LGBT History Month Free Queer History Tours of the capital to explore the vast and complex history of LGBTQ+ life in London Join tour guides London With a Local for a FREE Queer and LGBT+ History Tour of the capital, which explores the vast and complex history of LGBTQ+ life in London, with stories of iconic people and places who have shaped the city and community through the centuries. Weaving through the streets of Lon By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Community News Let your imagination run wild for the UK’s first LGBTQ+ mental health charity, MindOut, which celebrates its 25th birthday in May In May 2024, the UK’s first LGBTQ+ mental health charity, MindOut, celebrates a remarkable milestone in its journey – its 25th birthday! MindOut said: “For a quarter of a century, we have stood together, providing a beacon of hope, understanding, and support for LGBTQ+ community’s mental health need By Graham Robson • 1 min read
LGBT History Month Chris Jepson launches new exhibition at John Lewis on London’s Oxford Street for LGBT+ History Month A new exhibition from award-winning photographer Chris Jepson has launched at John Lewis on London’s Oxford Street for LGBT+ History Month. The Identity Project – JLP Edition is a unique photography initiative that celebrates the diversity within the John Lewis Partnership by capturing the portraits By Graham Robson • 1 min read
HIV To mark National HIV Testing Week, Andrea Leadsom and Angela Rayner join 40 MPs testing for HIV Health Minister Andrea Leadsom MP, Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner MP and 40 other MPs have tested for HIV to show how quick and easy it is and encourage others to do the same during National HIV Testing Week (until 11 February). A host of cross-party MPs got tested including Health Minister Andr By Graham Robson • 3 min read
International News Huthi authorities sentence seven to stoning and two to crucifixion for homosexual ‘crimes’ Huthi authorities in Yemen must halt planned executions and end the persecution of people based on their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity, said Amnesty International, after two Huthi-run courts sentenced more than 40 people either to death, flogging or prison over charges rela By Graham Robson • 2 min read
LGBT History Month The Linden Archives: an affectionate look back on the brash, thriving gay scene of the 1990s Stuart Linden Rhodes established the Instagram account Linden Archives during the lockdowns of 2020-21, scanning and digitising hundreds of photographs – primarily as a way to preserve his reportage photography for All Points North and Gay Times magazines, images that had been unseen for thirty year By Graham Robson • 2 min read
HIV Terrence Higgins Trust’s Work and Skills Programme for people living with HIV to return in May 2024 Terrence Higgins Trust, the HIV / sexual health charity, has announced its Work and Skills Programme for people living with HIV will be returning in spring 2024 and is now open for registrations. Last year, Terrence Higgins Trust helped many people living with HIV to build confidence, set goals and By Graham Robson • 2 min read
Music WHAM! to re-release iconic albums ‘FANTASTIC’ and ‘MAKE IT BIG’ WHAM!’s original studio albums, Fantastic and Make It Big, are to be released on special edition colour vinyl and black vinyl, the first time the records have been available in a physical vinyl format in over 30 years. When George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley exploded onto the scene with Fantastic, t By Graham Robson • 2 min read
Arts Queer Britain partners with wine brand Madame F for Madame F Queer Britain Art Award Lead Pic: previous prize winners Sadie Frost, Oliver Freeston, Paul Harfleet The UK’s LGBTQ+ museum Queer Britain has again partnered with wine brand Madame F for the third year of the Madame F Queer Britain Art Award, which this year has a theme to celebrate Queer Creativity, inspired by illustrato By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Arts So so so scandalous! Danny Beard’s ‘Straight Expectations’ coming to Brighton Komedia in September Danny Beard, winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK season 4, has announced their brand-new tour for 2024, Straight Expectations, will be coming to Brighton Komedia on Thursday, September 19. Full tour dates HERE. See Danny perform with full live band and be perched for a night of killer vocals, snappy com By Graham Robson • 2 min read
LGBTQ+ News Sir Lindsay Hoyle urges Home Secretary to ban Uganda leader, Anita Among, who promoted “Kill the Gays” law The Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, met with LGBTQ+ campaigner Peter Tatchell last night (Wednesday, February 7) in Parliament and has agreed to press the Home Secretary, James Cleverly, to ban the Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament, Anita Among, from entering Britain. Acting at t By Graham Robson • 2 min read
LGBTQ+ News “Sickening”. Rishi Sunak’s trans jibe – made while mother of Brianna Ghey attended Prime Minister’s Questions – condemned by Amnesty International Rishi Sunak has been criticised for aiming a political jibe about trans people at Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer – while the mother of murder victim Brianna Ghey attended Prime Minister’s Questions. In Prime Minister’s Questions, his weekly showdown with MPs and the leader of the opposition, Mr Suna By Graham Robson • 2 min read
