Homophobic Bullying - Shout!

Yorkshire’s lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender paper Issue 180: November 2011John Wheeldon, the winner of the Leeds heat of this year’s Mr Gay UK competition, held at TheViaduct last month, along with Danny Cher Bailey and Carla Jackson.Pic: Grizz Br.New running group for West YorkshireAndrew Frazer is setting up anew running group for Leedsand the West Yorkshire area.‘The group is aimed at theLGBT community in the Leedsand West Yorkshire areas.‘Having done some research Ihave been unable to locate agroup this side of the Pennines(Manchester Frontrunnersoperate in the North West area),so I thought that now would bea good time to offer somethingfor people from this side of thePennines. The group is aimedat all different ages and abilitieswith meeting time andplace to be agreed.’If you’re interested, or wantmore details, please telephonehim on 07801 812928 or sendan e-mail to andrew.frazer3@ntlworld.comwww.gayers.co.ukMayor ofDoncasteralarmed athomophobicbullyingDoncaster’s elected Mayor,Peter Davis recently attended ameeting with the DoncasterPride committee (pictured onpage 3) with the entire agendagiven over to two main topics:that of raising the LGBT awarenessacross Doncaster, and thecommittee's desire to see a moreinclusive approach to LGBTissues across the Borough; andthe second a plea from the committeefor the Mayor to interveneand assist in policies and strategiesto help tackle homophobicbullying in Doncaster's schools.Following the annual post-Pridesurvey, the committee has beenalarmed and extremely concernedat some of the commentsand statistics from the youngLGBT community, many claimingthey have been victims of, orhave witnessed, homophobicbullying in school.Jen Dewsnap, speaking on behalfof the committe, said: ‘The bullyingissue is something the committeefeel has to be tackled fromthe most senior levels and understandsthe power to make changerests outside our capability - butwe have a voice, we have influenceand we have the ability toput the information we have inthe hands of people that canmake changes.’continued on page 3

Sexual Health ClinicsAttend for free, confidential sexual healthscreening and HIV testingWe also provide condomsUnder 16s welcomePlease ring for an appointmentChadwick Clinic ,Dewsbury & District Hospital WF17 6QBP: 01924 816120Josephine Butler Centre for Sexual Health, Clayton Hospital WF1 3JSP: 01924 214421Sexual Health Clinic, Pontefract Hospital WF8 1PLP: 01977 747902The 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 6204002

SHOUT!Yorkshire’s queer paperIssue 180November 2011Mayor of Doncaster alarmed athomophobic bullying continued from front pagee: shout.magazine@ntlworld.comTel: 0113 248 5700Shout!, Leeds LS9 6XGwebsite: www.gayers.co.ukEditorMark MichalowskiContributorsGrizz BrAnna GlyptaBelinda O’HooleyJohn RossingtonHeidi TidowNick TyldesleyPublished at the start of eachmonth. The advertising/editorialdeadline for the December/January issue is November 18th.Printed by Smallprint (0113 2374600). © Shout! 2011.A year’s sub (11 issues) costs£10 - cheques made out to‘Shout!’ Please make sure youtell us your address and theissue you’d like to start with.Download Shout! as a pdf fileat www.gayers.co.uk - anddistributed through over 130venues across Yorkshire andNorth Derbyshire!Advertising with us...See www.gayers.co.uk forfull details of prices, sizesand deadlines.Shout! onlineShout!Shout! mobileScanthesecodesinto yourphone togetinstantaccess toShout!’swebsiteA study carried out amongst gayand bisexual men for the NHSSmoking Helpline has found that41% of gay and bisexual men aresmokers, rising to 60% for 25 to34 year olds - well in excess of thenational average of 25%. A furtherstudy by Stonewall discovered thatjust over a quarter of lesbian andbisexual women currently smoke.The NHS estimates that 12,000gay men die from smoking-relateddiseases every year, much morethan from HIV/AIDS. Trying togive up smoking can be tough -however there is a lot of helpavailable.Need help to quit smoking?