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Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus singers to run in the Brighton Marathon

Adam Betteridge and Silvio Grasso, two trustees with Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus, will be running in the Brighton Marathon on April 6, 2014 to raise funds for the choir.

Silvio Grasso & Adam Betteridge. Photo by Nick Ford Photography
Silvio Grasso & Adam Betteridge. Photo by Nick Ford Photography

Neither have run a Marathon yet and its fair to say both are anxious and excited about the prospect.

Adam Betteridge said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be helping raise funds for such an amazing charity as Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus. The choir is really engaged in the local community, providing a safe supportive space for gay and gay-friendly men to meet whilst also learning how to sing. I’m also running in memory of my dear niece Sophie, who learned how to walk despite the experts telling us she never would, but whom who tragically died last May aged just 16 years old.”

Silvio Grasso, who will be donating 50% of the funds he raises to MindOut, the LGBT mental health project, said: “As well as putting on great fun shows, the Chorus has also helped raise lots of money for other local charities including Lunch Positive, the Sussex Beacon and the Rainbow Fund in recent times. It’s also true the training has been incredibly gruelling what with the recent weather so please do dig deep and help us!”

Paul Charlton, Chairman of Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus, added: “We are extremely grateful to Adam and Silvio for their support. This is the first time we have had anyone raise money for us by running in the Brighton Marathon. Fundraising efforts such as this will make a huge difference to our members in helping us continue with our charitable and community work. Please do support Adam and Silvio!”

To sponsor Adam, CLICK HERE:

To sponsor Silvio, CLICK HERE: 

Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus will be holding its annual Jamboree – offering fun, games and home-baked cakes – at the Brighton Tavern on Saturday, April 19 between 11a and 3pm. Everyone is welcome.

Their next show Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus: Nautical But Nice will take place as part of the Brighton Fringe Festival on May 2 & 3 at St George’s Church in Kemptown, Brighton.

Tickets and info will be available soon via www.brightongmc.org  

If you are considering joining the Chorus, they are always interested in hearing from prospective new members (irrespective of their running ability!). Email Tom @ membership@brightongmc.org

Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus is a registered charity.

For more information, CLICK HERE:

 

Sussex Police live web chats

During Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans History Month Sussex Police are holding two live web chats.

Sussex Police

LGBT History Month celebrates the lives and achievements of the LGBT community.

The live chats will give members of the public the opportunity to put questions to a panel who will be able to give advice and support on all LGBT safety issues, the law and policing, as well as Hate Crime.

On the panel will be Hate Crime Sergeant, Peter Allan and LGBT Police Liaison Officer Rory Smith.

The sessions will run on Thursday, February 20 between 7.30pm and 9pm and again on Friday, February 28 between 8.30pm and 10pm.

To join in on-line, CLICK HERE:

The Gay British Crime Survey 2013, produced by Stonewall, stated that 75% of people who had experienced a hate crime or incident had not reported it to the police. 66% of those surveyed claimed they had not reported it to anyone. When questioned further on reasons for not reporting 41% said they did not feel it was a serious enough issue to report.

Chief Superintendent Wayne Jones
Chief Superintendent Wayne Jones

Chief Superintendent Wayne Jones who leads for Sussex Police on Hate Crime said: “Hate crime can have a devastating effect on victims and causes fear among members of local communities and residents.

“Sussex Police is committed to ensuring that all incidents of hate crime are correctly identified and recorded as such by our staff and officers and we work closely with community groups and partners to increase reporting, widen awareness and build confidence with victims to help bring offenders to justice.

“We urge anyone who feels they have been a victim of hate crime or targeted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity to report it to us immediately.”

“This could include physical attacks, damage to property, offensive graffiti, abusive or obscene phone calls, verbal abuse, insults or threats, abusive gestures, the posting of offensive letters or leaflets, or theft and fraud.”

To report hate crime and hate incidents online at any time CLICK HERE:

Or by telephone 101

If the crime is still in progress or there is the threat of danger always call 999.

 

Couple chosen for historic “I do” at Royal Pavilion

The first same sex marriage ceremony in Brighton & Hove will take place just after midnight on Saturday, March 29, as soon as the law allows.

Neil Allard (left) and Andrew Wale will become the first same sex married couple in England when they get married on March 29 in the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.
Neil Allard (left) and Andrew Wale will become one of the first same sex married couples in England

The ceremony will mark a first in the city and is also set to be one of the first same sex marriages anywhere in the country.

