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Author: Samantha Harman

Queer Businesses Cut Ties With Boyz Amid Anti-Trans Backlash

Posted on by Samantha Harman

Boyz was established in 1991, and has since been a key LGBTQ guide to what’s on in queer London, with the publication often being referred to as the gay Timeout.

However, it would appear the magazine may be in trouble as many high profile brands and LGBTQ stars have cut ties with them and publicly berated Boyz and editor, David Bridle, on Twitter.

The community is angry over retweets made by Bridle and Boyz in support of various LBG Alliance statuses. Subsequent to the outcry against the tweets, the editor then further reinforced his support for the anti-trans group.

Among the outraged was high-profile drag performer Baga Chipz, who said: ‘TRANS AND NON BINARY PEOPLE EXIST. AND NO HATE GROUP OR PUBLICATION WILL EVER TAKE THAT AWAY. The Trans community are the most inspirational, bravest people I know. Sending my trans brothers and sisters so much love.”

According to Galop, the LGBTQ anti-violence charity, trans people are under such high rates of physical, sexual, and verbal attack that more than half feel less able to leave their home, this fear is only intensified when public figures, such as politicians and high-profile newspaper coulmnists demonise trans people.

Gscene spoke to Dr Sam Hall, trustee at The Clare Project, who echoed this: “At a time when trans people’s rights and very lives are more at risk than ever, we need our LGB allies to speak up and speak loud. Trans people are exhausted by constant battering from right wing and gender critical angles right now. This extraordinary platforming of a hate group in a mainstream LGBT publication comes hot on the heels of a Trans Day of Remembrance honouring more deaths than ever before. Young and carefree LGB folk MUST be constantly reminded of the giants on whose shoulders they stand…”

Although the offending tweets have since been deleted and the editor has apologised and defended his anti-trans stance, people are not convinced. Bridle has since deleted his twitter account.

David Paisley, actor and activist/ally said on twitter  “This is lies. The owner/editor of Boyz Magazine is a follower and supporter of LGB Alliance. He’s deleted his Twitter to avoid scrutiny. Don’t fall for it.”

Photo: Hugo Michiels Photography

Sarah Savage, children’s author and Trans pride Brighton Trustee, said: “It’s really hurtful that Boyz magazine chose to host an event with an anti-trans hate group only days after the end of Trans Awareness Week and TDoR. Their apology rings hollow as it only came after the event had happened and all of the tweets advertising it had been deleted. I hope the magazine follows through on their promise to learn and grow from this incident but they have a lot of making up to do.”

There is no LGBTQ equality without Trans equality.

 

 

Brighton LGBTQ Bar Owners Donating Kids Gender Neutral Christmas Gifts

Posted on by Samantha Harman

Brighton bar owners Lee Cockshot and Simon Ebers are embracing the true Christmas spirit this year, by donating £500 worth of gender neutral Christmas gifts to families in need.

The duo are also donating Christmas Sunday Roasts at one of their three venues for 30 lucky families.

Lee was moved and inspired by his friend Claire Fuller’s Facebook post, which read, “Before you start bragging that you’ve done your xmas shopping, please remember some parents have lost their jobs and don’t know how they’re going to feed their kids, never mind buy presents. 

“Some parents are on 80% pay and only just managing to pay bills…”

Lee owns Marine Tavern on Broad Street, Simon owns The Regency Tavern on Russell Square and the pair co-own Le Village just off St James’s Street. 

Simon said, “We understand this is an espcially difficult time for families and we wanted to give something back to the local community, the presents aren’t just for LGBTQ families, but for anyone who is struggling.”

From December 3rd, parents in need are invited to visit either Marine Tavern or Le Village between 11am – 1pm to collect one free gender neutral Christmas gift per child, the first 15 to be seen at either venue will also receive a voucher entitling a family of up to five to a free Christmas Sunday Roast.

 

 

Free Attack Alarms For Trans People

Posted on by Samantha Harman
London-based charity Not A Phase, has been providing free personal atack alarms for trans people via the website.
Gscene spoke to one of the charity’s founders, Dani St James, who said, “We bought about 250 alarms and currently have around 30 left, they went very quickly.
“Safety is a major concern to trans people when going about thier everyday lives and prior to lockdown 2.0, we were planning to start self-defence classes based in central London.
“The project is currently on pause, but in the meantime the alarms offer a solution to becoming safer when trans people are out and about.”
Not A Phase was founded by Dani and her friend  Jacqui Devon this year in response to the reversal of rights of trans people, the potential removal in healthcare for trans youth and the enforcement of the single-sex spaces.
Jacqui designed a T-shirt with the slogan Not A Phase: Support Trans Youth, but following unprecedented sales success, the duo were in a position to form Not A Phase Ltd, which is now established, with charity registration pending.
The friends are dedicated to lobbying for change and making a difference to trans lives across the UK and have adopted the slogan; ‘Not A Phase: Support Trans Lives’.
The ethos is public education, acheived by providing training to institutions and companies on the real trans experience.
Jacqui and Dani aim to break down stigma and prejudice and to foster stronger social inclusion and equality for the trans community.