“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 CONFIDENCELeeds NHS Stop Smoking Serviceis a free service open to anyonewho would like to stop smoking.Research shows that you are farmore likely to be successful instopping king if you combine bothtreatment and specialist help fromthem than with willpower alone!They run a variety of sessions,with over 40 clinics across Leeds -including groups, one-to-ones anddrop-ins. The sessions offer informationabout the different treatmentsavailable, help you to planand prepare for your ‘quit day’ andgive expert advice and encouragementwhilst you try to stop.Mayor Davis agreed to do whateverhe could to bring changesand further meetings, and dialogueare planned as a result offurther research currently beingdone by Pride committee members.It was agreed that allresearch findings will be presentedto him.You can contact the Leeds NHSStop Smoking Service on 0800 1694219, texting 'QUIT' to 07811 542548 or by emailing stopsmokingleeds@nhs.net Office hours areMonday to Friday, 9am-5pm.Yorkshire MESMAC has informationfor you, GPs and health professionalson LGB-specific healthissues at www.mesmac.co.uk/in-the-pink. Their ‘In the Pink’guides include information oncancer, sexual health and manyother subjects.For more details, call 0113 2444209 or email Tom Hunt ont.hunt@mesmac.co.uk3

SCENE BRIEFSDrag IdolDrag Idol is back, for its seventhyear, and it promises to be evenbetter!‘One of the key changes to thisyear’s website,’ says DannyCher Bailey, one of the event’sorganisers, ‘is the ability to purchasetickets securely usingPayPal - which we hope youwill find much more convenientthan having to visit one of thescene venues to purchase yourticket. Of course for those ofyou who would prefer to buyyour ticket from a scene venueyou will still be able to anddetails of where you can go canbuy standard tickets from can befound on the Purchase Ticketssection of the website.’Drag Idol has raised over£25,000 for charity and this yearthey aim to smash the £30,000mark.‘As always,’ adds Bailey, ‘DragIdol wouldn’t happen withoutthe generous support of manylocal and some national businesses.We rely on sponsorshipfrom companies to pay our billsto ensure that every penny fromticket sales and votes on theevening goes directly to ourchosen charity. If you are in aposition to help with sponsorshipor know of a company whocan please check out the sponsorpage on the website - which is atwww.dragidol.co.ukHairy, beary funThis month, The Viaduct in Leedssees a special, chunky, hairynight... November 18th, from9pm through to 3am, sees theYorkshire Bears’ Night.‘Get your hairy arses down to theViaduct,’ they say. ‘Free nosh,plenty of beer and lots ofYorkshire puddings on offer!’And quite a few men as well,we’d imagine.Armley Mills cruisingalertYorkshire MESMAC has had complaintsfrom gay men visiting theArmley Mills cruising site, andTerrence Liboma, from YorkshireMESMAC says: ‘Due to theattacks and muggings on gay menat the site, the police are appealingto all gay and bisexual guys, aswell as men who have sex withGet more for less!Display ads in Shout!start at just £22 £24 -with discounts available.Check outwww.gayers.co.uk for fullprice and size detailsSHOUT!More Yorkshirereaders than anyother gay paper!other men, not to use the site fortheir own safety. The police aretaking a “no tolerance” stand onhate crime and are asking guys notto use the site until further notice.Investigations are ongoing andcruisers are being cautioned tostay away from the site until thismatter has been resolved.’For more information - or toreport attacks or hate crime incruising areas, contact Liboma onThe Swallow HotelBRIDLINGT ON LUXURY LHOTELFREE PARKING, PFREE WI-FIFour minutes to all amenities in town centre2 minutes to South BeachDirectly opposite Bridlington SpaAlso apartment and studio for 1-4 peopleAll rooms en suiteTelephone Paul or Lou on: 01262 679301www.hotelswallow.comGAY-OWNED BUSINESS0113 2444 209, 07810 550 532 oremail him att.liboma@mesmac.co.ukDance your waythrough ChristmasHaving spent the summer in trainingfor the London 2012Olympics, Clitty RubQuick andDaphne May would like to take abreather and announce theirFestive Frocktacular.The Leeds ladies are hoping for aQueer Christmassy DanceExtravaganza on Saturday 17thDecember. Venue to be confirmed.More details will berevealed in next month’s Shout!‘Brush the cobwebs off yourdancing shoes,’ cry Clitty andDaphne (cracking open a bottle ofthe Christmas sherry already) andget ready to rumba.’4

