events - Shout!

Yorkshire’s queer paper www.shoutweb.co.uk Issue 197: June 2013Two PrideeventscancelledWhilst York Pride and Bradford Pride seerecord numbers, two of Yorkshire’s othermost loved queer events - Huddersfield’sPink Picnic and Calderdale Pride - havebeen cancelled this year.Ashley Ryan and Tony Hirst from thePink Picnic organising committee said:‘Despite the committee’s best efforts weregret to announce that due a lack offunds and not having enough support torun the committee, there will not be aPink Picnic 2013.‘The investigation regarding funds thatwent missing last year is still on-going,and someone has been arrested andquestioned in relation to this. The WestYorkshire police have asked us not to gointo too much detail for the time being,but when they have concluded their investigationthe committee will be releasinga full statement.‘Issues regarding last year’s event inGreenhead Park were raised at our lastmeeting with Kirklees Public Support.We were asked to address these issuesbefore the council could release anymore funds to the committee. Unfortunatelythe committee did not addressthese issues in time. Kirklees Public supporthad already split the allocated fundsto other CEPIP organisations.’continued insideBring it on! Shockolady - just one of the many acts, hosts and entertainers at this June 1st’s Bradford Pride - gets thecrowd going. See inside for more info.Pic: Richard Scullion.Lucky thirteen forDempseysThursday June 13th sees Sheffield’sDempseys bar celebrating its thirteenthbirthday.“From 6pm till 4am,” they say, “Ourregular Skint Tuesdays comes toThursday - for one night only.”With drinks from just a pound plusloads of great games, with cash prizes- and karaoke in the downstairs bar -it sounds like the perfect way to celebrate.Here’s to another 13 years...

Sexual Health ClinicsAttend for free, confidentialsexual health screening and HIV testingPlease ring the clinic of your choice for an appointmentAlso dedicated ‘Rainbow’ clinic sessions specifically forgay and bisexual men every Tuesday 16:30 – 19:00 hrsA chance to talk to a gay doctor/nurse about STI screening, testing, treatmentand information, Hepatitis A & B vaccination, condoms/lube, support,HIV testing and care. For an appointment please ring the Josephine ButlerCentre and ask for the Rainbow ClinicChadwick Clinic, Dewsbury & District Hospital WF17 6QB P: 01924 816120Josephine Butler Centre for Sexual Health, King Street Health Centre,47 King Street WF1 2SN P: 01924 542921Castle Clinic, Pontefract Hospital WF8 1PL P: 01977 7479022

SHOUT!Yorkshire’s queer paperIssue 197June 2013p: Shout!, Leeds LS9 6XGe: shout.magazine@ntlworld.comwebsite: www. shoutweb.co.ukEditorMark MichalowskiContributorsAnna GlyptaJake KeebleBelinda O’HooleyJohn RossingtonHeidi TidowNick TyldesleyPublished at the start of eachmonth. The advertising/editorialdeadline for the July issue isJune 18th.Gawjussly printed by Smallprint(0113 237 4600). © Shout! 2013.A year’s sub (11 issues) costs £15 -cheques made out to ‘Shout!’Please make sure you tell us youraddress and the issue you’d liketo start with.Shout! is available to download asa pdf file at www.shoutweb.co.uk -and distributed through over 130venues across Yorkshire andNorth Derbyshire!Advertise with us...See www.shoutweb.co.uk forprices, sizes and deadlines.Want people tobe able to accessyour servicequickly and easily...?Display ads in SHOUT!cost from just £24 for asixteenth page (this size).Series and not-for-profitdiscounts are available.See www.shoutweb.co.uk formore sizes and prices.Big changes for Sheffield Pride in 2013It’s all change for Sheffield Pride in 2013,with the event moving to the city centrefor the first time, and a week-long festivalof events celebrating Sheffield’s LGBTcommunity.Saturday 6th July is the main day, with afree family and community event inBarker’s Pool. Open from noon, it’s theperfect place to start Pride day, with a performancespace, market stalls, entertainmentfor all the family and food and drinksupplied by Pride partners SIV at the CityHall.At around 3.45pm, the Pride parade setsoff along Division Street to the main eventin Devonshire Green, where there’ll bestreet entertainers, a funfair and food anddrink - plus the brand new Pride stage.And in another first for Sheffield Pride, thestage will feature some well-knownnames, such as headliners Sam and theWomp and Lloyd Daniels (pictured).Devonshire Green closes around 10.30pm,just in time for the official Pride