Trevor Love
Trevor Love

Brighton & Hove City Council senior ceremonies registrar Trevor Love said: “This will be a momentous and historic day for the Registration Service in England and Wales, and for all of those couples making their marriage vows together. Brighton & Hove is a popular location for ceremonies and we have been busy keeping people up to date with the latest news about the introduction of same sex marriage. It is wonderful to see this law change being welcomed so enthusiastically in the city.”

Last December, when the Home Office announced the law would come into effect in March 2014, Brighton & Hove City Council was able to finalise plans to commemorate the date.

The Register Office, in partnership with the Royal Pavilion, invited same sex couples to apply to be the first to be married in the city.

Couples were asked to explain why the Royal Pavilion is special for them and what it would mean to be married there in the city’s first same sex wedding ceremony. The chosen couple will not only become the first same sex couple to marry in they city, they will also be the first late night ceremony in Brighton & Hove as well the first wedding in the Music Room at the Royal Pavilion.

Applications were considered by a panel including representatives from the Register Office, the Royal Pavilion and Councillor Leo Littman. All names and ages of the couples applying were removed before their comments were shared with the panel.

The chosen couple is Andrew Wale and Neil Allard. The pair will be married in the Music Room of the Royal Pavilion at one minute passed midnight on Saturday, March 29 2014.

After hearing the news, Andrew said: “I feel so lucky to live in a country where human rights and equality are moving in the right direction, and in a city with such an impressive history of tolerance and inclusion. To be the first same-sex couple to have the opportunity to be married here is a great privilege. We are very excited to be a small part of this huge step forward.”

Neil added: “As well as being the most iconic building in Sussex, the Royal Pavilion has become part of our personal iconography. This city will always be a special place for us because it’s where we met and fell in love and the Pavilion is the heart of the city.”

The application submitted by Andrew and Neil read:

“I am writing to apply for my partner and I to be the first same-sex couple to be married in Brighton, at The Royal Pavilion Music Room, on 29th. March 2014.

“On March 3, we will have been together for 7 years, and we can’t think of any better way to celebrate than to publicly proclaim our love, and to make our commitment to one another legally binding, in one of the most beautiful and iconic settings in our home city. The Royal Pavilion provided the backdrop to our early dates – visits to the theatre, picnics in the gardens and strolls around the Pavilion itself – it continues to feature in our daily lives together.

“The Royal Pavilion is such a special place to us and is representative of so much of why we love Brighton and Hove – it’s such a unique building, the design of which expresses a love of colour, contrast and individual taste.

“The building, and its creator, gave the city its reputation for free thinking and a shameless appreciation of pleasure which have fed the imaginations of its community and those of countless numbers of visitors over the decades.

“In previous years we had been planning to have a civil partnership, but decided to hold on when it became clear that the day might come when law changed to allow us to have a ceremony which brought us true equality. 

“We are so happy, for ourselves and for the thousands of other committed same-sex couples that that day is nearly here.  To be the first same-sex couple to marry in Brighton would be an honour and a thrilling privilege.

“Although we would dearly love to have our ceremony in the Royal Pavilion, the fact that we are now allowed to marry at all is enough to counteract any disappointment we might feel if we are not chosen, and we would wish the lucky couple the most wonderful wedding.”

Community Works LGBT Group Meeting

Community Works is the local community and voluntary sector influencing organisation offering advice and support to all voluntary sector groups.

Community Works

Community Works wants voluntary and community action to have the greatest possible impact on people in Brighton and Hove and they put in place the support and networks that make it happen.

Gary Pargeter from Lunch Positive and Chris Cooke from Kemp Town in Bloom were recently elected Volunteer LGBT Community Representatives with Community Works. They are inviting all local LGBT groups and organisations to a short meeting to talk about their role as community reps, find out what support they need, how peer support can be developed and to start helping LGBT voluntary groups have a voice in local strategy and decision making.

Gary Pargeter and Chris Cooke
Gary Pargeter and Chris Cooke

Gary Pargeter volunteer project manager at Lunch Positive, said: “Community Works (formerly CVSF) has been invaluable to our organisation and to the people we help. It has provided training, advice, support and hugely useful opportunities to meet other groups where we’ve found and shared support. Our LGBT groups do so much great work.  It would be amazing if we could all get to know each another better, find out what’s needed and also find more ways to support one another.”

If you’re a local LGBT organisation, no matter what your size or your work, go along to this meeting which is being hosted as part of the LGBT Community Safety Forum on Saturday, March 1 at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, Dorset Gardens, Brighton.

