Viva Brighton Issue #30 August 2015

adio...........................Out in Brighton‘A balance between fibre and sugar’“The ultimate objective of a show like this is thatone day it will be unnecessary and obsolete,” saysKathy Caton, who hosts Out in Brighton, RadioReverb’s weekly LGBT talk show.Once gay people don’t have to worry about walkinginto the wrong pub and getting “a mouthfulof abuse or worse”, or having problems at work,or coming out, or getting isolated or excluded orwhatever, then maybe Caton will stop hosting Outin Brighton. But she doesn’t expect it any time soon,even for those “fortunate enough to live within theBrighton bubble,” where there’s “plenty of work todo,” but also “shitloads to celebrate and be reallyproud about”.Sitting in on a broadcast in July, I started outobserving the guests, but then got absorbed bywatching Caton – her obvious interest in whatguests were saying, whether or not it was actuallyinteresting; her encouraging facial expressions andnodding; her near-permanent eye contact, brokenreluctantly to glance at the monitor now and then;her willingness to let guests just talk; her tolerancefor pauses; and her reluctance to cut them off ifthey overran. She remained largely silent – perhapsa surprising trait in a talk-show host, but that’s kindof the point of the show.“I’ve got access to a platform, and one that noteveryone can access, and I’m definitely really interestedin that thing - I wish there was a non-wankyway to describe it - of giving people a voice, wherethey’re not necessarily heard, and where they canbe heard in detail as well. Today was a bit of a contradiction,because we had six guests squished in,but often we might do a show that focuses on oneperson for half an hour, or even do a whole profilepiece for an hour.”The show’s remit is whatever might be of interestto LGBT people, “so anything from mental healthand stigma, living with HIV, to lots of arts andculture, music…” When I hesitantly suggest thatpeople might imagine the show is a bit worthy, Catonsays: “There’s usually a fairly hefty mix, sometimeswith some slightly odd sudden gear changesbetween mental health in the LGBT communityto ‘it’s the Pride dog show!’ I try and have a balancebetween fibre and sugar, put it that way.”Does she think any straight people listen? “I knowthey do, actually. One of the things I really love iswhen I get emails from people saying ‘I know I’mnot the target audience for your show, but I reallyenjoy it’. I wouldn’t want to be doing anythingthat’s like: ‘I’m here with my arm around my homework,no one else is to come in.’ Yeah… it makesme laugh that people feel they have to assert ‘I’mnot gay or anything’ in their emails. I’m not goingto judge you if you are!” Steve RamseyRadio Reverb hosts the Alternative PerformanceStage at Pride. Out in Brighton is broadcast live onWednesdays from 5-6pm, and then available as apodcast....47....