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LGBT Catholics Westminster to make pilgrimage to Rome

LGBT Catholics Westminster take part in their second pilgrimage to Rome from February 28 – March 5 2017.

They will be attending Pope Francis’ Audience on Ash Wednesday morning, March 1, and Ash Wednesday liturgies later that day, including an ecumenical celebration at the Jesuits’ Caravita Oratory.

They will also be welcomed at Caravita for Mass on the 1st Sunday of Lent, March 5, when the retired Anglican Bishop of Salisbury, David Stancliffe will preach.

The LGBT+ pilgrims will also celebrate Mass at Cardinal Vincent Nichols titular Church of the Most Holy Redeemer, and at the Gesù, the mother-church of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), accompanied by Fr. David Stewart SJ.

LGBT Catholics Westminster are based at London’s Jesuit Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street, Mayfair.

They will meet with members of Rome’s LGBT Catholic group, Nuova Proposta, and hear from Rome-based journalists about their experience, reporting and ‘keeping-up with Pope Francis’.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, has, once again, sent a message to the group saying:

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster

“The year of Mercy has been a wonderful experience. Within the Catholic community there has been a rediscovery of the depth of the mercy that Our Blessed Lord extends to each one of us. In many places there has been a remarkable increase in the number of people celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation, for it is in the forgiveness of our sins that God’s mercy is most powerfully experienced. Anyone who says they are without sin is deceiving themselves.

In our society, too, there is a great need for the understanding of God’s mercy and of His forgiveness. Many live as if sin had no reality. Yet the plethora of television shows which centre on the settling of rows and the need for mutual understanding and forgiveness is clear evidence that we are in need of His mercy if our human nature is to be healed. The witness of the Gospel of Mercy stands in contract to a public culture which is so often lacking in forgiveness.

This, then, is an excellent time for you to be making your Pilgrimage to Rome. Not only is the Church still absorbing the fruit of the Year of Mercy, but together we stand at the beginning of Lent.

I pray that this pilgrimage will bring you all nearer to the Lord, to His call to be faithful witnesses to His unfailing love and mercy, and to the integrity we need in order to follow faithfully the pathway of the Lord and of the beauty of the Gospel. In this, the teachings of the Church are always a sure guide, urging us on to greater effort, to taking those next steps in our journey of faith and trust. Only Jesus can bring us the joy and fulfilment for which we all yearn. Let us be close to Him.

Be assured of my prayers for each and every one of you. Please pray for me at the tombs of St Peter and Paul, and at all the holy places you visit.”

God Bless you all.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols
Archbishop of Westminster

For more information about LGBT Catholics Westminster, click here:

FEATURE: Transitioning with Sugar: Hair today – gone tomorrow

I have had a life long battle with hair. It is something that has either made me very upset, or very happy.

Ms Sugar Swan, Image: Alice Blezard

I remember a time in the late 1980’s when I was in school and my hair was long and my mother said I needed it cut for the school photographs. Obviously, being a little trans girl I didn’t want my hair cut, so, in an act of defiance, whilst my father who took me to the barbers was outside having a cigar, I asked for all my hair to be shaved off. – Fast forward to one unhappy mother with “ruined” school photos and one win for me as if I wasn’t allowed to present with the hair I wanted at school, there would be none whatsoever.

I remember getting in so much trouble for this, from both the school and my parents, but of all the school photos that exist of me somewhere deep down in a drawer somewhere in the family home, there is one where I have a smile that outshines the rest, the one where I stood up for myself and would not be told how I should look.

Being born at the very beginning of the 1980’s and growing up through the 1990’s it was very common place for boys to grow curtains. I was no exception, except I used to keep my curtains slightly longer than the other boys and I usually had them bleach blonde.

I used to touch up my roots as often as once a week and I loved being a blonde bombshell until the unthinkable happened. My hormones started playing tricks on me and I went through male menopause, my Testosterone levels decreased and I started going through Female puberty and my breasts started to come in.

