Interviews INTERVIEW: Meet the new Mr Gay Europe, Tim Küsters Who is Mr Gay Europe 2023? Say hello to Tim Küsters from the Netherlands. Tim is 28 and a digital marketing and communication specialist. Tim has a boyfriend who is also called Tim and is a father of two. By Graham Robson • 5 min read
HIV Nicola Richards MP calls on Prime Minister to expand opt-out HIV testing to areas with high HIV prevalence Opt-out testing is when patients who come into A&E are routinely tested for HIV when having other blood tests unless they opt not to. By Graham Robson • 2 min read
Community News Brighton Half Marathon Youth Races to return in 2024 with Rockinghorse Children’s Charity as headline charity partner Located on Hove Prom and held on the main Half Marathon race day on Sunday, February 25, the Brighton Half Marathon Youth Races are designed for junior runners aged 7-17. Open to all abilities, youth runners run a mile on Hove Prom, running along part of the main Half Marathon route before the Half By Graham Robson • 2 min read
Music International LGBTQ+ pop artist BARAK releases new single MOOD Since releasing his debut single two years ago, gay pop artist BARAK has proudly flown the LGBTQ+ flag across Israel with his unique brand of electro-pop winning over fans and critics alike. Hailing from Tel Aviv, BARAK has released a string of infectious anthems perfectly fit to soundtrack the late By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Health University freshers urged to use condoms amid record levels of gonorrhoea UKHSA is urging all those heading to university to use a condom with any new or casual partners, and to get tested regularly, after gonorrhoea diagnoses rocketed to 82,592 in 2022, an increase of more than 50% compared to 2021. By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Books Inclusive Books for Children launches website that makes sourcing high-quality inclusive children’s books “a seamless experience” The new website will host trusted reviews and recommendations for hundreds of inclusive children’s books By Graham Robson • 3 min read
HIV ‘Playing it safe’ – actors Nathaniel Hall and Joseph Mendez team up with Do It London for Sexual Health Week As the theme of this year’s Sexual Health Week is ‘playing it safe’, Joseph and Nathaniel will use their social media platforms to help raise awareness of the four sure ways to prevent HIV and stay safe with regular HIV testing, use of condoms and PrEP, and being Undetectable = Untransmissible (U=U) By Graham Robson • 3 min read
Community News LGBTQIA+ Pathways to Family: networking event for those in the LGBTQ+ community looking for info and advice on surrogacy, fostering and adoption Keen to welcome a child into your home? LGBTQIA+ Pathways to Family is a networking event and an opportunity to learn more about surrogacy, fostering and adoption, which takes place at The Hawth in Crawley on Tuesday, October 17 from 6pm – 7.30pm. By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Community News Bagelman and Love Chloe join paws to support East Sussex charity, Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare Bagelman, Love Chloe, and Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare have joined paws in a collaboration which will see Love Chloe baking delicious homemade, gluten-free, vegan dog biscuits for Bagelman to sell in their Hove store along Church Road, with 100% of the profits going to Raystede. By Graham Robson • 2 min read
LGBTQ+ News A win for non-binary people! Post Office removes title section from its general enquiry form following petition by LGBTQ+ campaign, Include Mx Include Mx had asked the Post Office to stop excluding non-binary people by only offering binary gendered (Mr, Miss etc) or academic titles (Dr) on its general enquiry form. By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Community News Back and Blooming – damaged Shaun sculpture returns to Martlets trail Martlets Hospice has announced that one of the sculptures from its Shaun by the Sea art trail, which had been “ripped from its base” and left in the road near the Pepper Pot tower in Queen’s Park, Brighton, is now repaired and back on the trail for everyone to enjoy. By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Transgender News Labour councillor Alison Thomson of Brighton & Hove City Council apologises for engaging with transphobic posts on social media Brighton & Hove City Council councillor Alison Thomson, of Brighton & Hove Labour Party, has apologised for engaging with transphobic posts on social media, as reported by Scene magazine. By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Theatre You better watch out, you better not