Brighton Bear Weekend INTERVIEW: Scene sits down with this year’s Mr Brighton Bear, Francisco Guillen Beloved community event Brighton Bear Weekend, which this year took place from July 11 – 14, was a weekend brimming with excitement, camaraderie, and, of course, the crowning of the new Brighton Bear 2024, which was this year won by Francisco Guillen. Raising funds for Brighton Rainbow Fund and the By Graham Robson • 3 min read
LGBTQ+ News LGBTQ+ people in Georgia under threat after lawmakers pass law curbing LGBTQ+ rights LGBTQ+ communities in Georgia, where the conservative Orthodox Church is highly influential, are under threat after Georgian lawmakers approved the final reading of a law on “family values and the protection of minors” that would provide a legal basis for authorities to outlaw Pride events and publi By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Music Kinky Roland continues his rich seam of work with Boy George on hypnotic new track ‘You’re Not The One’ Electronic producer, Kinky Roland, continues his rich seam of work with iconoclast showman Boy George on the hypnotic new track You’re Not The One, mixed by legendary New York producer Eric Kupper for Househead London. You’re Not The One is under Grammy consideration for Best Remix in its Paris Cesv By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Television Meet CHANEL O’CONOR – one of the fierce new queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season 6 International drag icon, RuPaul, is back in Blighty with his cult competitive reality show. Rooted in camp, British pop culture, and famed for its unpredictability, Drag Race UK fans will be delighted with a rambunctious new cast, and a competition with even more twists, more laughs and more sass. S By Graham Robson • 3 min read
Transgender News Katie Neeves, founder of Cool2BTrans, one of 726 faces which make up new sculpture in Trafalgar Square In December 2023, Teresa Margolles – an internationally renowned artist – sought imprints of the faces of trans and non-binary people from Mexico and the UK for a sculpture to be placed on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square as a show of resilience and humanity from trans and non- binary communiti By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Mental Health Voda launches Trans Library, the “world’s largest, free trans-led mental health resource” Voda, the LGBTQ+ mental health app designed by LGBTQ+ therapists, has launched Trans Library, the “world’s largest free mental health resource” to support trans mental health amid mental health crisis. The Trans Library, which features 52 self-led digital programmes, is designed to meet the unique m By Graham Robson • 3 min read
Arts Stars of this year’s Brighton Family Panto out and about in the city centre promoting December’s Sleeping Beauty Stars of this year’s Brighton Family Panto have been out and about in Brighton city centre promoting this December’s Sleeping Beauty, which runs from December 19 – 30 at Hilton Brighton Metropole. As is tradition, they dressed up in costume at Donatello Italian restaurant in Brighton Place. David H By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Community News One of the leading UK cabaret performers, Jennie Castell, to host Drag Bus’ Remembrance Sunday 2024 event to raise funds for Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal Drag Bus, which has taken the UK by storm over the last two years, is hosting a very special event on Remembrance Sunday 2024 on November 10. While this will be the first ever event where the bus is not hosted by a drag queen, the vintage Routemaster will be decked out for the day! […] By Graham Robson • 1 min read
LGBTQ+ News Modern version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which was to be shown at the Royal Exchange in Manchester, cancelled over references to Palestine and trans rights A modern version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which was to be shown at the Royal Exchange in Manchester, was cancelled after director Stef O’Driscoll feuded with theatre bosses over references to Palestine and trans rights. While theatre bosses said the first few performances were cancelled due to By Graham Robson • 1 min read
LGBTQ+ News ‘Neo-Nazi’ with armoury of weapons, including 14 knives and a crossbow, found guilty of planning a terrorist attack on gay and trans people A man found with an ‘armoury’ including a crossbow and 14 knives has been found guilty of planning a terrorist attack on gay and transgender people. Described in court as having ‘a neo-Nazi outlook’, Alan Edward, 54, amassed a collection of weaponry, including a crossbow with telescopic sights, 14 k By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Television Meet CHARRA TEA – one of the fierce new queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season 6 International drag icon, RuPaul, is back in Blighty with his cult competitive reality show. Rooted in camp, British pop culture, and famed for its unpredictability, Drag Race UK fans will be delighted with a rambunctious new cast, and a competition with even more twists, more laughs and more sass. S By Graham Robson • 3 min read
Transgender News Supreme Court appeal could put trans rights back 20 years, according to Good Law Project, which is supporting trans rights campaigner Professor Stephen Whittle and Dr Victoria McCloud – the first trans judge in the UK An appeal in the Supreme Court threatens to put trans rights back 20 years, according to Good Law Project, which is supporting a pioneering trans rights campaigner Professor Stephen Whittle and Dr Victoria McCloud – the first trans judge in the UK – to intervene, so that trans people’s experiences w By Graham Robson • 3 min read