By 18 years old I was wearing a sports bra to hold them flat and my lovely long hair had started to recede. I tried many a hairstyle to make the most of my thinning hair but by 20 it was too late. I had lost the hair on the top of my head and I was resigned to clean shaving my head as it made me look younger to have no hair rather than some.

At the same time I grew in a big full beard to hide my face and to adhere to normative standards of beauty. I started covering myself in tattoo’s, going to the gym, building chest muscle and generally disguising my female looking face with a beard, my breast tissue with muscle and having a shaved head and tattoos to boot deemed me attractive.

“I tried many a hairstyle to make the most of my thinning hair but by age 20 it was too late”

When I came out in January 2016 I knew that I had very advanced hair loss and I didn’t want to lose the hair on my face as that would leave me with none. As a gender non conforming (GNC) Non Binary (NB) (Enby) person I started to experiment with female coded clothing and make up but I kept my beard and continued to shave my head.

I saw no point in trying to grow my hair out as only having hair around the back and sides of my head would age me drastically. I continued to wear a long beard, a shaved head and present female in my clothing and breast forms and shoes etc. By this point we were in August of last year and I was starting to get depressed, I was not happy. I wanted to look like other women, I wanted to be seen as other women are seen, to be equal to other women.

I was encouraged by so many a friend that artists such as Sinéad O’Connor and Grace Jones were able to rock the bald-headed look so why couldn’t I? But, I knew deep down inside that I would never be read as female by the general public if I continued to shave my head and keep my beard. So it had to go, my last bit of masculinity that I was holding onto, probably for sentimental reasons came off and I got myself some wigs.

Having wigs meant that I was able to grow my hair out and see where we were at. If I wasn’t in a wig, I was in a hat so nobody got to see my hair. My wonderful friend Matt who is responsible for the fabulous wigs I wear came up with some gym friendly hair and I was presenting full-time as my female self by November, even at work.

I am now five months into having laser treatment to remove hair from my face and I love the way I look now with a smooth face, make up and a wig. I have no regrets about my decisions, but I do have one thing which is haunting me – my hair.

After four months of growing my hair under my wigs and hats it had become apparent that no amount of clip in bangs, hair extensions, hair pieces would work with the little hair I have left so it looked like I was stuck with wigs.

Wigs that are painful to wear, give you headaches and rashes, are sweaty, uncomfortable and itchy and worst of all they are not mine. I still have to come home and take them off at night. So, after a huge amount of research, by the time this edition of Gscene goes to print, I will be in Riga, Latvia having a hair transplant.

The clinic is at the top of its field and I am staying in a 5* hotel, but I am somewhat concerned for my safety over the 4 days I am there as I have been told not to leave the confines of the hotel unless when escorted to the clinic by one of the clinics representatives.

A lot of clinics wouldn’t touch me for one reason or another, many because I am trans *wtf!* mostly that I am just so “far advanced” as one of their Dr’s told me on multiple Skype consultations, but this clinic is specialist in cases like mine and I will be in theatre for 2 consecutive days painstakingly having hair follicles removed from the back of my head one by one and transplanted into the bald areas.

I will be awake during the procedure under the same kind of local anesthetic as dentistry which will be injected straight into my head. I can be expected to be in theatre for up to 10-12 hours a day. I am so so desperate to have hair that travelling alone to a country that isn’t particularly nice to transgender people, undergoing 2 x 12 hour operations with only local anesthetic and being warned not to leave the hotel don’t actually phase me. What I will mourn for is my femininity and my wigs.

It will be two-three months before the grafts have fully rooted and up to twelve months before I have hair growth. During the early stages of healing I will not be able to wear a wig as it will rub and put pressure on the grafts meaning that they may not take and I can’t risk that.

I know I am going to hate how I look once more and become terribly depressed, but I have to always look at the bigger picture here, as I do with my hormones and my breast growth, although sometimes that is bloody hard!

