Gay Times February 2015

gaytimes magazine number 442 February 2015
LOOKING
SERIES TWO
JONATHAN
GROFF AND
RUSSELL
TOVEY DO
THE DIRTY
FREDDIE
FOX
IS COMING
FOR YOU!
INTERVIEWS WITH
THE CAST OF
RUSSELL T DAVIES
CUCUMBER
AND BANANA
WOMANS
WORLD
Lauren Harries
on her new
trans dance
anthem
TV
THEUE! s
ISS orld y
w
a
Thegest g
big shows
Andy
Mientus
On playing
TVs first gay
supervillain
in The Flash
Michelle
Visage
Why Im
really doing
Celebrity Big
Brother!
FEBRUARY 2015 UK 4.30

THE ORIGINAL GAY MAGAZINE
gaytimes.co.uk / @gaytimesmag
MY NIGHT
WITH REG
Paying tribute
to a fallen
playwright
Fifth Harmony / Tyger Drew-Honey / Michelle Gomez / Judge Rinder / OK Go
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[36]
[02/15]
Editor DARREN SCOTT

Assistant Editor RYAN BUTCHER
Staff Writer BENJAMIN BUTTERWORTH
Design & Art Direction MARK KING
Editor-at-large JOHN MARRS
Music BOB HENDERSON
Columnists 2 LOVELY GAYS, LUKE ALEXANDER,
MICHAEL ALIG, PJ BRENNAN, BENJAMIN COHEN,
GASTRO GAYS, THE GUYLINER, CHRIS JONES, EDD
KIMBER, MICHELLE VISAGE, MIKEY WALSH
Contributors LUCIANA BERGER, BEN BLACKALL,
STEPHEN CONWAY, MATT CROCKETT, JOHN
ELSWORTH, ROBERT GERSHINSON, MIKE HIRD,
LEIGH KEILY, BRYAN KIRKWOOD, JOE MCCORMICK,
TIM MITCHELL, ANDREW MORRISON-GURZA , JUSTIN
MYERS, MATT RISLEY, LEE ROBERTS, ALEJANDRO
SANTIAGO, UMAR SARWAR, LUKE SMITH, JONATHAN
WALIK, JORDAN WELSHER, ANDREW WHITTY, TOM
WICKER, HON JIUN WONG
Pug-at-large TOBY
Cover image BEN BLACKALL
Thanks to KELLY APPLEGATE (Paradigm Agency),

KATY ARDAGH (Premier), BRYAN BALDWIN (Soffer
Namoff), SCOTT BOUTE (Serge PR), RUTH BRAY
(Premier), JENNIFER CHAPMAN (CLD Communications),
LUCY CONNOLLY (Lime Pictures), CLAIR DOBBS (CLD
Communications), MICHAEL GEISER (PMKBNC), SETH
HAUER (HBO), CHELSEA HAYES (Slate PR), CHRIS
HICKS (BBC Worldwide), ELENA KEMP (C4), JAMES
LEVER (Jo Allan PR), ROBYN MCMURRAY (C4), JOE
PARRY (Division PR), VICTORIA RAEBURN-WALES
(Prosper PR), EDWARD RUSSELL (Erlectro Music), ALEX
SAYER (CLD Communications), VICTORIA SHIRES (ITV),
GEOFF SOFFER (Soffer Namoff), JENNIFER SUTCLIFFE
(Bacchus PR), TIM WEST (Premier), HALEIGH WILLIAMS
(HBO), CHRIS WORWOOD (C4)
Design & Production Manager
ALEXANDER SMITH
Media Copy Sales and Marketing Manager
GAVIN MURPHY
Management Accountant ARNAUD SEGUIN
GT Advertising Sales ASH ALLIBHAI
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[60]
Gay Times magazine was founded in 1984

by CHRIS GRAHAM-BELL and ALEX MCKENNA
2015 GAY TIMES All rights reserved ISSN: 0950-6101

The mention or appearance or likeness of any person or organisation in articles
or advertising in GAY TIMES is not to be taken as any indication of the sexual,
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new series of Vicious start then? No responsibility can be assumed for any
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004-005 CONTENTS.indd 4
[80]
gaytimes.co.uk
09/01/2015 12:53
[contents]
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
[58]
first
06 Fitty at the front
12 Michelle Visage
14 Fifth Harmony
16 Mikey Walsh
20 Tyger Drew-Honey
24 Sweetie, Darling?
news
26 HIV and Hollyoaks
28 News debate
30 Auschwitz
34 Ben Cohen
features
36 Cucumber, Banana, Tofu
54 The Flash: Andy Mientus
58 Judge Rinder
60 Looking
[12]
[90]
style
76 Red for lth

80 Tower block
86 Grooming
entertainment
90 Lauren Harries
94 Music
98 My Night with Reg
102 Movies
105 Geek
106 Tech
real life
109 Readers Lives

110 Disabled sex
115 Michael Alig
117 Luke Alexander
118 The Guyliner
121 PJ Brennan
122 Fit with Chris Jones
125 2 Lovely Gays
126 Home style
128 Edd Kimber
129 Gastro Gays
130 Modern family
At last! Proper gays-on-thetelly-drama. It feels like

our lady-loving sisters have
had the monopoly on TV
programmes in recent years,
and while there are many gay
and bi male characters on
television now and yes, there are, whether you
think they represent or not its always good to
have a proper show that we can relate to. And
yes, Im harking back to Queer As Folk here. For
many, many people it was life-changing. So of
course its a joy to finally see Russell T Davies
sequel, of sorts, make it to the screen. Im a
self-confessed RTD fan and it feels like Ive been
asking him about this every time weve spoken
for years. I dont know what well talk about now.
Whos secretly gay, probably. But Cucumber
and Banana and online real life series Tofu
arent just about gay and bi men. Its about
everyone. Across the three brilliant shows its
pretty much as all-encompassing as you can be.
Which isn't quite Looking's manifesto, but the
more the merrier as the bearded, checked-shirtwearing men of San Francisco return for a second
series this month. Honestly, it's like waiting for
a bus... We also caught up with TV's first gay
supervillain, as played by out actor Andy Mientus
in The Flash, and the UKs answer to Judge Judy
Judge Rinder, another out man on national TV.
Probably couldn't have seen that coming when
Queer as Folk first hit screens... But its not all
about the boys, because of course weve been
chatting to some fabulous ladies too. Lauren
Harries wants to conquer the charts with her new
single and Michelle Gomez, well she just wants to
conquer the universe, frankly. Who are we to say
no? As they say, stay tuned...
Darren Scott @darren_scott
travel
132 Looking: San Francisco
E
ISSU
T
X
NE
ALE
S Y
ONFEBRUAR
18
gaytimes.co.uk
004-005 CONTENTS.indd 5
SUBSCRIBE
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PAGE 21
15
09/01/2015 10:23
fitty at the front
[02/15]
WORDS UMAR SARWAR IMAGES MATT CROCKETT
006-008 FIRST Fitty.indd 6
gaytimes.co.uk
06/01/2015 14:25
[first]
You might recognise
him from The X
Factor, when he
auditioned as part
of boyband The
Plastics. But now
Tom D London is
going it alone as
a solo artist. And
whooops, he just
so happens to have
lost all his clothes,
too. Presenting this
months GT Fitty...
Are you any good at flirting? I
used to be quite good at it, but Im
a little out of practice. Im not on
my top game anymore, so I dont
remember really what Im doing.
Whats the naughtiest thing
youve done this week? You
know what it is? I spent 20 quid on
sweets, cos I really wanted a pick
n mix. Thats honestly as naughty
as its getting for me this week.
Whats the sexiest accent? I used
to think it was really well-spoken
English, but recently Ive got this
thing for the Scottish. I dont know
where its come from. I really like
the American accent, too.
When was the last time you took
a naked selfie? I take pictures
in my pants daily, but full blown
naked? Ive never really done
that. Especially not to go on the
ol internet. If I make it as a singer
and all these people had naked
pictures of me Id panic! Id be
gaytimes.co.uk
17
06/01/2015 14:26
[first]
fitty at the front
[02/15]
like Kim Kardashian with a sex

tape I dont think my mum would
be able to handle it as well as Kris
Jenner did.
Whos your biggest man crush?
Douglas Booth because hes
manly, but not in a really rugged
way. Hes still quite a pretty boy in a
manly, sexy way.
Who was the last person to see
you naked? Matt, the photographer!
How boring! Well, saying that, Im in
a show at the moment, in a changing
room of boys, and we get naked all
the time. Theyre straight though, so
its not as fun as youd think.
Describe the pants youre
wearing White Versace briefs.
Im definitely a briefs kinda guy. I
like everything to be in one place.
Have you ever had sex outside?
Yes. But my mums going to read
this, so lets just leave it at outside.
Whatre your three top tips for
a good date? Be interested in
what each other are talking about,
listen to what the other person is
saying and be confident. Dont
be shy and reserved, cos that
makes everything uncomfortable.
If youre comfortable in your own
skin, its not going to be awkward.
If youre awkward, then the date is
gonna go shit.
Is Brad Pitt still hot? Yeah, hes
hot. But Ive never been like, Oh
my God, hes so perfect. Hes still
attractive, but hes not really a dilf
I would filth.
Whats your biggest dating
disaster? The worst thing is
when you meet up with someone
and they dont look like anything
you expected them to, and then
youre like, Oh, I dont fancy you
anymore
Which member of One Direction
would you marry? Zayn Malik.
But recently hes had this long hair
thing going on and Im not really
feeling it. He looks a bit greasy. But
usually, Id always say Zayn. n
Tom D Londons debut single Predator is
available on iTunes now, tomdlondon.com,
@tomdlondon
gaytimes.co.uk
06/01/2015 14:26
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07/01/2015
17:32:00
08/01/2015
14:09
seeing red
[02/15]
WHAT A PACKAGE
Underwear
subscription services
have really ahem
taken off recently,
and Union Red are
going that little bit
further with their new
launch this month.
Each bundle includes
socks alongside two
pieces of premium
underwear, and you
can choose from
button fly trunk or a
more athletic
brief sent direct to
your door.
Subscriptions from 40 a
month, unionred.co.uk
10
10-11 FIRST Speed Mix.indd 10
gaytimes.co.uk
09/01/2015 10:26
[first]
This Scottish king
of dance isnt
just pretty epic at
making music, hes
also now an Armani
model. The former
boyfriend of Rita
Ora is turning his
hand to fronting
their spring/summer
2015 collection,
as well as their
new eyewear and
watches lines. And
our watch tell us
its time Calvin got
his top off.
calvin for armani

SPEED
DATE
gaytimes.co.uk
10-11 FIRST Speed Mix.indd 11
Until 11 Apr
BAFTA awardwinning James
McAvoy returns
to Trafalgar
Transformed to
play a paranoid
schizophrenic 14th
Earl of Gurney. The
Ruling Classes
promises to both
entertain and
horror. trafalgartransformed.com
26 Jan-12 Jun
Time to head
back to school!
From staff room
rivalry to teenage
adolescence, The
History Boys opens
at Southends
Palace Theatre and
will travel all over
the country for the
next few months.
historyboysuk.
com
29 Jan-10 Oct
A Cole Porter
classic, Anything
Goes kicks off
its ten-month
tour at The New
Wimbledon Theatre.
Full of tap dancing
and high society,
it stars Debbie
Kurup and Matt
Rawle as the leads.
anythinggoestour.
com
1 Feb
Feeling charitable?
The Cancer
Research UK
London Winter Run
is a 10km run
round Londons
most iconic
landmarks.
Proceeds go to
Cancer Research
UK. Good, eh?
winterrunseries.
co.uk
14-15 Feb
Cabaret legend
Justin Vivian
Bond celebrates
Valentines Day in
Manchester this
year as part of the
Queer Contact
Festival, performing
original material
alongside the Pet
Shop Boys and
more. contactmcr.
com/justinbond
111
09/01/2015 10:27
column
[michelle visage]
[first]
To vote for
MICHELLE
to win #CBB
keep an eye on
@michellevisage
and
@gaytimesmag
12
012 FIRST Visage.indd 12
SURPRISE! Well, not really if you

had Twitter. No, seriously, it was the
worst kept secret ever. As you know
by now, Im in the Celebrity Big
Brother house! I hope youre voting
your butts off to keep me in. I came
in this house to win for the gays, so
do your part and be gay, and Ive
got the rest covered. I hope Im
providing good meme content and
hashtags for your social networking
enjoyment.
Heres the real T. Most people that
came into this house have packed
for the duration of the show
whatever that may be. I, on the other
hand, when Im done, embark on a
three month tour with RuPauls Drag
Race Battle of the Seasons coming
to Manchester 12 April and London
16 April. So imagine my face when
they told me I was only allowed
TWO SUITCASES in the house. Dont
they know Im the biggest drag
queen of them all?
Some of you may think Im crazy
for doing this, but I want you to
know why I chose to subject myself
to this lunacy. I want the UK to know
about equality, gay rights, trans
rights and the fact that we can all
coexist peacefully under the same
sky. Theres no need for bigotry
and hatred when we all bleed the
same shade of red. So if you can
remember that when Im doing a cat
impression, Id really appreciate it.
As well as this happening for me on
this side of the pond, Im so excited
for the season premiere of RuPauls
Drag Race series seven. I hope
youre all continuing to tweet me
your thoughts, because you know
the first thing Ill do when I get my
connection with the outside world
back will be to jump straight on my
Twitter to see what youre all are
saying. PS: What an inappropriate
time for Benidorm to restart. Any
spoilers and I WILL hunt you down...
Until next month my babies, you
know what to do. Keep hitting me
up on Twitter @michellevisage and
keep voting for me on CBB!!! Love
you all SO much!! XXX MV n
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 15:22
GT442-THUR.indd 13
08/01/2015 14:15
Fifth Harmony are a reality girl

group from the US X Factor with
their eyes firmly set on breaking the
UK. You might remember them on
our version in December, singing
their last single Bo$$, a female
empowerment anthem with backing
vocals harking back to En Vogues
My Love (Youre Never Gonna Get
It), coupled with the very modern
sounds and go-girl sentiments of
Salute and Run the World (Girls).
Theyre the combination of our
greatest X Factor exports, being
a hybrid of Little Mix and One
Direction the former partly in
sound and style, and the latter in
14
014-15 FIRST Fifth Harmony.indd 14
fstiavers
online hysteria and fan devotion.

So obviously we just had to speak
with them. Notably, the charming
and excitable Dinah. She tells us
about their travelling sisterhood
they used to be called LYLAS (Love
You Like A Sister) and the support
they give each other on tour. Being
on the road especially is hard, she
says, and we have each other to
cry on, cos you know were girls.
There are moments when we need
tears. We start dropping down tears
and thats where the sisterly thing
comes in handy, especially when it
comes to boys. We just try to lean
on each other.
gaytimes.co.uk
06/01/2015 12:10
[first]
As well as their sibling-like bonds,

another description that follows Fifth
Harmony around is goofy, a role in
which Dinah delights. Well, Im the
prankster of the group, so I like to
pull pranks on the girls. We were on
the Demi Lovato tour and I got a little
too excited, I was like, Oh I think
itd be so cool if I put some whipped
cream in a bowl and slam it in her
face. And thats what I did on the last
show. Demi I love you! And then I
splattered this pie in her face.
Way harsh Tai.
She laughs, Yeah! She wanted
to kill me afterwards, but we both
laughed it off
gaytimes.co.uk
014-15 FIRST Fifth Harmony.indd 15
WORDS BOB HENDERSON
The one thing we didnt tell you

about Dinah Jane Hansen is her
age. Shes 17, born two years after
Clueless came out. But does being
the youngest member mean you can
get away with these things?
Yeah, sometimes, she laughs
again, I think cos Im the
youngest, everyone is Dinah is fine,
Dinah can slide. So Im like OK!
Alongside their sassy Bo$$
single, theyve got pencilled-in
single Sledgehammer (an absolute
electropop banger, if youre asking)
and have even recorded songs with
Meghan Trainor for their debut
album Reflections. What we want
to know is, are there anymore
electropop numbers to come?
On this album, you can tell from
the singles thatve come out like
Bo$$ and Sledgehammer, that the
sound doesnt really match, they
dont really sound related. Were
showing were being versatile on
this album. Because were five girls
and we like five different things,
different sounds. Camila, she likes
the Ed Sheeran feel, Normani and I
like the RnB, Lauren likes the indie
stuff and Ally the pop stuff. Theres a
mix of so many things.
For X Factor finalists coming
third, theyve already outrun their
competitors. They even have their
own range of Barbies, despite
Dinah not being able to afford them
as a kid. Shed instead play at her
cousins, who had boxes of them.
Its a blessing to have my own
Barbie, she says, Im looking
at my own Barbie, Im looking at
my own reflection. I think what
makes my Barbie unique is that
shes Polynesian. Ive never seen
a Barbie thats Polynesian before
and I think Im the first Polynesian
Barbie. Shes not there was one
in 1994 that came with a grass skirt,
lei and floral garland but shes
certainly the first Polynesian Barbie
from a charting girl band.
Its all rather camp and may go
some way to explaining their appeal
to their US gay fans, which Dinah is
audibly excited to get talking about.

There are woo-hoos.
We actually do have a lot of gay
fans, weve met so many. I mean,
I have a lot of gay cousins, so Im
just Heyyyy. Needless to say, she
ticks all the boxes, loves her gay
fans and gets the most confidence
from her gay fans in the crowd. But
we were more intrigued by the mild
homoeroticism we found among
5H fans when we dipped a toenail
into the insane online hysteria that
follows the girls wherever they
tweet. We learnt a new word, well
let Dinah explain.
Shipping? I didnt know what
shipping was either, until I started
being in this group. Especially
with Camila, she was like the
biggest shipper kind of girl. So
shipping is putting two people
together, a couple together, or
whoever. Lets say Selena Gomez
with Justin [Bieber], placing them
together and then you mix the
name together. I guess their name
is Julena? Thats it. I didnt know
what it was before either, I was like,
What the heck is shipping?
Its not just Julena, Fifth
Harmony fans do it all the time.
There are separate fan Wiki
pages on each ship.
But its so cute when they ship
us girls with each other. We all
ship around. Everyone has a
favourite ship.
Which begs the question,
whats yours?
Erm, lemme see She pauses
over the quandary of picking her
favourite like-a-sister band mate.
Finally she says, I ship everyone!
And laughs, I need to figure out
names to ship all five of us. We
came up with Alaurmanilanah,
but surely the point of the band is
that theyre already one big ship?
Well just stick to calling them Fifth
Harmony. n
Debut album Reflection will be released on
27 January, Bo$$ and Sledgehammer are
both out now, fifthharmonyofficial.com,
@fifthharmony.
115
06/01/2015 12:10
[mikey walsh]
Its about that time

of year when weve
probably given up
on our resolutions and gotten back
to smoking 40 fags and sinking
four gin and tonics a day. And you
know what?
So bastard what.
Ive honestly and completely
lost touch with why it is that we
deprive ourselves of the stuff that
makes us feel good, just to keep
up with society and the demands
on what were supposed to be
doing to be happier and more
functional people.
Id like to state right here,
just for anyone that lives by
affirmations to help them get
through the days, that theres no
such thing as a fully functional
and completely happy person.
But therell always be those that
tell you otherwise. Who say things
like First love yourself and you
will be loved. Or, Treat others as
you want to be treated and itll be
reciprocated.
Think positively and all your
dreams come true
Its all a lovely and enticing
theory, yes, but its also a theory
16
016 FIRST Mikey Walsh.indd 16
THE CONTINUING
ADVENTURES
OF GYPSY BOY
and way of living that were all

doomed to fail at it.
Bottom line. There is NOTHING
wrong with being a little bit of a
screw up. In fact, your insecurities,
habits and little idiosyncrasies
are the things that are unique to
you, and what separates you from
everybody else. They make you
damn beautiful and you need to
remember that.
Therell always be people out
there that try and make you feel
inadequate; some to the point
where you start to believe that its
their lot in life to do so. And no
matter how nice you are, and how
much you strive to be liked, therell
always be that one person out
there thatll give you a hard time
and bad press, no matter what you
do. But thats not because of you.
Thats because some people, to put
it bluntly, are just cunts.
Theyre not worth your time, life
force, anger, or effort. And 99%
of the time, theyll only be acting
this way to throw you, because
of the way you make them feel
inadequate themselves.
So this year so far hasnt turned
out quite the way you planned
Therell
always be
that one
person
out there
thatll give
you a hard
time, no
matter
what you
do. But
thats not
because
of you.
Thats
because
some
people are
just cunts
@thatbloodymikey
column
[first]
Dont worry about it. Who cares

if buggerlugs from Clapham has
already got pecs, thighs, a new
fella and a new job in PR all in two
months?
If hed got hit by a brick and was
now walking around thinking he
was Gloria Gaynor, itd still make
absolutely no ripples in your life
My point is, if you live your life
comparing yourself to others, then
youre doomed to fail. Only the
most psychotic of people would
ever take to Twitter to announce
that they hate themselves, their
husband wont touch them anymore
and their job is bollocks. No one
ever wants to be publicly seen that
way, and so living your day-to-day
routine in comparison to someones
online persona is pointless.
If I had no self-control my Twitter
feed would be MENTAL, believe
me. But I restrain myself and tweet
my despair cryptically, if at all.
If you need to make changes in
your life, do it because you want
to and need to, not just because
youre jealous of what someone
else appears to have. And you
dont have to wait until the next
New Year to promise yourself you
will. Just write it down, so you can
physically see what it is you want to
achieve and need to change, and
prioritise what it is that you need to
do to improve your situation.
There is no race to be had.
Sometimes, just recognising the
things youre finding a struggle can
really help you start to mentally
change your way of thinking, and
looking at things logically. And
one thing at a time! No matter how
long it takes, the important thing
is that youre doing something
about it and not just seething over
some bugger that holds absolutely
no place in your life apart from an
online profile. Remember, the only
fate from being jealous of others is
that itll eventually eat you alive.
And itll start to show in
you and bitterness is
one ugly bitch. n
gaytimes.co.uk
06/01/2015 12:11
GT442-THUR.indd 17
08/01/2015 17:13
this just in...
[02/15]
Now Im a Belieber
It cant have
escaped your
attention that Justin
Bieber is the new
face and tattooed
body of Calvin
Klein jeans and
underwear. And now
we feel even older
for remembering
Marky Mark
Wahlbergs 90s
shoot for them.
Theres imagery
and videos aplenty
online, so until the
briefs campaign
lands, lets take
another look at him
to the left here.
Blimey they grow up
quickly these days,
dont they?
calvinklein.com/justin
E
UV
YO TTA
GO UGH
LA
18
018-19 FIRST Mix.indd 18
Some of the greatest comedians are celebrated in a new

book by photographer and friend of GT Matt Crockett.
Following an exhibition in Edinburgh last year, 50 Comics
now continues life as a limited edition book signed by the
man behind the lens himself. Miranda Sings, pictured
here, features alongside Rowan Atkinson, The League of
Gentlemen, Jack Whitehall and Leslie Jordan to make up the
50 in question. Plus it comes with the gay seal of approval
yes, Stephen Frys tweeted about it. Available at mattcrockett.com, 14.95
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 15:24
[first]
KNIGHT
IN BLACK
LEATHER
----------
Were officially
booking June off
to sit in our pants
and play Batman:
Arkham Knight.
It concludes the
Arkham gaming
trilogy with a
brilliant new
Batmobile and a
cool new look for
the Bat himself.
Extremely limited
edition versions
are available to
pre-order now...
Released 2 June on PS4,
Xbox One and PC
gaytimes.co.uk
018-19 FIRST Mix.indd 19
119
08/01/2015 15:24
GT chats with teen sitcom

actor and son of porn stars,
Tyger Drew-Honey, as
he joins exotic whodunnit
Death in Paradise
----------
Hello Tyger! Tell us about Death in

Paradise I play a character called Ryan
whos 16. Basically, my dad has uprooted
me from my life in England and dragged
me over to this boring little island and I
dont really like it very much. Ive got no
friends and Im a bit bored. I kind of resent
him for that. The episode opens with us
doing a reenactment of the first European
settlers settling in the island that I now
live on and thats when the murder takes
place. EVERYONE is in the picture.
Are you good at figuring out mysteries?
Well, the thing is, when you read the script,
you know, because you have a script. But
when its on TV, its shown in a way that
the audience will find tough to work out.
Theres lots of twists and turns
Thats Tyger Drew-Poirot to us,
then? Im more of a Sherlock Holmes.
Benedict Cumberbatch portrayed him
so well and as cool, and hes such a
20
020 FIRST Tyger.indd 20
tyger drew-honey
matted character. Id actually love to

give him a go.
How was filming in the Caribbean? It
was absolutely fantastic! To get a phone
call and be told youve got three weeks in
the Caribbean. Especially because I was
only working for like eight days. Most
of the time out there I was just sat on the
beach. And even when I was filming there
was a lot of hanging around, when you
can just go and sit on a rock and dangle
your toes in the sea! And because its
filmed there for like six months a year,
and its such a small island, everyone on
the island knows what Death in Paradise
is, so its really welcoming.
Did you let your hair down? There was
one time we went to a Full Moon Party with
the crew and we partied all night! I was
dancing and everyone knew everyone on
the island; all my new Caribbean friends.
The Full Moon one was literally just an
all night party on the beach with dancing
and lasers and stuff. Then there was a
beach party at this five star hotel, but it
was really expensive for a table, so ten of
us all chipped in and got champagne. We
watched all these big jiggly Caribbean
bums bouncing everywhere.
WORDS BENJAMIN BUTTERWORTH
[first]
[02/15]
What was the reaction like to your

porn documentary last year? The
porn series was very well received, I
think a lot of people learned from it. Its
something thats been associated with
me for a long time now, with my parents
being in porn. To be honest, I think
people were just surprised that I had
porn star parents and turned out OK. You
know, Im not a scum bag.
Did you get naked yourself? There was
one episode where I had a back, sack
and crack, and in the commentary I say,
Oh God, I cant imagine what everyone
is tweeting right now! I was looking at
the tweets and they were like, Did I just
see Tygers anus?!
Whats new in 2015, Tyger? Ive just
started doing a new series, and the first
one is going to be about youth sexuality,
because were the first generation with
more freedom to explore our sexuality
and call ourselves something other than
gay or straight. Ive got my new series
of Tyger Takes On coming up and
fingers crossed we might have another
series of Cuckoo. n
Death in Paradise with Tyger Drew-Honey airs 22
Jan, 9PM, BBC One, @tyger
gaytimes.co.uk
06/01/2015 12:13
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15/01/2015 16:01
[first]
first look
[02/15]
Hollyoaks exclusive! Hollyoaks Ste, played by Kieron Richardson,

is set for a rocky 2015. As revealed in GT last November, this
month Ste finds out hes HIV-positive. Its a gay first for a TV soap,
and will see the newly married character come to terms with his
status. But not before confronting his one night stand Connor. To
whet your appetite, weve got exclusive pics from the show... n
The episodes pictured air on Channel 4 at 6.30pm, on 21 and 26 January, @hollyoaks
22
022 FIRST Hollyoaks.indd 22
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 15:28
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

Hilariously campy humour.
Catchy, foot-tapping tunes
Time Out
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Extremely well-crafted tunes

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A steamy, saucy and at

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Sure to be a hit
Musical Theatre Review
FROM 25 FEB 2015
Book today: www.abovethestag.com
GT442-THUR.indd 23
vauxhall
08/01/2015 10:35
Michelle Gomez was

our favourite thing
about Green Wing
and Psychobitches.
And now as Missy, a
female incarnation of
the Master, shes also
our favourite thing
about Doctor Who
Swee
t
i
Dare,
ling
WORDS DARREN SCOTT

IMAGE LEE ROBERTS
24
024-25 FIRST Sweetie.indd 24
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 15:29
[first]
Youre promoting series eight

of Doctor Who on DVD is
this your first experience of
meeting Doctor Who fans?
Yes. Apart from the other
day I did get some croissants
[giggles] because there was a
woman in Brooklyn that liked
Doctor Who, so she gave me
some free pastries.
Pick a question from our
sweetie jar Can we have one
with my foot in it? Would that
work? I think I could probably
get both legs in there [laughs]. I
think I should be standing in it.
Have you ever thrown a diva
tantrum? No I havent no. What
with me not being a diva, no.
Whats the most embarrassing
moment of your career?
Probably when I was a crow,
stuck up a tree when I was
first starting out. Squawking at
people to come into my show.
which didnt work. It was all just
me and one guy out there. It was
when I was first starting out, it
was at the Edinburgh festival. I
gave good crow.
When was your campest
moment? Oh I think Missys
pretty camp! Missys pretty high
up the list of being my campest
creation. Well, I mean you pop
that outfit on and theres not
much else you need to do really.
Whats your favourite song
to sing in the shower? Oh
umm hmm, what was that one?
[Starts singing] What about me,
about my life. [Laughs] Jennifer
Hudson sang it in Dreamgirls.
Whos your biggest crush?
Biggest crush my husband
[Jack Davenport]. Hes gorgeous.
Still I get asked: How did you
do that? [Laughs] I mean, when
you get married to somebody,
youve been with them for 18
years and youre talking about
Have you fixed the dishwasher,
you forget youve got that sorta
domestic bliss going on and
then occasionally you see them
gaytimes.co.uk
024-25 FIRST Sweetie.indd 25
with fresh eyes and occasionally

