Brighton Bear Weekend Get ready for Brighton Bear Weekend 2024! The boys at Brighton Bear Weekend (BBW) have announced the full programme of events taking place over four-days, which will raise funds for the Sussex Beacon and the Brighton Rainbow Fund. Celebrating its 14th year, this beloved community event promises a weekend brimming with excitement, camaraderi By Graham Robson • 3 min read
Sir Ian McKellen is campaigning against Tony Abbott being appointed a position on the UK Board of Trade. LGBTQ+ News Sir Ian McKellen rushed to hospital after falling during West End performance Actor Sir Ian McKellen has been rushed to hospital after falling off stage during a performance at a London theatre tonight. The 85-year-old was in a fight scene during a performance of Player Kings at the Noël Coward theatre when he lost his balance and fell. The audience has been evacuated from th By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Fundraising News Over £2,000 raised by friends and supporters at HIV charity Lunch Positive’s 15th birthday celebrations Friends and supporters of local HIV charity Lunch Positive raised over £2,000 for the charity at its 15th birthday fundraising party at Arcobaleno Brighton on Saturday, June 15. Over 70 people attended the event, which was hosted by Ophelia Payne with music from Hoedown Hunnies and Morgan Harris. Lu By Graham Robson • 1 min read
LGBTQ+ News Pope Francis mocked as Rome LGBTQ+ Pride Parade celebrates 30th anniversary The Rome LGBTQ+ Pride Parade celebrated its 30th anniversary in June as tens of thousands of people in brightly coloured outfits marched through the Italian capital waving banners, dancing and singing as they marked gay rights and poked fun at Pope Francis, who had to issue an apology last month aft By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Election Special From gender-affirming care to conversion therapy, where do the main political parties stand on LGBTQ+ rights? As the UK prepares to go to the polls on July 4, the nation’s two main parties – the Labour Party and the Conservatives – have released their manifestos, with LGBTQ+ issues and policies featuring in both. Key topics – such as gender-affirming care, conversion therapy and single-sex spaces – have bee By Graham Robson • 4 min read
HIV Richard Angell, Chief Executive of sexual health / HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust, receives OBE in The King’s Birthday Honours List Richard Angell, Chief Executive of sexual health /HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust, has received an OBE in The King’s Birthday Honours List in recognition of his services to charity. Richard, who became Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust in March 2023, was previously the charity’s Campaigns By Graham Robson • 2 min read
LGBTQ+ News Acclaimed graphic novelist, Alison Bechdel, creator of seminal book series ‘Dykes to Watch Out For’, awarded honorary degree by University of St Andrews Internationally acclaimed graphic novelist Alison Bechdel, creator of seminal book series Dykes to Watch Out For, has been awarded an honorary degree by the University of St Andrews in recognition of her major contribution to the comic art form, and for advancing diversity and representation. Addres By Graham Robson • 3 min read
Arts Classical Pride releases full line up of international drag acts for the first ever Classical Drag Classical Pride, a five-day festival of major events in 2024, has released the full line up of international drag acts for the first ever Classical Drag – one of the must-see events of this year’s London Pride. Walking the runway in this never-before-seen performance – where the worlds of drag and c By Graham Robson • 2 min read
Transgender News Trans charity Clare Project to host ‘Pizza and Paperwork’ community event in July Trans charity Clare Project is to host a Pizza and Paperwork community event at Community Base, Brighton on Tuesday, July 9. If you’re being seen by the Sussex Gender Service, join Care Navigators Robin and Sam for an evening dedicated to doing life admin, fuelled by pizza, including vegan and glute By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Theatre INTERVIEW: Thick & Tight theatre company speak ahead of bringing riotous show ‘Tits & Teeth’ to Blackpool Grand Theatre Acclaimed dance theatre company Thick & Tight bring their best-of show, Tits & Teeth – a riotous night of dance, mime, drag, lip sync and satire, sending up and stripping down famous and notorious figures – to Blackpool Grand Theatre on 28 June as part of the brand-new Queer Amusements festival. Con By Graham Robson • 4 min read
LGBTQ+ News LGBT Youth Scotland to capture, collate and celebrate the lives of young LGBTQ+ people all over Scotland In 2023 LGBT Youth Scotland celebrated 20 years as a charity. To mark that anniversary, the charity launched (Un)seen, (Un)heard, Scotland’s first archive dedicated to young LGBTQ+ people, to capture, collate and celebrate the lives of young LGBTQ+ people all over Scotland. LGBT Youth Scotland wants By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Sport Trans swimmer Lia Thomas loses legal battle to compete at this year’s Olympics Trans swimmer Lia Thomas, who rose to prominence after she won the US’ highest college title back in March 2022, has lost her legal battle to compete at this year’s Olympics in Paris. Following that win, the swimming’s governing body, World Aquatics (WA), introduced rule changes that would bar anyon By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Comedy Mark Bittlestone to take debut stand-up show to Edinburgh Fringe this summer Mark Bittlestone, known for his hilarious and scathing takedown clips of the gay male experience with 200k+ followers across social media, is taking his new stand-up comedy show I Need a Straight Guy to Edinburgh Fringe in July and August . London, 2024. The best city in the world to be gay in. So w By Graham Robson • 1 min read