Film Walt Disney Company reportedly makes conscious effort to make Pixar’s ‘Inside Out 2’ “less gay” The Walt Disney Company has reportedly made a conscious effort to make Pixar’s Inside Out 2 “less gay” following the box-office failure of Lightyear, with studio executives blaming the latter movie’s much-discussed same-sex kiss for turning away audiences. Multiple sources said that Disney leadershi By Graham Robson • 1 min read
LGBTQ+ News UK LGBTQ+ schools programme to become free to all secondaries Popular LGBTQ+ schools programme, Pride Groups, run by LGBTQ+ youth charity Just Like Us, is being made free to all UK secondary schools, thanks to National Lottery funding. The Pride Groups programme has so far helped 410 secondary schools to set up/run a LGBTQ+ and allies club, making school envir By Graham Robson • 2 min read
LGBTQ+ News Straight Muslim man takes a stand against controversial anti-LGBTQ+ bill in Ghana A heterosexual Muslim man has taken a stand against a controversial anti-LGBTQ+ bill in Ghana by undertaking a one-man demonstration against the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2021. Texas Kadiri Moro, a teacher and father of six, undertook a one-man demonstration against the bill, which By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Television Meet ACTAVIA – one of the fierce new queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season 6 International drag icon, RuPaul, is back in Blighty with his cult competitive reality show. Rooted in camp, British pop culture, and famed for its unpredictability, Drag Race UK fans will be delighted with a rambunctious new cast, and a competition with even more twists, more laughs and more sass. S By Graham Robson • 3 min read
Transgender News Beyond Reflections, a charity supporting trans+ people and their families, launches annual Trans+ Allies Celebration event In honour of late trustee and ally, Paul Draycott, Beyond Reflections, the Southampton-based charity supporting trans+ people and their families, has launched its annual Trans+ Allies Celebration event, which will be an evening dedicated to celebrating queerness and allyship, and recognising the out By Graham Robson • 1 min read
HIV Terrence Higgins Trust responds to GP’s “false claims” on Tik Tok that HIV is transmissible through toilet roll Dr Sermed Mezher, a London GP, has posted a video on Tik Tok with misinformation that you can contract HIV and hepatitis from blood stained toilet roll, which has had over one million views. According to HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust, this is “extremely worrying as no-one has ever contracted HI By Graham Robson • 1 min read
LGBTQ+ News Chilli Pepper, a staunch advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and one of the first celebrities to raise awareness of the AIDS crisis, has died Chilli Pepper, a celebrated performance artist who was one of Chicago’s most famous drag performers for more than 40 years and a staunch advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and causes, has died. Chilli Pepper was crowned Miss Gay Chicago in 1974, and was the first Miss Continental in 1980. In a 2017 intervie By Graham Robson • 2 min read
Colorfully dressed participants at Christopher Street Day (CSD) in Wismar. The police estimate between 700 and 1,000 demonstrators. Photo: Stefan Sauer/dpa LGBTQ+ News First Pride parade in north-eastern German town of Wismar targeted by the far-right The first Pride parade in the north-eastern German town of Wismar was targeted by the far-right on Saturday, September 14, which led to increased police presence. According to police estimates, between 700 and 1,000 people took part in the Pride parade, far outnumbering the 150 far-right demonstrato By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Out & About AFTERSHOCK – official afterparty to Love Muscle XX birthday event with DJ set from The Sharp Boys Brand new after-hours event AFTERSHOCK presents a fresh take on Sunday morning clubbing in the capital when it launches on Sunday, September 22 at Loki in Brixton. Clubbers are in for a kaleidoscope of upfront and current house and techno alongside some nostalgic classics from a dedicated new team o By Graham Robson • 2 min read
Film “Much better to wear out than rust out.” Sir Ian McKellen updates fans after fall from the stage ahead of new film, ‘The Critic’ Ahead of his new film The Critic, Sir Ian McKellen has updated fans after he had to leave a London production of Player Kings after a fall from the stage in June. Ian confirmed that while he’ll be offstage for at least a year, retirement is out of the question. “I’ll carry on until the […] By Graham Robson • 2 min read
LGBTQ Choirs Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus Presents: The Rocky Holly Tinsel Show at Brighton Dome What happens when two newly-engaged chorus members get lost on Christmas Eve? What’s that mysterious light? And just who is throwing such a lavish party? The answers are guaranteed to make you do the pelvic thrust all night long. Give yourself over to absolute pleasure with Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Pride Over 7,000 people expected to attend Pride in Gloucester, which aims to boost visibility of the LGBTQ+ community Over 7,000 people are expected to attend Pride in Gloucester, now in its 18th year, which aims to boost visibility of the LGBTQ+ community. A colourful Pride parade will today weave its way through the city and pop duo The Cheeky Girls will headline the music stage. “Visibility is important to creat By Graham Robson • 1 min read