I do go [gasp] My God, youre
quite good looking. Because
normally its [nagging voice]
Have you done this? Have you
done that? And then you go, Oh
my God, youre gorgeous.
What would you name your
autobiography? Damn, Ive
had a good few in the past and
now Im on the spot I cant think
what they are. Oh I dont know.
Oh! Pop It In And Give It A
Good Stir [laughs].
Whats your favourite word?
Potato. Hollamackadoo.
Whats your biggest pet hate?
Hollamackadoo is a very good
word. I just made it up. What was
the other question?
Whats your biggest pet hate?
Oh its sort of inertia.
Whos the most famous person
youve ever met? Maybe Jack
Nicholson. Just did a show with
a couple of famous people. Tim
Robbins, Jack Black, theyre
quite famous. I dont know, in
this business you sortve, you
meet famous people dont you.
You just kinda go, Oh, hiya.
Wheres the strangest
place youve ever put
your hand? [Laughs] Thats
pathetic. I flew all the way
from New York for this
If your anger had a shape
what would it be? My anger
had a shape? A puma. The shape
of a puma.
What five words best describe
you? Giddy, dark, light, kind
and adventurous.
Whats the first thing you
do when you wake up? First
thing I do Well, I have a pee
[laughs]. Brush my teeth.
Whats your favourite breed of
dog? Oh, its Jack Russell. I have
one. Frank Arthur Davenport.
Hes about seven now. Got him
in Fulham.
Whats the best freebie youve
ever been given? [Quickly] Oh,
you know, first class flights.
Not croissants? Such a diva

Oh! First class fights, see I AM a
diva. First class flights, darling.
What a cunt.
What was the last thing you
read about yourself on the
internet? I dont. I just dont.
I just dont go there. I dont
even watch myself either. I
havent really seen this. I tried
to watch it the other night but
the cable box kept cutting out
every single time I came on. It
worked perfectly fine for the
commercials but every time I
came on it just cut out. I tend to
just sort of say it and go, and Im
onto the next thing.
Whats the worst lie youve
ever pulled off? That Im a
woman. That Im Jacks beard.
Which reality TV show would
you most want to go on? Oof
no. No. I couldnt. No no. I dont
think I could do that. [Adopts
luvvey actor voice] Just out of
principle, because then Id be
out of a job you see!
What kind of films are you
into? Funny and sad, happy
and you know, all the films with
all the stuff in them [laughs].
The last film I went to see was
Birdman, which was incredible,
and I like lots of yknow, dark,
edgy, Norwegian films. You know,
everything and anything really.
Anything with Will Ferrell in it.
Anything with a broad spectrum
of any genre, really.
Whats the strangest thing
a fan has ever given you? I
havent really, well back to the
croissant again. I havent really
been given anything from a
fan. Yet. Well, that fucking jar is
a bit odd.
Youre not having it. [Laughs]
And youre not a fan! Youre not
having it and Im not a fan. Have
this ladder, climb to the top of it
and get over yourself [laughs].
Whats your worst ever
injury? Oh, gangrene. On what
you would normally call, well
Im perfect physically from the

knee down and the rest is a
mess. Yeah, I had gangrene on
the shin. I smacked it. It was an
injury when I flung myself off
a 30 foot ramp because I was
doing a show and my catcher
didnt really catch me and my
leg smashed down the side of
it. I didnt really do anything
about it until it went green. Oh
its fine, its fine
If you could be an animal
which would you be and why?
A bird. Id like to be a bird
flying around the sky. Looking at
people. Shitting on people from
high [laughs].
If you could go back in time
to any period of history when
would it be and why? The
50s. Just because of the music.
Thats why I love Desmond
Carrington, from his home in
Perthshire. BBC Radio 2, I think.
Yes, I just love the romance and
all that jazz.
Whos your style icon? Maggie
Smith. Frances de la Tour. If
you could have Maggie Smith,
Frances de la Tour mashed
up with a bit of smattering of
Jennifer Lopez. That would be
the most perfect woman. [Flips
her hair] Im still, Im still Missy
from the block.
That was a missed
opportunity. There should be
more Missy songs like that.
[Sings] Im still, Im still Missy
from the block, used to have a
little now I have a lot. Now Ive
got the universe.
There must be loads of Missy
puns. What else havent we
done? I dont know but we
have to say goodbye to Missy,
because shes the Master.
You mean we cant keep
calling her Missy, we have to
call her the Master? I insist
upon it at home [laughs]. n
Michelle Gomez may or may not return
as Missy or The Master in Doctor Who
later this year, series eight is out now
125
09/01/2015 14:39
analysis
[02/15]
LAST YEAR, HOLLYOAKS KIERON

RICHARDSON SPOKE TO GT
ABOUT PLAYING SOAPS FIRST GAY
HIV-POSITIVE CHARACTER. BUT
SHOULD IT REALLY BE LEFT TO TV
TO EDUCATE GUYS ABOUT SEXUAL
HEALTH? THE MAN BEHIND SOAPS
FIRST MAJOR GAY CHARACTER,
LORD MICHAEL CASHMAN,
GIVES HIS RESPONSE
WORDS BENJAMIN BUTTERWORTH IMAGE LEE ROBERTS
WHETHER YOU WATCH HOLLYOAKS
that HIV is a gay disease. But on the other
or not, theres no denying that the soap
hand, Yusef Azad, director of policy and
is making history. Kieron Richardsons
campaigns at the National AIDS Trust,
media where it was only portrayed, and
Ste is set to become the first-ever major
thinks its about time.
I quote, as a gay plague. There was
gay character in a British soap to be

diagnosed HIV-positive.
Except, when GT broke the news online
We were going through a time in the
Reality isnt stigmatising, he tells
one MP who stood up and said: This is a
us, its empowering. A storyline which
good thing because it would destroy the
shows the challenges for a gay man living
homosexual population.
back in November, it was met with a great
with HIV but which also confounds the
deal of surprise.
stereotypes is perfectly possible.
Many commented that Mark Fowler
discriminate, unlike homophobia.
The gay community need not and
But unlike Hollyoaks today, he was keen

that neither of EastEnders gay characters
contracted HIV, for concern it would
from EastEnders had been HIV-positive,
should not be ashamed of how HIV affects
affirm the negative impressions of gay
or pointed to Colin Russell EastEnders
us. We should only be ashamed if were
men which dogged the 80s.
first gay character, played by Lord
silent on its impact and do nothing to
Michael Cashman as having also
change things.
contracted HIV.
In fact, both were inaccurate. Mark
In 1989, Michael Cashman had the first
I was very keen we didnt reinforce

that stereotype that the only long-term
gay character in the show had HIV.
gay kiss on British television, playing
And indeed we kind of led the public to
Fowler did indeed have HIV, but he wasnt
EastEnders Colin Russell. The story
believe that Colin might be HIV-positive
gay. Colin Russell was gay, but his illness
was hugely controversial, with The Sun
when he had a series of illnesses, but
turned out to be MS, not HIV.
dubbing it EastBenders and accusing
it was revealed that it was sclerosis. So
scriptwriters of being responsible for
overnight, peoples prejudices thought
the epidemic of HIV and AIDS.
theyd been fulfilled, when actually they
It was almost a self-fulfilling stereotype

that so many commenters assumed Mark
Fowler had been a gay man, purely
Weve got to deal with the reality
were challenged.
because he was positive. But given that
that gay men, like lesbians, trans, are
contractions of HIV are significantly higher
like heterosexual people, he tells GT.
HIV have seemingly come full circle.
among men who sleep with men in 2012,
Were subject to the same conditions
Though it isnt generally seen as a gay
there were 3,250 diagnoses its a surprise
in which we live, the same illnesses,
disease anymore, on average, theres
that on TV there hasnt been any.
the same diseases. The one thing that
almost TEN new diagnoses for guys
we know about disease is that it doesnt
sleeping with guys every day. Isnt it time
The worry is that itll give the impression

26
26-27 NEWS Analysis.indd 26
Almost 30 years on and the issues of
gaytimes.co.uk
06/01/2015 14:21
[news]
these issues were tackled head on?
Were facing a real challenge in
ensuring that young gay men are aware of
the risks of HIV, says Mathhew Hodson of
the GMFA. The Hollyoaks storyline has
the potential to be really powerful and also
one of the more honest depictions of HIV
that weve seen.
Of course HIV isnt a gay disease.
It doesnt have a sexuality and it
doesnt have a morality; its a virus it
is transmitted through body fluids and
it just so happens that anal sex without
a condom is a very efficient method of
transmission.
Thats why Michael Cashman says things
have changed since his EastEnders days.
Weve moved on, therefore the
interpretation of the character is right for
several reasons, he tells us. Part of the
reality is that a lot of gay men are now
engaging in unsafe sex, because of the
retroviral drugs. And its still seen as a
threat within the gay community.
Weve changed our laws in this country
and so its right that weve pushed public
opinion and changes in society to a
position where Hollyoaks now feels it can
do it. Its so easy to say they should have
done it earlier, any other soaps could
be accused of doing the same. Im more
interested in how we portray the people if
they test early and live healthy, fulfilling,
full lives, even being HIV-positive.
New contractions have soared in recent
years something Michael puts down
to years of having to lead the life of a
rubber nun. Meanwhile the government
declined to update guidelines on sex and
relationship education; stagnant for more
than a decade now.
Shouldnt governments of all
shades have done more? I think
what governments do, Michael says,
is support innovation, they support
research, they support information and
education. But interestingly, in getting the
message across, soaps are probably the
best able to do it so, the most effectively.
The Hollyoaks storyline continues to
play out on Channel 4. Lets just hope that
the message to be serious about your
sexual health is listened to.
Hollyoaks is on Channel 4 at 6.30pm and E4 at 7pm.
The episode when Ste receives his HIV diagnosis airs
on 21 January, @hollyoaks, @mcashmancbe
gaytimes.co.uk
26-27 NEWS Analysis.indd 27
127
06/01/2015 14:22
[debate]
[news]
WHOSE
RESPONSIBILITY
IS SEX ED?
As rates of new
HIV infections
continue to rise,
we ask whether
politicians do
enough to educate
the youth, or if its
being left to the
media?
POLITICS Luciana Berger
Luciana is Labour and Co-operative MP for Liverpool Wavertree and

Shadow Minister for Public Health. She tweets @lucianaberger.
The UK has some of the best clinical outcomes for

people living with HIV in the world. More people are
receiving care and the once universally fatal virus now
has become a more long-term, manageable condition.
Yet, despite improvements in how we treat HIV,
work to prevent it has not kept up. The number of
people living with HIV in the UK has reached more
than 100,000 for the first time, and a quarter of those
are unaware they have it. Its time that ministers made
prevention a national priority.
A National AIDS Trust survey revealed the scale
of the problem more than half of the British public
dont understand how HIV is transmitted. Even more
concerning is this lack of awareness could be getting
worse. The number of people who think you can
get HIV from impossible routes such as coughing or
sneezing has gone up by 20% since 2010.
We urgently need leadership from government
at national and local levels to address the stigma
surrounding HIV, so that people feel able to talk about
it, ask questions and access testing without fear. The
most affected young people and groups, including
gay and bisexual men, are still not receiving adequate
information about the dangers of HIV. We need to
improve education, so Im delighted that Labour has
committed to making sex and relationship education
compulsory in every school.
Under this governments unwanted reorganisation
of the NHS, HIV has been separated from other sexual
health services, which has reduced the quality of
provision in some areas. Its not acceptable that young
people will get a markedly worse service because of
their postcodes.
Some of the best programmes around the country
already show us what can be achieved when the
will is there. It is the governments job to make sure
that these are not the exception, but the norm by
making this a priority and sending a strong message
prevention is always better than cure. n
28
028 NEWS Debate.indd 28
MEDIA Bryan Kirkwood
Bryan is Hollyoaks executve producer. Updates and latest news

about the show can be read @Hollyoaks.
Stes story had been pitched a couple of times

before and I was always nervous or hesitant to tell
a story about a young gay man that reinforced a
decades-old stigma that HIV is a gay disease.
But then I started looking at the facts and the
realisation that highest rising rates in 2012 were among
gay men (newer statistics released in November are
even more worrying) and felt that by avoiding the
subject, we were doing our audience a disservice a
generation of young people who didnt think HIV was
to do with them and a generation of young gay men
who, through lack of sex education, could be at risk.
When we tell stories like this, the lead-in time can
stretch into months and years, and during that time a
very good friend of mine was diagnosed. My friend,
who is gay, had taken risks because he thought HIV
had gone away. While were not making a judgment on
anyones lifestyle choices, we want people to be fully
armed with the facts to make informed decisions.
I find it incredibly disappointing that sex and
relationship education is limited and sometimes
none existent in British schools. I was brought up
by my gay dad in the 80s, when Section 28 made it
impossible for me to talk about my home life or my
dads status at school. Its not an exaggeration to
say social services wouldve investigated what was
actually a happy, warm and brilliant home life. While
Section 28 is a distant memory, thank God, I believe it
casts a long shadow and that resistance to discussing
gay relationships and sexuality in the classroom still
pervades, creating ignorance and fear.
HIV may not be a death sentence anymore, but it
can seriously limit or alter the quality of your health if
youre not diagnosed and receiving treatment.
Online support accompanies every episode of
Hollyoaks and whats evident from the feedback is that,
for some young people, Hollyoaks and other soaps are
the only access theyre getting to responsible sex and
relationship education. n
gaytimes.co.uk
06/01/2015 14:22
Introducing Pedros New Women

STARRING OLIVIER AWARD-WINNING ACTRESS
TAMSIN GREIG (Episodes, Green Wing, Jumpy, God of Carnage),
the smart new musical comedy Women on the Verge of a Nervous
Breakdown also stars Haydn Gwynne (The Audience, Billy Elliot),
Jrme Pradon (Les Miserables, Pacific Overtures), Anna Skellern
(BBCs The Interceptor) and Willemijn Verkaik (Wicked). Powered
by a live band onstage, music by David Yazbek and a laugh-out-loud
book by Jeffrey Lane (writers of the current West End hit musical
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), the colour and chaos of Pepas Madrid
will light up London this winter.
On the streets of Madrid, a city pulsing with art, industry, and

passion, Pepas world is unravelling. Her lover leaves her. And then
she meets his wife. And his son. And his new girlfriend. Meanwhile,
Pepas best friend is tangled up in her own romantic crisis with a
suspected criminal, leaving Pepa with only the taxi driver to help
navigate the Gran Va ahead.
Directed by Tony Award-winner Bartlett Sher (South Pacific, The
King and I), this hilarious and heartfelt musical based on Pedro
Almodvars award-winning trailblazing film celebrates women
centre stage at the Playhouse Theatre now. Book your taxi now.
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!
VERY FUNNY AND WITTY,
DEFINITELY 5 STARS!
AUDIENCES ARE RAVING ABOUT THE NEW MUSICAL
COMEDY - LAUGH OUT LOUD FUN
EXCELLENT INTERPRETATION OF THE FILMCOMBINED THE ORIGINAL THEMES AND HUMOUR
IN AN IMAGINATIVE WAY
A FANTASTIC SHOW - STYLISH, SOPHISTICATED,
SEXY AND SMARTLY FUNNY
A GREAT NIGHT OUT! ONE NOT TO BE MISSED!
WIN A TRIP FOR TWO TO MADRID
To celebrate the brand new West End show, were giving you
a chance to win one of two fabulous mini-breaks so you too
can lose yourselves in Pedros Madrid.
For a chance to win return flights to Madrid for two people,
plus two nights in a luxury city-centre hotel, simply go to
www.gaytimes.co.uk. Terms and conditions apply.
GT442-THUR.indd 29
08/01/2015 14:09
anniversary
[02/15]
THE GAY
HOLOCAUST
VICTIMS
HISTORY
FORGOT
27 January marks
the 70th anniversary
of the liberation of
Auschwitz-Birkenau
WORDS BENJAMIN BUTTERWORTH IMAGES HOLOCAUST EDUCATIONAL TRUST / ISTOCK
30
30-33 NEWS Auschwitz.indd 30
ITS EXTENT OF TORTURE IS

unparalleled in European history;
unthinkable by any civilisation.
What happened within the barbed
gates of Auschwitz remains the
deep shame of a now peaceful
continent. The Nazi concentration
camps were the abattoirs of
humanity, making it their business
to kill as quickly and mercilessly
as possible.
Though it may be an impossible
episode to comprehend, as the
70th anniversary of Auschwitzs
liberation dawns on 27 January,
comprehend it we must. Its guys
like us if wed been born in a
different nation in a different time
whod have seen first-hand the
ugliest face of human oppression.
Exact estimates of deaths at
Auschwitz are difficult to come

by. The killings were so fast the
disabled, young and elderly were
frequently killed immediately on
arrival that reliable registers
dont exist. Its a figure upwards
of one million.
The Jews, gypsies, Jehovahs
Witnesses, criminals and the
politically outspoken were viewed
by Nazis as incompatible with
their Aryan race. So, too, were
homosexuals. It was a declared aim
of the Nazi regime to completely
eradicate gay men.
More than 100,000 were
arrested. Thousands upon
thousands perished, either
through gas chambers or by
torture. By 2012, all known gay
survivors had died. But other
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 13:36
[news]
survivors of this human atrocity
continue to walk among us. The
horrors of Auschwitz are still
alive.
Before Nazi rule, Berlin had
been one of the most open cities
in the world. Gay bars and
dance halls had sprouted across
metropolitan landscapes, and
many gay men and women led
open, contented lives.
Today its hard to imagine what
it was like in Berlin after the 191418 war, recalled Heinz F, one gay
survivor, then aged 94. In Berlin
those were the golden years.
Paragraph 175 of the German
Penal Code had prohibited
homosexual acts since 1871, but
the Weimar Republic had seen a
change in public attitudes. Though
it technically remained illegal, the
law had become semi-redundant.
We were free in the whole of
Berlin, we could do what we
wanted, he recalled.
Dr Magnus Hirschfeld was a
prominent physician at the time. A
gay man himself, he founded the
Institute of Sexology, considered
to be the first organisation of the
modern era to promote gay and
trans rights, and campaigned for
the repeal of Paragraph 175. He
built up a library of books and
historical documents on sexuality
and the human form that, even to
this day, is hardly rivalled.
The campaign had real
momentum, and was backed
by some 5,000 influential
signatures including that of
Albert Einstein. Though the
reform initially struggled,
Hirschfeld continued to argue
ardently for the change,
resorting to what we would now
know as outing: naming gay
members of the government
in a bid to expose their
opposition as hypocritical.
This controversial method saw
the tide change among those
with power, with a realistic
prospect of some legal equality
gaytimes.co.uk
emerging by the late 1920s.

On 30 January, 1933, it all
changed. Adolf Hitler became
Chancellor with the strong support
of German people and, within a
month, had ordered the closing
of all gay venues. Four days later,
the Reichstag was burned to the
ground. Communist opposition
leaders blamed the partner of
Ernst Rhm: one of Hitlers closest
allies in the Nazi party, and gay.
On 6 May, Hirschfelds extensive
library was destroyed in
retaliation. As they did with the
Jews, the Nazis sought to eradicate
any whisper of an alternative to
their tyranny.
There was an incredible
atmosphere of fear, the last gay
survivor, Gad Beck, who died in
2012, recalled of those early Nazi
months. Things used to be happy
and care free, but now they were
being persecuted. It didnt seem
like persecution to me, since the
bar was still open. But they said
this bar is only open to round us
up. They did this again later with
the Jews. Theyd let them keep
their meeting places so they could
snatch them up.
The gay
bars
were left
open to
round us
up. They
did this
again
later with
the Jews.
Theyd
let them
keep
their
meeting
places
so they
could
snatch
them up
Heinrich Himmler became

obsessed with the idea that
homosexuality was an infectious
disease, endangering Hitlers
programme to increase the
master race.
As the Nazis rounded up all
those who didnt fit their master
race, gay men too were ferried
into the harbours of death
some 15,000 labelled with pink
triangles and sent to their likely
end. Though they were small
in number compared to other
persecuted groups, a special
barbarity was reserved for
the pink triangles. Beatings,
extermination through labour
in the work quarries and cases
of forced castration. They also
suffered the homophobia of
fellow inmates.
Rudolf Brazda, who died in
2011, recalled the disdain of
being seen to have the pink
triangle: The other prisoners
would say, Oh looks, this ones
a fag.
Brazda had kept his silence
until 2008, when a memorial for
the gay victims of the Holocaust
was unveiled and Berlins gay
131
08/01/2015 13:37
anniversary
[02/15]
mayor marked their passing.

Finally ready, he contacted the
mayor to tell his story.
As a young man, Brazda led a
happy and open life in Leipzig,
Germany. In 1937, Brazda was
arrested for unnatural lewdness,
and sentenced to six months
incarceration after officers found
love letters hed written to his
boyfriend.
Soon after, a more systematic,
brutal persecution began. The
Nazi stormtroopers dragged us
out by our hair, Brazda recalled.
We gays were like hunted
animals. Wherever I went with my
companion the Nazis were always
already there.
Arrested again in 1941, he was this
time sent to a concentration camp,
32
We gays
were
hunted
like
animals.
The
Nazis
were
always
there
given the number 7952, and made

to sew a pink triangle on to the left
breast of his camp uniform. I didnt
understand what was happening but
what could I do? Under Hitler you
were powerless, he recalled.
I arrived in a very big room.
There was a pool there. In that
pool we had to undress, and we
had to bathe, naked. It was called
disinfection. In that moment, an
SS officer pushed my head under
the disinfectant liquid. I still had
my gold chain, with a cross. It was a
gift from my boyfriend. He ripped it
and asked if I was a churchgoer. Of
course I didnt answer.
He was subject to forced labour
and remained there for 32 months.
To win their release from the
camps, some gay men were forced
to undergo mutilation frequently

tantamount to murder in socalled medical experiments by
Nazi doctors, who insisted that
homosexuality was a disease
that could be cured. Hitler also
ordered the death penalty for any
SS officers found to have engaged in
homosexual relations.
On 3 August, 2011, Rudolf
Brazda died at the age of 98, in
Bantzenheim, France. In the final
years of his life, he continued to
tell his story as a warning to future
generations of what happens when
we dont respect differences.
During these last years, he said:
If I finally speak, its for people to
know what we, homosexuals, had to
endure in Hitlers days. It shouldnt
happen again. n
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 13:37
[news]
Auschwitz Today 70 years, almost
to the day, depending on when you
read this, have passed since the last
carriage of innocent men, women
and children chugged into the
spiked boundaries of Auschwitz.
Yet still today, maintained as an
area of national importance by the
Polish government, the grounds
of this death camp reek with the
implacable inhumanity that was
once orthodox.
The buildings are maintained;
the barbed fences, though largely
replaced, are intact; the ground is
cobbled and uneven. As you walk
the long, narrow corridors of its
workhouses, endless black and
white images of those who died
within line the walls. The buildings
are hulking, rectangular and as
uniform in architecture as the killing
they were designed to contain.
But its Birkenau which echoes
loudest. Unlike Auschwitz a
camp nestled in the Polish, once
heavily Jewish town of Oswicim
Birkenaus surroundings are
baron. Its railway tracks once the
fastest method of trafficking those
due for extermination remain.
They seem to extend for an
eternity. Drawing the whole length
of the camp, from its piercing
entrance to the faint rubbled
remains of its gas chamber.
They say a picture tells a thousand
words. Within the image of those
tracks are a thousand, a hundred
thousand, a million words of human
shame. Hundreds of thousands were
committed to their deaths along the
rusty annals of Birkenaus tracks in
just the final months, Nazis fearful of
their impending defeat.
As dusk closes on the camp, 70
years history seems trifling. The
outline of the watchtowers, the
buildings, the chambers, the fences
and those seemingly ubiquitous
railway tracks stalk the countryside
with their haunting shadows.
Those who do not remember the
past are condemned to repeat it. n
gaytimes.co.uk
133
08/01/2015 13:37
[benjamin cohen]
This year sees the

tenth birthday of
PinkNews. Ten years,
we hope, of breaking news that
matters and changing perceptions
of LGBT media.
But for the first time, ten years
on, Ive been asked to justify why
were called PinkNews.
In part, questions arose when the
Independent on Sunday renamed
its long standing list of LGBT
people who it says influences
British life from the Pink List to
the Rainbow List. Its curator Katy
Guest wrote: A rainbow is more
inclusive, less old-fashioned and
far less like the girls aisle in a
toyshop, we hope.
Paris Lees, who topped the final
Pink List before the rebrand,
defended the change in name
saying: Pink, in case you hadnt
noticed, is supposed to be for
girls The idea that the gay
community can be neatly summed
up by the word pink, as in Pink
Pound, suggests that its just a
bunch of effeminate men.
These statements go beyond
simply perpetuating the damaging
stereotype that pink is associated
34
034 COLUMN Ben Cohen.indd 34
with girls. Pink after all, used to

be a colour associated with boys.
Just like the word gay, it used to
be used to describe a ladies man.
Gay women were prostitutes in
the 17th century. But thats not what
made me upset.
The real issue that I have is
that both Katy Guest and Paris
Lees completely missed why
pink matters to our community.
The reason why many LGBT
organisations like PinkNews are so
named has nothing to do with the
supposed campness of gay men,
nor an alleged tendency to like
girlie products, and everything to
do with the Holocaust, which ended
with the liberation of Auschwitz, 70
years ago this month.
The story of the pink triangle,
which the Nazis forced gay men to
wear, can never be told enough,
and I feel bad that we perhaps
dont tell it enough ourselves in gay
media. Thousands of gay men lost
their lives in the Nazi persecution,
which began for them with being
forced to wear a pink triangle to
mark them out from other enemies
of the fascist state.
For us at PinkNews, calling
PUBLISHER
OF PINKNEWS
The story
of the pink
triangle,
which
the Nazis
forced
gay men
to wear,
can never
be told
enough,
and I feel
bad that
we dont
tell it
enough in
gay media
@benjamincohen
column
[news]
ourselves pink anything is an

act of reclamation of a colour
previously used by our enemies
as an insult. Its no different really
from the way that queer has
been reclaimed by some of the
community more recently, from a
term of abuse by homophobes to
a word of pride.
We take pride in the fact that the
colour associated with the most
shocking and devastating act of
persecution of gay people is now
associated with what we believe to
be a force for good. Our mission
has always been to stand as a
watchdog, highlighting injustice
and exposing wrong doing.
In a sense, our very existence
stands to try and prevent history
repeating itself, something
that will always be harder to
happen while there is strong and
authoritative LGBT media.
Keeping the pink flag flying
as an act of remembrance to the
persecution of gay people by the
Nazis matters now more than ever.
In 2012, the last gay survivor of the
concentration camps, Gad Beck
died. We owe it to his memory to
constantly be telling the story of
the Holocaust.
Last year, the Prime Minister
announced the formation of the
Holocaust Commission with a
mission to create a permanent
memorial to the Holocaust in
Britain and increase the level of
awareness of this important part
of modern history. Its incumbent
for the commission to ensure that
the persecution of gay people
is included in the memorial,
perhaps with the inclusion of the
pink triangle.
This would mean that Britain
would join Germany, the
Netherlands, Israel, Australia and
the US with a permanent memorial
to the Nazis crimes against gay
people and a reminder that it must
never happen again.
Here, or anywhere in
the world. n
gaytimes.co.uk
06/01/2015 14:30
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08/01/2015 10:37
Hes baaaaaack. After

revolutionising gays on telly
in Queer as Folk, and making
Doctor Who a thing again,
Russell T Davies is back with
what might very well be his
magnum opus. Not content
with creating just ONE show,
Russell is back with THREE
the triumphant telly triad of
Cucumber, Banana and Tofu,
all interlinked and spread
across Channel 4, E4 and 4OD
respectively. Youre going to
hear from the emerging stars
and established actors who
make up the colourful cast in
Russells new universe. And,
of course, from RTD himself.
But what better place to start
than the man whos sure to
become a bona fide iconslash-heartthrob overnight?
We give you, Freddie Fox...
WORDS RYAN BUTCHER IMAGES BEN BLACKALL
Cucumber
episode
three
36
036-52 FEAT Cucumber.indd 36
We first meet Freddie Fox on a July

afternoon in a warehouse in central
Manchester. He has a thick, foppish
mane of blonde hair, piercing steelblue eyes and, take it from us, in
the flesh hes absolutely stunning.
Intimidatingly so. Its ridiculous.
Freddie invites us to sit on a couch
a garish, orange couch whichll be
used as a set piece somewhere down
the line. After managing to pick
our jaws from the floor and regain
strength in our knees, we join him.
Were speaking in hushed whispers
as, just a few feet below us, Freddies
Cucumber co-lead Vincent Franklin
is finishing what will become a
pivotal scene in the narrative.
But even while trying to keep his
voice down, Freddie cant mask
the excitement of being involved in
Russell T Davies latest masterpiece.
I cant say Ive had more fun or a
more successful artistic experience
ever, Freddie beams, his eyes
lighting up. Both socially and
artistically speaking, its been an
absolute triumph. To begin with,
the scripts are amazing and the
characters are beautifully deep. But
Ive admired the script since I first
auditioned for it.
But before we go on with Freddie,
lets give you some context. You
shouldve seen the trailers by now
and depending on when you read
this, you mightve even seen an
episode or two. And if not, weve been
banging on about Cucumber, Banana
and Tofu since it was first announced
last year, so theres really no excuse.
But if youre really NOT in the know,
well recap.
Channel 4s Cucumber follows
the story of 46-year-old Henry Best
[played by Vincent Franklin] who,
after a disastrous night with his
long-suffering boyfriend Lance
involving a threesome gone wrong,
a suicide and an unhealthy amount
of Boney M looks to begin life
anew. He soon finds himself in a
bohemian-esque flat share with his
work friend Dean and the beautiful
Freddie Baxter thats Freddie Foxs
character. The name similarity is

just a coincidence. We asked.
Freddie is everything Henry isnt
and, perhaps more importantly,
everything he wants to be. Hes
a bisexual nymphomaniac whos
cool, cocky and confident with his
sexuality; wielding sex as a weapon
rather than fearing it, like Henry.
And Henry wants him, more than hes
ever wanted anyone in his entire life.
What follows is an intricately woven
story of tragedy, comedy and raw
sexual energy, centred around their
unlikely relationship.
Youll also see Freddie crop up
from time to time in Banana, too. But
the E4 show is more of a companion
to its Channel 4 counterpart, rather
than a continuation, with selfcontained episodes focused around
marginal characters in Cucumber,
whore perhaps only lingering in the
background of an episode. A onenight stand for Freddie, for example.
And Tofu? Thatll be a factual
web-series best described as an
online guide to sex straight, gay,
trans, young, old and everything in
between.
But we digress, back to Freddie.
Freddie is a bisexual Mancunian
nymphomaniac, explains the
actual Freddie. Hes just moved in
to a new flat with people hes aware
of, but not really known. And Henry
arrives, whos another complete
unknown. Hes skating on thin ice,
because his parents have him on a
leash. For someone whos nature is
not to be well behaved, hes trying
to fit in. To tie himself down, he gets
a boring drone job in the canteen of
HC Clements, where Henry works
as an insurance man. Hes just
trying to get by, but hes drifting
through life a bit lost.
Hes one of the great characters
Ive ever been able to play. Hes a bit
of a jewel they dont come around
like this very often.
If theres one sentiment weve
found shared by every member of
the Cucumber and Banana cast that
weve spoken to and one we hope
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 18:11
[cucumber]
Cucumber
Banana
Tofu
Freddie
Fox
gaytimes.co.uk
137
08/01/2015 18:11
38
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 18:12
[cucumber]
youll agree with as you read these pages

its that Russells return shouldnt be
seen as a gay series, or pigeonholed as
such. But, in fact, should be recognised
for what it truly is a celebration of
life and living, love and lust, sex and
sexuality, in whatever form that may take.
Every tiny relationship you can think of
from bisexual to straight, gay to lesbian
its all covered in this show. The voices
are many. It makes it a show, not about
gay minorities, but about everybody. I
firmly believe that society is made up
of a majority of minorities. Were all in a
minority, in a way. Very few people fit one
bracket. Its about everybody and all the
quirks in between.
Its what makes Russells characters
perhaps in Cucumber and Banana
more so than in any other show hes ever
written so relatable. Everyone who
watches will be able to see pieces of
themselves played out on screen, and its
I can cry, I can shag and I got to do it all

every day as a northerner.
Working with Vincent [Franklin] has
been such a joy. Hes such a brilliant
actor and Ive learned so much from him.
Hes just impeccable. Thats what I want
to be I want to have the body of work of
Vincents when Im his age.
We dont know about you, but we
blacked out for a minute or two when
we heard Freddie say cock sock.
Obviously, the sex scenes are an integral
part of the Cucumber and Banana but
whereas previously, gay sex has been
used on telly to shock and tantalise, in
this, the scenes take on a real raison
dtre, as you might expect.
The sex has been beautifully
handled, explains Freddie. I have to
have sex with a lot of people, as per the
character. Men and women. And its all
been, well, quite sexy.
Sex scenes are notorious for being
The sex has been beautifully handled. I have to have

sex with a lot of people, as per the character. Men
and women. And its all been, well, quite sexy. Sex
scenes are notorious for being awful and dead of
any sexual desire. But this has all been quite hot
a notion thats not lost on Freddie, either.
Like every character you play, he
tells us, if youre going to do it well
and with truth, youre going to have to
invest some of yourself into it. There are
some elements of me in there, and there
are some things that are completely not
me which is actually, funnily enough,
easier, because you WANT to go to those
places. You WANT to go there. Thats the
lovely thing about being an actor. Its so
cathartic to play things youll probably
never be in life.
We dont want to spoil too much for
you, but with a character who rides
so many roller coasters of emotions
and sentiments as Freddie, was
there anything the young actor found
particularly challenging?
Wearing a cock sock! Freddie laughs.
I didnt enjoy it, but I got used to it. Ive
really enjoyed being able to display my
range as an actor, though. I can scream,
gaytimes.co.uk
awful and dead of any sexual desire.

