northeast - out! northeast magazine

the northeast’s premier lgbt news and lifestyle magazine 

FREE • PLEASE TAKE ONE • FREE 

northeast 

issue 29 

december 2011 ★ january 2012 

freddie 

mercury 

gay life in sunderland 

being muslim and lesbian 

staying sexually healthy 

going back in the closet 

extreme trans exclusion 

parents of gay children 

aids · 30 years on 

lgbt news... / icon... / health... / sexuality... / culture... / politics.../ travel... / fitness... / law... / reviews & more

northeast / issue 29 / outnortheast.com 

29 

the northeast’s premier 

lgbt news and lifestyle 

magazine 

out@outnortheast.com 

out! icon 

14 freddie mercury 4 regional, national 

+ world news 

Welcome to out! northeast, the region’s favourite lgbt read. 

Another jam-packed issue free for you to enjoy! 

14 4 

16 

out! 

news 

out! life 

16 health · aids 30 years on 

18 work · still more to do 

19 the fed · looking forward 

20 gender · trans exclusion 

22 spirituality · bridge building 

24 law · civil marriage 

25 travel · bilbao 

out! culture 

26 plays out! · ophelia’s choice 

27 listen out! with james barr 

out! takes 

28 a-z community listings 

30 southern scene queen 

31 scene listings 

32 scene out? sunderland 

34 horoscopes 

35 back page ads 

out! team 

editor 

aly rhodes 

news... 

ben spence · norma wright 

heather mcglade · angie scott 

ryan houston · joan pene · rob wood 

matthew hodson · steve greenwood 

kate hall · julia lyford · ken mortimer 

michael anderson · peter tatchell 

laura brodie · edward baran 

becky steckhahn-strohmer 

life... 

law · adam slawson 

health · mark fox 

work · patrick price 

the fed · louise evan wong 

spirituality · ashhara 

gender · natacha kennedy 

travel · mark casey 

icon · aly rhodes 

culture... 

plays out! · ophelia balls 

listen out! · james barr 

takes... 

scene out? · ben morgan 

horoscopes · jasmine starr 

southern scene queen · anita detox 

proofreading 

angela walls 

design 

aly rhodes 

cover photo: Queen Productions Limited 

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©2011 · out! northeast 

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volunteer 


Each issue of out! northeast is produced entirely by volunteers. We 

welcome and encourage input. Everybody’s valued contribution - from 

hauling the information in, to hauling the magazines out - fuses 

into the credible publication you are reading right now. Get in touch 

if you’re lgbt and keen to help out! There’s always plenty to do. 

And guess what? It will make you feel good too! 

Hello everyone. Welcome to winter’s 

edition of out! northeast. 

First up, there’s news of new support 

groups in Sunderland, a recap of the 

city’s first pride, and a photospread of 

the big day by resident scene out? photographer 

Ben. We’ve got advice from 

Mesmac on keeping sexually healthy 

and news on the return of GMFA’s 

Power Talking workshops for men. 

We have a few cheeky calendars of 

Newcastle Panthers baring all to give 

away. There’s information on where 

parents of gay sons and daughters 

can go for support and more new 

research on the concerning state of 

play for our older population. 

This month out! northeast honours 

a man familiar to most - Freddie 

Mercury - chosen because this issue 

coincides with World AIDS Day on 

December 1st, and the 10th anniversary 

of his death from AIDS-related 

pneumonia. AIDS is so much part of 

our everyday lives now that it may 

be difficult for a whole generation to 

imagine that casual sex, without a 

condom, ever happened. Mark takes 

a year-by-year look back at the last 

30 years since the syndrome first 

raised its ugly head in the UK. 

hello 

Patrick gets feedback that coming 

out at work isn’t always easy. 

Louise updates us on The Fed’s 

plans for the new year. Natacha 

gives us a glimpse into the sadness 

experienced by marginalised 

trans children. Ashhara gives us 

her perspective on being Muslim 

and lesbian. Adam discusses the 

small steps the government is 

taking towards marriage equality, 

and our other Mark takes us on a 

trip to Bilbao. James brings us his 

top tunes. Ophelia takes us on a trip 

through pantoland, and Ms Detox 

takes us around Middlesbrough and 

Darlington scenes in the run up to 

the year’s annual party time! 

Big thanks as always go to all 

our volunteer contributors and 

distributors for giving up their 

precious time so that you dear 

readers can all enjoy out! northeast. 

There’s always so much to do. 

Please get in touch if you’d like to 

help out! too. 

Meanwhile... enjoy the festivities, 

whatever you get up to and we 

hope to see you in the new year! 

Aly 

3 

northeast / issue 29 / outnortheast.com 3

northeast... 

news 

what’s happening 

on wearside 

You may already be aware of the great Tuesday nights 

out that Sunderland has to offer lgbt people. But there’s 

a lot more going on around town that you might like to 

know about! 

sunderland’s 

proud premiere 

At the end of September 

the sun shone on hundreds 

of people as they paraded 

a river of colour through 

Sunderland, from the civic 

centre to Park Lane in 

support of lgbt equality. 

We’Ar Out! is a new Sunderlandbased 

project, set up by Trinity 

Youth Association in conjunction 

with Mesmac North East, which 

supports the health and wellbeing 

of Wearside’s lgbt communities. 

The initiative delivers a range of 

services, including sexual health 

outreach, information and advice, 

1 hour HIV testing (by appointment 

on Mondays), as well as help to 

stop smoking and assistance with 

other health issues. Free condoms 

and lube are also available. All 

of these services are free and 

confidential. 

We’Ar Out! also runs a number of 

support groups which include a 

social group for the trans community 

which meets every other 

Monday, as well as a group specifically 

for young trans people called 

ID who get together on the first 

Tuesday of each month. There’s a 

‘wellness through creativity’ group 

which meets on alternate Mondays, 

and a lesbian and bisexual women’s 

group on alternate Tuesdays. GAY 

(Good as You), a lgbt youth group 

meet on Wednesdays. And last but 

not least, an older men’s group hook 

up on alternate Thursdays. 

The We’Ar Out! trans group 

offers a very warm welcome, 

and comfortable surroundings, to 

those of all ages who identify as 

transvestite (tv), cross-dresser 

(cd), transgender (tg) or transsexual 

(ts). 

Meetings run from 6.30-9pm, on 

the second and fourth Mondays 

of each calendar month. It’s 

a great social event with light 

refreshments, and an opportunity 

to socialise with others who share 

the same interests. Changing 

facilities are provided for those 

who prefer to dress when they 

arrive and/or leave. 

All groups are based at 14 Bridge 

House in Sunderland - directly 

opposite Wearmouth bridge and 

St Mary’s cathedral. Free parking 

is available, in a quiet quadrangle 

- access from Bedford Street. 

There’s even a meet-and-greet 

service for those who’d like to 

meet for a chat before attending 

the group. 

For information about the 

transgender group, email Heather, 

heatherannemcglade@yahoo.co.uk 

If you’d like more information 

about any of the other services 

We’Ar Out! offers get in touch with 

Debs on 07415 104 559 or call the 

office on 0191 514 5953. 

If you prefer to email then 

debswalker@trinityyouth.org.uk 

or krisheskett@trinityyouth.org.uk 

are happy to help. 

We’Ar Out! are on facebook, www. 

facebook.com/wearoutsunderland 

and on Twitter, @wearout_lgbt n 

Sunderland’s first pride was 

the occasion and it was very 

memorable indeed - when acts 

including Missing Lynx, Beauty, 

Miss Lucy, I’m So P!nk and Envy 

played to the crowd in the city 

centre. Bears Aloud were hilarious 

as ever, and the fabulous Scooch 

were awesome headliners. 

It was wonderful to see the 

commercial venues put away 

their rivalry for the day and 

work together to keep the 

entertainment going ‘til the 

early hours. 

Sunderland Pride’s Ryan 

Houston said, “The amount of 

support the event received has 

been astronomical and the fact 

that pride has finally arrived in 

Wearside is truly heartwarming. 

A lot of people said this wouldn’t 

happen, and I can’t believe that 

here we are partying in the centre 

of town today. It’s just brilliant”. 

But from what we’ve heard, it was 

the march that was the highlight 

of the day. Some people went 

‘all out’ with their costumes and 

the public’s reactions - clapping, 

cheering, joining in, beeping 

horns - were a very welcome, 

if somewhat surprising, positive 

addition to the celebratory and 

empowering atmosphere. 

Prior to the march the mayor of 

Sunderland Norma Wright, gave 

an inspiring and heartwarming 

speech to all who gathered. 

She welcomed everybody on 

what was an historic day and 

expressed delight that Sunderland 

was hosting its first gay pride. 

“We are determined that all 

people will be treated as equal - 

residents and visitors alike. This 

is a great opportunity to unite all 

the residents of our city. We all 

have much to gain from living in a 

city that embraces diversity and 

inclusivity”. 

She went on to say, “This event 

is a positive first step. I sincerely 

hope today is a massive success 

- a really enjoyable day - and 

a suitable reward for all the 

effort and hard work given by 

so many. As mayor of the city 

of Sunderland it gives me great 

pleasure to launch Sunderland’s 

first gay pride. I wish you all well. 

Local resident Ben Spence said, 

“Personally I feel the first event 

was a massive success. It ended 

up being shown on the local news 

and was in the newspapers 

the next day. Also it was an 

honour that the mayor came 

down and supported us and 

took part in the march. n 

4 


See also Sunderland Pride 

scene out? p32-33.


news 

they’re still 

our children 

Back in 1995 a voluntary helpline and support group 

for parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender 

sons and daughters, called Parents Enquiry North 

East, was set up by the late Pat Atthey. 

panthers bare all! 

When Pat’s son Rob told her he 

was gay, she went through a very 

difficult time - as many parents do. 

There was a whole community 

to support her son but no-one 

between Edinburgh and Manchester 

to support her. So once she’d 

come to terms with how things 

were, she worked with Mesmac, 

to set about improving things. 

Within a year, she had recruited 

assistance from Joan, another 

mother of a gay son, who with the 

help of husband Laurie, took over 

as coordinator in ‘99 when Pat 

and her husband passed away 

suddenly. 

Parents Enquiry North East 

(PENE) now has a committee of 

ten, and four parents - Janis and 

Keith in Newcastle, and Jill and Sue 

in Cleveland - help staff the lines 

for the region. 

Many parents, mainly mothers, 

often blame themselves, mourning 

what they sometimes see as 

the loss of a beloved child (and 

grandchildren), and expressing 

fear for what the future might 

hold. Joan and her team help 

them feel less isolated by offering 

information and support around 

lgbt health, relationships, hatred 

their children may encounter, 

equal opportunities and the law. 

PENE hold a support group every 

other month - with occasional 

speakers - where parents can 

meet to discuss their concerns. 

A quarterly newsletter has also 

proved popular with parents who 

have difficulty attending meetings. 

PENE see their role as supplementing 

the role of professional advisors 

and take referrals from a variety of 

sources. The service is confidential 

- often they don’t even get to know 

the names of callers. 

The overall feeling they get from 

parents is one of relief in being able 

to talk to someone who will not 

judge them because they’ve been 

there, and wear the same tshirt. 

PENE sometimes receive calls 

from young people who want 

advice on how to tell their parents, 

and they are well positioned to help. 

“Although the majority of calls we 

take now are from parents with 

children around 16 years, we have 

had calls from parents with sons 

and daughters from 8 to 50. They 

are all still our children” said Joan. 

“We will continue to give our help 

and support where and when it 

is needed. One day of course, we 

hope that we will be redundant 

when all our children are accepted 

without discrimination”. 

To get in touch call 0191 455 2868 

or email penejoan@supanet.com 

For more information visit 

www.parentsofgays.co.uk n 

GFSN national cup winners Newcastle Panthers bare 

all in an official 2012 calendar to raise funds for the club. 

Enter our competition and you’ll get the chance to peek 

at these cheeky chaps every day of the year! 

The Panthers decided to go naked 

for 2012 in an attempt to raise 

much needed funds for the club. 

It’s the first time any lgbt team has 

done something so daring! 

Pete the club chairman (Mr June) 

said, “We were all nervous to 

start off with, but after a couple 

of beers it was, clothes? What 

clothes?”. And John, team captain 

(Mr November) added, “I’m proud 

to be part of this great project. It 

was an excellent team bonding 

exercise”. 

The Gay Football Supporters 

Network (GFSN) league consists 

of lgbt teams from around the 

country who compete in league 

and cup matches. 

The Panthers was set up three 

and a half years ago to give lgbt 

enthusiasts a chance to play and 

support the sport they love. And 

this year they did us proud by 

bringing home their first trophy. 

Running a football club is an expensive 

business. Thankfully Sauna 

52 have been a great support in 

sponsoring the kit, but there’s pitch 

hire, travel costs, and more. The 

calendars are a way to help fund 

the lads to represent our communities 

- and the region as a whole. 

At £5 each (+£2 p+p), the 

calendars are great value and are 

perfect as a Christmas stocking 

filler. Everyone knows someone 

who’ll appreciate one, right? 

Or you could get yours free 

by entering our competition. 

Simply send an email to 

out@outnortheast.com - stating 

how long ago Newcastle 

Panthers formed. Entries close 

20 December. If you’re not in you 

can’t win! 

For further information on the 

club, and how to get your hands 

on these limited edition prized 

prints, please visit their website - 

www.newcastlepanthers.co.uk 

There’s a facebook group too if 

you want regular updates. They 

are looking for players, supporters 

and coaching staff so get in touch 

with Rob at newcastlepanthers@ 

hotmail.co.uk if you’d like to take 

part. n 

5 



news 

staying sexually healthy 

One of the issues that people talk about most often 

when accessing Mesmac’s 1 hour HIV testing service 

is a worry about their risk from other sexually 

transmitted infections (STI’s). 

Although Mesmac only test for HIV, 

they do offer information about 

local sexual health clinics that 

provide a full range of services 

- including STI testing. In fact, the 

second most consistently popular 

page on their website is the sexual 

health clinics page. 

This suggests that either there 

are a lot of people out there who 

are at some sort of risk, or a lot 

of people who are keen to keep 

in good sexual health and are 

simply looking into getting tested 

regularly. 

The latter of course would be fantastic 

news as Mesmac recommends 

testing with every change 

of regular partner - and encourages 

both partners to be tested at 

the same time. 

STI’s can be treated when they 

are detected but if left, they can 

seriously damage your health - so 

regular checkups are important. 

The sexual health clinic page on 

Mesmac’s site has addresses, 

contact numbers, opening times 

and photographs of each clinic to 

make them easier to find. 

