Episode 6 of Latest TV’s gay programme the QTube can now be viewed on You Tube.
In the show, broadcast from Legends Basement Club, Jonesy and Torsten talk to Fox, star of My Transexual Summer and Alice about the My Genderation project and being trans* in Brighton & Hove.
Cameras check out LGBT Freshers week with the student union and Torsten looks back at the recent Queer in Brighton conference held at Sussex University.
In The Symposium Michael, Robert, Mike and Geoff ask why some straight women can be homophobic?
Two Croydon groups will come together on Wednesday, November 20, to remember transgender people throughout the world who have died as a result of violence or suicide.
In Croydon, the International Transgender Day of Remembrance will be marked at St Stephen’s Church, Warwick Road, Thornton Heath starting at 7.30pm. The event is organised by Croydon Trans Group together with Aurora (Croydon’s LGBT Police Consultation Group).
The event will begin with the lighting of a candle followed by a name being read out for each victim around the world who has lost their life in the last 12 months, for being trans*.
The ceremony which is open to all, will remember others relevant this year, notably the teacher, Lucy Meadows and will be followed by a social with refreshments.
Earlier in the year, spring bulbs were planted as a living memorial to transgendered victims in Mayfield Road Playground Thornton Heath, near the home of Kellie Telesford, who was murdered in 2007.
Helen Doe, for Croydon Trans Group, said: “It’s six years since a trans person was murdered in Croydon, but the ceremony will acknowledge the everyday abuse and physical attacks that blight the lives of trans people, their families and children.”
Ross Burgess, for Aurora, added:“In several countries, police don’t even investigate the murders of trans people although the attacks are increasing. But attacks are rising in the UK too, and it’s important to report every incident, either to the police or through third-party reporting agencies such as Galop or Tcrime, so that action can be taken to prevent these crimes.”
Fr Geoffrey Thompson, Priest-in-Charge of St Stephen’s Warwick Road, concluded saying:“The Church has no business excluding anybody – least of all groups who can find themselves marginalised. I’m glad St Stephen’s can show welcome and hospitality on this important occasion.”
For information about Transgender Day of Remembrance, CLICK HERE:
For information about Croydon Trans Group, CLICK HERE:
National anti-bullying charity Ditch the Label has teamed up with Brighton burger restaurant, Burger Brothers (on North Road) to produce the DTL Quattro Charity Burger for Anti-Bullying Week.
The burger will be available from November 18 until November 22 and 50% of revenue from sales will be donated to Ditch the Label to continue offering support to young people who have been affected by bullying.
Liam Hackett, founder and CEO of Ditch the Label, said: “At Ditch the Label, we are incredibly passionate about working with local businesses and people. We approached Burger Brothers as we were already familiar with their gourmet burgers and felt that there was a very strong fit between both brands. We have taken something really fun and lighthearted and used it to help us with something very serious that affects the majority of us at some point.”
Pip Ravindra, co-founder of the Burger Brothers, added: “We are really excited about working with Ditch the Label and burgers aside, we think that this is a really important issue and we are incredibly proud to be supporting it. Our burgers are all beautifully hand crafted with top notch ingredients and so the DTL Quattro will not disappoint!”
The Ditch the Label DTL Quattro is100% prime British beef infused with parmesan, locally sourced and minced in house with a slice of Monterey jack cheese, a slice of cheddar and a generous slab of creamy goats cheese.
It will be available at Burger Brothers, 97 North Road, Brighton from November 18 – November 24. The burger costs £9 with £4.50 being donated to Ditch the Label from every burger sold. Open 7 days a week, 12 noon-11pm.
Ditch the Label provide support to thousands of vulnerable young people both online and offline, working with schools, colleges and media outlets to help reduce the effect and prominence of bullying within the UK and to teach young people that it is okay to be different.
For more information about Ditch the Label, CLICK HERE:
Stonewall, the LGB equality charity has published a ground-breaking review of its annual Workplace Equality Index which finds it continues to be ‘best in class’. The review confirms that organisations that took part year-on-year see tangible transformations in their workplaces.
The Workplace Equality Index Five Year Review, supported by EY, shows that the Index remains the most effective proven tool in Britain for improving the lives of lesbian, gay and bisexual people at work.
The Workplace Equality Index is the definitive benchmark for employers who want to provide the best possible working environment for their lesbian, gay and bisexual staff.
Over 800 organisations have entered Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index over the last ten years from across the private, public and third sectors.
The Five Year Review enables Stonewall, and leading employers in the Workplace Equality Index, to further develop best-practice for gay employees in Britain and around the world. The review sets out detailed plans for how organisations can ensure that equality in the workplace is a continuing commitment and looks at the challenges faced in engaging with harder to reach staff – particularly lesbians and bisexual people and black and minority ethnic gay staff.
