menu

National Student Pride to highlight mental health

“Mental health is still a taboo in the LGBT Community – We need to change that”, says author Jonny Benjamin.

WEB.600.7

One in four of LGBT people will face mental health issues in their lives, but the statistics are worryingly more acute for students. A recent study by the National Union of Students produced for parliament showed 4 in 5 students faced mental health issues in the last year.

On top of the pressures any student faces – imagine also being LGBT. Another report by the NUS’s LGBT arm in 2014 showed that 1 in 5 students face homophobia, and 1 in 3 face transphobia.

Jonny Benjamin, was going to take his life before a “stranger on a bridge” stopped him.

Jonny Benjamin
Jonny Benjamin

Speaking ahead of Student Pride where he will be on the panel for the mental health debate, Jonny said: “Struggling with my sexuality was one of the factors that led me to nearly jumping from a bridge when I was 20. Luckily I was talked out of what I was about to do but there are countless others who aren’t.”

He continued: “Events like this are so important. It sends a message out that we’re serious about addressing this. We can change the numbers. People within the LGBT community don’t have to struggle silently alone, get to the point of crisis or sadly take their own lives. It is our role as human beings and members of the LGBT community to help and support other members of the LGBT family, and send them that vital message-It Gets Better.”

A spokesperson for National Student Pride, said: “When 48% of trans people in the UK under 26 have attempted suicide because of discrimination they suffer and mental health charity Re-Think statistics show gay and bisexual men are four times more likely to commit suicide than the rest of the population – it’s time to stand together on this one.”

The Mental Health debate will take place during National Student Pride on February 6, at the University of Westminster’s Marylebone campus, opposite Baker Street.

Speakers on the panel will include:

Matthew Todd – Attitude Magazine Editor (Chair)
Jonny Benjamin – Mental Health Activist and documentary maker
Taz-Edwards White – LGBT Adult Mental Health & Wellbeing Coordinator At Metro
Bisi Alimi – Nigerian LGBT Activist
Munroe Bergdorf – Trans DJ

Taz-Edwards White
Taz-Edwards White

Taz-Edwards White, LGBT Adult Mental Health & Wellbeing Coordinator at Metro, said: “It is really important to look after yourself, especially your mental health, I look forward to exploring this at the Festival’s Mental Health Debate.”

Dr Greg Ussher
Dr Greg Ussher

Metro CEO Dr Greg Ussher, added: “Based on a 7,000 strong survey of young people – we know that LGBTQ+ young people are disproportionately affected by mental health issues – 42% of LGBTQ respondents reported going for medical help for depression or anxiety, compared to 29% of heterosexual non-trans respondents.

“The reasons for this are complex, but factors include: bullying and lack of support in our schools – 65% of LGBTQ+ young people think their school supported its pupils badly in respect of sexuality or gender identity; lack of stability – nearly one in ten LGBTQ+ young people reported they have to leave home for reasons relating to their sexuality or gender identity.”

Hatti Smart
Hatti Smart

Hatti Smart, Student Pride co-chair said: “This year, National Student Pride will be placing a real emphasis on mental health, that affect LGBT youth disproportionately to their peers. It’s time we stood together as a community on this and just as we broke down the prejudice on being gay, bi and trans – start the conversation on taking the taboo out of mental health”

For up to date information about National Student Pride from February 5-7 , click here:

Demonstration against the cuts this Saturday

 

Stop the CutsBrighton & Hove Trade Council, Trade Unions and local campaigning organisations will demonstrate this Saturday, January 30 to raise awareness of the depth of the cuts to local government and build opposition to them.

Cuts to local council funding by the government means essential services are under severe threat with unprecedented cuts to Council services on the cards in Brighton and Hove. Hundreds of jobs are under threat, and by 2020, thousands will have gone.

Across Brighton and East Sussex this could mean, libraries, day care centres for the disabled and special schools closing; special educational needs teachers being cut, end of the housing support service, reductions in sexual health services, youth services and drug rehabilitation services being cut and children’s centres closing.