Many clinics now operate a dropin 

service so you don’t always 

need to make an appointment. But 

it’s always best to check first as 

some operate a queue and wait, 

first come first served system. 

6 

Examinations are always done in 

a dignified manner. Any examinations 

and sample collections 

are done in much less invasive 

ways than they were in the past 

- or than you may have heard 

rumours about. Some tests can 

even be done using a urine sample 

or from your own swabs. 

Clinics can also prescribe and 

advise about treatments, give 

Hepatitis B vaccinations and offer 

condoms - all free of charge. 

And test results can be sent to 

service users by text message 

for convenience. 

For those worried about privacy, 

Mesmac offer confidentiality across 

all their services. Policies at clinics 

are also extremely strict. 

For more information on gay and 

bisexual men’s sexual health visit 

www.mesmacnortheast.com 

For lesbian and bisexual women’s 

sexual health information visit 

www.lesbisexyandhealthy.co.uk 

If you don’t have internet access, 

call Mesmac on 0191 233 1333, or 

drop in to their offices in central 

Newcastle where you can pick up 

leaflets or talk to one of the workers. 

They can also post leaflets if 

you have transport issues. n 


‘power talking’ for men 

Do you want to improve your communication skills - 

including negotiating the sex you want? GMFA’s ‘Power 

Talking’ course returns to Newcastle to give gay men 

communication skills for life. 

GMFA, the gay men’s health 

charity, has just announced the 

return of their popular workshop, 

‘Power Talking’. It will be delivered 

early next year by GMFA’s CHAPS 

partners in 11 cities across the UK. 

This two-day course will give you 

the skills to communicate with 

clarity and confidence. It will help 

you talk to people about all areas 

of your life, including your sex life. 

It will give you the power to ask 

for what you want and say ‘no’ to 

things you don’t. 

The course gives hundreds 

of gay men the opportunity to 

become happier, more confident 

communicators. One participant 

told GMFA, “I feel more selfconfident 

and my self-esteem has 

gone a couple of notches higher”. 

The course takes a look 

at the different ways that 

communication skills can affect 

our lives. In a relaxed and friendly 

group setting, you’ll learn about 

building your skills in effective 

communication in a variety of 

situations - with friends, at work 

and with sexual partners. 

Matthew Hodson, Head of 

Programmes at GMFA, said “Not 

everyone has the confidence to 

ask for what they want, and many 

people struggle to say no, for fear 

of offending people. Often these 

difficulties are exacerbated when 

it comes to sex. Good communication 

skills can have a huge impact 

on our lives. Men with the ability 

and confidence to communicate 

effectively are more likely to successfully 

negotiate the sex they 

want. Lacking the confidence to 

say ‘no’ to the sex we don’t want 

can lead to men putting themselves 

or their sexual partners 

at risk. This course gives men 

the skills to voice their needs and 

desires in all areas of their lives.” 

In February 2012, the ‘Power 

Talking’ course will be run by 

trainers from local gay charities 

and healthcare services across 

England. GMFA’s CHAPs partner 

in Newcastle is Mesmac North 

East, which is where the regional 

workshops will be held. 

The ‘Power Talking’ course takes 

place on two consecutive Saturdays 

- 18 and 25 February 2012 

- from 10:30am to 5:30pm. BSL 

interpreters can be arranged prior 

to the course, so make sure you 

ask if you need one. 

All of GMFA’s courses and 

workshops are free of charge, 

but places are limited and must 

be booked in advance. To book a 

place, go to www.gmfa.org.uk/ 

national or call 020 7738 3712. n


news 

tea with 

dorothy 

There has been 

disturbing research 

recently which highlights 

the plight of many lgb 

people over 50. 

In particular, the latest Stonewall 

report suggests that potentially, 

hundreds of thousands of us are 

growing older without the support 

structures that are commonplace 

for most heterosexuals. Thus 

leaving us disproportionately 

reliant upon deteriorating social 

and health care services. 

In light of this, a specific social 

opportunity for older lgbt people 

certainly seems welcome. Tea 

with Dorothy has recently been 

relaunched in Newcastle for 

people aged 50 and over who 

are looking to meet other lgbt 

people in a relaxed, social and 

very welcoming environment. 

Meetings take place every third 

Monday of the month between 

5-7pm at La Boca art cafe, 

tucked away at number 6 Upper 

Princess Square, next to the 

central library in Newcastle. 

In November 2010 La Boca 

was sold to current owners 

Kevin Barnard and Steve Antcliff 

who are very keen to maintain 

their diverse core clientèle and 

are proving to be exceptionally 

supportive hosts. 

Contact Kate for further information 

on 07917 797 279. n 

8 

keeping 

it gay 

The magic of musicals! 

Whether it’s singing along to Glee 

or a bit of Judy Garland there can 

be little doubt that many lesbian 

and gay people just adore show 

tunes. 

So what better way to start your 

Christmas celebrations than with a 

special Northern Pride fundraising 

concert on Friday 16 December, 

featuring a whole batch of hit 

songs from West End shows 

including Phantom, Les Miserables, 

Cabaret, Calamity Jane, Wizard 

of Oz, Jekyll and Hyde and many, 

many more? 

‘Keeping it Gay’ features a range 

of top northern singers including 

Jo Boyne, who for the last six 

years has toured as a backing 

singer with Jane McDonald. 

The show also features Jamie 

Lambert, who gave a great 

performance on the main stage at 

Northern Pride in July and the very 

talented Andrew Richardson. 

The show also features local soul 

singer Sam Dickinson and our 

very own Northern Proud Voices. 

It’ll be a great night out and a 

chance to raise lots of money for 

next year’s Northern Pride. So 

come along! 

Tickets are £8 from the Old Town 

Hall, Gateshead. Call in person or 

phone 0191 433 6965. Alternatively 

go to www.gateshead.gov.uk You’ll 

need to click on ‘What’s on’ and 

scroll down to ‘Keeping it Gay’. n 


A new virtual lgbt network 

and discussion forum has 

recently been launched at 

www.lgbtnortheast.com 

LGBT North East is essentially an 

online discussion forum for people 

working in organisations without 

their own employee networks. 

Beyond that, it allows people to 

talk about workplace issues and 

to support each other. It even 

includes a range of confidential 

forums for people working in 

specific areas. For example, the 

education forum allows teachers 

to network in confidence - 

whether they’re in Middlesbrough 

or Berwick. 

Even more impressively, the 

network boasts an employer good 

practise exchange, community 

discussion forums, a community 

notice board and space for service 

providers to consult lgbt communities 

on issues which affect them. 

LGBT North East needs everyone’s 

help to promote this really 

useful regional resource. There 

are posters, flyers and media 

adverts on their website for you to 

download for this purpose. 

Employers and service providers 

are asked to promote the network 

by telling their lgbt employees 

and service users all about LGBT 

North East - either by printing 

off and displaying some of the 

posters or publishing adverts in 

publications they issue to their 

staff and customers. 

For more information check out 

www.lgbtnortheast.com n 

your 

wedding 

story 

South Shields museum 

& art gallery is planning an 

exhibition about weddings 

called ‘Something Old, 

Something New’ which 

opens in April next year, 

and would like to include 

your stories. 

The exhibition will look at how 

weddings and attitudes to 

marriage have changed over the 

centuries and the traditions that 

are part of the special day. 

The museum is hoping to include 

stories from local people. Sarah 

Cotton from Tyne & Wear Archives 

& Museums, who is working on 

the exhibition said, “We would love 

to get in touch with a couple from 

Tyne and Wear who are planning 

their wedding or civil partnership 

and would like to share their story. 

We’re interested in all the details of 

your plans from the proposal to the 

honeymoon”. 

The museum are especially 

interested in finding out about 

different religious or cultural 

traditions that may be part of 

your special day. So if you would 

like to share your story, contact 

sarah.cotton@twmuseums.org.uk 

or call 0191 232 6789. n 

lgbt northumberland 

The Northumberland Community 

Development Network are seeking 

the views of people who live, work 

or socialise in Northumberland. 

They’re interested in finding out how 

belonging to the ‘lgbt community’ can 

be made difficult because of access, 

transport, costs, or attitudes. 

Please complete their survey 

at - https://www.surveymonkey. 

com/s/lgbt_northumberland - 

it takes 5-10 minutes. All 

responses are confidential, and 

contact details are only necessary 

if you’d like to be kept up-to-date. n

South 

Tyneside 

Working in partnership with 

South Tyneside Council 

we want you to FEEL AT HOME 

If you’d like to learn more about South Tyneside Homes' approach, or help us to improve services for lesbian, 

gay or bisexual people, contact Mark Johns on 0191 426 8396 or email mark.johns@southtynesidehomes.org.uk 

Civil 

Partnerships 

Domestic Violence 

Children 

Adoption 

Finances 

Civil Partnerships 

FREE INITIAL 

APPOINTMENTS 

Telephone 

0191 565 3112 

Email 

advice@benhoarebell.co.uk 

Website 

www.benhoarebell.co.uk 

Whatever the reason, 

family breakdown can 

be a nightmare. 

You don’t have to go it 

alone. We’re on your side , 

so come and talk. 

For advice on civil 

partnerships 

OFFICES IN NEW CASTLE & SUNDERLAND


hiv home 

testing 

New research from the 

Terrence Higgins Trust 

suggests widespread 

demand for HIV home 

testing. 

Almost two-thirds of people 

would consider using HIV home 

testing kits if they were legally 

available and regulated in the 

UK, according to new research 

by HIV and sexual health charity 

Terrence Higgins Trust (THT). 

In a bid to reduce high levels of 

undiagnosed HIV, THT is urging 

the government to legalise and 

regulate home testing as part of 

its new HIV policy document. 

Home testing kits can be 

purchased over the internet 

even though the sale of them is 

currently illegal in the UK because 

they are unregulated, often of very 

poor quality and lack important 

information on HIV transmission 

and where to get support. 

THT surveyed 657 people. Of the 

490 respondents who did not 

test HIV-positive, 63% said they 

would consider using the home 

testing kits if they were legalised 

and 51% thought legalisation 

would make them test more 

often. That figure rose to 60% 

for gay men. 

Lisa Power of THT said, 

“Reducing undiagnosed HIV is 

a major challenge. A quarter of 

those with HIV in the UK remain 

undiagnosed, and so are more 

likely to pass the virus on. One 

way to bring this number down 

is by increasing the opportunities 

for people to test outside of 

traditional settings”. n 

10 

halve hiv 

by 2015 

‘Halve It’ is a new coalition 

of HIV and healthcare 

experts - patients, 

clinicians, charities and 

politicians - determined 

to prioritise the challenges 

posed by HIV. 

Around 22k people in the UK are 

currently unaware that they have 

the virus. More than 50% of people 

with HIV are diagnosed too late for 

their lives to be saved. This is the 

worrying situation that Halve It is 

determined to change. 

The group aims to halve the 

number of people living with 

undiagnosed HIV by 2015. It is an 

achievable target that would cut 

deaths and help slow the spread 

of the virus. 

A considerable part of the 

campaign’s effort is focused on 

pushing HIV back up the public 

health priority list. People are 

dying simply because they were 

tested too late, or not at all. 

There needs to be a culture of 

testing in the NHS, making it a 

mainstream activity in order to 

help diagnose those affected in 

good time. Doing so will save lives 

and money. Preventing a single 

HIV infection is estimated to save 

the NHS at least £280k 

It is of course the human cost of 

infection that is most devastating 

about HIV. That’s why we should 

make it our business to help Halve 

It by 2015. n 

tickets 

winner! 

Congratulations to Kath Egdell 

of Gateshead on winning a 

pair of tickets to see Britney at 

Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena, 

in last issue’s out! northeast. n 

northeast / issue 29 / outnortheast.com


news 

commonwealth 

summit - a mixed bag 

human dignity trust 

A new international organisation has been set up to 

decriminalise homosexuality throughout the world. 

“The Commonwealth heads of government meeting 

held in Perth, Australia this October was a mixed bag 

from a lgbti perspective” said human rights activist 

Peter Tatchell. 

Mr Tatchell went on to say... 

“On the positive side, Kamalesh 

Sharma became the first secretary 

general to speak out against 

homophobic persecution”. 

Kamalesh Sharma, said, “We 

recall the 2009 affirmation of 

commonwealth values and 

principles, which includes a clear 

commitment to tolerance, respect 

and understanding. This means 

we embrace difference, and that 

includes sexual identity. Discrimination 

and criminalisation on 

grounds of sexual orientation is at 

odds with our values”. 

There was however no agreement 

on the decriminalisation of homosexuality 

by the assembled leaders. 

Mr Tatchell pointed out that “More 

than 40 of the 54 Commonwealth 

member states still criminalise 

same-sex relations, with penalties 

including 25 years jail in Trinidad 

and Tobago and 20 years plus 

flogging in Malaysia. Six Commonwealth 

countries stipulate 

life imprisonment - Sierra Leone, 

Tanzania, Pakistan, Uganda, Bangladesh 

and Guyana. 

At the meeting there was no 

condemnation of Uganda’s revived 

anti-gay bill which carries the 

death penalty and no condemnation 

of Nigeria’s bill that outlaws 

same-sex marriage with three 

years jail for participants and five 

years jail for those who witness, 

aid or abet a same-sex marriage. 

These failings contradict the Commonwealth’s 

professed fundamental 

values of human rights, equality 

and non-discrimination. They 

reflect a wider failure to tackle 

human rights abuses in many 

Commonwealth member states, 

including gender inequality, ethnic 

discrimination, detention without 

trial, torture, media censorship and 

state-sponsored executions. 

There were, however, some 

limited agreements which could 

potentially lead to future progress. 

Commonwealth leaders agreed 

that a ministerial action group 

will be empowered to deal with 

serious or persistent human 

rights violations by member 

states, which could include action 

against countries that perpetrate 

homophobic persecution. 

Commonwealth heads of government 

are committed to set up a 

task force to advise that member 

governments should take steps to 

encourage the repeal of discriminatory 

laws - such as the criminalisation 

of same-sex relations - that 

impede effective responses to the 

HIV/AIDS pandemic. To make this 

happen, we need to sustain our 

lobbying and campaigning efforts”, 

concluded Mr Tatchell. n 

The Human Dignity Trust (HDT) is a 

new organisation created by leading 

human rights lawyers Jonathan 

Cooper OBE and Tim Otty QC. It has 

a legal panel including some of the 

leading law firms in the world. Their 

mission is simple – working in partnership 

with local organisations and 

individuals where homosexuality 

is criminalised. The trust provides 

legal expertise and support to assist 

in constitutional and international 

litigation aimed at achieving the 

decriminalisation of homosexuality. 

