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IDAHOBIT: City to stand in solidarity with those persecuted in Chechnya

Brighton & Hove marks International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) on Wednesday, May 17, 2017.

IDAHOBIT commemorates the day in 1990 the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from its list of mental diseases and this year will give everyone in the city the opportunity to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters being persecuted in Chechnya.

In 86 countries globally, homosexual acts remain illegal while in many countries lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and those who identify as trans are often murdered simply for their sexuality or gender identity and alarmingly recent media reports indicate concentration camps for gay men have been opened in Chechnya.

Rainbow Chorus

The alfresco evening of LGBT+ excellence will include:

♦   Live performances from The Rainbow Chorus and singer/guitarist AJ Paterson

♦  Poetry from Alice Denny

♦  A minute’s ‘noise’ to remember the international victims of homophobic, biphobic and transphobic violence; (so bring a whistle, horn, bell, tambourine, trombone etc to make some noise!)

♦  Guest Speakers

The event will be organised and hosted by the volunteers of the Brighton & Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum.

For more information, click here:


Event: International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT)

Where: New Steine Gardens, Kemptown, Brighton

When: Wednesday, May 17

Time: 6-7pm

Charity Casino Night at Camelford Arms

Play roulette and blackjack at the Camelford Fun Casino while raising money for charity.

The Camelford Casino will be in full swing on Friday, April 21, raising funds for the Sussex Cancer Fund, in association with Bear-Patrol.

Proceeds from the night will buy specialist equipment for the Sussex Cancer Centre at The Royal Sussex County Hospital – a truly local cause.

A ‘first’ for The Camelford Arms, full size Roulette and Blackjack tables will be installed for the night by professional croupiers (one being Camelford regular Gary Smith, who is donating his services for the charity).

Gary, who suggested the idea of a Camelford Casino, and his colleagues will be on hand to help first-timers play the tables – betting with their ‘Fun Money’ stakes.

There will be prizes for the overall winners and a charity raffle to raise extra funds for the charity.

Advance tickets costing £20 are available from The Camelford Bar and include a free glass of bubbly on arrival, a free all-night Camelford buffet, $200 ‘Fun Money’ to play the tables and a £10 donation to the charity.

Suave fancier dress and Tuxedos are optional.

For more information, click here:


Event: The Camelford Casino

Where: The Camelford Arms, 30-31 Camelford St, Brighton BN2 1TQ

 

When: Friday, April 21

Time: Starting from 8pm onwards

Cost: Tickets £20 per person available from Camelford Bar

 

Record crowds turnout for Easter bonnet parade in Hove

Easter bonnet parade and drag races raise £3,229.68 for HIV charity.

The Bedford Tavern and Grosvenor Bar in Hove, played host to the annual Easter Bonnet Parade and charity drag races on Easter Sunday (April 23), raising a staggering £3,229.68 for local HIV charity, The Sussex Beacon.

The days activities included an Easter Bonnet competition hosted by Dave Lynn, a sing-a-long, piano bingo and cabaret entertainment at both venues.

Western Street was packed with competitors and spectators as the races took place and bets were placed on the ‘athletes’. A raffle and bucket collection throughout the day ensured as much money as possible was raised for charity.

Victor Von Cock and Princess Stephanie L’Amour won the drag races.

Simon Dowe
Simon Dowe

Simon Dowe, Chief Executive of The Sussex Beacon, said: “This is one of the craziest events in Brighton’s calendar and we were so grateful to be chosen as the beneficiary again. The competitors had gone to town with their outfits this year! We want to thank the runners, the spectators and particularly The Bedford Tavern and Grosvenor Bar for organising the event. £3,229.68 is a great result and the money will go directly to helping people living with HIV in Sussex.”

Adam Brooks
Adam Brooks

Adam Brooks landlord of the Bedford Tavern, added: “This was the best ever Easter Sunday event we have had. I am overwhelmed by the support our little event received and my heartfelt thanks goes to everyone who helped make the day a roaring success.

“There are too many people to thank individually but I must pay special thanks to all of our Drag Runners, the amazing volunteers and everyone who placed bets, bought raffle tickets, piano bingo tickets and put money in the buckets,

“Special thanks to our amazing cabaret acts Spice, Miss Treated, Kara van Park and Halle Ween who gave their time for free and put on a spectacular show for everyone.

“Finally, Team Bedford! My amazing, hardworking, beautiful staff, my Bedford family – you worked your arses off for a record-breaking day, I love you to bits, thank you.”

The Sussex Beacon provides specialist support and care for people living with HIV. The charity provides both inpatient and outpatient services to promote independence and improve health.

For more information about the Sussex Beacon, click here:

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Local broadcaster bids to become first trans MP

Following the Government’s decision to call a snap general election on June 8, trans broadcaster, Sophie Cook, head of Latest LGBT+TV has announced her intention to put her name forward to Labour’s NEC to be their candidate for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven.

Trans campaigner Sophie is a former RAF engineer, motorbike racer, newspaper editor, football and rock photographer and the first transgender newscaster on European terrestrial TV for Brighton’s Latest TV, where she hosts Beyond The Rainbow, a weekly LGBT+ news and chat show.