Community Works Reps will take up the first part of the meeting from 1-2 pm and refreshments will be provided.

To confirm your attendance or ask any questions, EMAIL:  

Or telephone: 07846 464384

 

 

 

‘Train the change’

New Anti HIV stigma campaign to be launched in Ramsgate.

Jayce Carberry
Jayce Carberry

Train the change is a training campaign started by award winning HIV activist Jayce Carberry and Ramsgate training company edUKate Training.

Train the change started as a conversation between Jayce and his Mum, Carole, owner of edUKate – about where the root of stigma lay, This happened after Jayce was subjected to stigma by an employee at the Maidstone Job Centre. Both agreed this was due to lack of education.

Jayce and edUKate then started working on a training programme in HIV, Aids & Stigma Awareness, which they called Train The Change.

They plan to deliver Train The Change across the UK, with interest already being shown by a local school for their older students.

The course is structured: The history of HIV & Aids, understanding HIV & Aids, understanding transmission of HIV, treatment and support for people living with HIV, appropriate and inappropriate language and phrases and the stigma surrounding HIV.

Jayce said: “I have been living with HIV since 2012, and coped well with my diagnosis, until the day I was subjected to stigma. All of a sudden I felt embarrassed, vulnerable and ashamed. Almost a year has passed, and I couldn’t shake off the thought that I was made to feel like that because the person was uneducated – I had to change that. We had the training issue addressed at Maidstone Jobcentre, but now I feel it is time to really change people attitudes and knowledge about HIV.”

A spokensperson for edUKate training, said: “When we think about the stigma surrounding HIV, we think about the causes; often ignorance and lack of education.

“Train the change is a HIV, AIDS and Stigma awareness course that we plan to deliver across the UK, in the hope that we can make an impact on the stigma attached to people living with HIV & Aids.

“We will also be personally donating a large percentage of all money raised to HIV & Aids charities – which we will announce later in the year. “

The campaign will be launched at The Marlowe Academy, Stirling Way, Ramsgate CT12 6NB on Thursday, February 20 at 7pm and organisers hope to have in attendance MPs, councillors, local teaching staff, key members of the local community and supporters of Jayce’s campaigning – including Brighton based, Martin Lowe, who nominated Jayce for the Argus Local Hero Award.

What: Launch of Train the change

Where: Marlowe Academy, Stirling Way, Ramsgate CT12 6NB

When: Thursday February 20

Time: 7pm

Speaking Volumes Project – ‘Let the books do the talking’

New project gives HIV positive people the chance to share their stories and experiences of living with HIV without needing to publicly disclose their status.

Speaking Volunes ProjectThe project will be launched on World Health Day, Monday, April 7 2014, 5.30-6.30pm, Jubilee Library, Jubilee St, Brighton, BN1 1GE.

Speaking Volumes will be on display at the Jubilee Library for two months until June 7, 2014 and the stories will also be available online.

Speaking Volumes is a flexible and responsive storytelling project, designed to give marginalised people a voice, and allow the public to hear the stories of the disenfranchised – with the aim of increasing understanding and reducing stigma.

Working with HIV positive people living in Sussex to record their stories, the Speaking Volumes ‘living books’ will be on display in the Jubilee Library for two months, before moving to other venues, enabling as many people as possible to engage with the material. The recordings will also be permanently available on the Speaking Volumes website.

“It feels like we have been waiting for the chance to share our story for years” said: Lily Rose, a Project participant.

The project not only helps to dispel stigma, it also provides a supportive space for people with similar issues to meet. As marginalised people are often isolated, a crucial element of the project is the development of support networks, which have already burgeoned.

Angelina Namiba, a Project Participant, said:  “Having HIV does not stop you from being a mum, does not stop you from having a relationship and does not stop you from working. All you need to do is get the right treatment, care and support and you can live as healthy a life as anyone else. Don’t let HIV define who you are. Take control.”

Speaking Volumes is special because it is not only a community oral-history or storytelling project, it is also a work of art. The presentation of the sound recordings in the Jubilee Library will be visually arresting and intriguing and will draw people in to engage with the project and listen to the stories.

Speaking Volumes is produced in association with Pink Fringe. www.pinkfringe.org.uk

For more information, CLICK HERE:

Or EMAIL: alice@speakingvolumesproject.org

What: Speaking Volumes Project – ‘Let the books do the talking’

Where: Jubilee Library, Jubilee St, Brighton, BN1 1GE.