Director, Jonathan Cooper said, 

“More than 80 legal systems 

across the globe continue to criminalise 

homosexuality – 42 out of 

54 Commonwealth countries do so. 

This is a blatant violation of international 

law and human rights treaties 

that many of these countries have 

signed. Criminalising an individual 

based on their sexuality is a breach 

of human rights. Where countries 

break international laws and their 

own constitutions, we work to bring 

a legal challenge. This is not an issue 

of gay rights but one of universal 

human rights. We seek compliance 

with the law to protect human 

dignity for all”. 

Chair, Tim Otty added, “There is 

really no rational counter-argument 

to the proposition that an individual 

should not be made a criminal 

simply because of who they are”. 

For more information see www. 

humandignitytrust.org or contact 

Nina Kelly on 07825 336 603 or 

Laura Brodie on 07796 130 854. n


news 

ireland’s invisible 

older population 

‘Visible Lives’ is the first major study of the lives of 

older lgbt people in Ireland. It offers unique insights into 

the level of stigma experienced by lgbt people who live 

openly in the emerald isle. 

The report found that most older 

people surveyed went through 

the whole of their adolescence 

and their early adulthood without 

disclosing their sexual orientation 

or gender identity to anyone 

- spending much of that time 

without any contact with other 

lgbt people. 

The research found that 43% of 

lgbt people over 55 are single, 

compared with 15% of the general 

population. Even today, 35% feel 

that friends will reject them if they 

disclose their sexual orientation or 

gender identity. 28% are not ‘out’ 

to any of their neighbours. 1 in 10 

are not out to anyone in their close 

family, and 26% are not out to 

their healthcare providers because 

of fear of negative reaction. 

12 

Although great progress has been 

made in Ireland, which has allowed 

a younger generation of lgbt people 

to live their lives more openly; the 

report demonstrates the resilience 

of many lgbt people in having overcome 

the adversity they have faced. 

Due perhaps in large part to an 

inextricable intertwining of church 

and state in Ireland, there are fears 

that services for older people will 

still not recognise or respect lgbt 

identities or their key relationships. 

Professor Agnes Higgins of Trinity 

College Dublin, who conducted the 

research said “This is a generation of 

older people who have had to campaign 

for their rights. As a society, 

we need to ensure that we don’t disenfranchise 

or discriminate against 

this group again as they age”. n 


going back in the closet 

Going into residential care or receiving care at home 

can be like going back into the closet for older gay 

people, according to a new Kingston University study 

that raises significant questions for how society 

responds to their needs. 

The report, written by sociology 

lecturer Dr Andrew King, also 

highlights a lack of dedicated 

social spaces for older (50+) lgbt 

people, and a need for council 

and NHS staff to be much more 

aware of lgbt issues. The findings 

have implications for GPs, health 

and social services and council 

workers at a time when Britain’s 

population is ageing. Charity Age 

UK estimates that 1 in 15 users of 

their services are lesbian or gay. 

This qualitative research, commissioned 

by Tower Hamlets Borough 

Council and co-written with Dr Ann 

Cronin, involved detailed interviews 

with 22 older lesbian, gay and 

bisexual individuals across a range 

of income levels over a period of 

three months. The project also 

encompassed focus groups and 

a thorough review of existing 

research. It revealed that accessing 

services and support can be a 

difficult and worrying experience. 

There was concern among older 

lgbt people that they would not 

‘fit in’ in residential care and did 

not want other residents to know 

about their sexuality. Although 

the research did not suggest that 

participants wanted gay-specific 

residential or health care, those 

questioned said these services 

should be more inclusive and of 

a high standard. “A friend of mine 

is the only gay man in his care 

home. He is in a huge development 

of old ladies and he’s a bit of a 

curiosity to them you know. And 

that’s looking at it positively.” 

Participants also expressed 

concerns about homophobia or 

not being treated with respect by 

day and/or residential carers, and 

worries about having to hide any 

clues to their sexuality - such as 

gay magazines - in their homes. 

The report also found that some 

older lesbian and gay people who 

joined local community groups felt 

excluded because of the automatic 

presumption that everyone was 

heterosexual. “It’s more subtle 

than being excluded. It’s just you 

don’t get included,” 62-year-old 

Jane said. “I find the other members 

very cliquey because they all 

meet up and have this language 

of grandchildren - ‘my daughter 

did this or that’ and there’s just 

nowhere for me to go with it.” 

The key recommendations made 

in the report include making dedicated 

social spaces available for 

older LGBT people as an alternative 

to the commercial gay scene, 

which is seen as both ageist and 

expensive. It also suggests developing 

a more open and inclusive 

atmosphere, and ongoing awareness 

training for staff. 

“Older LGBT people grew up in 

a much more homophobic and 

transphobic climate than we have 

now,” said Dr King. “There have 

been many legal advances in 

recent years, but it’s how all this 

is actually played out in everyday 

lives that really counts”. 

A series of workshops has been 

taking place with service providers 

to make them aware of issues 

facing older lgbt adults and to 

prompt them to come up with 

ideas to improve their services. 

For further information please 

contact the Kingston University 

Press Office on 020 8417 3023 or 

press@kingston.ac.uk n


news 

lesbian 

‘royalty’ 

Two California students 

are one of the 1st lesbian 

couples crowned homecoming 

king and queen. 

Rebeca Arellano, a senior at Patrick 

Henry High School, was made the 

school’s first female homecoming 

king, and her girlfriend Haileigh 

Adams, who attends the same 

school, was made homecoming 

queen. Arellano said, “I couldn’t feel 

happier! I am in completely 

shocked that this happen”. 

Adams said they have received 

negative feedback as well. “We 

have a lot of support, but there are 

also a lot of people who are angry 

about it. Anonymous students 

at the school are saying they’re 

embarrassed and that it’s wrong 

for a girl to take the spot of king. 

But there’s no other way for us 

to run as a couple”. 

Arellano said one of her teachers 

told her, “Today, school is a bit 

better because of you girls”. 

Arellano posted a statement to her 

opponents on facebook that read, 

“For all the girls who think tradition 

should be continued, go back to 

the kitchen, stop having sex before 

you’re married, get out of the 

school and job system, don’t have 

an opinion, don’t own any property, 

don’t vote, and allow your husband 

to do whatever he pleases. Think 

about the meaning of tradition 

when you use it against us”. n 

lesbian new 

tory leader 

in scotland 

At the beginning of 

November 32 year old 

Ruth Davidson was elected 

as the new leader of the 

Scottish Conservatives. 

Ms Davidson beat fellow wannabe 

party leader Murdo Fraser, in 

the race to succeed previous head 

of party, Annabel Goldie; leader 

since 2005, who stepped down 

after the SNP’s landslide win in 

May 2011. 

Ms Davidson, previously a BBC 

journalist, former kickboxer and 

ex-Territorial Army officer, has only 

been a member of the Scottish 

parliament since May, and her rise 

to the helm has taken many of her 

longstanding colleagues by surprise. 

She is already ruffling the feathers 

of some Christian conservatives 

over her stance on same-sex 

marriage, which is the same as 

that of her counterparts south 

of the border. She stated, “On the 

issue of same-sex marriage I support 

it but with the important proviso 

that there is no compulsion 

for religious organisations that do 

not wish to carry out ceremonies 

to be compelled to do so”. 

Despite much criticism over this 

and other contentious issues, Ms 

Davidson is adamant above all to 

stick to the agenda of reforming 

the party. n 

women in business 

L-Women at Work, the first pan-European event 

on advancing the careers of lesbians, bisexual and 

transgender women in business took place in 

Amsterdam on 11.11.11. 

The conference in the Netherlands 

which values and encourages the 

contribution of lbi and t women 

in business, provided an exciting 

opportunity to network with other 

women from all over Europe. 

The event offered a platform 

from which to share ideas, be 

motivated by and learn from successful 

women willing to share 

their experiences; and to gather 

practical support for professional 

development. 

This was clearly going to be an 

important event as a palpable buzz 

was in the air from the moment 

registration began. 

24 short presentations from 

professionals across the continent 

were enjoyed by almost 100 

women, from 11 countries. They 

covered many topics such as, 

work-life balance, leadership, 

visibility, power, equality, being 

yourself, expectations, social 

media and communications. 

The keynote presentation was 

from winner of the 2011 Trailblazer 

for workplace equality award, 

Claudia Woody, who is vice president 

and managing director for 

IBM Global Intellectual Property and 

Advanced Technology Licensing. 

Claudia won Out&Equal’s Trailblazer 

award earlier this year, for having 

made a significant contribution to 

advancing workplace equality by 

helping improve things at IBM and 

contributing to equality for all. 

There were representatives at the 

conference from many sectors - 

corporate and ngo. The array of 

speakers and a sense of intimacy 

meant that many of the attendees 

were able to interact with 

presenters on stage. This in turn 

encouraged lively debate during 

lunch and coffee breaks. 

Videos of the event by Bounce 

Media are to be made available 

online so that this unique event 

can be shared worldwide. 

The day concluded with drinks, 

where participants were able to 

ask speakers direct questions 

and network with each other. The 

overall impression from women 

who attended was positively 

inspirational. 

For more information visit 

www.l-womenatwork.com n 

13 


icon... 

freddie mercury 

out! icon... 

freddie 

mercury 

14 


icon... 

freddie mercury 

the great pretender 

photo: Queen Productions Limited 

Freddie Mercury entered this 

world on 5 September 1946, on 

the exotic Indian Ocean island of 

Zanzibar. On becoming a student 

at an English boarding school 

near Bombay, at the age of 8, 

Farrokh Bulsara soon picked up 

the nickname Freddie. A keen 

sportsman, he took up piano, 

joined the school choir, took part in 

theatrical productions, and by the 

age of 12, formed a school band 

with four fellow students. 

After school Freddie returned 

home to Zanzibar but political 

unrest saw the family uprooted 

and moved to Middlesex, England. 

He attended Ealing College and 

completed a graphic art and 

design diploma in 1969. 

A friend at college had introduced 

him to Roger Taylor and Brian May 

who were already playing music 

together. This re-ignited Freddie’s 

love of music and he went on 

to have short-lived consecutive 

experiences as a member of two 

bands, called Ibex (later re-named 

Wreckage) and Sour Milk Sea. 

After that he took up as lead singer 

with Roger and Brian’s band Smile 

and somehow persuaded them 

to change the name to Queen. At 

the same time Freddie added the 

surname of Mercury to his own. 

In 1971 the final fourth piece of the 

jigsaw fell into place when John 

Deacon joined the line-up. And the 

rest as they say, is history. 

Mercury penned Bohemian 

Rhapsody, the UK’s third best 

selling single of all time. It was 

number 1 in the UK for nine weeks 

in 1975, and reached pole position 

again in 1991 for five weeks 

following his death. It also peaked 

at number 2 in the US in 1992 

as a result of featuring in the film 

Wayne’s World. The song allowed 

Freddie to show off much of 

his outstanding 3.5 octave 

vocal range. 

For years Queen had a string of 

successive hits and successful 

world tours. 72k people witnessed 

them at Wembley Stadium for 

Live Aid in 1985. The show was 

watched on tv by a billion people 

worldwide (I recall it as one of 

the most moving days of my life). 

There was no doubt in anyone’s 

mind that the stage belonged 

to Queen - or more specifically, 

Freddie. Arguably his finest hour - 

when the capacity crowd ate from 

the palm of his hand. 

Always overtly flamboyant, and 

with much of his music alluding to 

his sexual orientation, it seemed 

for decades, to pass over the 

heads of his mainly straight white 

male audiences. It wasn’t until the 

video for ‘I Want To Break Free’ 

was aired in 1984 that it was 

made abundantly clear to those 

who hadn’t quite ‘got it’. 

Freddie recorded a cover of 

‘The Great Pretender’ containing 

the lyrics, ‘Oh yes I’m the great 

pretender, just laughing and gay 

like a clown, I seem to be what I’m 

not you see, I’m wearing my heart 

like a clown, too real when I feel 

what my heart can’t conceal’. The 

song bears a surreal resemblance 

to his off-stage life - right up until 

the end. 

Controversially, he never ‘came 

out’, although he has been quoted 

as referring to himself as “bisexual” 

and “openly gay” just “unwilling to 

justify my lifestyle”. Nonetheless, 

at public events he often distanced 

himself from his male partner. And 

after his death, left his estate to the 

woman he always considered “my 

common-law wife”. 

The song ‘Barcelona’ on which he 

duetted with international opera 

diva Montserrat Caballé, became 

a memorable theme for the 1992 

Olympics. In fact his last public performance 

was in Barcelona in 1988. 

From 1988 there were many 

rumours that Freddie had AIDS, 

but these were denied until 23 

November 1991, when he released 

the following statement, “I wish 

to confirm that I have been tested 

HIV positive and have AIDS. I felt 

it correct to keep this information 

private in order to protect the 

privacy of those around me. 

However, the time has now come 

for my friends and fans around the 

world to know the truth, and I hope 

everyone will join me, my doctors 

and all those worldwide in the fight 

against this terrible disease”. 

The following day the world lost 

a uniquely talented entertainer 

as Freddie died peacefully in his 

London home of AIDS-related bronchial 

pneumonia, with close friends 

including George Michael at his side. 

Strangely Freddie never attracted 

much homophobia from the public, 

photo: Queen Productions Limited 

or the usual media witch hunts of 

the last century which generally 

accompanied being gay and in the 

spotlight - even after he passed 

away of what is still considered 

a ‘gay’ disease. 

Although Freddie Mercury was 

an indisputably entertaining stage 

performer, he kept his private life 

private. Not many can stake claim 

to the charismatic power and 

raw talent that he possessed. 

It is his contribution as a singer, 

songwriter, stage performer, that 

brought a unique blend of joy to the 

world. Quite rightly, it is this that he 

wished to be measured by. For this 

alone he is, 10 years after his death, 

an out! northeast icon. n 

by aly rhodes 


life... 

health 

aids... 

acquired immune deficiency syndrome 

In 30 years AIDS has become a human tragedy of incredible proportions - which 

reaches far beyond those immediately infected. Nobody knows for certain how it 

first came about - through lack of interest or fear of knowing? All we can be relatively 

confident about is that AIDS first appeared in the last century, probably in west Africa. 

In this article we’re going to see how Britain and the ‘developed’ world responded as 

our awareness, and the complexities of the syndrome unfolded onto a world stage. 

