Register online today – It’s FREE! NEWS BALLS The Justin Campaign, a campaign launched in memory of Justin Fashanu, the world's first and only out gay professional football player (who once played for Scottish teams Airdrieonians and Heart of Midlothian) is to launch an international day opposing homophobia in football - Football v Homophobia - on Fri 19th Feb. The day's intention is to raise awareness of the prevalence of homophobia in the worlds favourite sport and to encourage national clubs to show their support for the cause by adopting the initiative's logo for the day and to include messages that support the cause and condemn the use of homophobic language and abuse in match day programmes. Community football teams throughout the UK and Europe will be showing their support for the cause by holding a series of football matches and fun events throughout the day under the banner of Football v Homophobia. The Justin Campaign, as well as staging an opening ceremony in Brighton, will be sending their campaigning football team The Justin Fashanu All Stars to play in a football match in Norwich where Justin Fashanu began his footballing career. February 2010 is also LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered) history month. Darren Ollerton, campaign director said, "We wanted the launch of Football v Homophobia to compliment LGBT history month somehow. Every year on Feb 19th the campaign will celebrate the day by following Justin Fashanu's career throughout the years and engaging with each team and their community along the way. Let's hope when the campaign reaches the end of the timeline we will have witnessed some much needed change in the way gay/bi men in professional and amateur football are perceived and treated". Founding director of The Justin Campaign Jason Bartholomew Hall said, "We think it's important to have one day out of each year when clubs and supporters are able to unite in opposing hate and intolerance in their national sport". www.thejustincampaign.com <strong>ScotsGay</strong> a monthly magazine for LGBT folk and friends. ISSN: 1357-0595. Unless otherwise stated © Pageprint Publishers Litd, January 2010. PO Box 666, Edinburgh. EH7 5YW. Non profit use of material in the magazine, to which we hold copyright, will normally be permitted free of charge, but you must contact us first for permission. Views expressed in <strong>ScotsGay</strong> don't necessarily reflect the views of <strong>ScotsGay</strong>. People featured in <strong>ScotsGay</strong> may identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, straight, some, all, or none of the above. Editorial: 0131-539 0666 editorial@scotsgay.co.uk Advertising: 07722 388903 advertising@scotsgay.co.uk Editor John Hein Ads Jean Genie Cover Lorna Thomas Web www.scotsgay.co.uk www.facebook.com/ scotsgay MAKE POOVERY HISTORY LGBT History Month in February celebrates the lives of LGBT people who have shaped our Scottish heritage and is an excellent opportunity for organisations and individuals, local community groups or national partnerships to highlight their own and others histories in an LGBT context. It is also an opportunity for LGBT people and their families to tell their stories on what life was like for LGBT people in Scotland before LGBT equality was in the public consciousness and their continued personal and political struggles. And it's an opportunity for remembrance, celebration and debate and discussion around the continued struggle for LGBT liberation. For more information about LGBT History Month visit www.lgbthistory.org.uk this details events in your local area, examples of quizzes and workshops, and links to more information. Posters and postcards available when you register. E-mail: ann.marriott@lgbthistory.org.uk SING THING Edinburgh Gay Men's Chorus is helping East Lothian celebrate LGBT History Month with a free performance in Musselburgh's Brunton Theatre on Sat 27th Feb at 7pm. For free tickets, Tel: Haddington (01620) 828225. E-mail: scowie@eastlothian.gov.uk MALAWI Dundee West MSP Joe FitzPatrick has welcomed cross-party support at the Scottish Parliament for his motion urging the Scottish Parliament to condemn illegal and homophobic arrests and treatment of prisoners by the authorities in Malawi as contravening the African Charter on Human and People's Rights and international human rights. More than 20 MSPs have supported the motion which also calls on the Scottish Government to urge the Malawian government to release the two men immediately and to end the criminalisation on homosexuality in Malawi. WILD WEST LGBT folk in Argyll and Bute are invited to come and meet others in a safe and supportive environment and make their views heard on the creation of new LGBT social and support networks in the area. The meetings will be held in Oban (Noon-4pm Sat 13th Feb) and Kintyre (Noon-4pm Sat 20th Feb) and refreshments will be provided. Please register early if you're coming, so organisers know how many folk to expect. Tel: Katrina Mitchell on 07818 287053 for more information and to register. Reasonable travel expenses can be reimbursed under certain circumstances - please check in advance. NATIONAL The National LGBT Forum is to celebrate its first birthday a little later than planned, having chosen to reschedule to Thu 11th Feb due to a little bit of weather. After meetings in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling it’s the turn of Perth to host the forum and time to tackle some of the more complicated issues affecting LGBT communities. This meeting will look at the topic of race, religion and belief. As well as a panel of speakers from ethnic minority, religious and LGBT communities, part of the forum will be a roundtable discussion on the topic. Organisers are looking for your ideas and suggestions on what areas you would like to see on the table for discussion. If you want more info, have suggestions or require a registration form to attend the event, please contact scott@equality-network.org or call 0131-467 6039. UK & Ireland’s Lesbian & Bisexual Social Network... .co.uk Meet gay and bisexual women across the UK and Ireland, for free. Lezza is a dating, chat and social networking site. Whether you're just looking for friends, girls to go for a drink with, or a partner, Lezza.co.uk has women across the UK and Ireland, ready to chat and meet. 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