When: April 7 to June 7

LGBT Safety Forum to organise ‘Access Tent’ at Pride 2014

The Brighton and Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum (LGBT CSF) will be organising and facilitating the Access Tent at this years Brighton Pride.

LGBT Community Safety ForumIt is the first time an LGBT organisation has provide the service for quite some years.

Discussions are underway to finalise the improved service and these will be announced at a public meeting on Saturday, March 1 at 2pm.

Joanna Rowland-Stuart
Joanna Rowland-Stuart

Joanna Rowland-Stuart, said: “as the disability rep of the LGBT Community Safety Forum and trans rep for REGARD the LGBT disability charity I am very happy the LGBT CSD is taking the lead on this project. 

“The access tent is not just a meeting place for disabled visitors to pride, for them it’s also a refuge, a place to seek advice, to get help, first Aid and to report problems of any nature with their day at pride, up to and including reporting hate crime incidents.

“Because of this, it is essential that the Brighton and Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum take the lead in organising, promoting and publicising this facility  both to maximise its uptake by the disabled community at Pride but also to ensure that the access tent is fully effective and that the Forum itself is visible to the wider LGBT community.”

Billie Lewis
Billie Lewis

Billie Lewis, Chair of the LGBT CSF, added: “I am delighted we are able to provide this important service. I am hoping that the facility will not only benefit and empower those needing to use it but will remind the LGBT community that disabled people and the elderly are welcome at Pride and should be equally welcome throughout the LGBT scene.

“We will be working closely with other volunteer services to make sure the facility is as inclusive as possible.”

For more information on the Brighton and Hove LGBT Safety Forum, CLICK HERE:
www.lgbt-safety-forum-brighton.com

For more info on the pride access tent visit, CLICK HERE:
www.lgbt-help.com/pride

 

Proud2Be nominated for the UK’s Largest Diversity Awards

Proud2Be have been nominated for the LGBT Community Organisation Award at The 2014 National Diversity Awards.

Proud2Be

The ceremony celebrates some of the excellent and inspiring achievements of positive role models and community organisations from across the UK. The awards aim to recognise nominees in their respective fields of diversity including age, disability, gender, race, faith, religion and sexual orientation.

Proud2Be Project is an organisation set up by gay identical twin brothers Mat and Jon Price, to empower all lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning & intersex (LGBTQI) people to be proud of who they are. The project was launched two and a half years ago when the brothers recorded a short video. In the video they explained how they are both proud to be gay.

Since its launch, Proud2Be has grown hugely and now holds a monthly social group, social weekends and a yearly Pride event in South Devon, UK.

The twins host their own radio show which can be heard on www.soundartradio.org.uk/ and are planning on opening the first rural LGBTQI community hub in Devon, next year.

Mat and Jon Price
Mat and Jon Price

The brothers said: “We are very honoured to be nominated for a national diversity award, particularly as it recognises Proud2Be as a community organisation. We have spent the last few years engaging with our wonderfully diverse and vibrant community and even though as a group we still face oppression and discrimination, it has been a pleasure to see so many people come together and support one another in the face of such adversity.”

To nominate in the National Diversity Awards, CLICK HERE:

Sebastiane screening in Brighton

Jarman’s classic to be screened at Duke of York’s Picturehouse.

SebastianeOne+One Filmmakers Journal and Eyes Wide Open Cinema are screening Derek Jarman’s Sebastiane on Wednesday February 26 at 8.30pm, at Duke of York’s Picturehouse, Brighton.

There will be a post-screening discussion with Derek Jarman collaborator James Mackay and hopefully Sussex academic and author Niall Richardson (The Queer Cinema of Derek Jarman) who has agreed to attend.

To book tickets, CLICK HERE: 

Derek Jarman
Derek Jarman

Aids Memorial vandalised

‘Tay’ the Brighton Aids Memorial was desecrated over the weekend.

Brighton Aids Memorial

The memorial sculptured by Mark Romany Bruce is located in New Steine Gardens off St James Street, Kemptown.

Graffiti in black spray paint was daubed on the front and the back of the memorials pedestal taking the form of a spray artist’s tag.

Paul Elgood
Paul Elgood

Paul Elgood is chair of the Rainbow Fund whose responsibility it is maintain the Aids Memorial.

He said: “Nearly five years on, the AIDS memorial has stood the test of time well. However, every so often vandalism does occur, and this is very sad. This latest attack shows the community needs to be ever vigilant!’

The Graffiti was reported to City Clean whose Graffiti Team had cleaned the memorial by Tuesday morning.

Brighton Aids Memorial

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