Win a chance to perform at Calderdale Pride!Calderdale Pride and Bar Place inHebden Bridge, will be teaming upfor the first heat of Pride’s GotTalent on Saturday 3rd December.Pride Secretary Vikki Kitson said‘We’re opening things up this timearound and giving people a say inwho and what they want to seeonstage at Pride 2012.‘This contest is a first for us, andwe’re especially keen to invitebands, singers, dancers, comedians,drag and cabaret acts along.The audience on the night will beinvited to vote for their favouriteperformer or performers, with thewinner (or winners) of the firstheat going through to the semifinalsin February. If you consideryourself to be a natural talent oreven if you just enjoy performingfor fun, then please contact us toregister.’The overall winner of CalderdalePride’s Got Talent will win themselvesa £100 cash prize and theopportunity to perform centrestageat Calderdale Pride 2012 onSaturday 16th June.‘Over 9,000 people attendedCalderdale Pride in 2011, and wefully expect to match that in 2012.This is an incredible opportunityfor anyone who wants to performin a great venue before a fantasticcrowd, and alongside an incrediblestage line-up,’ Kitson added.The first heat will be held at BarPlace hotel and restaurant inHebden Bridge on Saturday 3rdDecember from 7.30pm.For more details, contact VikkiKitson at calderdalepridesecretary@o2email.co.ukDrugs, sex and outrageous outfits...Sheffield’s Showroom Cinemahas a couple of films inNovember that a queer audiencemight particularly appreciate.First up is Weekend (18) - with aspecial Q&A screening onSaturday 5th November at 4pm,with producer TristanGolligher and leadactors, Tom Cullenand Chris Newtaking part.The filmtells thestory ofa gayblokeon anight outwith hisstraightfriends... After anight out with thestraight guys,Russell heads outto a gay nightclub, aloneand on the pull - where he meetsGlen. And so begins a weekend inbars and bedrooms, getting drunk,taking drugs, telling stories andhaving sex that will resonatethroughout their lives.www.showroomworkstation.org.uk/weekendAnd for the second film, TheBritish Guide to Showing Off(15), there’s a special ‘dress-uppreview’ on Sunday 6thNovember at 6.30pm.‘Don your most fabulous outfits,’the Showroom say, ‘for this specialpreview of a new documentaryall about the origins of theoutrageous and anarchicAndrew Logan is a British artistand living legend. He is the creatorof the anarchic and utterlyoutrageous Alternative MissWorld Show – a fantastic costumepageant for grown-ups. This filmwas made over five years andcharts the mounting of the 2009show, bringing to life its history,with contributions from manyfamous faces.www.showroomworkstation.org.uk/britishguideSacred Wing presentsPoulenc’s LITANIESALAVIERGENOIREMISSABREVISINDBritten’sRutter’sMAGNIFICAT(EXCERPT)Plus Carols and ReadingsOn Sunday 18th December at 7.30 atAll Hallows Church, Regent Terrace,Burley, Leeds LS6 1NPAll welcome and entry is free with acollection for charity.www.sacredwing.org.uk10 inches of...Gay FawkesFreedom fighter/terroristDescribe yourself in 3 wordsA Big BangLove of your lifeCatholicismYour typical Saturday night?Messing about with explosivesBest ever momentAlmost getting rid of that damnedKing James in 1605Describe your sexualityHaaawt!Best thing about your bodyMy beardHoliday hellAnywhere the Protestants ruleHoliday heavenSomewhere hot and sunny - Spain’sniceWhat’s hotYou need to ask? My arse on everybonfire on every November 5thWhat’s notGetting caught sneaking away fromthe barrels of gunpowder and beingarrested. The torture and executionweren’t much fun, either....Quick-fire roundSummer/winter: NOT autumnMonogamy/promiscuity: who’s gottime for that - there’s blowing-up tobe done?Dogs/cats: dogsTV/radio: what manner of witchcraftis this?Home/away: away!Night/day: night5

HIV - ‘can and must do better’Derbyshire gay author unveilsnew websiteAndrew Lansley (pictured), theTory Health Secretary has admittedthat the government can and mustdo more to tackle HIV rates. In aresponse to a recent House ofLords report on HIV and AIDS, heagreed that investment in HIV preventionwould offer ‘significantsavings’ in the short- and longterm.The Lords report, released inAugust, highlighted and praisedthe great work done locally byYorkshire MESMAC but said theGovernment is not doing enough totackle the issue and that the prioritygiven to prevention efforts is‘woefully inadequate’. 