afterpartyat the O2 Arena, a massive venue whichFoamy androcky at MissionJune sees a couple of very specialevents down at Mission 2 in Leeds.June 10th brings a Homo Foamofundraiser for Leeds Pride with a pairof Pride backstage passes to be won!And the 15th sees a transtastic RockyHorror Queer Do show, since TheRocky Horror Picture Show will be atthe Leeds Grand Theatre. Queer Dowill be decked out to celebrate, so digout those basques and suspenders.Wakey Pride“FRIEND” - BRADFORDGay? Lesbian? Bisexual?....Unsure?Need somebody to talk to? Listen?Ring 01274 723802Mondays, Wednesdays 6.30-8.45pmOr write “Friend” c/o CVS,19-25 Sunbridge Road, Bradford BD1 2AYCALL US IN CONFIDENCEwill feature some amazing special effectsand 3 rooms of music. A party not to bemissed.Head of Sheffield Pride Adam Hood said:“The changes we’ve made this year havebeen huge but the effort has been worthit. From our free event at lunchtime, to themain events in Devonshire Green and theafterparty at 02, we’re putting on a Prideto make Sheffield proud.“Plus with our new city centre locationwe’ve put our LGBT community where itshould be – in the heart of the city.”And in another first, Sheffield Pride kicksoff a week of activities with a launch partyat Dempseys nightclub on Tuesday 2nd, asecret cinema club at Bar 54 on Wednesday,and, on Thursday, G Casino hosts asame-sex speed dating event.Oliver Robinson, Sheffield Pride operationsdirector added: “And we’re really excitedabout our very own drag race atAffinity on Friday 5th July, hosted by a professionaldrag queen: this is going to beso much fun and a great way to kick-startPride weekend”.Ticket prices are £8 for the day and £13day-and-night (prices are in advance), andavailable from www.sheffieldpride.co.ukTwo Pride events cancelledcontinued from front cover‘By the end of this year,’ they continue,‘the Pink Picnic will have a strong committee.All being well, the event will returnin 2014.’It isn’t all bad news, though: even thoughthere isn’t an organised picnic this year,LGBT folk from around Kirklees have decidedthat they are not going to let thisspoil their fun. On the 28th July 2013from noon, there will be a gathering ofpeople in Greenhead Park to have aquiet picnic. They are calling it, Picnic inthe Park 2013 - Back to Basics.Calderdale Pride posted a statement ontheir website: ‘Calderdale Pride committeeis sorry to announce that due to thelack of volunteers we are unable to havea Calderdale Pride 2013. We regret thatthis is the case and have been workingtowards alternatives of a smaller scale.This has not been something that can bearranged so we have to agree that therewill be no Pride in 2013. Thank you forthe ongoing support and we are verysorry to disappoint people.’The Wakefield Pride Not Prejudice diversity event will take place this year on the Cathedral precinct on Sunday 11th August.Ross McCusker, chair of the PNP organising committee, said: “Pride Not Prejudice is Wakefield's oldest running Pride event,it is not like any other Pride though: it’s solely a gay Pride - a diverse celebration of sexuality, race, religion and disability. Joinus in making Wakefield proud and without prejudice in 2013 with top acts all day.Visit www.gaywakefield.com/wakefield-pride for more details.3

The sun shone brightly on Bradford’seighth Pride event, as MystiValentine took to the stage to introducethe first acts.Bradford Pride is now a firm fixtureof the city centre summer festivities,with thousands streaming into thesquare to see, amongst others, theheadline act The Showbears , whomade it to the final of the Britain’sGot Talent.‘Besides The Showbears on thestage,’ Bradford Pride tell us, ‘therewere a variety of acts to cater to arange of tastes. With an official facepainter,and a variety of informationand goody stalls - plus of course theall-important bar, which donates alarge percentage of profits to Pride,there was something for everyone.’The free event was organised by avolunteer committee, and relied ondonations and fundraising to goahead. Although it was hard work,the committee were delighted withthe results: ‘We are grateful to allour sponsors,’ said Ann Morgan,chair of the committee, ‘withoutwhom the event would not havebeen possible. A special thanksneeds to go to The Big Lottery Fundwho were very generous, and alsothe raffle donors, such as the JupiterMercure Hotel, Grand CentralTrains, and The Alhambra theatre.’Morgan summed up the event bysaying: ‘Sometimes when it seemsreally hard