You know, making noises youd never
make during real sex. But this has all
been quite hot. Maybe thats Russells
writing? Maybe its the cast? Maybe its
the tone thats been set by the directors?
When its a show all about sex and
everything it entails, its important that
the sex is, well, good.
We couldnt agree more.
Its a few months later when we see
Freddie again. Filming for Cucumber
and Banana has long-since been
wrapped up, and its the calm before
the storm before hes written into
the annals of TV history as, perhaps,
one of Russell T Davies greatest-ever
creations. But if Freddie is indeed about
to become an overnight sex symbol
and icon, which we believe he will, hes
certainly not preparing himself for it.
Its a character thatll appeal to gay
audiences, he says, but I certainly
dont expect to be a gay icon or

anything. Its not a question of wanting to
be one, either. Im an actor, rather than
someone whos representative of a core.
I feel very lucky, in the truest sense,
to have be given the opportunity to
play Freddie Baxter. I think sometimes
Ive gotten him really right, which Im
proud of, and sometimes therell be
things Ill watch back and go, Fuck
sake! Thats just not right.
We, Russell T Davies and Freddie Fox
all agree theres a little bit of Freddie
Baxter in all of us. Whether its for a
fleeting moment on a night out when we
strut our stuff and know that were the
absolute shit, the way we approach our
friends and relationships, or even the
way we approach sex. Its what makes
him such a delight to watch on screen.
But is there anything we or even Mr Fox
himself can learn from the character of
Freddie Baxter?
People would say to me, I dont
suppose you need any more excess
confidence than what you have already.
But a lot of confidence, as Im sure you
know, is to cover up a lot of insecurity
and wanting to make a good impression
with people youve never met before.
And thats something that I personally
learned from him.
Hes fucked up, but hes confident
and he trusts himself, and thats enough
to win people over. He doesnt have
to try and be nice or disingenuous or
emotionally inauthentic. He can be who
he is, and if people dont like it, he says,
Well fuck you, youre not worth my
time. That kind of confidence is whats
very interesting and very attractive.
When you see people whore really
grounded and know themselves, you go,
OK, you can be a bit abrasive, but youre
being truthful and I want to spend some
time with you.
And readers, we dont know about you,
but whether its Freddie Fox, Freddie
Baxter or anyone else from the colourful
cast of Cucumber and Banana, theyre
all people were looking forward to
spending time with and going on a
journey with for the next eight weeks
on Channel 4 and E4. Strap yourself in
tight, its going to be a hell of a ride. n
139
08/01/2015 18:12
40
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 18:12
#c
he
ck
yo
ur s
elfi
[cucumber]
Phil John Perry

DIGITAL
EDITION
BONUS
When you spend your TV debut

flat on your back with your
ankles by your ears, posing
naked for GT must be a doddle.
Actor and playwright Phil John
Perry, 25, lifts the lid on his
scenes in Russell T Davies
groundbreaking new gay TV
drama Cucumber
WORDS JOHN MARRS IMAGES DYLAN ROSSER
gaytimes.co.uk
Is being in a Russell T Davies

series the Holy Grail for a gay
actor? It felt amazing to work on
one of Russells dramas. As both
an actor whos gay, and Im also a
writer, so I was really excited. Im
writing two plays at the moment
that I want to get out there on stage.
What was the Cucumber
experience like? It was a fantastic
experience. I play Jacob and it was
a great role for me to get, because
Im gay and its something that
should be on TV. Im in episode
three and in a big sex scene. Its
filmed in an un-stereotypical way,
which is good for young people to
see. With Queer as Folk it was very
aggressive sex, whereas this is sex
as a whole. There are times when
youre having sex, times when you
are making love and sometimes its
all in the same session and thats
what my scenes are about. Its face
to face and its funny and its gentle
and its sexy.
Have you done sex scenes before?
Ive done sex related stuff before in
theatre, but thats different because
you do it and its done. But this took
three or four hours of being naked
and try this angle and it was more
like a dance routine. It was tough,
but well worth it.
Did you feel awkward? No. It
was a closed set so in the room
theres only a few people, but in the
room next to us, everyone else is
watching it on the cameras! Doing
those scenes is definitely not a turn
on though. Its the most clinical
environment you are surrounded
by big cameramen, youre pushed
and pulled, theyre touching
up your make up, its alien and
nothing like reality. At one point
I had my legs up around my neck
and I was there for so long I started
shaking. The secret is to just take
your clothes off and get on with it.
How much will we see on TV? At
the wrap party Russell admitted
he had to cut quite a bit out of it
because it was too rude! They
141
09/01/2015 10:47
wont be showing full frontal nudity,

just bums.
So after that experience, your
GT shoot mustve been easy.
After Cucumber, yes it was. I used
to be a real prude and thanks to
Cucumber, thats gone completely.
To be doing something close to my
life on camera was an awakening
and I realised everyone has bits
they do like and dont like so get
your kit off and crack on!
Why did you decide to be open
about your sexuality as an actor?
I spent years being worried about
it, so I decided to start as I meant
to go on. I want to get to a position
where Im a gay man young people
can look up to, and who has been
open about his sexuality because
a lot of actors just arent. I feel very
passionately about that. And Im
happy to play gay or straight.
How do you feel about gay actors
who stay in the closet? If the world
42
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 18:12
[cucumber]
was ideal, it wouldnt matter.

But it isnt ideal, so its important
to be a warrior for the cause if
youre in a position where people
look at you. You should do it for
the greater good, because its
important to be brave. But I can
completely understand why some
stay in the closet, because if youre
openly gay, you do risk getting
stereotyped. But thats the same
for any actor, Im never going to be
cast as a burly bully on Waterloo
Road its not because Im gay, but
because of the way I look.
When did you come out? I spoke
to my dad covertly when I was 15,
and then my close family knew.
When I was 21 I did it properly. Id
met someone and fallen properly
in love, so I took him to my sisters
wedding. I come from an Irish
Catholic family so I thought it was
going to be awful. But when I did it,
they were fine with it. n @philjohnperry
DONATE 3
to BALLS TO CANCER
and as a thank you
DOWNLOAD THIS
PICTURE
for your mobile:
Text PHIL to
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gaytimes.co.uk
143
08/01/2015 18:12
Of course, there wouldnt be

a series if it wasnt for our
main protagonist, 46-year-old
Henry Best. Played by the truly
brilliant Vincent Franklin
probably best-known as Tory
spin doctor Stewart Pearson
in The Thick of It Henry is the
kind of guy youll find yourself
nodding in agreement with
one minute, and shouting
furiously at your TV screens
the next. Either way, he may
be one of Russell T Davies
finest-ever creations...
WORDS RYAN BUTCHER
Vincent
Franklin
44
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 18:12
[cucumber]
Vincent, looking back, how was

it starring in Russell T Davies
first gay drama in 16 years? It was
extraordinary. I discovered only at the
very end, talking to Russell, that my
very last line in the show was one that
he wrote about ten years ago, and hes
always wanted to put it in. So working
with somebody who spent ten years
plotting and planning all of this stuff
is very exciting. And his writing is
extraordinary. Whats great about this
is anyone whos watching this will be
dragged along by the amazing human
story thats sometimes hysterical,
sometimes shocking and sometimes
very emotional. People who spend the
full eight hours with us will come out
the end pretty wrecked in a good way.
Or maybe wrecked in every sense of
the word. Every single word Russell
has written has a reason for being there
and its driven by these extraordinary
characters hes created. Like Henry.
Sometimes youll hate Henry and youll
think hes the most ridiculous man
youve ever met, but then therell be
other times where you say, God, I wish
he was my friend.
So lets talk about Henry, who could
very well be one of the most complex
and interesting characters Russell
has ever created... Henry is someone
whos life has become comfortable and,
rather like a little boy who hasnt been
forced to grow up, he likes to push at life.
He likes to light little fires to see what
happens. As we know from episode one,
he lights a little fire that night, he pushes
things a little bit in a way that means his
entire house of cards collapses and, as
the series goes on, hes forced to come
to terms with who he is. What he does is
something we all do if were unhappy
with something about ourselves, we
think about changing external things.
Whether its going out and buying a new
car or whether its finding a new partner.
Painting over the cracks in your life.
And then, what Henry sort of realises
partly because hes a gay man and partly
because hes a man in his late 40s is
that he doesnt know whats expected of
him. Its not clear. So he goes to live in
a warehouse with these boys, where he
gaytimes.co.uk
doesnt know what the rules of life are. By

episode eight, he sort of comes to terms
and realises what hes about. So its about
a man growing up really and, like lots of
men, hes waited a long time to do it. But
the best thing about Henry is that hes
always right and what he slowly learns
is, its not always good to be always right.
You must be getting asked a lot about
being a straight man playing a gay
character? People are asking me all the
time and I say, well, you know, its really
important that straight actors do keep
playing gay characters, and vice versa,
until that question doesnt need to be
asked anymore. When I played a Tory
in The Thick of It, no one ever asked me,
So, are you really a Tory? Whats it
like being a Tory?
Its probably a lot harder these days to
come out as Tory these days than gay.
God, absolutely. The day theres a Tory
Times and Im being interviewed for it
will be a sad day. Whats interesting is,
Im not playing some every man gay
character. Im playing, quite specifically,
Henry Best who works in insurance
and thats just as important about him
as well as everything else. My worry is
that people might pigeonhole Cucumber
or diminish it by saying, Its just a gay
drama, its a programme for people who
are concerned about these issues. But
actually, this is a show that absolutely
celebrates sexuality, it absolutely
celebrates and explores gay life in
middle age, but anybody watching it will
see it really explores relationships, sex
and being middle-aged.
Being a middle-aged straight
man starring in a show like this
mustve opened you up to some
new terminology and, shall we say,
attitudes towards sex? Absolutely.
There were quite a few actors who were
quite sexually out there, who loved to
use bits of terminology. And Ill tell
you what theres a moment of joy and
disappointment for me in the new way
that people hook up. Im of a generation
that Henry is, where you met people and
it took you a long time to read the signals
before the first time you went out, the
first time you snogged and the first
time you shagged. Theres something
amazing about being able to use

technology that says 50 yards away from
where Im standing now is a man that
I think I might fancy, and I can hit this
thing here and before I know it, were
hooked up. Youre never alone with this
technology and the idea you could be
sitting in your bed at university going,
Is there anybody else here whos going
through what Im going through? And
you look at an app on your phone that
tells you: Yes, there are other people in
the flat below. Just go knock on the door
and youre fine. Thats fantastic, because
loneliness is a terrible thing. But at the
same time, its fucking brutal as well,
in the way it goes, Yeah, reject you,
dont like you, dont like you. I know
weve all done that but, please, I dont
necessarily need to see it on my phone.
I dont think I need to get told by my
phone that Im deeply unattractive!
At a time when the government
is becoming increasingly under
pressure for not educating enough
on issues like sexuality and sexual
health, do you think shows like
Cucumber are taking on a bit of
a social responsibility? Im sure
thats right, but I think if you said to
Russell, Youre taking on a social
responsibility, hed probably laugh
and punch you in the face. Whats great
about Russell is that he takes great
responsibility as a writer, but hes true to
his characters and the world he creates.
He deals with social issues because
thats what his characters are dealing
with. I dont think he sits there and
thought of it in that soap sort of way, like,
Oh, we should have a mental health
storyline. Hes dealing with people
whore completely real and vulnerable.
Lots of people have been saying that
this series is a bit shocking, and I think
it WILL be shocking because the truth
can shock us. But it can also, at times,
make us laugh hysterically, make us
smile and make us cry. Nothing has been
put in there to shock its there because
Russell is more honest than any other
writer I know about himself, and he
allows his characters to do awful things.
But we understand why. Its something
that makes his writing special. n
145
08/01/2015 18:12
We last saw Julie on our screens

as the transgender Hayley
Cropper one of the most iconic
characters in this history of
Coronation Street, who took her
own life in an emotionally-charged
episode last January. Now, in
her first TV role since leaving the
street, shes back in our lives as
Cleo the no-nonsense sister of
Henry, with a YouTube famous
son and a surgically repaired
vagina. Of course...
WORDS RYAN BUTCHER
Cucumber
episode
three
Julie
Hesmondhalgh
Cucumber
episode
three
46
So Julie, tell us, how did you

get involved with Cucumber? I
auditioned for it! I wasnt sure I was
really what they were thinking about
for the part of Cleo I just thought,
Thats not me. But yeah, I got it. I
was absolutely amazed. In hindsight,
to not be part of this wouldve
killed me. Weve all had the time of
our lives doing this job Im sure
everyones told you that?
Yes, actually! Everyone weve
spoken to tells us how brilliant the
atmosphere on set has been. Its
ruined us all. What on earth are we
going to do after this? Itll probably
be the only programme that wont
run for a second series. Any other
show and theyll make a go for it,
but I bet thisll be one successful
series and thatll be it. One only.
Well be screaming at Russell, Oh
no! Please! Another! [Laughs]
How does it feel working on an
LGBT show under Russells
guidance? Ive always been
very involved with LGBT policy
particularly in Manchester.
When I first came into Coronation
Street was around the time Queer
as Folk was coming out. Corries
introduction of Hayley and Queer
as Folk was a big moment in
Manchesters gay history. So me and
Russell often find ourselves sharing
a platform at various talks and stuff
like that. Weve been in touch pretty
constantly over the years.
After Coronation Street, did you
have your heart set on an LGBT
drama? [Laughs] If only I had that
kind of choice! When I made the
decision to leave I had absolutely
no idea what was going to happen to
me. I didnt have any expectations
really, I just wanted to be a jobbing
actor again whatever that entailed.
I wanted to be doing good work, but
I didnt make any assumptions about
where Id end up. So this came
along and it just seemed too good to
be true.
Whats been the most interesting
episode to film? Definitely episode
five, thats a big episode for me
with regards to my daughter. Issues

about children and sexuality. I have
a big showdown with Henry about I
find this soft porn empire at our mum
and dads house and I have this
big showdown with him about that.
After that, Russell wrote this 12 page
story just for us. Its an old fashioned
dilemma about children and porn.
Its a two hander between me and
my son. Its going to be online after
episode five. That was sort of given
to me what an honour to have that.
Its about what were exposing our
children to, how we know nothing
about it. How we wrap ourselves in
knots talking about what children
are seeing on television and not
thinking for a second about their
mobile phones and iPads. Its an
incredible piece of writing.
Were looking forward to seeing
that. Have you had any other
favourite moments? My favourite
line has to be the shocker: Oh
yeah, five years ago I got a
surgically repaired vagina, pop the
kettle on! [Laughs] Episode four is
a good one, Date Night. We all get
ready and go out on dates I get in
touch with an old flame to basically
test drive my new vagina that I
havent used since its been fixed.
That episode you see a more private
side to my character.
Whatre you most proud of when
it comes to Cucumber? What Im
really proud of is that, from the
start, Channel 4 have described it
as channel defining. Theyre keen
to get it a wide audience, they dont
want it to be marginalised because
of the gay content. Yeah theres sex
in it, theres sex-a-plenty in it. But
because its gay sex, itll be seen
as risqu. Its about people, and
thats completely universal. The
stuff we say about love, sex and
relationships, ageing, loss, fear of
sex. Its all universal. But to have
that in an area thats exclusively
LGBT well gay really is a really
timely and wonderful thing. Im
really, really proud to be part of it. n
@juliehes
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 18:12
[cucumber]
Cucumber
episode
one
Cyril Nri
Behind every gay man is an
even greater gay man steady
now, not like that. But when it
comes to Cucumbers Henry
Best, its his long-suffering
boyfriend Lance whos been with
him through thick and thin for
almost a decade. Played by Cyril
Nri, probably best known from
The Bill, Lance doesnt want
for much to get married. But
when his proposal gets rejected
so that Henry can go on his
journey of self-discovery, it opens
up a brand new journey for
Lance, too. Well, basically one
of chasing a straight guy hes
never going to get. But havent
we all been there?
WORDS RYAN BUTCHER
gaytimes.co.uk
Lance is such an interesting

character, isnt he? He puts up
with so much shit from Henry we
cant even begin to imagine...
[Laughs] Well, there you go! And
you get to feel even more sorry
for him as the series goes on. Im
really glad I got to play Lance and
wouldve done anything to be in
this series. In a way, the great thing
about Cucumber is that you cant
take sides equally. Once Lance
gets rejected in that quite cruel
way when he thinks hes going to
get married and all that sort of stuff
he really takes it to an extreme,
doesnt he?
Why do you think Lance has
even put up with his turbulent
relationship with Henry for
so many years? Youll see this
later on, but, although hes very
comfortable with who he is, hes
had to come through some fire
to get there. Hes been through
stuff with his dad and by the time
he meets Henry, hes done all the
things hes wanted to do. Hes

done the partying, hes been the
boy on Canal Street and hes come
to a different place in life. Henry
actually, hes funny and charming
and disarming in the way he just
cant stop himself from saying
something when he thinks it. Lance
wants to be with Henry and theres
true love there, so thats why hes
put up with it.
What weve found watching
Cucumber so far is that it really
treads that fine line between
a comedy and a quite dark
drama. A quite serious moment
can escalate into a good old
fashioned farce, in a way. It does!
And what stands out is that its a
tragic comedy in the truest sense.
There are points where people will
cry and it only gets worse, because
these two guys really should be
together. If they could get some
really good therapy, they could
sort out all their problems.
Do you think Henry and Lance
147
08/01/2015 18:12
Cucumber
episode
one
are destined to be together? I think so.

Its like from the very first episode, they
end up Ross and Rachel-ing it. Will they,
wont they, will they, wont they? They
really SHOULD be together, but then
again, maybe theyve just missed it. Like
theyre both reading the same book but
theyre on very different pages. But its
beautifully written and the episodes are
just stunning. I could relate to all of these
characters and its not a matter of being
gay! Its actually about the relationships.
Theyre all so profound.
Obviously, as Henrys boyfriend, you
worked opposite Vincent more than
anyone else. How did you find that?
Oh, I swear hes a fucking gay man in the
closet! [Laughs] I keep telling him, its
just the wife and kids hes got to get rid
of [laughs]! No, seriously, hes absolutely
brilliant. One, hes a stunning actor, and
two, hes just such a lovely man. For me,
working on Cucumber was one of the best
jobs Ive ever done. Ive been doing this
for 30 years and I can count three jobs
that fit into that category. This part was
like gold dust you dont get it very often.
48
And I loved working with Vincent and we

had so many brilliant scenes together.
I dont want to spoil anything, but when
youre with Vince, its so, so easy.
Do you have any expectations as to
how audiences are going to react?
Were in a very different world now to
when Queer as Folk came out, but I think
itll be really interesting to see how the
Daily Mail reacts. Will they pay it lip
service? Or will they realise, you know,
this is the world, and its open and its
funny, and its tragic? Its all stuff about
everybodys normal lives thats been
brilliantly put together on screen. Every
reaction Ive heard so far has only been
really positive, so yeah, Im looking
forward to seeing what happens.
How would you describe Lance as a
person? Ever hopeful [laughs].
As you mentioned, hes done his
clubbing days and now hes at an
age where companionship is more
important than having lots of sex. He
represents the choices and the options
that are open to the community in
2015 like marriage. Its true. You know,
I have a friend who just cant let go of

clubbing. And I went clubbing with him
the other weekend for the first time in
months. I was glad to be out but just to
know that I wasnt missing anything! No
offence to Barcode, because its a lovely
club, but after it, I was just a bit bored. I
danced for an hour and thought, I want
to go home now. I didnt want to be there
until 5am. I didnt want to risk losing my
coat ticket stub, so I held on to my coat. I
didnt want to be a designated driver. All
that stuff I can just do without. Im actually
really happy at home playing a game of
Scrabble, or having a quiet coke in the
pub. Im really happy going walking or
going to gigs. You get more comfortable
with yourself as you get older, and thats a
lovely place to be, you know?
Is there anything youve learned
from Lance? To get on with it, because
you havent got tomorrow! And dont
settle for somebody who isnt for you. If
youre hanging on for nine years hoping
somebody may change, in the end, you
cant change them. Get used to it and get
on with your own life. n
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 18:13
[cucumber]
It takes a lot of balls to stand

with your meat and two veg in a
chastity belt in your first major
starring telly role, but Fisayo
Akinade, who plays Freddie and
Vincents flatmate and work
colleague Dean, is letting it all
hang out in Cucumber. In more
ways than one. Hes also the star
of the premier episode of Banana,
too. So trust us, youll be seeing a
lot more of this rising star in the
weeks to come
WORDS RYAN BUTCHER
Cucumber
episode
three
Fisayo
Akinade
Banana
episode
one
gaytimes.co.uk
How would you describe your

character Dean? Well, hes quite
wild. What you see is what you get,
really. Hes not malicious, as such,
but hes sort of devious and just
very, very open and honest which
makes him fun and likeable, but
also makes him irresponsible. He
has no notion of responsibility at
all. In the first episode of Banana,
its all about him trying to get the
rent, and its not actually a big deal
for him at all. Whereas Freddie
[Fox] is slightly old enough to know
that if we dont pay up, the landlord
may actually kill us. But Dean just
doesnt see that as a problem!
Was there anything you found
particularly challenging or
difficult? Asides from having
your bits locked in a chastity
belt, of course! Well I wont be
doing that again, thats for sure!
[Laughs] It was painful and just
uncomfortable. Like having
someone with a plastic hand
holding onto your parts it was
very weird. I just had a blast,
though. I know thats a boring
answer and Im sorry but I had
a blast. The thing that scared
me the most was, you know, you
audition and you get the part, so
youre really excited, and then
youre like Fuck, I actually have
to do this now. I have to carry a
whole episode of Banana. The first
episode of the series. That was
intimidating a bit.
One of the big talking points
and the big elements getting
people excited about Cucumber
et al is showing the different
attitudes towards sex and
relationships between different
generations of gay men. It
seems like theres something
for everyone to relate to. I cant
remember when Ive seen older
gay men represented on TV apart
from Vicious. I dont think Ive
ever really seen men in their 40s
whore just going about and living
their lives, really. I dont think
anyones really seen that. And then
to have it be interracial and all

those things is wonderful. I related
to Dean sort of instantly because
I can understand why hes lying,
and I can understand how you can
just open an app now and have sex
whenever you want. I think therell
be people watching it and going,
Oh yeah, I did that last week! I met
someone in a hotel for sex! Theres
a lovely resonance to all the
stories. Its just very representative
of gay characters, but it doesnt
say, you know, all 40-year-olds
want younger men and all 19-yearolds are wild and want sex all the
time. It leaves it open for people to
take away what they want from it.
How did it feel to be working with
Russell T Davies on such a sureto-be iconic show? Hes insane.
Its unbelievable how good he is.
And hes like, a genius, but lovely.
You sort of go, I dont know how
youre being so brilliant and nice.
My big intro to Russell was Doctor
Who and The Second Coming. And
I remember watching and thinking,
You wrote this?! And then I
watched Queer as Folk. Funnily
enough, one of my first-ever roles
as an extra while I was still in high
school was in Russells Bob and
Rose. And now, ten years later, Im
working on one of his dramas!
You mentioned the interracial
elements to the story, too.
Was that important to you as
a black actor to represent the
often-overlooked black LGBT
community? The weird thing was,
I remember reading it and going,
Oh shit, thats an interracial gay
couple. Ive never seen that on
British TV! The thing I love though
is its not actually spoken about,
you know? With Cucumber, it just
feels much more inclusive without
making a point of it. These people
exist black, gay teenagers exist
and they should be on our TVs and
they should be represented on our
screens without it feeling preachy.
Russell has done that effortlessly. n
@fisayoakinade
149
08/01/2015 18:13
Cucumber
episode
four
Comedian and actor

Rufus Hound is just
one of many guest
stars in Cucumber,
starring in episode four
as Rupert a man in
hot pursuit of Henry...
WORDS RYAN BUTCHER
How did you get involved with