Ruth Hunt
Stonewall’s Deputy Chief Executive Ruth Hunt said: “Leading employers from across the country know that improving the working environment for gay employees makes good business sense. They also know that the Workplace Equality Index is the best tool for accelerating and embedding this work. This review will ensure that Stonewall’s Workplace Programme remains the best in class for improving the lives of gay people in the workplace”.
To view Workplace Equality Index Five Year ReviewCLICK HERE:
To view details of Stonewall’s Workplace Programme CLICK HERE:
From its sudden and clever opening to the equally dramatic close this new production directed by Simon McBurney’s of Complicite – the game changing theatre group he founded in the 80’s – caught the attention of the audience and kept it held close like one of the delightful flapping paper birds that followed Papageno around. The setting feels organically oppressive, from some twisted industrial imaginarium, not the cutest setting but it does rather grab the attention and in Complicites usual style nothing is quite what it seems and dark magical adventure is all around.
It’s a delightful odd story anyway so all this mucking about and sheer inventive staging adds clarity to parts and detracts from some of the more obscure plot points, in fact even with all its crepuscular suggestiveness I thought this was one of clearest performances of The Magic Flute I’ve seen, mostly making as much sense as is possible from this late Mozart opera.
Ben Johnson as Tamino was convincing and full voiced throughout but I never really cared or felt for him, Cornelia Götz as the Queen of the Night was effectively menacing but also her vulnerability and cornered demented rage is highlighted and there was more than a touch of Baby Jane about the mad desperate wheelchair choreography. It was all very darkly camp, her coloratura arias were produced with fire but little passion. Equally ambiguous is James Creswell whose cult like father figure of Sarastro is supported by his creepy corporate accolades, all logic and reason but with a cold hearted complicit determination. Devon Guthrie brought a determined voice to her role as Pamina. Roland Wood’s Papageno was one of the best timed comedy performances I’ve witnessed this year and his accomplished baritone singing only added to his charming presence. The rather underused but utterly delightful Mary Bevan as Papagena brought the perfect contrast out and I was transfixed. Special mention must go to the wonderfully creepy performance from Brian Galliford as Monostatos who managed to elicit both sympathy and disgust at the same time, and the three boys whose veiled and magical appearance was as ethereally spot on as their singing.
The deconstructive staging, a hallmark of Complicite was effective and honest and brought the often hidden workings of stage hands, quick changes and clever effects to the front of the stage and injected some clever knowing humour. It’s fun to be able to see and appreciate the effort that goes into such stage effects and something as simple as a hand writing on a projected chalk board and then wiping the board in the rhythms of the music is surprisingly effective at setting the scene. The raised pit which brought us the orchestra up close and some spot-lighted flute and glockenspiel playing (for the magical bells) also added to this feeling of being part of the action. The subtle battle between superstition and enlightenment is brought to the fore in this staging and no one character is allowed the simplicity of a pure interpretation, this is reflected in the main stage which is constantly titling, raising and lowering. This convincing and transformative effect bringing the story alive, the projections – both live from the side of the stage – and some immersive representations of the trials were wonderfully witty and were visually arresting, the water trial being particularly witty.
Gergely Madarasb conducted with passion and this young man brought a jumpy enthusiastic clarity to the score, although on occasion producing something slower than I would have liked. Overall the music had the freshness and verve that’s necessary to move the narrative on. Conversely there were already parts of the narrative that were being hop, skipped and jumped over so this altering of pace was slightly disconcerting to me, but my companion who had not seen Opera before was transfixed and followed the story with ease. The downside of this production is the libretto. The translation was less than sparkling and I felt that a little more attention could have been paid to word choice with no expense to the jokes.
This was a funny and interesting performance, and funny in lots of new ways, with some uber chic nods towards social media and some very old-fashioned stage effect jokes. It’s a thoughtful & comical production and one the ENO should be rightly proud of staging, and it’s also a perfect pre Christmas Opera too, light, silly, sublime, a touch of fireworks more than a hefty dollop of Tim Burton type darkness and balanced with the sublime music, leaving you with an all round warm feeling of an evening well spent
Recommended!
English National Opera
The Magic Flute by W.A. Mozart
London Colosseum. St Martins Lane. London
Until December 7
Performances on Nov 14, 16, 19, 22, 28 & 30 and December 3, 5 & 7
A new three-year programme for HIV prevention in London has been backed by leaders of all 33 London boroughs.
Members of London Councils’ Leaders committee agreed yesterday (Tuesday November 12) that a limited number of key HIV prevention services aimed at gay men and African communities, including condom distribution and some outreach work, will be delivered on a London-wide basis from next year. They have allocated up to £3.4million from public health budgets to set up and run the programme until 2017.
The decision follows a needs assessment, commissioned by London Councils, which brought together the latest evidence on what works in HIV prevention, including the views of service users.
