Cheek2Cheek, Brighton’s LGBT Ballroom and Latin Dance Club are to compete at the European Same-Sex Dance Championships in Blackpool.
A team of five couples are taking their show dance, first performed at Cheek2Cheek’s Annual Ball last January, to Blackpool, the home of Ballroom and Latin dancing.
Choreographed by Robb Singer, Cheek2Cheek’s professionally trained dance teacher, the show dance team’s routine, which includes the paso doblé, waltz, foxtrot and quickstep, is based on the music tracks from the film Victor Victoria.
The competition to be held in June, draws entrants from all over the world and is being organised by the Sugar Dandies, Soren and Bradley, the openly gay ballroom dance couple seen on Britain’s Got Talent.
The team, all amateur dancers, attend the Brighton based dance club held every Tuesday in Brighton. New members are always welcome, with or without any prior experience, and no partner is required.
For more information about the competition, CLICK HERE:
For more information about Cheek to Cheek, CLICK HERE:
Jan Gooding has been unanimously and formally confirmed as Stonewall’s new Chair of Trustees.
Jan Gooding, Photo: VisMedia
She succeeds Jacqueline Davies who retires after serving as a trustee for nine years and as Chair of Stonewall since 2012. Jan will work closely with Acting Chief Executive Ruth Hunt to continue expanding Stonewall’s work here in Britain and around the world challenging homophobia and prejudice in every walk of life.
Speaking about her appointment Jan said:“While modern Britain has made great progress to ensure equality in law there is still much to do to make the daily experience for gay people here, and in many other countries, free from abuse, rejection and at times violence. As the new Chair of Stonewall I want to use the fundamental legal underpinning, secured over 25 years of committed campaigning by this remarkable organisation and many others, to continue the campaign for true equality.”
Acting Chief Executive Ruth Hunt said:“Jacqueline Davies has had a fantastic nine years as a Stonewall Trustee and we’re incredibly grateful for all her hard work. I, and everyone at Stonewall, are really excited about working with Jan to continue expanding our work. We know that there is still so much work to do to secure full equality here in Britain and right around the globe.”
Jan has been a Stonewall trustee since April 2013 and is currently group brand director at Aviva which she joined in 2008. In her role she is responsible for the brand, marketing and social media strategy reaching 34 million customers in the 15 markets that make up the Aviva Group.
Stonewall was awarded charitable status in 2003 and since then has been at the forefront of securing significant legislative advances for lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Britain. In that time the charity has launched an Education for All programme to tackle homophobic bullying in schools and colleges and has grown membership of its Diversity Champions programme for major employers to 670 organisations, who employ six million people between them.
Conservatives remain united for local elections in 2015.
Cllr Geoffrey Theobald re-elected leader of the Conservative group
Cllr. Geoffrey Theobald has been re-elected unopposed for the third year in a row as Conservative Leader for the forthcoming municipal year at the Group’s AGM.
The Group’s two deputy leaders Woodingdean Ward Councillor, Dee Simson, and Wish Ward Councillor, Garry Peltzer Dunn were also re-elected without challenge.
The Conservative Group is the Official Opposition on Brighton & Hove City Council, holding 18 out of the 54 seats. Cllr. Theobald became Group Leader following the local elections in May 2011 and is the longest serving of the three Party Leaders on the Council.
Cllr. Theobald said:“I am delighted that my colleagues have given me the honour of leading the Conservative Group for the fourth year and I would like to thank them for their continued support. Unlike the other two political groups I have a united team behind me and we are confident as we begin the countdown to the 2015 local elections.”
Cllr Dee Simpson
Cllr. Simson added:“It is great that my Group colleagues have given me another vote of confidence and I look forward to repaying their faith in me. Both the Green and Labour Groups seem to be riddled with internal divisions at the moment and so I think that residents will appreciate having the choice, in the Conservatives, of a focussed and united party with a clear purpose for 2015.”
Cllr Garry Peltzer Dunn
Cllr. Peltzer Dunn concluded saying:“I have thoroughly enjoyed being the Group’s Deputy Leader for the past three years and so I’m delighted to be able to continue in the role. The countdown to 2015 begins now!”
On July 7, The Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT) celebrates its 25th anniversary.
Since 1989 AKT has supported lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) young people aged 25 and under who are homeless or living in a hostile environment.
Cath Hall, a foster carer based in Manchester, was already aware of the rejection and ejection of young LGBT people from their family homes and was spurred to action following the tragic death of Albert Kennedy on Sunday April 30, 1989.