Cucumber and working with Russell
T Davies? I wish there was an amusing
showbiz anecdote about how I met
Russell at Stephen Frys house and
we just struck up a conversation but
there isnt! My agent phoned and asked
if I wanted to audition. As a big fan of
Doctor Who and only really a fan of
Doctor Who after Russell recreated it
hes a man whose work and contribution
to British television drama over the
years has been the gold standard. I
remember watching Bob and Rose, and
The Second Coming is genuinely one of
my all time favourite things thats been
on television...
So its a bit of a dream come true
working with him, then? It absolutely
was. At the point where my agent said
his name, he added: Theres a couple
of things to bear in mind... But before
he even finished that sentence, I said I
didnt care what they were Ill do it. So
he tells me Im playing a gay man and its
very physical and I have to get naked
but Im like, Yeah, but its for Russell T
Davies, so its fine.
If Russell T Davies asks you to get
naked, then you HAVE to get naked,
right? Yeah, pretty much. The first
couple of jobs I did on the stage both
required me to full on snog the face
off some incredibly attractive young
women. And Im a married man and a
father of two, so the only way I could
possibly justify kissing very good
looking young women is that its acting.
But thats the point. In acting, there
should be absolutely no difference
in whoever youre kissing as long as
its part of telling a story. So the point
that there were any kind of caveats
50
about kissing another man is just old

fashioned fucking nonsense bullshit.
You cant go, Sorry, I gotta kiss a
poofter? No, sorry! You have to be the
worst kind of fucking arsehole to be like
that. It was never a big thing for me.
But youre starring alongside another
straight married man with kids
himself, in Vincent Franklin, so there
mustve been some camaraderie
there? There was. What we could both
absolutely agree on though was that
it was incredibly liberating. Theres
always been a voice in the back of my
head when working with young women
actors, where the very act of kissing
naked could be deeply uncomfortable
for them. Which I can completely
understand. Even though youre acting,
there should be some basic human
decency. But the lovely thing about
working with Vincent, us both being
straight men, was that we were meant
to be playing these two guys absolutely
into it and turned on so we could just
absolutely go for it, because there was
never a sense from either of us that feels
like, Oh, youre really getting off on
this. There was never any subtext of that
being the case, so we were ultimately
freed up for it to be as steamy as we
could make it.
Without spoiling too much, can you
tell us a bit about your character?
Im only in one episode, so I certainly
dont feel I can take a huge amount of
credit. But the main character Henry
has suffered something of a crisis in
the beginning of the series and is
trying to get back out there, and Im
somebody that he meets through an
app, a bit like Grindr. And they get
on well. This episode basically is the
three or four big characters all going
out on dates on the same night.
Did working on Cucumber open you
up to a lot of new terminology? For
example Grindr? There wasnt
anything in there I hadnt heard before
but there was this phrase power
bottom. Id heard the term because
there are some very flirty, very sexy
gay men whove offered themselves
to me at various points, and Id heard
the phrase, but once I read the script I
thought, Maybe I dont actually know

what it means... So I asked some gay
friends about it. But because I had to
SAY it, I didnt want to say it in a way that
made it sound like it was coming from
the mouth of somebody who didnt know
what it was. Power bottom feels like a
lot of syllables to me. Why hasnt been
reduced down to like power butt, or
pow butt? All of these things usually
end up being contractions...
Po-bo, maybe? Po bo! That feels
like you could call yourself a po bo
and that feels straight forward but
power bottom feels like the sort
of thing youd have to put on a job
application. Thats what I want the GT
headline to be. White, middle class,
straight man tells gay people what
terms theyre allowed to use.
You must have some gay mates
whore pretty chuffed that youre
in the biggest gay drama since
Russells last one Queer as Folk.
Ive got lots of gay friends, and when
I told them it was written by the bloke
thatd done Queer as Folk, they were
like Oh, thats great. But I think
people whove been involved KNOW
its going to be absolutely massive.
In that brilliant way that Russell does,
when he made Queer as Folk it was
important television because it was the
first big gay drama. With this again,
there IS a sense that its important
television, but I think it only has that
about it because its written by the
bloke who wrote Queer as Folk. It
feels to me at least, as a society, weve
moved on enough that having a gay
drama isnt the thing where the woman
picking up the Daily Mail drops her
tea cup and her jaw hits the floor and
shes immediately on the phone to
the church council. Its only given an
importance because its the writer of
Queer as Folk, however, because its
Russell T Davies and because of how
brilliant he is, it may yet be important
drama because it will say things that
shed more light on the gay experience
as it is in the 2010s. Id rather we lived
in a world where it was less obvious
what was interesting about a gay TV
show than the opposite. n @rufushound
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 18:13
[cucumber]
Rufus
Hound
gaytimes.co.uk
151
08/01/2015 18:13
[cucumber]
In 2014, we named him one

of the biggest gay icons of the
last 30 years and rightfully
so. Queer as Folk was a truly
trailblazing piece of work. And
now, 16 years later, his telly
triad of Cucumber, Banana
and Tofu looks set to be just as
good as if not better than its
predecessor. So who better to
tell us about this truly unique TV
event than the man himself...
Gentlemen, its RTD.
WORDS DARREN SCOTT
Russell
T Davies
52
RTD on... why

Cucumber
was so long in
the making.
The first episode Id had written
in the beginning of 2011 and I
was living in America, working
with Showtime, who made the
American version of Queer as
Folk. They had happy memories
of that and wanted the next
generation of stuff and it was all
systems go. We were home for
like two weeks in the summer and
Andrew [Russells partner] was
diagnosed ill and that was that. I
just stopped work there and then.
Fortunately it was a miracle that he
got his diagnosis while we were
in Britain, because if wed been
in America you cant fly. Youre
forbidden from flying because
of the pressure on your skull, so
wed have been stuck over there.
Strange, strange days. This just
sat there then. Im a very good
saver so I was always financially
fine to just wait. I get repeat fees
off Doctor Who FOREVER. So I
just put it in a drawer and forgot
about it, really. Everyone thinks
I spent those two and a half
years secretly thinking about
Cucumber. Literally just didnt
give it a second thought just
went, Nope!
----------
RTD on... the hardest thing

being a middle aged gay man.
Youre jealous. Youre absolutely
jealous of a world in which
you can be so out now. Theres
nonetheless lots of gay people
still in the closet, but that was
part of the motive about Henry
as well, which is we hes so
attracted to that flat, which is why
he goes and lives there. Its kind
of reliving his own life again. He
even says to Dean at one point in
a Banana episode that, when he
was a student, he lived in a flat
like theirs. But I bet he wasnt out
as Freddie and Dean, strutting
around. I think its the destiny of
every older generation to think

that about the other generation.
----------
RTD on... each character

being a part of him in some
way. Im kind of in all of them.
Yes, everyone. Im in Henry in
wanting more out of life, in Lance
in wanting to settle down, in Dean
in wanting my family to kick off
more. We also say the same about
Queer as Folk. We can all be
like Stuart and we can all have
nights like Freddie Fox. Those
nights when you think youre it
and youve got it. Everyone, even
the most modest of us, has a night
where you think youve got it, and
you can go up and you can strut
like a peacock. So Im kind of all
of them. I think every good writer
is a psychologist in the end, and
psychology hasnt changed. Thats
why Im not worried whether the
characters are young or old. one
of the best pieces of writing Ive
done on the whole show is episode
two of Banana, which Im writing
as a lonely 19-year-old lesbian.
----------
RTD on... not being able to

represent everyone. Frankly, you
could publish GT daily and you
still wont satisfy everyone. I can
write ten million dramas and I still
wont satisfy everyone, because
there are a million different gay
people, a million different gay
stories to be told. Also, the real
truth of it is, you and I, GT and
I, could provide the most pinsharp, laser-sharp representation
of a gay man, and they wouldnt
recognise themselves. Because
who likes looking at a photo of
themselves? No one. We all react
badly when we see a photo or hear
our own voice. Thats why every
single person who comes off a
reality show says, Oh, that was
the editing. That wasnt
really me. n
Cucumber, Banana and
Tofu are on C4, E4 and
4OD on Thursdays
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 18:13
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GT442-TUES.indd 53
M A N C H E S T E R
E D I N B U R G H
M A N C H E S T E R
E D I N B U R G H
08/01/2015 14:18
NO
FLASH
IN THE
PAN
54
054-57 FEAT Flash.indd 54
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 11:56
[television]
WORDS JOHN MARRS IMAGE LUKE FONTANA
Supervillains are known more for their

bad boy exploits than their sexuality.
But when comic book The Flash
revealed in 1984 that their villain Pied
Piper was gay, it became a gamechanger. Now fans of Sky 1s The
Flash are about to meet the Pied Piper
on screen. Openly out actor Andy
Mientus tells GT just how important his
role is for the gay community and for
all comic book adaptations
Alter the appearance of a classic
comic book character at your peril.
Thats the lesson producers of TV
show The Flash learned when they
dared to introduce supervillain Pied
Piper to the show with an outfit that
differed from his traditional in-print
green. And when a photograph
of actor Andy Mientus, who plays
Hartley Rathaway aka Pied Piper
leaked wearing black, comic book
enthusiasts, bloggers and purists
were divided.
The big controversy was not a
bisexual actor playing the Pied
Piper but the fact I wasnt wearing
green, laughs Andy. But I dont
read user comments on stories.
Inevitably theres going to be some
asshole who wants to make a noise
and fight with others online. Theres
gaytimes.co.uk
definitely some kids out there who

are pissed that Pied Pipers gay, not
wearing green or that Im playing
him and not someone else. But the
overwhelming response has been
positive and supportive.
After the successful launch of
Arrow onto the small screen, The
Flash became the latest DC Comics
character to get his own show late
last year and it proved an instant
hit. With his super speed and
superhuman reflexes, hes already
taken on Danton Black, Leonard
Snart and Roy Bivolo, but Pied Piper
is a different kettle of fish. First
off, hes a gay supervillain, and
secondly, hes deaf.
His character first appeared in
1959, begins Andy, and whats
really awesome is that in 1984 he
155
08/01/2015 11:56
56
born deaf and his wealthy family

buy him special hearing aids so he
can hear as well as anyone else. Our
story is a little different. I know the
gay community is already going
to be watching, but its creating a
character on screen thats existed
for decades with an incredibly
devoted fan base thats where
the pressure is, not being a gay
character on a TV show. I want to do
him and the fans proud.
Andy has been open about his
bisexuality since first springing to
fame stateside in musical drama
Smash. Somebody asked me the
question and I answered it, he
says matter-of-factly. I was never
interested in being secretive about
it and Im not worried about being
approaching a character, he adds.

Like for most people, their sexuality
is not their defining characteristic,
its just something about them.
I like to switch it up because it
proves being an out actor doesnt
necessarily limit opportunities.
People are still willing to buy me
as a straight, romantic love interest
just as well as they can buy me as a
gay supervillain. And I wouldnt see
only playing gay roles as something
negative Id just be glad to be
working!
For most of his youth and until his
early twenties, Andy dated women.
I guess I came out pretty late at 24,
because I didnt figure it out til then.
I was never closeted or hiding, I
was dating women but I recognised
IMAGE MICHAEL LE POER TRENCH
was an out gay man, I think one of

the only out superheroes in the DC
Comics universe. It was a brave
move to make him gay and, I think,
unprecedented at the time. His
coming out was handled really,
really sensitively without being
heavy-handed or stereotypical. His
sexuality adds a human element,
so you get to know him not just as
a moustache-twirling villain. And
theyve kept that story very much
intact for the TV series.
With many mainstream US TV
series now having at least one
gay character, its still relatively
unchartered territory to find one
of us in superhero films or TV
adaptations. Oh this is huge,
says Andy. People dont expect a
superhero show to go there. When
you think of a comic book superhero
audience, its a much more diverse
crowd than people assume. I think
its really great to see a powerful,
out gay character giving The Flash a
run for his money.
While Andy was familiar with
The Flash growing up, he admits
comic books were not his speciality.
I was a nerdy kid playing video
games, he recalls. Id definitely
have been into comic books too,
given the chance, but my parents
had to draw the line somewhere.
But I come from a generation where
it feels like these characters have
always existed. Even though Id
never read a Flash comic, I was still
familiar with him through his media
presence.
Andy first came to the attention
of producers after auditioning for
the part of Barry Allen, aka The
Flash. Although he wasnt chosen
for the lead role, they recognised
his potential inner bad boy. I didnt
know the Pied Piper at all, but the
writing was so strong, I knew exactly
who this guy was, he explains. DC
sent me lots of comics with sticky
notes telling me exactly what to
read. It was a crash course in Pied
Piper that really got me excited.
In those original comics, hes
I like to switch it up because it proves

being an out actor doesnt necessarily
limit opportunities. People are still willing
to buy me as a straight, romantic love
interest just as well as they can buy me
as a gay supervillain. And I wouldnt see
only playing gay roles as something
negative Id just be glad to be working!
pigeonholed in terms of casting.
As an actor, the way I look and the
way I am means Im not going to
be cast as the action hero. Im like
the Pied Piper Im a little angular,
Im a little weirder. I foresaw being
really embarrassed later on if I
tried to keep up one image and
then the true image got out, which it
inevitably would. I thought, why not
come out of the gates swinging?
But I dont judge anyone who
chooses not to talk about their
personal life, theres a lot of value
in keeping it separate from your
career.
And on stage and screen hes also
happy to mix it up, playing both gay
and straight. Im an open and fluid
person in life so, to me, sexuality
is the last thing I think about when
I was attracted to some boys. I was

lucky to grow up in a household that
was open and accepting and in the
theatre community no one cares at
all. It never needed to be a big deal.
Theres a line in [TV show]
Girls which says, People are so
prejudiced against bisexuals.
Its like the only group of people
you can still make fun of. A lot of
straight and gay people dont really
buy it, and theyre almost angry.
Its an antiquated fear that if people
arent on your side then theyre
against you. That bisexual people
are keeping one foot in the closet for
safetys sake and doing a disservice
to the cause. Time is proving the
cause is going to keep marching on
regardless of a few bisexuals.
Andy has been in a relationship
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 11:56
[television]
with Michael Arden, a fellow actor,

famous for his stage work and TV
series like Anger Management and
The Good Wife. Friends for six years
until they began a relationship, they
announced their engagement on
Instagram in June last year while on
a trip to Babington House, Somerset.
Since we were friends for so
long there was no hiding behind
the image you want to present to
somebody, Andy smiles. We
skipped to being ourselves and
deciding if it was something that was
going to work. And it has.
Weve always been on the same
page psychically. When we got
engaged we were both trying to
propose to each other on the same
day, but independently. We had no
idea what the other was doing but I
beat him to the punch!
As they plan for their intimate
wedding in autumn this year, they
have spent much of their engagement
in a long distance relationship Andy
working seven days a week playing
Marius in Broadways revival of Les
Misrables, and Andy busy on stage
and screen, and living in their Los
Angeles home.
Its really hard, especially in our
first year as an engaged couple, as
we couldnt ride the high of that,
Andy explains. We went straight
back to reality and did the long
distance thing, but its worked
because were sure were doing the
right thing in getting married. We
respect each others ambition and we
know that while were dating each
other, were also dating each others
career. Some day this difficulty will
be a small drop in the well.
Andy took a month out of Les Mis
to make The Flash. And with plans
to leave the musical soon, does
this mean we might see more of
the Pied Pier?
I dont want to give too much
away, he grins, but theres a
strong possibility we will see the
Pied Piper again. n
The Flash, Sky 1, @andymientus
gaytimes.co.uk
157
08/01/2015 11:56
JUDGEMENT DAY
Its time to retire, Judge Judy, because theres a new Queen of the Dock
in town. As Judge Rinder, known to his friends simply as Rob, wipes
the courtroom floor with his afternoon telly competition, he talks to GT
about how he went from acclaimed barrister to famous face, and how
deals with homophobic Twitter rants
WORDS JOHN MARRS
58
058-59 FEAT Rinder.indd 58
gaytimes.co.uk
06/01/2015 15:05
[television]
hen Judge Rinder

first aired one
August afternoon
last year, it became
an instant ratings hit. Five days
a week, almost two million of
us tune in to watch flamboyant
barrister Rob Rinder adjudicating
over real, small-claim cases in a
studio courtroom. But its the legal
beagles caustic wit and scathing
one liners that have viewers hooked
as much as the cases he tries.
Has television always been part
of your plan, Judge? Absolutely
not! But I didnt want my career to
be about just one thing, as that can
get pretty boring. I was writing
scripts alongside a production
company and suggesting various
ideas. Then I was introduced to
the series producer of this show
and six months later we started
shooting. Theres no intention
of creating a pantomime, its an
authentic show. Of course theres
an element of drama, but cases are
treated exactly as they would be in
a small claims court.
How have your colleagues
reacted to your sudden fame?
The vast majority have been pretty
good about it. If anybody is ever
snobby or supercilious, I point
them towards the shows Twitter
feed which, leaving aside the odd
moment of homophobia, proves we
have triggered real conversations
about law. We feature subjects that
affect everybodys lives.
What kind of online homophobia
have you experienced? I must
point out that 98% of tweets are
positive, but theres a really small
number of people whove posted
homophobic comments and, in
some instances, quite threatening
homophobia. Im satisfied that its
never trespassed into incitement of
a criminal offence, though.
What do you think of the people
behind those posts? I used to
defend these kind of people, it was
my job and so I always feel terribly
sorry for them. Nobody whos
gaytimes.co.uk
058-59 FEAT Rinder.indd 59
homophobic is a happy individual,

and theres some solace in the fact
they mustve spent hours spelling
their nasty tweets correctly.
Would you ever consider
taking legal action against
them? Itd have to go very far
into the realms of a criminal
offence, like incitement to cause
violence, before Id follow it up.
If you place yourself in the public
eye you have to face the fact you
can be the target of criticism and
of fools. Im a free speech kind
of guy, its what has helped us
get gay rights over the years.
And that free speech extends
to some of the most appalling,
unimaginably wicked and
moronic people who have to be
covered by the same protection.
How do you feel about The Daily
Mail describing you as a camp
cross between Paul OGrady
and Simon Cowell? Well I could
do worse than that, couldnt I? The
campery of the show is slightly
more concentrated because the
cases are edited down. But my
problem is I go through life not
knowing who any celebrity is. I
thought Rita Ora was a clairvoyant.
How has the gay community
responded to you? I have no idea!
Its not like we all attend a single
meeting where I can get a well
done on your show. But I havent
had any negative response or
concern that Ive done something
to embarrass the community.
You married your partner Seth in
2013. How did that change your
relationship? Wed been together
for nine years before we got
married and when you go through
practical difficulties or any kind of
challenges, marriage gives you a
different level of security. It gives
you a sense of calm permanence.
It solidifies things in a way that
provides you with security and
makes complexities that go on in
our lives less troubling.
As a barrister, you must be a
confident man. Did that extend
to your TV debut? Because I

love doing the show so much and
the people involved have such
enthusiasm, I was desperate for
it to work, so I was nervous the
first day it went out. Then I just got
on with my life and pretended it
wasnt happening! I hoped that
people would really respond to it.
And do you watch your own
shows? I have been watching, as
its important for me to be able to
better frame my judgment. At first
there was that stomach dropping
concern that I cant possibly have
spent close to 40 years sounding
like that and then moments that had
me reaching for something sharp.
Is your career as barrister now
on hold? Im not giving up my day
job soon, but Ive had to wind down
some of the work I did. I couldnt
start gallivanting around the world
in the way that I used to, but I still
keep my hand in and Ive some
ongoing cases. Its important for
me to continue to be authentic.
There are obvious comparisons
to your show and Judge Judys.
What do you think of the
competition? Her legal judgments
are absolutely impeccable. Ive
never seen her get it wrong. The
difference is our show is an hour
long and you get to see the real
narratives emerge, but they dont
have the time for it on her show.
She has a definite opinion straight
away. When I get the statements
and cases beforehand, Ill have a
strong sense, but often it changes
throughout the course of the case
as the story emerges. I always
approach two sides of the story
with a genuinely open mind.
Youve become famous for your
witty one liners and scathing put
downs Yes and the only time Ive
truly got upset about something
on Twitter was when someone
tweeted that I didnt write my own
lines! I absolutely do and theyre
completely spontaneous! n
Judge Rinder, weekdays, 2pm, ITV,
@judgerindertv
159
06/01/2015 15:05
looking
60
060-73 FEAT Looking.indd 60
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 12:05
[looking]
Its been around 12 months since we first

saw Looking Michael Lannans comedydrama about a group of gay friends
living in San Francisco. Sounds simple
on the surface, no? But this show brought
modern gay life to international audiences
in a way which hadnt quite been seen
before. We laughed, cried and cringed
along with Patrick, Dom and Agustn in
series one. But as youre reading this, a
bigger and bolder series two is already
well underway on HBO and is set to air
on Sky Atlantic imminently. Naturally, we
spoke to the cast and crew whove helped
make Looking one of the most important
pieces of telly in recent memory. Starting
with the linchpin character Patrick
AKA, the charming, handsome and quite
brilliant Jonathan Groff...
WORDS RYAN BUTCHER
Jonathan Groff is teasing us about

our accent. Were talking with the
former Glee-turned-bona-fideHollywood-star mid-filming for the
second series of Looking, and hes
teasing us about our accent.
When Im talking to people
from London who have British
accents, I have a blind ear to what
youre saying, he laughs. I was
on set last night with Russell Tovey
and he had to say something like
four times and I was like, I cant
understand what youre saying.
But were gonna work through it.
For those not in the know
firstly, shame on you Looking
is an American comedy-cumdrama about a trio of gay
friends in the Golden City,
with the show exploring their
relationships, friendships, sex
lives even struggles with their
own mortality. Modern gay life
has never been brought to an
audience on this scale before,
which is what makes Looking one
of the most important pieces of
television in the last decade.
At the end of the first series
gaytimes.co.uk
last year, it felt like we were just

getting into a groove, Jonathan
tells us. We were just starting
to find our way with the stories
and the characters. Basically, the
honeymoon wasnt over when we
ended last year. So everyone
the crew, cast, writers we were
all DYING to get picked up for a
second series. We just wanted to
come back and continue to make
the show.
But series two isnt going to be an
easy ride for Jonathan, who plays
29-year-old video game designer
Patrick. The last time we saw him,
he was caught up in a love triangle
with his on-off boyfriend Richie
and, urm, his boss Kevin, played
by the UKs own Russell Tovey.
When Kevin and Patrick met in
the first season, Jonathan explains,
he was trying to hit on him. And it
was so awkward because Patrick
doesnt have very good game when
it comes to approaching a potential
romantic interest. Then that was
completely squelched when you
find out that, not only does Kevin
have a boyfriend, but Kevin is
161
08/01/2015 12:05
also his boss. So any sort of idea of

romance in Patricks mind went out
the window.
But that allowed him to be open
to a genuine connection with Kevin.
He wasnt trying to impress him or
making him his boyfriend, because
he was his boss. Patrick really got to
be himself with Kevin and that really
opened up a connection between
the two of them that wouldnt have
otherwise been there. It evolved
because the romantic attraction was
undeniable at the end of the day.
If youre anything like us, you had
mixed feelings about Patrick. On
one hand, the relationship and life
choices he made infuriated you
how could he do that to Richie?! but
on the other, you sympathised with
him. The beauty of such a complex
character like Patrick is you found
yourself really relating to him;
seeing yourself in his shoes, making
the same terrible decisions. Its
something thats not lost on Jonathan.
In fact, its partly what drew him to
the role in the first place.
I felt with Patrick, from the first
audition, it was really close to
the bone, says Jonathan. Hes
one of those characters that feels
incredibly personal. When I was at
the audition with Andrew [Haigh],
Michael [Lannan] and HBO, it felt
very real. Its thrilling to play a part
where youre not hiding behind
anything, youre just exposing
yourself in a very real way. The
chance to work with Andrew and
Michael was definitely the thing that
brought me to the audition room,
but once I started saying the lines,
I started thinking about Patrick and
the scarily realistic qualities the role
had. We did a scene last night and
afterwards I was like, Ive literally
said these lines in my life.
I feel like I see Patricks anxiety
and confusion about a lot of
problems for himself, because he
overthinks things and gets too into
his head. Hes not living his life
moment to moment hes outside of
it, thinking about it, being anxious
62
about it. But theres times when Ill

be talking on a date or with a group
of friends, and Ill hear myself and
Ill think, Stop being Patrick right
now. He certainly crept into my life,
but in a good way. The awareness of
overthinking.
Sounds to us like Patrick is
evolving into Jonathans evil twin.
I didnt think about that,
Jonathan laughs. I dont think of
Patrick as evil, so maybe my alterego rather than evil twin! The social
awkwardness that Patrick has, I feel
like I know how to not act that way in
my real life. But deep down inside,
thats how Im actually feeling.
Sex was a central theme running
throughout the first series of
Looking and series two is no
different. Whether its Dom coming
to terms with his open relationship
with his older boyfriend Lynn, or
Patrick grappling with taking a
more submissive sexual role. But
what separates the sex in Looking
from, say, the US version of Queer as
Folk, is that it feels vital to the story.
Its used as a mechanism to drive
plot points forward, rather than to
titillate and tantalise. Not only that,
but seeing a kid-friendly star like
Groff, whose other acting credits
include Glee and a little-known
animation called Frozen, get on
down on prime time telly is actually
quite a bold move.
The sex scenes in the show
are such a great opportunity for
character development and a great
opportunity to show gay intimacy
in a way that isnt sensationalised,
says Jonathan, which is Andrew
Haighs speciality. If you didnt
know already, Andrew is the
creator of cult British gay indie flick
Weekend. Im always so excited
about the sex scenes because its
HBO, so you really get to GO there.
And its Andrew Haigh, so you know
its gonna be very true to life and the
intimacy is going to feel authentic.
Its the best version of a sex scene
that I could jump into as an actor.
Were really trying to take this
patrick
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 12:05
[looking]
opportunity; this very rare air time

that you get on a Sunday night,
on this time slot, on HBO, to shed
some light on things. It shocked me
after the first season to know how
little people knew about gay sex
and gay intimacy. Straight people
have said to me that they didnt
even know until after our show that
gay people could have sex while
facing each other!
Which is what it all comes down
to with Looking. Its not a gay
show as such, and to call it so
would diminish just how brilliant
a piece of work it really is. It just
happens to be a show about life,
love and relationships, centred
around gay characters. Jonathan
even tells us a story about how
during a trip to the movies, an
audience membered shouted to
him how much he loved Looking,
and when Jonathan turned around
he was faced with a straight guy
sitting with his girlfriend.
Thats, in part, the legacy of
Looking how its educating the
hearts and minds of those who
arent, shall we say, au fait with
gay culture. But with series two
wrapped up, how does it rank in
Jonathans own personal legacy?
This is the most personal
experience Ive ever had, he says.
Period. It means a lot to me. Every
now and then, something comes a
long and its more than just a job,
its more than just work, its more
than making a pay cheque. Thats
always my goal when Im looking
for work, but once in a blue moon
something comes along where
youre involved in the material and
youre involved with the character.
And its certainly my favourite
so far. Its meant the most to me
because its been so incredible,
and personal, and because Im
so deeply in love with the people
Im working with. Im desperately
hoping we can keep that up.
Jonathan, if what weve seen of
series two is anything to go by, you
certainly have. n
gaytimes.co.uk
163
08/01/2015 12:06
richie
If theres one character who
undoubtedly won the favour,
support and empathy from
the Looking fans, it was
Ral Castillos Richie. He
quickly let it be known he wasnt
one to take shit from anybody
especially not his love interest
and on-off boyfriend Patrick.
His combination of nerve,
classically handsome features
and the fact he could play the
guitar made him an instant hit.
So much so that, by the end of
the show, #teamrichie didnt
just become an overwhelming
proclamation of support from
the fans, it became a way of
life. Sort of. Straight actor
Ral spoke to us about playing
gay in one of HBOs biggest
hits, what fireworks to expect
in series two and just WHY
everyone loves Richie...
WORDS JONATHAN WALIK
64
How did you get involved with

the show? I did a short film with
Michael Lannan in 2011 called
Lorimer. That was the prototype for
what later became Looking. In it,
I played the character that was to
become Richie.
So you were involved before
everybody else? I had to audition
too! But yeah, I was in this early
incarnation of it.
Were you aware of the projects
potential at the time? I had NO
idea. Michael called me around
December 2012 when HBO had
green-lit the pilot. It was a complete
surprise to me.
What can you tell us about the
second season? Im excited about
the new characters that are being
introduced, and the way that were
expanding the world that we
already created in series one. The
different aspects of the community
we see in the Bay Area, to me, was a
lot of fun to explore.
On its debut, there were a range
of reactions, especially from
the gay community. Were you
aware of the potential social
responsibility that you had
with the show? The best thing
we can do is stay true to the story
were trying to tell. I knew that
people would have their own
wants and needs from the show.
We cant please everybody wed
end up pleasing no one. We do
have a great responsibility and I
see that in projects that are also
Latino-based, where people
come to the table with all kinds of
expectations.
Has that pressure been
frustrating as an actor on the
show? The only time I feel pressure
is when I make the mistake of going
online and reading comments. My
greatest responsibility at the end of
the day is to Richie.
Richie has got a substantial
online following, with many
proclaiming #teamrichie. Why do
you think people have connected
with the character so much?
His honesty, his transparency,

his strong sense of principles, his
ability to articulate his needs to
Patrick and how firm he stands. I
think people like to see a character
really stand his ground.
Your scene with Patrick on the
last episode was the most heart
wrenching and beautiful scene of
the whole season. Can you give
any hints on the future of Richie
and Patrick? Series two is about
them learning how to continue
a relationship outside of this
relationship. They met randomly,
on a train, but the people we meet
in arbitrary ways often have the
most profound effect on us.
There are consistently stories of
actors being hesitant or being
warned against taking on gay
roles. Did you experience any of
this? I really didnt. I dont think
there are a lot of Latino characters
like him on TV, so I feel very
lucky to get to play someone like
Richie. The fact that hes gay is
one part of him. I think hes really
multi dimensional, so I was never
worried. Friends will ask me about
that kinda thing, but I think its
opened more doors for me as an
actor than its closed.
On a side note, are you aware
that Buzzfeed voted your beard
as the second best facial hair
on the show? This isnt even a
question, just a fact we think you
should be aware of. Yes, I saw that!
That was an honour, a complete
honour. Ill lose to Dom anytime.
Alongside Looking, youve
also done a lot of other work
across theatre, TV and film.
Any upcoming projects youre
particularly excited about? I
just finished an independent film
called Staring at the Sun, which
we shot in New York. Hopefully
itll go to some festivals. Im
also a playwright and I have a
production of a play that I wrote
called Between You, Me and the
Lampshade thats premiering in
Chicago next year. n
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 12:06
[looking]
gaytimes.co.uk
165
08/01/2015 12:06
Murray Bartlett
Tall, handsome and
hes got the best
moustache in telly.
Whats not to love?
WORDS JONATHAN WALIK
After working on two of the most

popular soaps of all time, Home and
Away and Neighbours, this Aussie
native landed a spot on a little show
called Sex and the City.
His portrayal of a confident, well
adjusted gay man was something
not often seen and made a lasting
impression on gay audiences. I
was offered a role on Sex and the
City, I just wasnt gonna say no,
Murray tells us.
But theres something else. In an
age when actors are often told to stay
closeted or, at least, remain wary of
gay parts, Murray has made a career
out of playing gay characters that
challenge traditional assumptions.
For the past year, for instance,
hes starred as Dom in one of the
best written, emotionally engaging
shows on TV, HBOs Looking. Yes,
its about a bunch of gay dudes.
But its not quite business as usual.
There are no coming out stories, no
ones confused about their sexuality,
theyre just trying to live life while
balancing friendships, love and
careers. Its precisely this ostensibly
nonchalant attitude thats ironically
proven quite revolutionary.
Murray takes the character of Dom
and transforms him from a familiar
stereotype of a lothario past his
prime, to a relatable, emotionally
complex man, whos just trying to
find his way. On his connection with
the character, hes refreshingly
honest. Were pretty much the
same age, so theres a lot of things
that I relate to in terms of where he
is in his life, he says. Things that
happen when turning 40 that are
specifically about reevaluating your
life and asking yourself whether
youve met your own expectations.
Battling with age is a topic familiar
66
to many and its a struggle thatll see

Dom moving towards that in the
second series, but tripping a lot. Its
been these trip-ups that have made
the character so empathetic and
subsequently so popular.
In terms of what to expect in the
second series, we really dig deep
he says encouragingly. Theres
a lot of introductory stuff thats all
done now, so we can go deeper with
these characters. Getting excited,
he describes the experience on set
as a total love fest. And on finding
out they were being picked up for a
second season he simply proclaims:
Ecstasy! We had such a great time
together and came out of it feeling
positive, but when something goes
out into the world, it gets all sorts
of reactions. It felt at times that it
wasnt so sure wed get picked up.
When you have something
thats taking a piece of a particular
community and shining a light
on it, there are always gonna be
people who feel that theyre not
represented. You cant represent
everybody in a half hour. But the
smart thing about the show is it didnt
set out to represent everybody.
These characters happen to be gay
and thats a big part of the show, but
its not saying this is representing the
entire gay community.
When asked if he thinks the
pressure of social representation
stems from the starvation of positive
images for gay people to identify
with, hes diplomatic. Exactly,
he says, and its completely
understandable.
Fans of the first season will
remember the utterly charming
Lynn [played by Scott Bakula],
Doms potential love interest. On
this he reveals, It does develop
and there are some unexpected
surprises. Another highlight is
Doms friendship with Doris [played
by Lauren Weedman], the most
prominent female character on the
show, whose quick wit and tough
love quickly made her a firm fan
favourite. Its one of the things I
dom
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 12:06
[looking]
most love about the second series,

he says excitedly. Doris features
more in the show. When youre in a
scene with her, you just get on the
ride and move out of the way. Shes
a comic genius.
High praise indeed. In fact,
Murray is full of praise when it
comes to Looking. Avoiding much
of the empty sentimentality often
heard in Hollywood, he seems to
genuinely adore the project. On
the shows unique aesthetic, he
exclaims, Thats the magic of
Andrew Haigh!
The show employs a naturalistic
style and an emphasis on realism,
which he describes as one of
Andrews great strengths, he
knows how to focus on characters
and relationships in a way thats
very real and relatable.
Apart from his strikingly
handsome face and a body not
too dissimilar to that of a Greek
god, there was something
else that caught our eye. Dom
sports perhaps the most iconic
moustache since Tom Selleck.
After we tell him, he laughs
heartily. Theres been quite a
reaction to it! I was in Egypt when
I auditioned for the show, so I
grew a moustache to try and look
less like a a tourist, which didnt
really work. It makes sense for the
show in terms of this iconic SanFrancisco, Castro-type look. Fans
will be sad to know that it doesnt
remain a permanent feature
outside of the show. Shaving it off
is described as sort of like losing
a limb. And it hurts us too.
After we recover from the
moustache blow, Murray leaves
us with some final thoughts about
Looking.
Were all excited about the show
and playing real characters that,
as much as possible, dont play
up to stereotypes. Hopefully, they
create some positive ripples in the
world. If you ask us, thats exactly
the kind of actor we want to see on
our screens every week. n
gaytimes.co.uk
167
08/01/2015 12:06
When youre the creator

of one of the best-loved
shows for a generation,
youre bound to be under
pressure when it comes
to a second series. As
we all know, the gay
audience is a tough
cookie to crack. But
when we catch up with
Michael Lannan, the
shows creator, writer
and producer, hes calm,
collected and, urm,
surrounded by zebras,
apparently. At least
its safe to say therell
be more animals the
second time around
WORDS JONATHAN WALIK / RYAN BUTCHER
IMAGES ANNA ALEXIA-BASILE / HBO
Michael, how did Looking come about?