going, you rememberthe person who came up to the stalland found that Pride had giventhem confidence to come out. It’smoments like that which keep yougoing through the dark winter of organisingthe event. This year was noexception. That is what Pride is allabout.’Pics: Richard ReynoldsMysti ValentineRyan JaggerThe sun shines downon Bradford PrideMarigold AddamsDon’t forget your popcorn...Jess GardhamIt’ll be a fantastic Saturday Night at theMovies with Yorkshire’s very own LGBchoir, Gay Abandon (pictured, left), onSaturday June 22nd at Leeds College ofMusic, starting at 7pm.With songs from the movies, chosen bythe musical director, Jane Edwardson,and accompanist Andy Fellows, therewill be plenty of film scores you’llrecognise and hopefully tap your feetto.‘We have planned a really great night4out for everyone, says Camilla Veale, asoprano in the choir. ‘There’s even aworld premiere of a new lesbian andgay silent movie!’Gay Abandon will be joined by their‘twin’ queer choir Sang&Klang:los! (pictured,right)from Dortmund in Germany,who are coming over for afun-packed weekend in Yorkshire. Thechoirs will be singing in each other’slanguages for some songs, so let’s hopenothing gets lost in translation.’The choir has its own German member,Malte Klöckner, who was a student inDortmund. He moved to Yorkshire in2005 with his American partner to starta new job and has been coaching GayAbandon on how to pronounce theirGerman lyrics.‘It’s not easy with your British stiff upperlip to get people to loosen up enough,’says Klöckner. ‘Germans have muchmore malleable mouths in my experience.We are having a lot of fun with itall, though.’So go along and see if all the practicehas paid off for the choirs, and enjoy aspecial Saturday night at the movieswith popcorn, cocktails and dressingup!For tickets, call LCM box office on 0113222 3434 or buy online atwww.lcm.ac.uk/whats-onFind out more about Gay Abandonthemselves at www.gayabandon.org.uk

2,500 flock to York Pride10 inches of...Other pics: Richard ReynoldsNext issue....The next issue of Shout! isthe July one: email us byJune 18th with your bits’n’bobs’n’news’n’happenings.And don’t forget to keep aneye on www.shoutweb.co.ukwhere you can also downloadpdfs of current andprevious issues of Shout!This year’s York Pride saw almost a thousandmarchers parade through York on Saturday1st June in a massive show ofsupport to kick homophobia out of sport.The city centre was packed with spectatorsas the demonstrators – many in fancy dress– unfurled a 100m long rainbow flag nextto York Minster. Players from York's rugbyleague club, the Knights, joined the parade,together with many of the city councillors,as they marched with local LGBT people tocarry the giant flag to York Racecourse, ledby a samba band with drums pounding.They carried signs with slogans such as‘When Did You Decide To Be Straight?’ and‘Institutionalise Equality – Not Hatred’.Organisers of York Pride estimated theturnout at the afternoon of entertainmentat the racecourse was double that of lastyear’s event at over 2,500, with York Pridebecoming an unmissable and uniqueevent. The upbeat mood was set by a seriesof rousing speeches calling for a new standagainst homophobia in sport, including theYork City FC director, the head coach at YorkCity Knights, Gary Thornton, and the leaderof York Council.York City FC director Sophie Hicks told thecrowds: “It’s thrilling to see so many people.I feel very proud to be involved in this fantasticevent. Over the years, football hasmade significant social progress. We evennow have women in the boardroom –which is me. However, homophobia is undoubtedlyfootball’s last and most stubborntaboo.”City of York Council leader James Alexandertold the cheering onlookers: “This is a very,very important event for this city. The rainbowflag is flying over the Mansion House.This will happen every year and we are veryproud.”Mr Dyke, chairman of the Football Associationand chancellor of the University ofYork, said: “It is excellent to see York’s professionalfootball and rugby league teamsPic: www.mybigdayeventphotography.com2013 Pride calendarline up alongside the gay community.”The afternoon of entertainment was headlinedby Bears Aloud and Diva Fever, andentertainment included fairground rides,adult bouncy castles, a same-sex weddingfair and a penalty shoot-out area run byYork City FC.Welcome back to our calendar of local Pride events - let us know thename, date, location and website of any new events, and we’ll