London boroughs account for 18 out of 20 local authorities with the highest diagnosed prevalence rate of HIV in the country. New diagnoses of HIV rose by eight per cent in London from 2,615 in 2011 to 2,832 in 2012, reversing a downward trend since 2003.
Since taking over responsibility for public health in April, boroughs have spent at least £5million, individually and in small collective groups, on commissioning a wide range of services tailored to local communities. The London-wide programme will sit alongside and complement these locally-commissioned projects.
Cllr Teresa O’Neill, London Councils’ Executive member for health, said: “It is alarming to see such a sharp rise in HIV diagnoses, but London boroughs have been quick to act.
“We commissioned a needs assessment in order to find out more about what was happening, which groups were involved and what services worked best.
“Local authorities are well-placed to prevent the spread of HIV as they can commission services on a local level, tailored to the needs of their communities and links them into other services.
“However, we have recognised that there are some cases where it is more effective to work together on a London-wide basis.
“Our aim is to increase sexual health awareness and end the spread of this chronic illness that blights the lives of thousands, through cost-effective, targeted and well managed services.”
Dr Yvonne Doyle, London regional director for Public Health England, added: “HIV continues to be a major public health problem in London and this is an unprecedented opportunity for leaders in the city to change the direction of this complex epidemic.
“HIV does not respect geographical boundaries and this new London-wide approach in certain areas to tackle the infection could add great value to existing local initiatives.
“Men who have sex with men and black African heterosexuals remain the groups with the highest HIV prevalence in London and it is important that there are cohesive and collaborative services across the city to support them.
“Reaching people most at risk of contracting HIV, promoting messages about HIV prevention, ensuring easy access to testing with seamless transition to high quality care for people who test HIV positive, coupled with services that foster positive attitudes, increase knowledge and encourage healthy behaviours, are all key features of an effective HIV prevention programme.”
Paul Ward
Paul Ward, Acting Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “We are delighted that London Councils have committed to fund a new pan-London HIV prevention programme, which we have argued the need for. We know there are at least ten thousand people with undiagnosed HIV in London currently. That is ten thousand too many. London needs a city-wide plan to stop the spread of HIV and this decision to fund coordinated action provides a much-needed boost to the effort to bring HIV in the capital under control.”
Accidents on Brighton & Hove’s roads have fallen by 12.5% since the Greens took office, according to a major survey by the Department for Transport. At the same time, accidents across the South East fell by just 1% and in England as a whole by only 5%. This is despite the fact that Brighton & Hove’s population is rising rapidly, with more people than ever before using the city’s streets.
Cllr Ian Davey
Lead member for transport, Councillor Ian Davey, said: “This survey proves in black and white what we have been saying since we took office: we are introducing policies that make the roads of Brighton & Hove healthier and safer.
“Opposition councillors and pro-motorist campaigners want us to roll back time and return to the transport policies of the last administration. But do they also want more accidents on our roads each year? Because that’s what a roll-back would mean.
“Our streets are now safer. Sometimes people claim that Greens are anti-car. We are not anti-car but we are for safer streets for everyone. And that’s what this survey demonstrates we are achieving”
Cllr Warren Morham
Cllr Warren Morgan, leader of Labour & Cooperative, said: “We welcome this reduction, which is line with the national decrease seen in recent years”
At a time when the Greens’ road policies are coming under fire from motorists’ and taxi drivers’ campaigns such as Unchain the Motorist, the Greens claim the survey provides evidence that their policies are working: there are now one in eight fewer accidents than before the Green administration launched its transport initiative and a much higher drop in accidents than seen nationally or across the region.
Cllr Graham Cox
Graham Cox, the Conservative Transport Spokesperson, added: “I am pleased that the record levels of transport funding provided by the Conservative led Government is leading to a fall in road casualties in our city. We will continue to support further road safety measures which are based on sound evidence, so that the casualty rate falls further.”
No matter how naughty you’ve been, you’ll end up in the good books of the Brighton Bear Weekender organisers if you go along to the Saints and Sinners party at Subline on Saturday, November 30 from 8 until late, because they will be donating 50% of the door take to the Rainbow Fund.
Repent at leisure while doing your bit for charity.
Entry is £3 for members, or £5 for non-members. There will be prizes, castigations, and a free jelly shot or two. Divine or demonic costume is encouraged, but not required.
The Rainbow Fund is an independent fund administered by the Sussex Community Foundation. It makes grants to LGBT organisations providing front live services to the LGBT community in Brighton & Hove.
WHAT: Saints and Sinners Party
WHERE: Subline
WHEN: Saturday, November 30
TIME: 8 till late
COST: Entry is £3 for members, or £5 for non-members
The Ditch the Label DTL Quattro is 100% prime British beef infused with parmesan, locally sourced and minced in house with a slice of Monterey jack cheese, a slice of cheddar and a generous slab of creamy goats cheese.
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