It was a feature film script that I wrote
based on stories from the people I knew in
my 20s. I just wanted to tell a story about
three friends that felt naturalistic and more
relevant to the gay friends I had.
Are there any gay-oriented shows that
you were inspired by? We had a talk at
HBO about some of the shows we liked,
like the British Queer as Folk and Channel
4s Tales of the City. There hadnt been
a show centred around gay people for
a long time in the US, so we had a big
opportunity in front of us.
People thought of Looking as quite
revolutionary. Do you think it still
should be in 2015? The worlds changed
so quickly in the past five years and we felt
it was the right time to capture the change
in the culture. One of the questions we
wanted to ask is, What happens when were
welcomed into the mainstream? Suddenly
you have the old options and the new ones.
In some ways, its easier to be a part of a
subculture and not have to deal with some

of the things that straight people do.
How difficult was it to achieve the
sense of realism and relatability?
The goal from the start was always do
a very naturalistic show that felt very
relatable to a lot of people. Some of
the best compliments we get are when
people say, I totally know Patrick, or I
am Agustn. Well I guess not so many
people claim to be Agustn. Its always
a balance to find a level of realism and
to keep the story moving forward. We
spent a lot of time in the details of the
characters to make it feel real.
Who do you relate to most on the show?
I relate to all of them in some way, which
I know is a boring answer, but its true! I
can tell you who Id most like to be which
is a great new character we have played
by Daniel Franzese named Eddie. Thats
who Id like to be. Hes delightful and
complicated and a lot of fun. I think people
will like him a lot. n
t
h
e
creators
68
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 12:06
[looking]
After capturing the

hearts and minds of
gay audiences with his
modern day classic
Weekend, it seemed
only natural for
Andrew Haigh to go on
to work with Michael
Lannan on Looking.
After directing the pilot,
he was appointed the
shows director and
executive producer,
with his own uniquely
beautiful visual style
becoming integral to
the show. Oh, and hes
also the one weve got to
thank for the superblydone sex scenes...
gaytimes.co.uk
Andrew, how did you get involved with

Looking? Michael called me out of the
blue and I was sent the script for the pilot.
Theyd seen Weekend and they felt it was
the right marriage of the script and what
the movie was. Two days later, I was on a
plane to LA and it happened from there!
Initially I was only directing the pilot,
but then it became a lot more than that. It
kinda came from nowhere I didnt know
Michael or anybody!
Jonathan Groff told us that he knew he
was in safe hands when shooting the
sex scenes, because he was working
with you and hed seen Weekend.
How did you approach them? To me,
intimacy is always the most important
thing. I never like to show sex scenes
for gratuitous reasons or if they dont
make any sense to me in terms of the
story. If anything, sex scenes usually
take you out of the story. We have sex
as individuals, to be intimate with with
someone or sometimes to escape
intimacy depending on the kind of sex

youre having. But its always important to
me that it feels like what its actually like
to have sex. That it feels intimate, close
and sometimes tender, or sometimes not
tender, whatever it is. But its about trying
to make it feel more real. I dont think
gay sex on screen over the years really
reflects intimacy at all, and thats always
been a problem. And I think its probably,
because of that, why people tend to think
about gay sex in a certain way.
Its been 16 years since Queer as Folk,
and it was quite a big thing then to show
that gay people DO have sex. But now
it seems to be the big thing to show that
gay people have intimate relationships.
Its just about showing the world that gay
people have the same love for each other
that straight people do. Its only ten years
since the majority of the population thought
that the love two men have for each other,
or two women have, wasnt the same as
with a man and a woman.
One of the big things everyone loved
about Looking was its visual style. How
did you approach the aesthetics of the
second series? We certainly didnt want
to do exactly the same, but neither did we
want to change anything dramatically.
For me, the visuals of something should
always relate to whats happening to the
characters, so as the storylines became
slightly bigger, I wanted the visual to
become slightly bigger.
How much did you relate to the script
and the characters? Being the two
Brits, the obvious comparison would
be Russell Toveys character Kevin...
Thats funny! Ive been thinking as well,
Oh, people are going to think hes
based on me. Its not me! But people see
themselves in the characters because they
all make flawed decisions. Nobody is all
good and nobody is all bad.
And finally, are you Team Richie or
Team Kevin? I have a preference... But
whats interesting about this season is
that it makes it more difficult to be on
either team. I think season one, it seemed
pretty obvious that someone would be
Team Richie. But it gets messier this
season, so it makes who you think Patrick
should be with more complicated if
either of them at all! n
169
08/01/2015 12:06
We first fell in love with him in Being

Human, but it was Looking that brought
Russell Tovey to the international
mainstream. Series two is jam-packed full
of the former GT cover star, so we just had
to ask him about being a part of TV history
and, of course, sex with Jonathan Groff...
WORDS RYAN BUTCHER
It was like something youd

expect to see in the aftermath of a
Twilight film. Or a scene from West
Side Story. When Looking wrapped
up last year, fans from all corners
of the globe were nailing their
colours firmly to one of two masts
Team Richie or Team Kevin.
Throughout the first series of
HBOs triumph of a show, Jonathan
Groffs Patrick embarked on an
on-off relationship with Richie a
Latino barber-cum-bouncer who
constantly tried to push Patrick
out of his comfort zone. It was
somewhat an unconventional
choice of boyfriend for the usuallyconservative Patrick, with Richie
not quite fitting up to his familys,
friends and, well, even his own
ideals of whom he should be dating.
Then there was Kevin, played by
the UKs own and former GT cover
star Russell Tovey. Patrick clumsily
hits on Kevin at a video game launch
before learning that he is, in fact,
his new boss. The pair endure a
somewhat prickly relationship
throughout the first series, but in
the final episode they wind up
fucking on their office floor, despite
Patrick only having just broken up
with Richie, and Kevin having a
boyfriend of his own.
So when we catch up with Russell
back on home soil, and ask him
to shed some light as to why he
thinks Patrick finally succumb
to them, ahem, forbidden fruit of
Kevin, hes pretty straight to the
point with his answer...
Because hes fucking hot, he
laughs.
No, seriously, its because Kevin
appeals to everything Patrick
70
wants to be and who he thinks is

acceptable. Richie is a sweet guy,
but he kind of needed looking
after and protecting, and didnt fit
Patricks ideal image in his head.
Whereas Kevin is like him same
age, same interests, powerful,
got money, career driven. And
thats where Patrick is too. Its an
aphrodisiac, you know? Kevin has
money and power Patrick has a
very straight woman approach to
what it is he thinks he wants.
Fans of the show will be pleased to
know that series two picks up right
where we left off with series one.
Russell and Ral Castillo, who plays
Richie, are both back as regular
characters in the second season. But
take it from us as you watch more
and more of the second series, it
becomes even harder to decide who
Patrick should end up with. If either
of them at all.
Richie is a fucking catch though,
Russell adds. Hes hot and hes a
hairdresser, so youd never have to
pay for your haircuts. Thats going
to save you at least 15 a month.
Hes charming, he plays the guitar,
he looks good naked, hes funny
and hes got a good smile. But for
Patrick, thats not enough. He needs
an A-star gay.
And, you know, Kevin is Patricks
boss AND he has a boyfriend.
It becomes sexual if someone is
unavailable and then suddenly
theyre interested in you. Theres
something about that state of mind
thats sexy. Sleeping with his boss
whats sexier than that?
We reckon it probably depends on
who your boss is, but we see where
Russell is coming from.
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 12:06
[looking]
gaytimes.co.uk
171
08/01/2015 12:07
The character of Kevin, however,

very nearly didnt exist. The
story goes that Russell originally
auditioned for Jonathan Groffs
role, making it to the final two.
Michael Lannan and Andrew
Haigh both promised Russell a role
if the series got picked up and
lo and behold Kevin was born.
You hear them sorts of promises
a lot when you miss out on a role,
Russell explains, and nine times
out of ten it doesnt happen, so I
wasnt holding my breath. I tried
Kevin with both an American and
British accent, and they loved
the British one. So thats how he
came about I was intending him
to be American, but they wanted
the whole kind of One Direction,
Game of Thrones element to it. The
Downton Abbey effect.
With a part seemingly tailorwritten for Russell, does that mean
there are more than a few parallels
between he actor and the character?
Well, were both into men, so
thats pretty similar, laughs Russell.
And we both like Jonathan Groff!
Kevins not overly alpha male,
exactly, but hes definitely sure of
himself and he knows what he
wants. I try and achieve a sort of
coolness, so thats what I try and
put into Kevin. Its like hes a swan
on top of the water, but his legs are
flapping about underneath, you
know? Hes keeping it all under
control. I try doing that when shit
hits the fan or Im doing something
bad I try and maintain my cool. In
that aspect, were very similar.
Tovey fans left unquenched by the
last episodes seriously hot scene
will be pleased to hear theres much
more of the actor parading around
in his birthday suit the second time
around.
Well weve all had sex and we
all know what were doing, says
Russell. And we all know we want
to make it look good everyone
wants to look good! I feel very,
very relaxed in the sex scenes
with Jonathan. We can both go for
72
it and at no point do I feel like Im

taking advantage, or like Im being
taken advantage of. Whenever I did
scenes with Joe Williamson, who
plays my boyfriend Jon, hes straight
in real life... Hes fucking brilliant,
but a part of me always felt slightly
guilty that he had to kiss and cuddle
and be intimate with me.
I felt like, I know this isnt your
game, its my game, and I dont
want you to ever feel like Im taking
advantage just because its written
in the script and you signed up for
it. Do you know what I mean? I felt
like I had a responsibility with Joe.
But with Jonathan, I was literally just
like, hands and fingers everywhere
and he loved it! And vice versa,
because its comfortable and its
real. Thats the most freeing thing
it feels very, very easy to have sex
with Jonathan Groff.
We should all be so lucky to be
able to make such a claim. But it
soon brought us on to the topic of
the way gay sex is portrayed on
mainstream TV shows. The sex
scenes in Looking have never
really seemed gratuitous in any
way theyve always had a place,
and been used as a mechanism to
drive the plot forward. Compared
to say, 16 years ago with Queer
as Folk in the UK, when it was
groundbreaking and necessary
to show graphic portrayals of
what happens when men who like
men jump into bed together.
Looking isnt glorifying gay sex
as something cartoony, explains
Russell. Its just real life and the
sex scenes are there because
theyre showing a side to gay life
which is important. You know, sex
is very important to gay men and
showing these scenes isnt just
titillation. Theyre there to open
up the world and educate in some
ways. A lot of people have come
away from the show saying, I didnt
realise you could fuck a man in the
missionary position!
I remember when I first saw
Queer as Folk and it shows rimming
kevin
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 12:07
[looking]
I didnt know what that was when

I watched it. Id never heard that
word before in my life. Now you
hear it every day its as common
as hearing the word fisting. Its not
as shocking anymore. But Looking
isnt out there to shock or to make
people angry its there to create
discussions, but in a healthy way.
Maybe the last taboo then for
conservative society on both
sides of the Atlantic is not that
gay men are out there having sex.
And good sex, at that. Maybe its
that gay men are out there having
relationships and being, dare we
say it, intimate?
Sixteen years ago, Queer as
Folk shouted from the roof tops
that, yes, we were here, we were
queer and we were having sex. But
now, in 2015, shows like Looking,
Cucumber, Banana and Tofu are
telling mainstream society a
different message were living
just like the rest of you are, were
settling down, and were happy.
Fisting doesnt shock anyone
anymore but maybe the idea of
two blokes in bed on a Sunday
morning, with takeaway pizza
from the night before and a shared
Netflix account, does.
Before now, gay shows have only
shown fucking, agrees Russell.
Just fucking thats it. Theres no
intimacy. You might have a kiss
now or then, but its about the
intimacy, which is a beautiful part
of life. Its more shocking these
days to see two men cuddling
and watching a film on the sofa.
Its because youve not seen that,
before now. All youve seen is two
men fucking in bed, sweating, with
perfect bodies.
Which, unfortunately, isnt how it
always happens, is it Russell?
Well, it is in my world.
Jonathan Groff?
Absolutely. n
Series two of Looking is on HBO in the US
now, and airs on Sky Atlantic in the UK from
February 12. Series one is available on
Blu-ray, DVD and digital platforms now,
@lookinghbo
gaytimes.co.uk
173
08/01/2015 12:07
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Power accessories
are best served in bold
bright colors, so what
better occasion than
Valentines Day to treat
that special someone?
Or to spoil yourself!
From the casual fling to
the long haul, give red
this season to let him
know you care.
Ralph Lauren Polo Red, 41
Miansai bracelet, 113, oki-ni
76
Givenchy neck key holder, 145, luisaviaroma.com
Urbanears Zinken headphones, 89
Anywhere wallet, 165, luisaviaroma.com
ASOS skinny tie, 6

WeSC Overlay snapback, 29.99
Z Zegna knitted tie, 90, selfridges
gaytimes.co.uk
07/01/2015 11:16
WORDS STEPHEN CONWAY IMAGE LEIGH KEILY MODEL ELLIS PARTRIDGE / ESTABLISHED
Casio G-Shock, 180, oki-ni

Spektre sunglasses, 96, luisaviaroma.com
[style]
WORDS STEPHEN CONWAY IMAGE LEIGH KEILY MODEL ELLIS PARTRIDGE / ESTABLISHED
Best laid plans For those of you lucky to

have an actual date this Valentines Day,
the burning question is obviously going to
be what underwear to wear?! Dont worry.
Heres our guide of what the pants say
about the man. You can thank us later
gaytimes.co.uk
The Boxer
Older, possibly someones
father, or maybe hes a
bro. He likes to keep it
easy and comfortable and
puts minimal effort into his
look. The boxer can work
in some situations, just say
no if hes paring them with
cargo pockets.
Pro No nonsense.
Con Floppy.
---------The Boxer Brief
This might be the most
common one around,
available in various
lengths and various levels
of support. This is the
most attering of them
all washboard abs arent
necessary with this look
so that can be a good
thing for some. Avoid
anything too long in the
leg its underwear not a
base layer.
Pro Fits all sizes.
Con Borderline basic.
---------The Brief
Were getting warmer!
This one is best served
up with a solid body and
ample shapes in the front
and back. Wear a high cut
brief to show of the upper
thighs and make sure the
waistband is low, because
dad and boy pants are not
the look youre going for.
Black is always the best
bet for this one.
Pro Makes good bodies
look great.
Con Visible pant lines.
---------The Thong
Mostly used as a punch
line or a bad gag gift, the
man thong can get a bad
rap. Its important to keep
this looks simple less
is more, but not when it
comes to the waistband.
The thinner the waistband
the more feminine the look.
The sting should only be
at the back. This can be
a special occasion item
you mean business.
Pro Shows off your best
assets.
Con Its a bit of a joke.
---------The Jock
This isnt his rst time to
the rodeo, this isnt part of
his gym kit and he knows
whats up. An affective
look, no questions asked
and can keep things cool
during the down time. This
is another one best kept
simple, it doesnt need too
many bells and whistles.
Keep the colours bright but
solid and the straps thick
and minimal.
Pros Does all the talking.
Cons Purpose built.
----------
Ralph Lauren, 34, Selfridges
Emporio Armani, 36, Selfridges
Calvin Klein, 33, Selfridges
HOM, 17, Selfridges
aussieBum, 22, Selfridges
177
07/01/2015 11:16
if the shoe fits...
[02/15]
MEET FRASER BELK WITH ESTABLISHED MODELS
Top to toe
Sandro jacket, 790, Mr Porter
COS checked cotton shirt, 55
Acne jeans, 140, Mr Porter
Mulberry Brynmore tote, 895
Grenson shoes, 205, Mr Porter
@bartvanmaanen
78
@brianshimansky
About the agency. Established

is the exciting new London model
agency, Fraser Belk is one of the
directors and hes been in the
industry for more than 12 years. He
and his co-founders have worked
for some of the biggest names in the
business and wanted to combine
the best bits of those agencies with
a fresh new twist and a bespoke
management style.
Typical day during fashion week.
Its full on, we have International
models arriving into London for the
shows, we have to make sure they
are wearing the right casting outfits,
their walk is perfected and that they
have all their new images in their
Established portfolios. On the first
day of show castings, 9am can be
crazy in the office with suitcases,
cards and boys flying around! When
we know theyre ready, we send
them to see all the relevant show
producers and designers and hope
their card is pinned on the wall to
walk that show.
How many hours do you put in?
Its a long day! Call times start as
early as 6am and fittings can go into
the night. Especially now with the
ease of email, our job can literally
be 24 hours. Its not been unknown
that Ive been called at 3am to get
@chrisjohnmillington
@diegobarrueco
a model over to a fitting for a show

for the next day. It tests your mental
and physical state, so you have to be
prepared! No fashion parties for us
agents, Im afraid!
One piece of clothing that keeps
you comfortable and stylish
My latest piece would have to be
my new black Acne jeans, they fit
so perfectly, and work whether
relaxed or when I have to make
an effort. I have a lot of events to
attend and so need something
versatile, theyre great for the
office with a t-shirt and my Nikes,
to my dog-toothed Gucci jacket
and black Paul Smith monk straps.
Comfortable and easy!
Describe your style Id describe
my style as relaxed tailored.
I really like to look smart but
casual in the process. I love mens
tailoring but oversize can work
too. I have to be comfortable, but
without losing style.
One spring/summer purchase
With fashion season upon us it
means one thing travel! So my
investment piece this season will be
a Mulberry black scotchgrain and
Cognac trolly suitcase. The perfect
accessory for NY, Milan and Paris. I
can arrive in style while supporting
British fashion! @fraserbelk
@paulsculfor
t he hot test male models on instagram
gaytimes.co.uk
07/01/2015 11:16
WORDS STEPHEN CONWAY
MODELS INC.
[style]
WORDS STEPHEN CONWAY
vI
01
vI
02
Working trainers If you cant completely revamp your wardrobe, you might have
better luck upgrading your street cred without compromising your comfort. Busy
days, rush hour commutes and seasonal soggy weather put leather shoes at peril
so why not keep it smart and simple? The shoe might not make the man, but if keeps
him comfortable without looking cumbersome; hes one step ahead of the pack
vI
03
vI
04
gaytimes.co.uk
[01] The
fashion trainer
This isnt new, but
its also not going
anywhere any time
soon. Sartorial tailor
master Tom Ford has
even broken down
and given into trainer
fever. The look says
casual, but you wont
see this one on the
treadmill. Alexander
McQueen, 360, Mr
Porter
---------[02] The
tech trainer
The look is techy
Silicon Valley. Think
Steve Jobs, just
dont pair them with
a black roll neck and
jeans. This one can
go either way, edgy
when paired with a
suit, but then again,
can just look like
a transition shoe.
Savile Row has
embraced this look
with open arms, so it
must be good enough
for the rest of us. New
Balance 373, 50,
JD Sports
---------[03] The
embellished
trainer
This style is usually
an upgrade on the
normal model, just
with some extra bells
and whistles. Unusual
fabrics, textures,
or bold colours and
patterns are eye
catching, but keep all
the benets of tried
and true classics. But
with an embellished
trainer comes the
slightly higher price
point, justiable for
the sneaker freaks but
another one best kept
away from the track.
Nike, 90, Mr Porter
---------[04] The classic
Timeless wardrobe
staples are always
the best investment.
Stan Smith can do
no wrong, the perfect
tennis trainer has
had some famous
collaborations as
of late, from Raf
Simons, Pharrell
Williams and even
American Dads Stan
Smith have all had a
go with this icon.
You cant argue with
the original, best
paired with a light
colour trouser to keep
the look light and
bright. Adidas Stan
Smith, 67
179
07/01/2015 11:16
TOWERBLOCK
80
080-85 STYLE Shoot.indd 80
gaytimes.co.uk
07/01/2015 11:19
[style]
PHOTOGRAPHY LEIGH KEILY

STYLING STEPHEN CONWAY
GROOMING BJRN KRISCHKER AT FRANK
MODELS LEW & SIMON SKITCH AT ESTABLISHED MODELS
PHOTOGRAPHERS ASSISTANT STEPHANO NADDEO
----------
OPPOSITE TOP AND JOGGERS BY SERGE DENIMES

THIS PAGE TOP AND JOGGERS BY CHAMPION
UNDERWEAR BY CALVIN KLEIN
gaytimes.co.uk
181
07/01/2015 11:19
TOP BY ADIDAS
SHORTS BY KTZ
82
gaytimes.co.uk
07/01/2015 11:19
[style]
JACKET BY TOPMAN
SHORTS BY H&M
gaytimes.co.uk
183
07/01/2015 11:19
JACKET AND SHORTS BY ADIDAS

84
gaytimes.co.uk
07/01/2015 11:19
[style]
VEST BY H&M
JOGGERS BY SERGE DENIMES
gaytimes.co.uk
185
07/01/2015 11:19
grooming
[02/15]
WORDS DARREN SCOTT
Solid as a rock (a Molton one)

Molton Brown have released same-sex wedding
gifts, just in time for those celebrating converting
civil partnerships into marriages. The range
includes nine gifts, starting at 36. moltonbrown.co.uk
Grooming on the go A travel exclusive set

from Clarins for the frequent traveller, this
kit contains everything you need for a long
flight, specially packaged to meet on board
liquid restrictions. Set contains shampoo
and shower gel, smooth shave gel, super
moisture gel, active face wash, anti-fatigue
eye serum and fatigue fighter gel.
Clarins Men Grab and Fly, 35, from World Duty Free at UK airports
86
086-87 STYLE Grooming.indd 86
gaytimes.co.uk
07/01/2015 17:35
[style]
style
style]
WORDS DARREN SCOTT
COOL TECH
No, literally cool with Braun
releasing the worlds only shaver to
feature Active Cooling Technology.
As you may imagine, it features an
integrated cooling element to direct
heat away from your skin, which
reduces redness, burning and
irritation. Pretty cool, huh?
From 199.99, braun.com
l
e
t
m
s ben
No, were not saying you do thats the

name of the LA perfume house thats launched
exclusively in the UK at Roullier White.
Former fashion designer Brent Leonesio is the
nose behind the name, turning a redundancy
into a whole new career and a fabulous range
of ever-changing fragrances.
From 45, roullierwhite.co.uk
Cmon, Rogue Whens she not busy with

Instagram selfies, Rihanna has a nifty
sideline in making fragrances. Nice ones,
we mean. Like Rogue Man, her first ever
fragrance for men. With notes of cedar
wood, sandalwood and black pepper, shes
definitely hitting the spot with our nose, if not
our ears. The bottle is topped with a black
leather cap she knows us so well.
From 25, House of Fraser and stores nationwide
gaytimes.co.uk
086-87 STYLE Grooming.indd 87
187
07/01/2015 17:35
PROVINCETOWN
your vacation just got sexier
Attitude
So So GAY
If only all Based On

A True Story films
were The Circle
Ham & High
A fascinating
history lesson
and a tender
love story
The List
a powerful document
of a neglected period
of gay history with
much to tell us
about today
The Guardian
Available to
buy on DVD
JANUARY 26
Pre-order now
Free Super Saver Delivery and Unlimited Free One-Day Delivery with Amazon Prime are available. Terms and Conditions apply. See Amazon.co.uk for details.
GT442-WED.indd 88
08/01/2015 14:20
IMAGE JOHAN PERSSON
mama?
[entertainment]
[02/15]
LET THEM ENTERTAIN YOU

In the last 40 years weve had
the moon landing, the fall
of the Berlin Wall and Miley
Cyrus. But you know what we
havent had? A London run
of the legendary Broadway
musical Gypsy. Until now, that
is. Imelda Staunton will bring
her acclaimed performance as
the iconic Mama Rose to the
Savoy Theatre for a limited run
in March. Sounds to us like
everythings coming up roses.
From 28 March for a strictly limited season,
tickets from 25, gypsythemusical.com,
savoytheatre.org
[95]
Ready,
steady...
We chat to
OK Go
probably the
most-watched
indie band
on the entire
planet.
----------
gaytimes.co.uk
089 REVIEWS Open.indd 89
[98]
Night out
Why the
seminal My
Night With Reg
is as important
now as it
was during
the AIDS
epidemic.
----------
[103]
Whip it real
good Our
review of
Whiplash
one of the best
films youll
see all year
and its only
January!
----------
189
07/01/2015 11:10
LAUREN
HARRIES
Itel nyoeeudmt oy
st ory
WORDS BENJAMIN BUTTERWORTH IMAGES HELEN SOLOMON / JON POUNTNEY
We meet Lauren Harries on

Londons South Bank. Shes striking
to look at: wobbling as she walks
after years of crippling Scoliosis to
her spine. Its like watching a china
doll rock towards you. Lauren is
here to launch her debut single, I
Am A Woman. Its an attempt for
her to be seen the way shes long
wanted to be as a serious artist.
Serious is probably the last
word youd associate with Lauren.
The former Wogan wonderkid
has become better known for
irrational media appearances:
shouting Eh! Eh! Eh! at Phillip
Schofield on This Morning and
claiming to have bedded Russell
Brand something he denies.
But it isnt the bizarre outbursts
were here to talk about. Lauren
says she wants to be the new Bette
Midler, her hero, with the release of
her first single.
I look up to Elaine Paige, Id love
to do Cats, that would be lovely, but
obviously to sing like that you have
90
090-92 MUSIC Lauren Harries.indd 90
to work at it, sing every day.

For this I had to learn all the
words and the tune, then I had to
sing the tune and also I had to sing
it the right way. It took me about a
month to get the words right.
The result is a Pet Shops Boysesque debut though she denies
knowing who the Pet Shop Boys
are with a profoundly personal
message to the lyrics.
Ive done some things that would
make your toes curl, she sings. Call
me a car crash, call me a fool. And
many do. In fact, Lauren had decades
of excruciating bullying.
We used to have bricks through
the windows and death threats,
she recalls. People would call me
tranny! through the window then
drive off. It would be horrendous.
One time I was in the park and
I was in a circle of people, all
transgender-phobic, who were
trying to beat me up. My brother
rescued me because thankfully I
had a phone to ring. All I was doing
gaytimes.co.uk
07/01/2015 12:47
[music]
was walking my dog.