includethem here and also on our website at www.shoutweb.co.ukDoncaster Pride - Sat 29th June www.doncasterpride.co.ukSheffield Pride - Sat 6th July www.sheffieldpride.co.ukLeeds Pride - Sun 4th August www.leedspride.comWakefield Pride - Sun 11th Aug www.wakefieldpride.orgWakefield Pride Not Prejudice - Sun 11th Aug www.gaywakefield.com/wakefield-pride/Barnsley Pride - Sun 1st Sept www.barnsleylgbtforum.org.ukGeorge FordHuddersfieldLGBT SocietyDescribe yourself in threewordsOutgoing, approachable and enthusiasticLove of your lifeRobert PattinsonYour typical Saturday night?Out and about with matesBest ever momentBeing elected my uni's LBGT societypresidentDescribe your sexualityPickyBest thing about your bodyMy teethHoliday heavenThe south of FranceHoliday hellNorth KoreaWhat’s hotGlassesWhat’s notFeetQuick-fire roundSummer/winter: summerMonogamy/promiscuity: monogamyDogs/cats: catsTV/radio: TVHome/away: awayNight/day: night5

A new health crisis for gay men?There is increasing evidence that the behaviourof some gay men on the commercialscene is beginning to change as theybecome more prone to taking seriousrisks with recreational drugs and theirhealth.At present most of the limited evidence isfrom London but from previous experience,behaviour that starts in London canquickly spread to other parts of the country;and one can argue that if it’s a Londonproblem it’s a national problem - as somany gay men from around the countrygo to London to go clubbing and attendsex parties. So serious has the situation becomethat last month the National AidsTrust wrote to London councils calling foraction to address the recent and rapid risein the use of the drugs crystal meth (pictured),mephedrone and GHB on London’sscene particularly in the context ofhigh-risk sex.There is one specialist drugs agency in Londonthat works with the LGBT communityand they say that these three drugs accountfor 85% of all their service users. Thiscompares with 8% of presentations in2005. Most worryingly, the number of crystalmeth and mephedrone users injectingthe drug has increased from 20% in 2011to 80% in 2012 - a massive change in behaviourin a very short period of time.70% of those injecting reported sharingneedles and 70% of the men involved areHIV positive - and the vast majority reportedtaking these drugs to facilitate sex.There is now a direct correlation betweenunsafe drug-taking and unsafe sex. To illustratethis the LGBT drug agency now takes80% of its referrals from sexual health clinics.Their evidence is backed up by Soho’smain sexual health clinic and the Chelseaand Westminster Hospital club drug clinic.This is not just young, gay men who havenot heard the important health messages:many of the them are in their 30s, 40s and50s and very experienced on the sceneand have changed to these drugs fromother substances.Drug treatment, HIV prevention and sexualhealth services are now all managed by thepublic health section of local authorities, sothere’s opportunity to develop services thatrecognise the multiple health issues that aminority of gay men now have. Howeverdrug services will have to change the waythey work. They have traditionally workedwith opiate users and opiate use suppressesthe sex drive. Gay men have reporteddrug workers being embarrassed oruncomfortable at the overt sexualisation ofthis drug use.In a local twist last month two men weregiven substantial prison sentences for runninga crystal meth factory in Dewsbury.The police said that this was the first suchfactory in our region, and we have to askwho they were planning to manufacturethese drugs for.Meanwhile readers should remember thatthese drugs have a long term detrimentalimpact on your physical and mental healthand if you are HIV positive will impact onyour ability to maintain a healthy immunesystem. All the evidence suggests that takingthese drugs drastically increases thechances of people practising unsafe sex,and that sharing needles is as dangerousas not wearing a condom.John RossingtonThe free, fast, flexible, confidential andconvenient way for you to get an HIV testin Leeds, and coming soon to Bradford,Wakefield and North Yorkshire.Contact your local office for details.To arrange an HIV test orfor more information call:Leeds 0113 2444209Bradford 01274 395815Wakefield 01924 211116York 01904 6204006