Film Małgorzata Szumowska’s ‘Woman Of’, an affecting drama about a transgender woman in Poland, to be shown at this year’s Kinoteka Polish Film Festival 2024 Małgorzata Szumowska‘s Woman Of, an affecting drama about a transgender woman in Poland – a country with a poor record on LGBTQ+ rights – will be shown at year’s Kinoteka Polish Film Festival 2024, which takes place between 6-28 March in London. Developed from interviews with the transgender communi By Graham Robson • 1 min read
LGBTQ Choirs Brighton’s LGBTQ+ choir, the Rainbow Chorus, has a new accompanist! The Rainbow Chorus has announced it has found a new accompanist for its choirs to replace Mojca Monte Amali who stepped down after 12 years and received a heartfelt send-off at the chorus’ recent Winter Concert. The new accompanist is Olly Parr, who is an accomplished pianist, singer, organist, and By Graham Robson • 1 min read
HIV Equalities Minister, Stuart Andrew MP, visits Brighton for National HIV Testing Week to show how quick and easy it is to get tested Lead pic: Minister for Equalities, Stuart Andrew MP, visits Jubilee Library’s HIV and STI test vending machines Today (Tuesday, February 6), Minister for Equalities, Stuart Andrew MP, visited Terrence Higgins Trust in Brighton to show how easy it is to test for HIV and see the city’s world-leading H By Graham Robson • 4 min read
LGBT History Month Exmouth Library hosts interactive exhibition on Section 28 during LGBT+ History Month, in association with Exmouth Pride An interactive exhibition on Section 28, the controversial law which banned local authorities, including schools and libraries, from ‘promoting’ LGBTQ+ lives, is taking place at Exmouth Library during LGBT+ History Month, in association with Exmouth Pride. Organisers of the exhibition, a joint proje By Graham Robson • 2 min read
LGBTQ+ News Chief Constable of Gwent Police, Pam Kelly, apologises to LGBTQ+ community for past “homophobic witch-hunts and discriminatory law enforcement” Gwent Police‘s Chief Constable, Pam Kelly, has made a formal apology to the LGBTQ+ community, acknowledging past “homophobic witch-hunts and discriminatory law enforcement”. In a letter to LGBTQ+ campaigner Peter Tatchell, Kelly expressed regret for the harm caused by the often abusive way the polic By Graham Robson • 2 min read
Fundraising News Sussex adventurer completes Antarctic charity challenge for Rockinghorse Children’s Charity and Kidscape Josh Braid from Hurstpierpoint spent December at the South Pole, in the footsteps of his Great Uncle, to raise vital funds for Rockinghorse Children’s Charity and Kidscape. Josh left the UK on 12 December, aiming to climb Mt Vinson (4,892m) in Antarctica and then pull a specially made rocking horse By Graham Robson • 5 min read
Deborah Gold HIV Deborah Gold to step down as Chief Executive of National AIDS Trust Deborah Gold has today (Monday, February 5) announced that she will be leaving National AIDS Trust this summer after nearly ten years as Chief Executive. Among her many achievements, in 2016 Deborah led National AIDS Trust in winning a landmark Judicial Review, and subsequent appeal, against NHS Eng By Graham Robson • 2 min read
HIV Heterosexual HIV testing still behind pre-Covid levels, as National HIV Testing Week starts in England HIV testing rates among heterosexual men and women are down by a quarter compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). This comes as National HIV Testing Week starts today (February 5) with free at-home test kits available to anyon By Graham Robson • 6 min read
HIV University of Brighton student nurse teams up with Terrence Higgins Trust to provide HIV testing on campus Nursing student, Vincent Lane, has teamed up with the Terrence Higgins Trust to provide free HIV testing on University of Brighton campuses this February, to coincide with National HIV Testing Week 2024. The free testing event is open to all University of Brighton students and staff on Tuesday, Febr By Graham Robson • 2 min read
Dave Pop! LGBTQ+ News Seaside Sauce! Brighton & Hove to celebrate LGBT+ History Month with inclusive and educational events Today is the start of LGBT+ History Month, taking place every February in the UK. To celebrate LGBTQ+ lives in their full diversity, Brighton & Hove City Council will be flying the inclusive rainbow flags from Hove Town Hall, Brighton Town Hall and at Jubilee Library. LGBT+ History Month provides ed By Graham Robson • 5 min read
Keir Starmer LGBTQ+ News Sir Keir Starmer vows to ban trans ‘conversion therapy’ if he becomes PM Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, has vowed to push ahead with a ban on transgender ‘conversion therapy’ if Labour wins at the next general election. The Labour leader reiterated his party’s commitment to a ban on ‘all forms of conversion therapy’ at an LGBTQ+ event in Parliament , where By Graham Robson • 2 min read
Brighton Hove City Council News Brighton & Hove City Council proposes 4.99% Council Tax increase to “balance the budget” and “avoid effective bankruptcy” Proposals by Brighton & Hove City Council to “set a balanced budget” have been published. BHCC previously predicted an overspend of almost £15million this financial year, which, according to the council, has now been “brought under control”. Facing a budget gap of over £30million for next year, alon By Graham Robson • 2 min read