I was attacked outside my
house: beaten with my own shoe
40 times over my face. I ended
up on the floor with a cracked
jaw. Mum didnt realise I was
outside until five minutes later
and by then I was unconscious.
After that, I had to have surgery
because a lump was removed
from my brain from what
happened. It took about two years
for me to recover. You think its
your fault when this happens, that
youd done something wrong.
Her high-profile gender reassignment hadnt gone down
well on the council estate that
neighbours the Harries family
home, where they all still live.
Lauren didnt begin puberty until
18 or 19 a subject of bullying
while a teenager and a very rapid,
overdue pubescence hit her hard.
Though a child star, then as James
Harries, nature wasnt being kind.
Two suicide attempts ensued. I
saved up all the tablets for one
night. We were watching House
Sitter on the TV and I was laughing,
apparently, and I took a load of
beta-blockers. I woke up and I
couldnt be sick. Mum didnt know
what was wrong with me. I thought
Id just sleep and die, but that
wasnt really what happens. I had to
have the coal drip they put coal in
your stomach on two occasions.
Before realising she was trans,
Lauren attempted to live as a
gay man. I went out to a gay
club when I was about 18, she
remembers. This boy said to me,
lets have sex. But I couldnt. It
made me realise I couldnt live
as a man. It wouldve been a lot
easier to be a gay man.
Obviously I found men
attractive, but I wanted them to see
me as Teri Hatcher in Superman,
not as Bob the Brush.
Transitioning took more than
two years and cost the Harries
family 25,000. They were broke,
having received just 50 per
gaytimes.co.uk
191
07/01/2015 12:48
[music]
Wogan appearance, while Lauren

was housebound, reliant on
antidepressants and a 22-yearold virgin.
To pay for the costly private
surgery, the family sought the help
of Max Clifford, PR guru behind
some of the biggest tabloid stories.
Including his own, when he was
found guilty of eight counts of
indecent assault last year.
He was horrible, Lauren
recounts. He was a very
demanding man. Hed shout at
me and tell me off. And then hed
say I dont want to work with you
anymore straight after the surgery
story. All we got was a couple of
grand towards more surgery and
Max Clifford got the rest.
I didnt want to be around him.
I was getting changed one time to

go to my next shoot and he wanted
to come in and I said, No! He was
shouting at me, trying to get in but I
was getting changed. I wouldnt let
him in until I was changed.
Hes not got much empathy.
Certainly not for my situation. Hes
a very impatient man.
Laurens confidence had always
been low. She admits being
addicted to TV, saying: Being on
television was the gratification I
needed. But men had always been
more of a challenge than fame.
I was told I couldnt have sex
for quite a while after surgery.
And I was a virgin. At this point,
Lauren starts singing Like a
Virgin to herself.
Eventually she started going to
bars, with post-op appearances on

This Morning giving her a boost.
I went to a bar and saw a
beautiful looking man. He must
have been in his 30s and I was a
lot younger. He had a wife, but she
left. He took me back home from
the pub. I didnt really know what I
was getting myself into.
At this point Lauren stops. Im
going really deep. This is hard
to talk about, she says, her eyes
glistening.
We were at my place in Putney,
and before too long he went too
far. I said, Id rather youd stop
now, but he wouldnt. There was
so much blood on the mattress I
had to burn it. I had to have more
surgery to recover from that. It
was because he was so rough and I
had to have my vagina completely
re-done. There was a blockage
from what hed done. And hed just
left me there, completely alone. It
felt a bit like hell.
The smell has stuck with me. If
I smell that, I remember it all. You
feel so used and abused. You feel
out of control. Youve messed up
your body after all that work. All that
work and a man has messed it up.
It took another two years for her
body to recover. But a lifetime to
get over the abuse; she has now
been celibate for seven years.
Its easy to judge Lauren
Harries: she is at best an
eccentric, at worst completely
delusional. But when youve
known a lifetime of abuse,
unfairness and bullying, is there
really anything so wrong with a
little invention? Weve probably
all been guilty of it sometimes.
Lauren might look weak, but not
many people could be ridiculed
in the papers as a child, assaulted
as a teenager and change gender
as an adult: then walk down the
streets of Cardiff, head held high.
Really, Lauren Harries is as strong
as they come. n
I Am A Woman is out now, @laurenharries
92
gaytimes.co.uk
07/01/2015 12:48
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GT442-GWedding.indd 93
08/01/2015 14:21
albums
[reviews]
94
094-96 MUSIC Main.indd 94
Idlewild Everything
Ever Written Their
rst album in ve
years, their rough
punky edges have
smoothed into
some classic indie
rock songs, with
a sizeable detour
into country slow
jams. Roddys voice
remains comfortingly
familiar, as he keeps
returning to a lyrical
obsession with
youth.
Desperate
Journalist
Desperate
Journalist As Fierce
Panda signings,
theyre not straying
far from the ercely
indie brand sound.
They sound like The
Organ, who were a
female-fronted, The
Smiths-sounding
miserablists, and
hit some of the
alternative Britpop
glory of Echobelly.
And yes, we happen
to like this kind of
thing.
Rixton Let the
Road After the
opening acappella,
Rixton songs fall
into two camps; the
boyband staples
with more anthemic
acoustic guitar
than you can shake
a Ryan Teddershaped stick at,
and the poppier
faux-reggae beats
that sounds like a
four-fold Olly Murs.
Slicker as Pitbull
would say than an
oil spill.
Peace Happy Four shabby boys

from Worcester have certainly
outdone themselves this time around.
All that time on the road has seen
them perfect feel good indie pop, as
their second album is packed full of
upbeat jangly tunes. Peace sound like
The Supernaturals in their slovenly
delivery, the Longpigs without the
downers and, most obviously, Oasis.
Tracks like Lost On Me verge on
disco, while Perfect Skin is a brilliant
pop take on body issues. Oh You
takes some overly happy and hippyish
sentiments and throws them down
over a caribbean sounding backing.
Its an album that more than lives up to
its title.
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 13:39
WORDS BOB HENDERSON
Rae Morris
Unguarded
Rae Morris sounds like a scientically perfect mix
of all your favourite quirky female singers. The
kookiness of Regina Spektor, the early covert
pop nous of Marina of Diamandis fame, and the
ever present hint of Ellie Goulding if only in the
slight huskiness that denes her angelic voice.
She essentially writes piano ballads, which have
various degrees of polish added to them, all
nished to a high gloss atmospheric completion.
Shes got a bit of Enya about her epic delivery,
especially on For You, decorated with minimal
orchestration that sounds like it was recorded in
a warehouse. Theres no skimping on any of the
full scale, cinematic production.
Underneath the instrumental ourishes
often lies a solid electro baseline, such as
the Running Up That Hill-juddering that
underscores tracks like Under The Shadows
but it sounds as much like Fleetwood Mac
as it does Kate Bush. And yet despite these
references, it never cashes in on any selfconscious nostalgia or sounds its very much
a record made for 2015. The fact that shes
cropped up on Clean Bandits debut album tells
you everything you need to know about her
ability to nail a contemporary sound.
Meghan Trainor Title The singer

of All About That Bass drops it wisely
early on her debut album, leaving her
to follow in its footsteps with a barrage
of similarly simple, doo-wop pop
classics. There are a couple of deviant
songs that caught our attention a
hint of innuendo bubbles under the
surface, like the rhyming red herring
about giving head on Dear Future
Husband, and the standout tracks are
all about getting drunk. 3am is about
unwise ex texting to a nursery rhyme
melody, and Walkashame is fairly selfexplanatory. If youve got a sweet tooth
and like High School Musical, this
album is a dream. If not...
WORDS BOB HENDERSON
[music]
K Go are probably the most

watched indie pop band
on the internet. Weve
no way of checking this,
with an ingenious hi-tech video.

Basically our whole thing is playing,
stupidly that I used to work in a gay bar

in London! I was a server at Freedom in
Damian explains, and when someone
1997. But to be honest, thats not where
says, You guys are so hi-tech, yeah,
our attention is going. Its not escaped
but at 178 million views and counting,
but were also lo-fi, everything we do
our notice that Tim and Dan are sporting
their slew of viral videos have made
is weird and homemade. It feels like its
some mighty fine beards at the moment,
them a face, if not always a name, of the
made with duct tape most of the time.
which always makes us think about their
internet. They did that video dancing
What we love about their videos, having
on the treadmills. They are OK Go, and
sat through them all, is that they just
we have the pleasure of chatting via
dont look like theyd be all that good at
Skype to their lead singer Damian in

anticipation of their actually brilliant
new album Hungry Ghosts.
When someone says an album is
a grower, its a bit of a backhanded
compliment. But Hungry Ghosts has
dancing. And yet they are.

Weve been playing onstage together
for 16 years. If we couldnt do things
in sync with each other, man, wed be
fucked!
Although the entire band is straight,
its more immediate joys, especially
they do have a hefty set of gay
the early tracks like Upside Down and
credentials. Apart from the creative
Inside Out, Another Set of Issues and
flamboyance, one of Damians early
Obsession all amazing collisions of
favourite records was Catching Up with
electro and rock, with a kind of Sleigh
Depeche Mode, claiming one of the 80s
Bells sound to them. And their latest
more homoerotic album covers. And a
single I Wont Let You Down, a more
few days after the interview, he messages
disco-inspired affair, obviously comes
us to casually say: I forgot to mention
gaytimes.co.uk
bear awareness. Turns out theyre at Bear

Force One levels of knowledge.
Everybody is aware that bear culture
exists. Tim has a really interesting
relationship to all this, because even
before the beard, Tim was wearing a
little black leather page boy cap. And he
couldnt be dressing more gay.
I remember wed stop in the South
and hed be a little worried about going
into some scary truck stop restroom, he
was like, Dude, Im gonna get beat up in
there, and I was like, Why do you think
youre gonna get beat up in there? And
he said ,Cos Im Jewish! n
OK Gos album Hungry Ghosts is out 16 February,
they play Koko, London on 13 February, okgo.net,
@okgo
ok go
195
08/01/2015 13:39
[music]
The D The hard-to-type, half French
half Finnish duo of Olivia Merilahti and
Dan Levy are The D. And what they do
is lovely wonky pop. Their latest album
Shake Shook Shaken is packed full of
deceptively simple songs, with tracks
like Truthful Hands being little more than
a guitar, drum pattern and keyboard,
layered with Olivias entrancing vocals. It
has the air of being invited to someones
bedroom, with the promise of making
out in the back of your mind.
Their next single Despair, Hangover
and Ecstasy describes the grimier side
of our lives in much cuter pop terms. It
sounds like Jenny Wilson, whos worked
with The Ds label mates The Knife and
Robyn, which should give you an idea
of what part of the pop ballpark theyre
operating in. What The D, err, do so
well is go from brassy like on Going
Through Walls to bleak A Mess Like
This in the space of a well timed three
minute pop song. n
[reviews]
[tracklist]
Little Boots Taste It

Its not quite the upbeat
electronic disco of former days, but were looking
forward to seeing where this dark direction will take
Little Boots. n Emmy The Great Swimming
Pool Featuring him-off-Wild-Beasts on BVs, this
atmospheric indie love-in trembles with delicacy.
Fragile and verging on hysterical melodrama, but
lovely all the same. n Sharks Wait If Icona Pop
were S Club 7 IMAGINE! then Sharks would be
their S Club Juniors. Its an even brattier version of
their pounding Swedo-pop. n Taylor Swift Style
Universally acknowledged as the best track on 1989,
it borrows quite heavily from Katy Perrys trick of
wrapping American nostalgia around a Robyn offcut. n Nicki Minaj and Beyonc Feeling Myself
Like the swept up scraps of other superior songs,
it sounds patchy and minimal. The best bit is when
one of them presumably a Nicki Minaj alter ego
says carry on. n Gwen Stefani Spark The Fire
Picking up where Wind It Up left off, this is the real
comeback single for Stefani, full of back-in-yer-face
bravado and the kind of song that makes you want to
desk dance. n Le Youth Real Adding to the Duke
Dumont school of 90s nostalgia for today, the house
pianos and spliced up diva vocal are to the letter. n
Madonna ft Avicii Rebel Heart Daddy issues set
to a disco beat, shes back on the EDM bandwagon
with a heavily scored string section providing the
superbra support. n
The Ds album Shake Shook Shaken is out 26 January, thedomusic.com, @thedoband
disco inferno!
Cerrone is one of
the greatest disco
artists you might
notve heard of.
With a Best Of
out, featuring a
provocative 70s-era
cover model bent
over in arresting red
tights, its exactly
the drag-spiration
behind acts like
A Man To Pet
and older more
seasoned drag
96
queens on East
London scene.
And if youve ever
been to Horse
Meat Disco, youve
heard at least one
of the tracks on this
double disc disco
fest. The legendary
French producers
album is 36
examples of classic
disco, by one of
the first pioneers of
synth driven dance
tracks with diva

vocals and strings.
His influence scans
the whole electro
pop scene, from
performing live with
La Roux to inspiring
the likes of James
Murphy. And that
sounds like good
company for us.
The Best of Cerrone
Productions is out
now, cerrone.net, @
marccerrone n
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 13:39
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GT442-WED.indd
06/03/2014 14:23
17:14
08/01/2015
MY
NIGHT
WITH
REG
WORDS TOM WICKER IMAGES JOHAN PERSSON
It was World AIDS Day on December 1

when we met director Robert Hastle
in Covent Garden. Which couldnt
have been more apt, considering we
were in his office to talk about his
acclaimed 20th anniversary revival
of one of the landmark British plays
about HIV and AIDS Kevin Elyots
Olivier-winning My Night with Reg.
Following its success last year at the
Donmar Warehouse where Robert
is associate director its transferring
to the West End.
First performed in 1994 at Londons
Royal Court Theatre, My Night with
Reg deals with the devastating effect
on a group of gay friends of their
respective encounters with the titular
but never seen Reg.
Moving seamlessly between
comedy and tragedy, the play
captures the fear and uncertainty
in the British gay community at the
height of the AIDS crisis.
Thankfully, the treatment of HIV and
AIDS both medically and socially
has evolved since. Diagnosis is no
longer a death sentence. But with
recent figures released by Public
98
098-100 STAGE My Night With Reg.indd 98
Health England showing a continued

increase in HIV infection rates among
young gay men, My Night with Reg
is far from a period piece. Elyots
often heart-breaking study of the ties
binding friendships during illness and
loss resonates powerfully today.
Robert, 37, whose direction of
My Night with Reg earned him an
Emerging Talent nomination at the
recent Evening Standard Awards,
saw the original productions West
End transfer while on a National
Youth Theatre trip. I was completely
blindsided by it, he says. Growing
up in Scarborough, he continues:
It wasnt even that Id only seen
gay stereotypes on stage before.
As far as I know, I hadnt seen any
representations at all.
What most struck Robert as a gay
teenager, out to his friends and family
but not to the wider world, was Elyots
focus five years before Russell
T Davies did it in Queer as Folk
on gay men just living their lives,
with a variety of relationships and
friendships and personalities Id never
seen before. For all that happens to
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 13:41
[stage]
gaytimes.co.uk
199
08/01/2015 13:42
[stage]
ABOVE DIRECTOR ROBERT

HASTIE IN REHEARSAL FOR
MY NIGHT WITH REG
100
them, these arent tokenistic or selfloathing characters.

Robert would use a speech from
the play in his RADA audition and,
after switching tracks from acting to
directing, he jumped at the chance to
revive it at the Donmar. But first he had
to convince the formidable Elyot also
responsible for 2007 Channel 4 gay
drama Clapham Junction that he
was right for the job. He was fucking
terrifying the first time I met him,
dressed in black Prada in the corner of
The Delaunay, recalls Robert. I very
much had to audition for him.
So what was Elyot known to
friends as the Empress like? He
had a naughty sense of humour, he
was a perfectionist and he played
imperious with a very sharp tongue
in his cheek, recalls Robert fondly.
By the end of their first meeting,
hed succeeded in winning the
playwright round. And we then
spent a happy few months working
on the play together.
Sadly, Elyot passed away after
a bout illness before rehearsals
began. There was a strange
symmetry to the whole thing,
says Robert. His funeral was on
the Friday, the wake was in the
rehearsal room and we started
rehearsals on the Monday for
this play about having been to a
funeral. Smiling, he continues: He
was a master craftsman and, as
small consolation, Id like to think
he might have appreciated his own
comic timing.
My Night with Reg still stands
up because its a beautifully
constructed piece of theatre, says
Robert. Knowingly writing in a
tradition of drawing-room comedy,
Elyot takes that DNA from Wilde,
Coward and Rattigan all of them,
of course, gay writers and makes
it explicit, fresh and new. And
comedy masking something much
more complicated and dark is such
a driving force in English theatre,
Robert points out.
And I think all of Kevins plays
are personal, he continues, in the
sense that hes always writing about

that moment in life where paths
diverged or an opportunity was
missed. Its no surprise to Robert
that, in his final years, Elyot wrote
several episodes of Miss Marple
and Poirot. Because the murder
mystery is all about trying to recreate
a moment.
And a sense of melancholia of
a lost moment pervades My
Night with Reg through its older
characters. Theyre the generation
who were born when homosexuality
was still illegal, says Robert. Then
came the greater freedom of the 70s.
So, if you were one of those men,
you could be forgiven for thinking
that, finally, you could live your life as
you chose to live it. And then along
comes something HIV and AIDS
that completely redraws the map.
When Roberts production opened,
some of his gay friends worried that
the characters reinforced negative
stereotypes of gay behaviour. Thats
not how he sees it. The play isnt
angrily political in the way that the
American dramatic response [to HIV
and AIDS] was, he reflects. But
because Kevin was such a brilliant
writer, hes stitched in his biggest
political statement that this disease
does not correlate with morality.
He continues: It doesnt matter
whether youre behaving in ways
that mainstream society thinks
you shouldnt or whether [like one
character] youre actually virtually
celibate. It makes no difference.
In its own poignantly funny way, My
Night with Reg shows that HIV and
AIDS doesnt discriminate society
does. And when all-gay plays are
still a relatively rare sight in major
British theatres, Robert is proud
that its success at the Donmar has
opened the play to new audiences
at the Apollo Theatre. Kevin always
wanted it to go to the West End
again, he reveals, so I hope hed be
delighted, too. n
My Night with Reg is at the Apollo Theatre
on Shaftesbury Avenue, London, until 11
April 2015.
gaytimes.co.uk
09/01/2015 10:56
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feb15 Half page.indd 1
GT442-WED.indd 101
09/01/2015 15:50
09/01/2015 16:07
cinema/stream/disc
[reviews]
[01] The 40-Year-Old Virgin Its a comedy about a middle-aged

man who hasnt lost his virginity yet. HAHAHA. Yet what sounds
like a crude, bawdy pub-napkin plot turns out to be a sweet
bromance and Judd Apatows best directed movie yet. n
[02] Secretary Boasting a poster straight out of a jazz mag
emporium, and billed an erotic romance, Secretary had the
hallmarks of a stinker. Instead, Maggie Gyllenhaal and James
Spader hypnotised with a surprisingly sweet S&M love story. n
[03] Guardians of the Galaxy Vin Diesel playing a warrior tree
that can only speak three words. A gun-toting raccoon. A leading
man known for being the tubby, funny one. The writer of ScoobyDoo 2 directing. It shouldve been a mess. It was genius. n
[04] Dawn of the Dead (2004) Youd think youd have to be a
madman to try to remake the most iconic zombie of all time.
Thankfully, Zack Snyders the crazy man for the audacious job,
and created a fresh, adrenalised take on a then-shuffling genre.n
[05] The LEGO Movie What shouldve been little more than a
soulless cash-grab became one of 2014s biggest grossing movies
thanks to a gleefully madcap script, and a whole LEGO bucketfull of imagination. LEGO Batman FTW. n
Looking Season 1 Disc While

Looking has been lazily labelled the
gay Girls, the reality is far curiouser.
The awkward adventures in love and
life of three gay friends living in San
Francisco, its got narrative confidence
galore (no doubt in part thanks to
executive producer Andrew Weekend
Haigh). Even when unlikeable
character traits frustrate, theyre
ultimately what make the show so
relatable. Like your real buddies, this is
a show that grows on you. n n n n n
The Fall Series Two Disc Hands
up who likes serial killers? Now a
show of hands for who likes SEXY
serial killers? We thought so. The
Beebs deliciously dark drama The
Fall should be applauded for many
reasons, not least its nationwide
morality alteration. Everything fans
loved about the first series is back
(sultry, emotionally stunted Gillian
Anderson, sexy murderising by Jamie
Dornan), only more intense and pacier
than ever, as two seasons of cat-andmouse games come to a dramatic
conclusion. n n n n n
Frank Netflix Its a brave movie that
hires an A-List actor known for his
rugged handsomeness and piercing
eyes (Michael can Bend our Fass, etc)
and then hides it all behind a giant
papier-mch head modelled on an
obscure British 80s comedy character.
Therein lies Franks purposely mad
genius, crafting a surprisingly affecting
reflection on mental illness, fame and
ego, all wrapped up in a 100% bonkers
and surreal comedy. n n n n n
why we love miles teller
Considering he
only made his proper
big screen debut
a mere four years
ago, Miles Tellers
had quite the rise. A
small but noticeable
role alongside Nicole
Kidman in grief porn
Rabbit Hole led to
meh-some turns in
a series of raunchy
102
102-103 SCREEN Main.indd 102
teen comedies lets

just forget Project
X and 21 and Over
happened, shall we?
But Whiplash marks
the turning point for
an actor about to go
stratospheric with a
mixture of potentially
great blockbuster
fare (Insurgent and
The Fantastic Four),
quality comedy (Get

a Job alongside
Anna Kendrick
and Alison Brie),
method awardschasing biopics
(Bleed For This) and
a re-teaming with
Whiplash writer/
director Damien
Chazelle for old
school song-and-
dance number La La
Land. Teller may be
overshadowed by JK
Simmons stunning
performance come
Academy-nominating
time for Whiplash,
but we guarantee
you its only a matter
of time til hes back
on their radar. An
Oscar awaits. n
Mean Girls Netflix The best teen

movie of its decade comes to UK
Netflix and its exactly as amazing
as you remember. Tina Feys snarky,
sparkling and endlessly quotable
script is bolstered by equally as sassy
performances from a pre-meltdown
Lindsay Lohan, stand-out turns from
old-school Lizzy Caplan, Rachel
McAdams and Amy Poehler. Also
includes the best bus accident this
side of Final Destination. n n n n n
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 15:46
WORDS MATT RISELY
To celebrate the release of Whiplash, we

count down our top far-better-than-theyhave-any-right-to-be movies...
[the list]
[screen]
WORDS MATT RISELY
Birdman Cinema Bored of the

seemingly never-ending stream of
trillion dollar, IMAX 3D CGI-tastic
blockbusters bombarding your local
cinema? Enter stage left Birdman
a super-meta, blackly funny,
and technically astonishing drama
guaranteed to make you fall back in
love with lms. Michael Keaton stars
as Riggan Thomson, a washed up
actor who found fame as the titular
superhero, and whos now attempting
a credible comeback. That knowing
Batman/Birdman comparison is
just the start, with a script boasting
commentary on everything from
actors to critics, existentialism to
superheroes and everything inbetween. Dazzlingly great.
Whiplash Cinema
Lets be brutally honest. The only thing that
sounds less appealing than a movie about jazz
drumming is a Fifty Shades remake starring
Nigel Farage and Ann Widdecombe. But just
know this Whiplash is one of the most thrilling,
extraordinary and riveting movies youll see this
year. And yes, we know its only January.
Miles Teller stars as Andrew Neiman, a
19-year-old aspiring jazz drummer with one
thing on his mind total professional and
drumming domination. Its an ascent seemingly
fast-tracked by his selection into the session
band of infamous conductor Terence Fletcher
played by an unrecognisably-terrifying JK
Simmons. What starts off as a dream gig swiftly
spirals into a nightmarish tale of obsession and
psychological warfare between the two.
Whiplash subverts expectations at every turn,
thanks to a refreshingly lean script, two brilliant,
brutal performances by Teller and Simmons,
and an electrifying rhythm that makes drumming
scenes come alive with the pulse-pounding
intensity of an action lm. Forget the overblown,
predictable and CGI-bombastic blockbusters if
you want to remember how to fall in love with
cinema, just give Whiplash a whirl.
gaytimes.co.uk
102-103 SCREEN Main.indd 103
Foxcatcher
Cinema Channing
Tatum. In wrestling
spandex. We could
just leave it there,
but itd be doing
a huge disservice
to Bennett Millers
awards-teasing
drama based on
the harrowing but
fascinating true
story of Olympic
wrestler Mark
Schultz (Tatum), his
rivalry with brother
Dave (Mark Ruffalo)
and the dark, tragic
inuence of Marks
coach John du Pont
(an unrecognisable
Steve Carell).
Kingsman: The
Secret Service
Cinema If youre
after a dose of
unashamedly mad,
irreverent, sexy
and hyper-violent
blockbuster fun,
then you cant go
wrong with Matthew
Vaughns spy
caper. Does for
spy movies what
Kick-Ass did for
superhero icks.
Into The Woods

Cinema Its a rare
beast that can
make jazz-handing
musicals appeal
to the masses,
but Disneys toetapping fairytale
works thanks
to its mega-star
cast (Streep,
Pine, Depp,
Blunt, Kendrick),
whimsical art
direction and supercatchy choons
courtesy of maestro
Stephen Sondheim.
Ex Machina Cinema Even if you

havent heard of him, theres a good
chance youre familiar with Alex
Garlands work. Having written The
Beach, 28 Days Later, Sunshine
and Dredd, his directorial debut is of
immediate interest. Thankfully, Ex
Machina is a psychological sci- thriller
of the smartest, most stylish order.
Computer coder Caleb (Domhnall
Gleeson) wins a golden ticket to
spend a week with his reclusive
billionaire boss Nathan (Oscar Isaac)
in his mountain retreat, and soon
realises his purpose to test the
next leap in articial intelligence, a
humanoid robot named Eva (Alicia
Vikander). Superbly acted, serenely
shot and magnetic until the last shot.
1103
08/01/2015 15:47
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WORDS TIM MITCHELL / ITEMS FEATURED ARE AVAILABLE TO ORDER FROM FORBIDDENPLANET.CO.UK
[geek]
[reviews]
And you, you

little shit... Get
ready to open
that Xenomorph
pet shop! Were
thinking it should
be called Lucky
Star Thirty-six
years on and we
FINALLY get the
Aliens action gure
weve been waiting
for Jonesy the
cat! Well maybe a
slight exaggeration.
Ripleys in there
too, somewhere.
IMPERIAL
LEATHER
----------
Stepping out of the closet and into

the shower with Tom of Finland.
Hes been hung (yes) in art
galleries the world over, youve
worn the t-shirts, last year you may
even have licked the back of his
stamp (unf), few illustrators have
a more impressive pedigree than
Finnish artist Touko Laasonen.
His four decade career boasted an
excess of 3,500 exceptionally
erotic images, which take their
aesthetic cues from the now iconic
hyper-masculine archetypes
of sailors, bikers, construction
workers and coppers.
Ten years ago, the Tom of
Finland Clothing Company
combined two of our favourite
things: homoeroticism and
fashion, rendering Laasonens hot
mess of monster-donged muscle
man mythology over t-shirts
and vests. The collection still
available now paid homage to the
artists monochrome pallet, photo
realistic shading, tidy lines and
alluring silhouettes.
gaytimes.co.uk
105 GEEK.indd 105
In every
generation there
is a soft toy. Its
like a Slayers
comfort blanket,
but sharper. Not
much mind. You
can practice making
vampires go POOF
with the most prized
possession of
everyones favourite
chosen one
Yknow, after Faith.
This is genius. Next
stop NERF Slayer
scythe.
Listen sister, if I
want your opinion,
Ill beat it out of
you. Does your
heart belong to
Elvira, the Mistress
of the Dark? The
correct answer is
yes. Shedding her
little black dress
for something like
a more gothed up
Jessica Rabbit,
14 tall and 250?
Reasonable right?
The correct answer
is also yes.
Laaksonen preferred to draw

on working class references,
depicting encounters between
strangers clad in leather,
jeans and often nothing at all.
His sleek redesign over time
became uniform in contrast to the
effeminate stereotypes of gay men
in the mainstream media.
No longer just covering
paperbacks or beefcake magazines
in porno shops, now you can
bring Laaksonens pseudonym,
Tom and his entourage of thick
Things That Make You Go Ooo!