3,000 gayand bisexual men were diagnosedwith HIV last year - the highestnumber recorded.Tom Doyle, Director of YorkshireMESMAC said: ‘We are encouragedthat ministers agreed withmany of the Lords committee'srecommendations, includingincreasing targeted prevention programmesfor gay and bisexual menand African communities, we areone of the few agencies in thecountry who are partners in both ofthe two nationally-funded partnership,CHAPS and NAHIP’. Locallywe are making the argument thatHIV-prevention saves lives andmoney, and that to cut preventionmakes no sense, and flies in theface of government policy.’Derbyshire author and great friendto Shout! Narvel S Annable,author of numerous novels, campaignerand inveterate letterwriter,has gone and gotten himselfa new website.Annable’s ‘gay’ works oftenreveal, in fascinating detail, thedifficulties - and joys - of growingup gay in Derbyshire in the fiftiesand sixties.Take a look at www.narvelannable.co.uk for more than youcould ever want to know!6

Ghostly and gay - inVictorian outer space!Gay author and editor of Shout!Mark Michalowski has justreleased his latest novel - whichhappens to be his first e-novel.The Ghosts of Mercury is part ofa new series of Space: 1889 &Beyond books and novellas,based on the famous ‘steampunk’role-playing game, published byUntreed Reads, a company specialisingin e-publishing.‘Steampunk isn’t a genre thateveryone’s familiar with,’Michalowski explains. ‘Think ofit as science fiction - often setduring the Victorian era, but withadvanced technology such assteam-powered spaceships. TheVictorian mindset is very muchpresent, and the state of the SolarSystem is still how it was actuallyviewed back in those times,complete with Martians on Mars,and a Mercury that’s permanentlylocked in orbit so that one sidealways faces the sun, and theother is in perpetual shadow.‘And to shake things up a bit,series editor Andy Frankham-Allen asked me to create a new,regular character - who’s gay!Sad to say, I think I fell in lovewith him a little bit.’He also has a new website atwww.markmichalowski.co.ukwith details of all his work,including short stories and DoctorWho novels, and links to two promotionalvideos he created forSpace: 1889 & Beyond and forThe Ghosts of Mercury.Untreed Reads was also veryproud to support Gay HistoryMonth and National Coming OutDay: ‘We have a wonderful groupof authors,’ says Jay Hartman,Editor-in-Chief at Untreed, ‘bothLGBT and straight, who havehelped contribute to equality foreveryone through their personalstruggles, their writing and theircontributions to society.’Research suggests demand forHIV home-testingAlmost two-thirds of people wouldconsider using HIV home testingkits if they were legally availableand regulated in the UK, accordingto new research by HIV and sexualhealth charity Terrence HigginsTrust (THT). In a bid to reducehigh levels of undiagnosed HIV,THT is urging the Government tolegalise and regulate home testingas part of its new policy document‘HIV and Sexual Health: 12 thingsthe Government can do’ - atwww.tht.org.uk/12thingsThe sale of home testing kits iscurrently illegal in the UK. Theycan be purchased over the internet,but they are unregulated, often ofpoor quality and lack importantinformation.THT surveyed 657 people viaMoD ‘employing chaplains fromhomophobic religions’ claims PTTThe UK gay Humanist charity thePink Triangle Trust (PTT) is veryconcerned to learn that theMinistry of Defence is employingchaplains representing ultrahomophobicreligions.‘The MoD spends £22 millionannually on Christian chaplainsand currently employs 280 chaplainsin all three services,’ they say.‘It employs and funds the chaplains,but their authority comesfrom their “sending church”. Atpresent, the permitted sendingchurches are Anglican, RomanCatholic,Methodist,Baptist/URC/Congregational,Church of Scotland/Presbyterian,Elim and Assemblies of God.’A statement on homosexuality onthe Assemblies of God websitestates: ‘Clearly on every frontwhether it be moral, spiritual,physical, or psychological, thepractice of homosexuality hasproven itself devoid of any individualgood or social benefit.’Another sending church, the Elim,made headlines when one of itsfollowers, Iris Robinson (pictured), former MP and wife of PeterRobinson, First Minister ofNorthern Ireland, compared thesexual abuse of children to homosexualrelationships. Mrs Robinsonstated in Parliament: ‘There can beno viler act, apart from homosexualityand sodomy, than sexuallyabusing innocent children.’When contacted by the Belfastonline media. Of