16 

1981 

The first recorded cases of 

rare opportunistic infections and 

cancers that appeared resistant to 

treatment, began to develop in San 

Francisco, Los Angeles and New 

York among gay men, and later in 

the year, in injecting drug users. 

1982 

AIDS is reported in several European 

countries, including the UK. 

The term ‘AIDS’ (Acquired Immune 

Deficiency Syndrome) is created. 

Terrence Higgins is one of the first 

people in the UK to die of AIDS. The 

Terrence Higgins Trust is founded. 

Community organisations in the 

UK begin to promote safer sex 

among gay men. 

1983 

AIDS is reported among non-drug 

using women and children. 

Experts become more confident 

that the cause of AIDS is infectious. 

1984 

Gay men are asked to stop 

donating blood. 

Scientists identify the virus, 

which causes AIDS. 

The number of people diagnosed 

with AIDS in the UK exceeds 100. 


1985 

The UK Government commits to 

the fight against AIDS. 

The first AIDS screening tests 

on all donated blood intended for 

transfusion is approved. 

The first International AIDS 

conference is held in Atlanta, USA. 

1986 

HIV (human immunodeficiency 

virus), is the name given to the 

virus which causes AIDS. 

1987 

The government leaflets every 

home in the UK - causing moral 

panics - with its ‘Don’t die of 

ignorance’ campaign. 

The BBC and ITV screen 

simultaneously a public 

information broadcast entitled 

‘AIDS, the facts’. 

AZT is the first drug approved to 

treat HIV. It reduces the death rate 

of HIV+ people, but is unpredictable 

with severe side effects. 

The National AIDS Trust (NAT) 

is founded. 

HIV testing is introduced in the UK. 

Princess Diana is photographed 

holding the hand of a patient with 

AIDS as she opens the first HIV 

ward in a UK hospital. 

Needle exchanges first piloted 

in the UK. 


with AIDS in the UK exceeds 1000. 

1988 

The first World AIDS Day is 

established on 1 December. 

1989 

The first HIV awareness materials 

targeting gay men are produced by 

the Health Education Authority. 

1991 

The red ribbon becomes the 

international symbol of HIV 

awareness. 

Freddie Mercury, lead singer 

of rock group Queen, confirms 

rumours he has AIDS and dies the 

following day at the age of 45. 

1992 

The first combination drug 

therapies for HIV are introduced, 

which are more effective than 

AZT alone. 

1993 

Holly Johnson, lead singer of pop 

group Frankie Goes to Hollywood, 

announces he is HIV+. 

1994 

AZT is shown to reduce the risk 

of mother-to-child transmission 

of HIV. 

1995 

The Joint United Nations 

programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) 

is established. 

Comedian Kenny Everett dies 

of AIDS. 


with AIDS in the UK exceeds 10k. 

Over 25k people in the UK 

are living with HIV.

life... 

health 

30 years on 

1996 

New drug combinations are 

shown to halt the progression 

of AIDS, heralding the beginning 

of Highly Active Antiretroviral 

Therapy (ART) - transforming 

the lives of many people living 

with HIV. 

Antiretroviral Post-exposure 

Prophylaxis (PeP) is recommended 

for healthcare workers 

exposed to possible infection. 

1997 

Deaths among people living with 

HIV fall dramatically following 

widespread use of ART. 

Trials for an HIV vaccine begin. 

An estimated 22 million people 

worldwide are living with HIV. 

1999 

The number of new HIV diagnoses 

among heterosexuals exceeds 

those among gay and bisexual 

men for the first time. 

The government offers all 

pregnant women an HIV test 

as part of routine screening. 

2000 

The World Health Organisation 

estimates between 15-20% of new 

HIV infections worldwide are the 

result of HIV-unscreened blood 

transfusions. 

2001 

In Scotland, the first man 

is convicted for reckless 

transmission of HIV. 

Drug companies abandon 

their opposition to the generic 

production of anti-retrovirals. 

2002 

The Global Fund is established to 

boost the response to HIV, TB and 

malaria worldwide. 

2003 

NAT launches ‘Are You HIV 

Prejudiced?’, a campaign 

drawing attention to stigma 

and discrimination faced by 

HIV+ people. 

As a result of generic production, 

HIV drugs become more affordable 

for developing countries. 

2005 

After two years of appeals and 

retrials, a man is given a prison 

sentence under English law for 

reckless HIV transmission. 

The Disability Discrimination Act, 

gives legal protection against 

discrimination of people living with 

HIV from the point of diagnosis. 

2006 

Circumcision is shown to reduce 

HIV infection among heterosexual 

men. 

The number of people living with 

HIV in the UK is estimated at 73k. 

2007 

A case is reported in San 

Francisco of a man being cured 

of HIV after a bone marrow 

transplant in Germany. 

Around 33 million people 

worldwide are living with HIV. 

2008 

A controversial Swiss study 

claims people adhering to ART 

have a ‘negligibly small’ risk 

of transmitting HIV through 

unprotected sex - a concept 

which will later be known as 

‘treatment as prevention’. 

2009 

President Obama announces 

the removal of the travel ban 

preventing HIV-positive people 

from entering the US. 

2010 

China lifts its travel ban for people 

living with HIV. 

The CAPRISA 004 microbicide trial 

is hailed a success after results 

show that ART-based gel reduced 

the risk of HIV infection by 40%. 

Results from the iPrEx trial show 

a reduction in HIV acquisition 

among men who have sex with 

men taking PrEP. 

2011 

HIV ‘treatment as prevention’ 

shows a 96% reduction in HIV 

transmission risk during sex 

without a condom, when a person 

is successfully responding to 

treatment. 

Around 90k people are estimated 

to be living with HIV in the UK. 

This article has been compiled by 

Mark Fox with timeline information 

gathered from www.hivaware.org.uk 

According to estimates from 

UNAIDS, 34 million people around 

the world had HIV in 2010, up 

from 33.3 million in 2009.. 

In the UK, the cumulative total 

number of HIV diagnoses at the 

end of 2010 was almost 115k. 27k 

people were diagnosed with AIDS, 

and almost 20k people diagnosed 

with HIV have died. 

In 30 years we’ve seen rapid lifechanging 

advances in treatment, 

new laws to protect people living 

with HIV, and constantly evolving 

science. 

But people living with HIV still 

face ignorance, fear and even 

hatred, possibly caused by hard 

hitting governmental campaigns 

which caused moral panics 

and prejudice created (perhaps 

through ignorance) in the early 

days of our understanding. Today 

HIV is all around us. It does not 

discriminate. 

Make sure you look after 

yourself. To find out more visit 

www.hivaware.org.uk or talk 

to someone at your local sexual 

health project or clinic - see the 

a-z listings at the back of this 

magazine. n 

17 


life... 

at work 

Northumbria Healthcare 

NHS Foundation Trust 

NHS 

by patrick price 

Patrick is Health Improvement 

and Stonewall lead for Northumbria 

Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 

still more to do 

Well, it’s that time of year again! The leaves are falling. 

The mornings are crisper. The evenings are darker. 

The shops are open later. Carols are being played. 

And there’s a definite tang of anticipation in the air. 

“ People work better 

when they can be 

themselves” 

As part of a commitment to improve the 

working experiences of LGBT employees, 

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation 

Trust has set up a staff network group. 

No, it’s not Christmas dear readers, 

nor the after-effects of too many 

bonfires! It’s the outcome of the 

staff surveys that have been taking 

place across the Trust and Local 

Authority - and the suspense in 

the lead-up to receiving the results 

of the Stonewall workplace 

equality index. 

This year saw massive organisational 

change for us along with 

the rest of the public sector - with 

splits, mergers, acquisitions, transfers 

and cuts. Oops! My apologies, 

I meant to say ‘efficiencies’. 

In harsh times like these it’s too 

easy to lose focus on equalities 

work. But I am even more keen 

than usual to see whether there’s 

been an impact on our lgbt 

colleagues as a result of these 

changes - and in light of the work 

that has been done to address 

inequalities for our lgbt staff. 

Well, as you might expect, there 

is good news and there is bad. It 

seems there is some appreciation 

of the fact that lgbt staff now have 

a ‘formal’ voice. And that they are 

able to access support from the 

network group which operates 

across all of our organisations. 

It is also comforting and empowering 

to see a lot more out! northeast 

magazines around the place! 

However, it is apparent from the 

survey results that not everybody 

is aware of the support that is 

available - so we need to improve 

our communications. 

Many people have said that they 

feel confident about being ‘out’ 

with their colleagues and feel 

supported by their organisation. 

A worrying number however, 

feel they can’t be themselves and 

come out as a result of having 

experienced homophobic hostility 

from colleagues or managers. 

So we may have won some 

battles but it’s obvious that 

armistice has yet to be declared. 

Clearly there is a lot more to do to 

make all things equal. A guide for 

managers and specific training are 

high on the agenda! 

I’m certain that our survey results 

reflect the experience of many lgbt 

people working across the entire 

statutory sector. Perhaps we’ll 

find out when Stonewall release 

the new list of organisations who 

have made it onto the equality 

index. We’ll have to wait and see. 

In the meantime friends, I hope 

your experience of working life 

(if you’re lucky enough to have 

a job) is a positive one. 

Enjoy the festivities. n 

The group is for LGBT staff and their 

supporters within the Trust, and 

Northumberland County Council. 

We meet regularly to develop activities 

and support for LGBT staff at work. The 

meetings are informal and focused on 

delivering tangible outcomes for staff. 

If you would like to be involved 

or receive updates on our work 

contact Patrick Price 

01670 394 431 

patrick.price@nct.nhs.uk 

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 

Stonewall Working Group 

18 


inging people together to make the world more lgbt-friendly 

life... 

the fed 

L G B T 

thefed 

one strong voice 

The Fed works to unite lgbt 

individuals, groups, organisations 

and communities across 

the northeast. 

We undertake research 

and develop self-sustaining 

activities that aim to change 

attitudes and behaviours 

towards lgbt people. 

We hold regular meetings 

for information sharing, 

support + socialising, and 

organise lgbt events. 

If you're interested in making the 

world more lgbt-friendly, we'd love 

you to bring your skills to the table. 

mail@lgbtfed.com 

We’ve been looking back at 2011 and forward to 2012 

- the year of the dragon - which promises imaginative 

action and lots of energy for getting things done. 

Earlier this year Fed members 

asked for meetings that went 

beyond simply discussing the 

issues that affect our lives, so 

we worked to engage people 

who could make things happen. 

Thankfully, the Big Lottery and 

other service providers were 

enthusiastic and helpful. 

We had productive meetings 

with housing and hate crime 

organisations. But sadly we failed 

in our efforts to get teachers and 

school governors to a conference 

on bullying of young lgbt people. 

This is an ongoing issue that will 

remain on the agenda, so we 

were extremely disappointed at 

the response from educators. We 

intend working with members to 

find new ways of prioritising the 

issue in the education sector. 

Unfortunately, regional bodies 

Government Office North East and 

One North East, which were our 

communication channels to central 

government have been disbanded, 

so we are now working with 

other equality strands to find suitable 

replacements. 

On 14 November The Fed held 

their annual general meeting in 

central Newcastle, where 35 

participants represented localities 

right across the region. There 

were enthusiastic and productive 

discussions about the future of 

The Fed. Suggestions were made 

that we do more strategic and 

campaigning work, especially as 

the loss of our regional bodies 

has left a policy and monitoring 

vacuum. Some people would like 

to see more interaction-packed 

sessions that build stronger bonds 

across communities. Others 

want more partnership work 

with service providers that offer 

opportunities to influence issues 

that affect us. 

The next step for The Fed is to 

convene an operational group willing 

to contribute time and energy to 

developing an action plan. If you can 

help, please email mail@lgbtfed.com 

and keep checking www.lgbtfed.com 

for developments. 

After the Personalisation and 

lgbt people event we co-hosted 

with the LGBT Consortium on 23 

November at The Baltic, Gateshead, 

we have two other learning 

opportunities in the pipeline, 

Signing for lgbt people, date to be 

announced; and a ‘Develop Me’ 

session 9pm, 6 December at 

Stockton Riverside College. See 

www.lgbtfed.com for more details. 

Join one of our working groups 

and help make 2012 a productive 

fun year. By volunteering you will 

immediately improve your health. 

It’s true! n 

19 


life... 

gender identity 

trans 

exclusion 

Transgender children 

represent one of the most 

marginalised groups in the 

UK. Yet there are as many 

trans children in our schools 

as there are children of 

Jamaican heritage. 

Most spend their childhoods 

fearfully hiding their feelings 

of gender variance from 

their parents, teachers 

and their peers. The brutal 

consequences of this include 

low self-esteem, self-harm, 

social exclusion, underachievement 

at school 

and wasted lives - where 

around half of all trans 

children actively consider 

suicide. 

by natacha kennedy 

Having previously worked as a primary 

school teacher, Natacha now lecturers at 

Goldsmiths College, London. She has just 

returned from Tokyo where she presented 

her research on transgender children. 

Natacha has been transgender for 

as long as she can remember. 

20 

natachakennedy@hotmail.co.uk 

It may come as a surprise to many 

that transgender children exist at 

all. Yet my own research 1 suggests 

that children realise they are trans 

before they are 8 years old - most 

commonly at 5 years. Certainly, 

around 80% of trans children know 

they are trans before they leave 

primary school. And 90-95% of 

those do not tell anyone. 

Even at such a young age, trans 

kids keep their gender variance 

a secret, because to do anything 

outside what is socially expected 

is to invite ridicule, derision and 

social exclusion - especially for 

transgirls, who know themselves 

to be female but have been 

assigned a male gender at birth. 

It quickly becomes obvious that 

to do anything outside what 

is normally accepted as ‘male’ 

behaviour is to invite trouble. 

The slightest hint of ‘feminine’ 

behaviour, presentation or 

preference is considered 

unacceptable, not just by other 

kids but often by their own 

parents and staff in schools. 

For transboys it’s a different story. 

They can get away with so much 

‘masculine’ behaviour, and still 

be considered girls. Which often 

makes convincing people later that 

they are trans, a problem. 

One transman (assigned female at 

birth) told me how, being brought 

up on a farm, he was able to 

do pretty much what he liked, 

including riding horses, driving 


tractors and climbing trees. This 

behaviour was allowed to continue 

until his parents realised that he 

‘meant it’, then pressure to be 

girly ensued. 

It is not only the social pressure 

to conform which damages 

transgender children - and the 

adults they become. They are 

extremely isolated, with feelings 

that they’re the ‘only ones’. They 

start to believe there is something 

wrong with them and suppress 

their true identities. Their school 

work suffers. Low self-esteem 

develops. All of which often leads 

to mental health problems in 

adulthood. 