If youre a follower of the adventures of Jake
the Dog and Finn the Human, whos maybe
a little partial to princesses from Lumpy
Space, kings of ice and vampire queens, you
need to GET ON THIS! Tracing series creator
Pendleton Wards early artwork, The Art of
Ooo tells the story of how Adventure Time, the
wonderfully imaginative and funny cartoon,
came to life. Featuring an introduction by
screen legend Guillermo del Toro, concept art,
storyboards, and early character sketches,
this treasure chest of visual treats is Easteregged throughout with commentary from the
shows key creative talent.
bulging, erm, moustaches home

with you. You can even take him
into the shower to help you dry off.
Finnish heritage textile
company Finlayson have
expanded their operation into the
UK with the launch of an exclusive
Tom of Finland Collection,
centred around two classic TOF
designs titled Fellows and Face
to Face. Were talking a master
class in lumberjack fantasies
here. Splattered across satin
pillow cases and duvet covers
take Tom to bed! bath towels
bring Tom into the shower!
and tote bags take Tom to the
butchers! He likes meat.
1105
08/01/2015 15:48
idle hands
[reviews]
ES
GAM
The Crew
Game of the Month
If theres one thing next gen gaming is
demonstrating nearly a year into this latest cycle,
its that the leaps forward arent necessarily
coming from the way games look. Sure, things
have got extremely pretty, but thats not where
the evolutionary leaps are being made. Instead,
the changes are happening in how we play and
who we play with, as more and more games
offer always-online options that place willing
participants at the mercy of, well, anyone who
fancies a pop. The Crew a massively multiplayer
action/racing RPG/sort of is a good example,
despite mixed reviews that point out its intentions
may not be met all of the time. The game sees
you take centre stage as Alex Taylor; inltrating
criminal gangs by, well, racing. And people wonder
why there have been seven Fast and Furious lms
to date With players able to drop in and out of
others games as they see t, The Crew offers
a solid 20-hour campaign which takes in a huge
array of locations across the USA, and limitless
opportunities to have your ass handed to you by
online rivals. While many would claim there are
lessons to be learned from the execution, The
Crew nevertheless impresses with its ambition.
Out now on Xbox 360 and PS4
106
106-107 TECH Main.indd 106
Headcaster
Because there arent
enough ways to
send a message,
Headcaster offers
one more. Once
installed, this app
lets you record a
message that you
can then send on
to your followers
as a rather nicely
animated and voiced
performance from
a roster of different
characters.
WORDS MIKE HIRD
[apps]
Readly
Ever get tired of
buying magazines
youre just going to
throw away? And
no, of course were
not talking about
GT. But the others.
Well, Readly is an
app which lets you
browse hundreds of
said publications for
just 9.99 a month. It
means you can save
your cash for that GT
subscription, eh?
Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires

By the eighth instalment of
anything you can be pretty
sure attracting brand new fans
is clearly never going to be the
aim and the latest Dynasty
Warriors proves that in spades,
offering up yet more tactical
hacking and slashing. Only
this time doing so on the next
gen formats as well. Look, its
January. Pickings are slim!
Across formats, 30 January
Limbo Already a classic,

Limbo is now available on
PS4 and Xbox One, making
its charms available to a
whole new audience. A
seemingly straightforward
platformer, Limbo is also a
fiendishly tough work of art. Its
deceptively simplistic stylings
actually add layers to the
gameplay and look stunning.
Download! Download now!
Out now on Xbox One and PS4 stores
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 18:16
[tech]
WORDS MIKE HIRD
01
Keep it
slender, tone
Slendertones latest
batch of malefocused electronic
muscle stimulation
bands (targeting
specic areas like
arms, the bum
and, of course,
abs) are designed
to be worn during
exercise for best
results. Or until you
stop going to the
gym in February.
Slendertone.com,
from 39.99
----------
02
Bite the bullet
Sure, the Nutribullet

has been around
for a while but hey,
new year, new
oh, whatever. The
Nutribullet smashes
your chosen fruit
and veg into its
most absorptive
state, so theres
some nutrition
along with the juice.
And, you know;
January sales.
Buynutribullet.
co.uk, from
99.99
----------
NEW YEAR, NEW STUFF
January. The cruelest of months. Somehow manages to convince you that

this year will be different in the gym, at home, at work. Everywhere! And.
And! You can spend money on things to make yourself feel like that might be
true for a bit longer than the power of positive thought alone can achieve
03
Charge!
The latest iteration

of, well, the
Fitbit, the Charge
measures all youd
expect calories
burned, steps
taken, distance
travelled, sleep
etc all with
improved accuracy
and smart features
like knowing when
youre sleeping.
And, you know;
January sales
----------
gaytimes.co.uk
106-107 TECH Main.indd 107
1107
08/01/2015 18:16
The Photographers Portfolio
Fitness, Bodybuilding & Model Portfolio Photography

Photography by Chris Harper FBIPP
www.thephotographersportfolio.com
e: thephotographersportfolio@gmail.com t: 07546 171890
GT442-WED.indd 108
09/01/2015 10:22
IMAGE JOE MCCORMICK GROOMING EVAN HUANG USING MAC, SHU UEMERA AND MAKEUP STORE WORDS BENJAMIN BUTTERWORTH
readers lives
[life]
[02/15]
Reuben Mount
Worthing, 27,
retail assistant
manager
---------For the most part, Im
really comfortable in
just my underwear.
Its that little security
blanket which makes
me feel comfortable.
I dont have my
emotions on the
surface and I dont
think anyone quite
realises how OCD
I am about certain
things. I guess its
because theres
been so many
people thatve had
control over me at
some point.
I was bullied for
17 years for being
slight. I was accused
one day, by a
teacher, of being
anorexic. My weight
has always been a
problem of mine.
But regardless what
anyone else thought,
regardless of what
anyone wants from
me, the moment I
decided that Id take
control, I started to
feel better about
myself. The bullying
will never go away.
Im still always going
to be the crumpled
sheet of paper that
has been spread
back out but at
least I feel more
comfortable. What
Id say is youre
you, and once you
accept that youre
you, and not allow
anyone else to tell
what you should be,
youll be happy.
[118]
Tell tale
You think
your mates
boyfriend is
cheating on
him what
do you do?
Guyliner has
the answer.
----------
gaytimes.co.uk
109 LIFE Open.indd 109
[122]
Challenge
yourself! Our
resident fitness
gurus top tips
on shedding
that Christmas
chub. Yknow,
if you want to,
that is
----------
[126]
Art attack
Ever fancied
having the
Tate Modern
as your living
room? Course
you have, who
hasnt? Heres
how
----------
1109
08/01/2015 16:01
REAL
LIFE
110
110-113 REAL Disabled.indd 110
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 16:04
[life]
IM GAY,
IVE GOT
CEREBRAL
PALSY AND
I HAVE
GREAT SEX!
WORDS ANDREW MORRISON-GURZA IMAGES ALEJANDRO SANTIAGO
WEVE ALL BEEN THERE.

I was lying underneath this Adonis
of a man he was really, really sexy
or at least, for the time being, Id
convinced myself he was. Then he
turned to me and goes: Youre just
too beautiful and different to go
any further with. That wasnt true.
He didnt want to admit that my
disability was scaring the shit out of
him. I remember pushing him off me.
Only to then have to awkwardly ask
gaytimes.co.uk
him to help me get dressed and back

in my chair. We then sit and wait
until a taxi that can take my chair
comes. That may have been the most
uncomfortable silence of all time.
Awkward moments in the bedroom
happen to all of us. But when you
have a disability they seem to come
much more frequently unlike me!
It can be a nightmare as a queer
cripple trying to navigate your sex
life. When the lights go down and
the clothes come off, peoples real
feelings are exposed.
Picture this: you meet a really
cute guy online. He comes over
and hes EVEN CUTER than you
expected him to be. Things are
going smoothly. The making out
is aggressive, the body contact is
intense, everything is off to a great
start. Thats until he turns, grabs

my cock for what I think will be the
proper stuff, and says: Can you
feel that? I look puzzled. I just
wanna make sure that you arent
paralysed there as well? At that
moment, the porn music in my head
stops. The reality of being gay and
a cripple floods in. I understand
that the guy was nervous; it was an
unusual situation for him. But this is
not something you say to someone
in the throes of passion. I not so
politely asked him to leave.
These experiences arent one-offs.
Probably the most cringe-worthy
was the night I decided to meet
my hook-up at a hotel a la Pretty
Woman. I had images of sauntering
in cloaked in red like Julia Roberts,
my Richard Gere waiting, lust in
1111
08/01/2015 16:04
his eyes. The reality, predictably,

wasnt so simple.
I had to hire a special cab with a
lift, which took over an hour to get
me to the hotel. By the time we got
into bed I was so pent-up. Sexy talk
was just what I needed. He tells me
that, I dont move like the other
guys. What does that mean? Is it a
compliment? He elaborates: Taking
care of your sexual needs wasnt so
bad. Oh. What did he just say? Im
not like other guys to sleep with,
no. Im disabled. But gentlemen
take note: explaining that sex with
me didnt necessarily disgust you
is not a compliment. Off he went.
Another failed attempt at just having
pleasure with someone I fancied.
People seem to think that if youre
disabled, you cant take care of
yourself. Like the time I was on a
date OK, hook-up with this one
guy, and just as we start getting to
the good stuff he decides to ask me
when my nurse would be arriving.
112
My sex
life can
be tough.
When
the lights
go down
and the
clothes
come off,
peoples
real
feelings
come out
There isnt a nurse on hand I

explain, feeling a sense of bitter
inevitability to where the whole
thing was going.
He proceeded to suggest my
condition might require there to
be one. Do you expect me to be
turned on anymore? I asked, as he
replaced sex chat with something
more like a hospital examination. I
mean, I still secretly hoped it might
turn into one of those sexy role play
scenarios where he played a doctor,
and his hot friend would magically
appear and also play nurse. This
was not the case.
But turn the Adele album down.
I dont need Ben and Jerrys and
tissues just yet.
There have been a handful of
lovers who havent been fazed by
my disability. The only issue is the
double-thinking Ive developed;
the preemptive awkwardness. I
get so used to guys being unsure
of my disability that the minute
theyre comfortable around it, I

can be the opposite.
Or it can just lead to plain
embarrassment. I remember
getting with this really cute young
guy, and wed had some great sex.
When we were done, he went off
for a wee leaving me to bask in my
post-coital bliss. After lying there
a few minutes I heard him knock
on the door asking to be let back
in. Hed accidentally locked the
door behind him I was having a
massive case of cripple; trapped
in bed with my dangly bits at
attention unable to move or help.
He stood in my university common
area fighting to get in. I asked
him to grab a sheet from the linen
closet, go outside and knock on my
neighbours door my neighbour
also worked as my caregiver at the
time. But he wasnt home.
His roommate confused as to
why there was a naked man in the
dorm hallway proceeded to call
security. The security guard bust
through the door to see me in all
my glory. Oh, thats what you were
up to! he gasped. The guard was
actually pretty cute, so I should
have suggested he join us. It took a
while to laugh that one off, but we
did. Eventually.
Awkward incidents like that are
just the reality of my cerebral palsy.
It changes the way the world is,
and theres no way around that.
But what there is a way round is
peoples reactions. You might be a
bit confused about what you can and
cant say; about whats politically
correct for guys with disabilities.
But theres a simple rule for this:
dont be a dick. n @amgurza1
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 16:04
[life]
gaytimes.co.uk
1113
08/01/2015 16:04
UNDERWEAR WITH ATTITUDE!
WWW.GARCONMODEL.COM
GT442-WED.indd 114
09/01/2015 14:14
column
[life]
If not for the woman

whod given birth
to me, Id never
have stepped foot in this land of
overweight, sweatpant-wearing
normals driving SUVs and stuffing
their faces with cheese-covered
meat patties, slathered in
greasy mayonnaise, making me
feel nauseous. But it was my first
vacation in 20 years. Visiting my
mother for the holidays in dear old,
population-dwindling, fast foodriddled South Bend, Indiana.
It was a dreary, almost spookily
conformist section of the USA,
which Id left with reason. But a
son could seem ungrateful for
not making an attempt to spend
time with his mother. So I made
an effort to fly the approximately
400 kilometres, bringing mom a
few expensive-looking baubles,
showing her the latest press
clippings explaining whatever
new projects I was working on
and with a bit of luck! picking
up a hot, backwards baseball
cap-wearing, truck-driving, redblooded closet case.
Oh, I didnt mention Im attracted
to closet cases? Not exclusively.
gaytimes.co.uk
115 COLUMN MichaelAlig.indd 115
SECOND CHANCE:
LIFE AFTER 17
YEARS IN PRISON
[michael alig]
Ive dated out men, including

the infamous, irascible DJ Keoki.
Mostly, though, I go for the
straights, and the time we spend
together is magical. Im someone
who loves feeling special and, in
these relationships, I often am the
only person these guys can be
their true selves in front of. For me,
theres no greater aphrodisiac.
And so it was with Tyler, a
26-year-old, six-foot-two hunk
of corn-fed Americana with just
the right amount of seedy, Ill-doanything-if-it-feels-good mentality,
introduced to me by a man my own
age named Andrew. It wasnt a wise
move by Andrew, but to most men
of a certain age, a 20-something
straight-acting sex toy is too much
to keep to themselves. They must
be shown off! Paraded! Just ask
Madonna what good are they kept
locked away in their lavish, paidfor apartments?
Just dont take him back to NYC,
Andrew joked nervously. Tyler
had been all over me that night,
cuddling in the backseat, rubbing
my knees and thighs as Andrew
chauffeured us around looking for
a spot that served alcohol at 2am
I never
believed
Id reach
a point
in my life
where Id
be turning
down blow
jobs from
a boy who
couldve
been a lost
member
of One
Direction
@alig_aligula
on a Monday morning. Naturally,

Id been considering it. Tyler
had no ties to Indiana. No job, no
place to live, except with Andrew.
I glanced at Tyler, the soft blonde
of his barely-there moustache and
goatee just begging to be licked.
Especially after that sexy-ass
grin and mischievous wink when
Andrew asked, What do yall
wanna do tonight?
I got this, I thought, making a
mental note of the differences
between me and Andrew. Me, an
infamous, still-youthful-looking
tempter and sensation-seeker from
New York City with a movie made
of my life. And Andrew, looking
at least three times older than me,
with his Walmart job and inability
to even find a bar for his boy-toy.
What a dummy, I thought. I could
take this boy anywhere tonight,
without so much as lifting a pinkie.
And yet, I didnt. I dont know who
was more surprised when I asked
Andrew to drive me home. Im
not into it tonight, I said as Tylers
thigh-rubbing stopped suddenly, a
look of confusion marring his lean,
unlined face.
Even a year ago such a thing
would have seemed unheard
of. Back then Id have had the
boy giving me a blow job in the
backseat of Andrews car. What
was happening? Why the drastic
change? Erectile dysfunction?
Or, even scarier, gaining a
conscience? I never believed Id
reach a point in my life where Id
be turning down blow jobs from
a boy who couldve been the
lost member of One Direction.
What would be the point of life
if I couldnt get my dick sucked
by every scally boy from here to
Buckingham Palace?
Driving home, I realised growing
up wasnt going to be as scary as
Id feared. There really was more
to life than drugs and meaningless
sex. Id come to South
Bend a boy, but I was
leaving a man. n
1115
08/01/2015 16:09
WWW.PROWLER.CO.UK
Soho 5-7 Brewer Street, Soho, London, W1F 0RF, 020 7734 4031
Brighton 112-113 St Jamess Street, Brighton, BN2 1TH, 01273 683 680
GT442-WED.indd 116
09/01/2015 15:20
IMAGE LIAM WYCHERLEY
column
[life]
Its hard not to think

about HIV without
stumbling onto the
subject of medication. As we know,
the days of misunderstood and
often risky doses of drugs such
as AZT are long behind us, and
the days where there were no
medication at all thankfully even
further. But with new medicinal
advances arising so frequently, it
really is amazing how far medical
science has come.
Ive heard of people living with
HIV, delaying their treatment so
they could live without side effects
for as long as possible. Are they
mad? I would think. How could you
choose that? I always considered
a decision like that somewhat
reckless and fearful. But now, I can
see their side completely. For the
last year, Ive been taking a single
tablet regimen that, overall, has
worked very well in suppressing
the HIV in my body but this
has come at a price. Despite a
few unpleasant and sometimes
unexpected side effects within
the first months of treatment, I
eventually climbed out of the
darkness and started to feel better
gaytimes.co.uk
117 COLUMN Positive Luke.indd 117
NEVER FORGET
THE OPTION
OF CHANGE
[positive luke]
again after, thankfully, a relatively

short amount of time. I went about
my year with a driven, happy and
energetic stride. I achieved a lot
and, overall, I felt healthy.
This started to diminish over
the summer months. I had noticed
myself change into someone so
apparently hopeless and close to the
edge of a breakdown. I remember
feeling down and upset on some
days, then most days, then every
day. The change in character was in
no doubt horrible, but at the same
time I tolerated it in the best way that
I could. It seems that my character
was suppressed so much that the
ability to look up and shout, this
isnt me never came. My ability to
recognise myself, or my former self,
had vanished completely.
Visiting friends in London on
Halloween became the point where
I finally realised how potently
detrimental medication could be
if the regimen in question doesnt
agree with you. I was halfway
through a three-week waiting
time to change drugs, it was my
decision that 21 days of vile sideeffects would be painfully worth
the rarely-prescribed brand new
All I
wanted
to do was
throw
myself in
front of a
bus Id
barely
eaten,
barely
slept out of
fear of my
dreams,
and Id
never
felt more
alone and
lost in my
life
@positiveluke
combination pill that the US was

raving about but indeed, Id have
to wait. I remember having some of
the most disturbing dreams of my
life, which somehow convinced me I
was psychic and had the gift of precognition something that was so
real to me at the time, I still have to
convince myself it didnt happen the
way I saw it then.
I remember crying my eyes out if
a friend left the London apartment
without saying goodbye. They
hate me, Id think. What am I
doing here?
The final straw came when I left;
walking to the tube I broke down in
tears on a busy high street in South
London. All I wanted to do was to
throw myself in front of a bus Id
barely eaten, barely slept out of
fear of my dreams, and Id never
felt more alone and lost in my life.
The three weeks came early
when I could mentally cope no
longer. Apparently, calling up
your clinic and telling them you
cant live another day on this
medication speeds up the process.
Three days after switching, I was
back. I could sleep properly, smile
again, and have all the energy
in the world to do everything I
needed to. My family and friends
were amazed at how fast I snapped
out of it, and so was I.
My new medication now causes
no side effects, not even anything
small. My horrific experiences of
chronic depression and anxiety
has taught me the dark side of
medicine, but also the brilliant,
light side in the event of feeling
normal again. HIV medication
is vital to the world, to me,
and maybe even to you but
remember how many regimens
are available in 2015, despite the
fact they work well, theres still
undoubtedly a far way to go.
But at least for now, we have the
option of change a change that for
me put an amazing end
to a very turbulent and
emotional year. n
1117
08/01/2015 16:11
readers dilemmas
[life]
---------I have reason to believe my best

mates other half is playing about
behind his back. Theyve been
together for a couple of years
and we do get on but Ive never
really taken to him. Ive known
my best mate for years and only
want whats best for him. I was
on Grindr the other day and saw
my friends man on there, posing
with no top on. He was online
so obviously looking for sex.
Im close to my best friend and
118
think he deserves better. Should

I tell him that his other half is a
cheater or should I confront his
boyfriend and find out whats
going on? I dont want him to get
hurt, but I dont want to cause
trouble. Glen, by e-mail.
The Guyliner replies We all like to
be there for our mates. In times of joy
and times of pain, your friends are the
one constant you can rely on. Except,
of course, despite your protestations
of not wanting to cause trouble,
you seem to be intent on causing a
problem you can put yourself at the
centre of.
You admit yourself that you never
really warmed to your pals partner, so
to go steaming in now with accusations
that are, at best, flimsy and, at worst,
destructive would be an error. Youd
need more evidence than a topless pic
on Grindr before you intervened and
need advice?
118-119 LIFE Guyliner.indd 118
@theguyliner
Need some good old-fashioned advice on matters of love, life or relationships?

Email me in total confidence on theguyliner@gaytimes.co.uk. I cant
respond individually and your emails may be edited for use in the magazine.
We wont use your real name or publish any contact details.
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 18:20
WORDS THE GUYLINER IMAGES ISTOCKPHOTO
I think my
mates
boyfriend is a
cheater
Do I tell him?
thats not to say you should anyway.

Not everybody uses social apps as
a knocking shop, and you dont say
whether there was any more info on
the guys profile what he was looking
for or offering? He might just want to
chat. Not that Im defending his being
on whats primarily an app to meet
men for sex or dates, but you dont
seem to have much to go on.
You should also consider the
possibility that your friend is fully
aware his boyfriend is on this app
maybe theyre in an open relationship
or are into group sex and the boyfriend
is the shopfront. If you know this
definitely not to be the case, be careful
before you do any more digging; you
could compromise your friendship.
Getting involved in friends
relationships is always a huge risk.
Youre damned if you do and damned
if you dont. Confront the boyfriend
and theres a pretty big chance hell
deny it he has the good old get-out,
Oh my God somebody must be using
my picture of Grindr. Whether true
or not, you wont have much choice
but to accept it. Challenging the guy
also makes it obvious that you know
something is going on: if it does later
come out that he is having an affair
and you knew without telling your
mate, guess whos going to get it in
the neck? You, baby. You.
Going to your pal and telling him
what you know has its own problems.
He may not believe you, or may
wonder whether you have an ulterior
motive for telling him. Theres no way
for you to come out of this well, except
the very dull option of keeping it to
yourself. Soap opera writers have
huge reveals for storyline reasons,
but this is real life, not EastEnders.
Indiscretions have a habit of coming
out eventually. This is not your
moment; youll just have to let things
play out. n
THE GUYLINER LENDS AN EAR TO

YOUR LIFE DILEMMAS AND DISHES
THE DIRT ON THE UNDATEABLES
The Culture Snob The
chances of this guy
not owning a TV and
constantly going on about it
are pretty high. Its not enough
for him to detest rubbish telly
and chart music, he has to let
everyone else know, in the hope
itll kill their buzz as well.
Hell sigh deeply as The X
Factor theme tune kicks in,
asking you why you cant do
something cultural. What he
really means is do something
that youll probably find very
boring, but will go along with
for the sake of it.
Itll more than likely involve
sitting uncomfortably for
what will feel like aeons
while something in foreign
happens on a stage in front of
you. If you admit you havent
enjoyed it, hell lecture you for
a further zillion years on why
you should at least appreciate
its cultural relevance over the
things you do actually enjoy.
Ive dated this man quite a lot;
can you tell?
As your eyes glaze over and
you start to drift away, hell
recommend you go and see it
again so you can really take
it all in. By then, youd do
literally anything to watch a
double episode of Strictly.
WORDS THE GUYLINER IMAGES ISTOCKPHOTO
[01]
ALL
THE MEN
YOU
SHOULD
NEVER
DATE
gaytimes.co.uk
118-119 LIFE Guyliner.indd 119
The solution Turn your cultural

outings into currency for every
Czech art house film about incest
you have to endure, he must watch
an entire series of Come Dine
With Me. Either youll end up
married or hell sod off and find
someone else to bore.
--------The Shadow When
Dusty Springfield
first sang I Only Want To Be
With You, she probably didnt
realise that some guys were
going to adopt it as their
mantra.
The Shadow is the boyfriend
[02]
[advice]
who, like a severe bout of
tonsillitis and Jessie J, simply
wont go away. They say
absence makes the heart grow
fonder, but this guy never
gives you the opportunity.
Someone telling you they want
to spend all their time with
you is kind of sweet, but after
a while you realise personal
space is just as important
when youre madly in love.
After the tenth time you have
to pause a conversation with a
pal to explain to your lover the
meaning of the convoluted injoke youve just quipped, you
start to wonder why this man
of yours cant go get some
mates of his own.
Sure, hes always there when
you need him, but sadly hes
also a permanent fixture when
you dont. His own friends have
long since given up hope of
seeing him again while hes
attached. Thats just what
Matts like when he gets a
boyfriend, they say as they
sip their cappuccinos in the
blissful silence his absence
creates. And, yes, theyre
always called Matt.
He doesnt just want you
to be known as a couple, he
wants to become as one a
hive mind. Eventually, youll
become so sick and tired of
seeing him, your throat will
tighten when he kisses you,
and you invent a chronic case
of diarrhoea just to get some
alone time in the loo.
The solution If you already
date this guy, it might be time
to invent a reason to be away a
lot maybe with your job or to
see family. Take a little longer to
answer texts and dont always be
available when he wants to see
you. It might take a bit of tough
love, but youre going to have to
teach him that youre very much
your own person.
1119
08/01/2015 18:20
GT442-WED.indd 120
08/01/2015 12:20
column
[life]
Times are tough and

Im maybe getting a
little desperate, so
Im just going to go full self-help
book by creating a checklist for my
ideal man, OK? The following is in
no way based in reality, but thats
OK because, really, why limit your
other halfs potential with things
like gravity or biology?
He will have suffered from
some version of the ugly
duckling syndrome someone
who grew up nerdy or chubby,
or a combination of the two,
meaning he learned to develop
positive traits like empathy for
others. In his later teen years, he
pulled himself to the top of the
attractive ladder through sheer
force of will, though his past has
always haunted him and hes
never quite lost the humility of a
former uncool kid.
This man is rare, but if you find
him it means you yourself can
slip in and out of actually being
attractive seasonally, and hell
probably stick around.
Hell be funny. So help me, my
man will make me laugh! And
to be honest its not even that
gaytimes.co.uk
121 COLUMN PJBrennan.indd 121
MY MAN
IS GONNA
BE...
hard. Last night I watched Babies

Trying a Lemon for the First
Time on YouTube and, Im not
kidding, I was belly laughing till
my sides stitched up. And dont
even get me started on Babies
Scared of Their Own Farts. That
was amazing.
He will be compassionate, but
not condescending. My man will
be aware of the current social
climate and understand that
times are dire at the moment, but
hell also roll his eyes as we read
aloud sanctimonious Facebook
statuses from fellow liberals
in a mockingly sarcastic tone.
Well groan together as former
high school classmates, now
seemingly employed as simply
racists, post links to right-wing
blogs bemoaning the loss of
old American values. My man
will, however, always give five
stars to ber drivers, regardless
of how bad they are, because
at the end of the day its their
livelihood and he wont want to
be a prick about it. That would
make me give him one of those
spontaneous youre so perfect
kisses on the cheek, like Im a
[pj brennan]
He will
have
suffered
from some
version of
the ugly
duckling
syndrome
someone
who grew
up nerdy
or chubby,
or both,
meaning
he learned
positive
traits like
empathy
for others
@peejaybrennan
Natalie Portman character.

He will enjoy the arts, but not
too much. Ive got something
to admit: I dont really enjoy
theatre. Truthfully. And if the
play is more than two hours
long, Im suspicious that youre
not very good at telling a story.
Most plays are terrible; there
I said it. My man wont say he
enjoyed a play just because
were constantly shamed into
supporting the arts. My man
will like ballet more than opera,
just like me, but will only be
able to name two ballets and two
operas, again, just like me. Hell
enjoy going to the Tate Modern
but hell hate gallery openings,
apart from the free champagne.
And most importantly, hell
enjoy or at least tolerate the
Real Housewives of Whatever
franchises. And theres no wiggle
room there. Well watch it after
Question Time.
He will love me for me. Oh, this
sounds sweet doesnt it? Well I
dont mean it like that. I mean he
will love me regardless of the
fact that I yell at him for things
that are beyond his control. If Im
frustrated with the speed of our
internet, say, and I take it out on
him by telling him his gazpacho
that he made from organic
fresh ingredients, by the way
is the wrong kind of chilled,
hell just smile and stir until Im
satisfied. And when I apologise
ten minutes later for being a
brat, hell say its fine and that
the gazpacho wasnt his best.
Well go back and forth for a
little while about this until he
puts a dollop of crme frache on
my nose and makes to kiss it off
as we fade to black
Sorry, thats devolving into
something else. Anyway, I tell
myself that I need to have the
tenacity of Kevin Costner in Field
of Dreams and that one
day, my man will come.
Thats what she said. n
1121
08/01/2015 17:25
average joe-mo
[life]
NEW
YEAR,
NEW
YOU
WORDS CHRIS JONES IMAGES SNOOTY FOX IMAGES
122
need advice?
122-123 LIFE Fitness.indd 122
Whether youre wanting to look good on the beach, shed a few pounds or just
live a healthier lifestyle, email me on fitness@gaytimes.co.uk or tweet me
at @ChrisJonesGeek. I cant respond to everyone and your emails or tweets
may be edited for use in the magazine. We wont publish any contact details.
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 18:23
[get fit]
h, the beginning of
another year. Motivation.
Motivation is what WE
NEED! RAAARGH! Its
so hard to sometimes find that kick
up the arse one often needs. Believe
me, Ive started to work out in the
mornings again and its my boyfriend
whos the one leading me down to the
gym like a zombie. The reason why
Ive done this is A, time I like to be
social and/or lazy in the evenings,
so getting up an hour early to go to
the gym seems so worth it. And B,
testosterone levels are naturally high
in the morning, so you do get more
from your workout. Thanks, body!
I recently took up the MaxiNutrition
30 day Cyclone Challenge. The word
challenge is interesting, as its not
like entering a Tough Mudder or other
such hellish experience, but youre
challenging yourself, with the help of
their nutritional expertise.
This sounds like a massive advert,
but I saw this as an excuse to try
something new while refocusing
myself. Changing your diet can kick
start changes in your body. Some
take a little longer than others, but
MaxiNutrition guarantees 30 days. It
primarily involves stocking up and
eating all the MaxiNutrition Cyclone
you can take. Cyclone comes in the
form of powder, bars and milkshakes.
I can say straight away that the bars
arent great. Theyre hard to eat. After
gaytimes.co.uk
122-123 LIFE Fitness.indd 123
one, I stopped having them. The tub

of powder and the readymade shakes
are a lot easier to stomach.
Cyclone, as a muscle building
protein powder, really prides itself on
is its inclusion of creatine as well as
glutamine, zinc and HMB.
Creatine is a nitrogenous organic
acid which happens naturally in
the body to channel energy to cells
within the body. It supplies your
muscle fibres with oxygen and helps
with resistance training. Therefore,
building muscle. I tried creatine
when I was a teenager and HATED IT.
Mixed in with Cyclone, its very much
tolerable but, again, dont OD on it.
Glutamine is an amino acid that
occurs naturally in the body. It can
help combat fat storage and bypass
deposition normally made by insulin.
Zinc, as a supplement taken orally,
can boost testosterone levels, which
helps create lean muscle mass.
HMB helps prevent protein
breakdown, so you get the most from
your work out. When you exercise,
your muscle fibres tear and rip. HMB
helps to recover what was lost.
All THIS, in one milkshake is pretty
good. In fact, it is marvellous. God,
Im sounding like a Holland & Barrett
advert, but having all that in one
shake is probably why Cyclone is the
other side of reasonably priced but
I honestly think its a good starting
supplement for beginners.
During the 30 days, I kept my
calories up and between the powder
and the pre-made shake it was easy.
I used the powder from the tub in the
morning along with my breakfast and
used a pre-mixed Cyclone Milkshake
ten minutes after the gym.
My routine consisted of three weight
sessions and one cardio a week.
It just took that initial thought process
at New Years for me to attempt
something new. Yeah, sure they tap
into the market at the right time of
year, but if you look for the right thing
and challenge yourself correctly, you
can change up the way you move and
work your body and notice changes
you want and deserve.
[ask chris]
Question I keep
seeing Twitter
gays talking about
bulking but what
exactly is that??
Adam, via Twitter.
---------Answer Yes,
Twitter. Once you
wade through the
gym chat and
insecurities, you
can get some useful
exercise tit-bits
from there or not!
Bulking is basically
exactly what it
sounds like eating
a lot of food to gain
weight and therefore
increase muscle
mass. Theres often
a lot of people doing
this incorrectly,
that rst episode of
South Park comes to
mind BEEFCAKE!
If youre training really
hard, your calorie
intake should be high,
so you feel the benet
of eating all that food
and supplementation.
Muscle mass will
slowly follow. A lot
of bodybuilders use
the winter months
to bulk up and start
to shred or cut in
the spring/summer
months to look their
best for competitions
and also when the
suns out!
t riceps
Chris exercise of the month
Triceps are the key to big arms.