the 490 respondentsthat had not tested HIV+,63% said they would considerusing kits if they were legalised;51% thought legalisation wouldmake them test more often. Amonggay men, 60% said legalisationwould make them test more often.Lisa Power, Policy Director forTHT, said: ‘Reducing undiagnosedHIV is a major challenge. A quarterof those with HIV in the UKremain undiagnosed, and so aremore likely to pass the virus on...This research shows clear of forthe legalisation of HIV home testingkits, particularly among gaymen. We urge the Government torepeal the ban and ensure HIVhome testing kits are properly regulatedin the UK.’Telegraph, Mrs Robinson reiteratedher views and said she was followingscripture.The PTT’s secretary GeorgeBroadhead commented: ‘The mostrecent annual British SocialAttitudes survey published earlierthis year revealed that 51% of thepopulation have no religion. Itwould seem perfectly reasonable,therefore, for the MoD to providenon-religious counsellors - forexample Humanists - to cater forthe needs of what must be a substantialnumber of service-men andwomen with no spiritual beliefs.And the entrenched homophobiaof some of the sending churchesmust be a cause of great concernfor LGBT people, and hardlyseems consistent with a servicethat describes itself as committedto equality and diversity.’For more on the PTT, seewww.pinktriangle.org.uk7

Bradford Pride Needs YOU!Documentary makerseeks same-sex couplesBradford Pride 2012 is still looking for new committeemembers and volunteers. For more informationabout Bradford Pride or to ask aboutopportunities to help with the it, contact Mel on01274 727759 or 01274 727779 or emailmel@equitypartnership.org.ukThe Featherstonehaughs draw onthe sketch books of Egon SchieleLea Anderson's all-male contemporarydance company TheFeatherstonehaughs are taking tothe road for the very last time andbringing their classic hit show,The Featherstonehaughs Drawon the Sketch Books of EgonSchiele to the Victoria Theatre inHalifax on Tuesday 15thNovember.For one night only, the sixFeatherstonehaughs bring to lifethe tormented and stunning artisticvision of Austrian expressionistvisual artist Egon Schiele (pictured).Loaded with energy, theshow has been dynamically reworkedfeaturing new musicplayed live by Steve Blake andWill Saunders and striking costumesby three-times Oscar-winnerSandy Powell.Lea Anderson formed TheCholmondeleys with TeresaBarker and Gaynor Coward in1984 after she graduated from theLaban Centre. In 1988 she establishedthe all-male company TheFeatherstonehaughs.The show starts at 7.30pm andtickets are available online atwww.victoriatheatre.co.uk orfrom the box office on 01422351158.The Garden Productions, an independentproduction companyfounded last year by the teamwho made the BAFTA awardwinningOne Born Every Minute,The Seven Dwarves (pictured)and 24 Hours in A&E are nowmaking a seven-part observationaldocumentary series forChannel 4 - about love.‘This intelligent and sensitiveseries will reflect relationshipsthroughout a lifetime,’ saysBecky Lomax pruducer anddircetor, ‘from the first kiss to thefinal farewell and everything elsein between. We’re looking to talkto people from all walks of lifewho can give us an insight intotheir experiences of love at a significantstage in their lives. As agay woman myself, I am passionateabout representing lesbian andgay viewpoints. ‘Pride organisers’ conferenceA day of workshops and networkingfor anyone involved in organisingPride events around the UKis being organised by the GayBusiness Association.‘Finding sponsorship and fundingare high on everyone's agenda inthe current economic climate,’they say, ‘and we have expertsavailable to share their ideas andexperience.There will also be the opportunityshare your personal story,whether you are experienced orLomax would like to hear frompeople who have come to termswith their sexuality later in life -particularly same-sex couplesfrom the Yorkshire and NorthDerbyshire area who are planningtheir civil partnership betweennow and May 2012.‘Perhaps one or both partnerscame to terms with their sexualitylater in life,’ says Lomax. ‘Maybethey were previously married tosomeone of the opposite sex, andperhaps they have teenage orgrown-up children from that relationship.’There is absolutely no obligationto take part in the series, but ifanyone wants to find out more orto have a confidential researchchat, please email her atlove@thegardenproductions.tv orcall The Garden on 020 34659060.just beginning the challenge oforganising a Pride event withinyour community.’The registration fee (whichincludes lunch and refreshments)is £50 per delegate. Table-top displaysfor businesses are alsoavailable at £200 including twodelegates.See www.gba.org.uk for detailsand a booking form, emailhello@gba.org.uk or call 0844562 4005 for more information.8