Sophie is the first trans woman to work in the Premier League as club photographer for AFC Bournemouth, and is an ambassador for Kick It Out and patron of Just A Ball Game? She has appeared as a motivational speaker at both Wembley Stadium and the TUC and is a Hate Crime ambassador for Sussex Police, speaks regularly at conferences about LGBT+ issues and consults with a number of major companies about inclusion and diversity.

Sophie said: “Following the unexpected decision by Theresa May to call a snap general election and the decision of Nancy Platts, the Labour candidate in 2015 not to stand in Kemptown as the Labour candidate, I feel that the time is right for me to put my name forward to be the Labour candidate.

“Over the past two years since I came out as transgender I have been on the most amazing journey which has led me to this point. 

“It is time for a united Labour Party to work together to defeat the Tories and work for the good of all, regardless of their position in society.”

An ex-newspaper editor and broadcaster, Sophie believes her experience as an inspirational and motivational speaker gives her the skills and belief to serve the Labour Party and constituency well.

From her days in the Royal Air Force during the 1980s she says she always knew she wanted to stand for Parliament but was unable to pursue her dreams for fear of being outed as transgender. This is no longer an issue for her.

She continued: “I believe strongly in the values of equality and diversity, allowing everyone to thrive regardless of gender, sexuality, gender identity, race, religion, disability or wealth.

“At AFC Bournemouth, the Premier League club for whom I am the photographer, we have a motto: Together anything is possible. When I came out to them as trans it was true for us and it can be true for the Labour Party.”

The seat is presently held by Government Treasury Minister, Simon Kirby MP who will be defending a 690 majority.

Simon Kirby MP
Simon Kirby MP

Mr Kirby has announced his intention to stand again: “I can confirm that, following confirmation of re-selection by my local Association, I will be proud to stand again as Parliamentary candidate for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven. I will continue to do my best to support our Prime Minister, Theresa May and be a loud voice locally and in Parliament for local residents.

“We need this election now to secure the strong and stable leadership the country needs to see us through Brexit and beyond.

“The choice is between strong and stable leadership in the national interest with Theresa May and the Conservatives or a weak and unstable coalition government led by Jeremy Corbyn. An election now will give the country stability and certainty for a full five years, not just up to the point at which we leave the European Union but beyond it too.”

REVIEW: Bad Girls the Musical@The Old Market

Bad Girls the Musical is based on the iconic TV series Bad Girls first broadcast in June 1999, highlighting life in the fictional women’s prison HMP Larkhall.

It’s a story of how good triumphs over evil and deals with serious issues such as drug abuse, bullying and lesbian relationships.

New wing governor Helen Stewart elegantly played by Colette Ridehalgh is a reformer and determined to rid the prison of bad guy prison officer Jim Fenner played with slimy assurance by Frankie Davison who has a great lyrical singing voice.

Fenner who believes he has been unfairly overlooked for the role of the new wing governor takes new inmate Rachel Hicks (Amy Lawrence) under his wing and abuses her causing her to take her own life. Fenner and his side kick Sylvia ‘Bodybag’ Hollamby gloriously played by a confident Sharon Starr wants the new governor out of the way so that Fenner can take over the job he thinks is rightly his. That basically is the plot.

First and foremost Bad Girls is a show about strong women and how they survive their time in prison. This production celebrates those women with some inspired casting of the principle roles.

Jaki Pockney is spectacular as gangsters wife Yvonne Atkins while Sophie Graffin (Shell Dockley) has all the necessary qualities to be top dog.

Beth Yeates playing Shell’s love interest Denny Blood is really believable throughout and Katryna Thomas Shell playing ex-bible basher Crystal Gordon shines in her gospel solo number Freedom Road. Hollie Hines playing the governors love interest Nikki Wade shines in One Moment and is spectacular in Every Night when duetting with the new governor.

Brighton Theatre Group last produced this show six years ago and Jo Barnes (Julie Saunders) and Emma Lindfield (Julie Johnston), the two Julies, return to reprieve their original roles and between them, almost steal the show. They are confident, funny and Jo Barnes’ performance of Sorry, sung to her son David on the telephone, was a highlight of the evening for me.

Most musicals have a single number you go away remembering. Bad Girls The Musical as such does not have a show stopper but it does have half a dozen big numbers that are very memorable and beautifully crafted by composer Kath Gotts.

Michael Burnie’s direction throughout is tight keeping the focus on the characters rather than the spectacle. Ellen Cambell’s musical direction is first class and the backdrop projections creating the inside of the prison are particulary effective.

Bad Girls the Musical deals with difficult subjects and really does them justice. At times it is very dark but this after all is real life and its success lies in the writers managing to successfully engage you with the characters.

The first half of the show suffered from first night nerves from some of the performers, but they all came into their own during the second half when they relaxed, started enjoying themselves and sang gloriously.

Special mention for the chorus and especially Ann Atkins who took their roles very seriously, danced very well and kept me amused all evening.

Well done Brighton Theatre Group for taking on a serious show with a serious message and giving us something to think about. Well worth the visit.

Bad Girls the Musical, runs until Saturday, April 22.
Thursday 20 at 7.45pm; Friday and Saturday 21 and 22 at 5pm and 8pm

To book tickets online, click here:

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