Cllr Warren Morgan, Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council
Cllr Warren Morgan, Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council

Councillor Warren Morgan, Leader of Labour on Brighton & Hove City Council, said: “We are losing a third or more of our funding for local services, all of the grant from government, over the coming three years. At the same time the costs of providing social care services are increasing rapidly. With over £140 million taken out of the council’s budget by the Conservatives, we will not be able to afford to pay for the same level of services we do currently and still set a legal budget. We are working hard to keep redundancies to a minimum, find different ways of delivering services, raise income from other sources, and find innovative solutions to the extremely difficult financial situation that we and most other councils are facing. It is the job of unions to represent their members, but they need to join with me in taking the fight to Government, not the town hall. I have and will continue to make the case to Government ministers for the funding our services need.”

The demonstration will starts from the Level, Union Road at midday and march to Brighton Town Hall.

A similar demonstration will take place in Eastbourne. Meet at 11am, Bankers Corner, Terminus Road.

Trans activist calls for Jeremy Clarkson to apologise for transphobic remarks

Transgender photographer and activist Sophie Cook calls for Jeremy Clarkson to apologise for recent transphobic remarks in the Sunday Times.

Sophie Cook
Sophie Cook

In his Sunday column Clarkson compared transgender people to “Bangkok Ladyboys”, and said that they were “nothing more than the punchline in a stag night anecdote” and suggested that transgender children were merely having their “whims” indulged by parents.

Sophie said: “I was disappointed, but not overly surprised to read Jeremy Clarkson’s deeply misinformed and misjudged transphobic comments in the press this week.

“He’s already displayed every other form of bigotry so an attack on transgender people was long overdue.”

“If I had been able to come out to my parents at the age of 7 when I knew that I was transgender I would have avoided a lifetime of pain and self harming which included my first suicide attempt at the age of 12.

“Funnily enough, although my children have a transgender parent they aren’t being led astray or influenced by my gender identity, in fact my 15-year-old son is obsessed with cars and Top Gear.

“I recently took him to the O2 to see the Clarkson, Hammond and May Live show, a treat for him and an evening being subjected to Clarkson’s endless childish swearing – “I’m not on the BBC anymore so I can say what I f**king well like” – and bigotry for me.”

In his article Clarkson was outraged at the idea that a child can self identify their gender at an early age.

Sophie continued: “but the reality is that all of us make a decision about our gender identity as we’re growing up. For most people, that decision is congruent with the gender they were assigned at birth but for some it isn’t.”

“My lack of knowledge about what my gender identity meant at the age of 7 led me to attempt suicide for the first time at the age of 12, and children that age shouldn’t be condemned to the level of despair that drives them to that.

“As I was about to go on stage for my show in Bournemouth recently I received a message from an old school friend that I hadn’t seen in 30 years.

“He expressed amazement at the revelations of my gender dysphoria and with the fact that I’d known I was transgender from the age of 7. He felt that a part of his childhood had vanished and asked ‘couldn’t I have told someone?’

“Unfortunately, back in the late 70s, there was no internet and no knowledge of being transgender in society, there were no role models, no positive press coverage and certainly no understanding.

“So, no, I replied, it wasn’t really possible for me to tell someone.”

Since Sophie was young, society has changed in so many ways, knowledge of every subject is freely available to all via the internet and society on the whole has grown, become more understanding and open to diversity.

The stories of young people transitioning at an early age is testament to the strength of both them and their families and this early realisation can only be a good thing in the long-term, saving them from the pain and suffering that I, and many others, have been through.

Gender dysphoria is not something that trans people choose, it is an intrinsic part of their very souls and to deny it led Sophie to a lifetime battling self harm and suicidal feelings.

The teenage years are hard for everyone, even more so if you suffer from gender dysphoria, and with understanding and support hopefully the days of young people being driven to suicide over these feelings are a thing of the past.