Growing these bad boys will
fill out your t-shirt in all the
best ways and will get all the
boys noticing I cant believe
I just wrote that. A good tricep
exercise would be the following:
CABLE PULL DOWNS

3 SETS OF 12 REPETITIONS
[01] Using the
cable pulley
machine in the
gym, fasten the
rope attachment
to the cable at its
highest setting
and hold either
side of the ropes.
Stand in front
of the machine,
about two feet
away with your
elbows tight
against your
sides. Try not to
let them swing
about while in
motion.
---------[02] Keeping
those elbows
motionless
against your
body, pull the
ropes down
slowly as if
aiming for them
to hit your thighs
but bringing them
down in front of
you instead.
---------[03] Once
your arms have
straightened,
hold this position
then slowly
release back
up until your
arms are back
to the 90 degree
starting position.
----------
1123
08/01/2015 18:23
Country residence in the heart of
Beautiful County Kerry, Ireland
Carrantuohill, the highest peak of the Macgillycuddys Reeks, from the back garden.
Magnificent views overlook the valley, from a very private 3 acre site, surrounded by a
beautifully landscaped garden. Must be viewed to get the full impression.
This luxury mansion, finished with the best quality material, has been built on a solid basement/
garage/ workshop/ studio of 3,500 sq ft. It boasts a large terrace on the south side.
Away from daily hassle, this property offers you romance, cosiness and peace.
Completely furnished, it is ready for you to make it your home as soon as you arrive.
Any questions will be answered in total confidence, with all the information you need
on this beautiful residence.
Offers in the region of 1,150,000 (approx. 920,000). Selling by private treaty.
Location: Google Maps 520244.7N 94311.3W
Kilgobnet / Beaufort / County Kerry
Contact: Henri Kools, the Netherlands. Mob: 0031 6 1831 0692. Email: erling.kools@kpnmail.nl
GT442-WED.indd 124
DV220-ERLING.indd
1
08/01/2015 14:45
12:20
15/10/2014
IMAGE MEGAN TAYLOR
column
[life]
MAKE
A HAPPY
HOME
[2 lovely gays]
[01]
A change is the best
twist on this warm tone with their
way to start the year
colour of the year, copper blush. We
with a happy vibe.
dont wanna say we told you, but we
We love the feeling of clearing

the deck and refreshing our
told you so.

Alternatively, for a real whack in
surroundings with some simple
the face of happy, go for Farrow and
changes to get us read for the
Balls yellowcake. Last year, F&B
New Year. So a declutter is always
proved that they could give fresh
on the cards for us in January and
colour with the best of them with a
a bit of colour therapy. Colour has
new range of brights. Yellow can be
the wonderful ability to change
tricky to get right, but this shade is
your surroundings for a small
perfect for brightening up your life.
amount of cash, for those of us

who need to tighten the strings.
Get playful, splash out that paint
As for us, were in moving house

limbo land, so were gagging to get
the move date and crack open some
and be brave. Dont go for a feature
paint. In the meantime, theres
wall, treat the four walls to colour
another way to keep smiling.
or banish your white ceiling, and
Organic veg boxes, snack boxes,
give the most overlooked part of
underwear boxes, dog boxes.
your room some love. A colourful
Everyone has gone mad for boxes
painted ceiling, be it striped or
of treats arriving at their door to
plain, shows that you like fun and
feed their own personal obsession.
can redefine a space.
Well, if you have a design-shaped
We gave you the heads up last
hole in your life, get involved
year about terracotta as the new
with Designer Box UK. Weve
big colour for interiors and
just received our first pleasing
now Pantone have announced
instalment and its sure to make
their colour of the year for 2015 is
any design freak happy, with a new
marsala. And we arent talking
piece of the best product design
chicken tikka. Marsala is basically
sent as to you every
a new pimped version of terracotta.
month.
Dulux have also given their own

gaytimes.co.uk
125 COLUMN 2LovelyGays.indd 125
[02]
[03]
01 Copper blush by Dulux, dulux.co.uk

02 Yellowcake by Farrow and Ball, farrow-ball.com
03 Designer Box UK, designerbox.com
Dont mind if we do.
1125
08/01/2015 18:28
interiors
[life]
Some interior pieces

should be on display
in a contemporary
art gallery, never
mind in your home.
Heres a private view
of the objects that
blur the line between
furnishings and art
WORDS MARK KING
[01]
[02]
BUT IS IT ART?
[04]
[05]
[07]
[06]
126
126-127 LIFE Home.indd 126
gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 18:30
[home]
home
home]
01
The geometric
Three graphic trays that

can be combined in
countless ways. Practical
but glue them together
as a wall-piece. Kaleido
tray by Hay, set of three,
89, madeindesign.co.uk
----------
[03]
02
The contemporary
throne
The elaborate result of a

competition to design a
chair for the Crown Prince
of Denmark. Prince chair
by Hay, 2,130, nest.co.uk
----------
03
The set-piece
Mid-century inspired
retro-sphere chandelier
evoking a magnied
molecular construction.
Atomic suspension by
Delightful, 7,715 Euros,
delightful.eu
----------
04
The jaw-dropper
The item to give a man

who has everything.
A safe to keep it all in
thats as elaborate as
the jewellery it contains.
Baron Gold safe by
Boca Do Lobo, POA
bocadolobo.com
----------
05
The typographic
tea towel
Deserves to be framed
and hung in the kitchen
rather than used to dry
plates. My Type of Tea
Towel: Nathan Barley
Type Reg by Dorothy, 12,
wearedorothy.com
----------
06
The drunken
decanter
[08]
Decanter with three

resting angles depending
on whether a magnum or
a bottle is decanted or to
indicate a rell is required.
13 60 104 by Rokos,
449, rokos.co.uk
----------
07
The culture clash
Traditional crocheted
cotton placemat of retro
video game screens.
Dont use them, frame
them. Game Not Over
table mats by Seletti, $25
each, selettinorthamerica.
com
----------
08
The twisted
classic
[09]
Classic Royal Delft china

vase being blown and
blurred by the breeze.
Witty, sculptural and, yes,
it still holds owers. Blow
Away vase by Moooi,
672, madeindesign.co.uk
----------
09
The S&M stool
Barstool thats been

given a fetishistic,
padded makeover.
Resistance tested to over
50,000 abrasive rubs
apparently. Monster
barstool by Moooi, 1,112,
occa-home.co.uk
----------
gaytimes.co.uk
126-127 LIFE Home.indd 127
LETS
GET BRUTAL
Art to some, eyesore to others, brutal
architecture has had a bashing over the
past few years literally. Many visionary
examples have met with the wrecking
ball and are gone forever. Thankfully,
Dorothy are here to cheer us up with a
series of prints depicting the classics
through illustrator Stephen Millerships
celebratory eyes. Unfortunately, some of
his subjects, like the Birmingham Central
Library, are still facing demolition.
Heartbreaking for those who love hard
lines and harder concrete.
Lost Destinations, ve colour litho prints, 35, wearedorothy.com
1127
08/01/2015 18:30
what diet?
[life]
If youre anything like me, over the Christmas

break you probably bought lots of raisins,
currants, pretty much anything that resembles
dead flies all with the good intentions of
making lots of mince pies and maybe even a
Christmas cake. Life/Christmas parties got
in the way and it all stayed in the cupboard,
so instead of leaving it there until next year, a
nice way of using it all up is this simple recipe
for Eccles cakes, a Lancashire classic that only
takes minutes to put together.
D
D
E BER
KIM
W
BOY S
E
H
E
IS T BAK
HO
currants and spices and mix

Eccles Cakes
Makes ten
until fully cooled. Once ready to

bake, remove the pastry from the
Pastry
600g shop bought puff
pastry sheets
1 large egg white
Caster sugar
fridge and unroll, cutting out ten
----------
Preheat the oven to 200C (180C

fan) and line a baking tray with
parchment paper. To make the
filling, place the butter and sugar
into a small saucepan and cook
128-129 LIFE Ed&Gastro.indd 128
together until combined. Set aside
----------
Filling
60g unsalted butter
125g light brown sugar
Zest of 1 large orange
175g currants
1 mixed spice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
is melted and the mixture is evenly

combined. Add the orange zest,
----------
128
over medium heat until the butter
10cm discs. Place a large teaspoon

of the filling in the centre of each
round of pastry, and fold the edges
over the filling, sealing the pastry
together to lock in the filling. Place
the cakes, seam side down on the
baking tray, and use a thin sharp
knife to cut three small holes on
the top of each small cake. Brush
the cakes with the egg white and
sprinkle generously with caster
sugar. Bake in the preheated oven
for about 20-25 minutes or until
golden brown. Allow to cool fully
before serving.
Author of The Boy Who Bakes, Say It With
Cake and Patisserie Made Simple,
@theboywhobakes
gaytimes.co.uk
09/01/2015 10:19
[food]
Dry January? Its a thing,

apparently. But if youre going to
be completely sober throughout
the most tedious month of the year,
youre going to want your first drink
on 1 February to be something
special. Enter Ron Zacapas Reserva
Limitada rum. Straight from the rain
forests of Guatemala, this rum is
infused with more than 20 different
herbs to create a complex flavour
with notes of melted caramel, vanilla
and cinnamon. Worth waiting out
the month for.
Available at Gerrys Wines and Spirits and The Whisky Exchange,
gerrys.uk.com, thewhiskyexchange.com, 82 for 70cl
gaytimes.co.uk
128-129 LIFE Ed&Gastro.indd 129
Carbonnade de Boeuf
---------400-500g beef (chuck, shin or
brisket, venison is also great)
125g pancetta or bacon lardons
2 tbsp our, seasoned well
2 onions, skinned and halved
4 cloves of garlic,
skinned and bruised
2 bay leaves
A bottle of rich, dark Belgian or
English ale (500ml or so)
500ml beef stock (or vegetable)
2 tbsp strong mustard
1 tsp Allspice (optional)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Frozen peas or a tin of butter
beans
Fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme,
dried is ne)
Potatoes, polenta or pasta
to serve
---------One of the best meals weve ever
shared was in a tiny, unassuming
bistro called Le Petit Boxeur, hidden
down a side street in Brussels:
which we affectionately call our
Paris. The Belgian capital has all
the charm and romanticism of its
French counterpart, but is a little
more undiscovered, less touristy and
easier to navigate.
Traditional French bistro food is
homely and comforting, and comfort
food makes us extremely happy.
Bistro-style dishes can be romantic
but still casual, so its the perfect food
to make someone you love happy.
This recipe is adapted from one of the
signature dishes at that restaurant,
Carbonnade de Boeuf; rich, slowcooked, meltingly tender beef braised
in beer and stock.
This is simple to recreate at home,
and when served with buttery mash

or rich polenta youve ofcially
reached food heaven, well done, and
with such minimal work! You should
celebrate that achievement with a
large glass of red wine
Could serve four, but try getting
past a greedy two rst.
This isnt a long process, but it
takes a little time in small stages. But
if youve ever had a chewy, tough,
watery stew, youll gladly give this
all the time it requires. Firstly, coat
your meat chunks in the seasoned
our while a pan, with a little oil in it,
is heating up to medium-high. Then,
dust off and brown the meat on all
sides before removing to a bowl.
In a large, heavy-based pan, cook
the lardons on medium-to-low for a
good ten minutes as they release
their fat and crisp, then add the
garlic and onion, followed by the
herbs, spices and bay leaves. Then
reintroduce the meat, pour in the
stock and beer along with the
mustard and Worcestershire and
bring to a boil.
Heat off, and clamp a lid on, then
pop into a pre-heated oven at 140C
and cook for three to four hours
until the meat is so tender, it can be
broken up effortlessly w ith a spoon.
Remove from the oven and put back
on the stove on a high heat. Chuck
in the beans or peas and cook for
the last 10 minutes while the sauce
reduces.
Serve with your choice of
comforting carb. Happiness on a
plate.
Gastro Gays are Patrick Hanlon and
Russell Alford. For more visit
gastrogays.com, @gastrogays
1129
09/01/2015 10:18
modern family
[02/15]
KIDS BEHIND
THE WORLD
----------
Would kids create a

world made out of
candy? Would puppies
rule the world, and
would every day be a
weekend? Toca Bocas
latest children app
Toca Nature seeks
to answer those very
questions, albeit a little
less dreamlike. Kids will
be able to sculpt their
own virtual world with
lakes and mountains,
and populate them
with plants, bears
and rabbits. Children
stuck with a road as
their playground or
a parking lot as their
backyard can now
create their own little
utopia. Hopefully they
dont start thinking too
abstract; we dont really
want a real-life version
of Jurassic Park.
tocaboca.com. 1.99
130
130-131 LIFE ModernFamily.indd 130
gaytimes.co.uk
09/01/2015 10:20
[life]
ROB & SHAUN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

Whod have thought
that on Christmas
Day, wed both have
the same idea of proposing to
each other? But thats just what
happened, and now were married
and looking towards the future.
Shaun and I met on Plenty of
Fish in February 2013, and spent
more than a month just talking to
each other. After a while, we both
took the plunge and arranged to
meet in Lincoln and that was it.
We both fell in love.
Its strange; we both have
different interests and views,
but somehow it all works out
amazingly. Shaun already knew
that I had two children from a
previous marriage and he has
always been fine with this.
At last years Christmas, I decided
to find out Shauns ring size to ask
him to marry me.
But the surprise was on me when
he turned up on Christmas Day
with a ring for me as well! We both
said yes and began planning our
wedding.
gaytimes.co.uk
130-131 LIFE ModernFamily.indd 131
We tied the knot at the Earl of

Doncaster Hotel on 25 October,
2014. My daughter was my
bridesmaid and Shauns sister was
his, while his brother was his best
man and my son was mine.
Embarrassingly, as I walked
down the aisle to Whitney
Houstons I Look To You with
my daughter by my side, my
emotions got the better of me
and I became a right mess. But
as soon as Shaun came to me,
everything felt so amazing and so
right. Then it was off to Egypt for
our honeymoon!
Our future plans now involve
trying to get a mortgage and
having a child of our own, hopefully
fathered by Shaun. Trying to find a
surrogate is proving difficult but
Im optimistic and truly believe that
itll happen, Im sure.
If we cant have our own child,
well adopt and well give them all
the love we can give.
I never thought Id find
my happily ever after,
but somehow I did. n
Slimming the Puppies Its not only us owners

who put on a little extra padding during the
festive season. Tribals got a new Coconut,
Banana and Peanut Butter dog treat to help
keep our furry little pets fit and less like a
waddling ball of fur. n tribalpetfoods.co.uk, 2.99
petpodz
Getting a dog isnt

for the faint-hearted.
Not only is choosing
breeds difficult,
but they also tend
to have trouble
adjusting to home
life. With that comes
ruined furniture,
sleepless nights
and cleaning up
after nervous leaks.
PetzPodz solves
that by mimicking
a wolfs den to help
ease your new best
friend into domestic
life. Designed
to reduce stress
and maximise
comfort, its safe to

say that your dog
might be getting
a better nights
sleep than yourself.
We wish we had
something like this
for ourselves
PetzPodz.com, from
169.99 n
1131
09/01/2015 10:20
LOOKING AT
SAN FRANCISCO
WORDS LUKE SMITH
132
132-135 TRAVEL Main.indd 132
gaytimes.co.uk
09/01/2015 10:21
[travel]
an Francisco is one of
those iconic American
cities made famous and
familiar to millions by
pop culture. Tales from the City,
Armistead Maupins enduring
chronicles of the place and its
characters; Bullit and its legendary
car chase throughout the undulating
roads; hell, even a surprising
number of episodes of Murder, She
Wrote locate themselves in the Bay
Area. So when you first arrive, as
with New York, you really feel as
though you already know the place.
HBOs superb Looking, however,
presents the city in a different way
to its forbearers, with San Francisco
as a living, breathing character and
not merely a backdrop or a study
in nostalgia. So given the chance to
explore the place from the point of
view of central characters Patrick
[Jonathan Groff], Agustn [Frankie J
Alvarez] and Dom [Murray Bartlett]
to mark the release of Looking
series one on Blu-ray and DVD, who
were we to decline? Sure, this was a
trip that didnt take in Alcatraz, that
didnt dwell on Ghirardellis famous
chocolates and that certainly didnt
focus on the more anodyne shopping
Meccas like Union Square or tourist
traps like Fishermans Wharf,
offering instead a far more personal
insight into what must surely be
the west coasts if not Americas
friendliest city.
----------
Looking for food and drink San

Francisco is widely known as
perhaps the culinary centre of the
USA. Dom, trying to get in on a bit of
that in Looking, sets his sites low by
essentially attempting to introduce
Nandos through the medium of
the pop-up restaurant. The Naked
Kitchen a rather classier pop-up
affair instead showcases talented
local chefs through flawless multicourse celebrations in beautiful
private homes in the Mission District
area of the city. If down and dirty
burritos are more your thing,
followed by incredible margaritas,
gaytimes.co.uk
1133
09/01/2015 10:21
san francisco
[02/15]
134
SAN FRANCISCO USA

POPULATION 837,442
SIZE 46.87 SQUARE MILES
TIME ZONE (UTC-8)
GAY LEGAL
gaytimes.co.uk
09/01/2015 10:22
[travel]
then start at Pancho Villa, also in
the Mission. But if formal lunches
in the shadow of the Golden Gate
Bridge are up your street, then the
former military enclave at Cavallo
Point Lodge will also do you proud.
While Looking underlines the
horrors of trying to find a decent
man amen San Francisco at
large reminds you its hard to go
hungry in this town.
----------
Looking for Castro Everyone

should know the importance of the
Castro District the place where
Harvey Milk began a crusade that
would transform him from guy who
owned a camera shop to a true icon
of gay history. The area, and gay
ABOVE THE F LINE

STREETCAR TO THE CASTRO
BELOW VIEWS OVER
DELORES PARK
----------
Looking for more Even if the

regular tourist traps hold no
interest, and you just want to
hang out and feel as though you
belong in San Francisco, there is
still a huge amount to see and do.
Dolores Park the site of Doms
40th birthday party in Looking is
featured in the series as it really
is the meeting point and melting
pot for locals. With incredible
views across the city and the
smell of freely smoked weed
It serves to
underline that
Looking is as
much about the
city as it is the
drama
culture in general, owes a huge
debt to this great man, so its fitting
that Castro Street itself regularly
crops up in Looking, with the Castro
District in general also breaking
up some of the angst with some
incredible parties. At The Midnight
Sun we met the inimitable Honey
Mahogany drag artist, chanteuse
and mixer of the most lethal
half pint shots in the northern
hemisphere. She also crops up in
Looking, which serves to underline
that the show is as much about the
city and its residents as it is scripted
drama. The Stud, buried deeper in
the Mission District, offers a more
ready charm to the Midnight Suns
polish but you dont need me to
point out that whatever youre after,
gaytimes.co.uk
San Franciscos gay scene has it all

and welcomes all. Hell, we even
found a bar that only played singalong Disney tunes. Until 3am. On a
Monday.
heavy in the air, its a must-sit

kind of place but buy a brownie
at your own risk! The Academy
Of Sciences in Golden Gate
Park is a breathtaking diversion
thanks to its living roof, a resident
albino alligator and an incredible
planetarium show. Or go a little
further afield and pretend that
you too are about to snog Russell
Tovey aboard the USS Hornet
Museum. If that floats your boat.
With thanks to Visit California
visitcalifornia.com
The Naked Kitchen nakedkitchensf.com
Pancho Villa Taqueria sfpanchovilla.com
Cavallo Point Lodge cavallopoint.com
Midnight Sun midnightsunsf.com
The Stud thestudsf.com
California Academy Of Sciences
calacademy.org
USS Hornet Museum uss-hornet.org
1135
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WINTER
SALE
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ENDS 2 ND FEBRUARY
WWW.PROWLER.CO.UK
SOHO 5-7 Brewer Street, Soho, London, W1F 0RF, 020 7734 4031
BRIGHTON 112-113 St Jamess Street, Brighton, BN2 1TH, 01273 683 680
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HOLIDAYS
HOLIDAYS
To advertise in this section contact Jo Vasconcelos Tel 020 7424 7451 E-mail jo@gaytimes.co.uk
Deadline for next issue 27 January
CL ASSIFIED FEATURE
FOR SALE: 250 YEAR-OLD SPANISH PROPERTY

CONVERTED TO APART-HOTEL WITH 6 VERY LARGE APARTMENTS PLUS DETACHED BUNGALOW BUILT MAY 14
Total build 1073 m2 (approximately 10,400 ft2). Total land 3000 m2
(approximately 3/4 acre)
With a gross yield of between 280,000 to 360,000) expected within
approximately 3 years. An excellent business opportunity and investment
property.
This charming 250 year old property with spectacular mountain views,
nestled within a tranquil setting is steeped in history, full of character with
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Ideal for a gay holiday complex

Six apartments totalling 42 rooms, including 12 en-suites, sleeps 32
persons plus 2-bedroom detached owners bungalow. The complex has a
3.5 metre wall surrounding the patio, communal 12x4m swimming pool and
large terracing affording complete privacy. The property is on level ground
and has direct road access.
Each apartment has been completed to a high standard, all newly
rewired, satellite TV, WIFI with private terraces. Two apartments have oil-fired
central heating. Low maintenance gardens, minigolf course and boules
pitch. The sale includes all furnishings and white goods.
Ideally suited for other potential sources of income e.g. pool bar, longer
term letting, options for the corporate sector, team building weeks etc.
Situated a few minutes drive from the town of Velez Rubio, the property is
within 5 minutes of the motorway and has easy access to Costa Blanca and
Costa Almeria beaches.
Local amenities includeschools, banks, shops, supermarkets, a large
modern medical centre, numerous bars and restaurants, gymnasium/health
club and weekly local market.
Within the local area are historic buildings, caves, aquapark, and the
Baza Lakes. The village of Maria, the Sierra Mara-Los Velz Natural Park
conservation area, and the historic town of Velez Blanco with its impressive
castle are close by.
Puerto Lumbreras is a 15 minute drive, the large town of Lorca or the Costa
Blanca resort of Aguilas are within 35 minutes. Great days out to Granada,
where you can explore the Alhambra, a multitude of historic buildings and
museums or visit the ancient hill-top town of Mojacar.
Airports: Alicante 1hr 40mins, Almeria 1hr 15mins, Murcia 1hr.
Recent valuation 680,000. SALE PRICE 535,000
Owners prepared to delay completion if necessary and initiate two top-end
promotional websites to new owners specification.
Visit website for full information and photos or contact direct.
www.almeriapropertyforsale.com
Email: tonsta7@outlook.com
Tel: Spain (+34) 950 068 069
Tel (mobile): Spain (+34) 659 414 700
gaytimes.co.uk
GT442-HOLIDAYS.indd 139
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08/01/2015 16:57
Amsterdam / Netherlands
Greece
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140
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09/01/2015 16:41
HOLIDAYS
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The Glen now boasts a beautiful Penthouse. Stay in the

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3 THE GLEN, SEA POINT, CAPE TOWN SOUTH AFRICA

T. +27 (0)21 439 0086 E. INFO@GLENHOTEL.CO.ZA
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1141
08/01/2015 16:57
Brighton
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Newly converted top spec

barn/coachhouse. 1 double
bedroom, shower/WC, living
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S. Downs nearby and miles
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25 mins to Brighton, 20 mins
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Well-behaved pets welcome.
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www.showpony.com/coachhouse
142
Highlands
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gaytimes.co.uk
08/01/2015 16:57
HOLIDAYS
GT AD 71 x 109mm Landscape_Layout 1 05/01/2015 17:34 Page 1
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gaytimes.co.uk
1143
08/01/2015 16:57
A TO Z
Deadline for next issue 27 January
CL ASSIFIED FEATURE
BROADOAKS COUNTRY HOUSE

THE PERFECT VENUE FOR WEDDINGS & CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS
Your wedding day should be perfect, Broadoaks
Country House is the ideal fairy-tale venue to host
your special day. Steeped in history, beautiful to
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special wedding venue, which has been named one
of the most romantic hotels in the UK by the AA. The
secluded gardens, the magical beck that runs through
our grounds and the Lake District scenery provide the
perfect backdrop for romantic photographs.
And guess what? We are gay-owned. So you wont
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At Broadoaks one of the most beautiful venues in
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friend doesnt feel left out!
Hire our entire hotel and all 16 rooms plus food and
drink from only 2,995
If you are already married, or simply fancy a romantic
break away then we would also love to meet you .
Please contact Viki or Little Jo on
events@broadoakscountryhouse.co.uk
or call 01539 445 566 to make an appointment for us
to show you around.
NE
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Bridge Lane, Troutbeck, Windermere,
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www.broadoakscountryhouse.co.uk/civil-partnerships/
144
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08/01/2015 17:01
A TO Z
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1145
08/01/2015 17:01
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BOX REPLIES
Send each reply in a blank envelope and write the Box Number of the
ad you are replying to IN in the top right-hand corner. Place this envelope
in a larger one addressed to Gay Times, Millivres Prowler Ltd, Unit M,
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together with two loose rst-class stamps.
You may reply to more than one box number at a time in the larger envelope,
but each reply must be accompanied by two rst-class stamps, or international
reply coupons if you live overseas, one per issue. Replies to Box Numbers
will only be forwarded for two issues inclusive of the current issue on sale. All
Mens Personal advertisements are published on the understanding that they
are placed by and aimed at men aged 16 or over. 16 is now the legal age of
consent for homosexual activity, providing it is consensual and in private.
(Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000).
The Editors reserve the right to refuse or amend any advertisement
without giving a reason. No advert intending or appearing to intend to
solicit for sexual purposes will be accepted.
Cameron
07921 495 527
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seeks gay, young (18-30), slim, well-endowed

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Box no GT 129675
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gaytimes magazine number 442 February 2015

FEBRUARY 2015 UK 4.30

001 GT COVER MAIN.indd 1

free shipping worldwide

Editor DARREN SCOTT

Thanks to KELLY APPLEGATE (Paradigm Agency),

Gay Times magazine was founded in 1984

2015 GAY TIMES All rights reserved ISSN: 0950-6101

76 Red for lth

109 Readers Lives

At last! Proper gays-on-thetelly-drama. It feels like

132 Looking: San Francisco

fitty at the front

WORDS UMAR SARWAR IMAGES MATT CROCKETT

006-008 FIRST Fitty.indd 6

006-008 FIRST Fitty.indd 7

fitty at the front

like Kim Kardashian with a sex

006-008 FIRST Fitty.indd 8

makes you move

10-11 FIRST Speed Mix.indd 10

calvin for armani

10-11 FIRST Speed Mix.indd 11

012 FIRST Visage.indd 12

SURPRISE! Well, not really if you

Fifth Harmony are a reality girl

014-15 FIRST Fifth Harmony.indd 14

online hysteria and fan devotion.

As well as their sibling-like bonds,

014-15 FIRST Fifth Harmony.indd 15

WORDS BOB HENDERSON

The one thing we didnt tell you

audibly excited to get talking about.

Its about that time

016 FIRST Mikey Walsh.indd 16

and way of living that were all

Dont worry about it. Who cares

this just in...

018-19 FIRST Mix.indd 18

Some of the greatest comedians are celebrated in a new

018-19 FIRST Mix.indd 19

GT chats with teen sitcom

Hello Tyger! Tell us about Death in

020 FIRST Tyger.indd 20

matted character. Id actually love to

WORDS BENJAMIN BUTTERWORTH

What was the reaction like to your

TRY 3 ISSUES FOR JUST 7.99 OR 13 ISSUES FOR 34.60

SUBS PAGE 2015 442 1p.indd 2

Hollyoaks exclusive! Hollyoaks Ste, played by Kieron Richardson,

022 FIRST Hollyoaks.indd 22

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

Extremely well-crafted tunes

A steamy, saucy and at

FROM 25 FEB 2015

Book today: www.abovethestag.com

Michelle Gomez was

WORDS DARREN SCOTT

024-25 FIRST Sweetie.indd 24

Youre promoting series eight

024-25 FIRST Sweetie.indd 25

with fresh eyes and occasionally

Not croissants? Such a diva

Im perfect physically from the