diverse selection of exhibitions and entertainment the brand new LGBT festival boasts, art, film, theatre, performance and even the return of the Pride dog show as part of it’s packed LGBT lifestyle schedule.
Among the main attractions for locals and visitors alike is the Icons art & photography exhibition to be held in Brighton’s Jubilee Library. This event will feature work by established LGBT artists and photographers and runs from July 22 – Aug 2.
A private view event hosted by Zoe Lyons takes place on Wednesday, July 24 where exclusive prints donated by The Keith Haring Foundation New York will be auctioned for Pride.
The Pride Arts & Film festival kicks off in true Brighton, outrageous style with a double bill screening of John WatersFemale trouble plus the first ever Brighton screening of I am Divine at the historic Duke of Yorks cinema. This exclusive screening will also be hosted by the infamous Stephanie Starlet and will feature a live acoustic set by Brighton band Prissylips.
A star studded schedule of LGBT interest films is to take place at both the Duke of Yorks and Dukes @ Komedia cinema plus the giant screen on the beach too!
Theatre and performance are also a strong part of the Pride Arts & Film Festival with exciting new theatre venue Emporium staging a schedule of shows including a rare performance by legendary queen of burlesque Immodesty Blaize on August 2.
Elsewhere the Pink Fringe will be showing a selection of performances that are bound to be a popular feature of the festival.
A multitude of events and exhibitions city wide are already part of the Pride Arts & Film Festival and a more detailed schedule is ready to view on Prides website where a new calendar of events has been launched.
Brighton Pride Arts & Film Festival, July 19 – August 4
Mike Weatherley, the Conservative MP for Hove and Portslade, has branded gay-to-straight conversion therapy that is conducted in some parts of the UK as flawed and dangerous and has joined a group of cross-party parliamentarians in condemning the practice.
He has signed Early Day Motion 219 (Gay-to-Straight Conversion Therapy in the UK) which draws attention to the harmful attempts to ‘cure’ lesbian, gay or bisexual people and how that the Department for Health has not condoned the practice.
More worryingly, links to NHS doctors recommending conversion treatment have been uncovered and Mike agrees that these developments need to be properly investigated.
He said:
“It is deeply disturbing that there may be any links with the NHS and ‘conversion therapists’. Not only can this kind of therapy be incredibly damaging, it is based on the false notion that there is something wrong with anything other than a heterosexual sexual orientation. I have absolutely no qualms in joining calls for this flawed process to be banned for anyone under 18.”
EDM 219 – Gay-to-Straight Conversion Therapy in the UK
“That this House believes that being lesbian, gay or bisexual is not a disease or illness and that therapy which attempts to cure or change a person’s sexual orientation is both ineffective and potentially extremely harmful; notes that a 2009 survey of 1,300 British psychiatrists, therapists and psychoanalysts revealed over 200 had attempted to change at least one patient’s sexuality (BMC Psychiatry, 9:11, 26 March 2009); further notes than an undercover investigation in 2010 (The Independent, 1 February 2010) found one psychotherapist claimed most of her clients were forwarded to her from her local GP; further notes that the Department of Health does not condone the concept of therapists offering cures for homosexuality and recognises that the practice may well cause significant harm to some patients; is deeply concerned that nothing currently prevents conversion therapists from freely operating in Britain or practising in the psychotherapy sector; and therefore calls on the Government to investigate any NHS links with conversion therapists, ensuring that NHS medical professionals cannot inflict this cruel treatment on their patients and to take steps to ban conversion therapy for under-18s.”
Danny Dwyer receives Community Fundraising Award at Golden Handbags
Following lobbying from all sides of the LGBT community and LGBT business sector, Pride’s First Ambassador and organiser of Bear Patrol, Danny Dwyer received the Community Fundraising Award at this years Golden Handbag Show on Sunday, June 23 at the Brighton Metropole Hilton.
Danny, who through his voluntary work with Bear Patrol had raised over £50,000 for the Sussex Beacon had aspects of his private life published in the Argus last month.
Announcing the award, James Ledward of Gscene Magazine, said:
“I started Gscene in 1992 in response to a homophobic campaign run by the Argus Newspaper against the director of Brighton’s first HIV charity, Brighton Cares. His name was Bernard Jay.
It was the early days of HIV/Aids and this charity was created to raise funds through entertainment events for people who were dying daily of this deadfull illness.
The Argus chief investigative reporter at the time who left to write for the Daily Mail was Paul Bracchi. He ran a campaign against Bernard, a wicked campaign that resulted in Bernard being run out of the city by yobs who broke windows in his flat and slashed his car tyres after the Argus ran a series of front page news stories about him. Bernard was the manager of Divine the entertainer and his crime was being paid to run the charity.