cry… BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon’s ‘The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show’ to bring festive spirit to the UK in November You better watch out, you better not cry, because global drag icons and RuPaul’s Drag Race stars, BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon are coming back to your town with the wildly successful, internationally acclaimed, The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show – produced by BenDeLaCreme Presents. By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Community News Brighton charity Off The Fence launches new exclusive t-shirt brand, Team Hope Off The Fence (OTF) – a charity that aims to restore the lives and hopes of people experiencing homelessness, women in difficulty and vulnerable school children in Brighton & Hove – has unveiled its new exclusive t-shirt brand, Team Hope, and during a recent launch fashion show, 62 t-shirts were sol By Graham Robson • 2 min read
Sport Albion mascot Gully helps dress the city to celebrate football club’s promotion to UEFA Europa League To celebrate Brighton & Hove Albion’s promotion to the UEFA Europa League, city centre streets are being festooned with blue and white bunting and lamp post banners. By Graham Robson • 3 min read
Transgender News Brighton & Hove City Council Labour councillor Alison Thomson slammed for engaging with transphobic tweets Brighton community groups, including Brighton Dyke Collective and Trans Liberation Front Brighton, have called out Brighton & Hove City Council councillor Alison Thomson for engaging with transphobic content on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter. By Graham Robson • 2 min read
Community News Sculpture, which is part of Martlets Hospice’s Shaun by the Sea art trail, is vandalised in Brighton Faye Bridgwater, the artist who designed the Shaun the Sheep sculpture ‘Bloom’, posted on her Instagram that she was aware of the incident. By Graham Robson • 1 min read
LGBTQ+ News Ian McKellen: life “changed for the better” after coming out The Lord of the Rings and X Men star reflected in an interview with Variety on the pivotal moment in his life. McKellen came out as gay during a 1988 radio broadcast in an act of protest against Section 28, which barred the “promotion of homosexuality”. By Graham Robson • 1 min read
LGBTQ+ News Study finds gay and bi men aged over 70 more sexually active than straight men of the same age The findings, which are part of a new study shedding light on people’s sex lives as they get older, show gay and bisexual men continued to have sex with multiple partners, while straight men and women became less sexually active as they get older. By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Community News Get your thinking caps on for Healthwatch Brighton & Hove’s Historical Health Quiz – part of the Ageing Well Festival As part of this year’s Ageing Well Festival, Healthwatch Brighton & Hove is hosting a fun and friendly Historical Health Quiz at Community Base on Monday, October 9, followed by a chance to chat with Healthwatch staff and volunteers over refreshments to ask questions and learn more about what they d By Graham Robson • 1 min read
Community News Martlets launches baaa-rilliant Shaun by the Sea art trail across Brighton & Hove – a colourful collection of ewe-niquely designed Shaun the Sheep sculptures A colourful collection of ewe-niquely designed Shaun the Sheep sculptures created by local artists has popped up overnight in city landmarks from Hove Lagoon to the Amex Stadium. This free Shaun by the Sea art trail runs until November 5 and presents 42 Shauns in various city locations. By Graham Robson • 2 min read
Community News Struggling to pay your energy bills? Energyworks is here to help! Energyworks, a partnership project between Citizens Advice Brighton & Hove, Brighton & Hove Energy Services Coop (BHESCo) and Money Advice Plus, provides a free and impartial advice service to Brighton & Hove residents experiencing fuel poverty. By Graham Robson • 2 min read
LGBTQ+ News Lincolnshire Police apologises for “past LGBTQ+ witch-hunts” Chris Haward is the fifth UK police chief to say sorry following apologies from the heads of the Metropolitan, City of London, Sussex and South Yorkshire forces. By Graham Robson • 4 min read
News Brighton & Hove Labour Council announces it will not support Gatwick expansion The announcement comes after the airport submitted a Development Consent Order in July proposing to convert its emergency standby runway into regular use. Gatwick states that doing so will increase capacity of 382,000 flights per year and 75 million passengers per year by 2038 (up from 46 million in By Graham Robson • 2 min read