Marc Almond to perform at first UK Pride in Hull

Marc Almond will perform at the first ever UK Pride, part of Hull UK City of Culture 2017’s LGBT+ 50 events marking the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales.

Pride in Hull is the biggest celebration of LGBT+ culture in the region and is returning to its original venue of Queens Gardens on July 22.

Internationally renowned for his acclaimed solo work as well as his career with Soft Cell, Almond will sing songs from his soon-to-be released greatest hits collection, including Tainted Love and Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart.

Graham Jenkinson
Graham Jenkinson

Pride in Hull spokesperson, Graham Jenkinson, said: “Pride in Hull is going to be absolutely spectacular this year and we’re delighted to announce Marc as our first headliner. He’s an icon of pop music and we know he’ll put on a fantastic show that people will remember for years to come.

“We’ll announce more details about what we have planned for this year’s event in the coming weeks and months, including lots more acts performing on the main stage – there will definitely be something for everyone!”

Pride in Hull is part of LGBT 50, one of the highlights of Hull 2017’s Freedom season, which celebrates the city’s unique contribution to liberty, tolerance and emancipation around the world.

The event, which runs from 21 to 27 July, includes a collaboration with legendary post-queer performance and events collective, Duckie plus Yorkshire Dance.

Martin Green
Martin Green

Martin Green, CEO and Director of Hull 2017, added: “Marc is a fabulous performer and we’re thrilled he will be bringing his special brand of stardust to the Pride in Hull celebrations. It’s a special year for the city: not only is it UK City of Culture, but we’re hosting the first UK Pride and this will be a highlight of the events we are planning for LGBT+ 50. It’s going to be a great party for Hull’s LGBT+ community and Marc can expect a great reception from the city as a whole.”

Graham continued: “We’re so pleased to be working with the team behind the City of Culture and with all of the wonderful events happening across the city, the pressure really is on to deliver something spectacular that the LGBT+ community won’t forget for a long time.

“We also have the absolute honour of being named the first ever ‘UK Pride’, so we’ll have the eyes of the LGBT+ community across the country and beyond firmly focused on us, we can promise nobody will leave disappointed!”

For more information about Pride in Hull, click here:

For more information about LGBT 50, click here:

Superstar DJ starts the Vitality Brighton Half Marathon

International superstar DJ and Brighton resident Norman Cook starts thousands of runners on their way for the Vitality Brighton Half Marathon 2017.

Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim) sounded the starting klaxon to get more than 8,000 runners on their way for the Vitality Brighton Half Marathon 2017 on Sunday, February 26.

The international DJ cheered on runners as they passed the start line on Brighton seafront, before joining the race himself, running with friends for the charity Young Epilepsy.

Blasts of CO2 got the race off to an atmospheric start as runners began their 13.1 mile journey that took in city landmarks including the Royal Pavilion, and the Brighton Palace Pier.

Despite damp conditions early on, hundreds of spectators lined the route to cheer on runners, and crowds were entertained with a host of bands, choirs and stilt walkers along the course, plus a community stage provided by The Grand Brighton.

Norman Cook
Norman Cook

Now in its 27th year, the race was once again organised by The Sussex Beacon, a Brighton-based charity which provides a range of services for men, women and families living with or affected by HIV across Sussex.

In the main race, the field featured many runners new to the half marathon distance and also lots of runners training for a full marathon. As well as local club runners, this year’s field included participants from Taiwan, the United States and Australia.

Jonathan Tipper with Sussex Beacon CEO Simon Dowe
Jonathan Tipper with Sussex Beacon CEO Simon Dowe

The men’s elite race featured a nail-biting finish as Jonathan Tipper from Kent AC closed in on the front pack in the final stretch, overtaking to storm to the finish line in a time of 1:08:37. Stuart Hawkes was close behind in 1:08:43, with Neil Boniface from Horsham Joggers claiming third place.

Course record holder and four times winner Paul Martelletti unfortunately had to withdraw from the race following a last-minute injury but he joined the commentary team to report on the elite race.