Brighton’s Oldest Raver Disco Pete Turns 85

Posted on by Samantha Harman

Brighton icon, Pete Turner or Disco Pete, as he is affectionately called, celebrated his 85th birthday yesterday in the nursing home where he permanently resides.

Pete suffers with dementia and is wheelchair-bound , but in spite of this, spent the afternoon surrounded by staff and fellow patients in the common room listening to music.

He was also presented with a birthday cake and later enjoyed a video call with his daughter (who asked not to be named), who was unable to visit due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Speaking exclusively to Gscene, she revealed, “If it wasn’t for Covid, depending on how he was feeling we would’ve been out celebrating – previous birthdays were fun and interesting, gone are those days.”

She added, “As you can tell he loved dancing, he has danced all of my life and more.

“Back in the 70s, 80s and 90s he danced every night of our holidays, he often wore a Michael Jackson mask while he danced (we are BIG fans of his).

“He entered dance and talent competitions back then, often winning holidays.”

Disco Pete was a regular attendee at any music event across the city, from Pride to The Children’s Parade, always found somewhere in the crowd, dressed in brightly coloured attire and white gloves, showing off his signature dance moves.

In a 2016 interview with Huffington Post, when asked what dancing meant to him, he said, “Age is immaterial, if you have a talent or hobby, use it – make the most of it, try and inspire others.

“I love it when little lads copy all my moves.

“When I’m dancing I’m in a world of my own, dancing takes you away from life, it’s great for overcoming physical or mental problems. It has excellent health values.”

Last year, an exhibition was opened to celebrate the life, secret art work and poety of the dancing legend.

It was curated and designed by Phillip Sugg and Amanda Rosenstein with Disco Pete attending the opening night.

Although his dancing days are firmly behind him, Disco Pete will always be remembered for his exhuberance and unwillingness to submit to old age, an inspiration to us all – we at Gscene join the whole of the city in wishing him a very happy birthday.

 

Drag Diva Lockdown Returns For Lockdown 2.0

Posted on by Samantha Harman

 

Facebook group Drag Diva Lockdown, was initially established on April 9th; as a response to the March 2020 lockdown.

Paul Doble and two friends; decided they wanted to bring light and laughter into the homes of the incarcerated, while simultaneously protecting our precious drag scene.

By July 2020, Drag Diva Lockdown had hosted 450 shows, featuring 170 drag performers from across the UK.

Paul decided to relaunch the platform subsequent to the current lockdown restrictions and is delighted with the online response.

Speaking to Gscene, he said,“Drag Diva Lockdown is an inclusive and positive platform that provides a creative outlet for our beloved drag queens and offers some financial support. 

“We have a zero-tolerance policy for abuse and trolling and anyone who doesn’t comply are removed.

“I realise that drag is a male queen dominated area, but we open our doors to female drag queens as well as drag kings.”

The Facebook group has amassed 6.2k members who tune in Thursday to Sunday to watch a dazzling array of drag acts, including Brighton’s very own Candi Rel-Dq. 

With many drag artists being self-employed, and all hospitality outlets closed for the foreseeable future, earning an income is impossible right now for many queens (and kings).

When watching the live shows, a Paypal link allows fans to donate however much they wish to each performer.

In addition to this, every Thursday night an agreed charity is also recipient to viewer donations during the poular show ‘Chatting Sh*t’, hosted by Paul and Linda Matthews.

 

Unstable Emotional Personality Disorder and Me

Posted on by Samantha Harman

Dean Pender talks about his on-going battle with poor mental health and Emotional Personality Disorder.

AS I tell you my story I want you to know that incidents that happened in my life didn’t bring on my mental illness, it was already there, but it definitely contributed to it.

Growing up I was always different to other children – I was always very down, emotional and would cry and worry about almost anything.

My upbringing was great but my school years were not so good. I was bullied through out all my years at school for being feminine/gay. The name calling and physical bullying affected me so much I would hide away, stay off school and not socialise.