Plenty of seamen in Wakefield!Well, writes Ross McCusker, what a nauticalnight!Saturday 25th May saw GayWakefield’ssecond S.O.S (Support Our Scene)cross-scene event.Following last year’s successful armythemednight, GW decided to stick withthe armed forces theme and go for anaval-orientated night. The LGBT communityof Wakefield didn’t disappoint,as they donned sea-faring garb and setsail to Wakefield’s themed venues.Much is often said about Wakefield andits gay scene and much of what is saidis not good. However it's events likethese, where all venues and organisations- like Yorkshire MESMAC and Pride- pull together to give the LGBT communitya magnificent treat, that provewrong those that had long since writtenthe smaller scenes off.What a fantabulosa night, with fancydress, seamen shots, stage games andDJs across the four seas of Wakefield -with Rear Admiral Bubbles La Belle, seawench Tina Cox, mermaid Nikoal andfisher woman Jo King.The Rainbow, The New Union, TheHarewood Arms, Odyssey, WakefieldMESMAC, gaywakefield.com, WaGGgroup, Wakefield Pride - and of coursethe Wakefield LGBT community - shouldbe proud they created this great nightand raised pieces of eight for WakefieldPride - on the second Sunday in August,August 11th.Sparkling in DoncasterAfter managing Crystals in Doncasterfor two years, Barry Dalby has finallytaken it over, and tells us: “We’ve havejust had a mini refurb and I have lotsof new exciting ideas in the pipeline.We open every night except Monday.On Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday andThursday - 8pm-2am. Friday - 8pm-3.30am and Saturday - 8pm-4.30am.It’s free entry every night - except Saturdaywhen there’s a £2.50 chargefrom 10.30pm. Saturday night iscabaret night with top drag acts live onstage at 11.30pm.”Friday night opens Crystal’s PrideWeekend with female vocalist DanielleWicks.On Saturday night they’re hosting theofficial Doncaster Pride After-Party,with Hell on Heels, a fantastic Birminghamdrag trio.Sunday night closes the weekend witha great male vocalist, Lucas Primme.Check out the advert on the back coverfor more info.Michael Douglas and Matt Damon butching it upSearching.... looking for LeedsOn Saturday 8th June, BlaydsBar in Leeds is holding an 80s“white party” in the courtyard -with DJ Ruby Loren and all-roundfavourite Hazell Dean (pictured).The event will be a Leeds Pridefundraiser with fun and entertainmentfrom 7pm untillate and the themeis “wear white” toget everyone inthe mood forgoing backto the 80s.It’s hostedby DaisyD u p o n t .Entry isfree.And laterin themonth -on Saturday15th - dragartiste Sandra makes anappearance at the bar. She’sknown for not holding back so if you areeasily offended it may be best if you stay in thebar! Take a look at www.blayds.co.uk for more.Behind the CandelabraBehind the Candelabra, a new film aboutthe life of extravagant entertainer Liberace,has received rave reviews, and thismonth you can see what the fuss is allabout at Sheffield’s Showroom theatre.Liberace - virtuoso pianist, outrageous entertainerand flamboyant star of stage andtelevision. A name synonymous withshowmanship and extravagance, Liberaceembraced a lifestyle of excess. In summer1977, handsome young stranger ScottThorson walked into his dressing roomand, despite their age difference andseemingly different worlds, the two embarkedon a secretive five-year love affair.It stars an almost unrecognisable MichaelDouglas, giving a stunning portrayal ofLiberace, and Matt Damon as Scott Thorson,Liberace’s secret love.Behind the Candelabra runs from Friday7th to Thursday 13th June.See www.showroomworkstation.org.ukfor more info and times.7

MESMAC latestTrans confidence workshopDo you want more confidence in yourlife? Do you want to learn practical skillsto help build your confidence?This course, for members of the transcommunity, will take a look at the differentways that confidence can affect ourlives in a safe and friendly group. You’lllearn about building your confidence tobe the real you in a variety of situations,whether with friends, at work or withsexual partners. Plus, there’ll be plentyof tips that you can put into action afterthe course, to make for a happier, moreconfident you.It’s on Saturday 22nd June, from 11am-5pm at Suite 1, Trinity Buildings, CalderVale Rd, Wakefield WF1 5PE. To book aplace or for more info contact MarkTyson on 07955 005 113 or emailm.tyson@mesmac.co.ukNeurodiversity workshopComplex Minds will be presenting aworkshop on neurodiversity at YorkshireMESMAC's Calder Vale offices in Wakefieldon June 24th between 6pm and8pm. It’s free of charge and all are welcome!Neurodiversity is used to describe anyHarrogate