Often, transgirls force themselves 

to be more masculine, as they 

internalize transphobia and 

become self-haters. One US 

study 2 showed how maleto-female 

transsexuals were 

over-represented in the military 

- choosing dangerous jobs like 

marines, fighter pilots, paratroopers 

and divers in an attempt to 

escape from themselves. 

In the UK today, trans children 

generally have two options. They 

can ‘come out’ and risk being 

bullied out of school - and in many 

cases, forced out of their own 

homes by domestic violence. Or 

they can cower fearful in their 

closets, not daring to express 

how they are to anyone. These 

two default positions, either out 

and not in school, or invisible and 

suffering in silence, are simply 

not acceptable. 

Schools need to realise that trans 

children make up at least 1% of 

the school population - but they 

normally do not identify themselves 

to anyone. It is time the education 

system started to support these 

children, because on top of 

everything else, they are not being 

given equal access to education. 

A secondary school with 1500 

children will have at least 15 trans 

kids. Making provision for this, 

involves giving all children access 

to a vocabulary which includes 

trans people. And letting trans 

kids know that they are not alone, 

nor are they freaks and that they 

should be proud of who they are. 

Part of the problem is that 

diversity training for schools 

around lgbt issues tends to focus 

on the lgb and neglect the t. And 

because being transgender is 

often mistakenly considered as 

relating to sexuality - and thus 

not relevant to primary school 

children - it doesn’t take place 

until secondary school. 

Diversity training should begin 

in primary schools and include 

training for teachers around trans 

issues as a matter of urgency. 

Because as things stand at 

present, some of our children 

are being severely harmed. n 

1. Kennedy & Hellen (2010) Transgender 

Children: More than a Theoretical Challenge. 

Graduate Journal of Social Science. Vol 7.2 pp 

25-43 

2. Brown, G (1988) Transsexuals in the 

Military: Flight into Hypermasculinity. Archives 

of Sexual Behaviour 17.6 pp 527-537

life... 

spirituality 

being 

t 

Spirituality is a deeply personal thing, but religion is irreducibly 

social - a collective thing. Herein lies the great challenge for lgbti 

people of faith and for me personally as a Muslim lesbian. 

The ground on which I stand 

knows no country 

The patriot in me seeks 

world nationality 


has no colour 

It is the rainbow land 

where none is superior, 

or inferior 


is without religion 

It is spirit-in-matter, 

a child of the union 


ignites with desire 

22 

When 

gay or straight 

there burns a true fire. 

by ashhara 

Ashhara is an independent minister and 

spiritual counsellor, singer/songwriter, 

voice and bodywork practitioner, trainer 

and consultant, partner and mother. 

ashhara@live.co.uk 


The question ‘What does ‘God’ 

want of me?’ may not exercise 

most people. However, for lesbian, 

gay, bisexual, transgender and 

intersex people seeking a religious 

or spiritual home, it is a question 

that penetrates deep into the heart. 

For those born into any of the 

three Abrahamic faiths - Judaism, 

Christianity, Islam - questions of 

right or wrong, and of heaven or 

hell, are particularly keenly felt. And 

the question of how God views 

our sexual, sex, or gender nonconformity 

can be answered with 

devastating consequences. From 

the death penalty, to excommunication, 

to forced marriage, to having 

to ‘act’ straight, or refrain from 

practising, in order to belong - the 

spectrum of oppression is vast. 

A young gay Muslim man 

desperate for guidance was told 

by an imam that there was no 

point in praying to God, as God 

would not listen simply because 

he was gay. Some might ask, ‘In 

the midst of negativity and hatred 

what point is there in seeking 

anything positive through religion?’ 

I was born a Muslim. My father 

spoke the azaan (the call to 

prayer) into my newborn ears. 

It is said in Muslim folklore that 

s/he whose heart responds to the 

azaan is a true Muslim. If this is 

the case, then half the world must 

be Muslim, because so many non- 

Muslims I know feel their hearts 

open when they hear the muezzin 

call ‘God is greatest of all. God is 

greatest of all. I bear witness that 

there is none worthy of worship 

but the one God!’ 

I am quite certain that at a soul 

level, I ‘chose’ to be born Muslim 

- every bit as much as I believe 

I ‘chose’ a life characterised by 

sexual and gender non-conformity. 

Whilst myself in possession of 

a woman’s body, this choice has 

left me romantically and sexually 

oriented towards women; and 

inextricably tangled with a religion 

whose political and social identity 

has undergone a profound global 

transformation in my lifetime. 

These are two important dimensions 

of my identity in this life. I can 

no more escape them than I can 

choose to levitate out of my chair 

and teleport myself to Mars. I have 

to live them, and pursue my quest 

for spiritual meaning and realisation 

through them - not in spite of them. 

It is an amazing journey that is not 

always easy, as many Muslims 

see a gay / lesbian identity as a 

post-Christian western sickness. 

And many non-Muslims in lgbti 

communities see Islam as irredeemably 

homo- and trans-phobic.

life... 

spirituality 

he bridge 

Listening to people’s fears and 

prejudices on all sides leaves me 

wondering, ‘In which territory 

is it possible to be me, in all my 

complexity?’ I do however feel that 

being forced to ask this question is 

actually a great privilege. It means 

that I take very little for granted, 

and it gives me a distinct vantage 

point from which to see and understand 

so much about the world. 

I am quite sure that it is each individual’s 

birthright to seek their own 

intimate relationship with the divine, 

spirit, source, creator, universal 

truth - or whatever name you 

prefer, for what cannot be named. 

As a lesbian who has never 

rejected Islam, I claim my 

birthright to seek, pursue, coax, 

entreaty, love, fight, converse, and 

ultimately reunite with my creator. 

And this is why I believe the imam 

who spoke so unkindly to the 

young gay man was wrong. 

I have never lost my heartconnection 

with some of the 

fundamentals of Islam: belief in 

one God beyond name and form; 

belief in the essential truths in the 

teachings of the prophets of all 

nations through the ages (including 

Mohammed the prophet of Islam); 

belief in unseen worlds; belief that 

all souls are equal in God’s eyes; 

belief in compassion and mercy 

as the core qualities that express 

godliness in humans. 

Islam (which means ‘peace through 

submission’) is a state of surrender 

to the creator’s will. This to me, 

means a state free of ego. What 

could be more beautiful in a world 

marred by an endless desire for 

commodities, fame, money, power 

and the illusion of control? 

The trouble with claiming this 

birthright arises in my relationship 

with others, and not in the space 

of my inner sanctuary - where 

I can love, listen to, laugh or fight 

with God, without interference. 

Away from that sanctuary, I am 

pulled here and there by the currents 

of others’ opinions, and my 

fear of the consequences. 

I hear Muslims - and people of 

other faiths - denounce homosexuality 

as a sin, an abomination and 

an aberration. And I learn of the 

persecution of so many brothers 

and sisters because of this. On the 

other hand, I hear people in lgbti 

communities speak in sweeping 

negatives about people of faith, 

and of faith itself, closing their 

hearts and minds instead of building 

bridges; sometimes colluding 

with (anti) religious hatred. 

I ‘came out’ to my mother when I 

was 17. I was a passionate lesbian 

feminist at that time, driven by 

anger and indignation at injustice. 

That time still lives in me, but age 

has mellowed me. Recognition of 

my own ignorance and prejudices 

- the legacy of my own upbringing 

- has mellowed me. 

Back then, I never gave the time of 

day to the idea of a trans identity 

until I was seriously challenged by 

a trans woman generous enough 

to take the time to refute my 

feminist transphobia. She made 

me ask myself, ‘If I am not willing 

to be the bridge of understanding 

and forgiveness between seemingly 

irreconcilable positions, then 

who will be?’ This is not a job that I 

can or should thrust upon others if 

I don’t accept it myself. 

Nowadays I see no point in 

complaining about others’ lack of 

understanding of my experience 

or perspective. In fact my faith, 

heritage and sexuality make me a 

very appropriate, if rather shaky, 

potential bridge. 

Why shaky? Well, one consequence 

of being a lesbian who 

refuses to be closeted, is that I have 

progressively distanced myself 

from the mainstream Muslim 

community. My family is religiously 

liberal and strongly political in its 

outlook. My social circle consists of 

people - a few of them Muslims - 

who accept my sexuality 

Islam, like Judaism, is very much a 

community religion. The idea of a 

solitary Muslim or Jew makes very 

little sense. Yet my spiritual quest 

has led me away from mainstream 

Islam onto an individual 

spiritual path which is in contrast 

to the distinctive quality of Islam as 

expressed through the umma, or 

global Muslim community. 

So, while there is no inner conflict 

for me in holding all my identities 

as true, there is certainly a potential 

outer conflict, which I have so far 

rather skilfully avoided by taking 

myself out of the context of the 

umma. That way I don’t have to 

answer awkward questions about 

my personal life posed by people I 

expect to judge and reject me. 

I am very fortunate to have been 

born into a family that has come 

to accept my sexuality, and my 

son, who my partner and I parent 

together. 

I say publicly that I am a Muslim, 

because there are so many 

aspects of Islam that express 

truth and beauty. And it is so 

important for a peace-seeking and 

reflective perspective on Islam 

to be heard in the public sphere. 

However, I will rarely state publicly 

in the same breath that I am a 

lesbian. The fact is that although I 

make peace with God every day, 

I am yet to make peace with the 

community of my heritage. 

I was recently ordained as 

an independent minister. This 

experience has reignited my 

quest to integrate the Muslim 

community in me. And so I work 

on bridge building, for it is always 

the bridges in ourselves that we 

seek to manifest in the world. I do 

so as a lover of God who reserves 

the right to live Islam in her own 

way, and to become congruent 

with truth as she understands it. 

That work is as yet incomplete. n 

23 


life... 

law 

a step in the right direction 

Civil partnerships can now be registered on religious premises. But is it far enough? 

by adam slawson 

Adam is a barrister (non-practicing) 

who specialises in public law, health 

and social care law, and human 

rights with Ben Hoare Bell. 

24 

In recent times UK government 

has made slow and steady 

progress toward recognising 

and correcting the discriminatory 

impact of the ‘traditional’ definition 

of marriage as a union between 

a man and a woman contained in 

the Matrimonial Clauses Act 1973. 

As out! northeast readers will be 

well aware, fortunately things 

have come a long way since then! 

2004 saw the enactment of the 

Civil Partnership Act, enshrining 

in law the right of same-sex 

couples to have their relationships 

formally recognised by the state. 

And entitling them to many of 

the legal rights and privileges 

previously reserved for married 

heterosexual couples. 

Whilst a quantum leap forward 

from ye old days - when even 

making your relationship ‘public’ 

could put you at risk of jail time 

- the Act sorely disappointed 

those who had always dreamed 

of walking down the aisle in the 

presence of God; as unfortunately, 

the Act expressly prohibits use 

of any religious service and bans 

registrations from taking place on 

religious premises. 

Fortunately, as a result of persistent 

efforts from campaigners on 

behalf of lgbt communities, to some 

extent, these defects are soon to 

be remedied. On 5 December 2011 

amendments to equality legislation 

come into force which lift the absolute 

ban on civil partnerships being 

registered on religious premises! 

Whilst positive, this is more of a 


baby step in the right direction than 

a giant leap for man or womankind! 

There doesn’t appear to have been 

any relaxation of the ban on using 

religious services. This gives rise 

to the confusing situation where 

churches can hold civil partnership 

ceremonies, but will have to 

hold off on the hymns and bible 

readings - even if the happy couple 

would like a Christian service and 

the church is willing and able! 

Also, whilst the veto on using religious 

premises has been lifted, the 

changes still leave it up to those in 

charge of the churches, synagogues 

and mosques to choose whether 

to accommodate civil partnership 

registrations. Some of the more liberal 

institutions have welcomed the 

changes with open arms. Others, 

including the Church of England, 

have indicated that they have no 

intentions of opening their doors. 

As the law stands, it seems 

unlikely that it will be possible 

to directly challenge religious 

organisations for refusing to 

let same-sex couples use their 

premises. The standard position 

under equality legislation is that it 

is unlawful discrimination to treat 

a person less favourably because 

of their sexual orientation, because 

there are currently exceptions in 

place shielding organisations with 

relation to religion or belief. 

Also, whilst under human rights 

legislation everyone has the right to 

marry, and the right to family life, 

in general terms their enjoyment 

of those rights can’t be arbitrarily 

restricted because of their sexual 

orientation. It would therefore be 

very difficult to argue that religious 

organisations are not bound to uphold 

these rights when making decisions 

about the use of their premises. In 

light of this, it seems that until the 

government takes further action, or 

a successful challenge can be brought 

against the validity of the law itself, 

same-sex couples will be subject 

to the whim of the church when 

selecting the venue for their big day. 

Fortunately, there already appears 

to be action on both fronts! 

Equalities Minister, Lynne Featherstone 

recently confirmed a consultation 

in March 2012, into proposals to 

change the law to recognise civil marriages 

for same-sex couples, with a 

view to legislation being passed by 

2015! A positive step, but it is important 

not to overlook the word ‘civil’, as 

there is no suggestion that religious 

services would be permitted. If this 

is an issue close to your heart then 

out!law would encourage you to let 

the government know what you think 

of their continued failure to recognise 

the rights of same-sex couples to a 

religious marriage! 

Finally, to end on a brighter note, 

there are a number of legal test 

cases pending with the European 

Court of Human Rights seeking 

to challenge the UK’s approach 

to same-sex marriage as 

fundamentally incompatible with 

the right to marry and the right to 

family life, so watch this space. 

Meanwhile, the slow and steady 

march towards equality continues. n

photo of Maman by Louise Bourgeois taken by Didier Descouens · creative commons 

life... 

travel 

bilbao 

Swapping the usual two 

weeks relaxation in the 

sun on a Spanish beach for 

Bilbao, was a tough decision 

for my friend Claire and 

her best mate Sam. 

Being the largest city in 

the Basque country of 

northern Spain, you’re not 

guaranteed the sunshine 

of the southern costas 

that we all know and love. 

Nonetheless, this beautifully 

regenerated city has 

a lot to offer. 

Unlike their previous holidays 

where a travel company has 

tended to Claire and Sam’s 

transport needs, the pair decided 

to take the car to the ferry in 

Portsmouth. Since they wanted 

to avoid the challenge of driving 

on the other side of the road, they 

left it with a friend in Portsmouth 

and boarded the ferry as foot 

passengers. 

