It’s been a very hard year for all of us at Gscene. We reflect on our losses and spend a moment thinking of all the people who have left us in 2019 we will be still and let the tears come.
The Gscene team would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been so helpful, offered support and ensured that our difficult time has been eased as much as possible. Your kindness and advice have been hugely appreciated.
2019 has also had some great moments for our community, with the extension of equality legislation across the world and same sex marriage to all the UK, improvements in health and HIV outcomes, the biggest ever Pride and a vibrant Rainbow Fund. All this has been combined with continuing fantastic work across the city’s LGBTQi+ sector from the hard-working businesses, the charities and support groups who do so much for such a broad spectrum of people and our colleagues in the statutory services.
We’ve also seen a worrying rise in hate crimes directed at our LGBTQi+ and other diverse communities across the county and emboldened narratives of exclusion and discrimination being promoted by shrill voices and more sophisticated groups. Gscene is part of a huge network of groups and people working hard to challenge this intolerance, to ensure that equality is for all. We try hard to be fully inclusive, supportive and recognise that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Without you, dear Brighton & Hove readers, writers, advertisers, performers, venues, charities, workers, business owners, tourists and refugees from less LGBTQi+ friendly places, we would be a much lesser publication. Without all of us, this city would be a much poorer place.
With you and your concerns, issues and fabulous creativity filling Gscene’s pages, our breadth is our strength.
Last year we lost our powerhouse of an Editor and we miss James with every turn of the magazine’s pages, but he left us with his willpower, his intent, his direction, his networks and his fundamental appreciation of community. He also leaves us with the continual understanding of the vital importance of making sure ALL our beautiful LGBTQi+ voices get an opportunity to be heard, and that Gscene is the platform for the concerns and views of our communities
Gscene has always been a team effort and all of us here know that our diverse LGBTQi+ community is the foundation of the magazine – what we cover, promote, feature and inform on.
We can look forward to the New Year knowing we are in a good place, with good people around us, wishing us well and you, our readers, can look forward to a 2020 filled with another 12 great issues of the magazine, which is the heart and soul of LGBTQi+ Brighton & Hove.
Here’s to 2020, and we say – bring it on!