HIV Labour commits to new HIV Action Plan in election manifesto The Labour Party has announced it would “commission a new HIV Action Plan in England, in pursuit of ending HIV cases by 2030” in their General Election manifesto. The announcement follows Tory commitments to ending new HIV cases by 2030 and justice for those impacted by the Infected Blood Scandal. H By Graham Robson • 3 min read
LGBTQ+ News Pope Francis accused of using ANOTHER homophobic term just weeks after apologising for “extremely homophobic language” Pope Francis has again used a homophobic term after apologising in May for saying gay men should not be admitted to Church seminaries because “there’s already too much f*****ry”. He used of the word ‘frociaggine’, a vulgar Italian term roughly translating as ‘f*****ness’, on May 20 during a closed-d By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Transgender News Trans charity Mermaids launches Trans Youth Manifesto ahead of the General Election With the UK heading to the polls on July 4 to elect a new government – and issues affecting trans people likely to be a polarised talking point – trans charity Mermaids has launched its Trans Youth Manifesto. Developed by trans young people, for trans young people, the Trans Youth Manifesto calls on By Graham Robson • 1 min read
LGBTQ+ News Staff at Welsh bookshop, Browsers Bookshop in Porthmadog, Gwynedd, say they have been sworn at and verbally abused because of a window display celebrating Pride Month Staff at Welsh bookshop, Browsers Bookshop in Porthmadog, Gwynedd, say they have been sworn at and verbally abused because of a window display celebrating Pride Month. Browsers Bookshop decorated its two front windows with Pride rainbow flags and books celebrating LGBTQ+ communities. Staff said most By Graham Robson • 2 min read
Transgender News Lynn Conway, the trans woman who changed computing in the modern world, dies aged 86 Lynn Conway, the trans woman who helped shape the way chips are designed, has died aged 86. Conway broke ground both for her contributions to the tech industry and for her gender transition at a time when such a move was rare among professionals. In the 1970s, Conway helped author Introduction to VL By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Music Janet Jackson adds second London 02 Arena date to European leg of eagerly-anticipated Together Again Tour Due to overwhelming demand, Janet Jackson has added a second London O2 Arena show to her eagerly-anticipated Together Again Tour, taking place on Sunday, 29 September – with special guest Wyclef Jean. The five-time GRAMMY Award-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee extended her sold out tour t By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Politics Terrence Higgins Trust responds to Tory commitments to ending new HIV cases by 2030 and justice for those impacted by the Infected Blood Scandal HIV/sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust has welcomed today’s Conservative Party’s manifesto, which includes commitments to ending new HIV cases by 2030 and justice for those impacted by the Infected Blood Scandal. According to Terrence Higgins Trust, the UK is in a position to become the fi By Graham Robson • 2 min read
Pride “Bringing a whole bundle of fun, sparkle and joy!” Margate’s iconic Dreamland to host Margate Pride on 10 August Margate’s park by the sea, Dreamland will once again play host to Margate Pride on Saturday, 10 August. Headlining the celebrations will be Dreamland Drag Party on the Scenic Stage, an unmissable evening of top LGBTQ+ talent including the international DJ Jodie Harsh, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’s Bimini By Graham Robson • 2 min read
Sport Out for Sport Festival: London’s first ever LGBTQ+ sports festival to launch on Sunday. June 16 London’s first ever LGBTQ+ sports festival is to launch at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre on Sunday, June 16. The 2024 Out for Sport Festival aims to break down barriers to sports participation with approximately 20 LGBTQ+ inclusive sports clubs, which represent a wide range for sporting dis By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Pride Merseyside borough of Knowsley to hold its first Pride event on the anniversary of the murder of Michael Causer The Merseyside borough of Knowsley is set to hold its first Pride event on the anniversary of the murder of Michael Causer – an 18-year-old who was attacked at a house party in what was widely considered a ‘hate crime’. The Knowsley Pride event, called Rainbow in the Park, will take place on 2 Augus By Graham Robson • 2 min read
News Dykes Who Hike: hiking group for LGBTQ+ women and non-binary people a “wholesome” space to connect Lucy Cooper, 23, and Yasmin Message, 27, founders of Dykes Who Hike, a hiking group for LGBTQ+ women and non-binary people, have said they were eager to create a “wholesome” space for people to connect with each other. Lucy and Yasmin decided to establish the group in response to the lack of spaces By Graham Robson • 2 min read