Eleanor Davis with Sussex Beacon CEO Simon Dowe
Eleanor Davis with Sussex Beacon CEO Simon Dowe

In the women’s elite race, Eleanor Davis from Newquay Road Runners stole the show, taking home a course record in a time of 1:14:26, while Emily Proto from Arena 80 followed in a time of 1:21:27 and Sarah Hill took third place in 1:21:32.

Brand-new for 2017, this year’s event included a Wheelchair Race, with eight entrants from around the UK. Rob Smith took first place in the inaugural men’s race, in a time of 1:14:23, while Yasmin Somers came first in the women’s race in a time of 1:49:05.

Alongside the elite field, thousands of charity runners took to the streets of the city, raising funds for over 50 charities, including local charities Chestnut Tree House, RISE and The Sussex Beacon and national charities including Macmillan and WaterAid.

Martin Harrigan
Martin Harrigan

Race Director Martin Harrigan said: “Both the men’s and women’s races were really exciting today – the men’s winner Jonathan Tipper was actually outside of a podium place until the final stretch when he stormed ahead to overtake the lead pack. And we have a new course record for the women’s race, so it was a brilliant day all round. After months of planning, we were also delighted to introduce a brand-new wheelchair race to the Brighton Half Marathon this year and I’m pleased to say it was a fantastic success, with the crowds really getting behind the new race.

“Thankfully the stormy weather we’ve been seeing over the past week stayed away for the morning and it was great to see all the smiles on the finish line as runners collected their medals. We’d like to say a massive thanks to everyone who took part today – the runners and also all the volunteers who work so hard behind the scenes to make Brighton Half such a great event.”

The race forms part of the Vitality Run Series, a series of seven leading half marathons and one 10K in the UK.

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Photos by Alice Blezard

Editor of ‘The Freethinker’ receives a Lifetime Achievement Award

Barry Duke, editor of the Freethinker for the last twenty years is to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Secular Society (NSS) as part of this year’s Secularist of the Year celebrations in March.

Barry Duke

Terry Sanderson, President of NSS, said: “I am very pleased that the NSS is honouring Barry in this way.

He has been a consistent voice for many years in the fight for justice and secular humanist principles. From resisting apartheid in his native South Africa to fighting for gay rights in Britain and Spain. Barry, who celebrated his 70th birthday in February, has always provided a strong rationalist voice.

We are glad that Barry is able to join us in London and look forward to being able to recognise his many and varied contributions to the cause of secularism, humanism and his spirited opposition to religious intolerance and irrationality.”

As well as The Freethinker, Barry, a former Brighton resident, also edits the Pink Humanist, the online magazine published by the Pink Triangle Trust.

Barry said: “News of this award came completely out of the blue. For over 50 years all of my energies were directed at fighting racism, religious fundamentalism, sexism and homophobia, and this award strengthens my resolve to continue that mission.”

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown

Barry will receive his award from writer and commentator Yasmin Alibhai-Brown at The Secularist of the Year lunch to be held in central London on Saturday, March 18 from 12 noon to 4pm. Writer and commentator Yasmin, is an author, columnist and broadcaster who has written for the Guardian, Daily Mail, Independent, Telegraph, New Statesman and appears regularly as a newspaper reviewer on Sky News. In recent years she has been a powerful advocate for women’s rights and a critic of sharia law and faith schools.

The winner of the £5,000 Irwin Prize for Secularist of the Year, will also be announced during the lunch, the shortlist for which is:

Professor Ted Cantle CME for his advocacy of integrated education and social cohesion. He has been particularly vocal in his opposition to the Government’s plan to allow a new wave of faith schools free to discriminate in 100% of their admissions.

Asma Jahangir (former UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion) for her principled advocacy of universal human rights and commitment to secular justice. She has spent much of her career defending women’s rights, the rights of children and the rights of minorities in Pakistan and has campaigned against Pakistan’s deadly blasphemy law and has been a vocal proponent of human rights in her home country.