The long car journey down south 

(and back home again) was for 

them the only real downside to the 

trip, not least because they needed 

to arrive in plenty time for the ferry 

crossing. They made the overnight 

journey which allowed them to 

get a good night's sleep before 

arriving in Bilbao. In the morning as 

they entered the port, a beautiful 

industrial city was revealed. 

Claire and Sam decided to stay 

in the traditional 19th century, 

'Petit Palace Arana Bilbao' hotel 

after finding its details on a 

lesbian and gay website. Although 

located in the old town, the hotel 

is of contemporary design with 

excellent customer service. Both 

felt the location was second to 

none, with culture on its doorstep 

and its close proximity to the city's 

lesbian and gay commercial scene. 

Top of their 'to see' list was the 

city's Guggenheim museum, 

credited by some as central to 

Bilbao’s regeneration. And they 

are not wrong. Frank Gehry’s 

amazing architecture and the 

unnerving presence of Jeff Koons' 

'Puppy, a giant topiary dog' nearby 

were firm favourites. 

As with any city trip, an 

abundance of shops offer the 

customary retail therapy. Bespoke 

tailors and independent stores 

offer unique gifts, and for the 

less adventurous there are the 

traditional high street brands. 

The ‘El Fogon de Beni’ restaurant 

provided a memorable evening 

with fine food. Located just 10 

minutes from the Guggenheim, 

it offers beautifully presented 

traditional cuisine with a contemporary 

twist, at prices not inflated 

for tourists. Although not a ‘gay’ 

eatery, both our travellers felt welcome 

and included in its vibrant 

atmosphere. In fact they thought it 

was the best meal of their trip - so 

take note! 

'Lamiak' in the Calle de la Pelota is 

two venues in one. During the day 

there’s a quiet cafe atmosphere 

for lesbian and gay customers to 

sip coffee and watch the world 

go by. At night it turns into a busy 

mixed gay, lesbian and straight bar 

that’s popular with the pre-clubbing 

crowd on Fridays and Saturdays. 

Now both Claire and Sam are 'past 

their clubbing days' (their words, 

not mine), but both had this little 

venue as a firm favourite. 

Overall, the girls felt that Bilbao 

has a vibrancy that other postindustrial 

cities like Newcastle or 

Liverpool are trying to capture. The 

architecture, food, art, culture and 

‘scene’, gave them a unique and 

enjoyable insight into life beyond 

the Spanish beaches, and has left 

them with an impetus to explore 

more of the Spanish way of life. n 

by mark casey 

25 


culture... 

theatre 

ophelia’s 

choiceby ophelia 

balls 

Dick 

Whittington 

Jack & 

The Beanstalk 

Hi all... As it’s the festive season and I know a lot of you love a good panto, let’s have 

a little out! northeast tour of Pantoland and see how many fairies we can find! 

aladdin 

In a far off land, in a far off time, 

lived two brothers and their 

devoted mother, Dotty Twanky. 

Slaving away in the laundry, 

widow Twanky dreams of one 

day winning the lottery - or at 

least, getting some help with the 

washing from the two useless 

lumacks she calls sons; Tommy 

who is wishy washy and Aladdin 

who is forever getting into bother 

in his search for true love. 

Their world is turned upside down 

when the evil Abanazar appears on 

the scene... Oooh I just love A Lad 

In! Watch out for him at... 

customs house 

south shields 

30 nov 2011 - 7 jan 2012 

whitley bay playhouse 

13 dec 2011 - 2 jan 2012 

Jassa Ahluwalia and Kirsty Swain 

play Whitley Bay. 

26 

dick 

whittington 

If Dick’s more your thing, 

you’re spoilt for choice. Join Mr 

Whittington and his trusty cat as 

they journey to the big smoke to 

make their fortune in a brand new 

show full of live music, mayhem, 

and colourful characters, including 

the evil Queen Rat, at... 

newcastle 

journal tyne theatre 

9 dec 2011 - 2 jan 2012 

whitley bay playhouse 

10 - 15 jan 2012 

consett empire theatre 

7 dec 2011 - 2 jan 2012 

My lovely friend Leah Bell and 

Scooch’s David Ducasse play 

Consett. 


jack & the 

beanstalk 

This fabulous family pantomime 

tells the story of Jack, his magic 

beans, a huge growing stalk, and a 

cow called Milkshake! Follow Jack 

as he endures a scary run-in with 

the fee-fi-fo-fum giant. 

gala theatre durham 

1 dec 2011 - 7 jan 2012 

cinderella 

Did someone mention balls? And 

fancy frocks? I think I’m in heaven. 

In Darlington, this magical tale 

sees X Factor star Ray Quinn, 

Emmerdale’s Deena Payne and 

legendary comic Jimmy Cricket 

dancing. The show features an 

abundance of comedy, magnificent 

scenery, beautiful costumes and 

real Shetland ponies to transport 

Cinders to the Ball! 

darlington civic theatre 

3 dec 2011 - 15 jan 2012 

billingham forum theatre 

10 dec 2011 - 6 jan 2012 

If Crissy Rock makes it out of the 

celebrity jungle in time ;) you get to 

see her in Billingham. 

snow white 

Claire King (ex Emmerdale) leads 

in this simple story of a charming 

little ‘princess’ saved from the evil 

deeds of her wicked step-mother, 

the queen; by a group of no less 

than, you’ve got it, seven adorable 

‘live-in’ dwarfs. A panto classic at... 

linthorpe 

middlesbrough theatre 

9 dec 2011 - 8 jan 2012 

sleeping 

beauty 

Hailed as the best panto in Britain 

with some fabulous costumes. 

There’s nothing sleepy about this 

jaw-dropping extravaganza! 

newcastle theatre royal 

30 nov 2011 - 21 jan 2012 

Well folks, that’s it. If you don’t like 

a panto you can go and jump! Have 

a lovely Christmas everyone wont 

ya, and remember double cream 

was made for mince pies! 

Mwah x 

opheliaB 

balls mansions n

culture... 

music 

listen 

listen 

listen 

listen 

by james barr 

105-106 capital fm 

sat 7-11 pm, sun-thurs 11pm-3am 

More jumpin’ sounds guys! 

heart skips a beat 

jason 

derulo 

alyssa 

reid 

katy 

perry 

lloyd 

fight for you 

alone again 

the one that 

got away 

dedication 

to my ex 

Jason Derulo has actually 

reworked ToTo’s 1980s hit ‘Africa’ 

and I’m ashamed to say that I 

am LOVIN’ it! Lady GaGa’s BFF 

RedOne produced it. And despite 

initial reservations I think that 

Jason is actually rockin’ the 80s! 

I hope he’s sporting a perm in 

the video! 

His track ‘Don’t Wanna Go Home’ 

sampled the 90s hit ‘Show Me 

Love’. This one’s an 80s rework. 

I think he’s bound to sample the 

70s next and my money is on 

‘YMCA’! Fabulous! n 

Another 80s rework, ‘Alone Again’ 

is a 2012 version of Heart’s ‘Alone’ 

and it’s #TotesEmosh! 

Alyssa ad-libs ‘...and I’m hoping 

that you know that...’ before the 

original hook we all know and love. 

Not sure she makes the song her 

own but whatevs its still amazing. 

Alyssa is 18, born in Canada and 

discovered on reality tv. Her voice 

is incredible, not quite caps lock 

INCREDIBLE like Adele or Beyonce 

tho. You must hear the Westfunk 

remix of this track, it’s gonna 

be as huge as Cascada’s ‘Every 

time We Touch’! ‘Alone Again’ 

is gonna get so many plays in 

PowerHouse. Guaranteed! n 

You have to see the video to this, 

Katy Perry is a GILF! LOL. I’m not 

saying I would, but she does look 

pretty fit. Her BF leaves her and 

she ends up reflecting on the past 

as a granny, and as a gay man. 

The song itself might make you 

want to text your ex or start 

poking them on facebook so 

just make sure you’ve been on 

Grindr before listening so that the 

battery life on your device is at 2% 

and dies midway through your 

moment of weakness! 

Hopefully this is the last single 

from ‘Teenage Dream’ (We want 

new material now please). n 

Hahahahahahaa is all I can say to 

describe this completely amazing 

song! I promise you will LOL! 

Lloyd’s ex girlfriend has cheated 

on him #sadface! He didn’t find 

out because he hired a private 

investigator, or because he went 

through her phone, walked in 

on it happening, or caught an 

STI. He knows because another 

bee’s been in the honey and he’s 

seriously pissed. There’s an actual 

singing pussy in the video. I hope 

I get to play this on the radio soon 

but I guess I’ll be playing the clean 

‘your loving done changed’ 

version. Boo! n 

27 


takes... a-z community listings 

a-zDISC 

ARCH - Hate Crime Tyne + Wear 

Report hate crime. If you or someone you 

know has been the victim of homophobic 

harassment in Tyne + Wear. 24/7 service. 

0800 032 32 88 

(Newcastle + North Tyneside - freephone) 

0800 077 83 78 (Sunderland - freephone) 

0191 433 2648 (Gateshead-local rate) 

bangshees 

Women’s drumming band. Meet Thurs 

7-9pm in Newcastle. All women welcome. 

info@bangshees.com 

Berwick Community Support 

Monthly social group. 

07799 598 843 

Big Up North  

North east social group for gay men + 

chasers. Meets weekly in Ncl & N Tyneside. 

Coffee meets, trips away, cinema + more. 

bigjohnuk@hotmail.com 

Blue Sky Trust (North-East Aids Care) 

Confidential help for people with HIV/AIDS. 

Provides transport, help with DIY/decorating, 

shopping, laundry, sitting + befriending. 

info@blueskytrust.org 

Body Positive NE 

Confidential info, advice + support for people 

infected/affected by HIV/AIDS. Advocacy, 

holistic therapies, benefits advice, housing 

referrals + respite care. Computer/Internet 

access daily, tuition available. 

bpne@btinternet.com 

www.bpne.org 

0191 232 2855 

Club T @ GADD 

TS + TV info, socialising + advice. 1-2-1 

counselling, help-line, promoting acceptance. 

Regional and national contacts. 

Sundays (fortnightly), 7:30pm-10pm. Call 

for next date. 

www.gayadvicedarlington.co.uk 

01325 355 551 

Deaflink LGBT 

Regular meetings for confidence building, 

awareness raising + discussion. Open to all 

deaf, deafblind, hard-of-hearing + supporters. 

katie.deaflink@healthycity.org.uk 

Text 07897 329 359 (Katie) 

Fax 0191 232 3917 

Derwentside LGB 

User-led informal group for LGB people. 

Wednesday evenings 7-9pm in Consett. 

Support, one-to-one health info & advice. 

sthompson7@nhs.net 

0191 374 4144 (Sue) 

Derwentside LGB Youth 

Young lgb people can develop + understand 

issues of sexuality. 1-2-1 work to encourage 

personal, social + educational development. 

sthompson7@nhs.net 

0191 374 4144 (Sue) 

28 

To get your community, public or voluntary sector 

service listed here free, email listings@outnortheast.com 

Working across Durham + Darlington with 

15-25yr olds, offering a range of health + 

wellbeing support around lgbt issues, 

including access to other services. 

lgbt@disc-vol.org.uk 

www.disc-vol.org.uk 

01325 731 160 (office) 

07826 872 756 (Billijean) 

Durham University 

Students LGBT Association 

Meets weekly during term-time plus additional 

functions and trips out. Drop-in and 

support. Open to students from other local 

unis and colleges, and non-students. 

lgbta@dur.ac.uk 

http://durhamlgbta.org.uk 

0191 374 1772 

Dykehikes 

Walks for lesbians 18+ in + around northeast. 

Meet Sundays once or twice a month. 

dykehikes@hotmail.com 

www.dykehikes.org.uk 

EngAge 

(at Age Concern) For lgbt 50yrs+ in Durham. 

Monthly social meetings for consultation, to 

ensure voices of older people are heard, and 

inform, policy and services. 

engage@ageconcern-durham.org.uk 

0191 383 9750 (Clare) 

Eslwick Women and Girls 

Group for girls and women. Young 

lesbian one-to-one support available. 

0191 273 4942 

The Fed 

Bringing together lgbt organisations to act as 

one regionwide lgbt voice. Regular meetings 

across region + volunteer opportunities. 


www.lgbtfed.com 

Friday Men’s Group 

Gay and bi men meet Friday evenings in 

Darlington, 7-9.30pm. 

admin@gayadvicedarlington.co.uk 

01325 355 551 

The Fryers 

Weekly social sessions in Bedlington for 

lgbt young people and their friends aged 13 

to 25. Individual support. Varied activities 

programme set by members. 

info@tyarainbow.org.uk 

01670 531 843 (office) 

07790 823 040 (lgbt worker) 

GADD (Gay Advice 

Darlington/Durham) 

Info, support + advice. ‘Open-house’ drop-in 

Tues+Thurs 2-4pm. Free access internet 

café. ‘Mainly men’ drop-in 7-9.30pm Friday. 

9 Duke St, Darlington, Co Durham DL3 7RX 



01325 355 551 (helpline · Mon-Fri 11am- 

4pm + Fri 6.30pm-9pm + Sun 7-9:30pm) 

01325 252 522 (admin) 

GADD Youth 

Group for 16-25 yrs. 


01325 355 551 


Gay Advice Sunderland 

Advice, support, counselling + training in 

central Sunderland. Safe + friendly space 

with personal advisers available for welfare 

+ educational needs. Open Mon-Thurs 10-4. 

gayadvicesunderland@hotmail.com 

0191 510 1006 

GAP 

For all gay / bi young men 16 -19. Meets 

weekly. Safe space to discuss coming 

out, gay men and the law, HIV, safer sex, 

relationships. Also social activities. 

0191 233 1333 (Mesmac) 

Gay & Bi Men’s Service 

Support, info & advice in Durham. 

07825 401 987 (Colin) 

Gay & Lesbian 

Alcoholics Anonymous 

01670 354 576 (Tony - from 10pm) 

Gay Men Tyneside 

Social alternatives to the gay scene for gay 

/ bi men 20+. Wednesday evenings in a 

relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. 

info@ gay-men-tyneside.org.uk 

www.gay-men-tyneside.org.uk   

07857 837 319 

Gay Outdoor Club 

National organisation with regional 

and specialist groups - caving, cycling, 

swimming. Walks organised for many 

weekends in the UK and abroad.  

www.goc.org.uk   

Gay Police Association 

Northumbria branch offers lgb police 

officers, special constables and staff opportunities 

to network, mentor + support. 

gpa@northumbria.pnn.police.uk 

www.gay.police.uk 

Gender Trust 

Information and counselling service for 

Transsexual, Gender Dysphoric, Transgender 

or affected by gender identity issues. 

www.gendertrust.org.uk 

0845 231 0505 

Get Real 

Weekly lgbt social group in South Tyneside. 

lgbtsouthtyneside@yahoo.co.uk 

0191 483 5606 (Tony) 

0191 416 2324 (Dave) 

Good As You 

Group for lgb young people 16-24 yrs. 