So... it's true I've come back toLeeds. I can now be found back atThe Viaduct Showbar on the lastFriday of the month with my‘Camp Attack’! OK plug over...I thought I'd talk about how Leedshas changed over the eight yearsI've been working the scene here. Iguess the biggest change has beenLeeds Pride. When I started hostinga quiet little karaoke night onceMESMAC latestSyphilis symptomsSyphilis in men who have sexwith men has increased substantiallysince 1997. The name mightbe familiar but a lot of men don'tknow what to look out for.Syphilis is spread through sexwithout a condom or blow jobs.‘It has stages of infection whichmakes it tricky to realise if youare infected,’ says Tom Hunt fromYorkshire MESMAC. ‘Stage oneis a small painless sore on yourcock, balls, lips, mouth, throat orarse which heals on its own. Ifsomeone comes into contact withthis sore they will also be infected.The sore can last 2-6 weeksbefore disappearing.‘Stage two starts a few weeksafter the sore has disappeared: anon-itchy skin rash appears anywhereon the body (usually thepalms of the hands or soles of thefeet), tiredness, headaches, orswollen lymph glands mayNo place like home...a week at The New Penny underthe old manager Aiden there wasn'ta Leeds Pride. There was the HydeOut! picnic that saw a few hundredlgbt people bring a picnic to HydePark - some brought a football ornetball, some brought barbecuesand it was a small time affair.Some people still miss this intimateevent. Shout!’s very ownMark was instrumental in the eventhappening. Nowadays we havetens of thousands of lgbt peopleand their families celebrating allover Leeds from the MilleniumSquare stage to the Lower Briggatestages and party.Drag Idol is something else thathas grown beyond anything anyonewould have expected, I was ajudge at the second, third andfourth events held at The Birdcage,Oracle and Jongleurs respectively.Drag Idol has raised so muchbecome apparent. Less commonsymptoms include: fever, weightloss, patchy hair loss or jointpains. These symptoms may disappearwithin a few weeks, orcome and go over a period ofmonths.Then at Stage three, syphilis canhide for years with no symptoms.Stage four: Years or decadeslater, syphilis can cause majordamage to the brain, nerves, eyes,heart, bones, skin or blood vessels.A sexual health clinic can test youfor syphilis and this should formpart of routine sexual healthcheck-ups - but, if treated earlyenough, is completely curablewith antibiotics, causing no permanentdamage. ‘To talk to someone about syphilisin confidence, call 0113 244 4209or email t.hunt@mesmac.co.ukS.A.D?Winter is fast drawing on and it'snot a time of parties and holidaycelebrations for some.‘Yorkshire MESMAC is here foryou,’ they say, ‘if you want to talkto someone face-to-face or getimpartial advice on about what'son your mind. You can getmoney for sexual health charitiesin Leeds and become such a part ofthe calendar that it's hard toremember a time when its futurewas uncertain. Nowadays there aremany many more entrants thanspace and time allows and thequality of acts entering is encouragingfor the future of my belovedindustry.Bars...? Well in some aspects notmuch has changed, The Base/Xibitaside there's not been that manychanges; Religion opened andclosed became Desire; opened andclosed - and not many of us reallynoticed in all honesty! We didnotice Robert and Duncan completelyturn Blayds around andmade it one of the scene#s successstories. Some people might notrealise that eight years ago TheViaduct was a straight bar. Not justa straight bar but a rough-as-fuck-involved in activities and meetnew people through volunteeringand social groups. There is evenfree limited access to counsellingfor LGB people in the Leeds,Bradford, Wakefield and NorthYorkshire area.’Call them on 0113 244 4209, visitwww.mesmac.co.uk or emailt.hunt@mesmac.co.uk to find outmore. If you would prefer to talkto their counselling organiser, callClaire