Prof Steve Kettell for co-ordinating the secular response to the Commission on Religion and Belief. His work helped rebut calls for more religious privilege, and set out the urgent case for a new secular constitutional settlement in the UK.

Houzan Mahmoud/Kurdish Culture Project for their initiative in providing a platform for Kurdish writers, feminists, artists and activists to advance gender equality, freedom and universal rights

Scott Moore/Let Pupils Choose – a Northern Ireland humanist campaign for challenging compulsory worship and religious privilege in Northern Ireland’s schools

Yasmin Rehman – for her advocacy of a secularist approach to tackling hate crime and promoting the human rights of women.

For tickets to the lunch which includes a three course meal and welcome drink, click here:

5 Days of ‘Queer Community in Action’ on the Land

More than 500 LGBT+ people will gather this summer at the second Queer Spirit Festival to enjoy a packed programme of ceremonies, rituals, performance, workshops, discussions, music, drumming, and dancing.

Queer Spirit Festival is a liberating realm of freedom of self-expression, self-exploration and community creation… of finding the inner peace that comes from communing with nature, and being able to fully be ourselves.

At a magical site in the Wiltshire countryside, surrounded and blessed by nature, like all good festivals there will also be cabaret, cafés (vegetarian & vegan), stalls, spa, healing areas and spaces to chill-out.

As sexuality as well as spirituality will be explored during the festival, there will be some specific adult-only areas. However, this will be a festival with lots to do for people of all ages and children will be very welcome here.

Queer Spirit Festival celebrate the spirituality of LGBT+ people on a global level, with visitors and facilitators coming from around the world.

The festival sponsors the participation of LGBT+ asylum seekers and refugees, with members of Micro Rainbow International coming as their guests.

Performances lined up for 2017 include:

The Funkensteins, Commie Faggots, Maj Ikle, Big Boys Camp, Alice Human, Marc Block, M-Power, Jordyn Leyland, Spoken Word, Adult Cabaret and much more……

Workshops will include:

Drumming, Ecstatic Dance, Shamanic Journeying, Conscious Touch, Yoga, Earth Medicine, Gong baths, Massage, Queer History, Chinese Medicine, Veganism, Nature meditations, Mediumship, Discussions, and Activism.

The Festival Marquee will feature late night DJs playing a range of music types including the Transister Dance Party which is London’s most underground happening; a community party providing an attitude-free zone run by trans and fetish people, where trans dj’s will spin intelligent dance music, conjuring a haven for those who don’t want to blend into the norm.


Event: 5 Days of Queer Community in Action on the Land at Queer Spirit Festival

Where: Thoulstone Park, Chapmanslade, Wiltshire.

When:  Wednesday 26 to Sunday, July 30 2017

For more information, click here:

Celebrities support Mind’s LGBT+ mental health event

On Thursday, February 23, mental health charity Mind held an event to profile its work in LGBT+ mental health.


Attendees were joined by author, journalist and LGBT+ advocate, Juno Dawson and viewed an exclusive video featuring Mind’s President, Stephen Fry.

Research shows that more than 40 per cent of LGBT+ people will experience a significant mental health problem in their lives, compared to around 25 per cent of the whole population, and people from the LGBT+ community are more than twice as likely to have attempted suicide. More than four in five (84 per cent) of transgender people have considered suicide and 50 per cent have actually attempted suicide, compared to an average of less than 6 per cent in the wider population.

The evening was held to profile the work of local Minds across England and Wales who offer tailored LGBT+ mental health support. In addition, nationally, all Mind’s Infoline advisors are trained to understand how LGBT+ related issues might affect mental health and Mind works in partnership with other LGBT+ organisations to make sure that mental health is on the agenda.

Mind’s Equality and Improvement Team, in partnership with MindOut, has also produced a good practice guide for service providers offering support for mental health.

To read the guide, click here: 

Alessandro Storer, Equality and Improvement Manager at Mind, said: “With two in every five LGBT+ people experiencing a significant mental health problem, it is really important that we work hard to give the experience of LGBT+ people profile and work towards better services and experiences for everyone in the community, so that people can get the right help, when they need it.”