At the age of 15 I went to see the doctor as I couldn’t understand why I was always crying and very distressed.  The doctor prescribed me Prozac and basically left me get on with it. Mental Health wasn’t something you spoke about back then and it was rarely ever investigated.

I always wanted to be an actor and went to a performing arts college. Up on stage in front of people, I was full of confidence, but behind closed doors I lived a lonely life and always had that dark cloud hovering over me. I ended up losing that confidence and my dreams got crushed as I couldn’t be around people anymore anymore.

Like everyone life had it’s ups and many downs…..

In my own head I was always thinking way too much (and still do) – scared of life and anything happening to me or my family. I would go to sleep every nite and pray that we were all kept safe. Even now, sometimes if I feel really uptight I still do it.

As the years went by my mental health deteriorated. I started thinking people were laughing or talking about me. I told my doctor but his attitude remained the same, “here’s more medication off you go,” – basically just get on with it.

2011 was the worst year of my life. I walked around in a daze, constantly scared. It got so bad that in my head the only way out for me was to end my life! I tried, didn’t succeed and was placed in a hostel that had all walks of life in – people suffering with mental health issues, drug and alcohol abuse.

Often I would meet up with my key worker and talk about things, but I always felt embarrassed for what I was going through so I would would brush it off, but then torment myself in my head.

On July 8 I found my best friend of twenty years dead, my heart just broke. I had never had seen a dead body before, but I couldn’t leave her side until the undertakers took her, which took hours. During this period I also suffered from domestic violence and for my safety the police and council told me that the best thing to do was move out of the area.  So I moved to Brighton.

My thinking pattern changed and my depression just didn’t feel like depression. Family and friends noticed a change in me and my mum told me that some days I would just look straight through her. I felt empty, and lifeless, hated life and just wanted a way out.

I started to get manic episodes and some days I would feel like I had won the lottery. These episodes could last anything from an hour to all day. If I woke up at 4/5 in the morning I would bounce out of bed, be very energetic, speak fast and I loved going for long walks. I even felt like I could run the marathon! I would send messages to people about ideas I had in my head. Then BANG the come down would kick in – I would feel lifeless, broken and would find myself rocking while pulling my hair out thinking in my head “why me.”

At this point I was still on anti depressants and decided I had to change doctors.  In 2017 once I spoke with my new doctor about what I was going through, I got an appointment with a physiatrist who told me I was suffering from Emotional Unstable Personality Disorder! I was over the moon as for the first time I had a diagnoses, and knew it just wasn’t depression and anxiety I was suffering from.

I tried different anti psychotic medications to get the right one for me, Quetiapine, which I still take. But, once again like my 15 year old self I was left to get on with it – I felt I wouldn’t get help anywhere. The Assessment and Treatment Service at the Hove Poly Clinic told me I wasn’t ready for their services and kept putting a stop on me seeing the physiatrist. I was stuck, and still didn’t know how to control it.

Time went by, I was in and out of hospital following multiple suicide attempts and didn’t know what to do – still feeling fearful of people and life and I wouldn’t go out. I was placed in every hostel in Brighton and Hove – my life was constantly moving and I was surrounded by people who would take advantage of me to get their drugs or alcohol. I was having sleepless nights and the fear got so bad I would barricade myself in my room and very rarely left it.

This year the council housed me in temporary accommodation and now permanent (thanks to the help of the Rainbow Hub and MindOut). I felt I could start a new life but was still struggling with my EUPD, depression and anxiety.

Having found out about MindOut I was allocated an advocate and following so many suicide attempts I joined a group session there for people dealing with suicidal thoughts. In one way this was helpful, but then I would come away after listening to everyone’s problems and take them home with me, which made me feel worse so I had no choice but to reluctantly leave the group.

Today I’m now under the physiatrist again as an emergency patient. He actually listens to me and understands what I need to learn about my health issues. He has put my name down for a twenty week course at the hospital to understand my thought process and how to live with EUPD, depression and anxiety.

I know my life will always have a dark cloud hovering over it but I’m going to try and make the sun shine through. I want to make new friends, socialise more with people and get involved in local events to make a change myself as the course that I’m being put forward for has given me that bit of hope that I will be able to deal with the way it all affects me.

If your reading this story and can relate to my story please don’t ignore it like I did or accept being given loads of medication and told to get on with it.  Push and push for help…

Peace and love

INTERVIEW: Beverley Knight – A Welcome Prodigal Sister

Posted on by Samantha Harman

Beverley Knight MBE recently celebrated twenty five years in music with a sold out show at London’s Royal Festival Hall.