on 07771 931 327.Safer cruisingYorkshire MESMAC is running aSafer Cruising workshop in Yorkthis month.It takes place on November 26thand runs from 10am-1pm. Formore dails, please contact PeteBlackburn on 01904 620400 oremail Pete Blackburn at p.blackburn@mesmac.co.ukAs and WhenYorkshire MESMAC is now offeringan 'As and When' servicedelivering rapid HIV testing, andchlamydia and gonorrhoeascreening at any time when amember of staff is available: justcall the Leeds office for anappointment.Leeds-United-supporters-straightbar. When Terry George andMichael Rothwell took it on mostpeople laughed at their folly butfive years later it's one of thebusiest most popular venues inLeeds. The Bridge, Queens Courtand The New Penny have alwaysbeen massively important parts ofthe Leeds scene and all have hadbucketloads spent on them andcontinue to thrive. In the eightyears I've worked the scene I'vemade loads of friends, a few enemiesand had more fun than anyoneshould be allowed. I'velaughed, I've cried, I've fucked andbeen fucked over but it's my homeand after a year working all overthe UK it's good to dip my toe backinto Leeds...As Dorothy said ‘There's no placelike home’!Anna Glypta‘The “As and When” serviceenables us to offer a more flexibleapproach to HIV testing,’ theysay, ‘and if you aren't able tomake it to our Thursday eveningdrop-in sessions, you can give usa call and arrange a time that'sconvenient for you. The service isfast, free and confidential.’This service complementsYorkshire MESMAC's Thursdayevening drop-in from 6-8pm fromtheir city centre offices. For moreinformation, or to book anappointment, please contact PeteBoyle or Tom Hunt on 01132444209.SwitchSwitch is a West Yorkshire socialgroup for trans people, based inLeeds city centre.‘We meet every last Tuesday ofthe month (except December)between 6-8pm and welcome newtrans people or people questioningtheir gender identity. A newprogramme of activities is beingplanned and we would like yoursuggestions on what you wouldlike to see.’Email switch@mesmac.co.uk orcall Tom Hunt on 0113 244 4209.9

Last weekend, Lord Tidow and Itravelled down to London twice inone week. Now London is anexciting and cosmopolitan place,(especially for two village bumpkinsfrom Golcar) but it seemsespecially so when you've beeninvited down there to record a singlewith a group of the finest lesbianartists in the UK. Driving intoSoho, and stopping for coffeealong Old Compton Street, itbecame apparent that being gay,lesbian, bisexual, transgender inthis neighbourhood doesn't evenraise an eyebrow. As we sipped our'frapps', we saw the most beautifulmen and women dazzling in theirpeacocked finery, gliding by,draped in their own inner self-confidence.It appeared completelyacceptable to wear the most progressiveof fashions with no-one10Moving inHello dear readers, hope you're allwell and slinking nicely intoautumn. All the leaves are brownand the sky is grey (Mamas andThe Papas), and here at theO'Hooley-Tidow headquarters,we're getting ourselves ready tohibernate for the cold months. Thecats are growing their winterfleeces, her ladyship's been out foragingfor kindling and I've beenwashing every blanket and patchworkthrow I can find, to turn ourlittle house-come-recording studiointo a cosy nest. Personally, I loveautumn and winter, the dark nightsand biting cold mean you have tostay in with a fire, hot toddies andcuddle up on the sofa watchingrubbish telly - heaven!Whilst fluffing the cushions, I gotto thinking about all the people weknow who have recently moved in,or are about to move in, with theirpartners. I know there is a generalisationabout lesbians moving intogether on the second date - this isnot that far from the truth in myexperience. I moved in with mymissus after six months, whichmay seem hasty to some; therehave been a few hiccups along theway, but five years on we're stillmuddling along nicely together. Ican think of a few people (not justlesbians) who have taken this leapquickly too, some of them haveworked, some sadly haven't. Itstruck me that more and more peopleare doing the same thesedays…I have a couple of little theories onthe subject...Theory 1: There is so much misery,and horrid stuff happening inthe world, that when you findsomething good, you want to grabit with both hands and not wastetime. I hear so many stories of peoplelosing loved ones to diseasessuch as cancer, that