Juno Dawson
Juno Dawson

Juno Dawson, author, journalist and advocate for LGBT+ rights, said: “I’m very honoured to support the work that Mind do by sharing some of my experiences as a transgender woman who has, at times, felt the ache of mental illness.

“I think LGBT+ people grow up with fear and that fear is manifold. We fear rejection by our parents and peers; we fear harassment, violence and intimidation; we fear discrimination and persecution; as a child of the eighties I feared death and disease.

“I feared those things before I really knew what fear was. I sensed my difference, my otherness. So often, as I child, I was told I was ‘doing it wrong’. I truly believe that if we weren’t so gendered as a society, many children wouldn’t feel like they were failing at something so arbitrary.

“I think these fears become very deeply engrained in LGBT+ people. So much so, we’re almost robotically trained to respond with I’M FINE and a rictus grin when anyone asks how we are. We celebrate our history, our icons and party at pride marches every year at this time. So much so, it’s almost become anathema to admit we’re still struggling in any way shape or form. But struggle we do.”

Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry

She continued: “While society and the media play catch-up, it’s reassuring to know that charities like Mind are there for me if I ever reach crisis point. When I was writing ‘Mind Your Head’, their resources and website were an invaluable resource and I take personal comfort in knowing that they are invested in the well-being and mental health of the LGBT+ community.”

Offering his support on the night, Stephen Fry, President of mental health charity Mind, said: “As a gay man, as a man with bipolar disorder, I have a very special interest in everything that is happening this evening. It’s a lamentable and melancholy fact that in 2017 the LGBT+ community should suffer so much from issues that pertain to mental health, and I’m talking about the most vital issues imaginable.

“Research has shown that nearly 50% of LGBT+ people have attempted or considered suicide, that’s compared to 6% of the “normal” population – that’s a really disturbing figure. This is a real crisis. We have to do something to attack the terrific amount of rejection, isolation, discrimination, stigma, bullying and the appalling lack of self-worth felt by people who have so much to contribute to society. Any kind of healthy society is one where we look out for each other and we welcome diversion and diversity and we are as inclusive as possible. Because diversity, let’s face it, is not a choice, it’s a fact.

“Mind is absolutely determined to do everything it can to raise this issue, raise the debate on the subject of LGBT+ mental health emergencies and the problem of self-harm and suicide and the feelings of total lack of self-worth and rejection felt by the community.”

Local hospice looks for city’s most ‘pawsome’ pooches

The Martlets Hospice is calling for Brighton & Hove’s most pawsome pooches to take their owners for an extra special Sunday stroll on March 26.

The popular event Pooches on the Prom is a sponsored dog walk along Hove Prom to raise funds for Martlets. With a choice of two routes dogs of all shapes and sizes are being encouraged to sign up. Everything the dogs raise in sponsorship will help Martlets provide life changing hospice care for local people when they need it most.

Pooches on the Prom starts at the dog friendly Big Beach Café and dogs, or their owners, can choose to stroll to the Peace Statue and back or take the longer route to Brighton Pier. With prizes for the best dressed pooch there’s sure to be some well-dressed entrants enjoying a walk along the prom.

Every pooch taking part will get a well-earnt medal and a doggy bag as a thank-you for their efforts in raising as much money as they can for the Hospice.

Clem Hunnisett, Community Fundraiser at Martlets Hospice, said: “This is the ‘must-do’ event of the year for generous-hearted pooches and their owners; raising essential funds that will help us to care for our patients and their families.

“This year we’re hoping that more than 100 dogs and their owners will take part in this fun family event to help us to raise over £4,000 for the Hospice.

“Registration is £7 per dog but accompanying humans can take part for free!”

For many patients having their pets visit them at the Hospice makes a huge difference to their wellbeing, and it is just one of the ways Martlets Hospice enables people to live well.