youth groupYorkshire MESMAC's Harrogate LGBTQyouth group is back up and running andwill be meeting again on the 12th Junebetween 6 and 8pm. For further detailsof the following: autistic spectrum conditions,attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculiaand Tourette’s syndrome.To book a place contact Mark Tyson, viaprivate message, email m.tyson@mesmac.co.uk,or call 07955 005 113.contact Tommo on 07899016239, emailt.snape@mesmac.co.uk or FacebookTommo mesmacInspired by LandscapeA new exhibition at the Bradford 1gallery in Centenary Square, Inspired byLandscape, will showcase the work ofthree visual artists and three writers:Sally Barker, Char March - a regular visitorto Shout! - Andrew McMillan, AngieRogers, Anna Turner and Simon Warner.“On display,” they tell us, “will bethoughtful and sensitive work in a rangeof media including film, photography,sculpture, print, drawing, stories and poetryinspired by the South Pennine uplands.Since 2010, the WatershedLandscape Project has hosted a series ofresidencies whose artistic responses celebratethe area’s traditional richness asSmallprint adverta source of inspiration for artists andwriters. It runs from June 22nd to August24th and as well as the exhibitions themselves,there are talks and workshops bythe artists and writers involved.Friday 28 June 1-2pm: Artist’s Talk, freedrop-in. Join Sally Barker as she discussesher approach to making unique, experimentalsculptural objects in conjunctionwith photographic work, with curator ofthe exhibition Lara Goodband.Saturday 29 June 1-4pm: Artist-led FamilyWorkshop, free drop-in. Join exhibitingartist Sally Barker for a hands-on, messysculpture workshop.Wednesday 3 July noon-1pm: Artist’s Talk& Poetry Reading, free drop-in. Come andhear Char March’s tales of striding acrossthe moors looking for inspiration, of theamazing people she met out on themoors, and of the groups she workedwith. She’s a great stand-up comic/poet –you will never have been to a ‘poetryreading’ like this!Friday 5 July 2-4pm: Artist-led Workshopfor adults, free, booking essential (12 participants).A fun and fast-paced creativewriting workshop with award-winningwriter Char March. You’ll have the opportunityto write about the physical watershedon the moors but also aboutwatersheds in your own life. Suitable forbeginners and published writers. Pleasebring enthusiasm with your pen andpaper.Saturday 13 July 1-4pm: Artist-led FamilyWorkshop, free drop-in. ‘Photographywithout Cameras’: working with filmmakerand photographer Simon Warnercreate beautiful pictures using traditionalprocesses.Tuesday 16 July 2-5pm: Writing Workshopfor Adults, free, booking essential(12 participants). ‘Inspired by Bradford’:take a short walk through the city centrewith Anna Turner and open your sensesto the stories around and within you. Wewill then use this material in a short storywriting workshop. Bring a notebook andpen.Saturday 27 July 1-4pm: Artist-led FamilyWorkshop, free drop-in. Join poet AndrewMcMillan to add to a group poemall about Bradford using fun word gamesand exercises. Add your little bit to thishuge poem – you can stay for as short oras long as you want.Wednesday 31 July 1-2pm: Artist’s Talk,free drop-in. ‘Ways to the stone house’:join artist Simon Warner as he describesHaworth Moor in poetry and photographs.All events take place at Bradford 1gallery, Centenary Square, Bradford andare free of charge. Some require advancedbooking: call 01274 437800 oremail bradford1gallery@bradford.gov.ukSee www.watershedlandscape.co.uk/inspirefor more details.8

Carry on campingViciousThe gay stereotypes that dominated 70scomedies have been recently revived, remindingus of John Inman and Julian andSandy in Round the Horne. This time welaugh with more irony and a sophisticatedunderstanding of gay issues. The Age ofAusterity encourages us to seek comfort inthe past where bright colours dominatedstage sets.What saves Vicious from being a museumpiece is its quick fire witticisms. We can seethat the cast are enjoying themselves in amasterclass of comic timing; and there’ssense of innocence, knowing that Freddieand Stuart will never take their youngneighbour to bed. Forget any deep analysisand just enjoy - maybe in your favouritecomfy cardie.ITV’s Vicious gives two great theatricalknights - Sirs Ian McKellan and Derek Jacobi– the opportunity to camp it up outrageously,with the audience indulgingtheir OTT acting. McKellan and Jacobi playFreddie and Stuart, a queenly old