Albert was 16 years when he tragically fell to his death from a multi-story car park in what is widely regarded as a homophobic hate crime. Albert was very much loved by his family, but whilst spending some time in a children’s home he experienced rejection and homophobia from other residents, and sought solace in Manchester’s gay village. Albert’s mum, Mary, is a very proud supporter of AKT’s work.
Cath decided to set up a trust in Albert’s name to provide safe homes for LGBT young people who had faced rejection from their families and from society at large. Initially providing safe spaces with volunteer carers in Manchester, the Trust now works in three cities (London, Manchester and Newcastle) providing mentoring, advocacy and training as well as safe homes with carers and within our own Purple Door project.
On the Trust reaching its 25th Anniversary Cath said:“I had a vision, a passionate vision, that no young LGBT young person should live in fear at home. Like a baton, that vision had to be passed on.
“Over 25 years passionate and dedicated LGBT men and women have taken up the baton to ensure that thousands of young people have been touched by that dream and could live in safety, or with guidance, into adulthood. “
Albert Kennedy Trust at Pride
In order to commemorate Albert’s life and the work being undertaken in his name AKT are asking users across social media to use the hash tag #rememberingalbert on the 25th anniversary of his death.
Supporters can also send the special text giving code “ALBT25 £10” to 70070 to give the Albert Kennedy Trust £10, and help them continue their work helping young people made homeless purely for being brave enough to come out.
To celebrate the 25th Anniversary the Trust has commissioned a new logo to highlight the milestone which, from today (April 30), will be used across the website, social media and promotional material throughout the 25th Anniversary year.
A number of special events will also take place including a Lord Mayor’s Reception in July, the AKT Party which will give the opportunity for supporters to host their own fundraising event in September and the Young Person’s Question Time in July which will give young people the opportunity to ask questions to housing ministers and shadow ministers.
Tim Sigsworth, Chief Executive of The Albert Kennedy Trust, said:“My hope for the next 25 years is that AKT will no longer be needed. I hope that society will reach a level of equality and fairness where young people are accepted by their families and mainstream provision truly recognises and meets their needs. Until then AKT intends to grow to meet need nationally”
Brighton Pride 2014 and the Wild Fruit Dance Tent has been supersized, and returns to Preston Park this year bigger than ever before.
With a new added capacity of up to 8,000, the Wild Fruit Dance Tent will be home to happy, dancing Pride goers who can dance till 10pm as the Pride festival enjoys extended opening hours.
Admission to the Wild Fruit Tent will now only be restricted in the unlikely event of adverse weather conditions or overcapacity issues, so this year you can once again party with Wild Fruit at Pride without the queues.
The supersized Wild Fruit Dance tent will feature a unique celebratory mix of amazing DJs, lights, lasers, surprise PA’s and glorious go-go dancers.
DJs who’ve put the party into Brighton Pride over the past twenty years have included Fatboy Slim, Boy George, Prok & Fitch, Mr Haywood, Steve Pitron, Mark Doyle and Maze & Masters as well as local wonder girl Dulcie Danger.
2014 will deliver yet another unbeatable line-up of DJs whose sole aim is to soundtrack Brighton’s finest of days.
From noon until that final one more tune moment at 10pm you can expect the most magical of Pride celebrations in 2014.
Watch this space for DJ and PA announcements and get ready to put your hands in the air for Pride. The Wild Fruit Dance Tent 2014. Supersized, super fabulous and filled with Pride love.
What: Pride Brighton & Hove 2014: Freedom To Live
Where: Preston Park 12noon – 10pm.
When: Saturday, August 2
Tickets: £9 /£12.50 Early Bird tickets Sold out.
Discounted £15 advance (first release) until end of May, then £17.50 in June /£20 in July and more on the day.
Mike Weatherley, Intellectual Property Adviser to the Prime Minister and the Conservative MP for Hove and Portslade, is calling for advertising to be cut to websites that host illegal material, which he says will effectively shut them down.
Mike Weatherley, MP for Hove and Portslade
Mike, a strong backer of the newly-formed Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), which tackles Intellectual Property (IP) crime across the country, has been working with officers from the specialist unit and the Intellectual Property Office to draw up a strategy for tacking websites that host copyrighted material, such as music and films.
Mike is expecting that a report on the IPO’s deliberations will be available in early June. As part of this review, Mike is working with WhiteBullet and other anti-piracy companies on a voluntary code with major brand advertisers as a first step. The next step will be to tackle advertisers that do not sign up to the voluntary code, which are generally those representing products which are unaffected by whether or not their brand is associated with illegal activity.