Meets weekly in Sunderland city centre. 

07866 728 531 

Hart Gables 

Advice, support, social groups, trips out 

and events for lgbt people in and around 

Hartlepool. Teesside hate crime service. 

joanne.fairless@hartgables.org.uk 

sarahhartgables@gmail.com 

www.hartgables.org.uk 

fb ‘Hart Gables LGBT’ 

01429 236 790 

HIV+ Men’s Group   

Discreet service for HIV+ gay and bi men, 

meets weekly in central Newcastle. Offering 

support and social activities. 

all@mesmacnortheast.com 

0191 233 1333 (Mesmac) 

ID Young Trans 

Meet others with similar issues in safe 

spaces. Confidence building activities for 

young trans people 16-24 yrs. Opportunities 

to exchange info + seek support. Monthly. 

lgbt@disc-vol.org.uk 

07826 872 756 (Billijean) 

01325 313 888 (Deb) 

Iraqi LGBT 

Raise public awareness and support refugees 

leaving Iran because of persecution based on 

sexual orientation + gender identity. 

http://iraqilgbt.org.uk 

L Birds 

For women in Hartlepool aged 21+. Self 

esteem, confidence building + sexual health 

advice. Get involved in arts + crafts, or just 

socialise + meet new friends. Thurs 7-9pm 

sarahhartgables@gmail.com 


fb ‘Hart Gables LGBT’ 

01429 236 790 

LBi Teesside 

All LBi women welcome. 


Lesbian & Gay Parents 

Coffee Group 

For lesbian and gay parents, parents-to-be, 

or those considering parenthood. Meet for 

coffee and chats about all things parent 

related in Middlesbrough. 

missingubrokemylife@hotmail.com 

Lesbifriends North East 

Face to face support and friendship. 

lesbifriendsne@live.co.uk 

www.lesbifriendsne.btik.com 

fb ‘Lesbifriends North East’ 07773 

558 776 

LesBi-Sexy & Healthy 

Website for LBi women covering 

health, wellbeing + sex. 

heidi.hansen@newcastle.gov.uk 

www.lesbisexyandhealthy.co.uk 

0191 277 2048 

LGBT Middlesbrough 

Development and activities-support for lgbt 

community in Middlesbrough 

lesley.duggan@mvdauk.org.uk 

www.lbwn.co.uk 

01642 803 607 (Lesley) 

LGBT North East 

Virtual employment, community + engagement 

network for lgbt people in NE region. 

www.lgbtnortheast.com 

M-Tags 

(M/brough Trans And Gay Soc.) LGBT 18+ 

social group in Middlesbrough. Meets Annie’s 

Bar for quiz nights, day trips, fund-raisers + 

more. 7-9pm, 1st + 3rd Thurs every month. 

m-tags@hotmail.co.uk 

fb ‘M-TAGS’ (in groups) 

07840 318 146 

Married Men’s Support   

1-2-1 support + advice on topics such as the 

law, safer sex, and relationship difficulties. 

www.gaydads.co.uk (National) 

0191 233 1333 (Mesmac) 

Maze 

Independent ecumenical group in Durham. 

Meets monthly to celebrate + develop lgbtq 

Christian fellowship through worship, music, 

art, discussion, meditation + food. 

sallyitfcrush@btinternet.com 

or dsj.austin@hotmail.com 

MESMAC North East 

Promotes sexual and mental health. 

Offers 1-1 counselling, general support and 

support groups for gay / bi men. 

0191 233 1333 (Newcastle) 

Metropolitan Community 

Church (MCC) Newcastle 

An inclusive church founded in lgbt community. 

Be yourself. Know God. Sunday Service 

6.30pm St James’ URC, Northumberland Rd. 

contact@mccnewcastle.org.uk 

www.mccnewcastle.org.uk 

FB ‘MCC Newcastle UK’ 

07770 543 407

takes... a-z community listings 

a-z 

Monday Night Mix 

@ Hart Gables, Hartlepool. Participants 

determine evening’s activities. All welcome. 

hartgables@googlemail.com 


01429 236 790 (Alan) 

Morpeth LGBT Support 

Fortnightly meetings. 07799 598 843 

NAZ HIV & AIDS 

National sexual health + HIV prevention, and 

support services for South Asian gay and bisexual 

men. Bengali, Gujerati, Hindi, Punjabi, 

Tamil and Urdu spoken. 

0208 741 1879 (m-f 9.30-5.30pm) 

NEOLN 

Social group for lesbians aged 40+ across 

the northeast. Meets 3rd Sundays + more. 

contact@neoln.co.uk 

www.neoln.btck.co.uk 

07539 489 214 

Newcastle College LGBT Soc 

Student-only LGBT group meets Mondays 

4.30-5.30pm. Contact lgbt officer c/o 

S/Union, Parsons Building. 

0191 200 4525 

Newcastle LGBT 

Council Tenants 

Informal group for lgbt council tenants and 

leaseholders in Newcastle. Give your views 

on how we can improve services. 

getinvolved@yhn.org.uk 

0191 278 4391 

Newcastle Panthers  

Newcastle’s first proud all-gay football team 

wants new players. 

newcastlepanthers@hotmail.co.uk 

07528 038 981 (Russell)   

Newcastle Ravens 

For players + supporters of gay-friendly 

rugby. Meets Mondays 7-9pm at the Novos 

pitch, Benton, Newcastle. 

info@newcastleravens.co.uk 

www.newcastleravens.co.uk 

Newcastle University 

LGBT Society 

Meets during term time only. Contact lgbt 

officers via Students’ Union. 

lgbt.society@newcastle.ac.uk 

www.newcastlelgbt.co.uk 

0191 239 3936 

North East 

Gay Asylum Group 

Helps support and open up social opportunities 

to North East asylum seekers. 

negag99@yahoo.com 

07749 401 616 

North East LGBT 

Parenting Group 

Informal group for people with children, 

or thinking of becoming parents. 

mail@arwhite.co.uk 

07837 608 564 (Anna) 

NE Young Lesbian + Bi 

Women’s Group 

Aged 16-25, lesbian, bi, or questioning. Talk 

in confidence. Meet weekly in central Ncl. 

Issue-based group work + social activities. 

07540 896 121 

Northern Proud Voices 

North east lgbt + friends choir. Meets 

Thursdays 7-9.15pm at St James URC, Ncl 

northernproudvoices@ymail.com 

fb ‘Northern Proud Voices’ 

0191 296 3445 (anytime + voicemail) 

Northern Region 

Gender Dysphoria Service 

Outpatient service for transgender people 

experiencing gender discomfort in the NE + 

N Cumbria. Provides assessment, psychosexual 

therapy, voice therapy + referrals 

for surgical treatment. GP referral req’d. 

dawn.tiernan@ntw.nhs.uk 

0191 569 9401 

(9am-1pm Mon + Fri: 9am-5pm Tuesday. 

Answerphone at other times) 

Northumbria University 

LGBT Forum 

Meets during term in the ‘Annexe’. Open to 

non-students. Social events, speakers, 

support, trips out. Confidential. 

0191 227 3737 (Students’ Union) 

Northumberland 

College LGBT 

Meets Wednesday afternoons for 

socialising and support - in conjunction 

with Trinity + Changemakers. 

07790 885 171 

Northumberland 

Young People 

Support + social activities across county. 

debswalker@trinityyouth.org.uk 

www.tyarainbow.org.uk 

01670 531 843 (office) 

out! northeast 

Free news, information + lifestyle magazine 

for the north east lgbt communities. 



Outlook (Lifeline) 

For adults in Ncl who have / had, problems 

with drug use. Safe attitude-free environment 

to take part in various activities. 

0191 281 1828 

Outpost 

Support, advice, information + accommodation 

for young lgbt people aged 16-25. 

admin@outpostproject.org 

www.outpostproject.org 

0191 281 0099 

Parents Enquiry NE 

Advice and support group (meets every 

2 months) for parents of lgbt people. 

penejoan@supanet.com 

www.parentsofgays.co.uk 

0191 455 2868 (Joan) 

01642 370 230 (Jill) after 6pm 

PLUS+ 

Group for young lgbt people under 25 yrs. 

Tuesdays 6-8pm in central Gateshead. 

pam.douglas@sotw.nhs.uk 

0800 422 0200 (Press Option 5) 

Positive Living 

Support services for HIV+ people, partners, 

family and carers in Darlington / Durham. 


01325 252 522 

Pride Radio 

Gay radio for the north east. Listen 24/7 

via www.prideradio.co.uk, iTunes Radio (in 

the Electronica section) + on smartphones 

through Tune In Radio. 

info@prideradio.co.uk 

www.prideradio.co.uk 

R2B 

Facilitated user-led lgbt youth group in 

Hartlepool on Wednesday evenings. Confidential 

non judgemental 1-2-1 available. 

ronnie.hartgables@googlemail.com 

REACH 

Offers help to men + women who’ve been 

raped or sexually assaulted, and were 

aged 16 or over when the assault occurred. 

reach@northumbria.pnn.police.uk 

www.reachcentres.co.uk 

0191 221 9222 (Newcastle) 

0191 565 3725 (Sunderland) 

True Vision 

Hate Crime Teesside 

Confidential incident reporting in Teesside. 

lesley.duggan@mvdauk.org.uk 

www.reporthatecrime.co.uk 

0800 138 1625 (24/7) 

01642 803 607 (Lesley) 

Room4Durham 

Meets every Tuesday 7-8pm for coffee 

+ a chat. Then on to the Black Horse (top 

of Front St, Chester-le-Street). Family + 

friends welcome. 

room4durham@gmail.com 

07502 388 841 (lesbian) 

07984 097 876 (gay man) 

South Tyneside College 

LGBT Group 

lgbt@stc.ac.uk 

STaG 

Confidential sexuality + safer sex advice + 

info for gay & bisexual men in Gateshead 

+ S Tyneside. Scene alternatives, access 

to safer sex resources. Mondays from 

7.30pm in central Gateshead. 

stag@sotw.nhs.uk 

0800 422 0200 

Street Level 

Support group for HIV/AIDS affected people; 

partners, family + carers. Women-only 

sessions available. 

0191 455 3027 

Sunderland University 

LGBT Society 

Meets Wednesday evenings 7.30pm 

at the Bonded Warehouse. 

su.lgb-officer@sunderland.ac.uk 

0191 514 5512 

Tea with Dorothy 

For people 50+ looking to meet other lgbt 

people in a relaxed, social environment. 

Newcastle - 3rd Monday of month, 5-7pm 

07917 797 279 

Sunderland - 2nd+3rd Wed of month, 5-7pm 

goodneighbour@ 

ageuksunderland.org.uk 

www.ageuksunderland.org.uk 

0191 514 8321 

Teesside Positive Action 

Support group for HIV+/AIDS affected 

people, partners, family & carers. Also 

complementary therapies + education. 

01642 254 598 

Teesside Trans 

@ Hart Gables. Social support, activities + 

more. Meets Tuesdays 7-9pm 

01429 236 790 

Teesside Uni LGBT Society 

lgbt@tees-su.org.uk 

01642 342 234 (lgbt officer) 

TeesTrans 

Listening ear, emotional + practical support 

for transgender, cross dresser + 

intersex people. 

teestrans@sky.com 

http://teestrans.blogsite.org 

TG North 

Info, advice + support for transgender 

people in T+W, N/land + Durham areas. 

The group also aims to combat prejudice 

amongst the general population. Meets 1st 

Friday of month in Tyneside. 

jamielamckenna@yahoo.co.uk 

07716 775 102 

Tipping The Pages 

LBi book/film group meets regularly in 

eateries in Newcastle area. 

fb ‘tipping the pages’ 

TUC LGBT Network 

Confidential help + support for lgbt people 

at work. Non-union members welcome. 

Meets Newcastle, 1st Friday each month. 

info@tuc.org.uk 

www.tuc.org.uk/equality 

Tyneside Rape Crisis Centre 

Info, support + counselling for women + 

girls who have experienced sexual violence. 

Also training, education + outreach. 

www.tynesidercc.org.uk 

0191 222 0272 (enquiries) 

0191 232 9858 (helpline 

tues+thurs 6-8.30pm) 

Tyneside Young Lesbians 

For 16-25yrs to meet in safe environment 

in central Newcastle, Mondays 6-8pm. 

07507 702 878 

UNISON LGBT 

Regional lgbt Unison members 

meet in Newcastle. 

www.unison.org.uk/out 

0191 245 0806 

WeAr Out! 

Various groups in Sunderland for 

socialising, help + support. 

Wellness through creativity group - 

meets atlernating Mondays 4.30-6pm 

Older men’s group - meets alternating 

Thursdays 6.30-9.30pm 

Lesbian and bisexual women’s group - 

meets alternative Tuesdays 7 - 9Pm 

0191 514 5953 (office) 

07415 104 559 (Deb Walker) 

info@trinityyouth.org.uk 

www.trinityyouth.org.uk 

Transgender group - meets Bridge St, 

6-9.30pm, 2nd + 4th Mon of each month. 

07711 091 219 (10am-10pm all days) 

Women4Women 

Social group for LBi women in north east. 

Meets regularly in Newcastle. 

women4womenuk@hotmail.com 

www.women4womenuk.net 

FB ‘womenforwomen northeast’ 

07722 718 232 

WOW (Women On Women) 

Based in Darlington, covering County 

Durham & North Yorkshire. Support, 

friendship, discos + social activities for 

LBi women. 

07939 946 645 

01325 462 418 (Sandy) 


takes... 

scene 

by anita detox 

southern 

scene queen 

Happy holidays all 

you party animals 

and welcome to 

your fabulously 

festive edition of 

Scene Queen. 

Before we commence with 

what’s going on in your tinsel 

coated venues, I would like to 

give a huge congratulations to 

Miss Tess Tickle for bagging the 

title of ‘Best Drag Queen’ in this 

year’s Tees Valley Pink Awards. 

The celebratory event was held 

in November to raise the profile of 

people who work to support lgbt 

communities in Teesside. 

Ok let’s get down to proper 

scene business... Starting with 

Blu & Basement, Pop Boudoir 

is bringing you a very merry 

selection of cabarets in the run 

up to Christmas. The festivities 

begin on Sunday 11 December 

with Daisy and her new 

Diamonds. And on 26 December 

there’s a Boxing Day Special - so 

get yourself over if you can still 

move after all the mince pies. 