coupleliving in claustrophobic, faded elegance.They bitch incessantly about each other,but this tension is central to their lives: theyare both socially insecure, trying to disguisetheir Wigan and Leytonstone roots. Theircareers have been insubstantial - Freddie'sacting success reached its height in the roleof a minor villain in Doctor Who. Stuart isstill in the closet, forty years on - as far asmother is concerned. Even their dog is onits last legs.The drama comes from the arrival of a newtenant in the upstairs flat, Ash, who is anaïve and quite pretty young man causingthe queens to salivate with lust. Frances dela Tour is a fag hag whose quest for malecompany also attracts her to Ash.This is an old fashioned sit-com, and theniche audience is probably as old, too. Theaction is mostly confined to a single set.There is some significance in the fact thatthe curtains are rarely drawn in this atmosphereof self-indulgence where the modernworld rarely intrudes.Pedro Almodovar returns to his 70s rootswith I'm So Excited - a wacky comedy withditzy characters performing set piece musicalnumbers. There is a whiff of deatharound but it is done quite tastefully.Almodovar's cutting edge celebration ofgaity, though, is rather blunted . But like Vicious,this is a camp story line anchored ina simple set.The plot is based on an airline flight toMexico that is actually going nowherewhilst the crew wait for permission to doan emergency landing, since the landinggear is jammed. The cattle class have beendrugged and are asleep, and the highlystrung, stressed trolley-dollies get increasinglydrunk on tequila cocktails, revealingtheir sex lives with each other and the pilots.The business class passengers are morealert. There is a feisty woman under threatfrom the Mexican mafia when the hitmansent to kill her reveals.This is a film about disintegration - from adamaged plane to a man on the run froma bank failure. The airport chosen for apossible landing is eerily empty, and thestewards have loveless affairs and need thestimulation of constant drug-taking.It's an energetic and colourful film thattreats homosexuality as very ordinary. UsuallyAlmodovar portrays strong femaleleads but here prominence is given to themen. Penelope Cruz, one of Almodovar'sfavourites , only features briefly at the startof the film. But she was responsible for thedamaged gear by crashing a truck againstthe plane.The Look of Love is based on the careerof Paul Raymond who ran strip clubs inSoho in the 60s. It is also an homage tocoke-fuelled hedonism in a world of soullesssex and greedy capitalism. But thepornography of Men Only, Raymond'sflagship publication, is smutty rather thanhard core. The film paints a picture of amore innocent Soho full of happy hookersrather than trafficked immigrants But SteveCoogan as Raymond cannot shake off histypecasting as Alan Partridge.I’m So ExcitedThe less glamorous location of a Midlandsjob centre is the setting for the TV seriesThe Job Lot. Again, a set of office stereotypesfrom a miserable jobsworth, a skiver,a desperate divorcee gives a traditional feelto the comedy. Relief comes from RussellTovey, the cute gay actor who came tofame via The History Boys. He alwaysseems to play straight roles and here givesa quietly understated performance as theoffice good guy.Sometimes we just like our culture to benon-threatening and familiar. We want toforget about the pain of job losses or thenegative effects of drugs and alcohol. Freudwould have a field day in analysing whythese retro chic programmes are so popular.Sometimes, perhaps, drama shouldshow that life can be just be nice.Nick Tyldesley9

-Techno techno techno!It’s holiday season folks and as you and I pack our suitcases, I have the verystressful task of deciding whether to take a third pair of combat shorts, ditch thebikini for something a little more middle-aged (spread) and make sure I’m armedwith enough Deet to turn off the mossies and permanently turn on my body intoa glowing site of nuclear waste. Do you share my pain?The 15kg maximum weight limit for the suitcase only adds to the pressure, as herladyship and I have decided to blow the budget and take something other thanhand luggage on our fortnight of adventure. Sadly, said lady is insisting on bringinghair straighteners, hair dryer and a portable hair dressing salon complete with thelovely Francis from ‘Circle of Friends’ Salon freeze-dried. This means that my sectionof the suitcase is approximately 4” by 3” and seriously