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Leslie Clarke

Brighton, UK

Designer & political comms strategist. CEO, Pride Community Foundation. Ex-city councillor. Autumn lover, PSL in hand, mentally in LA—living and working in Brighton, UK.

Interview with Dr Sam Hall: Inside Britain’s Trans Health Crisis

Interview with Dr Sam Hall: Inside Britain’s Trans Health Crisis

Over 40,000 people are on NHS waiting lists for gender care. In this Political by Design special, I sit down with Dr. Sam Hall to cut through the noise and talk about the real challenges and hope inside Britain’s trans health crisis.

What Charlie Kirk’s death tells us about rhetoric, extremism and risks for LGBTQ+ people

What Charlie Kirk’s death tells us about rhetoric, extremism and risks for LGBTQ+ people

Charlie Kirk’s assassination is a tragic reminder of spiralling political violence. His anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric was deeply harmful, yet celebrating his death is wrong. We must turn down the heat before words breed more violence.

Graphic for Scenemag election special featuring Brighton Queen’s Park. A ballot box with a paper showing a checked box is shown, with a soft gradient background in purple and pink tones.

Brighton By-Election Special: How solid are the Queen's Park candidates on LGBTQ+ issues?

A by-election will take place in Brighton’s Queen’s Park ward on Thursday 18 September 2025, following the resignation of Labour councillor Tristram Burden. Cllr Burden, 46, who was elected in the 2023 local elections and announced his resignation on 29 July, said the following in his resignation statement:

Filmmaker Chris Columbus rules out Harry Potter reunion because of J.K. Rowling’s transphobia

Filmmaker Chris Columbus rules out Harry Potter reunion because of J.K. Rowling’s transphobia

Chris Columbus, who directed the first two Harry Potter films, says a reunion with the original cast is “never going to happen” due to J.K. Rowling’s controversial views. While he’s still close with Radcliffe and co, Columbus also dismissed HBO’s upcoming reboot as “more of the same.”

Independence Day: Why LGBTQ+ America has no cause to celebrate

Independence Day: Why LGBTQ+ America has no cause to celebrate

For many LGBTQ+ people across America, this Fourth of July is not a celebration but a moment of reflection. As freedoms are questioned, communities across the country are quietly showing courage, care, and hope.

Berlin Pride: 5 tips for a wild, warm and wonderfully queer weekend in the Hauptstadt

Berlin Pride: 5 tips for a wild, warm and wonderfully queer weekend in the Hauptstadt

Berlin Pride is more than a party—it’s protest, play, and pure queer joy. From the unfenced, dance-all-day parade to legendary bars like Heile Welt and Tipsy Bear, here are 5 tips to make the most of your Pride weekend in the Hauptstadt.

Beats in the Underground: How Berlin is using techno and art to reclaim its U-Bahn stations

Beats in the Underground: How Berlin is using techno and art to reclaim its U-Bahn stations

Berlin is turning to techno and art to make its U-Bahn stations safer — not with more police, but with beats, art and light. It’s a bold, very Berlin move, rooted in the city’s queer spirit and belief that culture can build community where fear once lingered.

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