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Day: February 11, 2014

Live Music preview: Sophie Ellis-Bextor at Concorde 2

Posted on by Graham Robson

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Pop’s silver-tongued starlet Sophie Ellis-Bextor returns to the Concorde 2, Brighton on Monday, April 14 at 7pm.

Fresh from dancing the foxtrot on Strictly Come Dancing, the singer is set to perform the pop hits Murder on the Dancefloor and Catch You at a gig to promote her new hit album Wanderlust, the singer’s highest-charting since 2001’s Read My Lips, which features the return-to-roots indie gem, Young Blood.

When: Monday, April 14 at 7pm.

Where: Concorde 2, Madeira Drive, Brighton, BN2 1EN.

Tickets: £20 + booking fee.

To book, click here:

Dean Street Express brings the world’s fastest sexual health results to Soho

Posted on by Besi

The team from NHS sexual health clinic 56 Dean Street are launching a new service which allows gay men to walk in for a routine sexual health check up and get all their results within 6 hours.

56 Dean Street

56 Dean Street, is opening a second location at 34 Dean Street. The new walk in service is called Dean Street Express and is designed for gay men who just want their routine check-up +/- HIV test. Three monthly sexual health and HIV testing is now recommended by Public Health England for all gay men who regularly have new sexual partners, even if they have not noticed anything wrong. Dean Street Express is designed to make this process both convenient and efficient.

Users check in by touchscreen and are given a self test kit to take their own swab tests in a private screening room. They then see a nurse for blood and 60 second HIV testing. Dean Street Express is the first sexual health clinic in the world to have an on site Infinity machine. This cutting edge technology is capable of processing Gonorrhoea and Chlamydia samples in only 90 minutes. Blood samples are carried by express courier to the lab every hour. Users can expect to get all their results by SMS text within 6 hours.

The main clinic at 56 Dean Street is still there for anyone who has noticed something wrong, has questions, needs to see a doctor or thinks they may need treatment. The experts at 56 Dean Street are there to help if someone has a positive result at Dean Street Express. . ‘During our trial run we had someone come into Dean Street Express at midday and was treated for their chlamydia at 56 Dean Street by 4pm the same day. It’s an amazing advance’ said Leigh Chislett, Clinic Manager

Dean Street Express was designed by architect practice Penson who last year won ‘FX International Design Practice of the Year’. We explained that we wanted Dean Street Express to look completely different from any existing clinic and they have certainly achieved that’ said Dr Alan McOwan, Lead Clinician at 56 Dean Street.

Dean Street Express launches on Monday 10th February. Users must have a mobile phone number capable of receiving SMS text messages to use the service. It is located at 34 Dean Street, Soho, London, W1D 4PR.

56 Dean Street & Dean Street Express opening times:

• Monday: 8am – 7pm

• Tuesday: 8am – 7pm

• Wednesday: 12 – 7pm

• Thursday: 8am – 7pm

• Friday: 9am – 4pm

• Saturday: 11am – 4pm

• Sunday: closed

For more information, CLICK HERE:

 

 

 

 

Walking Tour Celebrates Brighton’s Oddities

Posted on by Besi

A walking tour of Brighton starts its new season in April.

Ric Morris
Ric Morris

Only in Brighton, a walking tour led by local tour guide and performer Ric Morris, highlights the lesser-known curiosities of the city.

Ric said about his tour: “Brighton possesses so much that is distinctive and unique – a Green MP, the independent shops, street art, the gay community – I want to celebrate these alongside the quirky facts that this city so regularly throws up.” 

As well as highlighting the alternative side of the city, Ric puts a new spin on the well-known aspects of Brighton’s past such as the Prince Regent and the Royal Pavilion.

He said: “Prince George really was the first person to put the ‘party’ into Brighton – his antics could fill a book, while the Pavilion is an amazing building – sometimes we need reminding of that”.

Ric has designed Only in Brighton to appeal both to locals and visitors. He continued: “There are some in-jokes for people who live here, and I guarantee everybody will find out something about Brighton they didn’t know before. Equally, it is a great way for people on their first visit to look beyond the picture postcards and find out what really makes the city tick”.

Ric has been a qualified Blue Badge Tourist Guide for 13 years and performs improvised comedy with Brighton-based troupe The Twitnits.

Only in Brighton runs every Friday and Saturday evening at 7pm from outside Al Duomo restaurant, next to the Royal Pavilion, from April 4 to the end of October.

The cost is £8 (£6 concessions) and there is no need to book.

For more information CLICK HERE:

Or telephone: 07954 482112

 

Stonewall launches new guidance to tackle endemic levels of online abuse

Posted on by Besi

Stonewall, the LGB equality charity have published new guidance in partnership with O2 to help gay young people stay safe online.