Mike is also hosting a session on ‘Follow the Money’ at the forthcoming IPO ‘Respect for IP’ conference on Wednesday June 11, plus planning to host an advertising event on the subject in Parliament on Tuesday, June 24.
Mike said:“Following the money is central to my campaign to tackle IP crime. It’s quite straightforward in that the primary driver for individuals hosting websites with illegal content is money. By cutting off this significant revenue stream, it is inevitable that thousands of websites will simply close down. While the music and film industries have been slow to adapt to the digital market, there are now a plethora of cheap and simple ways to get content legally.”
Readers of G3 and Out in the City magazines have voted Pride in London 2013 the Event of the Year.
The Award was announced by Charlie Condou and Sophie Ward and presented by Dan Gillespie Sells at a ceremony at the Landmark Hotel where winners in other categories included Joey Barton, Paul O’Grady, Heather Peace, Jane Hill and Tom Daley.
Pride organisers say this is “an incredible vote of confidence in voluntary organisation Pride in London”, who took over delivery of the event in 2013 and have won this award straight out of the blocks in their first year of delivery. It’s also a tribute to the small army of volunteers who make Pride in London possible as stewards on the day, by running events as part of the festival or by planning the event in collaboration with the London authorities.
Planning for Pride in London 2014 is now well advanced but there are still lots of opportunities for individuals and organisations to get involved.
Chair of Pride in London Michael Salter said:“We’re delighted that our first year organising Pride has been judged so positively by our community. I am immensely proud of the hundreds of volunteers who make Pride possible and I hope that this recognition will encourage others to join us. There are so many different roles available that there really is something for everyone.
“I also hope that organisations will step forward to put on events as part of the Pride Festival. It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase your work or talent to a wider audience, find new supporters or new audiences and show the world the power and achievements of London’s LGBT community.
“Despite being run by volunteers, it still costs a lot to deliver Pride in the middle of one of the greatest and busiest cities in the world. So if you can support us through our exciting crowdfunding campaign or work in an organisation that could sponsor Pride, we’d love to hear from you. Visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/freedomto to find out more.”
To help Pride with their crowdfunding campaign to raise £25,000, CLICK HERE:
London LGBT+ Community Pride is a Community Interest Company (CIC) appointed by the Mayor of London to deliver Pride in London from 2013 to 2017. It is run by volunteers and any surplus made can only be used for future Pride events or distributed as grants to LGBT+ community causes.
Patrons of Pride in London are: Sir Ian McKellen, Martina Navratilova, Sir Elton John and David Furnish.
Alan Stables explores the delights of the capitol of Vietnam, the former Saigon.
Whilst you may not have thought of Ho Chi Minh, formerly Saigon, as being a holiday destination, I urge you to rethink. It is a city full of interesting surprises with a distinctive mixture of colonial French style mingled with refreshing designs of the East.
Nowadays Ho Chi Minh is a bustling city full of luxury shopping, pristine parks and motorbikes. Yes you will see plenty of them. You can get your genuine Louis Vuitton, Dior or Hermes in the same street as you find hawkers selling cutting out cards, fridge magnets and motorbike helmets. Indeed something for everyone.
On the theme of shopping I recommend the new Vincom centre at 70 Le Thanh Ton. Full of luxury brands you can also find a food court on the lower floors. It is also very cruisy.
If you go to Ho Chi Minh, then you really need to stay in District 1. This is where most of the important buildings are located such as the Notredame church, the Saigon Opera House and the most important shops and hotels.
For accommodation, you cannot go wrong with the Saigon River Boutique Hotel. A gay friendly hotel decorated in contemporary classic, it is great value for money and located in the heart of district 1, that it is the only real place to stay for the average traveller.
Daniel at reception will attend to your every request, and is at hand to guide and inform you. 24 hours a day door security is an added bonus too.
Daniel at the River Boutique Hotel
A double room with balcony and single occupancy costs US49 (£30), whereas one without window and single occupancy costs US31 (£19). Free wifi in the room is included. The price includes a modest breakfast with a choice of eggs whichever way you want them with baguette, pork dumplings with tomato or my favourite, banana pancakes with a sprinkling of cinnamon and honey dribbled on top. A more extensive breakfast menu is available depending upon your appetite at an extra cost.
Breakfast is taken in the Roof Top Café, a small oasis of plants and lanterns on the top floor of the hotel. Here you can also eat throughout the day from their menu, and try some local food too.