restricts my holiday stylechoices.I’m contemplating wearing my entire holiday wardrobe to the airport, leaving roomin our suitcase for a small comb and my collection of cotton buds. I do worry,though, that at airport security, by the time I’ve removed my parka, kidney cover,lesbian-themed hoody, three slightly washed-out polo shirts, combat trousers inkhaki and cream, real leather belt, Doc Martens and hand dyed Birkenstocks, thatthe flight may already be returning from the Algarve to Manchester.And then there is the other main focus for my stress levels...No compooter, no internet, no smartphone roaming, no techno! How will I copefor 14 days without being able to log onto Facebook and have a nosy at all thefriends I’ve never met? Quite. And how will Twitter function without my 130 worddaily repartees, filled to the toilet bowl top with wit and age old wisdom, eh? They’llprobably fly someone over to Manta Rota beach in search of a heavily-perspiringforty-something ginger and pink bikini-clad thing, lifther into their air-conditioned limo, hand her aniPhone and beg her to tweet.Holidays are meant to be relaxing, but myblood pressure is soaring at the thoughtof not checking in with Clare Balding’sdaily twatterings, discovering newfootage of Ms Peace before she tookher clothes off, Victorian cat wear formy beautiful Miss Lillian - it’s all toomuch!So instead of going on holiday thisyear, I’m staying at home. Her ladyshipwon’t notice - for thelast three years, she’s onlyever seen the back of myever-more-curved laptophunch.Bon voyage!L.O.V.E.I have just read that yesterday (Wednesday 29th May) saw France’s first gaymarriagetake place. Hallelujah for equality! Well done France.Two beautiful grooms - Vincent Autin and Bruno Boileau walked down the aisleto Nat King Cole’s ‘L.O.V.E’ and were married by socialist mayor Hélène Mandroux.How saddening to then read that anti-gay demonstrators had attempted to enterthe town hall before the ceremony to let off a gas canister and fire-crackers. Thisfollows Sunday’s demonstration through Paris where 150,000 people marched toprotest against the impending passing of the law. There were 293 arrests after farright groups and riot police clashed.According to the Guardian: “The anti-gay marriage protests were the biggest rightwingstreet demonstrations in France in decades.” And to add to this, far-right essayistDominique Venner shot himself dead because of the ‘vile’ law that allowssame-sex couples to marry. Oh get a grip people! Is it too much to ask for twoadults who love each other to be able to get hitched, as their straight friends havebeen able to do forever?I just can’t believe that someone would kill himself or herself over it. I mean, thereare some seriously depressing things going on in the world; every time I listen tothe news and hear about the atrocities that happen on a daily basis, I feel hopelessand sad about how humans behave towards one another. Why does same-sexmarriage offend some people so much? Why can’t they just live and let live, insteadof raining on our parade, when all we ask for is to be treated as equals? Toturn up to somebody’s wedding to cause damage anddisruption is just nasty, hateful and ‘vile’ in my book.My missus and I are civilly partnered (I hate thatterm), and - sorry to be corny - but it really was thebest day of my life so far: something that made me,my partner and my family full of joy and happinesscan’t be so wrong, can it? I would be even happier ifwe were allowed to refer to ourselves as ‘married’,rather than the less-than-romantic termof ‘civilly partnered’. I understand thatfor some same-sex couples, theydon’t want to get married, and seemarriage as an oppressive, traditionalinstitution that they want nopart of. But I want to choosewhether or not I enter intothis institution, I don’t wantsome higher power tomake that decision for me.Now come on England, get on with it, thechampers is waiting!Belinda O'Hooley-TidowHeidi O’Hooley-Tidowsomething you want to get off your chest?We’re always looking for interesting, literate articles for this page, between 550 and 600 words long. Email them to shout.magazine@ntlworld.com,and although we can’t promise to publish them, we’ll do our best, and there’s a tenner for those we do publish!Queer Yorkshire is just aclick away....Browse listings...Read our columnists...Download the latest issues...Find advert prices and sizes...www.shoutweb.co.uk10

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