I decided at the time to make sure that LGBT people in Brighton would always have a voice in future if this ever happened again and started Gscene or the Queer Guide as it was then.
After years of rehabilitating itself with the LGBT community which included publishing their own Gay Magazine called 3Sixty, the Argus published an article last month about Pride’s First Ambassador.
The piece was a non story fed to the Argus by some bitter Queen in the community who I hope has trouble sleeping at night.
The victim in all this has conducted himself very well throughout and his friends and community have mobilised to support him.
Danny Dwyer is HIV positive and has always been open about his status. He has nothing to be ashamed of.
After his diagnosis he turned what for many people is a negative into a positive and brought a group of friends together called Bear Patrol to raise money for the Sussex Beacon. Danny and fellow members of Bear Patrol have raised over £50,000 for the Sussex Beacon. It is quite an astonishing amount of money.
Danny was the first person to be appointed as a Pride Ambassador this year after topping the nomination process.
The Argus are a media partner of Pride and did not get a comment from Pride before running their story headlined, ‘Brighton Pride Ambassador denies unsafe sex claims’.
The Argus piece was not an attack on a single positive gay man it was an attack on this entire community.
Brighton Pride have asked me to read out the quote they would have given to the Argus if they had been asked for one.”
It reads:
“Brighton Pride Community Interest Company do not condone unsafe sexual practices. Indeed we have established working relationships with local LGBT community organisations who create awareness and promote the safer sex message. However, Brighton Pride recognise and respects that an individuals personal sexual orientation, preferences and practices are their own private affair and everyone should take responsible for their actions and take personal precautions.
“The Pride Ambassadors programme was established to provide those within the LGBT community the opportunity to nominate individuals whom they believe deserve recognition for their outstanding contribution to our community. Following a nomination process, organised independently by community magazine G Scene, Danny Dwyer was selected in recognition of his fundraising efforts for the Sussex Beacon and his valuable work within the community. Danny remains a Pride Ambassador and Brighton Pride support him in his work contributing to our community.”
Ledward concluded:
“For his leadership, drive and enthusiasm in inspiring the people round him to achieve better things this year’s ‘Community Fundraising Award’ goes to Danny Dwyer and his work with the Bear Patrol.”
The Equality Network, Scotland’s national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality charity has launched It’s Time, Scotland’s equal marriage video campaign: www.equalmarriage.org.uk/itstime
The video campaign features leading Scottish celebrities, politicians, religious ministers, and ordinary couples from across the country, voicing their support for equal marriage and declaring that in 2013 It’s Time LGBT people in Scotland had equal rights.
The campaign is being launched to mark five years since the Equality Network started Equal Marriage, the UK’s first campaign for same-sex marriage, in June 2008. It also comes at the beginning of an historic week in which the Scottish Government is set to introduce the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill in Parliament.
The Equality Network video aims to help build momentum for a change in the law as MSPs decide how they will vote on the equal marriage legislation. The charity also hopes it will help focus the minds of MSPs on what they see as being the positive issues at the heart of the bill; love, equality and freedom of choice.
Equal marriage supporters featured in the video campaign include the First Minister and the leaders of all five main opposition parties in Scotland, as well as religious ministers from the Church of Scotland, the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Quakers, Unitarians, the Metropolitan Community Church, and Liberal Judaism.
They are joined by leading Scottish celebrities including Brian Cox, Alan Cumming, Sharleen Spiteri, Lorraine Kelly, Billy Boyd, Sylvester McCoy, John Michie, Michelle McManus, Susan Calman, Muriel Gray, Melanie Masson, Horse McDonald, Libby McArthur, Iain Stirling, Elaine C Smith, Hardeep Singh Kohli, Carol Smillie, Grant Stott, Pat Kane, Val McDermid, and the Proclaimers. With “Pride” by the award-winning Amy MacDonald featuring as the backing track courtesy of Amy and her management; Melodramatic Records, Universal Music and Warner/Chappell.
Tom French, Policy Coordinator for the Equality Network, said:
“We’re proud of the ‘It’s Time’ video campaign, which demonstrates the breadth of support that exists for equal marriage in Scotland, and reflects the values of equality and compassion that have always been at the heart of our society. Thirty-three years ago Scotland finally decriminalised homosexuality now, in 2013, its well-and-truly time that LGBT people were granted full equality under the law. We hope that in the coming months MSPs will vote by a clear majority to give same-sex couples an equal right to celebrate their love and, in doing so, they will send out a strong message to the world about the kind of fair and progressive country we want Scotland to be.”