THE event was recorded for a live album due to be released later this year ahead of a UK tour with a Brighton Centre stop on October 1. Super fan Dean Pender caught up with Bev and asked if in the mid 90’s she envisaged having such success 25 years on:

“I knew I would still be making music. What I could not have predicted was how, and in what capacity. I knew I was going to make music throughout my life but I had no idea how big it would be but I always knew that somehow, someway I would have a career, a lifetime of singing and making music. I didn’t know if I would need another job to supplement that. But as it turns out…. I never did!”

In the 90s you were vocal about your support for the LGBT communities and called out artists who included homophobic lyrics in their work. What was the reaction at the time?
“It caused immense problems. I was literally on my own. Absolutely no other black, British artist in the urban field and I make that distinction importantly – the urban field, spoke out. I was an island but I believed, as I do today, that your silence means you are complicit with homophobes and racists. I’m not here for that. There was a backlash although luckily there was no social media back then but it was terrifying. People wrote to magazines saying they were going to make sure my career was going to be over, and I received [messages] that could be construed as death threats “I know where you live” and things like that. But these were a minority, the overwhelming majority supported me. It was a minority of individuals from within my own communities who were absolutely furious with me”.

Did your career suffer?
“As a result, a lot of people who were decision makers in the music industry would distance themselves from me. It was very hard for a time as those people stood away from me but I didn’t care. I was raised to believe in standing up for what is right, even if it costs you and I still believe that now. I am proud that I had the strength to do that. Would I do it again in the age of social media? I’d like to think I would but it is difficult when you are the only one”.

Is it true that your band at the time didn’t want you to perform for gay audiences?
“Yes. It was awful. It was the band I had at the time in the beginning, in the mid 90s. I was asked to do Pride and I was so excited. My manager put it to the band then three days before the event was due to happen my manager told me that they felt they were unable to be my band in this circumstance due to their religious beliefs. Are you serious? For their religious beliefs? Well I was going to play Pride, even if they weren’t. So the band had to go it was that simple. It was stressful and I had to get a band together in lightning time but that’s how it was. Sod ‘em! (laughs).

“I won’t name those people because since then those people have seen the error of their ways and come round to being full rounded people. But if they hadn’t, I’d have shamed them! With time people grow up”.

You were awarded an MBE for your services to music and charity in 2007. Did this come as a surprise?
“I was so stunned it took me a long time to say yes. In 2007 I still thought I was very young, in my thirties and “I haven’t done anything!”. My management had a word with me and said this isn’t just about you, it’s about the people coming up behind you and those who laid the path for you. My mum and dad came to Britain not knowing what life was going to be like for them and they certainly didn’t think their daughter would go on to have the career that I’ve had. The award was as much for them and so I agreed to take the MBE.

“That day at Buckingham Palace, I had my mum, dad and my manager there. When they called my name all I could think was ‘don’t fall over, why did you wear platform heels!’ Can you imagine if I’d fallen over – the shame. When you meet The Queen, she pins the award on you and then gives you a shove as if to say – ok, go now – and you have to walk away backwards! The shoes looked good but what a mistake!”

In 2013 your career took a different turn and you moved into acting. How did that come about?
“I had acted my entire life. My first role, I was five! All the way through school I did drama and joined local amateur dramatics, but I stopped acting when the music career took off. So I feel this is a return to acting but on a professional level and I’m so proud that I was able to go back to it. I loved it being on stage and being someone else for a minute. I was the first black Grizabella in Cats in the UK. Next year there’s lots of theatre happening for me and all original roles too so keep an eye out for that.”

Dean and Beverley
Dean and Beverley

Your new tour is a tribute to Stevie Wonder and involves you and an orchestra performing some of his songs. What can we expect at your Brighton show on October 1?
“It’s going to be beautiful. I am Stevie Wonder’s ambassador for the night and I’m going to share his music. I’ll be singing all the songs that I love of his that mean something to and resonate with me. I’m tackling some of the greatest songs known to man, it will be beautiful. Two hours of his music and I’m really looking forward to it.”

And the new album?
“I have the live album coming in November which is of the anniversary show from May at the Royal Festival Hall with some new studio tracks on there. I’ve never done a live album show before and with that and the new tracks I’m really excited.”

Beverley Knight tours in October with shows including Brighton Center (1), London Palladium (8) and Bournemouth (13).

To book tickets for Brighton Centre show online, click here:

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