The owners, Tim and Graeme, are also open to hosting dinner parties and can arrange a unique dining experience for you. They offer various options according to your tastes and budget. They will also gladly inform you about some excellent Vietnamese cuisine restaurants in the area, should that be your wish.
Overnight guests are allowed, but they must leave their IDs at reception. When the guest collects his ID you will be contacted to ensure everything is OK before his departure from the hotel. For the management your safety comes first.
War Remnants Museum
One of the most interesting museums is the War Remnants Museum, which presents testimony of atrocities during the Vietnam War (1956-1975). For a more in depth experience you can also take a tour to Cu Chi tunnels, to see how the Vietnamese soldiers lived and operated under ground during the conflict.
There are no exclusively gay bars in Ho Chi Minh City, they all tend to be mixed. Centro at 11-13 Lam Son Square for example occasionally offers a drag night, and Republic at 63/201 Dong Du located at an upper ground area decked out in blue lights are the places to go are within easy walking distance of the hotel and best to check out after 11 pm.
Godmother Saigon Bar at 129 Cong Quynh Street another venue located in the backpacking area of District 1, and best visited before 10 pm. The offer reasonably priced food – try the pineapple and Thai seafood rice – and the barmen are welcoming and polite.
When it comes to saunas, there is a big choice. NaDam at 12/29/1 QL13, Hiep Binh Chanh Ward, Thu Duc District is a must. To get there, ask Daniel at the hotel for a map. A taxi costs 100.000 to 140.000 dong (£2.85 to £4.00) to get there. Entry which is payable when you leave is 195.000 dong (approx. £5.50). Beautifully decorated with a dimly lit jacuzzi, sauna with salts, steam room with herbal fragrances, and plenty of rest areas, it is undoubtedly one of the finest exclusively male sauna places in Asia.
You could also go local and try the TD Spa at 372/25 Cach Mang Thang Tam Street in District 3. From 372, take the alley right down to the end. They have blind masseurs here – you can choose to go VIP or normal. The difference is that VIP means a massage with a happy ending.
Main Post Office
Again there are plenty of food choices in the city. One of my favourites is Jaspers at 33 Dong Khoi St which offers international cuisine. But equally you could go for a drink at Mojo Cafe at 88 Dong Khoi , or for a fine French restaurant you could try Le Bourgeois, a high end restaurant within the premises of the Intercontinental Hotel Saigon, next to the Saigon Opera House. Having said that tripadvisor places La Villa French Restaurant at 14 Ngo Quang Huy, Thao Dien Ward in District 2 as the French restaurant with the highest score.
Notre Dame Church
Vietnam is the second largest coffee producer in the world, after Brazil. No surprise then that there is a distinctive coffee culture. Coffee shops abound from the specialist coffee shop such as Trung Nguyen, those adapted to a Western culture such as Highlands Coffee and the more local social coffee shop that you find on most corners. Certainly trying the local coffee is a must do activity during your trip.
If you are hesitant about travelling on your own to such a far off country where you do not know the customs or language, then one thing you could do is take up the service of Holiday House Boys. You pay for an additional bedroom for the Holiday House Boy, and take on the services of a guide to personalise your trip to your taste. Being available 24/7, your chosen Holiday House Boy meets you at the airport, and looks after your safety and well-being, in addition to being able to show the true Vietnamese lifestyle. He will bargain on your behalf when you go shopping, find you the best exchange rate and will make sure that you have a memorable time. Note that this service is purely of a tourist nature, not a sexual one. It costs US95 (approx. 57 GB Pounds) per day. For a lone traveller it is the safe way to travel.
Of coure Ho Chi Minh has much more to offer – try a cooking class and learn to cook the Vietnamese way, try your bargaining skills at Ben Thanh market, attend a water puppet show or the dance and light show called AO at the impressive Saigon Opera House. When you get there you will notice how cheap it is and don’t let all those 0’s in the currency put you off.
Have a fab time. I did.
Currency:
1 GB Pounds = approx. 35000 Vietnamese Dong
Visa Requirements:
Entering Vietnam is a hassle. For British citizens you need a visa. You can apply for one in the UK or you can apply for one on entry. I prefer to apply for one on entry. Use the services of My Vietnam Visa to get your invitation letter for US19 (approx. £11.35) and follow their instructions by completing the entry form and having a passport photo with you. Hand your passport, the entry form with attached photo and the invitation letter to the visa application desk at the airport. Then sit and wait to be called up to pay for the visa. Keep your ears open as sometimes it is hard to distinguish your name being called out. This costs an additional US45 (approx. £27). At the airport the visa process can take anything from 15 minutes to 30 minutes. I have heard about longer wait times but that has never happened to me yet.