As always Satur-Gay will be 

taking over your Christmas 

eve down in Basement, and 

helping you welcome in the new 

year with what promises to be 

another fab new year’s eve party. 

Don’t forget Penni Presses Play 

every Thursday at Blu with a 

fabulous xmas swap shop & quiz 

coming at ya on Thursday 29 

December. 

Festively tottering around the 

corner to Annie’s Bar - who this 

month, will be celebrating a year 

since being re-opened. Sunday 

18 December sees Miss Jackie 

Daniels take to the stage along 

with some special guests, to 

bring you a birthday party you’ll 

be proud to be part of. 

Annie’s Bar also plays host to 

‘M-Tags’, a gay men’s group who 

will be hosting their xmas quiz 

fundraiser from 8pm on Sunday 

4 December, followed by a 

camptastic xmas disco! 

Last but certainly not least in 

Middlesbrough we land at my 

home venue, The-Oak. 

I’ll be live from 8pm every Sunday 

through December & January, 

bringing you a rather special dose 

of seasonal ‘mince’ at my Sunday 

Detox. And Olivia Del Rio will be 

playing all your xmas crackers at 

‘Carry on Campin’ every Tuesday. 

Wednesdays at The-Oak 

welcomes back my other half, dj 

Aaron Proudler with Qone with all 

your favourite chart, dance and 

pop tracks from 8pm. 

Djs James and Chris Hayton 

will be keeping your weekends 

topped right up with ‘Big Squirt’ 

every Friday and ‘Digital’ every 

Saturday. 

Just a short sleigh ride from 

Middlesbrough we have the home 

of Gay Mondays, Darlington! 

Due to venues being extremely 

busy over the festive period 

both Pick & Mix at Harveys, and 

Seen & Inside Out will not be 

launching their gay spectaculars 

the Monday before Christmas. 

Instead they’re throwing a very 

special big gay xmas bash on 

Wednesday 28 December! 

However, Gaylicious at Joe’s bar, 

Avalon and Retro will be open as 

usual with their pride covered 

xmas trees and festive frivolities! 

Well m’dears as a lot of venues 

are still planning their Christmas 

specials, they’ve asked me to 

keep some things a surprise, so 

keep your eyes on my facebook 

page for invites to some rather 

unusual gay holiday spectaculars! 

Happy Holidays! 

Detox n 

30 


takes... 

scene listings 

the 

scene 

middlesbrough newcastle 

annie’s bar 

97 linthorpe road · 07867 564 735 

mon · 4pm - 11pm · free pool 

tues · 8pm - late · karaoke · chubbs 

wed + thurs · 4 - midnight 

fri · 4pm - midnight · karaoke · peter 

sat · 8pm - midnight · jackie daniels 

sun · 8pm - midnight · sheila blige 

monthly appearances from kevin t 

bijou @ harveys 

linthorpe road 

thurs (monthly) · 9pm - 2am · £1 entry 

avant garde night · drag dj ava divine 

blu 

albert road · 01642 220 040 

tues · free entry · 8pm - 2am 

blu tuesdays · karaoke with kris king 

wed · 8pm - late · wii wednesdays 

thurs · 8pm - late · penni presses play · pub 

quiz last thurs each month cash prizes! 

fri · free entry · 8pm - 3am 

pout! with dj matt nevin 

sat · 8pm - midnight · q-jumpers £4 

satur-gay pre-party with dj matt nevin 

sun · free entry · 8pm - 3am 

pop boudoir with duchess davinya, daisy 

diamond + guests 

basement 

albert road · 01642 220 040 

sat · 11pm – 3.30am 

£6 / £4 q-jump before 11pm 

satur-gay · tees valley’s biggest gay nite 

the crown 

143 linthorpe road · 01642 255 311 

tues · 10pm - 2am · free entry · basecamp 

the oak  

23 newport road · 01642 219 748 

tues · 9pm - late · free entry 

carry on campin’ · olivia del rio 

wed · 9 - late · free entry · q one · dj aaron 

fri · 9pm - 2am · rouge · dj james 

sat · 9pm - 2.30am · free entry 

gay weekender · dj chris 

sun · 8pm - 2am · free entry 

drag dj anita detox · drinks roulette. 

@one 

1 marlborough cres · 0191 260 3841 

4pm – ‘til late 

the bank 

12 scotswood rd · 0191 230 3863 

every day · 11 – 2am 

mon · games + karaoke · dj drama 

tues · topkatz karaoke · miss kitty 

wed · ophelia balls 

thurs, fri, sat, sun · from 9pm 

dj + cabaret · ruby reynolds 

sun · 4pm - 8pm · greta 

boulevard 

3-9 churchill street · 0191 250 7068 

cabaret, dance + comedy 

the dog 

15 westmoreland road · 0191 221 0775 

sun - thurs · 1pm - 1.30am 

fri - sat · 1pm - 3am 

the eagle 

42 scotswood road · 0191 230 4416 

sun - thurs · 5pm - 1am 

fri · 5pm - 2am 

sat · 5pm - 3am 

eazy street 

8-10 westmoreland rd · 0191 222 0606 

mon · 9pm - 3am · students’ nite 

tues · 9pm - 3am · miss lucy cabaret 

all other days · 12 noon - 3am 

eclipse 

48 clayton street west · 0191 222 0183 

11am – midnight 

gossip 


mon + thurs · 5pm - 1am 

tues + wed · 5 - 10.30pm 

fri · 2pm - 2am 

sat · 2pm - 3am 

sun · 2pm - 1am 

heaven’s above @ the yard 


thurs - mon · 8.30pm – 2am 

the loft 

4 - 10 scotswood road · 0191 261 5348 

friday & saturday · loftland · free entry 

powerhouse 


mon, thurs, fri + sun · 11pm - 4am 

sat · 11pm - 4am (6am, 1st + last saturday 

of month) 

rusty’s 

times sq (centre for life) · 0191 233 0414 

mon · 8pm - 3am 

tues+wed · closed 

secrets 


mon - thurs · 11am - 12.30am 

fri · 11am - 3am 

sat · 12 noon - 3am 

sun · 2pm - 12.30 am 

If your life depends on it, contact the venues 

direct as information changes frequently. 

sunderland 

(tuesdays only) 

arizona @the point 

the point · holmeside · 0191 510 8680 

tues · from 8pm ‘til late 

mwah · ophelia balls + the lush crew 

the black bull 

309 high street west · 0191 567 5702 

tues · 7pm - late 

karaoke · jackie daniels + guests 

chase 

1-3 park lane · 0191 567 0753 

tues · 7pm - 1am · miss kitty + guests 

glass spider 

vine place 

tues · 12 midnight - 5am 

lola’s 

17 vine place · 0191 564 1536 

tues · 10pm - 3am · werq · dj gerard 

luma 

15 – 17 derwent street · 0191 514 5111 

tues · 9pm ‘til late 

luma-licious · vicky paris 

project homo @passion 

holmside 

tues · 11.30pm - 4.30am 

room 24 

24 vine place · 0191 514 3800 

tues · from 8pm ‘til late · dj skippy 

ttonic 

12 vine place · 0191 565 5755 

tues · 8pm – 2am 

crisco disco · miss trixie + dj teapot 

newcastle contd 

switch 

4 - 10 scotswood road · 0191 261 534 

wed + thurs · 4pm - 2am 

fri + sun · 9am - 2am 

sat · 9am - 2.30am 

twist 

times sq (centre for life) · 0191 233 0414 

mon + thurs · 11am - 1.30am 

tues + wed · 11am - 11pm 

fri · 9am - 1.30am 

sat · 9am - 2.30am 

sun · 9am - 11pm 

the yard 


sun - thurs · 3pm – 2am 

fri + sat · 2pm - 2am 

darlington 

(mondays only) 

gaylicious @ joe’s bar 

imperial ctre, grange rd · 01325 464 642 

monday 7pm – midnight · cabaret 

the golden cock 

12 tubwell row · 07818 507 460 

mon · 11am - 2am 

inside out 

beaumont street west 

mon · midnight - 3.30am 

pick & mix @ harvey’s 

mon · 9pm - 2am · 2 rooms 

djs matt nevin paige turner + guests 

the quays 

5 tubwell row · 01325 461 448 

lgbt friendly all week with food served 

sun · 12 noon - 3pm + mon-sat · 11am - 4pm 

release @ avalon 

8 blackwellgate · 01325 469 977 

mon · 8pm – midnight · guest djs lindsey 

stephenson + gina tonic 

seen  

beaumont street 

mon · 10pm - 2am · dj chris 

st mary’s 

raby terrace 

mon · 8pm - 1am · karaoke with dj mike 

scene 

alternatives 

casa bellini burlesque 

Burlesque at The People’s Theatre, 

Heaton. www.casabelliniburlesque.co.uk 

lesbilicious comedy 

Semi-regular comedy night for 

lesbian/bisexual women + their friends 

in Newcastle. Tkts £13 + booking fee 

(£10 before 13 October). For more info 

see www.lesbilicious.co.uk 

milk 

Funky house night for lesbians and their 

friends. Relaxed + friendly atmosphere. 

Sexy beats 9pm - 3am. Venue varies 

Facebook ‘milk-newcastle’ or email 

funky-milk@live.co.uk 

poke 

Alternative lgbt music night in 

Newcastle. 8.30pm - 2am (£2 entry 

after 9pm) Facebook ‘poke newcastle’ 

rock ‘n’ doris 

Regular music and disco nights 

for lesbians, gay men and friends. 

Facebook ‘rockndoris’. 

31 


takes... 

sunderland pride 

out 

32

takes... 

sunderland pride 

out 

33

takes... horoscopes 

horoscopes 

by jasmine starr 

aries 

21 march-april 19 

You can take the lead in matters of 

friendship and romance, but you’ll find 

that others will start to approach you 

with designs on your affections. If it’s 

your partner then you might be asking 

yourself what you’ve done to deserve 

such attention. Don’t analyse it too much 

- go with the flow! Your relationship will 

strengthen as a result and life will feel 

mighty good! If you’re single and you’ve 

got your eye on someone, just let them 

come to you, and you’ll be pleasantly 

surprised! 

leo 

23 july-august 22 

You are generally on good form, 

and socially you’re feeling good about 

relationships with friends and relatives 

- all except for one. A certain person is 

making your life hard work, without 

good reason. You’d do well to steer 

clear of them for the time being! And if 

you should bump into them - whatever 

you do - kerb your tongue! If you’re out 

living it up, you’re likely to be doing it big 

style, so have your excuses ready when 

you’re late for work! 

sagittarius 

22 november-december 21 

Something unexpected is set to fire 

your inspiration. Your social activities 

are going to take up a lot of time and 

effort, but you are up for the challenge. 

Your partner might think that you won’t 

have enough left in the tank for them, 

but you’ll be fine in that department as 

well! In fact, in the mood you’re in, you 

will probably find yourself making all 

the romantic plans! 

taurus 

20 april-may 20 

Your love life is in sharp focus, with 

plenty to keep you and others interested 

in sparking a romantic flame. If you’re on 

the lookout for love then you might well 

find it within your social circle. Things are 

soon set to take off, so strap yourself 

in! You may be finding it hard to find the 

time for romance with everything else 

going on at the moment, but don’t let 

work or domestic pressures keep you 

from the pleasure of finding a new lover! 

virgo 

23 august-september 22 

You have been bottling up some of your 

feelings lately but a frank conversation 

with someone close will allow you to 

express them with more confidence, 

without the usual associations with guilt 

or remorse. Friends and family will help 

with your new found emotional awareness, 

and it will help in other areas 

of your life too - particularly on your 

creative side. Maybe consider an evening 

class or a new social activity to broaden 

your talents and friendships. 

capricorn 

22 december-january 19 

You get itchy feet when you see 

others behaving in a certain way. You 

want more than life has to offer at the 

moment and so does a close friend 

- or maybe even your partner. Some 

big changes are around the corner. 

Emotionally you could do with a change 

of scene, so you might be packing your 

bags very soon. And if you do jet off 

somewhere, make sure that you 

leave all those worries behind! 

gemini 

21 may-june 20 

You might have been a touch extravagant 

lately, and it might be about to catch 

up with you, so time to be a little more 

level-headed with business matters. 

Your standards may have slipped, so 

it is time to raise the bar and focus on 

resolving some pressing financial or 

personal issues. Take full responsibility 

for your own actions, start thinking with 

your head rather than your heart and 

make your decisions with confidence. 

libra 

23 september-october 22 

Sometimes you can be quite altruistic, 

but other times your ambition can rise 

up at the expense of others. Right now 

it’s the latter, and you could do with 

showing some consideration to a loved 

one and worrying less about yourself. 

You might have some real opportunities 

at work, but if you take them then you 

stand to cause real problems at home. 

Consider carefully whether putting your 

career first really is the right move. 

aquarius 

20 january-february 18 

Someone with similar aspirations to 

you is proving to be your inspiration, 

and someone else less likely is also 

providing encouragement. All this should 

be motivation for you. If it’s a work issue, 

then having a quiet word with someone 

senior might prove useful. If it’s romance 

then listen to the advice from all sides 

and go with your heart. Friends will 

offer lots of support and you’ll feel a 

huge weight has been lifted from your 

shoulders. 

cancer 

21 june-july 22 

Are you finding it difficult to communicate 

with your partner? You’re always busy 

at work and they just want to play! 

Struggling to find any common ground? 

If so, the problem is certain to escalate. 

If you can fix it quickly, so much the 

better. Take a moment to think about 

how much the relationship means to 

you. You may need to swallow your 

pride, but for the sake of the relationship 

it might be the better part of valour. 

scorpio 

23 october-november 21 

Career goals are at the heart of your 

decision making, but if you think you’re 

heading up a blind alley then you’re in 

for a pleasant surprise. Your achievements 

have been noted at a high level 

and you are sure to reap the rewards 

very soon. You may even find yourself 

offering to help a colleague who is down 

on their luck. Be careful not to rub in 

your eminent success, but if you play 

it right then it will just further enhance 

your prospects. 

pisces 

19 february-march 20 

You’re in a period of flux. Everything 

appears to be changing around you and 

you appear to be the one standing still. 

You may be waiting for someone to 

make a big decision, but your impatience 

gets the better of you and you make it 

yourself. This will spark the interest of 

those around you, and win you some 

unexpected respect. This in turn will 

boost your confidence and you’ll find 

that you regain control of a lot of 

things you had let slip. 

34 


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