It’s Time was filmed on location across Scotland by, the Glasgow-based video production company, Production Attic.
Sharleen Spiteri
Sharleen Spiteri, the lead singer of Texas, said; “I support the Equality Network’s Equal Marriage campaign because I believe that you should be able to love whoever you want to love, and you should be allowed to be with that person if you want to be regardless of sexuality.”
Alan Cummins
Alan Cumming, the award-winning Hollywood actor, added; “I wanted to take part in the Equality Network video campaign because as a Scot, I feel our country should be aware of the inequality that exists, as we are not a nation to discriminate.”
Lorraine Kelly
Lorraine Kelly, the Queen of Daytime TV, said; “I wanted to support the Equality Network’s Equal Marriage campaign because I think two people who love each other and who want to make a commitment to one another in front of friends and family is something very special and should be applauded. Why should the fact they happen to be gay make a blind bit of difference? We need more love and more equality in the world. Equal marriage would be a step in the right direction and I’m baffled that anyone would want to oppose it and stand in the way of any couple’s happiness.”
Opinion polls have shown consistent public support for same-sex marriage across Scotland. The most recent poll was conducted in June 2012 by Ipsos MORI on behalf of the Equality Network. It showed record support with 64% of Scots in favour of a change in the law, and just 26% opposed. Separate polls conducted over the past three years by Populus, YouGov, Angus Reid, and the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey, have all shown similar levels of support.
Support for equal marriage is also high in the Scottish Parliament. Over two-thirds of MSPs have now signed the Equality Network’s ‘Equal Marriage Pledge’ committing themselves to voting in favour of same-sex marriage. Signatories include First Minister Alex Salmond, all Cabinet Ministers, and the leaders of all four Parliamentary opposition parties. Whilst 88 MSPs have now said they will vote in favour, just 11 remain publicly opposed.
Most countries around Scotland already have same-sex marriage, including Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal. The UK Government are currently in the process of introducing same-sex marriage in England and Wales, whilst Ireland is considering a change in the law to allow it.
Across the Atlantic, same-sex marriage is already legal in Canada and many US States. Within days the Supreme Court is due to make a landmark ruling on whether or not same-sex marriage should be recognised in California and by the Federal government of the United States.
Now its 23rd year, All Saints Church in Hove plays host to a series of free lunchtime concerts every Wednesday from June to September at 1-2pm.
The series is coordinated by Director of Music, Andrew Wilson.
Admission is free, although there is a collection which goes towards the musicians’ fees.
Reverend Talisker MacLeod is enthusiastic about the lunchtime programmes.
He said:
“It’s the perfect way to spend a relaxing lunchtime in the middle of a busy week with high-quality performances.”
Wednesday, June 26 – Phillip Dyson
International concert pianist Phillip Dyson has been described as simply “brilliant”, with a “wonderfully dry, very British sense of humour” and a recent recital in New York City accredited him as nothing less than “magnificent”. An international pianist and great entertainer, performing to ‘sell-out’ audiences around the world, Phillip Dyson is recognised as one of Britain’s most sought after and innovative concert pianists.
Guest musicians appearing in July:
July 3:Kedi Sun – Piano
July 10: Sussex Flutes
July 17:Magdalena Reising & Pam Pecko Smith – Harp and Flute
July 24:Jason Henson – Jazz Guitar
July 31:Ingrid Cusado – Piano
August
August 7:Mark Jennings – Classical Guitar
August 14: Musician from All Saints Choir – Piano Duet and Voices
August 21:Jack Redman – Piano and Organ
August 28: Jessica Summers & Jelena Makarova – Soprano and Piano
September
September 4:Bobby Wellins and Kate Williams – Jazz Tenor Sax and Jazz Piano
Dates for the annual Brighton & Hove Open Gardens in aid of the Sussex Beacon have been announced.This year’s event, taking place during the weekend of June 29-30, is to be in celebration of the Beacon’s 21st anniversary, with all money raised going to the charity.
More than 70 private gardens and community spaces will be letting you through their rose-covered gates to have a nose at their begonias, and there are some exciting new editions to the repertoire this year.
The Grace Eyre Foundation garden in Montpelier is a therapeutic disabled-friendly garden which is maintained by the service users, or at Moulsecoomb Primary School you can pretend to be at a Saxon moot as they have some roundhouses on the menu.
There are two small community gardens to explore near London Road Station where you’ll find a mini orchard full of pears and old Sussex varieties of apples grown on cordons. The volunteers will be available for a chat over the weekend.