Stonewall

Staying Safe Online is launching to coincide with Safer Internet Day (February 11) and will be distributed to secondary schools across Britain. The guide provides practical advice for teachers and parents to help lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) young people avoid abuse and cyberbullying.

The guidance comes in response to stats showing that almost a quarter of gay young people experience cyberbullying. This abuse has a devastating impact on a young person’s self-esteem and in the worst cases can impact on mental health and well-being, leading to self-harm and suicide.

The publication also seeks to tackle deeply worrying levels of ‘sexting’ among gay young people. New research published by Stonewall, in association with ChildLine, reveals the shocking extent to which gay young people share sexually explicit images of themselves.

The research shows that LGB teenagers are significantly more likely to send and receive sexually explicit material than young people in general. ‘Sexting’ is classified as the sharing of self-generated sexually explicit images or videos by mobile phone or online.

Shockingly, 59 per cent of all gay young people who participated in the survey had created a sexual photo or video of themselves. This compares to 40 per cent of straight young people who responded. Of the gay young people who created these images, 47 per cent sent it to someone they knew online but had never met in real life.

Ruth Hunt
Ruth Hunt

Stonewall’s Acting Chief Executive Ruth Hunt said: “It’s disturbing but unsurprising to see these deeply worrying statistics. The internet can be a real lifeline for lesbian, gay and bisexual young people who feel isolated and alone. However, sadly, it also leaves them vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. We’re delighted to work with O2 to publish Staying Safe Online which will help teachers and parents provide practical ways to keep gay young people safe online and help them find vital age-appropriate information.”

Derek McManus, Chief Operating Officer at Telefónica O2 added: “As a leading communications company in a digital world, we think businesses need to do more to support young people. This means not only helping them make the most of their digital skills, but helping them to be safe online.

“As a Director at O2 and Board Sponsor for Diversity & Inclusion I believe we have a responsibility to help all young people stay safe online and we are proud to be working with Stonewall towards that goal.”

For more information CLICK HERE: 

You can also follow the discussion on Facebook and Twitter by using: #SafeOnline

 

England women’s football captain comes out

Posted on by Besi

“How can I expect other people to speak about themselves if I’m not willing to do that myself?”

Casey Stoney
Casey Stoney

Casey Stoney, the Arsenal Ladies defender told BBC sport that she made her decision following the positive public reaction to olympic diver Tom Daley coming out last month.

She said that while she no longer wanted to live a lie her sexuality was always know and accepted in footballing circles.

She added: “I feel it’s really important for me to speak out as a gay player because there are so many people struggling who are gay, and you hear about people taking their own lives because they are homosexual. That should never happen.

“How can I expect other people to speak about themselves if I’m not willing to do that myself?”

Casey thinks world governing body Fifa set the wrong example by awarding the World Cup to Russia and Qatar.

She said: “I won’t be going to Russia or Qatar to watch a World Cup because I wouldn’t be accepted there.” 

“I think it’s incredible that these countries get World Cups and Olympics when they don’t accept everybody to go there and be part of it. There will be [Olympic] athletes competing out [in Russia] who are gay. I can’t imagine how frightened they must feel going out there and competing.

“When Russian President Vladimir Putin says that gay people can come over but please don’t go near the children, what sort of message is that sending if he is that uneducated and he’s ruling that country? It seriously worries me.

“It’s about educating the people at the top, all the way down.

Simon Smith a spokesperson for the Gay Football Supports Network, said: “The GFSN sends our best wishes to Casey Stoney on publicly coming out. The subject of homophobia in football is rapidly evolving and while we look forward to the day when a player’s sexuality is not an issue it’s encouraging that more and more are feeling comfortable in being open about it.”

GFSN

 

‘Have a Word’ tonight as part of LGBT History Month

Posted on by Besi

Have A Word…LGBTQ Arts Poetry Performance night returns to the Latest Music Bar this evening.

Have a Word, February

Artists appearing include:

• V G Lee…Comedian Author Columnist

• Lesley Thomson… Novelist

• Rosie Wilby …Comedian Writer and Broadcaster

• Colin Bell… Novelist Poet

• Della Lupa … Singers Musicians Artists

• DJ Josh The Barber

Colour this month is PINK!

What: Have a Word, LGBTQ Arts Literary Spoken Word Music Event…

Where: Latest Music Bar, Manchester Street, Brighton

When: February 11

Time: Doors open 7pm

Tickets: CLICK HERE:

Have a word in February

 

 

EGM for Local Action Team

Posted on by Besi

The St James’ Community Action Group (SJCAG) will be holding an EGM on Wednesday, February 12.