Getting there:
If you do not mind one stopover, you can fly from London Gatwick to Ho Chi MInh with Emirates Air for £502 depending on your travel dates. Vietnam Airlines appear to be prohibitively expensive at over £1,700, but it all depends on your dates of travel. Etihad Airways, Qatar Airlines and Air France may also be valid options.
New York-based filmmaker, Bonnie Blue Edwards, originally from Alabama, is making a feature-length documentary, Out In Alabama, about the communities in Alabama where LGBT rights are embraced.
The film aims to provide an intimate view of the people who defy prejudice and to showcase the continued hope and redemption in Alabama, as well as across the globe.
In a recent trip to Alabama to film the promo video, Edwards was accompanied by Jeanette Sears, a cinematographer from Ohio who attended graduate school for filmmaking in NYC. The associate producer on the project is Bren Coombs, a lesbian from Texas who now lives and works in LA. Also on board for the promo video was Tyler Jones, a resident and native of Alabama who co-founded 1504 Pictures. This diverse mix of filmmakers from across the US worked diligently and on a budget of zero dollars to create the teaser, which can now be seen on Kickstarter.
The promo video for Out in Alabama states that the documentary will “turn the stereotype on its head and be an inspiring glimpse into the progressive movements happening within unexpected places. It will celebrate the courageous individuals who are pioneering change while also celebrating the culture of the South.”
Edwards, who says of the film, “It is our goal to share these stories in the hope of inspiring further acceptance of the LGBT community, not only in Alabama, but worldwide, as well as reigniting the universal responsibility for compassion,” got her start in the arts, after studying international business, through the storytelling juggernaut The Moth.
Recently, she worked alongside Oscar-nominated actors and producers on the set of Stealing Cars, an independent feature film scheduled for release in 2015. The executive producer of that film was Mark Wahlberg, and the producer was Rachel Winter—who also produced The Dallas Buyers Club which told the story of an AIDS patient in 1980’s Texas.
Acting as a consultant on the film is Academy Award-winner Cynthia Wade, known for her Cinemax/LOGO short documentary Freeheld, about a dying policewoman fighting to leave her pension to her female life partner. This film is now in production as a major motion picture starring Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, and Zach Galifianakis. Her work has been seen on HBO/Cinemax, PBS, A&E, AMC, The History Channel, LOGO, Oxygen, MTV and Discovery.
To touch on the international impact of the project, Edwards and Coombs arranged Skype recordings of supporters from across the globe—one of which is a resident of North Yorkshire. Edwards was introduced to the UK supporter through the English painter/actor Paul Duncan, who is collaborating as artistic director for the project. Duncan has been living in NYC for ten years, and worked with Edwards as an actor in a 2013 theatre production. Duncan and Edwards plan to collaborate more in the future on UK-based projects.
The filmmakers are currently seeking funds for further development and initial footage essential for launching into production via crowdfunding on Kickstarter, hoping to raise $25,000 by May 22.
As part of Catch the Bus Week, Simon Kirby, the Member of Parliament for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, has called on Brighton and Hove City Council to reform their policy towards companion bus pass subsidies.
At present, East Sussex County Council and West Sussex County Council both allow care companions subsidised travel on bus journeys in their areas, when they travel with people who are disabled. However, this is not the situation in Brighton and Hove. Companions using buses either within the City, or travelling out of the City to other parts of Sussex, are currently required to pay.
Simon said:“I have been contacted by constituents who informed me that the City Council’s current approach of providing taxi vouchers is unsatisfactory, making it difficult for them to accompany their disabled companion.”
In response to the concerns of constituents, the Kemptown and Peacehaven MP is calling on Brighton and Hove City Council to allow companions to receive subsidised travel on bus journeys in Brighton and Hove.
Simon added:“Brighton and Hove City Council should follow the lead of neighbouring Council’s by providing companions with subsidised travel. I am sure this would be warmly received by disabled bus users and their companions.
“Having received many representations from constituents who are affected by this, and as it is currently Catch the Bus Week, I have decided to take action.
“Bus travel within the city is especially important for those with disabilities, particularly in helping them maintain their independence, and I believe that their companions should no longer feel unfairly disadvantaged.”
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