Sophie added: “Unfortunately Clarkson is not alone, there will always be bigots, and they will always feel justified in proclaiming their views as gospel wherever they can.

“Like the bigots of the past, the anti-semites, the sexists, the racists and the homophobes, their days are numbered. The casual racism of the Saturday night TV comic of the 70s looks as out-of-place as a dinosaur striding up Brighton beach, although it would appear that bigotry is still perfectly acceptable on a programme about cars.

“In time people will tire of this casual bigotry, the TV shows and newspaper columns will disappear and Clarkson and the transphobes will join the rest of life’s bigots on history’s naughty step.”

Ex-RAF officer, Sophie Cook is a former motorbike racer, newspaper editor, rock photographer, self harm and suicide survivor and the first transgender woman to work in the Premier League. She is the Patron of the LGB&T Dorset Equality Network, a Healthwatch Dorset Champion, and a member of the Pan-Dorset LGBT Health Advisory Group.

Sophie will be appearing in her show Grab Life By The Balls at the Marlborough Theatre, Princes Street, Brighton on February 4 at 7.30pm. During her show she talks about the fears that held her back in life – of loss, of failure, of success, of being sad, of being happy, of myself, of being outed, of being loved – and how she overcame them to be true to and, finally, start loving herself.

To book tickets priced £10, click here:

For recent articles on Sophie, click here:

Safety workshops prove popular

Brighton & Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum held a one day Introduction To Personal Safety & Self Defence workshop at the Queens Hotel, Brighton on January 19.

WEB.600

The workshop helps develop an awareness of basic defence techniques, demonstrates an understanding of how to implement them and was created for people who are starting to think more about their personal safety and how to look after themselves.

The session covered personal protection, how to reduce risks and what a person could do if they needed to defend themselves in a volatile situation.

The day included discussions, some practical self-defence techniques which were suitable for all levels of fitness and ability and a British Sign Language (BSL) Interpreter was present throughout the class.

Topics covered included:

Situations & Personal Safety
• Avoidance of conflict.
• What makes a situation dangerous?
• Outside Factors
• Inside Factors
• Safe behaviours – What can we do differently?
• Body Language and Signalling

Self Defence Foundations
• Stance – being ready to defend yourself
• Body Weapons & Body Targets
• Escape techniques

The course was funded by the Rainbow Fund and free to participants.

The Brighton and Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum will be running a further class on Saturday, March 26 and full day practical Self Defence Class in the Summer.

For more information email Billie at info@lgbt-help.com

PREVIEW: Winter Pride Exhibition: ‘Layers’

A celebration of womanhood through photographic portraiture.

WEB.600

Layers is a collection of 20 photographic portraits celebrating the stages of a woman’s life. Women from various backgrounds – aged between 19 and 90 years – were photographed in front of an evolving flower wall during a three-week period. Layers of freshly picked British flowers were added to the wall as the project progressed. The added layers represent the growth and depth of wisdom women gain as life progresses. Ageing flowers indicate the passage of time.

A diverse group of women were selected including a scientist, a Team GB gold medal winner, a journalist, a musician, an artist and a writer. The subjects and their life stories are the backbone to the exhibition.

Layers is a collaboration between photographer Asiko, floral designer Jo Wise and make-up artist Jade Soar.

Jade said: “We’ve chosen women who – regardless of their newsworthiness – are strong role models for the younger generation.”

Jo Wise, added: “The common thread that runs through all of the women is their belief in their path and their pride in who they are and what they do.”

This unique collaboration is part of the Winter Pride Arts Festival.

Simon Tarrant, Director Winter Pride Art Awards, said: Celebrating the progressing stages of womanhood truly embodies the Winter Pride Art Awards 2016 theme, Line of Beauty – exploring sexuality, gender and identity.”