St James' Community Action Group

The EGM will take place at St Mary’s Church, 61 St James Street at 7pm and will be chaired by Chris Gull who facilitated the original public meeting in November 2012 at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church attended by the Police and Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne and Simon Kirby, MP for Kemptown & Peacehaven which ultimately resulted in the formation of the SJCAG.

St James’ Community Action Group is a Local Action Teams (LAT) that works effectively with the Police and other statutory bodies to determine priorities, particularly in relation to neighbourhood policing.

In a letter to residents dated February 10, SJCAG Chairperson, Chris Cooke has asked local residents to attend the EGM to determine if the organisation continues as “a community led organisation free of party political and special interest influence.”

Chris said: “I am encouraging each member to attend this important meeting as it will determine the future direction of our community group.”

“I am as passionate today about the St.James’ neighbourhood as I was back in November 2012 when the group was launched arising from the outrage caused by a violent attack on an innocent individual going about his normal business.”

He listed the issues now affecting the group as:

• The continued development of a community led, non party political, independent Action Group

• Discussions within SJCAG must take place in a non-partisan way without vitriol and in a manner that shows respect for all concerned

• The overall aim of the group should be to improve the quality of life for everyone in the community with maximum effort to ensure the Police, the Council, and other statutory bodies are accountable in a transparent way to the community”

Mr Cooke is calling for members to give a new executive committee, with himself as chair, support to continue the work initiated over the last 15 months.

The EGM was called following a petition by a group of residents and members of the SJCAG steering group who want to elect a full committee to run the SJCAG which now has just two elected officers in post.

The SJCAG agreed to an EGM despite the annual AGM being scheduled for April-May 2014.

A statement from the petitioners circulated on February 10, said: “We petitioned for an election open to all of new officers to lead on the three priorities mandated by the community at our first AGM in April 2013: Cleaning and Greening, Community Priorities for Community Policing and a Shared Space Scheme for St James’s Street.”

In explaining why they had petitioned for the EGM meeting, they said: “Since our first AGM in April 2013 when officers were elected: the Chair, Communications Officer and Secretary have been absent and no one has taken their place or fulfilled their roles at any public meeting of St James’s Community Action Group. The only elected officers to have fulfilled their roles were the Vice Chair who chaired every meeting June to September and resigned in October and the Treasurer who remained in place attending every meeting until resigning last week.”

To find factual details of what SJCAG have achieved in the last 18 months, CLICK HERE: 

What: SJCAG EGM

Where: St Mary’s Church, corner of St James Street and Upper Rock Gardens

When: Wednesday, February 12

Time: 7pm

 

 

 

“I am an openly proud gay man.”

Posted on by Besi

American college footballer Michael Sam comes out in interview with ESPN’s Outside the Lines.

Michael Sam
Michael Sam

Sam, a defensive lineman with the Missouri Tigers, said: “its a load of my chest.”  He confirmed he had told his team mates last August, saying: “they took it great, they rallied round me, they supported me and I could’nt ask for better team mates.”

At present there are no openly gay American footballers, baseball players, hockey players or basketball players playing in the United States and Sam’s decision to come out is unique for a young sportsman as high profile sports people in the past who chose to come out did so after they had retired.

He said he wanted to “own the trust” and make an announcement before any newspaper chose to out him.

He said he did not want to be defined as the “first openly gay sportsman in the US” to come out rather as “someone with great character and personality.” 

Sam is eligible for the NFL draft in May and assuming that he is drafted, will become the first openly gay player in the history of the NFL.

In interviews with ESPN and the New York Times he said he made the decision after his experience two weeks ago at the Senior Bowl where it seemed many people were already aware of his sexual orientation.

“I didn’t realize how many people actually knew, and I was afraid that someone would tell or leak something out about me,” he said. “I want to own my truth. … No one else should tell my story but me.”

On Sunday night, the NFL released a statement supporting Sam.

It read: “We admire Michael Sam’s honesty and courage,” NFL senior vice president of communications Greg Aiello said in the statement: “Michael is a football player. Any player with ability and determination can succeed in the NFL. We look forward to welcoming and supporting Michael Sam in 2014.”

He came out to his parents during a phone call last week, he said: “I told my mom and dad last week, and they just pretty much said we knew and we love you and support you.”

“I’m their baby boy. I’m the first to go to college. I’m the first to graduate college. Something like this is just another milestone.”

Sam said he understood that his life was about to change forever and was happy and proud to be speaking out at last.

He concluded saying:  “I’m not afraid to tell the world who I am. I’m Michael Sam: I’m a college graduate. I’m African American, I’m gay and I’m comfortable in my skin.”

Michael Sam

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