Features & Longread OPINION: ‘Craig’s Thoughts’ by Craig Hanlon-Smith Within almost a month of meeting my then boyfriend, now husband, he became an uncle for the first time. I remember receiving the text from him, which screamed in capital letters; I AM AN UNCLE. My automatic, and I concede extremely unattractive response, was one of searing jealousy. I had, until thi By Craig Hanlon-Smith • 4 min read
In The South Festival Director apologises and resigns over Facebook rant on same sex marriage Following his Facebook rant after the recent Yes and No same-sex marriage vote in Australia, Richard Wolstencroft, Director of The Melbourne Underground Film Festival (M.U.F.F.) has issued the following statement after his posting went viral. By Contributor • 4 min read
In The South OPINION: I am what I am Craig Hanlon-Smith responds to the Facebook rant by Richard Wolstencroft, festival director of the Melbourne underground film festival following the positive vote for gay marriage in Australia. By Craig Hanlon-Smith • 4 min read
Arts FEATURE: Friends Like These Carol Decker and T’Pau may seem an unlikely band of gay icons, but in 1987 they and their music were my gay teenage saviours. The album Bridge of Spies, now celebrating its 30th anniversary, saw me through my lonely angsty teenage years. I’d spend hours every week locked in my room “climbing the wal By Craig Hanlon-Smith • 4 min read
Community News OPINION: Craig’s Thoughts – Tell Me About It (Stud) or A Problem Halve In the August edition of this magazine, I shared at length an experience, a hate-crime of sorts and the debacle that followed at the hands of the criminal justice system. I have no intention of recounting here, either the incident itself or the ensuing overall affair, it is a chapter I am closing. By Craig Hanlon-Smith • 5 min read
Arts The things you see on Brighton beach at sunrise on a Sunday morning Should you happen to be out jogging along Brighton beach on Sunday morning around 6am, or walking the dog, chances are you will bump into Horsham based photographer Greg Turner, collecting people through the medium of his camera, then featured in his project The Things You See on Brighton Beach at S By Craig Hanlon-Smith • 3 min read
Features & Longread OPINION: Craig’s Thoughts – Be Brave, or I was born to be Queer As a youngster, I assumed the day would come when I would know all there was to know about life, love and happiness. The reflecting, the neglecting, the mistaking, the breaking, the betting, the fretting, the yearning, the learning would all eventually subside, and after the maelstrom of tortured y By Craig Hanlon-Smith • 4 min read
In The South Carry On Up The Crown Prosecution Service On the evening of May 13, 2016, my husband and I boarded a First Class train carriage to Manchester from London Euston. We heard the ladies before we saw them, as the group of three, aged between 35 and 55, rolled up the aisle laughing hysterically and demonstrating every gulp of wine they had clear By Craig Hanlon-Smith • 13 min read
In The South OPINION: Craig’s Thoughts Social Media is taking a beating. Almost each week there is a television news report suggesting links between an over-reliance on social interactions through the medium of an app, and the failing mental health of our youth. By Craig Hanlon-Smith • 5 min read
Arts FEATURE: For Whom the Bell Tolls Craig Hanlon-Smith spends an afternoon with local artist Mackenzie Bell. A saunter through Brighton’s magnificent Clifton Conservation Area is in many ways akin to stepping into a painting. The uninterrupted sunlight intensely throwing its reflection back into the air as it bounces off the immaculat By Craig Hanlon-Smith • 6 min read
In The South An open letter to the Prime Minister from Brighton & Hove Gscene columnist Craig Hanlon-Smith has sent an open letter to the Prime Minister, Theresa May about the plight of our gay brothers in Chechnya. By Craig Hanlon-Smith • 3 min read
Community News Why I’m running the Brighton Half-Marathon in support of Terrence Higgins Trust UK Gscene columnist Craig Hanlon-Smith explains why he will be running The Brighton Half-Marathon tomorrow (Sunday, February 26) in support of Terrence Higgins Trust UK. By Craig Hanlon-Smith • 5 min read
