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Greens advance LGBTIQA rights at Spring Conference

Green Party pass five motions improving policy to support members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Intersex, Queer, and Asexual community at their Spring Conference last week.

Green Party LogoAt the conference in Harrogate from February 26-28, 2016, Greens voted overwhelmingly in favour of improving the Gender Recognition Act, the Equalities Act and Equal Marriage Act to better respect the rights of trans people.

The party also adopted a range of policy designed to improve LGBTIQ and wider sexual health including a policy on making Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), which helps protect people vulnerable to HIV from developing the disease, available on the NHS, the extension of the HPV vaccines to boys and increased of funding to HIV prevention.

The calls come after national sexual health charities including Terrence Higgins Trust, National AIDS Trust and Metro recently criticised the Government for the impact of cuts to HIV prevention budgets which is being caused by local authorities having to starve many organisations of public health funding.

Following on from the Death of Leelah Alcorn in December 2014, the Party also passed policy to ban all LGBTIQA+ ‘cures’ including Conversion Therapy.

During Conference, Equalities (LGBTIQ) Spokesperson, Aimee Challenor, signed an open letter to the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), calling on them to sign a memorandum of understanding to prohibit trans and asexual Conversion Therapy, following a BACP fellow revealing that the BACP were planning not to sign the new memorandum of understanding.

Aimee Challenor
Aimee Challenor

Challenor said: “It is wonderful to see Conference support the rights of LGBTIQA+ people through passing our new policies this weekend. The Green Party has a history of pushing for LGBTIQA+ rights, and the passing of these motions helps further our support for the LGBTIQA+ community. By working together, we can improve our future.”

London Frontrunners gear up for women’s 5k

London Frontrunners, the UK’s largest LGBT+ running club, launches new series of women-only 5k running events this week.

London Front Runners

On March 5, Hyde Park will see the very first women-only 5k run held by the London Frontrunners. The first event will begin at 10am, and will continue weekly on every Saturday throughout March.

The International Women’s Day-inspired events will be guided by members of the London Frontrunners and are open to all women who are over the age of 18, irrespective of sexual orientation. The cost for entry is £1 per run, paid upon attendance.

To take part meet between 9.40 – 9.50 am at St Mary’s Hospital Gym which is a short walk from Paddington Station (St Mary’s Gym, Praed Street, W2 1NY.)

London Frontrunners are the largest LGBT+ running club in the UK, welcoming those who identify as LGBTQA* and their friends. They hold regular runs in Regents Park, Hyde Park and along the South Bank in London.

As well as running together, the club is a great place to network and meet new people. Their members range from the inexperienced to marathon runners, and welcome new members of all abilities regardless of previous experience.

A spokesperson for the group, said: “We don’t mind where on (or off) the Kinsey Scale you fall, whether you can or can’t identify with one of the letters of LGBTTQQIIAA, are friends with a member or just like the parks we run around. You’re welcome to come for a run with us.”

If you are interested in running in the women-only 5k event, click here:

To get involved with the London Frontrunners or find out more information, click here:

PREVIEW: Polari Soho Special

London’s award-winning LGBT literary salon goes back to its Soho roots with a special event during London Book & Screen Week on April 11.

Paul Burston
Paul Burston

Cocktails and chat from 6pm. Readings from 7pm. Hosted by Paul Burston with readings from author Diana Souhami, playwright and actor Alexis Gregory, poet and spoken word performer Keith Jarrett and author and comedian VG Lee.


Event: Polari Soho Special

Where: The Light Lounge, 1 Newport Place, London, WC2H 7JR

When: Monday, April 11

Time: 6-9pm

Entry: Tickets £5

To book tickets online, click here:

REVIEW: David Hoyle’s Seaside Getaway

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David Hoyle’s Seaside Getaway

Marlborough Theater

Sunday, February 28

Notorious ‘anti-drag queen’, performance artist, avant-garde cabaret artist, singer, actor and comedian, David Hoyle presented a new work to mark the end of LGBT History Month 2016. An evening of painful truths, unyielding love and Hoyle’s characteristic lacerating wit.

For full details of the event, click here: 

What can you say about the sublime Mr Hoyle that hasn’t been said before? This show was his usual compelling, seductive blend of daft, delightful, surreal, visceral honesty, dismissive love, cold reading, love distribution, emphatic and raw. I’ve seen David Hoyle many times, in many places and he always makes me laugh, and think and then laugh and think and then guffaw with a belly laugh that is linked in with shock, and a warm delight that we have such a national treasure in our lives and theaters.

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He sang touching love songs accompanied to the radio static recorded by the Voyager probe from the rings of Saturn, provided atmosphere and a moment’s reflection on the continued incarceration, murder and imprisonment of the LGBT victims of the Nazi regime by the Russian, British and American forces (not the French it’s worth noting) after the Allied liberation of the concentration camps, danced to the Birdie song with a manic determination and abstract charm and sat and chatted about sex, ageing and love.

Like a cozy Kafka in a kaftan Hoyle can’t be trusted to stay safe, he’s Doris Stokes with a sly wink and a Kalashnikov, he’s a charming charm offensive who’s offensiveness is charming. I adore him, as did the whole audience. His sideways glances and deft timing of shrugs and fluttering eyelashes shows us he knows exactly what he’s up to.  His fierce fragility is a sight to behold, and he reminds us with his sashaying Northern frankness that we are all here for but a brief moment and that we should relax, turn to the person next to us and smile.

My young companion had not seen David Hoyle before (imagine!) and left agog and laughing. Every young LGBT person should spend an hour or so with Hoyle.

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David Hoyle is one of the most accomplished performers who grace our stages and I would encourage, urge and embolden you to go see him next time he is in town. He’s always kind enough to share his stage with a local or up and coming performer and this weekend he entertained us with the delights of Lydia Le’Scabies who was a charmingly brittle chanteuse and a soft frothy foil to the shuddering rusty roller coaster abyss of Hoyle’s wit.

The perfect end to a month of celebrating LGBT history.  Thoughtful, funny and QUEER!!

 

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