For further information or to register, click here:

Or telephone: 01273 964200 or email events@martlets.org.uk

PREVIEW: NOVA POP! The art of Billy Chainsaw

 

BILLY CHAINSAW’s first solo art show in Brighton – at the BRUSH gallery – sees him take his mixed-media ‘cut up pop art’ to another dimension, in which the dystopian reality of human existence attempts release via flashbacks to the psychedelic ’60s.

ARTIST STATEMENT: “In my early teens I developed an obsession with masks, the movies, magick and author William S. Burroughs. They’re elements that usually feature heavily in my mixed-media ‘cut up pop art’, which also references such diverse sources as cartoon surrealism, tattoos, and Lucha Libre (Mexican masked wrestling). However, for my BRUSH show I am channeling my first great love, American comic books.”

ABOUT BILLY CHAINSAW: He was born and raised in Birmingham. Inspired by the onset of punk, in the late 1970s he escaped factory life and moved to London to work for Siouxsie and The Banshees. On parting company with the group in the mid-90s, Chainsaw became editor-in-chief on one of Paul Raymond’s adult publications (the American version of Club International).

Fast-forward almost two decades to May 2012: now a Hove resident, Chainsaw showed his art publicly for the first time at an underground open house. His entire collection of mixed-media canvases and upcycled, bespoke ceramics completely sold out. It was a life-changing experience for Chainsaw, who immediately decided that art was his true calling.

Subsequently, he has exhibited in numerous group shows in such far-flung locations as Brighton and Los Angeles, and staged three solo show in London. His other achievements include creating a range of merchandise for legendary experimental filmmaker/artist Jeff Keen’s retrospective at the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery; an exclusive fabric design for cutting edge design company Charles of London; art for indie superstars The Fall’s 13 Killers album; and contributions to the book Cut Up! An Anthology Inspired By The Cut Up Method Of William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin.

Although Chainsaw admits his first great love was American comic-books, since his early teens, the self-taught artist has been fascinated by the unknown (in its myriad forms), along with masks, the movies, and the magical weirdness of the number 23. They’re ever-present elements in his mixed-media pop art, which also reference such diverse sources as cartoon surrealism, tattoos, and Lucha Libre (masked Mexican wrestling). However, Chainsaw’s primary driving force is William S. Burroughs – perpetually employing the beat author/artist’s “open your mind and let the pictures out” adage whenever he’s creating art.


Event: NOVA POP! The art of Billy Chainsaw

Where: Brush Gallery, 84 Gloucester Road, Brighton BN1 4AP

When: March 25 – April 7 (incl’)

Time: Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 6pm (closed on Mondays)

Cost: Free entry

For more information, click here:

Manchester Pride to mark IDAHOT Day with 10 peaks challenge

Charity set to fundraise as it takes to The Lake District on May 13.

Manchester Pride will trek across 10 peaks whilst raising funds for the Manchester Pride Community Fund and awareness for International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia (IDAHOT).

IDAHOT, which will take place on Wednesday May 17, is a worldwide celebration of sexual and gender diversities.  It was created in 2004 to draw the attention of policymakers, opinion leaders, social movements, the public and the media to the violence and discrimination experienced by LGBT+ people internationally.

Mark Fletcher
Mark Fletcher

Mark Fletcher, Chief Executive for Manchester Pride, said: “This is a great opportunity to mark one of the most important days of the LGBT calendar in such a special way.  I look forward to seeing who will rise to the challenge and join us in having fun and raising awareness whilst also raising vital funds for LGBT+ causes in Greater Manchester.”

Manchester Pride will head to the Lake District on Saturday May 13 to take part in a gruelling challenge which will see participants aim to complete a 12 mile walk with a hearty 2000m ascent over 10 peaks! The team will be hoping to complete the challenge in just 12 hours so training will most certainly be necessary!

To take part in the challenge, which will include free accommodation and travel to and from the lakes, entrants must raise a minimum of £250 for the Manchester Pride Community Fund.

For more information and to sign up, click here:

 

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