Event: Layers A photo series by floral designer Jo Wise, make-up artist Jade Soar and photographer Asiko

Where: Islington Arts Factory, 2 Parkhurst Rd, London N7 0SF

When: April 15-22

For more information, click here:

Crispin Blunt’s poppers speech: a brave acknowledgment of awkward truths

WEB.600.2

Sharif Mowlabocus, University of Sussex

Crispin Blunt, the Conservative MP for Reigate, Surrey, offered the British media a late Christmas present when he admitted to being a user of the drug amyl nitrite, more commonly known as “poppers”, during a House of Commons debate on the Psychoactive Substances Bill, which would see them banned.

While he didn’t remark on precisely why he and other gay men he knew used the drug, The Sun enlightened its less worldly readership the following morning, labelling poppers a “sex drug” used to “boost sexual pleasure”.

While the use of amyl is not restricted to gay men, the drug has had a long association with gay male subculture. Cinematic and pornographic representations of gay sex and gay life have regularly featured men sniffing from small glass bottles. There were even urban myths of poppers being pumped through the air conditioning systems of gay clubs in the 1970s and 1980s. As someone coming of age on the Brighton scene in the early 1990s, the gay world was a multi-sensory experience, a subculture I could smell as much as I could see and touch.

Beyond the cheeky hilarity of having poppers discussed in Westminster, Blunt’s admission underscores the central role that recreational drugs continue to play in the lives of many gay men.

Those working within the field of gay men’s health are increasingly concerned with the use of crystal methamphetamine, GHB and mephedrone (among others) on the scene. The term “chemsex” has become ubiquitous, and some men report taking alarming risks during sex while intoxicated.

Organisations such as 56 Dean Street are now offering needle exchanges for gay men who have started injecting drugs. Terrence Higgins Trust has pioneered a service that takes safer sex products to house parties, in an effort to reduce the spread of STIs.

To some, it will no doubt look as though gay male culture is hell-bent on destroying itself. Certainly, more research into why and how gay men are using the panoply of recreational drugs available is needed.

But before anyone jumps on the moral bandwagon to denounce Blunt for supporting recreational drug use, they have to face a few facts.

Facing reality

While mephedrone, ketamine and crystal meth (“tina” in chemsex parlance) are all already illegal, only once the psychoactive substances bill passes will poppers be sanctioned.

Put simply, poppers lower your blood pressure, helping relax your muscles; they come with a dizzying head rush and sometimes heightened sexual excitement. And while amyl nitrite may potentially have side effects, it is not addictive. There’s a yawning chasm between sniffing poppers and smoking, snorting or injecting crystal meth.

In any case, Blunt was not pushing an ideological libertarian drug policy, but a pragmatic one: he wants to keep poppers legal to stop men having to go to criminals to buy their amyl – criminals who might well be selling far more dangerous stuff, too.

But perhaps most importantly, his surprisingly personal admission points to an often unspoken truth about gay male sexual practice: anal sex can be painful. Done wrong, it can hurt, especially for the inexperienced. Of course, if it weren’t often great fun, people wouldn’t do it as often and as enthusiastically as they do – but like everything sexual, it simply isn’t for everyone.

Getting it right requires some degree of proficiency and relaxation, and this is where poppers come in; they’re both a psychological and physical relaxant, and simply make the whole thing easier.

That this is sometimes difficult to concede owes something both to taboos around anal sex itself and to gay pornography, which celebrates anal sex as the pinnacle of “real sex” while simultaneously overwriting any notion that it might be a challenge for a great number of men, or simply not their thing.

This much was alluded to by Blunt’s parliamentary colleague Mike Freer, who argued that poppers could help some men be “intimate” with their partners, contributing to their “emotional well being”.

There is a good reason why poppers have been around on the gay scene for decades, and why they continue to be popular. Whether we like it or not, for many gay men, enjoyable anal sex often relies on the use of amyl nitrate. Blunt’s courageous admission before the house is testimony to that fact, and a much-needed alert to the harm that this much-derided bill might inadvertently cause.The Conversation

Sharif Mowlabocus, Senior Lecturer of Media Studies and Digital Media, University of Sussex

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

WEB.600.8

X