In The South OPINION: Is this language really acceptable? I feel incredibly privileged to live in a country where such action is both possible and spontaneous. I know there are many sensible arguments including some made by those close to me, that such action does little, perhaps it is even a waste of time. I disagree. When the democratic election protest By Craig Hanlon-Smith • 3 min read
Features & Longread OPINION: Craig’s Thoughts on love Love is excitement. Love is exhaustion. Love is daily. Love by the hour. Love is always. Love is never. Love at your leisure. Love that’s a pleasure. Love is now. Love is then. Love is today. Love is tomorrow. Love is never again. Love is light. Love is dark. Love is air. Love is fire. Love is creat By Craig Hanlon-Smith • 4 min read
Community News Gscene columnist runs to raise HIV/Aids awareness Craig Hanlon-Smith a regular columnist and feature writer for Gscene magazine runs in The Vitality Brighton Half Marathon in February to raise awareness of HIV/Aids and raise money for Terrence Higgins Trust (THT). By Besi • 1 min read
Features & Longread OPINION: Craig’s Thoughts: My gay male Icons are my friends and loves 2017 begins inauspiciously for the international LGBT+ community. As the inauguration of the US President Elect looms, even those parts of the world whom in recent years have made significant parallel political and social progress, face an ominous future as rumours of rolled back legislation abound. By Craig Hanlon-Smith • 5 min read
Arts She Loves You! The lives and works of Lez Ingham. Craig Hanlon Smith spends an evening in the company of artist Lez Ingham to find out what inspires her to paint the stars. By Craig Hanlon-Smith • 6 min read
Health OPINION: Careless talk costs lives Gscene columnist Çraig Hanlon-Smith urges NHS England to prescribe PreEP now to save lives, then engage in debate about behaviour tomorrow. By Craig Hanlon-Smith • 4 min read
News PREVIEW: My Brothers and Sisters My Brothers and Sisters – a one act play directed by Darren Mawdsley, opens a small window into the lives of a family and their friends in modern Britain, during the most challenging 48 hours they are ever likely to experience. By Contributor • 1 min read
Arts REVIEW: Madonna: The Rebel Heart Tour Whilst I have seen Madonna put on a show before, The Rebel Heart Tour has to be up there amongst her finest onstage outings. Although not amongst her most commercially successful, the Rebel Heart album is a cracker and of the opening seven songs, six are taken from her latest release. By Craig Hanlon-Smith • 2 min read
General News Why Greece needs you now, more than ever I write this to you from the island of Crete, where the beaches are two-thirds empty, the hotels less than half full and some restaurants all but deserted. For us, it’s a July holiday paradise. Turn up at any beach, any time of day and have your pick of the best spot, visit local points of interest By Craig Hanlon-Smith • 4 min read
Arts Putting the ‘T’ into comedy Claire Parker, is a stand up comedian, blogger, radio presenter, BBC writers consultant, project lead, oh and is a woman who also happens to be trans. She is also effortlessly calm and on her BBC writers room blog states: Why don’t we all put down our mud. Draw a line under it all and invite each ot By Craig Hanlon-Smith • 4 min read
Older and Out LGBTQ+ News Older and Out: May social Older and Out will be holding their next social on Friday, May 9 from 1-3pm at the Somerset Day Centre in Kemptown. OLDER and Out is a social group for older LGBT people. There is no need to book, just turn up, introduce yourself and tuck into some lunch. A talk will be given by Craig Hanlon-Smith w By Besi • 2 min read
Features & Longread Dave Lynn – No doormat… life inside the Dragon’s Den After 40 years in sequins and stilettos, Dave Lynn talks to Craig Hanlon-Smith about the life and loves of a legendary Drag Queen. November 2014 marks the 40th anniversary of the legendary Dave Lynn’s first venture into the world of drag. By Craig Hanlon-Smith • 9 min read