The Sussex Beacon’s own beautiful hill-top garden is included of course, as is a large and productive garden in Wilbury Gardens, Hove which includes a croquet lawn, raised beds, and a wrought iron gazebo.
Many of the gardens will be serving tea and cakes, and you’ll also find the odd art exhibition and beehive as you make your way around.
Gardens Coordinator Bridgette Saunders, says:
“Almost 18 years ago the seed for this event was sown with a small number of local gardens opening to raise funds for the Sussex Beacon. It’s blossomed into one of the largest open gardens scheme in Sussex.”
To plan your visit online: CLICK HERE: and it’s worth popping back there every now and again as new gardens are being added all the time.
Event: Brighton & Hove open gardens
Where: All around Brighton & Hove and as far away as Newhaven
When: Saturday, June 29 and Sunday, June 30 Tickets: £10 in advance and £12 during the weekend. Under 12s go free
A Brighton MP claims thats a new era of public ownership of the railways could save the Treasury more than £1bn a year and deliver improved services and lower rail fares for passengers.
In a Private Member’s Bill to be presented in Parliament, Caroline Lucas (Brighton Pavilion) will urge that England’s fragmented railway system be gradually brought back into public hands as franchises expire or companies break the terms of their franchise agreement.
The call follows reports this week from the TSSA union that Network Rail bosses could earn more than £10 million in bonuses over the next three years under a new scheme – as well as RTM Union figures showing that 65% of Britain’s rail operators are owned by overseas companies, with 60% owned by European state rail arms.
Caroline Lucas, MP
Caroline Lucas MP said:
“Britain was once a world leader in transport thanks to our hugely successful railways, but today’s privatised system – characterised by poor services and some of the most expensive fares in Europe – is ripping off passengers, harming the economy and failing the environment.
“Since privatisation nearly 20 years ago, the cost of train travel has risen by 17% compared to a 7% drop in the cost of motoring, while in recent years the bill for the taxpayer of running the trains has shot up by 2 to 3 times.
“Train operating companies are dependent upon public subsidies to run services, so it is disgraceful that these same companies then turn over an estimated 90% of their operating profits to shareholders.
“This is a blatant transfer of public money to private interests at the expense of the taxpayer and rail passengers, who are forced to endure the consequences of a deeply complex and fragmented system while ticket prices soar.”
The Private Members Bill is also being supported by a number of Labour backbenchers and Plaid Cymru MPs.
Caroline continued:
“If the government really wants to make savings and improve our transport network for everyone, it should recognise that privatisation has failed and gradually return the railways to public ownership.
“By taking back individual franchises when they expire or when a company fails to meet its franchise conditions, the state could save over £1 billion a year every year – an amount that can be spent on improving services and reducing rail fares.
“The government’s argument that our railways must be privately operated to be effective is blown open by the RMT Union figures showing that, in fact, that companies backed by other EU states are controlling many of our railways – depriving taxpayers and rail passengers in the UK of the savings created by state ownership.”
Mike Weatherley, the Conservative MP for Hove and Portslade, joined patients and clinicians at a Parliamentary reception on heart disease, where he signed up to the Heart Failure Pledge.
Following the reception, the Heart Failure Pledge was delivered to the Department of Health. Mike was surprised to learn that if left untreated, heart failure has a survival rate similar to cancer – with over a third of patients dying within one year of diagnosis.
He said:
“It was really useful to meet with medical professionals to discuss issues surrounding heart failure and how it affects a huge number of people across the country, including many of my constituents. It is vital, therefore, that awareness of the disease is improved, as well as access to life-saving treatments.”
The Pledge reads:
“Heart failure affects 3 in very hundred women and 4 in every hundred men. Untreated, over a third die within a year of diagnosis. The UK needs to do better on heart failure to improve outcomes for patients.
“We should not leave heart failure suffers waiting to die. More should be done to improve patients’ quality of lives; better manage their condition to reduce unnecessary hospitalisations and save the NHS money; and help mortality from heart failure. Many people with heart failure also suffer from abnormal rhythms in their heart which can prove fatal. Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) jolt the heart back into its natural rhythm when it goes out of rhythm. Cardiac resynchronisation therapy devices (CRT-Ds) help pace the heart to enable it to pump blood more efficiently and include a defibrillation function, offering protection from sudden cardiac death.
“We fully support efforts to raise awareness of heart failure and efforts to improve patient access to the latest cost effective medical technology for treating heart failure including ICDs and CRT-Ds.”
Brighton Pride’s brand new Arts & Film Festival has over 20 events and takes place over the two weeks running up to the Pride Festival itself from July 19 – August 4.
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