perhaps werealise how short our time is onthis earth, and that you really onlyget one shot at it. Also, IKEA is somuch more fun with someone towalk round with, bouncing abouton the mattresses and stuffing yourtrolley full of miniature Dime bars.Theory 2: We are in a recessionand two can live as cheaply as one.With all the cuts to public services,job losses, rising cost of living egAn L of a timegiving a flying fart just how outlandishthe garb. Same-sex coupleswere holding hands, kissing, withouta care. It did make me thinkhow lovely it would be to be ableto feel as carefree as this carousingacross Huddersfield town centreon a Saturday afternoon...Walking into Dean Street Studiosin Soho, we were welcomed byGeorgey Payne (Greymatter) whohad written the song for the projectand was co-ordinating the recordingprocess alongside her partnerHelen. The song, called 'BreathingLife', is about the challenges ofgrowing up as lesbian, gay orbisexual and the central message isone of hope. The message that ‘itgets better’ is a core theme in theStonewall campaign 'It Gets BetterToday' and the 'Diversity RoleModels' charity; both will be directbeneficiaries of the proceeds raisedfrom download sales.In the studio, I had the same feelingof normality that I had experiencedoutside in the street earlier.Here, there were about ten women,all lesbian, some with their partners,hanging out and enjoying theambience generated by a groupproject such as this one. The daywas spent recording various instrumentsincluding Leanna Goring ondrums, Georgey Payne and HorseMcDonald on guitars, LornaThomas on bass and me on piano.The feeling of support and mutualadmiration was palpable in theroom as everyone took turns torecord, helped by the confidencebuildingof those around them. Bythe end of the Saturday, the instrumentswere all recorded successfully,ready for vocals by the differentartists the following day.Heidi and I had to return home atthis point so recorded our vocalsearly, as we were recording for ourown album on the Sunday. We bothfelt genuinely reluctant to leave theproject before it was completed.Only when trying to put into wordsfor this article what happened lastweekend did it occur to me thatGeorgey's song had a direct relevanceto me, Heidi, where we live,how we feel about ourselves, ourself confidence and esteem, everything!I kept quiet at school about myburgeoning sexuality, knowing fullwell I would have been at bestostracized and at worst, bulliedmercilessly. We had no diverse rolemodels at our school, or the surroundingcommunity and I subconsciouslyaccepted that this thing Iknew about myself was deeplyfood, petrol and utilities, moving inwith your partner and sharing thefinancial burden is an attractiveproposition. Not very romantic,but money is tight these days, eh?So there you have it. Auntie Heidi'sgrand theories on relationships.Of course, there are people whostrongly want to preserve theirindependence, and the idea ofmoving in with someone is aboutas appealing as eating one's owntoenail clippings. Finding yourpartner's sweaty pants on the bathroomfloor every morning is noteveryone's bag of bananas. But forme, I'm happiest at home with ourcat family, and am glad that wedidn't take any notice of the 'slow itdown' advice.Now get that kettle on Ms O'T!Heidi O'Hooley-Tidowshameful and must not be revealed.How many others have felt thesame way and kept quiet, and howmany of us have dared tell someone,only to be met with revulsion,prejudice and some form of homophobia?Most of us I reckon.Only a few days ago, StuartWalker's body was found burnt anddumped with horrible injuries atthe side of a road in Cumnock,Ayrshire. Strathclyde Police areinvestigating the possibility he wasattacked because of his sexuality.This song is important, reallyimportant. A group of us are standingup and singing about beingproud to be who we are, not changingourselves to suit other people.Every single artist, promoter, sponsor,supporter involved with The LProject has given up their time andcome together because theybelieve passionately in giving hopeto young gay people that it getsbetter.The song will be released inJanuary 2012 as a digital downloadand proceeds raised will be donatedto UK charities that aim to preventhomophobic bullying. Pleasespread the word.www.thel-project.comBelinda O'Hooley-Tidow

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